Friday, 19 December 2008

• A change in the weather

  Last week I got a chance to fly up to the Pacific Northwest to attend their 3rd Annual Leadership Summit. They had asked me to be their keynote speaker, and at first I was hesitant to do so, especially with Tet and UVSA and everything else going on in my life. But then I figured, hey, why not? Time to seize the day, carpe diem and all. Opportunities like this don't come very often, and since the trip would be covered by my Eboard travel stipend, then what would I have to lose?

  

  Thankfully, my presentation went pretty well.  I was fighting off a lingering cold, I didn't get a chance to prepare as much as I would have liked, and I know I left out a lot of ideas that I had hoped to capture, but in the end, it all worked out. I based my speech off the theme of their summit "The Building Blocks of Effective Leadership", which to me, could be summed up in two major points. Before you are able to lead others, you have to 1) Know your history, and 2) Know your self.

  The first block dealt with knowing where you come from, and having a deeper knowledge and appreciation of our Vietnamese historical and cultural roots. After that, you then had to know your self, your individual traits, skills, tendencies, leadership styles, as well as shortcomings. And of course I threw in several mantras that have inspired me throughout the years, most of which have been featured in this blog from time to time. Afterwards, I had several people come up to me and compliment me on a job well done, which of course, made it very fulfilling, and well worth it.

  The rest of the summit went quite well. Granted, they kept things pretty simple, but considering this was just their third time, it was good to do so. The energy was lively and upbeat, and many people made an effort to connect with each other and share ideas and experiences. They did have their own rendition of the "Love Box", however, and having personally experienced it originally down here, let's just say it was... different.

  One of my best memories of the summit was their Cultural Workshop, which was very engaging and discussion-oriented. Rather than teach us what Vietnamese culture was all about, the facilitators presented us with various ideas and customs that we all experience in daily life, and had us share our own stories and accounts.

  Overall, it was a fun and memorable experience, and I'm confident that their region will continue to develop and strengthen in the coming years. Great job Pacific Northwest!

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  Afterwards, I had to make the snowy trek back up to Seattle to fly home, but was first able to play tourist for the day.

  

  This trip definitely made me miss snow. I love cold weather (mostly cuz I don't have to deal with it everyday), and playing in the snow during the holidays is one of life's great simple joys. Driving while it is snowing is simply beautiful, and the landscape of the region enhanced that splendor. My hostesses first took me to Alki beach to see the view of the Seattle skyline from behind the city. We drove along the boardwalk, admiring the waterfront homes, the breathtaking bay, and fittingly parked alongside California Way.

  Next we went to the Seattle Center, cultural hub of the city, home of many museums, concert halls, and of course, the famous Space Needle. We didn't have time to travel to the top, but did the next best thing: look through photo books that gave us a free aerial view of the illustrious city. We then explored inside the convention center, home of Seattle's very own Tet Festival, and I got to imagine how the Vietnamese community up there celebrates their Lunar New Year.

  Afterwards, we strolled over to Pike Place, a huge flea market full of unique and colorful street vendors, selling their wares and services. Kinda like 3rd Street Promenade, but more urban, less corporate. We didn't see anyone order fish though, so no salmon or bass being thrown around. We listened to one street performer who was playing Christmas carols with a violin bow... and a saw. Quite melodic actually.

  Then they took me to the very first Starbucks in the nation, and even though I don't drink coffee, even I wanted to go in and taste what it was like. But alas, the store was filled to the brim, with many customers awaiting their orders outside in the cold. So instead we capped off the day with a meal in a nearby, more familiar part of town, Seattle's own Little Saigon. It felt so refreshing to eat Vietnamese food once again, and their com thit nem nuong was delightful and quite filling.

  All in all, I had the most wonderful time in Seattle, and the best part was, I didn't have to dream of a white Christmas. I got to experience one firsthand =D

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