Rising Early

The sweetest bright red watermelon, with a ton of black seeds, just satiated my dehydrated body after an hour long walk along the coastal promenade here in Salvador. My leg muscles continue to struggle to find a state of repose where a sort of numbness seems to have struck them. The beachfront had already reached a level of full out activity - with swimmers and joggers in full swing, boaters and fisherman preparing for the day's catch, with "barraca" stands opening and coconuts being tossed and served as drinks to passerbys - and it is only six in the morning. The high flying sun at this hour provokes one into action least one has to suffer it's potentially charring effects later in the day. My own drenched t-shirt stands as witness to the rising heat of the morning and the rushed pursuits of the early risers.

Drawn back into the pleasure of summer, we find ourselves again fulfilling a life here, that knows nothing of winter and it's restrictive practices. The clothing has been shed again and the protective maneuverings from the cold are temporarily forgotten in the swirl of hot sun and warm water. My paintings done in this tropical paradise have provided another reason for our visit this time. Through the concerted efforts of Carson Philips, we will meet with leaders in the architectural and interior design world here, to present the work and exchange ideas for collaborative opportunities. Our first meeting was with one of the foremost architects, Adriano Mascarenhas, designer of luxury homes, apartments and public buildings - with many magazine covers to his credit - and one of the first architects to bring the groundbreaking new "green technology" in building to Bahia, similar to "passive house" technology out of Germany. He is certainly one to be considered for your next building project or interior design.

We will end this string of meetings, in a week's time, and head directly for DC to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama. Like many of you, it will be the first time we have ever considered going to such an event, least of all, actually going to it. This convergence of like-minded people in the capital for a celebration and not a protest, is nothing short of earth shattering, for many of us, who have had a more passive relationship to politics and our government officials. Joe Steele will be there bringing his style and wit to the planned events he'll attend, with a focus on fostering cross-cultural humility and fluency, in all aspects of business and government. If you'll be at the Black HBS event at The Mandarin, please check him out.