Company Affair

Foreclosures.  Brooklyn residents are feeling it.  Chicago residents are feeling it.  And Los Angeles residents are feeling it.  What is “it” exactly?  It is the feeling that life may not be the same as it has been.  But in these times of economic struggle and worry, there is still fun to be had.  And in New York, some of the fun is at the Flea Markets.  Perusing the tables and the stalls at these markets in New York has long been a past time of a certain population, the artistic and the poor.

A great way to find cool items for one’s house, at a minimal cost.  Now days, other populations are taking part in the tradition of rummaging through others cast offs, and they are finding that not only are the deals great, but there is interesting treasures amidst the ‘cast-offs’.  One of the best places to treasure hunt is at the Brooklyn Flea.  There is something for everyone at this outdoor market place.  Relics and furniture, items rescued from the trip to the landfill.

The stuff one finds here is more than just a good find to be found during recession.  They are often times more interesting than anything out there in the new stores, more history than the new items off the conveyor belt.  For not only are there old items, but pieces made new, by artisans and craftsman.  Creative and beautiful bits and pieces that make a house a home.  In Brooklyn, the Flea is not just a shopping experience, it is a hub, where the community and the artists come together each week.

Chic fashion designers show their work, as well as chefs in the food stalls preparing and selling everything from grilled cheese sandwiches, to bread infused with lobster.  This one time small market, has grown in population, and moved from the original Saturday location in Fort Greene, to a grand market held underneath the Brooklyn Bridge each Sunday.  Hard times economically, do not mean hard times socially or emotionally.  The Brooklyn Flea is just one bit of evidence to that fact.

A Dubai beach resort can really be all things to all people, and the guests here will know the taste of first-class luxury in a first-class setting.  Dubai city, with its stunning natural surroundings and fascinating urban energy, is growing into a city that has a special place in the heart of locals, and also among the growing community of internationals here.  There is a wealth of culinary delights, glorious shopping malls, and cultural events to keep the whole family fascinated and entertained.  There is a strong multi-cultural character to the city, with pockets of communities that are becoming a rich part of the local scene.

The Filipino community has long held a presence here, and so it should be no surprise that a world-class magazine like Illustrado would make a home here.  Founded with the intention of uplifting the morale and public image of Filipino women in the gulf, this glossy combines high production values with a grass roots sensibility that appeals to its reader base.  The result is a magazine that is not only empowering but also refreshingly free of the usual gossip and materialism that define similar enterprises.  The editorial staff here is uncompromising in its vision to presenting real issues to real women.  Its staff is composed of writers and visual artists based in the UAE, the Phillipines, Southeast Asia, ant the United States.

Every year Illustrado holds an event to honor some of the most accomplished women in the Filipino community in the UAE.  Called the Illustrado Women of Substance Awards, this event typicially honors a half-dozen women who have achieved prominence in their fields over the past year.  Last year’s event was stunning, and attracted local and international press.  Lalaine Chu-Benitez, Illustrado’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, is quick to point out that this is an award that goes to real women who have made real contributions to society, and is not simply an award for popularity.  Awards went to Filipina chemist Engr. Mary Jane Alvero Al Mahdi, Lilian Vargas, senior manager of Dubai City Duty-Free, Gulf Today Senior Reporter and UAE Filipino Pres Club President Mariecar Jara-Puyod, entrepreneur and creator of Filipino snack company Nanay Tuneng, Isabelita Sabado-Warren, nurse Juliet Solas, and the pianist-singer-writer and model Clarita de Quiroz Craig.  All of these women were honored for their exceptional contributions and on-going commitment to raising the profile of Flilipino women here.

I went to California for my cousin’s wedding this past year and while we were in town we decided to do some sight seeing. We hit all of the usual tourist spots but we loved the San Francisco ballet the most. I’ve heard that Arthur Trueger is a patron of the ballet.

Speaking of Arthur Trueger, I have heard of him before we went to California because he is such a successful venture capitalist. Arthur Trueger is also a long time patron of the Japan Society of Northern California.

I wonder if he was at the ballet the same time we were. I would have liked the shake the hand of a man whose reputation precedes him so much.

No matter what type of investor, big brokerage corporations or online stock services they are feeling the pressures of a declining market. The market has been such bad news lately in recent months that people are starting to question the benefits of Free Trade.

A large majority – 68% – of those surveyed in a new Fortune poll says America’s trading partners are benefiting the most from free trade, not the U.S. That sense of victim hood is changing America’s attitude about doing business with the world.

We are a nation crawling into a fetal position, cramped by fear that America has lost control of its destiny in a fiercely competitive global economy. The fear is mostly about jobs lost overseas and wages capped by foreign competition.

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