Francois Muller

Modern art 2.0

2007-02-13T01:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we used to got to the museum today we surf the internet,
and thats what i did a lot recently (oh yeah, it was rainy season in Singapore)...here's 3 amazing pieces of art i've come across:

Matt is a 30-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who in 2003 quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around the planet until it ran out. A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt the idea of dancing everywhere he went and recording it on his camera.

Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.
In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

Noah takes a photo of himself every day for 6 years.

Luxembourg's biggest secret

2007-01-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

My dreamjob

2006-12-16T00:03:00.000-08:00

Until wednesday night i was chairing NLDS 2006 in Singapore. Curioulsy it's been inspiring me on what i really want! To understand my point, here a brief description of my day:

6.30 Wake up, trying to understand where i am and what is the first thing i have to do
6.32 Waking up my dear facilitators
6.38 Going for a quick shower...damn forgot to bring my towel, a fresh bedsheet will do
6.40 Launching my computer looking at the agenda of today
7.00 Walking from the hotel to the conference site, full of motivation, anticipation and excitement for the day
7.30 After a quick stop at 7 eleven to buy Red Bull, i'm trying to gather all facis to have a quick briefing on the day
7.50 Preparing my speech as well as fun elemets for the morning plenary...traying to concentrate while people rush over to pass me memory sticks, last minute news or simply to give me a big smile and say good morning
8.29 Almost morning plenary...thinking through the agenda while facis are already dancing cheering and energizing the delegates
8.35 Start of morning plenary...Switching from reflection to motivation and back again.
9.30 End of morning plenary...trying to rush out of the plenary...OC member trying to announce me some sort of catastrophy...me: "please join me on the balcony, i wanna smoke"
9.50 Problem solved...sitting into sessions, rushing out several times to take messages
10.00-12.00 More sessions, more communications, more energy, more happenings
12.00-12.30 Trying to gather the facis, giving/receiving feeback on the day, suggesting improvements for the afternoon
12.30-13.00 Meeting the OC...feeback, improvements etc
13.00-14.00 Sitting into sessions/rushing out/ Sitting into session
14.00-18.30 Facilitating a session on the topic Of Hiv/Aids
18.30-18.45 Wow, cant believ what these people cam up with in less than 5 hours. Blown away, impressed, energized!
18.45-19.30 Organizing the logistics for my next sessions...Hey OC i need the whole plenary to be held on that huge balcony, and i need a sound system and 120 candles and 5 people to help me and something to eat finally...Oh God, hope these guys still like me
19.30-19.35 Reflecting on my speech all alone in a dark corner of the building
19.40- 20.10 Speaking about my experiences since i left my country 5 years ago...talking about inspiration and how impirtant it is to capture it. We light 120 candles under the dark sky...
20.10-20.15 Back to the real world! Quick chat with one of the facis, quick briefing with one of The oc memebers, in between taking pictures with delegates
20.15-21.30 Taking part in a discussion on how religion impacts on cultural understanding. I'm totally amazed how much i can learn in 45 minutes. First time in my life i can openly speak to muslims about their religious practice.
21.30 Rushing to meet the OC...Apparently i have to be the Mc for Global Village. Ok, why not?
21.36 Announcing the first country delegation....
23.00 End of global village
23.15 I walk back to the hotel with a big smile on my face, tired, happy about the day, full of satisfaction and feeling good about myself.
24.00 Faci meeting
01.00 End of faci meeting. Going down to the party, say hello, drink a beer or two, shake hands, chat, take pictures, love the people.
02.00 Meeting with the OCP
03.20 Going to the hotel room. None of the facis asleep yet. Ok, switch of the life, fall asleep.

This made me realize that what i really want for 2007 and beyond is walking to a place in the morning, full of expectations and excitement, and walking back in the evening satisified and happy about my achievements. Now? Lets find that place!

Lost in translation - my trip to Tokyo

2006-11-30T03:25:00.000-08:00

2006-08-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

This is the view from my favourite bar in Singapore...it's simply breathtaking. There's only one thought that crosses my mind everytime I enjoy a whiskey coke up there: "THE WORLD IS MINE".

Pictures online

2006-08-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

Posted some pictures of our appartement inauguration party...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33349685@N00/sets/

A big smile from Singapore

2006-08-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since I arrived in Singapore, so just some quick facts and thoughts:
- The city is amazing, it's totally changed since i last came here, but still as clean
- Went through an amazing induction week with my new fellow students from India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philipinnes, Argentina, Norway, Malaysia, France etc etc. Lots of amazing people
- After having lived on campus for a few days, I finally managed to find an appartement closer to the city. I share it with my swiss mate Gregory...For my new contact details just send me a mail
-...talking about appartemets: of course we had to do a house inauguration party. Therfore we just invited the whole class which is about 50-70 people. It was just crazy.
- Tomorrow is Singapore's national day. The video you see below is the official song for this year's celebrations...although i find it very kitsch, it's interesting because in Western Europe nobody would dare to do such a thing, we prefer complaining...can you imagine such a video about Luxembourg??? Not really, don't you?
Keep on striving,
François

24 hours to go

2006-07-04T03:07:00.000-07:00

24 hours to go and then my days at University of St Gallen are over and I'll leave to Luxembourg again. Not that I am particularly sad about leaving that St Gallen metropole (not my favourite city in the world) but i must say that in comparison to Lausanne I really really liked studying here and in addition I met lots of inspiring personalities. Right now I'm sitting in the library for the last time studying for my exam tomorrow. It's quite funny, I keep on meeting people and making my farewell to them without having a last beer, no emotions, no big deal. Just unspectacular whispering in the library. To all those I will not have time to say goodbye to (particularly as I won't make it to the farewell party): It's been a great year and a honor to meet you!
Follow your ambitions,
François

My life right now

2006-06-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not updating my blog recently...but that's how I spend my days right now.

A time to make friends

2006-06-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

My last post has been quite a while ago...but considering how busy these last weeks were I guess that's quite normal. Besides examinations, project managing etc I had to take several job interviews in Switzerland and in Belgium. But I was lucky enough to have one day off last saturday in order to travel to the world cup game between Portugal and Iran together with my sister. I must say it was just amazing: the slogan "a time to make friends" really holds true and so within 2 hours we made friends with half of the stadium. Those of you who know me better, know how much of a Portugal fan I am (remember always making fun of my Figo shirt), so you can imagine the 2-0 victory of the boys in red and green made things even better. My sister took some pictures, check them out at: http://service.gmx.net/mc/WBhX2REhqG5VuakD26BwafBQs4PH5w

Master of Strategy and International Management

2006-06-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

Thanx for letting me imitate your idea TzuTzu (:

Inches

2006-05-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Every time I go to a conference and run a workshop I use the speech below. It is taken from the movie "Any given Sunday" and it features Al Pacino holding a breath taking motivational speech. I listen to this every morning I get up and any other time I need to motivate myself. Curiously it gives me a thrill everytime I listen to it, and believe me, I listened to it a thousand times. As many people send me mails asking me about that speech, I thought I might just post it on my blog. Enjoy!

A night in Zurich

2006-05-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Forgot my keys...back to the appartement...finally in the car...damned, 20 minutes late already...catch Thomas...catch Benedikt...catch a few bottles of alcool...drive...shit, too much traffic...talking about university projects...let's switch conversation...turn on the radio...nothing good on the radio...still too much traffic...open the window...light a cigarette...Thomas, right or left now?...Left! Ok!...Finally there...Nice place Thomas...Cut the tomatoes...Put the Whiskey in the freezer...Light another cigarette...First guest arriving...Hello my name is François...Yes Luxembourg...No, German is not my mother language...half million people...Light another cigarette...The spaghetti should be ready...Greet the other guest...let's sit down...Hold conversation...Yes Luxembourg...No, German is not my mother language...Finally eaten up...light a cigarette...switch from red wine to Whiskey Coke...conversation louder now...tell a joke...make fun of Zurich...no, bad idea!...Call a cab...Wait, wait...take some whiskey Coke for the way...Light the cigarettes...cab driver does not know the place...somehow arrive their...big queue in front of the club....jump the queue...thanks for the guestlist Thomas...big queue at the bar..Shit! No guestlist here...Order a Whiskey coke...Light a cigarette...One more whiskey! No coke...Dance...No, bad idea...Another whiskey...Danced or don't dance...Don't dance, only dance in Aiesec...Toilet...Whiskeys...Cigarette...Getting bored...Let's go...Home?...No...Kebap...Efes Pilsner...Take a cab...Keep the change...Undress...Lie down...still wear your shirt...who cares?...Good night!

Pictures from TRIX 2006 (Cluj Napoca)

2006-05-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

I uploaded some pictures from Trix 2006 in Cluj Napoca
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33349685@N00/
http://www.bolt.com/fmuller/photo/
My recommendation: Watch them while listening to my new favourite song (thanks to Stefan)

Times of changes, decisions and good-bye's!

2006-05-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm crossing a period full of changes, decisions and challenges. I'm soon leaving to Singapore for my MBA (26th of July). Again the opportunity to make new friends, live new experiences, facing new challenges. Still I have to take so many decisions about my MBA term, that I find it hard to focus on my actual studies in St Gallen. The other decision that is preventing me from sleep is the decision about my professional career. Who do I want to work for? In which country do I wanna work? What are the criterias anyway I should base my decision on? A least I made my decsion about the subject of my master thesis yesterday, and so I'm gonna research about "successful brand portfolios in the luxury & fashion industry" for the next year. And if it wasn't enough I still have to hand in 4 projects, run a SIM community development project, decide about what to do with all my belongings when I go to Singapore, make decisions about my career in AIESEC, and find a way of keeping my friends and family happy while far away from home for the fifth year in a row now. So as a comfort i keep listening to that wonderful Green Day songs these day:

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

Open letter to LC Cluj Napoca

2006-05-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from Romania, with again a wole lot of wonderful memories, many new friends, inspiration and a feeling of sadness. LC Cluj Napoca features some of the most amazing people I ever met in my life. I admire these guys for their endless motivation, devotion and their postive and constructive way of dealing with any issue that may arise. LC Cluj Napoca, Poca, Poca, Number One in EUropa!

Here's the letter I wrote to LC Cluj:

Dear LC Cluj,

24 hours have gone by since I arrived back to Switzerland. These last 24 hours I found it really hard to find my way back into the very pragmatic way of Swiss living. Too many memories cross my mind, too many regrets I have about not spending more time with each of one you. TRIX was a very inspiring experience to me...very different from LPM and last year's TRIX, but amazing as well. I want to thank you for receiving me with open arms again!
Furthermore I was both inspired and amazed by the endless devotion you put into this conference and the warmth and honesty you spread. You just amzed me each second of the conference! I also send out all my best wishes to the new EB, I'm sure you guys can build something amazing in Cluj.
I hope to stay in touch with more than one of you as there is nothing better than the awareness of having true friends somewhere in this world. By the way, St Gallen is only at 1624km from Cluj, what a ridiculous distance (-;
As I mentioned in that crazy closing plenary, I hope that TRIX was not the end of my passionate love story with LC Cluj, but just another chapter in an endless story. Right now I feel like the story is still "incomplete". I'm sure life will take me to Cluj a several times more!

I thank you all for being what you are!
Forever yours,
Your friend,

François

Just a football game

2006-05-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I was looking forward for the big showdown of the swiss football league. FC Basel (my favourite team as you might know) played FC Zurich. It was the last game of the season and basel lead by 3 points before the game. As a big football fan I expected a big moment in football history...and it turned out to be one, but in the negative sense. Until the 92th minute everything was fine...the score was 1-1 and I emotionally prepared for the championship celebration. But 20 seconds before the final whistle, everything turned into a big disaster. Filipescu (by the way, a Romanian guy) scored the 1-2 for Zurich and thereby stole away the championship from Basel in the last minute. What happened then was purely shocking: Basel fans attacked the Zurich players, beating them up and throwing fireworks at them. Zurich fans attacked the block I was sitting in, beating up whoever crossed their way. Outside the fans riots between police and fans went on for 4 hours and made over 100 injured people. The scenery was undescribable: wherever you looked around you, you saw people behaving like animals, totally out of their minds.I'm a very positive person always believing in the best of poeple...I've lost another piece of naivity that night. A little advice: come on guys, it's only football after all.