Moore Quality: The Life and Times of a Retread Student

Justifiable Jitters

2009-06-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's the first day at work, so the day requires a suit and tie. First impressions are important, making a good one counts.

Getting up at 6am and leaving at 7 am, the short walk to the neighborhood metro station is pleasant. Clearly the proverbial calm before the storm; the ride is not pleasant.

Have you seen that commercial where the little boy imagines cheezits are made by smashing a meteor size piece of cheddar into one little cracker dropped from an airplane? That's the feeling riding in the Shanghai metro during rush hour. Real tight. With brief cases, backpacks, babies, and luggage, the space separating you from the next guy is microscopic. Over a million people ride the Shanghai metro from 7 -10 am, and it feels like all of them are on THIS CAR.

In China, the expectation is to be first. this carries into many different aspects of the culture (more to come in a future blog on taxis). Sidestepping, cutting in line,and flat out bogarting your way through is not only allowed but necessary and expected. It's no surprise to see someone within a breath of the subway doors when they open regardless of the time of day.

In basketball terms this is called 'establishing position' or in coach speak 'beating him/her to the spot' and it seems the Chinese people are coached by Phil Jackson in executing this play. I have been 'beat to the spot' at grocery stores, restaurants, and well, basketball since I've been here.

when you are this close to someone there is an instant intimacy. Normally, you are only this close with people you really care about or love, familiars that you share your secrets and fears. Your partner is now a stranger, a foreigner, a farmer, or a beggar all crushing your personal space with their own force of personality and The only way to find balance is through distraction. So there is a preponderance of electronic devices on the ride. headphones connected to phones, ipods, and PSPs playing music, games, and even movies. Traditionalists attempt to read a newspaper, but it is only an act, the squeeze allows for little movement, much less page folding or turning. Never the less, the illusory turns are taken, providing the necessary respite for the commute.

At each stop, rinse and repeat. No one gets off, more people push in. The noose is tightened with each slide of the two hours, three transfers, and over 20 stops later, the Jing 'An Temple station arrives. Another short 10 minute walk to the office provides a short respite from the claustrophobic car but the humidity hits like a hammer, condensing all the body heat (and odor) that was vacuumed sealed during the two hour canning process in the subway.

Some of you might remember the Nickelodeon show "You Can't Do That on Television". It was a sort of SNL but with kids, and whenever a cast member said "I don't know" a bucket of slime would cover them. The show didn't last long but the tradition of 'sliming' on Nick did. Entering the office doors and walking up to the reception desk, it was as if someone said those magic words and a wash of the morning's adventure materialized.

I walked in to the scene when my boss asked me to meet the new intern and fill out paperwork. My first day was easy, short 10 minute taxi ride to the office doors, fresh pressed and feeling good. I walked in on a scent out of YCDTOT: the new intern completely slimed and filling out orientation papers. I greeted him and immediately felt uncomfortable for him. Of course the conference room was the "cold room" - you know, the one that's always freezing. Unaffected, Hugo sat through that 30 minute orientation with a serenity only seen in pictures of Belizean beaches.

I immediately formed a respect and admiration for Hugo. he told me the story you just read about his metro ride. Twice a day for the next two months Hugo will ride the rail. Four hours a day, five days a week he will spend it riding the metro to and from an unpaid job.

As other interns checked in over the next week, I realized Hugo's story is not unique. Kelvin, Derek and Teresa ride a bus ranging from 30 to 90 minutes. Jessie walks for 40 minutes to a bus ride of 30 minutes.

My first impressions of this intern team: Durable, Persistent, Dedicated. It's going to be a good summer.

The Anti-Globalization Breakfast Club

2009-06-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

As President Obama recently celebrated his first 100 days in office, I also celebrated my first 10 days in China. And it’s not much different than Arkansas (language, size, and halfway around the world aside). My sponsor, the American Chamber of Commerce – Shanghai, hosts a multitude of programs featuring high profile speakers with global impact.

Recently I attended an AmCham program featuring global activist and political columnist Laurence Brahm. I have a passing interest in environmentalism (only due to my wife’s intense interest) but I was completely mesmerized by this man.

Brahm is a corporate lawyer turned international crisis mediator in Southeast Asia (SEA). He also writes a political column for the South China Morning News http://www.laurencebrahm.com/south-china-morning-post/stimulus-on-steroids . Authoring several books on SEA economics and politics, he talked about his most recent book, The Anti-Globalization Breakfast Club. This offering “chronicles the key highlights from his years as the central bank advisor to Asian economies and shares his insights about the policy decisions made by the IMF and the World Bank. Speaking with leading international activists, he also explains reasons behind the often-violent protests associated with the anti-globalization movement at major economic conventions.”

The contrasting tone of the title immediately received my attention. ‘Anti-globalization’ instantly steeps the kettle while ‘Breakfast Club’ adds a couple of sugar cubes to sweeten the pot. Brahm took titling to another level here and uses it to appeal to a wide range of readers, from the vociferous eco-warrior to the tea-sipping humanist. Very clever.

I did some research before the event, to brush up on Brahm's history of advocacy. He has a strong reputation in South East Asia, particularly with the Chinese government. In the 90’s, Brahm consistently advocated for local, grassroots development of corporate law instead of adoption of a US based system in Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, and China. Not only did this save those countries time and money, but also a total invasion of US legal wranglers.

Beijing’s appreciation was expressed through an exclusive opportunity to purchase a precious and rapidly shrinking hutong - walled rows of residences prominently featuring a courtyard - from the Beijing government. Many of these unique and historic architectural buildings were urban renewal candidates, replaced by newer, more modern structures. Brahm and other supporters stepped in to advocate for their preservation. His work raised awareness and slowed the rate of demolition, but Beijing continues to schedule them for demolition.

Brahm's first hutong purchase housed his office and administrative operations, but due to requests for weddings and other events, he purchased and renovated an additional hutong to use as an entertainment facility. The Red Capital Club is one of the world's premiere destinations, featuring historic communist memorabilia long thought lost or destroyed http://www.redcapitalclub.com.cn/
More recently, Brahm has dove into social enterprise, creating documentary films about Tibet: Searching for Shangri-la and Shambhala Sutra. These films chronicle his search for the mystical monastery and subsequent discovery of Shambhala. http://www.shambhalastudios.tv/

Besides showing brief clips of the documentaries during lunch, Brahm didn’t much about preserving architecture or filmmaking. He dove headfirst into outlining an alternate response to the “dark side” of globalization, the Washington Consensus. This failed policy, Brahm accuses, opens the labor market of underdeveloped economies to exploitation by companies from more developed economies. Brahm argued people on the street have to buy into the economic system in order for it to work for them. Without that, the system is vastly less effective.

His brainchild, the Himalaya Consensus, embraces three major tenets. First, throw out the economic theories and models and use pragmatism, not ideology. Secondly, encourage and support cultural and ethnic diversity by drawing on indigenous values as guiding principals of economic development. Lastly, allow each country to develop its own political system, without interference from outside powers.

This resonated with me. I always felt that despite our proselytizing of global democracy, it doesn’t work for everyone. No country should be obligated to adopt it. Heck, we don’t do a great job at it most of the time.

Not to say Brahm’s theory is without issue. An audience member pointed out that indigenous beliefs can often conflict with human rights concerns, particularly gender issues. Brahm acknowledged this, mentioning the opportunity to incrementally bridge social rights with economic growth, which sounded eerily like the ‘invisible hand’ approach that he condemned as “greedy”.

Regardless, Brahm is on to something new and refreshing, breathing a healthy dose of Eastern ‘hope’ and ‘change’ into my first 10 days in Shanghai. If AmCham continues to hit home runs like this, I just need to find a few folks that will say ‘ya’ll’ and ‘yonder’ and I’ll be right at home.

Please also check out Brahm’s recent TV appearance on CNBC where he discusses Himalayan Consensus, and how a new financial order based on grass-roots initiatives needs to emerge. http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1132961024&play=1

Time magazine has a more cynical view of Brahm here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,418623,00.html

Working Wonders

2009-06-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on facebook Monday, June 8, 2009

Besides getting lost, eating food, and blogging about it to ya’ll, I’ve actually done some work. My project only began a week ago, so there hasn’t been a whole lot happening with it. I have done a ton of research, which led me to form a new respect for Boston College. They may have the leading research organization for corporate social responsibility in the world: Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. I may have to talk with a classmate who is a graduate of BC about his familiarity with this center. They have a depth and breadth of empirical data that goes far beyond my experience. I have enjoyed the last four days of reading their incredibly well written reports. What they do lack is real nuts and bolts type documents; some people just want a step by step process and BCCCC has not been great about providing those resources. So I’m in conversation with BC people to try and work with them to create that process.

The US Consulate’s staff in Shanghai gave a briefing on the latest issues affecting China and Shanghai to AmCham members. The staff discussed the recent visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the accompanying delegation to Shanghai. All reports from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s visit to Beijing were positive as well. GM China is a profitable division of General Motors and will not be affected by the issues in the U.S. The U.S. pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai was a hot topic. The pavilion still has to be purchased by the US, but the Consulate’s office reassured the attendees that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton had made personal calls to several CEOs to secure funding.

I attended the third annual Being Globally Responsible Conference at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). The two day conference is a student led effort to raise awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility among MBA students and expand their knowledge of how CSR is embraced by corporations. Over 20 MBA programs from across China and the world attended the conference. The conference features speakers from within the industry, government organizations and international NGOs, most notably author John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hitman) and Grameen bank co-founder Dipal Barua. My host presented at the workshop and invited me to attend. I appreciated the sincere interest and passion of these business students. The theme of ‘profitable responsibility’ underlined the conference: businesses can be profitable and provide an ethical and sustainable corporate culture. There are several quality examples in China like IBM, Bank of China, and Bayer that I will be exploring this summer.

Cultural challenges - as expected – are the biggest so far. I do not live near a metro line, so taking a taxi, a bus or walking are my primary options. That requires some ability to communicate with local providers. I feel like my research and briefings have properly prepared me for this issue. I have a list of frequented locations that are written in Mandarin to show the taxi driver. I also study a phrasebook to assist with pronunciation of street names as an alternative to the written form. So far I have been successful.

So not all fun and games in the big city, True Believers.

Sino Soul

2009-06-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on facebook Saturday, June 6, 2009

So... I've been putting off the food commentary because I want to be able to show you pictures of what I eat. When my laptop gets here I will be able not only describe but show you what I've been eating. And anyone that knows me can tell you there are three things I love most in the world: my family, my dog, and food (and no, I don't include my dog in family because Hula's extra special! I miss my dog...).

Preparing for the trip, I expected to eat a variety of food here. China offers the usual meat group suspects and adds an adequate supply of lamb. Shanghai is near the coast so freshwater and saltwater seafoods are amply available.

I prepared for all outcomes by following the Theory of Enjoyable Eating: if its good going in, its probably going to be bad coming out (I know, I know TMI, but bare with me). Oddly, the older I get the truer this becomes. I can eat broccoli, carrots and rice and have a nice BM, but as soon as I eat my favorites like chicken curry, pasta with alfredo or fried...anything there's gonna be problems later. So, I came prepared. I have Tums, pepto, laxatives, and Cipro in case my stomach pretty much explodes.

10 days in and I'm feeling real good! I've had little to no problems AND - besides my KFC burger - I've stayed committed to Chinese food. My apartment is compressed by a mafia of restaurants (this will be clearer when I post a video of my 'hood). You can't sniff anything but Chinese food for a two block radius without a local 'mook' redirecting you to making a 'wiser' decision for your health.

You remember how I got lost, right? Well, that losting spawned a greater awareness of my hood. I counted over 25 eateries ON MY BLOCK. too many options often equate to analysis paralysis for me and frankly, the first couple of days were a struggle. I ate out once a day - lunch - and then retreated into my renewed love affair with ramen (the ramen noodles here have three flavor packs! THREE!! i don't have to add anything!!). When the Dragon Boat Holiday hit, the gods demanded homage, and I - as high priest - must comply.

Soooo, I had to make a choice. I've been to a lot of school so I used one of my favorite school lessons: process of elimination. This is a good tool to use in a foreign country as well as in every day life (Note to self: explore theory designation for this), particularly with issues of foodborn illness. With this as a guide, I disqualified establishments without outside seating. It's been a pleasant climate and I want to sit outside and enjoy the great weather. Then any food vendors, defined by just a storefront window or temporarily placed. Of particular interest were the entrepreneurs with basically a charcoal grill on the back of their scooters selling chicken on a stick (for the record, these eminate an incredibly scrumptious aromatic that is almost, ALMOST undeniable. It takes all my will to NOT immerse myself in its delecticity). Finally, I extinguished establishments without menu items pictured on something, either a menu or a window. Okay, so why pictures? well, I don't read mandarin and bilingual Chinese in my hood are not working in restaurants per se. I could ask, but I'm not there yet.

This process whittled it down to just four restaurants and, to my delight, all right under my 10th floor window! I decided to go with the restaurant with the biggest (though fading) pictures, assuming they have to want the expats' money more than the others. Ordering food was simple: I said Ni Hao (hello), pointed to what I wanted, and requested (pointed at) a Harbin (the local version of coors light, to my dismay). less than 3 minutes later, a hot bowl of beef cubes, a side of rice, and some bok choy relish comes out. I soon realize that my beef cubes are more than just meat in a bowl; they hide a secret compartment of buttery potatoes and sweet carrots - Beef stew! one of my favorites. the gods were pleased.

The next day was rinse and repeat, except I ordered a different dish. This had what looked like a mound layered glazed beef. To my surprise it bacon layered over a mound of ... greens! These weren't collards or mustards, it was a different green but something I clearly recognized. The bacon wasn't as salty or flavorful as I am accustomed and the greens were a little stemmy, but the flavors were wonderfully married and appropriately portioned.

With renewed hunger (and confidence) I returned to further test my highly successful hypothesis of picture perfect dining, thinking of what to call it as it ascends to 'theory' status. Two good and somewhat familiar meals in a row prompted a brief humming of a possible hip hop version of "its a small world after all" (if this doesn't exist, my dream team would be Jay Z featuring Diddy doing the intro, the queen of hiphop soul Mary J Blige singing the chorus, TPAIN synthesized hook, and produced by Will.I.am. someone make this happen). I pick a picture of what looks like chicken and mushrooms and prepare for the gods to rain down their culinary blessings, dismissing the "are you sure?" look from my waiter. in a short 3 minutes I am presented with my bowl of rice, side of cabbage relish, Harbin's (clear sign of "Norm" status as a regular) and a steaming pot of ... chitlins. Yep, CHITLINS!!

The gods apparently requested amusement that day, because I bellowed a laugh that roared throughout the area that froze other diners mid bite, turned heads, and nearly caused a 10 taxi pile up (okay, this last one is not true, but a cabbie did shoot me a glare). The waiter asked me if everything was okay (at least I think he did) and summoned the chef. The chef asked me as well (at least I think he did) but I couldn't stop laughing. The irony of this was too much. I had run into a CHINESE SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT! What are the odds that the only Black man in the area would chose to frequent the one soul food restaurant in the area?

Well, I figured that this is just what I deserve, so I dug in. What passed through my lips is beyond description. The tender, moist meat melted in my mouth. A surprisingly pleasantness engulfed me, and I instantly shifted into 'Jasmin eat mode' (Jasmin gets this particular mind set when she is happy with her meal. This is how I can tell if she truly enjoys something I cook), chewing with vigor, confidence and pride. The top layer of down home goodness hid the buttery potatoes, adding to high I was already on.

At home, I always squawk about somebody needing to cook some chitlins and then eating a small portion. I refuse to reheat them, they get all rubbery and chewy and lose their mystique. I finished my bowl of chinese chitlins that day, and I think my mom would be proud. But I think I've had my fill of family favorites in China for now, and I sense it's time to move on. Right next door, they cook something in a chafing dish over charcoals at your table, but they don't have pictures. I gonna have to make some friends soon...

A Fistful of Firsts

2009-05-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on facebook Sunday, May 31, 2009

Saturday was a day of firsts for me. I got my first blister. I stole my father-in-law's new hiking sandals as I was leaving KC on Saturday and promptly wore them on my adventure today. 7766 steps (thanks to my sister-in-law Cinnamon's pedometer gift) later in any shoe w/o socks will do that to you.

I also had my first taxi 'drive around.' You know, were the taxi driver knows your foreign so decides to drive you around a bit to increase the fee. I was angry about it, but he got an extra 75 cents out of me, so it's not big deal, just a matter of principle.

I attempted to attend my first Shanghai expats meeting at the English-named Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf www.coffeebean.com.cn. I found out about this meeting of English speakers living in Shanghai through a networking website aptly named Shanghai Expats www.shanghaiexpat.com. The meeting was scheduled to run from 1030-1230 and it was near a couple of major tourist attractions and a major metro station so I felt good about waltzing in and finding it without much difficulty. FAIL. Not only did I NOT find the Coffee Bean, but I got - your guessed it - lost.

Taking a cab in Shanghai is very easy. And according to some NY natives easier than in Gotham. Cabs are readily accessible, the quickest form of transportation, arguably the safest (upcoming blog), and - unlike NYC cabs - readily willing to pick up a Brother at a moments notice. For a cost of 30RMB (@$4US) it is also very affordable. So it was no problem getting to the Zhongshan Park area from my apartment. Finding my way around the area was another issue.

My problem is that I get overconfident about my ability to navigate an unknown area. Right before I left, My wife and I attempted to go to Conway for church. A high school friend has a ministry there and I wanted to visit before I left. The directions were simple with three minor turns at three major intersections. We got lost. The major intersections were not major at all and... well, no excuses I just got cocky and therefore got lost!

I have this Theory of Mapping: to appreciably chart an unknown area, you get out multiple maps that show different routes. So I got out my Shanghai streets map, my Metro line map, and my Tourists sites map. I plotted the location of the Coffee Bean, identified tourists landmarks, and marked major intersections. I do all this to avoid getting lost. Ideally.

I got out of the cab, looked around and immediately ID'ed Zhongshan Park. Walked east along Changning Lu to my destination inside Cloud Nine Mall. Everything was everything and I was on track.

Alright, so have I shared that most every sign has a Mandarin and an English version? Everywhere you go there is Mandarin and English joined in a happy marriage of understanding and guidance. It makes you feel very welcome and that language is not a barrier here.

So entering the area just east of Zhongshan Park, I expected, EXPECTED an English sign for Cloud Nine Mall. And, of course, there wasn't! Moreover, I was surrounded by several "malls". there were outlets, malls, shopping centers, and an incredible metro station that connected it all. Every STORE had an English subtitle, but not all the buildings.

This is usually where my complimentary half works things out pragmatically and figures how to find the right spot. I'm the big picture guy, she's the details lady. With her NOT here, I am done.

So guess what I do? I WANDER AROUND! no surprise right? After about 2 hours of wandering and 1 hour after the end of the meeting, I find an English subtitled Cloud Nine mall and an empty Coffee Bean. Drats, foiled again.

So KFC is a big deal here. I watched a documentary on how KFC infiltrated the Chinese market and culture and has become a staple restaurant here. I wanted to avoid the fast food phenomena that happens outside of the US. Since I am familiar with the brand and products I have an expectation for what I should be eating, which leads being consistently disappointed. But I was encouraged by KFC. They had altered their product line to include traditional Chinese flavors and dishes. Also, they offer an unusual item which is the featured product in China - a hamburger.

I didn't get the hamburger. That would have angered the Food god pantheon that govern my stomach- particularly the god of tastes goodness - not in a digestable manner but philosophically. But the god of tummy rumbles rules all, and I had to make a choice. I got a sandwich wrap combo. The wrap looked like a 'tortilla' wrapped around 'bbq' chicken and mushrooms ( I know, lots of quotation marks, but I can only give you what I can read on the menu. You're talking with a guy that's relegated to looking at pictures and pointing. I'm limited here.). The savvy check out girl immediately identifying me as an avid chicken eater and confidently offered me a side of wings - which replaces the traditional side item - at a small upsell cost. I can't recall any rap videos she would have watched where brothas are sitting around eating chicken, but she nailed it. Sometimes obvious truths transcends language and culture. So me, my side of two wings and the 'secret' sandwich wrap headed to the park. Needless to say, it was good. Couldn't argue with the flavors or speed of service. Actually ran better than a US KFC. With the sarcrifice hungrily accepted by the gods, I moved on. (note: I later found out by tooling around on the KFC website... I ate a burger and the gods were pleased.
http://www.kfc.com.cn/kfccda/default.aspx Good luck navigating this!)

My rambles also placed me in beautiful Zhongshan Park. I don't know how to describe this park. It had so many great things in it: wide open green spaces, intimate paved paths, dedicated kid play area, carnival style rides, electric powered boats, and traditional songs and music. This experience deserves its own blog entry so I will talk more about it later.

So 4 hours, 7700 steps, a blister, and an overpaid taxi driver got me a series of firsts today. Maybe I'll try to make the expats meeting on Sunday at Xitiandi. Where are my maps?...

Morning Mayhem

2009-05-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on facebook Friday, May 29, 2009

One Fine Day is a guilty pleasure of mine. The film is about a hectic day that gradually transforms the mutual disdain between two single working parents - a feisty architect (Michelle Pfeiffer) with a son, and a snide political columnist (George Clooney) with a daughter - into love. Not a particularly well made film, but I like it. In the movie, Clooney's young daughter, Maggie, has a tendency to wander off and get lost.

I had my day thoroughly planned this morning: get up, go out, pick up breakfast at a local coffee shop, come right back and watch the Magic/Cavalier game on Chinese ESPN. In my search for the coffee shop, I found the park. Changshou Park was hopping this morning, literally. A group of seniors were swing dancing, young parents were playing with their child, and lots and lots of Tai Chi.

Now many of you know that I am a HUGE martial arts fan. As a kid I took lessons for several years and my grandfather raised me on Kung Fu Theater on Saturday afternoons (why won't someone bring this back? G4 or Spike would make a killing). I completely got caught up in watching groups deliberately work through the forms and stances of Tai Chi as well as some other forms of martial arts happening here. One group was in full dress and practicing sword forms. Magnificent.

This lead me to completely revise my plan. I had been itching to test a theory of acclimation: if you are new to an area, you can quickly acclimate yourself to the environment by working in a circle around your residence. So I started moving in a clockwise fashion around my residence, slowly increasing my distance every other left turn.

Confused yet? Exactly. Cause that's what it got me! After about 3 blocks the line of sight to my apartment was lost in the forest of iron and glass, and I realized I was somewhere... else. With a bridge in front of me I realized that I didn't cross no bridge.

Decision time. I had wandered away. Not only from my house in a super large city, but from my original plan. Now, I'm fine with revisions but I was not prepared for the potential of getting lost to this extent! I left my maps, backpack, and other assorted essentials necessary for a proper losting. If you are going to get lost at least be prepared to successfully find your way back. I was on the brink of a huge FAIL.

One good thing about this theory of acclimation is that it does have a safety: since I kept turning left, the the center of the circle was left! I found my way to my home street, Jiang Ning road, and made it back.

In the movie, little Maggie, was eventually found and got a kitten out of the deal. I eventually found my way back and stumbled into a market where I bought some great produce: bananas, nectarines and grapes. Good morning but I will have to develop better theories before I put them into practice

Dragon Boat Holiday

2009-05-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on facebook Thursday, May 28, 2009

I look forward to participating in Chinese traditions and events while I am here. NFL football star Dhani Jones showed the way. His show "Dhani Tackles the World" features him in across the globe competing in indigenous sports, and recently featured him in the Dragon Boat races in China and I hoped to catch a glimpse of some racing.

This weekend marks the four day Dragon Boat Holiday. The holiday memorializes a Chinese hero who won the heart of the people. In 278BC, Qu Yuan drowned himself in Milou River in protest against a corrupt throne. A beloved minister and poet in the state of Chu, his suicide drew rescuers from nearby villages; they made zongzi and threw them in the river to protect Qu Yuan's body from being eaten by the fish. Zongzi is a traditional Chinese dish made of gelatinous rice, stuffed with either savory or sweet fillings, wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and steamed or boiled (basically a Chipotle burrito with bamboo instead of a tortilla, except you don't eat the bamboo). Locals were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

I missed the Expat (foreign nationals who live/work in China) dragon boat race last Sunday and most of the races across China seem to happen the Sunday before the holiday. But there was one today at 2pm on Suzhou Creek. I have an important meeting with my host and a corporate partner, so I missed the race and caught the news coverage last night.

Why Am I in China?

2009-05-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on facebook Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I am a graduate student at the Clinton School for Public Service in Little Rock, Arkansas. The only program in the country that offers a Masters in public service. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu for more info. 30% of our credits are in the field, so my cohort just completed 2 semester practicum projects that placed us throughout Arkansas to impact communities with particular emphasis in the Arkansas Delta. My practicum was conceptualizing a Delta Visual Arts Center in the northern sector of the delta. Check out the pics from my album labeled as Delta Visual Arts Center.

Our summer project is an International Public Service Project (IPSP) that places students across the world (again, check out the website for specific placements) for 10 weeks. I am in Shanghai, China working with the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the leading international business association in China from May 24 -Aug 4. My project centers on corporate social responsiblity and the efforts of this chamber to bring coordinated corporate service to the forefront. More specifically, I will work to develop a set of guidelines for corporate service initiatives for members of AMCHAM. In the interim I hope to do some emmerse myself in local culture, visit some cool places, make some new friends, and have a good time.

I blogged a bit - if you call what I did blogging - during the school year at www.wtoddmoore.blogspot.com( I still have pending posts on that site so apologies to Harvell and the Exit 143 fashion show and Regina who does an excellent job mentoring two young ladies on weekends. I wanted to post them but took somethings for granted - like access and time.) So the plan was to continue blogging on that site. Unfortunately, I ran into the Great Firewall of China and subsequently lack access to some key sites (Actually, I have to be very careful with wording in case I trigger a key word and it all gets booted, which has happened several times already).

Apparently some of the Chinese gods love me because I have ready access to Facebook and Twitter. You can catch some of my earlier 140 character posts on Twitter at @wtm911. I actually like twitter because it makes me be brief and I need all the help I can get on that front! I will try to flesh out those tweets here and connect pictures with words.

Enjoy!

Todd

Updates from abroad

2009-05-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

This blog was originally posted Wednesday, May 27, 2009 0n facebook. Jasmin will be posting future blogs here because of the problems described in the post below!

Hey folks! I know you want to hear from me and I had hoped that I would be able to post to my blog at www.wtoddmoore.blogspot.com. Not gonna happen with the firewall I face here. So while my laptop is on its way (oh yeah, my laptop broke the day before I left. I had to send it back to Little Rock with Jasmin) which gives me wifi options, I am at the mercy of the Shining Court. So I will post my thoughts on FB. Enjoy!

The Great Firewall of China

2009-05-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Great Firewall of China is NOT a myth.

Todd cannot access his blog but can tweet. Catch him @wtm911 (www.twitter.com/wtm911) on twitter for udpates on his adventures in Shanghai until further notice.

2009-04-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, spoke to Clinton students today in the Public Service Advocacy class. He discussed the importance of advocating for nonprofit organizations and encouraged us to “listen to our heart,” identify community needs and let the passion drive our goals to connect to people on a human level.

The Wrecking Crew

2009-03-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Posted by BEN BEAUMONT - Wall Street Journal columnist and author Thomas Frank was a big hit last night at the Clinton School. The author of the bestselling “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” and more recently, “The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule,” Frank discussed his views on what he describes as the “misrule” of conservative government. Frank was introduced by Clinton School student and Kansas native Todd Moore. Video of his lecture will be posted at www.clintonschoolspeakers.com.

Delta Visual Arts Center: A Practical Practicum

2009-03-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

This was posted to the Clinton School blog by a fellow classmate. Special thanks to all my classmates who made it up for the event. Enjoy! -T

Posted by student EMILY FISCHER - The Delta Visual Arts Center’s Inaugural Event in Newport, Ark., was a huge success on Saturday. Almost 200 visitors attended to participate in workshops, buy art and visit with the 13 Delta artists–Melverue Abraham, Darlene Kirkpatrick Black, Kay Brand, Tim Davis, Gail Fogleman, Judy Gagner, Donia Giannakouros, Austin Grimes, Ariston Jacks, Mindy Lacefield, Julie Lamons, Barbara Smock and Nancy LaFarra Wilson.

The event was organized by the Delta Visual Arts Center Committee and myself along with classmates Joanna Klak and Todd Moore. We have been working on developing the Center since August, and this event was the public culmination of our efforts.

Field Service Coordinator Marie Lindquist, Dean Skip Rutherford, as well as nine other Clinton School students were in attendance.

The Delta Visual Arts Center is a joint endeavor between the Newport Economic Development Commission (NEDC), the Downtown Revitalization and Improvement Volunteer Effort (D.R.I.V.E.), the Iron Mountain Regional Arts Council (IMRAC), the City of Newport and the Clinton School of Public Service. The purpose is to create an innovative center that invites Delta artists to use studio space, sell their work, and teach workshops to the community. This engagement with artists will open the door to hosting a creative economy in Northeast, AR and be an addition to the revitalization of downtown.

Spirit Week

2009-03-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

How much Spirit can one take in a month? How about a week?

My classmate, Spirit Rowan single-handedly saved Black History Month, producing a 'double feature' of Black Pride goodness. Spirit co-sponsored the Third Annual "Reel" Civil Rights Film Festival in February. The festival features documentaries and films related to past and current civil and human rights issues in the United States and abroad. Jasmin and I attended "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes" written and directed by Byron Hurt. Byron showed the film in Austin through Hands On Central Texas Cultural Connections film series a few years ago, so I was familiar with the film but no less impacted. Hip hop has to clean its act up, but from the top down, not the bottom up. There are some quality artists - ARTISTS - out there that can bring it, they just need the appropriate (financial) incentive to do so. We are rewarding this senseless... [insert soapbox rant here]... so I hope you will see that Hip Hop is for suckas.

We also watched "For the Bible Tells Me So" written and directed by Daniel Karslake, "Something's Moving" directed by Randy Vasquez and produced by Jonathan Skurnik, and "Where the Water Meets the Sky" written by Jordan Roberts and directed by David Eberts. David Eberts visited the school this past Fall as well so that was a special treat.

The 'Second Feature' was so special. Spirit wrote and produced a play about her mother's life. "One Ninth" tells Minnijean Brown's (Spirit's mom) story from the perspective of a 'regular teenager,'granting an insider's look at the desegregation of Central High. It was a wonderful play; I could hear Spirit's soul in this play - her energy, voice inflections, every idiosyncratic mannerism manifested in the show. Very cool feeling.

Thanks, Spirit for saving Black History Month for me.

first semester: complete

2008-12-16T05:25:00.000-08:00

It's done. My first full semester of school is finished. The last time I completed a semester of school as a full time student - 13 years ago!

Well, after all the 'old timer' self references, I feel pretty good. Things went much better than I anticipated. What did I get out of it?

Gray hair. Lots of it. The high academic volume of the drafting process: writing a paper, rewriting, editing the rewrites, sharing the rewritten edits with team members for criticism (constructive, of course), interpreting the rewritten edits with comments from professors, submitting the thoroughly sanitized final product for a grade. This takes time, patience, effort, planning, and energy in a different form than what's common for me.

This elongated process is what I missed in the professional world: an expectation of mindful communication - what am I really trying to say? I worked hard, mind you, on all my documents I wrote, even had several used as best practices for other organizations. This is different. This is thoughtful analysis that I am out of practice, but learning fast.

Don't worry, I'm on my way, though.

2008-12-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

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"I came to do a job, not for a job"

2008-11-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

Former Little Rock School District Superintendent Dr. Roy Brooks spoke to our Leadership class yesterday. After reviewing a case study on the tenuous relationship between Dr. Brooks and the Little Rock School Board, the subsequent discussion revealed a vacuum of information. This prompted my classmate, Chad Williamson, to suggest inviting Dr. Brooks to address the class. To our benefit, Dr. Brooks responded favorably.
Dr. Brooks came to Little Rock at a critical time: the district was under intense scrutiny by a desegregation court order, a top heavy administration and a divided school board. He discussed key accomplishments and challenges he faced as the leader of the largest school district in Arkansas, emphasizing the importance of “patience and poise” as a leader, particularly in the face of adversity. “When you make decisions on the magnitude of $300 million, you are going to have people disagree,” Brooks said.
Despite leading LRSD out of a 24 year court desegregation order and strengthening business relationships, he openly acknowledged missteps along the way, particularly with grassroots organizations. He encouraged us to “reach out to grassroots organizations. You can enable disengaged people to be active in the decision-making process.”
Though the Q&A segment offered some precipitous moments, the opportunity for an ‘interactive lesson’ was priceless.

Julia Reed Reception

2008-11-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

Posted by ERIC WILSON - Author and editor Julia Reed is visiting Little Rock as the featured speaker for tomorrow’s luncheon benefitting the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She stopped by the Clinton School this evening to visit with our students about their work in the Delta, an area she knows intimately. Born in Greenville, Mississippi, Reed was a contributing editor at Vogue where her profile subjects included George and Laura Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, and both Cindy and Roberta McCain. She is now a contributing editor at Newsweek, where she writes the “food and drink” column. An acclaimed author and regular guest on MSNBC and CNN, Reed is also the chairman of the board of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans and serves on the board of FriendsofNewOrleans.org.

Todd and the Governor

2008-10-16T21:11:00.001-07:00

I attended Arkansas Works 2008: the Governor’s Summit on Education and Economic Development today in Little Rock. Here is a picture of me with Governor Mike Beebe and fellow Clinton student Jonathan Mwaba.

Governor Mike Beebe and leaders from all 75 Arkansas counties gathered in an unprecedented effort to build a brighter economic future for all of Arkansans. By unifying the efforts of educators, economic development commissions, and employers across the state and within each county, Governor Beebe plans to increase the pool of qualified, educated workers to entice more new businesses to see Arkansas as a desirable destination and to further build established companies that have shown faith in the Arkansas workforce.

This summit at the Statehouse Convention Center provided the opportunity for leaders from each of the 75 counties to sit down together and discuss pressing topics to work together making Arkansas a better place to live, learn and work. Co-chairs of Arkansas Works 2008 include Claiborne Deming, President and CEO, Murphy Oil Company; Dr. Les Wyatt, President, Arkansas State University System; and Senator-Elect Joyce Elliot, an education activist and school teacher.

I am very fortunate to have an incredible practicum placement in Newport, Arkansas with the Newport Economic Development Commission. Below is me with the commissioners at the conference. Thanks Jon!

An International Affair

2008-10-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

How important are international perspectives in public service?
Very. 20% of my classmates are international students. They are from Poland, Brazil, Uganda, and Idonesia and make up a valuable perspective in class.

Faisal talked about the Indonesian market today in class. From the mid 1980's to mid 1990's Indonesia experienced economic growthby 8% each year. then in 1998 the market crashed. One day the US dollar was worth 2000 rupies, the next it was worth 20,000.

Terzira talked about the impact of privatization on her native Uganda. 'Mama Jamwa' drops lovely pearls of wisdom in a deliberate and paced African accent. She makes me miss a home I've never visited. Note to self: reconsider China and get to Africa.

Pictured: (l-r) Yuriy, Tezira, Joanna, Beatrice, Faisal

Bob Drogin Intro

2008-09-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

I introduced Bob Drogin at one of our public forums. Bob is an incredible journalist and a great guy. I also interviewed him for the Clinton School podcast, The Power of One. Look for that soon. This is the introduction I wrote for his presentation. Enjoy.

-T

Thank you, Dean Rutherford. Since I was 12 years old, I have been a fan of James Bond and Ian Fleming. Moonraker was my first Bond book, and I loved every minute of the intrigue and action of 007 taking down the terrorist Hugo Drax. Imagine my delight when I discovered a real life spymaster was coming to town!

Though not a spy himself, Bob Drogin recently authored CURVEBALL: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War, which describes the role of a single Iraqi informant who was a key source for claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
A native of Bayonne, New Jersey, Bob Drogin has sought adventure at every turn. Drogin left college to backpack in Asia for a year and would also hitchhike to Alaska. He would graduate from Oberlin College and receive his Master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Drogin continued his thrilling escapades by joining the Los Angeles Times in 1983 as a national correspondent. Based in New York City, he traveled to nearly every state covering the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. He then journeyed overseas, serving as bureau chief in Manila and Johannesburg. During that time, he experienced and reported on Nelson Mandela's election as president of South Africa, the genocide in Rwanda, the Persian Gulf War, and other news from nearly 50 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Drogin eventually returned stateside in 1998, covering intelligence and national security for the L.A. Times Washington bureau.

Drogin has won or shared multiple journalism honors, including the Pulitzer Prize, two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, an International Center for Investigative Journalism Award, and a George Polk Award. He was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University in 1997 and a Media Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford in 2006. The Overseas Press Club of America gave CURVEBALL the "Cornelius Ryan Award" for best non-fiction book on international affairs. It also won the Investigative Reporters and Editors book prize.

Curveball received a multitude of positive reviews and was widely praised for its suspenseful narrative. When George Will writes a glowing review of any book criticizing the Bush administration, you know you’ve done something right! Drogin has been interviewed by a wide range of reporters, from NPR’s Diane Rehm to Comedy Central’s Steven Colbert.
Drogin currently lives with his wife and two children in Silver Spring, MD.

Despite my love of 007, Drogin writes in Curveball that "espionage is not James Bond or Jason Bourne… the work demands a balance of delicacy, poise, and timing. It requires a professional detachment that allows the officer to see the truth from half truth, the nuance of act, the coloration bias."

Please join me in welcoming Bob Drogin.

Democrats- WTH??

2008-09-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

After nearly 22 years of a Republican controlled executive, how do democrats break the domination?

Bob Drogin, the author of Curveball was our guest speaker last night. I had the honor of introducing him and having dinner. Great guy. Bob covered the 1984 and 1988 presidential elections and the dinner conversation quickly switched to national politics. Drogin saw it as a pretty close race despite the horrible economy, our poor global perception, and the Iraq war.

WTH?? Taking those MAJOR issues into consideration, this race should already be over. Why would nearly half the country still want to elect a conservative president after all of that? Simple, the republicans have a clue about what the country wants to hear.

Democrats: Clinton's lesson was talking to people not at people. Clinton has been the only Democrat who intertwined his campaign messages with clear visuals of 'down home' conversations in everyday places. The general public could visualize Clinton in a diner, a McDonald's, or a local donut shop talking with regular people about regular things that mattered to them: local issues even local sports -things they cared about. He would then deftly connect those with national and global issues.

Obama's handlers should have him at smaller venues to have those conversations with 'regular people' more often. I know, I know, Obama's "rock star status" makes it nearly impossible, but the ROI is clear: it reduces the elitist status and gets more visuals of him with town folk. More people become more comfortable with a leader they can relate to. I fear it may be too late...

Blogging ain't easy

2008-09-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've realized that there is no way for me to actually write the things I want to in real time. Grad school, family, and assorted publicness happens. Frankly, I am not trying to be P. Diddy's assistant- I can't handle all of it!

Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, spoke at the Clinton School last week. His secret to success (I'm paraphrasing of course) is that you have to 'get up earlier and go to bed later' to accomplish those things you want in life. If that is what it takes to make a successful, legible blog, then forget it! I am not up to it.

Here's my solution: I will submit thoughts when I have time. There it is! Despite your desire to read what I have to write daily, deal with it. Life is hard enough without having to worry about this deal. Forget about it. I have jotted down notes when things pop up, the challenge is getting them on here in a timely fashion,which is not happening. I have a lot to share, just in turtle speed.

Have a pleasant day! (my wife tells me to end with something nice)

-T

Orientation Week

2008-09-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

This was the first blog entry I submitted for the Clinton School webpage. You can check that site out at: http://clintonschoolblog.com/cblog/
-T

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. –Lao Tzu. Orientation week for Class 4 students clearly established a road map to the ‘thousand mile journey’ over the next 18 months. The faculty and staff exposed our cohort to a variety of spectacular sights and sounds. From meeting with the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas Medical School to a reception hosted by Dean Skip Rutherford, class 4 students were – to state it mildly – impressed. I captured a few thoughts from my classmates that might help to describe our apparent transcendence, with my own commentary following.

“The first day was awesome! When we did introductions, hearing about everyone and their incredible experiences. I got an immediate sense of the high level of our class.” -Ali Turro

On the first day of orientation, Dean Rutherford asked each of us give brief introductions, something we soon discovered would happen often over the next ‘hundred miles’ or so. We are a diverse cohort, ranging from teachers to law students, hockey players to heating and air conditioning engineers. Very impressive group.

“The Travelers Game was a highlight. I am a huge baseball fan and it was the class’s first official activity.” -John Memmer

Faculty and staff joined us for a Little Rock Travelers baseball game on Monday night. Though it was a high scoring game with many exciting plays (Travelers lost 8-3), few of us paid close attention to the on-field action, choosing instead to keep the chatter among ourselves. The BBQ nachos and discovering Ali Turro’s college roommate was at my wedding highlighted my evening, though an interesting ‘dialogue’ on whether hockey or basketball was a tougher sport competed for a top spot. Speaking of BBQ…

“Though not an official event, the BBQ was a highlight. It was a good way to meet people informally before the start of orientation.” -Beatrice Biira

A Clinton School first! Under the guidance of Josh Stokes, Chad Williamson, and others, a pre-orientation BBQ was held at Murray Park. Most of our classmates made it out, including significant others and pets. Though a short downpour may have dampened our clothes and muddied our shoes, it did not dampen the spirit and energy of the evening.

“I was really impressed with Dr. Stewart with the school of public health. Her passion was inspirational.”
-Julianne Dunn

We received a double dip of Katherine Stewart, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Masters of Public Health program. On Tuesday, she joined representatives from the Walton School of Business and the Bowen School of Law to discuss the concurrent degree programs available to Clinton students. Then Friday, Dean Stewart gave an impassioned presentation on the impact of behavioral health research and practice at the UAMS tour. I think she missed her true calling – selling ice to Eskimos.

“Playing kickball showed we can connect on more levels than just our love for public service.”
-Dimas Espinola

Another Clinton School first! Class 4 is ready to blaze new trails in community engagement, and kickball dominance. A rousing first game shut out of our opponents (see Dean Rutherford’s glowing post on this victory) 8-0. A three run homer by Chad Williamson in the 1st inning set the stage for the offensive frenzy that ensued. The defense played with mid-season form in holding the team from Ciao Bacci (a local restaurant) to three total base runners in five innings. Not too bad for a bunch of Students Of Bill.

”Good job of providing an overview of expectations; great synopsis of the year.” -Harvell Howard

“At first pretty intimidating, but it eventually made sense.” -Olivia Wilmot

“Orientations are always challenging, but Joe did a great job.” -Nick Hall

Joe Ballard did an incredible coordinating so many moving parts. We came in with a ton of questions, concerns, and preconceptions about the school and the curriculum. Orientation week did a solid job of providing us with a strong foundation for the upcoming semester and beyond. Like Sgt. Hulka in the movie Stripes, Joe provided the “wretched refuse” with leadership and guidance this week; clearly he is our ‘big toe’ on our journey of a thousand miles. Thanks Joe.

All about the Benjamins

2008-09-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

Who is a public servant?

Law and Ethics class this morning posed an interesting question: who is a public servant? The list was as long as diverse, ranging from Mother Theresa to Colin Powell; from firefighters to forest rangers; and from husbands and wives to brothers and grandmothers . The most interesting response though was Benjamin Franklin. The response astonished the professor, which he commented was the first reference to Ben Franklin.

The rationale was on point. Franklin was a noted diplomat and civic leader, but my classmate offered it from another angle: Franklin had invented so many useful things (bifocals, lightning rods, etc). that he had become an institution in his own right. This work as an inventor led to many public innovations which - over time - established him a public servant.

Hmmm. That intrigued me. That perspective inspired me to ask (to the class) if Bill Gates would fit into this equation. Bill Gates clearly changed the game from a technological perspective and is clearly considered an inventor. History will establish if he fits the Ben Franklin mode, but can we consider him a public servant outside of his charitable giving foundation and humanitarian efforts? I would argue - and did - that he is clearly on the 'Ben Franklin' track to public service.

Some of my classmates did not agree. They viewed Gates as a profiteering capitalist that saw an opportunity and leveraged it into trillions. At best, he has a big heart. We will let history bear it out.

What do you think?

First of All...

2008-09-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

...I would like to thank my Kindergarten teacher for showing me how the alphabet works on paper. I understood the musical applications, but didn't realize their full potential until then. My mom is so important - to my creation and subsequent birth. My wife guides my life with love, affection, and an iron fist the size of Godzilla. Without that tough love in my life, I imagine that marriage wouldn't be as enjoyable...

My attempts at humor are just that - attempts. this blog is for me to write less formally (grant applications) and more informally. Just normal, everyday words that are not 'community engagement' or 'systemic transformation', though now I am dealing with 'synoptic relativism' and 'publicness'. Publicness: the gift that keeps on giving.

Moore Quality was the name of my column for my high school newspaper. I thought I was tough stuff writing editorials about the school principal and weighted gpa's. I remember a stream of consciousness that would flow from my writing then, a direct line from mind to pen that felt spiritual and righteous. Like Tootles in Hook, I seemed to have lost my marbles and I want to get back to the NeverNever of creative composition. This blog hopefully will give me a creative outlet to reclaim some lost momentum and get back to putting thoughts to proverbial paper.

Sooo, here it is. My thoughts on my time here in Little Rock at the Clinton School. Feel free to share feedback, thoughts, criticism, ideas, or whatever you like to say. I want to hear it! Now,where are those marbles?...

Enjoy...

-T