Yesterday I got wonderful news that after all I will be able to attend the 20th anniversary conferences of SIOUG and HrOUG! I have such warm memories of my previous visits that I am more than excited now. This makes my October probably impossible but I will manage, I’m sure.

Oct 7th I will be speaking in Tallinn, Estonia in Oracle Innovation Day (https://eventreg.oracle.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKWebId=0x2716257259&source=EMEAPM15058233MPP004-EM:SE:IE1:-458959).

Oct 8-9 I will be teaching database design using Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler (http://www.arihovi.com/?kurssi=tietokannan-suunnittelu-data-modelerilla).

Oct 10th I will fly to Slovenia for the SIOUG Conference that will be held in Portoroz Oct 12-13 (http://www.sioug.si/index.php/menu-sioug-2015/vsebine-sioug-2015). Then to Croatia for the HrOUG which will be held in Rovinj in Oct 13-16 (http://2015.hroug.hr/). And in the evening of Oct 16th I will fly back home.

Oct 21st I will fly to San Francisco, USA for the ACE Director briefing at the Oracle HQ and for the Oracle OpenWorld (https://www.oracle.com/openworld/index.html) where I will give two presentations: one whole presentation and one 7 min presentation during the EOUC session “More Than Another 12 on Oracle Database 12c [UGF3190]” on Sunday. After that busy 8 days I will fly home late in the evening of the 29th and will arrive home late in the evening of the 30th.

So that’s about my October 🙂 It will be busy but extremely fun! I hope to see You in October in one of those events! And I will be speaking about Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler and database design in each of these events 🙂

— Heli

In the end of the year I usually make a summary of what has happened during the year and every year it seems to be more exciting that the previous year (which I though was fantastic!). But this year will be a super plus year and I do not know what to do to get next year better 😀

My book came out, I have been speaking in different continents in amazing events, I have learned a lot, I have met a lot of fantastic people,… and much more. BUT… I was elected as the Ambassador for EOUC (EMEA Oracle Users group Community) for the next two years (thank you!!!!) and now I have been nominated as one of the finalists for the Oracle Database Developer Choice Award in Database Design category! This is the first time this award will be given to anybody. I am extremely honored and I am so happy that Oracle is now showing the whole world that they appreciate us database designers! It has been too long that this work has been undervalued. Thank you Steven and the team!

Just like in any election every vote counts! So please, please vote for me: https://community.oracle.com/community/database/awards/db-design-voting .

Thank you for everything and I promise to keep up the work, not because I must but because I simply LOVE it!

— Heli

The traditional Nordic ACE Director Tour was last week in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden organized by local user groups and sponsored by OTN and the Oracle ACE Program. I was not travelling with the ACED team but I presented in my home country Finland and explained the new features of Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler:

I must say it was fun presenting in Finnish for a change! Thank you for inviting me and thank you for attending my session!

I have done other things locally too, even though I have not been in Finland much lately 🙂

This is an interview in a local IT magazine, TiVi, about my thoughts on user groups and especially OUGF. This interview came out last week.

To my opinion user groups are still needed and they are the best place to learn and to meet people who can help you to perform better in your job. So if you are not a member yet, please join today. If you do not know where to find the user group, I am happy to help! User groups are all about sharing information and helping each others!

— Heli

I am home after an amazing OTN Tour in Latin America. Thank you all the organizers and sponsors and especially thank you OTN and the Oracle ACE Program!

To me the tour was a great success: my room was almost everytime full and most of my audience did not know about Data Modeler beforehand. Since I know how important database designing is and how excellent tool Data Modeler is, I think it really was worth all the travelling to share that message 🙂 And I love speaking, seriously.

I was very lucky to have local friends taking the time and effort to show me a little of their country during my very short and tightly scheduled visit. In this post I will share some of those fabulous moments with you…

First Mexico.

After the busy conference day the user group took us for an amazing dinner. After the meal we were not served coffee but a small cup of hot chocolate! I like this country! This is the area where the restaurant is located:

The next day Rene and his lovely wife Veronica took us to see the pyramids. We saw some local dancing:

And of course the pyramids:

After all the walking and heat we were ready for lunch.

The lunch made us strong again and we were ready for a party…

We visited the local Venice which offers parties on boat for everybody…

And even the band joined us… Rene was the best singer, I can tell you!

After all that party we were ready to sleep but wanted to meet Edward and Dawn for dinner first (I know, we were eating all the time 🙂 ).

And then it was time to change the country to… Guatemala…

My first surprise was already at the airport where I was welcomed with beautiful roses. And at the hotel more presents were waiting for me.

Then lunch

A little bit of walking around and polishing slides…

And a wonderful (and huge 🙂 ) dinner with Deiby and his friends.

Early in the morning we were ready when Deiby came to pick us up from the hotel and the conference started. In the evening the user group took us for a dinner and for some golfing…

I am a Mentor to Deiby and I take my job very seriously…I mentor in different areas 🙂

And then for a quick visit to El Salvador…

This photo is for Frank Munz..

El Salvador was a really quick visit. A swim, dinner, conference, dinner and bye-bye. But as little as I had the chance to see this country I could say it is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen.

And the conference venue was just amazing. This is me during the lunch break.

And here’s some of the speakers in the room I spoke:

And all the speakers and organizers outside the beautiful venue:

And to…Panama.

Hot, humid (during my short visit in Panama I had extremely curly hair, all the time 🙂 ) ,…

And time to fly to Ecuador…

A total zero moment for me…

The 2,8 km altitude was not enough for us so we needed to visit the “little bread” mountain and say hi to Maria:

This is our happy group:

Then a conference and flights back home. It was raining in Miami, raining in London but the sun was shining when I got to Helsinki 😀

I was so exhausted I got home. It was an amazing tour but I could not have done anything more. Sorry, Colombia, I skipped you but I would have been too tired to that trip. Now a lot of rest and then it’s time to start planning my trip to the OOW…