It has been a while since the last time I updated my blog. Today, I have 10 exciting things to talk about:

1. Edith Chan Design Website Goes Live

I am excited to announce that my website, Edith Chan Design, has officially launched. It has been a long road from planning, design, production, development, to the launch today. With this website, I am able to showcase my artwork, share my design tips, and get freelance projects online. Go ahead and check out my website here!

2. Work From Home

In my last blog, I mentioned about resigning from my part-time job. Well, it turned out that my boss offered me to work from home in order to keep me. So, right now I am working from home. That way, I can secure a stable income but also work on my freelance projects and go to school at my own schedule. It’s like having the best of both worlds.

3. Design Project

In early May, I was fortunately enough to get an identity design project for Southern Post, which is one of the biggest newspapers in South China. You can see detail of the project here.

To be honest, I wasn’t very confident when I first accepted the project, because the timeline given to me to finish the project was very short. I was required to design a logo and a T-shirt in 5 days. However, the project turned out to be very successful. My client loved my design the first time around. No revisions! How about that!

4. Photography

Photography was one of my favorite subjects when I was studying in university. However, because of the high expenses of required equipment, I had to eventually give up on photography.

With the new era of digital camera, I decided to get back to photography and was able to get a DSLR at a very good deal. Moreover, Mason is interested in learning photography too. I expect a lot of photography trips with Mason in the near future. I will publish my photos gallery on my website later. Stay tuned.

5 Badminton Club

I joined a badminton club in early May. Yes, I admit that I barely knew how to play badminton before, but I thought that it would be good to do a sport and interact with other people on a daily basis, and that it could balance my life and remedy the shortcomings of working from home. The good news is that I can play much better now, thanks to the badminton lessons that Jenny gives me.

6. Graduation

I am going to complete my Graphic Design Certificate Program this summer. Frankly speaking, I enrolled into the program with lots of doubts and uncertainties. I am proud that I am able to make it this far.

7. Tuition Subsidy

Macau is giving 1,200 US dollars for its residences who are studying abroad during last year. Well, it’s not a lot of money, but it’s very helpful to a poor student like me.

8. Mexico Trip

Mason and I are traveling to Mexico to celebrate my birthday in early August. I am very excited about this trip because Mexico is famous for beautiful beaches and sunshine, which make it a perfect location for a holiday get-away. We have even bought snorkeling gears and new swimming suits. That’s how much we look forward to going on the trip. By the way, we are thankful that Jenny is  willing to take care of Sushi for us during our trip. Sushi has promised that she will be a good girl. Hehe.

9. Home Office

I have been suffering from back pain and shoulder pain for long hours of drawing on computer. Today, I was finally able to get a new office chair that fit me the best. The chair has lumbar padding to support my back and adjustable armrests to support my elbows when I draw on a tablet. I am very happy with my new chair.

10. My Big Day

As you know, my birthday is approaching quickly, don’t forget to get me birthday presents!

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As you may have noticed, I haven’t updated my blog for a while. It is because I have been extremely busy. There have been so many things going on in school and work that I hardly realized that March has already passed. Here, I would like to update you on what had happened to me in March, what I am busy with right now, and what my plan is for the future.

A Taste of My Dream

The biggest thing that happened to me last month would be start accepting project as a freelance designer. I have only done some small projects so far, but already feel like stepping closer to my dream.

Work and school are in full swing already so I hope that I will be able to spend some time on my portfolio and my new website next quarter.

“Unless you move, the place where you are is the place where you will always be” - Ashleigh Brilliant

I came across this quote yesterday and feel that it’s especially true for my current situation. 2 weeks ago, First Mutual contacted me for another interview, but I turned it down. I knew that I was not ready for an interviewing challenge yet. I had lost my faith.

I couldn’t believe that I would blow away the same opportunity again and again, as if I had made no progress in the last 2 years at all. What a loser! I finally realized that I will never be ready for a new life if I stay at my current job. The job does me no good; it only limits me from learning the language, meeting new people and fitting in in the new culture. I fully understand how hard it would be to get a job in this economic climate and that I can be unemployed for quite a while if I quit this job. However, my soul is worth way more than 800 bucks a month. I wish I had noticed this earlier, but better late than never. I decided to work 2 more months to save up more money, and then quit the job in mid June. Can’t wait to have my life back.

What Will be In Store For Me?

After June, I plan to focus on learning English, studying web design, experimenting with digital art, and developing my freelance website. I don’t know if this is my calling, but I have learned that you will never know what is right until you learn what is wrong. I will keep my fingers crossed.

Read More 2 comments | Posted by Edith Chan

Before moving to the States, I used to ask for advice from people who are more experienced and knowledgeable than I am, like my parents, teachers, friends, or even friends of friends. Back in the old days, word of mouth was the most popular method of getting information and advice, which implies that the most efficient way of getting information is to know the right person or the right circle of people. For instance, you want to buy a new computer, but your computer knowledge is basically next to zero. What will you do to make sure you will make the best choice? Before internet came to the earth, people would either ask around for advice, or choose to take the salesmen’s recommendation. Fortunately, today you don’t have to be a computer freak or a friend of a computer genius in order to make an informed decision, because you can always do research and get advice online. My first experience in asking advice online happened when I was preparing to buy a laptop for my graphic design classes half a year ago. Given a limited budget, I struggled between buying a Mac book, which is reliable yet extremely costly, and a PC, which is more affordable but less popular in the design industry. I had always preferred getting advice from people I know, but at that moment I decided to give getting advice online a shot because nobody I knew was able to help me. Surprisingly, in just one day, I got over 50 responses from professional graphic designers in Washington State through Creative Profession Online Community. The responses were very helpful, some of which even outlined in detail about the pros and cons of a Mac and a PC. That is the beauty of an online community. Simply by connecting to the internet, you can get advice from people all over the world 24/7.

“It is not what you know, but whom you know.” Joining a community can be difficult if you don’t meet specific requirements or don’t know somebody already in the group. However, everybody is equal when it comes to an online community. You don’t need to be an executive of a big company, a professional, or a stunning young single girl in order to join an online community. Of course there are always exceptions out there, but most cases, everybody is welcome to participate and get advice. People always say that law is only for rich people who can afford a lawyer. In reality, I have no way to afford legal advice because I don’t have the money and I don’t know any lawyer either. However, through an online community, I am benefit from getting free legal advice from professional lawyers who are charging $300 per hour for a consultation.

Another reason I like getting advice from online communities is that the advice is always less subjective. The people I have met online don’t know me in person, hence there is no conflict of interest involved and their advice is always honest and straight forward. A conflict of interest can affect what advice you are going to get from somebody you know. I experienced a situation where my friend recommended me to visit a horrible dentist just for a 25-dollar referral gift card. Isn’t it sad?

Today, word of mouth is no longer my first choice of getting advice. Whenever I encounter a new problem that is out of my knowledge, I will do research online and make sure I get all the necessary information to make the most appropriate decision. Thanks to the evolution of online community, a girl like me who is starting a new life in a foreign country will not feel helpless and panic when facing new problems.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Edith Chan

“You may have a task to complete, a plan to fulfill, or a dream to pursue, whatever it is, start doing it today!” An American, who has lost a lot of weight,  said that on a NBS TV morning show when she was asked about the secret of successfully losing half of her body weight quickly. She continued to explain that people always procrastinate in taking the first step, and eventually, it never happens

Like many other people, procrastination is my greatest enemy. I have made many resolutions and good plans about my life and career, but I always find myself having difficulties in taking the first step to do them. I am either too lazy or the task needs too much dedication. Eventually, those good plans become my mind’s burden by piling up in my schedule and nagging in my mind. As I got to know myself better, I realized that procrastinating was eating up my energy. I didn’t feel good about myself and I always worried about those incomplete tasks and unfulfilled plans.

What the weight the American said on the TV show has greatly inspired me. Therefore, on 09/09/2009, which was a very special day, I decided that I should stop procrastinating and starting doing things today. So far I have done quite well in moving from procrastination to action. I have started working out with Sushi in the morning, reviewing designing computer programs, applying for jobs, and studying English. Actually, I found that I enjoy doing those things after I started doing them. I feel good about myself and I am more energetic now.

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July 18, 2009

Above are the stuffs in my backpack when I go to school. Other than books and stationary, I also bring Ginger Candies, which keeps me awake in the morning classes, Hello Kitty water bottle, and Winnie the Pooh mini tablewear, "No, they are not for kids", I need to have something cute to eat with when I eat alone at school, especially on Saturdays.

My long holiday is finally over and I am already back to school. This quarter I take 2 classes, InDesign and Photoshop CS4. Debiruth is the instructor of both of the classes. “I love going to school,” she introduced herself during the first class,” as you can see from my background.” Apparently she does love going to school. If you search her name on the Internet, you will see that she has a very board range of professional backgrounds, such as Technical Education, Sociology, Applied Behavioral, Law, Software Development, and Psychotherapy.

I am impressed by her introduction and her passion for acquiring knowledge. I have always enjoyed going to school but I had doubts that that is the way life should be, because the culture in my home country is very different. In Macau, people see education as an investment. I remember how the parents of my friend convinced her not to go to a university by weighting the prospective income she could make after graduation to the income she could be making right out of high school. In Macau, the average income of high school students is almost the same or even higher than that of undergraduate students. Therefore, many people think that spending money on going to school is not worth it.

Despite the fact that the tuition in Washington State is eight times more expensive than that of Macau, going to school is quite popular in Seattle. In my Graphic Design class, many of my classmates are learning fine arts and different computer programs just for personal enrichment. For instance, my classmate, who sits next to me, retired 2 years ago after working as a Creative Director for over 20 years. She told me that she was taking the design classes because she wanted to know more about how graphic designers work nowadays.

Even though going to school is very tiring and my schedule is especially challenging after starting my internship this quarter, I still love going to school. I really do. In fact, I think that I should design a logo for “I love going to school”.

Read More 5 comments | Posted by Edith Chan

When it comes to learning a new language, many people find it frustrating. As if when you are walking with your hands versus your feet, you can’t walk fast, you can’t walk steadily, sometimes you can’t even stand up on your own, because you are rewiring your brain and forcing different muscles to do something differently.

I always assume that all people are equally capable to acquire a language. Take a look at how well and fast a baby can learn to speak the first language just by listening and mimicking. However, my own experience tells me that it’s not true. I started learning English since I was 4. Not to mention about the accuracy of grammar, until today I have difficulties in pronouncing some sounds correctly like “th”, “own/oun”, “g”, etc.

Research shows that people start learning a second language late in life is less likely to acquire a native-like accent. When a baby begins to learn a first language, his/her brain (neurons) started formulating certain patterns to recognize different sounds. However, the brain becomes fixed during puberty and loses the adaptability to re-structure for a new language after a certain age. This explains why it is so hard for me to pronounce the “oun” sound, because my brain has been programmed to function for Cantonese, which is my mother language, as early as I was an infant. Cantonese doesn’t distinguish the “oun” sound; therefore it is hard for me to say it right.

Given the fact that the neurons of our brains are basically programmed for the first language we learned, does that mean we can never achieve fluency of a foreign language? For that question I have done some research on the internet. Then I found out that a Language is produced by the Sound Generator (vocal chords) and Sound Chambers (throat, nose cavity, and mouth). For example, “bounce” is a hard word for me. If I want to say it right, I need to know the phonics of the letters and how to use different chambers to generate the sound. Let’s try to say “b-oun-ce”, first use the lips and the throat to generate the “b”, then utter the “oun” by using the soft palate and the nose, at last finish the sound by using the teeth and the tongue.

But knowing how to produce sounds is not good enough. In addition to pronunciation, a language is also composed by words, which are like symbols, and grammar, which is like formulas. Given the conflict with your mother language, acquiring a foreign language is pretty much rewiring your neurons and using your muscles differently. It would be as hard as walking with your hands and typing with your feet.

If learning a second language is hand walking, then living in a foreign country is running a marathon with your hands. I have a co-worker who migrated from Hong Kong to the States 6 years ago, but she is still hanging out with Chinese people and reluctant to make friends with Americans until now. Many more examples can be found when you go to the China towns in America. Many young people have chosen to limit themselves in Chinese groups rather than embrace American culture. I don’t blame them, as living in a foreign country can be stressful, especially during this economic downturn. The competition of the job market is extremely fierce, as if there is no room for non-native English speakers at all.

Practice makes perfect. Some people argue that a fluent level of foreign language can be achieved after years of practicing regardless of age. In fact many people master multi-languages and work across different countries successfully. Maybe some people are cut out for acquiring languages. Maybe how well you can acquire a new language depends on to what extent you can rewire your brain.

I don’t know how far I can go walking with my hands, but I do know that I have to be at least 100% dedicated in order to move forward.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Edith Chan

2008年，短短的頭一個月，生活有了很大變化：

一是多報讀了兩個班，一下子空蕩蕩的時間表給排滿了，也認識了一些新老師和同學。社交場合多了，自信也漸漸恢復過來，開始有信心主動和別人溝通。苦苦掙扎了五個月，似乎自己巳經漸漸回復狀態，本來一直擔心自己不能適應新環境，看來似乎是自己多心了。可是現在才是開始呢，跟着要走的路還很遠。

二是我快要搬家了，很快便會有真正屬於自己的屋子，這幾天我不禁幻想自己怎樣裝飾新屋、怎樣坐在recliner打遊戲機、Sushi怎樣在新屋亂跑......真的很期待呢!

三是我開始在freeway駕車了，這意味着我可以自己去更遠的地方。獨守家房的日子快要過去了，新一年我要開始我在美國的探險旅程!

四是Sushi完成了所有預防疫苗，我終於可以鬆一口氣。這是我第一次親自照顧狗ＢＢ，感覺就像第一次做媽媽一樣，面對自己如此溺愛而又弱小的生命，時常怕她會生病，怕她會受傷，只好每天把她困在家裏。現在Sushi有了基本抗體，新一年我可以帶她四出遊玩，讓她感受真正的大自然風光!

新一年，新挑戰，我的故事要揭開新一頁了!

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上星期六看了National Treasure，劇中男主角有句說話我覺得很值得深思:'愛迪生經過失敗了二千次才成功發明電燈泡， 當別人說他失敗了二千次的時候，愛迪生說：＂我没有失敗過，我只是發現了二千個不能發明電燈泡的方法，但要成功，我郤只需找出一個方法。' ('Thomas Edison invented the light bulb; it took him nearly 2,000 attempts until he finally got it right. And when someone would say to him that he failed 2,000 times before he got it right, he would say “I didn’t fail. I found 2,000 ways not to make a carbon filament light bulb, and I only need to find one way to make it work.”)。

在現實生活中，我們可以發現千萬個理由告訴自己不可能成功，但其實要成功，郤只需一個理由。

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Edith Chan

Thomas說這是＂文化沖擊(Culture Shock)＂，就像一隻小船找不着陸地，在大海裏不停打轉，完全没有前進的方向...... 儘管是個大學生，在餐館點菜仍然是笨笨的；儘管巳經在美國公司待了四年，在生活裏仍是有心無力的；儘管跑過了很多地方，每每在大馬路上駕車仍然是膽戰心驚的.......

來到美國的第二個月，我開始上Talk Class，因為ESL(English as Second Language)課一早巳經爆滿了。Talk Class的同學來自不同國家不同地區，有的來自中國，有的台灣，有的日本，有的巴西，有的俄羅斯......＂為什麼這麼多人都要放棄自己的老鄉，跑來這裡做二等公民？＂我不明白，＂這裏有男有女有老有少，大家都似乎有一定教育的，為什麼大家都願意來到這裡從零開始，笨笨的像幼兒般牙牙學語？＂。我歸咎是國家的負任＂是因為國家不够强吧！是因為政府政策不能讓人民安居樂業吧！要不然為何這麼多人要離鄉背井？＂，若然國家富強，大槪要離鄉的是他們不是我們；若然中國更富強的話，大家要學的就是中文不是英文，不是嗎？

＂我受的是五千年歷史的中國文化，立時要轉成只有二百年歷史的美國文化，談何容易？＂我抱怨了。本來進了威尼斯人公司上班之後，巳經有四年多没有用中文了，但來了美國之後，我用的中文反而比英文多，比在澳門寫的中文、說得多中文、看得多中文還要多。也許這是對心靈的撫慰，就像告訴自己＂你並不笨的，你也有思想的，你也是受過高等教育的，只是語言跟他們的不同而巳。＂

後來一天看雜誌時，無意中看到一篇關於遊學的文章，故事主人翁講述自己遊學到葡國學葡萄牙語的經歴，她說：＂You live a new life when you learn a new language.＂。我發現遊學和到出埠工作在西方也很盛行，突然想起Mason的一句話：＂當一隻小鳥困在笼里，每天都有人餵東西給牠吃，可能牠會很滿足。但當牠嘗試過飛出外面的世界，牠便不一定願意再被困在笼里了。＂

是的，我不可以再因為害怕而固步自封了，我要變強，我要成長起來！

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Edith Chan