While all of us are talking about business and sales – what is a real investment? Family. My kids are getting into kindergarten now – and spending time teaching them, giving them ideas and guidance, has had real impact. And that is a lifelong investment. Watching them grow up, learning, forming their ideas and personalities has been life changing. My …
Catching up With Old Friend Talking E-commerce Re-Kindling
Those who read this blog maybe 5-10 years ago may have seen quite a few posts of Marie. I first met her in Shenzhen, China in 2009 when she applied to work with my crazy e-commerce and SEO office and it was my first time to work with a Filipina. She had been living in Shenzhen for some time and …
Transitioning Kids To Full Time School (Retiring as a Home School Teacher?)
2020, what a year. Entering into September and there was a family dinner and discussion about the Fall semester. Home schooling has been taking a lot of time on the family – from meal preparations to 3 of us sharing full day classes (Wendy morning Math, Grandpa Chinese in late morning, and my English classes in afternoon) – so we …
Living in a High Tech World (Happening in a Town Near You?)
Getting over the writer’s (vlogger’s) block and have been wanting to share about this – at least here in China – the COVID has pushed big data and high tech to a whole new level. Entering a mall, I am scanning in at a mandatory checkpoint to report I am entering this place of business. The use case is in …
Bro Night (A Match Made By Our Families)
Been less active on the v-logging – just because it would be a bit of a repetitive one of me walking between 3 apartments each day doing my morning work (on Loadpipe, online marketing) to afternoon home schooling and dinner at the in-laws. Today – we have a “match making” session – my mother in law is an acupuncture specialist …
Reducing Our Requirements for Material Things (Living with Less “stuff”, more Love)
Minimalism is always something I have been fascinated with since I moved down to Manila, Philippines from China in 2009/2010 for an interesting year of commute between the countries. Moving always makes us realize – why do we need all this stuff. I’m blessed my wife is on the same page – and while we have just moved into a …
Becoming a Homeschooling Teacher
Guess it was inevitable to be in China and become a teacher. But this is different, Doing this for my kids. With schools shut down now until at least the fall here in China (they just announced in early May 2020 that schools will be further delayed from opening until the Fall) – I have to finally take matters in …
The New Normal – Searching For An Apartment Back in China
Can you believe we are almost halfway through the year 2020? Still feel it is January and preparing to fly to Philippines for a few months. Sitting in the same desk and chair in my aunt-in-law’s spare bedroom that is a makeshift home office, the same spot I booked a flight to Manila in January. But we are approaching mid-May …
Time for the World To Wake Up
Here’s my review of Laurence’s book, who we we’re lucky to have on the Global From Asia podcast. (listen here) The book title is “A Time For Shambhala” but another name could be “A Time For the World to Wake up”. No, not for politicians and leaders to wake up – but for the “average” human being. The book inspired …
Digesting and Processing and Transforming in Shenyang
Well, after the “music stops” and the pursuit of getting to a ’final” destination has been reached – there is the “morning after”. I mean I am so happy to be re-united with my wife and kids, but now the next big adventure and question is – where do we go from here? No one knows how long the world …
Speaking at the East x West Online Seller Conference
East x West, Asia’s Premier Online Conference for Amazon Sellers will be holding its regular gathering of Amazon product owners, sellers and marketers on April 25, 2020. The entire conference will be done virtually by streaming all the live sessions direct to your device. You will have the opportunity to ask speakers questions live as well as participate during the …
Speaking at Work From Home Initiative Online Forum
The Free Online Forum last April 20, 2020, hosted by Work From Home Initiative was a very informative and productive one. We discussed the topic, Post-Pandemic: Defining and Preparing for the New Normal. Really learned a lot from this forum. Here are some grabs: Work From Home Initiative will be hosting a Free Online Forum with the topic, Post-Pandemic: Defining …
Speaking at Global Sources Virtual Summit
The Global Sources Virtual Summit last April 21 – 22, 2020 was a success! The discussion on how to OPTIMIZE YOUR SOURCING in the current uncertain time was indeed insightful. In the summit, we also talked about sourcing masks and other medical devices. So timely and valuable. Here are some of my colleagues in the summit: I’m honored to share …
Back on The Move – Visiting a Hazmat Suit Factory in Wife’s Hometown
Less than a week from being released from quarantine, and back on the move. But to be honest, not able to leave the province (like a US state) so easily due to the quarantine process and health check in each province. So we are sticking to finding and visiting factories in the “neighborhood”. We’re lucky to have Wendy’s network and …
Adjusting to Life After Quarantine: Getting a Haircut in Shenyang City
Well, talking to others in quarantine – a haircut is one of the first things on my mind. Even before entering quarantine a haircut would have been nice. It averages about one haircut every few weeks, and with the madness of the Bohol, Cebu, Korea, Shenyang, China travel – and then sitting in a hotel room for a half month …