At the edge of declaring email bankruptcy - or: enough is enough!

Ever felt like you spent more time with answering emails than doing actual work? Afraid of going on leave because you fear coming back to your over-crowding inbox?
Let me tell you that this is seemingly becoming a common issue. A possible solution: Declaring Email Bankruptcy! ...I'm down to 549 in my inbox right now...

What it means to have succeeded

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

*** Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) American Essayist & Poet ***

20 people per meter

10,000 people running 5.6km... That means right at the start (and way too many meters afterwards) you have around 20 runners (and too many walkers wanting to start the "run" right at the front) per meter...

Conclusion:
1) my clocked time was 34:17. Not too bad considering that it took already nearly 3 minutes to just cross the start line after the race had already begun - and the congestion on the track. Too many people took it with Johny Walker: "Keep on walking"

2) Besides the downsides a good event. We nearly had 40 runners from DHL, all wearing shirts with the slogan "A million feet worldwide" on the back (Why the slogan? our group has 500,000 staff worldwide...)

21.1 with 33

30,000 people, 90% humidity 10-42 kilometers - the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon !

After my successful 2005 debut over 10km, I decided together with my friend and colleague Luis to try the half marathon this year: 21.1 (twenty-one-point-one) kilometers.

The race started at 6.30am and luckily it wasn't that hot on this 3rd of December.
In my preparation I only made it to 13km, so the extra 8 were really tough. In the end it took me 2:08 hours for the distance. Not anywhere near competitive timing, but that wasn't the objective anyway. Never in my life before I had completed that distance in one go (closest to this was my army times 20km run - in 1993!).

So half-marathon with 33 years (5 days after my birthday). Does that mean that I have to do the full distance when I'm 66? At least that would leave me some time to get prepared:)

Standing up - or standing out?!

The time of the year again for company functions; though - this year a bit early: 10 November for the traditional DHL DnD (Dinner and Dance) with 850 people. Actually the abreviation should be changed to DnL (Dinner and Leave). Every year the same sequence: people come late, eat, drink (a bit), enjoy more or less the official programme, wait for the lucky draw results - and as soon as the evening moves on to the more informal part (dancing, no MC anymore) suddenly 80-90% of the guest disappear! Apparently this is quite a normal phenomenon and even some larger weddings are starting to include lucky draws to keep guests at least for some time!

So what's the secret of standing out of the crowd? Simply stay till the bar closes and the music fades:)

Dynamic Shanghai - Fascinating Energy

IMG_3902
Originally uploaded by The Lars.

Do you know the feeling of yourself standing still while the world surrounding you is spinning around?

That's a bit how Shanghai felt to me... just returned from an amazing 5 day trip there together with Tiffany, Gitti, Irina and Pilli to visit Digs.
Some very intensive impressions: reaching from pieceful excursions to Hangzhou - to a private KTV session - great Chinese cuisine - bargaining like mad - fascinating acrobats - Mexican supper at 3am - countless taxi rides - a 430km/h trip to the airport - Tai Pan massage... and some quality times with my friends!

Shanghai can't be easily described nor understood: it's old and new, poor and rich, tradition and trend, small and big, quiet and noisy, inspiring and annoying, fast and slow... so definitely a very dynamic place on earth. And - as in many other times and places - when so many contradictions meet each other in a condensed way, energy is created! And that's what I felt the whole time while being there: this city is pure energy.

Photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lars_v/sets/72157594344253135/

Manifesto for the New Agile Workplace

Manifesto for the New Agile Workplace
Originally uploaded by The Lars.

WHY...
...is work defined in jobs?
...is hire & fire the dominant employment model?
...do we have to go to the office to work?

The “Manifesto for the New Agile Workplace” reveals ways companies can create an enterprising results-based culture. Done by the Career Innovation Group, it's an interesting read on how our working environment could, should and hopefully will change....
This makes me question if I'm just in the wrong place, or simply in the wrong time...
www.cimanifesto.com/

Meetball power with chop sticks

Meetball power with chop sticks
Originally uploaded by The Lars.

For a recent Canadian Thanksgiving gathering I couldn't resist and use the occasion to prepare some old-style German food! This time on the menu: meat balls and pasta salad.
As we were preparing some 50 of these little minced-meat with onions and bread crumbs darlings, I relied on the great assistance of Tiffany and Shweta - who brought a new dimension to German cooking tradition: chop sticks to handle and turn the balls :)