What Is Wisdom 1

WHAT IS WISDOM??? Hopstaken’s newsletter

“The very moment a person realizes that reality has many faces, he takes his first step on the road to wisdom.”

21 October 2005 1st Edition

Contents 1. Welcome to the first edition 2. What do you know … 3. Panta Rhei, or ‘This River Will Never Be The Same’ 4. Meet Shi Lei 5. A cultural note: Bob Dylan on being friends 6. Developing a course in intercultural communication 7. Wise quotes & -crackers 8. News from across the planet 9. Demand & Supply 10. Our next issue …

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1. Welcome to the first edition of ‘What is Wisdom???’ Survey Thanks again to all those who replied to the survey. Two thirds of all who received the sample & survey, responded – which is highly satisfactory. Your answers are very helpful. I don’t want to make a product, appreciated by only a few. There are many workable suggestions, and most of these will be used sooner or later. Those who responded are all willing to be interviewed. It was hard to decide about the format (Word or PDF). Most want to receive the newsletter in PDF, so we’ll do that. Downloading Acrobat Reader is easy, and available all over the world. The issue of using real or nicknames led to a variety of answers. I decided to use both, with - after the real name - the nickname between brackets. If I make a mistake in spelling, please let me know straight away. You do realize this is a Very Dutch Solution. Wisdom Jiaying (Wing): “I checked this word. It has many meanings. What do you really mean?” She hits the nail on the head. We all want to be wise, so later we’ll be able to look back and conclude: “That was a good decision.” Or, “I’m proud of that.” The problem with making decisions to do something (or not): it’s often very hard to look at the consequences. Deep down we know we are responsible for our actions, meaning: for their consequences. You may be very sure about the rightness of your decision, only to find out later that it was not-so-right. You may feel ashamed: “How could I have been so stupid?” And of course, you are always responsible for your actions, and the world around you expects you take responsibility: repairing possible damage, making excuses, etc. What would have been wisdom? The quest for wisdom is a constant search for ways to improve the thinking processes which lead to decisions we will not regret. So the title of this newsletter refers to this quest. If it helps us in any way to make better decisions, the ones we’ll be satisfied with afterwards, then it serves its first purpose. The second purpose: to function as an international communication platform for exchanging news, ideas and information. Exclusively for those who have something in common: 1. they live or have lived in The Netherlands, 2. know me in my quality as consultant / teacher, and 3. I have the honor to know and have worked with them. (Only those, who actively communicated with me during their time at DDU and with whom I feel there is a basis for friendship, have received an invitation to be on the mailing list.) Galahad, Perceval and Bohors carry the silver case containing the Holy Grail to the Spiritual Palace at Sarras. A crippled beggar, miraculously cured, leaps up to help them. From La Queste del Saint Graal, France; circa 1316 Copyright © The British Library Board

DDU Some suggest that this newsletter should contain DDU news. However, this is not a ‘DDU Newsletter’. It’s published by my company, Hopstaken. So for news about DDU, I refer to … DDU (www.ddu.nl). Nevertheless, for many subscribers of What is Wisdom??? DDU has been (or is) their playground. So yes, there will be news about DDU, or the school will be mentioned in passing. Suggestions Many of you came up with useful suggestions: “I like to read about (…) successful business people, (…) because we can learn from their real life experience – not only what we can read in books.” “I would like to know about my classmates, how they are doing (…)” “Maybe an update on what’s going on in the Netherlands.” “Information on new business ideas, or new subjects. (Such as) ‘Future Management’.” “I will choose Consultancy as my major (…) I think sharing your experience will be of value to me.” There were many suggestions. The next issue will be focusing on ‘consultancy’. How to become a consultant, tools and tips, and in particular, the communication aspects of this profession. I received so many suggestions; it would be easy to continue filling this newsletter for two or three years. Thanks a lot. I take a bow to all of you who came up with suggestions, and feel truly honored by your feedback. Yet, you know how it is: feedback is always appreciated. So don’t stop!

2. What do you know … Shocked I was shocked to find out that three days after the disaster, many current students were not aware of the earthquake that destroyed the lives of 100,000’s of Northern Pakistani, Indians and Afghani. The death toll at this moment is over 54,000. I know – there’s nothing you can do. No. Actually, you can. It’s very simple. By showing some sympathy to the Pakistani, Indians and Afghani you meet. I asked one student, Nasir, about it. He was born and grew up in a Kashmir village that doesn’t exist anymore. He was sad, but bravely tried to keep his wits together. Can you imagine??? References (1) Looking for an online encyclopedia? Try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. I use it all the time. If you want to know my secrets, this is one of them. 761,669 articles on anything you want to know. But beware: not all is high quality. Never blindly trust anything that is writen, or on your screen. Always check your facts. References (2) Words can be tricky. Especially when they are used in a meaning that differs from the one you know. Then sentences don’t make sense anymore, and even a whole text may confuse you, or put you to sleep. Next to a good dictionary I regularly use websites such as www.yourdictionary.com and www.alphadictionary.com. Both provide a daily newsletter concentrating on one English word. The descriptions include the word’s origin, their basic meaning. Often highly enlightening. References (3) The world has news happening every day. Much of it is bad news, as good news is ‘not profitable’, according to the Media Moguls. And governments use them to filter info. As a result, it’s almost impossible to know what’s really going on. Nevertheless, there are numerous possibilities to keep you aware of what’s going on this planet. Even MSN and Yahoo! provide some highlights. But if you really want to be informed, find people from the area where the events take place. Or if that’s not realistic, find a good online newspaper that focuses on what’s happening in your home country. Some international online newspapers aren’t too bad. Personally, I’m quite happy with my New York Times weekly update (free), and certain online newsletters on professional topics. Some universities also offer great services in this field. A few tips: http://country-studies.com, and http://www.careeronestop.org. On business ethics / corporate governance this site can help: www.csrwire.com. But the best way is to find these reference sites yourself, of course. However, if you know of any reference site(s) that could be of interest to the readers, let me know. Today, October 21, 2005: It’s Women’s Day in Viet Nam. How to escape the madnesses of planet Earth Check http://earth.google.com. And try to find the place you consider home, paradise, where NEVER to return, etc. Google Earth is free. However: it’s only fit for broadband (it’s BIG, earth). Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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3. Panta Rhei or ‘This river will never be the same’ – by Peter van Oosten ‘Everything flows’ is the meaning of this ancient Greek expression of which many people believe that Heraclites of Ephesus, who lived in the 6th century BC, was the inventor. (Loek and I have been in Ephesus last year; it’s a beautiful ruin city in Turkey. The picture shows the ‘bathroom’, an excellent place for philosophers.) Heraclites, by the way, in his Logos-(Reason, the way of the world-) philosophy, came very close to Lao-Tsze, the Chinese philosopher, with his famous Tao (Dao, The Way). Hegel, the later (1770-1831) German philosopher, was very fond of Heraclites and his book ‘Logic’ is one straight reference to the ancient Greek master and, of course, to Immanuel Kant, his own direct inspirer. Karl Marx and his followers, impressed by Hegel, entwined these thoughts into their ideals and – crazily enough – also into their dogma’s (rather static principles, as you know…)! Nietzsche (1844-1900) also was a great admirer of Heraclitean philosophy, especially where it concerns ‘war’, its ‘necessity’, and its believed universal aspects. The 1st and 2nd World War, and all the other similar happenings since, might have had some links to thoughts like these. But I intended to talk about ‘Love’ … Well, in fact it’s not such a big leap, from ‘hatred’ or ‘hate’ to ‘love’, as many of you will realize. Maybe you remember me saying at these moments, while explaining matters like these: “There’s only one second difference between bad and good, maybe even less…”. And perhaps you can also remember my Yin Yang (shadysunny) drawings on the whiteboard. My explanations and your own discussions around it, beginning with “how to pronounce it” and traditionally ending with “female-male”. You might recall my everlasting wondering about why the shady side of the symbol must stand for “feminine” and the sunny side for “masculine”… Starting this discussion now at DDU brings – once again – totally different outcomes and point-of-views! We gathered many new students from Pakistan, gender-type: male, who – most probably – also believe in the ultimate reunion of male and female aspects, but in daily life keep a great distance. I hear you think: Hofstede… Yes, of course! But some other thinkers have even better ideas about those topics. Loek took over the intercultural backpack of Larry and – just like before – every other teacher in school always openly wonders about the many different aspects, which give color to our global world. We still talk a lot about ‘ethics’ and ‘social/corporate responsibility’. Recently we built in some ‘Manners’-lessons. Etiquette, in a certain way. Good and/or less good or even bad behavior. The Why’s and the Why-not’s. And: how to be clear about it. Ex-students and –teachers probably remember the sidewalk in front of DDU-building, the favorite place for students and some teachers in-between, before or after lessons. Coffee, tea, Coke, cigarette, some snacks accompanying the conversations, complaints and gossips. When everybody was back inside or gone again, the leftovers marked the sidewalk: empty cups, cigarette cartons, and bags, whatever. ‘Leftovers’, but to whom? And: why? ‘Respect’ certainly is the word of magic and what else than “Love” is meant with it? “This river never will be the same” are the Buddha, according to the Buddhist Holy Siddhartha, written by Herman Hesse in have mentioned that specific part of the of that river, having to say Goodbye after Siddhartha said words like: “some day I will his mentor told him, that such would be means, that what you see now and which following moment, but there… While the different one. In fact: The River does not

wise words, spoken to Siddhartha, the young Books and according to the famous novel 1922. In most classes I have been teaching, I story. About Siddhartha, standing on the banks some period of ‘internship’ with ascetic monks. return here, at this beautiful river…” Whereas impossible. “The water flows, Siddhartha, which you seem to like, is not here anymore at the river consists of such water, the river is always a exist!”

At some precious moments I’ve taken students to our beautiful riverside in Deventer. The IJssel river was created for meditation objectives, in my humble opinion. At those same precious moments we were able to talk more ‘privately’, although in a group, but being outside ‘the institute’. I happened to learn more about these students then and I bet they had the same experience concerning me. These experiences really show and become clear, at moments like Graduation Day and, occasionally, at the railway station or at Schiphol airport. Tears in my heart, pearls in my eyes, cascades in my throat… Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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4. Meet Shi Lei

Shi Lei – Summer 2005 (from her MSN Space)

Zeng Qian (Tracy) & Shi Lei – Summer 2004

Shi Lei graduated in February 2004. At that time she called herself ‘Sandy’. Since one of her current class mates also calls herself by that name, Lei changed hers to ‘Shelley’. I settle for Lei. Tell us who you are, where you are from, how long you have been in the Netherlands and what you achieved so far. Let me introduce myself first. I am Lei, come from the South of China. I arrived September 25, 2002 (good memory, ha-ha!), 3 years ago. During these years, I must say I learned a lot, fortunately. First of all, I got a bachelor’s degree on business administration at Dutch Delta Business School in Deventer, in 1,5 years. There I improved my English to be able to study on an academic level, and also picked up basic business knowledge. So I would like to know all teachers and staff, that I appreciate them. What they taught me, helped me. Otherwise I could not have continued the later higher study. After I got the bachelor degree, I applied for MBA study at Hogeschool van Amsterdam. The program contains 9 months theory studies and 6 months thesis writing. So far I already finished all theories and all performances are good. Since September I am in the thesis process. Regarding your study, what is your current topic? My 3 years study all is about business management. During the studies, I found my favorite course is marketing. Especially in the MBA study, lots of topics I learned are around marketing management. So now, my thesis topics focused on marketing research and international marketing plans. Lei, you have been away from your home for several years. Did you have any expectations before you came here? Yes, acutely at that time before I came I had several expectations. Firstly I hoped I could change my mind, be more open to the world, more flexible for dealing with problems. Secondly, I could learn knowledge more advanced than I learned in China. Also I expected I could become more independent not only in life and study, but also in the future working. The last expectation is a hope that after finishing studies I would have an ideal job which would allow me to use my knowledge and apply my abilities, and, of course, ha-ha!, with a not bad salary. To what degree does the reality of living and studying in The Netherlands meet your expectations? The studying level almost meets my expectation. I really improved my knowledge to a higher level, but only on the theory level, I don’t know if the real practical aspect is covered enough. And the communication ways are improved, especially the skills in the presentation, yes, they improved, I think. And through more group projects in MBA studies, the ability to work independently has also improved. And also the ability to live independently has improved. Regarding getting an ideal job after study, I hope I could meet this expectation. But before that I think I also have lots of things I should improve for myself. Do you have any specific wishes concerning your future? Like I mentioned before I wish I can have an ideal job, the job in marketing field. If can have years working experiences in a foreign company here, learn the real advanced business and management operations, and then return to China to practice in a Chinese company. The more luxurious wish is I can set up my own coffee house in China.

Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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From your point of view, what should be done to improve business relations between East and West? Is there anything we all need to learn? The economy and the culture can not be separated. So I think to improve business relations one must improve the recognition and understanding of the cultures of East and West. History teaches us these two areas have their own cultures. They are so different from each other. The differences caused the people to come from these two areas with totally different ways of thinking, and different customs. Once we can understand each other’s cultural backgrounds, the business dialogues could become easier. Business relations improvement only happens when cultural exchange improves. So I think cross-culture management is an important subject for the company. To be specific, what should the Dutch learn? And what should the Chinese learn? The Chinese people should learn: when doing business, or even in daily life, Dutch people always follow certain systems and processes. It’s good for setting up a stable company and doing a well-prepared business. The Dutch people should learn: when doing business, especially a small and medium sized company, the more flexible ways used by Chinese people for business operations; a different situation requires a different way of dealing. In my opinion, if the people in these two countries can learn to really know each other, I think the result will be more satisfactory, both for the people and for society. Do you have any lessons you have learned, while away from your home country, you would like to share with the readers of this newsletter? The way to deal with relationship between friends and families is different, between Dutch and Chinese. In the Netherlands, whatever the relationship and how deep it is between you and your friends, or even your wife/husband, every one has their own private space. However in China, the private space for Chinese is less than for the Dutch. In China, husband and wife know everything about each other. In friendship, you know more about your friend, you have a deeper friendship with him/her. That’s how I have experienced the difference with Dutch culture so far. Thanks, Lei – success with your studies, and do keep in touch!

5. A cultural note: Bob Dylan on being friends Let me introduce you to the best English teacher I ever had. If there ever was a person who motivated me to learn a language, then it was him. When someone asks me, how come I speak such good English, I refer to him. Strangely, I never met this man. But, his poems appealed to me. It was as if he was telling me what I was thinking, and above that, he gave some answers and guidance. In a very pleasant and often humorous way. At the time, he was already famous in North America and Europe. You see, this poet used music to get his message across, and I wasn’t the only one who experienced what I experienced. Recently, the Italian-American moviemaker Martin Scorsese made a 4.5 hour TVdocumentary about him: Bob Dylan. It was shown this month on many TV stations worldwide.

Bob Dylan around 1964. A guy I could identify with. I notice that the word ‘friend’ is among the most frequently used in human relations, and more so when I talk with students. To some, it means ‘knowing someone’. To others, it almost means nothing less than a lover. Yet to others, it’s a name for a very special person – one who is there when you need him/her, and you’re there whenever he/she needs you. Dylan defined friendship by telling you what it ISN’T. I first heard it when I was about 14 and very confused about friendship. To this day I still have his concept in mind when I think of ‘friends’. You might also understand why he was such a terrific English teacher. (See the song lyric at the end of this newsletter, and www.bobdylan.com for more info) Here are two quotes that I recall, which impressed me in those days, both from his song ‘It’s Alright, Ma’: Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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“Don’t fear - if you hear - a foreign sound - to your ear.” “… but even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.”

6. Developing a course in intercultural communication This past study block I delivered a course in Intercultural Communication. While preparing this, it appears that the number of books and websites on this subject has grown enormously. It became a dark forest where you get lost fast. In order to find the most useful pieces of knowledge and insights, I first approached Larry O’Connor, who taught this subject until he left DDU, this summer. Larry helped me by pointing out current literature, and find a way through the dark forest. I don’t pretend to be out of this forest now, but Larry’s guidance plus the actual delivery of this course has been a gratifying experience. As you may recall, there is often an element of interactive research going on in my class, the results of which stimulate me to find different ways through, and possibly out of the forest. All in all, it has been an interesting class, I think. When I went over the exam papers last week I was gladly surprised to see how much the subject means to my students. Starting with the work of Geert Hofstede (www.geert-hofstede.com) and various other tools to observe and analyze cultures, halfway through the course I re-discovered the work of Arnold Cornelis. Unfortunately, his major work is not available in English. Just some articles in hard-to-find magazines. But Mr. Cornelis provides a new model for looking at cultures as they develop – and fall back in development through time. His model is based on three ‘layers of stability’. The first one is the first stage of any culture, where there is no science, and people don’t understand nature. The ‘natural systems of youth and the past’. In order to come to terms with this, they develop ideas of a supernatural character. This binds people: it’s what you see when students from different cultures get together. It’s the basic layer of any culture; you could say, it’s a culture’s heart. It’s what you miss most when you’re away from home. When people discover science and start to observe and understand nature, they also develop a social structure: ‘social ruling systems – current society’. This second layer I call the ‘mind’ of a culture. This is where education comes in. In the last centuries many cultures moved to the second layer, without giving up the first. What’s a mind without a heart? However, it’s also the layer where we find conflict; not only between social and political systems (world wars; the ‘cold war’), but also, between cultures that are settled in the first two layers (find your own examples). The 21st century is a chance to change all that, as we now have the ways and means to communicate. Now, this is the third and final layer of stability: ‘communicative self-management as a future model’. There is one problem: the peoples in layer 2 forgot (or underestimated) the importance of learning to communicate. This keeps us all from reaching that peaceful layer, where we all can pick the fruits of both the hearts and minds, the incredible richnesses of our cultures. An other interesting concept is the ‘catastrophic learning process’. This is the case, when people look for solutions to a problem in a thinking system that doesn’t contain these solutions. Like running around my car ten times doesn’t fill up its petrol tank. Which isn’t an invalidation to anything that comes from the first stability layer, it just doesn’t provide answers to material problems. Like the second layer is not fit to handle problems that belong to the first. However, intercultural communication most definitely belongs to the third layer, and - small as the effort may seem - every time two members of different cultures discover they can communicate, showing respect for each other’s culture, I think we are making a difference. Well, in a very tiny nutshell these are two of Cornelis’ basic ideas. Add to this the dimension of ethics and corporate governance, and you will understand my enthusiasm for Cornelis’ work. This is one of the few translated bits of his work you can find on the net: “The famous quote from Descartes 'I think, therefore I am', can now, from the perspective of the stability layers in culture be added to. Apparently he meant, in today’s terms: 'I think myself, therefore I am'. The same quote also counts, when viewed upon from the logic of feeling when someone says, 'I feel, therefore I am'. Feeling oneself is the starting point of our consciousness and of systems theory. We may assume that in all human cultures, as early as what I have called the Natural System, this feeling as consciousness exists. In the stability layer of the social regulatory system an additional quote should be added. A quote that is shown most profoundly in totalitarian systems. 'I obey, therefore I am' There were people, about sixty years ago in the Western world, who chose for a totalitarian leader, like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin, purely to lift the doubt of their existence in the major crises of the 1930's. It is no coincidence that these political figures could enter the arena, the logic of feeling was canalized into a cultural stability layer of obedience to a social regulatory system. One's own identity was connected with following orders, people were raised that way, they had no opinion of their own and no self image. The way their living was steered had nothing to do with how or what their own thoughts were concerned with. Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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For the stability layer of communicative self steering I now pose a new quote opposite of Descartes: 'The way in which people think themselves will determine if people will remain in existence and also the way in which people will remain in existence." Next: Manners In the next issue of this newsletter I want to share with you my ideas about values and manners. Our Prime Minister was ridiculed by some reporters for stating that good manners may form a workable tool to increase agreement between the peoples of Europe. Well, I agree with the Prime Minister on this point. Manners are the way people who belong to a culture express their values. I did a brief exercise with my students on this matter, and we discovered that the cultures from Nepal, Pakistan, China and Vietnam all agree on what are basic good manners and what are basic bad manners. For those who are interested in this development: www.atlasofeuropeanvalues.com introduces a European study on common values. It’d be interesting to see if Asians agree with this set of values. And on which points they disagree. Because those are obviously the areas we need to … communicate about.

7. Wise quotes & -crackers “Overcoming yourself is better than overcoming a million enemies in battle.” Buddha (568-488 BC, Indian born on presently Nepalese territory, founder of Buddhism) “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” Douglas Adams “The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.” Robert M. Pirsig (1928-, American author; wrote the classic ‘Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’) “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” B.F. Skinner (psychologist, 1904-1990) “Education is expensive but not nearly so much as ignorance.” Dr Goodword (www.alphadictionary.com) “Cherish forever what makes you unique, ‘cuz you’re really a yawn if it goes!” Bette Midler (1945-, American singer, entertainer, actress) “Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, but of looking in the same direction.” Antoine De Saint-Exupery (1900-1944, French aviator, writer) “Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Ovidius (Roman poet, 43 before Chr.– 18 after Chr.)

Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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8. News from across the planet Tung Dang (Fire) returned to Vietnam last February. This is his message dated 13 October: “I would like to announce you that my wedding will be held at the 18th Oct 2005. Last Thursday, we made a proposal of marriage according to Vietnamese tradition (in Vietnam we call ‘ĂN HỎI’ ceremony), and it’s a must. As you may know, It’s different to the proposal in Western, it’s more serious with fully parents in both side, with some closest relatives, and some good friends.

‘ĂN HỎI’ is a very important ceremony, that’s an offically approval of the parents of the bride, in order to a couple can make a wedding ceremony later soon. There are 7 big presents from the bridegroom’s family that will be given to the bride’s parents to ask approval of the wedding, you “ask to take a girl out of her parents”. It sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Well, my ‘ĂN HỎI’ was so wonderful with not any mistake made.” (Update 20-10: Tung: “420 guests attended. We drank, wished, talked and shared the cost of party together. What a wonderful party!”) This is Ling Jing (Kate). Isn’t she a beautiful bride? Jing and Mark White married a few weeks ago in Manchester (UK). The other picture shows Kate on the graduation trip on the IJssel river, last year July. Congratulations, Jing, and be very happy with your Mark!!!

Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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Zeng Qian (Tracy) meets all the requirements to earn herself the diploma International Logistics from Arnhem Business School. She will receive the certificate next week. Qian graduated from DDU July 2004. Every once in a while she visits Deventer, and sometimes we meet. The photo was taken after the Chinese Cultural Evening, late June.

9. Demand & Supply Business is ‘communication with lots of content’, a good way to promote intercultural communication and of course, what many of you came to the Netherlands for to study – to gain knowledge and develop skills, and the put all that to use. Making money – sure. In the 21st century the way to do this is on a basis of equality, fair trade. In the process, establishing true bonds between business partners from different cultures will in time lead to peace. In a novel I once read: “Nothing in the world is as profitable as peace.” This statement finally convinced the war making parties – only interested in their OWN profit, but nearly bankrupt in the process of waging war on their opponents – to make peace. An international community such as ours offers an interesting opportunity for those who want to extend their horizon even further. Martin Zuurhout suggested an interview with a former student, who is now working and looking for a business’ partner. I recall how he himself helped establishing a business contact between the family companies of a Turkish and a Chinese student. And as a matter of fact, while preparing this newsletter, another contact like this was made. As soon as there are any results to report, I will let you know. So this part of the newsletter is now open to you: if you are looking for a demand or have anything to supply, use this platform as a market place. Send the specifics of your demand or supply to [email protected]. If you have a lot of attachments, to [email protected].

10. Our next issue … … will be a ‘consultancy’ special. We aim for December. The rest is a secret. Well, not quite. There will be something on ‘manners’. The format may change a little, and we do appreciate your feedback. Keep in touch: • •

Send any comments, news, gossip, business propositions, photos and all that jazz [email protected] or if it takes up lots of space, [email protected]. For an informal chat you might catch me on MSN ([email protected]), Yahoo! ([email protected]), Skype or GoogleTalk. I also installed a web cam, so we can wink & wave at each other. According to leading marketing experts these are tools for the 11 to 18 year old, but as so often, they fall behind the times …

You will have noticed that this newsletter is twice as long as originally intended. Sorry about that. We’ll try to make it shorter, but we don’t make promises in that department. In closing – when for some reason my faith in mankind needs to be restored, I just look at this picture. For me it works! Thailand meets Cameroon: Sawaluck Sawannawong (Eew) & Ntoko Edenge Rachael Munge (Rachael). Photo taken on the Nepalese Cultural Evening, in April. Sure: knowing those two marvelous characters helps. Both do BA7 now. Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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Note: all text by Loek Hopstaken, except 3. Panta Rhei, by Peter van Oosten. Layout: Peter & Loek.

LATEST NEWS November 10 there will be a Dutch Cultural Evening at the Deventer City Hall, following the (overdue) Opening of the Academic Year. After the Turkish (February), Nepalese (April), Vietnamese and Chinese (both in June), it’s time to prove that this flat & wet, yet populous little corner of Europe has its very own culture. When you are in the area, you are cordially invited. The event Starts informally around 4.30 pm in the Hofstraat with Dutch food & drinks. No ‘Dutch treat’: it’s free. Formal start at 6 pm. Peter van Oosten is the man-incharge, and staff and teachers of DDU will assist. Another event to put in your agenda: January 16 will be the Pakistani Cultural Evening.

Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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ATTACHMENT TO ‘WHAT IS WISDOM???’ 1st edition

All i Really Want To Do I ain’t lookin’ to compete with you Beat or cheat or mistreat you Simplify you or classify you Deny, defy or crucify you All i really want to do Is baby be friends with you. No an’ i ain’t lookin’ to fight with you Frighten you or uptighten you Drag you down or drain you down Chain you down or bring you down All i really want to do Is baby be friends with you. I aint lookin’ to block you up Shock or knock or lock you up Analyse you, categorize you Finalize you or advertise you All i really want to do Is baby be friends with you. I don’t want to straightface you Race or chase you, track or trace you Or disgrace you or displace you Or define you or confine you All i really want to do Is baby be friends with you. I don’t want to meet your kin Make you spin or do you in Or select you or dissect you Or inspect you or reject you All i really want to do Is baby be friends with you. I don’t want to fake you out Take or shake or forsake you I ain’t lookin’ for you to feel like me See like me or be like me All i really want to do Is baby be friends with you. Bob Dylan (1964 – CD Another Side of Bob Dylan)

Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies – www.hopstaken.com

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