Ichiban Shopping
Our long awaited EC shopping Mall finally launched yesterday; by 4:00 pm, we succefully open 4 shops on line; the drag and pain kick out for a while, but this is ice-burg of the problems; to launch new business is our goal this year, by well-round and comprehensive survey and discussion ( disagree somethings ), the company identified 2 nes initatives ; one is the community service -- a combine and blend blog / avatar / web-application / friend making community service ; and EC Mall.
Community service launch by June 23, the performance is way behind our target, it's goal is to GBF ( Get Big Fast ), generate decent amount of members and traffic, ultimately to contribute to the EC Mall development, I am an active user for this service, but the marketing team don't really know how to drive the members and don't even know what's the problem.
EC Mall - a much complicate case, the devleoper - our vendor can't deliver the agreeable outcome in time, nor can satisify our requirement; the fundemental problem is : We choose the wrong partner , the getting worst relationship derpordize our launch, our confidence and it directly impact on the shops we acquried, they are gradually losing faith in us-- a very serious problem; I am not complaining ( IWNC - What an coincidently, we just retain this consultancy to design a " Team Building " program for us ), and will not credit this disarstor to COO - who made the decision for selecting vendor and depart before launch of the service. looking forward is the only solution, I must think how to overcome these obstacles. delay of launch, insufficient of system operation cause the delay of income, it affect our overall performance, existing ISP business facing serious decline issue, new businesses in traps, it's time to examine my leadership and my wisdom; I though of fire a few disqualified staff and try some demanding way to show my concerned, but that's no me, I can't pretend to be another person who our colleage don't believe. maybe this is only one of the challenge in business, not in life, I should take it easy, step back, take a deep breath and think again.
The design award os " Livestrong " plastice braceless is so impressive, coming from the Dour de France Champaign -- Lance Armstorng, who founded this idea and conduct a 100% donation charity by association with NIKE, The target is 5 millions, the outcome is 33 millions in 2004; this great idea should be picking up by NPO immidiately : Think : no adminstration charge, 100% benefit to charity, great influence, simply desing and message, then a brand recognition. no wonder is win the best design award - not for the product itself, but for the idea / process and outcome.
Minor querrel with wife last night, cause by K, her brother and my formal driver, she is sad about my can't get rid of this shadow and can't get over the hatray; I don't know, I don't really know, I just don't want to be kind to him at the first place, what should I aggresivelly greeting him after all of this? why he can't apologies for such a bad behavior, I will not take a step back for this, and I really hate this obstacle become the hurduls between me and my wife, we tried so hard to build the home of our own, trust each other, become the most important pillar to count on, I will not let such a bad feeling penatrate into our life; this is the end, why should I forgive him if he didn't say sorry to me....... I will no do this. I love my wife so deeply, but this is not what I am willing to sacrify.
Eating at a new restaurant I've been watching for a while, returned home by 7:00 pm, I bring Sound and wife to the restaurant - Yu-her-Yuang, I though it was an old restaurant moving to a new premise, but to my surprise , this is a brand new restaurant, it located in a bad area and occupied 2 floors, but the food is relatively good, especially the " Old Tofu " and the price is so reasonable.
Conduct my shopping by midnight at home, buying each item from the 4 shops we opened, hope what I do will make them understand.
Artist and Genius
By visiting Fung-Ga musume and browing the exhibition online, I discovered the talent artist Shieng-Chien; take the business card from Lisa, I initative the call and we met yesterday afternoon at Rebar Hotel Cafe'; he prepare one of his art works - multi-media material ( his writing / painting / design / graphic / CD-Rom ). talking with him is a great experience, he worked at Corporate America before, even employeed by Sony Computer Entertainment - develop and design games, an astonishing track records overseas -- Larrie Anderson, Summer lay; even Jay Chew... holding a master degree from Pasadena Institution of Design, a PhD. candidate at Illinoy State University, and he was gradulated from National Taiwan Universtiy majoy in Mechanical Engireening.
Hung hold a sense of " detecting trend " and a good nose for " commercial " it's rare to see an artist who don't againt commercilization; maybe from the training at Sony Computer Entertainment - every figure / action even costume design at the game must have a " Meaning " to gamer -- it melt the wall between commercial and art. I thought he is a very qualified candidate to corporation with, so, without hesitation, I discloved the Side Project idea to him and I illustrate the " Cyber Wooden ship Folk Song Entertainment World to him ", Hung share his idea of Eucatainment to me, he also share with me how he see the Net -- sooner or later, everything on the internet were for " Commercial " - no one will pay online, but it became the powerful media that reach almost all the attention and attraction; I love his idea of capture one's greatest momories and turn it to a proud - truphy alike image to be collected, reprint, the " Custom Make " concept can then develop to his kingdom of desigers. we will see each other next week and identify how we my build up our relationship and launch business together. My rough idea is :
1. assign them to build our web-site ( Side project or the cyber Wooden ship )
2. open on virture graphic reprinting servcie shop ( for the arts and artist he can accomodate )
3. check his software / application funding plan for the edutatinment sector.
4. bring Hung-Yi to the picture for " Best Cotton with qulified artist " and influence on artsit to endose them.
5. industrial design connecting with AJ. if his company really need them.
6. agent and commercilized some of the great graphic / design to other application in physical world.
7. helping in connecting to SBIR project ( Small Business Innovation Reserch ) fund from MOEA.
Helping Kororo access to the Digital Content Apprisial and Loan discussion with MOEA / III, their a long way to go, to review and revise the financial outlook take time before qulified to the loan or support, must find a way to inject captical for them.
Lunch with 2 top agent , 2 new person with old face - Allyza and Cindy -- we have a good lunch, no perticular issue but a casual lunch.
TWIA meeting wasn't a good one, why the Cross-Strait delegation for High Tech required us to donate money with no receipt - this is a blackmail from the legislator, I am not favor in such an approch and consider to quit from the trip. however, as this is my first China trip this year, if I withdraw, it may be deem as under the pressure of Tokyo , and I simply give up my authority to devleop. so beat it, I should go as planned , but not to bear great hope from the trip.
Chat with 2 key person from EZfly and advise them I will not join the company, but to help them reshape to what they are, helping a good friend to conduct an assessment, this is all about friendship and leaning. I release from the dinner and hoping to concede the report by next week.
She Made it
C. and I had a very brief lunch at NKSP starbucks; this is her first day free from the unfavorable managment contract, I encourge her a lot and release the possibility of becoming her new managers, under the conditions of audition / photographing / parents agreement before.Daytime at Starbucks, she is shining, even TBC
Communication Starter
Inviting 2 Japanese expetraites for dinner last night; presumely, I want to hold such a dinner before departure of COO, however, due to one important new business launching conflict, we have to postpone it until last night.. well, things not going well in our end, the new service didn't launch on schedule, which cause another expatrate late for dinner again, T. came to join us by 9:30 pm; the same situation happend as before.
The window gave me and K. another good chance to talk - more casual then formal meetings, as I turn down his entertainment expense report yesterday afternoon, I knew he will asked why and find a sneaky way to probe it; I am right, he begin with why the group company's meal can report for expenses; I explained to him that the " Subject " must be corrected, it should re-write to " entertainment expense " instead of meeting fees. since the Japnese white collar developed a " talking business in second round " culture, they are customed to drink wine at bar -- sometimes with female waitrerss accompany; I honestly told him in our company, we didn't take such an expense a normal situation, even when COO worked with us, he never report such an expense before, the exceptional is whenever there's a need for entertainment , he will report to me in advance and advise the budget. I simply deliver a lesson the K. and have him understand the new " Rules " in the company.
as the same time, we were in fond of talking business in much relax enviroment, it build less defensive and less tension for both party, so I suggested to him that we should create such an opportunity for us in order to conduct business in right mood. the 2 hours conversation educated me a lot, I knew him more and aware his seniroty in the company, his background and of course - his mission to help me -- in my positive thinking.
Forward my International Music Festival plan to C. a simply yet comprehensive / constructive plan, I knew it will help her create her own version with insights - I foucs on her idea -- Dreams - how to chase / build / fulfill / continue / repeat the good dream, and turn it to reality.
Last night, I pick Thai and Thai for dinner, as the restaurant will be closed y Sep. 9 - due to the re-construction of Mandarin Hotel, so, I brought them to this special restaurant. they love it, I encounted with Gina - an old colleage when in Sony Music days, I bought them for dinner as well, it's hard for me not to run into people I familiar with.
Christian's contract issue resloved last night, I play the role as her remote manager and guide her how to achieve this mission without fail - she made it and get rid of this worst contractural obligation with her previous manager, now it's my turn to think whether to take up this mission, I talked with my wife and think how to develop such an relationship ., inviting her over for lunch today, see what happened.
Recorded one spectacular in the office D, last Friday morning, the big sun shed in the office, when looking through the window outside, the reflection of the sun shining back to the office directly - the timing were perfect, it seems like a sun falling in front of you., the reflection of the sunshine from the oppisite glass-wall building make me feel somthing unique. just unique.
HR manager is risked in leaving, she's been tolerate with workload / people / family, I think now it's the breaking point, I am not sure if I can retained her with us, but I fully understand her situation.
By the Way, I need to establish the communciation channel with Aita-san on regualr basis and to put myself in buidling E one day a week.
Near Death Fear
I had a strong fear of death last night, when returning home from the gourment dinner at Tutto Bello with A. Chew and other culture trip friends; I don't know why, but the feeling approching me so real, it kept me awake, I told me wife what I shared with A. Chew about " Learn to live with what we couldn't control " is a high flying target, if the misfit come to me, I may not be the man I pretended and I may hold the fear deeply and maybe not able to get out of the trap myself. a very misearable predition, so, I am afraid, my neck stiff and I can't sleep well. woke up in midnight - as A. told me that since his daugher pass away due to the cancer after returned from the culture trip, he can't sleep in Taiwan at all. he had to travelling aboard to get some sleep. The trauma in him is so significant. he can't help to release it.
I havn't encounter with such an experience, but it seems I am afraid of not able to deal with it. what or who will help me? or the only solution is in me?
A very long day on Sunday, promise to visit Chu-Nan Temple in the morning, we brough the whole family there, accidentally, run into Ping Ho - our EMBA classs student leader at the temple, we run into friends every where, this is not a surprise to me and my wife, donate the bricks at the temple, then we move to second target, Bali - for Tan's visit again, tell him and update him my current situation, it's a habit and this is the first time my family as a whole light the insent in front of his ashes. it's been 9 years; after those visits, the remaining time is limited, having spare-rib deep fried rice at the famous " Black Shop ", we move forward to Fung-Ga musume - the meeting point with A. Chew.
for catching up on time, the family move with me to Pei-Tu area 2 hours ahead of the schedule, we found an quiet cafe', Sound and Fruit enjoy their Sapggatii and I enjoy reading the story boaut Critique du Sollite - learn how the company keep the spirit of : think what's impossible today, and find one or two to perform everyday; avoid the comfort zone and advise us, be safe is a very dangeous in their business. and the out of the box thinking : never repeat the formual - no crone for the success show or forming a touring company, but keep create and invent new and astonishing shows -- the circus without animal ( costly and controvisal ), it gave me a few idea about the " International Music Festival ", I draft the plan and prepare to send it over to C. today.
Chinese stiches collection is the most famouse material in Fung-Ga, Chew collected accalimed the best period ( from 1940 to 1990 ) and best artists' ( support by Chinese Government ) and best art peices ( before it turn to private sector, he secure almost all the best art peice from both Hunan and Shecho Stiches Musume ), the exhibition at the museme is totally different from his collection - they are mordern and contemperay; he support new artsit and sponsor them if the exhibition pass the bar of their committe; he establish the culture foundation for the purpose of revitalize and purify the heart of nowaday Taiwanese, the prosipority of ecomony didn't improve the quality of human kindness, he then forming the Spring / Autumn Contmeparary Composition Institution to support composer in Taiwan - Spring for those under 40 years old, Autumn for 40 above.
Fung-Ga musume established right after 921 earthquake, it's been 5 years, no admission , free space, open fourm, community beauty education... a ture heart from once shining entreprinour in Taiwan.
Dinner with he and L. - his wife, Chung-Chang - his son and other culture trip brother and sisters were great. we share so many things, and it bring me what I mentioned in the opening paragraph; Chew said we are the young talent, and this is exactly what I said to other young people. generation by generation, the comparision of young stay in different mind and heart.
we both follow master San-Yang - Dhara Zen religion. he asked me to join the monthly gathering if I may, I will try to accomodate.
