Posts Tagged ‘work’

My blue, blue brain

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
03 April 2009
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Today I really felt the effects of having what is dubbed a “blue brain” in Emergenetics terms.  Blue-brained people are the thinkers who sit there, rationalizing things and using logic to solve problems.  Learning is done best by mental analysis.  And that, is exactly how I am.  I’ve been laboring over a project this past week, trying to turn all the information for our training branch into a simple, comprehensive slide show.  I had originally written a script for it, typing out what I thought should be spoken and what images/words could coincide with that.  I sent that out to the boss to look over and got back his edits, showing me the type of language he prefers to use and the style he was looking for.  From there, I changed things up as needed.

However, Marylin then told me about the time she made a Powerpoint of what she wanted and then turned it over to our creative head to edit and touch up as needed.  So, of course, I decided to give it a try and make his life easier.  Little did I know the ensuing headache that I would encounter.  First of all, this type of thing takes a very yellow brain.  What do I mean by that?  Yellow-brained people are conceptual learners, with vivid imaginations, reliance on their intuition, and a penchance for the unusual.  They are the groundbreaking visionaries who try out new things and don’t mind experimenting around to find what they like.

I amnot very strong in this area.  AT ALL.  Though I have some ideas for certain transitions we can use and ways we can display the words and pictures, I am far from the artsy creative type.  No, in fact, my creativity is more in terms of words and thoughts.  I also don’t like to make mistakes.  So you can see, there’s a bit of a clash here, between my learning and working preference and the nature of the project I am trying to produce.  Marylin is very much a yellow brain, which probably has something to do with why she was able to whip up a presentation.

Instead, I have spent days first figuring out how to cut down the message yet still convey all the information.  It’s still not enough!  On top of that, I have all these ideas for images I’d like to use, but I don’t know where to find them in past event photos.  I also have very few new ideas on how I can display the pictures once I do find them, so they sit lamely on a page, surrounded by text.  Not exactly the eye-catching presentation I was aiming for.  So today, I started to get rather frustrated with all the things I wanted to do but couldn’t and all the things I knew I should do but didn’t know how.

Thankfully, I took the issue over to the green brain in the house and he put his practical, structured way of thinking to work.  Green brains learn best by doing and that is exactly what he set out to do, helping me explore the options I had and how I could go about creating the effects I was looking for.  He also asked me a lot of questions to figure out what I want to convey (but still, I had the issue of HOW to do it nagging at me).  With his help, I have planned out more of what I need to do.  Now there’s the issue of getting that out of the way so I can get back to how, how, how!

I have always appreciated people with great artistic abilities, from dancers to pianists and interior designers to graphic designers.  My respect was built off of the simple fact that I just don’t have a knack for that!  My deep appreciation for skills such as video editing stem from a certain intimidation though.  Because it looks so daunting to me and something so out of my reach, I put it on a pedestal and call it a day.  When I do go about trying to tackle that task myself, it takes painstakingly long, but I can do it.  I don’t think I do it very well though; there are certainly people who have a natural talent for those things.

So, with this work sitting here, waiting to be done, I am trying not to get too discouraged at the prospect of all the effort it will take me.  Instead, today I got to distract myself by helping Marylin edit some material she was writing.  I have a near anal tendency to pick out grammar and spelling errors and it comes quite easily to me, so it’s almost fun for me to read through documents over and over, picking out all the typos and awkward sentences.  I was quite happy to have some “mindless” work to do as I took a break from the video/slide show haunting me.  Sadly, it seems that I am quite good at the very work that people get interns to do.

Thankfully, I am also a brainstormer, constantly getting little epiphanies about random ideas that have been floating around in my head for awhile.  That is why creative consultant work sounds perfect to me!  I get to sit around and analyze things like I prefer to do and also tap into my red brainedness – the social part that is sympathetic, empathetic, and socially aware.  This part of me learns from others by interacting with them.  But for the life of me, I cannot get my yellow brain to come to the forefront, much as I need it now.  That’s a pity.

Peace and quiet

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
01 April 2009
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Today was the first time I stayed in the office rather late unaccompanied by Marylin.  It was just me and Goof, working away at our given tasks.  I quite liked the atmosphere, which was much more conducive to working for me than most.  For one, there were fewer distractions around – during the day, people are bustling in and out and random spurts of stories and sharing will interrupt the flow of work.  A lot of people are also online to distract me (namely, Panda, who I now get to sit and watch working as I do my own work) and the light outside makes the world itself a distraction.

After everyone else left tonight, however, it was very quiet at our little corner studio and the dark outside provided nothing to attract my attention.  I had my music playing, contributing to the background noise.  Other than that, I didn’t pause to do anything else, like check e-mails or browse links or look things up online.  Instead, a sense of calm overcame me and I just worked away.  I always knew that I perform better at night, but I think a lot of that has to do with the simple fact that I have time and space to myself.  No other people, no other sounds, and no other light to make me lose focus.  I come alive when the world around me puts itself to rest.

I really like that feeling of actually being productive and efficient, rather than sitting around all day slowly getting work done.  I do enjoy the vitality of our interactions though, so it’s a difficult balance between wanting to get stuff finished and wanting to enjoy the company I have.  I certainly don’t expect work to be a powerhouse unforgiving of human interactions and breaks and distractions.  Yet, I still can’t help but feel guilty when at the end of the day I have taken longer at a task than I could have, merely because I had fun with everyone.  So, it’s nice to have more productive days here and there, to even things out.

Earth Hour – a reflection personal passions

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
28 March 2009
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It was 8:05 PM when I opened up my planner to pen an event into it.  Suddenly, a reminder of Earth Hour was staring up at me.

“25 minutes!” I gasped.

“What are you talking about?” asked Marylin as Zen peered at me quizzically.

“Earth Hour!  We’ve got to turn off our lights for Earth Hour!”  I looked over at Zen: “You signed us up!”

And so, we all changed our plans to meet this commitment we had made by pledging our support for Earth Hour.  Rather than continue to work in the office as we had thought we were going to do, we headed out to eat some dinner.  Ok, so we cheated a little and didn’t confine ourselves to the dark.  But hey, we did turn off our lights!  We just went to take advantage of lights that were already on, that is all.

Being that recycling and conservation are the very things I want to build a company around someday, it was important for me that people are aware and care for causes like these.  Lately I’ve been going to a lot of informative sessions about various organizations in Singapore that are meant for the betterment of people.  There are the various divisions of the People’s Association, like Family Life, which is meant to promote the quality and importance of family life.  There is the Urban Redevelopment Authority, with plans to add infrastructure throughout town and expand and improve nature areas.  There are the efforts of the Yellow Ribbon Project to bring awareness and acceptance to ex-offenders, offering them a second chance at their lives.

And then, there’s Marylin’s passion for people with disabilities, which I’ve heard a good bit of lately.  Let’s not forget Zen’s love for the people in his life, which is pervasive in all that he does.  All this makes me wonder: for all the love I feel I have for people, why am I more interested in volunteering with animals and the environment?  Perhaps it is because I see it as my time to connect with the world and, in a sense, meditate.  It’s much easier to do that when your interactions don’t require conversations.  I’ve also always felt a huge connection with nature, finding the most peace in getting away from people and society.  I want to preserve that aspect of this world.  The things that live by their own rules and not ours.

So, sometime down the line, I want to create an environmental consultancy.  I don’t have the background to really go into air and water pollution stuff or how infrastructure can be built to be most efficient, but I can definitely become an expert in the types of materials and processes that are environmentally friendly for building with.  Mostly though, I want to advise organizations on how to create an effective recycling program, ways they can conserve on energy, alternative sources of power that can be employed, and also provide training for their members to promote awareness of these issues and show them why they should care.  I can also have seminars explaining how everyone can reduce their carbon footprints and offer easy solutions to greener lives.

As for the interest in animals, I absolutely adore cats (though I do like all creatures), so I think that will just be a personal pursuit for now.  I’m still trying to convince Panda to let me raise at least one cat.  Katana and I always used to joke that we’d grow old and be “crazy cat ladies” living next door to each other.  Though I don’t want to be stepping over them at home, I wouldn’t mind two or even three.  For now, I’ll have to wait it out and then find a shelter nearby with cats to volunteer at.  I’d really like to start a cat shelter myself, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to give any of them away.  Ever.  Maybe I’ll look into championing spaying and neutering and adopting from shelters.

Creativity as a way of life

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
26 March 2009
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In this line of work, it really feels like creativity is a way of life, not just a skill you have or a thought process you must endure.  Being creative consultants for a wide array of clients requires flexible thinking, curiosity, critical analysis, and understanding the market.  These skills are all a part of the lifestyle of becoming a creative person who takes everything around them and can draw connections that others may not, be able to adapt quickly based on new developments, and be able to dream in ways that others may not dare.

It’s really cool to be in such an environment that nurtures you to think in so many different ways.  I always knew the learning curve would be steep, but only now do I really get to appreciate what it is like.  I remember when I was still back in LA, trying to ask questions about how things work over here.  Perhaps I never got any fully satisfactory answers because it boils down to the story of my life: it’s complicated.  In fact, on a day to day basis different challenges arise, from clients who are requesting more thoughts from us to coworkers who are getting sick (and infecting the lot of us).  I find that even in my way of dealing with something like avoiding the flu or cold, there is leeway to be creative in my own right (aka the types of new things I try out to prevent from getting sick).

I really enjoy living and breathing creativity like this.  It could be just in how I choose to organize my ideas one day or it could be in how I decide to manage my time.  Everything I do allows me the freedom to think critically about what would work best in that circumstance, with my type of personality and preferences.  So much thinking also requires a lot of time away from the issues, to let them incubate before I come back to developing them.  I really wish I had some sort of mindless work to do in between major thinking sessions, like updating the website or sketching/molding random images that could be a new mascot.  I think I wouldn’t even mind handling some number problems, now that my life is consumed with words!

Recently I’ve been reading Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner (my interest in his thoughts began back in middle school) and I’m at the chapter where he talks about creativity.  He mentions some companies that have taken unconventional approaches and also mentioned skunkworks a few times, which really captured my attention.  Throughout the rest of the day, I found my mind wandering to how I can run a company that fosters creativity.

Things I have considered are no designated work hours, time off each week for a personal development activity of your choice (whether it’s crocheting or taking a class), no dress code, customized work spaces (You want toys?  Ok!  You want a beanbag for a chair?  Sure.  You want a clear desk?  Alright!), and pretty much just more flexibility all around.  I would totally get a kick out of themed job titles, so rather than say you are a manager or blah blah blah officer, you’d be something completely arbitrary – Bamboo or Venus Flytrap.  Or, alternatively, titles could really just be evolved nicknames, so someone in the office who may love to tidy can be Feather Duster while someone else who sleeps a lot can be Sloth or Zombie or something.

I don’t know if I can ever implement measures like that and still find quality people who won’t use that as an excuse to slack off – “oh, I’m just being creative right now” – you know?  But hey, it’s something to look into and consider.

The business of cards

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
25 March 2009
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Namecards, or business cards, are one of those things that are really helpful in the business world.  Though you can come up with various creative designs to try to stand out, what ultimately matters is a clean look with key (mostly contact) information.  It’s pretty much a standard to hand someone a business card when you make a contact or find someone interested in learning more about what you or your company can do for them.  While you want to get your name out there and encourage follow-ups, you also don’t want to throw cards at anyone you come across, especially if you haven’t even spent a few minutes to talk to them.

Currently, Marylin and I are anxiously awaiting our business cards that will be printed with the updated address and phone numbers for our new office.  It’s a lot more difficult to network when you need to create makeshift "cards" to hand out to people.  If they can’t read our handwriting or mistake the slip of paper for junk later, we could very easily lose a valuable contact.  Plus, having that sturdy little piece of cardstock makes us look legit and oh so official.  I mean, not that we don’t look like seasoned pros already, what with our lovely attire and attitudes.  😉

We’ve been to two networking events this week and I have noticed that card-trading etiquette is quite different here!  All cards are presented and accepted with two hands and are usually accompanied by a bow or otherwise lowering of the head.  When I received my first two and took them with one hand, I noticed that it wasn’t quite right.  I wonder if other people noticed it and felt offended.  I certainly hope not!  However, it is a ritual that I have duly noted and will be careful to observe from now on.  These are the little cultural nuances that I am going to need to continue to pick up as I learn my way around here and this business world.

So you see, something as basic as trading business cards can be rather different depending on the people you are dealing with.  Nothing’s ever quite so simple, is it?

Sounding board

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
19 March 2009
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I spent nearly two hours discussing ideas and philosophies with a coworker today, as he shared with me his thoughts and observations and I expressed some of my own.  Though we see things from very different angles, I respect him as a capable person who is good at what he does.  However, his motivations and mine are vastly different, so the way we approach and think about things is quite unlike the other.

I do find him to be a good sounding board though, and that is why I like to discuss things with him.  When you spend time having to defend yourself and your beliefs, it forces you to reevaluate things and really have good reasons for what you believe.  People who think differently will ask different kinds of questions.  It gives you a chance to examine things so much more thoroughly.

Ultimately, you may come up with many backup plans to try to prevent as many glitches as possible.  It can be quite useful.  Someone may look at the big picture and someone else may look at the little details, or someone may think of the concept while someone else thinks of the logistics.  It’s not always bad to have a foil, though that commonly seems have a bad connotation.  As long as you can learn to work with each other, it can be very effective.

There’s a lot to be learned!

Pervasive American culture

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
18 March 2009
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Talk about a powerhouse.  I am constantly surprised at all the speeches that I hear overseas that include references to America this, America that.  I mean, I know that American culture is infecting other countries, but in every area, from social to political to scientific, I am reminded again and again just how effectively this seems to be occurring.  Ok, so they watch American TV dramas and movies, fair enough.  Hollywood is the mecca for the entertainment industry after all.  But must it also be mentioned when referencing research, political philosophies, or economic analyses?  (I’m not talking about the current economy "crisis" here – I can understand how talk of that can stem from the states.)

This happened yesterday at the 30th Annual Speak Mandarin Campaign that I was given the chance to attend.  The Minister Mentor (aka big shot of Singapore) was there as the guest of honor to deliver a speech encouraging Sinagporeans to continue to embrace the Mandarin language and master it as they have English.  In his speech, he referenced some research done in the states and that got me thinking about how I’ve never gone to an event that didn’t mention something from America.  Likewise, even my lectures in England contained US material!  What a strange phenomenon.  Here I thought I was getting away from all that and had to learn to adjust and relearn.

From my perspective, it’s interesting to hear about these issues and listen to what other nations have to say about my "home" country.  Sometimes (actually, a lot of the times), Americans are contained within their little bubble that it’s shocking and eye-opening to see things from another angle, hear another voice.  Though I generally associate myself with the US and think of myself as American (well, Chinese-American), there are times when I feel rather detached from it all.  In the end though, the country has given me a lot of great opportunities and provided a life for my parents and I that would not have been possible anywhere else (as far as I know, anyway).

Whether good or bad, I like to hear news about the states.  I feel more connected to it when it is talked about by non-residents, possibly because I cannot always identify with how they feel.  Everyone seems to have their opinion on the US, from dumbfounded admiration to unbridled disgust.  For me, it’s a matter of this journey of learning more about how the country I grew up in and the culture I grew up with fits into the world.  I tend to be more on the self-righteous side just because I have a certain level of patriotism for the country that may not have been perfect, but certainly has been good to me.

I think a lot of the viewpoints we hold are due to the way we choose to interpret things.  Some people may be offended by things that others find hilarious or just not a big deal.  Meanwhile, others may be greatly affected by things that others don’t pay attention to.  And though I have faced my own challenges and hardships, I am still so much more lucky than most of this world.  Now I do think it’s kind of cool that so many American references are made, but I hope that that is not corrupting the beauty of other cultures.  After all, how boring would the world be with everyone doing things the same way, believing the same ideas, and liking the same things?

Self-improvement

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
13 March 2009
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Instead of looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, I will be getting up even earlier than I do for work to go to a facilitation seminar of sorts.  I’m not exactly sure what it is about, but that’s why I’m going!  (To learn about what facilitation is and how I can add it to my list of skills.)  It’s a part of this whole idea of "relentless self-improvement" and learning.  I feel like I should take advantage of all the resources available to me, as long as I’m even remotely interested in them.  If it doesn’t get in the way of work or something else that really matters to me, why not?  I can sacrifice a little sleep to gain some extra knowledge.

In addition to this, there are a variety of new things to be learned that hopefully HR will be setting up for us soon, like lessons in ASL!  I am looking forward to these chances to enhance my personal repertoire.  After all, you shouldn’t ever stop learning and growing.  There are just too many interesting things out there to know and do to settle for one thing.  I have always been a sampler platter type of person; I love to try out all kinds of things.  Most I will probably never be completely proficient at or an expert in, but at least I have a basic understanding of what it is and how it works.

So, in the spirit of being good to myself, I am going to keep this short so I can get to sleep soon!  We’ll see what interesting things tomorrow will unveil.

Cut off from the world

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
11 March 2009
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Even though it has only been three days at the office with no internet, it feels like much longer.  I don’t know if I should be more amazed that we are so dependent on technology or the fact that we could still function and get work done without.  I have been rather disconnected during the day and never feel like taking care of business when I get back for the night, so getting it back will certainly boost my productivity.  It will be nice to have the resources I need to get work done properly now.

Today both Marylin and I got to a point where we were just like, ok we’ve gotten our work done… now what?  There’s more we need to do, but we just can’t because it requires internet access!  This has been an interesting period, what with the move and all.  I really like how the new office has come together so nicely!  Amazing what getting some furniture can do for a place.  I feel so professional now.

Dealing with the challenges of a move and a new space in this case was merged with my overall adjustment, so I’m quite comfortable with it all.  I think everyone else is happy and excited about it too, though the old place was nice in its coziness and forced proximity.  Not that we’re suddenly all ignoring each other, but it’s easier to get absorbed in our own worlds of work now that we’ve got our own space to crowd up.  But I digress.

I am looking forward to having our "connection to the world" again, starting sometime tomorrow.  Otherwise I feel like I’m in this little microcosm that doesn’t interact much with the outside world.  I am very much about interactions and people (lots of people), so that will be nice.  The internet is at once a great resource and tool, but also a great distraction (if you let it be)!  A mixed blessing, I suppose, as was the lack of it for a few days.  Not having such easy access to things forces to reevaluate how you do things.

In this globalizing world, it’s hard not to stay so highly connected to everyone and everything.  I’ve been avoiding getting a phone with internet just so I won’t constantly be online and tied down to the digital world.  I’ve not doubt it will happen someday though.  This progression blurs the lines and boundaries start to disappear, or at least become rather fuzzy.  Personal life and work life can merge, home and office can become one, and countries that may take hours to get to are very accessible via the web.  I’m sure the Type As out there are pleased (and probably more stressed).  Now they can work all the time!

Alright, that’s all from me for now, it’s time to get some rest.

Change at the drop of a dime

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
09 March 2009
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It never ceases to amaze me how my life has taken some very unexpected turns in the past couple of months.  Somehow I went from my ten year plan to flying out to Singapore to work with one of my closest friends and "British" twin of sorts.  Now I’m in a foreign country in a region of the world that has always been a mystery to me and I’m trying to come to terms with how it at once reminds me very much of my Chinese roots and British immersion, yet still doesn’t resemble either of those countries.

Does that even make sense?  I feel like I’m connecting with Chinese culture through the references and occasional Mandarin spoken here.  Along with that, the British-sounding English accents I hear when I’m conversing in English is reminiscent of my time in York.  Yet, somehow the food is unique though it is similar to what I had in China.  The language is still different and unique to this country.  My mind is all a jumble.  Things are so different, yet so many little things remind me of this or that.

Well, to add to all that sensory excitement, Marylin and I had our first weekly meeting/debriefing with "the bosses" today and some more new exciting opportunities came up.  I’m very open to all the possibilities we have available to us, so I was definitely interested and excited, but I’m also a relatively cautious person, or I at least need to mull things over and really digest it.  I love to analyze things from every angle (so I can usually sympathize with people of all opinions) and it takes time to process things.

So what did we discuss?  A chance to take on a project set to take place in a year in China.  It’s a huge event that will be great experience, exposure, and networking for us.  It will also put our Mandarin skills into practice and teach us more about another Asian country.  Since it will be held in Beijing, I can also be near my parents (if only for a few days) and back in my home country.  So, in theory it sounds great, right?

Well, that was my first impression too.  But later on the analytical filter started to grind and it finally started to hit me – this would mean potentially staying in Singapore for a good year and a half, two years.  Yikes!  With that kind of prolonged stay, Marylin and I would have to look into finding our own place to live, since it would not be nice to impose on her parents for too long.  I’d also have to figure out how to extend my visa, look into getting a bank account, perhaps sign up for a contract phone, etc… you can see there’s a lot of things involved in a semi-permanent relocation.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  There are also so many things to consider first, before I even decide I want to go forth with this!  Marylin and I need to meet with a very important person first, to see if we are suitable for this job and how we get along with him.  I’d need to talk to Panda and my parents to see how they react to the idea.  It’s also rather early on and I don’t know how well I will assimilate into this culture.  The people are great and I’m being fed well, but it’s not stuff I’m used to and I don’t know if I will get homesick once things start to settle down more.

This first week has just been hectic with all the information overload I’ve been experiencing.  Today was the first time that I was sitting there, getting work done and really feeling like part of the team.  Up until now I’ve largely been observing and shadowing, which I will still do a lot of as I try to find my place within this group and carve my own spot.  So really what I’d like to do is work on this project until September, then go back to LA and work from there for a period of time.  After that, I can either return here to continue my work or head over to China to work from there until the event is over.  Of course, that is just ideal, so I’ll be flexible with what I’m willing to do.

One thing I do know is that I won’t deal with being away from Panda as well as Marylin has dealt with being away from her boyfriend.  Currently it’s also more of a strain because there is no internet connected in the new office just yet and with my long days, the only time I can catch Panda online is my afternoons.  I haven’t properly chatted with him since I’ve gotten here and though a week doesn’t sound that long, it has felt like a month.  I’m a bit needy when it comes to talking to him.  It’s too easy to miss him.

So, time and time again I have found myself at these crazy crossroads, with so many paths branching in so many directions I start to get confused.  It will take a little time to sort it all out (and by then the next confusing choice will be upon me, haha).  Such is life.

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