Moms, internet communities, iPhone a new best friend

Dedicated to the moms of the Generation-C (C for Community!)

Thank god this is still Sunday so I can write more freely, sidetrack from mobile, community, learning topic.

Getting ready for Silicon Valley mom life style

A very good friend who has been a colleague at Sun in Hong Kong, who becomes even closer friend post Sun days, has decided to move back to California in June to settle in Palo Alto. First I wish her well and (email) introduce a cleaning lady contact to her so she can get some help since she will be without her maids and chauffeur in Shanghai and join the Silicon Valley soccer mom club doing much drivings for her 11 year old's to be very busy schedule; hence hers!
Next, I wish to take care of the family dining need. In a recessionary environment and not want to compromise the quality of dining, Osteria, my favorite Italian restaurant at very reasonable price, comes immediate to mind. If you ever visit Palo Alto, you MUST give this a try. Reservation is a must as there is little chance to get a table for walk ins.

iPhone, Silicon Valley mom's new best friend

Gmail and google maps on the iPhone are completely indispensable to me who has absolutely no sense of direction. Google maps on the iPhone is quite smart, knows my home address after I use it once, guess accurately in high percentage the places I want to go but don't really know the name or where it is? If I plan ahead, I will do Google maps and direction on the internet from home and send the direction to my gmail before I leave the house. When I am driving, I open up my gmail and whoa la! the driving direction is right there. Of course I will add the phone number to the gmail I sent myself so I can do one touch of the phone number in email and it rings the place of where I am going. Be sure to use the hands free headphone when use iPhone in the car! It is the law or you will get a ticket and fined!


No more tears! Move announcement: June 10, from Kitty's physical to online network

When I left Hong Kong in 1980s for my university education in US, the airport scene was teary! I felt both excited of my new life, and yet sad to leave my family, friends and my love. The internet community has changed all that. Emails has kept many of us in touch despite of distance, change in job, change in city as each of our lives take us to a separate path. In my own circle, the 30 something, 40 something crowds are increasingly joining social network sites like Facebook, MySpace, etc. I think the important thing is how we choose to use the social network and be mindful of what type of information you input and upload to them. For me, I am glad to use both email and social network sites to not only keep in touch with friends, but also continue to grow the friendship which these sites have made possible. Another benefit of participating in social networks is people generally post positive happenings. I am happy to learn about William's Coldplay concert experience, saw the incredible photos he took of his model car projects, and Napoleon's twit of yesterday's hiking give such positive stimulation to the otherwise idle mind.

Conscientious use of social networks

Use your social network site for positive expression. There are too much 'fear' generated by the media today. Eric Schmidt in Charlie Rose's interview has another nice quote. Schmidt says, "know where the NO button is". There is too much information out there. It can overwhelm even the most intelligent person.