Here is something I wrote for the MSTW Newsletter Editorial (December Edition). Thanks to Moli for doing the final proof reading and editing for me! Enjoy the reading!

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在目前競爭激烈的社會中，面臨全球化的環境，我們到底該怎麼樣準備自己或是引導我們的下一代在這樣一個扁平化的世界中拔得頭籌。相信不管是XY年代的年輕人或是社會新鮮人士，走過的路差異度都不大；從幼稚園、小學到國中，接著為了升學而努力地考取高中與大學，不管是規規矩矩、跌跌撞撞、或快快樂樂地讀完了大學之後 ，又開始得為了所謂的 “競爭力”，繼續往研究所邁進，或是為找工作衝刺。但是，當大家都走在一條沒有太多差別的路時，我們卻活在一個需要差異化的競爭環境中，文憑這玩意兒，到底能讓你加分多少？

 

從企業的角度來看，文憑、成績與學校表現並不是一個最好的衡量方式，只是往往應屆畢業生唯一拿得出的憑證就是這些東西。在現實的社會裡，你現有技能以及未來可被開發的潛力，相較之下，必定更能吸引企業的關注。而技能與潛能並沒有辦法從一張畢業證書或是一份完整的歷年成績單看出來。學生時代的作業、專題、論文，與業界的案子相較之下，規模都顯得小多了，很多實務上的考量會因為既有的限制，常被刻意忽略，使得在應用層面上處處受限。學校則因為其他學程的壓力，也比較不容易傳授企業裡團隊開發與管理的經驗。學校所給的教育偏向普及教育，會盡量提供所有學生等量的資源，讓學生素質一致，使得具備與眾不同能力與潛能的學生因而被埋沒了。

 

台灣在扁平化後的世界裡，正慢慢的被邊緣化中，在一個連日本人都已接受 MADE IN CHINA 的世界中，製造業已不再是我們的強項，高科技製造業為台灣帶來的收益雖高，但利潤卻大幅滑落。全球化的環境裡，最大的風險就在於 “沒有COPY不走的東西”，而且只是時間早晚的問題。不管未來台灣要往哪裡走，一個很重要的發展方向，就是培養出具有創意的人。只有創意可以讓台灣永保優勢。唯有不斷創新，才能讓我們一直產出有別人需要COPY的東西！

 

創新的養成，來自於鼓勵小孩多發現問題並提出解決方法。傳統的教育裡，教小孩怎樣算數，用考試來衡量小朋友解決問題的能力。但在Z世代裡，更須要能夠發現問題的才能。路由器因為Len Bosack 和 Sandy Lerner 在史丹佛大學裡談戀愛時覺得跨宿舍溝通很不方便而誕生、搜尋引擎因為網路上資訊太多太難找而產生、Google 收尋引擎因為佩奇(Page)與布林(Brin)發現當時收尋的方法沒有辦法找到他要找的資料而問世、Lisa因為 Steve Jobs 發現個人電腦沒有圖形介面不好用而誕生、Visual Basic 因為Bill Gates 發現寫程式如果有圖形介面的幫助可以大大提升產能。因為一個問題的產生，學界有數不完的理論，因為找到了問題所在，業界更有數不清的產品而誕生。更重要的是，諾貝爾得獎的理論，往往都是幫助解決對人類有深刻影響的問題，市面上賣得好的產品，更是能夠真正解決人類生活上問題的東西！

 

基於希望幫助現有教育環境解決不易提供企業經驗的問題，微軟推出了”潛能創意盃” (Imagine Cup)。微軟潛能創意盃會在每年推出一個與人類息息相關的問題領域，希望透過延伸現有的教學環境，鼓勵並挑戰學生發現生活中的問題，利用科技提出創新的解決方法。從實做中去體驗一個具有規模，有實際應用面，並能拿來解決問題的科技專案是如何被實現的。透過與國內與國外的好手互相競爭，提升自己的技能並發現自己的潛能。透過全球決賽，能夠與國外參賽者交流，並拓展國際觀與人際網路。相信潛能創意盃會是一個學生走向業界很好的跳板，更是一個難得的經驗，讓你在應徵時，有一個讓企業刮目相看的成就！

 

詳情請參考: http://www.microsoft.com/taiwan/imaginecup

 

 

 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (LUKE 12:34 )

"What you value most is your treasure.  Where you spend your time and your money is your treasure.  Whatever dominates your conversation is what you treasure. What others know you for is a good indication of what your treasure is." --Blackaby Daily Devotion

Prioritizing is often the first homework a freshman ought to finish. Take this assignment for overnight; one might be able to come up with a fabulous work coupled with a flawless justification. Yet to really garner a high score at this homework, one needs to get to know oneself a little bit more. It is through reflection and probably some soul-seeking that one can really say I have found the purpose of my life. It also takes a little check-up every so often to see if you were true to yourself, or you simply wanted a high score.

Everyone has their own treasures to pursue. Big or small, whatever or whoever that is, at any given time, don’t lose sight on Him. Don’t be too hard on yourself too! Take some time out for Him and for yourself. One more day before the weekend, TGFS -- thank God for Saturday and Sabbath as well!

Take care!

 

There are no early meetings, no early conference call, nor an early flight to catch today. Yet I woke up really early.Weird.

Didn't really sleep early last night. Weird.

As I try to ponder upon this weirdness, kinda felt that I miseed something last week (counting Sunday as the last day  of the week here). Missing as in... wasn't able to do something. Then again what is that.... don't really know what's nudging.... Ah, what the heck!

 

Hope this week is exciting!

Dad finally learned how to access the web and write emails. With that, he wrote me something really sweet today. I was really touched. It's about something very trivial, but still! I wonder was it because he wrote in English or it's just because he really miseed me. In any case, the letter made my day and I can't wait to see him and mom on Wednesday!

好像每個人都有他的弱點與罩門... 有些路就是走得特別的辛苦... 從很多面向, 外人都覺得我很幸運, 也得到很多的眷顧, 但是人生總好像一定要美中不足. 到底是我要得太多? 還是時間未到? 有時真的不是很懂到底哪裡做不好或是不夠.... 他們告訴我要展望未來, 但是到底未來在哪裡? 是我瞎了還是聾了嗎? 為什麼我總聽不見祢的聲音.... 看不見祢希望我走的路.... 透悟不了祢為我擬好的計畫....

 

 

 

After watching the US Grand Prix, I lay on the bed, trying to fall asleep, but just can't. Something kept bothering me... if I were to describe it, that would be heavy hearted, I guess....

I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm sure it's not because Kimi lost again. Anyway, so I got up and started reading. And I was reminded of a message: sow in the times of need.

Humans are made to desire. It is also because of desires and wants that we have all come to where we are today (in both good and bad ways). Many people grow and advanced because of desire. Nevertheless, for things that we cannot achieve through our own strength, we often turn them to the Big Man above. Many times the long list of request would seem unattended and far from being fulfilled. Then we start question or even doubt His faithfulness to us for the items that seemed to have been skipped, purposefully or not.

It's always about "us". That's the only thing we look at or cared about (if not all the time, most of the time)! But Isaiah 58:7-8 says, "Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter -- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard." It is telling us to sow a seed when we are in need; be a blessing to someone when we need blessings; to solve someone else's problem when we need help; to love someone else when we need love.

Psalm 37:4 says "delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart." When we extended our help to others, God is, at the same time, extending His hand to us. When we start to think not about our own needs, God would start to fulfill our needs. When we start to open ourselves up to the world, that is when healing will begin. Lift up your desires, worries, and pains; come out of the circle you've drown for yourself, then God will do wonders.

This message came when I needed it. But I felt heavy hearted probably because, though the message struck me, I didn't transform the understanding into action. And He wanted put the message in my heart again to remind me about it.

So there, this is what kept me up until 4am in the morning... I hope you had a good sleep.

Transformation (6/4/2005 8:22AM)

 

"He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel."
PSALM 103:7

"Are you satisfied with merely knowing the acts of God, or do you also want to know His ways? There is a difference. This difference is illustrated in the lives of the children of Israel as compared to Moses. The Israelites witnessed the miracles God performed; they walked across the dry Red Sea just as Moses did. They ate the manna and quail from heaven even as Moses did. They were content to receive God's provision without ever knowing God Himself. Yet Moses saw beyond the provision of God to the person of God.  Others, such as the Egyptian magicians, might perform miraculous acts, but no one else did things the way God did (Exod. 7:11-12).  The way God acted provided a window into His nature.  If Moses had been content with only God's power, he could have accepted the presence of an angel and been victorious in his efforts (Exod. 33:15). But Moses wanted to experience more. He wanted to experience God Himself, not just God's activity.

Some today, like the Israelites, are content to experience God's activity without ever coming to know God. They are the recipients of answered prayer, yet they never come to know the Provider.  They are blessed by God's providential care over their families, their homes and their jobs, yet they are satisfied not knowing the One from whom the blessings come. They benefitl from God's protection, yet they never become acquainted with the Protector.

Have you come to know God more personally as a result of your experiences with Him? As you observe the acts of God, look beyond them to the revelation of His character (Gen. 22:14; John 6:35)."

From Blackaby Daily Devotion

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It is very easy to overlook the blessings and blame God as to what had happened to us. It is only through knowing Him will we ever feel contented; it is through seeking Him will we get the best in life; it is through glorifying Him will we live our life to the fullest. -lj

 

If you happen to see me in the office today, you'll probably notice something quite different. I was quite blue, yet was really happy. Well, cuz i'm missing a number of things: the most exotic place that I've ever been to; the super fun gang to travel with; and this new found tranquility deep inside my heart.

It’s very hard to explain. But I guess this is the feeling of a brand new start. I don’t know what’s with this trip that made me finally felt that I’m ready to move on. I can now look at the past and smile at it. Maybe it is forgiveness or maybe it is letting go. Whatever that is or whatever made it happen, I’m just truly glad now.

I hope I’ll have time to blog about this trip. It is really awesome. Can’t say you’ll feel the same thing as I did when I was there; you’ll have to be there yourself! So why not put Cambodia in your list of the-next-country-to-visit?

In the 2-day bootcamp I met Bin, who has been on my Communicator for the longest time but both of us had no idea how we came to have each other on the list. It turns out that in the course of trying to add Flora (our ex-CPE Lead), he accidentally added me. We finally met up after a year, in this bootcamp, how strange eh? I also shared one of my dirtiest little secrets with the 4th batch. Also tasted my first course of Malay food.

Sunday was an out-of-town thing for me. The old SAs (Shengsin, Amy, Poh Sze), the 3rd batch SA (Seok Chern) and I went to this historical state in Malaysia called Malacca (sometimes spelled as Melaka). we toured around the old streets, the river side, had lots of local food, and had local coffee at a coffee shop called Geographer Cafe. If you do not already know, this is a famous coffee shop in which the movie "夏日摸摸茶" was taken. It is a really nice coffee shop. If you do have the change to drop by Malacca, you should definitely visit that place.

In the late afternoon it rained. But we managed to get into the sunken Portuguese merchant ship for a quick museum tour and then had our beef clay pot before we left Malacca. That night, I stayed over at Amy's house and had a little catching up with her. Went through some of the old SA photos while digging out some of the old stories. It's quite amazing how theSpoke has connected SAs from different countries and make us feel like old friends despite the fact that we've never even met in person before.

 

Had the chance to drop by Malaysia for the first time to spend some time with some of the 1st generation SAs, colleagues in Microsoft Malaysia and the new MSPs. It was great to be able to finally "meet" up with old friends and be able to spend time with the new batches. It was like connecting back to the student community which I used to work very closely to, especially that it is only until recently that we got the SA/MSP program running in Taiwan. I'm very proud of my first batch of Taiwan MSPs, but the Malaysian MSPs are definitely good ones to learn from.

Spent 2 days at the 4th Malaysian bootcamp as a special guest and speaker. Had a great time and lots of fun. I guess they did learn something out of my presentation (Malaysian MSPs out there, you can confirm!). Aside from the 2 day bootcamp, also had the chance to go round KL and Malacca. Will be blogging about it soon.

Oh gush, Kimi walked back from the track again. I was wondering what was his OS while walking.... Is it the usual type of OS:" Sh!t, yada yada yada". Or this time, a rather different one that goes like: "Ok, that's it. Let Alonso worry about his car next year".

 

Kimi is a really good racer. We used to think that the god of luck is just not so generous with him. But when his retirement always has something to do with his car... then maybe that's a different story. I hope the red car will bring him not only luck next year, but also a rather smooth sailing race. Go Kimi!

好久沒有寫 blog 了. 一直都沒有機會寫有關進微軟後的一些經驗及感想. 今天的感觸很深所以就想上來寫寫東西.

 

LJ 的第一場公開講座及活動 -- 還滿順利的! 謝謝仁倫把學校那邊安排的超好的, 還有還有 NC 的站台以及Peter 老大的大力幫忙! 會後見識到Peter的"談工", 還有與Peter 分享及學習了一些行銷上的撇步. 感想是有很多東西可以從現在的工作中嘗試學習及運用的.最重要的是, P 老大給我注入了一股勇氣.讓我發覺其實ADE是有很大的力量可以做到很多事的; 只要能夠好好的利用優勢及運用其他資源. 當然這些都是需要去嘗試與學習的. 所以...加油囉!