#ninth entry

10:43am

Finally finished Math. A little piece of me died in that exam. Fortunately I have Art now and am feeling all right. I’m content but I saw the blades in my bag and it got me craving

Lunch

Nat has officially been put on my hate list, up there with Jayden. He stomped on Marcie’s hands. Her hands are bruised from work already yet he felt the need to bring his fat ass down on her hands. She isn’t angry at him but I bloody well am.

2??pm

Another interesting I found out was Chris’s dark last. Japanese was pretty slow so he was telling us how in grade 3, he was EVIL. He smashed his friends face in with a good club by accident and covered the body before running the fuck away, just leaving the dude there. Worse part is, apparently he friend remembers nothing. Like I sad, EVIL.

Marcie has new glasses. She seemed sad today :( but excited for our sleepover.

2:16pm

I just realised that since Marcie is sleepiver moved on Friday and Emily’s bonfire night is on Saturday...that’s 2 DAYS without cutting!! So I’ll make up the urge before the weekend. I did it in the bathroom 2nd lunch

Dear diary,

Today I had a headache the whole day because I've fallen asleep at 7 am and woken up at 10 am.

Then ofc I was laying in bed til 13/14 and when I went downstairs I made myself some breakfast.

After that I helped my mom with chores like cleaning the house (and helping her sort her never ending amount of shoes and put them into their carton-box)

Then later that Evening I wanted to have some "me" time. (Aka drinking tea, reading Percy Jackson while lo-fi or other calming music plays in the background. I'm doing this really often recently which is good since I really need to start reading books more often again. And drinking tea.)

Oh the tea I made this time was a mix of the rooibos caramel tea and the rooibos chocolate flavored tea which tasted trés bien.

Ohhh now that I think about it, I should begin studying for the upcoming French, German and Maths exam. And prolly for Biology too since my participation in the class is very poor (aka I failed the test, almost didn't do any homework)

Oh no I'm beginning to fear.

So back to my "me" time ritual and so on.

I wanted to go and have the "me" time but then my mom goes "U gotta bond with ur family yadda yadda yadda" but I really didn't want to cuz 1) I'd have to move my "me" time to a later hour 2) My dad seemed kinda pissed today and I was scared that instead of having a family bonding session I'd have a 3 hour long quarrel session cuz when my dad is in a bad mood he's easily irritable.

But thank heavens that we actually had a chill time.

I was discussing about stuff like friendship, love etc. etc.

Of course I had to swallow down some homophobia and couldn't say anything against it because I didn't want my parents to suspect me in supporting, or even worse, being a part of the lgbt+ community (I'm pan).

But then we started talking about friendships and that's where I proudly told my parents what wonderful friends I have.

For example, I was comparing them with my ex best friend. And. I've noticed that she was never into discussing deep stuff, which I don't like at all, cuz if I think about it, I sometimes love to get lost in my deep and philosophical thoughts or talk about it with my friends. And their reaction is never like "ewwwww that's too deeeeeeeep and depressssiiiiiing." They talk about deep stuff too and. I think the deeper the topic you talk about with a person is, the closer you get. Which is an awesome feeling. I never had that with my ex best friend. All she ever talked about passionately was about boys and how much she loves their attention. Oh man. I remember arguing with her about if your future boyfriend is allowed to have a female best friend or not. And I said "of course he can, duh. I'd take away his freedom if I actually demanded him not to have a female best friend. And that's the last thing I'd ever do. I want my future partner to feel as comfortable as possible."

And then, she said the most manipulative and egocentric thing I've heard.

"What??? If he has so much freedom he could easily bang around with another hag behind your back and eventually leave you."

And I said "Well, I believe that my partner will love me as much as I love him/her and won't do that. And if they will find someone that is suited better for them, then I'm going to be hurt but also happy for them for finding better happiness which I couldn't provide for them."

She said "Wow, Coffee you're crazy. Have fun on getting cheated on multiple times."

And I said "Well, have fun having a Muppet as a boyfriend."

Oh man that was like, the best burn I've ever thrown at her.

And man. It's sad how today's youth sees love. I've heard that many girls just want as many boyfriends as possible. Which I find ridiculous. Why have a thousand shitty partners when you can have one amazing partner that you can stay with as long as possible? Which you can trust and which trusts you. Which knows how to please you and you know how to please. Which makes you happy in every single way and you try to make happy.

Just. Long lasting unconditional love. Yeah. That's the thing I'd be into. But sadly that won't happen soon.

Why are teenagers so into that "fast love - fast sex - fast breakup" thing? (Lololol I sound like an old granny)

It's sad.

Ahh but I can't wait to shower my future partner with love. I'd do anything to make them happy.

But for now. I gotta wait.

After that chill talk with my parents I finally did the "me" time.

The tea tasted amazing, the story is getting better and better and the music in the background makes it an amazing experience.

And noooooow I gotta go to sleep. I have to wake up early so I can help my parents with cleaning the house and stuff for Christmas.

Well, I’m back in Divinity’s Reach again.  Seeing humans again after a long time really gives you an appreciation for home.

I spent the past few weeks down in the Caledon forest to the south, among the Sylvari.  They’re a fascinating bunch of tree people, and I think that spending time with them gave me a whole new appreciation for nature.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not going all self righteous tree-hugger on anyone, but I’ve learned to respect the trees a little bit more.

I respect the Sylvari.  Their teachings of Ventari dictate that they constantly work towards self-improvement, and they’re always open to learning.  While helping them in their fight against the Nightmare Court, a splinter group of Sylvari who reject Ventari, their warriors proved to be what we humans call “gentlemen”.  Instead of being bitter about losing, they just acknowledge that they need to improve.  They’re a young race, but they already seem to understand what a lot of older humans still can’t get.

All this from the teachings of a peaceful centaur.  Who knew?  Maybe not all centaurs are bad.

I even got to disguise myself as a Sylvari once, while infiltrating the Nightmare Court.  I must say, it was interesting, but I’d rather not turn my skin into bark again.

Their names are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard.  Who knows?  Maybe one of my kids will get a Sylvari name.  Would that be a good idea, or would actual Sylvari think that I’m mocking them?

Then again, even though we’re Canthan, both my sister Deborah and I have Krytan first names.  Same with the rest of the Higashi family.  We’ve all been getting Krytan names ever since great-great-great-(How many greats would that be?)-grandpa Azuma left the old country 200 years ago.  Oh well, we have yet to have any Krytans complaining to us, other than some childhood teasing, so maybe I will.

Anyway, duty calls.

Appreciating the diversity of cross-functional teams and managing team dynamics are essential to succeeding at organizing an effective and productive team. Talented leadership is necessary to coach team member and help them develop fundamental capabilities and foster interactions for the individual and team recognition and reputation. “[…] effective project team leaders are social architects who understand the interaction between organizational and behavioral variables; suggesting that such team leaders be able to minimize dysfunctional conflict and to foster a climate of active participation.” (Sarin & O'Connor, 2009) Effective leadership, as mentioned in class, can be an important mechanism to handle group dynamics and guide the team to the success of the team’s task.

Internal dynamics should be addressed as to improve the team’s performance and success. Managing conflict effectively can have great impact on performance. Leaders should develop sensitivity “to better bridge across these intercultural style patterns of difference” (Hammer, 2009) and to understand factors that are inborn to team members from diverse backgrounds. Conflict resolution strategies are tools to recognize individual’s difference and take them as a starting point to reconcile multiple positions.

Having read the Case Study Soltronicz EMS, Inc., The Best is Sometimes not Good Enough, what can one say about the conflict of interests at managing subsidiaries abroad?

The purchasing project managers in the United States are the custodian of Soltronicz’s purse. Therefore, their first and foremost obligation is to spend wisely the company’s funds, however, it does not mean that delegating purchasing functions to foreign agents would hamper buying efficiency. Defining Soltronicz EMS, Inc. as a company with geographical dispersion because of its offices in Asia and the U.S., the firm requires some representatives abroad that oversee, among others, the procurement taking place in the subcontracting Asian companies. In consequence, resorting to centralized-decentralized procurement and delegating fundamental responsibilities and some autonomy to local agents in the Asian countries is in fact appropriate for the organization structure. Furthermore, the general office in Silicon Valley can secure strategic purchases and still prescribe and issue the procurement policies and procedures that agents abroad need to pursue as to act as the legally authorized representative who deals with the firms supplying materials and services to Soltronicz in Asia. In conclusion, Mr. Franck was correct in assigning key responsibilities to his people in Hong Kong because it gives the local manager close control over its raw materials and components. For example, while they are closer to the suppliers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, they could better operate with smaller and low-carrying-cost inventories of components and better meet emergency requirements invoiced in the U.S. This hybrid type of purchasing also avoids possible problems due to transportation, non-moving inventory, loss of time, and poor communications between the local delegate and the supplier while at the same time allows the use of buying specialists and secures the savings of larger-volume purchases that are strategic to the company.

Combining the efficiency of buying specialist in California with the knowledge of regional perspective of the people in Hong Kong requires that the home offices in U.S. and the local agents in Hong Kong keep the lines of communication open in both ways at all times as a way of conflict of interes resolution. While central purchasing monitors all purchases and contract for total volume to make better economical results, the local managers can react to the specific needs of the Supply Chain in the region. Management should therefore address special care to the free exchange of buying information that helps the company make the best and most profitable decisions possible.

Bibliography

Hammer, M. R. (2009). Measuring Intercultural Competence. En M. A. Moodian, Competence: Exploring the Cross-Cultural Dynamics within Organizations (págs. 219-232). SAGE Publications, Inc.

==> France: Answer that.

--englishGentleman began pestering gorgeousAmant-- EG: Hello, FROG.

Immediate distaste came on his face when he saw who the message was from. With annoyance and a groan, he replied.

GA: Ugh, its ze monton noir l'Europe. GA: Why are you disturbing me? GA: Is it for some advice on your drab fashion sense? GA: If so, you should already know you are 'opeless. EG: What a bother. EG: I had hoped that by talking to you digitally I would escape that HORRIBLE accent of yours. EG: Regretfully, I was wrong. GA: As wrong as your taste in cooking. EG: Why are you bringing my cooking into this? GA: You were naming things you were dreadfully wrong in. GA: Cooking is one. GA: Fashion another. GA: There's also the fact you claim you are friends with fées. EG: Fees? GA: Non, fées. EG: Why would I be friends with bills? GA: Fairies, you unrefined excuse for a nation, not fees. GA: You claim fairies are real. EG: Because they bloody are! GA: Et les licornes et les gnomes et les lapins volants. EG: SPEAK THE QUEEN'S ENGLISH! GA: Unicorns, gnomes, and flying bunnies. GA: Please tell me, why are you not in an asylum yet? EG: Well, Pepe le Pew, EG: I was wondering why Canada is in that bloody house of yours.

France chuckled. "Oh, so zat is what zis is about~"

GA: 'ow is that any concern of yours? EG: BECAUSE I BLOODY RAISED CANADA GA: AS DID I EG: HE TAKES AFTER ME AS A WONDERFUL GENTLEMAN GA: NON HE LEARNED MORE FROM ME EG: BEARDED TOAD GA: T'AS UNE TÊTE A FAIRE SAUTER LES PLAQUES D'EGOUTS!* EG: THAT MAKES NO SENSE GA: I DID NOT ANSWER TO BE INSULTED BY YOU EG: WELL YOU KNOW WHAT EG: I WILL SAY WHATEVER I BLOODY WANT TO SAY

A strange sound from outside. Thinking it a trick, France turned back to his computer only to hear it again.

GA: ...

His computer started letting off a barrage of alerts.

EG: WHAT? EG: SPEECHLESS? EG: OVERWHELMED BY MY IMMENSE BRITISHNESS? EG: WELL GOD BLESS THE QUEEN THE FROG FINALLY SHUT UP! GA: Quiet, Angleterre. EG: AND WHY SHOULD I?

France gnawed at his lower lip before sending a reply.

GA: Something is wrong... EG: What?

The sound was getting closer. It sounded like...

EG: Hey, answer me.

Thumping. Loud thumping.

EG: France!

And it was now right outside his door.

--gorgeousAmant ceased pestering englishGentleman--

France slammed the computer screen down and pulled out his RIFLEKIND. No one was going to be breaking into his house! He cautiously stepped towards the door. The sound had stopped but France knew whoever it was was still out there.

Taking the doorknob in one hand, France ripped open his door.

There was no one there.

He looked left to right. There was nothing. Laughing nervously, France ran a hand through his hair. "It was nothing. Big Brother must be getting old." He unequipped his RIFLEKIND. "I better check on Canada."

He only took a step and new something was wrong.

His eyes traveled downward to the floor where his white carpet was stained dark red. Following the trail, he found it went all the way to the kitchen.

"CANADA!"

He took off running, not caring to look behind him.

((*You have a face that could blow off manhole covers.))

After waiting around for Kev to get up, we finally made it out of the hostel for the day. Kevin had never heard of Camden markets so I suggested we go there, knowing I would love it. As soon as we walked out of the tube station, I was definitely in love. This street/market is incredible. 

All the buildings that line the streets have decorations covering them . And I don't mean streamers and small banners. I mean big 3D shoes, hats and even on one store, a plane coming out of the upper level. It really is a work of art in itself. 

Most of the shops do sell the same sort of thing, so you do see a lot of the same clothes throughout the place. If you can find it though, there is a really cool shop that sells clocks made out of vinyls, with different bands art. Nearly bought a Muse one, if they hadn't been out of my budget and super fragile. 

Found another awesome store on the other side of the markets that had really cool watches for 10pounds, and because I didn't have a phone or anything with me, I thought I'd get one and hoped that it would last for the rest of my trip. 

After looking around Camden for about 3 hours Kev and I bought sandwiches and got on the tube to tower bridge, where we ate them by the river. We walked for a bit down and around tower hill and the bridge, getting all the typical touristy photos. Kev wanted to go to the Imperial War Museum so back onto the tube and off we went. I wasn't really interested in going inside so I sat in the park just across the road and watched the squirrels, giggling my head off like a 5 year old. I suddenly got really tired so I made my way back to the hostel to chill out for a bit and do my washing. Which took forever by the way, and is so expensive! The laundry was right next to the common area though, so I got to watch How I Met Your Mother while waiting. Happy happy.