All is good with the world

I'm drying my fifth load of laundry... Guess who finally received her suitcase with her Christmas presents and dirty clothes from a trip to Montreal? Yay!! I was so happy that it wasn't lost, I dreaded having to compile a list of items I had packed, to search drawers for receipts, and then realizing that some content was simply irreplaceable. I don't think my suitcase was ever really lost, it simply never made it on the plane. Lots of suitcases didn't fly with their owners on January 1. I hope all the misplaced luggage has finally made its way home by now.

I was also reunited with my camera, so a few Christmas pictures are now uploaded to Flickr.

Back home, minus a suitcase

I made it back to Vancouver safely last night, albeit an hour later than planned. I don't think it was so bad, considering I left Montreal in a snow storm. The flight was delayed as it waited its turn in the de-icing lineup. As usual, the plane was overbooked and they asked for a few volunteers to stay an additional night and fly back business class the next day. Tempting, but I had work to do today, so I decided to pass.

We landed around 11:50 p.m., which was really 2:50 a.m. for me since I was still on EST. You should have seen the airport carousel area at YVR when we landed: there was luggage everywhere, the result of an entire day of missed flights, luggage mixups and busy holiday travels. It was a mess. I waited for my suitcase while keeping an eye open for my watercolors in the special baggage area. Well, I can confirm that fragile baggage is indeed handled separately, because my package made it to Vancouver, unlike my suitcase. 30 other passengers also seemed to be missed pieces, so we waited in line to file our baggage claims. "Tomorrow afternoon", they said, "but we don't know where it is right now."

Well, as of tonight, they still don't seem to know where it is. I'm checking AC's WorldTracer online service and I still get the same message: "Tracing continues. Please check back later." Now the problem is I have to wait for my suitcase at home, I don't want AC to deliver it at work and then drag the thing back home. It's too big and heavy for the bus. I guess I can continue working from home tomorrow...

Around 5, I caved in and paid a quick visit to the drugstore to pick up a few personal care products to replace what I had in my suitcase. It's not as if I wouldn't use these things anyways. I'm not too worried about the suitcase being lost, I'm just hoping I don't have to stay home for the rest of the week. I can do 95% of my stuff through VPN but need a LAN connection to work on large documents in SharePoint. Oh well.

Any excuse is good

How hard it's been today to stay focused on what I need to finish! I think my mind has already fast-forwarded to April, come back, come back!!! I still have two papers to write! Tonight, I am the Queen of Procrastination. I'm browsing the web, answering personal e-mails. At least I've completed my passport application (online) and will mail it tomorrow, after my dentist signs it. I heard it was 45 days before an application was processed these days. Maybe Lara, Gerri and I won't be going to Las Vegas in April after all. May's OK ;)

I was walking back from Kits on Broadway, when I felt something hitting me behind the head. Not hard, felt like someone just trying to get your attention with a good push of the hand. Except there wasn't anyone. Just a crow. It flew ahead of me and onto an awning. What? Stupid crow. Can't measure distances or was this on purpose? Then you start thinking all sorts of things: eewww, did it shit on me, drop something in my ponytail, is there something in my ponytail it was trying to grab?

Bizarre.

There's a system after all

After a whirlwind, crazy, almost end-of-semester like week, I'm looking at a weekend that is just as busy. My two courses this semester are going to require a lot of reading over the weekend. Fortunately, the topics are very interesting, much more than Accounting: Management of Innovation and Strategy.

I met with a neurologist here in Vancouver. I still have to hear back from VGH about the MRI, but I'm already scheduled for an EEG. And I have to continue taking the medication they gave me in Montreal, for at least six months. If I don't get another seizure, they might consider taking me off of it. Since this medication is supposed to prevent seizures, how would I get one while I'm taking it? I didn't ask any questions. The good news is, I'm no longer feeling dizzy. The bad news is, I'm not allowed to give blood for the next two years. There was, after all, a reason why they were asking me this question at the Canadian Blood Services.

I booked a flight to Calgary in early March, to meet Annie in Banff and then eventually make our way to Lake Louise for some skiing. I think that'll be a lot of fun, I've never been in Banff. I noticed a strange thing when shopping for my flight. I initially checked Air Canada earlier this week (I usually fly with them) and the tickets were $84 one way and $94 the other way. Hmm... Not great. Then, on Thursday, I received my weekly e-mail with promotions from WestJet. I checked their price for a Vancouver-Calgary flight and it was $69 each way. Better. Before booking, I thought I'd give AC a last chance and, what do you know: prices were down to $69 each way on AC as well! Well, since I collect Aeroplan Miles and already have all my info in their database, I booked with Air Canada. Out of curiosity, I looked at the price for a Vancouver-Calgary flight on AC on Friday: $84 and $94. I get someone at Air Canada gets the same promotional e-mail that I get from WestJet ;) Even stranger, the flights for both airlines were leaving at the same times, throughout the entire day...

Go figure.

Back in the rainy city

Yesterday was spent flying, with a three hour stop in Ottawa, 45 minutes wait for luggage and half-an-hour wait for a cab!! The flight from Montreal to Ottawa was however very cool, in a little plane with propellers. I think it could fit about 36 passengers.

I woke up this morning around 7, still going on Montreal time. I had a look outside where it was pouring rain and windy, then went back to bed.

I posted some pictures from the holidays on my Flickr account. I'm more and more disappointed by the indoors pictures my camera takes. It's very good for outdoors, but when I compare to what my brother can take with his swanky camera, mine's pretty disappointing. I'm supposed to get a few extra pictures from New Years Eve, but you can see Christmas 2006 and pictures from a dinner with old high-school friends. If you visit Dina's Flickr account, you can also see a few pictures of me looking completely uncomfortable with little Naomi. Fortunately, she's a good sport ;)

Weeeeee

My suitcase is packed, my dishes and laundry are done, my place is relatively clean, I'm relatively clean, all I need now is to sleep and make it to the airport in time. I even checked in already, so no trying to convince me that a $200 voucher is going to make me take the next plane. I know the flight is going to be overbooked, I just know it ;)

I also managed to see Casino Royal today, it was a good Bond movie, less gadgets, more intensity. I think I like Daniel Craig as 007.

World travelers

I don't have to search very far to figure out why some of the Saumier kids have been bit by the traveling bug. I've been receiving regular e-mails from my grandma who is celebrating the submission of her PhD by visiting a few neat places in Europe. She first visited Hungary (Budapest) to see some old friends, then she was off to Vienna, where she was met by my aunt, and now Prague. She told me that her hotel was right next to the Charles bridge. I know exactly where she is staying. In 2001, Annie celebrated the end of her bachelor with a three-month stint around Europe with her best friend. I was working at the time, but took two weeks off to meet them. We spent one week in Vienna and one week in Prague. That was my first time in Europe and I loved it!

More travel plans are in the works... Annie plans to start her MBA next September, but she will do a one-year intensive instead of taking the courses part-time. This mean we will both graduate around the same time. We've been thinking of a little tour around South-East Asia in September of 2008, backpacking and sight-seeing. It was a lot of fun in 2001, I'm looking forward to another trip with my sister.


Melissa and Annie in Vienna (2001)

Thinking strategically about my life

I think this quote found in a book I'm reading for Marketing, Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore, accurately reflect why I felt I had to so such intense soul-searching lately:

"f you don't know where you are going, you probably aren't going to get there."

Yup, simple enough but true. I’ve been planning to pursue an MBA for a few years now but it’s only recently that the purpose of this MBA became clear. My current job is very challenging, it keeps me busy and motivated; however, I always felt that I was missing something, that I would feel much more satisfied if my work made a difference.

I entertain two passions that have not yet crossed paths in my work. My first passion is technology. I enjoy reading and learning about new technology and scientific discoveries. I have spent the past seven years working in a variety of high-tech industries (optical networking, IP networking, business applications). Although I do not have an Undergraduate degree in Engineering or Computer Science, my interest in technology has allowed me to develop the necessary skills to explain this technology to others (Technical Writing) and provide the guidance for designing applications that focus on an optimal user experience.

My second passion is the environment. I stay informed on recent developments in sustainable living. I’m a supporter of various environmental organizations such as The Land Conservancy (TLC), the World Wildlife Federation and the David Suzuki Foundation. I enjoy keeping up with newstories about people and organizations who make the environment their focus. I don’t own a car, buy local whenever possible and consciously make efforts to reduce my ecological footprint.

My plan for the next few years is to merge these two passions and seek a career as a Project or Product Manager in a company developing sustainable technology, preferably technology that can also help solve fundamental issues in developing countries (provide clean sources of fuel, improve agricultural practices, and so on). I am pursuing the Management of Technology (MOT) MBA as a part-time student to build the foundation needed to solve common business problems encountered by high-tech companies. I started the MBA this fall (2006) with a few courses already completed, which then happens to leave me with a free semester in the fall of 2007.

Between September 2007 and December 2007, I plan to volunteer for an international development program focused on sustainable technologies in developing countries. I have already started looking into projects sponsored by a variety of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable foundations. Groups like MBA Without Borders, the Aga Khan Foundation, One Sky (The Canadian Institute for Sustainable Living) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development are regularly looking for trained professionals to help with projects all over the world. I am looking for a four-to-six week project abroad, with some planning and analysis work done part-time while I am in Vancouver.

I also plan to work with a local company developing sustainable technology for my final MBA project. I am reading through a variety of publications to familiarize myself with the sustainable technology industry in Vancouver, including some of the publications by Business in Vancouver. I have not identified the specific problem I want to help address in my MBA project at this point, as I am not starting the project until early 2008. However, during the Western Canadian Environmental Technology Forum held in Vancouver in 2003, representatives of western Canadian environmental technology companies identified areas where the industry was facing tough challenges, including:

• Gathering market intelligence, especially in countries with large populations that represent a significant market potential
• Developing demonstration projects to showcase the technology
• Defining sector needs for commercialization to reduce risks for investors and new technologies

Any of these areas could potentially become an interesting project for my MBA. Some of the text in this blog was included in a letter accompanying my application for a $10,000 scholarship offered by SFU. With the scholarship, it will be easier for me to take an unpaid leave of absence for the volunteer project. I believe my employer would let me leave for four to six weeks, but obviously, I wouldn't get paid during that time. Expenses are typically covered in international development projects, but covering my expenses and saving for tuition is a bit much if your income is cut back by almost two months.

Even further down the road, I'm even planning for a trip with Annie in 2008 in South-East Asia. The intent of the trip is to obviously discover this area's rich culture and beautiful scenery, but also to familiarize myself with potential markets for sustainable products.

So, this is my vision going forward. Having formulated what it is that I intend to do helps me focus my efforts. I also communicate this vision with friends and contacts because I want to share my enthusiasm about these new goals but also because they might hear about people or companies who are doing business in my area of interest. Networking can be pretty powerful.

The road ahead is so clear now...

Back to the West Coast

I made it pretty early to the airport in Montreal yesterday in anticipation of potential lineups due to increased security. The check-in was a lot longer than usual, go figure why people couldn't understand that you were not allowed to bring ANY liquids or gels on the airplane ("yes, mam, you have to put the wine bottles in your luggage or leave them with us"). Even after being told several time at check-in, you should see what security was still pulling out of people's bags: water bottles, booze, all kinds of personal care products...

I had a window seat on the airplane and nobody sitting beside me. Wonderful. I saw a thunderstorm over the Prairies (flashes of light all over the place) and at 30,000 ft, the skies were clear and you could see stars and a full moon (almost full?).

I think that my flight to Montreal was the first and last time I'll fly with cabin luggage only. If the new regulations stay, there's no way you can travel with only cabin luggage (unless you have no problem traveling without toothpaste, gel, moisturizer, and so on). It's unfortunate because you save at least 30 minutes not waiting for the luggage to be unloaded from the plane. I guess it's the new reality of the world we live in. At least, they didn't make me take off my shoes at security ;) I hope they'll allow sealed bottles again, otherwise, how am I going to bring Okanagan wine to my family for Christmas?

A few pictures from the trip are here.