Cooler Insights

The Power of Right Believing: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 13:20:00 +0000

What should we do when life throws us lemons? After all, we are living in a flawed world and are prone to anxieties, guilt, torment, depression, and all kinds of problems.

The answer, according to Pastor Joseph Prince, is to believe right. In his latest book, The Power of Right Believing, Prince teaches that "right believing always produces right living" and allows us to "let go of a life of defeat and step into a life full of victory, security, and success". Focusing our thoughts on God's love and mercy yields far better outcomes than believing in unhealthy emotions which lead to "toxic feelings of guilt, shame, condemnation, and fear" and ultimately negative behaviors, actions and addictions.

Founder of the New Creation Church in Singapore, Prince is well known for preaching the Gospel of Grace, which is a school of thought best exemplified by the following Bible verses:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

So what are the keys to right believing? Prince outlines seven lessons for us to experience freedom from all kinds of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual malaise.

Pastor Joseph Prince (courtesy of Premier Productions)

1) Believe in God's Love for You

The first step is to believe in a God of infinite grace - one who gives hope to the hopeless, forgives unceasingly and abounds in never ending mercy. God is also full of love, and this is exemplified by the following verses from the apostle Paul:

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39)

Quoting the book, "God is a God of grace and forgiveness. He loves you very much, and He doesn't hold your mistakes against you".

2) Learn to See What God Sees

Urging us to play the right mental movies in our mind, Prince illustrates this principle with a story of a lady named Heather who was able to experience recovery from stroke by filling her mind with mental images of herself being healthy, strong and "basking in the love of her family at home".

To quell our fears, we need to think Godly thoughts, prioritise the Word over material pursuits, and see ourselves as God sees us. By believing that our righteousness is a gift from God, we can draw from His unmerited favour, and see ourselves as precious gems in his sight. Thus, our salvation is not due to our human efforts but His divine providence.

In other words, "...When God looks at you today, He sees you as a righteous, forgiven, healed, favoured, blessed, accepted, and beloved son and daughter because of the cross of Jesus."

3) Receive God's Complete Forgiveness

Preaching that our sins are eternally forgiven on the cross through Jesus' death and resurrection, Prince teaches that "forgiveness is received, not achieved" and that we can receive "fresh Grace for every failing". By focusing our hearts and lives on Jesus and His forgiveness and grace, we are able to exceed the law.

Through dramatising the story of the adulterous woman (John 1:1-11), Prince further illustrates that we can receive victory over our bondages as Jesus has "taken all your beatings at the cross" and that we are no longer condemned as He has been condemned on the cross. Once again, the message here is that we cannot earn God's favour, which is unmerited and freely given.

4) Win the Battle for Your Mind

The next three chapters talks about the enemy (aka the devil). To defeat the battle for our minds, we need to stand firm in the Word of God, "bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5), flee from temptation, resist the devil (James 4:7), and to put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Describing the enemy like a "roaring lion" seeking to devour us, we are told that the secret to being "undevourable" is to "cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares you." (1 Peter 5:7). Instead of being afraid of an almightly and fearsome God who is angry with us, we should instead believe that "God is not mad at you, He is mad about you."

5) Be Free from Self-Occupation

By shining our personal spotlight on Jesus and not our problems, we can enjoy peace of mind and rest. This is summarised by Matthew 11:28 - "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". Through occupying our minds with God and placing Jesus in the centre of all we do, we can dispel our apprehensions, fears, and excessive self-introspection.

Once again, we are told to feed on the Scriptures. In Prince's words, the "true gospel of Jesus Christ always produces godliness, holiness, morality, character, provision, health, wisdom, love, peace, joy, and much more". We should also "worship with the words of David", and here Prince highlights certain Psalms like the famous Psalm 23 and Psalm 34.

6) Have a Confident Expectation of Good

An ancient king of Judah, Jehoshaphat's military victory over the massive armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir form the basis of this section (see 2 Chronicles 20:1-29). Like the good king, we are told to find hope in God. This is encapsulated by the Greek word elpis which is defined as a "favourable and confident expectation". In Prince's words, such hope is a "confident expectation in your heart that, bleak as the circumstances appear to be, it's not over yet".

In quite an unexpected manner, the book shared the personal story of Hyflux boss Olivia Lum and how she managed to build a billion-dollar public-listed company through favour in God. Through her experience, Prince encourages us to ask God for big things so that He can do "exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask, think, or even imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

7) Find Rest in the Father's Love

Finally, the last three chapters expounds on the parable of the prodigal son, and uses it to highlight how God our "Abba Father" is like a loving daddy. Our identities as children of God is described by Romans 8:15 - "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'".

By regarding receiving God's love, we can be transformed by it and find rest. Equating our status as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father also mean accepting that we are God's "beloved" in whom He is well pleased (Matthew 3:16-17). Through believing in the Father's love for us, we can receive help in our time of need, be showered by His grace, and be free from all manner of darkness.

A Spiritual Manual For Life's Difficulties

Personally, I found the book an inspiring and enlightening read during a time of soul searching and reflection. Well-written in Prince's own personal voice, the book does not deviate from its central theme and core message. I enjoyed its Biblical references and found comfort from the numerous testimonies shared in the volume.

Having said that, I am aware that pastor Joseph Prince has his critics, particularly those who feel that his message of "hyper grace" or "radical grace" may be a form of "prosperity gospel". Others have asserted that his equivalent message of a "get out of jail free forever" redemptive approach may not ring true with other Biblical passages where we are told to ask for forgiveness and seek redemption regularly.

While I may not agree totally with his religious philosophies, I do find The Power of Right Believing beneficial for Christians facing challenges and difficulties in life. That probably applies to all of us! It is easy for us Christians to forget that salvation is not just our eternal destiny but something which we can experience here and now while we are on planet Earth. Instead of attempting to do everything with our own limited strength, we can choose to let God do the heavy lifting and to relish in His divine providence as our Abba Father.

For more information on Joseph Prince, check out his website here.

How Lee Kuan Yew Foiled Communists Through Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 03:38:00 +0000

Let's do a little quiz.

How many of you know who Lim Chin Siong or James Puthucheary were?

Or this formidable sounding dude called "The Plen"?

Stumped? Don't worry. I was just as clueless.

Hopefully that will change with the re-launch of The Battle For Merger. Narrating how our first PM Lee Kuan Yew wrestled control for Singapore from communist insurgents, the book is published jointly by the National Archives of Singapore and Straits Times Press.

Brainchild of DPM Teo Chee Hean, the reprint of The Battle For Merger chronicled the series of radio broadcasts by former PM and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (LKY). Updated from the original edition published way back in 1962, it contains the transcripts of 12 radio talks written and delivered by Mr Lee between 13 September and 9 October 1961.

Accompanying the book launch is an exhibition featuring photographs, newspaper articles, documents and other artefacts from that tumultuous period. Jointly curated by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), it is open to the public at level 7 of the National Library Building from now till 30 November 2014.

Not Timed To Refute Pin Pin's Film

At a blogger's event specially organised for the launch, the "elephant in the room" in everybody's head loomed large. Was the reprint of the book a strategy to counter Tan Pin Pin's To Singapore, with Love?

After all, both PM Lee Hsien Loong and MCI Minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim spoke out against Pin Pin's film, stating that it gave a one-sided account of what occurred back in the 1960s and did not do justice to the people who gave their lives to fight against the communist threat back then.

MCI clarified that the trigger behind the book and exhibition wasn't To Singapore, with Love. First mooted about one year ago by DPM Teo, it was timed to coincide with the anniversary date of the radio broadcasts which ended on 9 October 1961. Indeed as I perused the book and toured the exhibition, it was clear that there was no intent to rebut the views of political exiles featured in Pin Pin's film.

Political Skulduggery and Undercover Agents

What I found intriguing were the political "cloak and dagger" moves made by different parties during those chaotic years. They include Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Fang Chuang Pi/ Fong Chong Pik (also known as "The Plen" which is short for plenipotentiary) and PAP co-founder Lim Chin Siong, a trade union leader who never openly admitted to being affiliated to the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).

A leftist known for his role in the "Hock Lee Bus Riots" and "Chinese Middle School Riots", Lim was also known to be an "anti-colonialist" who formed the communist-affiliated Barisan Sosialis party on September 1961. Some of his compatriots then included Fong Swee Suan, former Singapore President CV Devan Nair (who later reformed and supported PAP), and James Puthucheary.

The clandestine moves made by political friends who became enemies, and enemies who became allies, were so convoluted that they made my head spin!

The most important takeaway was that the proposed merger with Malaya was not just a strategy to ensure Singapore's long-term survival but an attempt to negate the communist threat. A merger with Malaya would certainly stamp out the Chinese-dominated CPM.

Quoting DPM Teo's speech:

"Our hard-fought attempt to gain independence by merging with Malaya was in fact a battle for the future of Singapore. On the surface, it was a battle for merger. But this was only on the surface. Below the surface was another deeper, more momentous, more dangerous battle - that between the communists and non-communists in Singapore."

OK, enough talk. Let us take a walk through the exhibition.

The Battle For Merger Exhibition

Laid out over several panels, the exhibition featured audio recordings of Mr Lee's radio broadcasts, spread over 12 different "Talks", as well as key artefacts preserved during that period.

Each of the panels were shaped like an old-school radio, with audio recordings that you can listen to, and key highlights of each talk laid out in text. Photographs of the different players were also displayed.

These original artefacts were never displayed before. The three hand-written documents in Chinese were determined to be written by Lim Chin Siong after careful handwriting analysis by forensic chemists despite being signed with a different pseudonym.

A closer look at the faded and mottled document, circa 1953-1954, which was later deduced to be a note which Lim Chin Siong made of a talk he gave in commemoration of the death of Stalin. The talk was made to his immediate subordinates in the Anti-British League cell.

Some of the books you can read about the "Merger" era, written and published by authors both for and against the PAP-led government. The idea here is to make available all the facts, perspectives and views surrounding this issue so that readers can decide for themselves.

For some of the panels, infographics (ala social media age) were used. Reading through this panel, I learned that the PAP then was in imminent danger of losing its seat in Parliament as large numbers of cadre members and unionists defected from the party to join their communist sympathetic counterparts.

A closer view of the action then. 82 unions switched allegiance from the PAP to Barisan Sosialis, while 33 of the 51 PAP branches changed sides. Perhaps the only person who believed that the PAP would prevail then was LKY himself.

The sentiment of the day can be captured by this quote from Mr Lee:

"But we knew that there were severe trials ahead of us. And it was better to face these trials with men who are prepared to face up to them."

Through multi-media screens like this, the story behind individual incidents could be presented. What appeared to be just a car crash in Katong was actually deemed to be the work of communist terrorists in 1974.

This chart showed that almost a million man-days were lost due to strikes in the mid 1950s. According to Mr Lee, many of these were initiated by unionists working in cahoots with the pro-Communist cadres led by Lim Chin Siong and his allies.

Quoting once again from his speech:

"The Communists always do this. Exploit a real or imaginary grievance through cadres and sympathisers not generally known to be connected to them. We will always view with sympathy any genuine unhappiness of the English school teachers over the six-day week (a response to strikes by teachers initiated by the Singapore Teachers Union), but we cannot be expected to view with sympathy the efforts of pro-Communist cadres to heat up and exploit this unhappiness."

This panel narrating Mr Lee's final talk outlining the vision for Singapore if it were to merge with Malaya. It was the pièce de résistance which helped seal the fate of PAP's Communist-leaning opponents.

Hearing it once again in Mr Lee's forceful and direct voice:

"You judge the truth for yourselves from what I have said, and also what the persons involved have not been able to deny. You will notice that yesterday, October 8, these persons about whom I had told you in disclosing the Communist conspiracy have only said that all this is a smear. What we want to ask them is: which particular part or statement in any one of my talks is untrue and therefore just a smear?"

This final panel details a key timeline of the events, outlining the historical contexts behind Communism and its spread across the Asian sub-continent.

More information on The Battle For Merger book and exhibition could be found in NLB's website here. You can also listen to the radio talks made by Mr Lee in English, Mandarin and Malay from the National Archives of Singapore here.

Marketing to the Ageing Consumer: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 12:45:00 +0000

Courtesy of Brand Genetics blog

The ageing consumer is one of the most profitable yet untapped segment.

Consider this.

In 2012, there are 20 countries whose population is shrinking. By 2020, over 40% of the adult population in "ultra-ageing" Japan will be 60 years or older. Come 2050, another 25 countries will have ageing populations, the largest of which is China.

With greater longevity and lower fertility rates across the globe, we will see more older and fewer younger people over the next few decades. What then should companies do to prepare for such sweeping demographic changes?

The answer, according to Dick Stroud and Kim Walker in Marketing to the Ageing Consumer, is to embrace age-friendly approaches.

Equating greying populations to environmental sustainability, the authors describe ageing as a "global trend that the corporate world must understand and devise policies to exploit". Indeed, as more and more Baby Boomers (born between 1946 to 1964) hit their 50s, 60s and 70s, companies must adopt age-friendly strategies or be prepared to lose their lunch!

Embracing Physiological Ageing

The best way to ride the "silver tsunami" is to develop age-focused products or adapt one's customer touch-points to the effects of physiological ageing. This is defined as

"...the systematic change to the body's ability to function caused by age-related changes to the mind, body and senses".

Key physiological changes influencing ageing consumers cover three areas:

1) Ageing senses: Loss of sensitivity in one's eyesight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Whatever works for a 30 year old is unlikely to work well for a 70 year old. Approximately half of all folks over 60 will experience hearing loss, while 50% of consumers between 60 to 70 will have difficulty reading food labels even when wearing glasses or contact lenses.

2) Ageing minds: Cognitive ageing results in a degradation of one's memory, recall, attention, reasoning, insights, perception and knowledge. New complex information becomes harder to process. Similarly, older consumers find it tougher to focus on a task and not be distracted by superfluous visual stimuli.

3) Ageing bodies: Changes in flexibility, dexterity, strength, body mass, and urinary control are par for the course as one ages. With greater proportions of ageing consumers afflicted by osteoarthritis, overweight (maybe less prevalent in Singapore), muscle loss, menopause (women) and erectile dysfunction (men), new medical and healthcare opportunities abound.

Beyond niche businesses like healthcare, medicine, and beauty (hair, skin) which specialise in the 50s and above market, all companies should ensure that their Communications, Online channels, Retail outlets, Products and sales Support (abbreviated as CORPS) are suitably adjusted to the effects of physiological ageing. This can be diagrammatically represented below:

Courtesy of Customer Experience Magazine

Age-friendly Apple

One of the best examples of an age-friendly business is Apple. According to the authors, Apple's age-neutral status can be seen in the following:

1) Communications - advertising messages and images that focus on the products, and are clear and simple both visually and linguistically.

2) Online - easy to navigate website which minimises technical jargon, animated menus, and other distracting clutter.

3) Retail - Apple stores feature bright, spacious layouts with easy waist-height product access, clear and visible labels, and minimal ambient noise levels.

4) Product - Intuitive software interface that is simple and easy to use.

5) Sales support - Apple's call centre works well with knowledgeable, helpful humans who are patient and understanding (not automated phone answering systems).

Conducting Age Friendly Audits

To help companies evaluate the age-friendliness of their businesses, the authors have developed a scoring tool to conduct Age Friendly (AF) audits. This traces the CORPS experiences highlighted above through a customer experience hierarchy, dividing it into a sub-experience and a touch-point. Issues commonly considered include the following:

1) Shelf height - what is the appropriate product shelf height for a retail store to cater to ageing consumers?

2) Lighting - How brightly lit should a retail store be, based on ideal lumen readings for packages, labels and signs?

3) Colour contrast - At what point does low colour contrast render printed materials unreadable?

4) Seating - Are there adequate seats with the right arm rests provided for older people? Are they at the right height?

5) Web search - How easy is it to navigate and find information on a company?

An example of how such audits could look like is represented by the diagram below:

Mapping touch-points to age-friendliness (courtesy of Customer Experience Magazine)

Driving Age-Friendly Practices

To implement an age-friendly strategy, the authors propose that this must be translated from strategic intent into operational actions. Companies should appoint a board-level executive to drive the initiative, have a clear-cut action plan to measure age-friendliness, correlate age-friendliness to customer opinion and corporate/brand values, train staff adequately, and test and monitor touch-points regularly.

Towards the end of the book, the authors urge employers and governments alike to make their workplaces and cities more age-friendly to cater to ageing workers and citizens. Employee experiences include the commute, workplace, work task, employee knowledge, and employer's compliance with regulations. Similarly, governments should ensure that their cities physical infrastructure and policies can help the urban old.

As one with a keen interest in ageing consumers, I found the book's in-depth research and analysis of the aged rather insightful. While the tackling of physiological ageing alone may not provide all the answers to satisfying older customers, it does lay a strong foundation for the other layers of marketing to build upon. Highly recommended.

Black & White: The Dawn of Justice 痞子英雄 (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 Oct 2014 11:22:00 +0000

Big explosions. Check.

Airplane and train explosions. Check.

Nail-biting car chases. Check.

Nefarious bearded evil mastermind. Check.

Wrenching human drama and emotion. Check.

Like any big ticket Hollywood feature, Taiwanese action-thriller Black & White: The Dawn of Justice (痞子英雄) is packed with suspense. Directed by three-times Golden Bell Awards winner Tsai Yueh-Hsun, the movie is the second in a series (the first is Black and White Episode 1: The Dawn of Assault). For the uninitiated (namely me), Tsai is also known for his commercially successful and critically acclaimed TV series, such as “Meteor Garden”(2001), “Known in the World”(2003) and “The White Tower”(2006).

From the word "Go!", viewers are treated to non-stop adrenaline pumping action, set against the backdrop of a possible apocalypse.

The plot centres around police hero Wu Ying-xiong (Taiwanese-Canadian actor Mark Chao) in the fictitious Harbor City - a futuristic Asian city with cutting-edge technology (think Iron Man and its fancy floating screens). Celebrated as a hero for stopping terrorists who hijacked a plane, Ying-xiong (which sounds like hero in Chinese) has to collaborate with arrogant but super-intelligent Chen Zhen (Shanghai actor Lin Gengxin) to stop the villainous perpetuator of serial bombing incidents.

That's not all. Beyond the targeted bombing of critical targets (think government offices, tunnels, vehicles, freeways, police stations and more), the heinous and stylishly well-groomed enemy of the state has the audacity to kidnap people and transform them into unwitting suicide bombers. They include Xu Da-Fu (played by veteran Chinese actor Huang Bo), a kind-hearted criminal whom Ying-xiong is indebted to due to his help in foiling the airplane crisis.

The plot thickens when a killer virus capable of ~~transforming the entire population into zombies~~..er.. wiping out the entire city is found to be incubating in Da-Fu's heavily pregnant wife. Yes, we are talking about Alien all over again, albeit of the microbial earth-created variety. The germs embedded within her is so virulent that it make Ebola, SARS, AIDS, and even the Bubonic Plague seem like child's play!

Naturally, the clock ticks away and our protagonists must race against time in order to stop a couple of wayward missiles from detonating and infecting (plus killing) the entire population. Can they stop the nefarious Night-walkers (the villainous para-military outfit akin to GI Joe's Cobra Command) from decimating the entire human race in their bid to reinvent humanity?

As a Taiwanese produced thriller, I feel that Black & White: The Dawn of Justice 痞子英雄 has changed my mindset about how Taiwanese movies are like. The pacing of the movie is fairly quick and there are enough twists in the plot to keep one glued to the action on the screen. There is good screen chemistry between the two male leads, with Mark playing the character of the serious solemn hero while Gengxin acts as the wise-cracking joker. I also like the fact that the action sequences are fairly realistic, although perhaps not quite in the same league as Jerry Bruckheimer's cinematic productions.

Unfortunately, the storyline wasn't as tightly woven together as I would have liked. Character development for the rest of the cast beyond the main leads was also somewhat lacking. With the exception of Ning Chang's Lan Xi-Yin, the other female actresses are relegated to being eye and arm candy. I also found the villainous portrayals a little stereotypical. cliched and flat. It would have been better if the film gave more screen time to develop the backstory behind how a good man turned evil.

Black & White: The Dawn of Justice 痞子英雄 will be opening on cinemas islandwide come 9 Oct 2014. Go check it out and let me know what you think.

Cast

Mark Chao (趙又廷) as Wu Ying-Xiong
Lin Gengxin (林更新) as Chen Zhen
Huang Bo (黃渤) as Xu Da-fu
Ning Chang (張鈞甯) as Lan Xi-Yin
Christopher LEE (李銘順) as a four-star general

Special thanks to Kevin Soh of Clover Films for the invitation to this movie premiere. To find out more about the Asian movies that they are producing and bringing to Singapore, go ahead to "like" their Facebook page, follow them on Instagram, or subscribe to their YouTube channel. All photos above are credited to Clover Films.

An Exercise in Meditative Stillness

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:55:00 +0000

Courtesy of Little Alaska

"Shhhh!"

Ready?

Let's be still for a moment.

Slow your thoughts down. Calm your jarred nerves.

Stop scrolling endlessly through your smartphone. The world won't end with one less "like", comment, Tweet, or Instagrammed pic.

Put that device down. Shut it off or put it on "flight" mode.

Place it in another room.

Walk to the most quiet place you can find.

Close the door. Cool your environment with a fan or air-con.

Dim the lights.

Find a nice comfortable chair. Sit in a restful posture.

Relax.

Breathe. Inhale deeply.

Hold it there for a while.

Then slowly and evenly exhale.

Do this for about 10 times.

When you're done, let your mind drift.

Allow your senses to wander.

Forget about the cares of this world. Let it all melt away...

Close your eyes. Think tranquil thoughts.

If you wish, you can meditate.

Focus on the people and things which truly matter.

God. Your family. Great friends. Happy memories of past events.

Laughter. Joy. Love. Warmth. Happiness.

Now is also a good time to pray.

Cast your cares upon God. Let Him shoulder your burdens.

Or you can paint a beautiful picture in your mind. Anything that puts you at peace.

Golden sandy beaches. Cascading waterfalls. Turquoise blue oceans. Snow peaked mountains.

Or think of nothing at all.

Relax.

Let serenity and silence envelope your body.

Allow it to percolate your mind and every sinew, joint and cell in your body.

Feel your muscles relax. From the tip of your head to the soles of your feet.

Be one with your environment.

Immerse yourself in the beauty of stillness.

Open your palms. Release that tension. Release that fear. Release that worry.

Visualise the wind blowing them away. Dissolved into harmless nothingness.

Remain in this state of tranquility for as long as you can.

When you're ready to get back into the world, slowly reawaken your senses.

One by one let it come back.

Move your arm, your leg and your body.

Finally, open your eyes. Calmly. Gently.

Rise and stand. Stretch.

Open the door and face the world.

Refreshed. Recharged. Reinvigorated.

Repeat as often as you can afford or want to.

Clover Films Unveils Exciting Line Up of Asian Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:41:00 +0000

Bloggers posing at Clover Films' first blogger engagement event

How often do you watch an Asian movie? What about a locally produced one?

Given the intense competition from Hollywood movie studios, churning blockbuster after blockbuster, many Singaporeans do not regularly watch Asian movies. In fact, we probably can count with one or two hands the number of Asian movies we watched in any one year!

Hopefully things will change if Clover Films has its way.

Established in 2009, Clover Films is a leading distributor and marketer of Asian movies. Most of its activities are focused on catering to the Mandarin and Asian movie watching markets of Singapore and Malaysia.

A key player in Singapore's movie scene, Clover Films has distributed more than 100 movies. These include the record-breaking Jackie Chan blockbuster CZ12 - the highest-grossing Chinese movie (excluding locally produced ones) in our history. Other popular films distributed by Clover Films include Jay Chou's The Viral Factor, John Woo's Reign of Assassins and The Fierce Wife: Final Episode.

Beyond distributing films, Clover Films has also produced movies in collaboration with regional directors and producers. Some of its home-grown movies include 23:59, The Wedding Diary I & II, Ghost Child and Filial Party.

Clover Films' most significant partnerships are with local film darling Jack Neo. The company co-produced, distributed and marketed Neo's local box office record breaking movies Ah Boys to Men I & II. Both movies grossed a total of more than S$14 million locally.

Upcoming Asian Movies (Oct '14 to Mar '15)

Thanks to an invitation from Kevin Soh, I caught a sneak peek of Clover Films' upcoming titles for the next six months at their blogger event. It was great to catch up with old friends and to also immerse myself in the magic of Asian cinema. Sit back, relax and grab yourself some popcorn as we preview some of these exciting films.

King of Mahjong 麻雀王

Our first movie is Clover Film's own production “King of Mahjong” starring local funnyman Mark Lee as Huang Tian Ba and Hong Kong star Chapman To as Ah Fatt. Disciples of legendary guru Master Ru Wu Chang, these renowned mahjong exponents are back some 20 years later at a final showdown in Ipoh – The International Mahjong King Competition!

Despite Huang’s insistence, Fatt declines to join the competition as he is determined and contented to lead the life of a commoner. In a bid to force Fatt into the showdown, Huang abducts Fatt’s wife, Lei Meng Na (Michelle Ye). Fatt thus has no choice but to join the competition as Huang holds his wife as hostage. As Fatt and Huang compete as the finalists on the mahjong table; Ru Wu Chang’s secret mahjong technique and the truth comes to light as the winner emerges...

Bring Back The Dead 招魂

We Asians love to scare ourselves silly, and Clover Films has got not one but two horror movies. The first is their locally produced ghostly flick Bring Back The Dead starring Jesseca Liu and Liu Ling Ling (not related).

When her seven-year-old son dies in a tragic road accident, grieving mother Jia En (Jesseca Liu) seeks the help of her former caregiver Mdm Seetoh (Liu Ling Ling). Her grisly goal? To bring back his soul so he can be ‘by her side’ at home. Unfortunately, things aren't quite they seem. After several strange and deadly occurrences, she suspects that there is something amiss with the soul that she has brought back. A horrific truth unravels - one which may cost her her life and the lives of those around her.

Check out the trailer below for some chilling action!

Black & White: The Dawn of Justice 痞子英雄：黎明再起

This action-packed thriller upcoming male stars Mark Chao and Lin Gengxin. According to the synopsis, panic spreads the whole city as a series of bomb explosions happen within hours and this is just the beginning of a tight-knit conspiracy. Righteous and impulsive, Wu Ying-Xiong is paired up with the intelligent but arrogant loner Chen Zhen to track down the mastermind behind the bombing incidents. Soon Wu and Chen discover that the bombings are just the prelude to a massive act of destruction.

Stolen military missiles are now aimed at the Harbour City. Moreover, a deadly virus is about to breakout, one which is so highly contagious that it can devour the whole world in 14 days. All the chaos is planned by the Nightwalkers—a secret assassination squad which used to serve the highest government officials.

Check out the trailer below for highlights of the duo's thrills and spills!

The Golden Era 黄金时代

The writer Xiao Hong was born as Zhang Naiying on the day of the 1911 Dragon Boat Festival (June 1st) in Manchuria, north-east China. Her mother died when Xiao Hong was young and her estrangement from her tyrannical father sparked a long quest for an independent and emotionally satisfying life. She was rescued from destitution by hard-drinking fellow writer Xiao Jun. However their ill-fraught and competitive relationship brought her more heartache than joy. During this time, she found a kindly and considerate surrogate father in the great writer Lu Xun.

While evacuated to safer inland areas to escape the Japanese invasion of China – and on the rebound from what turned out to be the definitive break with Xiao Jun – she married another novelist from the North-east, Duanmu Hongliang. The pair fled together to Hong Kong in 1940. Alas, a month later, Hong Kong too fell to the Japanese on Christmas Day of 1941. While Xiao Hong died of tuberculosis at the age of 31, several key episodes in her life remain obscure and disputed.

This multi-award nominated movie stars Tang Wei (湯唯) and Feng Shao Feng (馮紹峰). Capture the literary romance of the era by watching the trailer below.

Haemoo 海雾

Based on true events, Haemoo is the story of a group of fishermen driven into madness when their attempt to smuggle illegal migrants ends in a horrible tragedy. Six crew members led by a captain begin their dream of having their boat with a full load of fish. However on the open sea, they discover that they aren't just transporting fish meat but human beings!

To protect the ship and their livelihoods, Captain ‘Cheol-ju’(Kim Yoon-seok) suggests to his crew members to help smuggle stowaways. These individuals risked their lives in the sea together with the six crew members on board a the ill-fated boat. To add to their woes, an unknown ‘sea fog’ clouds their vision…

Selected as South Korea's entry for the 87th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film, Haemoo stars Kim Yun-Seok, Park Yoo-Chun, Han Ye-Ri, Moon Sung-Geun, and Kim Sang-Ho.

Check out the trailer below for more action!

Dearest 亲爱的

Starring Zhao Wei, Huang Bo, Hao Lei and Tong Dawei, this movie is a tear jerker.

Following 3 years of unrelenting search, Tian Wenjun (Huang Bo) and ex-wife Lu Xiaojuan (Hao Lei) finally locate their abducted son in a remote village. After the boy was violently taken away from the village, the heartbroken foster mother Li Hongqin (Zhao Wei) goes on a lone journey to get him (and her other child) back.

Ready to turn on the tap? Watch the trailer below!

Kungfu Jungle 一个人的武林

A martial arts instructor (Donnie Yen) working at a police academy is imprisoned after killing a man by accident. However, when a vicious killer (Wang Baoqiang) starts targeting martial arts masters, the instructor offers to help the police in return for his freedom. Cast members of this action flick include Donnie Yen, Wang Bao Qiang, and Charlie Yeung.

Check out the trailer below for more action!

My Geeky Nerdy Buddies 大宅男

This comedy stars Jam Hsiao, Maggie Jiang, Xie Na and Da Peng.

Otaku (Jam Hsiao) and his roommate Mr. Cheap (Da Peng) are known as the ultimate geeks of their university. Like any hot blooded young guys, their goal is to fall in love with their girls of their dreams. To get close to his goddess Mei (Xie Na), Mr. Cheap pretends to be a spoiled rich kid, appearing everywhere she goes. Meanwhile, the introverted Otaku tries to create a chance to talk to class beauty Ling (Maggie Jiang) by running into her in the hallway, only to have his plan fail awkwardly.

The school’s legendary couples party is fast approaching. Unfortunately, the person who shows up without a date will be etched on the “pillar of shame” and be mocked forever. To avoid this catastrophic fate, Otaku and Mr. Cheap decide to put away lame disguises and try winning their goddesses over by being sincere and earnest. With the dignities of geeks everywhere on the line, a fierce battle for love is about to kick off...."

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 单身男女 2

In this second parter, Shen Ran loses his ingenue of a girlfriend Zixin to an architect with a heart of gold. Angered, he returns to his previous life as a womaniser and starts hitting on every pretty girl that crosses his path. Meanwhile, his new love also finds herself torn between him and another young man. This movie stars Miriam Yeung, Louis Koo, Gao Yuan Yuan, Vic Chou, and Daniel Wu.

The Eyes Diary

Starring Focus Jirakul, Chonnikan Netjui, and Kittisak Patomburana, this scary Thai movie is the latest in a series of many Thai horror flicks.

It has been three months since Nott (Punjan) lost his beloved girlfriend, Pla (Focus) in the motorcycle accident. His heart wrecked by guilt and sorrow, he realises that the only way for him to overcome this is to meet Pla again in her after life. Sounds familiar? :) He tries to find a way to find back Pla’s soul and decides to join the emergency crew volunteer which he has to secretly picked up the belongings of the dead ones himself. He thinks that by doing that he will be able to find back Pla’s soul.

However, things are not that simple. John (Jack) his friend at the volunteer foundation tells him not to ask for problems. After all, things of the spirit are not to be taken lightly. However, Nott does not listen and continues to confront the haunting spirits, hoping that they may be able to lead him to Pla. Will he be able to meet Pla? Will he be able to tell Pla what he wants to?

Be chilled to the bone by the trailer below!

Looks like there are lots of exciting Asian movies in store. Do look out for them in the months ahead!

Antifragility - A Talk by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 01:16:00 +0000

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a maverick and a genius.

Renowned for his bestselling book The Black Swan (you can read this Wikipedia entry to learn what Black Swan Theory is), this brilliant former hedge fund manager/ derivatives trader turned university professor is known for philosophical theories which challenge conventional wisdom. Often, these are not just empty musings, but grounded in hardcore mathematical formulas and analyses.

Thanks to a talk organised by the National Library Board titled Antifragility: Gaining from Volatility, Stress and Disorder, I learned a little about why current thinking on risks may be flawed.

Follow me now as I try to convey the essence of Nassim's talk in layman terms.

Defining Anti-fragility

Before we can learn what antifragility is, we first need to understand what fragility is.

A cup of coffee can be understood as a fragile object. It is fragile because "it wants tranquility and a low volatility environment". It hates disorder, variability, randomness, trauma, or other "stressors" and exhibits a "concave" or negative sensitivity to an increase in volatility. There is no upside for a cup of coffee from a random event like a sudden change in weather, a falling piano, or a car crash.

Conversely, an antifragile entity is the exact opposite of the fragile. It needs variability and volatility. High volatility increases its welfare. Hence, it is described as an item with a "convex" or positive sensitivity to increases in volatility (or variability, stress, dispersion of outcomes, uncertainties, and shocks).

Note that being antifragile isn't quite the same as being robust or resilient. Robustness is about withstanding external shocks and staying the same. The antifragile actually becomes better.

To better understand this concept, do consider the two curves below (courtesy of Innolution):

Anti-fragility in Action

To better understand how this epistemological principle works in real life, Nassim gave a few interesting examples during the Q&A part of his talk. I'll go through each in turn.

Investment - Taleb's "Barbell" Strategy

In the arenas of financial investments, Nassim's book suggested that one could adopt a "barbell" strategy to take advantage of the "Black Swan" phenomena (ie random, unexpected events with large effects). This entailed spreading one's eggs on extremely low and high risk instruments rather than middle risk options.

For example, one could invest say 90% of one's capital in very safe options (eg short-term treasuries, government bonds, gold) that just barely beat inflation (eg gains of 5% per annum) on one side of the barbell. On the other spectrum, one could invest 10% of one's capital in very speculative and volatile stuff (eg futures, options and derivatives).

The idea behind this is that there is minimal downside if the speculative investments turn sour (90% of one's capital base is still intact). On the other hand, the gains could be significant should risky investments skyrocket due to "Black Swan" effects.

Why Resource Poor Maritime Cities are Antifragile

On the success of cities, Nassim hypothesised that maritime cities with little natural resources are usually more antifragile than those with abundant natural resources. A case in point is Singapore, which started its road towards nation building under adverse circumstances.

Citing the example of how the Phoenicians had to build boats to transport copper from Cyprus, he added that the spare capacity of their boats spurred them to trade in other items. Over time, this "import and export" mentality helped such cities to prosper. Conversely, nations that have abundant resources (eg oil rich states in the Gulf) could be highly fragile as living in the lap of luxury could dampen their competitiveness.

For Singapore, Nassim warned that our prosperity over the past few decades could be a double-edged sword. If we become too rich and complacent, we should perhaps have "summer camps" to toughen our youngsters up lest they lose the fighting and competitive spirit!

Antifragile Religions

According to Nassim, most of the major religions in the world have elements of antifragility ingrained into them. They are "mutations" of what occurred in history, and have fitness built into them. Often, they are also constructed to provide a period of "deprivation" to counter the opulence and excesses and civilisation.

A case in point is religious fasting. Orthodox Christians fast over 200 days in a year, abstaining from meat, alcohol, or other "dietary vices", while Muslims embark on a 40 day fast as part of Ramadan. Such practices have actually been shown by Medicine to be beneficial for the body, helping to curb diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. For Islam, it was instituted during a time where many of the people in the Middle East were pre-diabetic!

Antifragility in Health and Medicine

In the field of healthcare, Nassim suggests that we should try not to take drugs for small ailments if our bodies can take it. He cited those who frequently medicate themselves for minor ills tend to have shorter expectancies than those who fight to overcome their sicknesses. We should only seek medical intervention for major life-threatening illnesses (eg cancer).

Anybody who has taken antibiotics to combat their fevers and sore throats would know how weak they feel after the incident. Studies have shown that irradiation therapy for cancerous cells may inadvertently induce the relapse of cancer at a later stage in life.

Similarly, the "stressors" induced by regular moderate exercise helps us to build stronger healthier bodies. Eating less rich diets - for example, more vegetables/salads and less meat - helps our bodies to be fitter. Likewise, we may not want to sanitise our environments so much that we fail to build up our resistance against germs.

Raising Antifragile Kids (aka Why We Should Let Kids Fail)

Nowadays, kids have schedules as busy as CEOs. Shuttled from point to point for music classes, enrichment classes and other activities, they are so mollycoddled and spoon-fed that they are not exposed to the vagaries of life. Often, such kids eventually end up in professions like investment banking, management consulting, and law.

For a country, however, such a focus on education is actually bad for its economy. In fact, up to a certain point, an increase in educational levels in a country does not equate to increases in GDP. On the contrary, what a country may need are more college dropouts who become entrepreneurs. They include the likes of Steve Jobs (Apple), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and Larry Ellison (Oracle).

In a related fashion, we should leave our children to experience small failures so that they can toughen themselves up for bigger setbacks in life. This could mean subjecting them to certain degrees of uncertainty and volatility so that they could learn to swim with the sharks later on in life.

Antifragility and Post Traumatic Growth

Towards the end, Nassim raised the example of how the multiple wars in Lebanon helped its people to do very well. I guess a similar principle applied to how maritime city states like Singapore have prospered during its early tumultuous years. Such effects are termed as post traumatic growth by Nassim.

To benefit from post traumatic growth, we should allow our systems - whether biological, societal or economic - to experience small degrees of disorder and stresses without intervening. We should only "hyper-intervene" when things go really bad, like when the failure of a company could bring down the entire economy.

As the saying goes: "that which does not kill you, makes you stronger".

What are your thoughts on Nassim Nicholas Taleb's ideas on antifragility? Will it work for you?

Driving Singapore's Sharing Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:37:00 +0000

Sharing Economy Association members (clockwise from left): Ryan Tan (Leendy), Swito Yuber and Fenni Wang (Rent Tycoons), Eugene Tay (Waste is not Waste), Moh Hon Meng (BlockPooling), and Professor Costas Courcoubetis (SUTD).

Sharing is caring. Waste not want not. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

These age-old mantras rang through my head when I start penning this blog post on the recently launched Sharing Economy Association (Singapore). Beginning in Singapore, the association hopes to become the "regional hub for companies and organisations involved in the sharing or collaborative economy which is an emerging economic model of sharing of physical and non-physical resources that is empowered by technology and social networks".

Brainchild of Eugene Tay, founder of Green Future Solutions in 2007 and a mover and shaker of our green movement, the association's founding members are stalwarts of social sharing, renting, lending and swapping enabled by social technologies. They are:

Rent Tycoons - a portal dedicated to peer-to-peer (P2P) rental of items in Singapore;
iCarsClub - a P2P car rental and sharing platform, zoned by areas;
BlockPooling - a social network encouraging mutual sharing, lending and help amongst neighbours living in the same block;
Leendy - a platform allowing you to swap and exchange items with others;
PandaBed - a "couch-surfing" platform (similar to airbnb) allowing travellers to stay in homes; and
Waste is Not Waste - a free online business waste and material exchange platform.

To find out more about the sharing economy as well as the objectives behind the association, I had the privilege of interviewing Eugene Tay, President of the Sharing Economy Association (Singapore). Join me now as we pick the brains - and heart - of this passionate yet genial advocate for the environment.

How do you describe the "sharing economy"? What inspired you guys to embark on this journey?

We describe the sharing economy (also known as collaborative consumption) as an emerging economic model of sharing of physical and non-physical resources that are empowered by technology, peer-to-peer and social networks. Sharing also covers renting, swapping, lending, and gifting.

The initial idea of collaborative consumption or sharing economy started from the book What's Mine Is Yours by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers in 2010. Around the same time, The Mesh by Lisa Gansky (see my book review here) and the Shareable website also talked about similar ideas on sharing. Most of our members were inspired by Rachel's book and her TED talk.

What inspired you guys to band together to form the Sharing Economy Association? What does the association do for its members?

I'm always looking out for new green and business trends and ideas, and the sharing economy is one of the trends that I'm interested in. Last year during Earth Day on 22 Apr, I organised a public talk at my office and invited Rent Tycoons and iCarsClub to speak about the sharing economy.

After the talk, we were discussing how to spread awareness about the sharing economy and support the companies involved, and decided that maybe we should set up a business association. One year later, we are officially registered on 21 Apr 2014 with 6 founding members.

The objectives of forming the association is to raise public awareness about the sharing economy; develop a vibrant and viable industry for our members; and help our members address challenges and explore opportunities with internal and external parties.

Over the next two years, the association will lead the sharing economy in Singapore and embark on several activities, including:

- Monthly public talks to spread awareness about the sharing economy.

- Quarterly industry networking sessions for existing and potential companies and organisations involved or interested in the sharing economy.

- Regular consultation dialogues with relevant government agencies to address the challenges and opportunities of the sharing economy.

Who would you welcome to join your association? Can crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platforms join you?

Ordinary membership is open to businesses and organisations registered in Singapore. An Ordinary Member’s business or activity should (i) involve the use of technology or peer communities to increase sharing, and (ii) help to reduce negative social and environmental impacts, or increase the utilisation of resources or assets.

We welcome crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platforms too.

How would you describe the state of sharing amongst Singapore businesses? Any feel for the size of the market here? Do you foresee a potential for growth?

I would say that the sharing economy is still in its infancy stage in Singapore and we have not seriously looked at the full potential of sharing. I definitely see more opportunities for product service systems, where consumers gain access rather than ownership of products, and also for the redistribution of unwanted or used items and assets.

What are some of the challenges faced by companies providing rental or sharing services in Singapore? How do you hope to overcome these?

There are some regulatory challenges faced by companies involved in the peer-to-peer rental of accommodation and cars. We hope to engage in constructive dialogues with the relevant government agencies to discuss and resolve these challenges, and to identify potential opportunities.

Any successful examples of sharing/renting businesses in Singapore?

iCarsClub is a local startup providing peer-to-peer rental of cars. It has expanded to China and recently secured $10 million in funding to expand its services.

What do you foresee as the future projection for sharing/ renting businesses in Singapore? What about the greater SEA or Asian region?

I think there would be more entrepreneurs and startups adopting the sharing economy as a business model in Singapore and Asia. There would also be interest from traditional companies to partner with sharing companies, for example, hotels working with peer-to-peer office space rental companies to offer their business guests access to external office and teleconference facilities. Another area of growing interest is B2B sharing, where companies with underutilised assets such as vehicles and machinery, can share them with other companies.

What are your long-term goals for the association?

We aim to be the regional hub for companies and organisations involved in the sharing economy. Our goal is to have Singaporeans embracing the idea of sharing, the government supportive of the sharing economy, and a vibrant and viable industry for our members to grow.

Finally, any parting words for our readers?

Join us at our website and Facebook Page to find out all about our activities, and start sharing!

Investing in a Penang Property? Read This First

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 12:25:00 +0000

With Singapore property prices hitting stratospheric levels, many are inclined to look at the wider South East Asian region. After all, we do have a pretty strong Singapore dollar right now, and many Singaporeans are flush with cash.

Right now, residential properties in Makati, Manilla (Philippines), and the Iskandar region of Johor Bahru (Malaysia) appear to be the hottest ones in the market. Those who prefer to venture further afield are also considering properties in the white hot Melbourne and Sydney markets or even properties in the UK.

What about the island of Penang? Are Penang properties still worth investing in? Let us take a closer look.

Pearl of the Orient and UNESCO World Heritage Site

Romanticised as the "Pearl of the Orient", the island of Penang is about half the size of Singapore (295 sq km) with a population of 750,000. Ethnically speaking, about 41.7% of residents are Chinese, 41.3% Malays, with the remaining 9.8% Indians. With a density of 2,372 people per square kilometre, Penang island (Pulau Pinang) has the highest human density in Malaysia. However, it is only a 3rd of Singapore's population density (at 7,669 people/km2).

Economically speaking, Penang is the state with the highest GDP per capita in Malaysia. Manufacturing accounts for 49% of its GDP in 2012, followed by the services sector at about 46.4% which is mainly dominated by tourism (see article here). The size of Penang’s labour force grew by 11% between 2009 and 2012 and unemployment remained low at about 2%.

Geographically speaking, Penang island has a hilly interior largely protected by the state government. Thus, like Hong Kong, only a limited amount of land is available for development, much of which is concentrated on the North East in the George Town area. Weather wise, Penang is as hot and humid as tropical Singapore.

Penang's recent claim to fame is probably having its capital city George Town inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. This global accolade acknowledges the unique architectural and cultural townscape of George Town, with its rich multi-ethnic heritage, food, art and culture. George Town has also been recognised as the most liveable city in Malaysia and the 8th most liveable city in Asia. Incidentally, Singapore was the first in the same rankings. :)

Buying Penang Properties - Things To Consider

In deciding whether to you should invest in Penang properties, there are several things to consider:

Your long-term objectives. Are you buying to stay or looking to generate passive income?
Your cultural/emotional affinity to the island. Many Singaporeans have invested in Penang homes due to its similarity to Singapore's multi-ethnic culture, heritage and environment.
Your financial situation. With the Penang property boom over the last decade or so, prices have risen significantly.
Your age. Generally speaking, Gen X and Baby Boomers may have a greater emotional attachment to the island due to nostalgia. However, this could vary too.

To address the four points above, I will share my layman's views on the financial returns of Penang properties, living like a Penangite, and other considerations.

How Much Do Penang Properties Cost?

The million ringgit question (foreigners must invest a minimum of RM 1 million in Malaysian properties) is this: Can you make money from Penang residential properties?

Well, it depends on your time horizon. Are you looking to generate rental returns or hoping for capital appreciation? More importantly, can you afford to wait?

While certainly cheaper than Singapore, Penang properties do cost quite a bit...

For a luxury freehold condominium like Andaman facing the sea at the newly reclaimed Quayside area (next to Gurney Drive), RM 1.4 million (approx S$550,000) can fetch you a one bedroom apartment of approx 900 to 1,000 sq ft in size. Three bedroom units (about 2,000 odd sq ft) would cost over RM 3 million or more (approx S$1.2 million and above).

A condo unit located right in the heart of George Town like Sandilands could cost about RM 1.4 million for a 1,968 sq ft (183 sq m) unit - about S$550,000. This works out to approximately RM716 per square foot (S$280 psf).

Further away from George Town, the cost of a freehold condo unit at Grace Residence (Jalan Jelutong near the Penang bridge) ranges from RM 1.4 to 1.6 million (S$550,000 to S$630,000) for a 1,646 sq ft apartment with four bedrooms.

Other than the sales price of the units, you need to also budget for the following:

With effect from 1 March 2014, all foreigners must invest in a minimum of RM 1 million (S$387,000) in Malaysian properties, up from the previous RM 500,000.
Legal fees for sales and purchase agreements, which ranges in scale from 1% to 0.40% depending on the value of your property.
Stamp Duty for transfer of property, which ranges from 1% to 3% depending again on the property value.
An "anti-flipping" tax (similar to Singapore) called the Real Property Gain Tax which applies for properties sold within 5 years or less. For foreigners, the rates are 30% of the property gain for disposal in the 5th year or earlier, and 5% for disposal in the 6th and subsequent years.

(Like us here in Singapore, the Malaysian government is hoping to stop speculative investments which could lead to a property bubble in Penang. Thus, it looks like you can't really flip Penang properties unlike those in the Philippines.)

What About Rental Yields of Penang Condos?

OK, so you've managed to scrimp and save to invest in a dream property in George Town, Penang. The next question on everybody's lips is this: How much rental can I collect each month? After all, the key thing about properties (ala "Rich Dad Poor Dad") is to generate passive income so that we can achieve financial freedom right?

Unfortunately, rental yields are not that good here. On average, we are looking at about RM 1,800 to RM 2,500 per month or so. This works out to approximately 2.5% to 4% rental yield (you can check out this website to learn how to work this out).

One final point. If you do need to take up a housing loan from a bank in Malaysia, the interest rates range from 2.9% to 4.4% (see article here). Accordingly, you can loan up to between 70% and 80% of the value of your property.

Any Potential for Capital Appreciation?

Well, the jury is out on this. From what I could gather, the halcyon days of 20% to 40% gains in property prices in Penang are over. There is also a seeming oversupply of higher end residential properties which could possibly lead to a price correction.

Having said that, the limited land in Penang island probably means that property prices would eventually go up. After all, population on the island is rising with domestic migration. Moreover, there are several niches that could be profitable - one of which is the purchase of converted heritage buildings. However, this is likely to be a more nuanced and moderated growth as the government puts in measures to curb inflationary forces.

Wait There's More...

Before I forget, there is one more thing. The Malaysian government is actively promoting a 10 year Social Visit Pass under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. The pass is automatically renewed (unless you commit a crime or other social sin!) and allows you to purchase a new car tax free plus other benefits. You can also bring your spouse, kids and other dependents along with you.

To qualify for the MM2H programme, you need to have liquid assets in Malaysia worth a minimum of RM 500,000 (RM 350,000 if you're above 50), and have off shore income of at least RM 10,000 per month. New applicants who have purchased properties worth at least RM 1 million qualify to place a lower fixed deposit amount upon approval (RM 300,000 for those below 50 and RM 150,000 for those 50 and above). More details are found in the link here.

Verdict: Consider Long-Term Horizons and Lifestyle Choices

As you can see, investing in Penang properties isn't for short-term speculators. Rentals are slowing down and yields are fairly modest. You probably need to consider the long-term possibilities for capital appreciation given the scarcity of land parcels available for development on the island.

Having said that, a Penang property may be a good bet for those who plan to retire, live or work there. Other than its wonderful hawker fare, the island boasts of many interesting and unique heritage attractions, an emerging local art scene, and the rise of hipster F&B outlets. Comparatively speaking, it may also be more attractive as a home for Singaporeans relative to other Malaysian cities like JB or KL.

What are your thoughts on investing in Penang properties? I'd love to hear your views.

The 7 Rules of Social Storytelling

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:04:00 +0000

Courtesy of Tom Fishburne

How do you create a good story - one that will attract and enchant your audience?

Well, first you need to ensure that you write or produce a compelling story. There are several ways to author such a story:

Identify universal themes that resonate with people.
Develop a plot with believable characters and messages;
Incorporate heroic archetypes into your narrative;
Focus on positive elements and outcomes; and
Share your stories on multiple media platforms.

As the saying goes: "if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?". Thus, you need to carefully consider how best to deliver your story once you've got it all worked out.

Getting people's attention isn't as simple as just splashing a huge advertisement, pushing out numerous blog posts, or spamming everybody you know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In this day and age, nobody likes to be rudely and unceremoniously interrupted by marketing messages.

How then should we tell our tale?

Enter the 7 "I"s of social storytelling. While these are not comprehensive and foolproof, they cover key characteristics that every business needs to know to roll out an effective story.

1. Infinite

Unlike Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, stories of this day and age do not have a neat beginning nor ending. Creators of the most successful franchises such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Marvel Superheroes know that the only way to keep the money mill rolling is to leave the story unfinished.

Keep your customer enchanted for the long haul. Always end with a teaser and a clue to the next "episode". Make it easy for your fans to continue along the (hopefully) never-ending journey with you.

2. Interactive

Your business or brand story should never just be your own. The most successful social storytellers know that the only way to continually engage your audience is to involve them. Find ways to enlarge your story arc. Encompass your customer communities. Make it their story too.

A good way to make your story interactive is to incorporate game mechanics into your business. By doing so, your customers can can also contribute "chapters" to your corporate or brand chronicle.

3. Improv

Unlike epic tales from days yonder like The Illiad, stories these days are being spun on the fly. Just watch episodes of Lost or The Simpsons to understand what I mean. Extemporaneous storytelling is the order of the day. Often, plot lines, characters, and developments change as the story meanders towards an indeterminate end.

In a similar fashion, find ways to gauge your reader, viewer or listener's interest. Study how popular various chapters of your tale are. This could be anything from a blog post, video, photo, event or a product launch. If interest appears to be waning, find ways to identify why, quickly adapt, and introduce new twists to your plot.

4. Intrigue

The most fascinating and engaging stories are those that beguile and bewitch us. Enchantment happens when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Such magic will happen under the hands of a master storyteller.

The greatest challenge in this digital age is capturing our customer's attention. With numerous channels and games to distract them on their mobile devices, the only way you can grab their eyeballs is to pique their curiosity.

Instead of selling and marketing your wares at every opportunity, use your platforms to ask questions that strike a chord with your audiences. Tease and tantalise them. Employ provocative images and thought provoking copy which triggers their brain juices every step of the way.

5. Immediate

In an "always-on" world connected 24/7 by the social mobile web, nobody is going to give you 10 minutes (or even 60 seconds) to slowly unfurl your boring tale. While you shouldn't give away your punch line in the first few seconds of your YouTube video, you do need to "wow" them enough to want to continue their journey with you.

Some of the "shock and awe" techniques you could employ include using creative headlines, awe-inspiring photographs or catchy ditties that immediately differentiate your business from the rest.

6. Immersive

Here, it may be useful to emulate the tricks of Hollywood blockbusters. Using a mixture of teaser trailers, full length trailers, sneak interviews, photo gallery, sound bites, script peeks, games and so on, they are able to draw you deeper and deeper into their fantasy world.

Similarly, if you do run a physical outlet, find ways to weave your storyline into every facet of your business. This includes not just the copy on your website, blog or press release, but other items like decor, customer service scripts, menu, product catalogue and so on. Every touch point needs to immerse your audience in the same narrative.

7. Incentive

Last but certainly not least, a good story should yield psychological paybacks for its audiences. This can either take the shape of tangible benefits like special deals or exclusive invitations to events, or intangible rewards like knowing how the company's actions saves the planet.

A satisfactory outcome triggers the secretion of "feel good" hormones like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and endorphins into the system. Over time, this helps to make your brand or product more "addictive" to your customers.

Are there other "I"s which you can think of in social storytelling?

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 13:43:00 +0000

Why are some folks blessed with riches while others struggle to make ends meet? What is the magic formula to wealth?

The answer, according to renowned millionaire guru T. Harv Eker, is found in one's money blueprint. In his bestselling book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, Eker urges us to change our personal money blueprint and reprogramme the way we think, feel and act in order to achieve mastery over our wealth, attain financial freedom, and lead more meaningful lives.

Sounds too good to be true?

Well, initially I was a little sceptical about his claims. However, having read through his book, I was surprised by how much the bulk of its contents connected with me.

Liberally laced with "wealth principles", enriching declarations and "Millionaire Mind" actions, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is divided into two parts:

Part 1: Our Money Blueprint

Part 1 examines how our money blueprint is manifested by our "programming". This, in turn, leads to thoughts, feelings and actions that culminate in either positive or negative financial results, i.e.

P-->T-->F-->A=R (where P = Programming, T = Thoughts, F = feelings, A = Actions, and R = Results)

Our programming is conditioned in three primary ways:

Verbal programming. Phrases like "money is the root of all evil", "filthy rich", and "money doesn't grow on trees" could lead us to have a "scarcity" mentality;
Modeling, ie the behaviours that you see when you were young (especially by your primary caregivers like parents); and
Specific incidents which influence how we view money and wealth.

To change our wealth, we need to attract the right vibes by changing how our minds are conditioned to think. This is where part 2 comes into play.

Part 2: The 17 Wealth Files

Comprising 17 "Wealth Files" which are kind of like money mantras for us to chew on and memorise, the second part of the book provides lots of takeaways. Some of these maxims were surprisingly practical. Let me list them down and highlight those that especially resonate with me:

Rich people believe “I create my life.” Poor people believe “Life happens to me.”
Rich people play the game of money to win. Poor people play the game of money not to lose.
Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people want to be rich.
Rich people think big. Poor people think small.
Rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles.

The first 5 wealth files seem related to the "Law of Attraction" that is popularised by the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The key idea here is to visualise in your mind the wealth that you'd like to have, believe that its real, and work towards programming your mind to think in a different way.

Rich people admire other rich and successful people. Poor people resent rich and successful people.
Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people.

Personally, I'm not sure if this is a good idea since we should minister to the less fortunate. I suppose we should still reach out to the poor without being unduly influenced by the negativity of others.

Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value. Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion.
Rich people are bigger than their problems. Poor people are smaller than their problems.
Rich people are excellent receivers. Poor people are poor receivers.
Rich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor people choose to get paid based on time.

Isn't this totally true? I mean, who are the ones with the time to play golf, travel on luxurious holidays, or take sabbaticals from their work?

Rich people think “both.” Poor people think “either/or.”
Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people focus on their working income.

This is probably the most valuable "wealth file" to lodge into your cranium. To grow your net worth, Eker teaches us to increase our income (especially passive income), commit to savings, grow our funds through investments, and simplify our lifestyles.

Rich people manage their money well. Poor people mismanage their money well.
Rich people have their money work hard for them. Poor people work hard for their money.

Another invaluable tip. This reminded me of the Parable of the Talents in the Bible, and is related to the habit of investing one's money.

Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them.
Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people think they already know.

These last two maxims are related to one's attitude towards risk and life long learning. It is true that the wealthiest folks around are usually those who dare to take risks, and are also those who are constantly learning from both their successes and their mistakes.

More Motivational Than Prescriptive

A light, breezy and fast-paced read, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind provides lots of food for thought. Beyond the Wealth Files, the book is also packed with truckloads of rich sayings. Some of my favourite quotes include the following:

"If you are willing to do only what’s easy, life will be hard. But if you are willing to do what’s hard, life will be easy."

"Money will only make you more of what you already are."

"Every master was once a disaster."

While certain sections of the book came with useful, practical advice, much of what Eker espoused seem to be more common sense than profound. A born and bred salesman, Eker isn't shy with planting "sales pitches" throughout the book, asking readers to sign up for his various wealth creation workshops and programmes.

Once you get past the hustle, however, I do find that the book offers genuinely useful advice in paving one's path to prosperity. Then again, being willing to promote oneself is a part and parcel of thinking and acting like a millionaire.

Have you attended T. Harv Eker's workshops or read his book? I'd love to hear what you think.

Transforming Lives Through Culture - Project Intan 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:28:00 +0000

Alvin Mark Yapp, Founder of The Intan; DPM Teo Chee Hean; Mr Koh Choon Hui (Chairman of Singapore Children's Society) and Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin at Project Intan 2014 (courtesy of The Fat Farmer)

Alvin Mark Yapp is a man on a mission. Boss of outdoor advertising specialist Bus Ads, the Peranakan entrepreneur opens up his beautiful Peranakan-themed home every year to raise funds for the needy. And boy are his tireless efforts making waves!

Courtesy of The Fat Farmer

Started in 2008 with the intention of celebrating Peranakan culture and music with the joy of giving, Project Intan is Alvin's brainchild. Over the years, it has raised some S$350,000 and supported various charities like Assisi Hospice, Arc's Children Centre and Singapore Children's Society.

Courtesy of The Fat Farmer

In the past 6 years since it started, Project Intan has helped create a multi-sensory room for terminal ill children, upgraded inpatient care for cancer patients, built a therapeutic gymnasium for the elderly, and refurbished a day care centre for youths.

Courtesy of The Fat Farmer

Various distinguished guests and VIPs were involved in Project Intan. They include Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister Tan Chuan-jin and Mrs Goh Chok Tong. Project Intan is held at The Intan, an award winning private Peranakan home museum where Alvin resides among his exquisite collection of Peranakan artefacts and artworks collected over 30 years.

Courtesy of The Fat Farmer

This year, Alvin seeks to help kids from distressed and broken families of the Singapore Children’s Society through the OCBC-TODAY Children’s Fund. The Fund will help the children to rebuild their lives through counselling and therapy programmes as well as day care services. OCBC has generously agreed to top up an additional 50% for every dollar raised through Project Intan 2014.

Coming from broken homes, these kids often suffer from physical and sexual abuse. Some can be as young as 3 years of age. While the law may protect them from abusive parents and adult relatives, they still remain as their primary caregivers. I shudder to think of the emotional distress suffered by these poor children!

Courtesy of The Fat Farmer

As I hear Alvin describe it, this year's event - An Evening of Peranakan Love for Children in Need - started with a beautiful violin performance of Di Tanjong Katong and Chan Mali Chan by young children from Mandeville Conservatory of Music. Together with special performances by his friends, the highlight of the evening was a Peranakan idol version of Rasa Sayang by Syazwan from Jurong Youth Centre. Guests were also treated to an "overflow" of home made mee siam and traditional nyonya desserts like kueh salat, ondeh ondeh and pulot inti.

Courtesy of The Fat Farmer

To find out more about Project Intan, I did an email interview with Alvin. Here are the highlights of our discussion.

1) You've been involved with Project Intan for quite a number of years. It must be a lot of work to do this, especially since you are also running your own business! How do you balance your time and manage so many different priorities?

It's about making things work out. Sacrifices have to be made, for example, foregoing catching up with friends and personal time like gardening. Argh! How I miss my garden!

Having such a responsibility also makes me look at ways of being efficient. I try to double up during appointments by sharing about Project Intan when meeting business associates, reduce traveling time by meeting people in the same area at one go, talk faster, and have shorter lunches. I also minimise 'time wasters' like surfing on the Internet, or tapping out long drawn SMS messages when a phone call will do.

Being responsible motivates me to do what I set out to do. I am responsible to my company. I have also taken on the responsibility to help a group of kids. Hence I am 100% at BusAds, 100% at Project Intan and 100% committed to my family. I am also 100% committed to my volunteers and supporters.

(Wow, that makes it 400% Alvin!)

2) What inspires you to open up your home and to faithfully do this year after year?

The knowledge that it makes a difference to the lives of the beneficiary (the kids), inspiration from the guests that come, and the partners, supporter and volunteers whom I work with .

3) Can you share some of the highlights for this year's event "An Evening of Peranakan Love for Children in Need"? What were some of the memorable moments which you encountered?

First, Syazwan's performance and DPM hugging him after that. Syazwan worked hard, persevered, took on constructive criticism and quickly matured over a period of 3 weeks. He learned that hard work pays off. His performance was immaculate and I couldn't be more proud of a young man like him.

Next, Mrs Yeo's attendance. Despite bring 84, she still supports Project Intan every year for the last 5 years. In full nyonya regalia, she never fails to joins us for the evening.

Finally, friends who made a stand to support Project Intan. Here I am not just talking about friends who donate. Instead, it includes friends who went out of their way to speak to others, found creative ways to match dollar for dollar donations by their own friends, or committed a certain amount on Facebook and asked friends to join in. Other friends have supported me with kind words of encouragement and acts of generosity like the following:

- A friend suggested that I call her mother for support, which I felt 'paiseh' (embarrassed about). She said it's a good cause and that I have nothing to feel 'paiseh' about. The entire family donated $16,000.

- A lawyer brought up Project Intan to his board of directors for support. Although no one supported, his efforts were truly inspiring.

- Finally, I am heartened to hear that an office cleaner who used to earn $600 per month as a part time cleaner donated $300.

4) You seem to have a deep connection and love for kids, judging by the charities which you've supported as part of Project Intan. Can you share with us what drove you to do so? I know that you're a bachelor, but any possibility of that changing anytime soon so that you can have kids of your own?

My deep connection for kids came 6 years ago when I had my first nephew Ryan. I never knew what a world of difference a child could bring to the family. After visiting the various centres by Singapore Children's Society, I cannot come to terms with why some kids are so loved and supported while others, through no fault of theirs, have to endure immense pain and hurt.

I concluded that while it's easy to blame adults for the problems these children face, many of the adults that "caused" these problems are also a result of being hurt when they were a child. Thus, a chance to resolve some of the problems and issues which children face makes it possible for them to have a better future as adults.

As for kids of my own, I certainly look forward to that, if I may be so lucky!

5) What are the challenges involved in organising a charity event like Project Intan?

De-motivation. When one feels demotivated with words of discouragement, it's tough to continue. Thankfully, I didn't face many of such situations.

6) Where do you see the future of Project Intan to be like? Any plans to expand this further or to co-opt more partners?

Project Intan will continue to be professional with all the personal touches that The Intan is known for. If we are so blessed, we will be most happy to explore working with like minded caring partners.

7) If you have a wish for Singapore, what would that be and why?

I wish that we as Singaporeans may take time to be grateful and appreciative of the many blessings we have here that we sometimes take for granted. 3 things in particular strike me: the peace we enjoy, freedom of religion, and the opportunities that lay before us.

How You Can Contribute to Project Intan 2014

Project Intan 2014 will officially close on 7 Oct. If you would like to make a donation, please do so online at this link here. All donations are tax exempted and OCBC will top up 50% for every dollar raised through Project Intan.

Please remember to input PROJECT INTAN in the reference code box so that Alvin can personally acknowledge and thank you for the support.

Turning Silver into Gold: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:41:00 +0000

What is the fastest growing yet often neglected consumer group? One that has contributed to a demographic bulge of about 77 million people in the US?

Yes, I'm talking about the Baby Boomers, i.e. those born from 1946 to 1964. Hitting their silver years over the next decade or so, Baby Boomers represent the largest age-related demographic group in the world today. In China alone, it is predicted that the 50+ marketplace will swell to a staggering 525.8 million people by 2025.

Here in Singapore, over 900,000 Baby Boomers, more than a quarter of our current citizen population, have turned 65 years old from 2012 onwards.

While greying populations presents new challenges to global cities, aging authority Dr Mary Furlong views this as a golden opportunity in her book Turning Silver into Gold: How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace. Backed by prodigious research, Furlong's comprehensive guide to the Boomer/Senior market covers areas like health, travel, sex and romance, fashion, homes, communities, elder-care, finance, media and more.

Unlike their predecessors, Boomers aren't satisfied with merely retiring peacefully. Blessed with better education, greater wealth, and longer lives than their forebears, they have embraced active living with much aplomb. Transitioning from full-time work and raising a family to a less hectic lifestyle, they will find new ways to lead healthier, more meaningful and spiritually fulfilled lives.

Health and Elder-care

As Boomers start aging, they begin to lose their hair, vision, hearing and teeth. Ailments like high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and more will start afflicting them. Care-giving, particularly to the elderly parents of Boomers, becomes a critical issue.

Opportunities here include health information provision (WebMD), fitness centres (Fitness Together), medical devices, and nanotechnologies to keep older people in their homes, medical spas, and alternative healthcare facilities.

With a fast growing aging population, the healthy living and aging market would swell - North Castle Partners estimate that this market in the US could swell to over US$1 trillion by 2020.

Travel and Hobbies

With more time in their hands and a curiosity to experience the world, educated Boomers will seek travel as "an adventure for the heart, mind and soul". Niche businesses that cater "peak experiences" in adventure, cruise, education, culture, health, wellness and "voluntourism" would do well. Inter-generational and family travel would also grow.

Similarly, Boomers will want to pick up the passions that they once had in their youths. While gardening is the number one hobby for American adults age 50 and older, other popular pastimes include eating out, music, books, sports, wine, motorcycles (think Harley Davidson) and pets.

With their higher education levels, Boomers are more technology savvy. They are also more likely to embrace lifelong learning as they enter their third age.

Romance and Fashion

Eschewing the "fuddy duddy" label, Boomers are enjoying romance and sex well into their golden years. With a growing number of divorces, empty nests, mature singles, and widows or widowers, opportunities abound for businesses that keep the silver flame alive. Online dating, erectile dysfunction drugs (Viagra or Cialis anybody?), personals, and spas/retreats are possibilities here.

While Boomers may look "middle-aged", they aren't giving up on their looks. Despite being heavily ignored by the fashion and apparel industry, Boomers spend a fortune on fashion and beauty products.

Businesses like Chico's (a "realistic-sized" fashion retailer), Butterfly Dreams (specialty apparel and get-well gifts for women with chronic illnesses), and Entourage (a day night spa salon, cafe, and wine bar) have capitalised on this new market.

Homes and Communities

The new generation of wealthier retirees are buying second and third homes. Well, at least before the subprime mortgage crisis in the US. Housing trends for Boomers include purchasing houses and condominiums for investment (a huge thing in Asia), retirement, and holiday homes.

Special considerations for this market include Universal Design (wheelchair access, zero-step entry), spaces for grandchildren or aging parents, home offices, and smart homes.

To stave off their growing loneliness due to deaths or empty nests, Boomers will also seek ways to connect themselves to family members. Services and products like Myfamily.com - a subscription based genealogy service, online communities, and scrapbooking will take on greater prominence.

More seniors are also embracing social networks. In fact, they are the fastest social media adopters in the US with over 43% of those over 65 years using at least one social networking site.

Building a Boomer Business

In the last four chapters of the book, Furlong provides entrepreneurial tips on financing and growing one's Boomer related business. Here, we're taught how to develop a business plan, pitch for investors (borrowing ideas from Guy Kawasaki's The Art of the Start), and create various types of organisations (non-profit, franchise, etc). Techniques on engaging the media and marketing using websites, blogs, and podcasts are also covered, albeit in a more cursory manner than other specialist publications.

Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Comparing the third act of life to a birthing process where a person surrenders to the forces of aging and prepares for something that endures, Furlong concludes that three characteristics define the Boomer generation:

The "bonus round" which provides an extra decade or more of active life;
Their greater educational attainment and stronger financial resources; and
Their passion to give back to society. This final spiritual component is what drives many to be involved in philanthropy.

Despite being published a few years ago, Turning Silver into Gold is still relevant in this day and age. Written from the perspective of a Baby Boomer herself, it helps would be entrepreneurs to better appreciate the relatively untapped market of active agers.

While Asian seniors may have slightly different lifestyles and behaviours than Westerners (for instance, many grandparents here have to act as secondary caregivers to their grandchildren), the opportunities presented in the book are certainly worth exploring.

Image courtesy of FYe-Orbis

Celebrating the Art of Storytelling

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 12:25:00 +0000

Do you have a story to tell? I'm sure you do. In fact, all of us are storytellers at every stage of life.

An ancient art form beloved by all, storytelling has brought stories to life since the dawn of time. Through their vivid and dramatic sharing, storytellers help to unlock our humanity and allow us to connect deeply with the rich personal narratives that rule our lives.

A good storyteller - be it at work or at play - can enchant and excite a crowd. The most memorable icons of human history are great oral storytellers. By employing the right mix of words, tone of voice, and dramatic gestures, these leaders have triggered political revolutions, started religions, led massive organisations, or created global movements that shape our lives in countless ways.

Thanks to an invitation from Carolyn Oei, I experienced the magic of storytelling at the recent Singapore International Storytelling Festival event Transitions: Storytelling from the Word to the Voice held at The Arts House. Organised by the National Book Development Council with the support of the Storytelling Association, the fortnight long event features performances, workshops, masterclasses, as well as the Asian Congress of Storytellers.

Let me share some of the highlights from the Congress.

Artistic Director Kamini Ramachandran was the host of the event. Her performance of "The Tiger" taken from The Short Stories and Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam was riveting. I could feel the tenseness of the pregnant protagonist in the story as she looked at the fearsome glare of a tiger.

Bet many of you didn't know that our founding father S. Rajaratnam was a literary giant too!

Keynote speaker Kiran Singh Sirah gave a rollicking rhetoric on how storytelling can be a formidable force for social change. I love how he defines storytelling as a "part of our DNA" which allows us to transcend time and space, allowing us to connect with different indigenous people and cultures. In his own words: "Storytellers are dreamers. Dreamers who think big."

Describing himself as a "queer confessional poet who is a counter-tenor", Cyril Wong enchanted us with his dramatic performance of "The Old Man with the Golden Voice" taken from his own work Let Me Tell You Something About That Night. This polymath can not only write and tell, he can also sing with a beautiful voice!

Annaliza Bakri's telling of literary giant Mohamed Latiff Mohamed's Batas Langit (Confrontation in English) was especially eye-opening. I loved how the story compelled us to reflect upon how Singapore's separation from Malaysia could possibly be felt in the eyes of our Malay friends many decades ago.

Operatic and dramatic, playwright Verena Tay's performance of her own work "Exile from Heaven: Zhang E's Story" (taken from In the Company of Heroes) was highly charged. Twirling and pirouetting in the chamber, she enraptured her audiences while portraying a very human side to the mythical fairy goddess 嫦娥 who was forced to reside in the barren Moon.

Michael Harvey and Paola Balbi joined Kiran, Kamini, Cyril, Annaliza and Verena at a panel discussion. These sterling storytellers shared the following gems:

Storytellers form an important bridge between books and audiences, in a society that is reading less these days.
Each and every telling brings out a different flavour in a written story.
Myths, legends and folktales can be made relevant through the adoption of a contemporary context.
Storytelling can be used to introduce an "anomaly to the overwhelming wall of hegemony in Singapore".
Storytelling provides a platform for our vernacular voices to better express themselves.
Successful storytelling involves active listening more than memorisation.
Storytelling should be equivalent to an artistic version of "slow food". It should allow its audiences to slowly internalise the elements of a story while nourishing their soul.
The printed page is like a membrane, while the words of a story is physically felt in storytelling.
Often the stories we create is a metaphor of our own lives.
You need to balance between what you want to say and what the audience can accept.
We need to embrace digital media and use them as a way to promote the "live" experience of storytelling, rather than shun them altogether.
Storytelling is a form of activism. It empowers you to make a difference that is personally connected to your community.
The use of props for storytelling varies according to the format of the performance. It is more important, however, to note that the prop should be an extension of your story and not a crutch or a distraction.

During lunch, we were treated to "Mother Tongue Tales" - a multilingual storytelling performance by young storytellers from LASALLE College of the Arts. Storyteller Praveena Kobu's animated performance of Raajaathi Raja in Tamil enchanted the audience, even though most of us probably didn't understand the language.

Next was Rifdee Raziman, who incorporated some deft silat strokes to enliven his telling of The Legend of Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sanjinjang in Malay.

Finally, Tay Chou Peng played a few lively tunes as he shared a folktale The Enchanted Bow and the Silver Flute in Mandarin.

For more information on the festival, do check out the official website here. If you love listening to or telling stories as much as I do, you may also wish to participate in the Storytelling Association of Singapore. Who knows, your life may end up "happily ever after" once you unearth the magic of storytelling.

To be continued....

When It Pays to Pay

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 04:03:00 +0000

Courtesy of Brinks Blog

I love Seth Godin's inspirational riffs, and his recent thoughts on price just rocked my socks.

Quoting from his post:

Price is more than an exchange of coins. Price is a story, a powerful tool for changing minds and one way we persuade ourselves to make a change. Lowering your price (all the way to free) isn't the only way (or even the best way) to move your market.

It is true that FREE attracts attention. People love FREE. Like an alluring and addictive drug, FREE grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.

However, as sagely Seth has shared, paying for something makes us treasure it more. It increases our level of commitment, heightens the value of our experience, and lengthens our joy.

Payment is a sign of trust, assurance, and confidence. It reveals that we're willing to forego a future opportunity for a present promise.

Moving the world of buying and selling, payment can also come in other forms of "currency". You contribute your time, emotions, and effort in your work. You invest your feelings and thoughts in a relationship. You commit your resources - financial, physical, and spiritual - to building a new home.

As marketers, we need to go beyond the lowest common denominator of "lowest price" or "50% off" selling. We need to create products and services with such high intrinsic and extrinsic values that discounting would be an insult.

Take a couple of minutes to ponder the following:

1) Are we appealing merely to our customer's wallets, or are we also connecting to their hearts, minds, and souls?

2) Are our "wares" merely physical utilitarian goods and services or do they represent something deeper and more intrinsic? Is an umbrella merely a shield against the Sun and rain, or does it epitomize fashion, protection, romance, and passion?

3) What value do we bring to our customers beyond convenience, satisfying of a primal urge, or relieving of acute pain?

4) Can we transcend Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, to go from meeting physical and social needs to fulfilling our customer's aspirations and dreams?

5) Are our brands "relational"? Do our customers see a bit (or a lot) of themselves in what we offer? Can we safely say that our logos are "badges of honour" rather than mere advertisements?

6) Do our customers have to spend more than their money with us? Can we engage their emotions, intellects, efforts, and artistry?

7) Are our products and services able to improve lives? Can they enrich and educate our customers beyond a momentary consumption experience?

In a world obsessed with the relentless drive towards being cheaper but good enough, consider how we can create objects of such beauty, value and spirituality that they give more than they take. Let us set our standards so high that payment becomes a privilege.

12 Qualities of a True Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 12:41:00 +0000

Not exactly the best illustration of leadership (courtesy of Joe Lafferty)

What is true leadership all about? How should a real leader distinguish herself from the rest?

While there are plenty of leadership models around (including some which I have previously blogged about), it may be useful for us to think of true leadership as a list of vital traits which such a person should exemplify. By studying and more importantly applying these attributes to our daily lives, we can hopefully move ourselves closer to being better and more effective leaders - be it at work or at play.

The 12 traits are as follows:

1) Rank Unconscious A true leader doesn't merely depend on his rank to get things done. Instead, he knows that leadership means winning the hearts and minds of people, regardless of one's rank or title. One can be a leader across all levels of an organisation so long as one demonstrates the qualities of leadership.

2) Self Sacrificial A true leader looks out for the welfare of her team. She knows that there will often be days where she has to put in extra hours to see to the completion of certain tasks. She also understands that leadership sometimes means going above and beyond the call of duty.

3) Servant-like A true leader doesn't shy away from doing the "dirty work" when push comes to shove. He will happily roll up his sleeves and pitch in on days where his colleagues simply cannot cope with the sheer amount of work needed.

4) Imaginative A true leader needs to have an endless fount of ideas and inspiration. She needs to constantly tap the flow of creativity and innovation, motivate her team to move forward and embrace a seemingly impossible dream.

5) Optimistic A true leader should have twice the dose of optimism and positivity than others. There will be tough days when nothing goes right - criticisms from the bosses, attacks from competitors, or complaints from customers. However, he will still be brimming with enthusiasm, helping to spread happiness to the team. Indeed, a true leader tries his best to see that the glass is half full rather than half empty.

6) Risk Taking A true leader must be the first to cross the chasm of uncertainty. She has to demonstrate courage in pursuing an unknown future, and be willing to decide on a course of action, sticking her neck out in murky situations. While it isn't about being foolhardy, there will be elements of risk that one has to embrace in any leadership situation.

7) Salesmanship A true leader must be a salesperson. He has to convince many people that the preferred option is worth pursuing - bosses, shareholders, customers, and colleagues. Often, this requires him to be highly savvy in the art of inter-personal communication, negotiation, and sales.

8) Resilient A true leader has far thicker skin than the average person in the organisation. She is able to withstand hardships and difficulties along the bumpy road to success, and is able to stare failure squarely in the face without wincing. The mantra "if at first you don't succeed..." is emblazoned on her chest (OK, maybe tattooed on her forehead).

9) Energetic A true leader is like a Duracell bunny, able to persevere for long durations to see a project through. With a dogged determination, he taps onto seemingly endless supplies of energy and can motivate the rest of the crew even when things seem dreary.

10) Relational A true leader has a deep liking (some may even say love) for people. She feels deeply for her bosses, colleagues, customers and other stakeholders and displays deep empathy. Often working with and through people, she knows that true power lies not in one's authority but the strength of one's relationships.

11) Gives Credit A true leader doesn't hoard the limelight for himself. Instead, he knows that much of his success is attributed to the combined efforts of his team. Pushing his colleagues to the limelight, he prefers to work quietly in the background, influencing them to do their best work.

12) Accepts Blame Finally, a true leader is able to accept responsibility for failures. She doesn't point the finger at anyone but herself, and treats each setback as a learning opportunity first for herself and then her team. Indeed, a true leader looks out for her people and ensures that she's "got their backs covered".

Are there other qualities which a true leader should possess and demonstrate? Meanwhile, as an added "bonus", do check out some of the differences between a boss and a leader below:

A boss isn't necessarily a leader (courtesy of Forbes)

What other qualities should a true leader have? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments box below.

Inspiring Young Hearts Through Music

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:40:00 +0000

Courtesy of Sarah Cheng-De Winne

Calling youths and young adults aged 18 to 25! Singer-songwriter Sarah Cheng-De Winne wants to inspire you with her music.

Winner of the US-based 12th Independent Music Awards and former 938LIVE Radio DJ, Sarah is currently producing her fourth recording project. Titled CANDLE, the bilingual extended play album showcases her luxuriantly soulful vocals in a blend of original soul-pop tunes with electro-retro influences and harmonies.

Sarah Cheng-De Winne teaming up with Nathan Hartono

The album will have a mix of songs in Mandarin (Ai De En Dian, Wo Xu Yao Ni), English (Higher, Quiet Place), as well as both (Candle, To Where You Are). It was produced with the help of arranger Adam Lee (Tanya Chua, Stefanie Sun), Taiwanese vocal producer Mah Yu Fen (producer for A-mei’s hit, Ting Hai), and Chinese lyric powerhouse Zhang Si’er (JJ Lin, Harlem Yu).

Mandarin music video "Te Bie De Ren"

To bring these songs to life through recordings and videos, Sarah and her team is seeking to raise at least US$20,000 through Indiegogo’s online crowdfunding platform. To date, she has successful raised US$8,675, with about a month to go. Like other independent artistes, Sarah shares her passion in music through various social media platforms: website and blog, Facebook, YouTube, SoundCloud, Twitter and Instagram.

What I found especially unique about Sarah is her gutsy "can-do" attitude and resilience while undergoing major convulsing changes in life. A teenage mother who managed to overcome the odds and raise a loving young family with her husband Mark, Sarah also survived a near-death car accident during the production of her previous album Brand New in 2012. Through her music and life story, she hopes to inspire Asian youths to "hope for the future" and "press on in the face of life's challenges".

Quoting Sarah:

“It takes changemakers to create new changemakers. We can inspire the next generation of youths to live their dreams with positive, soulful music. You can be a changemaker too. Together, we'll create uniquely bilingual music to impact youths in Singapore, Taiwan, China and all across Asia.”

Imagine surviving this? (courtesy of Sarah Cheng-De Winne)

Join me now as I interviewed Sarah on her professional and personal journey.

1) How has your journey as a recording artiste, performer and singer-songwriter been like thus far?

It's been a journey full of surprises, but despite the difficulties involved, I must say that I am blessed to have the chance to use music to make a difference. Every time I face a challenge, I give thanks instead for the amazing opportunities that I have already been given, and look ahead to how I can continue to make more music and give more than what I've been given.

2) What prompted you to start this Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign?

I was inspired by how a few other Singaporean artists have successfully raised USD10,000 or more for their album recording or video projects. They include Inch Chua, Bevlyn Khoo, Sam Willows, Monster Cat and Alarice. I was also intrigued by how former major label artists have turned to crowdfunding as a way to sustainably create new music for fans.

Having said that, my aims with the Indiegogo campaign have evolved since the launch. I am no longer so concerned with the actual funds garnered, as opposed to what I'm learning through this crowdfunding exercise. What it means to create a vision that can be shared by many, and to inspire others to make music and dream together. It's really been a huge eye-opener and I'm grateful for the support I've received - and continue to - on a daily basis.

3) Can you describe the inspiration behind the various songs in the album?

The title of the album, CANDLE, refers to the overall theme of light. Light has been a significant metaphor to me, because in the last couple of years, I have been through some intense moments including surviving a major car accident, and my dream is to bring hope to others through my songs.

One of the songs Ai De En Dian talks about how my grandmother's love has been a light for my life, no matter how far apart I am from her. Another song, To Where You Are, talks about the desire to really love someone and be close to them despite the distance. This was partially inspired by my own long-distance relationship with my husband, who was away for almost a year doing his masters during the time I wrote the song.

4) Who are the heroes in your life? What made them so special and significant?

Major heroes... wow too many to count!

But firstly, it would be my parents - who always see me through difficult times and love me despite my mistakes. Also my husband Mark De Winne, who has been critical in giving me constructive feedback on my songs even before I take them to the producers... and designing most of my publicity collaterals! Many friends, just like you, Walter, who have been supporting my vision through spreading the word about the Indiegogo campaign, and given moral and practical support over the years. Last but definitely not least, God, in whom I put my ultimate hope and trust!

5) What is your long-term goal and vision? Where do you hope to see yourself in the future and what "dent in the Universe" do you hope to achieve?

My vision is to bring Singaporean music to the global stage, be it the global Chinese music market, or even to the international English market. That may not mean my own music - but maybe to pave the way for other musicians after me to succeed on a global scale. While the deepest desire of my heart is to use my music and voice to inspire as many people as possible, I'm learning to be content with what I have been given, and be faithful in the small things first.

I'm also learning that it is no use to have all the success in the world if I don't have love in my life. I would like to leave a legacy through the way I live my life, rather than what I live life as. I hope to at least have made a deep impact to a few close friends whom I am able to support through their most difficult times. Of course, music will always be close to my heart, but I hope never to forget the importance of building deep and long-lasting relationships.

5) Are there any takeaways which you wish to share with other aspiring artistes?

Actually, I am planning to hopefully mentor other aspiring artistes in the year 2015!

One key thing I would like to share is: finding your voice will take time, so be patient with yourself. Also, learning new things and improving yourself is key, so continually improve your skills as a musician and songwriter as much as you can.

Finally, stay humble. That's sometimes difficult when small successes come your way. But that's the real test of your character - how do you react when you are praised? One way is to always keep in mind that being an artiste is never a solo journey. We are surrounded by musicians, sound engineers, graphic designers, videographers, arrangers, publicists.. the list goes on. Personally, I would be nothing without their contributions and talent! :)

CANDLE will be released digitally on iTunes (streaming services to follow within a month of release) with a series of 3 music videos released through YouTube, and limited edition CDs. It is targeted to be launched in Dec 2014.

Contribute to Sarah's Indiegogo campaign and find out more about her album CANDLE here.

Contribute USD20 and attend Sarah's live concert! Details here.

Retiring in Singapore - How Much Do You Really Need?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 15:10:00 +0000

PM Lee at National Day Rally 2014 (courtesy of Prime Minister's Office)

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent National Day Rally speech got me thinking about the challenges of planning for one's retirement. Are Singaporeans aware of how much funds they need to retire comfortably? Do they know what their true retirement living costs will be?

I like how PM illustrated the case of a fictitious 54 year old senior technician named Mr Tan, and how his estimated living costs of $2,000 per month could possibly be met. Through the example given, PM showed that a CPF Minimum Sum of $155,000 - to be adjusted to $161,000 next year - isn't an unreasonable amount to be considered in one's Retirement Account (RA). In fact it can only cater to a very basic lifestyle and is probably insufficient for those who retire earlier (at say 55 rather than 65 years of age).

For those who aren't aware, the first $40,000 parked into your RA (which is derived from your Special and Medisave Accounts) and first $20,000 parked into your Ordinary Account (OA) yields an additional 1% annual interest (ie 5% for RA and 3.5% for OA). The remaining sum in the RA yields a 4% interest per annum while the remaining funds in the OA yields a 2.5% annual interest. The Minimum Sum - whatever the quantum - is also the maximum amount that you can top up into the RA either from the Ordinary Account or as cash.

Net Assets, Savings and Investments

Simply put, there are three things to note in determining how well prepared you are for your retirement:

1) How much you already have. In other words, your net assets. While one's home is theoretically an asset that can be sold, reverse mortgaged or used for a Lease Buyback scheme (HDB four-room or three-room flats), doing so ought to be a last resort.

2) How much you can save. In other words, what is left from your monthly and annual income after deducting all your expenses.

3) The investment returns you are getting from your assets. This may differ significantly, depending on the risks/rewards of the options (these are usually proportional), the loans you take for the investments, the financial stability and security of the organisations you invest with, and the time duration/ maturity dates of the investments.

The first and perhaps most important hurdle in retirement planning is budgeting. Surprisingly, many of us are skilled in planning and managing our budgets at work, yet fail to apply the same discipline and diligence in our personal finances. Without understanding what your spending patterns are like, it will be impossible to plan for your retirement in the future.

Projected Retirement Budget - Comfortable Scenario

How much would a retiree truly need? Well, this varies significantly.

Let us imagine another hypothetical 54 year old, whom we call Mr Yeo, who hopes to retire next year when he hits 55. If he is fairly healthy, lives comfortably, drives, and has no outstanding home or vehicle loans, his projected living costs may look like this:

Car - $1,500 to $2,000 per month (for a modest Japanese sedan and includes vehicle loan payments, Road Tax, parking, ERP, fuel, insurance, repairs, and other costs). See Money Smart's article here for the estimate.
Restaurant/Cafe - $600 per month (assuming 20 meals/drinks of about $30 each per month at restaurants, cafes, and bars)
Groceries - $300 per month (this is for all home-cooked meals)
Telco, Utilities and Conservancy Fees - $150 to $200 per month (broad band, mobile, electricity, water, conservancy fees)
Clothes and Accessories Shopping - $300 per month
Domestic Helper - $700 to $800 per month (includes levy and other living and sundry expenses like food, etc).
Healthcare and Medical - approx $80 to $100 per month (supplements, visits to GP, medicine, Chinese herbs, etc).
Personal Grooming - $50 to $100 per month (hair, facial, toiletries, creams etc)
Holiday Expenses - $500 per month (assuming $6,000 per year for one long haul trip of about $4,000, two short haul trips of about $1,000 each)
Gifts and Donations - $200 per month (assuming about $2,400 per year for Christmas/CNY/Hari Raya/Deepavali gifts, donations to charities, and offerings to religious institutions)

This works out to an estimated monthly budget of approximately $4,750 or so, excluding other miscellaneous expenses. If we assume that Mr Yeo lives till an average age of 85 years (Singapore's life expectancy), the total amount needed could look like this:

Annual expenses (first year): $57,000
Expenses over 30 years: approx $1.71 million

Hang on a minute. We forgot to add something very important. Inflation!

If we assume a modest annual inflation rate of 1.8% (based on Singapore's historical inflation rate of 1.83% over the past 30 years), the total would look like this:

Annual expenses (first year): $57,000
Expenses over 30 years (incl 1.8% annual inflation): approx $2.36 million

If we are talking about a retired couple (who share the car and domestic helper), their cumulative expenses over 30 years could easily rise to $3.5 million or more! Bear in mind that while comfortable, the projections above are still fairly conservative. Mr Yeo's vehicle expenses are based on a Corolla Altis and not a Mercedes, and his restaurant bills are on the low side.

Projected Retirement Budget - Spartan Scenario

Of course, one always has the option of further scaling down one's expenses. Based on the above scenario, it is possible to drastically trim one's monthly expenses by about 70% to approx $1,400 if the following adjustments are made:

- Travel by bus or MRT (-$1,650 based on the same Money Smart article here)
- DIY without a maid (-$750)
- Substitute 20 restaurant meals with hawker meals (-$480)
- Omit all holidays and explore Singapore (-$500)

Using the same assumptions (1.8% inflation, 30 years lifespan post retirement), the total amounts needed would then be very different:

Annual expenses (first year): $1,400 x 12 = $16,800
Expenses over 30 years (incl 1.8% annual inflation): approx $700,000

For a retired couple, this works out to about $1.4 million or so, which is two and a half times lower than the earlier "comfortable scenario". While this looks a lot more feasible for most Singaporeans to attain, it does entail some sacrifice in the life quality of one's golden years.

Questions to Ask Ourselves

You can see from the two scenarios above that owning a vehicle is a very expensive option. While I have budgeted $600 a month for restaurant meals in the first scenario, this amount is unlikely to be enough for retirees who wine and dine often. Finally, not all retirees need a maid. However, those in their mid 70s and above are quite likely to need extra help as their mobility and health decreases.

With the above scenarios in mind, it may be useful to ask ourselves the following questions:

Have we saved enough for our golden years, bearing in mind that we may live another two to three decades after we stop work?
Can we realistically scale down our expectations when we hit our retirement age? Don't forget that you will have a lot more free time to shop, dine out and travel! :)
Will our funds generate sufficient returns to cater to our retirement living expenses?
Do we want to bequeath anything to our children or grandchildren? While we can theoretically do lease buyback on our HDB flat to get some cash, doing so may mean that our descendents will not have the immediate assurance of inheriting a roof over their heads.

If you haven't already done so, I'd strongly recommend you to work out how much you are spending on a monthly and annual basis. Get a handle on the sums you need for your lifestyle, see how it all adds up, and determine if you have sufficient funds set aside for retirement.

For my next post, I will share my thoughts on getting a better grip on the different investment options available, as well as managing your portfolio.

Disclaimer: The above information are provided purely for illustrative purposes and do not constitute professional financial or investment advice.

Offensive and Defensive PR

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 13:22:00 +0000

When you're under attack like the Spartans, you need to close ranks (source of image)

Is Public Relations (PR) always about "sugar and spice and everything nice"? Are there situations where you have to close ranks and fight to defend your turf?

While the social age has heralded a more open culture of sharing and trust, publicists still need to be circumspect in the way they communicate. Here we can take the cue from the Bible, which states in 1 Corinthians 10:23 that...

"Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive.

Should PR folks keep secrets close to our chest or should we reveal all and sundry? How do we know when to blab and when to button down?

The answer lies in context. Using the metaphor of war, we need to understand if the situation calls for an offensive or a defensive mode of PR.

Let me go through each in turn.

Going on the Offensive

Like a striker in a football field or a forward in a basketball court, the goal here is to score. In the offensive mode, PR folks become proactive publicists, spinning stories and pitching them to the media - mainstream, social or citizen.

Here, the communications environment is often benign. Your organisation and its brands have consistently performed well, achieved positive breakthroughs, won industry awards, or gained the love and affection of your communities. Customers are happy, shareholders are celebratory, and your CEO just wants to throw a big party.

Offensive PR is about finding ways to diversify and spread your influence. You want to trigger off as many positive and varied news stories as possible in multiple media outlets.

In this scenario, you should brainstorm over possible news angles targeted at specific media outlets. Create PR stunts and events that stir the imagination and generate headlines. Develop exclusives like sneak previews, behind-the-scenes, chairman/CEO interviews, or "how-it-was-made"s. Allow as many of credible spokespersons (specialist employees, customers, board members) to share the "good news" as possible.

You would also want to create as many photo and video opportunities as possible. Curate and choreograph your events to achieve "virality" and "share-ability". Spread the word in your own digital platforms - websites, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, YouTube channels - and encourage your fans and advocates to do so.

Finally, work with your marketing colleagues to organise contests, interactive games and promotions to blow it all up - the bigger and louder, the better.

Defending Your Reputation

Unfortunately, the halcyon days of parties and pizzas don't last forever. There will be times when things just screw up - a factory goes up in flames, workers go on strike, or a customer injured himself seriously at your premises. Or perhaps a potentially sensitive bit of information has been leaked to the media.

When the sh*t hits the fan, the goal of defensive PR is to converge as much as possible. In other words, battle down the hatches, close the doors and windows, and ensure that information is controlled and managed tightly.

Here, the 3 Cs of clarity, coherence and consistency is key. Also, aim for a single source of official information - preferably the most senior guy around (Chairman or CEO) - and keep him or her as the key spokesperson. In the absence of the head honcho, the VP or Director of PR could take his place.

If the news event is a disaster which is still "live" (eg an ongoing fire or a missing ship and plane), you need to provide regular and frequent updates on all your online and offline channels. When a significant milestone has occurred (eg bodies are found or a culprit is nabbed), call for a news conference fronted by your CEO or Chairman to clear the air.

Should the event be more embarrassing than life threatening (eg a senior executive has committed fraud), your role as a publicist is to limit any "collateral damage". The more specific information you can provide on the case (without giving away sensitive data), the sooner you're able to abdicate yourself in the court of public opinion.

The key thing here is for you to influence and gain control over the conversation as much as possible. Be the first to break the news. Divert all public queries, uncertainties, and rage back to your official platforms.

The more you're seen as a trusted and reliable source of information in bad times, the more confidence you're able to instil in your customers and members of the public.

What has your experience with offensive and defensive PR been like?

Singapore Blog Awards Rides Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 12:29:00 +0000

Congratulations to all the winners of the Singapore Blog Awards 2014!

Adopting an equine theme (2014 being the Year of the Wooden Horse), this year's Singapore Blog Awards - the seventh in the series - crowned a total of 14 winners. Organised by the tireless team from Singapore Press Holding's Omy.sg led by Ms Lee Kuan Fung (Head, Chinese Newspapers Digital Strategy, SPH), the awards helped build the careers of numerous social media stars over the years. Many have gone on to become long-time friends and buddies.

Officiated by Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Education, the awards this year was held at The Ground Theatre at *SCAPE in Orchard. Other than the prize presentation itself, attendees were treated to a rousing dance performance as well as a "best dressed" competition.

Expanding beyond blogs to include other social platforms, award categories this year include familiar favourites like Best Family, Food, Fashion, Travel and Photography Blogs, as well as newer categories like Favourite Celebrity Instagram Account, Favourite Twitter Influencer, Favourite YouTube Influencer and Best Topical Blog.

(I wonder if we will have a Favourite Facebook or Pinterest Influencer in the future? May be worth considering, especially since these platforms are gaining huge traction online.)

Here are some highlights of the ceremony for those who have missed it.

MOS Sim Ann encouraged the crowd of social media influencers to adopt positive practices and help to build the blogging community in Singapore.

Names of the 10 finalists for each category were flashed on the screen like so. Here's Yvonne and her Playground, a nominee for the Best Beauty Blog.

The top three winners of the Best Beauty Blog - Cheryl Chio, Jean Gan and Jessie Ting.

A representative from the winner of the Favourite Twitter Influencer, Spin or Bin Music, with Kuan Fung of SPH. These guys really know the music scene!

Crowd favourite Ninja Girls won the Favourite YouTube Channel. These "kawaii" ladies are always dressed to kill (and to the theme too).

More heart racing action came from these talented performers doing a rousing can-can dance to the famous tunes of Orpheus in the Underworld (Orphée aux enfers) by Jacques Offenbach.

Joining in the fun later was lifestyle blogger finalist Smith Leong horsing in his unicorn costume with the Ninja Girls. The verdict of the performance? No horse run!

Next, we have the editors'/judges' choices. The first winner was Mama J (Mum in the Making) for the Best Family blog category.

Up next was the winner of the Best Fashion blog, Regina Chow of Shopping Queen's Haven. Interestingly, Ms Sim Ann was her classmate in a Chinese translation course which they took together. Small world indeed!

Following thereafter is the inspirational Tony Johor Kaki of Johor Kaki Food and Travel Stories. I love how he chooses not to blog about negative food experiences, preferring instead to focus on building the community of F&B operators. A retiree, he also shows that one can be a blogging star at any age!

Next, we have 女飞侠, winner of the Best Individual blog.

This was followed by crowd favourite Smith Leong of Smith's Blog. Magically dressed in a unicorn's costume, Smith was also well known for having an endearing pre-wedding photo shoot with his wife in an supermarket.

Winner of the Best New blog Travelled Paths (Stories for the Adventurous Soul) came next. I admire how these guys try to trace and trek all the off-beaten paths in Singapore and beyond.

Thereafter, we have the winner of the Best Photography Blog affectionately named 龟头.

Following that, we have the winner of the Best Topical blog, the Team SM from Seriously Man. These guys have some seriously interesting blog posts, like How To Score on Whatsapp and many more.

Finally, we have the winner of the Best Travel blog, Allyoffduty.

Congratulations once again to all the winners above, as well as those from the other categories. For more information on the event, do check out Omy.sg's official photos and coverage here.

See you guys once again next year!

How Small Businesses can Beat Inflation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 23:58:00 +0000

Are we ready to wrestle with inflation? (courtesy of Alexis Foundation)

“Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair.” - Sam Ewing

Inflation. The sheer mention of the word brings forth shudders.

An inevitable fact of urban life, inflationary pressures lead to higher living costs. To match the rising costs of living, wages need to increase. With land becoming increasingly scarce, rental rates continue to climb. Utility charges will also head north as fossil fuels run low.

In tandem with rising labour and fuel costs, transportation and storage charges will similarly increase. Meanwhile, erratic weather patterns and the growing scarcity of natural resources lead to upward spirals in the costs of commodities, raw materials and natural produce.

How then could businesses hedge themselves against the negative effects of inflation?

First, find ways to trim "luxurious" business expenses by adopting the principles of bootstrapping. Consider leasing instead of buying machinery and equipment. Buy second hand if necessary. Or bring from home.

Pool your resources with other small businesses to enjoy economies of scale and greater bargaining power. Leverage on each other's areas of expertise and barter products and services. Undertake joint purchasing, marketing, utility purchases, training and other activities.

Seek ways to share resources in back-of-the-house areas like office spaces, estates and security, admin, human resources, finance, IT and logistics. If feasible, tap on outsourced service providers to run your backroom, IT, administrative or secretarial functions.

Embark on strategic sourcing and procurement practices. Constantly evaluate and re-evaluate your suppliers, and find ways to increase value while reducing costs. This includes considering non-traditional sources of goods and services from emerging markets, buying in bulk, or hedging your purchases for more volatile services.

Forecast demand as accurately as possible so that you can keep inventory costs low. Depending on your nature of business, cater for seasonal peaks and troughs. Consider implementing a Just-In-Time (JIT) system to ensure that stock doesn't build up unnecessarily during low seasons.

Get your customers and suppliers into the act! Reward them if they DIY. For example, offer a good discount if they can pick up the goods themselves (instead of having it delivered).

Reduce your running expenses and overheads by re-using, reducing and recycling. Stretch the lifespan of your office equipment, furniture and stationery. However, do not sting so much that working in your office becomes unbearable or customers end up having negative experiences.

If your business is energy intensive, find ways to incorporate "green" technologies into your building design. These can be anything from air-con chiller systems that recycle heat or save water to tinted glass windows that reduce the greenhouse effect.

Finally, adjust your prices, but be mindful of how your customers will feel. If possible, introduce sweeteners to cushion the impact of higher prices. An example would be throwing in low cost but high value items into your package of products or services.

Are there other ways to beat the inflation blues? Share your thoughts in the box below.

The Power of Empathy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 14:44:00 +0000

Have you wondered why...

a) People aren't talking about your products - online or offline?

b) Nobody's interested in your marketing messages?

c) Customer's aren't beating a path to your door?

d) Your employees are making a hasty exit?

e) Shareholders are pulling out their funds?

f) All of the crap above are happening- at the same time?

What on Earth could have gone wrong? After all, you have invested in the latest technologies available, hired the best talents money can buy, and worked with the greatest creative brains this side of the planet.

Why aren't they enchanted by the scintillating brilliance of your brand?

Well, let's shift our perspectives a little. Instead of focusing on what we feel, let us don the cloak of empathy and anticipate the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of our stakeholders.

Imagine that you are your own brand's potential customers. Throw away all preconceptions or bias which you may have about your brand. Then ask yourself a series of questions.

How would you react if you came across this piece of advertising? Is it relevant to you? Does it interrupt and disturb you? Can you understand what its trying to say (in 5 seconds or less)?

What about this Facebook update or Tweet? Would this Instagram photo appeal to you? Will it help you to solve a problem or fulfill a latent desire? Does it provide an enticing escape from the mundanity of your life?

Next, envisage how you'd feel when you chance upon this package. Does its look appeal to you? Are you teased by its blend of colours, designs and patterns? What about the words on the cover? Do they mean anything to you? Are you attracted by them?

When you, the imaginary customer of your own product, reach home, open up the box, and use the product, what is the first thing that you would do? Will you tell everybody at home that you've got this cool new thingamajig? Are you going to snap a photo and upload it on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook? Does it make you wanna brag about it to your friends?

The same approach of empathy applies to your employees.

How would you like sitting there and doing that job, Monday to Friday? What challenges would she face? What would be the highlight of her work day? Under what circumstances would her work be "magical"? Similarly, how would you define a "hellish" day?

Naturally, you can also apply the same approach to your funders and investors.

What would you be looking out for when you invest in this company? What would give you confidence in the organisation's future? What are the rewards (beyond a fat payout) you are looking for? How could you help the business to grow? What would motivate you to do so?

Unfortunately, not many of us are gifted in empathy. Often we are so mired in our own selfish little world that we fail to recognise the unspoken needs, wants and desires of others.

Without empathy, marketing becomes a self-serving exercise of finding "targets" to conquer. Without empathy, advertising becomes an endless series of self-trumpeting boasts. Without empathy, sales becomes an act of deceit and psychological manipulation. Without empathy, staff are made to follow rules and regulations without regard to their intelligence, feelings and aspirations.

To strengthen our "empathy quotient", consider how we can live vicariously through the experiences of our stakeholders.

Spend more time with your customers. Eat, live and breathe like them. Engage in casual and undirected chatter. Make it a regular part of your workday. Feel their pain. Experience their pleasure.

If you're a manager, find a way to do the stuff which your staff does. Volunteer to handle the hottest hotline, face the sternest customers, or weather the stormiest investors. Be exemplary in servant leadership, and work alongside your subordinates rather than boss them around.

Similarly, hob nob with your investors and be proactive in engaging them. Treat them like your mentors. If their schedules permit, offer to buy them lunches. Encourage them to share their experiences, worries, dreams and wishes. Nudge them to candidly share what they feel may be weaknesses in your organisation.

Ultimately, the most successful marketers and managers are those who can distill the essence of empathy. By connecting intellectually and emotionally with their stakeholders, they are able to build thriving enterprises which continually meet and exceed those needs.

Are there other ways to strengthen our empathy? I've love to hear your ideas. Meanwhile, let me end with a quote from one of my favourite actresses.

"The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other." - Meryl Streep

Stop Consuming! Start Creating!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 00:07:00 +0000

If Snoopy can do it, so can you! (source of image)

Our greatest enemy isn't sugar, fat or empty calories. Rather, it is the overflowing rivers of content streaming from our handheld devices, laptops and television screens.

Swirling on our smartphones like endless puffs of cotton candy, those pleasurable bits of videos, photos, text, and comics can gobble up hours of our time. Along the way, our attention spans are also torn to shreds.

Who can resist 9GAG's hilarious parody of a beleaguered politician, that YouTube video featuring the cutest cat in the world, breathtaking photos of the world's greatest "whatever", or breaking news that a smarter, thinner and wider phone will debut next year?

By the time we're done scrolling through our feeds, our eyes are shot, our energy drained, and our brains become mush.

Sure, we need to plug into what's new, what's hot and what's trending.

Sure, we need to keep up with what our friends and family members are talking about.

Sure, we need to unwind, relax and chill over some gossip, scandal, and humour.

However, do we need to do it every hour on the hour? And then some?

We need to pause periodically from consuming the addictive digital drugs served 24/7 on our screens. Go for a walk. Clear your mind. Think. Reflect. Ponder.

When the sticky digital webs of social content are removed from your consciousness, whip out your notebook - paper or digital - and start writing or drawing.

Sketch out your ideas and insights. Frame your thoughts and theories. Start with a blog.

Have an eye for photography? Take out your camera (there is one in every smartphone) and shoot. Choose a suitable theme and compose pictures that paint a thousand words. Share your creations on Instagram, Tumblr or Pinterest.

Love to talk and enjoy the sound of your own voice? Invest in a portable recorder with a microphone. Start rolling out your own podcast. Transform your laptop into a recording suite, and produce your own Internet radio show.

Nurse a hidden desire to produce your own TV show? Bring out your video camera, mount it somewhere and create your own vodcast or vlog (video blog). You can sing, dance, recite poetry, teach, or be a YouTube comedian.

"Hang on a minute wise guy! I am not very good at writing, my photos suck, and my videos look like a 6 year old's. Wouldn't my friends laugh at me?"

Well, don't worry. Truly, nobody is going to care that much unless they are already know you.

If what you create is great, it will spread. If what you create isn't that great, it will just sit there. Given the endless avalanche of content, it will soon be long buried and forgotten. Unless of course you are atrociously bad, which honestly isn't that easy.

The thing is this. By focusing on religiously writing, shooting and publishing content, we engage our hearts, minds and wills on creating works of art. Over time, we get better and better at this.

If we deliver high educational or entertainment value, our friends, followers and subscribers will grow. Eventually, we will become known an influencer in our little micro-niche - whatever that may be.

The next time you feel like lounging on your sofa scrolling through Buzzfeed, ask yourself if you can produce that "viral" content instead. Roll up your sleeves, put on your author or director's cap, and create.

The Rise of the New East: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 12:38:00 +0000

Ben Simpfendorfer of Silk Road Associates

Are China and India still the "factory" and "outsourced service provider" of the world? How big is the market for Muslim-friendly products and services? What are the promises and perils of trading in the East?

In a sweeping expose on the dynamic forces shaping the "New East", Ben Simpfendorfer's The Rise of the New East provides an in-depth view of how the economic resurgence of Asia and the Middle East are changing global markets. Spanning halfway round the globe - from Turkey to the United Arab Emirates to India, South East Asia and China - the book brings one on a fascinating tour of the complex business characteristics governing our neck of the woods.

Let me highlight some of the book's fascinating themes.

Growth of Middle-Class Consumers

According to the author, over 400 million households in the East earn more than US$15,000 per year. In fact, the region has more than 325 cities of populations larger than 750,000. China alone has 143 cities which meet this size.

To tap this burgeoning market, companies should consider working with local partners who possess a more intimate knowledge of each market. They should also consider launching online B2C or B2B platforms incorporating mobile and social-commerce. This is supported by the East's dispersed and young populations, high mobile penetration rates, growth of 2nd and 3rd tier inner cities (particularly in China), and traffic congestion.

A "China + 1" Strategy

The old paradigm of manufacturing in China and selling in Europe and US is no longer entirely true. Faced with the rising costs of labour, materials and land in Chinese cities, companies are increasingly sourcing from other Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Rising consumer demand in China itself has also led its own manufacturers to favour selling domestically. Through differentiated sourcing, companies can better hedge their risks in the event that the Chinese economy implodes.

Asian Companies Going Global

In an interesting twist, Chinese companies are now buying Western firms. Beyond Lenovo's famous acquisition of IBM's PC business, entertainment conglomerate Dalian Wanda bought American cinema operator AMC Entertainment followed by British yacht builder Sunseeker. The key here is to transfer foreign management expertise and technologies to China while tapping on its huge domestic entertainment market.

By now, many would know that China is expanding aggressively to West Asian and North African countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. Much of its involvement is led by State-firms in heavy infrastructural industries like construction, utilities, and transport. What's interesting though is how this growth has led to new markets for both Chinese and foreign private security companies (to protect sites against attacks), as well as professional service providers like lawyers, lobbyists and publicists.

Rise of Eastern Entertainment

From Bollywood to K-Pop to Indonesia's punk rock, entertainment in the East is increasingly dominated by local acts. However, this varies significantly from market to market. While Hollywood has captured 53% of China's box office in 2012, it only snared 10% of the Indian movie market. This led American entertainment giants like Disney and Viacom to partner Indian companies like UTV and TV18.

An interesting success story can be seen in how Sony Entertainment India worked with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to create the Indian Premier League (IPL). To cater to younger Indian audiences, they shortened the test cricket games to three hours instead of a few days, and incorporated NBA-style cheerleaders.

Harnessing the Huge Halal Market

With 31 majority Muslim countries in the East and a total regional Muslim population of about 1.1 billion, no other ethnic or religious group comes close to the Muslim market. Most Muslim consumers are also younger than those belonging to other religious groups. To market to Muslims, companies could take note of the holy month of the Ramadan, offer halal products, develop shariah-compliant Islamic financial services, or create mobile apps.

A key point to note here is that developing halal products doesn't limit a company from cross-selling to non-Muslims. In fact, many Chinese consumers associate halal with purity. A case in point is Malaysia, where ethnic Chinese account for 40% of shariah-compliant investment product sales, or China where halal food products are viewed to be safer than non-halal equivalents.

Logistics - Challenges and Opportunities

Traditionally, Asian coastal cities have ruled shipping trade. 15 of the world's top 20 container ports - including Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai - are found in Asia. With consumer demand booming in inland Asian cities, however, road, rail and air transport networks will take on greater prominence over sea transport. While China's highways and rail networks have facilitated efficient domestic logistics, gridlock is a major problem in most Asian cities.

To exploit this opportunity, the author suggests that greater emphasis could be placed on improving cross-border connectivity. Beneficiaries include ASEAN mainland cities like Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Asian economies may also want to consider how freight networks and warehouses could be structured to facilitate e-commerce.

While doing so, however, special attention must be placed on catering for natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, and mudslides. With the Pacific Ring of Fire encircling our region, the chances of catastrophes occurring here are somewhat higher than other parts of the world.

Coping with Resource Shortages

While it is blessed with a booming market, the East is unfortunately ridden with resource shortages. Consider water - the source of life. America and Europe have a median 12,800 and 7,500 cubic yards of water per person compared to the East's median 3,700 cubic yards. Energy is also a pressing issue. With coal-fired power accounting for 77% of China's power generation, widespread air pollution and coal mining disasters have besieged the Middle Kingdom.

Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Here, the East could leverage on the technologies and management expertise of the West in harnessing clean energy, increasing efficiency, and recycling limited resources. A case in point is how Hong Kong incorporated dual plumbing (plastic pipes for saltwater to flush toilets and ceramic pipes for clean water) for its buildings, thereby reducing its water footprint.

A Market of Diversity and Complexity

Tackling the cultural and geographical idiosyncrasies of the wide and varied regions in the East, The Rise of the New East is a compelling read for anybody keen to understand Asia's contemporary business dynamics. Unlike Western authors who may Simpfendorfer certainly writes with a deep understanding and knowledge of the intricacies of trading in the East. Wide ranging and broad in its scope, the book provides an entertaining and enlightening read.

Towards the end, the author concludes that new mental maps are needed to better understand the complexities and challenges of the region. While the commercial opportunities are growing and varied, one must also take note of the disruptive forces that the region brings.

Contrary to popular belief, the East is also full of diversity and heterogeneity. To navigate these unknown waters, firms should partner with local partners and spending time in each individual market to understand cultural and other nuances. As an Asian with friends and relatives who work in the region, I can certainly attest to this.

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9 Ways to Build Relationships on Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 23:53:00 +0000

Courtesy of Tight Mix Blog

What is the value of your likes, follows, and friends on social networks? Is more necessarily merrier?

Thanks to a recent episode on Michael Stelzner's Social Media Marketing podcast, I was intrigued with the notion of generating a Return On Relationship from Ted Rubin, an experienced social media marketing expert.

Relationships is the new social currency. Nobody buys from somebody they don't like. Often, decisions are made from the heart rather than the head.

In a world flooded with billions of blog posts, Facebook fan pages, LinkedIn profiles, and Twitter accounts, the best way for us to differentiate ourselves is to build strong, authentic relationships with our communities.

There were many great ideas being shared by Ted and I strongly encourage you to listen to the podcast for yourself. The key takeaways I got from the podcast were as follows:

1) It is isn't the sheer numbers of fans or followers which count. Rather, it is the degree of engagement which your fans have with you that count. To up the fan-love, dedicate time and effort to building relationships with your listeners, followers and fans.

2) Being reactive and responsive is a vital first step in sustaining social relationships. When fans leave a comment or posts on your Facebook Timeline, do spend some time responding. Similarly, if a Twitter follower tweets about a topic related to your business, it pays to respond to them directly if possible. You cannot afford to ignore them and hope that they would come back to you.

3) Beyond being reactive, you also need to be proactive when you cultivate online relationships. This means that you need to get out of your Internet ivory towers and visit the Facebook profiles, LinkedIn profiles, and Twitter accounts of your fans/followers. Find out where they come from, what they're interested in, what they do at work, what groups they join, and what their family situations are.

4) Once you know who your fans are, consider personalising your interactions with them. This may include visiting their Facebook profile pages, Twitter accounts, and blogs to leave a message, or responding to their comments in a directly relevant way. For example, if you know that they are a teacher, you could say something about how your kid enjoys school so much because he has great teachers.

5) Go ahead, reveal some personal details about yourself. Share a little about your family life (Ted was upfront in revealing that he was a divorced father of a daughter), what your hobbies are, as well as the country or city where you live. Naturally, you need to fore-go some privacy, but the returns are likely to be worth the disclosure. Here I suppose some common-sense may be useful. For example, I'd avoid mentioning my home address or reveal the license plate of my car.

6) If you frequently speak at conferences, spend time to network with other speakers. While this may mean foregoing attending some of the sessions, it could be rewarding in terms of the relationships strengthened and gained. In any case, you probably already know most of the theoretical stuff anyway!

7) In the words of the legendary Dale Carnegie in his classic book How to Win Friends & Influence People, a "person's name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language." Learn this age-old secret and address your fans by name if possible.

8) Get your brand advocates into the act. In fact, according to Ted, the best advocates you can have for your business are your employees. While this may not be possible in all organisations, you should endeavour to get as many of them to be your relationship marketers as possible. I believe the same principles then apply - showing an interest in your staff, encouraging them to express themselves, and connecting with them on a more personal level.

9) Finally, the best way to build relationships is to organise face to face gatherings. Nothing beats seeing your fans in real life (IRL) and to "press the flesh" with a handshake. If you've revealed enough about yourself and done sufficient homework on your fans, you would have lots of stuff to talk about despite meeting each other for the first time.

Beyond the above, what else can we do to strengthen the quality of our engagements with fans, followers and friends on social networks? I'd love to hear your thoughts!