Yahoo! Avatars

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Thing #6- Flickr Fun, Mashups, and 3rd Party Sites


I was completely unfamiliar with these fun sites before... I loved making up my own poster. Who would've thought that it would be possible and/or so easy?! This technology thing is starting to get less and less intimidating and scary by the second.

Hong Kong bay at night


Hong Kong bay at night
Originally uploaded by TronciS
Going to visit my aunt and uncle in this beautiful city!

Fisherman with cormorants at Li River

Will be taking a cruise down the Li River in Guilin... this photo truly takes my breath away!

Terracotta Soldiers


terracotta soldiers II
Originally uploaded by ccfenter
I am so excited to visit Xian and see this in person... just the photo alone gives me goosebumps. Over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and weapons unearthed!

The Great Wall, China


The Great Wall, China
Originally uploaded by Mike NZ
We will be headed to Beijing first... I'm so excited to see the Great Wall of China... too bad I can't see all 5,500 miles of it!

Thing #5- Explore Flickr

Wow, this was WAY more fun than I was expecting. I loved how easily accessible this world of photos was... I'd heard of Flickr before, but was a bit resistant to exploring it further because it was just another "unknown." I had such a fun time searching for photos under the "China Travel" theme. Since I just recently booked my trip to China for this summer, but haven't yet bought any tour books, I had a blast looking at Flickr photos of some of the main attractions I will be visiting.

Thing #4- Register Your Blog

Even though I completed this Thing a while ago, I'm only now posting my blog about it. I'm very embarassed to say that after the first few Things, I was quite exhausted and on Technological-Overload. :) I've neglected my poor blog for a while and I'm hoping to re-motivate.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Thing #3- Create My Own Blog and Avatar

Okay, I'll be honest... I was kind of nervous to do this. I've become very comfortable in my "technology bubble" (i.e. using my IPhone, social networking sites) and I was afraid to branch out and try to learn something new. I thought it would be a time-consuming, frustrating process and I even asked Matt, "Am I supposed to make a Blog too?" to try to get out of it. He said in a very loud, clear voice outside of my office, "Yes, if I were you, I think it'd be a good idea to do a blog," so I'm assuming that Lisa was standing next to him with that look on her face (You know "the look" in which you immediately know what the answer is and you feel silly for asking the question in the first place. The look I oddly get from my mom too). So, I decided to "cheat" a little and skip to the fun and easy part... creating my Avatar. I loved that part. I couldn't believe how many options were out there and I got a kick out of the some of the crazy options for clothing and backgrounds. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of my little Avatar... it represents me well with holding a smiley face (i.e. my job is trying to make people feel warm and fuzzy), the little monkey (my favorite animal), and the China backdrop (getting me ready for my China trip this summer... plus celebrating my half Chinese heritage). The other part of starting my Blog was not so fun. I definitely found myself getting frustrated with WordPress, so I started all over and switched to Blogger (which also confused me with this "Google" account stuff). After Guru Katie Williams came to my office and through a few email exchanges, I was finally able to get my first ever blog set up... yippee!

Thing #2- Lifelong Learning Habits

The easiest habit for me is Habit #1, beginning with the end in mind. I've always been a very goal-oriented person, ever since I was little. My parents always had high expectations for me and encouraged me to set high expectations for myself as well. From playing/coaching soccer, to getting my Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, I was taught to set clear, concrete goals. I have learned to truly believe in the Law of Attraction, as I have seen evidence that if I set clear goals for myself, I am more likely to accomplish them.

The most difficult habit for me is Habit # 3, viewing problems as challenges. I often see problems as another crisis that must be dealt with, rather than a challenge I can learn from. I have a very structured personality, and when things don't go according to my original "plan," I often get frustrated and have difficulty staying motivated. I often have to remind myself that obstacles are learning opportunities and that I must continue to move forward and work toward my goals.