Pamela is a
really bad poet when it
comes to forced haikus.
_______________________
I'm sorry Maslow,
There is no room for sex here;
a management class.
_______________________
I will disagree
With Maslow's structure of needs;
Sleep is for sissies.
_______________________
With all needs fulfilled,
I can then find my true self,
To begin once more.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
To blog or not to blog?...That is the question.
I was actually really excited about the idea of blogging about what we learn in management class. I heard of classes that did this (creative writing and literature courses) and I wished business classes were more fun and interactive. I was good with posting and responding to other blogs at first. It taught me that there were other people out there who felt the same way as I did about not only management but other topics like culture and ethics.
Having to write about some class activities of discussion allowed me to reflect on the actual lesson learned. Sometimes lectures seem pretty pointless unless you actually THINK about what you just heard or learned or experienced. I'd find myself writing WAY more than what I should really post, way more than what the professor will bother to really read afterwards.
Also, having the blog become a bigger part than what most people would have it believe it is, did not really help in motivation with the class. I react awfully to anxiety and late deadlines, and knowing that I was late in something so important usually causes me to avoid it even more. After experiencing major surgery and having my gall bladder removed, depression kept me from even opening my computer. I didn't even want to go on Facebook!
Besides the e-mails I had sent to my professors letting them know why I would be absent in the next couple of weeks, I stayed away from the computer and books for a while. This was not only due to my disinterest in studying at the time and growing anxiety that I was missing classes that required interactive learning (such as my management class), but also because I couldn't comfortably lift anything, not even a book, until a week and half after surgery.
Having missed about two weeks worth of class, I was highly unmotivated to write on the blog, since I didn't feel like I had much to write about. The blog was usually a reflection of what I learned in class and I had not learned anything in three weeks (this in including spring break, though).
I wish people had written more about things that weren't necessarily assignments, but at least somewhat management related. I remember having written about a funny (and perhaps fake) letter to the manager of Always sanitary pads. I might continue to write on this blogs about things related to management, or perhaps other business fields like marketing or accounting (snoozefest!). I mean, I AM in a business school. I'm going to continue to encounter news and topics like these every day from now on. Let's just hope they are interesting enough for people to want to read them.
Having to write about some class activities of discussion allowed me to reflect on the actual lesson learned. Sometimes lectures seem pretty pointless unless you actually THINK about what you just heard or learned or experienced. I'd find myself writing WAY more than what I should really post, way more than what the professor will bother to really read afterwards.
Also, having the blog become a bigger part than what most people would have it believe it is, did not really help in motivation with the class. I react awfully to anxiety and late deadlines, and knowing that I was late in something so important usually causes me to avoid it even more. After experiencing major surgery and having my gall bladder removed, depression kept me from even opening my computer. I didn't even want to go on Facebook!
Besides the e-mails I had sent to my professors letting them know why I would be absent in the next couple of weeks, I stayed away from the computer and books for a while. This was not only due to my disinterest in studying at the time and growing anxiety that I was missing classes that required interactive learning (such as my management class), but also because I couldn't comfortably lift anything, not even a book, until a week and half after surgery.
Having missed about two weeks worth of class, I was highly unmotivated to write on the blog, since I didn't feel like I had much to write about. The blog was usually a reflection of what I learned in class and I had not learned anything in three weeks (this in including spring break, though).
I wish people had written more about things that weren't necessarily assignments, but at least somewhat management related. I remember having written about a funny (and perhaps fake) letter to the manager of Always sanitary pads. I might continue to write on this blogs about things related to management, or perhaps other business fields like marketing or accounting (snoozefest!). I mean, I AM in a business school. I'm going to continue to encounter news and topics like these every day from now on. Let's just hope they are interesting enough for people to want to read them.
There's no right or wrong answer on this test...is there?
While taking the leadership/management diagnostic in class, I was wondering if I was answering all the questions correctly or at least giving the answer closest to what I wish I could've been an option. I scored equally high on C and I, Conscientiousness and Influence, and scored second highest on D, Dominance. When having to pick one high score, Professor Kurpis believed C (conscientiousness) was my most accurate quality. I guess when it comes to my personal life, I'm more of an I (Influence) personality type: political, enthusiastic, persuasive, trusting and optimistic. However, when it comes to management, of work and academics, I'm definitely more of a C (conscientiousness) type personality. I have a tendency to be very careful with my work. I like to take my time when doing work, that way I can get it right the first time, which sometimes is a problem because it is likely to slow me down when it comes to finishing things. I'm a neat freak when it comes to handing in papers or keeping clean notes. I have my own system of studying. I love classes with professors that follow a detailed syllabus and don't mind changes in a syllabus as long as its announced to the class and not some secret, spontaneous change that will ultimately benefit nobody. I also like to know the reason behind the things that I am told to do. For example, when my parents would tell me I was not allowed to eat the entire bag of oreo cookies. I always got "Because I said so!". If I had been told exactly why I couldn't eat all of it, I would've known it was because all that garbage for food makes you sick to your stomach, and I could've avoided a serious stomach pain.
I wish I could've been a D (Dominance) personality type. I'm glad that D was at least my second highest scoring type. I think I could learn to become a type D personality. Perhaps I would turn into a D if it was needed of me to become that personality or possess some of those traits in order to succeed in my environment. I believe this assessment proved to work accurately on several people in class. However, there's always a problem when it comes to assessing someone through these type of tests. Lets say a manager does not hire someone because they scored highest in a personality type that they did not need or want for the position. They might be missing the bigger picture! A person should not be constricted to the options they are given on a test to determine who they are. What if you actually meet the person and they appear to be completely different than what the test determined? Also, assessing someone's preferences through a test is not as accurate as assessing them in person. Even if you do hire that person, their working characteristics might prove to be completely off with what the system had diagnosed them to be. A manager sets standards in their mind about the employee and can be disappointed if the standards do not match his or her behavior. I would not use this in other personal interactions. As right as it was in class with several cases, it seems to me that it would not apply all the time.
I wish I could've been a D (Dominance) personality type. I'm glad that D was at least my second highest scoring type. I think I could learn to become a type D personality. Perhaps I would turn into a D if it was needed of me to become that personality or possess some of those traits in order to succeed in my environment. I believe this assessment proved to work accurately on several people in class. However, there's always a problem when it comes to assessing someone through these type of tests. Lets say a manager does not hire someone because they scored highest in a personality type that they did not need or want for the position. They might be missing the bigger picture! A person should not be constricted to the options they are given on a test to determine who they are. What if you actually meet the person and they appear to be completely different than what the test determined? Also, assessing someone's preferences through a test is not as accurate as assessing them in person. Even if you do hire that person, their working characteristics might prove to be completely off with what the system had diagnosed them to be. A manager sets standards in their mind about the employee and can be disappointed if the standards do not match his or her behavior. I would not use this in other personal interactions. As right as it was in class with several cases, it seems to me that it would not apply all the time.
Quit daydreaming and DO SOMETHING!
I guess by now I could officially claim daydreaming to be a hobby of mine. I have many goals I'd like to accomplish in the future, and daydreaming is usually my way of planning and motivating myself all at the same time. My parents never really believed me to be much of a business person, so I never dreamed of even majoring in anything business related. Nevertheless, here I am, in a business school, working towards my marketing degree and hoping to graduate on time (fingers crossed). Many of my hobbies after this new turn of direction became more business related, however, these also go hand-in-hand with personal goals i'd like to accomplish.
For example, owning my own business. My grandmother supported five children through her many small businesses selling miscellaneous items, from food and medicine, to "potions" and used clothing. My parents supported three children through the money they made owning both a successful paint shop and a jewelry store. My sister started selling homemade brownies at the age of thirteen in her school in Ecuador and has now pursued a more corporate take in business, recently finishing her master degree in marketing. I guess it's the influence my family has had on me that has led me to wanting the things I want today. I never thought of owning my own business until I realized it wasn't impossible. I have never sold anything in my life, but who said I wouldn't be any good at it if I did? Actually, my father did. He once said I didn't have what it takes to be a successful business woman, good salesmanship, a motivation to earn money, a strong drive for success like greed. However, this new possibility of owning a business suddenly seemed like a better way of applying one of my life passions: helping other people.
I always thought in order to help other people, I had to become a teacher. My grandmother was a teacher and my mother is a teacher as well. However, they both always me discouraged me to become one due to the unfair pay teachers receive in both Ecuador and the U.S. Everything always came down to one thing: money. If there was enough money, people would receive better health care. If there was enough money, all kids would receive a proper education. If there was enough money, I would be able to follow the career I really wanted. Sadly, there's never enough money to do any of those things for most of us. Having lived in a third world country, I've witnessed too many people suffer in poverty due to another person's greed. This doesn't mean I'm dissing money or anything. However, can greed be used towards a better cause?
I looked up the definition of greed and an antonym appeared to be generosity. Now, couldn't greed be used for generosity? I guess that's what people call social corporate responsibility nowadays. My goal is to provide orphan children in third world countries (starting with my home country) a place to get educated and learn the necessary skills to succeed in the world. I've heard of a man who worked as a taxi driver in New York who bought a big house in his home country and began to open his doors to orphan children everywhere. When the number of children grew substantially, he would go back to the U.S and work until he had enough money to bring back to the "orphanage". He provided them with food, shelter, beds, and even education from teachers who volunteered their help. My vision is along the same guidelines, except more stable and reliable through donations and funding of large companies that are committed to helping this cause. It would ease the financial worries of keeping up the place (in comparison to funding it all through my personal income the entire time) and would allow me to devote more time to the lower level operations of the organization and actual orphanage.
Many children are abandoned because their parents are unable to care for them financially. I met two of these kids when I was thirteen on a family vacation back in Salinas, Ecuador. My family would usually bring along old clothes or things we no longer used or needed and donated them in our home country. This time, I had brought some old barbie dolls, a few teddy bears, and old happy meal toys I was too old to play with. I was sitting in front of my house with my father when suddenly he calls over two random kids playing around the local dump, a little boy and his older sister, over to us to give them the gifts. When they came over, I handed a doll to the girl and a few toys to the little brother. We all started talking and we asked them to tell all their friends that I had more toys to give out. Out of curiosity, I asked the girl where they lived. The little boy shrugged and she said they used to live a few towns away. That's when my dad headed to the house to grab the bag of toys and gave it all to them and told them to take it to their other friends. My father later explained to me their real situation, orphaned kids just looking to survive.
There is a point to my long story. There are three things I long to achieve:
1) To be acknowledged by my family for all the potential and ambition that I have.
2) To help others help themselves: not as charity but as the support they need to show the world THEIR potential and THEIR ambition.
3) To show the world that a business person doesn't have to be soul-less to succeed. That the trickle-down effect is not the only benefit the poor retrieve from the workings of capitalism. To be proof that ambition and hunger for money doesn't have to translate to another person's misery and misfortune.
For example, owning my own business. My grandmother supported five children through her many small businesses selling miscellaneous items, from food and medicine, to "potions" and used clothing. My parents supported three children through the money they made owning both a successful paint shop and a jewelry store. My sister started selling homemade brownies at the age of thirteen in her school in Ecuador and has now pursued a more corporate take in business, recently finishing her master degree in marketing. I guess it's the influence my family has had on me that has led me to wanting the things I want today. I never thought of owning my own business until I realized it wasn't impossible. I have never sold anything in my life, but who said I wouldn't be any good at it if I did? Actually, my father did. He once said I didn't have what it takes to be a successful business woman, good salesmanship, a motivation to earn money, a strong drive for success like greed. However, this new possibility of owning a business suddenly seemed like a better way of applying one of my life passions: helping other people.
I always thought in order to help other people, I had to become a teacher. My grandmother was a teacher and my mother is a teacher as well. However, they both always me discouraged me to become one due to the unfair pay teachers receive in both Ecuador and the U.S. Everything always came down to one thing: money. If there was enough money, people would receive better health care. If there was enough money, all kids would receive a proper education. If there was enough money, I would be able to follow the career I really wanted. Sadly, there's never enough money to do any of those things for most of us. Having lived in a third world country, I've witnessed too many people suffer in poverty due to another person's greed. This doesn't mean I'm dissing money or anything. However, can greed be used towards a better cause?
I looked up the definition of greed and an antonym appeared to be generosity. Now, couldn't greed be used for generosity? I guess that's what people call social corporate responsibility nowadays. My goal is to provide orphan children in third world countries (starting with my home country) a place to get educated and learn the necessary skills to succeed in the world. I've heard of a man who worked as a taxi driver in New York who bought a big house in his home country and began to open his doors to orphan children everywhere. When the number of children grew substantially, he would go back to the U.S and work until he had enough money to bring back to the "orphanage". He provided them with food, shelter, beds, and even education from teachers who volunteered their help. My vision is along the same guidelines, except more stable and reliable through donations and funding of large companies that are committed to helping this cause. It would ease the financial worries of keeping up the place (in comparison to funding it all through my personal income the entire time) and would allow me to devote more time to the lower level operations of the organization and actual orphanage.
Many children are abandoned because their parents are unable to care for them financially. I met two of these kids when I was thirteen on a family vacation back in Salinas, Ecuador. My family would usually bring along old clothes or things we no longer used or needed and donated them in our home country. This time, I had brought some old barbie dolls, a few teddy bears, and old happy meal toys I was too old to play with. I was sitting in front of my house with my father when suddenly he calls over two random kids playing around the local dump, a little boy and his older sister, over to us to give them the gifts. When they came over, I handed a doll to the girl and a few toys to the little brother. We all started talking and we asked them to tell all their friends that I had more toys to give out. Out of curiosity, I asked the girl where they lived. The little boy shrugged and she said they used to live a few towns away. That's when my dad headed to the house to grab the bag of toys and gave it all to them and told them to take it to their other friends. My father later explained to me their real situation, orphaned kids just looking to survive.
There is a point to my long story. There are three things I long to achieve:
1) To be acknowledged by my family for all the potential and ambition that I have.
2) To help others help themselves: not as charity but as the support they need to show the world THEIR potential and THEIR ambition.
3) To show the world that a business person doesn't have to be soul-less to succeed. That the trickle-down effect is not the only benefit the poor retrieve from the workings of capitalism. To be proof that ambition and hunger for money doesn't have to translate to another person's misery and misfortune.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Extra Credit Assignment: McDonald's, I'm not loving it. Maybe I could learn to like it?
In completing this assignment, I prepared in the steps I would take when I got to the McDonald’s restaurant. First, I wrote down the order myself on an index card in case I forgot the specific details. I had tried this once before at another McDonald’s in Staten Island on a friday night when all the high school kids roam around the mall doing absolutely nothing for hours and then invade the food court. It was ridiculously packed with people and it was also my first time going to this McDonald’s. There were only two registers open and five people working in the back. When I gave the girl at the register my order, she started punching in buttons and then told me how much was due. I thought, wait a minute--that was too quick, so I repeated my order to her to make sure she got it right and she nodded mindlessly. I still thought that was too easy. I thought this was going to take several tries and I’d have to go to at least another McDonald’s restaurant. Since it was packed, I thought I’d wait ten minutes before I approached them again to see if they had gotten my order. When I did, it turned out they had my order done all along and had completely forgotten. I complained to the employee that handed me my order, but he simply shrugged and muttered something under his breath that sounded like I don’t know. Then I asked if I could speak to the manager and he said he’d go look for him. I still don’t know if he ever found him because after waiting for fifteen more minutes, I left. It shouldn’t have taken half an hour to mess up my order and fail to give me proper customer service. That failed attempt at my special order discouraged me to get it done in time for the ten extra credit points. I was not loving it.
I tried again this afternoon at the McDonald’s on 33rd street and 3rd avenue. I brought my index card with me and thought perhaps this time I would show them the index card with the details on it, that way they’d have no excuse to mess it up (not that the previous employee had an excuse to ignore my detail order). When I got there, there weren’t too many people sitting down to eat and one person ahead of me in line to order. When my turn came, the lady behind the registered asked to take my order, which is when I took a deep breath and recited the order. She went on to punch in numbers, which is when I repeated the order twice. That’s when she finally looked up and gave me a puzzled look. I continued to explain to her that I needed these exact order details to be printed on the receipt. Her puzzled look did not disappear but she continued to keep working at it. I handed her my index card with the detailed order and asked if it could be done and if it couldn’t then I wouldn’t be placing the order. She said she could do it. She was punching in the order when suddenly she asked the girl at the register next to her for help because she couldn’t find the well-done button. The more experienced employee proceeded to help her complete the order. She turned to a worker in the back preparing the food and explained the order I was making in spanish, emphasizing the fact that that was the exact order I had described, in a tone that said “Hey! I don’t know why she wants so many pickles, but just do it, man”. After I received my receipt, I continued to wait about three minutes until I got my order. I checked that my order was correct, four disgusting pickles on the pathetic little burger, and tasted one fry to check its salt content and how fried it was. It was all in order. I don’t eat McDonald’s so I ended up giving my friend the order when I came back to the vertical campus.
I was so relieved that this attempt went well, even more glad that I did not have to ask to speak to the manager. I did not feel that there was no attitude coming from anywhere behind the register. I’m surprised she didn’t just give up on my ridiculous order and instead she asked for help from one of her employees, who was at the moment taking care of another customer. I’ve been to enough fast food restaurants to say that it doesn’t usually happen that way, even when the order is as simple as “Can I have the number value meal?”. On top of it all, the entire process of ordering my meal and getting it took an estimate of about six minutes maximum, which is considerably less than my previous effort to complete this management experiment, and how long it usually takes to get an order, even in a “fast food” restaurant. If I were brought in to McDonald’s as a consultant to help them improve their efficiency, I would stress the importance of absolute and thorough training. I understand that not all, but most people that work in fast food restaurants don’t usually work there very long therefore spending more on training turns out too costly for the company. However, adequate training can come a long way. Customer service is essential for the success and growth of a business. It increases customer loyalty, which fundamentally means a higher customer retention rate with less spending in a different cost component such as marketing and promotion, which often results to be a very expensive growth strategy.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Let's just agree to disagree!
After our first midterm exam was graded and return to us during class, the results seemed to come as an awful shock to the entire class. After hearing that basically half the class failed, I was SURE I was part of the failing half. I even told the professor I didn't want to see my score. Knowing of my chances of failure, I could've just tried and worked harder for the next one, I just didn't want to know HOW badly I did. However, when the professor told me I did want to take a look, I just hoped that wasn't him being mean. When I saw that I had passed with a good score, I gave a sigh of relief. This semester was turning into one of my most difficult semesters so far and this was good news. However, half of the class didn't get the same good news I had.
It surprised me when the professor let us decide the next exam's format and the grading for the one we had just received back. It turned into chaos at first until Bailey took initiative and began to mediate everyone's ideas. These ideas included extra credit to add points to the current exam, take home exam for the next midterm, and getting rid of the essay. Part of me took the accommodating approach. I didn't really care if I got extra credit or not and since I had passed this first exam, I was suddenly felt more at ease and confident about the testing format.
However, when I realized people began to vote against EVERY part of the testing format, I figured it was going to affect me as well in the next exam. It was also not fair! I even heard someone propose a multiple choice take-home exam. At that moment, my approach changed into collaborating more with the class discussion. I didn't want to get rid of "multiple-multiple choice" because it made it possible for me to obtain more points than the regular multiple choice format. I didn't want to get rid of the essay because it was a free format that could give me partial credit even if I had not answered every part of the essay correctly.
Participating was great and it gave me some sort of say, but it didn't always work to my advantage. When the class was asked how they felt about curving the grade instead of extra credit, I was probably the only one who wanted to keep the curve. I don't think anybody else realized that the curve would've been a better choice at the time due to the fact that we weren't deciding how much extra credit we would be receiving instead. We could've gotten 5 extra credit points when the curve would've improved some of our grades much more than that. Even though I didn't need the curve, I was just disappointed at such quick decision-making without considering all of the facts. By the end, I felt myself avoiding the discussion. I was discouraged and didn't want to participate anymore. At times, when I rose my hand to object something, it was ignored. I no longer saw the point of it.
Perhaps if I had been much more assertive and would've used the "compete to win" approach, I would've seen a result that I agreed with. However, the end results weren't so bad themselves. It was a fair decision at the end and I think the time limit on the decision-making made it all the more difficult and rushed. Perhaps if there hadn't been a time limit, our decision would've came to us quicker.
-Pam
Monday, March 15, 2010
Comic relief!
I'd like to mention that I am not the artist of this drawing or any other art posted so far in this blog. If I know who the artist is, I will credit the artist. If I post any of my own art work in the future, I will make sure it is credited appropriately. However, I found this image along with the one in the previous post on Google images and do not take credit for them. Whoever is the artist for this uterus, they should know that it is adorable!
I happened to be on stumbleupon.com, a website that helps you discover random websites around the internet at every click of the "stumble" button. The websites it directs you to obviously depend on the preferences you choose in the beginning of registering such as arts, movies, music, science, self-improvement, etc. I came across a random blog that didn't look anything special, a jewelry blog. I figured i'd give it a chance since i'm exploring. On the page was what the blog's author claimed to be a letter to Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine product, a letter that allegedly won PC magazine's 2007 editor's choice for best webmail award-winning letter. I must warn you, after reading this letter, I did more research and found a business blog that told me this wasn't so. However, whether the letter was a winner of anything or not, it is a legitimate complaint written by a real person, and it has gained popularity around the internet probably because its author is not alone in how they feel.
Here's the letter:
Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.
Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from 'the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?
As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the viole nt urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!
The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'
Are you f------ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.
For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep.
Always. . .
Wendi Aarons
Austin , T X
The author of the blog "Everything About Business Except the Bottom Line: FunnyBusiness", posts in an entry on April 7, 2009:
I didn't bother to do any more research because I honestly didn't think it important whether the letter was award-winning or if it was actually sent to Mr. James Thatcher or to someone of authority in Procter and Gamble. However, it is indeed hilarious, and joke or no joke, the message surfaced from a real place and real thoughts. I wonder how many women feel like this about the slogan? I wonder what the company did as a response once it got around? I even wondered what I would've done if I had been in the position and had the power to respond and make a change as a manager. Then again, as a woman, I don't think the words "happy" and "period" would've ever crossed my mind in the same sentence.
-Pam
No use crying over broken eggs...
In our class project, " An Eggs-cellent Way to Play", the class was assigned to plan, design, and create a devise that would protect an egg from breaking in case of a fall. My group failed this group project but it wasn't all bad. With the bad, there was also some good, and the bad is always there to teach us a lesson for the future. Here are the pros and cons of our strategic planning:
Step 1: The goals and objectives in our project were clear: design a contraption that would protect the egg in the case of a fall. We understood that at least fifty percent of the egg must be visible and what resources and the amounts that would be given to us. However, there were a lot of things we weren't clear in while planning, such as "HOW MUCH is fifty percent?" and "Are there any UNFAIR designs?"
Step 2: As for determining our resources and current project status, we knew what our resources were, eight jumbo straws and two feet of tape. Nevertheless, I don't think this was enough to plan a good design for the device. We didn't know how strong the material of the straws were, which affected how it would bend. We didn't know how long they were exactly, which affected our decision in whether to cut them up or not in order to make more pieces and how long the pieces should be. We knew how big the egg was and we figured the shortest person should drop it because it would mean a shorter fall. I guess it is also inevitable that a group leader would stand out, but we seemed to have two group leader, or more of a president/vice-president sort of thing. This leader thing sort of just happened, and because nobody else spoke up, their voices were barely heard.
Step 3: When one's voice is barely heard, it also means your input will most likely not count. Our team leaders decided on a plan and because they were so sure that it would work, there was no use refuting it. Some attempted but they were shy and their voices were overshadowed. I tried to make an input and it seemed like it was considered for a few seconds, but the time limit seemed to pressure everybody to get one solid plan and get it done with. We certainly didn't explore different options and designs, and perhaps if everyone's opinion had been considered, we could've came up with a mix of all ideas and integrated it into one solid idea. But as I previously mentioned, time puts pressure on people (besides, it was worth five extra points on our exam if we succeeded!)
Step 4: Since we didn't have "alternatives", we just ran with the one design that was decided on. As soon as we were given our resources, our plan changed slightly. There was a little bit of panicking because some of us became unsure of how much tape we would use. Some thought it wasn't enough tape, others thought it was enough. We decided to cut our straws and forgot pieces when they started falling off the desk and forgot, which resulted in a different device at first. We later found the missing pieces but it was no longer the same device we had originally designed. There was one person assigned to design and draw the device out, and later I noticed that it slightly resembled what we had designed, but it wasn't exactly what I had pictured. There was too much tape, inefficient placement of straw pieces, some improvisation as to how the rest of the egg would be covered, and by the end I was afraid we had covered more than fifty percent of the egg. Everyone was looking so confident that I thought maybe I was being the paranoid one so I let it go. When it was our turn to drop the egg, we failed. Our plan was not idiot-proof.
Looking back at it, there were many things we should've done that we failed to do. We should've planned different alternatives in case our vision changed once we had received our resources. We should've had more input from everyone and others' opinions should've been considered. We also should've taken longer to decide on a plan, the best ideas come later in the planning process. We should've asked if some ideas would've been unfair (the majority of the people complained about the winning group because their device didn't seem fair but it did indeed play by the rules). However, this will only serve to remind us on our next planning project on the steps should be taken in order to create a successful plan in the future. Thank goodness this time it was only an egg.
Monday, March 1, 2010
"Find yourself, I'm right here": Living through the culture shock
My father lived in New York during his teens and later served in the United States Air Force, so having spent a substantial part of his life in the U.S, he had developed an "American lifestyle". I was raised under this hybrid of American and Ecuadorian value system, which might explain why every time I would watch Home Alone, I'd ask my father "Daddy, when are we moving to the U.S?"
At the age of nine, my family and I moved to New York. Even though my household was relatively Americanized, the culture shock still impacted me. For nine years, I only truly knew one world and that world was Guayaquil, Ecuador. It only took a seven hour plane ride to change everything.
This new land was amazing! It had all four seasons, not just two, which was pretty exciting to tell you the truth. I mean, shopping for four seasons? The thought of it was just nuts to me! It was also the first time I had heard the now familiar summer jingle of the ice cream truck, a jingle that soon replaced the simple bell ringing from the ice cream man riding his bicycle around the unpaved neighborhood. But the biggest change wasn't material but more of a change of perception of the world.
When I started the fourth grade classes in the Middle of February, classes were already in session and I was put into this elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, in a bilingual classroom that was supposed to make it easier to learn English. In a classroom full of bilingual kids, you'd think they'd have some sympathy for someone who only knows one language? They didn't. No mercy. I was on my own when it came to learning the language, and I learned that the key was repetition. One thing I kept hearing kids say was "I don't feel like doing this" or "I feel like doing that". I didn't know what this meant exactly and I asked my parents, but they didn't really know how to explain it. Even once I learned what it meant, I didn't know how to translate it into my own language.
The idea of an inner motivation that was so intense that it could keep you from doing your chores or wanting to eat the liver stew your mother made for dinner was so strange to me. It's not like people in my culture didn't voice their choices of not liking something or doing something because they liked it. The difference was, or at least what it seemed to be, that when you "feel like doing something" or "don't feel like it", you're indirectly showing preference for no apparent reason. You just did it because you did it and that was that.
As I got accustomed to the American culture, I understood the concept better, and later I realized that Americans valued the individual and his or her points of views and input much more than my culture, where the value and focus was more on the family and not as much on its individual members. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being raised as an Ecuadorian in a place where American values must be adapted was much more intense than the original mixture of American and Ecuadorian values. It made figuring out life and my priorities a whole lot more difficult. However, it made me a stronger person because of it.
It's been eleven years since I stepped out of that plane. Seeing myself as a bilingual Hispanic woman, getting an education and working hard towards my career, i realize the culture shock was not in vain.
At the age of nine, my family and I moved to New York. Even though my household was relatively Americanized, the culture shock still impacted me. For nine years, I only truly knew one world and that world was Guayaquil, Ecuador. It only took a seven hour plane ride to change everything.
This new land was amazing! It had all four seasons, not just two, which was pretty exciting to tell you the truth. I mean, shopping for four seasons? The thought of it was just nuts to me! It was also the first time I had heard the now familiar summer jingle of the ice cream truck, a jingle that soon replaced the simple bell ringing from the ice cream man riding his bicycle around the unpaved neighborhood. But the biggest change wasn't material but more of a change of perception of the world.
When I started the fourth grade classes in the Middle of February, classes were already in session and I was put into this elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, in a bilingual classroom that was supposed to make it easier to learn English. In a classroom full of bilingual kids, you'd think they'd have some sympathy for someone who only knows one language? They didn't. No mercy. I was on my own when it came to learning the language, and I learned that the key was repetition. One thing I kept hearing kids say was "I don't feel like doing this" or "I feel like doing that". I didn't know what this meant exactly and I asked my parents, but they didn't really know how to explain it. Even once I learned what it meant, I didn't know how to translate it into my own language.
The idea of an inner motivation that was so intense that it could keep you from doing your chores or wanting to eat the liver stew your mother made for dinner was so strange to me. It's not like people in my culture didn't voice their choices of not liking something or doing something because they liked it. The difference was, or at least what it seemed to be, that when you "feel like doing something" or "don't feel like it", you're indirectly showing preference for no apparent reason. You just did it because you did it and that was that.
As I got accustomed to the American culture, I understood the concept better, and later I realized that Americans valued the individual and his or her points of views and input much more than my culture, where the value and focus was more on the family and not as much on its individual members. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being raised as an Ecuadorian in a place where American values must be adapted was much more intense than the original mixture of American and Ecuadorian values. It made figuring out life and my priorities a whole lot more difficult. However, it made me a stronger person because of it.
It's been eleven years since I stepped out of that plane. Seeing myself as a bilingual Hispanic woman, getting an education and working hard towards my career, i realize the culture shock was not in vain.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Internet comic book aficionado seeks a stable internet connection that won't break her heart
" I just wanted to say that I'm a nerd, and I'm here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds. I mean uh, all our lives we've been laughed at and made to feel inferior. And tonight, those bastards, they trashed our house. Why? Cause we're smart? Cause we look different? Well, we're not. I'm a nerd, and uh, I'm pretty proud of it."
-Gilbert Lowell, Revenge of the Nerds
I don't know when it became so cool to be a nerd but it wasn't when this movie came out though. I just like the quote, hehe.
My name is Pam and I'm an online comic book fan. The only reason why I don't often pick up a REAL comic book is due to 1) this is cheaper and 2) there's too many to choose from, I never know where to start from. Last illustrated novel I read was Watchmen, which was fantastic (and way better than the movie, of course!). My only problem with the internet is that I have an awful connection at home. This also might be the reason why I've never had a blog before. It seems like everyone has had one or has one nowadays. One of my favorites is Overheard in New York, which is basically posts of weird things people overhear in trains, street, or just anywhere in New York. I haven't found anyone who doesn't love that website because we've all gone through most, if not, every "overheard moment" posted there!
These are some of their one-liners:
Girl reading sign at Frank Lloyd Wright museum: Oh... He was an architect!
--Guggenheim Museum
--Guggenheim Museum
______
20-something girl correcting her friend's text message: No, you don't need an apostrophe there. It's "hos," plural, not "of or pertaining to a ho."
--M15 Bus
--M15 Bus
______
Tourist: I read about this place in that New York book I got from the library.
Guy in line: Did it also tell you that when it's a full moon everything is half off?
Tourist to friend: Dude! We should just both get the large, then.
Friend: I love this town and its little quirks like this.
--Gray's Papaya
Guy in line: Did it also tell you that when it's a full moon everything is half off?
Tourist to friend: Dude! We should just both get the large, then.
Friend: I love this town and its little quirks like this.
--Gray's Papaya
_____
Comics aren't the only things that consume my spare time. I'm also a movie fanatic, write a lot and read [things that don't have drawings on them]. My favorite books are The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut. I'm the Marketing Director at WBMB Baruch College Radio [it is that room next to the game room and the USG offices] and our doors are always open to students and faculty [except for those days that..you know..no school, ha]. Music is my life and I hope to be able to work in the music industry in the future. I also hope this semester is a good one. This year seems pretty promising in general.
:D
-Pam
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