innovation

Innovative Digital for History and Future

As the year draws to a close in December, it’s a great time to look back and forward with winter living and spirit.

Having winter solstice, Christmas and New Year’s Eve all in one month, December is the 1st month of winter to end the year with wonderful holidays and celebrations. It’s a colorful season to greatly enjoy winter wonderland and festive activities, it’s also a busy season for reflecting, giving, appreciating and greeting…

For many, December is such a special time of year to look at the past year and plan the year ahead. From valuable lessons to inspiring stories and movements, history shapes our present and future. We learn from history, we protect historic places, we save our heritage and health with innovative digital for good.

It’s almost end of the year, our countdown to New Year begins now with good cheer and inspirations…

Innovative history for cultural heritage

December is annual art and architecture month to appreciate excellence and beauty in design. As a famous gothic architecture in the world, Notre Dame de Paris has officially reopened to the public on December 8 after being closed more than 5 years. Since 2019, a huge reconstruction has been undergone for last few years due to a massive blaze. Now the cathedral is rebuilt from the ashes, and finally came back with a new life.

With the grand reopening ceremony and Christmas holiday in December, the catholic church is renowned for its medieval statue of the Virgin Mary with child to symbolize Mary’s divine motherhood. From a French cultural icon to one of the world’s top heritage sites, the architectural design and style make the historic monument very distinguished and timeless for its finest gothic art: timber roof, flying buttresses, towering spire, stained rose windows and treasured art objects etc.

Notre Dame is Our Lady in French, a title of Mary – mother of Jesus. Dedicated to Mother Mary, the Cathedral in Paris was originally built in the Middle Ages, a very long construction spanned about 100 years with several big phases from 1160s to 1250s, then over the following 3 centuries, it still kept being worked by a few great architects for evolution and improvement. Perfection comes over time, it finally becomes a masterpiece of Gothic architecture for its antiquity, structure and design values.

Right in the heart of Paris, Notre Dame lies on a central island in the River Seine (Île de la Cité). With a history of more than 860 years, it’s welcomed countless worshipers and visitors around the world for praying and discovering. Popular and magnificent, the Cathedral is a place of faith that mainly consists of 3 facades and 5 portals, 2 towers with a signature spire in the middle, a city plaza and an archaeological museum.

Home to many neoGothic artworks and precious objects, it has a total of 29 different chapels, a rounded apse and transept, a renovated treasury with modern museography, a liturgical choir and nave flanked by double aisles, 21 bronze bells and 3 pipe organs. On a rectangular plan like a Latin cross, it covers approximately 6,000m², measured about 50m and 126m for the width and length. With a height of 115m from the bottom to the top of towers, it specially contains a complex wooden roof with late medieval techniques, plus 3 famed rose windows among the large scale stained glasses.

Spacious and well framed, this Parisian building is the largest religious construction in Europe around the 12th century, it can accommodate up to 9,000 people, including 1,500 in the galleries. From ribbed vaults inside to decorative Le Stryge outside, from the Grand Organ to the Sainte Chapelle, it’s truly a unique experience to explore Notre Dame in 4 dimensions: historical, spiritual, artistic and cultural. Let’s look at some details and stories about its beautiful architecture and decors:

– the main entrance and 3 facades

The main entrance is formed by 3 portals on the side of west facade, which is built with a set of vertical lines (4buttresses and 2towers) and horizontal lines (portals, gallery of kings, bays, columns), as a result of innovative structure with geometric design of lines and squares to make up a large entrance.

On the lower part, the Portal of Saint Anne stands right side, and is dedicated to the mother of Mary. The 2 lintels depict Mary’s marriage and her mother’s marriage, also the life episodes of Christ including the Annunciation to Mary, the Visitation Mary, the Nativity of birth, and the Epiphany about adoration of the Magi. At the center, where the Virgin and Child sit on a throne under a canopy and bear royal attributes of the crown and the scepter, they are flanked by the King of France and the Bishop of Paris to show the royalty and Christianity.

In the middle, The Portal of the Last Judgment depicts God’s judgment on the living and the departed, where the cursed are punished, and the blessed are welcomed into eternal life. The narrative scenes include the Archangel Michael weighs souls: the elect ones are led to paradise, while the damned, chained and terrified ones are led by demons to hell. The heavenly court has angels, patriarchs, prophets, doctors, martyrs and virgins, with the lip lamps for the hope of gaining paradise, opposite of hell with the extinguished lamps. An archway of wood narrates Mary, who is adorned with a crown held by 2 angels. Other sculptures contain the statues of the wise and foolish virgins on the central pillar, 12 statues of apostles in the jambs with the medallions of virtues and vices.

On the left is the Portal of the Virgin particularly devoted to Mary, with the narrative scenes of her Assumption into Heaven and her coronation as Queen of Heaven. There are 9 statues of protective Saints on either side, a depiction of 12 months of the year and the zodiac signs representing the cycle in the jambs. On the central trumeau, the Virgin and Child trample the serpent symbolizing Satan, the four seasons and the four stages of life are described on their both sides to represent the cycle of life, underneath is the story of Adam and Eve. On the lintel, Mary is in paradise, seated and crowned by an angel. She sits beside her son, Jesus bless her and gives her the scepter, she becomes the Queen of Heaven around angels, patriarchs, kings and prophets.

On the upper part, the Gallery of King is surmounted by a small terrace with a 9.6-meter diameter of rose window at the center, where 2 angels with candlesticks symbolize sin and redemption flanking a central statue of the Virgin. On the top, 2 square towers are bordered by an openwork balustrade with the bronze bells and the Emmanuel bourdon inside.

The north facade and its cloister portal were built with new architectural concepts like a triangular gable surmounts the portal, an openwork gallery with a large rose window in the middle, a 3 levels’ structure supported by flying buttresses, and a large pinnacle in the shape of spires rises from its base on each side…Beside of the portal, it’s the small Red Door to access to the choir of the Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, red was the color reserved for women. In iconography, Our Lady Mary is dressed in a red robe then in blue through the history.

At the center of the portal, the statue of the Virgin and Child is placed on the trumeau as a typical French sculpture. The lintel, in the lower part of the tympanum, depicts 4 scenes from Christ’s childhood: the Nativity, the Presentation in the Temple, the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod, and the Flight into Egypt. The life of the Virgin is sculptured on bas-reliefs in a quadrilobed decor, and the Virgin’s posture is delicate, slightly swayed with her maternal smile for a majestic and humanized image of the woman and mother.

The south facade features the same architectural elements as the north side, and the Saint Stephen portal closes the south arm of the transept. Above the portal, it’s pierced by a 13-meter diameter rose window and the gable is on the top with 2 large pinnacles and 3 statues representing 2 Saints and Christ. Saint Stephen is the first Christian martyr, his life is shown with 3 depicting scenes on the tympanum of the portal and his statue stands on the central pillar between the 2 doors. The triple arch of the door is carved with 21 martyrs crowned by angels, with three statues of apostles on either side of the portal.

– rose windows and stained glass art

Technically, Gothic architecture is not only ambitious in artistic splendor, but also innovative about the light design to illuminate inside with the flourishing of large stained glass windows and enlarged high windows, which were rare and expensive with intense colors and large quantities of pigments to bathe the building in colored light. Notre Dame Cathedral is covered nearly 1000m² (about 1100ft²) by the stained glass windows as part of medieval architecture. Among them, 3 large rose windows (rosaces) from 13th century are placed over the main portals of west, north and south facades, the diameters are respectively 9.70m, 13.10m and 13.10m.

Known as the masterpieces of Gothic art, they were designed to pierce the wall and accentuate the entry of light into the building, with the shape of the openwork bay in the wall. Rose is the name of stained glass featuring different sizes, compositions and iconographies by the time of production, such as imagery stories, outward radiating and circular patterns etc.

The west rose window is dominated by the Virgin and Child at the center of the composition. With 24 spokes on 3 concentric circles, there are vices and virtues in pairs on the upper level, 12 signs of zodiac in the lower level. Similarly, the north rose window has the image of Mary holding the Christ child on a central medallion. To compare with the other 2, it also has preserved most of the original and intact glass from the 13th century onward.

The south rose window, also called as the noon rose, measures about 19m including the clerestory the glazing. 84 panels are painted in 4 circles, with numbers symbolically arranged in 4s, 12s and 24s. The 12 apostles are distributed in the circles, mixed with honored saints and martyrs in France. Among the depicting scenes, there are the 4 Great Prophets to represent a meditation from the 13th century:

We are like dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, not because our sight is sharper or our stature higher, but because we are lifted up by their giant size.

– interior architecture

Characterized by its Gothic style and ribbed vaulting, the cathedral rises on 3 levels from large arches and galleries to stained-glass rose windows and high windows. It has an interior area of 4800m² with a semicircle shaped apse decorated by the depicting panels about the life of Virgin, 113 windows on all sides, 29 chapels, 75 columns and pillars inside.

The nave is the central part of the building and a vast space to accommodate a large number of worshipers. Raised from the ground to the vaults, it consists of pillars, pilasters and columns that accentuate the effect of verticality. These verticals are broken horizontally by arcades and capitals, the regular rhythm between verticals and horizontals shows greatly a visual harmony for people.
On the top, the vault rests on ribbed arches above the transept crossing. Between each pillar, it’s vaulted with 6 ribs as a sexpartite composition, which is an architectural feat with dimensions never before achieved. The vaulted ceilings and ribbed design are not only aesthetic but very strong and stable to protect the interior of the building.

The Treasury is a unique space where spirituality, art and history come together. It preserves precious objects used in Catholic liturgy, such as sacred vessels, ornaments and liturgical books for Mass, offices and administering sacraments. After the destruction by the Revolution in 18th century, the sacristy was resurged around the mid-19th century at a small square cloister, decorated by ornamental sculpture and stained glass windows. It’s evolved through the history for its exhibition and preservation of religious items and their sacred values.

– exterior architecture

Historically, the cathedral is built with a geometrical concept for a symmetrical and tripartite space. A visual harmony is combined with the square (symbolizing the rational and limited world) and the circle(symbolizing the divine and unlimited spirituality). By using the materials of limestone and marble, a great mastery of techniques innovated the architecture by cutting stones, lightening the walls, piercing large openings, intersecting the ribs of the vaults, placing flying buttresses on the facades and preventing collapse in such a vast building.

The large single-arch flying buttresses is a major innovation of Gothic architecture both in height and slenderness. They have a single flight spanning over the galleries, their heads support the upper walls of the structure, which were topped with stone pinnacles and entirely carried by the ribbed vault with a series of counter-supports. This genius techniques made the walls higher and thinner with larger clerestory windows on. Especially they provide a dual practical function: solving the rainwater drainage problem without runoff on the stone, countering the facade and supporting the vault’s weight well to prevent it from collapsing.

Also for protecting the walls and stones from rainwater’s deterioration, a set of 54 chimeras were placed around the railings of the cathedral, to designate the ends of gutters to drain water far from the roof. These carved stones are Gargoyles as part of neoGothic decor with grotesque features. They’re famous about their overhanging appearance leaning into the void, animal forms and fantastical figures. In the mythology of classical antiquity, these ornamental sculptures have spiritual significance both good and evil, each has its own unique history and symbolism. One of the typical Gargoyle is called Le Stryge, perched on an angle along the gallery of the north tower, which is known as an image of gazing over Paris with a contemplative expression.

With a title of the forest, the original wooden roof of Notre-Dame was one of the oldest structure in Paris. Built in the 13th century, it had a big number and intensity of beams, each of them came from a different oak tree and some of the wood was even 3 or 400 years old already. The implementation of rib vaulting, pitched roofs, lead sheets and steep structure is innovative for its impressive dimensions: 100m in length, 13m in width, and 10m in height, plus 40m in the transept.

Above the transept crossing, the central spire of Notre-Dame is an architectural feat of Gothic style. The independent structure was restored in the 19th century, supported by the 4 pillars of the transept with an octagonal base. Soaring to a height of 96m (315ft) from the ground, the ornamental spire was composed of 500 tons of oak wood and 250 tons of lead, decorated with copper statues of the 12 apostles and symbols of the 4 evangelists. A copper rooster perched on its top as a weathervane to detect changes in the weather, and help people prepare for storms and other weather events.

Historically, the Gallic rooster is the bird of light and national symbol of France, it also symbolizes the sense of vigilance and protection in religious activities. Thus the famed statue was more than just a decorative feature and a practical weathervane, it’s deeply associated with cultural traditions and significance for centuries. The iconic rooster atop the spire contained a reliquary: a fragment of the crown of thorns, a relic of Saint Denis (a 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint), and one of Saint Geneviève (patron saint of Paris, who allegedly saved that city against plague, disasters and invasion in the 5th century.)

-surroundings along the river Seine

Designated a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO, the French state owned historical monument remains a notable place of worship and a must-see attraction right on the Seine. From its upper gallery on the towers, it’s a magnificent view of Paris over the Seine, a succession of bridges across the river with unique scenery along the both left and right banks.

In a large scale, the Holy Chapel (Sainte Chapelle) is a hidden gem just down the road about 500m from Notre Dame, also a historical monument in Gothic style as a symbol of royalty. It used to be the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, now becomes a museum with 2 levels of structure marked by its high vaulted ceilings, delicate interiors and extremely detailed stained glass panels. The lower chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with her column statue as the portal and many other decorative sculpture and murals. The upper level housed the Crown of Thorns and was reserved exclusively for the King and Queen during worship. The wall is featured by thousands of small pieces of glass to turn it into large screens of colored light, above archivolts and arches are richly decorated with painting and sculpture of angels.

Known as a prime example of rayonnant architecture and flamboyant techniques, the absence of masonry walls is the most striking aspect of its original construction. Replaced by pillars and buttresses, the space in between is filled almost entirely with glass to let light passes through its nave. Especially there are 15 stained glass windows that create spectacular walls of light in deep hues of red and blue. Covering a surface of 6500ft² in total, this glass framework is a beautiful work of art illustrating about 1100 characters with intricate patterns and iconographic scenes, while bathing its interior with a spectacular glowing of light like a kaleidoscope of colors.

When crossing the river and strolling along the Left Bank, it’s the Latin Quarter that’s one of the oldest districts in Paris founded by the emperor Napoleon in the 19th century. There are many universities and faculties, classic cafes filled by students and arty bookstores, to make the area as a hub of academic and artistic life. With a rich and incomparable history, it’s also home to winding cobblestone streets, botanical garden and historic landmarks like the stately Panthéon holding the remains of notables and great minds including Victor Hugo, Rousseau, Voltaire, Marie Curie and Alexandre Dumas.

The river side is famed for the open air booksellers(bouquinistes) with their green painted metal stalls as part of scenic views alongside the Seine. It’s a tradition all the way back to the 16th century, then it flourished over time, more and more popular becoming a cultural icon for people. There are about 200 independent outdoor booksellers offer some 300,000 collectable, new and used books and magazines under open skies. Especially in spring and summer, it’s very enjoyable to casually browse them for classic works of literature or non fiction, collectible and rare titles, old magazines and editions, vintage items and original gifts, artworks and more. In a charming French style, the Seine-side traditional booksellers remain one of the city’s most treasured legacies.

In front of Notre Dame, a large esplanade with benches and raised shrubbery beds forms the stone-paved parvis, which is an open square about 1200m² bordering by the Hôtel-Dieu hospital and national headquarter of the police. On the river side of the parvis, there is a historical structure as a point of interest and an equestrian statue of Charlemagne and His Guards (Charlemagne et ses Leudes), who is an ancient time monarch figure and the sculpture is made in bronze. At the center of this forecourt, it’s the point zero marker originating in the Middle Ages to make the parvis the very center place for the purpose of measuring travel distance. It’s also used for the National Route System to mark the starting point of 14 radiating roads from Paris throughout France.

The small island around Notre Dame is called Île de la Cité in French, it’s literally the birthplace of Paris sitting in the middle of the river, where the sparkles of history are shown with archaeological discoveries and remains over the course of centuries. The capital of France is admired for its long history of 1800 years and a vast underground world with historic tunnels all over the city. Stretching nearly 280km (about 174miles) in total, it’s an unparalleled construction from the 18th century to create the sewers and repurpose the subterranean spaces for various needs over times, including the combats against the city’s regular and deadly epidemics. Now it’s also a very popular tourist attraction to show the city’s past on a journey through time.

Under the parvis, the enduring legacy of past is dated back to Antiquity with an archaeological crypt, which is the most important one in Europe to display and preserve the remains from the past 2000 years of history, even from the prehistory of Paris. Naturally becoming an onsite museum of 1000ft² at the foot of Notre Dame, it contains a number of monumental relics discovered during excavations in the 1960s-70s. From ancient to modern times, there are the ruins of Parisian port, Medieval streets, found objects and foundations of the ancient Roman town, plus recovered artifacts like Mammoth tusks, swords and spears etc.

The classical past of old Paris is relived here with the historical memories, bring them to life is a demonstration that the City of Light has never ceased to rebuild itself through the urban and architectural evolution.

Dream big with small and digital power

October is the month of autumn, a colorful season with mild weather and beautiful foliage, a busy period of ripening and growing, a harvest time for farmers and also for business owners. Here comes the annual Small Business Week which runs from October 16-22, time to celebrate entrepreneurship, startups, small and medium businesses in our communities.

Small business can be seen every where, we visit them, we talk to them, have a health checkup regularly at a medical clinic close to home, order the food with their delivery to the door, get the services and goods from them…so what is about a small business? how they fuel the economy and impact the community?

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Dream it, do it

Small business is powerful. It may be a micro company that has fewer employees and less annual revenue comparing to a regular or large enterprise. It can be a privately owned consultancy, an independently operated law firm, a local grocery store in your neighborhood, a walk-in clinic down the street, or a coffee shop at the corner…They provide the products and services we need, create jobs and employ millions of people across the industries.

Small business is big in Canada. There are more than 1.2 million small and medium-sized businesses from professional and technical services to construction and retails, they help the trades work and marketplace stay active and competitive, they’re at the heart of our communities and the backbone of our economy. If we look at some provinces like Ontario and British Columbia, there are about half a million small businesses in one and the other to represent a strong business community. In BC, approximately 1-in-10 people are small business owners or entrepreneurs to make the province a home of entrepreneurship.

It takes action, passion, commitment, entrepreneurial spirit and much more to start small get big, and make dreams come true.

Small business is all about entrepreneurship and opportunities. Many successful owners started small with only 1 or 2 people but have a big idea and a willingness to work hard and grow. By becoming bigger businesses, they provide more and more opportunities for people and give back to the community with inspirational entrepreneurship. Every year, Small Business Week brings thousands of aspiring business owners, entrepreneurs and founders together for the opportunities of learning and sharing, networking and celebrating. Digital literacy, innovative solutions, green technologies, business ecosystem and sustainable community, it’s a group of dreamers and doers to work hard and change the world with the ambition and big ideas along the way.

Start local, think global

There’s no doubt that small businesses are important for many reasons: job creation, selling varies goods and services to benefit people and sparking innovation. How many of us got our first jobs at a family business down the street? Were you ever helped by a trade worker in the area? Have you been any block parties sponsored by a local business? Did you take any practical advice from a small business owner in the neighborhood? Plenty of small businesses start from local, focus on local and have a big impact on local to thrive, prosper and grow together, they’re lifeblood of our communities.

This week, we celebrate the contributions small businesses make to our neighborhoods and local communities. Let’s support them as much as possible to eat local, shop local, buy local and act local…

To start and grow a business is never easy, and one thing always stands out, the passion and dedication of entrepreneurs. Many small business owners dare to do things differently with courage and innovative thinking. They conduct import and export with overseas partners, collaborate with others to work together for digital transformation, hire a marketing consultancy to research and develop new markets, invest in green business and digital projects with professional advice for growth…

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Nowadays, we’re facing many changes due to the pandemic and economic issues. I personally saw a few businesses in my area has disappeared, like one day I went to a familiar store but only saw the closed door…they may be gone in silence without too much attention but I know it’s not the good sign for small business, our community and our life. Certainly, some small businesses are finding ways to succeed in tough times, and some are struggling to survive with physical distance and safety.

The economic downturn is real, it hits international market and local business, no exception to the mall businesses. If you confront challenges like reduced cash flow, declining sales, labor and buyer shortage…we’re here to help each other out, provide digital solutions and personalized plan for your business, work with creative practices and online strategy to solve your problems, build resilience in global community for a win-win collaboration.

Be the change

Small business is the cornerstone of our economy, plays a significant role in local and global communities. Doing business is not only to achieve financial success and independence, but also help people including women and minorities to benefit the community at large: create job opportunities, help local economy, promote entrepreneurial spirit, encourage collaboration and partnership.

We see the pandemic hit hard on our businesses and economy, inflation and tax increases continue to hurt. Over the past 2 years, while small business owners have faced many challenges, such as rising costs, lack of workers and supply chain disruption, can we find better ways of working?

Any business can be an impact business, let the digital power and green impact be your strength.

Power up your growth with digital technologies is now more than ever. The economic recovery has brought new changes for entrepreneurs, services providers, restaurant and shop owners, digital services are on the rise. So what are you waiting for? Get online and go digital, improve your online presence and e-commerce business, work with a digital advisor to enhance your digital literacy for a sustainable business. Technologies empower small business, when small business succeed, our economy grows, jobs are created and communities thrive. So we live in a changing world now and disruptive innovations are on the way, be part of it to make our businesses more inclusive and sustainable, improving our digital strategy while driving the economy.

Give back

October is in the middle of fall season, it’s annual Women’s History Month and Small Business Month. Small Business Week is also underway till this weekend, the giving season and holiday season are coming right after. This harvest time is in full swing, I saw my neighbors already stored some pumpkins and potatoes for Halloween, I plan to light the candles for my late family members and pray for them on All Souls’ Day, Thanksgiving is also coming up next month…It’s a season full of diversity and sustainability about harvesting food, celebrating life and giving back to the community.

Food is essential for our life. When we celebrate the harvest festival, we celebrate the food culture and sustainability. World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year on the mid-October, which is the founding date of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. You can join the event to visit a local farm or food business, check out a community garden close to home and grow your own food, help food security and sustainable agriculture, donate your time or money to food bank or charities to give back the community.

Recently I joined a regional conference about arts and culture over a weekend. The theme is braving the future together with a focus on EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) topics and issues. It gathered the participants from varies backgrounds, there are small business owners and program funders, executive members and staff from public services and non-profit organizations. By meeting and talking with them, I feel to open a dialogue between different social groups, a peer conversation to express and share freely, a space to collaborate and promote equality, diversity and inclusion among members.

This year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day occurs on October 10, a time to honor the beautiful traditions and cultures of the native people, an opportunity to celebrate and recognizes their histories and valuable land for living with diversity and sustainability. From culture to business, from non-profit organizations to public services, from startup founders to financial funders, giving back and giving more are all about building communities and resilience through collaboration and partnership. We all need help and we all can help, keep helping each other and working together is a good way for the benefit of everyone in our communities.

Go digital, go global…LefTech offers consulting services to help small businesses with digital strategy and solutions, we promote green business and technologies, we support entrepreneurship and community for sustainable practices and living.

Happy harvest, happy fall! Let’s celebrate small businesses that make our neighborhoods vibrant, support diverse entrepreneurs with Small Business Diversity Forum, build an inclusive business ecosystem with more public services and programs. Whatever you want to start your own business, transit your startup to a small business, finance your company with some funding and boost your business with technology, there are some tools and resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners to recover and grow:

Digital Adoption Program: help business owners to adopt new technologies and grow the e-commerce with a micro-grant

Small Business Financing Program: access to the fund, loan and materials to finance and grow your business

Regional education and free webinars for Small Business Week

Regional and national events for Small Business Month

Making an impact on health, science and digital

There is a light at the end of the tunnel,
even it happens a little bit longer sometimes…

As the year is coming to an end, time for a year-end review and end of the year reflections to think and learn. Looking back this year, no doubt it’s been a very special year for everyone, so much happened and so many challenges: coronavirus, pandemic, lockdown, social distancing, quarantine, stay at home orders, face mask…what a year for people, businesses and the world! 

For most people, this year started off with normal sense, soon the pandemic hit and getting harder over the course of the year, then we are suddenly facing an unprecedented situation and new realities. For some, this past year may be rough and difficult to survival and live healthy…For some, it may be a year filled with tears and hardship for many endings and farewells…For some, it’s full of uncertainty and changes both professionally and personally…and for all of us, it’s certainly a year unlike any other. Whatever the year has been good or bad for you, stay healthy and upbeat to finish it strong and well with some meaningful thoughts and gestures.  

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
— Charles Dickens

Health for all

In reviewing this challenging year with the ongoing pandemic, we all have experienced and learned a lot, health and science are much more important than never in our everyday life. There are frontline healthcare professionals who keep working hard to fight for public health, many scientists who put great efforts on making and developing vaccines…Selflessness, compassion and courage, all the dedicated healthcare workers step up to protect as much as they could around the world.

From public service to business community, from World Health Organization(WHO) to local healthcare provider, there are essential service workers like everyday heroes to keep daily life running with basic needs for our health and safety. Doctors, nurses and medical staff are called as fighters in white on the frontlines, they have kept working day and night for public health and safety, provided medical care to the patients with high risks of being infected with coronavirus…Remind that, they also have a whole family and loved ones behind each of them, but they have stayed at work to help more people in the communities just being health heroes. 

We say that nurses are smiling angels with loving hearts and invisible wings, and we mean that they’ve been saving lives, caring for others, making relentless contribution to the community everyday. In honoring of their dedication and contribution to our communities, WHO designated this year as International year of the Nurses & the Midwife.

Nursing is a work of heart and nurses are angels in white among us. Amid the pandemic and in everyday life, they deserve our deep gratitude for their caring work and sacrifice to take risks and beat the coronavirus, keep people safe and improve the public health. Health is wealth, more and more people including many big performers and entertainers who have sincerely valued and supported their hard work by paying tribute and spreading the love in global community. 

No science no health, no health no life. Science improves greatly public health in many ways, let’s respect science more and show our appreciation to scientists and healthcare workers.

Science for good

Living in the challenging times from coronavirus recovery to vaccine research and development, what are your reflections on public health and science for everyday life? As we pray for the vaccines in the coming new year, we rely on the scientific research so much for this health crisis recovery across the globe. 

In this past October Nobel Prize season, total 8 scientists and medical professionals were awarded the Nobel Prizes among 12 laureates. Also a historic winning with 2 women scientific researchers as the first time in Nobel Prize history, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their scientific discovery. 

This November and December, total 175 nationwide recipients were appointed to receive the Order of Canada as one of the country’s highest civilian honors. They’ve made up with 9 Companions, 34 Officers, 1 Honorary Member and 131 Members to be honored for their accomplishments and success to build a better country. Among them, about 30 significant figures are scientists and medical professionals in a diverse fields of pediatric and obstetrics, cardiology and neuroscience, geriatric medicine and cancer research, chemistry and pharmacology, crop science, computer and planetary science. 

No two snowflakes are alike. There are women clinician-scientist, pharmaceutical researcher, scholars and many more. With outstanding achievement and dedication to the community, they’ve been honored for their service to the nation and innovations to shape the future. In the spirit of northern heritage and diversity, the Order of Canada recognize their contributions are varied and enriched the lives of others in different ways and for a better life.

https://www.gg.ca/en/activities/2020/governor-general-announces-61-new-appointments-order-canada

Order of Canada

Digital for life

This year is almost over, whatever we’ve been through are part of experience and lessons to look back and also look ahead. Knowing of digital age and power, how to go above and beyond our virtual life in the coming year with digital impact?

In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.
— Albert Einstein

The pandemic has changed our life and the world radically in unpredictable ways. Many of us have experienced the quarantine and stay at home by following the public health and safety guidelines, the restrictions for social activities and gathering have forced us to stay apart with people even with families, there are also the limitations of traveling from local to international. We are socialized human beings, how we keep up with human interaction and connection with remote work environment and social distancing everyday?

Going up like a rocket, it seems a virtual network and space happened overnight without delay, everything goes digital from study, work to social. Facing with the big changes and happenings in life and world, we need to adapt a new environment and start to redefine our life and work with digital technology. Love it or not, a virtual world has arrived and we are part of it no matter what…

Digital used to be an online solution in pre-pandemic and now becomes an essential activity in our daily life. We’ve seen digital shows and exhibits, digital theaters and operas, we’ve worked at home, attended virtual meetings almost everyday, we’ve known more and more business are going digital also many types of festivals are held online as well, thousands and millions of people stay online to meet, chat and learn through webinars and cloud video meeting platforms…all digital, all virtual, all good, so what’s not online now?

The rise of digital technology is soaring and most digital service providers see a massive success amid the pandemic. With about 300 million daily active users, Zoom has risen to the top of the market on a fast track due to the COVID. This December, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan named as Time’s businessperson of the year. Zoom meeting and Zoom social are the ones among the popular digital strategies to connect people and the world.

Today is the last day of the year, it’s hard to believe that this year has come and is almost gone enough quickly. As the pandemic continues to hammer the world without stopping point yet, it is vital that we stay well and keep mental health while isolating and dealing with loneliness. From foresight to insight and hindsight, from motivation to creativity and inspiration, what are on the top of your list of New Year’s resolutions? Being healthy, staying safe and well with digital tech could be top 3 for many people to keep going forward. 

Going digital, going global…With the pandemic challenges and physical distancing restrictions, digitalization is underway coming faster than we expected, remote work, streaming services, virtual activities and online communities are all over the place and all around the world. The year’s end means the beginning of a new one with new possibilities, jump into the coming new year with best wishes, keep calm and carry on for a digital and green life: 

*Go digital to be a game changer from local to global

*Embrace our virtual life to stay social and connected

*Dive into online world to keep up with what matters for you

*Live healthy and well with nature and animals for a safer and sustainable future

*Go above and beyond to make an impact on the global community

Think big, build smart and create for change

We create, we build, we innovate, we change, and we are women.

Starting and growing your own business are never easy, especially for women. Female entrepreneurs usually face much more challenges from business skills to financial resources and industry opportunities. The reasons and levels can be varies by countries and regions, such as male domination and gender gap, lack of gender equality and equal rights at workplace about business skills training and professional opportunities…building smart solutions are necessary to make the world a balancer and better place, and all deserves to be treated equal regardless of gender, ethnicity or race.

Today is International Women’s Day – March 8, the UN theme for IWD this year focuses on innovative ways to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women:
Think equal,
Build smart,
Innovate for change.
So what’s the meaningful way to celebrate Women’s Day? Do our effort to care women more and treat them one day for anything, or make a call to action for everyone’s participation and contribution to build a balancer and better future with innovative spirit and mindset…

Empowering women is definitely good for unleashing success. Women’s empowerment means a business woman can access resources and grow her business based on equal footing and competing with business men. Working women, professional women, business women, all women are great and deserve for the equal rights and opportunities across the industries.IWD 2019_EN_InFocus 960x450

Women who tech

This past January, the annual showcase of consumer technology innovation CES kicked off the new year 2019 as usual. As the largest influential technology event, the Consumer Electronics Show drew a big crowd all over the world including business leaders and thinkers, industry professionals and innovators, creative players and women in tech.

From smart cities to 5G, from drones to self-driving technology, from AI to robotics…this is truly a global stage to connect, learn and be inspired about disruptive technology and innovation. I experienced AI powered playground and smart home, visited innovation awards showcase, talked to virtual assistants and robots, met some great entrepreneurs at networking events, connected with multiple startups for further discussion…What I learned from CES? Get ready for a smart future and 5G revolution.

Technology is changing business and female-owned tech companies become a fast growing force in the Americas and the world. So how we can embrace disruption for good? Supporting women empowerment in this growing industry opens up a new business and develops a prosperous path of cooperation between North America and Asia Pacific in different sectors and ecosystems. This is indeed an opportunity to be part of this very energetic and empowered female workforce with the power of learning and networking.

Among many world-class speakers and panels at conferences, some women brought their innovative ideas on some mind-blowing topics, such as be your own boss in sports technology, a keynote discussion on data, blockchain, AI and computing, create content to connect with audiences and branding strategy…when women get together and learn from each other, to share best practices and conduct discussions about the latest trends, all women can benefit from it. We all play different professional roles like Emmy Award winning journalist, CEO and CMO, founder and entrepreneur…and we are also women in tech as innovators and disruptors shaping the future of technology.

Women who create

Creativity is power, it’s truly original and inspiring.

Last month at the 91st Academy Awards, Domee Shi, who’s Chinese-Canadian, won the Oscar for best animated short film “Bao”, she is also the first female director of a Pixar original short.

“Bao” is an allegorical tale about an aging and lonely mother who receives an unexpected second chance at motherhood when she makes a dumpling (baozi), and an adorable Chinese dumpling that comes to life as a boy. Eventually the child grows up as a young adult, he increasingly wants independence, while his mother wishes for more attention from him, feeling ignored. One day, when the dumpling introduces his new fiancée and wants to move out, his mother tries to stop him from leaving and finally eats him…Later, her real son enters the room, revealing that the whole sequence was an allegorical dream. Then the whole family sits at the table and makes dumplings together…

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Through this short film, the audience can get a taste of the great Chinese food, culture, and people that she grew up with in Canada. Shi said she used to take her Mom’s dumplings for granted, making “Bao” helped her better understand her mother. Shi shared that the journey to making this film come to life. Seven years before becoming the director of an Oscar-winning film, Shi began her journey at Pixar as an intern and contributed to multiple films as storyboard artist. Now being one of the first female writers and directors for a major studio, she said it’s been challenging to make the film: “One of the most challenging things is when you’re walking into the room and feeling like one of the only females in this room, it took me a while to build my own confidence, but I kind of use that as a way to motivate myself.”

Cinematography, photography, design, screenwriting, video editing, copywriting, content strategy and digital media production, creative minds come from our own stories, imagination, dreams, brainstorm and inspiration by others. As an artist and filmmaker, Domee shi won an Oscar, created value for her industry, and showed the creativity and innovation that comes from diversity and women’s empowerment.

To all the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketchbooks, don’t be afraid to tell your stories to the world. – Domee Shi, filmmaker

Women who change

Women are everywhere: tech startup and entrepreneurship, filmmaking and creative arts, innovative business and science, journalism and healthcare professionals…female leaders are shaping the future of innovation and making the world to a better place with their insistence for good and persistence in the face of adversity.

Today to honor Women’s History Month and IWD, it’s really important that we see examples of successful women and powerful women doing things that are outside the box, so people can have role models and be inspired. By celebrating women leadership around the world, let’s look at women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and design (STEMD) , and their outstanding inspiration to others including the next generation of female professionals.

Let’s check out this series of numbers from the Nobel Prize Organization. Over 100 years, 51 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2018 with 52 awards in total. There are
1 woman in Economic Sciences,
3 women in Physics including Marie Curie in 1903,
5 women in Chemistry including Marie Curie in 1911,
12 women in Physiology/Medicine including Tu Youyou in 2015,
14 women in Literature,
17 women in Peace including Mother Teresa in 1979.

They are women who changed the world with their inventions, medical research, writing novels, analysis of economic governance, thought thinking in new and creative ways, engagement in social issues and the peace movement…what they achieved are the greatest benefit to humankind. In 2018, 3 women among 12 new laureates of the Nobel Prize were awarded for their work and discoveries range from cancer therapy and laser physics to developing proteins that can solve humankind’s chemical problems, as well as combating war crimes. They are

  1. Donna Strickland, a Canadian optical physicist and pioneer int he field of pulsed lasers, who was awarded in Physics for “for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics” and with Gerard Mourou “for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses.”
  2. Frances H. Arnold, an American chemical engineer, who was awarded in Chemistry “for the directed evolution of enzymes”.
  3. Nadia Murad, a Yazidi human rights activist from Iraq, who was awarded in Peace with Denis Mukwege “for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict”.

Among these 51 remarkable women of the Nobel Prize,19 women who changed science with their unique contributions. From the early 1900s to now, they are scientists represented in this experience include biochemists, X-ray crystallographers, pharmacologists, neuro-embryologists and nuclear physicists. Some are the children of teachers, grocers, scientists and artists, some rarely left their labs, some travelled the world to collaborate with other scientists or to advocate for a cause. Each of them is as unique as her contribution to scientific knowledge, but all possess common traits: creativity, vision, passion and – perhaps most importantly – persistence.

With a new and more scientific approach to drug development, Gertrude Elion altered and accelerated medical research by creating the drugs and alleviating human suffering. Tu Youyou is the first mainland Chinese scientist to have received a Nobel Prize in a scientific category for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria. And she did so without a doctorate, a medical degree, or training abroad. She turned to Chinese medical texts from the Zhou, Qing, and Han Dynasties to find a traditional cure for malaria, ultimately extracting a compound—artemisinin—that has saved millions of lives…

The world cannot afford the loss of the talents of half of its people if we are to solve the many problems which beset us.
— Rosalyn Yalow, Nobel Laureate

Celebrating and exploring the careers and lives of them aim to transform not only how we experience the powerful stories and perseverance behind their scientific achievements but also empower the next generation of young women to change our world.

Women are power

Innovation and technology disrupt business and impact our lives.

Women hold up half of the sky according to a Chinese saying. Actually women could hold up entire industries from tech and science to media and creative business by affecting the future of business. A growing number of women are business owners and decision-makers to bring innovation to the market and changing the way we work.

With education and hard working, women are not only tech users also digital creators. Social media is playing a pivotal role in their business decisions, with many popular short video platforms out there, and blogs expanding their influence in marketing sector and beyond. They build local business community and solar-power projects, connect with customers, and grow business with enhanced digital tools like mobile technology, cloud-based open source system, big data driven platform, online marketing and eCommerce etc.

Around the world, women are making an impact with this type of social media influence every day. Women’s fresh, relevant thinking also brings transformative change to the businesses and services that benefit our lives. Women and girls, who are not only consumers of innovation, but also become kind of innovators to engage, design and execute practical solutions from creative work and tech business to green energy and renewable industry. With a greater balance of men and women at some places, women have increasing opportunities to realize their potential and achieve their dreams in a stable and inclusive environment.

…as industries prepare to adapt to disruptive change, tackling gender gap could also unlock new opportunities for growth. – World Economic Forum

Who run the world?

Balance for better is the global campaign theme of International Women’s Day 2019. On this global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, it marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and creating balance for better. The first IWD gathering in 1911 was supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Over a century, many international groups from grassroots activism to worldwide action campaigned for women’s equality.

Gender equality is basically a question of power. According to the UN, women still face major obstacles in accessing and exercising power. As the world bank found, just 6 economies give women and men equal legal rights in areas that affect their work. Living in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture, gender equality and women’s rights are fundamental to global progress on peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. In recent decades, we have seen remarkable progress on women’s rights and leadership in some areas, such as increasing the number of women decision-makers and women in senior management, more efforts to protect and promote women’s rights, dignity and leadership…

When women rise, we all do

Innovation and technology have shaped the lives of women worldwide, also provide opportunities for women and girls to play an active role in building more inclusive systems, efficient services and sustainable economic growth to accelerate the achievement of the gender equality.

Innovation and technology reflect their designers and makers. From mobile technology to artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT), it is vital that women’s ideas and experiences equally influence the design and implementation of the innovations that shape our digital future. From UN Women to IWD community, from STEM education to global innovation for change, more and more initiatives and community projects are helping women and girls to develop coding skills and train the tech leaders of tomorrow. All of the work is not only to challenge stereotypes that limit girls’ ambitions and dreams, but also to empower them to play the decisive role in emerging industries by unleashing their limitless imagination and boundless strength.

Balance drives a better working world. Building our world so that it works for everyone with innovative ways and smart solutions are upon us. To create long-term sustained global community and sustainable economic growth, everyone’s contribution counts. Industry leaders, game changers, social entrepreneurs and women innovators… on one is left behind, everyone has a part to play – all the time, everywhere.

We are women

We are women, do proud every day for embracing our strength, drive, dreams, femininity, sense and sensibility, take the lead and be our own hero everyday.

Being professional women, we usually wears many different hats in family and at work, wife, mother, daughter, business owner, entrepreneur, founder and CEO…from household role to leadership role, women can do anything. When reflecting on our journeys that led us to where we are today as a successful woman, whoever your are a talented woman, a strong woman, a powerful woman, an inspirational woman, an independent woman or an influential woman…no matter whoever inspires you or you inspire whomever as role models, no matter whatever like community and connection motivates you or you value whatever like challenges and opportunities…be yourself and believe in yourself, we are women, we can do anything!

Giving back to the startup ecosystem

You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.
― Les Brown, The Power of Purpose

November is National Entrepreneurship Month, time to celebrate startup community and entrepreneurial experience.

Entrepreneurship matters. From economic development and transformation to sustainable community and life, it contributes to employment and business growth,  improves quality of life and work-life balance, inspires innovation and technology, supports diversity and communities in everyday life.

With Thanksgiving celebration and Giving Tuesday event, November is also the month about showing gratitude and appreciation to people and business around us, giving back to community and support good causes in many different ways.

Hard work, leadership, inspirational life and big dreams…entrepreneurship means different things to different people. To innovators and creators, it could be more about bring disruptive ideas to life and changing the world; to entrepreneurs and founders, it’s more about making impact on community and achieving their dreams. No matter you’re new startup, small business or a serial entrepreneur, the key is to take action, get started and keep doing…

Be a doer

So you want to be an entrepreneur? You have a good idea in mind, a target market to work and a great product to launch, here are a few tips about the experience of starting a company and running your own business:

1. Start smart, start well…It’s less important that you do something perfectly and more important that you do it with energy and motivation.

2. No pain no gain. Nobody is born gifted, every talent needs hard work and constant practice to chase his dream. Entrepreneurs are made, not born too. It requires sacrifice, hard work and a willingness to accept constant change in the business world.

3. Do the research and know the risks. Expect that failure will come, and minimize it where possible. Be flexible and resourceful to face the challenges along the way…

4. Identify your purpose and network with others. Resources and relationships are very important to entrepreneurship, keep in mind to form your alliance with business owners who can help grow your business.

5. Work with collaborators and get the word out about your business. Instead of doing everything on your own from marketing to finance, you can save time and energy with specialized services. Especially about marketing service and digital media projects, many entrepreneurs collaborate with marketing consultant for branding, social media marketing, event planning and public relations.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
– African Proverb

Being an entrepreneur is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. No doubt at all, there’s more to entrepreneurship than just a business idea. Anyone can acquire the knowledge and experience to transform a business idea into reality, but it takes business skills, entrepreneurial mindset, patience and perseverance to live an entrepreneurial life. Starting a business is hard, but the hard is what makes it great. Do what you love, and love what you do…so would you be up to take action and start your own business with a purpose?

Be a giver

It’s end of the year again, there are lots of ways that small businesses, corporations and brands can get involved in year-end giving. With Thanksgiving tradition and GivingTuesday event, end of year giving is a great opportunity to do more for the causes you support and get community engagement.

Doing business with purpose is not only market-driven to make money, and also impact-driven to help people and support the community. As a service-based creative business, we support good causes from fundraising event to public presentation. We give our time, technology and expertise to raise money and awareness for charities, connect with the organizations to collaborate nonprofit projects, and help them engage people effectively via social media platforms.

Being thankful is a mindset, having an attitude of gratitude is a virtue in business and life.

What goes around comes around, helping others actually helps yourself. From individuals to startups, when we become more grateful and give our time, talent and donation to help others, they benefit from our generosity and in turn more people benefit the same as well. For startup community, giving back means to pay it forward and build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. From green business to social enterprise, check out how little things can make a big difference:

    1. Start small. Get involved in the community and support charities and non profits by making a donation, volunteering time, spreading the word for good causes and helping the community engagement.
    2. Think big. As technology has an impact on all aspect of life and people, good tech can solve the problems and save the world. Go paperless with digital, go green with solar energy, and go global with social media…think about our environment and world, we support tech for good to use, design and build tech to address social challenges like global education, waste prevention, and healthcare with innovative solutions.
    3. Pay it forward. Business and success is not everything, think of our short and long-term goals with social responsibility, be generous with our time, talents and resources to invest in social, cultural and environmental issues, at the end we are the ones who receive the greatest benefit of a sustainable community.
    4. Build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. By giving, sharing and inspiring, together we support each other to make the change and create impact through collaboration. Creators, investors, leaders, incubators and entrepreneurs are all ecosystem builders in startup community, such as venture-friendly markets, quality business support and network, available finance to research and development, effective leadership and technology for creativity and innovation…

Be an innovator

NASA has just landed successfully a robotic geologist InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Transport) on Mars after 300-million-mile journey from Earth. By NASA, the Journey to Mars is humanity’s Next Giant Leap deeper into their solar system. 45 years ago, the Apollo missions blazed a path for human exploration to the moon and today that path extends to Mars and beyond. After landing on Mars, the robot will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system more than four billion years ago, and many more missions will follow on the Path to Mars including human landing and step foot on the Red Planet.

journey_to_mars            IMG_4781

Almost on the same time, SpaceX has made a historic launch of the first and largest rideshare mission on a US rocket. It also marks a new record of its 19th launch in the year, and the 3rd launch with the same reusable rocket by the company. The spaceflight brought together payloads from 17 countries including US, UK, Canada and Australia etc. total 64 small satellites aboard its reusable Falcon 9 rocket were deployed into low-Earth orbit in this single launch. They are university spacecraft, tech demonstrations, imaging and communication spacecraft from 34 commercial and government organizations, plus the companies seeking to revolutionize the Internet of Things.

Tech for good, tech for change. From national space agency to private space services company, from space tech to reusable rocket launch and digital tech, technology drives exploration and innovation. It expands our knowledge, helps our research and development, transforms our world, tackles social challenges and change our lives for the better. Many business and social enterprises get involved in tech for good to create innovative solutions and foster positive change at work, in the community and the world.

Tech for good is a community and a movement for long term sustainability, such as digital solutions, STEM education, social design, renewable and solar energy…it adopts a responsible technology approach for business, people and planet, creates collaboration between creators, designers, founders, incubators and leaders for working together to make a change in all aspects of our life.

Tech for Good is the intentional design, development and use of digital technologies to address social challenges. It is the combination of the most powerful and flexible tool we’ve ever had and good design approaches that are user-led and test-driven.

— Dan Sutch, Researcher and CEO at the Centre for Acceleration of Social Technologies

Entrepreneurs are innovators, and builders of startup ecosystem. We share knowledge of the marketplace, provide service, advice and information to help other businesses, use technology to support the community and change our life for the better. From tech for good to digital innovation, entrepreneurship has the potential to bring new ideas and technology in life that contribute to business growth and improve well-being of global community.

Collaboration creates opportunities. In entrepreneurship system, we value business ethics, supportive environment, best practices and strategies for collaboration. Entrepreneurs, members of the public and communities are expected to collaborate and deliver research and development projects, share resources and input insights within network, create solutions and opportunities for creativity and innovation.

Based on startup mindset and entrepreneurial spirit, giving back means to pay it forward and build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Entrepreneurship can make an impact with innovation and collaboration, be a giver and innovator to make a difference in our community. Today we give thanks to collaborators, partners and supporters, and we’re grateful to be part of global entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Happy November and end of year giving!

Doing business with cultural diversity

May is one of the most busy and beautiful months of the year. Mother’s day, National Nurses Week, World Press Freedom day, Endangered Species day and International Day for Biological Diversity, a long list of important days can be found throughout the month of May, there’s also the ongoing month-long celebration like the following one.

The Asian Pacific Heritage celebration is a time to honor and appreciate Asian heritage and contributions to the growing and prosperous communities within North America. This is an opportunity for people to celebrate the multicultural heritage and explore Pan Asian history and traditions in Arts, culture and business. People like May as the month of sunshine and flowers, in UK it’s National Smile Month, and it’s commemorative month of Asian Pacific Heritage across North America, in the US it’s called Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, in Canada it’s simply called Asian Heritage Month.

Culture matters

When we say Asia, what comes to your mind firstly? Panda, green tea or lotus…Check out some Asian cultural icons and find out their meanings in oriental traditions and philosophy. Many Asian people see green tea as green mindset. Tea culture has thousands years of history in Asia. Over a thousand varieties of tea can be found in Eastern Asia and beyond, one of the main types is green tea. With mild smell and light taste in general, green tea has spread across the oceans from Asia to the world. Behind its popularity and health benefits of drinking, people really enjoy the oriental culture and traditions such as mindfulness, meditation, peace and harmony.

Be like a lotus, let the beauty of your heart speak, be grateful to the mud, water, air and the light.
~ Amit Ray, Indian author and spiritual master

Everything in nature has a spirit, and lotus is one of the most spiritual symbols with profound cultural meanings. The lotus is to the East, as the rose is to the West.¹ Lotus is a summer flower that rises from the muddy water and blooms gracefully like a pure beauty. In Eastern cultures, people love lotus for its purity and serenity with long and deep roots in the mud. Live like the lotus flower, be enlightened by peace and harmony: the deeper root you have, the stronger growing you are.

Culture connects us

Every culture has its profound identity and deep root through the generations, it connects people, enriches our life and defines our communities from historical footprints to cultural milestones. From Asian people to Asian community, we have seen many success stories coming from this diverse, vibrant and growing community in all aspects of life.

With the importance of transmitting culture and heritage across generations, Asian descendants and immigrants contribute actively their talent to the thriving and diverse society. To emphasize the valuable contributions by women of Asian descent, here are some notable Asian figures who have made a significant impact in different fields of arts, culture, sports, entrepreneurship and business.

A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
–Mahatma Gandhi

Since 3 decades, Asian American writer Amy Tan has written some stories about Chinese immigrants and how they embraced Chinese heritage. Her best seller The Joy Luck Club explores Chinese American experience, Chinese culture and family relationships between two generations. As the former Governor General of Canada, Asian Canadian Adrienne Clarkson, has played an active role in multicultural environment with a long and successful career in broadcasting from journalist to arts show producer.

The award-winning geneticist and broadcaster David Suzuki is widely recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology and environmental protection. He has received numerous honors and awards throughout the lifetime, his work, documentaries and books about nature and the environment are inspiring others “to find the ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that does sustain us.”

CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai grew up in India, studied at Stanford University, and has worked at Google to the top is a remarkable personal journey and success story to inspire many people. The professional basketball player Jeremy Lin is one of the few Asian Americans to play in the NBA with impressive athletic achievements through the years. Talented and humble, he represents a younger generation of Asian descent with higher education background and influential public image today.

David        Jeremy Lin

From the East to the West

The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people, and the beauty of life is in living it with different traditions and cultures. Open, pacific and colorful, Asian culture is well characterized by the peaceful mindset and vibrant spirit. As one of Asian culture icons, Asian food is extremely popular across North America. Noodles, General Tso’s Chicken, sushi and fortune cookies…have a look at some famous Asian food and learn more about Eastern cuisine and culture in good smells!

General Tso’s chicken is sweet and deep-fried chicken dish and almost universally available in North American Chinese restaurants. It’s named after a Chinese military leader in the history, and the origin of the dish can be traced back to over 200 years ago with the stories connecting to Chinese traditions and history. The making of dish replicates traditional Chinese cuisine of Hunan province, it’s lightly battered and covered in a mildly spicy sweet & sour sauce in a way that adapts the recipe to fit the western taste. No doubt this chicken dish represents a typical Asian American experience about cultural connections and integration.

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Healthy and fresh, sushi is another typical Asian food combined with a variety of ingredients such as cooked rice, seaweed, seafood, vegetables and more. As many other Asian cuisine, the sushi culture is rooted in Eastern traditions and Japanese lifestyle. Traditionally, sushi is served on wooden platter along with soy sauce, pickled and sliced ginger, wasabi and chopsticks. With a colorful presentation and aesthetic style, making sushi is more like crafting a work of art with different combinations and recipes. In North America, the western-style sushi has evolved to become something completely different from its Japanese origins. By inventing some new types like brown rice sushi and latin flavored sushi burritos, sushi art has become more and more interesting and creative with mixed cultural influences.

How can we talk about Asian cuisine without noodles? Unlike Italian pasta, Asian noodles are typically handmade from fresh dough which is stretched, extruded, rolled and cut into a long and thin shape. As a staple food originated in China, noodle is a symbolic cuisine of representing Chinese culture and traditions everywhere. In the animated movie series of Kung Fu Panda, Panda Po had a dream about noodles but finally becomes a Kung Fu warrior, and his father Mr. Ping is master of noodles having a secret ingredient to make noodles and run the shop…From movies to real life, making noodles is an art of perfection with passion and inspiration behind its long history and culture.

Fortune cookies are another staple of Chinese cuisine in Chinese restaurants within North America, they’re crispy and sugary wafers and folded around a small slop of paper written with a so-called lucky message. People love cracking it to open one of them at the end of a meal, be delighted or surprised to read the words: good things come in invisible packages, accept the next proposition you hear….whatever is wisdom quote, Confucius phrase or vague expression, it’s fun and entertaining by the end. Now this bite-sized dessert has become an iconic symbol in North American culture, inspiring many businesses and cross-cultural communication between the East and the West.

Cultural diversity in business

Over the last 2 centuries, immigrants have journeyed to North America from all parts of Asia, they bring in a rich cultural heritage of many languages, ethnicities and traditions. Now more than 200 million people of Asian decent are living on this land, mainly Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesians and Mongolian etc. Like many diverse communities out there, Asian Pacific communities have a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit that continues to grow and strengthen local economy.

Natural diversity is essential for a healthy ecosystem, and cultural diversity is in the lifeblood of vibrant economy. By integrating into local communities, the emigrated Asian Pacific Islander people have made various achievements in every aspect of life including entrepreneurship and business. In the US alone, there are 1.5 million Asian American Pacific Islander – owned businesses, with more than 500 billion of sales and 2.8 million workers, they are certainly fueling job creation and strengthening local communities and American economy.

Cultural differences makes the world more complex and interesting, especially when it comes to some differences between Eastern and Western cultures. Eastern culture is deeply rooted in its long history of traditions and based on a wide variety of concepts and philosophies from Confucianism, Tai Chi to Yin and Yang. Extremely complicated and profound, it emphasizes the balance of Yin-Yang and highlights the harmony through the energy movements in tranquility of Tai Chi.

Western culture has its roots in Christianity and European civilization, it has developed many themes and traditions in arts, humanities, philosophies and scientific evolution. Based on logical and rational concepts, it focuses on the values of legal system and innovative creation through technological revolutions and discoveries along the way. Physically and culturally, Asian descendants and immigrants are different and identified with oriental colors, Asian traditions and pacific culture, but we all represent the big image of multicultural heritage, belong to the culturally diverse and prosperous communities.

May the force be with you

The East is East and the West is West, neither is better nor worse than the other. In global community and digital age, the cultural integration and diversity are more important than ever, a good understanding of both cultures is truly practical and valuable in doing business effectively. Diversity is colorful, beautiful and powerful with the strength to broaden our mind, create the opportunity and encourage people to reach their full potential and participate positively in all aspects of life from communities to business.

Culture connects us, it brings people together to celebrate our rich and cultural heritage and promote the harmony in our communities.

Good culture builds health communities. In May, the annual nurses week runs from May 6 to 12 to celebrate around the world for the Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12, which is also designated as International Nurses Day to recognize the nurses’ contributions and crucial roles in health care services and health communities. Nurses are healthcare professionals, they are skilled people with courage and compassion, they are angels in white with loving and caring hearts, they are everyday heroes to advocate resilience and healthy living across our communities. But they are also ordinary people just like each of us, we saw they work round the clock in all situations, they deal with work pressure sometimes, they need to manage mental stress and physical challenge at work, they get sick like others and need help and support for recovery. Asian nurses, American nurses, Canadian nurses and Indigenous nurses, all great nurses are backbone of healthcare system, make difference in health culture and everyday life.

The influence of culture on health is vast, and thriving health is for thriving culture too. Culture is communication by all measures, it’s a great way of learning from each other and understand the world. Identity, language, tradition and heritage…culture is everywhere, it enriches and enlightens people’s lives from hearts to souls. In the multicultural environment, cross-cultural communication is effective for people to collaborate and grow together since it’s a creative process to interact and share with different perspectives through an open and dynamic conversation. Culture inspires people, it reminds us that we always have the power to change ourselves and make the world a better place.