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Watch your tone!

5/15/2014

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Picture by M. Adiputra
Have you ever noticed that when you speak another language, not only your body language and hand movements are different but also your voice tone?
This is an amazing fact. Learning a language is also learning cultural and social factors and when you finally master a language, you can blend with native speakers, mimicking them at first and slowly integrating all of their physical and oral expressions.
While my voice in French is quite "normal", neither deep nor high-pitched, my voice in Spanish seems like one of a giggling teenage girl! Ok, I might be exaggerating but I sound much more higher and younger in Spanish. I think my voice tone is also higher in American English. I am not talking about intonations, because, of course intonations change depending of the language you are speaking, I am really speaking about deep or high-pitched voice sound.
I found a person on Linguaphiles asking the question of voice changes while speaking foreign languages, you can read the answers here.
One time in France, while I was having a drink with my sister and her friends, my sister told me to lower my voice, as, according to her, I was speaking very loud. I then realized that, because I just arrived from Spain, I was still speaking as a Spanish person, which is louder than a French person (at least from a French perspective). I had then to readapt myself to the French correct voice volume!  Funny how language really molds and formats us!
Being able to correct and adapt oneself culturally to any kind of situations is a real gift, but it is also a learning experience that never ends.


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Haircut!

5/9/2014

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Photograh by chadmagiera
Did you go through hair disasters during your childhood? Whit three older sisters, I sure did!
Anyway, last week-end I seriously felt I needed to do something with my hair, either to structure it and allow it to grow or to cut it short again. So I took matter into my own hands and looked for reviews and best hairdressers in Paris on the web and found a very skilled and nice one for an affordable price. (Do I still need to emphasize that reviews, references and articles on internet are very important?).
I went there confident that I would have a great experience. Indeed, I had a wonderful time and a great haircut. We discussed what where my options and decided on going shorter. I didn't realize though how short we were talking about. Don't get me wrong, the hairstyle does suit my face shape, so it's very positive. Does it fit my personality? Well, it is quite edgy and I think of me rather as a nice but normal style person. So here is my dilemma: I have this super edgy hairstyle so how should I wear it?
I am sure  people see me differently. It is one thing to have short hair and a complete different one to have a "kinda Miley Cyrus" hairstyle!
I am amused because it's bold, it's almost a statement, so I am not really worry about people's judgement.
However as long as we would like to think appearances do not matter, they actually do!
Regarding this topic, did you see lately a video regarding people helping -or not- a man that falls on the ground? If not, it means you haven't been surfing the web for too long!
So here I share one of the many versions for you. All about appearances and judgements.
Manage your brand image and yours as if tomorrow it were to fall and you would want people around to pick it up. 
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MOOCs

5/5/2014

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Today I have started an online course from France Business School about Design Thinking. As a massive open online course (MOOC), it is free and open to everyone but it's in French.
If many people might be familiar with this topic, it is indeed pretty interesting to learn more about it and of course, apply the new knowledge and techniques practically. I am always curious so it should be an interesting experience. (full disclosure: I'm promoted neither the course nor the school; I am merely describing an activity I have just started today).
On the other hand, I am learning Portuguese with Duolingo. It is a free language learning application that I use on my phone, one session per day. To complete the learning process, I watch Youtube videos (I subscribed to a channel I found by browsing the YouTube trending dashboards) from Brazil and movies in Portuguese from time to time. I am still a beginner of course, but, in a year from now, I can picture myself speaking Portuguese!
I don't really know how people feel about online education. I have the sensation that many disregard it as being a "lazy" and/or not viable educational option. Personally, I find it very hard as it requires strong motivation and self discipline and that is why I admire and respect people following massive open online courses.
At the beginning of this year, I read this article on LinkedIn about a woman doing an MBA for less than US$ 1,000 thanks to MOOCs. I find her brilliant and really hope she will rock her professional life.
I am not sure that traditional ways of teaching, once transposed online, will do better to prepare us and/or kids. Still, it is time for us to open up to new learning processes and realize that it is not by sitting on a chair at an educational institution that we will learn more or better. In my opinion, it is the access to the right resources and our motivations that make us learn, improve and grow in any given situation.
Let's keep learning no matter how!
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Why aren't you pregnant?

5/2/2014

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PicturePhotograh by Canwest News
When you are a woman, people assume you will reach an age when you have to get pregnant. Don't you dare saying you don't want children or you will automatically receive negative feedbacks and judgements. Even a taxi driver can give you his opinion and try to convince you to have children, true story. (yes, when it comes to women's reproductive choice everybody is entitled to express their thoughts/opinions on the matter as incredible as it is!) 

So, for those women that don't want children, just say "I am not ready YET" or a simple "I don't want children FOR NOW". The adverbs of time reassure people that their vision is "the norm" and that it's just not the time for you, yet.

Same thing applies for different topics. Well, not really similar, but I needed an introduction that catch your attention!

When you take a decision that differs from the majority, either in business or personally, do not loose time trying to justify yourself. Many people won't understand and some don't even want to understand. Avoid troubles, give them what they want to hear "your perspective/point of view might help me". You are alone taking the decision and assuming the risks and responsibilities, so your vision must be the only driving factor. Have a clear vision, listen to people's advice, but don't waste time on trying to make people agree with your decisions. The results you expect from those decisions are much more important to focus on.

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