For the third and final week of my Asian tour I'm back in Thailand, this time in Bangkok for a developing country vaccine manufacturers' conference. The hotel towers a dizzying 55 floors above the Bangkok convention center, with its head often in the clouds as it's currently rainy season.
On Saturday I was invited on a city tour by Sangsarn, a long time family friend of friends in Seattle. Auspiciously, the rain that had started at 6:30am tailed off and stopped shortly before Sangsarn arrived to pick me up at the hotel, and held off for the rest of the day. We traveled like the locals do - first on the Sky Train to the Central Pier and then took a commuter boat up the Chao Phra river, which was churning after all the rain. We passed the Temple of Dawn - Wat Arun - on the left bank, although it was in scaffolding for repairs, and the Royal Navy base before landing just above the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. After a quick bite for lunch on the river we toured the palace. Free for Thais, expensive for foreigners! The palace and temples contained within its grounds were overwhelming - so much decoration packed into a relatively compact area. There were four different pagodas, each built in a different style to contain the ashes of a different king. Bangkok was founded much later than Ayutthaya so the buildings were 'only' a couple of hundred years old.
Wat Phra Kaew contains the Emerald Buddha, carved from a single piece of jade. Although relatively small it was awe-inspiring. The temple walls inside were painted with murals depicting scenes from Buddha's life. Sangsarn explained that an Italian professor at the School of Fine Arts which is located across the street had led an initiative to restore and maintain the artworks in the Palace, which the students now do on a regular basis.
Next we hopped on a tuk-tuk to go a short distance down the street to Wat Pho. It gets so hot and humid in Bangkok that locals pay for short hops The temple was built around the statue to be a snug fit; you can't get a full view of the Buddha by design, you can only peek between the columns that support the roof. The entire length of the temple along his back is lined with begging bowls into which people drop alms for the monks. Wat Pho is also famous for being the original school for Thai massage. Sangsarn and I went for foot massages there. The masseuses lean their whole weight on you and press every acupressure point hard with a strigil, pull each toe until the joints crack and finish off with a neck and back massage. It must have been good because I slept soundly for 10 hours that night!
After the massages we took another tuk tuk to the flower market, where orchids galore were piled high and stallholders threaded garlands of lotus and marigolds. Then we headed into the narrow red-brick paved alleys of Chinatown. You had to dive out of the way to avoid the motorcycles which took up the entire width of the alley. Most of the shops we walked past were selling shoes. We made our way over to the station to meet Aye, Sangsarn's wife, and then the three of us took a long tuk tuk ride to find a Chinese restaurant that Sangsarn particularly liked, only to find it closed and in the middle of a major renovation. So we ate next door instead!
The last stop of the evening was a bar mysteriously tucked away in an alley, Tep Bar, where traditional Thai theater music is played. The musicians were four young men, a vocalist who chimed Indian bells in time in his hand, a virtuoso xylophonist who played on a curved rosewood instrument, a drummer who sounded very much like an Indian drummer and a flute player who doubled and ornamented over the xylophone on a vertical bamboo flute. The music reminded me of Indian classical music although the meter (in 4) and tunes were much simpler to follow. Sangsarn and Aye explained that the piece was a play and the songs were about rural life (roosters, training an ox to plow etc). Also fascinating was the little wicker basket that was hauled by waiters on a knotted rope made of torn cotton fabric up and down from the bar to the upstairs room with orders, glasses and small plates of food.
The next morning, since it wasn't yet raining, I ventured out on foot to explore the local area. There are elevated walkways that run parallel to the skytrain which is a nice way to stay safe from traffic, sudden downpours and give a great aerial viewpoint. I passed the Erawan shrine to Brahma which I think was bombed about a month ago but there were no signs of lasting damage and the shrine was doing brisk business with worshippers lining up with marigold garlands and incense. Traditional dancers with tall pointed gold headpieces sang and danced in a small pavilion behind the shrine, accompanied by similar instruments to the ones I'd seen the previous evening at the bar.
I walked about 1km to Lumphini Park, a true urban jungle where giant monitor lizards roam and swim in the ornamental lakes. The first one I saw gave me quite a start! After that I headed to Chidlom where I'd read there was a store that sold Thai designs - very disappointingly it was yet another department store full of western designer brands, not at all what I wanted, although I did find some street vendors along the walk that had some local crafts and textiles. Walking back to National Stadium I stumbled on a design center that had contemporary Thai arts and crafts, which was much better. My last stop was Jim Thompson House, a beautiful conglomeration of six old teak Thai houses combined into an east-west hybrid of a home filled with art and antiquities by the owner, who was quite a character - former CIA, revived the craft silk industry in Thailand and then mysteriously disappeared in 1967 while on a walk in Malaysia. As I made my way back to the hotel the heavens opened but thanks to my umbrella and the vast malls and aerial walkways I made it back without getting wet.
The rain continued all afternoon so I couldn't even swim in the hotel's rooftop (and open to the elements) pool. I stayed in the hotel and watched 'The King and I', for which Jim Thompson made his name supplying Thai silk for the original stage show, on Youtube.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Korean Harvest Festival - Chuseok
The second week of my three week tour was spent in Seoul, Korea visiting a second vaccine manufacturer. My first full day in Seoul was the last day of Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, and as luck would have it, the newspaper on the plane had a full page article listing cultural activities at the Korean National Folk Museum, which it turned out was only a short metro ride from the hotel.
Korea is extremely high tech - I needed a tutorial to learn how to work the curtains, lights and temperature in the room, which are all remote controlled. The Metro was extremely easy to use, especially as every sign was in Korean and English, and I was quite proud of myself for finding my way around. When I arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace I was just in time to see the changing of the Palace Guard, who wore brightly colored robes and carried fearsome weapons (swords or bows and arrows) and were followed by an even scarier band of drums, gongs, conches, trumpets and a xylophone making a cacophonous din. Enough to scare the enemies away! Many women were wearing the traditional hanbok costume, which consist of a full length brightly colored silk smock over which is worn an appliqued bolero jacket fastened with a one sided bow. I got to try on a hanbok at the Folk Museum and later discovered a whole underground market beneath the hotel where one can buy hanbok in rainbow colors.
After looking at the various craft activities on offer to children in the courtyard of the Folk Museum and visiting a fascinating exhibition on Joseon culture and everyday life (which lasted for over 500 years up till 1897), I walked over to Bukchon Hanok, which is a village full of traditional Korean houses and picturesque alleyways. It really was my lucky day because then I stumbled on a free lunchtime string quartet concert outside the Modern Art Museum. It soon became apparent that this was no ordinary string quartet - they played beautifully together and kept going even when the music blew off their stands. I learned afterwards that they were part of Classical Revolution, a movement started in San Francisco, and that they had been in La Jolla the previous month! I wished I had put some ACMP brochures in my backpack rather than leaving them at the hotel!
Once the concert was over I realized it was time for the Folk Play to begin so I hastened back to the Folk Museum, where the musicians (three flutists, two gongers and a drummer) were in full swing. The flutists were fun to watch, dancing as they played. The play livened up when a male actor dressed as a hunchbacked old woman came on stage and started harassing audience members, and got really exciting when two lion dancers arrived and impressed the crowd with their antics. One of them came and dumped its head in my lap and offered me a little bottle of something which it snatched away every time I reached for it. The lions died and then various audience members came on stage to try and resuscitate them. The whole thing ended in a big procession with all the characters.
I made my way back to the hotel and went for a swim. I soon realized that I was underdressed in my western style swimsuit - Koreans are much more modest and bathe in long sleeves, and wearing a cap is mandatory. Some of the children wore sweet little bonnets tied under the chin, in patterns that matched their swimsuits.
Korea is extremely high tech - I needed a tutorial to learn how to work the curtains, lights and temperature in the room, which are all remote controlled. The Metro was extremely easy to use, especially as every sign was in Korean and English, and I was quite proud of myself for finding my way around. When I arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace I was just in time to see the changing of the Palace Guard, who wore brightly colored robes and carried fearsome weapons (swords or bows and arrows) and were followed by an even scarier band of drums, gongs, conches, trumpets and a xylophone making a cacophonous din. Enough to scare the enemies away! Many women were wearing the traditional hanbok costume, which consist of a full length brightly colored silk smock over which is worn an appliqued bolero jacket fastened with a one sided bow. I got to try on a hanbok at the Folk Museum and later discovered a whole underground market beneath the hotel where one can buy hanbok in rainbow colors.
After looking at the various craft activities on offer to children in the courtyard of the Folk Museum and visiting a fascinating exhibition on Joseon culture and everyday life (which lasted for over 500 years up till 1897), I walked over to Bukchon Hanok, which is a village full of traditional Korean houses and picturesque alleyways. It really was my lucky day because then I stumbled on a free lunchtime string quartet concert outside the Modern Art Museum. It soon became apparent that this was no ordinary string quartet - they played beautifully together and kept going even when the music blew off their stands. I learned afterwards that they were part of Classical Revolution, a movement started in San Francisco, and that they had been in La Jolla the previous month! I wished I had put some ACMP brochures in my backpack rather than leaving them at the hotel!
Once the concert was over I realized it was time for the Folk Play to begin so I hastened back to the Folk Museum, where the musicians (three flutists, two gongers and a drummer) were in full swing. The flutists were fun to watch, dancing as they played. The play livened up when a male actor dressed as a hunchbacked old woman came on stage and started harassing audience members, and got really exciting when two lion dancers arrived and impressed the crowd with their antics. One of them came and dumped its head in my lap and offered me a little bottle of something which it snatched away every time I reached for it. The lions died and then various audience members came on stage to try and resuscitate them. The whole thing ended in a big procession with all the characters.
I made my way back to the hotel and went for a swim. I soon realized that I was underdressed in my western style swimsuit - Koreans are much more modest and bathe in long sleeves, and wearing a cap is mandatory. Some of the children wore sweet little bonnets tied under the chin, in patterns that matched their swimsuits.
Touring Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam
My first foreign trip with the Foundation was a three week tour of Asia. Week one was in Ayutthaya, about one hour's drive from Bangkok, Thailand, where I joined a group from PATH visiting a vaccine manufacturer. Their head of regulatory affairs, another Janet, invited me to join her on a tour of the old city with an English speaking guide, Mr. Pok and driver, Mr. Vinai, since we were both staying over the weekend after our meetings finished.
We started at King Rama V's summer palace, Bang Pa-In Palace, an Eastern interpretation of Versailles complete with a Chinese pagoda and observatory tower. Grey carp, catfish and turtles vied over the bread that we threw in the lake, in the center of which was a golden pavilion containing a status of the king. There was a Brahmin ceremony going on outside to dedicate a new spirit house complete with drums, gongs and conches as well as lots of offerings of fruit, sweets and flowers and incense. Jane had heard that one has to visit nine temples for good luck so we marked off no. 1 which was a replica of a Khmer (corncob shaped) temple, Hem Monthiat Therawat.
Next, we took a cable car powered by Buddhist monk pedal power across the river to visit a Gothic style Buddhist temple, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat. There was a beautiful flowering sala tree in the grounds, the fragrance was delicious. The church was a bit bizarre, with its western style steeple and stained glass windows with images of Buddha.
On the way back to Ayutthaya we stopped at temple no. 3, Wat Phanan Choeng, which boasts the tallest Buddha in the world. The statue was overwhelming - it had a spiral staircase up the back and monks perched in its lap catching the bolts of saffron nylon fabric that worshippers bought and tossed up, draping them over the statue. There were piles of used saffron drapes on the floor behind the statue. All around the walls were 84,000 tiny alcoves, each containing a tiny Buddha statue, which represent Buddha;s 84,000 words of wisdom. Mr. Pok explained how Buddhists worship - with offerings of lotus buds, three sticks of incense and gold leaf, which they apply to the Buddha statue of their choice. Each person has a particular Buddha posture, depending on the day of the week you were born. I was born on a Monday in the year of the horse and my color is yellow. My Buddha pose is standing with the right hand raised in protection. Buddhists will come and pour oil into a lit lamp in front of the Buddha of their day of the week.
Temple no. 4 was Wat Yai Chai Mongkol with its reclining Buddha, also draped in saffron sheets of nylon with gold leaf pressed on its chin and toes. This temple had a tower which we climbed, in a central courtyard around which about a hundred life sized Buddha statues sat, each one also draped in saffron cloth.
We had a bit of a break from temples and took a boat ride around the Hua Ro Floating Market - it wasn't really floating but decks built out over the water on stilts. Jane wanted to buy a sarong and at Mr. Pok's urging I tried some local street food, kanom krok - coconut and rice pancakes with corn and green onions. They were very tasty!
Then it was back to temples. No. 5 was Wat Phra Mahathat, a huge complex that was burned in the Burmese invasion in 1767. The Buddha statues were originally made of three pieces of sculpted stone, covered in stucco and then lacquered and gilded, but the fire burned off everything but the stone and then almost all the Buddha heads were looted. The roots of a banyan tree grew naturally around one Buddha head which is still there today.
Temple no. 6 was Wihan Phra Mongkon Bophut which has one of the largest bronze Buddhas in Thailand. By this point Jane and I were starting to get a little tired of temples but we had to get up to nine, so the next stop was Wat Na Phra Men which has a Buddha dressed like the Siamese kings of old, and next door in a smaller temple with amazing detailed (but sadly deteriorated) wall paintings dated from the 1860's and a 1500 year old granite Buddha.
Temple no. 8 Wat Lokayasutharam had been destroyed long ago but the large reclining Buddha, with a remarkable cheerful, almost clown like face, remained, and we did a quick drive by Temple no. 9, the Khmer style Wat Chai Wattanaram with smaller Mon style outlying towers before returning to the hotel and cooling off in the pool.
We started at King Rama V's summer palace, Bang Pa-In Palace, an Eastern interpretation of Versailles complete with a Chinese pagoda and observatory tower. Grey carp, catfish and turtles vied over the bread that we threw in the lake, in the center of which was a golden pavilion containing a status of the king. There was a Brahmin ceremony going on outside to dedicate a new spirit house complete with drums, gongs and conches as well as lots of offerings of fruit, sweets and flowers and incense. Jane had heard that one has to visit nine temples for good luck so we marked off no. 1 which was a replica of a Khmer (corncob shaped) temple, Hem Monthiat Therawat.
Next, we took a cable car powered by Buddhist monk pedal power across the river to visit a Gothic style Buddhist temple, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat. There was a beautiful flowering sala tree in the grounds, the fragrance was delicious. The church was a bit bizarre, with its western style steeple and stained glass windows with images of Buddha.
On the way back to Ayutthaya we stopped at temple no. 3, Wat Phanan Choeng, which boasts the tallest Buddha in the world. The statue was overwhelming - it had a spiral staircase up the back and monks perched in its lap catching the bolts of saffron nylon fabric that worshippers bought and tossed up, draping them over the statue. There were piles of used saffron drapes on the floor behind the statue. All around the walls were 84,000 tiny alcoves, each containing a tiny Buddha statue, which represent Buddha;s 84,000 words of wisdom. Mr. Pok explained how Buddhists worship - with offerings of lotus buds, three sticks of incense and gold leaf, which they apply to the Buddha statue of their choice. Each person has a particular Buddha posture, depending on the day of the week you were born. I was born on a Monday in the year of the horse and my color is yellow. My Buddha pose is standing with the right hand raised in protection. Buddhists will come and pour oil into a lit lamp in front of the Buddha of their day of the week.
Temple no. 4 was Wat Yai Chai Mongkol with its reclining Buddha, also draped in saffron sheets of nylon with gold leaf pressed on its chin and toes. This temple had a tower which we climbed, in a central courtyard around which about a hundred life sized Buddha statues sat, each one also draped in saffron cloth.
We had a bit of a break from temples and took a boat ride around the Hua Ro Floating Market - it wasn't really floating but decks built out over the water on stilts. Jane wanted to buy a sarong and at Mr. Pok's urging I tried some local street food, kanom krok - coconut and rice pancakes with corn and green onions. They were very tasty!
Then it was back to temples. No. 5 was Wat Phra Mahathat, a huge complex that was burned in the Burmese invasion in 1767. The Buddha statues were originally made of three pieces of sculpted stone, covered in stucco and then lacquered and gilded, but the fire burned off everything but the stone and then almost all the Buddha heads were looted. The roots of a banyan tree grew naturally around one Buddha head which is still there today.
Temple no. 6 was Wihan Phra Mongkon Bophut which has one of the largest bronze Buddhas in Thailand. By this point Jane and I were starting to get a little tired of temples but we had to get up to nine, so the next stop was Wat Na Phra Men which has a Buddha dressed like the Siamese kings of old, and next door in a smaller temple with amazing detailed (but sadly deteriorated) wall paintings dated from the 1860's and a 1500 year old granite Buddha.
Temple no. 8 Wat Lokayasutharam had been destroyed long ago but the large reclining Buddha, with a remarkable cheerful, almost clown like face, remained, and we did a quick drive by Temple no. 9, the Khmer style Wat Chai Wattanaram with smaller Mon style outlying towers before returning to the hotel and cooling off in the pool.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Back to business
I'm back in Seattle after two weeks working from home. Although three dogs make pleasant office mates and it was lovely to reconnect with San Diego friends and get the house, pool and garden straight, it is good to be back catching chance encounters in the foundation's hallways.
It has been quite a week in which everyone in Global Health was encouraged to show spirit by dressing in various ways - hats on Monday, alma mater colors Tuesday, for the career you aspired to at age 10 on Weds, as a twin on Thursday and in your spirit color (yellow Ibama dress in my case) on Friday.
Monday started with my promotion from limited term to full time, and culminated in a meeting with CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann to update her on the major projects I've been working so hard on. The rest of the week included a pay rise, a blur of back to back meetings and many compliments on two sessions I led.
The evenings have been just as packed, with dinners out with co-workers every evening and two evening concerts at the
Seattle Chamber Music Festival. The programmes were excellent. Weds included songs by Janacek 'The diary of one who disappeared' with fabulous tenor Nicholas Phan and Respighi's Il Tramonto, together with the Schubert Quartettsatz and a Mozart piano trio. Tonight featured two gorgeous Canticles by Britten once again with the wonderful Phan, Joyce Yang on piano and Jeffrey Fair on horn Strauss Metamorphosen for string septet and the Brahms horn trio. Definitely ending the week on a fine note, albeit a bottom C!
It has been quite a week in which everyone in Global Health was encouraged to show spirit by dressing in various ways - hats on Monday, alma mater colors Tuesday, for the career you aspired to at age 10 on Weds, as a twin on Thursday and in your spirit color (yellow Ibama dress in my case) on Friday.
Monday started with my promotion from limited term to full time, and culminated in a meeting with CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann to update her on the major projects I've been working so hard on. The rest of the week included a pay rise, a blur of back to back meetings and many compliments on two sessions I led.
The evenings have been just as packed, with dinners out with co-workers every evening and two evening concerts at the
Seattle Chamber Music Festival. The programmes were excellent. Weds included songs by Janacek 'The diary of one who disappeared' with fabulous tenor Nicholas Phan and Respighi's Il Tramonto, together with the Schubert Quartettsatz and a Mozart piano trio. Tonight featured two gorgeous Canticles by Britten once again with the wonderful Phan, Joyce Yang on piano and Jeffrey Fair on horn Strauss Metamorphosen for string septet and the Brahms horn trio. Definitely ending the week on a fine note, albeit a bottom C!
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Almost across the thrre month line
I'm posting this while sipping a Sam Adams Seasonal brew at Newark airport and waiting for the flight back to Seattle, hoping my flight gets out before the sultry weather turns to thunderstorms. It's been quite a day, actually quite a week. We are racing to make a sizeable investment in a vaccine and I was honored to be trusted to be part of the negotiating team to make the deal on Global Access, which is a commitment by the manufacturer to supply a certain number of vaccine doses at a specified affordable price to developing countries in return for getting Gates Foundation funding. My negotiating partner is an incredibly experienced and accomplished former Baxter executive who heads up the foundation's Life Sciences Partnerships group, which is our version of Business Development.
I've been working hard all week to pull together numbers with our internal team, who could not have been more accommodating. It was difficult to get everyone in the same place, as so many people are on the road traveling. Anyway we managed to get everything together just in time and I hopped on a red -eye flight to New York last night, got to the meeting place a couple of hours early to prepare, had a very successful negotiation with the prospective grantee and am now heading back to Seattle. It feels like a great culmination of the last three months work.
Tomorrow I have several meetings, an 'au revoir' celebration, then I have to return my rented cello to the music shop and hope that all my clothes and accumulated 'stuff' will fit in my suitcase as I vacate my apartment to fly home on Saturday.
I've been working hard all week to pull together numbers with our internal team, who could not have been more accommodating. It was difficult to get everyone in the same place, as so many people are on the road traveling. Anyway we managed to get everything together just in time and I hopped on a red -eye flight to New York last night, got to the meeting place a couple of hours early to prepare, had a very successful negotiation with the prospective grantee and am now heading back to Seattle. It feels like a great culmination of the last three months work.
Tomorrow I have several meetings, an 'au revoir' celebration, then I have to return my rented cello to the music shop and hope that all my clothes and accumulated 'stuff' will fit in my suitcase as I vacate my apartment to fly home on Saturday.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Beautiful Bellevue
Today Jonathan and I headed over to the Eastside to explore the delights of Bellevue. We started with a walk around Kelsey Creek Farm, a lovely spot with a salmon ladder (although the salmon don't run until September), a wooded ravine with winding paths and wooden bridges, and a 1930s dairy farm, now an educational center. Bellevue Botanical Garden was close by - formerly a private home, its gardens have now expanded from 7 to 53 acres. Lots of Japanese architecture and planting, very lovely.
Our next stop was Bellevue Brewing, which has only been open for two years. We were impressed with the clean tasting beers, especially their signature oatmeal stout, and I loved the seafood Louie salad with house smoked salmon and shrimp. After lunch we caught the bus to Bellevue Square for some retail therapy at the high-end mall. We were intrigued to see the Microsoft store, just across from Apple. We strolled across the park to Old Bellevue and stopped at Fran's chocolates before catching the express bus all the way back to Capitol Hill in downtown Seattle. We swung by the Starbucks Roastery and watched while a batch of Vietnamese beans was roasted to perfection, and then stopped for dinner at The Pine Box before walking home. We walked nine miles today!
Fremont Summer Sostice
After breakfasting on croissants and mimosas, Jonathan and I set off on foot to the Fremont Summer Solstice celebration. We bought some hopped cold pressed coffee at a street market on the way and then enjoyed a stroll up the west shore of Lake Union, past the houseboats and across the blue and orange painted bridge to Fremont. We wandered through the craft fair - an explosion of hippiness at which the stalls included atheists, nudists and a doggie kissing booth. After dropping into the Brouwers Cafe for a liquid lunch, we found our spot to watch the Solstice Parade. The parade is famously preceded by about 1000 naked cyclists wearing only body paint. What a spectacle! Unless you looked closely it was as if they were wearing skin-tight brightly colored Lycra costumes. The cyclists were having so much fun, doubling back and wheeling around as the crowd cheered them on. It must be a very liberating feeling. We retreated to the Outlander pub for the rest of the parade, which couldn't really match the cyclists although everyone performed exuberantly. After the parade passed by we caught the bus to Holy Mountain brewing for a few more tastes of beer and then walked home.
Dinner at the Space Needle
After a 6:30am Friday teleconference with a Thai partner and a run of back to back meetings (including second and third breakfasts) from 8:30 am through 2:30pm, I was just able to finish writing my meeting notes before flying out of the door at 4 to get ready for an early dinner at the Space Needle. The view was every bit as spectacular as I'd hoped - the floor of the restaurant rotates past the windows once every 47 minutes, so we completed two revolutions during our meal. Taking an idea from the book 'Where'd you go, Bernadette' I put a birthday card and pen on the window sill and by the end of dinner had birthday greetings from as far afield as Canada, Bulgaria and California!
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Birthday week
So far this week I've been enjoying a rare respite from meetings. I've been catching up on various activities including what is known at the foundation as 'Unison archaeology' - or mining our grants database for recent grant reports and correspondence. Unison is not the easiest database to search but there is a wealth of information that is helpful in setting the context for the grants I am working on. I've also been completing the outstanding online training on my list - including tips on traveling to high risk countries as well as an inspiring commencement speech given by foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann to graduates from the University of Washington School of Public Health.
The weather continues hot and sunny, so I have been continuing my stairway walks after work - yesterday I explored southwest Queen Anne which has more lovely views of Seattle across downtown to Mount Rainier in the south as well as across Elliott Bay to Alki Point, Bainbridge Island and Magnolia. I treated myself to a happy hour glass of vinho verde and tapenade at the conveniently located 'Sitting Room' on the walk home. This evening I have a three mile loop planned in northwest Queen Anne finishing at the Holy Mountain brewing company for a pre-birthday celebration and to stock up on supplies for Jonathan's visit at the weekend.
Despite the paucity of meetings there has been no lack of food at the foundation - both today and yesterday I enjoyed free bacon and bagel brunches, and this evening there is a happy hour. A nice way to gear up for my birthday weekend!
The weather continues hot and sunny, so I have been continuing my stairway walks after work - yesterday I explored southwest Queen Anne which has more lovely views of Seattle across downtown to Mount Rainier in the south as well as across Elliott Bay to Alki Point, Bainbridge Island and Magnolia. I treated myself to a happy hour glass of vinho verde and tapenade at the conveniently located 'Sitting Room' on the walk home. This evening I have a three mile loop planned in northwest Queen Anne finishing at the Holy Mountain brewing company for a pre-birthday celebration and to stock up on supplies for Jonathan's visit at the weekend.
Despite the paucity of meetings there has been no lack of food at the foundation - both today and yesterday I enjoyed free bacon and bagel brunches, and this evening there is a happy hour. A nice way to gear up for my birthday weekend!
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Bainbridge Island
I took advantage of another sunny Saturday to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island. First stop was the farmers' market to buy some eggs and local strawberries, just in season, small and flavorful, followed by the Blackbird bakery, where the goodies fully justified the long line. I tried a lavender sugar cookie and a rhubarb cream scone, both of which were excellent - tasty, moist and crumbly.
Next I took the shuttle to the northern tip of the island to the Bloedel Reserve, a beautiful estate surrounded by tranquil gardens. It was lovely to walk along the paths under the trees and hear only the sound of my footsteps crunching on the cedar chips and the birds calling. There were beautiful vistas across lawns and ponds as well as Puget Sound.
Back in Winslow (the main town on the island) I went to the Historical Museum, which had an amazing amount of exhibits crowded in a tiny space. It was very informative, particularly telling the story of the Japanese American community who were unjustly expelled from the island after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1942 to be detained in POW camps in California and Idaho, documented by photographer Ansel Adams. The first generation Japanese immigrants or Issei moved to the island in the 1880s to work in the lumber mills. It was the second generation or Nissei that were interned.
My last stop was the Harbor House pub. My timing was perfect as I got the best table in the house, out on the deck overlooking the marina. The docents at the museum recommended the smoked salmon chowder, promising me I would find six gods in my bowl. They were right - it was fabulous, smoky, creamy and buttery, washed down with a foaming pint of Port Townsend IPA. After lunch I strolled along the boardwalk and jetties. The water was so clear that I could see all kinds of sea creatures - fat pink starfish, dark red and white anemones and even moon jellyfish, as well as shoals and shoals of tiny fish.
Next I took the shuttle to the northern tip of the island to the Bloedel Reserve, a beautiful estate surrounded by tranquil gardens. It was lovely to walk along the paths under the trees and hear only the sound of my footsteps crunching on the cedar chips and the birds calling. There were beautiful vistas across lawns and ponds as well as Puget Sound.
Back in Winslow (the main town on the island) I went to the Historical Museum, which had an amazing amount of exhibits crowded in a tiny space. It was very informative, particularly telling the story of the Japanese American community who were unjustly expelled from the island after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1942 to be detained in POW camps in California and Idaho, documented by photographer Ansel Adams. The first generation Japanese immigrants or Issei moved to the island in the 1880s to work in the lumber mills. It was the second generation or Nissei that were interned.
My last stop was the Harbor House pub. My timing was perfect as I got the best table in the house, out on the deck overlooking the marina. The docents at the museum recommended the smoked salmon chowder, promising me I would find six gods in my bowl. They were right - it was fabulous, smoky, creamy and buttery, washed down with a foaming pint of Port Townsend IPA. After lunch I strolled along the boardwalk and jetties. The water was so clear that I could see all kinds of sea creatures - fat pink starfish, dark red and white anemones and even moon jellyfish, as well as shoals and shoals of tiny fish.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Unsung Heroes
The last of many meetings today provided fascinating insights into the work that the foundation's Security team does behind the scenes. Not only do they protect employees in Seattle and wherever they travel to some of the most dangerous countries in the world but they also screen crank calls and emails and have extensive video surveillance to monitor the campus perimeter. Security is very proud of its record of protecting employees with no injuries from traffic accidents, kidnappings or deaths on foundation business in the 15 years we have been in existence. Their intelligence gathering also kept one employee from visiting Afghanistan when a bomb went off the day he would have arrived, and prevented Melinda from getting stuck in a sux hour traffic jam in India!
Twitter, Cloud Computing and Sustainability
Two training sessions yesterday opened my eyes to the power of some of the new technologies available on our desktops. I've been dabbling in Twitter for a few years now and a training course from our Communications rep in how we can use Twitter to amplify the voice of the foundation was illuminating. Later the same day I attended a training on our new cloud computing based file sharing platform based on Windows 365. I'd seen the various square buttons that appear when I accidentally click in the top corner of the screen but had no idea what they were for or how to use them. Now I know - these are apps that let you access and work on your documents on any device (phone, iPad) without needing a local copy of either the file or the software. Very exciting. It was so helpful to have someone explain all this new technology rather than try and fail to figure it out on your own.
I had another 'aha' moment after participating in a couple of meetings related to grants. Part of our role is to encourage our grantees to diversify their funding sources so that they can sustain their work longer term without being dependent on the foundation for a majority of their funding. It's part of our mission to catalyze change to maximize and amplify the impact if our funding which I've seen described several times recently as 'a drop in the bucket' compared with the needs out there.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
All the sevens
I was complaining to Jonathan today, another glorious summer day, that my Seattle apartment doesn't have air conditioning. "Well, you're only there another two and a half weeks" he replied. I have accomplished a lot while I've been here - I've learned the elements of my job and met a good many colleagues. Outside work I've completed 7 stairway walks, the most recent this evening in Madrona with beautiful views across Lake Washington to Bellevue, the floating bridge to Mercer Island, and Mount Rainier towering in the South. I've read 14 books, some about Seattle, others about global health, novels and research for my own next novel. I also finally reached the 21st and final cello étude in the set by Duport that I set myself as a musical challenge to work on these last few months. I returned my walking boot to the clinic today and am starting to whittle down my small pantry here and plan what to store in Seattle, ship home, and give away or give back before I return to San Diego.
Just Another Manic Monday
Monday marked the start of 'Home Week' when the population at the foundation campus swells so that meeting rooms and office space become highly sought after. My work day was very varied; in the morning I wrote a presentation for a meeting later in the week, had a call with a prospective grantee to go over the details of their proposed budget, and then spent some time working on my diagnostics 'process project'. In the afternoon I met with a colleague in the 'Life Sciences Partnerships' group who is the foundation's primary contact with in vitro diagnostics manufacturers, attended a steering committee meeting for another 'process project' which included a very impressive modeling software demonstration, and then went to toast a departing colleague who is leaving the foundation to join a start-up consulting firm. In the evening I joined what be the most complex teleconference I've ever been on, with people joining from across the US, Canada, Australia and Thailand. The technology worked flawlessly!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
A very social Seattle weekend
Temperatures soared into the eighties this weekend as summer arrived full blast in Seattle. It's been a full weekend of socializing too. On Friday evening colleague Charlie invited me to join him at the Jazz Alley club where Spyro Gyra was playing. I must confess I had to Google the band as I am not very up on jazz but most people's reaction to the name is "So they are still around?" The music was very enjoyable with solos for guitar, sax, keyboards, bass guitar and drums - always my favorite.
On Saturday I met for the first time with Miriam Shames, who is Director of the Carlsen Cello Foundation, and a wonderful cellist, teacher and person. We tried out some of the Foundation's cellos that had been overhauled by local dealer Rafael Carrabba and then had a great cello conversation over iced tea.
On Saturday evening I met with a group of colleagues for the closing event and celebration of the Black Box Film Festival. The films were shown at the Cornish College of the Arts and the after-party was held in a derelict school building slated for demolition (how hip is that?). My favorite piece was Double Play, an installation with a cats cradle of fluorescent tubes that flashed on and off above a video by Tivon Rice with images of similar tubes and very powerful poetry by Hannah Sanghee Park. It was mesmerizing.
I got up bright and early on Sunday and went out in the brilliant sunshine to participate in the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound 5K walk with a joint team from NGO PATH and the Gates Foundation. Our team name was the Pink Catalysts (taken from the foundation's strategy of catalyzing improvements in healthcare). Seattle Center overflowed with runners and walkers (and dogs) in wacky pink costumes, as well as stalls with give-aways; water, healthy snacks, beads and tiaras. I walked the five km route which went down 4th Avenue and back again, amid a sea of pink.
After the race was over I walked down to Lake Union and took the 'Icecream Cruise'. It was lovely to stand up on deck in the refreshing breeze. We sailed past the many houseboats that are built on rafts made of the original Douglas fir and cedar logs that supported loggers' waterside shacks when the lumber industry was at its height, which are laid out along watery streets, some with wooden piers that serve as boardwalks. Many had boats moored outside and kayakers and paddleboarders milled around on the water just beyond the decks and verandahs. I also got to see the houseboat featured in 'Sleepless in Seattle' which has been on my list for a while.
Lake Union is full of history, from the shipyards and dry docks to historic boats including tugs, fireboats, lightships and even a Russian spy ship. We passed the site where Boeing first began manufacturing boats, before it diversified into the earliest wood and canvas planes, and where now only a willow tree stands at the water's edge. We also passed the Boeing corporate yacht 'Daedalus' - perhaps an unfortunate choice of name? There's now a lovely green park (think Teletubbies) where the old gas works stood, and no fewer than four swing bridges. A couple of other landmarks were Ivar's Salmon House, which is one of the best known (if tourist trap) fish restaurants, and right next door to it, the home of glassblower Dale Chihuly.
After all that I enjoyed a hearty Italian lunch at Buca di Beppo and then went back to the apartment for a long nap in the afternoon heat.
On Saturday I met for the first time with Miriam Shames, who is Director of the Carlsen Cello Foundation, and a wonderful cellist, teacher and person. We tried out some of the Foundation's cellos that had been overhauled by local dealer Rafael Carrabba and then had a great cello conversation over iced tea.
On Saturday evening I met with a group of colleagues for the closing event and celebration of the Black Box Film Festival. The films were shown at the Cornish College of the Arts and the after-party was held in a derelict school building slated for demolition (how hip is that?). My favorite piece was Double Play, an installation with a cats cradle of fluorescent tubes that flashed on and off above a video by Tivon Rice with images of similar tubes and very powerful poetry by Hannah Sanghee Park. It was mesmerizing.
I got up bright and early on Sunday and went out in the brilliant sunshine to participate in the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound 5K walk with a joint team from NGO PATH and the Gates Foundation. Our team name was the Pink Catalysts (taken from the foundation's strategy of catalyzing improvements in healthcare). Seattle Center overflowed with runners and walkers (and dogs) in wacky pink costumes, as well as stalls with give-aways; water, healthy snacks, beads and tiaras. I walked the five km route which went down 4th Avenue and back again, amid a sea of pink.
After the race was over I walked down to Lake Union and took the 'Icecream Cruise'. It was lovely to stand up on deck in the refreshing breeze. We sailed past the many houseboats that are built on rafts made of the original Douglas fir and cedar logs that supported loggers' waterside shacks when the lumber industry was at its height, which are laid out along watery streets, some with wooden piers that serve as boardwalks. Many had boats moored outside and kayakers and paddleboarders milled around on the water just beyond the decks and verandahs. I also got to see the houseboat featured in 'Sleepless in Seattle' which has been on my list for a while.
Lake Union is full of history, from the shipyards and dry docks to historic boats including tugs, fireboats, lightships and even a Russian spy ship. We passed the site where Boeing first began manufacturing boats, before it diversified into the earliest wood and canvas planes, and where now only a willow tree stands at the water's edge. We also passed the Boeing corporate yacht 'Daedalus' - perhaps an unfortunate choice of name? There's now a lovely green park (think Teletubbies) where the old gas works stood, and no fewer than four swing bridges. A couple of other landmarks were Ivar's Salmon House, which is one of the best known (if tourist trap) fish restaurants, and right next door to it, the home of glassblower Dale Chihuly.
After all that I enjoyed a hearty Italian lunch at Buca di Beppo and then went back to the apartment for a long nap in the afternoon heat.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Starting Gates Days Two and Three
The second day of training started with a focus on partners / grantees. We were bussed down to visit the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, IHME, about whom I've blogged previously. They are affiliated with the University of Washington but housed in a swish office downtown. It was remarkable how young the employees were - the assistant professor who welcomed us was barely thirty years old. We left with bundles of health reports and other publications produced by IHME that will make fascinating reading and useful resources.
We spent the afternoon working on 'Ourcome Investing' which means working back from the results you want to achieve to set metrics and activities for grants. It's the way we naturally work in drug and vaccine development so nothing new to me, although colleagues that worked in more nebulous areas like advocacy or donor and founder relations found it a helpful framework to add more structure to the investments they make.
The third and final day of Starting Gates was all about the strategy and process of grant making. Once agIn none of this was new but it was helpful to get more context and I did learn some new tips and have a chance to reflect on what we do at a deeper level.
I've been working long days, catching up on grant proposal reviews after hours, as tomorrow and next week will be chock-a-block with meetings with precious little time for personal work. The weekend is shaping up to be very social, with invitations to a jazz concert, cello foundation, film festival closing event, fun run and boat ride. A nice reward to look forward to after such an intensive work week!
We spent the afternoon working on 'Ourcome Investing' which means working back from the results you want to achieve to set metrics and activities for grants. It's the way we naturally work in drug and vaccine development so nothing new to me, although colleagues that worked in more nebulous areas like advocacy or donor and founder relations found it a helpful framework to add more structure to the investments they make.
The third and final day of Starting Gates was all about the strategy and process of grant making. Once agIn none of this was new but it was helpful to get more context and I did learn some new tips and have a chance to reflect on what we do at a deeper level.
I've been working long days, catching up on grant proposal reviews after hours, as tomorrow and next week will be chock-a-block with meetings with precious little time for personal work. The weekend is shaping up to be very social, with invitations to a jazz concert, cello foundation, film festival closing event, fun run and boat ride. A nice reward to look forward to after such an intensive work week!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Starting Gates Day One
Today marked the start of my long awaited three-day orientation course at the Gates Foundation, Starting Gates'. My classmates were an interesting mix of Conmunications, Advocacy, U.S. schools Programs and Global folks, with very diverse backgrounds. Solomon is a former flight surgeon who has served on US Airforce One under two Presidents and is now working on Global Delivery in Ethiopia; Ryan works in London advocating with governments around the world to sustain their global aid funding, John used to run education for the state of Vermont and Lourdes is the daughter of Cuban émigrés and is willing to let me borrow her cello on future trips to Seattle!
The day was a good mix of learning opportunities that included panel discussions with senior foundation leaders from operations, Legal, Global Programs and U.S. Programs, as well as group activities, one of which was a game where we experienced what it felt like to be left behind in the US Education system. I don't usually have much day to day interaction with our U.S. schools program, whose goal is by 2025 for 80% of US kids to leave high school 'college ready'. So we have this year's third graders, the class of 2025, in our sights.
The course consolidated much of what I've picked up in two months on the job, although there are some 'Aha!' moments and I picked up some new tips and plugged a few gaps.
In the evening we were treated to a whistle stop tour of the Chuihuly a Glass Museum, full of fantastical Dr. Seuss - like blown glass flowers, creatures and sculptures assembled from thousands of individually created elements.
The day was a good mix of learning opportunities that included panel discussions with senior foundation leaders from operations, Legal, Global Programs and U.S. Programs, as well as group activities, one of which was a game where we experienced what it felt like to be left behind in the US Education system. I don't usually have much day to day interaction with our U.S. schools program, whose goal is by 2025 for 80% of US kids to leave high school 'college ready'. So we have this year's third graders, the class of 2025, in our sights.
The course consolidated much of what I've picked up in two months on the job, although there are some 'Aha!' moments and I picked up some new tips and plugged a few gaps.
In the evening we were treated to a whistle stop tour of the Chuihuly a Glass Museum, full of fantastical Dr. Seuss - like blown glass flowers, creatures and sculptures assembled from thousands of individually created elements.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Lake Union Park
Sunday afternoon's walk was to Lake Union Park, to visit the Museum of History and Industry, MOHAI. The park by the lake is very pleasant, with fountains for children to run and play in, gravel beds, a pond with toy sailing boats, and the most purple flowerbeds I have ever seen!
The museum covered the history of Seattle up to the present day, bringing to life what I'd read in 'Skid Road'. My favorite was the exhibit on Prohibition. I had not appreciated what had to happen for the 18th Amendment to be passed, namely income taxes to replace lost tax revenue on liquor, and women's suffrage as the women's votes were needed to pass prohibition in 1919. It was also a very interesting lesson on political coalitions as all kinds if interest groups (nationalists, progressives, religious groups) saw it as a way to achieve their objectives. There was a wonderful reproduction of a speakeasy - did you know that prohibition drove the invention of nightclubs and cocktails - the flavora were to hide the taste of moonshine gin. I also didn't know how rare it was for a constitutional amendment to be repealed, and again this was driven by a shortfall in tax revenue after the Great Depression in 1933.
The lakefront was a hive of activity and I toured several historic boats - a tug, a light oat and a luxury houseboat on which you can stay the night, that are moored and open to the public on Sunday's. There is also the Center for Wooden Boats, a nonprofit that offers free rides on Sunday's in their extensive collection of small sailing and rowing boats. Seaplanes from Kenmore Air flew in and launched like dragonflies, taxiing across the surface of the water back to their terminus on the lakeshore.
I walked home through the hip neighborhood where Amazon.com and the Fred Hutchison Cancer Institute are based. It was full of urban parks with modern sculpture ( including a functional ping pong table!) and upscale coffee bars and restaurants. Too hip for me!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
San Juan Islands Excursion
On Saturday I was up bright and early to catch the Victoria Clipper catamaran up to the San Juan Islands, where colleague Lynn and I had planned to go on a whale watching trip. The clipper is an ideal way to explore Puget Sound, also known as the Salish Sea after the indigenous people of the region, and get an appreciation for the size, location and character of its many islands. The place names evoke the times of exploration and smugglers and could come straight out of 'Swallows and Amazons'.
Heading north, we sailed up the east side of Whidbey Island, past Possession Point at its southernmost tip and on up through Saratoga Passage, which lies between Whidbey and Camano Islands. Whidbey Island is the largest island in Washington State, around 60 miles in length. We rounded the top of Whidbey and sailed through the narrow gap of Deception Pass, from early morning clouds into bright sunshine on the far side where the San Juan Islands were scattered like jewels across the blue water, rising thickly wooded from sandy shores. We sailed around Lopez Island and past the foot of Orcas Island, which has the highest peak of all the islands, Mount Constitution, to reach Friday Harbor in San Juan Island.
By now the sun was blazing and Lynn and I enjoyed strolling around the local art galleries, admiring sculptures and paintings by local artists. We stumbled on a farmers' market where locals were selling everything from home made goat cheese, smoked tuna, clams and oysters and lettuces from the islands, while wandering minstrels strummed on banjos or sang, barbershop style. It was just delightful. We grabbed some seafood (delicious Dungeness crab roll for me, fish tacos for Lynn) from a gourmet food truck in the harbor before boarding the boat again for the whale watching part of the tour. This had been pushed later in the day when the crew had received reports from other whale watching boats in the morning that there had been no whale sightings in the area. Happily patience was rewarded and we sped up to Canadian waters to find three humpback whales feeding off Saturna Island.
We followed the female (identified by the white spots on the underside of her tail flukes) for quite some time before heading back to Friday Harbor. I was a little disappointed not to see orcas, of which there are three resident pods of as many as twenty animals each that live in Puget Sound and feed on salmon, but apparently they had been spotted the previous day far, far north in British Columbian waters and evidently they were still up there, out of range of our boat. We did see a couple of harbor seals basking on a beach, a couple of bald eagles and some pigeon guillemots and cormorants, and we sailed past islands where blue herons and tufted puffins nest, but we weren't close enough to actually see the birds.
The long (three hour) cruise back took us around the other side of Lopez Island and then across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which opens on to the north Pacific, and down the other eastern side of Whidbey Island which is much less sheltered, with eroding sandstone cliffs facing the water. It was a beautifully clear afternoon and we could see the Olympic mountain ranges to the west, and the Cascades to the East, starting with Mount Baker in the San Juans all the way down to Mount Rainier, south of Seattle. The Seattle skyline was just spectacular, with Mount Rainier one side and the Space Needle on the other, reflected in the blue water.
Heading north, we sailed up the east side of Whidbey Island, past Possession Point at its southernmost tip and on up through Saratoga Passage, which lies between Whidbey and Camano Islands. Whidbey Island is the largest island in Washington State, around 60 miles in length. We rounded the top of Whidbey and sailed through the narrow gap of Deception Pass, from early morning clouds into bright sunshine on the far side where the San Juan Islands were scattered like jewels across the blue water, rising thickly wooded from sandy shores. We sailed around Lopez Island and past the foot of Orcas Island, which has the highest peak of all the islands, Mount Constitution, to reach Friday Harbor in San Juan Island.
By now the sun was blazing and Lynn and I enjoyed strolling around the local art galleries, admiring sculptures and paintings by local artists. We stumbled on a farmers' market where locals were selling everything from home made goat cheese, smoked tuna, clams and oysters and lettuces from the islands, while wandering minstrels strummed on banjos or sang, barbershop style. It was just delightful. We grabbed some seafood (delicious Dungeness crab roll for me, fish tacos for Lynn) from a gourmet food truck in the harbor before boarding the boat again for the whale watching part of the tour. This had been pushed later in the day when the crew had received reports from other whale watching boats in the morning that there had been no whale sightings in the area. Happily patience was rewarded and we sped up to Canadian waters to find three humpback whales feeding off Saturna Island.
We followed the female (identified by the white spots on the underside of her tail flukes) for quite some time before heading back to Friday Harbor. I was a little disappointed not to see orcas, of which there are three resident pods of as many as twenty animals each that live in Puget Sound and feed on salmon, but apparently they had been spotted the previous day far, far north in British Columbian waters and evidently they were still up there, out of range of our boat. We did see a couple of harbor seals basking on a beach, a couple of bald eagles and some pigeon guillemots and cormorants, and we sailed past islands where blue herons and tufted puffins nest, but we weren't close enough to actually see the birds.
The long (three hour) cruise back took us around the other side of Lopez Island and then across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which opens on to the north Pacific, and down the other eastern side of Whidbey Island which is much less sheltered, with eroding sandstone cliffs facing the water. It was a beautifully clear afternoon and we could see the Olympic mountain ranges to the west, and the Cascades to the East, starting with Mount Baker in the San Juans all the way down to Mount Rainier, south of Seattle. The Seattle skyline was just spectacular, with Mount Rainier one side and the Space Needle on the other, reflected in the blue water.
Two months in
Friday marked the completion of my second month at the Foundation. Having only one more month full time in Seattle, I am now trying to make sure I meet and get acquainted with everyone I may need to interact with as well as complete my training - a three day course entitled 'Starting Gates' next week - before I start working remotely from home. I have to start planning how to get all the 'stuff' I have accumulated up here home or find places to store it, as well as make plans to access cellos to play in the weeks when I am in Seattle.
We have been enjoying a spell of gloriously warm and sunny weather, and I am taking advantage of the long evenings (the sun doesn't set until nine) to continue my explorations of the city on foot. On Thursday I hopped on a bus over to St Mark's Cathedral and from there walked all the way down the Blaine stairs, the longest in Seattle, to the east side of Lake Union, and then up the parallel Howe stairs to the top, with a scenic detour to tranquil Portage Bay, where Canada geese and goslings swam between the boats moored in the marina. On Friday I had a lovely solo dinner at a local restaurant called 'Crow', sitting at the counter watching the chefs toiling over the range while I sipped my wine and ate a pink grapefruit and avocado salad followed by basil icecream with strawberry syrup, and then spent a quiet evening grocery shopping and doing laundry,
We have been enjoying a spell of gloriously warm and sunny weather, and I am taking advantage of the long evenings (the sun doesn't set until nine) to continue my explorations of the city on foot. On Thursday I hopped on a bus over to St Mark's Cathedral and from there walked all the way down the Blaine stairs, the longest in Seattle, to the east side of Lake Union, and then up the parallel Howe stairs to the top, with a scenic detour to tranquil Portage Bay, where Canada geese and goslings swam between the boats moored in the marina. On Friday I had a lovely solo dinner at a local restaurant called 'Crow', sitting at the counter watching the chefs toiling over the range while I sipped my wine and ate a pink grapefruit and avocado salad followed by basil icecream with strawberry syrup, and then spent a quiet evening grocery shopping and doing laundry,
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
A productive day
Today, enjoying a temporary lull in work on specific grants or investments, I turned my attention to working on process improvement projects. I volunteered to work with the Foundation's Diagnostics team to adapt the processes and documentation that we use to guide development of drugs and vaccines to be appropriate for Diagnostics development. We are making very good progress in mapping one to the other and I am learning a lot along the way, which was my motivation in volunteering.
In the afternoon the pneumonia portfolio was reviewed by the Foundation President of Global Health. I was delighted when he reinforced my role as a co-leader together with the Program Officers of team meetings. The Portfolio and Platform Lead role is relatively new and it is very helpful to have the President himself reinforcing the breadth of my involvement and specifying the areas for which I'm responsible.
By the end of the day, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and I couldn't resist taking a long walk to enjoy the clear evening. I started at Lake Union and climbed the Galer steps all the way to the top of Queen Anne Hill. What a great work-out! The views were gorgeous - I saw a float plane landing on Lake Union and from higher up, Mount Rainier was visible, peeking between the skyscrapers of downtown like a primeval monolithic Godzilla.
In the afternoon the pneumonia portfolio was reviewed by the Foundation President of Global Health. I was delighted when he reinforced my role as a co-leader together with the Program Officers of team meetings. The Portfolio and Platform Lead role is relatively new and it is very helpful to have the President himself reinforcing the breadth of my involvement and specifying the areas for which I'm responsible.
By the end of the day, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and I couldn't resist taking a long walk to enjoy the clear evening. I started at Lake Union and climbed the Galer steps all the way to the top of Queen Anne Hill. What a great work-out! The views were gorgeous - I saw a float plane landing on Lake Union and from higher up, Mount Rainier was visible, peeking between the skyscrapers of downtown like a primeval monolithic Godzilla.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
A second business trip
I am sure the novelty of my trips with the Gates Foundation will wear off soon, but meanwhile here's an account of last week's travels, which took me to a vaccine manufacturer just outside Washington DC. A large portion of our 'investment team', eight members in all traveled together to seek answers to questions that had arisen in our review of the vaccine manufacturer's grant application. There is no better way to get to know your colleagues than to travel together and I managed to establish a reputation as an excellent navigator after riding in both of the two cars we hired with my trusty printed directions from Google Maps.
The meeting itself was very productive - it was exhilarating sitting in a room filled with such expertise in vaccine development on both sides of the table and to be able to contribute to the discussion. We ended the day with all the answers we had been seeking and a group photo to boot.
Things have been a little quiet in the office due to the long Memorial Day weekend. I flew back home to San Diego for the first time in two months and ironically while the weather down south was grey and drizzly, it was fine and sunny back in Seattle.
The meeting itself was very productive - it was exhilarating sitting in a room filled with such expertise in vaccine development on both sides of the table and to be able to contribute to the discussion. We ended the day with all the answers we had been seeking and a group photo to boot.
Things have been a little quiet in the office due to the long Memorial Day weekend. I flew back home to San Diego for the first time in two months and ironically while the weather down south was grey and drizzly, it was fine and sunny back in Seattle.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
A cultural weekend
Having completely caught up with all my work on the flight back from New York, I enjoyed a weekend of culture. Saturday morning I went to the Seattle Art Museum, which has a wonderful collection of Northwest Native American art with totem poles, raven masks, robes and other artifacts. There were several French Impressionist paintings I've never seen before in books, as well as a set of four beautiful Flemish tapestries depicting Chinoiserie scenes, woven in 1700, and a piece that Jonathan would like with whole cars suspended from the ceiling with light tubes radiating out of them like starbursts.
I swung by Pike Place Market on my way back to buy some salmon - the Copperhead is just in season - and bread from the French bakery and cheese from Beecher's and a bunch of sweet peas whose peppery fragrance now greets me every time I walk into the apartment. In the evening I hopped on the monorail to go and see the movie 'Woman in Gold' in which Helen Mirren plays Maria Altman, the woman who sought restitution of Klimt's portrait of her aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer from the Austrian government, 50 years after it was unlawfully seized by the Nazis. The film is well worth watching.
On Sunday morning I took the bus up to Volunteer Park, where the Asian Art Museum is located. I was disappointed that the famous Japanese gold screen painted with crows was not on view but enjoyed watching an amazing animated mural by Chino Aoshima. Imagine a whole wall filled with detailed computer animation of a city and countryside under a volcanic eruption.. The Seattle Ikebana Society was also exhibiting today and I enjoyed the clean lines of their flower arrangements.
I rounded out the day by playing cello and piano sonatas with Chris from work.
I swung by Pike Place Market on my way back to buy some salmon - the Copperhead is just in season - and bread from the French bakery and cheese from Beecher's and a bunch of sweet peas whose peppery fragrance now greets me every time I walk into the apartment. In the evening I hopped on the monorail to go and see the movie 'Woman in Gold' in which Helen Mirren plays Maria Altman, the woman who sought restitution of Klimt's portrait of her aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer from the Austrian government, 50 years after it was unlawfully seized by the Nazis. The film is well worth watching.
On Sunday morning I took the bus up to Volunteer Park, where the Asian Art Museum is located. I was disappointed that the famous Japanese gold screen painted with crows was not on view but enjoyed watching an amazing animated mural by Chino Aoshima. Imagine a whole wall filled with detailed computer animation of a city and countryside under a volcanic eruption.. The Seattle Ikebana Society was also exhibiting today and I enjoyed the clean lines of their flower arrangements.
I rounded out the day by playing cello and piano sonatas with Chris from work.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
First business trip
Today's blog post comes to you not from Seattle but from New York, where I attended the inaugural Scientific Advisory Board meeting for an influenza vaccine program led by researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Graduate students, distinguished flu experts from WHO and NIH and senior leaders responsible for vaccine development from several big pharma companies crowded into a seminar room on the 16th floor to review plans for the development of this vaccine. Needless to say I learned a lot about flu while enjoying a spectacular view over the north end of Central Park and the George Washington Bridge.
I continue slightly star-struck from Tuesday's employee meeting. Yesterday evening I had my appointment at the photographer's studio, complete with hair and make-up. Yes, every foundation employee has to have a professional head shot. I rushed from my last meeting of the day, jumped into an Uber taxi and spent a very enjoyable hour being pampered, beautified and flattered from every angle. We shall see if the camera lies...Then it was time to jump in another Uber taxi and be whisked to the airport to catch the red-eye to New York. It turns our that foundation travel policy is to fly business class if you are on an overnight or international flight. I haven't flown business class since my heady consulting years in the late '90's. I slept very well in consequence.
I continue slightly star-struck from Tuesday's employee meeting. Yesterday evening I had my appointment at the photographer's studio, complete with hair and make-up. Yes, every foundation employee has to have a professional head shot. I rushed from my last meeting of the day, jumped into an Uber taxi and spent a very enjoyable hour being pampered, beautified and flattered from every angle. We shall see if the camera lies...Then it was time to jump in another Uber taxi and be whisked to the airport to catch the red-eye to New York. It turns our that foundation travel policy is to fly business class if you are on an overnight or international flight. I haven't flown business class since my heady consulting years in the late '90's. I slept very well in consequence.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Annual Employee Meeting
How many companies can boast Bill and Melinda Gates, Bill Gates Senior, Warren Buffett and Bono as speakers at their annual employee meeting? I came away inspired and star-struck. All the 1,391 foundation employees trooped across the street to a large theater in the Seattle Center for a series of panel discussions and keynote speeches to celebrate the first 15 years of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Some of the most inspiring moments were hearing the story of GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, which was launched in 2000 with strong support from the foundation and has since changed expectations for how fast new vaccines can be introduced in every country around the world; hearing Melinda's personal story of how she became an advocate for family planning; and a few simple but powerful words and reflections from Bill Gates Senior. Some levity was provided with a muppet show from one of the side boxes featuring the foundation's version of Waldorf and Stadtler (aka Bill Sr. and Warren).
Warren Buffett and Bono were each captivating. Here are some of their pearls of wisdom.
Quotes from Warren Buffett:
On being asked what were the biggest surprises of the last 15 years - ' Speaking personally, I'm surprised I'm above ground.'
'The only conceivable pleasure I could get from all those stock certificates sitting in the safety deposit box is if I went down once a year and fondled them. The money's had more impact this way.'
On his decision to give his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - 'Bill and Melinda are young, bright and hardworking. They are one of my best bargain purchases.'
'We've been extraordinarily blessed. These claim checks we pile up have very little marginal utility to me and much more utility to other people.'
From his business partner at Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie - 'You'll end up agreeing with me because you're smart and I'm right.'
On the 50th anniversary of Berkshire Hathaway - 'It's not over yet - Charlie's 91 but he can still hear and I can still see.'
On his Coca Cola consumption - 'I'm sort of like an antique car. If you change one thing it falls apart. I read that six year olds have the lowest mortality rate of any male age group, so I eat the diet of a six year old.'
'Praise by name and criticize by category.'
On stewardship - 'Decide not whether it [the way you spend] is good or bad but whether it's best'
On his meeting the next day with Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors to comment on the need for good stewardship - 'Of 2,000 US auto manufacturers ever started only one is solvent today. That's what capital markets do for you. Foundations have to do it for themselves.'
Quotes from Bono:
On his first meeting with Bill and Melinda at their home when he surprised them by asking about their faith - 'Coming to grips with the force of love and logic in this universe is much easier than silence for this Irishman.'
'The arc of the universe bends towards justice' (Martin Luther King). You are not just involved in charity, you are involved in justice.'
On learning of Warren Buffett's gift to the foundation - 'We look for cosmic rhymes and poetry and if we do look, we find it. I knew this was a seismic change - the symbol of it as well as the weight and import of it.'
'Even these people don't have pockets deep enough to fix the whole world, they are using the foundation as leverage with the moral authority to cajole governments to increase aid. Our job is not inside maneouvering, it's outside mobilization. We have to do this all over the world with Global Citizen as the badge, the wind in the sails of a social movement to persuade heads of state to act.'
Some of the most inspiring moments were hearing the story of GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, which was launched in 2000 with strong support from the foundation and has since changed expectations for how fast new vaccines can be introduced in every country around the world; hearing Melinda's personal story of how she became an advocate for family planning; and a few simple but powerful words and reflections from Bill Gates Senior. Some levity was provided with a muppet show from one of the side boxes featuring the foundation's version of Waldorf and Stadtler (aka Bill Sr. and Warren).
Warren Buffett and Bono were each captivating. Here are some of their pearls of wisdom.
Quotes from Warren Buffett:
On being asked what were the biggest surprises of the last 15 years - ' Speaking personally, I'm surprised I'm above ground.'
'The only conceivable pleasure I could get from all those stock certificates sitting in the safety deposit box is if I went down once a year and fondled them. The money's had more impact this way.'
On his decision to give his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - 'Bill and Melinda are young, bright and hardworking. They are one of my best bargain purchases.'
'We've been extraordinarily blessed. These claim checks we pile up have very little marginal utility to me and much more utility to other people.'
From his business partner at Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie - 'You'll end up agreeing with me because you're smart and I'm right.'
On the 50th anniversary of Berkshire Hathaway - 'It's not over yet - Charlie's 91 but he can still hear and I can still see.'
On his Coca Cola consumption - 'I'm sort of like an antique car. If you change one thing it falls apart. I read that six year olds have the lowest mortality rate of any male age group, so I eat the diet of a six year old.'
'Praise by name and criticize by category.'
On stewardship - 'Decide not whether it [the way you spend] is good or bad but whether it's best'
On his meeting the next day with Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors to comment on the need for good stewardship - 'Of 2,000 US auto manufacturers ever started only one is solvent today. That's what capital markets do for you. Foundations have to do it for themselves.'
Quotes from Bono:
On his first meeting with Bill and Melinda at their home when he surprised them by asking about their faith - 'Coming to grips with the force of love and logic in this universe is much easier than silence for this Irishman.'
'The arc of the universe bends towards justice' (Martin Luther King). You are not just involved in charity, you are involved in justice.'
On learning of Warren Buffett's gift to the foundation - 'We look for cosmic rhymes and poetry and if we do look, we find it. I knew this was a seismic change - the symbol of it as well as the weight and import of it.'
'Even these people don't have pockets deep enough to fix the whole world, they are using the foundation as leverage with the moral authority to cajole governments to increase aid. Our job is not inside maneouvering, it's outside mobilization. We have to do this all over the world with Global Citizen as the badge, the wind in the sails of a social movement to persuade heads of state to act.'
An evening filled with chamber music
I was very excited to be introduced to a fellow string player who works at the Foundation. It turns out she put out a call for musicians to play chamber music in January and found two violinists but was still seeking a cellist. We met on Monday evening in a conference room at the farthest corner of the Foundation and played a Mozart string quartet. Bliss!
Later the same evening I enjoyed playing more chamber music - this time Brahms piano quartets with Becky, Pam and Chris. What a treat!
Later the same evening I enjoyed playing more chamber music - this time Brahms piano quartets with Becky, Pam and Chris. What a treat!
Seattle Beer Week
Jonathan's arrival in Seattle coincided with the start of Seattle Beer Week and a strange temperature inversion that brought sunny skies and seventy degree temperatures to Seattle while sending rain and snow (in May!) to San Diego. We lost no time in sampling the best brews the city had to offer (even though I was still hobbling around in my protective boot).
We started on Wednesday evening at the Pike Brewing Company where we tried the seasonal samplers - the Houblon Saison was declared a winner. On Thursday we ventured up to Fremont, starting with a Cascade sour beer tasting at the Sixgill, and then moving on to Fremont Brewing, where I enjoyed the orange and earl grey IPA, and ending up at Outlander, where we sampled an amazing array of ten innovative beers produced by this tiny nanobrewery in a Victorian house. Friday's treat was a beer and food pairing (cheese, artisanal sausages, pork shank sliders and goat cheese fritters) at the Bell and Whete led by Dave Adams of San Diego's Green Flash beers. Even though we are beer snobs we learned some interesting new facts about brewing. We walked up Capitol Hill to The Pine Box, a mortuary converted to a bar, for a nightcap.
On Saturday I threw caution to the winds and removed my boot. So far my foot seems to have recovered. We spent the day exploring Ballard's breweries including Hales, which uses the traditional English open tank method (thumbs up), Bad Jimmy's (thumbs down), Reuben's Brews which had just opened a new facility and deck (excellent), then Hilliard's Beer which occupies an old roller skating rink (interesting tequila barrel aged saison), and lastly Populuxe. We saw several cycle saloons visiting the same breweries - these are bicycles made for 10 with a bar down the middle, but ironically these pedal powered bars are not allowed to serve alcohol! Saturday evening, we felt strangely tired (I wonder why...).
On Sunday we spent a very enjoyable morning at the Museum of Flight, highlights of which included artifacts from moon landings, the original red barn in which the Boeing aircraft factory had its beginnings, and the galleries on World Wars 1 and 2 which told the story of the war through tales of legendary pilots, men and women from many different countries. The bus ride back took us through neighborhoods of Georgetown and Sodo, which merit further exploration some time soon. We finished the weekend with another beer pairing dinner back at Outlander.
We started on Wednesday evening at the Pike Brewing Company where we tried the seasonal samplers - the Houblon Saison was declared a winner. On Thursday we ventured up to Fremont, starting with a Cascade sour beer tasting at the Sixgill, and then moving on to Fremont Brewing, where I enjoyed the orange and earl grey IPA, and ending up at Outlander, where we sampled an amazing array of ten innovative beers produced by this tiny nanobrewery in a Victorian house. Friday's treat was a beer and food pairing (cheese, artisanal sausages, pork shank sliders and goat cheese fritters) at the Bell and Whete led by Dave Adams of San Diego's Green Flash beers. Even though we are beer snobs we learned some interesting new facts about brewing. We walked up Capitol Hill to The Pine Box, a mortuary converted to a bar, for a nightcap.
On Saturday I threw caution to the winds and removed my boot. So far my foot seems to have recovered. We spent the day exploring Ballard's breweries including Hales, which uses the traditional English open tank method (thumbs up), Bad Jimmy's (thumbs down), Reuben's Brews which had just opened a new facility and deck (excellent), then Hilliard's Beer which occupies an old roller skating rink (interesting tequila barrel aged saison), and lastly Populuxe. We saw several cycle saloons visiting the same breweries - these are bicycles made for 10 with a bar down the middle, but ironically these pedal powered bars are not allowed to serve alcohol! Saturday evening, we felt strangely tired (I wonder why...).
On Sunday we spent a very enjoyable morning at the Museum of Flight, highlights of which included artifacts from moon landings, the original red barn in which the Boeing aircraft factory had its beginnings, and the galleries on World Wars 1 and 2 which told the story of the war through tales of legendary pilots, men and women from many different countries. The bus ride back took us through neighborhoods of Georgetown and Sodo, which merit further exploration some time soon. We finished the weekend with another beer pairing dinner back at Outlander.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Global Partners Forum - Part Two
The second and third days of the Global Partners' Forum were as interesting and educational as the first. Notable was the frank and open discussion of challenges and differing opinions, as well as the diversity of speakers and participants, which ranged from captains of industry to academic thought leaders, and from ministers in African governments and senior officials in the US government through to front line workers in the field. I particularly enjoyed seeing partners from India and Africa wearing traditional dress - not everyone wore dark suits!
The highlight was the final interview with Bill and Melinda Gates that closed the conference. This was the first time since joining the Foundation that I'd had the opportunity to see them in action. Bill spoke with excitement about a large new surveillance program the foundation is funding, CHAMPS, to better understand the causes of child mortality in developing countries. Melinda was very eloquent and passionate as she spoke about her priority to empower women and girls as a fundamental means to achieve Global Health goals. It was amusing to see them interact as a couple on stage. At one point Bill likened the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which had been roundly criticized for their length earlier in the meeting to the Bible, pointing out that it's all good stuff but all you really need to know is the ten commandments. Like any wife would do, Melinda warned him not to push the analogy too far! More humor ensued when the moderator, NPR's Arun Rath asked how the Gates manage to influence governments when others fail - do they just ask more nicely? Bill responded that some governments he deals with haven't yet built any bureaucracy and don't have any bureaucrats he can speak to, whereas globally we have plenty of bureaucracy.
Today, after the partners had all departed, I was impressed that the Foundation leaders held a lunchtime session for staff to debrief on highlights and lessons learned from the Forum. All the sessions were video taped so that people who couldn't attend in person will get the benefit of hearing all the inspirational speakers. Bill Gates Senior attended the lunchtime session and commented how the Forum had helped him appreciate the enormous importance of addressing global health issues and given him the confidence that it is possible to have positive impact through the work of the Foundation. The Foundation first began at Bill Senior's urging 15 years ago by supporting US education and libraries and later moved into Global Health.
I'm now six weeks into my first three months and feeling like I've attained first base, having seen Bill, Melinda and Bill Senior in action, met most of my colleagues and many of the external partners I'll be working with. Time to enjoy the weekend, particularly as Jonathan is here on his first ever visit to Seattle, and the sun is shining!
The highlight was the final interview with Bill and Melinda Gates that closed the conference. This was the first time since joining the Foundation that I'd had the opportunity to see them in action. Bill spoke with excitement about a large new surveillance program the foundation is funding, CHAMPS, to better understand the causes of child mortality in developing countries. Melinda was very eloquent and passionate as she spoke about her priority to empower women and girls as a fundamental means to achieve Global Health goals. It was amusing to see them interact as a couple on stage. At one point Bill likened the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which had been roundly criticized for their length earlier in the meeting to the Bible, pointing out that it's all good stuff but all you really need to know is the ten commandments. Like any wife would do, Melinda warned him not to push the analogy too far! More humor ensued when the moderator, NPR's Arun Rath asked how the Gates manage to influence governments when others fail - do they just ask more nicely? Bill responded that some governments he deals with haven't yet built any bureaucracy and don't have any bureaucrats he can speak to, whereas globally we have plenty of bureaucracy.
Today, after the partners had all departed, I was impressed that the Foundation leaders held a lunchtime session for staff to debrief on highlights and lessons learned from the Forum. All the sessions were video taped so that people who couldn't attend in person will get the benefit of hearing all the inspirational speakers. Bill Gates Senior attended the lunchtime session and commented how the Forum had helped him appreciate the enormous importance of addressing global health issues and given him the confidence that it is possible to have positive impact through the work of the Foundation. The Foundation first began at Bill Senior's urging 15 years ago by supporting US education and libraries and later moved into Global Health.
I'm now six weeks into my first three months and feeling like I've attained first base, having seen Bill, Melinda and Bill Senior in action, met most of my colleagues and many of the external partners I'll be working with. Time to enjoy the weekend, particularly as Jonathan is here on his first ever visit to Seattle, and the sun is shining!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Global Partners' Forum Day One
Today has been inspirational and slightly mindblowing. The Foundation has convened its annual 'Partners Forum' with a thousand experts in Global Health who are advisors or receive grant funding converging in Seattle. I listened to keynote presentations and panels with giants including Peter Piot, one of the discoverers of Ebola in Zaire in 1976, Bill Foege, a major player in smallpox eradication, and Ewa-Marie Coll-Seck, Minister of Health for Senegal, and hob-nobbed with pandemic flu expert Fred Hayden, who has recently turned his attention to ebola. The day was filled with those wonderful random encounters when everyone you sit next to has an interesting story to tell. I learned about neglected tropical diseases including lymphatic filariasis and sleeping sickness, and about nutrition - who knew that you have to blanch or boil carrots to solubilize the vitamin A so it can be absorbed, and that too much spinach can cause inflammatory changes in your lower intestinal microbiome - iron supplements are much safer as they are absorbed higher in the alimentary tract.
Most inspiring were the many speakers from Africa who eloquently described the health needs in their countries. There were many surprises - I didn't know that Rwanda is held up as a model of health systems, with early adoption of new vaccines for national immunization programs and high uptake of family planning. Senegal and Zambia are also spending a considerable portion of their GDP on health systems. An old friend from Uganda, Alex Coutinho, who was Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute when I worked there in 2012, and now has joint appointments at IAVI and Makerere University, was there.
I am looking forward to see what then next two days of similar meetings will bring.
Most inspiring were the many speakers from Africa who eloquently described the health needs in their countries. There were many surprises - I didn't know that Rwanda is held up as a model of health systems, with early adoption of new vaccines for national immunization programs and high uptake of family planning. Senegal and Zambia are also spending a considerable portion of their GDP on health systems. An old friend from Uganda, Alex Coutinho, who was Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute when I worked there in 2012, and now has joint appointments at IAVI and Makerere University, was there.
I am looking forward to see what then next two days of similar meetings will bring.
Monday, May 4, 2015
A Day in the Life at the Foundation
Today was a typically busy day. I had two calls this morning with different pharma companies that are applying for Foundation funding, and then headed downtown in the afternoon for the start of the Foundation's annual 'Global Partners' Forum' where over 1000 grantmakers and grant recipients will meet, mingle, and listen to the latest strategy and new initiatives from our executive management, culminating in a discussion with Bill and Melinda on Thursday morning. That will be the first time I will get to see and hear then in the flesh! These are great opportunities for me to meet more of my colleagues, both internal and external to the Foundation, while I'm in Seattle. Soon I will be half way through my initial three month sojourn here.
One colleague has just returned from a business trip to Indonesia - to Jakarta to visit a clinical trial site and then to Bali for a conference. I have some travel coming up for meetings in New York and Washington DC - important but not quite as exotic!
I took advantage of another Foundation amenity this morning - I am suffering from an inflamed tendon due to too much walking at the weekend, and not only did I manage to get an appointment at the free on-site clinic, but they had a supportive walking boot-brace in exactly my size! I laughed my footwear off today (May the Fourth) as an attempt at a Darth Vader costume but need some more humorous ripostes to get me through the rest of the week, or maybe I'll just wear very long trousers and hope no-one notices.
One colleague has just returned from a business trip to Indonesia - to Jakarta to visit a clinical trial site and then to Bali for a conference. I have some travel coming up for meetings in New York and Washington DC - important but not quite as exotic!
I took advantage of another Foundation amenity this morning - I am suffering from an inflamed tendon due to too much walking at the weekend, and not only did I manage to get an appointment at the free on-site clinic, but they had a supportive walking boot-brace in exactly my size! I laughed my footwear off today (May the Fourth) as an attempt at a Darth Vader costume but need some more humorous ripostes to get me through the rest of the week, or maybe I'll just wear very long trousers and hope no-one notices.
Compline
On Sunday evening I headed over to St. Mark's Cathedral on Capitol Hill, a large square building with a distinctive minimalist 'rose' window that overlooks Lake Union. You can see it clearly from the Foundation. St. Mark's is famous for its sung Compline service, founded in 1955 by Peter Hallock, who still sings in the 18 male voice choir. The sound was superb, echoing throughout the space. In the early years the choir sang to an empty church, but as flower power took hold in the 60's it began to attract a young hipster crowd and they're still going strong today, turning up in droves with blankets and quilts that they spread on the floor and then lie back upon, to gaze at the ceiling and soak up the sound. Never mind that there was plenty of space to be had sitting in the pews...The smell of pot seems ubiquitous in Seattle and was particularly noticeable on the bus going up Capitol Hill as well as among the congregation.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Ballard and Fremont
Today's peregrination took me to the Sunday Farmers' Market at Ballard. I arrived just as the market opened and had my pick of the produce - fresh baby lettuces, arugula and rose-pink radishes, blue oyster mushrooms, a bunch of lilacs, bluebells and apricot tulips, organic eggs, beef and bacon and a jar of wildflower honey. Is your mouth watering yet? There were some other intriguing goods and services on offer including a stall that sold edible wild plants including lady fern fiddleheads, seabean (a kind of very salty samphire), morels and nettle leaves, and a poetry stall where who name the topic and the price and they conjure up a poem and type it out for you on a very old fashioned typewriter while you wait. There were all kinds of beverages on offer from kombucha to hot cider toddy; I settled for a lavender latte with green tea and black sesame shortbread cookies. Entertainment was provided by numerous buskers, most of them on guitar but including two enterprising young boys on penny whistle and concertina. And there were dogs everywhere. Seattle famously has more dogs than children per family.
After enjoying the delights of Ballard I hopped aboard a bus back to Fremont, the neighboring community whose motto is 'De libertas quirkas' or 'Freedom to be peculiar'. The Ship Canal borders both Ballard and Fremont to the south, and Fremont has a pretty orange painted swing bridge across the canal that gives right of way to water traffic so opens and closes frequently.
Fremont has a number of art installations including a huge concrete troll lurking beneath a road bridge, a controversial and massive Bulgarian bronze statue of Lenin and a couple of aluminum statues of people waiting for (or running for) a tram. There's also a rocket ship (I think a repurposed Boeing aircraft turned on end).
I took one of the Seattle stairway walks from the book of the same name in Fremont. I have to say it was a bit masochistic as the suggested route perversely wound back and forth, up and down the hill, with seemingly no other purpose than making the walker climb as many steps as possible just for the fun of it. The views from the top across the Ship Canal to the distant Olympic mountains were admittedly spectacular as it was such a clear day, but my foot was hurting and my flowers were starting to droop by the time I got home.
After enjoying the delights of Ballard I hopped aboard a bus back to Fremont, the neighboring community whose motto is 'De libertas quirkas' or 'Freedom to be peculiar'. The Ship Canal borders both Ballard and Fremont to the south, and Fremont has a pretty orange painted swing bridge across the canal that gives right of way to water traffic so opens and closes frequently.
Fremont has a number of art installations including a huge concrete troll lurking beneath a road bridge, a controversial and massive Bulgarian bronze statue of Lenin and a couple of aluminum statues of people waiting for (or running for) a tram. There's also a rocket ship (I think a repurposed Boeing aircraft turned on end).
I took one of the Seattle stairway walks from the book of the same name in Fremont. I have to say it was a bit masochistic as the suggested route perversely wound back and forth, up and down the hill, with seemingly no other purpose than making the walker climb as many steps as possible just for the fun of it. The views from the top across the Ship Canal to the distant Olympic mountains were admittedly spectacular as it was such a clear day, but my foot was hurting and my flowers were starting to droop by the time I got home.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Exploring West Seattle
Today's adventures took me to Alki Beach, which was one of the earliest pioneer settlements here. Its, original name was New York-Alki which in the local Indian dialect meat (optimistically) New York - pretty soon. When the settlers - including the Borens from Illinois, Lows, Bells and Dennys landed by ship from Portland, Oregon in November 1851 they relied on local knowledge from the Indian Dumamish and Suquamish peoples to survive the first two winters, including feeding their infants clam broth as they couldn't bring in a milk cow by boat.
I walked downtown and ducked behind Pike Place market down Post Alley, whose walls are covered with an accretion of used gum, every color of the rainbow. Gross yet artistic. The alley runs downhill behind Pike Brewing Company - it was interesting to peek into the 'business' areas of the brewery that are not open to the public. There is a tremendous amount of construction going on down by the waterfront, most of which was cordoned off. I just managed to catch the water taxi (they saw me running down the gangplank and waited) across to West Seattle, which provides great views of the Space Needle and the big wheel from Elliott Bay. The piles at the dock were covered in a more pleasant accretion of mussels and barnacles,
Alki is beautiful - the views across Puget Sound reminded me of the Coromandel peninsula in New Zealand. I sauntered through the College Street ravine which was filled with wild roses and bluebells, and later on, through the Schmitz Preserve, which is one of the few places in Seattle where the old growth trees remained, having been saved from logging by the steepness of the ravine. I took a loop up and across the creek, which was periodically criss-crossed by fallen logs, their trunks mossy with age with ferns growing up around them. The beach has a long strip of sand with driftwood logs that you can sit on, and further up changes to pebbles. A few children ventured into the water but most people sat sunning themselves. There were a handful of divers in heavy wetsuits and rubber gloves by the water taxi dock - I wondered if they were looking for clams or other marine life. Apparently three pods of orcas, 88 animals live in Puget Sound, but I didn't spot any today, nor did I see any seals or porpoises. The weather was glorious and I realized when I got home that my cheeks had caught the sun.
I walked downtown and ducked behind Pike Place market down Post Alley, whose walls are covered with an accretion of used gum, every color of the rainbow. Gross yet artistic. The alley runs downhill behind Pike Brewing Company - it was interesting to peek into the 'business' areas of the brewery that are not open to the public. There is a tremendous amount of construction going on down by the waterfront, most of which was cordoned off. I just managed to catch the water taxi (they saw me running down the gangplank and waited) across to West Seattle, which provides great views of the Space Needle and the big wheel from Elliott Bay. The piles at the dock were covered in a more pleasant accretion of mussels and barnacles,
Alki is beautiful - the views across Puget Sound reminded me of the Coromandel peninsula in New Zealand. I sauntered through the College Street ravine which was filled with wild roses and bluebells, and later on, through the Schmitz Preserve, which is one of the few places in Seattle where the old growth trees remained, having been saved from logging by the steepness of the ravine. I took a loop up and across the creek, which was periodically criss-crossed by fallen logs, their trunks mossy with age with ferns growing up around them. The beach has a long strip of sand with driftwood logs that you can sit on, and further up changes to pebbles. A few children ventured into the water but most people sat sunning themselves. There were a handful of divers in heavy wetsuits and rubber gloves by the water taxi dock - I wondered if they were looking for clams or other marine life. Apparently three pods of orcas, 88 animals live in Puget Sound, but I didn't spot any today, nor did I see any seals or porpoises. The weather was glorious and I realized when I got home that my cheeks had caught the sun.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Big Data
My day began with a 1:1 meeting with Trevor Mundel who heads Global Health at the Foundation. The conversation turned to scenarios and forecasting and I learned about Chris Murray at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, a visionary who has led the establishment of a global model of disease burden. I'm looking forward to reading Chris's recently published biography, 'Epic Measures'. You can visit the IHME website to play with amazing interactive visualizations of disease patterns and causes of death of men and women of all ages around the world.
The statistics on causes of disease and death are gathered from various local sources in each country and often require trickery such as Bayesian statistics to fill in the gaps. For example in many countries HIV deaths are often not reported as such, so the 'official' data must be interpreted accordingly based on assumptions about HIV prevalence from antenatal screening and other health programs. IHME is constantly adding new data and refining the model to go from historical reporting to forecasting future patterns of disease and layering in additional factors including socio-economic, environmental and others. The biggest contributions to reducing infant mortality include increased personal income, lower birth rates, better nutrition and education of mothers as well as innovations in treatment and healthcare systems. Shockingly, the factors that are driving increases in death rates among adults in the developing world include the spread of HIV / AIDS, tobacco use, the obesity epidemic and alcohol abuse.
The statistics on causes of disease and death are gathered from various local sources in each country and often require trickery such as Bayesian statistics to fill in the gaps. For example in many countries HIV deaths are often not reported as such, so the 'official' data must be interpreted accordingly based on assumptions about HIV prevalence from antenatal screening and other health programs. IHME is constantly adding new data and refining the model to go from historical reporting to forecasting future patterns of disease and layering in additional factors including socio-economic, environmental and others. The biggest contributions to reducing infant mortality include increased personal income, lower birth rates, better nutrition and education of mothers as well as innovations in treatment and healthcare systems. Shockingly, the factors that are driving increases in death rates among adults in the developing world include the spread of HIV / AIDS, tobacco use, the obesity epidemic and alcohol abuse.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Night out on the town
Since I had a ticket for the Seattle Symphony concert this evening I decided to make a night of it and headed downtown on the monorail straight after work. Pike Place market was packing up when I got there but I bought a selection of cheeses from Beecher's for the weekend and then made my way to the Pike Brewing Co to sample a flight of their signature house beers and order a salmon sandwich for dinner. Both were excellent.
The Symphony was packed - it is good to see that classical music is alive and kicking in Seattle. Benaroya Hall is vast, with curlicued Dale Chihuly (a famous local glass artist) chandeliers that look as fantastical as Dr.Seuss creatures hanging in the foyer. First on the programme was Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto sensitively played by Yefim Bronfman, a giant Russian bear of a man. It's my favorite of Beethoven's five piano concerti, especially the slow movement in which Orpheus (the piano) tames the beast (the orchestra). After the encore and interval came Beethoven's Seventh Symphony which Richard Wagner famously called 'The apotheosis of the Dance'.
Unfortunately principal cellist Efe Baltacigil, whom I've never heard play but is quite well-known, wasn't there tonight, but there were some very interesting characters to watch. One of the first violinists had a grey beard down to his waist and one couldn't help wondering how he could play the violin, let alone even see it through all that facial hair. I have to tie my hair back to play the cello so it doesn't snag on the pegs or get under my fingers and make them slip on the fingerboard. The violinist sitting behind him was a dapper little man who was so small that only the tips of the toes of his patent shoes touched the floor, but he played with such flourishes of his whole upper body and bow that the overall effect was very dramatic. I really enjoyed watching the timpanist too who stood elevated at the back centered beneath the organ pipes. He was the only African American I spotted in the orchestra. The Symphony has a great timpani part, especially in the Scherzo.
I rode the bus home - public transportation is very convenient here. The only downside is that the main bus stop on Third and Pine where I catch the bus is also a hangout for homeless druggies who sit sprawled against the storefronts smoking dope or worse. They seem harmless enough but I am still relieved when the bus comes along.
The Symphony was packed - it is good to see that classical music is alive and kicking in Seattle. Benaroya Hall is vast, with curlicued Dale Chihuly (a famous local glass artist) chandeliers that look as fantastical as Dr.Seuss creatures hanging in the foyer. First on the programme was Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto sensitively played by Yefim Bronfman, a giant Russian bear of a man. It's my favorite of Beethoven's five piano concerti, especially the slow movement in which Orpheus (the piano) tames the beast (the orchestra). After the encore and interval came Beethoven's Seventh Symphony which Richard Wagner famously called 'The apotheosis of the Dance'.
Unfortunately principal cellist Efe Baltacigil, whom I've never heard play but is quite well-known, wasn't there tonight, but there were some very interesting characters to watch. One of the first violinists had a grey beard down to his waist and one couldn't help wondering how he could play the violin, let alone even see it through all that facial hair. I have to tie my hair back to play the cello so it doesn't snag on the pegs or get under my fingers and make them slip on the fingerboard. The violinist sitting behind him was a dapper little man who was so small that only the tips of the toes of his patent shoes touched the floor, but he played with such flourishes of his whole upper body and bow that the overall effect was very dramatic. I really enjoyed watching the timpanist too who stood elevated at the back centered beneath the organ pipes. He was the only African American I spotted in the orchestra. The Symphony has a great timpani part, especially in the Scherzo.
I rode the bus home - public transportation is very convenient here. The only downside is that the main bus stop on Third and Pine where I catch the bus is also a hangout for homeless druggies who sit sprawled against the storefronts smoking dope or worse. They seem harmless enough but I am still relieved when the bus comes along.
The importance of good nutrition
Today we were invited to bring our lunches to hear about the new strategy for addressing nutrition, which is a factor in 45% of deaths of children under 5 years old in the developing world. Luckily I had finished my lunch before I got too deep into conversation with Alexis, one of the Global Health Fellows here, who it turns out is a parasitologist by training and regaled me with gruesome tales of exotic human parasites...
I was particularly impressed by the way that multiple groups - research, agriculture, maternal and child health, development and advocacy - are working together across the foundation in an integrated way to address systemic issues around poor nutrition. Solutions range from better understanding what children in different countries eat, how nutritious the food is and even how it is absorbed, to developing affordable crops with higher nutrition value, to empowering women to have more control over how they grow or buy food to feed their children. The intent is to halve the number of children dying through poor nutrition in 15 years' time.
I was particularly impressed by the way that multiple groups - research, agriculture, maternal and child health, development and advocacy - are working together across the foundation in an integrated way to address systemic issues around poor nutrition. Solutions range from better understanding what children in different countries eat, how nutritious the food is and even how it is absorbed, to developing affordable crops with higher nutrition value, to empowering women to have more control over how they grow or buy food to feed their children. The intent is to halve the number of children dying through poor nutrition in 15 years' time.
More on disasters
Yesterday's lunchtime talk by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction cast the recent earthquake in Nepal in a rather different light.
Global emergency response to disasters caused by earthquakes, wind and flooding is improving, but as the third world is developing rapidly, we are increasing the risk of catastrophic losses in the case of a disaster. While wealthy countries like the US stand to lose the most in disasters if you count loss in financial terms, we are largely covered by insurance and have the financial wherewithal to recover. Not so developing countries, especially those termed Small Island Developing States or SIDS. A cyclone or tsunami that devastates a Caribbean island effectively wipes out a whole country and these countries GDP is so low and financial situation is so precarious that they struggle to rebuild not only homes but also vital health and education services.
The conclusion was that we need to be thoughtful about investing development dollars in a sustainable way to help the beneficiaries become more resilient to disaster - otherwise it was likened to pouring water in a bamboo basket. My personal takeaway was think twice before you plan on retiring to the Caribbean...
Global emergency response to disasters caused by earthquakes, wind and flooding is improving, but as the third world is developing rapidly, we are increasing the risk of catastrophic losses in the case of a disaster. While wealthy countries like the US stand to lose the most in disasters if you count loss in financial terms, we are largely covered by insurance and have the financial wherewithal to recover. Not so developing countries, especially those termed Small Island Developing States or SIDS. A cyclone or tsunami that devastates a Caribbean island effectively wipes out a whole country and these countries GDP is so low and financial situation is so precarious that they struggle to rebuild not only homes but also vital health and education services.
The conclusion was that we need to be thoughtful about investing development dollars in a sustainable way to help the beneficiaries become more resilient to disaster - otherwise it was likened to pouring water in a bamboo basket. My personal takeaway was think twice before you plan on retiring to the Caribbean...
Monday, April 27, 2015
Summer is a cumen in...
Aristotle may have said 'One swallow does not a summer make' but today I saw no fewer than three swallow swooping up into the eaves, and the Gates Foundation Facilities department evidently decided summer is on its way as all the picnic tables and chairs, umbrellas and even a giant outdoor chess set have appeared in the courtyard at the heart of the campus. The weather also decided to cooperate as it was positively balmy outside at lunchtime. The blueberry and strawberry plant in the ecological planters are all blooming so berry season can only be a month or so away.
Having heard the news of the Nepal earthquake over the weekend I was surprised by the lack of 'coverage' at work. I had assumed the Foundation would be at the front line supporting humanitarian efforts but so far I haven't heard anything other than one or two employees posting messages on our internal social media platform Yammer reaching out to those who have friends or relatives stranded in Nepal to ask if anyone at the Foundation may have contacts on the ground who might be able to assist. Will watch for more news in the coming days.
Update two days later: this morning the Foundation announced it has made a $700,000 grant to Oxfam in support of emergency relief work in Nepal!
Having heard the news of the Nepal earthquake over the weekend I was surprised by the lack of 'coverage' at work. I had assumed the Foundation would be at the front line supporting humanitarian efforts but so far I haven't heard anything other than one or two employees posting messages on our internal social media platform Yammer reaching out to those who have friends or relatives stranded in Nepal to ask if anyone at the Foundation may have contacts on the ground who might be able to assist. Will watch for more news in the coming days.
Update two days later: this morning the Foundation announced it has made a $700,000 grant to Oxfam in support of emergency relief work in Nepal!
Weekend on Guemes Island
What could be more idyllic than spending a weekend playing string quartets in a room with a beautiful view across the waters of Puget Sound towards Bellingham and snow-capped Mount Baker beyond? Pam and I drove up early on Saturday morning to Anacortes where we'd arranged to meet Becky and Sam at the cinema to watch the live in HD broadcast of Cavalliera Rusticana and Pagliacci from the Met Opera in New York. It's only the second time I've watched one of these broadcasts and it was fabulous - close up and personal.
After the curtain went down, we headed across to the car ferry for the five minute crossing to Guemes, where Becky has a home and her violin making studio. The rain that dogged the drive up had cleared and while we waited we took a walk on the beach, which was strewn with pink, purple and green kelp. The water didn't feel that cold when I dipped a finger in but apparently it's a chilly 45 degrees Fahrenheit so is not suitable for swimming.
Guemes Island is very rural, roughly kite shaped and seven miles at its greatest length with Mount Guemes rising about 1000 feet at its north east corner. About 350 families or roughly 1000 people live on the island, although many only come for the summer. Becky showed us several log cabins built by the first homesteaders who settled there in the 1860's, which were just like the ones the Ingalls family built in 'Little House on the Prairie'. During the weekend we spotted deer, a sea otter, bald eagles and red winged blackbirds as well as Anna's and rufous hummingbirds which Becky's sister Holiday feeds no less that 10lb of sugar each week, refilling the feeders twice a day. It's so cold there that the birds have to guzzle nectar constantly to keep warm; in the winter they can freeze to death.
As we played string quartets I was mesmerized watching the perfect plane waves come lapping up to the beach below. Thank you Becky for your wonderful hospitality! I brought some rhododendron blooms back to Seattle with me and their fragrance is a lingering souvenir of a memorable weekend of music and friendship.
After the curtain went down, we headed across to the car ferry for the five minute crossing to Guemes, where Becky has a home and her violin making studio. The rain that dogged the drive up had cleared and while we waited we took a walk on the beach, which was strewn with pink, purple and green kelp. The water didn't feel that cold when I dipped a finger in but apparently it's a chilly 45 degrees Fahrenheit so is not suitable for swimming.
Guemes Island is very rural, roughly kite shaped and seven miles at its greatest length with Mount Guemes rising about 1000 feet at its north east corner. About 350 families or roughly 1000 people live on the island, although many only come for the summer. Becky showed us several log cabins built by the first homesteaders who settled there in the 1860's, which were just like the ones the Ingalls family built in 'Little House on the Prairie'. During the weekend we spotted deer, a sea otter, bald eagles and red winged blackbirds as well as Anna's and rufous hummingbirds which Becky's sister Holiday feeds no less that 10lb of sugar each week, refilling the feeders twice a day. It's so cold there that the birds have to guzzle nectar constantly to keep warm; in the winter they can freeze to death.
As we played string quartets I was mesmerized watching the perfect plane waves come lapping up to the beach below. Thank you Becky for your wonderful hospitality! I brought some rhododendron blooms back to Seattle with me and their fragrance is a lingering souvenir of a memorable weekend of music and friendship.
Friday, April 24, 2015
More New Technology
Today I received my new Windows smartphone, which is my Foundation cellphone. Quite a steep learning curve as I am not particularly tech-savvy, but it promises to be a very handy tool to keep on top of work when I'm away from my computer. I spent a satisfying day completing some of my outstanding new hire related tasks and can safely say that now the training wheels are off and I'm starting to function and fill my role.
I'm looking forward to spending the weekend playing string quartets on Guemes Island, one of the San Juan Islands. Getting there involves a 2 hour drive to Anacortes and a short ferry ride; we're planning to meet at the Anacortes Cinema to watch the Metropolitan Live Opera broadcast of 'Cav & Pag' on Saturday morning. This necessitated an after-work jaunt downtown on the monorail to buy a warm sweater (Nordstrom Rack - Seattle is the birthplace of Nordstrom's) and some wine (for apres-quartets). The cello and I are all packed and the alarm is set for 6 am!
I'm looking forward to spending the weekend playing string quartets on Guemes Island, one of the San Juan Islands. Getting there involves a 2 hour drive to Anacortes and a short ferry ride; we're planning to meet at the Anacortes Cinema to watch the Metropolitan Live Opera broadcast of 'Cav & Pag' on Saturday morning. This necessitated an after-work jaunt downtown on the monorail to buy a warm sweater (Nordstrom Rack - Seattle is the birthplace of Nordstrom's) and some wine (for apres-quartets). The cello and I are all packed and the alarm is set for 6 am!
Battle of the Bacteria
Do you remember how the invading aliens were finally defeated in H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds'? It was by lethal infection by microscopic pathogens. In this case science fiction comes close to reality as the human race is in a constant battle with the bacteria that colonize our bodies.
I've been reading up some references, namely WHO position papers on immunization against on pneumococcus, one of the bacteria that causes pneumonia. This bacteria is carried by toddlers in their noses and can cause sinusitis or middle ear infections if it strays to those places, or more serious septicemia if it gets into the bloodstream, meningitis in the brain or pneumonia if aspirated into the lungs. Beware the snotty toddler!
Recent epidemiological studies show that if sufficient children are vaccinated the incidence of pneumonia in all age groups goes down dramatically in all age groups due to what is termed the Herd Effect. Through vaccination programs, we are causing massive worldwide shifts in the microflora of bacteria. Some strains that the vaccines target are dying out and bay be eradicated all together, while others, through Darwinian survival of the fittest are emerging to take their place. It is fascinating to think how fast the universe of micro-organisms is shifting and adapting to the environmental pressures we place on them through medical interventions.
I've been reading up some references, namely WHO position papers on immunization against on pneumococcus, one of the bacteria that causes pneumonia. This bacteria is carried by toddlers in their noses and can cause sinusitis or middle ear infections if it strays to those places, or more serious septicemia if it gets into the bloodstream, meningitis in the brain or pneumonia if aspirated into the lungs. Beware the snotty toddler!
Recent epidemiological studies show that if sufficient children are vaccinated the incidence of pneumonia in all age groups goes down dramatically in all age groups due to what is termed the Herd Effect. Through vaccination programs, we are causing massive worldwide shifts in the microflora of bacteria. Some strains that the vaccines target are dying out and bay be eradicated all together, while others, through Darwinian survival of the fittest are emerging to take their place. It is fascinating to think how fast the universe of micro-organisms is shifting and adapting to the environmental pressures we place on them through medical interventions.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Getting up to speed
Looking back over my first four weeks at the Foundation I am amazed how quickly the time has gone but also at how fast I've adapted. Much of my initial training is done and I'm checking off the longer term set-up items on my task list (mobile phone, business cards, retirement elections and so on). I've started leading meetings rather than being an observer and am planning my first two business trips, both to the East Coast in mid May. June will be here before I know it so I'm now starting to think about the rhythm of work once I'm back in San Diego and how to most effectively keep in contact with my teams.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Women and Girls at Gates
I've been hearing a lot about Women and Girls at Gates in the last week. This is a big priority, cutting across many of the teams within the Foundation The vision is to put a cellphone in the hands of every woman to give her access to financial services, medical care and safety. Next time you text or Facetime with your phone, just think about the unharnessed potential of cellular technology to help empower women in developing countries.
Money Matters
On Monday I had an introductory meeting with the Finance manager for the pneumonia team, Seng. He has a very interesting background, having worked in several dot coms including Amazon and spent over a year working in Rwanda, so we enjoyed swapping experiences of East Africa.
The IRS requires that a private foundation like the Gate Foundation spends at least 5% of its investment value each year on its charitable purpose, which means that we have to spend at least $4 billion per year or face serious tax consequences. What a nice problem to have! Moreover, when Warren Buffet, who has pledged his fortune to the Foundation dies, the Foundation is required to spend his entire bequest on charitable purposes within 15 years. So our job is to ensure that the good works intended by Bill, Melinda and Warren are carried out around the world.
The IRS requires that a private foundation like the Gate Foundation spends at least 5% of its investment value each year on its charitable purpose, which means that we have to spend at least $4 billion per year or face serious tax consequences. What a nice problem to have! Moreover, when Warren Buffet, who has pledged his fortune to the Foundation dies, the Foundation is required to spend his entire bequest on charitable purposes within 15 years. So our job is to ensure that the good works intended by Bill, Melinda and Warren are carried out around the world.
Midnight Rain to Georgia
The post title was dreamed up by Libby Weber on Facebook - it was so good I couldn't resist stealing it. I took the red-eye flight last Thursday to Atlanta, returning at 1 am on Monday, and the rain poured incessantly all weekend, while I'm told it was glorious back in Seattle.
On Thursday I hopped on a bus to go downtown at lunchtime to buy a bouquet of spring flowers at Pike Place Market to take to Atlanta as a gift for the hostess. To my delight the flowers made it all the way through airport security, I found a space for them in the overhead locker on the plane despite a full flight, and they arrived fresh and fragrant on Friday morning and were still looking good on Sunday. A bit like me (hah!). There are some great ethnic eateries at the market and I bought myself a piroshky (Russian potato and mushroom snack pie) for lunch - delicious Russian comfort food! There is a Turkish cafe a few doors down that i plan to try next time. I managed to get downtown and back by bus, stop in at the apartment to eat my piroshky and was back at my desk in under an hour. Not bad!
I plucked up the courage to try taking an Uber taxi for the first time to the airport, which worked as efficiently as a Swiss clock and worked out at almost half the price of the taxi back. As we crested the I-5 freeway, Mount Rainier rose like a vast moons in the south in the clear twilight sky. I was so excited to glimpse the sleeping giant at last after three weeks of searching for it on the horizon. It is just as impressive a sight as they say.
Home week
The second full week of every month is designated 'Home Week' at the Foundation, when employees are asked not to travel to facilitate scheduling internal team meetings in Seattle. Ironically, since I will be working from home in San Diego longer term, 'Home Week' is the one week I will not be at home! The campus is thronged with people and conference rooms are at a premium. The sinks overflow with used coffee cups and there are long lunch lines in the cafeteria. My week was crammed with meetings, business lunches and dinners, while the fresh vegetables I'd bought the weekend before at Pike Place Market, intended for cooking at home, languished uneaten in the bottom of the fridge. New restaurants visited this week included Tilikum Place Cafe (twice) which is only five minutes' walk from the apartment and serves great oysters raw or baked; Etta's Seafood down at Pike Place whose famous rubbed salmon lived up to expectations; and a sushi bar complete with conveyor belt.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Who's who at WHO
Today Gates Foundation employees crowded into a packed conference room to hear a panel discussion moderated by Chris Elias, who heads Global Development at the Foundation with speaker Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO, the World Health Organization, about partnership between WHO and the Gates Foundation. The other panelists were Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director General, who worked with the Foundation on the successful roll-out of the Meningitis A vaccine in sub-Saharan Africa's 'meningitis belt', since which not a single case of Meningitis A has been reported in the region, and Dr, Ala Alwan, Regional Director for East Mediterranean who is currently working with the Foundation to eradicate polio in Pakistan
WHO praised the Foundation as a partner that contributes not just funding but also technical expertise and collaboration. We currently have 92 'investments' (Gates-speak for grants) with WHO totaling around $1,5 billion, about half of which is going towards eradication of polio. Other themes included the importance of working with industry to increase access to drugs and vaccines to the whole world, as well as getting national governments to take ownership of national health systems and not to rely on foreign development organizations.
The most fascinating aspect for me was Dr. Chan's comments on how she is reforming WHO, which is now 65 years old. Dr. Chan advised that to reform such an elderly organization one must first change programmes to be relevant today (and not 65 years ago when WHO was formed). Second one must change the managers where necessary and third, and hardest to effect with 194 member countries, one must change governance. To do this, she said, trust and transparency are paramount. Crisis can also be a useful catalyst for change, and Dr. Chan described how WHO had evolved through the global economic crisis of 2008 which dramatically reduced donations to WHO, the 2009-10 pandemic flu outbreak and then the 2015 Ebola outbreak in mounting an emergency response.
WHO praised the Foundation as a partner that contributes not just funding but also technical expertise and collaboration. We currently have 92 'investments' (Gates-speak for grants) with WHO totaling around $1,5 billion, about half of which is going towards eradication of polio. Other themes included the importance of working with industry to increase access to drugs and vaccines to the whole world, as well as getting national governments to take ownership of national health systems and not to rely on foreign development organizations.
The most fascinating aspect for me was Dr. Chan's comments on how she is reforming WHO, which is now 65 years old. Dr. Chan advised that to reform such an elderly organization one must first change programmes to be relevant today (and not 65 years ago when WHO was formed). Second one must change the managers where necessary and third, and hardest to effect with 194 member countries, one must change governance. To do this, she said, trust and transparency are paramount. Crisis can also be a useful catalyst for change, and Dr. Chan described how WHO had evolved through the global economic crisis of 2008 which dramatically reduced donations to WHO, the 2009-10 pandemic flu outbreak and then the 2015 Ebola outbreak in mounting an emergency response.
Big Brother
Do you ever watch the CBS show 'Person of Interest'? It's about a computer that tracks individual people and sends in a team to rescue them when it perceives they are in mortal danger. It turns out that today's technology is closer to this capability than you might think. Yesterday I attended a talk by a senior program officer from the Polio team about a grant with Oakridge National Laboratory to assess population using satellite imaging. The goal is to accurately determine the population and where they live in Nigeria for the purpose of distributing polio vaccines. Censuses can be inaccurate particularly in countries where 20% of the population is under 5 years old and this can lead to shortages or expensive waste of vaccines for mass immunization programs.
The technology is breathtaking. Sandia scientists can analyze images anywhere in the world down to 0.5 meters resolution. They use team members on the ground to assess which kinds of structures are non residential and residential and also how many people of what socio-economic status and demographic live there, and then apply these assumptions to satellite images. The boundary between different kinds of residences indicates the socio-economic status with shanty towns having ragged edges and more expensive planned developments having straight edges. Infra red imaging can be used to distinguish one crop from another and also to identify water, for example open sewers which often carry diseases. While the power of this technology is immense, the biggest challenge is getting local governments to accept and use the data. Many do not want to know about small communities under the radar as the implications of being obliged to provide services and also even for redistricting and impact on elections can be considerable.
Big brother is watching you!
The technology is breathtaking. Sandia scientists can analyze images anywhere in the world down to 0.5 meters resolution. They use team members on the ground to assess which kinds of structures are non residential and residential and also how many people of what socio-economic status and demographic live there, and then apply these assumptions to satellite images. The boundary between different kinds of residences indicates the socio-economic status with shanty towns having ragged edges and more expensive planned developments having straight edges. Infra red imaging can be used to distinguish one crop from another and also to identify water, for example open sewers which often carry diseases. While the power of this technology is immense, the biggest challenge is getting local governments to accept and use the data. Many do not want to know about small communities under the radar as the implications of being obliged to provide services and also even for redistricting and impact on elections can be considerable.
Big brother is watching you!
Chamber music in Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful city. Peter and Gesine's home looks out across English Bay to the high rise buildings downtown. The bay runs due east and at sunset the rays of the setting sun shines from the Pacific Ocean straight up the bay to set the mirrored skyscrapers afire with a rosy glow. We were blessed with good weather - bright sunshine with fluffy clouds - while we were there and the sunset also illuminated the drifting swathes of mist descending from the snow capped mountains. Really beautiful.
Becky and I were treated to a tour of Vancouver highlights, which included a drive around Stanley Park and a trip to Granville Market. One of the more unusual sights was a pile of sulphur waiting for shipment to China for manufacturing sulphuric acid. It is truly canary yellow and brought back fond memories of high school chemistry. Granville Market lived up to expectations with a fabulous array of jams, cheeses, pates, fruits and sausages from around the world.
The raison d'etre for the trip was to play chamber music from Peter's extensive library. As Becky was also staying we only needed a fourth to make up a quartet and Peter invited a series of local friends to join us throughout the weekend. I kept having to pinch myself to remember I was in a foreign country; rolling through on the train you don't get the same sense of crossing a border that you do when you fly.
Becky and I were treated to a tour of Vancouver highlights, which included a drive around Stanley Park and a trip to Granville Market. One of the more unusual sights was a pile of sulphur waiting for shipment to China for manufacturing sulphuric acid. It is truly canary yellow and brought back fond memories of high school chemistry. Granville Market lived up to expectations with a fabulous array of jams, cheeses, pates, fruits and sausages from around the world.
The raison d'etre for the trip was to play chamber music from Peter's extensive library. As Becky was also staying we only needed a fourth to make up a quartet and Peter invited a series of local friends to join us throughout the weekend. I kept having to pinch myself to remember I was in a foreign country; rolling through on the train you don't get the same sense of crossing a border that you do when you fly.
Friday, April 10, 2015
From the train
I'm blogging aboard the train from Seattle to Vancouver, where I'm headed for a weekend of playing chamber music. The tracks run along the rim of Puget Sound, fringed with gorse and pussy willow in bloom, with crows and seagulls chasing the train and mallards bobbing on the water. The beaches are grey shingle with tree trunks washed up here and there. Seattle King Street Station is palatial, with carved and polished white marble columns and ceilings, with green and gold tile mosaic inlays on the walls
Today has been fascinating. I met with the head of Discovery to find out what kinds of preclinical research the Foundation funds. We are doing a number of human challenge studies used for vaccine testing, in which healthy volunteers are infected with a safe strain of whatever the disease being studied is, to see if prior vaccination can protect against the infection. Then I met with my Grants and Contracts manager and learned about the way the Foundation ensures compliance in grant making with US tax laws. My third meeting was with a colleague from strategy and program management who told me how the Foundation is working across a number of 'product development partners' whom the Foundation funds to do the drug and vaccine development in the third world, to help build their capabilities and give the access to tools to help them be more effective. It is amazing to see the breadth of work the Foundation is supporting and the ways that systems and processes are continually being improved for more effective grant making.
Today has been fascinating. I met with the head of Discovery to find out what kinds of preclinical research the Foundation funds. We are doing a number of human challenge studies used for vaccine testing, in which healthy volunteers are infected with a safe strain of whatever the disease being studied is, to see if prior vaccination can protect against the infection. Then I met with my Grants and Contracts manager and learned about the way the Foundation ensures compliance in grant making with US tax laws. My third meeting was with a colleague from strategy and program management who told me how the Foundation is working across a number of 'product development partners' whom the Foundation funds to do the drug and vaccine development in the third world, to help build their capabilities and give the access to tools to help them be more effective. It is amazing to see the breadth of work the Foundation is supporting and the ways that systems and processes are continually being improved for more effective grant making.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
If money were no object...
When I arrived at work this morning I was greeted by the surreal view of gardeners weeding the 'green' rooftops, safely tethered to the building outside the fifth floor windows. I should elaborate that the Gates Foundation building, which has the highest LEED rating, literally has green roofs planted with spreading succulents, heathers and blueberry plants to harvest rainwater and provide thermal insulation.
I participated in a 'learning circle' mentoring / training session on grantee relations this morning. The facilitator was an eight year foundation veteran who works on grants in the local Pacific Northwest region and the other participants were both physicians, one an expert in tuberculosis research and the other had previously been the CDC country director in Swaziland. The discussion struck home what a topsy-turvy world we work in, where we are seeking to solve the most difficult and intractable problems in global health, and where there's a will and a way, there is money to fund it.
I participated in a 'learning circle' mentoring / training session on grantee relations this morning. The facilitator was an eight year foundation veteran who works on grants in the local Pacific Northwest region and the other participants were both physicians, one an expert in tuberculosis research and the other had previously been the CDC country director in Swaziland. The discussion struck home what a topsy-turvy world we work in, where we are seeking to solve the most difficult and intractable problems in global health, and where there's a will and a way, there is money to fund it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Foodies on foot
Today I got to sample not one but two Seattle eateries for the first time. Fortunately both were within walking distance so I managed to burn off at least some of the calories consumed on the way there and back.
The Pneumonia team had a celebration lunch at Laredo's in honor of two team members who are moving on to other things; one is a six year Gates Foundation veteran who has a six month secondment into the Grand Challenges Grant-making group; these are relatively small (by Gates Foundation standards) grants for innovative new ideas. The other team member would have been my assistant but is moving to work at Expedia. Seattle is experiencing strong growth in e-business with both Amazon and Expedia moving in and hiring large numbers of staff. She is also contemplating living on a houseboat - very 'Sleepless in Seattle'! According to the Duck Tours guide, the actual houseboat in the movie is moored in Portage Bay in nearby Lake Union. Anyway, back to the food, which was Tex-Mex; I enjoyed a carnitas plate - succulent chunks of slow-cooked smoked fatty pork rolled in tortillas.
My colleague Lynn, who has a similar Portfolio and Platform Lead role, invited me to join her for dinner. We walked up Capitol Hill to Terra Plata and enjoyed several small plates, my favorite was the roasted baby brussels sprouts with serrano ham. Next to Terra Plata is a temple to coffee - the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room. We popped in for a free sample of cold brew coffee. Did you know they actually make and sell growlers for cold brew coffee? I didn't until today and it prompted me to ask how long cold brew coffee stays fresh in the fridge. We were treated to a lecture by Nathan, who like so many millennial Seattleites had long wavy hair and an unruly ginger beard. Nathan concluded that it lasts about 5 days. He was rather intense - perhaps he drinks too much cold brew coffee...
The Pneumonia team had a celebration lunch at Laredo's in honor of two team members who are moving on to other things; one is a six year Gates Foundation veteran who has a six month secondment into the Grand Challenges Grant-making group; these are relatively small (by Gates Foundation standards) grants for innovative new ideas. The other team member would have been my assistant but is moving to work at Expedia. Seattle is experiencing strong growth in e-business with both Amazon and Expedia moving in and hiring large numbers of staff. She is also contemplating living on a houseboat - very 'Sleepless in Seattle'! According to the Duck Tours guide, the actual houseboat in the movie is moored in Portage Bay in nearby Lake Union. Anyway, back to the food, which was Tex-Mex; I enjoyed a carnitas plate - succulent chunks of slow-cooked smoked fatty pork rolled in tortillas.
My colleague Lynn, who has a similar Portfolio and Platform Lead role, invited me to join her for dinner. We walked up Capitol Hill to Terra Plata and enjoyed several small plates, my favorite was the roasted baby brussels sprouts with serrano ham. Next to Terra Plata is a temple to coffee - the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room. We popped in for a free sample of cold brew coffee. Did you know they actually make and sell growlers for cold brew coffee? I didn't until today and it prompted me to ask how long cold brew coffee stays fresh in the fridge. We were treated to a lecture by Nathan, who like so many millennial Seattleites had long wavy hair and an unruly ginger beard. Nathan concluded that it lasts about 5 days. He was rather intense - perhaps he drinks too much cold brew coffee...
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Cutting Edge Coworkers
It can be very chilly here in the mornings; I came prepared for rain but was unprepared for the brisk walk into the office first thing. Have sent home for a care package of woolly hat and gloves!
I had some really interesting meetings today. I am so impressed with the calibre of my colleagues here. I'm working alongside the former head of Merck's Regulatory Affairs, and the former head of Genprobe Diagnostics' Research and Development. I also sat in on a meeting with Boston Consulting Group who are working on a model for us to forecast global demand for new vaccines. Surely with such a think tank of collective experience we can make a positive impact on global health.
I had some really interesting meetings today. I am so impressed with the calibre of my colleagues here. I'm working alongside the former head of Merck's Regulatory Affairs, and the former head of Genprobe Diagnostics' Research and Development. I also sat in on a meeting with Boston Consulting Group who are working on a model for us to forecast global demand for new vaccines. Surely with such a think tank of collective experience we can make a positive impact on global health.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Week two begins
My second week at the Gates Foundation began with the official announcement that Emilio Emini, currently Head of Pfizer's Vaccine Research & Development has accepted the position as Head of HIV Vaccines at the Gates Foundation! You might be forgiven for thinking that I've started a trend but the reality is that this has been in the works for much longer than my own recent change of job. I received a flurry of communications from former colleagues and Pfizer after the news broke at their end.
I'm starting to formulate a list of priorities and tasks to be done once I get through my initial training and orientation phase. It's fun to see my new job start to take shape and become more defined.
Now that I have a cello I can practise in the evenings after work - so far no neighbors have complained. I am planning on working my way through all 21 of Duport's cello studies as well as studying the cello parts of the late Beethoven string quartets during my three months away from San Diego.
I'm starting to formulate a list of priorities and tasks to be done once I get through my initial training and orientation phase. It's fun to see my new job start to take shape and become more defined.
Now that I have a cello I can practise in the evenings after work - so far no neighbors have complained. I am planning on working my way through all 21 of Duport's cello studies as well as studying the cello parts of the late Beethoven string quartets during my three months away from San Diego.
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