Fanny Lawren

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama

2009-09-10T00:38:00.004-04:00

I really appreciate Obama's speech to students and have translated few quotes into Chinese to share with my princesses and Twitter friends. Original transcript is available at White House website.

強烈推薦奧巴馬昨日對全美學生的演說，英文原稿。以下翻譯幾行精句。

即使有最優秀的教師，最合作的家長，最上等的學校建設，如果你們作為學生的不盡本份，一切都顯得不重要。
你們每一個學生都有過人之處，你們的責任就是尋找它，教育可以幫助你發掘自己的專長。
不論你們想日後做甚麼，我保證你們會需要教育來做得好。
我們國家能否迎接將來的挑戰，就要看你們今日在學校所學的……如果你逃學，你負的不是你自己，是你的國家。
不要找借口不嘗試。
你的現況不能判定你的終點。在美國，你自己編寫自己的命運，你創造自己的未來。
為此，我要求你們每人為自己的學業建立個人的目標，然後設法達到理想。
不論你下定決心將來做甚麼，我希望你能堅守毅力，我希望你會全心全力的奮鬥。
成功是艱辛的。世上很多成功人士都是失敗得最多的人。就是因為不斷的失敗，所以成功。
不要讓失敗限制你，但要受它的教訓。如果的考試低分，那不代表你蠢，只代表你需要比別人花更多的時間温習。
沒有人一出世就了不起。運動員第一次打的球不會準，歌手第一次唱歌不會全首歌準音，但功多藝熟。
不要害怕發問或求助。發問不代表示弱，是顯示力量。求助代表你有勇氣承認自己所短，並學習之。
不要放棄自己。
要令我們為你而驕傲，我知道你會做得到。

I am on Twitter

2009-04-09T21:51:00.002-04:00

I love to blog, but I can't afford it. I am now on Twitter, hoping I could still blog once a while.

http://twitter.com/fannylawren

Made In U.S.A.

2008-07-23T23:13:00.002-04:00

A visiting friend asked what he should buy for souvenir. Well, there are so many souvenir stores. We should be able to get something right. So, we shopped around New York City -- from Chinatown to Harlem, from 99-cents gift shop to Fifth Avenue. We could not find one non-food product that symbolize U.S.A. and is made in U.S.A. -- GM or Ford vehicles don't count.

Thanks to globalization. We have dedicated areas on the Earth specialized in manufacturing and some other areas "focus on services". Is it really making sense?

Keep Changing Plans

2008-07-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

I like to plan ahead. Even going to a day trip, I would spend some time to do research to make sure I could spend the time there in the most efficient way. Depending on the nature of the plan, I always build in some alternatives for any uncertainties.

The reality is that nothing goes as the ideal plan. I have to keep changing plans to accommodate the environment. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to just go as the flow. But I can’t. It is not me. I have to know what to expect in order to work effectively. With such expectation, I get disappointment every now and then. It is when we have to change plan again.

To plan or not to plan? For me, it is not an option.

It Is a Matter of Priority And Determination

2008-07-01T23:04:00.002-04:00

When I left work today, my colleague said "Run. Go to your second job." She was referring to picking up the children from summer camp and nursery school. She knew I was late. What she did not know was that I was actually running to my first job.

Don’t get me wrong. I am very serious about my career and have been working damn hard at my full-time job. Nevertheless, nothing is comparable to my role as a mother. My three "bosses" are my first priority, my life. I am always there when they need me. If any of them is sick or have performance/competition, everything has to wait. I will reschedule meetings. I will finish work late at night. I will skip blogging.

People always ask how I could manage so many things. I believe it is a matter of priorities and determination. If you fill your bottle with stones first, it will have room for sand and water. Not the other way though.

Am I tired? Physically, sometimes. Mentally and spiritually, never better. My children are my source of happiness and motivation. They make me more passionate about life and more engaged in my work. They are my angels.

I would not be able to balance work and life without others’ help. I am thankful to have:

a understanding husband (Well, he actually does a lot more than just understanding.)
accommodating employers (Flexibility is the key.)
a great babysitter (I consider myself won a lotto to have her before my children goes to school.)
a supportive family (They live close and have been my back-up whenever I need.)

Thank you all!

Event Networking vs Children Events

2008-06-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

Since I have changed my career path recently (from agency/media to financial services), I have been actively seeking for any networking opportunities in the new industry. In the past few months, I have been to quite many business events. Though I met some interesting people and had some great conversations, I found it very hard to seriously connect with people after the events. Comparatively, networking at children events is so much easier to initiate and maintain.

Just two weeks ago, I was in a chess tournament with my daughters. While the children were having fun in the games, the parents were “stuck” in a small waiting area. Some of them brought books and laptops, most were bored. It was the best time to make friends. Parents were so happy to find other adults to talk to. Throughout the game, I bumped into a Councilmember, an agency president, an owner of a trading firm, and many more. There were no agenda. Dialogs usually began with common interest – the children and the game, then the jobs and everything else. And guess what? These parents would meet again very soon.

Indeed, the next day after the chess tournament, I met the Councilmember again in a different set up – a TV program premier. What a small world!

Last week, I took my daughters to a new ballet school for trial classes. To kill time, I introduced myself to several mothers, including a psychiatrist and a textile saleswoman. We talked about ballet, culture, travel, outsourcing, depression, and many more topics. Amazing!

I do not mean conversations at business events are less electrifying. They are just different. But one thing for sure – at least for me – is that I am more relaxed talking to parents than to business associates. So, while I am still trying to find way to stay connected with the people I meet at those business events, let me enjoy my chats with all those interesting parents.

Sharon Stone's Karma Remarks

2008-06-03T21:38:00.002-04:00

I wrote about Sharon Stone’s Karma Remarks on my other blog Asian Marketing. It was just a general summary of the event. I did add a note to marketers about being sensitive to their audience and damage control. I was shocked about the feedback I received. People wrote me back in both English and Chinese cursing the actress. So far, no one yelled at me. But I declined to publish most of feedbacks. From the strong language I received, I could really feel how upset Chinese are. I wouldn’t blame them. I understand.

It is just one word. It could revoke all the goodwill. It could turn a beloved angel to a bloody evil. So, mind your words. You may lose everything for just one word.

Teach Children the Power of Matching Fund

2008-05-28T22:32:00.000-04:00

Due to the natural disaster in Asia, my children’s school set up a Relief Fund and asked parents for donation. They did the same for Hurricane Katrina and the Southeast Asia Tsunami. But I want to make it different this time – I asked my children to donate.

I figure it is the right time. First, the disaster news was all around. My children had already seen the pictures as I mentioned in “Share with Children the Disaster News”. They had asked why people asked for donation, where would the money go, who could be benefited, what would the victim get, what do they need the most, why people should donate, what do they get, etc. With all the explanations I made, they should be ready for their first big monetary donation.

I also told my children the power of matching fund. I offered to match 100% of what they donate. To make the deal even sweeter, I showed them my company policy to match 100% of how much we donate. My 8-year-old girl thought it was so “cool” to make $1 become $4. She opened her wallet and counted the bills; so did my other daughter.

I think I just killed two or three birds with one stone.

Private Time with Each Child

2008-05-28T20:29:00.001-04:00

It is not easy to balance between work and family, not to mention when you have multiple children. Distributing the fair amount of attention to each is no less challenging than working on several projects with close deadlines. I have three little daughters. I always have to split myself up and give each of them few minutes at a time. They have to take turn to talk to Mommy, but the wait should not be long.

My youngest Princess had a photo shoot the other day. So, she could not join the other sisters to the Yankees Stadium for the baseball game. She complained it was unfair at the beginning. But as soon as she realized she could have Mommy the whole evening and night just for herself, she was overjoyed.

It was Friday 5:30pm when we finished the shooting, Princess HH wanted to do some shopping at the mall. So we did. I must say shopping with one kid is very relaxing. If you don’t agree, try shop with three young ones.

After we picked our gifts, we stopped by Chuck E Cheese’s to play some games. Within the 15 minutes we were there, Princess HH probably played more games than she had in an hour when her sisters were around taking turns.

The two of us had dinner in a restaurant picked by Princess HH and dishes ordered by the 3-year-old. We chatted about her friends, school, Sesame monsters, and of course the sisters. Oh, we had so much fun.

As for my other two Princesses, they were happy not to have a “baby” around. After all, they think watching game at the stadium is a big kid thing.

Lesson learned: I should separate my Princesses for different activities every now and then. I mean real activities, not just having one in piano class while another one in ballet. More importantly, I should give each of them some private time with Mommy. Such time is treasure to the kids AND me.

Managing Children and Leading Staff

2008-05-26T17:06:00.001-04:00

Though my Princesses are just two years apart from each other, their interests and capabilities are not quite close. Keeping them contented under the same roof could be challenging, but definitely doable. The more I look at it; I found it very similar to managing staff in the work environment.

Rule #1: Understand your staff, know what they like and what they do the best
LL (8-year-old) loves Harry Potter movies after she finished reading the whole series, but her sisters think they are scary. HH (3-year-old) prefers Sesame Street and Curious George. She particularly likes playing the games at pbskids.org and sesameworkshop.org. Our kindergartener YY (5.5-year-old) is busy learning and trying very hard to catch up with LL. She is the only one who wouldn’t mind to practice Chinese writing.

Rule #2: Assign projects that best fit their interest and capabilities
This is the reason we have three TVs and three computers at home. They are in separate locations and would not bother each other. No fighting. No tears.

Rule #3: Multitask
I would stop by each one to check their progress, answer questions and reassign tasks every 10-15 minutes. In between I have to do my work too – cooking, cleaning, you name it.

Rule #4: Give the opportunities to work together
How about drawing a giant picture with chalk in the backyard? Are you ready to make some jello? Let’s do it together.

Rule #5: Let them help each other and learn from each other
Sometimes I ask one read to the other, or one show the other shortcut to finish a task. Mom rewards those who help and those who learn from sisters patiently.

Rule #6: Some pain, some gain“Time is up. Piano time. You can come back to play the game after your finish practicing the new song.”

Rule #7: Give them limited options
Instead of asking what they want for lunch, ask if they want noodle or rice. Instead of asking whether they want any fruit (when you actually want them to have some anyway), ask if they prefer orange or mango.

Rule #8: Be fair – at least make them believe you are“LL took nap when she was at your age. You don’t need to nap after you turn six. It is fair. No question.”

Rule #9: Knows what to deal with conflicts“I told you: no one gets anything if you fight. The doll is now mine. I don’t care who started it. Someone should have come to me before the fight.”

Rule #10: Negotiate and build trust
Listen to what they want. If they want to go to McD to have the happy meal and toy, make a deal to go to noodle bar and then 99 cents store to get some stickers or such. Communicate with them that you are boss and all you want is their best. Lead them the way that they could and would trust you.

These are real management skills. Mothers should put these to the resumes.

Technology Empowers or Dehumanizes Relationships

2008-05-23T01:30:00.001-04:00

Dan C. and I had a discussion today on whether technology empowers or dehumanizes Relationships.

Look around on the train or bus. People are listening to iPods, reading their e-books, replying emails, watching videos, texting messages, playing games. Nobody talks any more, as if nobody needs to. There isn’t even eye contact. It is amazing – and scary – how people in such close proximity could be so disconnected.

Technology is supposed to be a tool to facilitate interaction, not to prevent it. But why people IM when they are sitting to each other? I personally think it is up to the people. From my personal experience, technology definitely empowers me to communicate with my network.

Before Facebook, I seldom talked to my college friends, almost never talked to my high schoolmates in Hong Kong. Now, not only we "talked", we are organizing reunion outside the cyber world. LinkedIn is my address book for most of my colleagues and business associates. It helps me to track if they change job or get promoted. I always send a note to them when that happens. My best friends (since childhood) are not in the US, but we never feel we are far from each other. It is all because of the advanced technology. Without it, I don't know how I work efficiently with freelancers around the world on some of my moonlight projects.

Dan argued that technology is an enabler but also a trap. Since it enables remote access to work, most of us work longer and practically standing by 24/7. People feel compelled to be plugged so as not to fall behind.

Is that technology's fault? Technology improves productivities. It makes remote working possible, but never asks anyone to work more hours. It is the people who choose to work more hours. It is the corporate culture, peer pressure, and close deadline that force people to “choose” to work harder.

But serious, it is your call – to control or to be controlled by technology.

Technology and the Generational Divide

2008-05-21T23:56:00.004-04:00

Just came back from a forum “Technology and the Generational Divide – Bridging the Gap” in NYC. Panelists include Joanne Martin, President of the IBM Academy; Mark Schnitzer, General Manager of MSN Money; and Eric Kamen, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley Information Technology. CBS Consumer Reporter Kirstin Cole was the moderator.

Some notes to share:

No doubt different generations have very different comfort levels on all kinds of technology. Bridging the gaps among staff of various generations is challenging. Companies should seek ways to take advantage of the dissimilarity and bond people together.

Social network is not just for marketing; at least companies should not see it that way. Incorporate it in the business strategy to engage customers, enhance services, and empower internal communication as well as collaboration.

Technology changes the culture and communication in every generation. It could change corporate culture too.

Thanks to technology. Many professionals practically work 24/7 now. It is convenient and also frustrating. It is our job to be selective, to enjoy work while being "entertained."

Parents should set good examples as to when to unplug. To save children from cyber crime, the only way is to educate, educate and educate.

The major obstacle for big corporations, especially financial service companies, to adopt new technology is the regulation restrictions. Panelists insist technology developers/providers are aware of the issue. They believe there has been some progress.

Technology usage behavior varies not just between generation, but also age, and gender. MSN research finds that women skew more on social network while men tend to use it as tool to perform tasks.

There has been a drop in women selecting technology at school in the past few years. It is not a good sign. Outside of the US, this has become a serious problem.

I also learned something else from few new friends. Special thank you to Women’s Bond Club for organizing the event.

Share With Children the Disaster News

2008-05-19T23:18:00.002-04:00

Experts suggest parents to limit young children exposure to the news, especially TV as it tends to report only the most dramatic events. What if the news pictures are all around? What if they ask questions about it?

When the two planes crashed into WTC in 2001, my eldest daughter was in the nursery school 5 minutes walk away from the scene. I ran from midtown where I worked to pick her up. Luckily, the teachers were still there to ensure the safety of the children. We walked over Manhattan Bridge with hundreds of anxious New Yorkers. I was no less scared than any of them. My one-year-old, however, was so tired that she fell into asleep in my arm.

We managed to get back home in Brooklyn hours later. Everything was normal in the neighborhood. I did not turn on TV, radio or any media. I tried to stay calm (pretend to be calm). My daughter did not know anything about 911. To her, it was just like any other day.

When Tsunami hit the Southeast Asia in 2005, I hid the news from my three daughters (5-, 3- and half-year-olds). It was not difficult. But I could not do the same when Hurricane Katrina stuck New Orleans later the year. The news was all over the school. Teachers explained what hurricane was in the class. I could not stop them.

Just this month, we had two major natural disasters – cyclone in Myanmar and earthquake in China. This time, I have nowhere to hide my kids from the news. They heard about it from school. When we were in Chinatown, the sad pictures are on front covers of all Chinese newspapers. Since newspapers were displayed and sold in every block of the town, one could not avoid seeing them. Several community organizations set up booths on the streets (almost every other block) asking for donation to the relief fund. Even the school sent out notice asking for donation.

So, I took another path. I proactively showed my children the disaster pictures on the Internet and explained to them what happened. They were sad, but did not cry. My main messages to them were:

Be thankful for what you have. Some other kids could not even have water.
Help when you can. The money you give up for a bubble tea (their favorite Asian drink) is enough to feed a family over there a healthy meal.
Sad things happen. Be strong if it happens to you.

We mourned for few minutes. As soon as I offered ice-cream, smiley faces came back. My children were happy again.

... It is me who cannot put away the sad images, cannot stop thinking about what-if. Maybe it is better to take the news when you are young, when it is easier to be distracted and effortless to stay positive.

Feng Shui

2008-05-13T21:38:00.000-04:00

Feng Shui is no longer limited to Chinese. Many American are interested in it. Google just gave me 24.8 million "Feng Shui" search results as I am typing this, not too far away from Chinese equivalent "風水" which shows 37.6 million results. There are many English books about the topic too. I just found 8,000+ from Amazon.

Last weekend, I spotted some Chinese Feng Shui books in the Central Library. I immediately borrowed two. After all, it is better to study Chinese culture in Chinese. The books were written by two renowned Feng Shui masters. Though the content covers only the basic – more like Feng Shui 101 for dummies, there are conflicts between the two. So, who should I believe?

For sure, I should believe in myself. Whichever way makes me feel more comfortable will be where I would head to. Follow the heart. Feng Shui is for reference only.

What I Want For My Mother’s Day

2008-05-12T22:33:00.001-04:00

My Princesses complained that they did not enjoy the Mother’s Day dinner with the extended family because I spent too much time talking to the adults.

My sweet hearts, I don’t have that much chance to have dinner with my parents and brothers. Please let me play my role as a daughter and a sister; allow me talk like an adult with other adults. I would be 100% yours right after. That’s another my mother’s gift I like to have.

Of course, I also love the cards you drew, the pictures you painted, the plants you bought, the tissue flower you made and the one-hour afternoon nap you granted me… I just wanted a little more. It was my day. Thank you!

Internet Is Back

2008-05-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

Finally, I have the Internet back at home. The disconnection was a nightmare… that I surprisingly enjoyed. I read a lot during the last few weeks – 12 Chinese and 2 English books. Now, time to go back to write.

There Are Garbage Cans All Around

2008-04-24T22:31:00.002-04:00

I couldn't help. When I saw this guy threw a water bottle on the train track, I shouted, "That's the train track. Garbage can is on the other side." He turned around trying to find who was yelling at him. He had no clue, and was so embarrassed when he realized everyone on the platform was looking at him. As soon as he turned his back on me, I shouted again, "Trash on track will catch fire when the train run on it." Now, everybody looked at me shockingly. What? They didn't know that. I didn't mind their puzzled look. I kept starring at the guy. He was seeking for a hole to hide himself. Luckily, a train came and he jumped in.

There was another time another guy "accidentally" dropped his empty pizza box on the platform. I picked it up and asked him, "Do you need my help to garbage it?" He was stunned and speechless. I walked 15 feet to the nearest trashcan, put the box in and walked back to the guy. "The garbage can is right there. You probably did not see it." The guy in his power suit thanked me. He was extremely embarrassed in front of his friends.

I was in the playground the other day, two boys took turn spitting on the floor. I starred at them silently. They stopped, looked at each other, and apologized to me.

I could go on and on. You may say I am ridiculous; I think those embarrassed were. I am not a cop or a teacher. I know I could not change the world. But I can't help. I live in the same world as these guys. I have the right to tell them they are damaging it. Don't I?

Don't Burn The Bridges

2008-04-23T22:18:00.001-04:00

I was in a seminar on networking today. One of the speakers reminded the attendees not to burn any budges. You never know who is going to be your boss or client. Even if you are absolutely sure that someone will never be in any important position, she could become an assistant to your client, or worse, his wife.

Indeed it is a small world and you never know. Today I’ve just found out one of my colleagues and I actually bumped into each other more than 10 years ago and had many manual friends. I had an old client came to me soliciting business after he worked in media. I also had countless colleagues become clients, competitors and vendors.

Seriously, don't burn any bridges.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Taking Breaks

2008-04-21T23:21:00.002-04:00

Due to some technical problem, I had no internet access at home for more than a week. When I told people about that, most said, "How could you survive?" Oh well, I am still alive in one piece. No doubts it was not convenient. But hey, it was a good excuse for me to stop writing but reading. To me, it was like a vacation.

People need breaks to recharge themselves. It is the best and perhaps the only way to stay creative and productive. In one of my favorite books "The Power of Full Engagement", Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz stated that full engagement requires periodic strategic recovery. They explained the energy that serves full engagement is renewed and stored during periods of strategic recovery (disengagement). Such oscillation cycle helps us to raise our bars.

The same concept applies in sport. Loehr and Schwartz wrote "Interval training is a means by which to build more energy capacity and to tolerate more stress, but also to teach the body to recover more efficiently." Top athletics have interval training. So should we. Don't feel guilty about taking breaks, but be proud of taking the step to engage yourself.

My Princess Made Herself Pregnant

2008-04-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

My youngest Princess has been asking about having a baby almost since she could talk. I thought it was natural – the youngest wants to have someone younger to take care of. Recently, I realized she actually wanted a baby herself. She wanted to be a mom. She was so desperate that she made herself pregnant.

Every night in the past two months, my three-year-old Princess put soft dolls and stuff animals under her pajama. When she woke up, she gently take the babies out, put them under blanket and lectured them, "Mom is now going to work. You must be good staying at home."

Little Princess had a tough belly. Sometimes she had single babies, but most of the time she had twins or triplets. She was hiding her pregnancy from her sisters all this time. She probably thought other Princesses would laugh at her. It is a secret between her and Mom.

Is it cute, sweet and innocent? But for whatever reasons – maybe I "mentioned" too much about the hardship of being a mom from time to time – little Princess stop having babies at night last week.

I don't know if she would resume pregnancy any time soon. But I though I should write the story down and put it in my treasure box.

I'm The CEO

2008-04-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

I attended a seminar about reenergizing oneself today. The presenter reminds people that they are the CEO of their careers. If I add to that, I would say, we are the CEO of our lives.

No more blaming opportunities never knock, others not supportive, media not on their side, market not going up… You are totally responsible for who you are and where you are. Ok, there may be some tragic situations that make some exceptions. But that's rare. In general, you are the CEO and there should not be any excuse. Wake up, plan and act. Don't just wait, think and complain.

There are three Es that would help: Education, Exposure and Experience. Get the training needed, network with people within and outside the company, learn from experiencing various projects. Meanwhile, don't forget to set the goals, evaluate and redefine. Make sure you have the right attitude.

I know where I want to go. I have pretty good idea how to get there. I am working damn hard to prepare myself on the way. I have a strong desire to achieve more. I hope my Princesses would do the same. Hope I could be their good role model. Raising my Princesses is my most important business; I could afford to fail everything else but this.

April Fool

2008-04-01T19:09:00.002-04:00

Today is supposed to be a day people could joke around. But I guess Leslie Cheung's death changed it five years ago -- at least for those in my generation. Miss you and your music, GeGe.

Quote of the day in my company's intranet today is "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." It is a Chinese proverb that tells people it is ok to be tricked; just make sure you learn the lesson and don't make the same mistake. I need to share this line at dinner with my Princesses today.

My Asian Marketing post is ranked #2 at Google Blogsearch

2008-03-31T20:56:00.001-04:00

"Asian Marketing" is a very competitive search term. Not only that hundreds of advertising agencies and consulting firms in the U.S. try to get high ranking on the term, thousands of others in Asia want the same.

I started my "Asian Marketing" blog http://asianmarketing.blogspot.com/ when I was taking the marketing buzz class at NYU back in 2006. I was working for an ad agency where there was no blogging policy. I had to be very careful as to what I could say and not, yet still show my professionalism. It wasn't easy, so I stopped the blog a few months later.

I resumed the "Asian Marketing" blog on March 20th. I am surprised I got the second place on Google Blogsearch http://blogsearch.google.com/ so soon (less than 2 weeks). I am thrilled! Seriously, it is very encouraging. I will keep working on it. Hopefully, the blog will show up on the first page of the regular search… one day.

This blog you are reading is already on page one if you search "fanny lawren". Well, no one competes with me for my name, I guess. My other Chinese blogs will have longer way to go because I found ranking in Chinese is even tougher. Wish me luck!

The Beauty of the Garden

2008-03-30T19:23:00.001-04:00

It is Sunday, but my Princesses woke up at 6am. They sure did not want to give Mom a break. After practicing piano and Chinese the whole morning, I figured we should get out of the house.

We first headed to Children Brooklyn Museum but found out it was still closed for final renovation. The sign – so as its web – said it would reopen in spring. Isn't it spring now?

We made a U-turn and went to the Botanical Garden. The weather was so nice. It made the green even greener. I couldn't help lying on the grass. It was so comfortable. The Princesses loved the fish the most. They tried to count and told me there were a thousand of them. Ha!

We picked up some pinecones and colored them at home. It was a fun project. It made me feel like … just for some moments … we lived in the wild countryside. How luxurious – for city worms like us!

Muscle Relaxant Turned Me Into A Sleeping Beauty

2008-03-29T09:51:00.002-04:00

My lower back hurt so much that I went to see the doctor on Thursday. She said I should take some muscle relaxant. The pills are designed for giant American football player. Petite size like me should take half of the pill each time. The doctor warned me that even for half of the dose, I would still need to prepare to sleep for 10 hours.

Of course I could not spare 10 hours for sleep. I made it 8, and was totally disoriented the next morning. Gee, I must admit I am so much smaller than the average American.

At least the pills work. My back doesn't hurt any more. Doctor recommended me to call up the physiatrist for follow up therapy to prevent recurrence. I know I should listen. Let's see if I could find time.