Recent Thoughts

It's been a long time since I last blogged...so just wanna write down some recent thoughts...

Taking Risks:

While I've enjoyed my 1st rotation in my job so far (plenty of exposure and given a lot of responsibility), somehow I felt that something is still amiss. At the beginning, I thought it was probably because I was kind of disappointed with my level of creativity at my work. I always pride myself to be the "guy with the ideas" and consider my ability to day-dream aloud as my strength. Although I've recently experienced a rejuvenated rush of ideas (3 new ideas last week :) ), most of the new ideas can't really be applied to my work (though some of them were inspired by my work). Initially, I attributed that to a lack of in-depth knowledge of real estate and a lack of time commitment to continue to read up on a wide variety of topics (I used to subscribe to over 250 RSS feeds that cover media, econ, business, china, japan, design, politics, internet, nanotech etc).

However, lately, I begin to see another dimension of my "frustration". A big part of the fun in generating ideas is the actual execution of these ideas and see if they work at all. In the past I've had my fair share of minor successes and (mostly) failures in trying to make my ideas a reality. I always thought that I owe it to the ideas to at least try them out and see if they deserve a place in reality, and most importantly, I always had fun doing it. But to try out an idea means taking risks, which I'm slowly beginning to see as the reason for a lack of that special spark.

Before I got married and started work, many things that seem low-risk back then are now becoming fairly risky. For instance, when I had that "myschooltube" idea in Berkeley, I just went ahead and did it. I didn't have to worry about how it'd affect my grades because firstly, I always thought grades are a bad gauge of a person's true ability and more importantly, even if I had bad grades I'd be the only one liable. In other words, most of the risks I took are "self-contained". These days it's a different story. If I want to try out an idea, I'd need to think of how it'd affect my performance at work, my wife and family and for ideas associated with my work, I'd need to really justify them from the perspective of the company. Hence, even though I might have a big appetite for risks, because my actions these days would also have a big impact on others, I often need to consider their risk appetite as well.

Case in point: I was trying to push for the use of Google Earth as a new marketing platform for our project and when I finally got a quotation from this consultant, I started having second thoughts and began making direct comparison with the cost of just making a video fly-through animation. Whilst in the past I might have just gone ahead and do it, I'm now taking more time to consider (especially since I know full-well the impact of cost as I'm also the one running the financial model). I'm not saying that having more time to work out the various scenarios is necessary a bad thing, in fact it's probably for the better as it'd allow me to have a more complete picture, but somehow one has to balance it out with the opportunity cost of wasted time, especially if the idea is a fairly new and might constitute substantial first-mover advantage.

Clearly, there has to be a balance between risk and return. Looking back my 6 months in the 1st rotation, while I must say I've learnt a lot and seen a lot, I don't think I'm taking enough risk given the kind of "reward" I have in mind. I don't see the "Just Do It" Michael that I know I am. I think I ought to take more calculated risks moving forward.

Is there such thing as a stupid question?

2 weeks ago I had a pretty good conversation with my colleague on the question above. We were chatting about our experience so far in the company, and while we both had plenty of good things to say, our chat inevitably arrived at a discussion on what's lacking and we both agreed that there's a certain stigma in asking questions in the company. I do think there's a general sense of encouragement to speak up, but somehow reactions to certain questions often serve to counter someone to really speak up.

There is of course the element of being respectful, especially in an Asian setting, while posing questions. I must confess the EQ involved is certainly something I myself also need to improve on, but beyond paying attention to being respectful so that we don't offend anyone unnecessarily while posing questions, I suspect that there's another barrier to asking questions in our work culture. To me, if I pay respect to the person whom I'm asking the question, I'd like the other guy to treat the question seriously, regardless of how irrelevant he/she might think of it.

In reality, it's much harder to practice and hence I make a conscious effort to have this mindset that "there's no such thing as a stupid question". Now I know I'm pretty thick-skin so appearing stupid is not really a show-stopper for me but I could imagine it being a significant barrier for some, and that's a major innovation-killer. If I have to go through all these filters of whether I'm using the most appropriate and respectful tone and then have to worry about whether I'd jeopardize my "reputation" as a "not-so-stupid person", then it's quite likely that I'd just skip the question. There is, of course, a continuous degree of this stifling effect, and while we're probably somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, we really need to change if we want to achieve the vision of becoming a "world-class" and "entrepreneurial" organization. Indeed, I think it'd really do us a lot of good if all of us start developing the mindset that "there's no such thing as a stupid question".

Wooden Mirror Computer

"Wooden Mirror: by Daniel Rozin
Incredible ... a mirror made completely of wood, comtrolled by a camera and computer.
830 square pieces of wood, 830 servo motors, control electronics, video camera, computer, wood frame.
Size - W 67" x H 80" x D 10" (170cm , 203cm, 25cm).
Built in 1999, this is the first mechanical mirror I built. This piece explores the line between digital and physical, using a warm and natural material such as wood to portray the abstract notion of digital pixels"

Amazing!

Things look better in slow motion!

Amazing slow-mo camera!

Zeitgeist Movie - Conspiracy Theory?

Rather thought-provoking...fact or fiction? You decide.

I live in Singapura (MTV version)

hahaha...pretty creative

Amazing table!!

Cool Intel video on the future

Saw this on Ben's blog...pretty cool~

Street-singing in Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay's now my favorite street-singing spot in Singapore! It's a lively place, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. I usually setup my spot on the bridge that links from Clarke Quay to Riverside Point; it's got regular foot traffic and yet a fair distance away from all the pubs and restaurants on both sides of the river such that it's not as noisy compared to Orchard. Incidentally, I happened to know the architect, Stephen Pimpley, who designed Clarke Quay...I'm thankful that he has created such a vibrant place in Singapore...and a great place for a street-singer like me.


And I bumped into an old friend, Ah Ping, from my Michigan days while doing my thing at Clarke Quay...what a pleasant surprise!


Tourist, being tourist, just love to take picture of the random street-singer...


As the world goes by...

Laminar flow - how is this possible?

Spacenavigator in Google Earth, Virtual Earth

In Virtual Earth


In Google Earth

Future of Multi-Touch (by Perceptive Pixel)

This should be in every household/shopping mall 10 years from now.


Or see how Jeff Han explains this creation...

Tommy Emmanuel Concert

Last night Tammy gave me a big surprise by bringing us to the Tommy Emmanuel concert in Esplanade. I have no idea he was in town and I'd definitely kicked myself if I missed this one...so once again I gotta thank my fav girl for making this happen...I've never heard a guitar being played like the way Tommy did with his...all those YouTube clips don't do him justice...he's so damn good playing live! While he's well-known for his blazing fast fingerpicking, the number which stood out most was "Over the Rainbow"....I almost cried after he finished playing it. It is absolute heaven...


Me and da Man after the show...he was signing autograph outside of Harry's...


Tommy's signature...we got the picture for S$5...couldn't afford those $71 DVD that they were selling...


Tommy and Paul Ponnudorai (another great local musician who even had a Time article to his name!) jamming away at Harry's...it was great to be able to see close-up as they jam away...


A short clip of them jamming away...sorry for the bad lighting...


One of Tommy's best clips on YouTube....absolutely brilliant!


Tommy playing Angelina...a song he wrote for his daughter...


And so it goes...


Over the rainbow....beautiful....this one can move you to tears...

The greatest "Thriller" Dance (by Philippines inmates)

When 1,500 inmates have too much time on their hands....must-watch!

A war gone wrong..

Somehow I never gotta see footages like this while in US...

V for Vendetta

I just re-watched "V for Vendetta", one of my all-time top 100 movies. What a great movie it was! Here's some memorable lines from V:

V: [Evey pulls out her mace] I can assure you I mean you no harm.
Evey Hammond: Who are you?
V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey Hammond: Well I can see that.
V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey Hammond: Oh. Right.
V: But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona.
V: Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
[carves V into poster on wall]
V: The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.
[giggles]
V: Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
Evey Hammond: Are you like a crazy person?
V: I am quite sure they will say so. But, to whom am I speaking with?
Evey Hammond: I'm Evey.
V: Evey? E-V. Of course you are.
Evey Hammond: What does that mean?
V: It means that I, like God, do not play with dice and I don't believe in coincidences.

And here's the speech V broadcast to the whole of UK:



V: Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine- the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone's death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, a celebration of a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat. There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence. Last night I destroyed the Old Bailey, to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot.

Snail Transformer

Great CGI work here man!

Creative video on Bush

Japanese Tetris Game

Watch till the end...you won't regret it...hahahah!

Robots created by Chinese farmer

When there's a will...there's a way....this farmer's so much geekier than me man...

Awesome Japanese Pitcher

I'm not a baseball fan...but this is wayyyyyy cool man!