Posts Filed Under life
Where Next? San Francisco…
After 3 exceptional years in Los Angeles where I have had the privilege to work with the most inspiring, intelligent, and skilled designers on projects you can hardly dream of, I have decided to move to San Francisco to establish and lead a Nokia Design Service and UI team.
The aim is to have a highly dynamic and open multidisciplinary team of 8 by the end of the year that will provide design leadership through vision, concepting and co-development of Nokia’s future services and UIs. This team is part of Nokia Design Service & UI Design which has already a presence in London and Helsinki.
4 months, 2 weeks and 1 day
137 days after the accident, I am finally walking without any assistance. I am walking funny. Sure. But I am walking. I will need a few more months to fully recuperate and another surgery next year to remove all the hardware, but the worse is behind. Let me tell you, it’s a fucking relief. Very humbling as well.
This long-awaited achievement is a great opportunity to thank Dr. Bruce Thomas who performed an outstanding surgery and the kind staff at Ogden Regional Medical Center who professionally cared for me during my stay.
Thank you Phil, Lotta, Jan, Christie and Guy for being there during the whirlwind of snow patrol rescue, ER, surgeries, etc. You were outstanding.
Many thanks to the fantastic rescue patrol of Powder Mountain and EMTs who drove me down to Ogden. Thank you for the teddy bear, the pain reliever, and for not cutting my expensive jacket 
I would also like to express my gratitude to Orr Limpisvasti, M.D and Michael J. Harris, M.D at Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles for providing excellent care after flying back Utah as well as educating and comforting me during my rehabilitation. Thank you Candice and Laura for bearing with me during my numerous visits at Kerlan Jobe.
And today, I am able to walk thanks to the skillful hands and work of O’Real Cotton, David Pevsner, Jessica Lauppe, Dave, Cindy and Denise at JMP Rehabilitation Group in Reseda, Ca. Thank you for pushing me beyond my limits… especially Cindy.
I would like to thank all my friends who kindly called, emailed, and came to visit with sweets and cakes, DVDs, books, etc.
Many thanks to my colleagues and Nokia Design management team to cover for me during my recovery.
I want to thank from the bottom of my heart Laura who came to Los Angeles to take care of me the first week after the accident. Your kindness is incomparable.
Thank you Rhys for the amazing cane, I am sad to let it go. It was a good prop!
Finally I want to thank my mom who has been by my side since the accident. I don’t know what I would have done without you. I love you.
Filed Under: life
On Recovery Leave for the next 6 Weeks
I had a severe accident on Friday 15th Feb in Utah resulting in a badly broken left leg. I will be recovering at home in Los Angeles with my family and my amazing friends until April.
Please expect some serious delays in all communication, projects, talks, etc. If you have anything time critical, please sms me and I will redirect you to the right person.
I would like to thank all of you for kind words and thoughts. I really really appreciate it.
Bye now.
RG
Filed Under: life
30 ans déjà.
Photo © Jan Chipchase, Los Angeles, 2007.
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Filed Under: life
Listening
Photo © Jan Chipchase, Salt Lake City, 2007.
I have to admit that in the past few months I haven’t been listening. I am not sure why, I just haven’t. Apparently the sum of my precedent experiences allowed me to “get by” in my life. It suddenly changed last week in a dusty basement of a shooting range in Salt Lake City. I listened. Not only I listened, I also scrutinized every movement the man on the other side of the counter was doing. I was listening. I was learning. All this from someone I have nothing in common and most likely disagree with on every possible topic.
I am now trying to deconstruct and understand what happened. This experience was unprecedented and it had irreversible immediate consequences. These two parameters superseded all other contextual ones, and curbed my arrogance. What concerns me is that my life confronts me daily with experiences, which also have irremediable consequences. Consequences, I foolishly overlook and dismiss solely for their lack of immediacy. These make the bulk of my life and have a greater and longer lasting impact than my gun range adventure. As Jan Chipchase concluded in his TED talk, if we wish to remain relevant as individuals, professionals and communities, we need to learn to listen. I need to learn to listen.
Duality
I have been living in Los Angeles for 1 year already.
My life is so radically different that Helsinki and Paris feel an eternity away; yet everytime I drive on PCH, Wilshire bvld, or downtown; I am reminded I have been here 5 minutes. The excitement of novelty is present at every crossing yet I feel so at home in L.A.
Against all odds, this city is so familiar, and like every familiar things, it feels good. It make me feel good. It makes me happy. Being aware of this reality, I keep wondering how long can it last ? How many months/years in L.A. do I have in me before spoiling this sensation ? Bets are open !
Filed Under: familiarity, life, losangeles