Speech 5: How to use chopsticks as a weapon

Traveling

What do you like about traveling?

Is it learning some new words, seeing different landscapes and cities, or perhaps experiencing different foods and cultures?

I love all of these things, but what makes traveling even more interesting, though, is all of the little surprises.

By the end of this talk you will have learned some of the more unusual things I discovered while living and travelling in Asia.

There's more than one use for a moped.

The first thing I learned is that there is more than one use for a moped. my first trip to Asia was to Vietnam.

Vietnam, with a land mass that is about 1/3 of BC's, has a population of more than 80 million people, and it is estimated that there are over 30 million mopeds or motorcycles on the road. Mopeds are used for everything there, and the uses can be quite creative.

Business is conducted from the back of mopeds -- all kinds, legal and not so legitimate.
They are a social tool -- in Saigon youth spend their evenings cruising the core of the city, fishing for their next romantic encounter.

And though designed for 1 or 2 people, Mopeds are often used as family transportation (In one case I saw mama with baby in arms, baby 2 on the bench between her and papa and baby 3 on the moped floor) and to transport goods -- even 10 foot lengths of pipe.

Oddly, I even saw people sleeping on their mopeds.

So yes, there is more than one use for a moped.

Never run through a village

The 2nd lesson I have to share can be summed up in the sentence: never go for a run in a Chinese village.

One morning when I and some other teachers were visiting a village in southern China we decided to go for a jog. We had had months of greasy food and unclean air, so we thought a nice run would do us some good.

We began the run at around 6, when the serene village was just coming to life. As we passed by the homes, we noticed that there were quite a few dogs, and they all seemed to bark at us as we passed by.

About 10 minutes into the jog, I heard Brad yelling at us to run faster. I stole a quick glance behind us and was shocked to see a pack of dogs... and they were rapidly gaining on us!

Though none of us had done more exercise than lifting bottles of beer to our mouths for months, we started pumping our legs as fiercely as we could and sprinted to the only place we thought we could escape the rabid pack -- a bolder covered hill.

We ran, and ran and the dogs got closer and closer, and first Matt went up the hill, then me, and finally Brad, a dogs slathering maw snapping in the air, where Brad's ankle had been but moments before.

I actually learned two things that day: don't run in a village, and always stay in the middle of the pack

For a dollar a bullet you can fire military weapons

The next lesson will appeal to you gun lovers.


40km outside of Saigon is a town called CuChi. In CuChi you can find a unique tourist attraction. The military runs a firing range, where, for 1 dollar US a bullet you can shoot military weapons from around the world. Pretty neat firing Kalashnikovs and M16s.

What's even more interesting is that in Cambodia a similar service is offered, but the proprietor has a broader range of weapons (including RPGs), and he has a variety of targets for sale.

He has a board that lists in increasing order of cost, the targets you can buy. for example, at the bottom of the list, for 1 dollar you can shoot a watermelon. near the middle, you can see farm animals, such as pigs and cows for $100. And at the top of the list, for merely $1000, is a picture of the owner.

The story goes that he will go run in the field while you try to shoot him.

No, I did not try.

How to fight with Chopsticks

And now, what you've all been waiting for, the most useful skill I acquired in the 3 years I lived in Asia: how to fight with chopsticks!

I had the chance to study some martial arts in Vietnam. One of my teachers looked like he was straight out of a Chinese martial arts film, complete with silk fighting robes and a body that was as tense and lithe as a panther.

We would train with him at day break and then get breakfast together afterward. After one brutal training session with him, and while we were enjoying a succulent bowl of Vietnamese noodles, our Master began demonstrating what to do if you were to be attacked from behind while eating your noodles.

He sat eating his noodles, holding his chopsticks like this, then suddenly he snapped his arm back and twisted the chopsticks crosswise to form a stabbing weapon, and thrust it through the air as though ramming it through an attackers throat. It was vicious and elegant at the same time.

Once the demonstration was complete, he wiped the chopsticks as though removing blood and continued to eat his steaming noodles.

Since that day I have never been able to eat a meal with chopsticks without mentally preparing myself for the fight that may one day come.

Conclusion

So now you know 4 things I'm sure you never knew before:

1. A myriad of uses for a moped.
2. Why you should never run through a Chinese village.
3. Where to shoot military weapons in Asia.
4. How to defend yourself while eating noodles.

~Dave Brown, March 2, 2011

Speech 4: Bu Dao Chang Cheng, Fei Hao Han

Bu Dao Chang Cheng, Fei Hao Han

"Bu Dao Chang Cheng, Fei Hao Han". "If you have not been to the Great Wall, you are not a real man"

This quote is famous in China, and was spoken by Mao Ze Dong in the 1950's.

I attended the vision and leadership seminar this weekend, and this quote came to mind as I listened to the presentations. I started to see a connection between what Mao was saying and what the speakers were saying.

"If you have not been to the Great Wall, you are not a real man"

In preparing tonight's talk, I began to see that perhaps Mao was speaking metaphorically. And I thought it would be interesting to relate my journey to the Great Wall of China to my pursuit of my own personal Vision.

Where did it begin?

My vision began to take form in the year 2000.

I was in Ottawa, imprisoned as an engineer. I was spending minimum 8 hours a day locked in a 6x8 cube. Like a chicken penned in one of a hundred tiny cages. Surrounded by gray. Experiencing some bizarre combination of claustrophobia and agoraphobia.

I was depressed. But more than that, I was frustrated. I felt, in my core, that there was something more I could be doing. You see, I felt I was just consuming from society. Not giving. I wanted to give. But all I did was take.

I happened to be practicing kungfu. My teacher taught me concepts that were so different and demonstrated to me how little I knew of Chinese culture. But he inspired me to learn more. China was an unknown. I felt like it was hidden behind a big iron wall. and I wanted to peak over that wall, see what was on the other side.

My teacher made me started to think of becoming a teacher myself, but I was terrified of speaking in front of people. In my youth, my confidence had been destroyed. I hated myself, my appearance, everything about myself. I was too scared to try something so different.

I was surrounded by huge, impenetrable walls. Yet, just as I knew I needed to see over the iron wall of china, I knew I needed to climb over the walls I had built within myself.

Interestingly, it would take a trip to an even bigger wall to make this possible.

What was the journey?

Shortly after arriving in China in 2002, I traveled to the Great Wall. In Chinese it is called Chang Cheng – long wall. And indeed it is – in total, it is over 8000 kms long.

I went to a section of the wall called Mutianyu. It was only 80km northeast of Beijing, but it took over 2 hours by bus to get there.

What I saw as I approached the Wall blew my mind. The mountains the wall traversed were gnarled and jagged, like shards of glass that had been haphazardly glued together. Though it was early spring, the terrain was stark and dry. It seemed as though rain had not fallen in many years.

The sheer ruggedness of the wall harkened to the brutal challenges I faced as a teacher; the barren landscape resembled the confidence that had been razed in my youth.

Every day I was terrified to stand in front of people. My body felt as though I was being dragged along the tortuous spine of the wall. Every day was like walking on that wall, never knowing what was over the edge, never sure that the I wouldn't fall and break my neck on the next loose brick.

The chaos of the city of Beijing and the bizarre and aggressive language fueled my self-destructive thinking.

I can't do this, I kept telling myself. I've been to the Great Wall, but I'm not a real man.

But I had failed to notice that I was actually making my vision a reality!

Where did I get to?

I, Dave Brown, from the tiny sea village of Campbell River had broken past the iron wall of Communist China. I had a look on the other side. I was walking on one of the Wonders of the World! I was walking on the Great Wall of China.

As I walked on the Wall, I approached the side. In the distance I could see gentle rolling hills and peaceful vales. It was quiet on the wall. Not many tourists came to this section.

Unfortunately for me, the mental journey was not as easy as the physical one. I could not see internal peace. I could see not see sage brush trailing off into the distance. A thick fog rolled in to surround me. And now I was stranded on the Wall. But I continued my journey; to trip and struggle and fall, but still I climb because the stairs are crumbling behind me. I can't see where I'm going, but I know I must go up!

What did I feel about the vision?

My vision persists; however, it is becoming something different now. It's not as clear as it used to be – that fog has shrouded the destination.

But China taught me about another great Chinese figure said, Lao Zi. I try to keep his words in my mind now. He said,

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

Conclusion – what is next?

I imagine that as Mao contemplated his own vision, he must have seen the parallels with the Great Wall. He must have looked to history and realized the magnitude of effort required to build the Great Wall and it must have seemed very similar to the momentous challenge he faced in leading a country in revolution.

"If you have not been to the Great Wall, you are not a real man"

I think he may have meant that we all need to have our own Visions – our own great walls to see, to build and even to take down.

I'd like to make a slight change to the standard translation of this quote. Instead I'd like to say – If you have not seen your vision, You are not a COMPLETE person.

I encourage you to consider the words of LaoZi and MaoZeDong. Begin your own thousand mile journey towards finding your Vision.

All it takes is one step.

~Dave Brown, January 26, 2011

Speech 3: Can we all have a 4 hour work week?

Can we all have a 4 hour work week?

This question has been burning in my head ever since I read a book last year I read a book called the 4 hour work week. The author, Timothy Ferris, talks about two main concepts:

1) how to restructure your work so that you don't have to always been working in the same location – whether it be an office or your home.
2) he talks about the idea of establishing an income stream that supports your lifestyle.

Many of his ideas sound fanciful, but from what I have learned, his concepts are a reality for many people in the world.

Today I want to introduce you to a few concepts that could enable you to work 4 hours a week.

And by the end of this talk you will be able to decide for yourself whether or not you want to join me in my quest to make these concepts a reality.

Dreams

This all begins with dreams. What are your dreams? Do you want to travel the world? Do you have a hobby that you want to devote yourself to but can't because work is getting in the way? Do you just want to be able to watch tv all day without worrying about it?

I really want to be able to fly to Italy on a whim. I really want my wife to be able to fly back to China and visit her family when she needs to, not when our budget permits.

Revenue Streams and Freedom

What's preventing you from making these dreams reality? If you're like me, money is the issue.

I also have a mental barrier to doing this, as I consider my dream to be in the realm of the 'rich'. Only a rich person can fly around the world on a whim. Regular people have to work 9-5 to pay their bills.

One concept I got from the 4 hour work week is that I don't need to be rich to have these dreams. I just have the same things the rich do:

1. I need to have a revenue stream that supports my dreams. And,
2. I need to have the time and freedom to do the things I want to do.

There are different ways to do this, one of which is running your own business. Businesses can earn a lot more money than a regular 9-5 job and meet the first objective. However, if you're like me you think of running a business as being a monster project that will take away all of your personal time and prevent you from meeting the second objective.

But Tim alerted me to another concept: I want to be a business owner and not a business operator. I want the business to make money for me and I don't want to spend a lot of time on it.

Examples

Is such a thing possible? Absolutely.

Tim gives some great examples. Consider Microsoft. Do you think Microsoft manufacturers the XBOX 360? Not at all – there is a company called Flextronics, based in Singapore that does contract engineering and manufacturing for almost every major company in the world including Microsoft. So Microsoft had the idea – which wasn't even original, btw – and then paid someone else to design and manufacture it. All Microsoft does is sell it and write the software for it. But they probably don't do that either – odds are that they outsource the majority of their coding to India or China. Microsoft doesn't do much more than manage things, but we can assume that Microsoft makes a good income from Xbox 360 sales.

If that's too out of reach for you, consider a story I read about in the Vancouver Sun last year. There is a technology blogger in Vancouver that began his online career by creating a website to answer computer-related problems. Over the years he tweaked his site, added advertising, etc, and he has managed to build a site that generates so much income that he can now quite comfortably work 5-10 hours a week and still earn enough to buy a house in West Vancouver.

I hear these stories and I ask, why can't I do this?

Connections

Tim lays out a pretty simple recipe for creating similar kinds of businesses and gives some really great advice on how to get started. There's nothing new in what he's saying – essentially find a product or service that fills a niche need.

It's the implementation that's the trick – taking the concept and doing something with it. I've been plagued with ideas and concepts for many years now, but I never know what to do with them.

I've finally come to understand that people like Tim have established something that I have not -- he has a network of people who can help him make his ideas a reality.

That's what I need too. I really need a team that can help take me from the vague to the specific.

I'm sure we all have business ideas in our heads. What I propose is that maybe as a group we can take the concepts in our heads and make them a reality. Maybe you are like me – you have an idea for an internet based business but just don't know if there's a market for it. Don't even know how to figure out if there is a market. Maybe you don't know if the idea is realistic. I believe that together we can collaborate to answer these questions and create unique businesses.

We all have different areas of knowledge and expertise. We don't just need professionals -- lawyers, MBAs, accountants – we need people who are skilled in all kinds of different businesses and product areas. What's more important than the skill, though, is the network of connections that we each have. Maybe you don't have the skills we need, but somebody you know does.

My concept is that as a group we can tap into our networks and make our ideas a reality.

Conclusion

So I ask you, will you join me on this quest to figure out how to have a 4 hour work week?
My objective today was to introduce you to a few concepts that could enable us to make our dreams reality.

I have talked about dreams, revenue streams and about being a business owner not a business operator. I've proposed that as a team we will be much more successful than on our own.

So now I ask you, will you join me on my quest to make my dreams reality?

~Dave Brown, January 5, 2011

Speech Two: Because I Choose To

Frustration

These days I experience a lot of frustration. Everything I do is wrapped up in confusion and second guessing.

As an example, consider this speech. I thought about it for at least 3 weeks. Pondered for a while, contemplated some more, and as the deadline approached I began generating ideas like a chipper spitting out a used Christmas tree.

I know this much: I've got something to say. But because of the confusion I feel in my life, I don't know what it is.

Almost every aspect of my life has been touched with a similar confusion. Some would say I am having an existential crisis. In other words, I do not know why I am alive.

And I am so frustrated! Despite not having a clear purpose, I still have an intense desire to live a meaningful life.

To produce meaningful works. To do meaningful things. To deliver meaningful speeches.

What I would like to do today is talk about how I got to this state of mind, express how I feel now, and share my hopes for the future.

Where I began

When I was younger, I never really thought about meaning. Life was just what it was. I went to school, did my homework, played some games. I just accepted what I was given. Did what I was told. I didn't have much choice.

But something changed in my second year of university. I discovered that I had a choice. I didn't have to be slogging my way through a textbook on Discrete Mathematics, I could to the bar instead.
I started to question what I was doing in university at all. But as soon as I questioned, I got afraid, afraid of the uncertainty of the world. After all, if I left school what would I do? So I just put my head back down and worked my way through Engineering.

But about a year after graduating the questions started bubbling to the surface again. Why was I designing telecommunications equipment anyway? Who really cares what a 40Gigabit long haul fibre optic system does? As far as I could tell it only helped the telecommunications execs earn higher profits.

I started to think of leaving engineering for a while and going to teach or volunteer in the third world. Do something "meaningful" with my life.

But again the fear crept up.. and I held off.

However, by the end of 2001 life got really messy for me. A choice was made for me that I really wasn't ready for: I got laid off as a part of the infamous hitech bust of 2000.

The turning point

Something worse happened back then in 2001 -- at the time that I had the rug pulled from beneath my feet I also began to feel intense anxiety.

Prior to 2001 I was developing a dream to go live and teach around the world. Spend a year in China, then move onto somewhere else in Asia.

But when I had the dream forced on me, my body and mind didn't like it much. Didn't like the uncertainty, the loss of direction, the limitless choices. I had wanted to choose another path, but clearly I wasn't ready to be on it.

Over the next while I discovered that I had entered into a forest, dark, shrouded in fog, and without boundaries. I've been stuck there for 9 years now, wandering around inside of it without a compass…
I have since become deeply aware of the fact that I do not have an internal compass – I do not have a purpose or meaning in life. In fact, I do not even know what is meaningful to me. I do not even know what I like.

Can you imagine the difficulty and frustration I feel, each and every day, when I get up and realize that I just don't know what the hell I'm doing here on this planet? How am I to put together a coherent speech when I don't know even know what I am trying to accomplish by giving the speech? All I know is that I want to say something. All I know is that I want to keep living.

Have you all heard of a movie called The Matrix? Near the end of the final movie Agent Smith and Neo enter into their final, epic, battle. At one point Smith makes a speech that resounds so deeply within my soul, speaks so accurately to my struggle.

Agent Smith

Smith says:

Why, Mr. Anderson?

Why, why, why?

Why do you do it? Why? Why get up? Why keep fighting?

Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival?

Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know?

Is it freedom… or truth? Perhaps peace could it be for love?

Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose!

And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself. Although … only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love.

You must be able to see it Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting.

Why Mr. Anderson, WHY? WHY DO YOU PERSIST?

And Neo says… Because I choose to.

Choice

I want to so much to be Neo. I know that I have choice, but unlike Neo, I am not comfortable or content with that choice. Choice and freedom, ironically, are extremely scary for me. Because with choice comes responsibility. I am responsible for the life I choose. And I'm afraid that I'll make the wrong choice.

I so desperately want to feel the contentment of knowing that I have chosen my mission.

My dream is to be able to at last find the mission that I'm on in life. To be able to see the target and devote myself whole-heatedly to achieving it.

I want that feeling of accomplishment.

I want the feeling of having all 8 cylinders firing in synchronization. To feel the power of success and know in my heart I am working on creating something that means so much to me.

I feel that my mission today was quite selfish. Rather than create a speech with my audience in mind, I wanted to create a speech that gave me the opportunity to express the emotion that lies within me.
I had so many options and directions I could go, and the process has been exceedingly frustrating. And all along I was afraid of making the wrong decision.

But now, at the end, I can say, with contentment in my heart that I did this speech,

Because I chose to.

~Dave Brown, November 24, 2010