Life in Silicon Valley

Thanks to Astro AWANI and the U.S. Department of State, I was given the opportunity to produce a TV production focusing on entrepreneurship and the startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley.

Life in the Valley: The Digital Gold Rush
Episode 1
The technology startup ecosystem is so strong that on a daily basis, there will be new individuals arriving in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, either from within the United States or from a foreign nation, to work on their startup project.
It is a techies haven. It is a place where people sees highly of execution, experimentation while celebrates risk and failure. If you fail, you start again.
Follow Cherish Leow as she uncovers the life in Silicon Valley during her 14 day trip.




Life in the Valley: The Digital Gold Rush
Episode 2
Starting up a business in Silicon Valley takes determination, courage and the willing to take risk. Cherish Leow, a reporter, producer from Astro AWANI speaks to several young entrepreneurs, founders and programmers to learn about their passion and interest in technology startup ventures. Featuring Wednesday Night's co-founders Teng Siong and Jared Tame; Bloc.io's co-founders, Dave Paola and Roshan Choxi.



Life in the Valley: The Digital Gold Rush
Episode 3
In this episode, Cherish Leow further explores San Francisco's role as a technology startup hub, while bringing the story of a software engineer who started his technology career at Napster in early 2001. This episode also explores the importance of building relationships and trust while maintaining your network in the "pay it forward" startup culture, as Cherish speaks to the COO of NerdWallet, CEO of Agility and the Co-Founder of Playdom.



Life in the Valley: The Digital Gold Rush
Episode 4
The episode started off by exploring the role of Stanford University in nurturing talents with entrepreneurial traits, who most often contributes to the growth of the startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley (and more recently San Francisco). This episode explores the transition from classroom teaching to online education, via the interview with Professor Daphne Koller, the co-founder of Coursera.

This episode also follows Cherish Leow as she witnessed both male and female talents pitched their startup ideas at Disrupt SF Hackathon 2013 and Startup Weekend San Francisco Women's Edition.

It also features an interview with the team at Google Developer Relations who are working on Google Developers Live and YouTube API; and finally a walkthrough at Hacker Dojo in Mountain View, California.


Please feel free to share your thoughts and/or startup stories!

Warmest Regards,
Cherish

From thought to action

Hi!

I haven't been blogging for a while now. I am keen to kick start my OLD blog and revamp it bit by bit.

In the mean time as I refresh the look and feel, feel free to explore these write-ups of mine in the past year, published on Astro AWANI news site.

Free Voice Calls vs. Telcos

From thought to action: A serial entrepreneur's dream

The Coding Game: How to Code?

Silicon Valley: A Techies Haven

Looking at Malaysian street through the Google's eyes

On attitude and gratitude, inspired by Nick Vujicic

Do you know how to code?

Starting up with experimentation of ideas

Malaysia on its way to become a Startup Destination

Unlocking the prodigy in our children

Yahoo acquiring Tumblr - Why should you care?

Please feel free to drop me a note.

Have a great week!

Love,

Cherish

Things on Your Mind

Notice:

My Blog MOVED to Things on Your Mind.

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.

- William James

i wouldn't mind being alone...

because it is when i am by myself that i can find solitude and calmness from all chaotic and numbness. plus, if i can't even enjoy my own company, who else will enjoy be in my company? :)

sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing is the same.

love

my ever so supportive mother! <3 div="">

i watch the stars from my window sill, the whole world is moving and i am standing still.

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i enjoy moments like this sometimes. to feel the world around me. standing still. doing nothing. this is the moment when my mind feels most at peace with the world. time stops, as if it does not exist.

only when there is love

when there is love, everything appears to be wonderful.
when there is love between two entities,
the sparkle and the bond shall be strengthen by a seal of kiss...

photography by Spencer Finnley

there you are again...

confusing images flashes passed
playing in its soundless way
every single colour are in their places accordingly
everything seemed real.
the emotions are, the senses are.

the appearance of you after so long proves it true that there are still some pieces of you in me.
which, is so not suppose to be still around.

is this a sign to hold me back? a sign that comes from deep within?

the thing i yearn the most, is the thing i can't have. it seems.

You'll see what appeals to you

Things changed.
a new found territory has make a big influence on my perception.
i wonder how far i would explore? how far i will go?
now that i am meddling with something that goes against what the norm think wise.
this is going to be a great adventure for me. 

day 1 and day 2

Day 1 and Day 2 of orientation went extremely well.
i was so glad to be able to emcee again. decided to make emceeing/hosting as a little part of my life ever since i had a taste of how it is like to be in the center of attention, emceeing away, and it all started 3 years ago. it is true fun (informal emceeing).

taken a few pics after day 1. was pretty hyper regardless of my exhaustion. :P

Quotes on LIFE

Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death

- Albert Einstein
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Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.

- undefined source
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Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

-Maria Robinson
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Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.

- Ashley Smith
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exploring Tumblr

Dudes and peeps and friends and everyone!

lately i am sooo, very into blogging at tumblr! and MY! am I in love with my blog layout at Tumblr! :D the blog layout colour changes each and everytime the page is refreshed. haha. awesome. suits to my liking. hehe

and no, this is not the plan i blogged abt in the previous post. this is merely the interest i started during my hectic exam. oh yes, i still blog during exam. even the night before exam, coz i find blogging very comforting. xD

so, yeah.. Tumblr.. you have to see it for yourself to know how cool it is. :)

here, link to my blog at Tumblr, Just Thoughts.

i only came into knowing Tumblr in JULY 2009!!! through an official website of an interactive copywriter name Zach Golden. i know right?! i am SOOO outdated! hahaha
i would still use Thoughts. Stories. Me. and You for sure. so don't forget to still come back here often for updates! :D both blogs will have different kinda updates. you'll have to observe then you'll know how they differ! :P hehehe

here's some snapshots of my Tumblr blog- Just Thoughts! :) love all the colours!


there's are more colours! xD but these snapshots already said more than enough. :)

cheers,
love ya!

totally random

if life were easy, then it wouldn't be life.

so why don't we set every downside of life aside, tilt our head high and set foot and embark upon the unknowing yet exciting journey that lies ahead?

yes. smirk at the challenges and obstacles and say "HA! GOTCHA!"

Heroic warrior

nothing gets more exciting than this.
the end is here and it as it marks the start of another
the sense of anticipation grows ever stronger.

i am no heroic warrior.
but even the greatest warrior sense fear, the only element that set us apart is that they counter fear and beat it.

therefore in the face of fear i always tell myself
be brave, don't run.
problems would be unresolved if i run.

therefore i make myself face fear and doubts.
because i know what matters most at the end of the day is to get through it all and then and there i shall get my reward.

Gloria Jean's TVC

good job people!

Norms, Conformity, non Conformity

"To think that one has gone too far -- that means one has already accepted society's norms. It is already a form of self-censorship."
-(Oliviero Toscani, designer of Benetton commercials)
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my interpretation

once or twice in a day, you would hear a tiny little voice in your head telling you what you are doing does not feels right. i believe most of you would have encounter this.
so where does that voice comes from?
you can say that it is your conscience speaking. but don't you think most often than not, our thoughts are highly influenced by what we perceive as norms?
we act like what the society expects us to be.
we walk like how we are supposed to be.
we talk like how we are supposed to be.
and when we come across someone who doesn't, we judge. we gossip. we stab them right at the face saying "you do not belong to us"
but have you ever thought of WHY we react that way? or so to say, why the society in general REACTED that greatly?
it is because the general mob of them feel that they are challenged.
or rather, they are jealous.
JEALOUS? you say?
yes. jealous. these people gossip about the people who dare to go against the norms because the non conformists are doing EXACTLY what the conformists do not dare to do.
conformists might think of going against the norms. but they never make a change and act in that sense.
non conformist on the other hand, act, walk, talk, the way they want without worrying a bit about the norms.

however, non conformist is very hard to come by.
once in a while, you would see a tinge of rebellion from the conformist.
yet peer pressure would tie them back down.
if only the rebellious conformist can hold on a little longer...
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when a non conformist becomes phenomenal, other conformists would start to move towards copying THE non conformist, so that they feel as if they are being rebellious towards the societal norms.
well, they are self-deceiving really.
even if you can imitate what THE non conformist do, you can never BE the non conformist.
and i'll tell you exactly wHY.
you never got deep and interested enough to grasp the essence of being a non conformist.

Go figure.
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TVC shooting done! xD

OH yeah! it's finally done! the video editing and the final cut is yet to be done however we were very satisfied with the result we get within that two days.

the people:

=Bev=



=Joshua (left) and Robin (right)=

and ME the one holding the camera.

here's a link to some of the behind the scenes shoots! xD
Gloria TVC Behind the Scenes
it's all on Joshua now. hehe looking forward to the final cut! :P *excited*

shooting tomorrow!

there will be a TVC shoot tomorrow and the following day from 12.30pm-5pm around KL~ yipee~ shall upload the photos after the shootings. xD
Gloria Gloria~ :P
coffee here we come.........