going wi-fi
Read an interesting article about
Boston going wi-fi in the Boston Globe magazine this weekend.
There was this observation about people's innate desire to connect with others, the fear of being alone. For example, why do people congregate in cafes to work on their laptops when, in theory, they would get more work done if they worked at home, alone, without distractions? Wi-fi seems to satisfy this need to feel a part of something, a sense of involvement in one's surroundings, community, etc. allowing one to interact with others whenever, wherever, and however they choose. Are we losing anything in this world of instant communication? gratification?
Check out
NewburyOpen.net for Wi-fi locations in Boston.
SalemOpen.net if you are ever in Salem :)
In other news,
Adobe Aquires Macromedia. Wow!!! Hopefully that means more integration between the different applications.
pimps and hos
Went out last night with Chi, Hien, Huong, and Eddie. They wanted to check out this MIT grad party, the theme was 'Pimps & Hos'. How ironic? We are speaking of MIT after all. I decided to dress as a 'pimp'. Boy, did I get a lot of stares walking around Harvard Square carrying a cane, dressed in a white coat, black pants, and gray fedora. Had gone to meet the girls at Borders and headed back to Hien's place to pick up Eddie and let the girls change into their 'ho' gear. You ever notice how most 'ho' gear is made of materials that never needs to be ironed i.e. mesh, jersey, leather, corsets.... Found myself in the role of fashion consultant :) advising Eddie and Hien what to wear. Lol ! Picts will be coming soon once Hien e-mails them to me.
I must say that a cane is the one item that really completes a 'pimp' outfit. Now where in the world did I get a cane, you ask? My sis, Jo, got it as a graduation gift from her college. Back in the day when Amherst college was all male, it was a tradtion to give students of the graduating class a cane. The founders of the tradition must have thought it would look very distinguished when they became elderly gentlemen. When Amherst went co-ed, they stopped giving out canes. Jo's class decided to have the tradition reinstated. Being part of a 'pimp' outfit was probably not on the minds of the original founders. Young'uns these days :) "Why do pimps carry canes?" Chi questioned....I had no idea, but after seeing a few drunk people fighting later that night, I can see why a cane might come in handy. Poor Eddie, he tried to break up the fight, but of course, no one was going to take a guy dress as a pimp seriously, especially when they are busy beating the crap outta each other. He had no authority whatsoever! I thought is was funny how down he was about it, after all he's the resident tutor. LOL!
Party was a bit of a let-down. Hardly anyone dressed up.... Met an artist though,
Eric, and was invited to an opening of a show he's working on. It happens to be on Fashion and Art :) Should be interesting.
pubbing for knapp
Been working on a advertising campaign for work. We needed some publicity on the services that we offered here. Finally done after two weeks. Some picts below. Had fun making the icons in the last pict. They are being printed on business cards in matching colors :)The motorcyle idea was probably due to my recent visit to vietnam. Kept thinking about how I miss riding on the back of bikes there:)
driveway dancing
Spent the weekend with the nieces. After we had gone to the library to pick out some cartoons and given them a breakfast of waffles, we headed home. As we pulled up to the driveway, one of Jo's favorite songs came on, Annie Lennox's 'Walking on Broken Glass'. Instead of just taking the girls upstairs, we turned up the volume, left the doors to the SUV open and started dancing with them in the driveway. I'm sure the neighbors thought we were crazy, but it was so warm out and the kids were having so much fun. A little craziness is worth it to see my nieces laughing :)
Below are some picts of me hanging out with Thuy and Lana in Boston Common yesturday. Click on picts for larger image.
source of creativity
Been pondering on this subject a bit lately after hearing that 'creativity' is a problem amongst students in Asia. There is even a book about it:
"Why Asians are Less Creative than Westerners" by Ng Aik Kwang. Haven't gotten around to finding a copy to read yet, but will be looking into it.
So what is
creativity exactly and what does it stem from? Is it just one's personal drive to be
original? How does one define 'originailty' in the creative process? What factors play a role in shaping it? developing it? supressing it? And why are Westerners more creative than Asians? A large part of it, I think, has to do with the business market and its demands on creativity. If there is not much demand for it, then there is less invested and less progress made.
In the States and Europe, the marketing of a product is focused largely on the originality and/or functionality of a design. In parts of Asia, I find that the focus seems to be more on the
price. Why put effort into research and development of a design when someone else has already done it? They can create something similiar for cheaper, which will sell just as well or better than the original item because of its lower selling point. There is no need to invest in the originality of a design when one can still make a profit without it.
How does this affect students and people who are interested in working for these businesses in design? Unfortunately, they tend to conform to a job description that not does necessitate them to think creatively.
Another factor is the amount of diversity in the West. Through interactions with people of other cultures and backgrounds, there is more exposure to different ideas, leading to an openess to understanding. Exploring these influences develops creativity. When there is less of these types of interactions, I think the progress of creativity is truly hindered.
the beginning of good-byes
I just got my last performance review back at work today and it nearly made me cry. Not because it was bad or anything, but because I'm starting to realize what a big step I'm making. All I'm leaving behind. A job that I loved and the friendships that have developed along the way. Already, I am hearing good-byes. I just want to tell them, 'NOT YET! You are not allowed to feel sad yet... I still have four more months here'.
Four more months of coming into work knowing that I'll be missed when I'm gone. Realizing that I'm going to miss them just as much.
