05 November 2008

I never thought this day would come...


Yes, I never thought that this day would come --- the fact that an African American could be voted the president of the United States.

I used to spend some time in the US some years back and it really opened my eyes, having seen racial discrimination against the blacks personally. Many Singaporeans, or many people around the world, still see the US through their Hollywood lenses, courtesy of their telly. But the United States, in reality, is a really different place. And while this topic is not often touched upon, racism is well and alive in the US.

I was in Boston, MA, in May this year for a course. I spent some time chatting with them on the presidential election and we spoke about Obama and McCain.

"You know what?" I began, "My friends in Singapore and I think that Obama would make a really good president, but we really fear for his life."

"Oh! We all expect that he will be martyred," replied an African American lady course mate.

But what surprised me most was the nonchalance in which she replied.

Having started the conversation on politics, more people started joining in the conversation. Very soon, we were a mixture of whites, blacks and yellow --- yes, yellow would be me.

Interestingly, all in the group were democrats and they agreed in unison that Obama's life would be in dire danger if he becomes President.

"Then why does he still want to pursue this?" I thought aloud.

"It's because he just wants to and he has to," came the swift reply from the same black lady.

And that just sums it all up.

"...because he has to".

That to me is profound.

I would have wanted to spend some time explaining about America's past, but I believe one can easily check it on wikipedia.

The fact that Americans can cast off the shadow of their undignified past and forge ahead to embrace such a dramatic change speaks volumes of a country where only the American dream can be achieved.

President Obama's victory speech was just aired on the TV, and like many in the audience, I have to admit that I was spellbound by his speech. It is extremely rare that you can find someone who speaks with such conviction, ease and authority.

And so to President Obama, you have a tough job on your hands, a very tough job. I trust your ability to make wise decisions that will affect the whole world. But I pray that the good Lord will sustain your life throughout your presidential terms, as He only can.

21 September 2008

Nostalgia and musings

It's kind of strange when you go onto a social networking site like Facebook and you join 'meet' people who share similar experiences with you during the particular time in our lives. Let me give you an example.

I stumbled upon my primary school alumni page (no kidding). Well, it is a relatively popular school in Singapore, but what really got me chuckling was the sight of some class photos that we used to take way back in those days. Yes, way back in those days, we took photos of all classes in front of the same statue with the same poses (by the same photographer, that I am certain of). My goodness! And to read the threads posted by different people, I sure remember some of those names they quoted! Actually, I can say that I am a notch up from most of them --- I actually went back to school about a year back! Some teachers were still there. But of course, most of them have left, retired or moved on to somewhere beyond the blue.

Not many of you know this but there was a time in my life when I actually went back to secondary school but this time, not as a student but a relief teacher. There I was, sitting in the teachers' common room where not too long ago, I had to knock and ask for permission to enter. This time, I actually GAVE permission to students to enter! Sitting there at my desk, I remember looking around me. My former teachers were now my colleagues. And as I was sitting there, along came a teacher who had previously taught me. With a twinkle in her eye, she started sharing some gossip with me about some students and teachers. As she walked away with a chuckle, I remember being a little stunned that the person I previously had to revere and 'respect' was now a peer who was showing her human side unabashedly to a former student. But I guess that just meant that she was treating me as a peer and not anything else. When did this shift in her mindset take place?

My dad has this mantra he reminds himself "Be careful who you offend on the way up, you might have to meet them on your way down".

Right, so I have gone a little off tangent here. But back to my point about sharing similar experiences with strangers during that time of our lives. Can't help being nostalgic here, can I?

I am a big fan of history. Not just the topic and the study of it, but of how we can all learn from our past to bring ourselves into the future. I was just telling The Wife about how I value charting my life regularly and asking myself tough questions about where I am now and where would I like to see myself in the future. I've learnt more about myself in these past 2 years than I ever did in my life. This only means that I am well positioned for things to come in the future. What things might these be? Only the good Lord knows. But this thing I do know:


"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all." Eccl 9:11


Right time, right place...

01 September 2008

Back from my Europe trip

Coming back on the flight from Frankfurt, I could not help but recall that this would have been the 2nd long haul trip I have made this year. Sure, I know of many who are flying all over the world for work. But for me, I must say it is pretty big, especially since it is largely on my expense.

I had just spent 2 weeks --- 1 in Berlin, Germany; and the other in Helsinki, Finland.

The Germany trip was more for a business survey and the time in Helsinki was for my MBA program's International Week.

Going into the trip, I was not exactly looking forward to it.

Why?

Well, I have heard so much about these 2 countries and the work culture (read as rigid and seldom out of the box). For a person like myself who thrives on creative ideas and insights, I thought that I would just try my best to 'live through' this experience.

I was wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Let me tell you why:


1) We are all human

Though our cultures may be really different, but we all work on basic human emotions regardless of our race and cultures. My classmates hailed from Finland, Russia, Korea, China, Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand and Singapore. Our lecturers were from the USA, South Africa, France and Finland. And though our food preferences were one of the most obvious distinctions, inside us, we all work the same way --- we are nice to those who are nice to us; we ignore those who are arrogant and brash; we laugh when we are happy; we cry when our emotions overflow it's threshold.

Yes, we are all the same.


2) As humans we can be really cruel

I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a former WWII German concentration camp and I was not about to miss it. I rented a bicycle, brought it onto the S-Bahn regional train service and took a ride to the town of Oranienburg. From that town, I rode my bicycle to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

It was surreal to say the least. The sky was overcast and threatened to rain as I made my way to the camp. As if upon cue, the sky shed her tears as I entered the gates of the camp, where once upon a time, many prisoners trod this same path towards days and months of living hell, often ending in their untimely death.

I took tonnes of pictures of the camp. The images of the cruelty was enough to turn my stomach. However, what struck me was the cold weather. Here I was towards the tail end of summer and it was chilly. I cannot fathom how it was like during the winter months.

In 1971, Stanford University conducted the Stanford Prison experiment that saw volunteers from all walks of life, taking up the challenge to be prison wardens or prisoners in a simulated prison in the basement of the university. The results showed that even ordinary citizens, when given unlimited power, can abuse it to a level of cruelty no one expects them to achieve.

Likewise, the Nazis specially chose soldiers who were regular citizens in their early 20s to carry out their campaign of 'Final Solution'.


3) Self Discovery

This trip confirmed what I knew about myself; and what I did not know about myself. I really think that it is one of the most important things in life to discover yourself, and often, you need the help of others to tell you the whole truth.

During the course of the program in Finland, we carried out exercises and simulations that unveiled our strengths and weaknesses. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the outcomes, which set me thinking about positioning my competitive edge in this world (to my christian friends out there, no, I have not turned into a humanist. It actually is rather Biblical...wanna know how? Talk to me) and how I have the potential and ability to play on the world stage.

What was even more interesting was to see other friends discover themselves during the course of this week. It manifested in many ways. Mostly, it was unpleasant but it was the whole truth, and I believe that if they continue to take it the right way, they will go far.


Enough of my rambling. But if there is one more thing I want to add --- the food on Lufthansa is HORRIBLE!

29 July 2008

Obama -- Saviour of the World?

I love this article about Obama from Gerard Butler of The Times of London. Fantastic! (It helps if you have some knowledge of the Bible and world politics)


He ventured forth to bring light to the world

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”


In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

He travelled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media. He ventured first to the land of the Hindu Kush, where the

Taleban had harboured the viper of al-Qaeda in their bosom, raining terror on all the world.

And the Child spake and the tribes of Nato immediately loosed the Caveats that had previously bound them. And in the great battle that ensued the forces of the light were triumphant. For as long as the Child stood with his arms raised aloft, the enemy suffered great blows and the threat of terror was no more.

From there he went forth to Mesopotamia where he was received by the great ruler al-Maliki, and al-Maliki spake unto him and blessed his Sixteen Month Troop Withdrawal Plan even as the imperial warrior Petraeus tried to destroy it.

And lo, in Mesopotamia, a miracle occurred. Even though the Great Surge of Armour that the evil Bush had ordered had been a terrible mistake, a waste of vital military resources and doomed to end in disaster, the Child's very presence suddenly brought forth a great victory for the forces of the light.

And the Persians, who saw all this and were greatly fearful, longed to speak with the Child and saw that the Child was the bringer of peace. At the mention of his name they quickly laid aside their intrigues and beat their uranium swords into civil nuclear energy ploughshares.

From there the Child went up to the city of Jerusalem, and entered through the gate seated on an ass. The crowds of network anchors who had followed him from afar cheered “Hosanna” and waved great palm fronds and strewed them at his feet.

In Jerusalem and in surrounding Palestine, the Child spake to the Hebrews and the Arabs, as the Scripture had foretold. And in an instant, the lion lay down with the lamb, and the Israelites and Ishmaelites ended their long enmity and lived for ever after in peace.

As word spread throughout the land about the Child's wondrous works, peoples from all over flocked to hear him; Hittites and Abbasids; Obamacons and McCainiacs; Cameroonians and Blairites.

And they told of strange and wondrous things that greeted the news of the Child's journey. Around the world, global temperatures began to decline, and the ocean levels fell and the great warming was over.

The Great Prophet Algore of Nobel and Oscar, who many had believed was the anointed one, smiled and told his followers that the Child was the one generations had been waiting for.

And there were other wonderful signs. In the city of the Street at the Wall, spreads on interbank interest rates dropped like manna from Heaven and rates on credit default swaps fell to the ground as dead birds from the almond tree, and the people who had lived in foreclosure were able to borrow again.

Black gold gushed from the ground at prices well below $140 per barrel. In hospitals across the land the sick were cured even though they were uninsured. And all because the Child had pronounced it.

And this is the testimony of one who speaks the truth and bears witness to the truth so that you might believe. And he knows it is the truth for he saw it all on CNN and the BBC and in the pages of The New York Times.

Then the Child ventured forth from Israel and Palestine and stepped onto the shores of the Old Continent. In the land of Queen Angela of Merkel, vast multitudes gathered to hear his voice, and he preached to them at length.

But when he had finished speaking his disciples told him the crowd was hungry, for they had had nothing to eat all the hours they had waited for him.

And so the Child told his disciples to fetch some food but all they had was five loaves and a couple of frankfurters. So he took the bread and the frankfurters and blessed them and told his disciples to feed the multitudes. And when all had eaten their fill, the scraps filled twelve baskets.

Thence he travelled west to Mount Sarkozy. Even the beauteous Princess Carla of the tribe of the Bruni was struck by awe and she was great in love with the Child, but he was tempted not.

On the Seventh Day he walked across the Channel of the Angles to the ancient land of the hooligans. There he was welcomed with open arms by the once great prophet Blair and his successor, Gordon the Leper, and his successor, David the Golden One.

And suddenly, with the men appeared the archangel Gabriel and the whole host of the heavenly choir, ranks of cherubim and seraphim, all praising God and singing: “Yes, We Can.”

25 July 2008

That's why I love Republic Poly.....

Well, time to show my loyalty to the school that I teach in (over here, we call it 'facilitating').

I was walking past a class room today when I came across this really interesting and creative piece of 'graffiti'.

Each class has a couple of floor to ceiling glass panels to allow people to either look into the class or out of the class. On one class that I passed, the class used markers to draw on the glass panel. I suggest you zoom into the photo to have a clearer read of the words.



I smiled appreciatively as I took a photo of this. My time at JC, I never saw such creativity. But then again, I could be biased. Anyway, this was 'graffiti' created in good humour and extremely creative! I wonder whether it was part of their project work.

It brings to mind of the good humoured pranks played by American college kids in the US. I've heard of how a whole dorm of students pretended that it was the start to a brand new day in order to trick their friend who was in deep sleep at 12am (it was his b'day). When he awoke, he went to the toilet, thinking it was time to prepare himself for the day, his dorm mates all went back 'to sleep' and turned off the lights.

Of course, who can forget the pranks (hack) that MIT students pull off on their Great Dome, which is a dome to a building on campus. When one of the Stars Wars movies was released, students spent all night 're-decorating' the dome as R2D2 (i believe). Of course, there were instructions to school officials on how to dismantle the mess they created!



Long live harmless creativity!

23 July 2008

Do you fail to notice the beam in your eye?

**Warning. Pictures below are explicit and could be disturbing**

When I first read the headlines to this piece of news, my first reaction of shock lasted for all of 5 seconds. The next 5 minutes was that of sadness...a deep sadness that made me wonder if all humans are capable of such inhumane behaviour.

The place is at a beach in Torregaveta, just north of Nap­les, Italy. Sunbathers and swimmers were enjoying a summer's day at the beach. 4 young girls who were gypsies (known to locals as Roma), walked the length of the beach to beg and sell trinkets to the tourists and sunbathers.

In many parts of Europe, gypsies are looked down upon as uncultured people who are a nuisance to the public. And you thought that only India had the caste system. In Italy, there is a deep hatred for the Roma as they have been associated with crime and begging. Many of these Roma are not Italian natives, but have come from Eastern Europe, seeking a better life.

Being children, these girls were drawn towards the ocean and started playing in it. However, 2 of the girls found themselves in trouble. These 2 girls went on to drown in the choppy waters. They were related to each other but were not sisters. They were aged 11 and 12. What was to come was worse.

As onlookers rushed in to save them in vain, they laid out their bodies on the beach and covered them with beach towels. And then the activities on the beach went back to normal. People continued sunbathing near the corpses. Others played soccer nearby. Families went on to have their lunches, all within metres from the 2 dead girls.

'It was surreal,' as quoted by one of the witnesses.

Our natural reaction is to condemn those holiday makers. But ponder a little longer, and you realise that it does not take much for us to be guilty of similar acts.

Ever walked in the subway stations in New York City? At some of the bigger stations, beggars line the walkways as they call out to you for alms. After a while, you become so numbed after seeing them day in and day out, that once when a beggar fell to his knees to beg in front of me, I deftly side stepped and continued walking.

Now, I am quite a kind soul. But that incident disturbed me for some time, even after 8 years.

How could I have been so immune to human suffering so quickly?

Hop over to some countries in South East Asia and you see kids begging in the streets. They come knocking at your car window, urging you to hand them some monetary gifts. Some women have resorted to borrowing babies from other mothers, to use them to paint a sadder picture to the passer-by. Locals advise us not to wind down the window to give any money to any of them, lest we end up having a whole street full of beggars barricading the car and the road.

Honestly, if I were one of the beggars, I would do the same! Anything to put food into my stomach.

I do not see myself giving money to all the beggars on the street. It might not be the wisest move. But my point is this --- does it affect you that people are begging, and that there are others more worse off than you?

Of course, the gypsy girls' death is causing an uproar in Italy, especially among the Roman Catholic Church and the politicians.

But then again, are we all fighting for justice or are we just hypocrites?





14 July 2008

Good Press Release writer; Budding Videographer & Photographer needed

I am looking for anyone who is interested in helping me out in my MBA marketing project and for my father in law.

My MBA project
============
I am looking for someone who is trying to build up their portfolio or will work for a free lunch (decent one of course) on a mini campaign for our project.

Video shoot - Scene of a man throwing stuff out of a HDB flat window. Only need 15 sec footage. Will be

Photo shoot - For 2 print ads. Simple shots of everyday HDB heartland scenes.


For both shoots, I will be on hand to give direction. You will have rights to use your final works for your lifetime! And I need help fast! Like to complete by this week!

The benefit for you?

Your work will be shown to Bernd Schmitt, world renown marketing professor from Columbia University, who sits on the marketing board for Samsung and Volkswagen. If he likes it, you just might make it to the world stage. Rest assured I will put in a good word for you.


Press Release writing
=================
I am trying to help find my father-in-law someone who can help write a short press release about his work in the US. This release is targeted at Business Times in Singapore.

The benefit?

My heartfelt gratitude and a very decent lunch =)


Anyone out there who can help?

07 July 2008

My pedicure and other wacky stuff MBA students do for their class

Well, I guess this marketing guru has certainly lived up to his name.

Our MBA class was taught by renown marketing professor Bernd Schmitt from the Columbia Business School.


I, being passionate about marketing, was looking forward to this class and he certainly brought across his message of creative living.


After lecturing for a good 2 days, as we were drawing near the end of the 2nd day, he posed us this challenge of beginning to live our lives creatively. To do that, we must first take that leap of faith and do something we have never done before. In that way, we will be able to see things from a totally different perspective, instead of assuming that we actually know.


We were given 1 hour to roam Marina Square Mall and do something we have never done before.

Now, my class is filled with rather accomplished individuals of various nationalities who are middle to senior managers in MNCs. However, this was a time that we had to overcome our fears, challenge ourselves and do something different.

You see, if you have never done something before, it is probably because you have either:

a) no interest in it

b) never had the time to do it
c) never thought about it
d) afraid of it
e) detest it
f) it's illegal


You can imagine the level of fear and excitement some of us had. Let me relate what some of my classmates actually did...some rather interesting stuff:



The Yogi
This red head is a vivacious lady who holds the post of regional head in a certain MNC. She decided to sit cross legged in the middle of the shopping mall holding a deeply spiritual post. Some thought that she was part of a guerilla marketing promotion for Coach bags.


The Masked Ones
2 lovely ladies, one of which is a Financial Controller and the other a Manager, decided to buy beauty masks, put them on and leave them on their faces while shopping around Marina Square.


The Officer
He was dared to do a manicure. Now, he holds an officer position in the military and is very 'Man'. And so, this was truly a time when he was going beyond his comfort zone. With a red face and very stiff hands, he put them on the hand pillow and made a silent prayer that men under his command would not happen to chance by this rather interesting scene.


Myself
I've done quite outrageous stuff in the past, but what I really wanted to try was to have a pedicure. And so I did! And now, I'm a believer. I mean, it actually makes sense for everyone to have a pedicure! The toe nails do not 'bite' into your flesh; the dead skin is removed nicely; no more cuticles....someone sign me up for a package!


Of course, some others decided to get a head massage for the first time in their lives. Others included buying a Lego toy for themselves due to a very deprived childhood (joking yah, Mr R). There was this brave lad who strode into Chalone to buy a $300 lingerie set for his wife. There was also this guy who decided to go pierce his ear. And of course, who could forget our 3 Indian friends who thought that it would be so cool to stroll into a liquor shop to sample some booze and then come back to class.

Their rationale --- they have never come to class after having drunk alcohol before.

29 June 2008

Being the teacher



I guess some of you do not know this, but I am actually teaching at Republic Polytechnic on a part time basis.

It's kinda interesting to observe the reactions from different people when I tell them this piece of news. It ranges from the following:


The go-getter: "Hah? Why? So wasted? Why you want to do that?"

The clueless one: "Teach what ah? Can teach meh? I thought you selling chocolates last time?"

The open minded one: "Yah! Good for you! Educate bright young minds!"

The teacher: " Are you out of your ******** mind??"


Well, you see, in Singapore, being a teacher in the primary and secondary school system, it can be kind of traumatic.

You wake up at 5.30am to get to school by 7.30am. Your day starts at 8am and runs all the way into the early afternoon. There after, you will have to take charge of a certain interest group called CCAs (Co-Curricular Activities). Depending on which group you take, you might have to stay in school up to 8pm three days a week. During the school holidays, you have to conduct enrichment classes for your kids. You will also have to come back to school for staff trainings.

I think you get the idea.

As such, many of my friends who are in teaching, end up rather jaded. They start off with much enthusiasm and end up disappointed in the whole system.

I don't blame them one bit.

Because Singapore's government operates like a business, this mindset flows down all the way through it's ranks, ministerial agencies and statuatory boards -- including the Ministry of Education. And so, teachers have to meet KPI's (Key performance indicators). For those of you in the corporate world, this is a common term you have to get used to. 'Make sure you achieve your deliverables'.

Same thing.

But in a school setting?

Teachers are ranked according to the number of students who get good grades, pass or fail. Now, if you were a financial sales person, and you were ranked according to your performance, what will you do to survive? Push hard to sell products...right?

If you were a teacher...what would you do? That's right...push your students REALLY hard! All this under the guise of 'it's for your future'; or 'you want to be a failure in life?'; or 'don't disappoint your parents'.

Taking the moral high road always works in the teacher's favour.....especially for their career.

Having taught in different countries and situations over the years, I have concluded that it is really tough to treat your student as your product. It all boils down to motivation. But how can one find time to motivate 40 students in the class? On top of that, you have to mark their papers, create lesson plans, oversee your CCA, handle ad hoc school projects, and demanding parents?

If you asked me, the system should focus on teaching teachers how to deliver to the kids using the soft skills side of things. But then again, detractors have said that this system has worked for years, so why rock the boat? Also, some may say that the soft skills are for wimps. Not effective and not efficient.

Perhaps...perhaps....

And that is where I come in. Some of these kids have been so scarred in their school system, they have given up hope for their future when they get to tertiary level education. And that's what I like to do best --- manage and motivate talent to the best of their potential. And I know of like minded teachers (facilitators --- that's what we are called at RP) who are doing a good job in this department.

Why part time? Well, I am not looking forward to a full time position in this area for various practical reasons, one of which is my MBA studies. But additionally, I might branch into some other things.

What other things?

Look me up for a coffee and I may let you in on my plans =)


08 June 2008

What a mess

I had previously written about the price of oil crossing the US$100 per barrel mark.

Just yesterday, the price crossed the US$134 mark, fueled by Israel's comments on the need to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities (read this as 'in order to secure Iran's oil fields to make available to the world at large')

I was speaking to a friend not too long ago. He is well connected and was at a talk given by a global bank, on the effects of the rising price of crude oil on the rest of the world. Their prognosis was not good.

As the price of oil rises, governments will have to take certain unpopular measures for the greater good of the country. These measures, though unpopular in the short run, will be effective in the long run. However, people's emotions will run high. The poor will protest against such measures. Ruling parties will be ousted, giving way to parties who take advantage of emotions rather than good sense.

Eventually, some countries will use the excuse of energy sustainability to carry out invasions against others.

What a mess.

Is there any way to solve this? A conference in Japan 2 days ago sought to address this . However, I have a feeling it is too little too late.

Just look at Malaysia. The government suddenly announce increases at the petrol pumps of 41% overnight! Imagine the uproar and the political instability that is taking place there now?

To those who think that I am over reacting, just look at Indonesia's 2 former presidents. They were overthrown as a result of rising oil prices in the past.

History is waiting to repeat itself.

27 March 2008

Of Watches and Misers (that's me there)




Ok, so I decided to take the plunge...finally.

I turned the car out of the Bendemeer Hawker Centre into the straight that would take me to Mustafa Centre. Earlier on, I had gone for Tui Na (chinese massage...the painful kind) with Mr D. We were chatting over some salty Laksa and Teh-Si (black tea with evaporated milk), looking at the mess of a weather out there.

A little earlier than that, last night to be precise, I had paid Mustafa Centre a visit with my in-laws to buy some Indian spices for them to take back on their long trip to the US. If you have been to Mustafa's, you will know that one must pass through numerous display cases of watches before you make it to groceries upstairs. Endless displays of watches.

I am always a sucker for Casio watches. Yep, cheap, good, tough and nice too...for the price. But that's my rationale ---- why pay so much for something that will tell the time just as well? Oh all right, so the Casio watch will have a +/- error of 20 secs a month.

Who cares?

Sure, I buy the argument that watches can be an investment...a piece of art...a fashion accessory, especially on men who have really few options to accessorize themselves with (cuff links; ties; bracelet...I might get that one sometime). But honestly, let's analyse this a step at a time.

You buy a sort of entry level pricey watch --- Emporio Armani; Tissot; Seiko; Citizen

It will set you back $300 - $400. Not an investment. Can't really go around asking for a 20% return on your Citizen, if you know what I mean.

You get a mid level pricey watch ---- Tag Heur; Hamilton

Sets you back anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Exorbitant and trust me, after you sell it on eBay 20 years from now, unlikely to garner you a big return on your auction. Probably you will find fans of old watches who might pay a bit for them, but factor in inflation and time value of money...nah.

Moving up the rung, are the pricey, pricey watches ---- Jaeger Le Coultre; Corum; Rado; Patek Philippe; Rolex (who can forget that!)

OK, fair enough. Some of them, if you buy them at a good price (regular price $30,000; sale price $8,000), you might sell it for more next time. But ain't that like paying for the price of a motorbike for something you wear on your hand?

I was taken by the Casio Edifice collection of watches in the showcases. Really nice stuff for a decent price. It does not help that they recently blew up this huge poster of a slick watch model on the window display.

$302 for new slick watch model? Nope.

(since when did Casio have the audacity to charge so much!)

You see, my watches have been either given to me free (read as magazine subscriptions, hand me downs) or I have bought them really cheaply. How cheaply? My Casios cost about $40 to $70 and last me for 5 years at least. I got one Guess that cost me $100 more than 10 years back.

I left Mustafa last night thinking about the watches and with easy access to the internet, the world of Edifice popped into my living room.

Way cool!

And so, it was over Laksa with Mr D, that I decided to get an Edifice watch.

There it was, in the glass case, looking real fine.

$153.20!!!

*GULP*

Justification time: Do I really need a watch at this price? Can I get an alternative knock off version? Shall I just forget the whole thing?
(yah, I know. It's a bit of an anti-climax here, but you see...I'm a miser on such things)

I paced up and down, beside the display cases (I believe I was way calmer in the labour ward when The Wife was going to deliver). There were similar ones but did not look as good...but they were 2/3 the price of Edifice - I - Like.

Jia lat (local slang of exasperation).

Finally, after much mental wrestling, I decided to treat myself.

Why? I dunno. It's a treat right? Ask no more!

I took the sales slip to the cashier for payment, and returned to the showcase to claim the watch. An Indian (duh) sales man was there. As he handed me the watch, I winced dramatically, claiming that it was a pricey purchase. And then the reply came:

"But sir, it will help you keep good discipline."

I stared at him, dumbfounded at the smoothness of his sentence delivery and awed at the simplicity of wisdom of his statement.

I left Mustafa's with a grin on my face and my conscience, soothed beyond balming.

Mustafa's...they train their staff really well.




Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (
Matthew 25:13)

05 March 2008

The day I met Lee Kuan Yew....I did not comb my hair

Well, the past week has been an interesting one for me, having been helping out behind the scenes at the World Effie Festival.

My role?

I was stationed mainly at Conrad Hotel, welcoming the speakers; helping them check into their rooms; and briefing them on what was to be expected during the 2 day event.

The challenge of this role? The ungodly hours I had to be at the hotel due to the odd arrival times. SQ flights from Newark and LA land around 5.30am in the morning. Other flights land around midnight. Imagine that day when I had a 1 am arrival and a 5.30am arrival on the same day.....suicide I say!

Being privileged to have been in direct contact with some prominent figures, let me share some of my personal insight into their personalities. Trust me, I am not one to kiss and tell....but tell I will!


Shelly Lazurus
Chairman, CEO
Ogilvy & Mather

Now this lady works 24/7! She arrived at 6am. When I ushered her from her limo, she was reading some notes handed to her by an assistant. Showing her to her room, we went through her schedule:

6am - Arrive from Newark
9.30am - Deliver address at conference
10.30am - Press Conference with Ogilvy Singapore
12pm - Working Lunch
1pm - Meeting with Ogilvy Singapore (4 hour meeting)
6pm - Depart for Bangalore

Does she even sleep? Little wonder that she is 26th on Forbes' list of most powerful women in business.


Lawrence Flanagan
Chief Marketing Officer
MasterCard Worldwide

Cordial chap who has been in Singapore a few times. Comes across to me as a decisive chap who quietly works behind the scenes.


Dr Jeffrey Cole
Director
Centre for the Digital Future
Annenberg School of Communication
University of Southern California

I missed welcoming him in the lobby. I ended up going to his room to brief him...and he was in not much more than his briefs....more like a bathing robe and a face partially shaved with shaving cream dripping off his face. Jeff is a big person and with a booming laugh and ring to his voice, he is one of the most affable persons I met.


Lord Sebastian Coe

His name says it all --- former Olympic medalist; former MP in Britain; Leader of the winning Olympic bid to host it in Britain in 2012. With his partner Annette, they swooshed into the lobby of the Conrad, but not before the GM of the Conrad approached me to request that we welcome them to the hotel together. A down-to-earth chap, Lord Coe checked-in wearing sweat pants that looked no less than a day over 10 years. Amazing! Extremely focused chap who can be seen pacing up and down in the lobby on his mobile, eventually being led away by Annette with the phone still attached to his ear.


Simon Clift
Chief Marketing Officer
Group VP Personal Care
Unilever

The head of marketing for one of the world's biggest consumer goods brands, Unilever is one of the top 2 biggest spenders of advertising budget in the world. Simon has a very likeable character and extremely humble for someone who wields great power. I have been extremely taken by him. In a different life, I would have asked him to mentor me and applied to work for him.


MM Lee Kuan Yew

OK, so I did not meet him personally, but I met his security entourage and his very capable personal assistant called Ms Yong or YY. A rotund lady in her 40s to 50s, she is extremely meticulous and great with detail....much like a motherly figure.

And yes, on the day when MM Lee was speaking, I forgot to comb my hair.

I should write a book with that title.....

17 February 2008

World Effie Festival....Woo Hoo!


I'm gonna be there....enough said.

09 February 2008

Stupid Cupid Nite: Thursday 14 Feb 2008


Yes, it's that time of the year where lovers (the perceived luckier ones) come together to commemorate the existence of their love over an exorbitant meal.

Ridiculous, I hear?

I am in agreement.

Another commercial gimmick?

Yep!

But let's be real here...for those of us who are not hooking up with anyone that night on 14th Feb, I am sure there will be some subtle form of pressure --- if not from your friends, it will be from your parents. Don't you hate it that everytime this time of the year comes, the ticking of your biological clock somehow seems to sound louder?

Well, let me try and lend a hand.

For christian singles who just wanna spend some time to be yourself while getting to know more people in a really clean, fun, economical and non-pressuring manner, this is the deal:

I am planning a Stupid Cupid Nite. No gimmicks; no commercial sponsors; no overpriced fees.

Just be yourself, come with your friends and meet new ones while having a great time!

No Pressure.

If you are keen, contact me at: tumduck@yahoo.com or sms me at: 917 852 17

Date: Thurs 14th Feb 08
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: I will personally provide details via email
Price: $15 (to cover basic food costs)
Target Age group: christian singles 21 to 40
Closing date: 13th Feb (3pm)


Remember, this is just a platform. Make it as fulfilling as you want it to be.

03 January 2008

Some thoughts for the New Year


As we start the new year of 2008, I have been thinking through a few things that have recently struck me in my interaction with people at various levels. Let me ramble on and feel free to exit at any point should you find yourself struggling to keep from dozing off as I plod along.

The Next Stage of Life
I just came back from a friend's (HW) wedding dinner tonight. Well...it could have been like any other wedding dinner but for the fact that it was the wedding dinner of my friend of 20 years. Long time huh?

As we said our goodbyes, my friend whispered into my ear, "Now to work on SC!".
For you see, the 3 of us grew up together for the past 20 years and we have all moved on in life, albeit different paths. If you really wanted to be particular about it, ok. So I was the first to get married and now have a kid. HW is now the second one to be married.

We are left with SC.

But really, even though we are of the same age, we have ended up doing different things. HW was trained as a lawyer and ended up (in addition to a law degree), a culinary arts diploma in baking! (By the way, HW directed the bakers to bake a cake at the exact specs that she wanted and it was served at the wedding banquet. Hands down, the BEST cake I have eaten in my life. Singapore is going to miss her. Lucky for Vancouver.

SC, dabbled in engineering and is currently serving a higher being.

Myself, business studies could only lead to one thing ----- business stuff lah! And so I pretty much have gone through the whole Marketing Mix cycle, and in between managed to get a Tennis coaching license and am currently working on my MBA...that is, in addition to being a part-time stay home dad looking after baby EK =)

OK, back to SC.

But really, it's not this race that we are competing against each other for.

And so, to SC, if you are reading this, no worries. You know that God has his time. But HW and myself, we have our plans for you *wicked grin*


Change or perish
At the wedding, I was chatting with this friend who deals with industrial parts. Upon asking how the market was, he replied that things are terribly different from when he first entered the industry. In the past, profit margins could be as high as 50%. Now, you would be lucky if you got 25%. And with increasing costs, it will drive all profits down. His words: Have to change with times or else surely fall behind.

Oil prices were at about US$22 to S$28 per barrel in 2003. It just went past the US$100 mark a couple of days ago.

The PC hard drive memory is said to double at a rate of 18 months. Can someone PLEASE explain to me how in the world is it possible for Toshiba to come out with a 200GB USB Thumb Drive??!! Crap! That is more than my PC memory!

Not long ago, a headhunter and I chatted that he was not looking for loyal employee candidates
that stayed up to 5 years in the same company.

"Not flexible and cannot adapt to change, perhaps," he proposed, "Need to show that you can hop to another company after 2 to 3 years and survive there. That is increasing your market value."

Can't really say much for my dad who has worked in only 3 companies for the past 40 years. Loyalty is dead!

My point? The world is really changing very fast in everything. For some of us, by the time we truly understand certain concepts, it could well be too late for us. New trends and opportunities would have popped up, passed us by and we would still be in a daze.

Will we change and move with the times? The choice is yours.


2008 Resolution
It is because of such fast moving changes in the world, that I have decided that it is time for me to try and strike out on my own. I've realised that working the companies that I've been before, gave me an insight into how the world works. However, one thing that all of them face is the need to change. I am afraid that most companies find it hard to change and they lag behind. Interestingly, taking time off to think through things and reading the news have shocked me into realising the amount of things I have not been exposed to as a result of being busy with work. You would think that holding down a good job is a great thing....not really.

I have had to unlearn many things that is seen as common wisdom and needed to take a step back and see the bigger picture of things. It is not always obvious but when you do step back and look, sometimes, it just hits you so hard.

I am glad that I have learnt some of these lessons fast, and it has helped in my decision making process. I will still have lots to learn and I am looking forward to learning and applying.


Baby, baby
Ah yes! This year was the year that I became a dad to EK. Along with it, the joys of fatherhood and the smell of poo. But really, I thank God for this child and I am so sure that this little fella is going to teach me lots of lessons, just as I am getting ready to teach him lessons *wink*

One thing though, this boy is a lady's man and The Wife and I are pretty certain that he will get married by the age of 5.

SC, you'd better not lose out to my boy!

Happy 2008 y'all!