Difficulties

 My previous post about what a career in finance would have looked like got me thinking about the differences between the finance and IT industries. Right now, the job market for technology jobs is known to be very tough. People are having a difficult time obtaining a job in tech. This follows the layoffs of thousands from big tech firms. Apparently, there are layoffs in the finance industry as well. Banks are laying off thousands of workers. I don't know how difficult it is to find a job in finance but I bet it is difficult given all the layoffs. It seems like life is difficult in both industries.

Finance

 Sometimes I wonder what my career would have looked like had I stayed in finance. Would I have ended up on Wall Street? Would I have gotten a senior management role? It is impossible to know. I do know that I have no regrets about getting into IT.

Times of Trouble

 Sometimes things go wrong and the unexpected happens. Panicking during such times does not help things. It is better to stay calm and think of the right actions to take. I like how Ken handled his problems in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok_ZCW2JdHc.

I watch a lot of Ken's videos. It was the first time he got into trouble like that. He reacted like a mature person. He handled the situation very well.

Things go wrong in my life from time to time. I always force myself to remain calm and I deal with the situation the best I can.

Wishes

 Wordpress writing prompt for 10/28/2024: You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

I remember reading stories about the granting of wishes when I was a little girl. I always read the things wished for with interest. But, I always wondered why the person didn't use one wish to ask for more wishes so that he/she could wish for more things. So, that would be my first wish - to wish I could have more wishes that would work to get me what I want in the future. I don't know what is a reasonable number to ask for though. Would 3 more wishes be reasonable - to double the original number of wishes? Or 10 more? Or even a 100 more wishes?

The second thing I would wish for is to live forever. I assume anything is possible. With the magic wish, I could live for over a 1,000 years in a world that would continue on unaffected by the wish.

Third, I would wish for lots of happiness and joy in my life. That could come from love, lots of achievement, and making a difference in the world.

Wishes to assist my family and better the world would come later. And, I will have more time to think those wishes through.

Career Changes

 My post yesterday reminded me of my early career desires. I recall that one of the reasons I did finance was so I could work for one of the international finance organizations. When I graduated with my master's degree in finance, I tried unsuccessfully to obtain a job at one of those organizations. I was told that I needed work experience. I did not have enough work experience. Years went by and I moved in another direction.

Career Paths

Wordpress Writing prompt for 10/24/2024: What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in.

Some people are interested in different career paths and somehow end up staying in one line of work their entire career. That is not my story. During my career, I have gone down at least three different career paths. When I started my career I was a finance professional. I had finance jobs such as Financial Analyst and Financial Auditor. Then, I was lucky to get into an Analyst training program to become an IT Business Analyst. It was another career path from finance - a career in information technology (IT). I worked in IT for many years. I was exposed to user interface (UI) design, technical writing, and training. These were all areas I found interesting and are separate paths I could have gone into as there are separate positions for these areas. I stuck with my IT Business Analyst job for a while until years later when I decided to enroll in a PhD program to pursue a career as a professor. I saw it as selecting training and research as my new career path. I also try to use my UI and technical writing skills when I can.

Article

 My article on plain language system messages was published in the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN) E-Journal Vol 6 Issue 2. I am very pleased! Thank you to the Managing Editor Hannah Sapunor-Davis. The theme of the issue is: Culture of Plain Language. Additional information on the issue is available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/plain-e-journal-vol-6-issue-2-plain-language-association-interna-el9gf/?trackingId=AJVw0cKsl0HinuncIWjV6A%3D%3D.

 

Living

 Today I learned of the death of my high school English teacher. He was an outstanding Guyanese and another person who is gone. One memory I have of him is that he once mentioned my name (along with the names of a few other girls in his class) on the radio. He was also a radio announcer. I bet most people don't know that about me.

So many people I know died in recent years! The constant death announcements is a reminder that nothing lasts (or no one lives) forever. Today, I will appreciate what I have and appreciate the people in my life I care about. I hope they will stick around for a long, long time.

Different Food

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! Yesterday, I had pizza. I felt like I was having a special treat. It was the first time I had pizza in months. It did not taste as good as pizza in the United States but it was a good experience.

My diet has been different. I am eating Guyanese foods such as cheese roll, pine tarts, and black pudding and more Guyanese fruits. I do not usually eat foods such as pizza or subs or burgers. I am not on a diet. The food I eat has lots of calories, sugar, and fat just as food in the U.S. For example, cheese roll and pine tarts are pastry and have a lot of calories.

There are some things that are very different. For example, the 1% and 2% milk are not options here. I get milk in packets.

Hot Weather

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is Monday morning again. They seem to come around so quickly. The weather forecast for today is 93 degrees Fahrenheit - another hot day. My mother told me there is a lot of activity around the neighborhood. I don't know what that is about but I am not going walking in this hot weather. I read somewhere that there is the risk of heat stroke if a person stays out in similar hot weather for too long. The hot weather has even affected my tea drinking. Instead of hot tea in the morning, I like to drink iced tea.

Grown up

Wordpress prompt for 10/11/2024: When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

I was in my early twenties when I moved to Baltimore from my mother's house. I took care of everything concerning my move. I viewed apartments, selected the apartment I would live in, and provided the required information for the rental application. I organized my move and bought furniture for my new place. I lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment and I enjoyed it. I was responsible. I went to work everyday and I took care of myself. It was the first time I really felt like a grown up.

Advice To Younger Self

 Today's post is inspired by a video on older Americans sharing advice to their younger selves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1uqHLcWt48). I thought of the advice I would give to my younger self. When I was young, I had difficult times and struggles. One of the first things I would tell my younger self is that nothing stays the same. Everything changes and things generally get better with time. With time, you will figure out how to deal with issues and find solutions to problems. The second thing I would tell my younger self is that you have to learn to deal with difficult people and situations. As you go through life, you will meet people who are difficult and you will find yourself in some challenging situations. You have to handle difficult people successfully so that they do not derail your life. The third thing I would tell my younger self is to try to eat right and stay healthy. Later in life, I ended up with health problems. Maybe I could have prevented some of my health problems.

Ratings

 It amazes me that ratings for food (basically anything) could be very different from person to person. Here is an interesting show where Caribbean Moms rate the rice and peas of other Caribbean Moms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHToGvuZ7t4. I don't think I would rate any of the food a zero like one of the Moms did. I don't know which would be the winner for me. I like this competition.

Food Festival

 The food festival on Main Street in Georgetown seems very interesting. I saw a little of the festival in this video by C. Rahaman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BivXp5yacRA. The businesses in the video seemed to be small businesses rather than established food places. There were a lot more vendors than I expected. The food looked good! I did not travel (and will not be traveling) to Georgetown for the festival.

Predatory Journals

I found some good information on predatory journals. I need to stay away from these journals. I found the article:

Predatory Journals: What They Are and How to Avoid Them

By: Susan A. Elmore and Eleanor H. Weston

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7237319/ 

 

A post on LinkedIn also provided two predatory journal lists:

http://www.dgpis.gob.mx/PDF/Difusion/RevistasDepredadoras.pdf 

https://beallslist.net/ 

I was surprised by the length of the lists. 

Technical Writing

 #Throwback to the time I was considering applying for Technical Writing positions as a side job while I complete my PhD. Here is the post: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2024/04/technical-writer.html. Today, I am working on obtaining work writing papers for students and also go after work writing technical documents and requirements for technical departments.

If you need assistance with a paper or assignment, contact me at moorefo1@gmail.com.

Update

 It is hot in Linden! I hope rain showers cool down the place in a little while. It is good when it rains on hot days.

The internet is back to normal. It is good to have a continuous internet connection.

Connection Problems

 For the past few days I was unable to connect to the internet. I am not sure why the internet went out. The thunderstorm we had a few days ago may have been the cause. Now it is quiet and very boring. We are working on getting the internet fixed.

Update

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is a quiet Monday morning. Not much is happening here. It seems that it will be a pretty uneventful day.

I am enjoying the quiet. It is in quiet times that you have deep thoughts and bright ideas. Maybe I'll have an idea for a new paper today!

Stuff Delivered

 I received the "stuff" my father sent me yesterday. I was completely surprised by the delivery because the shipping company told me they would call me first. They didn't. There could have been timing issues, but luckily everything worked out. I was at home to receive the delivery. I was out earlier but returned home in time. To receive the delivery, I needed to show my id, sign, and make a payment. I had the payment ready. Thanks to my father for sending me the stuff!!

I am not happy with what the shipping company did, but relieved that there were no issues. Shipments need to be well coordinated and everyone informed of plans.

Favorite Word

 Writing prompt for today 9/11/2024 from Wordpress: What's your favorite word?

My response:

There are literally more than 1 million words in the English language. It is hard to have just one favorite. There are several words that I like: uncouth, chaos, queue, laurel, to name a few. I tend to like words that have a unique sound or a positive meaning. If I had to pick one favorite, I would go with serendipity. Just mention of the word makes me smile.

Different Paper

 I found a 'different' paper - a paper that does not have the usual headings or structure. In the abstract, the author wrote, "This article reviews some of the persistent controversies in the field of usability, starting with their history, then assessing their current status from the perspective of a pragmatic practitioner." The paper includes different points of view on different areas.

I cannot believe I found a paper like this. Some of my papers are 'different' and I wanted to find examples in the literature. I did not find any.

The paper:

Usability: Lessons Learned . . . and Yet to Be Learned By James R. Lewis

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264090109_Usability_Lessons_Learned_and_Yet_to_Be_Learned

It reminds me of my paper on Arguments For How Marketing Professionals Should Be Used In Product Development (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378555394_Arguments_For_How_Marketing_Professionals_Should_Be_Used_In_Product_Development )

Out

On this morning,

I am out

among the plants,

I can't help but

enjoy the the bright flowers,

It is not too hot,

A good time to enjoy the outdoors.

Trip to Georgetown

 Earlier today I was in Georgetown to take care of some business. I got up early to get the bus (from Linden) to Georgetown. I did not expect to get there so quickly. The time in Georgetown went by very quickly as well. I was able to get the task completed and return to Linden in a few hours. Everything lined up pretty well. It was a good trip.

Hot Weather

 It is amazingly hot in Linden and I find myself reaching for something cold to drink ever so often. A lot of times I drink water. Sometimes it is a "sweet drink" from Banks DIH. Sometimes I need a break from all the water - a refreshing drink that tastes good. Banks DIH drinks do that for me. However, I cannot overindulge because I have to watch my sugar intake.

Bible Verse

 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."

- Matthew 7:15

Food at the office party

Good morning from Linden, Guyana!

In the U.S., when there is a potluck, employees bring the food that will be eaten at the office party. Some people cook or bake food to contribute. For potlucks, I liked to contribute items like chips and drinks. I noticed a slightly different practice in Guyanese offices. In Guyana, there is chow-making which involves employees contributing different fruits as well as pickling ingredients to be put together to make chow. The chow-making looks like fun. See the chow-making process in a Guyanese office in the following video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/xgsfjF2xcrSG3EHB/?mibextid=oFDknk.

Resume Length

 My resume does not show the job title Writer or Technical Writer much, but I have been writing as part of my job for over 20 years! One of the first jobs was the Financial Auditor position I held in 2003/2004. I was an auditor who was also responsible for writing reports of my findings. Those reports were "published" by the office much like a research paper is published by a journal. Later, I got into IT. I wrote test plans and test cases and later system requirements (use cases, shall statements), and so on. During my PhD, I wrote papers every week. All this experience makes me qualified for Technical Writer and other writing positions. 

To show the full length of my writing experience, I include my old jobs on my resume. This makes my resume very long, however. I have a 4 page resume! I see the need for long resumes although they are not accepted all over.

My Last Search

 The Wordpress prompt for today 8/27/2024 is:  What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

My response:

I use Google search fairly regularly. I search for such things as: articles/papers, lyrics to songs, and people. I tend to use keyword searches (rather than full sentences or questions) and usually get good results.

My last search was 'haiku meaning.' I entered those keywords in the search bar because I wanted to learn more about haiku poetry. The term was new to me. I stumbled upon it when reading about poetry. 

The search provided good information on the Japanese short form poetry. I ended up clicking on 'What is haiku with an example' in the 'People also ask' section for additional information. I like to review the information on what other people searched for that Google provides.

Everyone rushed by

 Would I stop and appreciate a beautiful thing? That is what I asked myself as I read the piece on an experiment at a DC metro station. No one treated the world-class musician playing beautiful music in the metro station as he should be treated. A group of people gathering around him applauding as he played would have been nice. It seems cruel but people were just busy. Everyone rushed by without stopping to appreciate him. This all makes me think advertising is necessary. People must be made aware of other people's talents and background so that they know what they are experiencing.

Ancestry

 I just watched a travel video by popular travel and food vlogger Mark Wiens (link to video: https://youtu.be/DMlITdf3w-o?si=yVWP5EicO5H7R4kc). The video was different from his other videos because he had the results of a DNA test that provided information on his ancestry and also because his father was involved. I got the sense that the DNA results were very important to Mark. During the video, he got together with his father who also had the results of his test. Father and son compared their results. Of course, the father's ancestry passed down to the son, but the son also had other ancestors most likely because of his mother. Mark Wiens spoke of other things he got from his father such as his love of food and willingness to try different types of food. I thought it was interesting that such details do not show up in an ancestry test but they are the sort of things I would want to know. However, ancestry tests are important. 

I would love to know more about my ancestors including details such as the country or countries my ancestors were originally from and whether my ancestors included important people. At some point, I would like to use the services of 23andme (https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/) or some other ancestry service.

Writing

 Some people argue that it is important to write simply and clearly, even in academic papers. I just saw such an argument by Jason Thatcher, a well-known academic on LinkedIn. I agree with his position.

Link to post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-thatcher-0329764_on-the-importance-of-clarity-and-simple-language-activity-7231117674892738561-kHUw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

It is hot in Linden

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is a quiet morning so far. It is expected to be very hot today - a high of 94 degrees fahrenheit. I will be indoors away from the heat.

We have had a lot of hot days recently.  It is hotter than I expected. The heat does not affect me much. I try to stay indoors as much as possible.

CARICOM Meeting

 The Communique of the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM countries provides good information on the state of affairs of member countries. It provides a nice synopsis of issues facing member countries (it is available on LinkedIn). It was good to see a strategy for regional digital resilience, including a project to train CARICOM citizens in key areas such as artificial intelligence and data analytics. I looked for information on research in the region but found none.

Papers

 Just yesterday, I was thinking of the number of papers I wrote for school (my PhD program). I wrote one paper a week for each 8-week course. I completed about 9 courses which adds up to 72 papers. Most of the papers were short 6-7 page papers but they required quite a bit of research so there was much work involved. I got used to the grind each week and even enjoyed preparing some assignments. That was a good time.

Difficult Childhoods

 I found an interesting journal article on how a difficult childhood could lead to career success as an entrepreneur. It is because people who had a difficult childhood learn to be resilient. This shows that a lot of good can come out of bad experiences (every cloud has a silver lining).

The article:

What does not kill you makes you stronger: Entrepreneurs' childhood adversity, resilience, and career success

By: W. Yu, F. Zhu, M. Der Foo, and J. Wiklund

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296322005732

Plans For Today

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is a quiet Saturday morning. I am drinking tea. As I sip the tea I am thinking of my plans for the day. I don't have much planned. It would be nice to go out for lunch (eat out) today. Maybe I could get a burger, fish and chips or even Chinese food. I had Chinese food recently from one of the many Chinese restaurants around. It has been a while since I had a burger or fish and chips. Whether or not I go out would depend on my mom. If she feels like driving today and has some free time, we will go out. I do not want to take public transportation or a taxi to go out today. There is no problem with these options. I just prefer to go out with my mom.

Big Tech

I just listened to two videos on jobs at the big technology companies (videos: https://youtu.be/mJqrX_uKMTw?si=Spk8pjEQVz-uVE2L and https://youtu.be/ijkTBtBWJWs?si=JrnCf5Mlo2kPtuzz). I was surprised that there are so many layoffs at the companies. According to the first video, so far in 2024 over 75,000 tech workers have been laid off.  Those companies were always viewed as perfect employers that offer outstanding benefits and job security. Now job security and stability are not the same. However, I find it hard to believe that working at the tech companies is no longer a dream job. Companies such as Google, Amazon, and Meta remain excellent companies to work for. 

Paper Writing Business

 Earlier today, my sister and I were talking about business and business ideas. We discussed the paper writing business (writing papers for students). It is an area/business I would like to get into formally. I have been assisting family and friends write papers and complete their assignments since I was an undergraduate. I know some people are using AI to write papers, but there is still room for businesses to assist with paper writing. Look out for information on my new business. And, of course, contact me if you need assistance writing a paper or completing an assignment. My email address is: moorefo1@gmail.com.

Olympic Medal

 From a post in X/Twitter I got a good look at the gold medal for the Paris 2024 games. It looks spectacular. I really like the design. The front reminds me of sun rays. It is thicker than I thought it would be and it looks expensive. I bet the gold medal was expensive to produce.

🥹 pic.twitter.com/lvViu6nGxn

— Viktor Axelsen (@ViktorAxelsen) August 6, 2024

Out and About Yesterday

 Yesterday was fun. I had ice cream as well as custard icicles (creamsickle). It was not to celebrate anything in particular. I was out and about and picked up the items at the supermarket. I enjoyed the cold treats. The custard icicles were especially good. The last time I had a custard icicle was over 25 years ago.

Update

 It is a good day here in Linden, Guyana. I just spent some time with my father who is also on vacation in Guyana (at a different location). It was good to see and talk with him. The last time my father was here was on my birthday a few weeks ago.

He will be returning to the U.S. soon. I, on the other hand, will remain in Guyana for several more weeks.

Paper Rejection Example

 Today I found an interesting blog post on the role rejections may play in finding the right journal. In the blog post, the author took the reader through the process to publish his/her paper. The paper was not accepted by a few journals before a journal that was the right fit was found. Each time the paper was rejected or changes requested, the researchers considered reviewers' comments and reevaluated the purpose. The process made the paper better and steered the researchers to the right journal. The blog post will motivate me to keep going after a rejection. I needed to see an example like this.

(The blog post: https://harzing.com/blog/2024/05/rejection-withdrawal-and-acceptance-a-story-about-message-journal-fit)

Update

 It is a rainy day here in Linden. I wanted to go out for a walk today but the rain changed my plans. I will stay indoors because of the rain. 

I also wanted to see the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics but I cannot because of issues with the television. I read somewhere that it will be a different opening ceremony where athletes from the various countries will be in boats. It seems like today is a day of disappointments. I like everything to go smoothly but that is not happening today. I will try to make the most of the day though. I will spend a few hours working at my computer.

Lunch

 My lunch on this self-care day was callaloo cookup with fried fish. It was delicious. I like to eat callaloo because it is a good source of iron and also potassium. The fish was very good. I eat a lot of fish in Guyana.

Maintaining My Health

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana!

Today is self-care day. It makes sense for the Wordpress prompt for today to be: What strategies do you use to maintain your health and wellbeing? 

I was seriously ill for a while so maintaining my health is very important. I try to eat well and exercise regularly. I believe eating well is very important. I know eating the right foods can build your body and help you to resist disease. I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to get important nutrients in my body. I also eat foods that would be good for me based on past diagnoses and experiences. For example, I eat foods high in potassium so that my potassium level does not get too low. In the past, I had low potassium levels. I pay attention to what I eat and limit my intake of certain foods so that my blood glucose level does not become an issue. I also believe in regular doctor's visits for checkups. You are more likely to detect issues and have early diagnosis of diseases if you have regular checkups.

Sweetest Mangoes

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana!

I just saw a post on the ten sweetest mangoes in the world. I was surprised that a mango from the Philippines got the number 1 spot. I expected to see more mangoes from the Caribbean on the list. The Jamaican Julie mango was the only mango from the Caribbean. It was number 9 on the list. The Guyanese Buxton Spice mango did not make the list. I know the Buxton Spice is sweet. I would like to try these other mangoes that are considered even sweeter than the Buxton Spice. I'll look out for the mango in the number 10 spot - the American Tommy Atkins mango - when I travel to the U.S. 

More Fruit

 I recently bought fruit. I did not have any fruit left so I wanted more. When in Guyana, I prefer fruit that I or someone else picked from the tree (freshly picked fruit) but that is not always possible. I like store-bought fruits too. And sometimes you get more than you expect. I am enjoying the fruits in Guyana. It would be nice to have fruit every day. 

I grew up eating a lot of fruit. I recall that my parents (especially my father) would buy a lot of fruit for my sister and I. We also had fruit trees in our yard that supplied us with much fruit. That is a benefit of living in a tropical country/ Caribbean.

Listeria Outbreak

 I just found out about the Listeria outbreak in the U.S. It seems to be major - people from 12 states are impacted. I was surprised to see that Maryland is one of the states. If I was in the U.S. I might have been impacted because I like to eat deli meats.

It has been a while since I ordered food from a deli. In the past, I liked to order breakfast from delis before going into the office. Just about every morning I entered a deli and left with a delicious breakfast. My breakfast orders did not vary much. I ordered 'egg and cheese on a plain bagel' sometimes including ham or sausage. I also liked the breakfast burrito that included eggs, onions, and red pepper wrapped in a tortilla. The food was very affordable. I spent about $6-$10 on breakfast every morning.

Others named Fahmeena

 I rarely run across others named Fahmeena or Fahmi, which is what my family and friends call me. I once saw a guy with the name Fahmi on Facebook. I was very surprised! I do not believe his name is short for Fahmeena. Some other time, I saw a post by a Fahmeena from Pakistan. She did not speak English very well. Today, I noticed the name Fahmy in a post. I read that a wealthy aristocrat from Egypt was named Ali Kamel Fahmy Bey. How interesting!

I sometimes wonder whether I should use the name Fahmi at work and in formal communications. I have never used the name Fahmi formally.

Fahmeena looks difficult or complicated but it is really a simple name - it is easy to pronounce. A guy I worked with once told me the name Fahmeena is popular in Bangladesh. I guess I should believe him.

Board Games

Response to today's Wordpress writing prompt: What's your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

I chose to focus on board games.

I learned to play lots of board games from about age 8. One of the first board games I learned was Checkers (called Draughts) from my father. My father loved the game and played it quite often. I learned by watching him closely and asking questions. My aunt introduced me to chess. I learned a whole lot more about chess much later and learned to play much better. I also played monopoly with family members. I love to play Monopoly and am usually ecstatic when I win. I learned to play chinese checkers on the computer. I love the game. It is probably my favorite game. When I play, I usually win. Some board games I learned to play at school. The Game of Life is an example. I learned to play the game at President's College. I find that some board games involve more strategy (or strategic thinking) than others. I prefer the games the require more strategic thinking. I don't mind that they may take a little longer to play.

Out

I was out and about today. I had a good time. Luckily, it did not rain. The sun was out and it was hot. My mom and I had lunch at the small park/square that has the I Heart Linden sign. I liked the park. It was by the water and in a nice part of town. I liked the sign too and took a few photos of it. It was fairly busy at the park - there were quite a few visitors. I assisted some girls by taking photos of them.

 

Relationships at work

 Good morning from Linden,Guyana!

This #ThrowbackThursday I am thinking of relationships at work. In a post more than two years ago, I noted that the relationship with one's boss is important and that employees need to 'manage up' (Link to post: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2022/06/relationship-with-god.html?m=1). Bosses could make a huge difference in an employee's career. I know some bosses encourage their employees to be involved in different work activities and reward their employees well for good performance. I won't say much about the bosses I've had. Relationships with peers are also important. An employee would have a better experience at work if he/she has a good relationship with peers and his/her manager. At my last full-time job, relationships were important. Managers encouraged employees to interact, network, and build relationships (I mentioned this in my previous post: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2023/08/building-work-relationships.html?m=1).

Replicating papers

I read a post in LinkedIn that made me aware that replication research could be a good option for publishing high-quality research in journals. This is an area I don't know a lot about so I will look into it. Maybe there is a need to contact the original author(s) of the paper. I don't think I would like that.

What bothers me

 The Wordpress writing prompt for today is: What bothers you and why? After much thought, I decided to write about competitive behaviors that bother me. Competition is all around - we compete for jobs, for promotions, and so on. Some people go overboard during a competition. I am usually put off by "extreme" competitive behavior. This includes things like trying to harm someone to win and spreading vicious rumors about someone they are competing against. I think people are just wrong to behave this way. When someone I am competing against behaves badly, a part of me wants to just hand over the prize because he/she wants it so badly. It would mean giving up easily and I am aware giving up easily is not the way to do it.

Genip

 I got some genip. I heard that genip was in season for a while so I am late in getting the fruit. I will enjoy. The fruit is dangerous but I've had lots of practice eating genip as a child.

My Birthday

 It is finally here. It is my birthday! I am not usually in Guyana for my birthday, but I will still enjoy the day with family and friends. I am happy to be around to celebrate another birthday. I had a tough time with a cancer scare, surgery, and other health issues. It was tough but I made it through. I wish that my life wasn't affected the way it was - I had to leave school, and so on. I thank God that I was able to deal with the issues and that I am doing well (with a little more to deal with/manage). I thank family and friends for their support. I hope it is a happy day!

Birthday coming up

 My birthday is going to be in a few days. A family member asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I did not have an answer! I was not sure what would make me happy. It is not that I don't know what makes me happy. A lot of things do. I just couldn't think of something I wanted him to purchase for me.

Talk

 It is a good afternoon in Linden. Is it time for a talk?

Salt and Vinegar

 Good afternoon from Linden, Guyana! I am in the mood for some salt and vinegar potato chips. I think the chips will make me feel better. I got sick today after eating food.

Cricket

 Games lead to more tourists. Guyana is benefiting from cricket. I am curious about the country of origin of the tourists. Could it be that most of the tourists are from the Caribbean?

Fruit

 Good afternoon from Linden, Guyana! I have mangoes. Just recently, I had cherries picked from the tree. I also had papaw/papaya recently. I highly recommend the fruit in Guyana!

Travel

 This is good information. Travel seems to be popular again across the US. It seems that no one is thinking of COVID. I bet it will triple for the Paris Olympics.

Bake and Salt Fish

 "Bake and salt fish" for breakfast this morning.

Lime Drink

 Lime drink is as refreshing as lemonade.

Lots of rain; Kaieteur Falls

 Over the last 3-4 weeks, we have had rain just about every day in Linden. In fact, it has been raining a lot all over the country. Because of the rain, Kaieteur Falls is back to the "fullness" it is known for - with lots and lots of water gushing towards the cliff and falling hundreds of feet below. (See a reel showing the Falls: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/5qGr8wKGhXkk2fM8/?mibextid=oFDknk). In the recent past, there were complaints that the Falls was just a trickle.

At some point, I want to be one of the visitors to Kaieteur Falls. I have actually never seen the Falls in person. I am told that the Falls is truly majestic.

Guyanese Treats

 I am currently vacationing in Linden, Guyana and I enjoy lots of Guyanese treats. Some include: fresh coconut water, sugar cane, salara, tennis roll and cheese, cross buns, and black cake. These are all foods I enjoyed as a little girl in Guyana and are not quite the same or just not available in Maryland. I enjoy the fruits in Guyana too. 

Megabus

 Good afternoon from Linden, Guyana! I just read a surprising news story on Megabus. It was reported that the owner of Megabus has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Apparently, the company has been struggling financially in recent years due to a decline in ridership.

I rode Megabus quite a lot in past years. My longest trip was the ride from Washington, DC to Gainesville, FL (with a transfer in Atlanta, GA). It was a nice ride. I recall that I was a little afraid to ride at the top level of the 2 level bus. I rode the bus for about 7 hours.

I know Megabus is fierce competition for Greyhound. Megabus is known for low fares. Hopefully, Megabus remains a low-cost transportation provider.

Trending

 Interesting...both 'God is the Greatest' and 'Father God' are trending on Twitter/X. I am not certain whether the trending information is dependent on the country/region.

Bible Verses

The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.

- Psalm 118:14 (NIV)

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with song I praise him.

- Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

Doing Well

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I am grateful that I am alive and well this morning. I am grateful that I can walk without the need for crutches or other support. I am grateful for a lot more things.

I remember how scared I was of COVID a few years back. COVID affected a lot of people and I did not want to be one of the affected people. I stayed indoors a lot. I did not get COVID but had to deal with other health issues. I am happy I am alive. I thank God that my health improved and I am doing well.

I am very happy that COVID is not much of an issue these days. I thought it would have been a major issue for the next decade. Everything seems to be back to normal.

Origami

 Good afternoon from Linden, Guyana! I am almost finished with a task I needed to complete. I am steadily making progress with my tasks.

I am remembering the planes and boats I knew how to make from paper when I was a little girl. It was just something children learned to do. I recall that boys liked to make planes from paper and fly them around the classroom. Once, my cousin made a paper ring from a dollar bill. I was very impressed. A lot of children learn origami (making paper planes, paper boats, paper flowers, and so on) in school in Guyana.

It has been over 20 years since I made paper planes and boats. I don't recall how to do any of it.

Update

 It is Monday morning again! Time seems to be flying by. I had a pretty good weekend. Now it is back to work. 

Entertaining Myself

 It is a rainy Saturday in Linden. I don't watch much tv. I am entertaining myself in Facebook - there are lots of interesting things to see and read. One of the videos I just watched of a street in San Francisco was very interesting (link: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/D8769FhSF8g9evkk/?mibextid=oFDknk). The video showed a rider riding his bicycle in the small space between a rail car/train and bus. That was difficult to watch as it is so risky. Some people are riskier than others.

Update

 It is a busy day today. I am working on several things at the same time. I am currently making edits to a paper and working on other stuff. It will be better soon.

Noise

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana!

It is Monday morning already! The weekend went by rather quickly. It is a bit more noisy than usual. I am hearing hammering and other construction sounds from a neighbor's house. He must be having work done on his house. Thankfully, it is not overly noisy. I can still concentrate.

I also had to deal with construction noise in the U.S. Here is one of my previous posts on construction noise: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2024/01/update_4.html.

Flooding Due To Rain

 The rain led to flooding in some areas in Linden. The flooding is affecting many residents who must have complained and expressed dissatisfaction with the clearing/draining of flood waters. I just read an article online on the situation. It appears that the complaints led to some action. Rain may be continuing for a while so I hope the actions taken would prevent additional flooding in the future.

Thankfully, there is no flooding in my neighborhood.