Came back from Orlando last night after a 5-day road-trip-holiday in Disney World!! This is my second time there since the Christmas of 2005 (with mr. goh and 2 of his friends..visited 2/4 Disney theme parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot - and Universal Studio). This time is obviously different in many ways:
1) I went with my sisters, brother-in-law, xiao guo and the most adorable QIQI!
2) No more couple/lovey-dovey talks/acts. I was the "odd one out" there (theoretically, besides qiqi).
3) Did not visit Universal Studio..
4) But went to ALL 4 theme parks ^^
5) Took more and more rides..
6) and more and more photos (of qiqi, close to 500!!)
7) We have a big car. Meaning access to more food options and finally...factory outlet shopping *wink*
Anyways, very happy to be back there again...it's like I'm back to being a kid!
12.25.2007
11.01.2007
Responsibilities
Sigh..I am f--king disappointed with myself for having to make another post about somebody who I swear to not care about. (The first was here.) Unfortunately, this d--- somebody affects one who I love dearly as my family. It's a very stupid incident, I don't wish to speak more about it, at least not now. But the point I want to make here is responsibilities.
Since young I do not have a sense of responsibility. Being the youngest in the family, I have been rather spoilt. Details not important. But as I grow with age, having have to spend 4 years (mostly on my own) in the States, I believe I have grown up a little, and I know anything I do..I have to hold responsibility for myself and for others who I affect. And I am 22 years old now. Many others are much more mature way earlier than I did.
It's very surprising to me that a 26-year-old have absolutely no idea of what responsibility is. In this particular case that got me really angry (to the point that I will cry and decide to write it on my blog), this somebody seems to me that he is trying to shirk responsibilities TWICE. Totally not gentleman-like and rather cowardice. I seriously doubt if he possesses basic humanity. 2 occasions: 1) At the point it happened, he did not make known what he did. Perhaps naively thinking that nothing bad will happen. Or thinking that the other person is stupid and will not realize. 2) Now that things got a little fishy, he is praying in his little pathetic corner that it will not happen. Keep pressing on with thoughtless questions just shows that you do not care about anyone else but YOURSELF.
Anyone can be ignorant, childish, immature at times. But AT LEAST, please, show that you can act like a human being. You have evolved from being a primitive animal to one that has a intelligence. SHOW IT. Not by mugging and getting straight A's in school, but that you can grow AS a human.
If you are reading this by any chance (please do!), I hope you are smart enough to know that I'm talking about you. Before you piss me even more that I have to tear down your painted mask publicly to reveal your real ugly face. Of course, you can attempt to ignore all that I have said. But I will [quote] what I just commented in my first post about you..."i will be even more fucking angry if he is not hurt. because then it only shows how fucking idiotic he is to still not realize his stupidity."
Since young I do not have a sense of responsibility. Being the youngest in the family, I have been rather spoilt. Details not important. But as I grow with age, having have to spend 4 years (mostly on my own) in the States, I believe I have grown up a little, and I know anything I do..I have to hold responsibility for myself and for others who I affect. And I am 22 years old now. Many others are much more mature way earlier than I did.
It's very surprising to me that a 26-year-old have absolutely no idea of what responsibility is. In this particular case that got me really angry (to the point that I will cry and decide to write it on my blog), this somebody seems to me that he is trying to shirk responsibilities TWICE. Totally not gentleman-like and rather cowardice. I seriously doubt if he possesses basic humanity. 2 occasions: 1) At the point it happened, he did not make known what he did. Perhaps naively thinking that nothing bad will happen. Or thinking that the other person is stupid and will not realize. 2) Now that things got a little fishy, he is praying in his little pathetic corner that it will not happen. Keep pressing on with thoughtless questions just shows that you do not care about anyone else but YOURSELF.
Anyone can be ignorant, childish, immature at times. But AT LEAST, please, show that you can act like a human being. You have evolved from being a primitive animal to one that has a intelligence. SHOW IT. Not by mugging and getting straight A's in school, but that you can grow AS a human.
If you are reading this by any chance (please do!), I hope you are smart enough to know that I'm talking about you. Before you piss me even more that I have to tear down your painted mask publicly to reveal your real ugly face. Of course, you can attempt to ignore all that I have said. But I will [quote] what I just commented in my first post about you..."i will be even more fucking angry if he is not hurt. because then it only shows how fucking idiotic he is to still not realize his stupidity."
10.31.2007
10.23.2007
Jay Chou Fever (once more) :]
Since learning about 周董's new song 牛仔很忙, I've been digging through YouTube for 周董's videos..again. Videos of him on variety shows, such as 娛樂百分百, 康熙來了, and 桃色蛋白質. Particularly when his friends are invited as well...really funny and it brings out his personality! 超屌。Here's one of my favorite:
And I realize, he's actually quite good at "hosting his own show". [in chinese] 蠻會帶動他身邊的人...
I'm running out of these shows to watch on YouTube. *If anyone knows of a good source, please let me know!* So I start to look through all the 周董 videos on YouTube. This song has been my recent favorite. It's on my iPod too. Heh but visuals are a plus. Great pick the next time I go karaoke in Singapore!
And I realize, he's actually quite good at "hosting his own show". [in chinese] 蠻會帶動他身邊的人...
I'm running out of these shows to watch on YouTube. *If anyone knows of a good source, please let me know!* So I start to look through all the 周董 videos on YouTube. This song has been my recent favorite. It's on my iPod too. Heh but visuals are a plus. Great pick the next time I go karaoke in Singapore!
10.21.2007
10.17.2007
Impressions
Impression is a very powerful tool, I believe. For I who holds strongly to my own emotions, it is difficult to change my impression of another. But once changed, it becomes almost impossible to revert. In this case, I am dismissing the 0.1% chance of reverting.
I'll keep this short and precise. I've become really really sick of it. How and why...I'll leave that unspoken. I'm sick to the point that I feel I don't want to have anything to do with it. And I feel disgusted for those who interacts with it. I have absolutely no respect for it. Whatever the future might be, if any interaction is bound to exist, I can only overlook it like it doesn't matter to me. I tend to forget things over time, including emotions. So this entry is simply a reminder to myself that I will hold the same impression for as long as I live, and I do not want to change that.
If I do change, I am going to hate myself.
RE-edit:
Lets just say I won't offer it more than neutrality. :]
Meh. Forget everything. When did I ever liked myself that much to keep something going for my own sake? :p
I'll keep this short and precise. I've become really really sick of it. How and why...I'll leave that unspoken. I'm sick to the point that I feel I don't want to have anything to do with it. And I feel disgusted for those who interacts with it. I have absolutely no respect for it. Whatever the future might be, if any interaction is bound to exist, I can only overlook it like it doesn't matter to me. I tend to forget things over time, including emotions. So this entry is simply a reminder to myself that I will hold the same impression for as long as I live, and I do not want to change that.
If I do change, I am going to hate myself.
RE-edit:
Meh. Forget everything. When did I ever liked myself that much to keep something going for my own sake? :p
10.16.2007
10.11.2007
Going to Chicago...
update:
You may think that I am stupid. But I really just stayed in my hotel on Thurs night. Skipped dinner because I didn't dare to explore the city. >__<, Bleh. Anyways, I am glad the interview is over. I wasn't really nervous. And I did my best..in terms of relaxing and making a conversation. In terms of answering qns...not so well. It's certain that this is the closest I can get to getting the dream job. But I will still hope for the best. Sigh.
* * *
..today. alone.
scary. :'(
You may think that I am stupid. But I really just stayed in my hotel on Thurs night. Skipped dinner because I didn't dare to explore the city. >__<, Bleh. Anyways, I am glad the interview is over. I wasn't really nervous. And I did my best..in terms of relaxing and making a conversation. In terms of answering qns...not so well. It's certain that this is the closest I can get to getting the dream job. But I will still hope for the best. Sigh.
* * *
..today. alone.
scary. :'(
10.01.2007
New blog: us + e4rth
Some interesting facts that you might not have known before.
WARNING: Some images might be too severe for some of you. So read at your own risk.
P.S. working hours is now upped to 3hrs/day! more $$
WARNING: Some images might be too severe for some of you. So read at your own risk.
P.S. working hours is now upped to 3hrs/day! more $$
9.27.2007
McK - Oct12
Yesterday..marks another happiest-day-in-my-life. I have finally paved my first step towards consultancy. Now I just need to gather enough food and supplies to get me to the other end of the road. Happy! :D
follow up: Going to Chicago...
follow up: Going to Chicago...
9.21.2007
A Link.
edit:
So I watched it. An hour+ long lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch. It was a very powerful talk, and I recommend you all to watch it at least once. You might learn something invaluable. I can't say I've learnt everything said in the lecture. But it sure has taught me to keep working at something if I really want to get it. I have been procrastinating my interview prep for the whole weekend. But that just shows that I don't desire it enough to make myself work hard for it.
* * *
update:
This post is about Randy Pausch's (CMU Prof) "Last Lecture" if you still haven't figure it out. There is a link to the full lecture on his website.
* * *
I received a msg from zheng this evening at 7:06pm.
His first words, after >5 months of no-talking-on-AIM, were "oh shit". Followed by a link.
I thought he msged me by mistake. (I was away, editing my sister's cover letter.)
But as a good friend, I went to click on the link.
Tears filled my eyes.
You may not be a good friend of mine. This prolly doesn't concern you anyway.
But given that this is the n-th time you're seeing this link link link, and the fact that you are reading my bs..
..are you going to click on me?
So I watched it. An hour+ long lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch. It was a very powerful talk, and I recommend you all to watch it at least once. You might learn something invaluable. I can't say I've learnt everything said in the lecture. But it sure has taught me to keep working at something if I really want to get it. I have been procrastinating my interview prep for the whole weekend. But that just shows that I don't desire it enough to make myself work hard for it.
..the brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.Just simply freaking awesome. Go watch it.
* * *
update:
This post is about Randy Pausch's (CMU Prof) "Last Lecture" if you still haven't figure it out. There is a link to the full lecture on his website.
* * *
I received a msg from zheng this evening at 7:06pm.
His first words, after >5 months of no-talking-on-AIM, were "oh shit". Followed by a link.
I thought he msged me by mistake. (I was away, editing my sister's cover letter.)
But as a good friend, I went to click on the link.
Tears filled my eyes.
You may not be a good friend of mine. This prolly doesn't concern you anyway.
But given that this is the n-th time you're seeing this link link link, and the fact that you are reading my bs..
..are you going to click on me?
9.13.2007
Real job this time.
$9/hr x 10hrs/wk = starting pay as Internet Viral Marketing Intern.
Innovolt, Inc.
My job is to create an online buzz about this new technology/product that they are preparing to launch.
It's called a Current and Voltage Surge Suppressor (CVSS).
Pay attention because the new surge protector is more 1337 than the conventional ones you have at home. So throw those out now and contact me for replacement details. *wink wink*
P.S: I got bitten by Chibi on my nose! Blood! *faint*
Innovolt, Inc.
My job is to create an online buzz about this new technology/product that they are preparing to launch.
It's called a Current and Voltage Surge Suppressor (CVSS).
Pay attention because the new surge protector is more 1337 than the conventional ones you have at home. So throw those out now and contact me for replacement details. *wink wink*
P.S: I got bitten by Chibi on my nose! Blood! *faint*
9.10.2007
9.08.2007
Design Intern@ Alive Inc.
update:
The internship ended unexpectedly quick..within 2-3 days. Reasons for leaving the internship, I shall not bother explaining. But overall, I did have some fun working on my first and last assignment. 2 brochures and a postcard. :)
* * *
Months of idling and slacking...now I actually need to buckle up and speed up again. Poof!
I am now a graphics designer intern at Alive Inc. It's a "business consulting, coaching, brand management, and training and development" company. You can read more at http://www.aliveincorporated.com. The "hiring" process was really quick. Atlanta craiglist job post. Reply to. Phone call. *boom* "You are hired." The only discouraging is...this is an UNpaid job.
Following the phone call, I got details of the list of projects that I am assigned to. Wow. To be honest, the whole night I was intimidated by the amount of work I got myself into *as free labor* ..also because I'm afraid I may not have the technical skills to do some of the web projects ..and I've always been slack on time management. But "planning" really helps, more mentally in my case. Just plotting out what needs to be done by when, all of a sudden, the situation doesn't seem to be too grave. It's like doing homeworks. Deadlines every week. Etc.
I'm really lightened up when I heard that they are looking to fill a full-time in-house graphics designer. If I do a good job, will I be offered the opportunity? H1B will be a tricky factor. But if I can, I would really want the job, even if it means relocating to Oklahoma. Sigh~
First project due ASAP. Brochure. Gotta pinch my pea brain for ideas now. Very fun. Jaa.
The internship ended unexpectedly quick..within 2-3 days. Reasons for leaving the internship, I shall not bother explaining. But overall, I did have some fun working on my first and last assignment. 2 brochures and a postcard. :)
* * *
Months of idling and slacking...now I actually need to buckle up and speed up again. Poof!
I am now a graphics designer intern at Alive Inc. It's a "business consulting, coaching, brand management, and training and development" company. You can read more at http://www.aliveincorporated.com. The "hiring" process was really quick. Atlanta craiglist job post. Reply to. Phone call. *boom* "You are hired." The only discouraging is...this is an UNpaid job.
Following the phone call, I got details of the list of projects that I am assigned to. Wow. To be honest, the whole night I was intimidated by the amount of work I got myself into *as free labor* ..also because I'm afraid I may not have the technical skills to do some of the web projects ..and I've always been slack on time management. But "planning" really helps, more mentally in my case. Just plotting out what needs to be done by when, all of a sudden, the situation doesn't seem to be too grave. It's like doing homeworks. Deadlines every week. Etc.
I'm really lightened up when I heard that they are looking to fill a full-time in-house graphics designer. If I do a good job, will I be offered the opportunity? H1B will be a tricky factor. But if I can, I would really want the job, even if it means relocating to Oklahoma. Sigh~
First project due ASAP. Brochure. Gotta pinch my pea brain for ideas now. Very fun. Jaa.
8.23.2007
It's sales, not marketing.
My interview on Monday was a great disappointment. Turns out that a so-called entry-level marketing position or "Account Executive" is essentially a salesperson, knocking from door to door in a ghetto neighborhood and trying to "market" client's services. Now I know what it really means by face-to-face/direct marketing. I won't fall into the trap anymore.
I'm surprised at the number of these marketing companies out there, all pitching the same idea...like "face-to-face marketing has proven to be most effective for our clients" or "field training strengthens communications skills, emphasizes a good work ethic and develops skills for negotiating with clients". Fortune 500 clients...yes. Sounds too good to be true.
I remember in my 3rd semester in architecture, my instructor always forbid us to say "design" when we were presenting our projects. Because architecture != design. Design = make things beautiful. No, they didn't lie. It's just not my type of architecture.
edit:
In one of the apartments, there was this real sweet baby neko, black and white just like nekochan. Heh wondered if all black and white neko are this sweet.
I'm surprised at the number of these marketing companies out there, all pitching the same idea...like "face-to-face marketing has proven to be most effective for our clients" or "field training strengthens communications skills, emphasizes a good work ethic and develops skills for negotiating with clients". Fortune 500 clients...yes. Sounds too good to be true.
I remember in my 3rd semester in architecture, my instructor always forbid us to say "design" when we were presenting our projects. Because architecture != design. Design = make things beautiful. No, they didn't lie. It's just not my type of architecture.
edit:
In one of the apartments, there was this real sweet baby neko, black and white just like nekochan. Heh wondered if all black and white neko are this sweet.
8.22.2007
West Side Story. 8pm.
update:
Hmm...not as cool as I thought. A little disappointed with the songs. I got bored and almost fell asleep at some less interesting parts. >.<
Hmm...not as cool as I thought. A little disappointed with the songs. I got bored and almost fell asleep at some less interesting parts. >.<
8.01.2007
This is GOOD news.
No doubt. It IS good news. Super good news. If it's about music, you definitely got to see it!! Listen.
7.12.2007
Threadless submission
Update: As I figured, my design was declined due to too many colors. 5 unique colors only!!
I submitted an entry!
Obviously it's going to be rejected because I've used too many colors! 1, 2...5, 6, 7...argh I can't even count. By the time I realized I am only allowed 5 unique colors with no gradients and no halftones, I was already done with my thing and too lazy to make all the little changes. But since I was done, I just sent it in anyways. So check it out! :)
I submitted an entry!
Obviously it's going to be rejected because I've used too many colors! 1, 2...5, 6, 7...argh I can't even count. By the time I realized I am only allowed 5 unique colors with no gradients and no halftones, I was already done with my thing and too lazy to make all the little changes. But since I was done, I just sent it in anyways. So check it out! :)
New Website!
Update: My website needs a new home. It will no longer be hosted at bravehost.net. Apparently, the ad-supported feature is not frames friendly. Screwed me big time. It's still there, so you can see how badly it is. Oh wells, so now back to http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~xwt. Till I find a good, preferrably free, host...
Somehow I was convinced that CMU removed my AFS account (turns out now that that was not the case) so I decided I will find some free web hosting servers online...and perhaps, do a makeover since the current/previous design is really too child-like (not child-ish, and definitely not ugly :p).
So go check out my new website athttp://ryantan.bravehost.com. I know the url sounds stupid, but hey that's what you get when you want things free. The website is still being constructed, a lot to be added and tweaked, so stay tune!
Somehow I was convinced that CMU removed my AFS account (turns out now that that was not the case) so I decided I will find some free web hosting servers online...and perhaps, do a makeover since the current/previous design is really too child-like (not child-ish, and definitely not ugly :p).
So go check out my new website at
7.09.2007
7.03.2007
my good-bye trip: Phipps & Schenley
Friday, June 22
Phew. I woke up late today and barely made it for a 1-hour tour at Phipps Conservatory. The last time I visited was couple years back. At that time parts of the Conservatory were still under renovation. Now they're all done and I even found some very interesting additions to the flowers and trees. Some examples are:
It's the "Pittsburgh Celebrates Glass! 2007" series of events and exhibitions! Pretty? Many of these actually reminded me of some stuff in WoW. :) The Thailand tropical forest setting in Phipps was new too. Unfortunately, time was running out so I didn't get a chance to see the rejuvenated Japanese Garden.
The gnome-like me:
You can laugh all you want...but that is NOT my real height!!
The Phipps Conservatory tour ended in a rush. Took a break and decided to go to the lake in Schenley Park for pictures.
The lake is still as dirty as ever. There were junk including tires, in the lake. And I felt sad when I saw the little duckies preying on *stuff* in the mud. :'( They should really try to conserve this area if they want to put duckies here. How can they survive on dirt!?
But seeing this family of duckies, something else came to our minds:
Lastly, here's me saying goodbye to y'all from "my good-bye trip: Phipps & Schenley".
Phew. I woke up late today and barely made it for a 1-hour tour at Phipps Conservatory. The last time I visited was couple years back. At that time parts of the Conservatory were still under renovation. Now they're all done and I even found some very interesting additions to the flowers and trees. Some examples are:
It's the "Pittsburgh Celebrates Glass! 2007" series of events and exhibitions! Pretty? Many of these actually reminded me of some stuff in WoW. :) The Thailand tropical forest setting in Phipps was new too. Unfortunately, time was running out so I didn't get a chance to see the rejuvenated Japanese Garden.
The gnome-like me:
You can laugh all you want...but that is NOT my real height!!
The Phipps Conservatory tour ended in a rush. Took a break and decided to go to the lake in Schenley Park for pictures.
The lake is still as dirty as ever. There were junk including tires, in the lake. And I felt sad when I saw the little duckies preying on *stuff* in the mud. :'( They should really try to conserve this area if they want to put duckies here. How can they survive on dirt!?
But seeing this family of duckies, something else came to our minds:
嘎嘎~ 嘎嘎~ 嘎-嘎-嘎Heh the 母鴨帶小鴨 song that QiQi listens to.
嘎嘎~ 嘎嘎~ 嘎-嘎-嘎
游來游去真快樂
就是母鴨帶小鴨~~
Lastly, here's me saying goodbye to y'all from "my good-bye trip: Phipps & Schenley".
Bye bye Pittsburgh.
I have officially moved into my sister's place in Atlanta, my new home!!
sigh...the last 1 day and 2 nights in Pittsburgh was actually quite unbearable. Esp when mr. goh just left and I have nothing left to kill time with...except for a book that mr. goh has been pestering me to read, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
mr. goh bought me the book *i dunno when* but of coz the lazy me never got to read even a tenth of the book. I think I stopped at...chapter 2. Haha that was 11 pages. I actually knew the story already when my eldest sister came to visit last Halloween, she read it and told me and my second sister the story. She was very frustrated with the narrator...etc. Now 8 months later, mr. goh came and made me read it. Since I expected mr. goh to pack my desktop into my luggage before he leaves (that's 1 day and 2 nights before me), I saved this book to keep me occupied while waiting for my flight early Sunday morning. Not surprisingly, I fell asleep after the first 2 pages on Friday night.
The next morning, dreaded by the fact that I have nothing fun to do, I started reading. Then I read and read and read. And I finished!! Yay! This was the second time in my life that I tried reading nonstop. My first was Harry Potter. See all the concentration I had? That was supposed to be impressive, you know. I have many books. I shipped 6 boxes of books on media mail to Atlanta (includes textbooks and books I brought over from Singapore 4 years ago), none of them were read completely. mr. goh called from *somewhere think Tokyo* and was impressed, at the same time delighted that I finally read one of the books he bought me. Hurray again!
Btw, The Kite Runner tells a great story. Now I want to recommend to everyone because it's so moving. I was so touched by the ending I almost shed a tear. Go read!
sigh...the last 1 day and 2 nights in Pittsburgh was actually quite unbearable. Esp when mr. goh just left and I have nothing left to kill time with...except for a book that mr. goh has been pestering me to read, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
mr. goh bought me the book *i dunno when* but of coz the lazy me never got to read even a tenth of the book. I think I stopped at...chapter 2. Haha that was 11 pages. I actually knew the story already when my eldest sister came to visit last Halloween, she read it and told me and my second sister the story. She was very frustrated with the narrator...etc. Now 8 months later, mr. goh came and made me read it. Since I expected mr. goh to pack my desktop into my luggage before he leaves (that's 1 day and 2 nights before me), I saved this book to keep me occupied while waiting for my flight early Sunday morning. Not surprisingly, I fell asleep after the first 2 pages on Friday night.
The next morning, dreaded by the fact that I have nothing fun to do, I started reading. Then I read and read and read. And I finished!! Yay! This was the second time in my life that I tried reading nonstop. My first was Harry Potter. See all the concentration I had? That was supposed to be impressive, you know. I have many books. I shipped 6 boxes of books on media mail to Atlanta (includes textbooks and books I brought over from Singapore 4 years ago), none of them were read completely. mr. goh called from *somewhere think Tokyo* and was impressed, at the same time delighted that I finally read one of the books he bought me. Hurray again!
Btw, The Kite Runner tells a great story. Now I want to recommend to everyone because it's so moving. I was so touched by the ending I almost shed a tear. Go read!
6.21.2007
sigh 無謂的掙扎。
Edit: mr. goh is a big loser in scissors-paper-stone and monopoly. Hmm I shall not talk about others. :p
Today, mr. goh finally got to challenge me at table tennis. He has been bragging how good he has become (while playing at work). Ya-ya blah-blah-blah... Unfortunately for him, his months of secret training brought him nowhere, I repeat, NOwhere close to drawing with me. 1 vs. 9. But I must commend him for his courage and sheer confidence that makes him think he can win me. Tsk tsk tsk. Heh he is much better a player already la. At least he made me start to play seriously. Muahahaha
So here's the final scoreboard today:
=======================
GAME GOH vs. ME
---------------------------------
Table Tennis 1 vs. 9 I WIN! :)
Pool 3 vs. 4 I WIN! :)
Monopoly (cash) -$284 vs. $2,267 I WIN! :)
Reversi 44 vs. 20 goh wins.
Foosball 3 vs. 1 goh wins.
"Sandy Table" 2 vs. 1 goh wins.
=======================
sigh....overall still a draw.
Today, mr. goh finally got to challenge me at table tennis. He has been bragging how good he has become (while playing at work). Ya-ya blah-blah-blah... Unfortunately for him, his months of secret training brought him nowhere, I repeat, NOwhere close to drawing with me. 1 vs. 9. But I must commend him for his courage and sheer confidence that makes him think he can win me. Tsk tsk tsk. Heh he is much better a player already la. At least he made me start to play seriously. Muahahaha
So here's the final scoreboard today:
=======================
GAME GOH vs. ME
---------------------------------
Table Tennis 1 vs. 9 I WIN! :)
Pool 3 vs. 4 I WIN! :)
Monopoly (cash) -$284 vs. $2,267 I WIN! :)
Reversi 44 vs. 20 goh wins.
Foosball 3 vs. 1 goh wins.
"Sandy Table" 2 vs. 1 goh wins.
=======================
sigh....overall still a draw.
6.18.2007
6.14.2007
6.09.2007
SUMMER MOVING SALE
Items for sale includes:
- Furniture & appliances
- Kitchen ware & appliances
- Textbooks
- Storage systems
- Computer accessories
EVERYTHING HAS TO GO!
View price listing at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/xwt/sales2/
5.02.2007
I am pwned.
It's the last week of school and I'm really very extremely absolutely stressed. This is probably the most stressful week in my entire college life! I never thought graduation would be so stressful...I thought it would be more like a relaxing last semester in school. Sigh~
On the bright side, once I get everything done and over with, I can plunge once more into the World of Warcraft! Hopefully early next week. ^_^ Planned out my class, talents, and professions: bloodelf priest, shadow specced, jewelcrafting and mining. mr. goh will be a bloodelf hunter, noob specced, alchemy and herbalism. Will be fun! This is the only thing I can look forward to give me the energy to survive through this damn week.
P.S: Had the last Management Game class today. Saddens me. T_T
On the bright side, once I get everything done and over with, I can plunge once more into the World of Warcraft! Hopefully early next week. ^_^ Planned out my class, talents, and professions: bloodelf priest, shadow specced, jewelcrafting and mining. mr. goh will be a bloodelf hunter, noob specced, alchemy and herbalism. Will be fun! This is the only thing I can look forward to give me the energy to survive through this damn week.
P.S: Had the last Management Game class today. Saddens me. T_T
4.21.2007
Last Spring Carnival. Enjoy.
*chian-chian*
It's Spring Carnival again! I'm always looking forward to the Spring Carnival weekend. Why? Because it's an official excuse for playing, lazing, and celebrating. ^^)v
I love visiting all the booths, especially those that give freebies if you play their games. Spring Carnival without mr. goh around is definitely considered as boring and lonely. Well, no one to act childish with me and no one to pay for rides. T_T) At least this year I got Akiko to go with me, so I didn't appear too stupid to be playing by myself. So here we are at our first stop:
Looks cute eh? The trees and stuff are REALLY pixelated. But there wasn't any games set up and ready to play, so ppl just walk in this end and out from the other. And obviously, no freebies lah. Oh btw, the theme this year is SMALL THINGS MADE LARGE. As you can see, this one features the "inside" of a gameboy, hence "pixelated".
Please do NOT be mistaken. This does not belong to the gameboy booth, but the one right opposite. Conclusion #1: booth ideas this year are quite limited. But this is really cool because you can actually press the A B buttons and it makes a nice ding sound just like a really controller! The actual booth front itself is just *urgh*. I can't figure out what the hell it means so there's no photo to mark its existence. This is also one of the ??? ones that we just....skip lah.
SSA!! I had a hard time finding the SSA booth. It's so inconspicuous, don't you think? It also took me at least 2 minutes to understand what it is about. Conclusion #2: SSA booth fanciness diminishes yearly. A mouse hole. Lots of junk in a mouse hole, including a used packet of Kleenex tissue paper. This Sunkist soda can is my favorite. Here's the game.
A maze! The objective of the game is to lead the mouse through the maze to the goal = kitchen (center) without setting off the mouse trap. How, you might ask. The answer is magnets. Using a long stick with a magnet attached to one end, control the mouse (another big magnet) from underneath the wooden table. Interesting arh? Conclusion #3: SSA is better at designing games.
I was a little disappointed at the engineering of this mechanism though. The underside of the table was not designed properly. There is a half-inch wide border around the edges that makes your magnet impossible to reach the mouse above. ^^||) Just a little imperfection lah. Heh, as long as they gimme my prize. A DIY mouse-pen!
"MONOPOLY!! :D" is my first reaction. Really felt like a kid when I was browsing through this booth...like I'm living in all these board games. Monopoly, The Game of Life, Risk, Chinese Chess, and the fishing game (below) that you can actually fish with. No freebies here, but I enjoyed the tour very much. ^.^)
I don't remember walking into this booth, it prolly doesn't have much in there but has a cute booth front. The bugs on the exterior wall are made "spin-able" but experience tells me that it is VERY FRAGILE. So spin it at your own risk!
...no comment as to what's inside. Heh. The Fringe Trap! Actually looks quite fun, has a couple of games to play, including shooting and mini golf! But we didn't go in.
Battleship looks cool, but not too fun. Originally, it's a hoops game. But they didn't have a hoops, so make-do with a ball. The objective is to hit the red pins i think at least 3 times in 5 throws. Easy as it may seem...I missed it 3 times.
The following two has no relations to one another.
Just to show you the kinds of eye-deers about small things that are made large.
This is actually quite cool. The ugly CMU ID!
And here's my favorite. ^_^)
Looks really pretty inside! You can make your own bee and stick it in the honeycombs...so interactive eh? And there's a picture of Akiko's bee. Mine was just falling apart. T_T) That's not the best part yet.
Our motivation for going into this booth...
Do I look like a bee? ^^)
Last stop of the day...the rainforest thingie. Very very pretty...there's even a waterfall like thingy! (top right) No games, but we get to plant some flower seeds into a small cup and bring home with us. Akiko just dumped hers by a nearby tree. There's mine! Chibi keeps toppling it over. Lost a lot of dirt leh. I have to lock it in the bathroom.
And a random picture. Went back today just to take a photo of it. But disappointingly, there's nothing much inside.
The End. :D
It's Spring Carnival again! I'm always looking forward to the Spring Carnival weekend. Why? Because it's an official excuse for playing, lazing, and celebrating. ^^)v
I love visiting all the booths, especially those that give freebies if you play their games. Spring Carnival without mr. goh around is definitely considered as boring and lonely. Well, no one to act childish with me and no one to pay for rides. T_T) At least this year I got Akiko to go with me, so I didn't appear too stupid to be playing by myself. So here we are at our first stop:
Looks cute eh? The trees and stuff are REALLY pixelated. But there wasn't any games set up and ready to play, so ppl just walk in this end and out from the other. And obviously, no freebies lah. Oh btw, the theme this year is SMALL THINGS MADE LARGE. As you can see, this one features the "inside" of a gameboy, hence "pixelated".Please do NOT be mistaken. This does not belong to the gameboy booth, but the one right opposite. Conclusion #1: booth ideas this year are quite limited. But this is really cool because you can actually press the A B buttons and it makes a nice ding sound just like a really controller! The actual booth front itself is just *urgh*. I can't figure out what the hell it means so there's no photo to mark its existence. This is also one of the ??? ones that we just....skip lah.SSA!! I had a hard time finding the SSA booth. It's so inconspicuous, don't you think? It also took me at least 2 minutes to understand what it is about. Conclusion #2: SSA booth fanciness diminishes yearly. A mouse hole. Lots of junk in a mouse hole, including a used packet of Kleenex tissue paper. This Sunkist soda can is my favorite. Here's the game.A maze! The objective of the game is to lead the mouse through the maze to the goal = kitchen (center) without setting off the mouse trap. How, you might ask. The answer is magnets. Using a long stick with a magnet attached to one end, control the mouse (another big magnet) from underneath the wooden table. Interesting arh? Conclusion #3: SSA is better at designing games.I was a little disappointed at the engineering of this mechanism though. The underside of the table was not designed properly. There is a half-inch wide border around the edges that makes your magnet impossible to reach the mouse above. ^^||) Just a little imperfection lah. Heh, as long as they gimme my prize. A DIY mouse-pen!
"MONOPOLY!! :D" is my first reaction. Really felt like a kid when I was browsing through this booth...like I'm living in all these board games. Monopoly, The Game of Life, Risk, Chinese Chess, and the fishing game (below) that you can actually fish with. No freebies here, but I enjoyed the tour very much. ^.^)I don't remember walking into this booth, it prolly doesn't have much in there but has a cute booth front. The bugs on the exterior wall are made "spin-able" but experience tells me that it is VERY FRAGILE. So spin it at your own risk!...no comment as to what's inside. Heh. The Fringe Trap! Actually looks quite fun, has a couple of games to play, including shooting and mini golf! But we didn't go in.Battleship looks cool, but not too fun. Originally, it's a hoops game. But they didn't have a hoops, so make-do with a ball. The objective is to hit the red pins i think at least 3 times in 5 throws. Easy as it may seem...I missed it 3 times.The following two has no relations to one another.Just to show you the kinds of eye-deers about small things that are made large.This is actually quite cool. The ugly CMU ID!And here's my favorite. ^_^)Looks really pretty inside! You can make your own bee and stick it in the honeycombs...so interactive eh? And there's a picture of Akiko's bee. Mine was just falling apart. T_T) That's not the best part yet.Our motivation for going into this booth...Do I look like a bee? ^^)Last stop of the day...the rainforest thingie. Very very pretty...there's even a waterfall like thingy! (top right) No games, but we get to plant some flower seeds into a small cup and bring home with us. Akiko just dumped hers by a nearby tree. There's mine! Chibi keeps toppling it over. Lost a lot of dirt leh. I have to lock it in the bathroom.And a random picture. Went back today just to take a photo of it. But disappointingly, there's nothing much inside.The End. :D
4.11.2007
2nd Life Achievement
So my first life achievement was the dean's list last semester. Here comes the second. Well, maybe third cuz in a sense, I gotta consider getting a job interview from attending a College of Fine Arts career fair another once in a life time thing. Seriously, people of my aptitude...what more can I ask for?
Now...I gotta give myself a pat on the head for achieving such unexpectedly good results. GMAT!! Can you believe it? For someone who has never done well academically...someone whose cumulative GPA < 3.0...someone who got a low 490 on the first GMAT exam...can actually obtain a 700 score on the second attempt! I couldn't believe my eyes! Seems like lady luck was with me when I thought it was wandering elsewhere. ^__^
Conclusion:
An original happy day has turned into a blue blue night. Tsk..moods can change so drastically and suddenly too. Gotta work on some internship stuff for tomorrow. Can't believe ow depressing this could be...T__T
Now...I gotta give myself a pat on the head for achieving such unexpectedly good results. GMAT!! Can you believe it? For someone who has never done well academically...someone whose cumulative GPA < 3.0...someone who got a low 490 on the first GMAT exam...can actually obtain a 700 score on the second attempt! I couldn't believe my eyes! Seems like lady luck was with me when I thought it was wandering elsewhere. ^__^
Conclusion:
An original happy day has turned into a blue blue night. Tsk..moods can change so drastically and suddenly too. Gotta work on some internship stuff for tomorrow. Can't believe ow depressing this could be...T__T
4.09.2007
Banking players to begin a new chapter of "innovation" by leveraging IT
Ain't I proud of my sister!? (^^)v
And I'm proud of myself for understanding the subject...so i haven't wasted 4 years of money and time for nothing. v(^^)v
------------------------------------------------------------------
Banking players to begin a new chapter of "innovation" by leveraging IT
DigiTimes, April 3, 2007
English abstract
An article in DigiTimes, a major industry publication in Taiwan, mentioned Jessica Tan's participation at the 3rd Annual Banking and Finance Technology Forum in Taiwan, and highlighted her views on the importance of innovation to the banking industry.
------------------------------------------------------------------
從產品服務、流程到營運模式 看金融業者如何運用IT吹奏「創新」樂章
DigiTimes 2007/04/03
記者廖珮君／台北
前言：一般來說，企業使用資訊科技的目的有很多，創新是最難達成、卻也最迫切需要的1環，究竟，科技創新的商機有多大？從科技使用量來看，2005年，全球共發出約8.8萬兆封E-mail；2006年，Google搜尋引擎使用次數達80 億，這些數字不僅代表著IT在民眾日常生活中的重要性越來越高，也在提醒企業經營者，唯有掌握運用IT進行創新的訣竅，才能立足於未來的競爭市場中。
近年來，「創新」成為企業經營管理上的熱門議題，如何運用創新工具和新思維來強化業務能力，進而增加產能、創造利潤、擴大客戶層面、與提供附加價值高的服務，成為經營者努力的方向。
日前在台灣舉辦的第三屆亞洲銀行及金融科技論壇上，新加坡麥肯錫顧問公司副董事長陳心穎便指出，創新是企業成長及創造價值的基礎，並透過解構企業股價的方式，來說明創新所能帶來的效益。
一般來說，影響企業股價的因素有很多，其中最重要的就是獲利與未來成長性，如果分析商業周刊（Business week）、財星雜誌（Fortune magazine）等刊物的企業調查報告，可發現前1~3名企業的股價結構，來自未來成長性的比重皆大於盈餘，舉例來說，搜尋引擎巨人Google的股價，其中有73%來自於未來成長性，只有27%是由盈餘所貢獻。
產品服務、流程與營運模式 為金融業運用IT進行創新的3大面向
由此看來，企業進行創新委實好處良多，尤其是金融產業，現正面臨產業同質性高、市場腹地小、外商積極搶進等不利因素影響，在競爭環境日益激烈的情況下，如何運用創新強化競爭力，就顯得更加重要。陳心穎認為，金融業若欲透過資訊科技進行創新，可朝產品服務、流程與營運模式及等3個面向去發展。
第一、產品或服務創新
金融業的特性之一便是商品與資訊系統息息相關，在企劃新商品時，若相關IT系統沒有建置完成，將永遠無法問市，因此，用IT創新商品或服務是最常見的應用，舉個簡單的例子，近2年相當熱門的網路ATM，由晶片及網路共同結合而成的服務，就是運用IT科技創新產品的最佳例子。
最初因為金融卡詐欺事件頻傳，導致主管機關強制規範銀行業者，將金融卡由磁條更換成晶片，而晶片本身具有邏輯運算及儲存資訊的能力，因此，業者只要在晶片內植入幾支簡單程式，即便消費者坐在家中，只要打開電腦連上網路，就能進行金融交易，成為銀行業的新興服務。
另外，位於加州柏克來的富國銀行（Well Fargo），則是將支票存款、儲蓄存款、信用卡、房貸及鉅額存款等5項商品，組成1個優惠組合（value package），藉此創造更高獲利與留客力。
第二、流程創新
在此指的是透過IT改善流程，以加速對客戶的回應速度，或讓組織運作更有效率，例如在導入某項交易系統時，同時進行流程改造，將交易作業天數由15天縮減成10天，「土耳其的Garanti銀行，便因為用IT進行流程創新，因而提升經營績效，」陳心穎說。
在2001～2004年間，Garanti營收的年複合成長率高達38%，客戶數量成長58%，商品交叉銷售的比例由2%增加至2.24%，營運成本卻僅僅多出1.2%，進一步分析其背後所使用的IT工具，可發現主要以客戶關係管理（Customer relation management；CRM）系統為主。
在Garanti的CRM系統內，主要有4大支柱：客戶可以創造的收益是什麼（profitability）？誰是目標客戶群（segmentation）？目標客戶群的消費行為是什麼（Data mining）？目標客戶群購買商品的可能性（propensity modeling）？
再將這些分析結果匯總至交易系統內，當客戶至銀行櫃?進行金融交易時，櫃員只要輸入客戶的基本資料，系統便會主動在螢幕上顯示CRM的分析結果，並告訴櫃員適合銷售哪一種商品給該名客戶，進而創造商品銷售額最大化的效益。
除了利用CRM系統分析客戶習性及獲利貢獻，找出符合客戶需求的商品外，Garanti也改變房貸的申請流程，客戶只要在ATM上，輸入身分證字號便可以申請房屋貸款，改變原有必需親自至銀行提出申請需求的流程。
第三、營運模式創新
最後，則是運用IT科技創新營運模式，讓金融業可以在不同市場運作業務，或是開創新市場。以美國銀行（Bank of America）為例，其所推出的無風險轉移存款的服務，透過1通電話，客戶就能在當日內，將存款轉至墨西哥的帳戶，因而吸引美國境內日益成長的西班牙移民人口。
另外，印度最大私人銀行ICICI Bank，便從印度的農村市場切入，和200家微型貸款公司合作，搶攻印度農人、貧戶與婦女等小額信用貸款市場，希望運用創新營運模式，躋身世界頂尖銀行的行列，ICICI Bank執行長Kamath曾經表示，科技是1種能幫助銀行創造獲利營運模式的工具。
台灣金融業創新應用比重未達50% 未來成長空間大
看完海外金融業者運用IT工具進行創新的經驗後，再回頭檢視台灣金融產業的創新應用狀況又是如何？
根據經濟部技術處「創新資訊應用研究計畫」的調查，目前，台灣約莫有18%的企業運用資通訊科技進行產品創新，若進一步細分這些企業所屬的產業類別，可發現金融保險業比重最高（36.9%），至於流程創新部分，有25%企業表示流程創新與ICT 有關，其中，金融保險業40.2%的比重，同樣位居所有產業之冠。
雖然，金融業是所有產業中，運用IT進行創新比重最高者，但不管在產品創新或流程創新上，皆未超過50%，顯然未來還有大幅成長空間，金融業者除了透過客觀與嚴謹方法蒐集數據，做為創新的參考與佐證外，專業顧問或輔導團隊也是創新成功的關鍵要素。
And I'm proud of myself for understanding the subject...so i haven't wasted 4 years of money and time for nothing. v(^^)v
------------------------------------------------------------------
Banking players to begin a new chapter of "innovation" by leveraging IT
DigiTimes, April 3, 2007
English abstract
An article in DigiTimes, a major industry publication in Taiwan, mentioned Jessica Tan's participation at the 3rd Annual Banking and Finance Technology Forum in Taiwan, and highlighted her views on the importance of innovation to the banking industry.
------------------------------------------------------------------
從產品服務、流程到營運模式 看金融業者如何運用IT吹奏「創新」樂章
DigiTimes 2007/04/03
記者廖珮君／台北
前言：一般來說，企業使用資訊科技的目的有很多，創新是最難達成、卻也最迫切需要的1環，究竟，科技創新的商機有多大？從科技使用量來看，2005年，全球共發出約8.8萬兆封E-mail；2006年，Google搜尋引擎使用次數達80 億，這些數字不僅代表著IT在民眾日常生活中的重要性越來越高，也在提醒企業經營者，唯有掌握運用IT進行創新的訣竅，才能立足於未來的競爭市場中。
近年來，「創新」成為企業經營管理上的熱門議題，如何運用創新工具和新思維來強化業務能力，進而增加產能、創造利潤、擴大客戶層面、與提供附加價值高的服務，成為經營者努力的方向。
日前在台灣舉辦的第三屆亞洲銀行及金融科技論壇上，新加坡麥肯錫顧問公司副董事長陳心穎便指出，創新是企業成長及創造價值的基礎，並透過解構企業股價的方式，來說明創新所能帶來的效益。
一般來說，影響企業股價的因素有很多，其中最重要的就是獲利與未來成長性，如果分析商業周刊（Business week）、財星雜誌（Fortune magazine）等刊物的企業調查報告，可發現前1~3名企業的股價結構，來自未來成長性的比重皆大於盈餘，舉例來說，搜尋引擎巨人Google的股價，其中有73%來自於未來成長性，只有27%是由盈餘所貢獻。
產品服務、流程與營運模式 為金融業運用IT進行創新的3大面向
由此看來，企業進行創新委實好處良多，尤其是金融產業，現正面臨產業同質性高、市場腹地小、外商積極搶進等不利因素影響，在競爭環境日益激烈的情況下，如何運用創新強化競爭力，就顯得更加重要。陳心穎認為，金融業若欲透過資訊科技進行創新，可朝產品服務、流程與營運模式及等3個面向去發展。
第一、產品或服務創新
金融業的特性之一便是商品與資訊系統息息相關，在企劃新商品時，若相關IT系統沒有建置完成，將永遠無法問市，因此，用IT創新商品或服務是最常見的應用，舉個簡單的例子，近2年相當熱門的網路ATM，由晶片及網路共同結合而成的服務，就是運用IT科技創新產品的最佳例子。
最初因為金融卡詐欺事件頻傳，導致主管機關強制規範銀行業者，將金融卡由磁條更換成晶片，而晶片本身具有邏輯運算及儲存資訊的能力，因此，業者只要在晶片內植入幾支簡單程式，即便消費者坐在家中，只要打開電腦連上網路，就能進行金融交易，成為銀行業的新興服務。
另外，位於加州柏克來的富國銀行（Well Fargo），則是將支票存款、儲蓄存款、信用卡、房貸及鉅額存款等5項商品，組成1個優惠組合（value package），藉此創造更高獲利與留客力。
第二、流程創新
在此指的是透過IT改善流程，以加速對客戶的回應速度，或讓組織運作更有效率，例如在導入某項交易系統時，同時進行流程改造，將交易作業天數由15天縮減成10天，「土耳其的Garanti銀行，便因為用IT進行流程創新，因而提升經營績效，」陳心穎說。
在2001～2004年間，Garanti營收的年複合成長率高達38%，客戶數量成長58%，商品交叉銷售的比例由2%增加至2.24%，營運成本卻僅僅多出1.2%，進一步分析其背後所使用的IT工具，可發現主要以客戶關係管理（Customer relation management；CRM）系統為主。
在Garanti的CRM系統內，主要有4大支柱：客戶可以創造的收益是什麼（profitability）？誰是目標客戶群（segmentation）？目標客戶群的消費行為是什麼（Data mining）？目標客戶群購買商品的可能性（propensity modeling）？
再將這些分析結果匯總至交易系統內，當客戶至銀行櫃?進行金融交易時，櫃員只要輸入客戶的基本資料，系統便會主動在螢幕上顯示CRM的分析結果，並告訴櫃員適合銷售哪一種商品給該名客戶，進而創造商品銷售額最大化的效益。
除了利用CRM系統分析客戶習性及獲利貢獻，找出符合客戶需求的商品外，Garanti也改變房貸的申請流程，客戶只要在ATM上，輸入身分證字號便可以申請房屋貸款，改變原有必需親自至銀行提出申請需求的流程。
第三、營運模式創新
最後，則是運用IT科技創新營運模式，讓金融業可以在不同市場運作業務，或是開創新市場。以美國銀行（Bank of America）為例，其所推出的無風險轉移存款的服務，透過1通電話，客戶就能在當日內，將存款轉至墨西哥的帳戶，因而吸引美國境內日益成長的西班牙移民人口。
另外，印度最大私人銀行ICICI Bank，便從印度的農村市場切入，和200家微型貸款公司合作，搶攻印度農人、貧戶與婦女等小額信用貸款市場，希望運用創新營運模式，躋身世界頂尖銀行的行列，ICICI Bank執行長Kamath曾經表示，科技是1種能幫助銀行創造獲利營運模式的工具。
台灣金融業創新應用比重未達50% 未來成長空間大
看完海外金融業者運用IT工具進行創新的經驗後，再回頭檢視台灣金融產業的創新應用狀況又是如何？
根據經濟部技術處「創新資訊應用研究計畫」的調查，目前，台灣約莫有18%的企業運用資通訊科技進行產品創新，若進一步細分這些企業所屬的產業類別，可發現金融保險業比重最高（36.9%），至於流程創新部分，有25%企業表示流程創新與ICT 有關，其中，金融保險業40.2%的比重，同樣位居所有產業之冠。
雖然，金融業是所有產業中，運用IT進行創新比重最高者，但不管在產品創新或流程創新上，皆未超過50%，顯然未來還有大幅成長空間，金融業者除了透過客觀與嚴謹方法蒐集數據，做為創新的參考與佐證外，專業顧問或輔導團隊也是創新成功的關鍵要素。
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