Life – Brian AiChang's Blog

Today was a Good Day

As our journey in India comes to a close, I had a moment to reflect of all places…in the gym. Today was “chest day”, and I sat on the bench thinking “it’s way too early in the morning to do this”. I did my warm-up set which felt surprisingly good. I added more weight which didn’t seem that heavy after all. Then, I just went for it. I stacked the bar with 300 lbs (136 kg for you metric fans) and did something I haven’t done in years. I bench pressed it. I was extremely happy that I declared victory and went home.

This led me to reflect our decision to move to India. My wife and I previously discussed how we would love to move overseas and give our children the same opportunity that we both had growing up. That opportunity eventually presented itself, and we literally had to make the decision on the spot – Go or No Go. We chose Go.

The opportunity and decision felt good both professionally and personally – there was no downside. I’ve talked to friends in and out of the US. Our US friends were happy for us but thought we were a bit crazy. Our Indian friends couldn’t believe we made a decision unilaterally vs consulting with the extended family. In India, family decisions are not made that quickly nor by individuals. It’s a collective effort to ensure the best for all. There are pros and cons to everything, but my main point is this – when an opportunity or achievement presents itself, acknowledge, celebrate, and act on it. Do not overthink this positive force and turn it into a gut-wrenching and negative experience. Use it to better and challenge yourself. Otherwise, you never know what you may have lost.

I am grateful we jumped on the Indian journey. It’s been a roller coaster with more highs than lows but one that we will forever cherish and put a smile on our faces. And if I can quote the rapper Ice Cube, “Today was a good day”.

Jugaad

Jugaad? What is it and why am I writing about it? Jugaad is an Indian term which has many references in Hindi.

An “innovative fix” to a solution – Here this raging water was a mere dribble a few days ago in the Himalayas. A sudden rain storm turned this shallow creek into this flood. The “bridge” was made to get across as it was the only way to get out. The guides had no fear and ensured we made it across safely.

Or a creative solution that is not necessarily “proper” with limited resources

This road is under construction with a sewer grate exposed. Since there is no barrier, two large sticks and a traffic cop marks the hazard.

Or it’s a management term signifying frugalness as in the case of Tata Motors developing the Nano, a $1500 car

So why am I writing about jugaad and how does this relate to anything? As I was sitting my car and saw the two sticks and traffic cop (second picture), it struck me that we go through life trying to be perfect. There’s nothing wrong with that. We should strive to be perfect where it matters: being a good person and teaching our children right from wrong. However, don’t let life force you to be perfect, or you’ll die frustrated. Have some “jugaad” in your life – be creative and unique to design solutions for yourself, not what others expect.

Settle Your Mind

We all live busy lives with many challenges throughout our professional and personal endeavors. Our minds are constantly racing as we embrace the highlights and navigate through the stress. Sometimes, it seems that the only light at the end of the tunnel is the light of the train that’s coming at you.

In a few months, my family and I will be transitioning back to Denver, Colorado after 2 ½ years in Mumbai, India. When we first moved to India, we embraced the unknown, the new life, and the most rewarding journey we’ve had thus far. However, as we move back, there’s a bit more stress trying to re-integrate ourselves back into our old lives. The place will be the same, but we are different after living such a global lifestyle. Additionally, I am also re-starting my career to leverage my newly minted MBA from Washington University in St Louis and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and global experience into opportunities that I didn’t have before. While this is all very positive, your mind still has a way of taking control creating unnecessary emotions like anxiety.

I sat down with a friend who gave me sound advice for both a career and personal perspective. He summed it up in three words: “Settle your mind”. That was it, and it struck a chord with me the moment he said it.

You cannot control others, just your own actions. Focus on what is in your sphere of influence.
Use your energy wisely – Focus on what will improve yourself directly and eliminate little things that do not matter. Do you really think spending more time thinking or regretting about the past will fix the future? See my previous blog – Giving Thanks with Touch of Karma’s Point #4: What is over is over, don’t hold on to the past.
Settle your mind. Don’t let your “mind monkeys” paralyze or cause unnecessary negative feelings or actions.

It was refreshing to hear and sometimes, we need to remind ourselves what really is important. The rest can wait…

If You Think Life Can’t Get Any Crazier…

India celebrates their Republic Day on January 26. Akin to the US Fourth of July, India honors this date when India became a democratic country, free of the British colonial rule. As you can imagine, this joyous occasion is celebrated by all with fireworks, parades, patriotism, and pride. You expect everything and anything to happen…almost.

I was on my way to play volleyball at the American School of Bombay when I literally had to pull out my phone to capture this moment. I’ve seen families of 4 on a motorbike and goats in an autorickshaw but never a dog riding on a motorbike like this. How did I react? Shock at first but then quickly re-composed myself as there is a famous phrase uttered here – “This is India”. This shouldn’t have surprised me. It didn’t for the two pedestrians who are walking across the street. But, like life, it’s how you react that counts.

I’ve been slow to write in this month’s blog. Life has a funny way to ensure that all the craziness occurs in a short time span. Within January:

My wife had to travel back to the US for a three week business trip
My father-in-law had surgery in India
I had to conduct a board meeting at the school
Ensure the well-being of my two children
Prepare our transition back to Colorado in July as we finalized plans

Like the reaction to the dog on the motorbike, I took a deep breath and focused on what I can control in my realm of influence – setting up the surgeon’s appointment, concentrate the board’s agenda and subsequent discussions on the fundamentals of the school, and called Papa John’s pizza (for many dinners). For the long term transition activities, there is time to adequately address those issues like enrolling the kids back into school, preparing our house, and finding a job – perhaps those reading this blog can help me with that J

I realized I can’t control life’s “chaos”, but I can control my actions. In the end, Grandpa had a successful cancer-free surgery, my school board meeting aligned and converged the trustees into an unifying decision, and my children were extremely happy eating lots of pizza – “Father of the Year”! (sorry, Mom).

When life brings it on in full force, I urge you to stop and assess:

What you can control
What really matters
What you really need to do

You will quickly realize there are only a few “must do” actions. The rest are just “nice to do”. As they say, “Keep it simple” but also “Keep it sane”.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Last year, we hiked in the Himalayas which experience unusual rains. Turning back, we made camp across from the main road. The small creek became a raging river. But, we persevered and crossed with a makeshift bridge (underwater) at the last moment.

As 2016 draws to a close, we all are looking forward to downtime and “refilling our cup” to spend time with friends and family, finish long overdue projects, and frankly, to just relax. We spend our entire year juggling professional and personal commitments and wait until the end of the year to do the things we wanted to do throughout the entire year. However, instead of relaxing, we cram everything we can during the precious off-time. At the end of the break, we need a break!

My family made a recent decision to move back home to Colorado in the summer of 2017. It was a bittersweet decision as there’s a lot India has to offer from a great international education for my children to living a global lifestyle. However, after finishing business school recently, my desire to reinvigorate my career was the tilting point. I realized that we will not be able to see the great friends we made in India on a regular basis. Some live within minutes but others are hours away by plane. We made a conscious decision visit as many as we can before our time is up, and it’s too late.

It’s been busy but refreshing. A couple of weeks ago, we had a mini class reunion over dinner. Though it’s only been 2 months since graduation, it felt much longer as we slip into our daily routine again. Seeing each other rekindled bonds instantly as well as laughing at our personal stories that we created together.

A few days ago, I traveled to Pune (a 3 hour drive from Mumbai) to see my friend, Sagar) who leads Tenneco’s operations in India where he hosted and personally gave a tour of his factory. It’s not often that a Managing Director would take time out of his day to do so, but my wife and I were honored and grateful. It was exciting to see how well he is doing professionally but also how well his mind, body, and spirit is doing. I also can now empathize for those who made that monthly commute to our classes – definitely a time investment.

We have more trips planned during the end of the month and next year to see as many friends as we can. It’s not to say farewell but to strengthen our friendship. I would urge everyone to breakout of your daily routine and see an old friend. I get it. It takes effort. But, that effort is just a mental barrier as once you see that friend, you’ll realize, it wasn’t any effort. Just don’t wait until it’s too late.

Next is Dr. Ashley Thomas…we’ll see you in Kerala.

Giving Thanks with a Touch of Karma

Living in India for the past two years has taught me many lessons. One was shared by my friend and classmate (Prasad Somanathan) of Indian philosophy and karma that just struck a chord with me. Life sure has its ways to reward and humble you…and quickly too. As we approach the US Thanksgiving, I wanted to share this philosophy around India’s demonetization, a maneuver that has extremely significant upsides, but one the country must endure through the pain of the monetary action.

On Nov 8, Prime Minister Modi banned 500 and 1000 rupee notes (equivalent of the US banning $10 and $20 bills) overnight to eliminate the “black money” economy which is believed to be ~25% of the GDP. While this has caused liquidity issues for all (India is a predominantly cash economy) especially those who do not have bank accounts (e.g. rural India, the poor), it is viewed as a necessary step to transition India from a developing country. Investors must have confidence in the country’s transparency as India fights corruption.

I am thankful that my family is fortunate to be sheltered from these impacts since we have debit and credit cards as alternative money sources. I am also thankful that as an American citizen, we emerged from our banking crisis in 2008. However, I am also reminded of what Prasad shared with me in this situation that can apply to all.
1) Whatever happens had to happen that way – it could not change.
2) Whoever you meet in life, you are supposed to meet, and there is a purpose to meeting that person. There is no chance meeting.
3) Whatever has to start in life, it will only happen at that time – neither before or later.
4) What is over is over. Don’t hold on to the past.
Utilizing these principles of karma, I can view how demonetization affects me as an individual:
1) I was destined to be in India to witness, learn, and grow from India’s demonetization. I have never seen firsthand at how it directly impacts lives and now I carry these lessons forth.
2) I was accepted, enrolled, and graduated from the Executive MBA program from Washington University in St Louis and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Without meeting my friends and classmates, I would not have had the opportunity to learn how the Indian economy and monetization policy really works.
3) India’s demonetization started on Nov 8, 2016. After the Indian government continually warned its people that change was coming, it finally acted on that day.
4) Demonetization is here to stay and will not be called off. It’s a way of life, and now we have to get on with it.

We have lots to be thankful for and if we sprinkle some Indian philosophy, we can enrich why we are thankful.

ROAD TRIP!!

Sometimes in life, you have to “shake things up” to refresh your mind, body, and soul. One year ago, several of my Indian classmates and I decided to do just that – a road trip across the United States. It would be our unofficial capstone event as we complete our Executive MBA degree from Washington University and Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay. It was also a way for me to repay them for looking out for me in India.
pawn-shop On September 20, this dream became a reality. We started our 9 day, 7 states, and 2500 mile road trip from San Francisco to St. Louis. On the way, we drove through California, Nevada (Reno, Tonopah, Goldfield, and Las Vegas), Arizona (Grand Canyon), Utah (Moab), Colorado (Denver), Kansas (Hayes, Kansas City), and Missouri (St. Louis). Of course we had to visit Las Vegas, but the beauty of the trip was stopping at the national parks (Grand Canyon, Arches, and Rocky Mountain) and most importantly, meeting the people along the way. We met:

My cousin, Shelley, in San Francisco who taught us about leadership and the courage to be the one to make the change
Bob and Harold, at the Hawthorne Munitions Museum in Hawthorne, Nevada who exuded pride and patriotism (as a fellow vet, I salute your commitment)
Sharon in Goldfield, NV who epitomizes self-reliance and free thinking
Sumi in Las Vegas who is a high school classmate that I cherish with her honesty (even if it’s brutal)
Bill in Boulder, CO who shared his love of space by giving us a tour of his satellite operations
Ron, the owner of my son’s previous childcare facility, in Broomfield, CO who was gracious to share his insights so one of my classmates can open a daycare facility in India
Cindy, a family friend in Kansas City who hosted and endured us for an overnight stay and also provided a glimpse of US hospitality

While we will have formally completed our graduate degree on Oct 14, the life-long lessons we experienced have shaped our perspectives to listen, understand, and enjoy the company of others. We have much to learn if we are willing. I still can’t believe our journey has ended, but what a way to end it. I couldn’t have been any happier with the way it turned out and look forward to the next. My right foot, on the other hand, is happy to earn a rest from the gas pedal.

the-road-trip-crew

A Little Randomness Goes A Long Way

Last week, I heard my phone buzz notifying me that I had a text. It was early in the morning, and I will not respond until I completed my “beauty rest”. However, instead of sleeping in (my family was back in Colorado as I had to come back to India early to attend grad school classes), I was wide awake at 5:30 AM. The texts were from a group chat of my friend sharing his trip to Boston as he was wrapping up his day. Another friend then asked what I was doing up so early and when my family was coming back. Once I told him I’m a pseudo bachelor for another week, he just said, “I’m coming over…I’ll show you mornings in Mumbai…”

Powai chi stand

If I was back home, I probably would have argued that I’m not going out that early, and I would see him another time. But, I realized he was on to something. We both needed to get out and do something different to give us a mental break – from his daily work “grind” to my established morning routine. 15 minutes later, he picked me up and went directly to a local chi (tea) stand. It’s like the local barbershop where you can find out everything that is going on in your neighborhood. It was surprisingly busy as typically, Indians are not morning people.

Afterwards, off to the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to explore more of the campus. Since he was raised on campus (his mother is a professor), he showed me new areas including the Padmavati Devi temple and its chakra as well as views from atop a hill – it was also a good thing we were there after 6 AM since panthers have their own work schedule…

Padmavati Devi Temple Gate PNG Padmavati Devi Temple png Chakra png

It was definitely rejuvenating to see something new and more importantly, enjoy the company of others. We all get in a rut. Sometimes you feel trapped. But I urge you to break free from life’s routines and do something random. It can be small things like meeting a friend you haven’t seen in a while for lunch to life changing by moving ½ way around the world to India. Whatever it is, do something new. You’ll either love it or know you’ll never do that again. But the point is to “do” and take control of what you can control…your mindset and actions.

Panther sign png
So thank you, Ravi Vishnu, for teaching me a life lesson at 5:30 AM.

Hiking through Simplicity

Last month, my family had the opportunity to hike in Sikkim, India located in northeast Himalayas mountain range bordering Nepal and Bhutan. We spent 4 nights exploring the countryside, residing in Home Stays, and hiking (from Pelling to Yuksam). Electrical load sharing is common in this region – available a couple of hours a day at random times. Though you can receive a 3G signal for internet through your cell phone, wifi is uncommon. But, once your phone dies, you have to wait until electricity is available which can be a while. You lose connection with the world but start to appreciate the “simple life”.

Home Stay Family

Food tastes better. Maybe it’s because hiking makes you hungrier, or it’s because you appreciate how much harder it is to cook without electricity. Your body clock aligns with sunrise and sunset – after all, you can’t do much without light, and a candle can only provide so much of it. You wake up refreshed from a good night sleep – no interruptions from the cell phone, just pure rest. Looking out of the window, you realize how amazing the mountains look instead of rushing to start your morning. You re-appreciate what you take for granted. Coming from Colorado, I saw the Rocky Mountains every day, but I didn’t really pay attention to it. After living abroad and living in a different subcontinent, I appreciate the moment.

River

Fast forward two weeks later, and I’m back in Mumbai setting up a panel discussion in an event hosted by Washington University in St. Louis and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. We invited speakers from both universities, with collaboration from the American School of Bombay, to moderate and bring industry expertise from their global community to expound upon leadership and educational needs under the context of India’s initiative “Make In India” as the country evolves from a developing nation. I reflected and marveled how in just a short time ago, I was hiking in the Himalayas with limited communication to being in the center of global dialog – examining India’s educational culture of risk aversion to developing leaders who can address unknown unknowns.

IIT-WashU-ASB Panelists

The panel discussion was a huge success stimulating intellectual curiosity on how the country’s educational foundation should transition to meet leadership challenges as India advances to an industrial economy.

With so many complexities, I definitely appreciate simplicity. I just know to never take it for granted.

Hillside