Tania Samsonova pointed me to this Russian-English language book because of its amusing stick figures and hilarious dialogue. To wit:

How do loafers live?
At work they steal pencils.
In parks they conduct themselves badly.

I laughed when I saw this dialogue:

- Who are you?
– I am a young shock-worker.
- What does that mean?
– That means that I work with enthusiasm.
- The public wants to know why you work with enthusiasm.
– I like to work with enthusiasm. I am a young shock-worker.

Thanks, Tania!

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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Another wonderful day… =)

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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Here's what makes me happy at work. =) For me, writing and passing test cases is a lot more fun than testing websites interactively. Also, Drupal development is a good part of my work, but I also do lots of other things I enjoy that I'm not specifically paid for. =)

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If you have a clear picture of what makes you happy, it becomes easier to transform things you don't particularly enjoy doing into things that you do. I like to think of this as happy-do: the martial art of happiness.

Like aikido, happy-do is about using your opponent's energy to "gain control of them or to throw them away from you." (from the Aikido FAQ). Like judo, it's about timing and leverage. In both aikido and judo, the first thing a beginner learns is ukemi–how to fall safely. Then they learn different ways to transform other people's force while developing flexibility, speed, and proficiency. In happy-do, you start with being able to see the silver lining and pick yourself up off the ground, and then you learn how to make things even better.

Yesterday was a fantastic happy-do day. I turned some of my most frustrating tasks into things I enjoy. For example, I really don't like working with clunky databases where I can't find the information I want. I needed to get a better sense of the documents relevant to our project phase, though. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the jumble of documents, I spent some time learning how to make a database view that showed me only items created this quarter. It made things so much better. I helped my team members learn how to make it for themselves, too. That turned the task of working with clunky databases into the more enjoyable activities of learning something new, building tools, relentlessly improving processes, and helping others grow, too.

I also don't enjoy writing design documents, particularly as I get frustrated when the word processor I use messes up my layout when I insert images. Instead of struggling with the word processor and with the tiny eraser-type mouse on my laptop, I imported the wireframs into my favorite drawing program and used my tablet to move things around. That turned it from the frustrating task of working on design documents into drawing, one of the things I enjoy a lot.

My last example–and all of this was just yesterday!–is about exercise. I'm not particularly fond of cardiovascular exercise (yet), and I never liked running (too much impact). I also don't really enjoy commuting, which is one of the reasons why I try to work from home as much as possible. =) But if I take exercise and commuting, and I throw a bicycle into that mix, it becomes a whole lot more fun! After work yesterday, I biked to Yonge and Bloor (a good 30 minutes with a number of inclines), picked up some lightweight interfacing for a sewing project and some more Vogue patterns to try, and then biked back. That was a lot of fun, and it was good for me. Hooray!

Map out things you enjoy doing, and think about how you can transform your other tasks into something like them. Not all tasks lend themselves well to happy-do–sometimes you just have to do what you have to do–but you might be surprised at what you can transform. Enjoy!

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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Thinking about what makes you happy is a good way to tweak your life so that you do more of the things that make you happier.

Here's an incomplete, not-to-scale map of things that make me happy. I started by brainstorming lots of things, then moving them around in the Inkscape drawing program (it's like magnetic poetry with an infinite refrigerator door!) until order emerged. Also, reading the book Back of the Napkin helped.

I've divided into things I do with other people and things I do with myself, and I'll add more as other things occur to me.

What's your happiness map? Here's how you can figure it out:

1. Take a whole bunch of sticky notes, index cards, or other things you can write ideas on.
2. List all the things you do that you enjoy.
3. Move them around until an order makes sense. I sorted mine in order of increasing happiness, and then I grouped them by type.

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This was also fun to make. =)

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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It's been a while since I posted a sketch!

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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And for the geeks, here's the Graphviz dot file that created the graph in How to do a lot. Posting here because I know I'm going to forget, and also because it's so cool…

digraph {
  label = "Do things that complement each other";
  subgraph {
    rank=same
    experimenting
    programming
  }
  writing
  presenting
  programming -> writing  [label="new experience"]
  experimenting -> writing [label="new experience"]
  programming -> experimenting [label="automation"]
  experimenting -> programming [label="improvements"]
  writing -> presenting [label="content,\nopportunity"]
  presenting -> writing [label="content"]
  writing -> programming [label="reflection,\nideas"]
  writing -> experimenting [label="reflection,\nideas"]
  presenting -> experimenting [label="ideas"]
  experimenting -> presenting [label="improvements"]
}

I created it with the command:

dot -Nfontsize=10 -Efontsize=11 FILENAME -o OUTPUTFILENAME -Tpng

The result:

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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Amy Shuen inspired me to prepare a spreadsheet for estimating the value created by my talks. (You can open the spreadsheet in OpenOffice.org or Lotus Symphony, both free office suites.) She'll be including some of the numbers in tomorrow's IBM Web 2.0 for Business community call on ROI of Web 2.0 at Work. I thought I'd make the numbers a little easier to grasp, so I spent an hour and a half making this:

Full-size images at public-speaking-1.png and public-speaking-2.png.

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(click for larger version)

Event details at lifecampto.eventbrite.com

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Click on the image to view a larger version.

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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Attempts to provide Luke with other heated surfaces (heated cat bed, a radiator, my lap, etc.) have proved ineffective.

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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As a favor to Stephen Perelgut (one of my mentors) and because I happen to really like working with IBM, I participated in today's campus event at the University of Toronto. We were supposed to set up tables at the atrium of the Bahen Centre, but the power outlets didn't work, so we moved to another room. The room was a little out of the way, but Cathy Sardellitti and Sarah Weiss did a great job at diverting some of the traffic to our room.

Representatives from most of IBM's software brands set up their laptops with demos to show. I was the only person representing IBM Global Business Services. I had originally been a bit worried about whether I could make it through the four hours, much less muster the courage to strike up conversations with everyone (or deal with the rejection of seeing everyone walk by!). I knew it would be good practice, though, so I said yes. When the students came in, I was too busy trying to draw people into conversation to worry about whether people would talk to me! <laugh>

I set up this presentation to loop on my computer:

… and I invited people to ask me about IBM's services and about what IBM is like for new graduates. I must've talked to about 25 people, mostly students who were interested in either internship opportunities or in full-time employment after graduation. It was great to reassure them that yes, IBM was still hiring. In the process of describing what life is like as a new grad, I realized that I really appreciate the flexibility that working in consulting gives me. I can help clients solve problems using both IBM and non-IBM technologies. I'm always learning new things. I can explore my interest in both about business and software development. And I'm doing all of this within a support structure that means I've got plenty of people and resources to learn from.

I also learned a lot by talking to the other representatives. They told me what they loved about their work, and they shared ideas for making the campus event even better. I really enjoyed chatting with other IBMers who were also passionate about what they do. =)

I think it was a good event. We helped some people who hadn't originally considered working for such a large company see the benefits of doing so, and we answered lots of people's questions. I'd do it again. It was a good experience, and next time, I'd probably find it easier to start the conversations!

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(click to view full-size)

Hmm. I'm using the wrong mouse again.

*clomp* *clomp*

"Yes, honey?"

"You'd be surprised by the range of these wireless mice."

Look! I'm learning how to draw! It's _all_ about vector drawing…

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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Fun with friends is fine and dandy; chefs and waiters, pretty handy;
But it's clear in every case that home remains the bestest place.

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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What an incredible year!

We took two trips to Manila: the first to introduce W- and J- to my family, and the second to attend the wedding of one of my best friends from high school. It was well worth all those nights of rice and beans–which were delicious, so that was no sacrifice. I can't tell you how wonderful it is that W- can joke about local details like Cash and Carry or my barkada's hijinks. Manang Norma taught him how to make laing and pinakbet, and my dad taught both of us about high-speed photography. My godparents interrogated W- over tea, which (in the classic Filipino tradition) lasted until late evening. Now that he knows more about the home where I grew up, I feel more at home here in Canada.

During our trip, W- and J- met Mali, the elephant my dad takes care of at the zoo, and we all enjoyed feeding her bananas. I also introduced them to my cat, Neko. She gave W- the seal of approval by deigning to sit on his lap, which she doesn't do for just anybody.

The trips were full of experiences. We went to Pagsanjan Falls, Tagaytay, and a few other interesting places in the Philippines. My dad flew us around the ricefields and rivers of Angeles in an ultralight plane. We were serenaded by the UP Singing Ambassadors over dinner, too!

We've been practicing photography, and have started buying glass (lenses) and light (flashes). We've been getting plenty of practices at events like W-'s grandfather's 98th birthday, at which we all had a turn at being photographers – and being voice-activated light stands. We had our very first fashion shoot, too, taking pictures of J- in her back-to-school clothes.

This was the year of baked awesomes. I told W- a story about egg tarts and how some boys used to bring them for my family while courting, and he promptly figured out how to make egg tarts that beat anything you'd find at Lord Stow's Bakery. He sometimes surprises me with freshly-baked cinnamon rolls or corn-bread muffins. Not to be outdone, I occasionally make cakes or piles of cookies. We've perfected our own <insert favourite topping> oatmeal cookie recipe, and have put it to good use during play-dates, tea parties, and dinner parties.

Fortunately, we've been reasonably active. During the earlier part of the year, W- and I took krav maga and yoga lessons. J- has just received her yellow belt in aikido, and is taking swimming lessons, too. Now that the weather's cooler and the mosquitoes have disappeared, we've started hiking the Bruce Trail. The GPS unit W- picked up prevents us from getting too lost, and that's nice to know when it's cold and snowy.

I'm slowly getting the hang of winter. The hats I picked up at a Tilley sale are good at keeping my ears warm and my spirits up. The hiking staff helps me navigate slush and ice. And there are little things to look forward to – winter walks with W-, tobogganing down the hill… Well, I'm here, so I might as well find something to get me through!

On a wintry day, there's only one thing more wonderful than having a warm, purring cat: having two! The story begins with Magic, a stray cat who followed us home one fall evening, and became our guest for two weeks while we searched for her original owners. Shortly after we returned Magic to her grateful family, we adopted Leia from Toronto Animal Services. After Leia recovered from her sniffles and was spayed, she became such a wonderful cat that we just had to adopt another one. Thus Luke entered our lives. There's never a dull moment with those two around, especially when they hear the fridge, microwave, crinkling plastic, or any sound associated with feeding time.

It's been a terrific year at IBM, too. I've gotten really deeply into Drupal hacking, and I'm having a lot of fun. I've also facilitated a number of workshops and delivered talks on Web 2.0, social networking, and Generation Y. My team keynoted a couple of conferences – that was fun, too. I developed my own presentation style (ooh, stick figures) that made my self-introduction one of the winners of Slideshare.net's Worldwide Best Presentation Contest. I'm totally rocking my work. You know, I might be getting the hang of application development and consulting… this is cool!

I've been learning a lot outside work. After four chapters of my Emacs book, I got distracted with all the cool Drupal stuff I did at IBM, so Emacs hacking got put on hold. I've recently resumed tweaking my configuration and sharing my notes, and I'm looking forward to more Emacs customization. I'm working on my visual communication skills, challenging myself to express abstract ideas through photographs (stock images or my own) and doodles. I'm getting better at connecting the dots between people and other people, ideas, or resources for making things happen, and that's tons of fun too.

What's next for me in 2009? More Drupal and Emacs hacking – there's so much I can do now, and I can't wait to learn more. I'd like to think about and share more things we've learned from social computing at IBM, too. I also want to learn how to organize events, and I'm volunteering to help with some of my favorite events in Toronto. I want to learn more about regularly connecting with people, and I hope to have monthly dinner parties and other get-togethers. I'm looking forward to learning more about illustrating and writing, and you'll see stuff like that in my blog. I still have a lot of paperwork to do for my permanent residency application, but I hope to get that sorted out next year. I'm looking forward to 2009 – it'll be awesome, too!

Happy holidays! Tell me about your year in a blog post or a comment – I'd love to know your 2008 highlights and 2009 plans!

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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A quick sketch of the highlights of my year:

Letter and photos to follow! =)

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
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The way I prepare presentations has changed quite a lot since I started speaking in public in 2002. (Wow, it's been six years!) I was preparing a presentation for Concordia University students on Web 2.0 at work, and I figured that it's gotten to the point where I can actually explain to other people how I do it. In the process, I'm sure we'll figure out ways to do things even better. =) Here's what I did:

I started by writing some details about the talk along the top of the page: where it is and who's attending. Then I drew two stick figures: one for people going into the talk, and one for people going out of the talk.

I focused on the people going out of the talk. What did I want them to be able to do? What did I want them to understand? What did I want them to feel?

After I sketched the outcome, I went to the beginning. What would people be thinking, going in? What would be their experiences and assumptions?

Then I drew an arrow from the person going in to the person going out. Somehow, my presentation would need to help people get from point A to point B.

I added lots of arrows feeding into that main arrow. Which stories could help people move towards the outcome? I listed as many stories as I could.

Then I started mindmapping the presentation so that I could group similar elements and flesh things out in more detail. I wrote my key message on the right side. Then I broke it down into parts, which I refined further. I cross-referenced it against the first page to see if I had any other stories that fit in nicely, and to make sure that all the parts I wanted to include were related to the arrow between point A and point B.

And then it was storyboard time! =D I didn't have any storyboard templates lying around (maybe I should print some!), so I used graphing paper instead. I could've used my Cintiq for this and the previous steps, but graphing paper had been more convenient when I started, and it didn't cost me that much more time. =)

It was strange making a storyboard for the presentation. I'd hear snippets of the presentation in my head – sudden snatches of potential transitions and ways to illustrate topics. I started from the first slide and followed the images as they flowed. There are better ways to illustrate these things, I'm sure, but this was a good start! =)

After I created the storyboard, I opened up Inkscape and brought out my Cintiq tablet. I made a grid of 800 pixel by 600 pixel rectangles, 5 rectangles across and 9 rectangles down. I set the rectangle fills to black and my pencil color to white, and then I started drawing. I occasionally cleaned things up with the node tool and the delete button, both mapped to shortcut keys on my tablet.

A couple of hours later, it was done.

Then I needed to figure out how to get it into a presentation. I didn't want to export each frame, because it was hard to keep things in sequence and inconvenient to rearrange slides in the presentation software. Instead, I exported the entire thing as a large image. I used ImageMagick (convert -crop 800x600 slides.png slide_%d.png) to slice the image into tiles, and the OpenOffice.org Photo Album extension to import all of the slides. Bonus: they imported in sequence!

I saved the slides as ODP and PPT, and exported the slides as PDF. Et voila:

The slides don't make sense without me, but that's okay. =) I may make a standalone version if it works out.

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
Check out my blog for tips on managing virtual assistants, Drupal, and other topics!

Text:

• IBM's Innovation Jam was a lot of fun. I focused on it because it was a great opportunity to connect cross IBM and share ideas. I posted more than 200 messages!
• I still got real work done. Our site users will be able to save searches.
• Worked on some scenarios for Gen Y banking. Looking forward to Boston workshop.
• Started on red wool jacket. Outer layer is done.
• Bought gadgets – Logitech Pro 9000 webcam, Logitech Nano mouse. Both work with Linux.
• Found a Filipino costume for an upcoming Virtual Cultural Festival in SecondLife.
• One of my role models left the company. Felt frustrated. Wondering how to make things better. Someday…

Priorities for next week:

• Mentoring session on Tuesday: ask good questions, learn lots
• Demo of intranet tools to client VP
• Flight to Boston for workshop. Whee!

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
Check out my blog for tips on managing virtual assistants, Drupal, and other topics!

I'm working on a red jacket now. I've been meaning to pick up a red jacket, but I'd never found a dark red jacket with clean and simple lines… so now I'm making one. It helped that there was a sale on Vogue sewing patterns, and that I'd stumbled across this deep red wool while W- was picking up fabric for the dining room cushions.

In other news, sketching is so much easier in a vector drawing program where I can edit my mistakes. Thank you, Inkscape!

Post from: sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek.
Check out my blog for tips on managing virtual assistants, Drupal, and other topics!