Last week, Anny Dow, a soon-to-be Stanford School of Business MBA graduate and I discussed the development of her upcoming fully integrated site, Kujali (“care” in Swahili), to make life easier for caregivers for people with dementia. [TCV Update 7/31/2022 Sadly, the URL is no longer operational.]
While Dow sought my advice on the pieces of and direction of her planned comprehensive platform, we touched on tangential topics, including her parents’ birthplace, Taiwan. I began to reminisce about my first trip to Heaven, which I’ve written about later in this article.
Kujali
Caregiving for someone with dementia is really hard.
We are here to help make it just a bit easier,
so you have time for what matters.
In Anny’s words, she’s working on “a software solution to better support caregivers [for people] with dementia… to manage tasks, access tips, and find community.” 
If Anny implements her vision for Kujali, caregivers for people with dementia will find a comprehensive-integrated platform to more easily coordinate the multiple aspects of caregiving instead of having to visit multiple sites. Right now, she’s gaining insights via caregiver and expert interviews, and researching what other sites have to offer.
Her connection to caregiving goes back to her childhood. She wrote via email, “[G]rowing up, I lived near an assisted living community; I would visit frequently to spend time with the residents and help with activities, games, and music.” Today, she remains close with her U.S.-based mother who provides caregiving long-distance to her grandfather living with Parkinson’s.
While we spoke about Anny’s goals with Kujali, we touched on her background and from there, I shared with her details of the first time I went to heaven.
When we take time to learn about one another, we discover how we are connected.
My First Trip to Heaven
Born and raised in Wisconsin where the tallest peak is Timm’s Hill at almost 1,952 feet, I had the opportunity to visit one mountainous area of Taiwan. The year was 1985 and I was staying mostly in the capital, Taipei with visits to outlying areas featuring beautiful hilltop villas. One morning, I took a harrowing trip into the mountains. Taiwan features over a couple hundred mountain peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet and even higher. It was my first experience as a 25-year-old. The twists and turns made me nauseous. Once near the top, my queasiness disappeared as I looked out over the clouds.
I was in heaven.
Lacking immediate access to my photos (prints) from 1985, I am giving you an idea with this 2011 picture I took while hiking to the top of Mt. Baden Powell in Southern California.
In Taiwan—my first trip to heaven—I stood in awe as my senses soaked in the experience. Moist-cool air. Lush greenery. Even a partial view of the twisty road we had just climbed. I was above the clouds! Pure heaven.
Living in California, I’ve enjoyed a number of visits to heaven. For me, this is a view above the clouds as I stand on terra firma.
Memories rushed into my mind as Anny Dow and I discussed her plans for Kujali. And then my mind began to consider the times we live in, now.
MUSINGS on Global Affairs — China-Taiwan and Russian-Ukraine
While most of us are limited to the news we read or watch about Putin’s “special operations” in Ukraine, some consider the implications for China’s “interests” in Taiwan. While nations sanction Russia, we’re learning just how interconnected we all are. We often mistake truth for what we read, hear, and watch on the news. We may even argue vehemently. The reality is we only have a small piece of the picture. We would do well to revisit the Indian parable of The blind men and an elephant.
It is important to discuss what is happening, especially if we feel stressed. Yet, we must remain humble, knowing that our knowledge is minimal. Still, I can’t help but wonder how the world would react if the U.S.A. attacked Canada.
To think, all this musing began when a Stanford graduate student reached out to ask for my thoughts on her initiative with caregivers for people with dementia. Indeed, we are all connected.
