Whenever I get a chance to have a conversation with Seth, I take it. Recently Seth asked me if he could ask me a few questions on my blog. Here are the questions and my answers.

Seth: Tell us briefly about the entrepreneurial climate of where you're currently working -Singapore. What's making it work there for you?

Joi: Singapore has many interesting attributes. The nation state is small enough that the government is extremely well designed and can run Singapore in a very efficient and flexible way. They have a very open visa policy for smart people, are within a short direct flight to the Middle East, Africa, India, China and Japan, speak English, and the infrastructure is very good.

I apologize for the rather impersonal nature of a canned New Year's message, but the New Year's greeting is an essential part of Japanese etiquette and one which I feel compelled to preserve.

First of all, I want to thank all of the people in my life - my family, my co-workers, my friends as well as all of the animals and plants in my life for making this year yet another wonderfully stimulating and fulfilling year in my journey through life. I feel one year wiser and one year happier, looking forward to next year's challenges.

Happy New Year.

I was part of an interesting conversation today about mentors and I described my mother as one of my mentors. My mother died 15 years ago after struggling with cancer for about 2 decades. Sitting here pondering the New Year and the past, my thoughts returned to my mother who was my friend, parent and mentor. I pulled up some entries from a diary that she kept on her computer. For some reason I feel compelled to share an excerpt from her diary.

I miss my mother very much but I still hear her voice clearly.

Slightly edited for brevity and grammar.

Momoko Ito

5/21/94(Sat.)

It is 2:20am. I just finished watching "Anatomy of Murder". Funny. I hardly watch TV, especially after having such evening!