Beautiful Stories Of Adoption (And More) This Friday…

1) The oft-not heralded enough beauty captured in Breathtaking Photos Of Adoption.

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11 years in derivatives, 3 banking mergers (survived all 3 technically, but still you kinda think the universe is trying to tell you something, and it’s not what your market counterparts are saying, to let them know beforehand next time you’re about to move so they can do a stock trade because you appear to be an unscientific merger-predictor :D), 2 were particularly bloody and during one such, was the incongruous tale of this much-feared senior boss and his wife and (at least) 2 children who adopted an HIV positive child.

As it was told to me, there were cocktails of medications that had to be administered, precautions taken about open wounds… and the senior boss’ apparent response, when asked: “It was to teach my (clearly privileged) children about life.”

The second unrelated story has to do with a close and godly girlfriend of mine who has now moved to Singapore. For years she and her husband struggled with infertility. I remember when visiting her in the hospital, her flat remark that her pain threshold was probably just super-high. Like me, she had been prescribed the Pill for a decade (well when I was unexpectedly pregnant with Rockstar I had been taking the Pill consistently for 5 years straight; her case is more severe) for elevated risk of endometriosis, among others. She had wanted to conceive so badly she insisted on going off the Pill – whereupon within just 7 months she had grown at least one 2-inch lump that had to be surgically removed.

Within a month of completion of adoption papers (apparently quite unheard of if you are trying to adopt a Hong Kong child, not a child from the Mainland – and I’ve actually told this story before, ages ago) she and her husband had been matched with a perfect little baby girl.

The girl’s biological parents were both 12 years old. My girlfriend would go on to tell me that her understanding from the social worker was the biological parents appeared to not have really known what they were doing could still result in pregnancy. (How my friend described it to me was the mother had noticed changes in her daughter and had been monitoring her, but simply couldn’t imagine the symptoms were due to pregnancy until the girl was already 5 months along).

I’m going to avoid saying anything else beyond the absolute joy with which this baby girl  (two months older than Rockstar and very articulate, last I remember before they left Hong Kong) was received into my friend’s home. One day my friend mused how she and her husband both had family histories with elevated risk of cancer and other serious illnesses which their daughter didn’t inherit, praise the Lord.

2) Second Smartest Person In The World (by IQ tests) Interviewed. What does he do for a living btw? Writer for tv shows. (Sorry, NASA)

Unrelated, and yet mildly so – couple days ago Rockstar was doing some IXL math on the computer and by way of conversation we asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said “I want to build a better video game than Minecraft”. (Sorry again, NASA :D)

2) Because that’s what a Harvard education is for… Anyone realize there are Harvard grads who choose Hollywood (and basically the entertainment business)? Offhand that I know of – Matt Damon, Conan O’Brien, Tommy Lee Jones, Natalie Portman and Will Smith’s movie trailer which didn’t officially spend the requisite 3 years but should be receiving an honorary degree very soon.

"Where's my PhD?"

“Where’s my PhD?”

You need that PhD to come up with a tv screen behind the makeup mirror!

You need that PhD to think of putting a tv screen behind the makeup mirror!

This whole second floor with 14 TVs, Will Smith uses to "conduct business"

This whole second screening floor with 14 TVs, Will Smith uses to “conduct business”. The people showing the trailer remarked how serious he is about his work (his work IS watching movies and stuff) that he didn’t have some “fun” thing like massage parlor or jacuzzi

3) Intel invests in 13 Year Old CEO’s Startup.

Shubham Banerjee, the 13 year old CEO of Braigo

Shubham Banerjee, the 13 year old CEO of Braigo

Braigo = Braille + Lego, after the Braille printer he built out of your regular Lego Mindstorm kit

Braigo = Braille + Lego, after the Braille printer he built out of your regular Lego Mindstorm kit

4) Have you heard of the Entrepreneurship Preschool? Yes seriously. Because “…many of the soft, interpersonal skills that make a good startup founder just don’t get taught in traditional schools….”

Self-esteem, independence and problem solving skills feature prominently.

entrepreneurship preschool in action

5) 10 Lesser-Known Youtube Stars. Picked this because it was more varied than your average top-20 Youtube-r of the astronomical hits and subscribers who…… yes posts gaming videos. (Yes Minecrafters feature prominently, not always with the cleanest language.)

6) The Girls have the skit this week, titled Who’s Adopted Whom (Or, A Dog And Her Little Girl):

"I've Got You Babe"

“I’ve Got You Babe”

Hard to tell whose prouder...

Hard to tell who’s prouder… (Note matching expressions)

But wait, that's not what we're REALLY about... Let us SHOW you...

But wait, that’s not what we’re REALLY about… Let us SHOW you… Here’s the wind up to the throw…….

And... "BOOYA!" This what the girls' about!

And… “BOOYA!” This what the girls’ be about! (Yeah both are pretty sporty)

Good weekend, dears…

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