Dear Melissa,

Back from Beijing! What an adventure, while I love the price of frequent flyer miles and that they afforded me the front of the plane, it was a rather round-a-bout route. Atlanta to Vancouver to Seoul to Singapore to Beijing. I had an 8 hour layover in Singapore, enough time to discover my bag was still in Vancouver. It did find me in Beijing most fortunately about 4 hours after I got in. Travel Tip: Pack an itinerary of what's in your checked bag in your carry on. It was scary and challenging to try and recall everything with values, places purchased and dates.

Being vegetarian! No I haven't given up red meat, white meat, or pink meat, but in order to avoid packing rations of tuna fish, crackers, and peanut butter, I had some advance notice that the cuisine might not suit my palate. Never much for duck, Peking or otherwise, and not enjoying food that looks back at me, I enjoyed a lot of veggies and European style salad even at breakfast. Travel Tip: Learn about the culinary customs before you head internationally so you are prepared and don't offend a host by declining. You can always be vegetarian or not eat a particular food for faith reasons.

Olympic Fever! They are building like gangbusters. Importing labor from the countryside and housing them in almost cardboard two story 5x8 dorms with bunk beds. Close to the Olympics everyone will be shipped back out the rural areas. Business Tip: If you can make your business international, China has a lot of opportunity!

Travel by design,
Melissa

"In the long run you hit only what you aim at. Therefore, though you should fail immediately, you had better aim at something high."
~ Henry David Thoreau
Essayist and Poet

Scorpions on a Stick

During my recent visit to Beijing I saw some incredible edibles. Chief among these were scorpions literally skewered on a short wooden stick, at least four at a time, clearly not yet grilled as they were still wriggling! Next to the scorpions were seahorses on a stick, starfish on a stick, pupas on a stick (yes, those cocoon things that caterpillars create), and some other unidentifiable (I didn't try too hard) 8 legged creatures all on a stick and all roasted for your dining pleasure. No, I didn't partake, it was a popular marketplace and unfamiliar fare for tourists, but I did consider how many of us eat scorpions in the course of our business and do it with success.

The trick to eating scorpions is to ensure the stinger is out and you know what you are getting into. So in business when we come across a scorpion in terms of a client, a project, or even an employee it is our job to realize their behavior, stinger and all, is likely a fear response and we are in charge. We have to be able to disarm them and then take them on. Scorpions are often those who have had bad experiences elsewhere, they've been burned, and they are extra cautious going forward. When we take the time to prove our professionalism, our ability to deliver on promises made, and address their concerns they lose their fear, give up their sting and we can serve them up.

Lesson learned: Don't run from scorpions in business, learn to disarm them so you can eat them for breakfast!

Chinese Customs to Grow Business and Life

China wasn't on my list of places to visit, at least not the short list. But my life plan includes visiting all manner of countries and cultures to explore their beliefs, experience their customs, and learn from their wisdom. There is always a lot to be gained by being open to new experiences. Networking in China is much more in tune with Bob Littell's now famous Netweaving. They do not hand out business cards unsolicited and in fact when presented the card is passed and taken with both hands and a slight bow. You are honoring the identity and status of the person whose card you are accepting. You are starting to build a relationship. We Americans could learn a lot from this as we operate from a sense of more is better too often. So many times at a networking event the quest is to see who can get the most cards. What does that person win? Rarely can they actually remember everyone they met, something significant about them, and even less often do they get or stay in contact. If we truly sought those that we could serve and would serve us rather than randomly going for the biggest number, we'd get a lot farther.

Zocalo - Atlanta, GA

Friendly neighborhood dive conveniently located in Midtown, enjoy a refreshing margarita, chips and guacamole. Authentic when you include dishes like Molcajete Carmelina prepared on searing hot lava rocks with strips of beef, melted asadero cheese, grilled cactus strips, Serrano peppers and tomatillo sauce or if you want something a little more run of the mill, go for the Enchiladas Verdes with chicken and tomatoes, drizzled with sour cream, rice and refried black beans. Fresh, fast, and averages $10-$15 per person for an entrée. Atmosphere is borderline Tijuana grunge, but go for it!

Zocalo
187 10th St Ne
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 249-7576
www.zocalocreativemex.com

I wasn't going to see this, it seemed way too corny. But what is a gal to do on a 17 hour flight to China! I am a big Cage fan so that part was easy. It was a treat to see Sam Elliott and Peter Fonda back on screen, rare these days. Not your typical satanic fest, actually a bit more fun, campy and hardly spooky at all. I just wish he could get the girl, but get why he can't! In a nutshell, Cage sells his soul to save his Father when he is a young boy, the trade off is he has to morph into Ghost Rider nightly for the rest of his life, fighting the demons of darkness. Oh admit it, with nothing else to watch, you'd go for it too!

July 2007

This month finds us feeling a little reckless and rebellion sets in as Mars in Aries keeps the energy flowing and Venus heats up passions. The New Moon in Cancer on the 14th invites us to reflect on our current level of sustenance. Are we taking good care of our body? Are we conscious of our thoughts, our feelings, our desires? Are we happy with our environment? If you feel it is time to set up a whole new environment for yourself, this is the month to do it. Cancer is the natural ruler of the 4th house - the home! Fill your rooms with tranquil colors such as white, silver, periwinkle and pearl and see the calm set in. Have a GREAT Month!