This is a paean to the shitty enterprise. You know the sort. The ones with 3.1 stars on Glassdoor. The reviews that sniffle how “you learn a lot.” The owners whose visions never translate into strategy, which never gels with execution, that … more >>>
When I was six years old, I went to my first day of ESL (English as a Second Language) class at the International School of Tanganyka. I was pretty proud that I could count a bit already: “one, two, tree.” I was … more >>>
In 1999 we went on a school trip and I saw architectural models by Jože Plečnik. Some of them were never built, only dreamt. Here was fantasy made wood, and sometimes stone and glass and steel. I was seventeen and I wanted … more >>>
“Where are your scissors?” “In the stationery drawer, why?” “I need to cut the meat.” “Huh?!?” In creative and design and lateral thinking workshops one of the oldest tricks in the book is the brick. Master comes into room. Master places brick … more >>>
“Write more about weird food,” they said. They being friends of mine, curious about a far off land they may well never visit. I filed the idea away and went about my day. Days passed. With YL we completed some Exciting Bureaucratic … more >>>
Two years ago I had no first-hand experience of South Korea. My expectations were those of a moderately well-read and well-traveled European. High-income country based on GDP per capita. Densely populated. Very plugged-in, overworked populace. High-tech. Eat live octopi. That is to … more >>>
I hate design. There, I’ve said it. To be precise, I detest working as a graphic or ui or ux designer. As a web designer, even more. The work process is about 5% creativity, 50% routine pixel-pushery and 50% puffery. And yes, … more >>>
One. Two. Tree. I was so proud of those first three English words I carried to my first day of International School. A few months later my first grade ESL teacher complimented me on correctly using “circling.” I fell in love with the English language and soon it was my home.
But Slovenian class.
Ours is a golden age.
I know. It’s hard to believe. We have orange goblins and secret policemen and climate cooks and kooks. Bear with me.
I listened to the BBC World Service on shortwave radio in Dar es Salaam in 1990. The radio ran, I drew, and I thought received pronunciation was normal. In the 90s and 00s radio and TV died. Guggle and Facetube started killing journalism and other stuff. And podcasts appeared.
Early in our relationship YL had a great fear.
We met in Lausanne, the edgiest and most crime-ridden city in Switzerland. This means that the city is very safe. Old ladies with manicured dogs dominate the promenade and three night-clubs stay open late on weekends. This also means local taste is adapted to saucissons, choucroute, fromage and patates.