Lisa Napoli's Blog, page 62
March 29, 2011
Not for the faint of heart: The Bhutan Marathon
To be run on 11-11-11, the #bhutanmarathon. Details here, for the intrepid and curious:
http://bhutanmarathon.net/home.html
Let's hope they make Shangri-La required reading for all participants.
March 26, 2011
Bookselling for newbies
At Ft Lauderdale Airport International Terminal. In conjunction w the book fest I'm here for. Wheeee! Lots of returning cruise ship passengers here today…
March 24, 2011
Secret visit by archbishop to Bhutan
If the subject intrigues you of the emerging group of Christians in devoutly Buddhist Bhutan (with a guarantee of freedom of religion in the new constitution,) this article will too.
Excerpt:
"Bhutan: Archbishop on secret visit to Bhutan's Christians, first in 18 years
Bhutan's Christian community is growing, but authorities have forbidden all forms of proselytism, will not allow the building of churches and the public in celebration of masst. Msgr. Menamparampi, Archbishop of Guwahati (India), speaks to AsiaNews about the lives of the small Bhutanese Christian .
Timphu – Forced to pray in their homes, discriminated against in education and in public office and always closely monitored by authorities, the Christian community in Bhutan is growing. This has emerged from the recent visit of Msgr. Thomas Menamparampi, Archbishop of Guwahati (India). The prelate spoke to AsiaNews about his journey that began March 9 and ended in the last few days, where he encountered the situation of Catholics and Protestants from nine cities and villages in the country.
Msgr. Menamparampi managed to enter the small Himalayan kingdom as part of a training program for young Bhutanese, after nearly 20 years of continuous prohibitions by the authorities. His last visit to the Christian communities took place in 1993. To date, the authorities have not allowed the entry of missionaries. The country lies within the Diocese of Darjeeling (India), but the government prohibits all forms of proselytism, it has banned the construction of churches and the public in celebration of mass. To date, the only priest admitted in Bhutan is Fr. Kinley, SJ, who arranges with the permission of government training programs and education for young people, although in recent years some priests have been able to periodically officiate at private masses.
I started my journey on March 9, beginning from Phuntsholing. There were three Catholic friends with me who have been giving training to young people from Bhutan during the last few years. Our journey took us to Geddu, Thimphu (the capital), Wangdi, Tongsa, Bumthang, Mongar, Tashigang, Kanglung and Sandrup Jongkhar. We came across some two to three hundred people in little groups at some 10-15 places in different parts of the kingdom. That gave us a fairly good idea of the situation.
To begin with, I said mass for the small Catholic community at Thimphu on March 11th. They gather together quietly in a small inconspicuous hall as they used to do during the last few decades. They remembered my last visit to them some 18 years ago when Fr. Mackay, SJ, was still working in Bhutan. After his death, there has been no Catholic missionary in the kingdom. However, Bhutan, being under the care of Darjeeling Diocese, someone from there has been coming periodically to give mass to this Catholic community. In recent years it has been Fr.Kinley, SJ, who is related to the royal family of Bhutan, that comes to meet the community and celebrate the Eucharist for them. This community is considered an old group of Christian believers in the kingdom and are not disturbed by the Authorities at their quiet worship every week. They have been maintaining a low-profile image before the public from the time of the previous king. Many of them had accepted the Catholic faith when they or their parents were in Darjeeling (India). They have remained faithful. A few foreigners also join them in their worship once in a way."
Secret visit by archbishop to Bhutan
If the subject intrigues you of the emerging group of Christians in devoutly Buddhist Bhutan (with a guarantee of freedom of religion in the new constitution,) this article will too.
Excerpt:
"Bhutan: Archbishop on secret visit to Bhutan's Christians, first in 18 years
Bhutan's Christian community is growing, but authorities have forbidden all forms of proselytism, will not allow the building of churches and the public in celebration of masst. Msgr. Menamparampi, Archbishop of Guwahati (India), speaks to AsiaNews about the lives of the small Bhutanese Christian .
Timphu – Forced to pray in their homes, discriminated against in education and in public office and always closely monitored by authorities, the Christian community in Bhutan is growing. This has emerged from the recent visit of Msgr. Thomas Menamparampi, Archbishop of Guwahati (India). The prelate spoke to AsiaNews about his journey that began March 9 and ended in the last few days, where he encountered the situation of Catholics and Protestants from nine cities and villages in the country.
Msgr. Menamparampi managed to enter the small Himalayan kingdom as part of a training program for young Bhutanese, after nearly 20 years of continuous prohibitions by the authorities. His last visit to the Christian communities took place in 1993. To date, the authorities have not allowed the entry of missionaries. The country lies within the Diocese of Darjeeling (India), but the government prohibits all forms of proselytism, it has banned the construction of churches and the public in celebration of mass. To date, the only priest admitted in Bhutan is Fr. Kinley, SJ, who arranges with the permission of government training programs and education for young people, although in recent years some priests have been able to periodically officiate at private masses.
I started my journey on March 9, beginning from Phuntsholing. There were three Catholic friends with me who have been giving training to young people from Bhutan during the last few years. Our journey took us to Geddu, Thimphu (the capital), Wangdi, Tongsa, Bumthang, Mongar, Tashigang, Kanglung and Sandrup Jongkhar. We came across some two to three hundred people in little groups at some 10-15 places in different parts of the kingdom. That gave us a fairly good idea of the situation.
To begin with, I said mass for the small Catholic community at Thimphu on March 11th. They gather together quietly in a small inconspicuous hall as they used to do during the last few decades. They remembered my last visit to them some 18 years ago when Fr. Mackay, SJ, was still working in Bhutan. After his death, there has been no Catholic missionary in the kingdom. However, Bhutan, being under the care of Darjeeling Diocese, someone from there has been coming periodically to give mass to this Catholic community. In recent years it has been Fr.Kinley, SJ, who is related to the royal family of Bhutan, that comes to meet the community and celebrate the Eucharist for them. This community is considered an old group of Christian believers in the kingdom and are not disturbed by the Authorities at their quiet worship every week. They have been maintaining a low-profile image before the public from the time of the previous king. Many of them had accepted the Catholic faith when they or their parents were in Darjeeling (India). They have remained faithful. A few foreigners also join them in their worship once in a way."
Flames/rekindling
My friend Sylvester Taylor of the Center for Creative Leadership in beautiful Greensboro, NC just sent this:
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." – Albert Schweitzer
What is the secret to happiness and money?
According to Derek Thompson in The Atlantic, a new study shows we should "Follow these principles: 1) Buy more experiences and fewer objects. 2) Don't worry about insurance. 3) The frequency of happy events matters more than their intensity."
Includes an interview with Daniel Gilbert, the professor of happiness at Harvard. (No, that's not his photo.)
Excerpt:
"What's the most controversial suggestion in the paper?
If one thing surprises most folks, it might be the suggestion to buy many small things rather than fewer big things. If you asked people if they'd prefer an ice cream cone every Monday for the next few weeks or a great meal at a French restaurant, most would probably take the great meal gift certificate. But it turns out that the frequency of positive events is a better predictor of happiness than intensity of those positive events.
Let's say that you had five good experiences and each had an intensity of 10 out of 10. And I had 10 good experiences each with an intensity of 5. Simple math suggests we should be equally happy. But the odds are that I will be happier than you because happiness is affected less by how good your good experience was and more by how many good experiences you had.
Obviously, intensity matters. It is better to win the Nobel Prize than eat ice cream. But intensity doesn't seem to matter as much as frequency."
Addison Ore's Column/Author Creates Community
In North Carolina in February I had the pleasure of meeting Addison Ore, who has the world's best name and is a fantastically kind and interesting woman. Besides being the good friend of my dear old friend, Erin, and the head of the fantastic AIDS support non-profit Triad Health Project in Greensboro, she contributes to the News and Record.
Here's her column about our meeting, and how Greensboro is its own sort of Shangri-La: http://gotriad.news-record.com/content/2011/03/23/article/perspective_author_creates_community
March 23, 2011
Inspiration/reinvention
Providence Little Company of MaryThe Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce is please to announce Providence Little Company of Mary as the Title Sponsor for the 2011 South Bay Conference for Women.
WHAT'S NEW WITH WOMEN IN BUSINESS
In This Issue
Message From the Chair
Cookie Lee Surprises The South Bay Conference for Women
In the Chat Room w/ Anne Litt & Madelyn Hammond
Lisa Napoli, Radio Shangri-La
Volunteer's We Can't Live Without
Follow us on…
Message From the Chair
The countdown has begun-only 38 days until the 13th Annual South Bay Conference for Women at the Torrance Marriott. What an exciting time this has been for Bibi Goldstein and I! We represent the frontlines of the organization and there are so many others working behind the scenes to make this the best conference yet! We are so lucky to have the most dynamic, hard-working and talented women serving on our committees.I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Lisa Machii, Toni Boornazian, Angela Rubien, Amy Berg, Lisa Mueller, Jennifer Goldstein, Natalie Do, Jill Crescitelli, Nancy Vrankovic, Amy Cusack, Helen Archer, Lisa Aitken, Sandy Abrams, Lynn Goldberg, Lynne White, Portia Cohen, Diana Oropeza, Lauren Hacker, Cathy Morales, Dr. Green, Stefanie Dacy, Mary Ann Borders, Kim Ruggles, Tulika Bose, Kathy Jahns, Mary Strong, Shirley Pe, Yalda Noorzai and Cathy Alessandra. As you can infer from the long list, creating this conference takes a village. I hope that you have a chance to meet and acknowledge the women listed above-they have been invaluable to the planning process and have our eternal gratitude!
We have created a day that will inspire and present you with tools that you can use in your professional and personal lives. We offer stories of women who reinvented themselves after tragedy and during times of self-exploration. Our distinguished guests and speakers include:
Bonnie Reiss, Former Secretary of Education
Anne Litt, On-Air radio personality, PTA President and Mom
Madelyn Hammond, Marketing and Branding Specialist
Portia Cohen, Former Manhattan Beach Mayor and Councilwoman
Mary Strong, NFL Network Broadcaster and local business owner
Lisa Napoli, Author and Journalist
Kristina Ripatti and Tim Pearce, Former and Current LAPD officers
Enjoy wine tasting courtesy of Bacchus Wines, Massages and Facials from Murad Spa and Terranea Resort Spa, and a large selection of boutique clothing, jewelry and handbags. And don't forget those goodie bags, packed with special treats and samples from some of the best vendors around! So mark your calendar and plan on spending an incredible day of learning and growth but most importantly, take some time for yourself and have fun!
If you have any questions on how to become a sponsor, donate to our silent auction or volunteer for this extraordinary day, please email Sarah Perahia at sarah.perahia.
Thankfully Yours,
Sarah Perahia
Chair, MBWIB 2010-2011
Cookie Lee Has Something Special For the First 100 Individuals to Register!
What a fantastic woman Cookie Lee is! I have had the opportunity to get to know Cookie this past year and she has so graciously offered her most amazing jewelry to the first 100 single ticket sales. Here's how it works:*The first 50 people who register as an individual ticket holder (not a sponsor) for the South Bay Conference for Women will receive at registration a beautiful piece of Cookie Lee jewelry.
*The first 50 people who register as an Angel Sponsor for the South Bay Conference for Women will receive at registration a beautiful piece of Cookie Lee jewelry.
So…if you're planning to attend the conference and you are waiting to purchase your ticket, don't! Register today!
Anne Litt & Madelyn Hammond Join us "In the Chat Room" with Bonnie Reiss and Portia Cohen
To round out our panel of inspirational women, Anne Litt and Madelyn Hammond join Bonnie Reiss and Moderator Portia Cohen for a discussion on reinventing yourself with personal stories to uplift and inspire you in your own life.
Anne Litt is the acclaimed hostess of KCRW's popular weekend afternoon music program and has served as music supervisor for such beloved and influential films as Little Miss Sunshine. A lifelong radio fan, Anne's first on-air experience was at the forefront of the alt-rock revolution, as a DJ for the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill's award winning radio station, WXYC. After graduating in 1988, Anne joined the pioneering independent label, Mammoth Records. As one of the label's first employees, she helped guide the careers of such seminal alternative stars Juliana Hatfield, the Blake Babies, and Joe Henry. To read more, click here.
Madelyn Hammond is owner of Madelyn Hammond & Associates,a marketing and branding firm specializing in entertainment and media. She works with various clients to extend their profile by creating innovative and targeted strategies utilizing an integrated approach to reach consumers.
Additionally, she teaches individuals how to shed their professional baggage, effectively communicate their unique talents and reinvent themselves for the next phase of their careers. As one of the most "plugged-in" women in Hollywood, she has made networking an art form.
Hammond most recently was Chief Marketing Officer at Variety, the entertainment industry's leading publication. During her ten-year tenure, she developed both a print and online global branding strategy and was responsible for publicity, promotions, event marketing, strategic alliances and advertising.
Hammond has significant experience in consumer branding, licensing, exhibition, sales and marketing and has worked for a number of companies including Landmark Theatres, Sony Pictures, AMC Theatres and The Coca-Cola Company.
Lisa Napoli, Author of Radio Shangri-La, Speaker at the 13th Annual South Bay Conference for Women
Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a mid-life crisis when a chance encounter lead her to the adventure of a lifetime. Leaving behind her job in public radio and her life in Los Angeles, she moved to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan to volunteer at the country's first youth radio station. Along the way, she found the world is a beautiful and complicated place, and learns to appreciate life in a way she never imagined.Lisa Napoli is a journalist who has worked in all media. She began her career at CNN in Atlanta in the early eighties, worked in local TV news in North Carolina, covered the Clinton campaign and Waco standoff as a field producer for an early iteration of the Fox News Service, produced shows for an upscale division of QVC called Q2, covered the early days of the Web for the NY Times as the first staff columnist/reporter hired for a now defunct-section called CyberTimes, served as Internet correspondent for MSNBC (where she wrote an accompanying column for MSNBC.com) and most recently served as reporter/back-up host for the public radio show Marketplace.
She had never traveled to Asia before she was asked, by chance, to go to Bhutan in 2006.
Her proudest accomplishment, in addition to learning to swim at age 37, are the parties she holds every Friday night, where she relishes seeing friends befriend one another.
A native of Brooklyn, NY and a graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., Napoli currently lives in downtown Los Angeles, where there's a giant swimming pool, and hopes in the second half of her life to be a philanthropist.
Lisa will be doing a book signing at the confernence. Check our website for times to be announced.
If you would like to purchase her book before hand, please do so
here.
Volunteer's We Can't Live Without:
Lisa Machii and Angela Rubien
I would like to acknowledge two women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty these past few months-Lisa Machii and Angela Rubien.I have the pleasure of seeing Lisa Machii on an almost weekly basis. Not only is she currently serving as the 2011 Conference Boutique Chair, she also serves with me on the Gala Committee for the Asian Pacific Alumni Association and we participate together in USC Marshall Partners events. Lisa is a great friend and someone upon whom I can always depend. Her dedication, commitment to perfection and compassion for others are some of the characteristics that make her so special.
Ms. Machii is a seasoned transactional attorney, experienced in a wide range of sophisticated commercial real estate transactions, including finance (debt & equity), distressed debt & asset financing, CMBS, securitization and joint ventures, as well as corporate law and entity formation. She has extensive experience in loan restructuring, corporate restructuring, acquisitions & dispositions, residential real estate, leasing, development, asset management and loan servicing. To read more, click here.
Angela Rubien is a seasoned professional within Women in Business and her guidance and leadership have been crucial in the execution of the conference. Her graphic design expertise brings all of the visual and print design aspects of the conference together. I am lucky to have worked with her for the last three years and Bibi and I would be lost without her help.
Angela is a freelance graphic designer working with businesses, individual clients and design studios. She provides unique ideas and designs from concept through production at reasonable rates. Angela has a B.F.A. from Art Center, College of Design, and has worked for major advertising agencies such as Dailey & Associates and Mattel, Inc.
Recently, Angela joined the Board of Directors of the local non-profit organization FOLA – Foundation of Local Arts.
