fruitrophillies

 It's JUNE! Whee... What better way to welcome the month of June than with a birthday celebration? :D 

I received countless of wishes on SMS, Facebook, MSN, Twitter and the like. So thanks to all who wished me. *hugs*

My birthday celebration this year was simple and sweet. On Sunday (May 30th), my prince and I headed to Westin Hotel for their Dim Sum Buffet brunch. We looked at the menu for 10 minutes and gave up because we've never had to order dim sum from a menu before. Usually we'll just take whatever we want to eat from the tray that goes from table to table without knowing the name of the dishes. Seeing that we were rather jakun, the waiter offered to bring a bit of everything for us to try. The food looked good and tasted great. We couldn't stop taking pictures and the head chef soon noticed our antics. Surprisingly, he came over to chat about cameras, and how he loves taking photos of food, which in turn made his boss really happy because he can cook the food AND shoot the photos for the menu. Cost-cutting indeed. 

After stuffing ourselves, we headed across the road to Pavilion to jalan-jalan a bit before going to Bangsar Shopping Center to meet Mary and the gang. We arrived at Coffee Bean around 2pm at chilled til about 6pm. It was great fun meeting up,talking crap and making a mess of the table. Haha. Made me miss uni terribly! Our yum cha session ended with a plan for a road trip in July. All in all, a very fruitful meet-up. :)

We got home and soon it was time for dinner with my family. (Yes, as you can see, the whole day was just about sitting and eating) We wanted try out the relatively new seafood restaurant nearby but it was packed like nobody's business. (Well, technically it's their business) There was also a wedding dinner going on upstairs. We stood around for about 5 minutes and no one entertained us so we left. It started to rain so we decided to go to our usual 'peng-leng-jeng' (Cheap, nice, tasty) restaurant - Tian Tian Lai (Every Day Come). Although it wasn't a glam place, I was really happy, simply because I was having dinner with my family - something that doesn't happen often. 

The next day (1st June) was my birthday! Yay! But it was also a Monday. Boo. Had to leave extra early to make it for our weekly Monday meeting. Stepped into the conference room and was greeted by a chorus of HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Thanks peeps. I know it's not easy being cheery and perky on a Monday morning. Got some birthday gifts and had lunch with the creative peeps at Decanter. It was also a fellow colleagues birthday that day, so it was a fitting double celebration.

Went home relatively early. Stepped into my room and found my earring box on my desk instead of my dresser. Puzzled, I turned to look at the dresser only to find an earring tree in its place. I've always wanted an earring holder and my prince remembered. :) He had hung all my earrings on the tree too! There was also a blueberry cheese cake waiting for me, my fav. 

So was it a happy birthday? 

YES. 
  

 

 

It would probably win Grand Prix.

Why?

Reason #1
Everyone could relate to it. The idea was simple: Sing a great song and sing it well.

Reason #2
There was a twist. No one expected her to sing so incredibly, but she got almost everyone on their feet by the end of the performance.

But most of all...

Reason #3
The response was overwhelming.
- 26 million vuews on YouTube alone.
- Press coverage from Australia to United States.
- News reports and interviews from major TV networks like CNN, CBS and BBC.
- Millions tweet-ed about her on Twitter (including Ashton Kutcher and wife Demi Moore)
- Appeared on the Larry King show. (And apparently, Oprah has invited here to be on her show as well)
- 34,000 blog search results on Google.
- 3 million search results on Google.
- Thousands of fans in Facebook.
- A wiki entry!
- A fan site!

And all that in less than a week. I think she's more popular than Earth Hour by now.

Personally, I'm just so inspired by her performance, and her optimistic view on life. She's so genuine... something that's rare in today's world, especially in the advertising industry.

And she has made me realise, that if she can live her dream, so can I.

Susan Boyle, I wish you all the best. And don't let Simon Cowell boss you around when he signs you up!

Every year, BBDO/Proximity Malaysia sends a few people to Adfest. However, due to the tough economic situation, our company has decided to break that tradition. So, I actually contemplated paying for my own airfare there, and somehow, try to sneak into the festival. :P But due to my own tight budget, I've decided that I wouldn't be able to attend Adfest after all, which is quite sad, coz I've been hoping to go for it since last year.

Then just one week before Adfest, my boss tells me that I'm going to Adfest! This decision was based on our regional creative awards. Teams who win best of category get to go to Adfest, courtesy of BBDO Asia Pacific! I was shocked... and happy... so happy that I couldn't sleep the night before take off.
















Adfest was a real eye-opener. Seeing the quality of work submitted, I now understand why we have to rethink our ideas again and again. The standards are impossibly high, and your work must really stand out from the sea of entries in order to win. It has to be cutting edge.

I learnt a lot about advertising in Adfest. But most of all, I learnt a lot about myself.
















I learnt that I need to be able to talk to strangers better.
I learnt that I need to be more proactive.
I learnt that I need exercise.
I learnt that I'm really lucky to get this opportunity.
I learnt that I'm a long way behind many of the world's greatest creatives.
I learnt that I can do more if I believe in myself.
I also learnt that I would like to go for Adfest 2010...

My trip cost BBDO Asia Pacific about RM4500 (Flight + 3N accomodation + delegate fee).
And all I paid was RM45 for a 90min Thai massage.

I think the true payment lies in the amount of awards I can win for the coming year.

It will be tough, but for the sake of Adfest 2010, I will try my very best.

Yesterday, I found out what you can do in 6 hours:

You can miss a farewell party for 2 colleagues.
You can think of many possible campaign names and not end up with a single definitive name.
You can eat 1 maggi cup, 5 pieces of nuggets, 3 strings of fries and 1 cup of nestum for dinner.
You can listen to people talk about random things til 4am.
You can miss out on a lovely home-cooked meal.
And, you can put up with all this because you know that single idea is bigger than anything you've ever thought of.

Heads up: This post has nothing to do with the subject of this post.

I don't know why...
But I just don't have the urge to blog anymore.
And, I've also lost interest in shopping. Even if I like something, and it's only RM20, I will think really hard before buying it. If I don't absolutely need it, I will not buy it, even though I absolutely like it a lot.

But the good thing is... I've started reading again. And it made me realise how much I miss the feeling of reading.
That feeling of taking a journey without leaving the house.
That feeling of getting to know different characters without having to talk to them.
That feeling of seeing the world in a different light at the end of a story.
That feeling of being in an invisible realm with words that speak to the heart and teachings that stimulate the mind.
That feeling of accomplishment having read a book from cover to cover in one sitting.

It's time to set aside reading sessions for myself.

I can't believe it's December already. And as the year comes to an end, I can't help but wonder about how next year would be like. Would it be just like this year, or will there be greater challenges ahead. Of course there's the economy gloom and also the lame ass state of the country. But would I be able to change things that are actually in my control?

Well, I "dug" up my first entry of the year. I wrote about a wish list for 2008. Let's see if I've fulfilled any.

To work more efficiently so that I can go home earlier.
This happens on certain days, but mostly, it's the unpredictable nature of advertising that makes this a lost cause. Haha.

To write an award-winning radio ad.
Well, I made a step in the right direction. Submitted a radio campaign for Olympus and a single piece for Pepsi in this year's Kancil. Didn't make the cut, but the dream continues for 2010.

To be more assertive.
Hm, not quite sure how do I measure this.

To know when to argue, and when to give in.
Also, no idea how to determine if I've done this.

To pay more attention to details.
Ok la, this one got progress.

To avoid eating late/ eating fast food.
Been eating oats and salad. Also brought food from home for dinner. So, yay!

To keep in touch with my friends.
Haha, I'll let my friends be the judge for this. I'm trying! I'm trying!

To be more patient when dealing with my parents.
Doing good here.

To divide my time equally for my darling, my family, my friends, work and myself.
Tough. But managed to do so. Need to take leave throughout the year to do this better.

To make myself heard.
I think I'm 3dBs louder now.

To keep my dreams alive and make them happen.
World Youth Day in Spain, here I come!

To be thankful for what I have.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

To do my part in making life better for someone else.
Hmmm...

And to always look on the bright side of life.
Somehow, this was really tough to do.


Overall, I think I've done well work-wise. So far I've been part 2 very successful brand plan presentations of which I was project leader for one. It was massive one too - a 5 campaign brand plan. Things like that may not win me a Gold Lion or a Black Pencil, but they help me grow into a well-rounded creative person. I wouldn't want to be a creative who can only think of award-winning ideas. I want to be a creative who can make the most out of a tiny budget. A creative who can present well, who can manage a team, who can identify what works and what doesn't, to know a good strat from a bad one, even a creative who understands media terms like YOY, YTD, SOW and SOS. 

I've also had a great time at the Kancils and DMAM Awards. Got Silvers, Bronzes and Merits. And although I'm officially not eligible for the Young Creative Award anymore, there's still Young Guns. :)  And, I'm also hoping to go for Adfest next year. It would be my first "offshore" award show experience. 

So if I were to write a wish list for next year, it would probably go something like this.

- Write an award-winning radio ad.
- Win an international award.
- Rekindle my love affair with photography.
- Manage tai chi masters better.
- Perfect my salsa spinning techniques.
- Try to save more money.
- Try to earn more money.
- Spend more time with my family, friends and prince.
- Play more Wii.
- Find time to volunteer.
- Find time to go on a retreat.
- Find time to talk to God.

And, it may be tough, but I still want to try and look on the bright side of life.


 

It's 3am, and I just got home from the office. Showered, and I'm now working again from home. And despite of the mountain of work I have to do, I'm sitting here blogging and wondering "Did I or did I not?"

1.Did I do the best I could... or not?
2.Did I do all that I could have done... or not?
3.Did I let people down... did I let myself down... or not?

I know I will do better next time. And I'll remember not to be so kind.

For now, I'll just refuse to put myself down over just one thing. Because I've been fabulous on so many other things.

So, I'll get back to work and remind myself that:

1.Yes, I did.
2.Yes, I did.
3.No, I did not.

It was a painful day. But I will bounce back as a stronger and wiser person.

And to my dear sister: Happy 10th Birthday.

Kekeke... Been 3 months since my last update.
There's nothing funny about this state of neglect, except that I don't know if it is because of laziness or busyness. It's probably a combination of both.



Anyway, ever since I moved to Proximity, I've been able to go home slightly earlier than when I was at BBDO. And I think the reason for this is because I no longer have to go to the audio house or post-production house. Being out of the office has its perks, but the feeling of dread that greets me when I return to office at 6pm and finding new briefs on my desk is something I do not miss. Writing for DM and the web is definitely different from writing for press, TV and radio... a writing style that I'm still getting used to.

Another highlight of the past 3 months would be the ICI Dulux Workout that was held in Singapore on Sept 18-19. It was a great experience meeting the regional creatives from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. I do hope I can go for more of these workouts in future. And hopefully, it will be in a more exotic location... like Barbados... or Romania... Hehe.

The Kancil deadline is only a week away. And to be honest, although there is still much to be done, I can't wait for 10 Oct to arrive. Sigh. Maybe the pre-submission stress is getting to me. I think I have about the same number of entries this year as compared to last year. However I have entries in categories I did not have last year, so we shall see how that turns out. I will definitely not win the Rebel Idea again, but I do hope to win something in the Radio category, seeing that it is one of the toughest mediums to write for.

Oh, and my brother came back for a 2 week visit, and left for Vietnam again today. It's funny how I never really felt sad that he isn't around. OR missed him. But during those 2 weeks that he was back, I realised that I do love him very much. Despite the "childhood crimes" he has committed against me, ie hiding my toys, stealing my marbles and mutating my barbie dolls, he is still my one and only brother. Cliche as it may sound, nothing can ever replace family. And I'm thankful for this long Raya break because I can spend some quality time with my family. Yes, it is unthinkable that I live with my parents and sis and yet we do not have time to hang out together. Maybe it is time to make some adjustments to my way of life.

To all my friends who are celebrating Hari Raya, have a good one.

Football? On my blog?

Well, I never thought the day would come that I would blog about football. But then, I've never really played football to begin with... until last Sunday.

My prince and I took part in the Pepsi Longest Dribble record breaking attempt for the Malaysian Book of Records. Our kick off was supposed to be at 6pm at BSC. We were there at about 5.30pm. I was nervous-lah. All sorts of negative thoughts went through my head: "What if I dribble into the next lane?", "What if a car hits the ball and crashes?", "What if I faint halfway?"

Anyway, I ignored all those thoughts and waited for the kick-off. Soon, a bus came to pick us up. We were dropped off as various bus stops along the way. I was dropped off in front of Caltex near Lorong Travers. My prince was dropped off further up near the National Museum. So I stood there, waiting for the ball to come. After about 20 minutes, a group of dribblers arrived, followed by a van. There was also a traffic police to escort the whole group. Coolness!

So I dribbled for 500m I think. And by the time I was done, I couldn't feel my legs. After all, I'm not exactly a very fit person. LOL. We were rewarded with some free Pepsi. And although I don't drink soft drinks that much, I think Pepsi Twist is quite nice.

Anyway, I had lots of fun.

Here are some pics:

The Pepsi Football van:

The goodie bags:

I think my blog is gonna die a slow and unnatural death...well, if it was alive to begin with.

I took a short break last weekend and headed to the unnaturally clean and impeccably safe island of Singapore...which is now a little bigger after they got Pedra Branca. I went there for the Great Singapore Sale which somehow didn't seem so great after all. I bought a pair of super duper highly recommended ultra comfy Geox shoes, 10 pairs of earrings, a bag for my lil sis and a gift for a dear friend. And...that's it! I amazed myself by not buying a single baju. I suppose after 'fasting' from shopping for the past 2 months, I've lost the urge to shop for anything. Well, almost anything...since I bought a Nintendo Wii a few days ago! Whee! Wii! Yippee! Anyway, I'm sharing the Wii with my prince. Got interest free installment. I hate paying installments, but I guess I can bear with it coz it is a Wii after all. So far it's been fun to play. Only started on Wii Sports. My lil sis is good though.

Other than shopping, I paid a visit to the newly opened Peranakan Museum in Singapore. It's worth a visit. Also met up with some buddies. Walked a lot. Chilled with cousin...and that's it. Well, my dear prince and I left a bag of chocos worth SGD80 in the Changi Budget Terminal... wuwuwuw, but at least we remembered our duty free liquor and fragrance. So yea, that was my short holiday.

Some big changes are taking place but I can't say what it is. Just gonna adopt a 'wait and see' attitude.

Been thinking a lot about what I want in life. And I haven't figured it out. I suppose I'll just be thankful for now.

Yay! I've just applied a new theme for my LJ. Nice or not? :P

Had really yummy crabs at Fatty Crab today... which makes me the fatty crab now. Hehe.

Can't wait for my trip to the Red Dot down South for THE GREAT SINGAPORE SALE! I need some retail therapy. I plan NOT to shop until I get there. So please do not ajak me to any malls until then ok? Temptation la...

Currently, I spend more than RM30 a month on my phone bill simply because I've switched to Maxis Postpaid.

So for the past few months, I've been trying my very best to make the most of my package. Yes, it is hard to believe that one has to work hard to spend more on calls/SMSes, but it's true! And sad to say, I failed. Of course when there's a celebration, like Christmas or CNY, it's easy to reach the targeted amount because I'll be mass-messaging and replying mass-messages sent to me. But on normal un-happening months... zzzz

And when last month's bill arrived, it was evident that I have to use my phone more.
So I wasn't surprised when my dear prince said, "Dear, you are not making enough calls. Talk more. Call your girlfriends."
But I was surprised to hear my reply, "I don't have any girlfriends left to call."

As soon as I said that, I realised I'm suffering from Girlfriend Deficiency Syndrome. You see, after most of my girlfriends from school left for further studies overseas/ migrated, I was left with only Celine. Granted I made new friends, but it's just not the same.

Sometimes, it's amazing how something as dull as your phone bill can be an insight into your life.

Went for confession today.

Haven't felt so at peace in a long time.

Hope this feeling lasts.

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On another note, I picked an old entry randomly, just to see what I used to blog about... and this paragraph caught my eye:

"MEDIA HISTORY - I'm writing a news piece on the downfall of Anwar Ibrahim. So far, my research has opened my eyes to the less rosier side of Malaysia's politics and social system. Our restriction of the press... of free speech... things like this do not get coverage on local dailies. But thank God for the internet and pay-TV... days of the government trying to sweep its stains under the carpet and mothering us is about to come to an end."

Well, those days did come to an end. And Anwar? Well, let's just say his downfall is history indeed.

Maybe I should be a fortune teller. LOL.

I never thought I would say this...

But the fact Malaysians dared to vote for a change brought tears to my eyes.
We stood up to the big bullies and their threats, and voted for a better Malaysia.
We dared to hope.

There's a lot of work to be done, lots of damages to repair...

But for the sake of our country and the next generation, we will overcome these challenges.

May God bless our new leaders.

Presenting the definition of a "weekend" according to the Cambridge dictionary

weekend  
noun [C]
1 Saturday and Sunday, or Friday evening until Sunday night; the part of the week in which many people living in the West do not go to work:
Have you got anything planned for the weekend?
This/Next weekend we're going to see some friends.

2 a holiday or a visit taken at a weekend:
How much would a weekend for two in Amsterdam cost?
They've got a weekend cottage in Sussex.

I guess there is a reason why the dictionary specifically mentioned that it is people living in the west who do not go to work.

A Kamus Inggeris Malaysia version would probably read:

noun [C]
1 Saturday and Sunday, or Friday evening until Sunday night; the part of the week in which many people living in Malaysia work half day/ full day:
Are you coming back to the office this weekend?
This/Next weekend we're going to have a very important staff meeting.

I did something I've never done before....



After 4 hours...



I have curly hair!

I'm writing my first post of the year, and I don't know where to start.

I suppose a round up of 2007 would be fitting.

But I don't feel like writing about the past, as much as I'm thankful for the many blessings I've received.

I think, I'll make a wish list for 2008 instead.

I wish to be a better in my job:
- To work more efficiently so that I can go home earlier.
- To write an award-winning radio ad.
- To be more assertive.
- To know when to argue, and when to give in.
- To pay more attention to details.
- To avoid eating late/ eating fast food.

I wish to be a better person:
- To keep in touch with my friends.
- To be more patient when dealing with my parents.
- To divide my time equally for my darling, my family, my friends, work and myself.
- To make myself heard.
- To keep my dreams alive and make them happen.
- To be thankful for what I have.
- To do my part in making life better for someone else.

And to always look on the bright side of life.

Happy 2008 peeps!

Ok, I've found a place to learn Salsa in Ampang. Every Tuesday 9pm. It's RM120/month. I haven't checked out the place yet...hmm.. Should I start next month? I really need the exercise la. Getting fat is badddddd!

Work is getting busier. I hardly eat dinner at home anymore (on weekdays) and yesterday I finally managed to come home before 10pm! So happy happy! I'm gonna be attending my first unsupervised radio recording this coming Wednesday. Kinda scary being the boss of professional VO talents... but my senior told me not to be scared and just do what I have to do.

A freelance designer left last week, one of my lunch kakis - Edwin. So a bunch of us planned a surprised farewell for him. We hand printed about 10 Autobots t-shirts and wore them to Spicy @ Hartamas. He was floored. LOL. So here's a group pic of the BBDO Transformers:


Back:  Diana (art director), Shaun(freelance designer), Joanne (AE)
Front: Bee(freelance designer), Edwin(freelance designer), Mark(intern), Edwin(intern) & Sook Peng(intern)
The shortest up front: Me

And just for fun, my desk at work:

Those stacks of papers are the evil things we call JOB BRIEFS!