Tag: Dennis Rodman

Most spoken “Hello”

We will have said that word, Hello, for the millionth time before quietly slipping into the night.

When the telephone was first used, Alexander Graham Bell suggested “What is asked?” for greetings. Finally, we settled for Hello.

It acknowledges the other, and ourselves. Greetings as bridges, not barriers.

And not just word. We look the other person in the eyes, they ours.

Hello often goes with or is followed by a handshake (tactile).

Eastern folks form opinion and impressions about a person before getting to know him (face reading).

The non-verbal aspect of communication, according to some, takes up 80 per cent of total interaction.

Scientists have studied the importance of smell and sound  in human connection.

So in “Hello” we learn a lot about the other person (Dennis Rodman and the leader of North Korea these days: basket-ball fans).

Even those who don’t say Hello, already sent out a message: I don’t want to acknowledge you, or have anything to do with you.

In social mixer, we sign up at the reception, and write our names on the “Hello, my name is…..” stickers (make sure it’s stuck on your right chest, in direct line of sight when you shake hands).

In Impressive Impressions, author Vu Pham talks about the first 6 seconds. He went into details about “resetting” your psyche throughout the day to refresh and be better prepared for each mini-encounter.

In business or in life, people do judge each other by appearance.

In fact, people have already done us a favor by glancing (let’s say in a crowded subway). Crocodile Dundee, having just arrived in NYC from an Australian swamp, had to climb a light pole, just to say Hello to every passer-by. He still brings his small-town mentality to a world-class metropolis.

As the saying goes, you can take a man out of ….(town), but you can’t take the ….(town) out of the man.

With jet lag and jet blues, it takes time to sort out our sense of self. Our bodies might be here, but our heads elsewhere.

Harlem Shake in Estonia, Gangnam Style….well in Harlem.

Global citizens  or not, we still need to say that Hello, a million times before saying our final Pope-like Goodbye. Press Reset, and make it  worth your while. Hello,…I just gotta to let you know.

The ball that travels North

Saw him at an Orange County club back in 1989. He was already rowdy and his parties disturbing to conservative neighbors.

And now, after all these years, shows up in North Korea, on a basketball diplomacy tour. Dennis Rodman, NBA defender. HBO’s VICE has done a surprising job of casting for sports diplomacy (Google x-CEO would be suitable for technology but not for sports diplomacy. Eric’s tour to North Korea reminded me of Bill Gates‘ visit to North Vietnam almost a decade ago). This is our 21st-century version of 1971 Ping-Pong diplomacy .

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/with-rodman-stunt-american-reality-tv-and-north-korean-propaganda-fuse/

Sports and technology. The bridge over river Kwai.

The ball, the basket and the score board.

The elation and adrenaline.

Some even bet a horse or the farm.

Something about the heat of the game; suspenseful – time is irrelevant when that last ball travels in mid-air (even when game is over according to the clock).

Players were playing God (defying gravity and chronology).

And fans, well, were fanatics.

Fascinating and unpredictable, when a black man (blonde hair) with tatoo and pierced ears treks his way far up North. Make sure he carry an autographed ball (preferably from his friend Michael). That would make for a second display.

Travel advisory! Don’t try to imitate Rodman, just like you would trying to make the basket.

It doesn’t work every time. That’s why they call names like Magic Johnson.

That’s why there was a whole line of Nike merchandise, private label.

The magic that sells, across the cultures and across the DMZ.

The last time I saw on-screen about the region, was when they shot our fictitious James Bond until there hardly were any snow left on the ground.

Go figure! Something in this world still manages to surprise us. And however long a shot, I couldn’t have thought the man across the same room back then, would some day be seen in a North Korean basket ball court. Now his OC neighbors would sit up and watch for sure, besides offering to watch his estate, free. Hope that happen! Magic and miracle: going long to get across. Defensive game!.