The Clock Stopper

WikiLeaks, what for art thou purpose?

2010-12-12T03:50:00.005+08:00

They bragged, they threatened, and they conquered.

In the span of a month, WikiLeaks, a once-obscure community of busy-bodies dedicated to unearthing the most secretive of information for the public's consumption, made good on their threat to release on the web the biggest information leak in history.

The world woke up one morning to find hundreds of thousands of US military and diplomatic cables accessible with just a click away. Even as armies of analysts and journalists sieved through the pile for nuggets of gold - some entertaining, some shocking, most of them boring enough to warrant a yawn -, the damage was only just beginning.

Embarrassing revelations were revealed by many of the world's press, implicating hundreds of diplomats and officials (including Singapore) on thoughts that should stay private. It is not clear how these revelations could affect certain sensitive bilateral ties, but the coming months promise more leaks and more bad news.

And the world lapped it all up. While digesting press reports on the leaks, they also saw the world's superpower - led by its mighty Justice and State departments - doing almost everything they could to stop the leaks, and failing miserably at it.

It is almost amazing to see how a handful of geeks and self-proclaimed analysts can hold the US hostage to its actions, embarrass it dearly, and yet live to fight another day. The last time I checked, Wikileaks have shifted their domain to another server in the ongoing cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

Sure, the Wikileak reports make for interesting meal-time discussions and before-bed-time laughs. But the deeper question remains: How is Wikileaks potentially benefitting the world by releasing all these cables? How is the average Joe's quality of life going to improve?

By putting the reputation (and even the lives) of thousands at risk, all in the name of the public's right to know, Wikileaks has exposed itself as an irresponsible mischief-maker, perhaps hungry only for the fame and fortune. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange just might get his million-dollar book deal but looking at the list of potential charges against him, he would have to write his book behind bars.

This whole episode however serves to highlight the disproportionate power that organisations or even individuals can have over whole governments. The web has also proven to be one of the cornerstones of asymmetric warfare in the 21st Century, and the potential for more mischief is almost unlimited.

But this is another stark reminder that Governments can't win all the time, and sometimes the best way out is to manage a defeat honourably.

There goes the 100-day mark

2010-11-30T04:34:00.006+08:00

What is work to you?

When does the line cross between exercising a life-long calling and dragging your body through a 9-6 routine?

As the hours become days, the days become weeks, the weeks become months, and one can't help but wonder what will come at the end of the tunnel. What does one see beyond the paper shuffling, carrying out of orders from above, and enduring the punishing over-time schedule?

Mark Twain once joked that Man is a creature made at the end of the week's work when God was tired. God subjected Adam and Man to painful toil all the days of their lives as punishment for their intransigence. Man was not just a result of His work - we are made to work.

But work we must. No one said it was going to be easy. Nor will anyone hand you candy, hold your hands and sooth your ego with fine sugarcoating. Work can be intense and no one is going to apologise for that.

Above all, work is like living a faith. You have to find a reason to believe and hold on to it firmly. Beliefs may change, and life is a journey of finding the right set of beliefs that fit with our values, aspirations and dreams.

As an officer in the foreign service, I sometimes find myself fighting futile battles against the Great Wall of bureaucracy, and the armies of people looking to "cover" (protect) themselves on the job, sometimes at the expense of efficiency. Bureaucracies are a fixture in huge organisations, including the civil service, which is a necessary irritant to work with.

But these naggings aside, working on international relations is a whole new ball game beyond the theoretical models we used to explore as students, and the polished and simplified articles we read in the press. It is like being at a soccer match and watching the game from the start to finish. The audience gets to note every single foul committed by the players, the dirty tricks that players sometimes employ to get ahead, but also the little triumphs that makes soccer the phenomenal sport that it is. This definitely beats reading about the results from a news headline.

You get privy to the thoughts of the world's movers and shakers: Presidents, Ministers, politicians, diplomats, academics, and more. You become aware of the dynamics of competing and converging national interests, and the ruthlessness of realpolitik. You also become involved in the cumbersome but important process of drafting texts where the slightest misplacing of a comma can mean everything.

International relations used to be a distant blur of wars fought between diplomats and soldiers, and spoken in a language that may as well be Klingon to any of us. But now, I am more appreciative of how it affects the world, our national interests and our daily lives. Diplomacy is a world that never tires or sleeps. For every minute that we rest on our laurels, our foreign compatriots are probably working as hard, or even harder, to get ahead.

Take for instance the Doha Round negotiations in Geneva: The trade representatives to the World Trade Organisation engage in horse-trading and deal-making to protect their national interests. Sometimes, they have to work behind-the-scenes to gather allies and deter rivals. We work hard so that the food we put on the table will remain affordable, our companies can enter new markets without fear of their technology being stolen by competitors, and there are enough jobs to go around, among many knock-over effects of effective diplomacy.

The movies may glamourise diplomats as sipping champagne while rubbing shoulders with the world's elite and striking deals that will affect the world. WikiLeaks may remove the veil of secrecy over diplomacy and reveal the hilarious side of political reporting. Cast those impressions aside, diplomacy is about ensuring the continuity of our way of life and making our society a little better for you and me to live in, by ensuring that our interests are secure.

I guess I will be staying at where I am for some time: watching, learning, experimenting, making mistakes, but above all, holding on to a faith.

Seek ye faith goals

2010-06-28T00:32:00.009+08:00

I spent some time in the summer thinking about the next phase of my life. Work for me may start in exactly a week's time but life doesn't end here. Rather, it opens up a phase of financial freedom and greater personal responsibility that are best channeled to achieving specific 'faith goals'.

Setting faith goals is different from setting SMART goals. What are 'faith goals'?

"A faith goal is a goal set in hope and based on things unseen. It is setting a goal that is measurable and based on spiritual power. That is, the power to create and imagine what is not yet seen or made manifest." (Source)

For example, someone who sets a goal of becoming the most successful trainer in Singapore may not necessarily know how to achieve it or begin immediately. He (or she) does it out of faith, and the belief that God will show a path to achieving this goal.

As I continue to put some thought into my faith goals, here are some (admittedly ambitious) goals I've set for the next few years.

Traveling:

Travel (preferably backpack) to 3 different countries a year. I will journal my travels based on themes specific to the countries. Who knows, I might even get to write a book on it! Thanks to Varun for this idea

Church:

Join an open cell with the adult service. I've spoken to Pastor about this and I'm quite keen to hear his plans
Serve with the church's PR wing, considering the rapidly-changing landscape that mega-churches find themselves operating in today. Credit to Josh and Jason for giving me this inspiration

Sports & fitness:

Resume my first love: fencing - probably with my previous club, Z Fencing. Hope to see some familiar faces. Weekday nights will never be the same again.
Get a beginner's diving license so I can finally experience the awesome diving sites in Southeast Asia
Achieve silver for IPPT every year
Run 2 half-marathons and a full-marathon per annum
Take up golf. I've decided to do this when I learnt how cheap it was to take up a course and hit 100 balls at the range per game

Finances:

Savings rate of 50-70% to be partially invested in time deposits, REITS and unit trusts (with medium-low to medium risk for a 10-yr horizon period at 10 to 15 percent growth per annum). I'm beginning to outgrow my Prudential and Great Eastern savings plans

Miscellaneous:

Clear my Class 2 and 3 license. Since my travels to India and Vietnam, I've decided that the best (and fun) way to survive in many developing countries is to negotiate the maze of traffic by motorbike
Finish a book every month
Get a diploma in a third language (either Arabic or a SEAsian language)
Purchase a DSLR and start snapping!

And straight from one of my favourite verses from the Bible - "Even youths grow tired and weak, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:30-31

When we were continents apart

2010-06-26T23:59:00.001+08:00

I let the thought sink in me during training today, letting it burn slowly like a smothering flame, fueled by memories of that portion of our conversation.

You were just sitting a foot away from me but in many ways, we were continents apart. Emotionally distant to the core, I felt the icy reception and your efforts to keep me out. I tried to enter but you wouldn't let me. What were you trying to prove to me?

I asked those questions, and said what I said because I care. I cared enough to want to understand you better and put some thought into what you said because what you say meant something to me.

But you simply didn't care and dismissed me. And it hurt.

Sometimes, I question why I should even bother. I could just simply walk away, blame myself for doing all those things that I did, and well, just walk our separate routes. But a true friend does not walk away, nor quits on the first whim of trouble. I may not be the best of your friends, but I try to be true. Unfortunately, it may not be enough for you.

I felt the Lord prompt me today: Live your life not on emotions, but on Me and My Word. My faith drives me forward and gives me the justification to do what I do.

I do not seek to change the way that you think, but I only hope to find some common ground and bridge that gap between us. It will certainly help if you can let me past that cold-hard exterior of yours. Foolish it may seem, I still believe that the strongest sunlight can melt the hardest ice-berg.

Meanwhile, I'm happy that you're happy and that is enough for me.

The Korean cold-war divide hits home

2010-06-21T18:33:00.006+08:00

Watching the World Cup can sometimes take your temperature to a whole new level.

If you watch matches with a specific country crowd, you will know how much pride they have in their teams. Take the South Koreans for example. The Korean Association will book the Vgolf bar (at the entrance to Bras Basah station) for all Koreans for exclusive screening of all Korean matches in the World Cup.

Going for one of these screenings can be an unforgettable experience. Armed to the teeth with much fanfare and optimism with kids in tow, the Koreans (and their non-Korean supporters) will turn up in a sea of red and pack the bar to the brim. Sometimes, they also head to the nearby Irish Pub for some good old soccer action over a hearty glass of Budweiser.

I remember the fateful match against former champions Argentina. The Korean team fared bravely against the La Albiceleste who had better forwards, but the Korean audience was still extremely enthusiastic and supportive. They would sigh collectively whenever their team misses goals by a knife edge, clap whenever the defence or goalie successfully parries the much vaunted Argentinian bulldozer attack, and cheer whenever their mid-fields and forwards gets the initiative with the ball.

Photo from FIFA.com

Down by 2 goals at the 32nd minute, the Koreans were certainly not out. Then it happened in the 45th minute, when Lee Chung-Young took advantage of a dittering Martin Demichelis who was dwelling on the ball for too long, lunged from nowhere, and scored their first goal against the Argentinians. The whole crowd seemed to throw their hands into the air in unison with a collective, rumbling roar that rankled the bar and stunned the over-stressed beer ladies, some jumping and screaming with joy, others hugging in groups.

But above all, we were all cheering a common language: Korea hwaiting! hwaiting! hwaiting! (fighting, fighting, fighting). In that moment, it is almost impossible not to feel solidarity with the Koreans infused with a sense of asian pride and nationalism.

The Koreans went down 4-1 but the audience was still appreciative of their team. Win or lose, there was still pride in being Korean, and respect for playing on the grandest stage of all.

However, the North Korean match against Portugal was a different story. Despite being a prime-time Monday evening slot, the Vgolf bar was not screening the match (apparently, the Korean Association conspicuously failed to book the bar) and not a single Korean was in sight even before the match. A small group of Koreans strolled into the Irish Pub minutes into the match, and stayed silent as the North Koreans flopped against the on-form Portuguese who had a field day with 7 goals against nil.

Only the non-Koreans were cheering for the underdogs who braved the rain and slippery field to give Portugal a run for their money in the first half of the match. But gone were the red shirts, the Korean cheers, and more importantly, the support from their fellow Choson countrymen.

What happened? Did the South Koreans stay away because of the fallout from the sinking of the Cheonan warship? Or they just simply didn't care?

I was pretty convinced that North or South Korean, they will still cheer for each other, with a more affirmed recognition and pride of their solidarity as the Choson people. Guess I was wrong.

But nevertheless, I will still cheer for the Koreans, despite the cold-war divide.

Goodbye to freelance writing

2010-06-12T12:06:00.001+08:00

It's official. My freelance writing career has come to an end.

No more contributions or short columns in the Straits Times: Youthink. No more set piece articles for the Business Times Campus Life.

The Government simply can't let one of its civil servants run amok and write to (or for) the media. And as an employee, I can't moonlight with a second career.

Writing has, in a way, been a form of rebellion for me. It has been about speaking up, challenging the status quo at times, or advocating a certain point of view, even if it is not the most popular. Disagreements can happen but in the best of scenarios, we all agree to disagree. The freedom to write is addictive but it comes with a price: exposed to public scrutiny, you have to stand by everything that you write, or risk your credibility.

But after more than four years, seeing fellow writers and editors come and go, and with more 40 pieces to my name, I still believe that I have so much room for improvement. Writing, while soothing and therapeutic, can also expose your shortcomings and vulnerabilities, fears and regrets, because writing demands a certain level of critical self-evaluation and frankness that many will shy from.

But it's not entirely over. Writers, as people, can evolve too.

This summer, I have a new vision: to visit at least three different countries a year, preferably on a backpacking trip, and write about these trips. There is aplenty to write about their history and culture, the wonderful people that you meet, the crazy things that you do, and the insights that you get.

I especially enjoy the flood of ideas and excitement whenever a new experience emerges, time slows down when all of my senses are activated, and I tell myself," Man, I'm so gonna write about this."

Alas, a lot of these "real, in-your-face" experiences will never be possible on a guided working trip which includes living in hotels and taken to sight-seeing places in an air conditioned bus. To fully experience life in another country, one has to trudge it out on foot, brave the traffic conditions, eat street food, and mingle with the man on the street. But as one grows older, that becomes less possible.

But till then, the dictum remains the same: the pen is certainly mightier than the sword, while words can be sharper than the finest blade, and louder than the biggest guns in the world.

A tale of spies, money and power

2010-05-08T15:09:00.007+08:00

I just completed reading Alex Goldfarb's Death of a Dissident. It chronicles the life and series of events leading to the dramatic poisoning of Alexander 'Sasha' Litvinenko, an ex-KGB Colonel who defected to the UK and sought asylum as part of the growing number of Russian emigres.

Sasha died of radioactive poisoning, the first such case of a "nuclear terrorist attack", when his food was allegedly tainted by a FSB (the new KGB in post-Soviet Russia) operative under the directives of Moscow. His death led to a public health scare when the British authorities had to retrace Sasha's route after the alleged poisoning, and sealed off large swathes of London pending fear of the spread of radioactive toxins to the public.

What is more controversial is that the book provided a number of insights into the murkey world of Russian politics, the modus operandi of the KGB and FSB, the personalities in Sasha's life, and the extent of persecution of dissidents pursued by the Russian state under former President Putin (who is now the current Prime Minister under President Dimitri Medvedev).

1. Admidst the chaos of the post-Soviet collapse, the cash-strapped KGB and other Russian intelligence services "sold" their services to the highest bidders - mostly oligarchs and bureaucrats who enriched themselves from the privatisation of state property - who engaged in high-level assasinations and intense tuft wars. This was the start of the erosion of the professionalism of the intelligence services and their unquestioned loyalty to their political masters.

2. Reformers and oligarchs (who had the financial backing), Communists (who retained popular support) and Conservatives (who had the support of the military and intelligence services) competed with each other for influence over Yeltsin, Russia's first post-Soviet President who was an avowed democrat and reformer. The battle lines blurred further as the reformers (under the leadership of Chubais, the chief architect of the privatisation programme) and oligarchs clashed over the role of the business community in the political leadership of Russia. They were supported at various times by factions within the Communists and intelligence services.

3. Through a series of round robin clashes and the rise and fall of many personalities who briefly warmed the seat of the Prime Minister, Putin emerged as the eventual successor of the ailing Yeltsin who favoured him for his loyalty and democratic tendencies. Putin won the 2000 elections handsomely, backed by oligarchs like Boris Berezovsky who campaigned endlessly for him and supported him with his vast and independent media empire. Boris became Putin's mentor and was convinced that Putin was the right successor to continue Yeltin's mission to democratize Russian politics.

4. However, Boris and the reformers were to be sorely disappointed as Putin turned out to be a hawk. He installed hardliners in his administration, centralised state control over the military, economy and intelligence services, persecuted the oligarchs and alleged opponents of the state, reversed Yeltsin's privatisation programme, and clamped down on independent media in Russia. Threatened by the regime, Boris and Sasha were forced to join the long list of emigres abroad as Putin consolidated his hold over Russia.

5. There were also allegations that the infamous Moscow apartment bombings in 1999 (dubbed Russia's 9'11) that sparked the second Chechen War - which helped cement Putin's popularity - was actually perpetuated by the FSB who wanted to see Chechnya brought into the fold of the old Russian empire. Other allegations included that the 2002 fateful siege of the Moscow theatre by Chechen militants that left almost 150 people dead, was actually planned by the FSB to cultivate a climate of fear and justify continued military involvement in Chechnya despite staggering losses suffered by the Russian military with little end to the war. The state also persecuted and assasinated Duma representatives, journalists and human-rights activitists who opposed the Chechen War.

6. Russian dissidents even accused the world of looking the other way as the Russians committed countless atrocities in Chechnya. For instance, the Bush administration was especially eager to cultivate relations with Putin, seeing in him "an ally who can be trusted", and dismissed the Chechen War as a domestic Russian campaign against "home-grown terrorism". Boris and his dissident counterparts attempted to tell "the truth" about the regime and waged an intense PR and media campaign against Putin. They were resisted by the Kremlin who engaged in their own counter-campaign of misinformation, and attempted unsuccessfully to repatriate Russian emigres whom they accused of subversion and disloyalty.

As the author pointed put, Sasha's death pointed to the extent of Russia's failed democratic experiment since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Putin's zealousness in eliminating his opponents with the domination that the FSB had over the Russian government. More importantly, it provided a glimpse of the intense power struggle behind the scenes of Russian politics, and the type of regime that the world has to deal with for the foreseeable future.

The future path of development in Russia and the accuracy of these insights are best left to readers to decide for themselves. However, one thing is certain: that the book will take you on a journey to see how deep the rabbit-hole really goes.

The Eroding Union (EU)?

2010-05-05T12:54:00.007+08:00

When it came down to a test of wills, the Europeans blinked hard and fast - especially when their interests are at stake.

Few seriously expected the Germans to resist the call to bail-out Greece for long. Even though Chancellor Angela Merkel's fragile coalition faced intense opposition from the electorate against sending billions of taxpayers dollars to Greece without proper guarantees of repayment, the value of the Euro was sliding fast.

The pan-European currency slipped to $1.321 on Monday, down from $1.331 on Friday and $1.512 on Dec 3, with prospects of further depreciation as investors shorted the Euro.

Hence, Germany's cabinet agreed on Monday to lend Greece 22.4 billion euros over three years. The IMF agreed to lend Greece 110 billion euros, tied to austerity pledges that could bring Greece's annual deficit below 3% from 13.6% in 2009.

Wither the Euro zone?

While it is true that no one could predict this crisis from happening because many EU countries were running high public debts and no one expected Greece to cook its books for years, there were inherent issues tying the different European economies to a single currency from the start.

Firstly, the monetary integration of the economies of the Euro countries meant that they will also be at risk so long as one country risks defaulting on its debt obligations, which will lead to speculative attacks on the Euro and send it into a tailspin since its debt is denominated in Euros, as the Greek crisis showed. A monetary union like the Euro zone is only as strong as its weakest link.

Secondly, having a single currency limits the scope of policy actions in a debt crisis. The automatic response for countries facing such a situation would be to depreciate their currencies to export their way out and meet their debt obligations. As a member of the Euro zone, Greece did not have such tools at its disposal and this limited its response, except for fiscal and monetary policies.

Thirdly, there is no powerful central bank to act as a lender of the last resort. The European Central Bank (ECB) remains a stump since the real authority to lend credit lies with Paris and Berlin, while the EU has not set aside any reserves to deal with a fiscal crisis of this magnitude. This meant that Greece had to sit out for weeks and wait to be bailed-out since their ratings were cut in December, while European central bankers and politicians, tied to electorate concerns, dragged their feet on this issue.

Finally, the historically high value of the Euro (dubbed the 'French & German currency' given their economic domination of the EU) has helped make poorer countries like Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal economically uncompetitive. While imports are cheaper, their exports are more expensive, with traditional manufacturing industries being eroded by competition from low-cost alternatives from countries like China.

Critics of the Euro zone, like the UK, have high-lighted these weaknesses for years. Countries considering joining the Euro zone might think twice ahead.

However, to be fair, the Euro has proven to be a balk ward of stability against currency manipulation and fluctuation, facilitating trade and giving the EU much economic stability for years.

But as the Greek crisis has shown, a system that allows the EU to prosper in good times may not have the same capacity to do so during the bad times.

Going beyond the Greek crisis

While EU pundits have lauded the bailout as a "timely and effective" response to a "modern Greek tragedy", the EU indeed has its work cut out for it. There has been calls to strengthen the ECB as a mechanism to provide fast credit in future crises.

Meanwhile, brickbats have been thrown at international rating agencies like S&P for "irresponsible downgrading" of Greece's ratings, with people like Michel Barnier, the EU internal market commissioner, and Christine Lagarde, the French Finance Minister advocating the establishing of a "separate and independent" European central rating agency.

However, that misses the whole point of this crisis.

For years, Greece has embraced the Eurocentric model of welfare-states, spending billions on social assistance support schemes, and allowing itself to be at the mercy of its vocal, vote-rich constituents like the trade unions at the expense of responsible fiscal policy. The week-long protests by workers, teachers and civil servants however showed popular anger among ordinary Greeks who feel they are made to pay the price of their country's crisis while tax evasion and corruption go unpunished.

In any case, while Greece revamps its tax and fiscal policies in the coming months, it has to rethink the merits of its welfare state policies together with many countries in the Euro zone that has for years sheltered its workers with 35-hr work days, tax breaks, lavish expenditure and other benefits, which is inhibiting their economic competitiveness.

I remember an instance when I brought a visiting French professor on an SMU campus tour. The conversation touched on the working culture in Singapore where she was adamant that working anything more than 45 hours a week was simply "inhumane" and "crazy". She went on to harp on the superior quality of life in the EU and the high standards of living of its people.

This example showed that once a mentality is fixed, it is difficult to change, especially when they have introduced a policy for years and people have come to accept it as their right (or what political scientists call "path dependency").

But that path leads to a bleak future for the EU in a world where millions of young Chinese and Indians are upwardly mobile and eager to compete for jobs and opportunities. Now, it remains to be seen if the EU can wake up from its dream of continental bliss and revamp their economies - medicine that is bitter but essential for recovery.

Finishing the marathon after 4 loonngggggg years

2010-04-25T10:41:00.001+08:00

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven", - Ecclesiastes 3:1

It's that time of the year when the Government releases its revised forecast for the year's economic growth, more babies are born (yes, many more April and May babies out there), the stream of campus crowd whirls down to a trickle, it's harder to get flight tickets for that summer holiday, and yes, people graduate.

I never thought I will ever write this post four years ago. Fresh out of summer orientation camp, there was me, part of an army of blur, beady-eyed freshmen sighing about the prospects of intense class participation in our first day of class in 2006, and looking lost amidst the sea of equally-lost freshmen. Back then, graduation seemed like an eternity away.

Now, convocation seemed like yesterday.

4 years of group projects, term papers, presentations and examinations has now given way to: many, many more years of group projects, term papers, presentations and examinations, especially for folks like me joining the Civil Service.

Graduation is more akin to finishing a marathon than getting the top poles in a race. In a 21 or 42-km marathon, no one gives a damn about the winner, or remembers his\her name 1 year down the road. But everyone remembers the sweat, the breathlessness, the little triumphs we get when we edge a little closer towards the finish line, the sight of hundreds of runners running alongside you on the same journey, and sometimes the pain when your ankles give way.

Here are some 10 take-aways that I want to impart to you, my dear reader. If you have already graduated, kudos to you and I hope you relive a glimpse of your student life amidst these words. If you haven't graduated, I hope you will find some strength or inspiration from here.

1. Making $1 million & cooking Naples-style spaghetti
Not satisfied with what you're learning in class? Get out and choose from the countless seminars, workshops and conferences in school or beyond that caters to almost every whim and fancy. Every semester, there are entrepreneurs, academics, activists, journalists, bureaucrats and others speaking on topics ranging from making $1 million before the age of 28 to cooking Naples-style spaghetti. Be inspired, and inspire others.

2. The limits of a 5-year old online portal
Don't complain about the school not providing enough internship opportunities for you. I've come to realise how students have become so reliant on OnTrac. The last thing that you want to limit your future with is a 5-year old online portal manned by 4 blokes. There are literally hundreds of companies and organisations that you can apply directly with that is sure to be aligned with your interests. Take some initiative and do your own research. Write in YOURSELF.

3. A smile a day may bring a favour your way
Be nice to all the staff, even the security guards and cleaners. Put yourself in their shoes. They have a job to do, so don't get in their way by making unreasonable demands, or not cooperating with them. Be nasty to them and you make their job even worse. Be nice to them and you bring a cheer to their day, even a favour that will be paid back when you need their help again (and you will, trust me).

4. Some of the best friends I made...
Are the ones I met through joining student clubs. Yes, one of the best ways to make friends is to join a student club. Sink your roots in and commit to a few good years. You will be surprised with what you learn, the number of people you meet along the way, and even meet your future beau. Don't join a club just for your resume. People can tell if you're genuine or if you're there for selfish reasons.

5. For taking that solo stroll
If you ever need a quiet place to read (not the library), chill or just walk to get inspiration, try the Singapore Art Museum with its cafes and galleries, the Esplanade and its windy roof-top, the National Museum with its lovely Novus bar, the Fort Canning Park with its mini-maze of flora and fauna, or even our very own Wellness Centre with its massage chairs and dim lights. Plus there are about a hundred more places that you can go to (Buzz me if you need more information).

6. The world is a book & those who do not travel read only a page
To get something akin to changing your perspective of life, go overseas for an exchange, internship, or even a prolonged CIP. Regardless of where you go to, the key is get yourself away from the hustle and bustle of Singapore, immerse yourself in a foreign culture (no, playing beer pong with the Irish does NOT count), witness how their people live and work, and put yourself in their shoes. Limit yourself to Singapore and your mindset will always be limited at that.

7. Of bad emails & worse excuses
I'm always bemused by how many students clubs can be so unprofessional, given the string of horror incidents such as emails being addressed to the wrong CEOs (sometimes they get the gender wrong too), with multiple typos, and a whole lot of other stuff that can get you fired in the corporate world. There is no excuse for not getting your facts right when it's within your locus of control. Always think about how others will perceive your club's name. Treat others professionally and you will be given the due respect too.

8. It's not just about watching the time, dear
Effective time management is not just about cramming as many tasks and responsibilities into your 24 hours a day. It's also about keeping to your word, committing to your goals, and doing what you say you will do. If you find yourself apologising once too often for late work (or late replies..."Eh guys, sorry for the late reply \ sorry for sending this in late") and broken promises, perhaps it's time to stop apologising and do a revamp of your time management plan.

9. Quit the verbal diarrhea
Let's face it: we all like to complain about our long days, workload, lousy food, and other issues unfortunate to be the target of our verbal diarrhea. We take a certain pleasure to hitting back at "the system" (because it's so darn cool to be a rebel) and making ourselves the anti-hero or the victim in the story. But let's ask ourselves: when are we ever going to be satisfied with our lives? Being a responsible student is more than just putting in the hours in the library. It's about being a part of the school community, giving feedback to people who are in the position to make changes, or getting your peers together to make some REAL change. Don't just sit on your asses all day and complain (I call that "potshot sniping").

10. YOU can be the source of change
I've always found it more exciting to talk to people who are passionate about a cause: whether it's about improving student welfare, helping the less fortunate, or even pushing to set up a mahjong club despite repeated rejections from the administration. As Bill Gates said it at a Harvard Commencement, one of the greatest experiences one can ever have in life is to be an activist of sorts to take on the big inequities in our community and the world. Rather than just being mere robots without a soul or conviction about an issue, why not make a stand and see how you can be that source of change?

What will your reward be?

2010-03-04T15:21:00.000+08:00

One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman. "You should be working rather than lying on the beach!"

The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer. "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling. The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.

"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!" Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"

A language crisis or something else?

2010-02-16T06:20:00.009+08:00

House-visiting at my relatives during Chinese New Year can yield a harvest (i.e. ang paos and goodies) and also timely insights.

I am increasingly frustrated at my inability to communicate effectively with my Mandarin and dialect-speaking relatives (mainly the older folks from my Mum's side). Yes, some of my younger cousins can converse in English but prefer to speak in Mandarin, having been raised in a Chinese-speaking family environment.

It can't be a matter of language or some generational gap too as my cousin nicely pointed out today that my command of Mandarin is fine (which I strongly disagree) while I have no issues conversing with my English-speaking older relatives.

Methinks it is something else.

Having been raised in an upper middle-class family, taught in an almost exclusively all-English environment at home (although I speak to my Mum in a mixture of English and Mandarin) and school (minus the Mandarin classes), and exposed to ideas and principles like any member of the Western-educated intelligentsia (a general labeling that includes university students in Singapore) are, I feel continents apart from some of my folks.

There seems to be a chasm of thinking that divides the English and Chinese-speaking population, one based on family values and different language backgrounds that determine the type of literature one is exposed to, thereby shaping one's view of life and the world.

But the truth is that Mandarin is still the dominant language of the heartlands (which constitutes the majority of Chinese Singaporeans) while English, which is the language of government, business and education, constitutes only a minority of the population.

Having been trained almost exclusively in the latter, I believe I speak for most English-speaking Singaporeans who may feel this sense of alienation from the majority of the Chinese population who speak primarily Mandarin and dialects.

We are always so fixated about divisions along racial, religious and class lines. How about examining the divisions created by the family-language backgrounds that we all hail from?

The truth has been set free

2010-02-13T23:00:00.003+08:00

My Mum is truly the epitome of strength and resilience.

For four years, she harboured the truth behind her wanting to separate from my Dad.

As a result, she could not sleep properly, even when she moved out of the family home. Not always a good communicator, she did not share her burden with us but chose to let her actions do the talking: working hard running her own business and silently caring for her children by protecting the family assets for our future.

All the while, the truth cried to be set free but as a woman, she chose to suppress it for the good of the family.

This week, the truth finally surfaced. It came as a shock but we realised how crucial it was to move on. To simply linger in the past and point the blame finger is destructive and pointless. As a family, we have had enough of the quarrels and umpteen family meetings to mediate in disputes between both of them. We had to move to a space where new possibilities can be created.

As the saying goes, to win in life, sometimes one has to lose some. None of us asked for this to happen, but you can't have everything in life. You have to adapt and make the best of the situation.

My parents have decided to officially go their separate ways with no more claims against each other. It is for the better. Now, my Mum is happier and there seems to be this great and invisible burden lifted off everyone's chest.

Now it's time to rebuild the family again with faith, hope and love.

It's great to have your own personal space!

2010-02-04T00:48:00.002+08:00

As a student slowly making the transition to a full-time corporate life in my final semester, I have finally understood the importance of having one's own personal space.

When we are young, we always tell ourselves that it's alright to sacrifice this and that for our career, our studies, or professional pursuits. Sometimes, family time and personal space takes a back seat in that quest for the golden gauntlet.

But the chase for the golden gauntlet will never stop, not even when we are much older and will inevitably take up more responsibilities as we move up the corporate ladder. There will always be 101 things worthy of our attention and immediate remedy.

Having one's own personal space to pursue individual hobbies or interests is as crucial as taking care of our own health. Before we can be of value to others, we first have to take care of ourselves.

I have decided to put aside some personal time for myself: church service on Saturday evenings and cycling at ECP on Sunday afternoons, followed by a swim in the sea or frolicking on the beach with a good book under the hot sun. This really gives me the space to unwind and reflect.

Now, I feel so much more cheerful, measured and healthier, yet handling a heavier amount of workload compared to last semester.

Of hooks, needles and faith

2010-01-31T02:04:00.002+08:00

If there's one festival that really intrigues me for its quirks and practices, it must be Thaipusam.

The festival commemorates the occasion when the Tamil God of War Lord Muruga defeated the evil demon Soorapadman. As a child, I used to wonder why those Tamil devotees would subject themselves to such pain with their piercings. Well, this year, I chose to take a closer look for some answers.

The route from Little India to Mustafa Centre and beyond was resplendent with brightly-lit decorations. Many of the smaller roads were blocked off to traffic to clear the path for the devotees. However, many cafes and eateries serving local Indian fare were open to cater to the late-night revelers.

Amidst the constant stream of Tamil devotees marching from the Sri Srinivasa Permal Temple in Serangoon Road, I chanced upon a group of Chinese Hindus and Buddhists participating in the march. Here, a young Chinese devotee stops to let his two Tamil helpers adjust the piercings all over his body. Imagine enduring all that pain and carrying such a heavy load on a 10 km walk.

The Chinese devotee with the piercings was accompanied by a troupe of Chinese men carrying kavadis (jars filled with milk) on their heads. Usually a family or clan activity, the womenfolk walk alongside the men as a show of solidarity and cheer them on. In our multiracial society, it is not uncommon to see Chinese Buddhists participating in Hindu activities or praying to Hindu deities.

More piercings on a devotee's body, this time in the form of hooked plums on his back. The hooks were angled in such a way that they would be securely fastened without inflicting much pain on the wearer's back. But with that many plums on his bag, I found it disbelieving that he didn't flinch at all from the pain.

The long queue towards the end-point at Tank Road due to an artificial choke-point created at the entrance to the temple to regulate the inflow and outflow of devotees. Given the recent religious tensions in Malaysia, the authorities have also stepped up security in the area.

The end-point: The Sri Thandayuthapani Temple at Tank Road, set up by the Chettiar (money-lending) community in 1859 and dedicated to the six-faced Lord Subramaniam (Lord Muruga).

The devotees poured the kavadis into the temple spring as a form of blessing, received the rites of rituals from the temple elders, and rested with their friends and family with food and drinks in a giant tent set up within the temple grounds.

Verdict of the night? It is faith that drives these devotees to take up this walk of humility and sacrifice, and numb their pain. Perhaps only persons of faith of any faith can unquestioningly understand the intense sacrifice and physical hardships displayed by these devotees.

As always, I am in awe of the power of the human spirit.

We are in the news again!

2010-01-23T11:47:00.007+08:00

I have finally closed the final chapter of my work for the BSM Middle East programme. Apart from the photos, it is through the stories and reflections of the students that also capture the memories that people have of the programme, and of the great time that we had in the Middle East.

Here is the final list of media coverage articles on the programme (Note: Please click on the title to access the link):

[January 2010]

BSM Middle East in cross-cultural exchange with Saudi scholars
Over 60 SMU students from the sixth batch of BSM Middle East hosted 35 King Abdullah Scholars and their families from Saudi Arabia to an evening of friendship, cross-cultural exchange, bonding and performances.
The Blue and Gold, SMU’s student publication

A potent mixture of fun with tradition and modernity
SMU undergraduate Zhong Ming shares his take on the blend of tradition and modernity during his travel experiences with the Business Study Mission to the Middle East in December 2009.
The Blue and Gold, SMU’s student publication

[18 January 2010]
Work abroad while young and single
Kenny Tan, a final-year economics student, shares some advice from Singaporeans working in the Middle East on the benefits of an overseas work experience. He visited the region with his class of 41 undergraduates as part of SMU's Business Study Mission Middle East programme in December last year.
The Straits Times

[4 January 2010]
Oasis of strength amid the gloom
SMU undergraduates Oliver Loke and Kenny Tan who went on a recent Singapore Management University business study mission learns first-hand the opportunities in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The Business Times

[30 December 2009]
Singapore Management University students tour Bahrain World Trade Centre
More than 40 students from SMU visited the Bahrain World Trade Center as part of the Business Study Mission Middle East programme. The visit helped the students to gain insight through direct in-situ exposure of the state-of-the-art commercial building.
City Tribune
Gulf Daily News
Bahrain Tribute
Al Bilad
Al Watan
Al Ayam

[29 December 2009]
Singapore Management students visit BWTC
More than 40 students from SMU visited the Bahrain World Trade Center as part of the Business Study Mission Middle East programme. The visit helped the students to gain insight through direct in-situ exposure of the state-of-the-art commercial building.
Trade Arabia
Zawya.com

[13 December 2009]
41 Singapore students on ME study tour
Forty one undergraduates from the SMU's Business Study Mission (BSM) Middle East are visiting Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to study the internationalisation strategies of Singaporean companies in the region.
Trade Arabia

[24 October 2009]
A safe and comfortable environment attracts students from Saudi to Singapore
King Abdullah scholars from Saudi Arabia share their views about living in Singapore at a cultural exchange session with SMU students [from the Middle East Business Study Missions].
Berita Harian

[17 October 2009]
Cultural exchange between Saudi Scholars and SMU students
Over 60 SMU students hosted Professor Abdulghaffar S. Bazuhair, the Saudi Cultural Attaché to Singapore, and 35 King Abdullah Scholars and their families from Saudi Arabia to an evening of friendship, cross-cultural exchange, bonding and performances. This is part of the sixth BSM to the Middle East which will head to Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE from 5 to 16 December this year.
Suria

Check this for the complete list of media coverage for the BSM Middle East programme.

We should have more commercials like these...brilliant!

2010-01-23T11:24:00.003+08:00

These are just brilliant!

I especially enjoyed this one. Lol, I would never do something as bold as this...

And here's a series for you car lovers out there!

Got this off a friend's note: Wonderful read for some soul-searching...

2010-01-10T15:10:00.004+08:00

I am sick of my spoiled generation. I'm convinced that I'm born into a generation of proud, obnoxious, brats who think that everyone else owes them a living. It's just something about having lived in a generation of abundance and prosperity that seems to have spoiled the good down-to-earth values of the human race and turned us into a sour batch of people who just leave a sick taste in the mouth.

"Why do you think so?" you ask?

Let's tackle this problem one step at a time.

First, was the general comments and observations I've had of so many people here in Singapore - also the same group who have even endearingly been dubbed "champion complainers" by LKY. People here - especially those in the age-range of my generation - complain about ANYTHING. Seriously, people should be installed with some sort of complain-quota. I mean, it really annoys me.

Why it annoys me? Because it's proud. Pretty much any form of complaining is basically saying, "I don't deserve this." i.e. "I know better what I deserve." and ""I deserve better."

Just a couple of months ago, I asked someone about his attitude to work - which was simply sloppy and irresponsible - and was so shocked to his explanation that his pay didn't justify a better work attitude. What the-?! What kind of mindset is that?! When the heck did salary become the independent variable?! Money is a reward, and you are rewarded how you well you work. A man reaps what he sows. You shouldn't be working any less diligently because you're growing peas instead of rice. That's dumb. If you've been blessed with the seeds to grow peas, grow them well. Then, and only then, when your boss has seen your attitude in the small things, he will later give you a gift to care for the big things.

Complaining pisses me off. It's inefficient and affects you (and serves to plant you in the very place you don't want to be in, according to the self-fulfilling prophecy), and it affects others around you as well. You BECOME a problem, as well as a problem-creator. Don't do it. Don't be a part of the problem. Be part of the solution.

But I'm not done with this rant.

I'm upset with this spoiled generation because they don't care for people any more than for themselves. They put themselves first, disregarding the feelings of others.

And here is where I draw upon an anecdote of a lunch at my workplace with the some interns. So, I work in a food manufacturing company where we have lunch together. It's a humble place and lunch is cooked on roster by the aunties at the factory. In short, food was prepared for them, they came down, decided that it wasn't good enough for them, and decided not to eat, leaving all that food to waste. What the..?! Sure, the food where we work isn't exactly MacDonalds. And yeah, maybe the rice might be a bit hard at times, and we might be limited by the ingredients we have on some days.... But don't they know that the food was cooked by someone who thought for them? Someone who made time and effort to cook for them? Don't they know that everyone else ate less that day so that they would have enough to eat?! I don't know why I even allowed them not to eat! The auntie who cooked that day was so hurt. I was so embarrassed by their attitude I had to explain to her that it wasn't her cooking and it was just a flaw in my generation. :(

A couple of months ago, I read a sociological article about the change in mindset of the societal roles and responsibilities of parents and children and was so saddened by the findings. The finding of the research was basically that parents were now working harder and later into life as they take on heavier burdens of putting their children through higher education and moving into "Altruistic parenting" which meant that they no longer expected their children to give back to the family as soon as their children were ready to work ("ready to work" which used to be defined as physically able to get out and get a job). Alright, the increased burden on the parents I can accept. Thing is, on the flipside, the children, instead of becoming more grateful to the greater sacrifices of their parents, have seemed to devolve into a generation of...leeches. My generation is a generation that EXPECTS their parents to support them through school. They EXPECT their parents to provide for them until "they're ready" (now defined by some psycho-emotional decision of the children). And worse, they DON'T see themselves as responsible for their parents when their parents are in their old age - they expect THE GOVERNMENT to do that! When their parents are ill or old they expect someone else to care for them! And if they don't get their way, and find their parents too much of a bother, they just abandon them!

What the heck is wrong with my generation? My sick, ungrateful, generation.

It pisses me off. It pisses me off that I have grown up in a generation of kids that have been so pampered by their parents who have worked their butts off to pay for all sorts of tuition and classes for their kids, and have their kids instead complain about some ridiculous thing like how their parents are not giving them enough money for...LIFESTYLE. It pisses me off that I've grown up in a generation where parents sacrifice their time and sleep to chauffeur their children around and still have them reliant up till they're...goodness how old (apparently I've heard of a 30 plus year old still being driven around by her dad). 0_o

I'm stick of this generation that thinks that everyone owes them a living and that work is easy and they SHOULD get be treated well when they haven't even proven their worth. And to this, I have so many anecdotes this past winter that I hesitate starting on them for fear that I won't be able to stop.

And here is where I insert a fragment of "work" I picked up whilst cleaning up after my interns:

Tracks that seriously were not pleasant to have discovered. I'm even afraid to ask for an explanation because I rather the benefit of the doubt.

I was going to send them a debrief email before I found this. I haven't sent the email yet, but I've been considering ending the mail with, "Btw, if you want to skive, it's technically not right to do it even if your boss doesn't find out, cause' it's dishonest. But if you do, at least don't leave tracks, because it's just not very clever."

Okay, this is where I'm stopping with the anecdotes because I can feel that I'm about to go into b****ing mode which I also don't agree with. It was wrong, they should have known it, so I'm not going to delve further into that.

But seriously, This is not just a spoiled generation, this is also an ignorant generation.

A weak, ignorant generation.

This is a generation that complains about food, about having to take public transportation, about...all sorts of things that falls short of their expectations in life. And worse, expects people around them to pay for that shortfall. Does this generation not know the blessings that they have? Do they not know that there are families - SO MANY of them - that struggle every day for a single bowl of rice? Do they not know that there are people out there in the world who toil in the fields for a meager pay and that these are the people who are working hard to give us the food we have in our stocked pantries? Do they not know that there are people who have left their families, paid large sums of money, and flown hundreds of miles, just to work for a pay to support their loved ones so far away?!

Don't you dare despise the construction workers or maids or cleaners, you sick spoiled kids, for these are the very people who serve you and support your country's prized name of a clean metropolis. And don't you dare complain about how foreigners are coming in and taking up so many jobs when you wouldn't take up the very same job if you were paid a hundredfold simply because you're so proud and it's "below you". Don't you dare give me that snobby attitude because you're "more educated". You were blessed with that opportunity in life and somewhere along your ancestry someone worked darn hard to bless with the life you're now living. Not everyone in the world has the opportunities that have been GIVEN to you and you should not be despising them for that. Don't you dare despise these who probably have more courage and understanding of life and love, than you.

In fact, I challenge you. Next time you feel a complaint coming up, I challenge you hold it in, and try to take a new, humbler perspective to life. And to these people whom you're tempted to despise, I challenge you to THANK them. I challenge you to thank them for their service to you. I challenge you to thank them for the sacrifices they've made to come to occupy the "lower ranks of society". I challenge you to HONOR them for their love for their families. Seriously I challenge you to go talk to any one of them and ask them about their life story. Ask them why they came, what they left, and find out what kind of sacrifices they've made.

Maybe then, you'll be a little more humble, and a little more grateful for everything you have.

Keep it real people. Step out of that bubble of pride, and know that you are blessed.

*fingers crossed that this rant has somehow made a difference to help save us from the ugly deteriorating path we seem to be on*

What, they firebomb churches in Malaysia?

2010-01-10T07:52:00.004+08:00

Yup, that's what my friend exclaimed in response to the latest fiasco coming from our northern neighbour.

As exaggerated as it sounds, it's probably reflective of the sentiments that many people now have of Malaysia. This is due to a surge in ethnic and religious tension fanned by the controversial High Court ruling overturning a ban that now allows the Catholic Church to use the word "Allah" in its publications. The entire episode has been blown out of proportion

The fact that the media has had a field day publicising this issue and splashing angry messages on the front pages of newspapers does not help. Muslim pressure groups have publicly demonstrated against the ruling even after the firebombing incidents - an implicit defiance of the sensitivities of the Christians.

I'm not a theologian and it does not concern me whether the term "Allah" predates Islam or should be exclusively used by Muslims despite the Catholic Church in Malaysia having used the term widely in their publications for decades.

The perpetrators of the firebombing incidents have crossed the line that most Muslims in Malaysia will never want (or dare) to cross. However, a response to the High Court's ruling speaks more of a society that harbours deep divisions that run along ethnic and religious lines, against PM Najib's vision of "1Malaysia".

This latest attack will reinforce the fears of the minorities who already perceive the attack on the churches as an attack on the minorities - who else are predominately (and officially) Christians in Malaysia except the Chinese and some Indians?

Already, there has been widespread accusations of institutional discrimination against the minority religions. The authorities have been slow to issue permits to the construction of new churches, and religious court cases such as the highly publicised hearings to allow official recognition of conversion of Muslims to Christianity always favour the Muslims. The Government appealing to the High Court to overturn its ruling and the authorities seizing copies of imported bibles in Sabah and Sarawak reaffirm this long-held belief. Islam as a religion is perceived to be given special privileges, sometimes at the expense of minority religions.

These actions speak of the Malay-Muslim majority having a "siege mentality" of sorts, being deeply suspicious of the minorities, and taking steps to ensure the pre-eminence of the Malays through dominance of the political system.

Former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam once said that the Malays should stop having an inferiority complex, and the non-Malays to stop encouraging the Malays to develop an inferiority complex.

But the sad fact of this awful episode is this: Already disgusted at being treated as second-class citizens, angry at doing all the hard work of propping up the economy, and hopeful of the opportunities that one can get elsewhere, more and more people from the minorities who are fearful for their security will want to leave Malaysia for a better future.

Already losing talent and potential taxation revenue, Malaysia will face a brain drain if this migration trend turns into an exodus.

But for now, first steps first: PM Najib must prove that he is a leader for all Malaysians. He must be prepared to fight entrenched interests within his own party and that of the Malay majority to ensure a more level playing field for all races, if he wishes to realise his "1Malaysia" vision.

KL escapade theme: RED

2010-01-10T06:53:00.013+08:00

Pavilion Plaza is such a pleaser. Well-decorated and designed, it provides some eye-candy for the typical shopper who is looking for more than just a bargain. Here, the Christmas spirit still permeates amidst a healthy tinge of modern sleekness

The tea-pot set, wearing a coat of auspiciousness, that was used for the traditional tea ceremony where Andrew and Colleen served tea to Andrew's elders before their lunch wedding

Against the afternoon hustle and bustle, Malaysia's national flower - the Hibiscus - hangs calmly and proudly in a garden next to Merdeka Square. It is as beautiful as our national flower - the Vanda Miss Joaquim

One of the oldest churches in the capital city. Still swimming amidst a sea of controvery and conflict, the place of Christianity and Catholicism is still not clearly defined in this predominately Islamic country today

The irresistible deep-water crabs served with salivating egg yolk sauce, along with a host of Teochew-style seafood delicacies. The perfect prelude that goes along well with some good-old post-dinner durian and mangosteen extravaganza

And yet more food to incite those taste-buds to action. Here are some Korean beef served with garlic on a hot-stove, sizzling with the meat juices still fresh and succulent. The price? Almost half the cost in Singapore

Our quest to find a toilet at the National Museum which was unfortunately closed on a Sunday did yield some interesting finds. Here is a throw-back to colonial heydays with a manual-primed, English-designed fire-engine model

Thank you for the thought!

2010-01-09T11:41:00.001+08:00

We will remember you Rajan...

2009-12-31T01:27:00.000+08:00

It came without warning. So sudden and so painful to register.

I still remember the shock when I received the SMS. It was meant to be a day of elation and good wishes but the SMS brought me back to reality. I initially thought that it was a joke - it has to be - but no one jokes about such things.

With my fingers still trembling on the phone keypad, I passed on the SMS to friends, some of whom are still overseas in the midst of their festive revelry, without a clue of the news to come.

I hated to be the bearer of bad news. I knew some of the many friends Rajan had. He was a popular guy who had friends from Singapore, Malaysia and all around the world. He was a regular face at international and exchange student gatherings. People warmed up to him easily because of his easy nature, ever-ready smile and a heart that had nothing but warmth and humour for those who explored deeper. Among groups of friends, Rajan always had a story to share, a grievance to air, a joke to crack, and an encouragement to make.

And all of a sudden, all of these friends had one less reason to smile about for the new year. Whoever we are, wherever we are, we all felt the loss: the void in our hearts simply cannot be replaced by the jovial end-year celebrations.

I really miss the conversations I had with Rajan. He was the kind of guy that you could bump into at the entrance of the library and strike a conversation that could last for an hour or so. If you needed a meal buddy, Rajan was always in the library to approach.

I remember the meals we had where we talked about anything related to life, philosophy, religion, politics, economics and society. Rajan, being a big critique of Singapore, SMU and our way of life, would go on and on about how we should never settle for less, while I would always defend the status quo and jokingly point out that our Malaysian neighbours never had it better. He would then roll his eyes before partaking a final shot of his trademark sarcasm and diatribe that always never fails to make me laugh.

Despite his controversial views, Rajan always had a heart for the community and society. Apart from being a top debater, he was involved in Campus Crusade for Christ (where we met in 2006) and as a residential senior at the SMU hostel. He was always there to integrate new students into the community, offer advice to home-sick international students, or to share a beer or two with you because you had a bad day.

But what made Rajan stand out from the crowd was what he stood for. He was a staunch Christian, a rebel, a fighter, an idealist and an intellect, always true to himself and his beliefs, and never shirking from an opportunity to debate on many issues. With a formidable understanding of poverty and women's rights, he always voiced out against social inequalities and injustices. He would make a fine example of how civil society and non-profits should be.

Rajan truly taught me how to live life with no regrets, to be true to myself, stand up for my beliefs and never shirk from any challenge that comes my way. In his passing, I will always fondly recall the good times that we had and the memories that we shared.

In this time of adversity, together with all his friends who feel the loss, my heart and prayers goes out to Rajan's family.

With members of the SMU chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ at Metamorphosis Camp in December 2007

At a gathering with friends at the SMU hostel in early 2008. I still remembered how impromptu this gathering was, having received news about it a few hours before it happened

Taken at his apartment at the hostel. That's Rajan with his ever-ready trademark smile that shone of warmth and friendliness. I will really miss it

My biggest birthday present this year...

2009-12-30T12:32:00.004+08:00

Has to be my dear sister Colleen getting married to a wonderful husband!

My Dad proudly walking down the aisle of the hall of the Church of St Ignatius with his daughter's hand in tow. It must be a very proud (and poignant) moment for him to be presenting his daughter to the bridegroom, Andrew.

On a separate note, I really enjoyed the ceremony, the choral music and the solemnness of the event. It's a throwback to my upbringing in Catholic schools from young.

That's Andrew and Colleen after the change of attire for the dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom. It was also a great time to catch up with relatives and old family friends, albeit with many new faces from the bridegroom's friends

The traditional pouring of champagne by the couple before the toasting of the couple by the immediate family and the bridal brothers and sisters. That must surely be one of the highlights of the evening

This marriage, being our first marriage within our direct family, is a milestone in my family history. My sincerest prayer to the newly-weds that God will bless this marriage to be blissful and ever-lasting, that you will both provide a pillar of strength and support to each other in times of joy and need, and always serve God and His community with passion and grace.

I also saw how this marriage is starting to bring our family closer together, tearing down walls brick by brick. It is indeed mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13 that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs... It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." May we persevere on as a family that trusts, protects, hopes and loves one another.

And our next stop: the second wedding celebration at the bridegroom's side at Kuala Lumpur over this weekend!

Remember this song from The Wedding Singer?

2009-12-27T12:24:00.002+08:00

I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
Oh all I wanna do is grow old with you

I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you

I'll miss you
Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold

Need you
Feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control

So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you

Reflections about the Gulf

2009-12-23T10:05:00.001+08:00

We have a slew of articles providing coverage on the BSM programme and our findings from our trip that will be published in the press in the next couple of weeks. It's about time I close the chapter on this. I will collate and provide the links to them soon. Happy reading!

Meanwhile, to summarise my experience during the trip, it was an eye-opening experience and indeed one of the top highlights of my SMU experience.

The Gulf have and always will remain an enigma to me. It is a region which is blessed with so much resources but for many decades, their societies and economies remained stagnant and closed to the world, their people housed in a cocoon of comfort with lavish state welfare, until new leadership realised that resource wealth will not last forever and it was critical to evolve to avoid redundancy as the world powers ahead.

Using the billions from their oil wealth, they embarked on a massive modernisation campaign, drawing up massive master plans, importing the best talent that they can find, and the best materials and equipment that the world has to offer. Dotted by futuristic-looking buildings, cranes and construction sites, cities like Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi even resemble high-growth cities like Shanghai and Mumbai. A local that I spoke to in Doha lamented that there are so many new changes that makes the city look so different as it perpetually remakes itself every year.

The region is awash with so much cash that companies from all around the world have flocked to fight for a piece of the pie. Just yesterday, the UAE awarded a US$25 billion contract to a South Korean consortium to build nuclear reactors.

However, one can never continue to buy modernity forever: one has to create them from within, capitalising on the energies and talent of its people and enterprises, and living up to their historical roots as traders. Human capital management is an area where the Gulf still lags sorely behind the world. And while some selected state-owned enterprises like Etihad and Aramco have became a brand of success, there is still much progress to be made by their small and medium homegrown enterprises.

But what really fascinates me is that beneath the glitz and glamour of modernity in the Gulf, it is still a region where politics and religion play an often combustible role in economics and society, where overt displays of Arab solidarity masks deep divisions and intense rivalry, where form often is more important than substance, and the Arab business culture emphasis on relational subtleties and well-heeled connections to clinch business deals.

The Gulf will always be a paradigm of contradictions and intrigue, but also an exciting emerging market for businesses to expand into and cut their teeth.

It is this excitement that makes me really want to go back again and stay for a longer period of time to study the region and culture. Perhaps I might apply for one of the internships netted by this BSM, and do a short stint at the independent Gulf Research Centre after I graduate before working full-time in Singapore. There is simply so much to do and learn about the Gulf.

Here are some shots from the trip:

The Saudis are legendary for their hospitality. Here, the class settles down to a meal hosted by Mr Faisal Al-Dhfeeri, Director for Public Relations of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. Notice our girls wearing the abayas and sitting at a separate table from the guys

Next stop after Saudi Arabia: Bahrain! The world famous Bahrain Financial Harbour - still in the middle development phase - houses many international and regional banks. The Kingdom continues with its plans to diversify with the Bahrain 2030 Economic blueprint. One aspect naturally involves building on its status as a regional logistics and finance hub

Over at Doha, Qatar, Lusail City stands out as a bold mega-project to build residential, commercial, entertainment and cultural developments. With enough natural gas to last for the next 100 years, Qatar has enough finances to back its weight in gold

A further extension of the Lusail City project. The sea bridges link the City to the rest of Doha. Do however note the potential impact of such developments to the environment, especially the sea

The class prepares for a briefing at the Qatar Financial Centre. During our trip, we had the opportunity to talk to representatives of the business community, academics, policy-makers and diplomats to have a well-rounded feel of developments in the Gulf

The Atlantis at Palm Jumeria, an upscale district of hotels and residential apartments in Dubai. Check out the price tag of spending a night at its famous Poseidon Suite which boasts three well-furnished floors, a lift if you ever feel lazy to take the stairs, and an unfettered view of an aquarium that houses 65 000 fish: US$10 000

The Ski Dubai is an in-house ski park at Emirates Mall. If winter doesn't come to the Gulf, the Arabs were sure to at least import some winter, and construct it right at their very door step!

The amazing Burj Dubai - the tallest building in the world which houses offices and residences. The Burj Dubai is at least 20 floors higher than its nearest competitor: the Taipei 101 Tower and KL CC Tower

Over in Abu Dhabi, Zayed Sports City stands out as a development to cater to the niche field of sports entertainment. The Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex has hosted many world championships and will host the upcoming Capitala World Tennis Championship in 2010. The matches will be mostly be held at night to avoid the searing heat in the day

Lining the coast of the capital city, Saadiyat Island features a mixture of residential, commercial and cultural projects like the world-famous Guggenheim and the Louvre Museums, along with big-names like St Regis and Resorts in hospitality

Despite the rapid economic development, religion continues to play a pivotal role in the daily lives of the locals. The prayer clock, taken at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, one of the biggest mosques in the Gulf which is built almost entirely of marble, lists the six different prayer times of the day

Rounding up our trip at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, an opulent hotel which features an entirely gold-platted interior design theme. We had so much fun taking photos and living it up as "pseudo-guests" of the hotel

The Al-Khaleej beckons!

2009-12-05T04:54:00.011+08:00

41 students. 20 company and on-site visits. 10 days of travel (6 - 16 Dec). 4 countries (Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE). A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

And it has finally come to the day when I'm packing and feeling the excitement, a few hours after meeting the class for a get-together potluck and briefing for the trip. As I work down my to-do list for the preparations, and look ahead at the intense work and learning we will be doing during the trip, I can't help but reflect on all that we've been through as a class.

Yes, it's a graded module which is notoriously known for the intense amount of academic rigor and non-academic contribution such as planning the trip and organising site visits. Among all of the presentations that I've done in my 3.5 years in SMU, those in the BSM module are easily among the most memorable. The stress level was astronomical and the amount of time we put into the course should be measured in days, not hours.

Academics aside, it's the hands-on learning that matters. I've never interviewed three personalities from the business sector before, not even when I was in ST. I've never handled a S$110 000 budget before. Neither have I worked my guts out for media engagement (incl. the local and Middle East press) in any single project undertaking. This module has crossed the line and in ways I have never imagined.

And in a day's time, I will be stepping into a world that I've read about so far in the Internet, papers, and magazines - a region so politically. economically and culturally diverse; a region that has a recent history of impressive developmental growth and an even longer history of war and Islamic terrorism; and a region that is moving beyond the entrapment of oil wealth into a future still brimming with opportunities that is fueled by investment in various industries, human capital development, and domestic consumption - and see it for what it is.

And courtesy of the previous BSM photography teams, here are some shots to wet the appetite.

The Arabs are renowned for building entire cities from scratch. Their master plans speak of behemoth highways with high-rise office complexes, elaborate industrial parks, and ostentatious residential and tourist spots that cater to the well-heeled. Today's Abu Dhabi and Dubai were spawned from the first generation of master plan development, and the next generation of cities will be found in places like Saudi Arabia where the government is building five economic cities over the next 10 to 20 years.

See the sophistication of their plans. While many developments were fueled by oil wealth, some (like Dubai) were financed heavily by debt which unraveled with the financial crisis. Still, the Arabs have more than enough natural resources to rely on, enlightened political leadership that is determined to reform and diversify their economies, and thousands of foreign companies that are competing for plushy contracts - to keep the region relevant like China and India for the foreseeable future.

Atlantis and the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, Lusail City in Doha, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, and the Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia are among the many developments that the Middle East offers. All of this was previously unimaginable in a region that was associated only with static dictatorships, plutocracy, Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism and an irreconcilable culture. Today's Gulf is a break from the past.

See this huge conference hall with state-of-the-art communications technology. I'm always impressed by how the Arabs go for scale and size. The ability to dream and envision boldly - something many of us fail to do so - is also as critical as translating that vision into reality.

Ahlan wa-sahlan. Welcome to the Gulf! And Ma'a salama. The Gulf beckons!

Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer

2009-11-25T03:08:00.003+08:00

I really love the acoustic version of this awesome piece from Bon Jovi. His band really rocks. He pens his songs from the heart. His lyrics speak of mountains of personal faith. I think he will make one hell of a hillsongs singer, if only he believes in a higher being.

"We've got to hold on, ready or not. You live for the fight, when it's all that you've got."

And I have you in my prayer.

Eating humble pie

2009-11-24T03:00:00.000+08:00

Funny how bad news seems to always come at the wrong time, just before my first paper today.

I really appreciated the call and the subsequent clarification. But we definitely blew the chance of being the top team. If only we did things differently before but oh well, it was just the wrong fit.

Plays out just like the stock market eh? If there is too much of a good thing, it will all come crashing down sooner or later. And I take personal responsibility for this failure.

It is a day of eating humble pie. It does not taste good and it is very demoralising. But like all market corrections, it's always for the better.

Who says Singaporeans aren't patriotic?

2009-11-23T01:54:00.006+08:00

I was going through some old videos of Singapore political party rallies and chanced upon this from the last elections. In the video, Ms Sylvia Lim, the Chairperson of the opposition Workers' Party, was leading the crowd to recite the national pledge.

The crowd may be a small (and biased) sample size and reciting the pledge at a hyped-out rally may not be an accurate and comprehensive indication of patriotism but I scoffed at the age-old accusation that Singaporeans are not patriotic. Who says?

Let us take a step back from the romantised version of US patriotism and how Americans will say how they will fight and die for democracy (which has become synonymous with their national identity) and let's wonder: Should patriotism be narrowly defined in such a way?

This brought up a debate during class two Thursdays ago. I argued that short of staying in Singapore to fight a war against potential aggressors (we will never know until it happens), Singaporeans are patriotic as we do generally have an unabashed appreciation of our way of life and systems.

Yes, we may rant on and on about bread and butter issues, and one will find no lack of criticisms on online forums of our systems, ranging from education to job security to political representation. But ask Singaporeans if they would prefer other countries' (incl. liberal western democracies) way of life to ours and if they would willingly trade places with one of their citizens, they would generally say no. Why?

It's our innate attachment to the place we were borne in despite being raised in a oven-baking education system, and then subjected to an even more competitive corporate culture. Beyond that, it's our way of life: our heartland culture of HDBs, our numerous shopping centres or the hawkers centres that churn out almost anything and everything on local fare that every Singaporean eats at at least once a week, or the fact that almost street in Singapore has a row of trees that keeps our environment cool, or that we have family and friends here, and so on.

And it's also about our systems that actually work: our ERP that has reduced traffic jams, our trains that arrive every 5 minutes without fail, our efficient police and low crime-rate that allows you to walk outside at night by yourself without being mugged, our CPF and healthcare policies that serves as a social safety net for many, and our education system that subsidizes up to 80% of your varsity fees and makes our students top the world in science and maths tests, and more!

This is tied to one important aspect of our national identity: The Singapore Success Story. In 40 years, we have come from third world to first world, a feat that few countries had managed. And there are many countries that have taken an interest in us such as China, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Nigeria, etc. - and have introduced similar policies to replicate our success story.

Go to most countries, especially in Asia, say you are from Singapore, and they will nod at you as a sign of respect or awe. I have even met hilltribes peoples in Thailand who have heard of Singapore. Singapore is more than just a country - we are also a brand that has instilled confidence and trust in us - more than we sometimes care to admit.

As Singaporeans, we live the fruit of our ancestors, and we are the ones who have to make the Singapore Success Story a continued reality through our continued emphasis on our shared national values of multiculturalism, contribution and meritocracy.

No wonder our Minister Mentor quipped at this year's Ministerial Forum that the most important ethic young Singaporeans need to have is to be "as hardworking as our forefathers", not to "take for granted what is ours", and continue "to aspire and improve ourselves". As a nation, this is more than just a bed-time story or a drap piece from our national education curriculum. This is the fruit of our success.

But there are powerful trends that could alter this. Unprecedented immigration and a skewed demographic ratio of locals to foreigners may change our national culture and values in the long-term, if not handled properly.

And there may be more changes too. When I asked Mr Pal Khattar who founded Khattar Wong & Partners - one of our oldest and biggest law firms - whether demographic changes in our population could lead to a change in the orientation of our laws (i.e. more emphasis on individual rights as compared to communitarian rights) in the long-term, he concurred. After all, laws are man-made and they do reflect the wishes of the citizens. As we evolve as a nation and people, our culture, laws, systems and society may change too.

However, it is my wish that Singapore can still retain its unique identity - one that will continue to make past, present and future generations of Singaporeans proud.

3 types of people you need in your organisation

2009-11-22T23:36:00.008+08:00

I finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. He's the sort of perceptive writer who knows how to scratch beyond the surface of everyday life and dig the scoop out of the most reluctant of news-makers.

I was particularly interested in the Law of the Few which hypothesizes that the success of any social epidemic depends on the involvement of people with a very specific and rare set of social skills.

The Connector has the extraordinary gift of knowing people and acquaintances. They are expert networkers and are often involved in many social and professional circles by virtue of their love to know people. As such, they have the ability to connect different circles of people together.

My BSM Prof, Dr Yeoh, is an example of a Connector. She has this unparalleled ability to network with people from all types of sectors - academia, entrepreneurial startups, government, real estate, banking, consulting, healthcare, fashion etc. - and make an unforgettable impression with them. The fact that we are already into the 7th round of the BSM Middle East (SMU's longest running BSM programme) since 2006, and benefitting from the contacts, discounts and offers of assistance (even during a recession) shows the relational power she has with the Arabs (who are very relational people) and our BSM partners. Indeed, her name has become synonymous with the BSM programme and it is impossible to imagine if the BSM Middle East programme will be possible without her.

The Maven are information brokers who are experts in a particular field or market, not by virtue of their work, but by their passion. They desire to pass on what they know to others out of a genuine want to help others.

My friend, Nathaniel, is a politics Maven. He's the go-to-guy if you need the latest updates on politics in Singapore, and he will gladly spend the afternoon with you just to persuade you to get involved with politics. He's the guy who asks the longest questions at forums - with a prepared sheet of questions (along with facts and data from his pre-forum research), and spams his friends with news updates on politics or to get them to sign-up for related events.

The Salesmen are charismatic people with powerful negotiation and sales skills. If there's anyone who can sell ice to eskimos, it's them - people with the gift of the gap and the ability to make people agree with them.

They remind me of two guys from the SMU Broadcast & Entertainment - Ben and Terence. They are the typical guys you need on your team if you want to make a sales presentation or craft a sales pitch. They have the uncanny ability to communicate their point across and make you want to agree with them without making you feel wrong (or dumb). These are the guys who have already anticipated your question and doubts during the Q&A, and have already prepared three possible answers to any question.

Based on social network theory, these three types of people are what we call social nodes. As shown below, they form the basis of linkages between different groups of people and organisations, facilitating the spread of information and ideas that has allowed tremendous progress to be made in various fields and our way of life.

So where does this bring us?

Moving beyond the context of starting a social epidemic, how about recruiting or identifying such people in any organisation, and allocating them to a role that best brings out their gifts that will benefit the organisation?

Most of the time, we fail to appreciate such people for their gifts, or underestimate the immeasurable importance of their roles within the organisation.

Two years ago, I made the case that every EB team in AIESEC should at least include someone with the inside knowledge of how the school functions, who knows the right people from the various school offices or student groups, and takes an added interest in how things function beyond their AIESEC community. It will be a bonus to have an expert networker who knows people from different social and professional circles.

They have the potential ability to link their AIESEC community up with so many possible partnerships, people and resources in their own backyard. By virtue of their exposure to different circles and ways of doing things, they also bring a fresh perspective and approach to the organisation.

But yet, we discourage our members from joining other CCAs or take up other commitments beyond AIESEC, nor do we actively nurture such people to take up leadership positions within AIESEC. Worse still, we let these people leave the organisation by flawed member retention strategies.

I do hope that we can one day conduct some social audit of the organisation to identify such people, and bring them into the fold from the peripheral. It's truly a waste of their talent and unique social roles if they are not properly utilised.

Prof, congratulations on being a Dad!

2009-10-31T00:00:00.005+08:00

One my professors is now a newly-anointed father of a beautiful baby girl! In an email to the students, he thanked us for our gift for his daughter, and shared with us his thoughts and feelings of being a father:

"It is a strange experience to become a father. Of course, the overwhelming feelings are ones of relief and happiness. But, I keep thinking of our daughter as my new best friend, whereas I imagined that feelings related to nurturing and responsibility would have been the strongest.

There are so many other nice things about a little baby: it forces one to be more optimistic, for if the world is so bad, why have children? One sees the importance of children in society in the wonderful way people have responded to her presence; and it disarms and brings out the best in other people."

Every parent out there would definitely agree with one thing: that being a parent and having children changes their context of life to become more positive (that is before the baby grows up and starts giving the parents so much headache!).

It makes me wonder how I was like as a baby and as a child. As a third child, did I give my parents more blessings or headaches?

But it also reminded me of how much my parents sacrificed and cared for me. And their fundamental wish as parents is to watch me grow up and live a life that works for me, and to live it happily. Parents, I believe, are among the most unselfish people in the world.

Mum and Dad, cheers. You rock!

Looking back at my time with the Corps...

2009-10-28T03:24:00.004+08:00

42 members. 6 years of existence. 6 core values.

And 6 more months left with the Corps before I say goodbye and graduate, thus completing 2 years of service. Boy, time really flies.

Mais aucun jour ne passera près avec aucun regret -).

Too many coincidences in two weeks?

2009-10-28T01:56:00.009+08:00

I never considered myself integral with the world of Public Relations (PR), nor be a magnet for the media. But too many media-related incidents have happened to me these two weeks to make me wonder if these coincidences are a way for God to tell me to go into PR or journalism - something that I've resisted because I've always thought that I have a different calling in life.

The first incident was NYC's publishing an article that they wrote of me and Project ENP in their monthly magazine. Although they did not clear the article with us, I'm glad that they gave some publicity for the project since they are our sponsor (although I shudder at how they have portrayed me).

The second incident happened two Fridays ago, when we hosted a dinner for 20 Saudi Scholars as part of my Business Study Mission (BSM) Middle East programme. I was in charge of media relations and was responsible for crafting the media strategy and documents, and leading the media team to pitch to over 20 media outlets. For 4 days, we worked the ground and crossed our fingers for the media to bite. Fortunately, at the last moment, we managed to secure coverage of up to 4 articles by Berita Harian and Blue & Gold. Berita Harian wrote a nice article on the Saudi students.

The next amazing thing that happened on that Friday was that Suria TV turned up without informing us beforehand with a cameraman but NO reporter. Sweating furiously, I decided to do an impromptu interview with the people there and send the footage to Suria for airing. With no script, I decided to throw questions off the top of my mind at the interviewees.

That was my first taste of broadcast journalism. It was very scary but extremely exhilarating. I heard that Suria aired the clip two Saturdays ago, and I'm still trying to get the clip for media tracking purposes. Not bad for a newbie like me!

The fourth incident happened last Friday when Blue & Gold magazine published a two-page-long reply by the SMU Student Associations Council (SAC) to my commentary on the need for more accountability and improved strategic communication by the SAC. By any standards, it was a long reply but it's satisfying to see that they are now making the effort to communicate more with the student population.

The fifth incident happened on Saturday when there was a record sign-up and turn-out for the Branding, Marketing & PR workshop for AIESECers that I organised with Rachel and Grace. By most standards, it was a success, and I used the opportunity to hone my craft with the guidance of our two trainers from Ogilvy & Mather. I took out more from the workshop than I ever expected.

And then, this week, my article on student journalism was selected to be published in the Straits Times: Youthink. It's been a long while, really, considering my last piece was published in the beginning of this year. It has restored my confidence in writing more often for the column.

Finally, the SMU Corporate Communications Office called me recently and informed me that The Straits Times wants to interview me and two other students on our experience with blogging for the SMU Blog which is targeted at prospective students. The journalist wishes to find out if we were subjected to any form of censorship (or self-censorship) that might have made us portray a too-good-to-be-true image of the school. For the record, we are basically free to write whatever we want on the blog but as always, we have to be responsible writers.

Thomas Griffith once said that "journalism is in fact history on the run" while Napolean lamented that "fame is fleeting but obscurity is forever". I had (will have) my few moments of fame and I will move on just as quicky as it happened.

Unless God has other plans for me.

Best of FAIL Blog...Enjoy!

2009-10-16T03:00:00.008+08:00

The sweat and hard work was all worth it...

2009-10-14T04:04:00.004+08:00

I just received a photo from a Thai friend, of the well that the Project ENP team helped to build in the village of Hui-bak-bak during our April-May expedition.

Simple happiness lies in knowing that in a short span of three days, we turned the swamp (see below) of mud, mosquito-breeding stagnant water, and overgrown trees into......

A sheltered well that is 3 m by 2 m by 1.5 m deep, and now serves as a complementary source of clean water for a village of 250 people that is 6 hours drive away from urban civilisation. This photo was taken in May shortly after we left and the well is brimming with clean water now.

The next Project ENP team is heading off in April-May next year to continue volunteer and reforestation work with the Elephant Nature Park, and work on similar projects at other villages being supported by the Park.

If you have what it takes to join the team, especially documentary and film-making skills, then please drop me a personal message!

Making a stand as Projects Directors

2009-10-14T02:53:00.006+08:00

Yesterday, I wrote an open letter to the Projects Directors who attended the training session on Saturday.

For them, sitting through every single critique session wasn't easy, especially when their plans were in the lines of the 'firing squad'. I appreciate their willingness to be open to criticism and learning, which forms the very basis of the Projects support network which can only grow if there is a culture of open learning.

At Saturday's session, I saw determination and tenacity in the eyes of the attendees. And my love for them and this wonderful organisation leap-frogged my lingering skepticism of my role, and the future of AIESEC Singapore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Hi guys,

Thank you for sharing your plans with us on Saturday and contributing to the critique of your peers’ projects. Hope you all picked up new ideas and insights from each session.

Grace and I talked yesterday. We are simply amazed by all your plans and hopes for your project, and if you’re able to achieve all your targets, the net impact on AIESEC Singapore will be tremendous. AIESEC Singapore has come a long way from the past, even from last year. As an organization, we are growing. We both feel it and I hope you do feel it too.

Personally, as a projects leader in 2007\08, I never had anyone to turn to for help, no mentors to provide guidance, nor an idea of what a Pbox is (and how to design and execute one), or the luxury of having a critique session like Saturday’s. Those were the days when projects weren’t given much of a priority, when we practically didn’t have to report to anyone (because few people really cared), and had to scrimp and scrap every possible contact beyond the organization for funding and expertise.

If you think you are all alone and underappreciated now, think about how we would have felt then.

The role of a Projects Director even today is demanding. Very demanding.

Not only do you have to juggle project management and sales, you also have to manage a huge team, be responsible for member retention in your team, initiate partnerships and keep them happy, know something about marketing and PR, answer to the top (MC) and bottem (members), plus a whole lot of other factors that makes starting a new business look like child’s play. As a Projects Director, you are also forced (not asked!) to become a friend, a team worker, a mentor, a babysitter, a preacher, an activist, a partner, and many other roles.

And lo and behold, we are also full-time university students being subsidized by the wonderful taxpayers of this country!

But it is an honour and a privilege to be a Projects Director. I spent a year away from AIESEC last year. When I was away, I learnt new things that I wouldn’t have learnt in AIESEC, but I also realized that there is no other student organization that is unique like AIESEC, and a role as demanding as that of a Projects Director. Only a minority of people in our local universities have the opportunity to do what you’re doing, and grow and learn from it. But I can certainly think of many people who are hungry enough to do what you are doing but yet do not have the opportunity to do so.

Compared to other functional departments, Projects has plenty of leeway, freedom and power to try new things and experiment with new ideas. As the main engine of growth for exchanges and campus outreach for AIESEC Singapore, there is understandably plenty of expectations and demands set on you guys. And with great power and expectations, comes great responsibilities.

The Imperial British Hussars knew this well. As sword-welding horsemen who are responsible for disrupting enemy formations and stirring fear in them, they are the first to charge into battle before their infantry do. With the long lines of enemy rifles aimed at them, they knew they would be the first to die on the battlefield and the last to leave. But it was a great honour to be a Hussar, not simply for what they did and could do, but for what they stood for.

And hence, we hope that you can all stand for something that goes beyond just the mundane tasks of raising exchanges and executing forums. When you meet your team in person and try to get them excited about your plans, you stand for something. When you meet potential partners and clients, and face the prospect of being rejected, you stand for something. And when you spend the wee hours of the morning writing emails and proposals when you should be studying for a quiz, you too stand for something. That something lies in being a Projects Director for AIESEC Singapore. Think about it.

And we hope that as a community of leaders and AIESECers, we can all support each other, during our darkest hours, or during our highest peaks of triumphs. The great philosopher, Cicero, knew this when he said,” Rome became great not through its conquests, but through its undying support for its allies”. Let’s help each other by being open in sharing, learning and supporting. As a community, we will have to consciously work at growth, and grow together.

On behalf of the NTT, I would like to proudly say that it has been an honour and a privilege to be a part of the process of supporting you all through providing training, mentorship and advice.

We look forward to the next training session and till then, all the best for your projects and remember, if you need help, don’t hesitate to holler for us!

Sincerely Yours,
Kenny

Picking up the piano again...

2009-10-11T14:32:00.002+08:00

A couple of days ago, I caught The Secret, starring Jay Chou and Kwai Lun Mei. The film, directed by Jay Chou himself, is a love story revolving around the theme of pianos, time travel, heartbreaks and mystery - a seemingly unusual combination which collectively adds up to become a combustible epic which won many awards such as the 2007 44th Golden Horse Award, the Outstanding Taiwanese Film of the Year, and Best Original Film Song awards,

Just check out the famous piano duel in the film. It's one of those heart-stopping moments that I've not seen in any film in a long while.

The film also made me rediscover my interest in playing the piano again. When I was in JC many years ago, I bugged many of my friends to teach me how to play the piano. With some pointers here and there, I started picking up the piano by myself, without formal classes. Along the way, I collected the scores of some of my favourite pieces.

I once bugged my parents to get me a piano. When my Yamaha Clarinova arrived, I spent hours practising and playing on it, even sometimes past midnight. The effort was always worth it - it was simply a joy to be able to create music, one of the best things in life that speaks to Man's soul.

My interest tanked however when I started working and did my NS in 2004. When I moved house in 2006, I lost my beloved set of scores (and I spent hours marking the piano notes on them, damn!) and the Clarinova was relegated to a neglected position in my new home. What a pity.

Perhaps it's time to dust the top of the Clarinova and start playing again. I've always wanted to play the piano duet from the film Road to Perdition.

Once I find the score, I will start rockin' away again. My fingers have become stiff over the years and I almost forgot how to read scores now. But I'll try my best, hahas!

One Republic & David Archuleta - Apologise

2009-10-11T14:24:00.003+08:00

Here's One Republic and David Archuleta lighting up an otherwise bland Sunday afternoon with their joint rendition of Apologise. Enjoy!

"Conversations That Matter"

2009-10-10T02:49:00.006+08:00

I was having supper with Nathaniel one night and knowing that he used to serve on the Student Associations Council (SAC), I began to enquire about his views on the recent SA elections and fiascos. Being a Workers' Party member, he also shared with me his take on local politics and why Singaporeans are so afraid of being associated with the political opposition.

That's when an idea struck me.

There are so many people out there with vast experience, great ideas, and expounding visions that are both challenging and admirable. When I made a mental calculation of the number of forums and talks I attend, and the number of personalities I come into contact with, I realised there is a wealth of knowledge over there that can be tapped upon.

Imagine if there is a platform where conversations with such personalities can be freely published. Through a format of inquiry (i.e. kind of similar to the YEP Social Enquiry methodology of facilitation and reflection), there is much to be taken out of such conversations.

Imagine if there is a platform which the youth or the public can access to get insights into how such personalities think, act and feel, and walk away feeling somehow inspired by their work, ideas or vision. Or just a platform where one can air his views freely in support or rebuttal of these personalities. It's all about bridging the chasm between the public and such personalities.

"Conversations That Matter" will have no preference for individuals from any sectors, industry or school of thought. I believe political, business or social leaders all have one thing in common: that they believe in a vision greater than themselves that will benefit their community, and perhaps beyond.

I then made a mental list of people whom we could engage as writers and publishers for this platform. Nathaniel even suggested we could start off as an online blog\website, generate income from ads, then sell the rights to a media outlet with the promise that the platform will retain its accessibility and unbias for readers. Or we could brand it as an SMU publishing project which will be non-profit and run entirely by student volunteers.

Or we could simply shelf the idea and revisit it at a later date because it is so convenient to do so.

I need discipline, time and resources to make this happen!

Conversations with a Russian Billionaire

2009-10-10T01:29:00.004+08:00

Whoever says Russians are fierce, aloof, pompous, ignorant, cold or have a penchant for corruption and economic mismanagement?

The recent Russian-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF), which was attended by several well-heeled Russian movers and shakers, certainly helped change that perception as it shed some light into their mentality, way of life and mode of operation.

There are many interesting stories to share but for me, one individual really stood out: Mr Vladimir Tyurenkov, Managing Director of Hansberger Global Investors (HGI), a U.S. investment advisory firm managing more than $10 billion in assets for global, emerging markets and international mandates. I was privileged to be the Liaison Officer to him as he was among the VIPs who was invited to come to Singapore for the RSBF.

When we first met at the RSBF opening party, Mr Tyurenkov caught me way off guard by apologising to me for speaking in Russian with his friends.

"I have not met many of my Russian friends in a long while. Hope you understand", he apologised, not once, but on three separate occasions over the duration of the RSBF. And he politely asked me if it's possible to bring him and his girlfriend to the Helipad at the top floor of the Swissotel where they will have an unparalleled view of the F1 racing. What a charmer.

When I politely informed him that the Helipad remained off-limits because of the bad weather, he smiled and replied, "It's fine. I understand. Thank you for checking for me."

On the drive to the Fullerton for the lunch with SM Goh, I was able to engage in a more in-depth conversation with him regarding his views on the Russian economy.

The big story in Russia now is still oil. Most of the stock market (around 60.6%) is in oil and gas which only consist of 21.5% of Russia's economy. But opportunities are abound with the expanding real estate market, rising corporate debt market, a huge increase in Russian mutual funds, and more Russian IPOs. In fact, the debut of Rosneft could easily be the biggest IPO in history.

This is a sharp contrast to the post-Soviet Russia where "oligarchs" practically became millionaires overnight by using their influence to purchase state-owned enterprises at firesale prices. This was a sad story of Russia's privatization scheme where a minority enriched themselves while the average Russian was left to fend for himself. Vast inequality persisted and state infrastructure was virtually neglected.

With his vast experience working for the Russian government to develop and implement business plans for Russian companies entering the private sector, Mr Tyurenkov pointed out his role in creating "new wealth" for Russia and providing opportunities for a new breed of businessmen to create wealth "from scratch" and contribute to Russia's growth. His companies help restructure company product lines, formulate financial resource management strategy, and provide credit to business developments.

On the topic of doing business with the mainland Chinese, Mr Tyurenkov lamented that it was "very difficult to do business with them" because they are very "shrewd" and "always asking more for less".

However, he had many good words for Mr Michael Tay, our former Ambassador to Russia, who was a "good friend" of his and who is "well-respected" in Russia, and was instrumental in launching the RSBF as a platform for Singaporeans and Asians to engage the Russians.

Mr Tyurenkov also enquired to me about the real estate market in Singapore, as well as youth perception of careers in the private versus the public sector. Obviously, he does show some interest in developments in this little red dot of ours.

The RSBF is a successful event but more importantly for me, it allowed me to gain some insights into the mentality of Russia's "new wealthy". With his personal charm, eloquence, down-to-earth personality and experience, I am indeed awed by Russians like Mr Tyurenkov.

And with his drive and vision, I'm sure Mr Tyurenkov will become a bigger player in helping to shape Russia's economy and future.

Taking that one more step towards becoming a social entrepreneur

2009-09-24T03:25:00.009+08:00

Yes, I'm taking one more step towards becoming a social entrepreneur! Briefly, I have sketched out my ideas below as well as my progress towards those goals.

A niche field - Starting a consultancy for non-profits:

This was something that I wanted to do for some time but I kept putting off due to a lack of expertise, and partners who share the same interest and commitment, and also because I've been so damn busy with other things in life.

I envisioned this business to be a B2B service provider for non-profits, providing consulting for strategic management, branding, business planning, fund-raising, project management, marketing & PR, creating a learning environment, HRM, and a whole list of back-end issues.

A stint at Synesi Consulting - a branding and marketing consultancy - under the tutelage of Mr Joseph Lee who aspires to start a social business too, also gave impetus to this business idea. As fate has it, I am now working to bring him in as an external trainer for AIESEC Singapore.

And in the summer, Grace came up with the initiative of starting a National Trainers' Team (NTT) for AIESEC Singapore and I jumped at the chance because it provided me an avenue to learn the ropes of training and consulting, and starting a new functional department within the organisation (which brought with it a host of strategic issues that reflect common problems faced in the corporate world).

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to say that the NTT has been a success so far. With our increased internal branding within AIESEC, our SOPs and sustainability plans laid out, the compilation of an effective curriculum, and a handful of successful workshops delivered since August, we have our hands full with more training demands until year-end. By then, we will have expanded the NTT to about 13 members, serving the needs of the 250-strong AIESEC Singapore community.

Of course, the road ahead is not easy and the NTT is facing the impossible task of centralising all training needs of AIESEC Singapore under us. But no one says the experience will be easy either! Phew!

Love sells - Creating a match-making club in SMU:

I envisioned this club to be a platform for increasing awareness of couple-hood, sustainable relationships, and of course promote the dating game among stressed-out undergraduates. People looking for friendship are welcome to join as well.

Yes, I've got friends laughing at this idea and I did started this as a joke and shelved the idea. But a series of recent events made me think twice.

This week, I was talking to Kamil and Charlene about relationships and the idea of match-making came up. We soon revisited the idea of starting the club and Kamil shared that it was something that he has always wanted to do. So pretty soon, he went around spreading the word about the club and it has garnered some attention. I did a straw poll and found that people actually are curious about the concept and the topic of match-making is hardly as taboo as people think it is.

Well, this idea is still in the brainstorming phase and the jury is out on whether we will actually implement this idea. But I honestly believe that the idea will sell, especially if the club diversifies its clientele by providing workshops on work-life balance, time management, relationship management and conflict resolution.

Of course, how can we miss out on the speed-dating lunches, the socialising sessions, and all the interesting initiatives to get all the shy people getting out of their comfort zones and start making serious friendships!

As any casual observer of the match-making scene will say: hope in love really sells!

A rising trend - Incorporating mentorship with business:

Mentorship is a concept that is fast catching up in the corporate world, but honestly, I'm still very green about the intricacies and process of mentorship. My skepticism on the topic also waned after two chanced events.

Firstly, I had the opportunity to mentor a 6-person project team working for the International Day of Peace (IDP) Committee in SMU which just concluded, and was recently asked to mentor another 2 AIESEC project teams from NUS and NTU. The challenge of mentorship really got me thinking once again about its benefits.

And about two weeks ago, I had the chance to meet Mr John Bittleston, author and founder of terrificmentors.com and www.wiglingtonandwenks.com. A business and personal mentor by training, he built an entire business around the idea of mentorship. Now that's one smart bloke who truly understands how money can be made from serving a niche social field.

And this got me thinking of how mentorship and mentoring programmes can be incorporated into business ideas. What a truly powerful product it can be!

Responsible consumerism - Promoting socially-conscious products:

I know this idea has been done to death but in SMU, there is a demand for such an in-house vendor given the rising number of OCIPs that are focusing on social entrepreneurship, which includes getting their target beneficiaries to make products. The idea of selling such products is to promote awareness of the plight of these beneficiaries, create employment and generate cash where it's most needed.

We examined this idea under Project ENP this year and according to Daniel, my team's Business Development head, he will be meeting some staff from the school's Career Office who are interested in this idea.

Previously, we studied the feasibility of this idea and found that it's almost impossible to ensure the supply promises of the target beneficiaries (especially if they are based overseas). Simply put, they will make verbal promises to deliver the goods but they won't make the products because they don't see a point to most of the time.

Hence, most of the suppliers will have to come from Singapore and we seriously need to consider if we can serve certain target beneficiaries here, even though the market is pretty saturated!

The way forward?

I will have to see how these plans tie in together in the next couple of months. School work is now catching up on me, and finding people with the same dreams and passion is difficult. But the thought of realising these ideas under the SMU Business Incubation Generator (BIG) is really tempting.

How great it will be if we can get access to investors, enjoy the tutelage of business mentors, and don't even have to use our own finances.

Till then, I can only dream and play around with my imagination a little.

Requiem for a Dream

2009-09-16T03:49:00.004+08:00

I first heard this beautiful but haunting song when I was 17. It's the kind of music that conjures distant memories, hopes, dreams, and also regret.

FYI, the music was taken from the film of the same title which depicts the lives of four different people living in Brooklyn on their quest for satisfaction in life. It shows the direct and indirect effects that drugs and various addictions have on each of the individuals, and then portrays their downward spirals from the hopes of blossoming dreams into the helpless state of moral and physical decay.

Here's Requiem for a Dream on piano. Enjoy.

A prayer for you...

2009-09-13T22:08:00.005+08:00

I pray again not just for your well-being and safety, but...

For you to have a re-connection with your family, and your parents: the very people who gave life to you and spent their prime years working so that they can put you and your siblings through school for a better future

For you to rediscover your passion and zest for life so that you will jump out of bed everyday excited to accomplish everything for the day

For you to stay strong in your faith, knowing that if you can't see God ahead in your times of need, that's because He's always behind you to support you when you fall

For you to have a new tomorrow that is defined not just by actions and results, but by love, relationships and the simple joy of living in the present

For you to be true to yourself: Not by holding back because of the perpetual voice in your head that never stops telling you what to do in life, but to do what you really want to do because your heart aches for it

For you to have the time to stop and smell the roses, lie on the grass and admire the stars, and to watch in awe the amazing sun-rise and sun-set that marks the daily passage of time for all life forms

For you to simply be you because you are unique as created by God, not by Man or society, nor the very words that we use to put ourselves down everytime we say "I'm not good enough"

For you to say this prayer for someone else and to pass it along. You never know how much it will mean for someone else. As much as it has helped me make someone's day, I hope it will help you make someone else' day

Amen.

I wanna participate in a flash mob too!

2009-09-13T20:28:00.005+08:00

Flash Mobs: Seemingly unplanned gatherings of large groups of people that converge in public (or semipublic) places for brief periods of time. They will disperse as quickly and suddenly as they converge.

Or if you prefer some element of order amidst the chaos of randomness, check out this video of 200 dancers who created this amazing stunt with just 2 rehearsals!

Dear graduating class of 2010, here's our chance! Let's do something crazy, do it big and do it good!

Graduate with a BANG!

Zee Avi - Bitter Heart

2009-09-06T23:15:00.003+08:00

Sun rays come down
As seen when they hit the ground
Children spinning around
Till they fall down down down.

I wait for you
It's been two hours now
You're still somewhere in town
Your dinners getting cold.

I rest my case
You are always this late
And you know how much I hate
Waiting around 'round 'round.

Bitter heart, bitter heart
Tries to keep it all inside
Bitter heart, bitter heart
Shadows will help you try to hide
Bitter heart, my bitter heart
Is gettin' just a little fragile
Bitter heart, bitter heart of mine.

And then you come
And tell me the same reason
As you did yesterday
So tell me whats her name.

Doo doo da dum, doo doo da dum
Doo doo doo doo doo doo da da dum dum
Da da da da dum, da da da da dum, da da da da dum.

Bitter heart, bitter heart
Tries to keep it all inside
Bitter heart, bitter heart
Shadows will help you try to hide
Bitter heart, my bitter heart
Is just getting a little fragile
Bitter heart, bitter heart of mine
Of mine, of mine, of mine, of mine, of mine.

A little prayer...

2009-09-06T22:57:00.005+08:00

"Father, in my life I see
You are God who walks with me
You hold my life in your hands
Close beside you I will stand
I give all my life to you
Help me Father to be true"

You have given me every reason to wake up everyday feeling excited about the things I can and will do. On days that I fail to do so, please rouse me from my stupor and save me from all the waves of cynicism and lethargy that befall me.

In my weaknesses as a human, only You are made perfect.

Proud of my ENP team!

2009-08-29T01:16:00.006+08:00

We had an awesome ENP gathering tonight to debrief, gather feedback for the next Project ENP team, reminisce of the old times, and relive the fun and laughter we once had in Chiang Mai.

Tonight, I saw how powerfully bonds can be forged and last the test of time. One of our teammates, Hui Xin, took the trouble to make a team video. It was hilarious and nicely-done, definitely something that I would want to show to others to say how proud I am of the team.

Another member, Tessa, went beyond the call of duty to create mock certificates for each and every team member describing the "awards" each received during service in the team (mine read: Best leader, Best first impression but real worst impression, Best spectacle, Awesomest Ambassador of SMU, Best corn cutter, Most hardworking tubing planner, Most deluded, Most fashionably dressed in ENP, Best (and worst) matchmaker, Dr Love). Hahas!

We went through so much together and I dare say that even after a hiatus of 4 months, our vision and passion as a team never wavered. I was even more touched when people asked to volunteer for the post-expedition project (we are organising an exhibition) despite their busy schedules. Even more asked to help out for the next ENP team as interviewers and helpers.

I'm very glad that I helped to create and facilitate this eco-system of team members supporting one another even in times of adversity, commiting to the vision, and having steadfast dedication to each other. I saw pride in each person's face of what we have accomplished and who we are as a team. And I must really thank the team for sustaining this culture and moving ahead to create new possibilities for themselves.

Now, we just have to keep our word as a team. But judging how we have worked in the past, I have every confidence that we will do just that - and even beyond our expectations.

Will you please stop to smell the roses?

2009-08-28T03:02:00.004+08:00

How far away have you gone
To pursue a life you have always dreamt of
And while you disappear into the twilights of a new world
How much do you remember of me
And all the good times we shared
When we stopped to smell the roses

Do they mean anything to you
For they really meant the world to me
And all it represents in my life
With my dreams and hopes for the future
You never left my mind ever since you entered
For we stopped to smell the roses

And as I think of what you might be doing now
Life's never too short to say how much I care for you
I will never know what is going on in your mind
And certainly how you are faring
But please spare for a moment in time
To once again stop and smell the roses

And when you do, I know that you are you

A lesson in commitment

2009-08-22T07:12:00.006+08:00

I got another breakthrough this week. Another defining moment that has quickly shaped my first week of school.

In our haste to go to visit Global Village, Kirsty and I decided on Wednesday to buy our bus tickets to KL that will leave on Friday night and return on Sunday. We were intending to skip half of the Corps Retreat over the weekend, and only attend the Sunday half of the Retreat. So happily, I bought the tickets that afternoon. Little did we know that my encounter and subsequent conversation with Shawn and Jasper would change our weekend plans drastically, and offer a lesson in commitment.

I have never seen both of them so troubled and engrossed in Ambassadorial planning work so intently before. So I offered to sit down with them and contribute to the thinking process. And surprise, surprise, did they mention about the idea of introducing (and implementing) corporate values for the Corps, including KPIs that will operationalize and measure how each Corp member display these values in their work.

You know, I so wanted to raise this idea at the upcoming Corps meeting as I strongly believed that as much as we had a solid external branding, we lacked the internal identity that was necessary to gel the Corps together, and get members to genuinely see themselves as an integral part of a well-oiled machine striving for a common vision. In short, our skills as Ambassadors provided the organisation with the "hardware", but our values and corporate belief should provide the "heartware" as well. Putting the discussion of our values as a priority for the Retreat was a God-sent surprise to me.

That is the answer to issues of morale and member commitment within the Corps. This is the smoking gun, that if properly implemented, will be the model for other student organisations to follow. This will be an experiment in organisational culture-creation, and a crucial one that was far too delayed and important to ignore.

And what touched me even more was that Shawn and Jasper offered to reinburse us out of their own pockets for our tickets to KL just so that we change our minds and stay for the Retreat. Their commitment was for all members to be present, so that everyone will be on the same page on such developments.

Well, I was speechless and really wanted to go to Global Village but I realised that as a relatively seasoned project manager and trainer on organisational culture, I could not walk away from what I preach. I have made a commitment to be part of the Corps, and I cannot walk away when my President and Vice-President have offered to go all out to make me attend the Retreat. They needed people to fight for what is right, and make a stand to introduce some bitter but much-needed medicine for the Corps to function at our 110% . We ended up debating the idea and discussing until 2 am in school. But did they win me over.

So I did the right (and some say, foolish) thing to do: I decided to skip KL, called up Kirsty to convince her to go for the Retreat, and found replacements for both of us. We decided to stay, and carry out our commitment as pledged members of the Corps.

Best thing of all? We chose to stay, not out of obligation or peer pressure, but because we chose to stay to make a difference and stay commited to a pledge we made more than a year ago, and carry out for every second we hold our appointments as members of the Corps.

Now, if only we can bring this lesson forward, make a strong case at the Retreat and Corps meeting, and deliver a powerful wake-up call to the rest of the Corps.

Do not deny yourself....

2009-08-18T01:58:00.004+08:00

I re-watched an old movie recently, and one particular scene caught my attention and got me thinking. Here's the conversation between 2 characters in the movie:

---------------
Girl A: So, he took me to this fancy french restaurant and halfway through the meal he touches my hand...

Girl B: And that's when he told you how he felt?

Girl A: No, he never said it. He probably thought he didn't need to say it.

Girl B: Then how does she know that it is real?

Girl A: He said it was not about the words!

Girl B: Oh, please! If you feel it, you say it! It's really very simple.

Girl A: He said we'll talk about it later...only...there was no "later". It never happened. That's how it ended...

Girl B: He just let you walk away? He didn't try to save it?

Girl A: I honestly believed that things might actually work out, which was really very...foolish...

Girl B: Then all that they'll give to get the world but they let the one thing that truly matters slip through their fingers!
---------------

Do you always find yourself sitting around waiting for something to happen? Or do you keep telling yourself that you can put off doing the important things in life to "later"?

For so many years, I have simply let some people in my life walk away, without getting the courage to make a stand and express my feelings for them. I have paid the price by suffering in silence with regret and hardening myself by supressing certain feelings.

No more.

Do not deny your feelings if you like or love someone. Neither do you lie to yourself should you choose the cowardly way of running away and denying yourself, just so you can look good in front of that person, or before others.

12 memorable things about Tokyo

2009-08-17T23:13:00.005+08:00

It was only a short 4-day trip to Tokyo but what made the trip memorable was...

1. Admiring the beauty and fashion of its people. The girls seem to have big eyes and flawless complexions and the guys have slim bodies, sharp features, and finely sculpted hairdos (read: Takeshi Kaneshiro). Yes, even I'm awed by the guys and their good looks. Throw in the most creative, random and diverse fashion sense one can have and there you go: the va-va-vroom, in-your-face, fashionista culture of Japan!

2. Experiencing 1 minor earthquake tremor over dinner at a restaurant when the table started shaking and the light bulbs on the chandalier started grinding against each other. We woke up at 2 am the next night to the violent shaking of the hotel building when the bed vibrated on its frame and the walls seemed to want to cave in. It was over after 10 seconds but it was damn scary!

3. Walking down the narrow avenues of Harajuku (i.e. fashion street for youths) and gawking at all the teens dressed in Cosplay outfits and kimonos that make all those Japanese anime and cartoon series that I used to watch as a kid come to life before my eyes!

4. Buying 3 pieces of siew mai at the food basement of Isetan and dropping my jaw when the counter staff packed the food into a plastic packet, packed the packet in a plastic bag, and packed the plastic bag into a bigger plastic bag before sealing it. What a waste of material!

5. Having the best Yakudori (BBQ meats) meal at a restaurant in Shibuya (i.e. fashion street for the well-heeled) where the aromatic meat flavours go in sync with warm sake and home-cooked miso soup with soft Japanese rice coated with egg sauce. Yummy!

6. Tucking into the most authentic sushi meal at a 40-year-old sushi bar at the famour Tsujiki Market (the biggest fish market in the world). For a standard sushi set costing 4500 Yen (about S$65), you get an assortment of 10 different sushi types including the freshest prawn sushi I have ever tasted, and the most generous serving of unagi (sea-urchin) sushi where the unagi literally melts in your mouth. Of course, top the meal off with a bowl of home-brewed clam miso soup!

7. Laughing silently to myself when the service staff bowed to me to thank me for buying something from the store, and I bowed back to her. She responded by bowing to me again, and I bowed back. So she bowed back to me again. Haha!

8. Walking through the streets of Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Ginza (City centre) and Akihabara (IT City) until my feet ached, and admiring the bold contours of the buildings, the creative designs of the fashion boutiques (big and small ones), the flashing neon lights of the city, and the amazing range of fashion apparel of all types and designs for sale!

9. Navigating the infamous subway system where the trains operate on as many as 12 lines which are interconnected through many interchanges. I remembered having to walk 300 m from one line to get to another line at one interchange, only to realise it is the wrong line. Then it's another 200 m to the right line. Phew!

10. Seeing the most expensive fruits on display in the supermarket. One watermelon was on sale at 4000 Yen (about S$55) and a bunch of Japanese grapes selling at 3000 Yen (about S$40). Now, that's either some pretty good-quality stuff or it's just day-light-robbing inflation going through the roof!

11. Shopping like I've never shopped before in a very long while, courtesy of generous liquidity from my Dad and sister. I like their motto: Since you pay so much to come to such places, you very well spend more because it will be a long while when you next come back again. Along the way, I became an avowed fan of Japanese apparel chain, Uniqlo, where I probably blew half of my budget shopping in!

12. Going for a holiday with my Dad, Sis and my soon-to-be Brother-in-law. Even though not all of the family could make it, it was a warm experience knowing that this is my first family trip in almost 6years, and the start of many more trips to come. Korea next year, and Australia the year after!

Wha-t i-s thi-s?

2009-08-05T11:00:00.003+08:00

Saw this as a paper abstract for one of the upcoming Economics & Statistics Seminars:

"We derive some new results on the expectation of quadratic forms in normal and nonnormal variables. Using a nonstochastic operator, we show that the expectation of the product of an arbitrary number of quadratic forms in noncentral normal variables follows a recurrence formula. This formula includes the existing result for central normal variables as a special case. For nonnormal variables, while the existing results are available only for quadratic forms of limited order (up to 3), we derive analytical results to a higher order 4. We use the nonnormal results to study the effects of nonnormality on the finite sample mean squared error of the OLS estimator in an AR(1) model and the QMLE in an MA(1) model."

Wha-t i-s thi-s? They might as well be speaking in Klingon.

Now, this is WHY I really fear venturing into quantitative Economics!

Because it's only human to cry...

2009-08-03T23:49:00.001+08:00

When I think of a moment in time
It's when liking someone can be such a crime
To have to once again have your heart broken
It conjures a misery of words not to be spoken

I tell myself there really is no need to sigh
Because it's only human to cry
And when the going gets long, hard and tough
You look at life and give your biggest laugh

Sending her off today made me feel queasy
But no one said choices made have to be easy
So although at times it really leaves me hurt
It takes a man to live by his word

So fret not for I have seen the light
I realise that I'm now dug in for a fight
And like the piling up of falling summer snow
My feelings for her will only grow

Wow, I'm a Copyright Holder!

2009-07-30T02:20:00.010+08:00

I got back and checked my email today, and was surprised to see this in my inbox.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Tan

I am writing to request permission to reprint your article “Who says the young are good only at Facebook?” which was published in The Straits Times on 26 January 2009 in a forthcoming title, Human Resource Management: An Asia Edition.

Please refer to the attachment for details.

I look forward to your favourable response soon.

Han Lian Siew
Publishing Executive
Cengage Learning Asia Pte. Ltd.
5 Shenton Way, #01-01 UIC Building, Singapore 068808
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Han requested for my permission to reprint the article in full for his book which is slated for a circulation of 8000 copies in August 2009. I have granted him permission without need to acknowledge my name, should it be necessary.

For the first time in a very long while, it feels wonderful being a published writer, especially having your name cited in a secondary source.

The original article, published in the Straits Times: YouthInk, can also be accessed here.

And on a separate note, I finally found the feature article (click here to view) on fencing that I wrote for the Straits Times in 2007, after a random google search. It was featured in the press desk of SMU, Sporting Singapore, the Singapore Sports Council, and a couple of other business directories.

My ex-coach, Mr Jeffery Lopez, would be so proud!

Desperado...

2009-07-30T01:42:00.006+08:00

Desperado (By Emi Fujita)

Desperado
Why don't you come to your senses
You been out ridin' fences
For so long now

Oh, you're a hard one
But I know that you've got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts
Is always your best bet

Now it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones
That you can't get

Desperado
Oh you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger
They're drivin' you home

Freedom, Ah freedom
That's just some people talkin'
You're prisoners walkin'
Through this world all alone

Don't your feet get cold in the wintertime
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time
From the day

You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feelin' goes away...

Desperado
Why don't you come to your senses
Come down from your fences
Open the gate

It may be rainin'
But there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you (let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you
Before it's too late...

Father's Day is over but...

2009-07-29T09:57:00.002+08:00

Hillsongs concert was...

2009-07-28T01:12:00.007+08:00

Simply amazing!!!

Let me introduce two of my favourite hits from them:

Even though it has been a difficult and tiring week, I had a great deal of time to seek the Lord this weekend, more so in a long while. Actually, it's not about the amount of time that we commit but rather what is more important is that we are intentional in seeking Him.

For it is said in Deuteronomy 4:29 that "if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul". Hence, do as Isaiah 55:6 says - "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."

Among other things, He showed me how I could be a better friend for others by making a stand for them, and also to pray and intercede on their behalf. Also, He reminded me of the importance of bringing Him into whatever that I do in my work, commitments and relationships.

What does it mean to be a friend?

2009-07-24T13:45:00.004+08:00

I'm not someone who loses my temper easily. But when I do, there's always a good reason for it.

I lost it over a friend whom I've always looked up to for her beliefs and convictions. She was one of the reasons why I sought God again this year because if there is someone who truly understands the meaning of walking with God in her journey, it's her and she has inspired me.

But then, she always has the knack of jumping into commitments without thinking of the effects it has on others, even on herself. When something untoward happens because of that, someone has to clean up the mess. Someone has to pay the piper.

And yet, she's doing it again. One too many times. And this has shook my impression of her. How can someone like her waver so much in her convictions? It's hypocrisy!

I shared this with a friend yesterday. And her response is: My anger clearly showed that I still care for this friend. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have wasted my breath and lost my temper.

Perhaps old feelings die hard but to me, the most important thing is that she knows what she is doing and she is willing to bear the consequences of her actions. I'm not her father and I'm in no position to dictate the way she should live her life.

As a friend, for now, I can only support her in doing the things that make her happy.

But that also arises the question of: What does it mean to be a friend to others? Do we just keep out of the way and let a friend continue doing whatever he\she is doing even though it's wrong? Or are we willing to make a stand for a friend because we care?

Serving my country again...

2009-07-17T14:07:00.004+08:00

Reservist.

2 weeks in camp.

With a programme that includes IPPT training, live firing exercise, outfield training and camps, with tons of hours sitting around and doing nothing.

But still, you learn so much about human relations, leadership and communication.

My friends during my NSF days will know how much of a ang-moh-pai I am. My Chinese isn't really fluent and when I do speak it, I tend to use a more formal lingo compared to the conversational lingo that is more prevalent in the army. So when I find himself in a new unit, stuck with strangers who speak Chinese (95% of the time) for 2 weeks, imagine my discouragement.

Some of my platoon mates are already tight-knitted because they were from the same unit during their NSF stint. This makes it harder for newly-posted folks like me to integrate into their circle.

But then I learnt something. Regardless of the language one speaks, the language of values and actions are more important. People will respect you because you help them, watch out for them, care for them, and learn from them. And most of the time, they will reciprocate with the same values and actions.

And funny how it's always the hokkien-peng and the ones who are less educated who have better values.

I'm so glad for the new friends I made in-camp. There's still another 9 years that I will be spending with them. Some will stay. Others will leave. But the bond that we forged while talking rot during our outfield exercises and just helping each other, well, that's priceless.

And I also learnt something about communicative leadership . In the army, when there are a whole bunch of people who dread the experience of being forced to do things they don't want to do and can't wait to get out of camp, it really pays to communicate your intentions with them. Let them know what they are doing, and why they are doing it for. For instance, share with them the urgency of the tasks, link it to a bigger objective, and throw in incentives for doing the task properly.

We can be going through hell but if we know that there's a good reason for doing so, we'll gladly go all the way.

Wow, our best national day song so far...

2009-07-12T01:34:00.004+08:00

I've never been a big sucker for national day songs but I think "What Do You See" should be rated as the best thus far.

While the music video copied elements from Coldplay's style, mood, melody and pace, the lyrics were catchy, and the scenes provided a sense of familiarity. This gave the song a very uniquely Singaporean feel, in a positive way of course.

And so, enjoy! This could prove to be the best national day thus far!

Who you are DOES make a difference!

2009-07-05T18:11:00.032+08:00

Got this from a friend who is co-chairing this year's International Day of Peace celebrations in SMU.

This could just be the magic bullet that we're looking for to initiate some kind of social experiment in the campus based on the concept of passing on goodwill. It also reminded me of what the Landmark Forum taught us of the importance of being "open" with the people around us.

Just as it has inspired me, I hope that it will inspire you too!

Reflections from Chiang Mai (Part 2)

2009-07-05T04:39:00.020+08:00

When I came back from Chiang Mai slightly less than 2 months ago, I was still overwhelmed with what I've seen, done and learnt in the 2 weeks of the expedition with Project Elephant Nature Park (ENP).

As I reflected, the project represented the journey of a life-time for me, to be able to lead this project and work with an awesome team to be engaged in contributing towards elephant and nature conservation.

The following pictures are snap-shots of some of the work that the team has done since the conceptualisation of the project began last October...

We were fortunate to be working closely Mr Grant Pereira, the Singapore Director of the Chiang Mai-based Elephant Nature Park. In January, we organised a talk on elephant conservation by Grant, as part of a series of public outreach and education initiatives.

Grant was also instrumental in being the main liaison between our team and the Elephant Nature Foundation. He was recently featured in the Channel News Asia series Saving Gaia - Asia's Leading Green Heroes.

What is organising an OCIP without fund-raising? The team applied to be sponsored by the NYC's Youth Expeditionary Fund (YEP) which sponsored 50% of the cost of the project while SMU co-paid 10% of the cost. The balance had to be paid for by the team and fund-raised.

The 4-months-long fund-raising experience itself was extraordinary. We sold everything from popcorn, Chinese New Year goodies, postcards, ENP mementos to friendship bags filled with goodies, and our team-designed T-shirts. It was like running a 42-km marathon that required much patience and stamina.

The campaign was a success as we were able to exceed our target of $5000 and publicise this project to hundreds of our peers.

The building block of the project is definitely the team itself. We had a team-bonding camp during the term break to build trust and friendships, and peppered our semester with facilitation sessions to learn about conservation issues, team-work, and preparations for the trip.

On the first day of the trip at Chiang Mai, we were treated to a wonderful dinner at a cafe run by a guest inn that we stayed at for the first and last nights of the trip. Of course, on our agenda too was the shopping at the famous bazaars that sold anything from clothes to traditional handicrafts and food.

We had to take a van on an hour-long journey to the ENP. At the first day at the Park, we were briefed on the history of the Park and safety procedures for handling elephants. We were also introduced to many of the elephants at the Park, and even had the opportunity to feed and wash them in the adjacent river.

If you thought washing your cars was just plain painful, wait till you wash these towering, humongous beasts that had to be bathed twice a day!

Oh, how can we forget about the morning chores at the Park? Apart from cutting corn from the corn-fields in the outskirts of Chiang Mai that was meant to supplement the elephants' diet, we also collected elephant poo from the shacks that housed the elephants. The poo was meant to be transported to poo factories that made commercial items like notepads and books.

We also supported the Park in other activities such as collecting bamboo and concrete meant for the expansion of the Park's facilities.

Planting teak-tree seedlings was fun! We spent a couple of days transporting seedlings from the nursery and planting them at selected locations along the Park. These trees will one day provide shelter and food for the elephants.

This is part of a reforestation campaign to restore the natural habitats of these elephants since the rapid deforestation and urbanisation was a contributing factor to the decline of the elephant population in Thailand.

We spent 4 days at a Karen village that was supported by the Park. Recognising that promoting the welfare of the hill-tribes was part and parcel of preserving the eco-system involving nature and the elephant population, the Park launches many initiatives to preserve the cultural identity and welfare of these hill-tribes.

Our team sponsored the building of a well, and worked with the villages to dig the well at a site that was once a swamp consisting of a sludge pool of mud and rotting vegetation. Getting knee-deep into the mud, hacking at the ground with shovels and pick-axes, and involving the entire team to transport buckets of sludge from the well-site was simply draining but memorable.

Of course, the villagers were also exceptional hosts, always cooking and providing the best accomodation for us. They truly lived up to their reputation as a generous and welcoming people.

That's the well that was shaping up by the second day of our digging. We had to transport sand, stones and cement from outside the village, mix them into cement, and transfer the materials into the well. By the end of the third day, the villagers had taken over the project and adding their finishing touches to the well.

We also visited a nearby village school that served students from the nearby villages. We were thankful to have collected boxes of stationery, toys, paper and biscuits for the kids from our collection drives in Singapore, contributions from two secondary schools, and sponsors like Pilot and Blessings in a Bag.

That's the satisfied team with the adorable kids. What better way to mark the end offour stay at the village by putting a smile on the kids' faces with our gifts and the many games we played with them? Simply priceless and worth all the effort.

So what's in store for the team and the project? We have our work cut out for us for the months ahead where we plan to:

Work with our school's corporate communications office to create footages of the project meant for Channel News Asia to showcase the Park's work, details of our project, and our experience as a team.

Organise a photo-essay exhibition and have it in either SMU or the National Library (or even both!). This will cap our post-expedition project of increasing publicity for what the Park does, and educating the people on the pertinent issues of elephant and nature conservation

Have a final debriefing and official gathering for the team where we remember our work and the great times we have experienced together as a team

Start planning with the leaders of the next ENP project! We will review our strategic branding, processes, target audiences and such. More importantly, we will see how we can ensure the continuity and sustainability elements of the project, such as the idea of the social business that the school intends to start to market products made by the constituents of organisations like ENP

Guerilla marketing - Stop and stare

2009-07-02T12:08:00.004+08:00

Been youtubing for some innovative examples of guerilla marketing - the kind of marketing that makes people stop and stare at what you're doing out of awe or intrigue. The result: the brand gets the message across in an effective way, and a new brand connection is forged between the advertiser and the customer.

Reflections from Chiang Mai (Part 1)

2009-06-30T03:10:00.009+08:00

I realised I have not had the chance to blog about one of the main projects I've been working on: Project Elephant Nature Park. Leading this team of 20 people on a project that was conceptualised since last October, and not expected to end until this November, is not easy.

It was a journey fraught with many professional and personal challenges for many of us, but it opened our eyes to what can be achieved so long we set our heart and soul to what we want to achieve as a team.

But one picture clearly summarises my feelings for this project and the team:

You guys rock man! I promise that we will finish the last leg together as a team. And we will finish well.

And to our wonderful, wonderful supporters who have contributed in cash, in-kind, or just your prayers and encouragement, here's something for you:

Thank you so much for your support! Watch out for our planned photo-essay exhibition at the end of this year. And stay tuned for more details...

Branding for the future for Singaporean companies (Part 1)

2009-06-30T01:54:00.009+08:00

I learnt of some interesting findings from the recent Brand Finance Forum held in SMU last week.

Singaporean companies still have a long way to improve the value of their intangible assets like branding, according to the Brand Finance Annual Report for 2009 on Singapore's intangible assets and brands.

Singapore may have jumped three places to the 24th position in terms of intangible contribution to enterprise value, leading countries like Taiwan and South Korea, but its share of listed value contributed by intangibles has actually decreased to 11%, down from 52% in 2007. This is definitely a far cry from the global average of 40%.

On top of that, 93% of brand value for Singapore is concentrated in the top 50 brands like household names such as SIA (an anomaly in an industry where many airlines are failing), Keppel Corp, Semb Corp and DBS (rather surprising given their recent fiascos with their non-profit partners). Our top 10 brands now account for 56% of the total brand portfolio value in Singapore. What does this show?

It means that there are vast disparities in the branding effectiveness of our top brands - which are mainly home-grown MNCs who have been in the industry for several decades - and that of our mainstream companies - consisting mainly of SMEs and start-ups. Despite the efforts of IE Singapore and Spring Singapire, there is definitely so much room for our SMEs to grow and further strengthen their brand values.

So what should we do to strengthen the brands of Singaporean companies?

At the macro level, the government and industries should:

Rebuild public confidence in the key sectors driving the economy such as real estate, banking & financial services, tourism, and construction. There's a very good reason why 209 brands fell out of the top 500 banking brands worldwide and that's due to the collapse of public confidence in these financial behemoths

Promote and advertise the availability of government loans (especially from IE Singapore and Spring Singapore) to help local companies develop and expand upon their brand values

Leverage on national branding effects such as "Buy Singapore" concepts where one can leverage on our good reputation in areas like medical innovation, technological reliability etc.

At the micro level, companies should:

Understand and identify the key drivers of their brand value, and allocate more resources to strengthening them. This also means using new methodologies like assessing brand energy levels, and the brand cloud which tracks the brand effectiveness of rivals and complements relative to the company's brand

Maintain strong communication to convince management and shareholders to continue investing in intangibles and branding during the downturn, and not be too quick to cut branding budgets or devote too much resources to the tangibles (i.e. products and services, R&D). Even if you have the most effective piece of technology in the world (or so you think), it will matter little if people perceive your brand to be inferior to others. Brand values have to be communicated effectively and constantly to both internal and external stakeholders

Acquire companies abroad with strong brand values and similar synergies, for local companies that have strong cash-flow and have large cash surpluses. After all, in the current downturn, many companies are going on the cheap. Just as much as we do our bargain hunts during the Great Singapore Sale, companies should go on the prowl for bargain offerings

Internationalise or go regional. Serving a market of 450 million is better than serving a market of 4.5 million. With the strengthening of the ASEAN Common Market and the growing reputation of Singaporean companies in places like China, India and the Middle East, the stage is set to strengthen and communicate brand values to these large markets

Let's look at a couple of good case studies in the next post...

A wonderful word....

2009-06-30T01:09:00.004+08:00

"Actually, I asked God for a word for Kenny. The word "energy" came to mind. I trust that God wants to give a new surge of energy in all that he does. God wants to be his positive energy. And he can do so because he is made alive in God." - From Nirelle (Josh's fiance)

Thanks Nirelle for the prayer and the revelation!

The truth is that I have been juggling work and multiple CCA projects together. Momentum has slowed down in the past week because of unexpected snags in the workflow schedule, and external factors that my teams have been unable to control. With the end of summer looming soon and the threat of deadlines flashing in our faces, it can be quite demoralising and draining. A newfound energy and enthusiasm is what we need now.

In times like this, the Word of the Lord speaks. Thank you once again for the very encouraging and refreshing sharing!

And if any of you would like me to pray for a word for you, do not hesitate to buzz me. I'll be more than willing to help!

Playing soccer with binoculars

2009-06-28T03:15:00.003+08:00

Almost died laughing with this. Hahaha!

Antics in the library!

2009-06-28T02:57:00.003+08:00

Got this great video off youtube! Funny as hell and I seriously dare anyone to try this at the National Library. Looks like I'm becoming a fan of Japanese game shows!

Oh my...family...

2009-06-28T01:25:00.007+08:00

A couple of years back, if someone were to ask me if my family was a priority in my life, I would say 'no'.

Today, the answer will be an unequivocal 'yes'. Why?

I have seen how families can tear apart because no one in the family was willing, or had the courage in come in and intervene when there were family disputes. I have seen families with so much bad blood between the members just stray apart because of all the negative feelings clouding the perceptions they had of each other. Fast forward it 20 years down the road and think of all the wasted years of frayed relationships, and the cost of it all. Is it worth it?

Imagine starting your own family and your son\daughter asks you "What happened between you and uncle\aunt\grandfather\grandmother?". How would you answer?

"Oh, we just have our differences," you sheepishly say, then go back to lecturing them on how they should patch up their differences with the kid they had a fight with in the playground.

I want to bring up my family in an environment where they can develop and grow with the right values about people, and especially towards people. I want my family members to experience the joy of togetherness, of unity, of shared experience, and the sense of security from being around the very people who gave birth to them, and spent their childhood with. There are so much indescribable feelings in seeing a family that is so in love and happy with each other.

That's why we have to make a stand when family disputes happen, especially the kind that threatens to break up your family. I know that certain disputes just seem insolvable and there are times when you just feel like running away from it all. Thinking about it makes you feel sad and helpless.

Trust me, I've experienced it all. There are times when I buried myself with work and did things that distracted me from the problems at home. But I found that I did not like the path that it led me to because I know it will only lead to more alienation from the family that I have grown up with throughout my life. Problems don't go away just because we want them to.

But there is no place truly like home. And if one gives in to resignation and despair, the battle is already lost. And with that, all hopes of reconciliation are gone. What a waste.

You see, we all have a choice in life. We can choose to sit back and take the blows from life's twisted paths, and always accepting things for what they are because we are just...fatalistic. Or we can choose to take control and change the situation around us for the better. If we fail trying, oh well. At least, we've tried and can boldly lift our heads high, knowing that we did not give in to resignation.

And while I do my best, I can only hope and pray that things will be for the better for my family. And I pray that you and your family will enjoy the fruits of togetherness.

How to handle a potentially dicey confrontation

2009-06-27T02:51:00.005+08:00

Today, I had to handle a potentially dicey confrontation when one of my former team members queried why a certain task that I had promised to be done a year ago was still not completed and he was understandably edgy about it, even adopting an aggressive and confrontational posture towards me. The truth is that I have missed the urgency of the task and let the months pass by because I hadn't considered the task to be a priority.

Nonetheless, the way one handles such a situation will determine whether the problem escalates or not. Here are some tips to defuse the situation:

1. If you're in the wrong, admit your mistake. There's no point in defending yourself and you're only inviting the aggrieved party to step up the attack if you stonewall yourself.

2. Acknowledge his grievance. If he took the trouble to approach you and became emotional about it, surely you have to respect his grievance, regardless of whether it is justified or not. As a leader with responsibility, your members' views and grievances should matter as much to you as your own.

3. Thank the other party for sharing his grievance. This is a sure-way to defuse the tension because you're responding with grace and displaying humility. I find that most of time, it makes sense to thank the other party for bringing up an issue that you otherwise would have missed, because the consequences of ignoring the issue are huge. Think context - not just focus on your pride. And of course, thank sincerely from the bottem of your heart.

4. Promise to act on the grievance - and do it right. In this case, it's better to have a gameplan ready and a mental note of the timeline and course of action that needs to be taken. Everyone likes a solution to every sticky problem, and everyone certainly treasures those who act on their promises. The ball is now in your court to follow through on your promise and be a person of integrity. What you do here affects how people perceive you to be.

5. Update the other party on your course of action. By acknowledging the grievance and promising to act on it, you have now made yourself accountable to the other party on your progress. Take it one step further to assuage his fears and mistrust by updating him on the course of action. If you found that there's nothing you can do about the situation, be frank to the other party. There's no point covering up one lie with another excuse or lie.

Those of you who have read the Straits Times forum pages will shake your head at how some people respond aggressively to criticism, or how some companies go to amazing lengths to justify their actions, even when there is genuine room to examine the writers' grievances. The truth is that we cannot be right all the time, and how we respond to criticism (justified or not) tells more about us than how our reputation is affected if we are perceived to be wrong.

One can forgive another for making a mistake, but one can't forgive another for assuming that he's too right to make a mistake.

How to get up, eat breakfast, and get ready for work in 5 minutes!

2009-05-27T01:33:00.005+08:00

Got this off a friend's blog. Trust the Japanese, who are notorious for being in the office 1 hr early, to come up with such brilliant ideas. Laugh yourself silly with this one!

Thank You Lord for Everything...

2009-05-27T00:57:00.004+08:00

What is it like to cry out to God for help in one of your darkest moments in life, begging him for answers to questions that keep you awake at night?

What is it like to surrender your heartbreaks and troubles to God, knowing that you are powerless, but in your weakness, He is made perfect and mighty?

What is it like to have to walk away from love and to exit with grace and humility even though it pierces your heart so much?

What is it like to embark on a faith journey, to be utterly broken by God in the process, to have three breakthroughs in two weeks, and to have a renewed vision to serve the Lord once again?

Father, thank you for hearing my cries and seeing my tears. I know that You have not forsaken me, and will never will. I have not received an answer from You on many things, but I patiently wait for You to call. And on my many darkest nights, thank you for providing a listening ear as I struggle with myself and my emotions. The struggle is still ongoing but I know I will come out of this stronger, wiser and more humble.

Father, I have seen what You have done for me in the past two weeks and I am in awe. Amidst the emotional roller-coaster ride and the swirl of events that have changed so many things in my life, I have surely grown to be a vessel for Your work. While I recover and rejuvenate in the Spirit, I pray that you will guard my heart and emotions, and to listen to my prayers, including those for my loved ones.

Father, I know I have every reason to be joyful because this is a new season of seeking what You want for me, not just what I want. And I am hopeful that the future will be positive and fruitful with You once again in my life. With you as my shield and rampart, I know that I can overcome unsurmountable odds and live to see a greater tomorrow. For I know that after the bleak winter, there will be a much-awaited spring around the corner.

Amen.

How are student clubs like businesses?

2009-03-14T02:46:00.006+08:00

I once went for a consulting workshop where the instructor, Mr Danon Gabriel - an SMU alumnus who spent 3 years honing his skills at Dragonfly Consultants - compared student clubs to businesses. And although the long-term goals of student clubs and their incentive structures resembles that of a civil society organisation or an interest group, Danon is right to point out that there are many similarities between student clubs and businesses.

Here are some similarities:

(1) Competing for talent
Just as businesses compete for talent, student clubs compete for members. Membership in certain clubs does require specific skills, attitude and goals, which explains why certain clubs head-hunt for members or have interview processes to screen potential applicants. Think you are not engaging your members sufficiently? Don't be surprised if they "jump-ship" to another student club where they bring along their skills, and more importantly, their commitment.

(2) Competing for customers
Businesses have their customers but student clubs have their target audience as well: ranging from the public and supporters of their cause, to clients (especially for groups providing specialised services) and sponsors. As such, they need to continuously provide a value proposition for their target audience, and develop certain competencies to distinguish themselves from other similar clubs. This also means creating a certain brand identity.

(3) Watching the bottem-line
All organisations run on budgets. They can afford to splurge when there's a surplus, or tighten their belts when cashflow is low. But what people fail to recognise is that student clubs often adhere to the same accounting standards that businesses have in place. For instance, they have to submit their yearly budget and account for all profits (if any) and expenditure to the school administration that provides them with the bulk of their funding.

(4) Managing operations
Businesses have their chain of command and designated departmental roles. Student clubs have their hierarchy and their specialisation of labour such as marketing, logistics, events and so on. The President acts as a CEO and oversees a team of managers who are his executive committee (EXCO) members. Members within the club also function as employees who are answerable to the EXCO.

Also, student clubs do face the same internal challenges as businesses: the dangers of groupthink, existence of information silos, creating a suitable culture and set of values, and so on.

(5) Incentive structures
Wages aside, members join student clubs to meet new people, learn new skills or to apply current ones, gain experience and recognition for their contribution, or simply join out of interest. In the corporate world, there are many employees who go beyond wages and work for the above reasons.

Since most student clubs resemble businesses, they can also adopt strategies and management techniques that businesses use. Here are some recommendations student clubs can use to beat the competition and strengthen their operations:

(1) Understand one's value proposition - and strengthen it!
It's important to know what your club is good at, or what distinct services you can contribute to the public. If your club is advocating a specific cause like environmentalism, your value may lie in organising workshops and forums for the public on conservation, or leveraging on industry contacts to give talks on eco-friendly technology. By having a consistent vision and core competency, your club will remain relevant to your target audience.

Of course, it also pays off to strengthen your value-addedness by improving the quality of services or diversify into providing new services. Often, it helps to have a system of continual dialogue with all your stakeholders to get constant feedback to improve your club's branding, services and operations.

(2) Build a brand to win over partners, supporters and the target audience
If a student club is well-managed, delivers services that are relevant and professional, and has projects that are seen to be effective and sustainable, why shouldn't its stakeholders continue to support it? After all, I have always believed that having a good brand will help a student club increase, or at least retain, her stakeholders.

What makes a good brand then? I believe it all boils down to the professionalism of the club in delivering excellent services, and communicating their value proposition and vision to its stakeholders.

(3) Practise market segmentation
Many student clubs perceive their target audience to be just...students. However, does that mean that the faculty and staff are irrelevant? As always, there is value to be tapped by customising the message to suit the right audience or market.

Or why not leap-frog the immediate school market to target the public? There are many avenues for student clubs to publicise their events and activities, namely online channels, the media, and also the use of social networks.

(4) Utilise power of social networks
What are social networks? They are social structures consisting of individuals or organisations linked by values, ideas, interests, and so on. Your network of friends is a valuable social network, and so are the friends of your club members, and so are the friends of their friends. Build up those social networks and you will find a ready pool of supporters that you can turn to.

While it's common nowadays to advertise events on face-book and online forums, the corresponding amount of spam and information limits the effectiveness of such impersonal channels. Word-of-mouth by friends and the personal touch of telling your friends about your club or project remains a viable and powerful channel for communication.

(5) Unlock the power of partnership marketing
Partnership marketing, like relationship marketing, focuses on building sustainable partnerships for your student club to create a stronger brand by leveraging on the identity and core competencies of your partners.

Often I realise that many student clubs are loft to partner each other, or to venture out of their comfort zones to partner external organisations. Often, this means that they will lack access to specific audiences or core competencies that these potential partners can offer.

A project run with many partners can potentially lead to loss of autonomy over the project direction and focus, but it does contribute to your club's branding by indicating that there's plenty of involvement, interest and cooperation in your project. The public tends to notice more of such projects, while potential partners might want to join in the bandwagon (since we are all driven by herd mentality).

The key to a successful student club also lies in intangible factors that shape how members communicate and work with one another. Creating a distinct organisational culture is part of the approach to retaining members and talent, and unleashing the full potential of your members to contribute. I will examine more of this in a separate post.

20 Random Things About Me

2009-03-11T01:12:00.007+08:00

(1) I respect the mind and how essential it is to help one to analyse situations and problems, solve puzzles, absorb information and so on. As I grew older, I've come to respect the heart and how superior it is to the mind. With the determination and the will to go on, one can overcome hardships and achieve so many things in life.

(2) Having good conversations with people is daily therapy to me, amidst the rush during school. In my breaks, I look forward to just grabbing coffee with a friend and sitting down to have a good chat. I think that human touch helps to clear the clutter from your mind and destress.

(3) Late-night supper is a must for me, given how late that I stay awake at night. Char Kway Teow and Korean Ramyun noodles are extremely unhealthy, but also extremely appetising.

(4) I never learnt to drive, despite its obvious benefits. When I look at the "disadvantages" of driving (i.e. car maintenance, car value depreciation, having to run errands for the family, drive friends home etc.), I decided to postpone taking my driving lessons indefinitely, even though my advanced theory pass lapsed after 2 years.

(5) Running is a sport that makes me feel "free". I love to run at night especially. Plugged into my Ipod, absorbing the sights around me, and feeling the cool night air on my skin, I don't feel inhibited at all. Freedom on earth.

(6) I used to think that Corporate Communications is bull-shit, until I realised how important it is to sustaining a brand, and how related it is to journalism. It's all a matter of perspective and "educating" people on that perspective. Still, I do not wish to build my life on creating a facade that may never last the test of time.

(7) On pt 6, I used to want to become a journalist until it occurred to me how censored and lope-sided our media is. During a stint at ST, I've met people who are rebels who tried to push the boundaries of what they can report on. Unfortunately, even with more people like this, they still can't beat the system. Call it the Uniquely Singapore System.

(8) Even as a Christian, I still believe that everyone is entitled to their own views and beliefs. I've spent enough time defending my faith for 2 years in the army to know why some people perceive Christianity and Christians in a negative light. I've also spoken to enough people of other faiths to understand that just as I have made my peace with God, they have made their peace with theirs.

(9) As the Chinese saying goes, trouble really comes from the mouth. People say that I can be too diplomatic in my words and accommodating at times, and I agree. I just think that when it comes to many topics, people should agree to disagree. And contrary to what people think, I often shoot my mouth off and have gotten myself into enough trouble to know how bad that feels.

(10) I have trouble relating to Accountancy students. Apart from some exceptions, I think most of them are quite stuck-up, narrow-minded, grades-obsessed, tend to hang around in cliques, and are rather shallow. I'm curious to know more Accountancy students to prove myself wrong!

(11) I think "consultancy" is a very prestigious and expensive word. Companies pay a fortune to sort out their operations and find experts to reassure them that they are in "good hands". No wonder so many companies call themselves "consultancies" and so many professionals term themselves "consultants". I guess if you man an IT helpdesk, that makes you an "IT consultant" too.

(12) Sometimes, I wonder how my life now is different from that of a working adult. I return home at ungodly hours because I work until late in school, and devote so much of my time outside, whether I'm busy with academic or CCA stuff. There are fast days, and there are slow days. But it is, as always, satisfying because it keeps me focused in life.

(13) Through AIESEC, I have met some of the most passionate people in my life. That is why I am still a member after 2.5 years, with many more years to go. Many of my close AIESEC friends have left but the thought of inspiring the new members and to contribute to their growth is something that keeps me coming back for more.

(14) Growing up in secondary school in SJI, I was quite a loner. Apart from the occasional outing with a few close friends and joining 2 intense CCAs (Fencing & St Vincent De Paul), I would go home straight after school almost everyday to play computer games. My classmates would also tease about how I keep wetting my hair to keep it down (I was super vain in the past), causing the gel to drip from my hair to my uniform. In hindsight, I thought it was a very silly and disgusting thing to do. So glad I grew out of it.

(15) Based on my past records, I have an 85% chance of acing an interview, be it an application for a prestigious student club, or an internship. I always believe that it all boils down to knowing what you want, who you are as a person, how you can contribute and how to market yourself to the right people. Contact me if you want some pretty good tips!

(16) I've come to believe that as much as we like to think that people and the world run on logic, arguments are often won not by logic but by who the person making the argument is and how fast he can overwhelm you with his words that may not necessarily make sense. This explains why some governments introduce policies that have their logic flushed down the gutter, and why some companies hire the wrong person for the wrong job. 'Nough said.

(17) I think schools do to some extent kill creativity. If the system jam-packs your kid's life with classes and exams to get him to "learn more" and "prep him" for the "big one", then he will never have the time and space to explore himself through alternative means, apart from doing well in school. Think home-schooling is a bad thing? Think again! I think students who are home-schooled may emerge happier than the average student who comes out of the system as "factory output".

(18) I prefer to travel to emerging markets like India, China and the countries in South-east Asia than to the US and Europe (apart from Eastern Europe) because these places have a more exotic charm and have more places to "discover". That's why I'm particularly excited to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE this coming December for my Business Study Mission (BSM) Middle East module.

(19) I can't understand how people can enjoy drinking beer. It looks like piss, tastes like piss, and eventually becomes piss. Ok, I'm not that great a drinker myself and friends can testify that I get drunk after drinking 1 pint of beer. That's why I drink sparingly and would rather choose wine over beer.

(20) I originally wanted to write "15 random things about me" but decided that I have more things to write, and I'm too unmotivated to finish my assignment which is due the next morning anyway. Hence, here's a "20 random things about me".