12.16 | new life, new look

"When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.
- Paulo Coelho

✉️ letter #19

Well! It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks since officially ending my time at RADII. Which is my excuse for pushing this out a day late when damn it, I already even had it completely finished in drafts days before.

First I went on a trip with five other ladies (and a baby) to Guangzhou Province to check out some Asian diaspora history - most immigrants have their roots here - and eat my fill of amazing Cantonese food. You can follow along with some of the fun adventures on my Instagram.

And then I officially started at SupChina! Because they're based in New York times, that's meant quite a bunch of calls that start late at night and end around 2am for Shanghai. I blame that for making me a bit loopy.

Still, I can't tell you how great it feels to take a peek under the hood of the organization you're going into and realize that yes (unlike the last one) there is a running engine and there are capable, expert, heck more expert than you in the ways that matter, drivers. I'm glad to be adding to a team rather than trying to wrangle it from the side.

I posted my whole Work Announcement Letter (which also went on LinkedIN) over here:

I’m leaving China... for SupChina!

I’m thrilled to announce that as of today, I’ve joined the amazing team at SupChina as their Chief Marketing Officer. And as part of that role, I’m moving back to the United States.

elaine is xyzelaine

Oh yes, and as I'm wont to do, I changed my hair up again. I asked for an ashy gray, which the salon interpreted as more of a denim color - they said it'd fade to the more snow storm look I was looking for by Christmas.

I'm into it though!

I didn't begin dying my hair intense colors until I was in my 30s, and it's one of those things I wish I started sooner. But considering one of the anxieties I had when deciding for my first "anime hair" look was whether or not I was "too old" to do something that "crazy," I'm glad I ignored my doubts and took the plunge.

There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Anything you were worried you'd already missed the boat age-wise for, that turned out was totally fine when you tried it?

🌱 the ethical ideas newsreel

• The company I'm joining is offering a grant of up to $10,000 to "young American and Chinese philanthropic leaders and social innovators to contribute towards social impact endeavors, with the goal of driving positive change through collaboration in both the U.S. and China." If you're one of those, you should apply!
• A researcher for "energy transition modeling" goes into what it would take to end emissions from fossil fuels. Basically, you've got either the "fuel switching route" - where you basically eliminate oil/gas by replacing it with solar etc. generated electric - or the "decarbonization route" - in which you sequester emissions to make something else. Will we do either soon??
• Hopefully, because one of the more unexpected things climate change is aggravating is terrorism. The UN has said that "environmental degradation enables armed groups to extend their influence and manipulate resources to their advantage... conflict-prevention initiatives need to factor in climate risks."
• A couple weeks ago, I moderated a panel for a joint Cambridge-INSEAD alumni meet up event. I was thrilled to meet and have a great chat with a senior researcher who works at a company called Miotech, which uses AI to sort through reams of data to rate companies on sustainability. This is so much smarter than the current way - self reporting and/or in-person inspection.
• This looks like it would be great: "An anthology of Black comic book makers from the the postwar era offers a glimpse into a genre of art that skewered the bigotry of white liberalism." Putting this on my list of books to buy when I get to America.

🎵 song of my week

Going retro this week with the timelessly amazing Kate Bush and her song December will be Magic Again. If you've never heard this song, I highly recommend watching the video while it plays.

✨enjoying: one final piece of pop culture fun

@timalikesmusic is my new favorite instagram account. She's a producer who posts breakdowns of past era RnB music, meme songs, and other general hilariousness. I haven't scrolled this obsessively or laughed so hard in ages.

While we get deep into the holidays, check this jam on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, or as she calls him "NOSE GAWD RUDY."

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