Dave 的个人资料Strong Friend照片日志列表更多  |  工具 帮助 |
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4月26日 Singing the project blues...Haven't had the Project Blues in years. This morning I'm writing part of a scope document, when the project scope has just changed. I really dislike using the Waterfall method on package implementations, but Waterfall is very popular, in spite of it's long history of overruns and faulty implementations. I much prefer prototyping, which lets users actually test and try out the application as they go, but that requires managers to understand processes and to actually get involved in the implementation, which is unlikely in the paternal cultures of Europe and Asia.
It reminds me of the time we rolled out PeopleSoft to European and US offices. The US offices just asked what the setup should be, said OK, and did it. In the European office the IT manager insisted that another setup be used, did it his way, then complained incessantly that PeopleSoft didn't work right. This went on for a long time. People in the States or other parts of the world could dial in and get good PeopleSoft service over a slow connection. The Euro office had great difficulties. But, the Manager had spoken, so no-one could tell him he was wrong and it had to be changed.
Otherwise things look cool. I got a lead in Guangzhou, and Tsinghua is interested in having me teach MIS. Next year could be interesting.
It's annoying that Taryn and Jolin are in town and both they and I are too busy to meet. I'll have to think of something.
4月22日 Spring MorningIt's a nice day here. Cool, breezy and very sunny. Some friends took
me to a Vietnamese restaurant last night. It was fun, haven't had Pho
in a long time. It was also interesting in that none of us are native
speakers of chinese, but Mandarin is our common language. So we all
talked in our accented Mandarin. Later we went by a club and danced,
though we got tired of it fairly quickly. Today is straightening up and getting ready for next week. I tried the English classes on the Sopranos, with mixed results. A few people 'got it' and seemed to like the contradictory nature of the plot. Most, however, didn't like it or didn't understand. I'll have to try something else. I don't like Prison Break myself, particularly since the plot has taken on obvious political overtones. It's amusing to me that people here like the Teabag character in PB but don't like Tony Soprano. Maybe because T-bag is a psychopath, dangerous to everyone around him, while Soprano seems like a fairly intelligent and likable guy who just seems to be in the wrong business. And that business is driving him crazy. Time to check out some other series.... Desperate Housewives seems pretty popular. I just can't bring myself to use 'Friends'. Trying to explain that series would drive *me* nuts. It's too nice outside. I have to go out and enjoy it. Hasta la Vista, baby. 4月19日 Chinese medicineI haven't cared much for chinese medicine - 中药材- it tastes bad, there are lots of little pills to take, the counter in the pharmacy has dried glider lizards and snake skins, etc etc. But I've had a cold that just kept dragging on. So a friend took me to a chinese hospital -北京中医医院
The doctor took my pulse, looked at my tongue, and prescribed a lot of little pills and some very bad tasting stuff in little bottles. Now, a few days later, I feel better than I've felt in a long time. More energy, more alert, just generally better. Now I have respect for Chinese Medicine.
Yesterday I had a lecture. I talked on Consulting as a career choice. I thought it went well - I gave them the good and the bad, with the usual result that some students were very interested, while others decided they *never* wanted to be consultants. Probably for the best.
I ended up witha recruiting blurb for Worksoft. When I came in this morning there was already one resume in my in-box. That girl would make a consultant! Quick evaluation, quick and effective action.
This is something that I like - introducing students to Real Life. I think it gives them an advantage when they go out looking for jobs, especially with multi-national companies. The recruiting is fun, too. I get to find out who is really listening when I talk.
BTW, I'm looking for a new school. Anybody know of a school looking for a foreign teacher?
4月18日 Bored beyond beliefAnyone else a fan of LA Story? I'm not at the point of talking to street signs, but it's coming.
The PS project seems to be stalling. We have things to do that just aren't happening. If this were the US I would be forecasting doom. Since it isn't I'll wait and see.
I spent part of last week translating job titles into English. Then I set up Competency, enough for a demo. now I hear that we won't do Competency until later. Should have told me *before* I did it. Especially since I did it in about a day.....
School's kind of a bummer too. Schools seem to look at foreign teachers as migrant workers, to be cast off each year. They don't seem to be able to connect the instability in their programs to the way they dismiss foreign teachers at the drop of a hat. The schools here have some of the worst HR policies that I've ever seen. It's a good thing HR is being emphasized in schools. Maybe they can use it to catch up.
Anyway, the weather's nice, it's spring and I feel that I have few ties. all in all not a bad thing. |
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