My first bachlorette party

I was really lucky to be able to attend my friend Martina's bachelorette party in Stockholm last Saturday. Since bachelor(ette) parties don't really exist in Chinese culture, I could only learn about it from the movies. It seemed to me a day for the bride/groom-to-be to enjoy "freedom" as if they'll lose it so miserably after marriage.

Our day started with meeting up at 9am in the house of Martina's friend Helena to prepare for the brunch together. (Meanwhile, 3 other girls went to "kidnap" Martina from her apartment under funny animal masks as a surprise.) Helena's house was very cute and delicately decorated. The dining area was dressed up: beautiful pink flowers in a vase on the table, pink petals on each plate. I was chatting with Martina's teenage girl friends to warm up for the day: make new friends and get ready to practice my Swedish listening skills. I also started the day with a glass of champagne which immediately made me tipsy.

Martina came in super random clothes. She was asked to guess who everyone of us were being blind-folded. The most difficult, of course, was to recognize me through touching my hair, hands, face and the smell. I was glad to surprise her in a nice way.

Once Martina finished her brunch, the girl we invited started to do her manicure and pedicure. And her friends started to ask her questions about her love relationship and her future husband. I can feel the thoughts her girlfriends put into organizing this day of events. I can also feel the celebration of love.

Then we made Martina dressed up like "Matrix" - shiny plastic black tops, pants and a tight red jacket. Part of the tradition of such a party is to embarass the bride-to-be. We headed out to a studio for pole dancing. She was once again nicely surprised because she could move her body in such a sexy way that we applaused and cheered for her many times. All of us, being sexy or graceful or simply like a little boy climbing up and down the poles, enjoyed a quick one-hour in our own ways.

Pole dancing practice was followed by champagne drinking in a nice hotel over looking the city. The last highlight of the day was the gift giving part after dinner. Each friend of hers gave a gift symbolizing their friendship thus she had to guess who gave the gift. Apparently she was one of those cool teenage girls with a beeper, smoking cigarettes with her friends and drinking wisky with her cousin.

Great to experience such a sweet day of bachelorette party. More importantly, great to know more about Martina!

A beautiful paradox

Can Tibetan buddhists run a profitable retreat centre?

I am having an interesting time staying on a beautiful archipalego which is the Tibetan buddhism retreat centre where Aron is helping out. It is a lovely small island with great nature, a few little cute houses and good meditation facilities. However, it is struggling with few business deals right now due to recession, etc.

I can't help but wonder if being a hard core buddhist goes along with running a profitable retreat centre and where is the balance really. As a rational business woman, it is not too difficult to consider being financially sustainable is the foundation of spreading buddhism. However, if we identify the bottomline as being financially sound, will we be able to achieve the result of spreading buddhism? What customer will we attract? What program will we provide? It is obvious that things won't work out on the contrary either.

So how to achieve the appropriate balance? Is this also a challenge to social enterprises today? If it is a hugely profitable business, then how much shall we invest back in community development to ensure the sustainability of the business itself? Then our focus is on improving the community or sustaining the business thought these two seem to form a positive viscious cycle already.

I guess the real answer comes from practices - continuously failing, learning and improving

Where would I like to live?

This is the question from the language test I took today (in order to qualify for my company's transfer program). Though the question was to test my grammar, logic, vocabulary and fluency, it took me at least 1 min before I could come up with an answer. For people who know me well, 1 min is probably the longest time period I can take to think before I open my mouth. So I decide to think more about this question and write a blog entry. =)

The answer I had then was China considering I have lived in 3 countries and visited 29. Come to think more of it now, more accurately it should be Beijing, despite the fact that I am a born & brought-up Shanghainese.

First of all, guaranteed that I want to live in China now because I want to create a big social impact and there is nowhere else more relevant. Meanwhile, regardless how much I love Europe and feel fascinated each time going back here (in Stockholm now), I would like to live somewhere with a bit more chaos and challenges in daily life right now.

Why Beijing particularly? My 3 month project in Beijing has confirmed my love for the city. Of course, biz trips make living in a city easier than it should be. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to meet my old AIESEC friends who compose such a diverse group: entrepreneurs, NGO workers, foreign expats, Chinese who lived overseas, students, artists, etc.

Beijing also strikes me with how much it can offer: listened to Carmen in the National Grand Theatre and I couldn't imagine Carmen to be anyone other than the actress; watched 2 plays of a famous director in a small theatre - one echoed with my all time courage for love and career choices, the other amused me with their insightful jokes on social issues in China; had a few drinks on the roof-top terrace of a small design boutique hotel called "The Emperor" where you get stunned by view of the forbidden city; walked around the forbidden city area including its gardens, parks and lakes where I encountered old groups doing a choir or playing table tennis outdoor; had a delicious late night supper of Sichuanese food (spicy frogs and crayfish) with my Korean colleagues in a small shady restaurant on the street full of red lanterns after a couple of drinks...

So after all, it wasn't too difficult to come up with an answer. What's left is to go for what I really want: the city, the career and the life!

Proud of my hippy friends!

I came to feel lucky than ever because of the friends I have made through all these years in AIESEC. They are truly extraordinary and worldly people who I respect and want to learn from very much.

Minji (who I got to know due to her business trip to Beijing in 2003 during her internship with DHL HK) recently made a trip to Cambodia with a friend of hers. Prior to their departure, they made a huge effort to ask for donations from their friends to bring them to the kids in Cambodia. This Saturday they are organizing an experience sharing night with all their friends after the trip. I have travelled to many places. I have also committed to good courses. Combining these two is really a smart innovation.

In coincidence to that, I received a wedding invitation today from another 2 friends who are a true AIESEC couple: Rohit Sathe and Carol Yeo. They suggested to all their friends that instead of buying them a gift, we can make a donation to under-priviliged kids' education. How cool is that?! When most Chinese take wedding ceremony as a way to earn money...

I am keen to see what new ideas will pop out from them next. Pround and feeling lucky!

Feel for India!

This is one of those days that I hate to watch BBC but still keen to know what's going on.

India is a country that I have visited 3 times and spent altogether 7 weeks. I am absolutely fascinated by its rich culture and rich diversity. Though I read a lot and a lot about India, even wrote my graduation thesis about its economic development. Yet, I am afraid that I don't understand her enough when terrorist attacks stroke.

It is heart-broken for me to see that it is punished for its diversity and freedom. I really want to understand WHY?! Though I am sure that Indians stand up quickly from such incidents because they need to continue with life. I love their spirits and I really hope for peace to be with such an amazing country.