Running In The Morning

I was introduced to running first thing in the morning at President’s College. We woke up at 6:00am and got dressed to go running. We ran together - in formation. At first, it was very difficult to run and keep up with the pack. I was very fat and was not used to running. I gradually got better. 

Another Paper Submitted

I submitted another paper for publication today. The journal is: MIS Quarterly. The paper is on online reviews. I prepared a new version of my first signature assignment for publication.

I wanted to submit the paper to Cornell for publication since it is related to the paper I mentioned yesterday on responding to online reviews (I prepared the papers for the same course). I decided to submit it to another journal that does not focus on hotels or the hospitality industry. This paper discusses issues that are pertinent to all companies/industries. I hope the journal accepts it. The paper summarizes a lot of issues related to online reviews.

It was a busy day. I looked up the articles I selected, the categories and subcategories I used in the Literature Review outline, and so on. During the literature review course, I saved my selections in Refworks and Endnotes. A video I prepared on transferring data from Refworks to Endnote is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8FT1WyHKOc

Online Review Paper Excerpt by Fahmeena Odetta Moore

Elevator Pitch

You may have heard that I was stranded in New York a few years ago (see posts on my
experience at this link: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/search/label/strandedinnewyork). At first, I was horrified because I had lost important items and could not retrieve them. Afterwards, I calmed down and started thinking about strategies to retrieve my important items.

After a while, I started enjoying New York. I enjoyed Bryant Park. I enjoyed walking around Times Square. I found quite a few tea shops and went in to look at their offerings. I even pitched my pickled meat business idea at a bank. I wasn't totally prepared but I did a good job.

It is important to sell your ideas and even "sell yourself" especially when seeking a job. In the past, I practiced an elevator pitch in case I needed to pitch an idea (here is an article on perfecting your elevator pitch: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4034-elevator-pitch-tips.html).

This reminds me of my 7 Ps of success. One of the Ps is for Persuasion.

Partial LinkedIn profile of Fahmeena Odetta Moore

New York Experience by Fahmeena Odetta Moore

Update Nov28

I submitted another paper for publishing. I called it "A Critical Analysis of Three Papers On Responding To Online Reviews." I submitted it to Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Years ago, when I was working on the paper, I actually requested one of the three articles reviewed from Cornell University through the NCU (ncu.edu) library because it could not be opened/viewed from the NCU library - see related post https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2022/07/responses.html).

If you are interested in my posts on online reviews, visit https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/search/label/onlinereviews.

I am in pain again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food at PC

I am thinking of food during my high school years. My high school was a boarding school so I was away from home, living in a dorm with other girls. The school (dining) staff prepared meals for us - three meals a day served at 7:00am (give and take a half an hour), 12 noon, and 6:00pm. I don't recall the time for breakfast probably because I missed breakfast a lot. We ate regular Guyanese food. We ate a lot of rice, which is a staple in Guyana. The dining staff served the rice in the shape of a bowl - much like the shape shown in the photo below. Each student ate with a knife and fork. I recall being trained to eat with a knife and fork in home economics class.

Serving of rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strong Background Needed

There is a lot of economics in my papers. "Where does the economics come from?" some may ask. I actually have a bachelor's degree in economics. And, I was studying economics long before then. I studied economics in high school. I passed economics at GCE O-level in 1991 (the certificates I posted about a month ago show this - see https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2022/10/pc-certificates.html). Back then, economics was not offered at CXC so I wrote it through the London external examinations.

Having a strong background in an area/subject is important. My MS degree in Information Systems at UMBC (see https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2022/07/commencement-documents.html) provided a strong background for website creation/development, among other areas. I took the basic IS course that taught me how to build websites, including coding/developing a shopping cart and creating an application that writes to a database. It started with a basic website that included a picture and a description of myself. Before long, I was creating more complex websites with tables and scrolling banners. I still remember the "mock" magazine e-commerce website I created for the course. I designed the website to allow the purchase of subscriptions to a variety of magazines.

I am familiar with the basics.

Fahmeena Odetta Moore UMBC Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprained Foot

My foot wrapped.......
I wrapped it again today. Thanks to the hospital, I got wrapping and special shoes.

(Photo smaller than actual)

 

 

More Papers For Publishing

I submitted the organizational structure paper to another journal.

I am thinking of submitting the paper I prepared on Website Design and Customer Complaints for publication. It falls under the topic Usability and User/Customer Experience. I may need to make it longer.

Still Applying For Jobs

I spent some time searching for and submitting applications for jobs. It is such a tiring process.

Taking Care Of Business

I am taking care of business.....

I recently paid tolls sent by mail (for tolls in PA, NY and a few other Northeastern states). It reminded me of my vacation a few months ago. I enjoyed driving to Canada from Maryland.

Just a few days ago, I received the renewal notice for my car registration. I need to pay the fee soon. I am still waiting for information on my issue with Allstate.

 

 

 

 

I also need to complete a few applications I started. I don't want people to think I lost interest.

I am also looking into fingerprinting for travel. In the past, I had fingerprints taken for employment background investigations (government agencies such as the VA and FAA required them). Fingerprinting for travel is new and I want to look into it.

Primarily A Consultant

My resume/ LinkedIn profile shows a lot of titles, but my role/job is really Consultant. Here is a short summary:

Over her career, Fahmeena Odetta Moore has worked primarily as a Consultant. She has significant experience working as a Consultant for consulting companies such as ICF International and Grant Thornton on consulting assignments at US Government agencies. In recent positions, she has worked from home.

She has been working on various projects to help fund her PhD.

Music Band

At both Watooka Day School and President's College, I was a member of the band. At Watooka Day, joining the band was restricted to high performers.

At President's College, I became aware of the school band after a performance at an open floor talent show. The talent shows were open to any student. One night, I volunteered to play my flutophone (from Watooka Day School). It was after a performance by Dion who sang Animal Crackers In My Soup.

 

Music

"Music moves me to laugh or sing or cry,
Music moves me to reach right to the sky.
Music can do what you want it to,
No matter who you are,
So keep on moving, moving, moving along,
And someday soon you'll be a star."

When I was a child, I had very good music teachers. Mr. Wyatt and Rosemary Henry taught me music during high school (at President's College). At Watooka Day School, Mr. Smart taught me music.

I also had private piano lessons with Mr. Smart in Linden. He prepared me for the first level of an English music theory exam (available from the UK). I achieved a high passing grade. Because of those results, he was not surprised that I performed well at the Common Entrance exam (or Secondary School Entrance Exam) a few years later.  

Foot Problems

My foot is much better. I am leaving the hospital today. Bye bye foot problems.

Many, many years ago, I had problems with my foot during a marathon walk along the Soesdyke Linden Highway in Guyana. I was one of several students from President’s College who signed up to walk from Soesdyke to Linden (by foot). My foot problems began after about 40 hours of walking. My knee got stiff (pretty much seized up) and hurt really bad. I could not walk after that so I was transported home shortly after. I was dissappointed that I didn’t finish the walk.

Care

I am still in the hospital under the care of doctors. Today, I am remembering my short stay in the area reserved for sick students at President’s College (the “sick bay”). I think I was a challenge for the school nurse. She decided to bathe me in ice water - water made cold by ice.

Medical Treatment

For some time now, I have had foot pain, swelling of my legs, and so on. I wrote about it recently in the blog. I am happy to report that I finally got the (health)care I needed. I am currently at a hospital receiving treatment. My foot is better. 

Article Publication Status

I received another publishing failure letter yesterday. I will submit to other journals.

Resolving Issues

My ordeal with Allstate insurance company (involving conflicting information on who is at fault for the accident) made me think of work/processes on a particular government contract. Sometimes there were misunderstandings or conflicting information, but those issues were resolved quickly. People raised issues quickly (voiced their concerns) and involved the right people to develop solutions.

I remember the discussions I had with other team members. If there was a question about requirements I had prepared, for example, a tester would show up at my desk for answers/explanations. I had to explain what I had done, any issues, and so on. Once, a guy made me explain a diagram I had prepared in detail. I am sure we disturbed the team members sitting in the quad and beyond. I am happy that I had just completed my MS degree in Information Systems so I was armed with a lot of knowledge.

Still Waiting For Response On Insurance Issue

Good morning. It is a beautiful morning. I am still waiting for an update on my insurance issue from PG County officials and/or Allstate. I wanted to ask more questions in the Allstate system (for guests) but was unable to do so. I wonder what Allstate told their policyholder who was at fault for the accident.

Notable Guyanese Writers

The previous post on outstanding Guyanese actress Letitia Wright made me think of notable Guyanese writers. Yes, Guyana produced some outstanding writers (who wrote/write in English).

Source: https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1222168

Guyanese

Congratulations Letitia!

Post by Visit Guyana in Facebook:

Out And About Nov12

I am out and about again today. I am planning to go see the Wakanda Forever movie.

Out And About Nov11

I am out and about today. It is a rainy day but I don’t mind too much. Like they say in Guyana, I am not salt; I wouldn’t melt in the rain.

Today I am thinking of the fall (accident) in New York that led to the loss of one tooth. Late one night, I fell face forward on the sidewalk. I hit the tooth and also cut my lip. I rode to the hospital in an ambulance where I received stitches. The incident occurred near Grand Central Station not too far from Bryant Park.

Update Nov10

I tried to attend one of the online meetings/sessions for WorldUsability Day but could not connect. That was disappointing. It was good to see the various sessions in different countries.

Back to the topic of living with things I don’t like….yesterday I mentioned that young Fahmeena had to live with a “whitler” finger she didn’t like. There was also my teeth. I sucked my thumb as a child so I developed buck teeth or protruding front teeth. I had to live with it although I didn’t like it. I finally corrected it (wore braces) in my 20s. There was an opportunity to correct it in my teens. I actually recall the visit to the Dental School in Georgetown, Guyana. The professionals there told my mother to bring me later to get braces. We never made it back.

I paid quite a lot for my braces. I had a monthly payment plan. I wanted the clear braces but ended up with the regular metal (silver) ones. I had a complicated treatment/correction plan too. The doctor recommended extractions (of perfectly good teeth) so that there was space for the front teeth to move into.

World Usability Day

It is World Usability Day - November 10, 2022. Months ago,  I noticed the United Nations petition and supported it (I made a financial contribution). It seems that events have changed. I will look into further.

Design/usability is my specialty. 

Status Nov9

I wanted to vote yesterday but did not make it over to my polling place. My Mom messaged me to let me know that my voting card was ready for pickup. I did not make it over to her place.

Today I am remembering the struggle to cure or get rid of the problem with one of my fingers. When I was young, I had a “whitler” finger that I did not like. I guess I had practice living with things I don’t like.

Woodwork Class

Today I remembering my Woodwork class/course at President’s College. It was a small class. We sat on stools at special “desks.” The “desks” had that tool for gripping/holding items while you work on them. I remember we covered joins used in carpentry. There were quite a few diagrams.

One day, while I was in a session, my uncle appeared at the side window. It was the first time he had visited me at school. 

On another day, while in another session, I started feeling very ill/sick. I actually visited the nurse for treatment.

Contacted Police

I contacted Prince George’s County Police officials about my insurance issue via Facebook and Twitter. I hope to hear from them soon.

Lots Of Travel

Remembering those days when I had to be ready and waiting at a specified location/spot to be picked up and transported to President’s College (PC). The school was far away - not close to my house. I waited for pickup at a shed in Amelia’s Ward, Linden. One other student, Mark, was also picked up there.

I guess the bus that picked us up was a sort of school bus. I think of the big yellow bus driven by Jules as the school bus though.

I guess I was transported to and from places a lot. For example, I was transported to the National Cultural Center for performances. When I had to participate in Mass Games, I traveled by bus to the National Park every day for practice. I traveled to the University of Guyana (UGy) by bus for A-Level Accounting classes. It was all fun.

Training

I am still thinking about my skills and strengths (areas of competitive advantage). Last time I posted on this topic, I mentioned my survey/statistics skills. Now I am thinking of training. I did really well as a trainer (I am sure a lot of people don’t know this). In a past position, I trained employees on new system functionality. That went really well. At another job, I assisted with training dry runs. I basically attended practice sessions to evaluate and provide feedback. I need to ensure my HR resume/ LinkedIn profile highlights my training experience. I bet people at prior BA jobs would be surprised I have some training talent. 

Accident Status And Pone

I am still dealing with the insurance issue. The special report issued by the police officer after the collision did not blame me for the accident.

I had some fruit recently. I am in the mood for some Caribbean cassava pone. This reminds me of the pone my father made for me and my sister. The last time, he made a pan for me and a larger pan for my sister and her family. Pone is Guyanese.

Car Accident And Insurance

I received word that Allstate will not be paying expenses associated with my accident. This was a surprise. I decided to call the accident lawyer I contacted right after the accident to discuss options. I am ready for a fight. That accident was not my fault. I remember there were a lot of onlookers.

Where Are You From

From time to time people ask me where I am from. My accent is a dead giveaway that I am a foreigner. I am not sure which country others associate with my accent. I hope it is Guyana (there are other Guyanese who speak like me especially students from Watooka Day).

I do have a foreign degree on my resume (and LinkedIn profile) - my degree from the University of Guyana. That is a dead giveaway that I am from Guyana. My parents are also from Guyana.

I did learn a whole lot about Guyana from my schooling there (and from living there). Many many years ago, I came close to representing Guyana in sports (field events shotput and discus). If I remember correctly, I got to the national level.

I am from Guyana, South America not Ghana or Grenada or New York or Texas, USA.

Update Nov2

Today, I received two emails on my articles/manuscripts submitted for publishing. One journal asked me to remove information identifying the school. I will resubmit as soon as possible. I find the feedback in the responses to be very helpful.

My foot is much better. I was limping in pain a few days ago. The swelling seems to be very random. I will continue to get better.

I was at Subway today. I enjoy the meatball sub.

School Biscuits

Months ago, I commented on a post by Visit Guyana on school biscuits provided to children in Guyana. I ate a lot of those (SIMAP) biscuits in Guyana. At President’s College, I ate them as a late-night (10pm) snack. The box came out late at night for us to line up for the cookies.

When I was in Guyana a few years ago, I asked relatives for some school biscuits. A cousin dropped off a whole box for me.