#Linsanity bandwagon: I’m Not On It (Yet)

(Source: Shirt A Day)

I don’t like jumping on bandwagons, let alone ones that have taken over my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Oh wait, who am I kidding?! I love bandwagons! (See: infatuations and Oregon Trail.)

Anyways, after seeing my Facebook newsfeed and Twitter flood with comments and stories about Jeremy Lin, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement…

So… I started googling him.

This kid, graduated from Harvard, got “dropped” by NBA teams, and finally ended up in the New York Knicks. Then, by chance, due to exigent circumstances, the other two point guards couldn’t play, and Lin was placed on the court.

Before anyone realized what was happening, Lin shocked the world (at least, the social media world) with his consistent performance!

Then, the excitement exploded last week when he scored 38 points in the game against the Lakers. (By the way, that’s 4 points above Kobe Bryant!)

I couldn’t help but try to pick out the “learnings” from this event.  So here is what I’ve noted (feel free to add or dispute):

•  Success: The stars must all align.  No joke.  It seems like skill and opportunity coincided  in order for Lin to shock and awe the (social) world.  Given any other moment, there might not be #Linsanity!
• #Linsanity: News passes through social faster than traditional media.  It seems to me like another proof point that social media has become the source of fast-traveling news or creation of viral news.  (Whatever floats your boat!)  When the earthquake happened in Washington DC and I felt it in New York, I figured out what had happened via Twitter and Facebook because phones were dead and traditional news sites didn’t have coverage yet.  And, like the earthquake that shook me then, #Linsanity caught me by surprise when it took over my social sphere.
• Asian pride: This is purely anecdotal, but it proves a point.  My friend’s MOM is watching basketball because of Lin.  Seriously.  She never used to watch, but she was so proud to see an Asian-American excelling in a category where Asians don’t normally play.

So what’s the result?  I am kinda… almost… perhaps… okay, totally am… on the #Linsanity bandwagon.

(Note: In case you’re wondering why I have these “#” signs in front of “Linsanity,” it’s because that’s the trend topic tag on Twitter that has marked how ridiculous this craze over Jeremy Lin has become.  Check it out.)

The Amazing Year – 2011 Recap (& My New Year’s Resolutions)

One more day till the big 20-12.  What have I learned?  Well, I have to go back two years first…

In 2009, I made a 3 part series examining myself.  After much introspection, I decided to: 1) Enjoy life now! 2) Understand 2009 and pay tribute and 3) Tell the OLD me what the NEW me has learned.

In 2010, I made 3 revelations about life and myself, including the fact that “the ambitious me, the driven me, the excited me, the never-quitting me” was back.  I also predicted that 2011 would be “the bomb.”

Well, 2011 happened… and—drum roll please—it was more than just “the bomb,” it was the BIG BANG—the force of energy I needed to create a space to do all the things I want to do next year.

But before I get to next year, let me recap this year:  

• I got promoted in my new corporate job (after leaving Banking)
• I started volunteering at Step Up Women’s Network by mentoring a sophomore girl in high school and teaching her how to interview for a summer internship
• I got closer to my grandpa when I asked him to tell me how he fell in love with my grandma
• I went through some heartaches when looking for an apartment but eventually found one that is walking-distance to my favorite place in all of Manhattan (Lincoln Center)
• I attended my first charity gala and had some interesting stories at the MoMA Garden Party and after-party
• I was deeply affected by Steve Job’s passing
• I did my first runway walk at Fashion’s Night Out in Ann Taylor’s Flagship store
• I attended my first hackathaton (NYC Big Apps 3.0 Hackathaton) and met one of my idols, Rachel Sterne, along with some other amazing people
• I was highly encouraged by my mentors to go for the high-profile marketing job I had wanted.  I did and got the job!
• and, I met more amazing people such as the former CEO of VH1/MTV, two film producers, and a marketing director

Those are just the highlights!  (A lot of other things happened that will gear me up for 2012.)

Anyways, as I’m closing out 2011, I am a bit teary-eyed.  This year has been more than I expected.  I went into it thinking I’d do well in my job, I’d hang with my friends and family and I’d enjoy life.  That was enough for me.  What ended up happening was the amazing opportunities that led me to unexpected things that would change me…  and, DAMN, it was exhilarating!  

But, I know none of this could have happened without the undying support from my family and friends, the unwavering encouragement from my mentors, and the unrelenting drive from something beyond my comprehension. 

So, what about 2012?

Well, I have no idea.  This year was only the beginning and it was amazing. I can’t imagine what it would be like next year.  I can feel a bit of fear creeping up, but there is just SO much out there to learn, to dream, to grasp that I am overpowered by excitement.

My 3 new year’s resolutions are:

1. Have patience - everyone and everything works differently.  Things will happen when they need to happen.  My stressing won’t do much.
2. Meet more people – everyone is amazing in their own way.  Getting to know each person at a non-superficial level has helped me grow as a human being, and I want to keep growing.
3. Continue to learn – the world is amazingly complex.  The human body is structured and self-sustaining.  Nature has boundless beauty and complexity.  The universe is vast and untapped.  There is so much I have yet to learn.

Well, there you have it.  My 2011 recap and my 2012 goals.

What are your’s?

3 Things I’m Most Thankful For This Year

Happy Thanksgiving!  Last year, I asked what it meant for a nation of immigrants.  This year, I want to give my thanks because it has been amazing.  

I got a chance to:

• (November) Act as the “average user” / “beta tester” at the NYC BigApps 3.0 Hackathon
• (October) Be one of my infatuations (Justin Beiber)
• (September) Debut my model walk at Fashion’s Night Out Ann Taylor Runway Show
• (May) Move to my favorite part of Manhattan (UWS)
• (Jan-Apr) Establish the relationships necessary to make 2012 an even better year!

I realized that everything I’ve done this year is because of 3 important things (I’m most thankful for):

#3 – My City. 

New York City gave me the platform to excel.

#2 – My Brain.

My brain allowed me access to the ambition and drive from deep within.

#1 – My Support Network.

And, without my strong support network of encouraging friends and uber-confident parents, I wouldn’t have been able to seize all the opportunities that came my way this year.

So…

Thank you, New York City.  

Thank you, Brain.  

But, most of all,

Thank you family, friends, mentors, and supporters.  

2011 wouldn’t have been the same without you!

The First Time I Attempted to “Hack,” I Was Almost Branded As “A Spy”

Yes, I went to a hackathon this weekend.

No, I did not breach security.

I did, however, try to “hack” and got accused of being a “spy.”

The story begins in the tiny but top-secret area called MyCubicle…

---

Thursday, 11/10/11:
Setting the “Plan-of-Action” in Place

I glanced around nervously. I couldn’t let anyone else see what I was doing.

Things could get dangerous—real dangerous—if people saw the small device constantly updating with new information and lying in the palm of my hand. “A breach of security,” they would say.

Good. I am alone.

I pulled down the information I needed from the Twitter server. Tweets started to appear. Mashable, AdAge, TechCrunch, HuffPostTech… Then, something caught my eye. The NYC’s Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne had retweeted an event called NYC BigApps 3.0 Hackathon.

For some weird reason, I felt compelled to click on it. So, I did.

Crap. Only three types of tickets existed. Developer: nope. Designer: nope. Other: yes.

With the clock ticking, I had to pull the trigger. I feared I would stand out like a sore thumb at this event, but something pushed me to go for it.

So, again, I did.

I should have felt relieved, but instead, my blood turned to ice as I read the details:

[H]ere’s what you can look forward to:

• Develop ideas, brainstorm, explore NYC Open Data
• Find teammates and contribute your skills
• Build something amazing to help NYC
• Talk to representatives from companies providing APIs
• Compete for $2,500 in prizes for the best hacks!

Oh, crap! “Contribute”??? I was going there to learn. What could I contribute? I am only a techie@heart, not a tech expert!

I immediately called an agent (aka expert in the tech field), Ben.

Techie@Heart: I’m going to a hackathon tomorrow…
Agent Ben: Wait… what? You? Uh… you’re not a developer or a designer, you know…
Techie@Heart: I know. Don’t blow my cover already.
Agent Ben: Okay. But you know they’ll be coding all weekend long, right? I mean, that’s a ‘hackathon,’ a marathon of coding. What are you going to do there?
Techie@Heart: I’m gathering information!
Agent Ben: Wow. Even I don’t go to hackathons.
Techie@Heart: Sh*t.
Agent Ben: Yeah…
Techie@Heart: But… so many interesting people will be there, including Rachel Sterne, NYC EDC, developers, designers, and more.
Agent Ben: Yeah… to CODE all weekend. What are you contributing, aside from your contagious excitement for all things tech?
Techie@Heart: I don’t know… we’ll see.

I hung up the phone with Agent Ben and glanced back at the details. Hmmm… “contribute”…. Whatever. I can go as an ideator, if all else fails. Hopefully, my cover won’t be blown…

[ "Secret Agent 79" image source: Toon Pool by mostro ]

NEXT –>

The First Time Can Be Terrifying But Also Exhilarating…

Before your thoughts turn too dirty, let me preface by saying that the first of anything can be both terrifying and exhilarating.

Think of your first day on the job.  (My best friend went through that yesterday.)  The day or night before, you’re probably jumping up and down with excitement while pacing back and forth from anxiety.  (That scene reminds me of how the little monster in Doodle Jump acts.)  You’re probably going: What should I wear? How should I act? Who will I meet? What will I do? What will my brand identity be? Yadda yadda yadda.

Then, the next day, when you actually start your new job, a wave of relief and excitement overtakes all anxiety and you are off to conquer the world.  (Hopefully.)

Monday night, when I tried to help my best friend quell any fears she had, I thought back to my own firsts…

The first time:

• I wrote a blog post.
• I shared a room with someone. (Yes, that was quite interesting.)
• I wrote my first novel.
• I presented to a large audience.
• I was entrepreneurial.
• I attempted to cook.
• I fell in love.
• I impacted an organization.
• I interviewed for a job.
• I legitimately interviewed for a job.
• I quit a job.
• I cold-called and hounded someone until she allowed me to interview her.
• I stopped believing in myself.
• I felt rejuvenated after being in a long lull.
• I understood how tough being a parent truly is.

Each first experience opened the door to a lot of experiences (good and bad), but at the end I learned so much about myself… so it was well worth it.

Anyways, I thought it would be an interesting segment to introduce (and kind of get back to my original thinking behind this blog, which is “to analyze what inspires me, what drives me, and what scares me. And, perhaps, with that knowledge, I can go out and conquer the world!“

So, here’s my first first:

The first time I wrote a blog post… 

It was January 2009 and I didn’t know what to write.  I struggled for a while and thought about re-doing the “About Me” page or maybe writing something ridiculous.  Instead, I decided to write something real about myself.  I chose the typical interview question/statement: describe yourself in 3 words.

I did.  

Creative.  Determined.   Empathetic. 

I am proud to say, almost three years later, I still am those three words!

Photo Credit: No Captions Needed.