Second Life Assignment

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New Business Horizons (Blue Horizon). (125,128,31)

According to Kmaid, the receptionist at New Business Horizon’s help desk, New Business Horizon helps organizations that would like to have representations on Second Life to gain real world presence in the real world. New Business Horizon offers cost saving marketing and PR with cutting edge technology. In addition, businesses that use New Business Horizons can hold meetings and presentations. They can also socialize within the New Business Horizons. The founders of New Business Horizons joined Second Life with the mindset of saving its client money. New Business Horizons can host up to 30 business in a meeting setting. Its virtual representation is to serve the purpose of marketing and PR.
New Business Horizon also provide a business park which serves as a virtual office for real world companies to hold staff meetings and customer presentations. Its clients include, London Chamber of Commerce, Institute of Travel Management, Plachta Law Office and many more.

o Crescendo Design (44,90,22)

Crescendo Design is an environmental friendly home design architecture firm. Founders and architects of Crescendo Design originally used Second Life as a tool for architectural visualization. Then it went on exploring more options on Second Life. Crescendo Design has had representation on Second Life for over 2 years. It utilizes Second Life as a medium for virtual model design and real time interaction with clients and venders. Its owner also took on projects that are purely virtual architecture for companies and universities.

o My avatar's name is MIS Moleno.
Second Life is an unique medium to have business representation. It breaks physical barriers of businesses. For a person who is not familiar with a virtual environment, it is very challenging to move around and get involved in a community. It can be very time consuming. For someone who knows the exact business he or she is looking for, it is very easy to do a search and get large amount of information including 3D images. I enjoyed my overall experience and would like to explore more.

MBA/MIS-Homework 1

New Service: http://pandora.com/

Pandora.com provides a free and visual advertising-supported online, at home, on the road music service. Pandora “ is powered by the most comprehensive analysis of music ever understaken, the Music Genome Project: a crazy project started back in early 2000 to capture the complex musical DNA of songs using a large team of highly-trained musicians” (http://blog.pandora.com/faq/).Each subscriber receives services, such as, Pandora on the web, on iPhone, and at home. Pandora.com gives subscriber the opportunity to only listen to the music they prefer, whether it to be a genre, an artist, or an era of music without interruption of advertisement or the music they dislike.
In order to run Pandora properly, subscribers will need a broadband connection, any kind of web browser program, and a Mac or a PC. To sign up for the free service, a valid email address is required as well as some preliminary user information, for example, gender, age, and a United States zip code. Once you become a subscriber to Pandora.com, you can just open Pandora.com from any computer, and verify your account information, then you can create “stations” according to the kind of music you prefer. Then, Pandora will play the music genre or artists similar to the one you prefer continuously without advertisement interruption. Subscriber can also choose to skip songs they do not like, however, there is a limit on the songs they can skip in an hour due to license restriction.
Pandora is a neat website for people who only want to listen to music they like in the office, at home and on the road.

8.2.2008-8.07.2008

8.2.2008

Weather

So for the remaining of the month, cars in Beijing will be on a rotating system. Traffic is certainly lighter. Most companies are on a rotating work schedule. Some start at 9:00 and the others start at 9:30.

The weather here in Beijing has been quite pleasant. It has not been very hot. The Chinese government actually figured out how to make/stop rain for the opening ceremony!! I know, the rumor is true!!

8.6.2008

Olympics

The security in Beijing has tightened up. All subways stations have security check systems. All bags need to go through security. Security personnel are everywhere, on the streets, at bus stations, at subway stations…..

Beijing is ready for the Olympics. Volunteers stands have been around every block of Beijing streets for a while now. They are ready to answer whatever questions tourists may have. All stations even installed laptop with wireless access to better assist tourists.

In subway cars, there are mid size LCD screens educate people each category of games. At the beginning of the CCTV news, either an Olympic athlete or a celebrity will teach an English word. All signs are Chinese and English. All announcements in subway station are in Chinese and English. All greetings in taxis are in both languages. Even the Beijing police were taught English by a New Yorker.

Olympics relay is taken place in Beijing for the next 3 days. My mother went to the relay in my district and she even had couple pictures taken with 3 people who were carrying the torch!!

Olympics flags are flying along streets of Beijing. It is quite exciting for a country who were divided as colonies just less than a century ago. Beijingers are so proud. The government is doing so many good things for the big game as well as for the country’s wellbeing in the long term. Recycling bins can be seen everywhere; plastic bags are completely banned from using; tighter emission controls on all cars, etc.


Falling in love with Beijing all over again

Being a “real Beijinger” (a person who’s born and raised in Beijing), I have to say, I was quite shocked when I first got back. As time goes by, I started falling in love with the city all over again. I can say, I’ve never been to another city that’s this metropolis and beautiful. The city has so much culture and history despite all the modern development. There are thousands of museums that record thousands of years of history. Yet, it has world class shopping malls, super-luxury hotels and top of the line office buildings. Beijing has all the things that a city has to offer and has everything that a person can possibly need and dream of.
So any of my friends is reading this out there, you HAVE to visit the city. And, start learning Chinese, seriously.

7/11/08-7/14/08

This past weekend, my friend Pedro from Houston visited me! We took a mini trip to Tianjin, a coastal city south of Beijing. Tianjin is one of the cities in China going through dramatic change. The major of Tianjin ordered to have part of the ocean filled in order to have condos or mixed use building built. I was expecting fresh seafood in a restaurant on the beach, instead, I found construction site filled with dirt.
We also visited the Cultural District and Food District where we had delicious Chinese hotpot. Tianjin is known for its special dumplings. They are called "Dumplings that dogs hate". The original store is in Tianjin and it is a beautiful 5 star restaurant. We didn't get a chance to eat there because we were in a hurry to catch the train.

This weekend, I will be traveling to Shanghai and Xi'an. Xi'an is famous for their Terra Cota Warriors and Shanghai of course is for its lively night life and beautiful skylight.

7/9/08-7/10/08

7.09.08

The area where work is located is a TRAP. My office building is in the World Trade Center. Upstairs are office buildings and downstairs and undergrounds are full with name brand shops, Christian Dior, Gucci, LV, Todd, Prada, you name it they have it. I circle all the shops once everyday during my lunch break. I think I even licked Dior’s glass windows couple times. Lol.

It is a nice area and working there is a treat. Thanks for cheap labor. My office has housekeepers 24/7. They bring you water, dump your trash, wash your glasses. I have fresh fruits and Chinese snacks every morning, yum…. There are so many people in the office and none except the Head of China has an office to himself. My boos, SVP of China Hotel stays in a cubicle next to me…. Lol.

People here work so hard. My co-workers stay at work till 9:00pm almost every night and all nighters are normal. Most of the people work here are American or European educated Chinese nationals. So they pay 1/3 of the money they would pay for an American or a European but still get the stuff done. No wonder they can hire around the clock housekeepers.

Beijing has changed a lot. I haven’t had much time to go around but I can’t recognize any part of the town. There are so many malls! And all of them are huuuuuge. Just imagine Saks Fifth Ave. in NYC but 100 of them scattered around 1 city and 100 times of its size. People here buy so much.

So guess how many times have I eaten dumplings? How about 5 already and I’ve only been here for a little over 1 week?? Mom knows dumplings are among my favorite foods, so she’s been fixing dumplings almost every night. I love it! But it is a lot of work.


7.10.08

The ladies here dress like cartoon characters. Beijing ladies are fashionable and fashion here is very different. Bright colors, busy lines, and lots of ruffles. It’s not my cup of tea but whatever it’s in, right?!

I think I’m the only Chinese girl with straight black hair. I know it sounds funny but most of the girls here have perms and have died their hair yellow or red. Working out and tanning are not normal here either. So people do give me that look when I’m in the subway.

AC is still not in every public buildings and not all subway cars are equipped with AC either, well all lines except the line that I take everyday to and from work..... At least not until August 1st. Thank God for the Olympic Games, all public buildings will have AC and all old busses, subway cars, trains will be replaced with new ones with AC. WOOHOO!

I start liking using public transportation. It is very convenient. I can do work or sleep when I ride on a bus or subway.
Anyhow, my friend Pedro is visiting tomorrow. I am so excited. I shall keep you guys posted.

7.2-7.6.2008

7.3.08

Well, I am a tourist in my hometown. Everything has changed. My parents have aged a lot. Both lost a lot of weight. Dad is sick. He has lost mobility in his left leg and arm. Mom has been the caretaker for him.. I feel like crying every time I look at them. It has been a tough 9 years.

My mother and I went to the temple next to my parents’ apartment today. My mother told me the Gods and Goddesses in those temples has granted her wishes and we need to go back to the temples to thank the Gods and Goddesses. We bought incants, fruits, and yellow silk covers for the temple. We prayed, thanked, and kneeled in front of the Gods. Everything was so peaceful. The statues in the temples were beautiful. Some made of solid gold. All of them were beautiful and every one of them not only is for spiritual purposes but also forms of art. There was one particular statue was unique. It was made completely out of white jade. It is a 20 feet statue. When I visited her, there were a group of monks chiming and praying for her.

One of my best childhood memories was listening to the monks sing in my parents’ apartment. I could hear them from far away. I never understood what they were singing, but always enjoyed the rhythm and admired the lead singing monk. He sometimes would have a solo and his voice was always so pure and high.

I am still in shock of all the change has happened. There are much to think about and much to see and I shall keep all of you posted.

7.4.08

There are the people EVERYWHERE. It starts making me wonder where do all the people go at night because it sure doesn’t seem like Beijing wouldn’t fit all those people in despite of its size. Went to a super market with at least 20 check out counters and there were still long lines.

When I first got to Beijing, I was amazed by the fashionable ladies. Everyone wears Channel. Then I discovered “the markets”. There are buildings and buildings of either knocked off brand named products and replicas. It is heaven! Dolce, Prada, BCBG, shoes, clothes, bags…. you name it, they have it. You never know it’s real or fake. Usually the real ones do not have logos on them or have logos cut off. There are outfits I saw in the states and sold for half of the price or cheaper in those buildings.

7.5.08

I think my parents want to fatten me up. Lol. I constantly have to fight food off, and at least 5 times a day. They don’t understand my eating habits and quite frankly not whole a lot of my friends understand them either. My dad considers my morning salads inefficient and keep telling me to eat all the fatty and salty things he likes to eat. Mom always looks at me puzzled whenever I eat breakfasts and lunches. (mom fixes dinners and I’ve pigged out couple times already). I really can get used to mother’s cooking. It is just soo damn good. And it’s nice to have dinner with my parents rather than by myself.

It’s been so humid in Beijing, even more so than in Houston. I think the heat beats Houston too. But today and thank God for this. Beijingers can actually see the blue sky!! And yes, the rumors are true, the sky here in Beijing is gray and we don’t usually see the blue sky very often. I can’t really feel the pollution. I still run the same distance almost everyday and I don’t have problem breathing. On a side note, people look at me really weird when I’m out there running. And since I’m living on a military base, all the little soldiers always laugh at me whenever I pass them by. Hopefully nobody will file any complaints.

I haven’t had any chance to tour around. Will keep all your guys posted when I go out!!

Hello Friends and Family

Dear All:
I will be posting photos and writings on this site to update you guys with my trip! Please feel free and comment on any of this stuff.
Love yall,
Xiao