Past week

I was invited join GIO delegation to Shanghai for the " Cross-Strait " Music Industry Development. as a consultant to a - peer and a regular panel chair to GIO sponsor and subsidies project, my join the delegation is a plus to them. the one week in Shanghai is intense and busy, what's the take home? well, to conduct meetings at different historical location is a good experience to me. such as : Dinner at Sun Chin Ling Charity Club house - where Chiang and Sung get married. and use a 80 years old English house for meetings with government officer in Su Hui District - the richest district in Shanghai, and to visit the semi-official association to their office - once an Italian commerce house and now convert to a 12 associations' join office.
Bing Chinag / Su Hui development project is a huge project, they design it on a 15 years timeline and hoping to bring the value of the land by it's culture flavor - software instead of hardware, Synergy Group was among the target collaborator for building the " National Musical Base " at this Hu Bu Riverside - where they names it " West Bank "
Golden Melody Awards Ceremony bid together with TBVS was not my preferred plan - under the project base and use the " Great Capital " as the paper company for this, I don't know why Qui / Michael or even Ed so keen in bringing this difficult project, to produce " Golden Melody Awards " was never be the strength for anyone, not to mentioned this rookie team. the basic discussion of how we should work together is scheduled on Wednesday - Sep. 28th, I am not sure who will finally in the picture. to me, it's a half and half thing.
Return to Taipei taking Air China, and manage to join the introduction for Bengo and Matthew, we met at Space first and then move to the good cafe - 25 degree for the idea exchange, Bengo is thinking to use the resort brand - FuChun Sen Chu for the " Space " to grow on, in the resort and at Hung Chu city. Matthew is eager - yes eager to present his " Wellness Center " plan with land developing idea. it's no easy, after almost 2 years, his idea is not yet move anywhere, this is interesting to me, really, Bengo inviting us to the resort and I am working on the schedule with Matthew.
Take Sound to 2nd floor for the jumbo breakfast on Sat. and after the breakfast, we went for the movie " Johnny English - reborn " this is my second time to the first run, as I knew Sound will enjoy it, so... after the movie, I had an idea to take a venture to Treasure Hill, located next to the theater but we hardly consider to check it up. so, Sound and I did it on Saturday, it's not bad, some residential artist present and showcase their work and 3 little interesting cafe make the hill very unique, I may find time to bring Meiling here.
Life Academy volunteer's welcome party scheduled on Sunday - I accompany Meiling to Taipei Railroad Station, she is taking Step 1 - Power of Change on 25th to I-Lan, yes, she is reluctant to join and send me so many message about how she is not comfortable about it. yes, this is the process and some take home will left once she complete the whole session. Life Academy volunteer have no training program, the magic word is " Just Do It ", the welcome party begin with sharing and ending with sharing. this is the emotional river Life Academy bring to everyone.
I took Sound to the bus and then bring Sep. 7th back to yesterday.
next paraphrase is what I wrote in Shanghai:

2011/09/19
Morning with Steve / Victor and Roger who were the funder of Esoterism, the design and branding house which I introduce to Ryan for the investment, the talk in between have been carry on for one month and it seems the trust base is dilute gradually, I had a coffee with Jack and Ryan yesterday morning by 8:30 at the Bakers Café – the café which Ryan love the most, we spend 2 and half hours there and the change of investment agreement is in dramatic way, I know the 3 funders will not be happy to see what happen, so call up to see them in the afternoon, well, everyone is working on their family issue – and it should be prioritized I know.
I manager to finish writing the memo after talking with Ryan and sent it over to Victor and Steve, and Victor call for a meeting in late evening, I am fine , waiting for Meiling at the sports club and get ourselves a comedy movie “ Johnny English – Reborn “ before coffee with Victor, I spend 1 and half hours with Victor at Union Café – the good brewer at Chin May. Where he share his uncomfortable to me and feeling they have been squeezed, well, I have no further comment as I am act as the “ Communicator “ or “ Facilitator “ to the project, they don’t even understand why Ryan call on the last moment that “ Will you want to invest some? “ the statement I make is clear : What do you want from the deal ? Money ? Ryan as a good mentor or leverage the network both Ryan and Roger have? I subtly advise Victor how I see people with commitment to build there dream or brand – such as Liuliquifan Director Chang Yi and Hui Shan – how they spend every dollar they have to tell people they are doing what they say—yes, if I am a coach to 3 of them, I wish I deliver something and yes, I learn a great deal from the process – from each of them and from Ryan.
Get myself a good noodle and soup at the Fu Chew Noodle Shop before heading for airport, this is the GIO delegation to Shanghai – a music industry tour with i-peer and the GIO , this is kind of fun, as consultant to I peer, I am entitle to take this trip with them, check in by 5:00 pm and act as the courier for Eric and Quenshen this time, for the 20 pack of health food, never mind , do as pleased and pleasant with what I do.
How I spend my Saturday : well , a good mountain climbing with Meiling in the morning and take the local breakfast with a shopping at local market, this is how couple did on Weekend. After the session, I went to library and stayed there for 4 hours, I need to feed myself with decent English reading, so, I read new week and yes, this is a good learning process., Meiling called earlier than I expected, so I decided to take a venture to a newly identified second run movie theater – The Happiness Theater located in Sang Chung – we take the MRT to Shang Ho school stop and walked to the cinema- 10 screen all you can see for 130 NT each, what amaze me is they broadcast the indie film as second run movie also, this is a rare finding for us, we only take 2 films this time, but I am happy to see the “ Bottle Shock “ – the Napa Valley white wine story – 1976 Jim’s legend and I learn it from the heart.
Sunny response with my call and told me the half million training consulting project is OK with them, at least I manager to get one, but GENIUS is now pain in the ass, spend decent time and effort and the change of time and negotiate again and again make me lose my patient, I have to throw out my ultimate letter : do it by myself and cut the program to one day only, yes, this is a China experience, no mercy, but to insist on your value – if they can accommodate a Nobel Laurent as honorable director, why can’t try me once, so, stick on it.
Jurgen came for the program discussion when I return from China – the Forum meeting, he is great about detect people , hold different view with me and Celine, I am very interested to see if Celine can work with Jurgen. I don’t know.
Ryan call for a noodle lunch on Thursday, it broke my promise to bring Jurgen for lunch, as Ma La – a great little noodle shop, who we see there ? Danny, he just came back from the regional mandarin forum and I know the good word about me is spreading, yes, I should do more and o better, every time.


2011/09/20 blog
It rains in the morning and kind of chilly since the night before, after mid autumn festival , in China, you can tell the 4 seasons. Clear and with changes you can see.
I thought the gathering time is 9:00 am, without hesitation, doing my quick breakfast but learnt it postpone to 9:15 am, to make this window a valuable time, I walked out of the hotel – Green land hotel and visit the door next – the first culture and creative zone developed in Shanghai – the 1933 building, 1933 was first used as the cow slaughter field, according to the locals, it was then the largest cow slaughtering place in South East Asia, and now it convert to boutique shops, trending store and glorious restaurant., I didn’t know we were return for lunch, but, it worth take a look.
The itinerary is not intensive but heavy, we had a morning meeting at the headquarter of Synergy culture group – the jv partner with i-peer music, since we accompany with GIO high ranking officers, so the visit were treated semi-officially, from the presentation, I took the picture of how the group company is going to plan. A company under the City Government should carry certain mission – not 100% commercial, but with goal and purpose, they don’t clearly address the purpose, but I can tell the “ Culture exchange and export “ will be feature in the little red book , Synergy tried to build a platform for all the music related ( or be more specificly, content related ) value chain, from performance, management, publication and distribution, in all forms and rights. Yes, a great dream. Chairwoman Mrs. Guo is an interest person, I don’t see big role on her, but seems a controller – financial mainly in the group. SVP Mr. Chu is an artist. EVP Bill Chang is our true window and a person we know for decade.
During our lunch at 1933 – the famous Shu Zen Hui , Bill disclose one of my forgetting memories, that’s the time I host a dinner for him and other important officers from China in my Sony Music Days, according to Bill, this is the first time they appreciate a “ Thick Sharks Fin Soup “ and he saw me getting drunk and take off my shirt – singing in front of my guest.. yes.. I didn’t know that , or I can’t recall It anymore.
After lunch, we went for the Shanghai Epic Music – this is the first Joint Venture between Sony and Synergy group back in 2001, that’s the year I join So-net and that’s the year Bob Bowlin and Richard Denekamp team up music jv with China and build the CD manufacture in Shanghai. When arrived there and saw the inauguration picture on the wall, it .all gone and that’s an old time story
Dinner is very good, we were welcome at Sung’s Garden House, now use as the Sung Chi Ling Charity Club House, and this is the house where Chiang Kei Sheng married Sung Meil Ling. A UK style house built in 1908, old furniture and old pictures, yes, across strait, all the peoples are interested in Sung and Chaig family and the tales. The dinner is mainly introduce the music group company under Synergy – Ko Chen Musical Theater Company and the coming music “ Xin Hai “, the 4 major cast sing some tune before the dinner, Master Chin and Director Yu with Script writer together tell a story – virture mix with the history.
Retune to hotel by 9:00 pm and we –Qui / Michael / Ed / Eric and I had a consensus meeting in regard to the future of the task force, I suggest to really check the current structure and to re-design the board / management team., reshape the business model and to invite new investors, the basis consensus were built and next week, we should kick off the project of internal DD – Another build up of new future.