Jessica Lee .ca

Cher & Tom's Wedding in Maui

Cher and Tom got married! :-D It was a beautiful celebration with friends and family in the lovely Maui! Here's a short video of it: http://vivacova.com/Blog/2012/03/tom-cher-got-mauid/

Some more photos:

Disadvantages of Functioning as a Virtual Work Group

I've worked with virtual teams for over 10 years.  I like the people I work with.  Maybe someday I'll meet them in person.  :-)

I've read and heard many benefits and advantages of working with a virtual team.  However, I think there are some disadvantages that we should all be aware of.  

The biggest challenge for any virtual team would be the complexity of communication.  The virtual team would mainly rely on email exchanges or phone coversations.  It is not as easy to convey the message or carry discussions via email, phone or online chat, without the visual cues of body language and facial expressions. Moreover, with the groups being dispersed across the world, there may be language difficulties and cultural differences which result in communication barriers.   We are all used to building trust in a face-to-face interaction.  It is possible to trust a person whom one has never met in person, but it definitely takes longer to develop that trust.  The culture differences and the physical distances could slow down the team’s development and trust is a major factor in team success.  Trying to have engaing communication can become even more difficult with any occactional technology issues, such as a slow internet connection, poor phone connection, or any software/hardware failure. 

Maintaining an effective virtual team takes effort from everyone.  It is not easy to maintain a long distance relationship with your loved ones and the same situation applies to the virtual team.  The most common problem for the virtual team is that everyone thinks he/she works the hardest because one doesn’t get to see the challenges the other members encounter.  One often just sees the result and doesn’t see the journey the other member took to complete the tasks.  That leads to mistrust, misunderstanding, and even doubt in the competence of remote team members.  It takes great effort from evey team member to keep everyone in the loop and continue to nurture the team’s dynamic relationship. 

While the company could gain from the “almost 24/7” productivity, the team members will have to work shifts with some overlap of the different time zones to allow real-time communication.  It can be a challenge trying to find a time for everyone to communicate – someone has to work the night shift.  Without immediate access to your team members, it can be difficult to gain consensus.  Then, we cannot have quick responses and we cannot carry out changes as easily. 

These disavantages create obstacles for the virtual project team.  However, we have just identified the challenges.  With the proper tools and strategies, we can build a winning team!

 

Looking Back to Look Ahead - Best Memories of 2011 & 2012 New Year Resolutions

 

It's the end of the year - the best time to review what you have achieved, what you have learned, and if you have become a better person.

 

 

There have been ups and downs. I'm the kind of person who doesn't suppress my feelings; but luckily, I can't remember any bad things shortly after - it's a gift! :-)

 

Here's the Highlights of 2011:

• Chris and I had a great Spring Break in 2011! We visited friends, museums, Google, Apple's headquarters, a NASCAR race, and even a haunted house in California. Then we went to Las Vegas for the food and the shopping.
• To kick off summer, Cher and I took a last-minute-decision kind of trip to Montreal, QC, on July 1. It was an awesome girl-power trip! We were able to meet up with Sonia, Amelie, and Philippe there, too!
• Stella got 98/100 at her first Rally Obedience trial in July (held by the Evelyn Kenny Kennel & Obedience Club). In the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic (Fri, Jul 29, 2011 to Mon, Aug 1, 2011), we got many ribbons and both pups got their titles. Harry also got his first perfect 100 and it was a Rally-O Advanced (off leash) run.
• Later in August, Chris and I visited our family and friends in Vancouver. We also went to the Abbotsford Airshow and the night market in Richmond.  Cher and Emily were able to meet up with us in Vancouver for a weekend.
• In November, I went on another trip with Cher. She got her wedding dress and we had a great time with friends in NYC. We even got to attend an advanced screening of a Taiwanese movie -“Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” (賽德克巴萊) at MoMA!
• I donated my time and photography skills for Pawsitive Match to raise money for the rescues - we had lots of fun sessions, including photos with Santa!

 

Hmmm... I just realized that I won't need to do this (recall the highlights) again in 2012 since Facebook will have Timeline feature and you'd be able to see everything if you are connected with me there.

 

 

 

Well, it's time to move on!  

 

2012 New Year Resolutions:

• Career:
  • Challenge myself to the next level
• Learning:
  • Pass PMP exam by July 31, 2011
  • Learn basic French
• Vivacova:
  • Publish a blog post per month
  • Engage in a discussion topic per week
• Health:
  • Do more exercise (it must be on everyone's list): run on eliptical trainer daily and go to hot yoga every week
  • Lose weight (isn't it on everyone's list too?): drop 10 lbs by June 30, 2011
  • Eat less carbs and sugar
• Fun:
  • Keep in touch with my family and friends on Facebook and Twitter
  • Take on another 30-day photo challenge
  • Volunteer with a rescue group, pet visitation, and the PMI-SAC conference

I want to try new things.  I will work harder and challenge myself even more.  I will, of course, pamper myself with occassional indulgence as encouragement.

How 2 Get Things Done

It's been a long time since my last blog post. I decided to do a very short one about how to get things done.

I'm famous for "getting things done" so I get a variety of projects landed at my desk. So, how do I get things done with the limited number of hours in a day? I only have two tips - TWO is a good number, don't you think?

#1 - Be Picky! Choose the right ideas to work on and be okay about the things you are not working on! That's so Zen! ;-) Well, the truth is that it helps you stay focused on the high-return projects. Always jump on the high return on investment type of projects first!

#2 - Be Positive! The attitude and energy will influence everyone on your project to be more productive.

Done!

 

Tea Time with Tea Duckie

Found this cute "Tea Duckie" to play with.

 

The Roma by ONA Bags

I got this camera insert & bag organizer from Adorama.com It turns many of my bags into stylish camera bags! I ♥ it!

Note: it only comes with one insert/divider. I added an additional insert in the photos.

The Roma fits inside Balenciaga City bag.

The Roma fits inside Tokidoki for LESPORTSAC - Gioco Duffle Bag Pirata.

The Roma's Dimensions: 10.5"L X 7"H X 4"D.  It has snap closure flap and five exterior organizer pockets.  There's one insert to divide the extra lense from the the main camera gear.  You can put a DSLR body with lense and an extra lens in there.

New Photography Gear - Panasonic GF2 Camera

I've been wanting to try the Micro Four Thirds system for travel photography.  After much research, I decided to get Panasonic Lumix GF2 with 20mm (for portraits and food shots) and 14-42mm (for the general all-purpose walk-around photos).  

To spice things up a little, I got the camera body in the special edition PINK!  I'd guess not as many guys would want to borrow my camera in this case.  ;-)   

 

 

 

"Sweet Maltese" cocktail

"Sweet Maltese" cocktail
Originally uploaded by malteserus

I heard there's a drink called "Salty Chihuahua"... so I created this drink for the love of Maltese dogs! It's very sweet and it tastes a little like Ferrero Roche.

"Sweet Maltese" contains: Frangelico Liquer (from Italy), Italian Gelato - vanilla flavored ice, and Godiva White Chocolate Liquer.

Cheers!

p.s. I drew a Maltese on the top with melted chocolate. "Blue bow" and the "tongue" are mini M&Ms.

My Precious - A Chocolate Diamond Ring

When I got the ring, I wanted to scream "I do!" to Danielle, the saleslady, as she handed it to me because I was so happy!  I totally didn't pay attention to whatever Danielle and Chris were saying after I got the ring on my finger.  "Precious, precious, precious!" I cried. "My Precious! O my Precious!"  LOL!

After 13 years of marriage, we finally found the ring that's totally ME!  Well, we didn't just find it; we created this unique ring from scratch!  

It took a long time because we wanted a natural colour diamond and not many stores have natural brown diamond rings and even if they do, the colour and quality of the brown diamond is not what we desired.  So, we had to get the diamonds specially imported for review. 

We looked at a few brown diamond stones but this one was our "love at first sight."  It's just perfect - the colour is even and it's natural fancy dark orangey brown - not too yellow, not too green, not too dark, not too pale.  It has a subtle rich chocolate glow with the light reflection.  The quality of the diamond is amazing and it's in the most romantic cushion cut!  The size is not too small and not too big - it was "just right" for my finger.  It was magical!

After we decided on this chocolate diamond, we had it sent to GIA for inspection and certification.  Meanwhile, we were looking for the ideal ring setting for the perfect chocolate diamond.  It was a challenge!  There are thousands of designs out there!  Danielle at the Alberta Diamond Exchange helped us narrow down the ideas.  We decided to get a custom setting that has many clear diamonds that form a halo on the top and an elegant arch design from the sides.  This glamourous setting makes the chocolate brown diamond stand out even more!  

Look at it!  My totally unique and the most precious - chocolate diamond ring.  It's a chocoholic's dream come true!  I totally believe in "Happily Ever After" :-D

Some "action shots" of "My Precious" - it's catching the light at every angle - soft and sweet as it glows.

 

A tip for the natural colour diamond buyers:

If you are interested in getting a natural coloured diamonds, you should always see the stone in person before you buy it.  The text describes the general idea of the stone but the exact shade of the colour cannot be accurately seen on a computer monitor or imagined based on the text description.  If the store asks for a refundable deposit to import the coloured diamond for your review, that's fine.  But, you should confirm if the deposit is refundable or not first! 

Notes from the GIA Library:

“Chocolate” is another name for brown.  “Chocolate” is a marketing term and we do not use marketing terms on our reports. We do issue reports for brown diamonds.

Brown diamonds can fall either into the D-to-Z category or may be considered a fancy color.  Until we examine your diamond, we cannot tell you which category your diamond falls into.

For colored diamonds, there are nine color grade terms: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Dark, Fancy Deep, Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid. We do apply these terms to brown diamonds. 

If the diamond is brown, starting with the letter K, we will add a colored diamond term.

D, E, F, G, H, I, J: the diamond is assigned a letter grade only. Within these higher color grades, we will not state whether the diamond is picking up more yellow or more brown.

K, L, M: letter grade is assigned plus the term “Faint Brown”

N, O-P, Q-R: the letter grade plus the term “Very Light Brown”

S-T, U-V, W-X, Y-Z: letter grade plus the term “Light Brown” 

If the color is more saturated than “Z”, it will no longer be assigned a letter grade but will now get one of the other color grade terms as noted above. 

If the brown diamond falls into the D-to-Z category, there are two different grading reports that can be issued: the GIA Diamond Grading Report (also referred to as a full report) and the GIA Diamond Dossier.  If you choose a Diamond Dossier report, laser inscription of the lab report number onto the girdle is included in the fee.  The Dossier does not include plot diagrams of where the inclusions or blemishes are located on your diamond.  The full report includes the plot diagrams but laser inscription is an additional fee.  To see what these reports look like, please go to the following link:http://retailer.gia.edu/rm/laboratory-services/anatomy-of-a-diamond-grading-report.htm

Dossiers can be requested for diamonds .15 to 1.99 ct.  Full reports can be requested for any size diamond.

If a diamond falls into the colored diamond range (beyond Z), the lab issues two different colored diamond reports: 1) the GIA Colored Diamond Grading Report and 2) the GIA Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report (CDIOR).

1) If a colored diamond is submitted for a grading report, it must be unmounted.  The following information is included on the GIA Colored Diamond Grading Report: laser inscription registry if applicable; shape and cutting style; measurements; carat weight; color origin (natural vs. treated), color grade (example: fancy yellow), color distribution (example: even); clarity grade; polish; symmetry; fluorescence.  This report also includes a plot diagram and the GIA Colored Diamond Scale. 

2) For the GIA Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report, the diamond can be mounted or unmounted.  If the diamond is unmounted, the report gives a bit more information. The following information is included for an unmounted fancy colored diamond: shape and cutting style; measurements; carat weight; color origin (natural vs. treated), color grade (example: fancy yellow), color distribution (example: even). 

For the GIA Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report, if the diamond is mounted the lab/lab report cannot provide as much detail.  The following information is included for a mounted fancy colored diamond: a description of the stone (for example: one (1) transparent blue cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant measuring approximately 6.71 x 4.32 x 2.70 mm set in a white metal ring) and a conclusion (example: diamond, fancy light to fancy blue, natural color).

Having Fun with Polyvore

Polyvore is a fun site that allows you to create and share a scrapbook-like collection of anything.  I used it to create a collection of chocolate brown fashion and food I love.

 

True Chocoholic by malteserus featuring knitted boots

 

Five Ways to Ensure a Project Disaster

With every new project, it can be tempting to envision everything going right. However, an optimal outcome is usually only possible as the result of some really hard work. Not everyone has mastered this pathway to success. In fact, there are plenty of project managers who seem to be on the fast track to failure. Here are some common attitudes and actions that lead to disaster:

Scope-less is Hopeless

An issue has come up in your project but you simply don’t have time to investigate it in detail and create a plan for resolution. Can’t you just throw some money at it and make the problem go away?

That doesn’t work too well when the government does it – and you won’t have any better luck. Putting in the time to delve into the true scope of a project or problem means you can save both money and time over the long term.

Flawed Priorities

Your company is operating on some really tight margins. It’s essential to focus on time and cost. Quality can take a back seat. Your team needs to get this done yesterday. You’ve also got to watch your employees like a hawk to make sure they aren’t spending money (or wasting valuable time double-checking anything).

Quality control should be built in to every project from the start. If your company’s financial future is on the line, this is more important, not less important. Can you really afford a spectacular failure right now?

Know It All

You’re the project manager because by golly you are the only one with the brains to get the job done! You always know the right thing to do. Fortunately, this means you don’t need to analyze problems or listen to “experts”. And don’t even get started on trying to find out what the customer thinks – what do they know?

Ignoring advice and suggestions from others is a waste of an invaluable resource. Even worse, your peers will eventually be so alienated that they will stand back and cheer when you fall flat on your face. Clients will take their projects elsewhere when you demonstrate that you don’t care about their feedback. Actively seek out the opinions of others to ensure you aren’t overlooking ways to make your project easier and more successful.

Crack the Whip

You don’t expect to be patted on the head for doing your job. Why should you be expected to show gratitude to your team for their efforts? They’re getting paid to do the work and just need to be pushed harder to meet their targets. Plus, they keep taking up your time with all their inane questions. They are professionals who should know what to do without being told – and they need to get it done NOW or there will be consequences.

Being a workplace tyrant, failing to communicate thoroughly/often, and treating your team members with contempt will always backfire. When employees become disengaged from their work, you can expect to see more mistakes, delays, and inefficiencies. Learn to give honest feedback that focuses on what people are doing right to encourage continued improvements in performance.

Constant Crisis Mode

You never seem to get anything done because there’s always some disaster you have to deal with instead of focusing on your project goals. It’s not your fault that all your projects fail. If you weren’t constantly on guard to put out fires, the whole company would collapse. You simply don’t have time to spend on seeing a project through to the finish.

If this situation describes you, your first project should be figuring out why you are functioning in a constant state of crisis. This is NOT normal and indicates underlying issues with the way your company operates. Or, you may simply be blowing little things out of proportion when you should be delegating. Get your house in order so you can turn your attention to meeting your project objectives without interruption.

My New UGGs

UGGs with Stella on them
Originally uploaded by malteserus

My brand new Stellar UGGs customized by the talented artists at http://www.scent-of-art.com

I sent them some photos of my dogs and they picked a photo of Stella to use and created these fabulous UGG artwork!

Day 2 of the Online Shopaholic Rehab

I'm free!  I got out of the rehab!  The replacement card has just arrived!

I wonder how many online shopaholics are out there.  Hmm...  I should start a Secret Society of Shopaholics!  Would you join me?  Let's talk!  ;-)

Day 1 of the Online Shopaholic Rehab

I had a major breakthrough last night.  I finally admitted that I'm an online shopaholic!  At the same time, I got forced checking into "online shopaholic rehab"!

I know there are people out there (probably all my family and friends) knew that I'm a shopaholic before I knew.  They always said that I keep the world economy going.  I spend money online almost every day... sometimes multiple times per day.  Even on a sick day in bed (really in bed, drowsy, reading e-magazines on my iPad, I still managed to click on links from the magazines and made $200 purchase, in between my snoozes...)  I love great deals and I love finding them.  Well, I'm in the field of online marketing so that certainly helps reinforcing my habit.  

How did I get forced into rehab?

My visa card and master card are both compromised within a 15-day period!  Visa was the first because that's the main card I use for everything everyday.  While my new Visa card is in the mail, I started using my MasterCard and somehow it also got compromised yesterday!  I searched hard for any sign of virus or some sort on my work and home computer but nothing turned up.  

It's a very strange feeling without any credit card in my wallet.  I can still shop with cash but it's just... different.  It's inconvenient!  The upside of this incident is that I'll save some money during the "rehab"

6 Things I Learned At Calgary Stampede 2010

Calgary Stampede 2010 is over.  It was fun and educational!  :-)

Six Things I Learned At Calgary Stampede 2010:

1. It takes 12 hours after hatching for baby chicks' feathers to dry - did you know that?  These were born earlier the day I visited!  

2. How to pet an unborn baby calf...

Note: No cows were harmed in the making of this photo.  It's a fake cow.  I will never know if it feels real or not because I'll never do that to a real cow!

3. Milking is hard work!

4. The Budweiser Clydesdales are HUGE horses



5. Lady Gaga's crazy eyelashes were probably inspired by cows

 


6. The texture and taste of cricket pizza is like having sunflower seeds on your pizza.  I think crickets could make great beer nuts.  :-)

Other photos:

Life Is Short. Eat Bouboulettes First!

I ordered some bouboulettes (shortbread-like cookies) from Un Petit Morceau’s web site.  They shipped it from Corrales, New Mexico (not from Deep Space 9 even though Nana Visitor, Major Kira from Deep Space 9, is responsible for the creation of these yummy bouboulettes) to Canada via USPS.  I waited patiently for 7 business days.  It was worth the wait!

The bouboulettes were well packaged with bubble wraps and cooling ice packs inside the cardboard box.  So, the cookies arrived safely.  Take a look at these delicious short-bread-like cookies:

Collection of bouboulettes:

• Chocolate Cherry Chipotle – this one is my favourite among the 4 flavours! This chocolate dipped cookie has subtle flavours of dried cherries and chipotle pepper. It's filled with a moist cherry center. OMG - it's fabulous!!!
• Ginger Rosemary – this bouboulette has a hint of rosemary. It's filled with a moist, sweet ginger center. It has course sugar crystals on top.  Yum!
• Lavender Plum – this bouboulette has a blend of lavender and earl grey tea. It's filled with a rich plum center and glazed with white chocolate. It's my second favourite! 
• Lemon Basil – this green bouboulette has a touch of fresh basil, with a moist lemon center. Very refreshing!

We had these bouboulettes before dinner tonight. It was such a sophisticated cookie experience. :-)

Cloud Computing - Your Silver Lining In A High-Tech World

Have you ever noticed that the more stuff we have, the more time we seem to spend managing it? This is particularly true with high tech gadgets.

Got a home computer? Great, now it’s time to get a laptop, then a Blackberry, then an iPhone, and so it goes. If you have a business, you do the same thing (only with more expensive equipment like servers and computer networks). This is simply what it takes to stay connected and have access to all our information instantly at home, at work, and on the go.

Now that you have all these devices, how do you share information between them? Manually reentering your contacts from your computer into your phone is time consuming and frustrating. Backing up files and transferring them from your laptop to your desktop and vice versa can be done with a flash drive, but doing this every day is a bore. Setting up and maintaining a computer network is challenging and expensive. It can also pose a security risk for your data if you aren’t tech savvy.

Pulling It All Together 

What if you could have access to everything you need without all these extra steps? That’s possible with a cloud computing infrastructure. At its most basic level, cloud computing works kind of like a water utility company. Instead of everyone having a well in their backyard, we’re all hooked up to a central reservoir. We can go anywhere there is a faucet and turn it on to get fresh, clean water. With cloud computing solutions, you have access to all of your applications and data from any internet capable device.

Here’s just a sampling of the kind of activities you can enjoy when you enter the cloud:

• Check for messages and manage your contacts with Gmail
• Sync your calendar with those of friends and family members with Google Calendar
• Share photos on Flickr
• Post a blog update on TypePad
• Stay on top of the latest news with Google Reader
• Add items to your Amazon wish list so people can buy you more gadgets!

Plenty of business tools are available in the cloud as well. These include applications such as Google Docs, Google Talk, Salesforce, Web TimeSheet, and Engage B2B.

Keeping It Simple - and Cheap 

Cloud computing is about more than just convenience. It’s also cost effective. You don’t have to pay a tech to set it up (or learn how yourself). There is no investment in network hardware or expensive bandwidth. Upgrades are handled automatically behind the scenes. Security isn’t your problem either (just pick a vendor who already has a good handle on this and you’ll be fine). You only pay for what you use; so you can scale up or back whenever you need to. Best of all, getting started is almost as easy as...turning on that water faucet.

So, now that you know how much cushier life can be in the cloud, why not come up here and join me? :-)

Leprechaun - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Leprechaun - Happy St. Patrick's Day
Originally uploaded by malteserus

May good luck be with you wherever you go,
and your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow!

By the way, this is my Maltese, Stella, at 11 months old.

Trip Photos: Jan. 29 - Feb. 17 Vancouver - Taipei

I took photos of almost all the food we ate during this trip.    I took the point and shoot G11.

I drove in Taiwan for the first time!

Timeline:

Jan. 29 - eating with friends in Vancouver

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623347485338/

Jan. 30 - Vancouver Parks, Sushi dinner at Tojo's

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623223424839/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623348139214/

Jan. 31 - visiting Chris's parents - they live in White Rock (about 40 min from Vancouver)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623348174836/

Feb. 2 - (arrived Taipei) family dinner

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623223761903/

Feb. 3 - My brother's pets and dinner (I drove that day - first time driving in Taiwan)  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623348536790/

Feb. 4 - traditional market and food

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623263912943/

Feb. 5 - rice petty burger, the Grand hotel, the Marty's Shrine (for the falledn heroes of China's wars), ferris wheel (went to see a Chinese movie, Monga)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623395207320/

Feb. 6 - traditional breakfast, traditional market, saw a dog in stroller in the bookstore  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623405579260/

Feb. 7 - famous unagi (bbq eel) don (rice bowl) restaurant, fireworks, traditional market, the newest massage method, and food

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623281101385/

Feb. 8 - fashion mall/Balla Vita, Afternoon Tea, Taipei 101 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623406152820/

Feb. 9 - National Palace meseum, Dim Sum in the meseum, Very Thai dinner

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623406660766/

Feb. 10 - be a tourist in Taipei whole day (including the places as seen in the movie Monga)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623282257165/

Feb. 11 - hiked up to a temple

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623283067545/

My Mom's dogs - 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623407701954/

Feb. 12 - afternoon tea (that place has a wall decorated with tea bricks) with my junior high friends and then sushi dinner with them

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623299736405/

Feb. 13 - (Chinese New Year's Eve) dinner at home, fireworks after dinner (with my elementary school friend)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623308449533/

 

Some video clips of the fireworks/firecrackers we played:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TStC1bkjsQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfbiqXvB4EE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbz-wIQp3k8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsD6Bf848_I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02FGmt5OoAE

Feb. 14 - lots of sugar that day... donut breakfast outside Mr. Donut with my parents and their pups, chocolate cake looks like a Maltese dog, went to see another Chinese movie (14 blades - think Chinese ninjas) with my parents

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623307967833/

 

Feb. 15 - hotpot dinner with more junior high friends - mini reunion 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623439678116/

 

Feb. 16 - more food photos since we had dinner with some other friends who just got back to Taipei and missed the hotpot dinner from the previous night

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623322495893/

 

Feb. 17 - sushi dinner before leaving Taipei - saw rescued dogs at TPE - they were moving to Vancouver!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623348257269/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelyea/sets/72157623472793170/

 

Happy Chinese New Year 新年快樂

祝大家福虎生風，虎年行大運！

 

Calgary Small Dog Meetup via iVideo (iPhone 3G)

Harry & Stella went to a small dog meetup today.  They mingled with their furry friends and they are so tired now.  :-)

This video clip was recorded using iVideo Camera on my iPhone 3G. iVideo Camera allows you to record a short video on any iPhone (3G or even 2G with iPhone OS 3.1) just like you could do on iPhone 3GS.

Pros: 

• You can save your videos directly to your camera roll or "Photos" and share it via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo or Twitter. 
•  It's only $0.99!

Cons: 

• You can only shoot a video of up to about 1 minute in length.
• It captures about 3 frames per second at a 160×213 resolution which is pretty low by today's standards.

Happy New Year!

Merry X'mas & Happy New Year!
Originally uploaded by malteserus

Wishing everyone a great year filled with happiness and good health!

新年快樂!!! Happy New Year!!!

Cheers!

Project Management's 4 C's

A friend has been shopping for a diamond ring lately.  She reminded me the 4 C's which are four variables that are used to calculate the value of a diamond - Clarity, Color, Cut, and Carat.  Then, I thought... project management also has 4 C's which are Complexity, Communication, Collaboration and Coordination!

To tackle a project's complexity, we need the other 3 C's:

Communication 

Once you've gotten rid of complexity, you can be sure it will try to find its way back in. Open and regular communication will allow you to identify it before it takes hold.

Collaboration 

Silos are the enemy of simplicity. Work across the organization to identify where the complexity is and together improve the way business is done. 

Coordination

Smooth coordination is critical to finding simple solutions to the problems you're trying to solve. 

 

6 Ways To Keep Your Project on Track

As a manager, you know that a team project takes a lot more work than meets the eye.  Keeping everything running smoothly requires ongoing effort from everyone involved. 

Focus on these “behind the scenes” areas to improve your project execution: 

1. Support a Team Spirit 

At the outset of your project, match team members up in pairs so everyone has someone to turn to when they face an obstacle.  Ideally, when any issue comes up, they will work as a team to come up with proposed solutions instead of just bringing all their problems to you to solve.  This will give them a greater sense of accomplishment and build team cohesion. 

2. Work Step By Step 

Create checklists that include small action items that may otherwise be overlooked.  The checklists can be used as a template and updated for the next similar project.  They help the team accurately perform routine project tasks  - pilots and surgeons use checklists to reduce mistakes!

3. Crosscheck All the Way 

Assign team members to review each other’s output (using established metrics whenever possible) to ensure that each task is executed properly.  That way, you can perform spot checks but won’t have to spend all your time doing quality control. 

4. Keep Your Eye on the Prize 

Start each group meeting with a recap of your overall project goals.  Then, you can more readily see if a suggested course of action will bring you closer to these objectives or take you off on a tangent. 

5. Have a Backup Plan 

Identify the most likely project disruptions in advance and plan for how to deal with these.  Also, remain flexible enough to handle the unforeseen.  Add contingency resources (e.g. time and expenses for re-work) to your estimate of how long and how much a project will take to complete. 

6. Don’t Become Overwhelmed 

Task saturation occurs when your team members don’t have the time or the resources to get their jobs done.  Combat this by frequent communication.  That way, you can identify people who are overwhelmed before they simply start shutting down.  Use project management or time tracking tools to evaluate performance and identify areas where you need to get more involved.

This post was inspired by an AfterBurner Flawless Execution workshop I attended.  Fighter pilots who had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps taught me how to use their techniques in my business!

Thoughts on Social Networking - Leverage Employee Participation To Brand Your Business

The term ‘social networking’ brings to mind sites like FaceBook where people engage in casual chatter about their everyday lives. However, there are also a number of hugely popular Web 2.0 platforms you can use to bridge the gap between professional and personal interaction. This process (done right) helps you build a powerful brand that your employees can connect with. Once your workforce is on board with your company’s vision, there is no limit to the number of people they can reach with your message.

Focus on What’s Important

Before you set up your first network, you need to understand what these tools can and can’t do for you. Companies that approach social networking with a traditional advertising mindset are often disappointed with the results. If your goal is to develop a motivated employee base that will create a buzz about your company, you are much more likely to achieve your objectives. Social networking is a powerful way to:

·         Increase employee engagement and morale

·         Improve real two-way communication with your workforce

·         Express your core vision with every interaction

·         Differentiate yourself from other employers/companies (branding!)

·         Explore new ways to improve your business model

·         Attract top talent to fill open positions

Clarify Your Expectations

Implementing a social networking program without a clear policy for how it should be used is a disastrous mistake. However, filling 5 or 6 pages with fine print about every type of unacceptable behavior (and the resulting disciplinary action) will ensure that no employees have any interest in participating.

Create a one page guideline that encourages positive interaction and accountability without squelching creativity. Let your workers know that you trust them to be professional and take responsibility for the way they represent themselves and your company. Set the example you expect others to follow. Have a protocol in place for addressing any negative behavior on the part of the occasional “problem employee”.

Pick the Right Platform

Here are 4 popular Web 2.0 tools along with ideas for how to use them and ways to encourage employee participation:

Blogging

A company blog can replace many traditional communication mediums. Use your company blog to:

·       Address current issues

·       Answer questions

·       Cover policy updates

·       Talk about new ideas/innovations

·       Share business tips

·       Recognize areas that need improvement

·       Brainstorm creative solutions

Giving employees an immediate voice in these discussions increases engagement. One person can be responsible for moderating comments on the blog, but every department should contribute content. 

Add tags to categorize the entries so employees can easily find data on any topic. Eventually, your blog should become a comprehensive repository of information. Then, you can direct workers to the appropriate entry whenever they have a question.

Your corporate blog should also have an external component where you post information for customers. Invite one employee per week to write a guest post or answer customer questions. This is an opportunity for them to showcase their knowledge about a specific topic that is relevant to your company.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional network for connecting with potential job candidates. Demonstrating a cohesive presence via a corporate LinkedIn group sets you apart from other employers. When you create your own group, use the summary and description sections to express your brand - not just to give a bland description of what your company sells.

Encourage your existing employees to participate by holding a free 20-30 minute workshop. The focus of this workshop should be to assist them in updating their online profiles. Help them highlight their skills, experience, and expertise. This improves their career potential and your company image at the same time. When employees join your group, your logo is displayed in their profiles. This increases your brand visibility in every interaction they have with other professionals.

YouTube

If you have the budget to create short, simple videos, a YouTube channel is the way to go. This is the perfect medium for distributing messages that improve morale and engagement. Provide creative, entertaining clips about workplace safety, health & wellness, training tutorials, company events, and new products/services.

Everyone loves to be a star, so ask workers to participate in script writing and acting. Use YouTube to distribute a personal message from the CEO once a month. This helps each employee feel personally connected with top management - especially if the CEO drops by to add a comment now and then.

Twitter

The key to successful tweeting is variety, relevance and giving as much as you get. Understand your employee and client demographics and what catches their interest. Tweet about topics that mesh with your larger corporate vision. This can include eco-friendly tips, work/life balance resources, money saving advice, and more.

Position yourself consistently as a source of free, helpful information. This will get your employees in the habit of passing on pertinent tweets to others. Then, it will be a natural progression for them to re-tweet info about your latest product release or job openings as simply another benefit you offer to their extended network.

What's your experience in social media marketing?  Let me know what worked or didn't work for you in the comments!

Jag Goes to Rainbow Bridge

Jag passed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning at 3:30am MT.       :'-(

Happy Thanksgiving Long Weekend

Technical Support:

Friday night, Chris was not in the house when I came home from a facial appointment.  Our dogs were loose in the living room and the front door was not locked.  It was very strange.  It turned out that he got summoned to be tech support for the old Chinese ladies next door - setting up their laptop on the Internet.  Our neighbour was on the phone with tech support, but she didn't know enough about computers to understand what he was telling her to do... so she told the tech support guy that she'd get her neighbour to help... and came over.  She had a sense of urgency, so he went straight over.  Once Chris was on the phone with tech support, the guy said he was looking at Google Street View to see how far away this neighbour was while he waited.  :-) 

Our neighbour came over again this afternoon asking for help with her computer/Internet.  She said "You have time now? Come." It was kind of funny - because I was still in my pj's.  She didn't remember how to log in to her new laptop - she typed in the user name and password but didn't know what to do next.  I pretty much just pressed the "Enter" key for her and I was a hero!  Then, she thought since I was there, I could show her how to log into her Gmail account and how to reply to e-mail messages.  Her home page was Google and she'd enter Gmail.com in the search box, but she didn't know how to click the link.  I changed her home page to Gmail.  After 30 minutes or so, I think she got it.  She was taking notes, so I hope her notes will help later.  She's also taking a class.

Technology and the Internet bring people closer for sure - we had hardly ever talked to them in the past 10 years or so.  We usually just wave hi/bye when we see each other as we leave/enter the garage.  Now, we are sure that we are their favourite neighbours on this block!  ;-) 

Turkey Dinner:

We had a big Thanksgiving dinner last night!  Chris spent Saturday night and Sunday cooking - he cooked a juicy 16 lb. turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, fresh cranberry sauce, and crème brûlée with vanilla beans!  6 of us couldn't finish the food.  Where was I when Chris was cooking?  I was watching Vampire Diaries on the PVR. I still prefer Twilight. :-)

After sparkling wine and Bailey's Irish Cream (mint chocolate flavour Bailey's on the rocks with chocolate shavings on top), somehow, we ended up looking up addresses on Google Street View (hooked my laptop to the big screen TV).  Hahaha... strange, eh?  ;-)  It guess it was because Calgary just went on Street View in the middle of last week.  When we looked at our guests' house, it looked like there was somebody in their front window!  We were trying to figure out who it was.  Too bad we don't have CSI-type photo enhancement capabilities.  The party ended past 1 a.m. today.

Photo Shoot:

We had some fun this afternoon.  The Traveling Woofburys - Stella (American/vocal) & Harry (British/guitarist/vocal) - totally rocked the house!

 

Happy Halloween!

Photoshop.com Mobile Review

Adobe’s Photoshop app for the iPhone (Photoshop.com Mobile) launched today and I downloaded it right away!

Quick Review:

• It has very intuitive basic photo editing abilities
• I can edit photos from my iphone or stored in the Photoshop.com account.  
• Editing is reversible and non-destructive, with the output saving to your iPhone Photos collection and optionally to your online account.  
• It would be nicer if it has more sharing functionalities like posting to FB or Twitter.

It's very easy to use.

Collection of editing tools and effects:

• Crop
• Rotate
• Flip
• Exposure
• Saturation
• Tint adjustments
• Easy to apply filters including black and white, sketch, soft focus, pop, border, vignette blur, warm vintage, rainbow, soft black and white and white glow.  
• Options to cancel, undo or redo an edit, and save the image. 
• Save and Exit: Simply saves the new pic to your iPhone Photos collection
• Save and Upload: it will also send a copy to your online storage. If you don’t already have a Photoshop.com account, the app will prompt you to create one the first time you try to upload an image. The account is free and offers up to 2 GB of storage, expandable of course with an annual paid storage plan.

This is definately one of my new favorites. Have you had a chance to play with PS Mobile yet? What are your thoughts? Are there other worthwhile or better alternatives out there for iPhone image editing?

Saying Good Bye to Grandma

婆婆的告別式是十月二日。那天也剛好是媽咪的農曆生日。媽咪說，她決定從今不會再過生日了。我不明白。

我認為…「生、老、病、死」是人生的必經過程。對於婆婆的尊敬和懷念又不是只有那一天。為什麼要好像永遠難過的要命？ 婆婆生前喜歡打麻將，喜歡熱鬧。我無法想像她會想看著媽咪一直哭，且像一下老了十幾歲。

每個人對死亡有不同的反應。我想我如果可以在自己的告別式上發言，我會希望說什麼話？ 我想…重要的是我這一生是否過得有意義，是否努力認真的做自己，而在走到人生終點時，我是否能毫無遺憾，留下精彩的人生，而非混混噩噩的過一輩子。

我希望大家會慶祝我的成就而不是光是難過我不在世間了。我希望大家記得我對生命的熱情及我生活的目的是快樂！

Cute Maltese Puppies

We were out in the backyard, enjoying the last bit of nice weather on Sunday. Harry & Stella had a lot of fun chasing each other.

My New Snaptote

One side features Harry's happy face and the other side shows my pretty puppies sitting nicely side by side. I love this bag!

Harry & Stella

Harry & Stella
Originally uploaded by malteserus

They are best buddies!

My Cute Maltese Dogs - Stella & Harry

Stella & Harry
Originally uploaded by malteserus

My Maltese puppies were practicing dog obedience - "Down" - they are so cute and well behaved! :-)


Notes:
Stella @ 4.5 months old
Harry @ 2 years and 3 months old

A Day At Lake Minnewanka & Lake Louise

We spent the day at Lake Minnewanka and Lake Louise.  The weather was nice - about 25C/77F.  The traffic on Hwy1 was busier than usual because of the long weekend.  It was a good thing that we had a park pass so we didn't have to wait in line to enter the park.  We didn't see many wild animals this time - maybe it's a good thing... since it's Harry and Stella's first visit to Lake Minnewanka and Lake Louise.  

We hiked around the lake.  We met a lot of friendly people and dogs.  Many kids patted them.  Stella kissed a few ladies.  Some tourists even took photos of them.

My Favourite Memories of Grandma Fang

I got a text message before noon, from my brother Sam in Taiwan, that our favourite grandma just passed away in the hospital - at 1:35 AM on Aug. 25, 2009, Taiwan time.  

I talked to grandma over the phone on Saturday around 6 PM.  She understood it was me.  She called my name.  The last time I saw her was in November 2007.  She was sick in bed but in good spirits.  She was a fighter!

Her health went downhill about 6 years ago.  She underwent a few tough surgeries.  My parents and uncles asked for a lot of favours to get the best doctors in town to help my grandma.  Even one of those doctors said (exact quote) "I have to treat this dead horse as a live horse and see what happens..."  I was so angry at that doctor when I was standing there listening to this cruel comment.  I thought he was an arrogant jerk!

My grandma was a culinary genius!  Her everyday cooking was better than my special occasion cooking.  The best memories of her were either in the kitchen, in the traditional market or in the dining room.  Well... and maybe in the salon, getting a manicure and pedicure too.  She always had perfect nails and hair.  She said to me "女孩子要入得廚房，出得廳堂!"

She was fearless and had a strong personality.  She was born in a rich family and they owned a lot of land.  She saw her dad and uncle get beaten to death by a communist-incited mob during the war.  She escaped and later she married my grandpa, who was in the Nationalist army.  My grandpa had to move to Taiwan with the army and left her and their kids behind.  She single-handedly brought my mom and her siblings to rejoin him in Taiwan from China via Hong Kong.  Many people told her to get rid of the female child (my mom) since it would cost too much for transport and bribes, and it was more dangerous for her to travel with too many children.  Sons were considered more valuable, as they wouldn't "leave the family" when they got married.  She argued and fought to keep my mom with her.  She taught me, "Never give in!"

I remember going to the traditional market with her - picking the freshest ingredients.  I recall that she bought live frogs and skinned them in the kitchen.  She would stretch the frog skin on a steel cup to make a little drum for me to play.  Yeah... that helped me a lot in high school biology class - I was the only girl not afraid of killing a frog for a lab experiment.  

She made delicious house wine... it was sweet.  She would let me try a little bit of it for Chinese New Year dinner and then I'd pretend I was too sleepy to go home so I got to stay at grandma's after the big dinner.

She was super good at mahjong, too.  Even though I never learned how to play mahjong (because my dad disapproved of gambling), I hung around the mahjong table when they played.  She gave me tips when I helped serve tea and snacks while they played.  Mahjong was her favourite thing to do.  She played "mental mahjong" to keep herself mentally alert and sharp.

 

I miss her!

  

Grandma, Mom & Me

掃描0033
Originally uploaded by malteserus

I was searching for a photo of my grandma and then I found this scan of an old photo.

Rod Stewart Concert

Tiffany gave us floor tickets to see Rod Stewart.  We went after work.  He put on a good show! People were standing up for most of the show!  We got home around 11:30pm.  :-)  

Puppies

Puppies got a few visitors on Sunday:

Busy August Long Weekend

We were at the dog show on Saturday and Sunday. It was a pretty big show - pretty noisy and lots of happening. It was hot (32c+) too.  So, there were many stressed people and dogs.  Harry and I were nervous on Saturday and we couldn't stay "focused" to get a qualifying score.  But, after a good night of sleep and playful practice, we are better today (Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009).  Harry earned a qualifying score of 85 in the morning and earned his Rally Novice title.  Bob took some photos for us:

We finally met Shelley & Bob in person today after about 10+ years of friendship over internet! They visited Harry at the show and then came to our house to meet Stella.  We had a good time! :-)  I totally forgot to take photos!!!  

Web Cam Capture: Stella Drinking

Web Cam Capture: Stella Drinking
Originally uploaded by malteserus

Flying Home with New Puppy, Stella

We picked up Stella on Monday morning and then went for a quick lunch before Ellen dropped us off at ONT.

We waited for an hour or so at ONT.  Stella was great for her first flight.  We had to wait for a few hours in LAS and she was very well behaved too.  No barking at all and she used a wee-wee pad at a private corner of the terminal. She slept through the flying part. We got home around 1:30am on Tuesday.

South Coast Plaza

Ellen took us to South Coast Plaza - Orange County's largest shopping mall.  It's a good mall to visit.  :-)

We saw lots of rich kids and good looking people on the road with their fancy cars. 

Puppies and Babies

Ellen and Justyn took us to visit puppies this morning. This is the first time we met Stella and her siblings.

In the afternoon, we had a mini high school reunion at Ellen's with Melody, Rebecca, Amy and her three kids. Everyone looks the same - even prettier! We think Amy is slimmer than before she has kids! Rebecca's hubby CAN COOK! Yummy food! Amy's kids had so much fun that they decided to sleep over at Ellen's tonight.

Hot, Hot, HOT!

Today is way too hot to be outside!  It feels like 45c or so outside.  The wind is like coming from a giant blow dryer!  I don't know how people sun tan by the pool in this kind of temperature!  I felt like I was melting when we crossed the street from Paris to Bellagio.  So, we had risotto & mojito at at Trevi and spent most of the day in the Bellagio's conservatory & botanical garden and visiting the forum shops at Caesars.

We went to see The Beatles LOVE after dinner. Cirque du Soleil's performed with the music recorded by The Beatles. It's a good show but O is still my favourite Cirque du Soleil show!

Viva Las Vegas

We arrived in Vegas late in the evening (July 15, 2009). After we checked in, we had dinner at Le Provençal in Paris Las Vegas. I love Bouillabaisse and the creamy Lobster Bisque at Le Provençal.

Some pictures of the view from our room and the dinner:

A Great Rally-O Weekend!

Rally-O people are so nice and supportive.  With all the encouragement, Harry and I gave Rally-O another try this weekend.  This is our second time in the ring.  We were on at 8:30am on both Saturday and Sunday at the Evelyn Kenny Kennel and Obedience Club's show in Springbank Park for All Seasons. 

To qualify in Rally-O, a dog and handler team must receive a minimum score of 70 points out of a possible perfect score of 100.  We got qualifying score for both days!  One more time with a different judge then Harry will get his RN title.  He's the smallest dog in the ring by quite a bit!  :-)   

I need to get better at this... I got more points deducted than Harry did on both days.  It's like a driving test, I need to know all the signs by heart.  It's so much fun!  I think more dogs, especially small dogs should give it a try! 

Saturday: Rally-O Novice First Leg

Sunday: Rally-O Novice Second Leg

Calgary Stampede 2009

Tiffany, Roy, Chris and I went down to the stampede ground this afternoon. We saw rodeo, Super Dogs and we had chicken fingers, corn dogs, pizza on a stick, deep fried jelly beans and kettle corn - of course! :-)

Some snapshots from Roy's camera:

Puppy-sitting Jag

Jag and I had a relaxing day today. :-)

Got My Facebook Username

I am JessicaLee on Facebook.  

It's easier to find me on Facebook now: http://www.facebook.com/JessicaLee

Cheers!

Cheesecake

Cheesecake
Originally uploaded by malteserus

It's easy to make and everyone loved it!

Recipe:

2 - 250g cream cheese
4 - eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
12 Oreo cookies

Line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Place an Oreo cookie in each cup.

Soften cream cheese in microwave as per package instructions. Beat
cream cheese. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well in between. Add
sugar, milk and lemon juice. Beat well.

Pour over cookies. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Put in fridge
when cooled for 3 hours or overnight.

Garnish with a slice of kiwi, strawberries/raspberries/blueberries.