From the monthly archives:

January 2009

Write. Now.

by Mistina Picciano January 29, 2009 Writing

I hate shopping in department stores. My fashion is underdeveloped, at best, and all those choices send me into a panic. The same instinct to flee assails me when I sit down to write, particularly fiction. Confronted with every writer’s nemesis – the blank page – I don’t know where to start. I’m terrified that [...]

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Don’t Scare the Bamboo

by Mistina Picciano January 26, 2009 Editing

Each time I visit Taiwan, I fall more in love with my mother’s country. The island’s natural beauty, the food, the culture – all make me proud of my Taiwanese heritage. A friend who recently visited Taiwan described it as one of the world’s most under-rated travel destinations. He has a point. But Taiwan has [...]

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Never Ever Assume

by Mistina Picciano January 22, 2009 Business Development

Most acquaintances know that I’m a tea drinker. Some of my friends even call me a tea snob. Those in my inner circle describe me as, well, obsessed. (I’m currently at 26 teapots and counting, but that’s another story.) When my aunt suggested we visit a tea plantation, my heart did a little dance of [...]

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A Cold Splash of Reality

by Mistina Picciano January 20, 2009 Business Development

We arrived at my aunt’s house near Taichung shortly after midnight last Wednesday – roughly 28 hours after a car service picked up my mother and me in Midtown Manhattan. I slept very little on either of our two flights and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed. Mom pointed me to the bathroom [...]

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Small Steps

by Mistina Picciano January 15, 2009 Writing

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu Have you read David Allen’s Getting Things Done? This book is an amazing guide to doing more. I’ve even picked up the OmniFocus application for both my computer and my iPhone to help manage my to-do list. Too bad I’m not so [...]

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Brilliant Beginnings

by Mistina Picciano January 12, 2009 Editing

As I write this, it’s January 12 – or January 13, depending on your geography. (Since I’m presently flying over Alaska toward Japan, I feel caught between dates.) Regardless, we’re darn close to the start of the New Year. New resolutions, new beginnings. For Mom and me, it’s the start of our latest adventure: three [...]

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