. La zY

Our most feared competitor, TIME!

2009-06-04T00:38:00.005+08:00

wow... it has been nearly 1.5 months since my last blog entry. despite the unstable economy and uncertain future ahead, there is plenty of work to be done. i've been occupied with back-to-back events, new projects, personal errands, and the list goes on...

i have been involved in quite a bit of new biz pitches and brainstorming sessions lately. and i feel i am running out of creative juice. being creative and coming up with big ideas for clients is my day-to-day job, which could pose challenges to some (e.g. accountants and ibankers, no offense). there is never a "best idea" because like the chinese saying goes, "the is always another higher mountain". we are not competing with other creative agencies to win a business, but rather, competing with time, time to come up with something to boost the "wow" factor when the client hears our idea.

if we had all the time in the world, we could use this time to look for ideas, get insights, be creative to come up with a kick-ass campaign. but we don't... so the only way to compete with time is to use it to read, to see, to converse, to listen, to experience, to come up with the big idea that is slightly better than the one prior. this is a really difficult task and often times, an around the clock commitment.

for a financial consultant, his or her job ends at 4:10pm when the stock market closes, but for creative consultants, it doesn't really end at all...

3 years after 3 years after 3 years, 9 years coming la boss...

2009-04-23T00:57:00.003+08:00

well it has only been 3 years but it feels more like 9. today is the last day of my third year at the company, so despite how tired and busy i am, i felt i needed to put in a blog entry on this very special day.

lets do the top 10 again. so here are the top 10 learnings during my 3 years at the company:

1) enjoy the advantage of being a part of the digital influence team as you can always get away for using twitter, msn and facebook at work.

2) be a trend setter, not a follower. my hotel slippers has become the talk of town and many ex-colleagues still remember this fashion statement years after they've departed.

3) leave on time if you've done all your work. it just means that you are more efficient than the person sitting next to you.

4) don't feel guilty to close the elevator door on someone if you are in a rush. they will learn to walk faster next time.

5) you can often forget people's name working in a big company. the easiest way to recall their name is to tell them that you've lost their mobile number and then ask them to spell out their name again.

6) there is such thing as a stupid question, so think before you ask.

7) talk less, do more. its the only way you'll be able to get off work at a decent time and enjoy what's left of your social life.

8) when you ask for a favour, be prepared to return it.

9) there are tonnes of pencils lying around the office but not one pencil sharpener.

10) when you know there is going to be a fire drill, take the elevator to the lobby 10 minutes before the alarm goes off or hide in one of the washroom stalls to catch up on facebook on your mobile phone.

to commemorate my 3 years, i accidentally bought myself a seiko watch for quite a deal. 3 years and all i could afford is a seiko... this makes tony leung look good.

Discussing the Divine Comedy With Dante

2009-03-17T17:12:00.003+08:00

i'm sure this painting is no stranger to many, but for those that are unfamiliar (like myself), do spend some time and see if you can point out all the famous personalities.

there are 103 people in this painting, 100 famous personalities. this piece is called "discussing the divine comedy with dante" by dai dudu, li tiezi, zhang an - 2006.

however, does anyone know why the artists created this piece? what were their motivations? what message are they trying to convey?

answers here:

http://i.gae.ro/painting/

http://cliptank.com/PeopleofInfluencePainting.htm

First iPhone, now iChange, what next?

2009-02-25T00:44:00.003+08:00

created by swiss automaker, rinspeed, the ‘iChange’ is a concept that basically replaces the dashboard and key vehicle controls with the iPhone.

with the iphone, the driver can transform at the push of a button, from a single-seater sports car to a vehicle that accommodates three people. the extra seats are contained under rear end of the teardrop-shaped panel which pops up, creating more room. other features of the car include lightweight (only 2324 lbs), an electric motor, solar panels powering the cooling system, a smart fuel consumption and battery system, etc.

in my humble opinion, iPhone will not be around forever and it will eventually be replaced by a smaller, sleeker, smarter phone. by the time the car goes into production, apple will probably come up with another kick-ass product to replace the iPhone. and what if the iPhone breaks down, does that mean the car won't start or function properly? hm... doesn't seem too practical to base the concept around a phone.

maybe it's immature to criticize, so let's revisit this after the geneva motor show.

Rolls-Royce's WIP - The 200EX

2009-02-24T01:11:00.002+08:00

More close ups to come... so stay tuned!

Reporting Live: Top Gear Live @ HK

2009-02-22T23:28:00.013+08:00

first time in hk, last stop of the global tour, so how was it? let's just say it was what i had expected, nothing more, nothing less.

me getting overly excited at the entrance

something i could never own. sigh...

this seems more affordable and right for my size

fits me perfectly!

surprisingly, this was the only car girl at the show. it's sad but true. nonetheless, she was hot and i had my fair share. ~_^

for more photos of the exhibition, visit: www.alivenotdead.com/lazymardafcuka/Top-Gear-Live-HK-profile-507012.html

and now, onto part 2, the main event!

let the show begin!!!

there were a few empty seats but close enough for a full house.

my favourite part of the show - car football.

here's a taste of the show, drift at its best. never thought that hkcec would allow this but they did. = ) i am sure you can catch more of the excitement on youtube.

all in all, it was a decent show. the live experience definitely beats watching it on tv or internet. the sponsorship support was lacking though as a result of the current economic situation; hence, the exhibition could have been bigger and better. i also felt that the WOW factor was missing and there could have been a special stunt to top off the show, given this was the last stop. nonetheless, i hope they will inject some new and fresh ideas into the show and i look forward to catching it again.

You know you are getting old when...

2009-02-18T00:52:00.003+08:00

you start talking about:
- life insurance policies
- quiting smoking
- eating healthy and sleeping early
- how parts of our body cannot function properly
- where to find good deals for wedding rings

these were some of the topics that my friends and i discussed this evening while we were paying a visit to a friend at the hospital. depressing really but necessary.

shit hits the fan and hence, i've been doing a lot of self-reflection lately. i realized that i'm about to finish the 1st chapter of my life's trilogy (given i live to be 90) and how i've really done nothing for myself and in some cases, the people around me (i.e. parents, close friends, charity). maybe its a good time to re-arrange my priorities and really understand the life cycle. maybe becoming a monk can help speed up my thought process...

Thank you for walking with me

2009-02-17T00:52:00.002+08:00

人生的路那麼長恰如由鬧市走到草原
由草原走到海灘由海灘走到沙漠
在每一個階段也有人陪你走免你於孤單
其實還怨什麼呢? 分手時刻固然傷心
但每一個歷經過分手的人
如果想起那時呼天怨地的情景不禁會笑自己傻
我現在不是活的好端端的?
如果可以豁達地想想，那一段日子沒有他/她的出現
真不知怎樣把空餘的時間填充
有時分手不一定是為了性格不合
感情淡然或是第三者
當一個人的生命列車要轉軌時…
在旁的伴侶未必能並肩而行…
只要能陪他/她走過十分之一的路程
那已經是一種榮幸

Happy Birthday!

2009-02-08T23:41:00.004+08:00

i got a special call from my parents tonight wishing me a happy birthday. i was like "huh?". i then realized it was my lunar birthday, which happens to be jan 15th (feb 9th), tomorrow. i guess they told me this in the past but i never really celebrated with the lunar calendar.

since there will not be a feb 29th this year, i will do a special celebration entry for myself. i wish myself a happy birthday. i am not going to list out my wishes because the list would go on and on. the best birthday wish a person can get is to have all his/her wishes come true (greedy!).

here is a little birthday gift for myself. a 1999 acura 1.6el with all the works. well, not all the works, just some personal touches on the outside and under the hood. more could of been done if i still had her. sigh... just a way to commemorate my first love. i miss u and hope you are in good hands.

Have you ever looked up yourself on the internet?

2009-02-05T00:39:00.009+08:00

i did this once several years ago and didn't get much. i was browsing the net tonight and thought, "what the hell, lets look up myself on the internet". the results were a bit more pleasant this time.

with google, using my real name "kevinon" as the keyword, i found my twitter and blogspot at the top 5.

with google, using my online nickname "lazymardafcuka" as the keyword, i found my vox blog (no longer in use), my AND account (yeah!) and youtube channel at the top of the list.

with yahoo, using my online nickname "lazymardafcuka" as the keyword, i found my youtube channel, AND account and forum posts at the top of the list.

however, it was very disappointing to see that my blogspot had a technorati authority ranking of 1, which basically means no one reads my blog.

I got my copy, did you?

2009-02-04T22:38:00.001+08:00

Wake up call

2009-02-04T00:37:00.003+08:00

"wake up call" is a term that we often hear or use, but i hadn't realize the true meaning of this phrase until i got one today.

usually, i don't like to write about my personal issues on my blog, but i will make this an exception. for those few who are aware of the drama that has happened in the past two months, you probably know what this is and who this involves, so i won't get into the details.

for the past two months, i've been struggling to make a decision on whether to let go or keep trying. the answer seemed to be clear at first because i am a logical and analytical person. 1+1=2 and that is the only correct answer.

up to that very moment, i had thought all my assumptions and analysis were spot on. but someone proved me wrong and made me look at the equation differently. 1 plus 1 can equal to 11 or 1 or whatever you what it to be.

today, i learned several important life lessons:

1) don't assume because its makes an ASS out of U and ME
2) how you see yourself can be very different from how other people see you, so get a different perspective in life
3) excuses can make yourself feel better but will come back to bite you in the long run
4) what is the closest distance between two people? COMMUNICATION
5) be yourself and nobody else
6) be responsible for your own actions
7) there is a chinese saying: 錯要認,打要企定 (meaning admit to your wrong and be man enough to take the punishment)
8) do not take things or people for granted
9) be a man of your word and don't make empty promises
10) action speak louder than words

these are very fundamental elements that we were told to live by, that our parents made us believe in, preached by our teachers and mentors, but how often do we really live by these rules? i for one haven't lived up to these rules and i think its time for me to start from the basics once again.

I got a $1,000 lucky money!

2009-02-01T23:38:00.009+08:00

billion, you did it again! as a marketer, i've not seen too many dm stunts that have caught my attention, but your lucky money gimmick took me by surprise.

happy cny to all! stay healthy and wealthy in 2009.

KO's 2008 Top 15

2009-01-13T01:07:00.003+08:00

i haven't blogged in a while due to personal reasons as well as work overload, so here is one for the time being.

usually it's 10 but i have 5 more, so here's my 15 in no particular order of importance...

1) got promoted (also got an increase in salary too, unbelievable...)

2) visited manila, donzol, taipei, okinawa and seoul (for the first time)

3) moved from kennedy town to causeway bay (a lot faster getting to work now)

4) three of my best friends broke up with their girlfriends (i became the forth)

5) bought my first pair of pumas (i am an adidas fan, what a sin!)

6) became an alive not dead member (and i refuse to join facebook)

7) got the stomach flu at least 6 times (that really sucks)

8) hiked for the first time in hk (i intend to hike more in 2009)

9) the u.s. screwed the rest of the world (which in turn screwed up my career plans)

10) increased my alcohol consumption (which strangely reduce my alcohol tolerance)

11) had my 7th birthday (those of you who are mathematicians can probably figure out my birthday)

12) closed my start-up in canada (because someone had stole my primary client which was my cash cow)

13) lost some more hair on my head and grew some elsewhere (as a result of stress)

14) got locked out of msn for more than two weeks (it took the msn folks two weeks, 6 cs and technical support to figure the problem. i wonder how much they get paid...)

15) swam with whale sharks up close and personal (an once in a life time experience)

i look forward the good times ahead in 2009 so wish me luck.

Going and saving green this holiday

2008-12-22T00:00:00.008+08:00

Going green = using old magazine covers to make flower ribbons and inside pages as gift wrapping paper, i thought i would be a bit more environmentally friendly and put old magazines to good use

Saving green (green aka money) = given the economic uncertainty, me being a cheap axx and how people tend to throw away gift wrapping paper after unveiling their present, i thought it would be wise to save a few bucks

by the way, the gifts inside are not expensive either, so matches my overall green strategy. BUT it's the thought that counts. LOL.

Giant pandas are gentle creatures

2008-12-13T14:32:00.005+08:00

ok, the ocean park incident was an one-off. giant pandas are in fact very gentle creatures and only attack when someone steps too close or crosses the boundary.

check out these footages and you'll see what i mean:

baby scares the shxt out of mommy!

trying to escape during the sichuan earthquake

great team work (unfortunately, the bigger one couldn't get thru)

Billion, clever DM stunt!

2008-12-12T17:19:00.008+08:00

My Chinese white dolphin encounter

2008-12-08T23:17:00.013+08:00

from wiki:

the chinese white dolphin (traditional Chinese: 中華白海豚), also called indo-pacific humpback dolphin, is a species of the humpback dolphin and is one of eighty cetacean species. the adult dolphin is usually white or grey in colour. the population along the chinese coast is unique in that they exhibit a pink-coloured skin. this colour of the skin is not a result of colour pigmentation, but is actually from blood vessels used for thermoregulation to prevent overheating during exertion. the adult's body length is about 200 - 350 centimetres and the infant's body length is about 1 metre. the average weight of an adult is around 150 to 230 kilograms.

now that you have a bit of background on the chinese white dolphins. let me share with you my white dolphin encounter.

i was lucky enough to be invited on a "chinese white dolphin spotting" junk with the ocean park folks a few weeks back. i was not particularily excited about this trip because i had no idea what i was expected to see. we took off from a pier in tuen mun and headed towards the waters between new territories and zhuhai (red box indicated in the map below). after a 50-min ride, we came across our first sighting...

it was near impossible to capture photos of these animals surfacing the water with a regular digital camera. during each sighting, we had to keep quiet and maintain a distance of at least 50 meters. luckily, the wife brought her canon eos 350d camera and her 24-105 lense. according to the guide, these chinese white dolphins often followed fishing boats, hoping to catch a quick meal.

we had around 7-8 sightings within 3 hours and below are some great images i captured (at least to my standards):

Reporting Live from The Clinton Global Initiative Event in HK

2008-12-02T15:05:00.007+08:00

it was a honour for hk as well as asia to host such a large scale and high-profile event. i was lucky enough to be a part of this momentous occasion, a once in a lifetime opportunity i may add.

although i was working, i did get a glimpse here and there on what was happening. i am not going to highlight the dignitaries and VIPS, the speeches, etc. as you can probably find all these at http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=2437. so let me show things that weren't broadcasted in the media.

while gloria macapagal-arroyo (philippines' president) was delivering her speech during the panel discussion, there were a bunch of filipino protesters outside the grand hyatt. as you can probably tell from the signs held by the protesters, they were chanting some nasty words.

singaporean minister mentor lee kuan yew, at 85, showed he had lost none of his edge despite being fitted with a pacemaker at the past weekend with a remark about women ''rebelling against being slaves of their husbands or in-laws.'' (perhaps implying on the appointment of Clinton's wife to the secretary of state?)

Some close up shots of bill during the staff photo section:

The 2008 Christmas Song (only for those who haven't received this in email)

2008-11-24T00:36:00.006+08:00

You'd better watch out. You'd better not cry.
You'd better keep cash. I'm telling you why: Recession is coming to town.
It's hitting you once, It's hitting you twice.
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise. Recession is coming to town.

It's worthless if you've got shares. It's worthless if you've got bonds.
It's safe when you've got cash in hand. So keep cash for goodness sake. HEY!
You'd better watch out. You'd better not cry.
You'd better keep cash. I'm telling you why: Recession is coming to town.

Finance products are confusing. Finance products are so vague.
The banks make you bear the cost of risk. So keep out for goodness sake, OH.
You'd better watch out. You'd better not cry.
You'd better keep cash. I'm telling you why: Recession is coming to town...

My first piece of land

2008-11-23T23:03:00.002+08:00

thanks to the wife for my first piece of land. it also comes with a pair of sheeps.

Who is not an addict?!?

2008-11-16T21:33:00.003+08:00

from computerworld:

internet addiction is on the rise in the world's largest net market (china) and now chinese doctors have officially defined it as an ailment.

users who spend six hours or more per day online, and exhibit at least one symptom including difficulty sleeping or concentrating, yearning to be online, irritation, and mental or physical distress are classified as meeting the definition of addiction.

we spend on average 10 hours a day at work, minus the lunch hour and smoke breaks, that leaves us with 8.5 hours actually working. and of that 8.5 hours, take away 1.5 hours for meetings, which leave us with 7 hours on the computer. of that 7 hours, maybe 1/2 of that time for word processing and the rest online. now add the number of hours you spend online each night at home after work.

so who is not an addict and who doesn't exhibit one of those symptoms listed above?!? chinese docs, a little too late to be telling us this! according to the article, they've even set up clinics to help people escape from the online routine. you can't be serious...

Time for a change

2008-11-11T00:06:00.003+08:00

before...

after...

comments welcome...

Reporting Live From Dell's Taiwan Design Center

2008-11-07T00:12:00.012+08:00

mini 9 (white), mini 12 (black)

just to put things into perspective...

AI + Pistons = NBA Finals

2008-11-06T00:59:00.005+08:00

can this be true? yes it is! AI moves to detroit. so the pistons are going to the finals this season. he may not be as legendary as AJ, but he is who he is and he has his own identity. the awards, the fame, the endorsement mean nothing. the only thing that matters is winning.

Should of listened to my mom...

2008-10-27T23:22:00.002+08:00

the only ones who are immune from the financial crisis are lawyers, accountants and doctors. lawyers are probably busy dealing with fraud cases against brokers, traders and realtors, while accountants are crunching numbers for companies facing liquidation. more and more people are visiting their doctors after seeing their stocks plummet to new lows.

the lesson here is that, i should have listened to my mom when i was choosing a career. now i see a new meaning to the word "professionals" - those that are not affected by economic fluctuations, with a secured job for life, while their networth increases exponentially and get to retire at 40.

Life is a balance sheet

2008-10-15T00:22:00.003+08:00

ever since my dad learned to use email, i've been getting forwarded messages from him almost everyday. and where do these messages originate? from his friends and relatives, those who've retired, sitting at home all day looking for cool and interesting things on the internet to pass time. and in turn, passes their findings to their friends and family via email. if we went back to the good old days of stamp mailing, they would probably think twice before hitting the "send" button.

anyhow, this entry is not to complain about getting forwarded messages from my dad because this is a way for him to stay in touch with me despite the distance and time difference. his emails show the importance of family and the value of sharing something with someone that you really care about.

and this brings back to my point about sharing... so i am sharing with you an email forwarded to me by my dad. it's a lesson about life and when you get to a certain point of your time in life, some of these will start to make sense (or if you are an accountant).

Our Birth is our Opening Balance!
Our Death is our Closing Balance!
Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities.
Our Creative Ideas are our Assets.

Heart is our Current Asset.
Soul is our Fixed Asset.
Brain is our Fixed Deposit.
Thinking is our Current Account.

Achievements are our Capital.
Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade.
Friends are our General Reserves.
Values & Behaviour are our Goodwill.

Patience is our Interest Earned.
Love is our Dividend.
Children are our Bonus Issues.
Education is Brands / Patents.

Knowledge is our Investment.
Experience is our Premium Account.
The aim is to tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.
The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.

Apple's new "brick"

2008-10-13T23:07:00.005+08:00

as reported in 9to5Mac.com, "brick" refers not to what it is, but how it is made. according to source, apple will build the notebook out of a single piece of carved-out aluminum - a brick. whatever it is, the new computer may be what apple CFO meant when he referred to a "new product transition that i can't talk about yet".

some speculations from analysts:

- if you're working with one single unit of metal, you're reducing a lot of the materials costs and also a lot of labor time on assembly;

- screws might be minimized or eliminated entirely, so joining different pieces of metal would disappear;

- apple might bring final assembly of the product in-house which mean apple would need to set up a factory, purchase equipment, secure real estate and hire new people.

a sneak peek at what the "brick" would look like

Where is all our money?

2008-10-12T23:14:00.002+08:00

investors are panicking, governments are scrambling and companies are preparing for the worst. we've all seen the headlines and heard about it on the news.

but if our economy is doing so bad and we are all losing money, then where has all our money gone to?

i should have paid more attention in eco101, but if anyone knows the answer to my question, please shed some light.

Annoyed at tele-marketers? Here are some ways to annoy back.

2008-09-30T00:13:00.002+08:00

i understand being a tele-marketer is not easy and closing a sale on the phone is near impossible. but how come companies don't realize that it isn't working and their money and resources can be better spent elsewhere?

i am sure we've all received these calls, asking us to complete a questionnaire for a chance to win a cruise vacation, or asking if we need money to pay off debts, or the famous "are you stressing over hair loss problems" (which happens to be a recorded tape so if they get you on voicemail, you'll have to listen to the whole message before you can delete it).

i don't really get annoyed at these calls, i find it rather amuzing to interact with the person on the other line. i am often curious as to how they will react to my response and answer my questions about what they are selling because 9/10 times, they are just reading off a script and know nothing more than what's on the paper in front of them.

here are a few ways how you can fend off tele-marketers and also enjoy the process in the meantime:

1) selling the opposite
marketer: "hello, are you the owner of mobile phone number 9661-XXXX."
me: "yes"
marketer: "i am calling from XXX slim fast. have you ever thought about lossing weight so you can be healthier and look better?"
me: "i think i am pretty healthy and quite good looking already."
marketer: "oh... are you over 150 pounds?"
me: "i m near 100 but do you have any programs that can help me gain some weight?"
marketer: "sorry, currently, we don't have any programs to help people gain weight but thanks for your time."

2) asking questions (only if you are bored and can afford the time)
marketer: "hello, i am calling from XXX Group and would like to inform you that we are offering an exclusive hotel membership available to VIP guests like yourself."
me: "interesting, so what constitutes a VIP?"
marketer: "you've been referred by another customer and you were selected from a pool of names. this is a great opportunity for you to experience what our hotel chain has to offer. the membership includes 50% discount at 10 of our 4-5 stars hotels."
me: "which 10 hotels?"
marketer: "well we have a, b, c... g, h, all of which are 4-5 stars hotel in hong kong."
me: "you mentioned 8 and most of these names i've never even heard of. can you tell me a bit about each hotel, where they are located, what restaurants they have, what's on the menu, etc."
marketer: "well first there is... blah blah blah"
(keep asking until they don't have the answer and they'll start to get annoyed.)

3) you making the referral
marketer: "hello, are you currently in financial debt? Having trouble paying off your credit card? UX can help!"
me: "actually, i am quite well-off but i know a friend who gambles every weekend and is in great financial problems. maybe if you help him, he'll be able to pay me back the money he borrowed from me.
marketer: "ah... sure."
me: (now give them the name and number of the person that really pissed you off recently) "his name is XXX and his mobile number is 6013-XXXX. his home number is 2593-XXXX. make sure you call him during the day time on his mobile and at home during the evenings. thanks!"

Last by not least, the most honest and faster way to end the conversation: "Sorry, I do not require your service/not interested in your product, so please don't call again." But then again, you won't be having any fun. =P

HK Disney Land 2008 Visit

2008-09-21T23:33:00.006+08:00

i was there in 2006 and everything was pretty much the same during this visit, except for the addition of "it's a small world". i am sure we've all been to hkdl so i am not going to put up photos of the attractions, me with mickey, the railroad tour, etc. as we've all been there done that.

however, i do want to share an interesting video which i took at the animation academy. i don't really know how to descibe this in words and the mechanics behind it so i'll let the video speak for itself.

Why HK people Don't Bother To Vote

2008-09-08T22:23:00.002+08:00

about 3.4 million of hong kong's 7 million people were registered to vote this year. only 1.52 million people, or about 45% of registered voters cast ballots which was the second-lowest turnout rate since hong kong returned from british to chinese rule in 1997.

so why? because the government has made the voting process too troublesome and time consuming for people to make an effort. for those who want to vote (like myself) don't bother to become a registered voter because it takes time out of their day job to register to become a eligible voter. not a good way to encourage people to vote. this process does not make life any easier be it a white colar who can't be bothered to take 5 minutes of his/her time to register or a senior who can't read and is not familiar with the voting process.

with that, lets bid farewell to the 2008 legco elections on a humourous note.

Photoshop Goes Mobile

2008-09-04T00:41:00.003+08:00

adobe debuts mobile photoshop for windows mobile.

key features:
- syncs photos from desktop to web to phone and back again
- the free basic membership plan online storage capacity has been upgraded from 2GB to 5GB

flip side:
- no photo-tagging, titling, or captioning in the beta version
- only supports windows mobile phones

well, it's nothing new for existing users of picasa, photobucket and flickr, but it's a start... i wouldn't mind trying an upgraded version capable of basic, if not all the features of photoshop cs / elements. i guess this will only happen when form factors of mobile phones improve to fit more memory and RAM. say in 5 years?!?

read more: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/software/0,39044164,62045583,00.htm?scid=nl_z_tgos

The End of The Olympics

2008-08-24T23:27:00.010+08:00

16 days passed by very quickly and i only had a chance to watch several games, which was a pity. my fav games were women's v-ball and men's b-ball, both of which i also played in high school.

to make the most of what was left of the olympics, i tried to catch the men's b-ball final, spain vs u.s. it so happens that when i was walking by times square, one of the jumbotrons were broadcasting the game. so i sat down by the sidewalk and caught the first quarter with a bunch of guys who were also trying to skip shopping at times squares with their beloved other half.

it was getting hot so i went to a cafe near by to watch the rest of the game. this cafe was one of those upstairs cafes, 7 to 8 tables, owned by two young ladies. so i enjoyed the rest of the game on the minitron with my company, a glass of jasmine green tea (i would have ordered a beer but unfortunately they didn't have a liqueur license). so this was my way of bidding farewell to the 2008 olympics - watching u.s. defeat spain in the men's b-ball final.

storm watching

2008-08-22T16:41:00.015+08:00

the nuri typhoon hit hk today and it is going right above hk at around 6pm. how exciting, its my first t9 experience. best of all, no work today, so can't get any better than having an unexpected long weekend.

the gym was closed today, along with everything else, so i decided to do some storm watching. the winds were not as strong as i had expected and i didn't manage to catch the best of it. but here are some interesting photos which i took along the way.

there were coast guards parked along victoria harbour from the east to the west end.

causeway bay typhoon shelter - the white flashes are fishes jumping in and out of the water during the typhoon.

beside the causeway bay typhoon shelter, on victoria park road - numerous trees were snapped off by the strong wind like twigs from a branch.

world trade center beside the excelsior hotel - the scaffolding is dangling from the building about to fall off.

lockhart road x percival street - the area had been blocked off by the police due to debris (cement blocks) falling from the buildings above.

I was a part of the Olympics

2008-08-09T01:08:00.007+08:00

i was not there in person, but i still felt the patriotism and joy watching the opening ceremony with the rest of hk on the times square jumbotron. the original plan was to watch it in the comfort of my own living room, but then i realized that i do not have tvb nor cable tv. so after dinner, i bought a beer from 7/11 and stood in front of the levi's store to catch the last leg of the ceremony.

this was definitely an occasion that no one would want to miss and i must say that standing on the street for 1.5 hours was worth my time. when the premiere spoke, the crowd cheered. when the HKSAR team walked into the stadium, the crowd roared. when the last torch bearer flew into the sky and ran around the top of the stadium, the crowd applauded. when the torch was lid and the fireworks began, the crowd went crazy, screaming at the top of their lungs. it was an immersive experience. i felt as if i was there in person.

if my phone hadn't run out of batteries, i would have captured some photos to document this special day with everyone else. oh well... i am sure you'll catch it on youtube if you've missed it.

The Phantom Coupe Debuts in Hong Kong

2008-08-06T12:34:00.006+08:00

A Potential iPhone Killer?

2008-07-30T01:24:00.006+08:00

the 3G service providers in HK are all trying to out-do hutchison's iphone offering with devices from other vendors and a cheaper tariff plan. although no device or mobile gadget can live up to apple's cool and trendy lifestyle reputation, hutchison's tariff for one is a setback for many consumers, including myself. so i've decided to revisit my mobile purchasing plan.

after several weeks of reading consumer IT magazines, browsing on the internet and getting insider info, i've decided to go with my second option, the moto ming 2. adding a data plan onto my existing one would probably be a lot wiser, given that i do not have to be tied down for two years and pay a premium for the device.

so feast your eyes on what could become a potential iphone killer... although i am uncertain at the specs and exact retail price, my prediction of the moto ming 2 (features: 3G, GPS, applications add-ons, etc.) would range from HK$3800-4000. lets see whether my prediction is correct come august.

青山黛瑪 & SoulJa - 留在我身邊

2008-07-21T01:06:00.001+08:00

i love this song! this music video even has english sub-titles.

Have you seen a Rolls hit 120mph?!?

2008-07-18T00:56:00.004+08:00

a glimpse at rolls-royce's latest addition, the phantom coupe (aka RR3)

from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds

My Observations About Hong Kongers

2008-07-09T00:46:00.002+08:00

after spending two and a half years in hong kong, i've noticed several interesting, yet consistent behaviours across hong kong people. i've somewhat adopted some of these attributes myself, so i am as guilty as the guy next door.

observation 1:
things seem to either merge or divert away from one another despite the busy road traffic. examples, an old lady pushing a cart loaded with cardboard boxes walking towards a two-storey bus full of passengers going 50 clicks an hour seamlessly bypass one another with only a few inches between them.

observation 2:
people walking like living zombies commuting to and from work. before work - their minds are probably still asleep while their body mechanics does all the work and somehow gets them to work. after work - they are probably still worried about the workload that is sitting on their desk or what an awful day they've had while AGAIN, their body mechanics rushes to get the hell out of the office and as far away rom the office as possible.

observation 3:
there no such thing as "too fast" in hong kong. examples, the mini van driver flooring the gas before you completely get out the door OR sales clerk greeting you by saying "hi, wel to 11. feel look round", which in full reads. "hi, welcome to 7/11. Feel free to have a look around." The worst is when you are in a rush, no matter how fast you walk or how well you maneuver around the crowd, there will always be someone, somewhere that will eventually slow you down.

Happy Birthday to Lazy's Blog

2008-07-01T22:40:00.006+08:00

i've written 57 entries, gathered only 21 comments and 173 views in the past 365 days. so what have i written about in the past year? nothing interesting because if it was, people would be reading my blog, commenting on my entries and i would be ranked higher in technorati.

to me, the purpose of my blog is not to gain attention or acceptance, but to note the interesting things i come across in my life. it's like an online journal and somewhat related to what i do at work. the reason why i don't write anything TOO personal on my blog is because people can dig things up (not that i have anything to hide ;-p) - celebs gossips digged up from facebook, intimate photos found on blogs, etc. - it's scary when you think about it.

anyhow, aside from my blog's one year anniversary and me moving into my new place, today is also canada's day and HKSAR's handover anniversary, so there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Childhood Memories

2008-06-23T01:00:00.016+08:00

aside from work, work and work, i've also been packing my things and getting ready to move into my new place. moving is a painful process, especially when my belongings are more than what my house can occupy.

despite all the anxiety, one good thing did come out of this. as i was going through some old boxes which my parents sent me from toronto, i uncovered some great childhood memories. so i took some photos to capture these moments because they were going back into the boxes again.

in the mid-80s, before the game boy era, portable video games were already made available by nintendo, with each game built onto its own console.

in the early 90s, street fighter was THE GAME that dominated arcades and living rooms. like all other great comics, cartoons and video games, it came with collector's cards.

this was not my first baseball glove because i grew out of them. this was actually the second pair when i started playing high school softball.

those were the times... sigh.

Jacky Chan's Top 10 Stunts

2008-06-15T23:10:00.003+08:00

gotta give him credit. he's like a cat with nine lives. i think i will appreciate his movies even more now that i know what he goes through to complete what seems to be humourous acts to audiences but painful and death-defying stunts from behind the scenes.

A Brand That Speaks For Itself

2008-06-11T23:38:00.015+08:00

instead of talking about how great the 3g iphone is, highlighting the specs and talk about what everyone else is talking about, i would like to look at this from a marketer's perspective.

apple has simply created not just an iconic brand, but a lifestyle which everyone is after. the introduction of the macbook air, ipod and iphone are great examples of how apple has turned its products around to becoming must haves.

i am sure not how much apple spends on advertising, pr, online, etc., but i believe majority of publicity is self-generated by end-users / consumers who are in love with the brand. let me give you some examples of the buzz that has generated after steve jobs made the announcement of the 3g iphone at the apple's worldwide developers conference.

source: blogpulse

source: google trends

source: factiva (iphone mentions)

source: factiva (apple mentions)

there you have it. apple has done it again. for those that weren't able to wait for the 3g version and got the aftermarket 2g version, time to upgrade?

H5N1 outbreak again?!?

2008-06-11T23:10:00.002+08:00

smuggled chickens may have been the cause of the latest outbreak of the bird flu virus, as reported in the news. it was said that all chickens were slaughtered in the june 8 city-wide cleanup.

strangely, as i was walking home from the work today, I saw several what seemed to be health department trucks parked outside the kennedy town market. at the front entrance, were a bunch of people, some in blue uniform with walkie talkies, some in white chemical suits, which looked like they had just arrived at a crime scene. looking behind the locked gates, were more people and in front of them were several white bags. i can't really tell what's in them but i suspect it has to do with the chickens.

to play safe, stay away from chicken for now and turn to alternate sources of meet such as beef, lamb, pork or other forms of cute animals.

Bringing Bollywood to the US.

2008-06-09T23:48:00.002+08:00

this is gonna be THE DANCE you'll see in clubs. you the man kashif!

The Final Faceoff: KB vs KG

2008-06-07T12:17:00.003+08:00

lazy's prediction:

Game 1, 2, 6, 7: Celtics

Game 3, 4, 5: Lakers

MVP: Kevin Garnett

“Red at Heart. Green in Action"

2008-06-07T12:11:00.002+08:00

employees in my company (including myself) made a pledge that we would follow through with an internal environmental initiative “Red at Heart. Green in Action”, which was recently announced at our annual dinner. i'm very happy to see that we've taken the first few steps in implementing this initiative and living our promise in becoming a greener, more environmentally-friendly company.

starting today:

- recycling bins will be placed in every discipline and department (paper, plastic and metal);

- office lighting will been replaced with energy-saving lightbulbs;

- office air-conditioner temperature will be set at 24°C - 25°C (in line with the Government recommendation of 25.5 ° C);

- paper cups will no longer be made available at water machines;

- to add a pleasant sense of outdoor greenery to our working environment, all employees will be given a small potted plant.

if your employers are not doing the same. you should ask why not? yes! it does take a little effort, but our collective action can help the environment, most importantly, save money for the company in the long run.

Give & Take

2008-06-01T23:32:00.003+08:00

an ex-colleague is in hk and we met up for dinner tonight. he is someone who is a lot older than me, yet we don't seem all that distant. he is like a fatherly figure (no offense Carson) and someone that i really respect because I learn a lot from him about what life really means.

life is not always about partying, making money, women, etc., it's about give and take. i actually learned this theory after working at a non-profit organization (back in toronto). despite having the same functional role in all my jobs, the one at yee hong not only provided me monetary rewards, it gave me a sense of personal fulfilment and satisfaction. the stories i was writing or pitching was not to get consumers' buy-in, rather, i was telling real life stories that touched the hearts of those that give a damn about our community and those who raised us (our parents and grandparents).

maybe right now, i have to pay for rent, feed myself, get nice clothes for work, party a bit... but i hope one day, i can go back to doing something that is internally, much more meaningful and rewarding.

if you don't have money, volunteer. if you don't have parents/grandparents in toronto, then reach out to your own community. we've all taken, so maybe it's time to give a little.

http://www.yeehong.com/foundation/index.php

Cool Water Bike

2008-05-27T23:05:00.002+08:00

Dare to try this Las Vegas Ride?

2008-05-27T22:37:00.014+08:00

Words from the wise - Mr. Gates

2008-05-25T16:52:00.004+08:00

sharing with you an interesting email.

love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! bill gates recently gave a speech at a high school about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. he talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

rule 1: life is not fair - get used to it!

rule 2: the world won't care about your self-esteem. the world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

rule 3: you will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. you won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

rule 4: if you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

rule 5: flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

rule 6: if you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

rule 7: before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. they got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. so before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

rule 8: your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. in some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. this doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

rule 9: life is not divided into semesters. you don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. do that on your own time.

rule 10: television is NOT real life. in real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

rule 11: be nice to nerds. chances are you'll end up working for one.

Publicity OR Responsibility?

2008-05-22T23:48:00.003+08:00

i would like to share with you, an interesting dialogue between me and my colleagues over lunch today, on why companies publicize their contributions to disaster relief. the debate: is it just a cheap publicity stunt or a communication means to inform the public what they've done?

one colleague said that there is no need to tell people how much you’ve donated or quantify your efforts in $ terms. another colleague felt that it is appropriate for the companies to make the public aware (esp. listed companies i would think) - as a means of informing. a third colleague suggested that it can very well be how one phrases him/herself and the tone of the message, which can make the difference in perception.

i agree with all of them. not that i don't have an opinion, but it's probably a mix of publicity and the responsibility to address the issue to the company's stakeholders and the public.

The Need For An Universal ID

2008-05-05T00:34:00.002+08:00

i am starting to go crazy, trying to remember all my usernames and passwords for logging on to all the different social networks, forums, blogs, content sharing sites, etc.

why can't a blogspot blogger comment on a blog hosted on yahoo without having to register an yahoo account. why can't i use one login name and password for all powered by Discuz! forums. why in the world are we connected to 10 different social networks (FB, LinkedIn, twitter, etc., etc.) while our friends on each of these networks are the same anyways.

forgive me for not following the trend but i simply can't keep up. since web 2.0 keeps evolving and there is not one consistent platform that everyone chooses to use, can someone come up with a login application or ID management tool that can ease the pain?

Where Amazing Happens... I Love This Game and I Love This Ad!

2008-04-28T23:22:00.006+08:00

there's a series of this ad which feature different players but this one is my personal favourite. for those that know the kobe-shaq history, you know what i am talking about. needless to explain the creative behind this.

there are several more on the youtube NBA channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/NBA. check it out!

We Are Blushing

2008-04-28T23:04:00.011+08:00

if you can't read the fine print, it reads:

we seem to have scooped all the 'agency of the year' awards for advertising, direct and digital marketing and public relations in hong kong last year as well as winning asia-pacific awards for best creative agency, best network agency and best one-to-one agency. which means we left hardly anything for anyone else. sorry, guys. having said that which, our team couldn't have done it without our clients. so many thanks to each and every one of you. forgetting to express our appreciation for your help and support would give us a reason to blush.

this was a full-page ad that ran in scmp. what a creative way to pat ourselves on the back for a job well-done.

The 2008 Olympics - Missing out on the athletic aspect?!?

2008-04-21T22:06:00.010+08:00

the tibet-china story has been lingering in the media for weeks, ever since the initial torch lighting ceremony. i feel sorry for the athletes that have put in so much of their time and efforts in training for this once-in-a-four-year occasion because no one is writing about their stories. what was meant to be a goodwill sporting event has turned into a political platform.

anyhow, there has been some interesting anti as well as pro china campaigns circulating in the media and web. some are quite creative while others are very extreme.

an online game developed by the americans that show their anti-china views. even if you do not feel the same as the guys who developed this game, i am sure you will get a kick out of this. http://www.addictinggames.com/olympictorchrelay.html

in retaliation of cnn's pro-tibet coverage, computerworld reported that a bunch of chinese hackers are readying an attack on cnn. however, there is always a conspiracy theory to everything, so could this be something that anti-china parties have planted to make themselves look vulnerable. you be the judge.
http://www.cw.com.hk/article.php?type=article&id_article=1444

here is a guy (i am assuming it's a guy, looking at the language used in the video) that have quite a strong view on those who don't know the facts about the china-tibet relationship, but are slashing the chinese government for their actions against anti-china protestors. this video generated 2,779,252 views over a month and numerous comments among youtube viewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9QNKB34cJo

i am sure you know this one... the [heart] China that appears in front of the names on your msn contact list. this viral has spread like a virus and i m sure you are also seeing this on your msn. my question is, do people know why they are putting the [heart] China in front of their names? is this to show that they are in support of the olympics? or is it because they agree with the chinese government's views? by participating, they've engaged themselves in the political agenda.

so... who is stirring up all these controversies and driving the political frenzy. my guess would be those who run the united states of america and people's republic of china. lets focus back on the games and continue the political warfare after the games, shall we?

Web 3.0

2008-04-14T00:14:00.004+08:00

there is considerable debate as to what the term web 3.0 means, and what a suitable definition might be. some say that web x.0 is a marketing term, others use it to define each phase of the www evolution.

here's what i think will define web 3.0:
1) mobility - web 2.0 and beyond on mobile devices with internet connectivity
2) integration - compatibility between different applications and devices
3) personalization - ability to customize applications, interface and tools
4) open technology - users will develop applications and software, less of enterprises
5) 3d - the web experience will start to move into the 3d space

and of course, UGC will continue to override all other content.

The Best Indian Style Dry Curry Chicken Ever...

2008-04-13T23:29:00.012+08:00

i even went onto fariwood's website to fill out a feedback form... just to show how much i appreciate this dish.

"I am not a regular fan of Fairwood, but when I saw the commercial about the new dish, Indian style dry curry chicken, I wanted to try it out. I am a fan of SE Asian food and I must say this was an amazing dish. I would have never expected to have something so delicious from Fairwood. Spice is just right and the chicken is not dry at all. Well done! Please make this dish a part of your regular menu and not a limited time offer. Thanks."

An Award-Winning Ad Campaign

2008-04-02T00:06:00.006+08:00

reason:
- delivers the message
- concept is fresh
- simple to execute
- most importantly, cost effective

Lesson About Life

2008-03-30T23:51:00.006+08:00

3 take-aways i got from randy:

1) tell the truth
2) when you do something wrong - apologize! a good apology has 3 parts: 1) i'm sorry; 2) it's my fault; 3) how can i make it right
3) wait for the good side, it will come

a truly inspirational lecture.

Calvin Klein towers Victoria Harbor

2008-03-19T00:40:00.002+08:00

calvin klein launched its biggest outdoor campaign in the world, a 27-story billboard across the former ritz carlton in central, hong kong. very kool!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-02-29T00:58:00.004+08:00

i have to record this date with an entry since feb 29th only comes around once every four years. happy birthday to me. wishing myself good health, lots of wealth and a bright career ahead.

this cake is definitely worth documenting. a tofu, cheese cake, topped with red beans, that my beloved made for me for my bday.

Edison is famous

2008-02-18T23:55:00.002+08:00

he made news on CNN, generated thousands of blog entries, populated HK media headlines for two weeks straight and even received his own wikipedia entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Chen_photo_scandal

http://www.hollywoodgrind.com/edison-chen-and-gillian-chung-naughty-pic-scandal/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jFeEaSnYo0

the question is: "what can happen next?"

Another reason why I don't have Facebook...

2008-01-15T22:09:00.000+08:00

High-End Dining... And I Do Mean High

2007-12-29T14:24:00.001+08:00

China Brushing English for Olympics

2007-12-29T14:19:00.000+08:00

The Dangers of facebook

2007-12-17T12:51:00.000+08:00

everyone has a facebook account, but not me. i totally agree with stefan hammond's rationale - "Most Web 2.0 social-networking tools fall under the "no time" category" - which is exactly why i am not on facebook.

Aside from the time factor, there is also the privacy-invasion issue and thrown-in-jail factor. although the last factor is rare, it can happen.

insights from computerworld article: http://www.cw.com.hk/article.php?type=article&id_article=831

A Great Analogy

2007-12-06T23:08:00.000+08:00

What can you do to improve data center power consumption?

To better understand some of the issues, it helps to consider the analogy of transportation and fuel efficiency.

On one hand, vehicles such as electric, hybrid or compact cars are obviously more fuel-efficient than larger, petroleum-fueled vehicles. However, a larger vehicle such as a bus can provide a highly efficient mode of transportation since it can accommodate many passengers at a low fuel-per-passenger ratio.

This concept reflects what is occurring in today's data centers: consolidation of multiple devices into a larger shared resource. And if the shared resource happens to be a newer energy-efficient model, the benefits are magnified.

Fujitsu Unveils 320GB Mobile Hard Drive

2007-11-27T23:39:00.000+08:00

November 27, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Fujitsu Ltd. on Tuesday unveiled the MHZ2 BH mobile hard disk drive, which features reduced power requirements and a storage capacity of up to 320GB.

The 2.5-in., 5,400 rpm, 3Gbit/sec SATA drive will be available next February, according to Fujitsu officials. The MHZ2 BH can greatly reduce power usage during idle, sleep and read/write activity by improving heat dissipation and battery life within the perpendicular magnetic recording device, told Fujitsu officials.

lazy: product looks attractive, but we shall see how attractive the price is.

Know Your Media

2007-11-26T22:13:00.000+08:00

chacky & ki,

interesting to know... hahaha.

key take aways:
- keep things simple and direct
- never call before 9am (i play safe and never call before noon)
- do not interfere with the editorial angle (lets work towards a collaborative effort, shall we?)
- there is no such thing as a good PR approach

HK$2,188 for residential broadband!!!

2007-11-26T21:59:00.000+08:00

PCCW launches 1000M broadband services in Hong Kong
26 Nov 2007

More than two years after its rival HKBN's rollout of 1000Mbps residentialbroadband service, PCCW announced Thursday the launch of its 1000M package that includes NETVIGATOR Fiber Direct 1000M optical fiber connectivity andwireless broadband services in Hong Kong.

HKBN introduced its fiber-to-the-home,symmetric 1000 Mbps service to the local residential market in 2005. PCCW said in a statement that it's now able to provide 1000M+ optical fiberconnectivity to two-thirds of Hong Kong’s households.

The newly launched 100M and 1000M services cost HK$588 and HK$2,188 respectively per month to use.

lazy: i don't know about you, but i wouldn't pay over 2k for my home internet...

Reporting From Motor World Macau

2007-11-17T00:45:00.000+08:00

A Night to Remember

2007-11-15T01:48:00.000+08:00

ogilvy pr took home 24 honours tonight. i was very fortunate to be a part of this and even more fortunate to take home the first GOLD AWARD for ogilvy pr, tech practice. i received the "The Best Use of Digital" award with the scmp.com campaign, an online viral leveraging web 2.0 - seeding the clip on over 20 video sharing sites, engaging bloggers, adding wiki entries and using the good old "word of mouth" tactic.

The Beauty of Singlish

2007-11-10T00:26:00.000+08:00

met with a bunch of singaporeans today; hence, made me recall jack neo's "why we talk like that" song. enjoy!

10 Career Killers to Avoid

2007-11-08T00:24:00.000+08:00

(Computerworld) John M. McKee, president of BusinessSuccessCoach.net

1. Failing to have a life plan.

2. Not keeping your skills current.

3. Failing to deliver results.

4. Confusing efficiency with effectiveness.

5. Believing that you are irreplaceable.

6. Knowing all the answers.

7. Surrounding yourself with "brown-nosers."

8. Forgetting to give credit to others.

9. Failing to self-promote.

10. Losing perspective.

Singapore Airlines Bans Sex on A380’s

2007-11-05T23:04:00.000+08:00

November 5, 2007
eTravelBlackBoard.com

Singapore Airlines has spoken out against those looking to get busy in one of the airline’s private double suites, which are fitted with the world’s first airborne beds.

“There are things that are acceptable on an aircraft and things that aren’t, and the rules for behaviour in our double beds are the same ones that apply throughout the aircraft,” Singapore Airlines spokesman Stephen Forshaw told The Daily Telegraph.

“If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist,” the spokesman added.

However, thrill-seekers should be aware of the fact that although private, the double suites are neither sound proof nor completely sealed.

Things You See Only in China

2007-10-29T22:45:00.001+08:00

Something to make your day even worse..

2007-10-22T00:12:00.000+08:00

if a barber makes a mistake, it's a new style.

if a driver makes a mistake, it's a new path.

if an engineer makes a mistake, it's a new venture.

if parents make a mistake, it's a new generation.

if a politician makes a mistake, it's a new law.

if a scientist makes a mistake, it's a new invention.

if a tailor makes a mistake, it's a new fashion.

if a teacher makes a mistake, it's a new theory.

if your boss makes a mistake, it's a new idea.

if an employee makes a mistake, it's a "MISTAKE"!!!

YouTube Discovered in Hong Kong

2007-10-21T23:57:00.001+08:00

my last blog entry was from oct 1, exactly 3 weeks ago. so what have i been doing all this time? helping youtube launch its localized site for HK. to make the launch even more interesting, we made a welcoming video (above) that captures the very reason why HK people should have a localized youtube site.

if you are a youtube fanatic, don't forget to check out the "YouTube Loves HK" video competition.

http://hk.youtube.com/user/HKcontest

Close Encounter With the Living Dead

2007-10-01T23:18:00.000+08:00

Jiang Shi (Geung Si in Cantonese; 殭屍; literally "stiff corpse"), sometimes called Chinese vampires by Westerners, are reanimated corpses that hop around, killing living creatures to absorb life essence from their victims. They are created when a person's soul fails to leave the deceased's body.

It came from the mythical folklore practice of "Traveling a Corpse over a Thousand Li" (千里行屍), where traveling companion or family members who could not afford wagons or have very little money would hire Tao priests to transport corpses of their friends/family members who died far away from home over long distances by teaching them to hop on their own feet back to their hometown for proper burial.

Jiang Shis can be put to sleep by putting on their foreheads a piece of yellow paper with a spell written on it (符). It is also conventional wisdom of feng shui in Chinese architecture that a threshold (門檻), a piece of wood approximately six inches high, be installed along the width of the door at the bottom to prevent a Jiang Shi from entering the household.

What do you see?

2007-09-17T01:16:00.000+08:00

Beautiful HK

2007-09-17T01:09:00.000+08:00

The Phantom Drophead Coupe - Now in HK

2007-09-03T00:33:00.000+08:00

Hu, Wen, Wei

2007-08-13T23:14:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxVpMV7edgQ#

Hu is the President of China. Wen is the premier. And "Wei" is what you hear when a Chinese person picks up the phone.

The Simpsons

2007-08-11T22:56:00.000+08:00

the canto dialogue just wasn't the same. homer did not have the "dope", apu's indian accent was missing, mr. burns lacked his usual evilness and bart was not as mischievous as he was in the tv series. however, josie ho did a good job with marge's character and lisa maintained her ethical and sympathetic self.

but i must say, the digital marketing team did a good job with the "simpsonize me" site, which help built anticipation leading up to the movie's debut. how cool is it to simpsonize yourself! if you haven't done so already, try it out: http://simpsonizeme.com/#

a simpsonized lazymardafucka in springfield

The definition of customer service

2007-08-06T23:41:00.000+08:00

wiki: customer service (aka client service) is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. customer service is normally an integral part of a company’s customer value proposition.

i was in GZ for the weekend with my buddies and my experience there helped redefine the meaning of customer service.

- ask your customer what tea they would like, but don't actually bring the tea because eventually, when a dumber colleague see the customer without tea, he/she would do the work on your behalf

- learn to stall your customers with bogus excuses when a service is delayed; however, do not let your colleagues know what you said, so that they can think of a totally different excuse to make the wait even more interesting

- when it comes to break time or the end of your shift, tell your customer that you are closing despite the fact that they've already waited an hour for the service

- no matter how pissed off the customer is with your poor service or in some cases, absent of service, do not let them out the door and try to entice them with another service of the same quality

now i know why tips are not customary in china

A place for free speech or is it?

2007-07-30T23:34:00.000+08:00

(source: internet)

some interesting cases on web censorship:

- a senior malaysian minister vowed to apply law prescribing jail terms for web writers of comments said to disparage islam or the king. malaysian police grilled one online author over postings the ruling party described as an attack on the country's state religion and a bid to stir racial tension.

- kazakhstan seized all .kz internet domains and closed one deemed offensive and run by british satirist sacha baron cohen, who had made the acclaimed spoof film borat: cultural learnings of america for make benefit glorious nation of kazakhstan.

- at least 54 chinese internet users are presently imprisoned for signing petitions, calling for an end to corruption, spreading information about sars and planning to establish pro-democracy groups. these include shi tao, a chinese journalist who is serving a ten-year sentence after sending an email about the anniversary of the tiananmen square protests to a chinese editor in the US.

- iran became the first country to imprison a blogger: sina motallebi, sentenced to 23 days in solitary confinement. since then, 28 bloggers and online journalists have been jailed, including arash cigarchi, who was sentenced to 14 years. he initially faced the death penalty, but was eventually acquitted of "insulting the prophets".

Autobots VS Decepticons

2007-07-30T00:10:00.000+08:00

i m not a transformers fan. i've watched the cartoon when i was young, but i was into it like i was with TMNT. however, the movie had a good modern day twist of the US / war for dominance element. i also like movies that defy reality, like jurassic park, independence day, back to the future, etc, and this movie was definitely one of them.

sam witwicky was not a good-looking, tall, muscular kind of character, but he did prove himself worthy of being a man. in the end, he did get megan fox, so i gotta give it to him. as for the robots, although optimus prime was the leader who fought against the decepticons, i gotta give it up for bumblebee. how cool is it to have your camaro transform into a fighting robot. another great one by stephen spielberg and michael bay! i give it a 4.5/5.

woo... megan fox... nice... please fix my car...

Video Sharing VS Television

2007-07-23T23:17:00.000+08:00

YouTube was named:
- TIME Magazine's "Invention of the Year" for 2006
- PC World Magazine's one of the "Top 10 Best Products of 2006"

A BBC Report found (2006):
- 43% of online video viewers said they watch less TV as a result of YouTube and similar sites, while 20% of those say they watch "a lot less"
- 75% of online video viewers watch more online video than they did a year ago
- 28% of 16-24 year-olds watch online video at least once a week

the question is: will online video sharing replace TV? the answer is no... because people have to extract content from TV in order to upload onto video sharing sites. i am sure you've all tried this before, downloading from BT when you miss an episode of sitcom or trying to dig up a classic scene from a movie. we are all guilty of it!

but why are more people resorting to online video sites for entertainment? simple, it's like video on demand. just find the content you want to watch, then click and play. remember when you had to rush home after work / school to catch you favourite show? i m sure you do... with online video sharing, you can almost find anything you want. and the best part is, you are in control. you get to watch what you want, when you want.

i am not trying to promote online video sharing, but i must admit, it's damn convenient and it serves the purpose. however, i am sure we would all wish for bigger screens and HD quality content.

Bush Cheats In Press Conference

2007-07-16T16:00:00.000+08:00

bush reads off the SCMP.com website during a press conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzmJJnn6FB8

Megabox

2007-07-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

my megabox experience:

- i wouldn't use the word "mega", maybe keep the word "box", but i wouldn't use "mega", maybe "red box" or something

- escalators were all over the place

- traffic doesn't flow smoothly (have you ever seen mall security guards beside an escalator directing traffic so people wouldn't pile at the end of the escalator?)

- there weren't a lot of stores and many were still under construction

- parking is really bad, there was a big line up just to get into the parking lot

- B*Q and Sp*tlight reminded me of the W*lmart experiece

- there were more restaurants than there were shops

looks like i've done quite a bit of shopping...

My Cat Acting Human - Part 1

2007-07-13T00:55:00.000+08:00

Bitten by Piranhas

2007-07-09T23:51:00.000+08:00

no... i was not bitten by piranhas. this was an accident that took place on sunday while i was swimming at turtle cove beach. i managed to slice my toes on either a piece of coral or rock while i was treading water. the area i was swimming in was at least 5-6 meters in depth, yet, i still managed to achieve this. am i lucky or am i lucky?!?

aside from this unpleasantry, the water was murky, bubbling, and filled with goods (items you could find at Wellcome or Park’n Shop). i then realized why this beach had so few visitors. it wasn’t because of its quiet surrounding or that people didn’t knew about its location… it was because people knew about it and didn’t want to come back again after their first vist.

All You Need is ig.

2007-07-07T01:19:00.000+08:00

igoogle is a great online platform that allows you to consolidate all your favourites on one page. i now have the 5-day weather forecast, world clocks, currency converter, gmail, my favourite news links, etc., all on a single page. instead of going to them, they now come to me. how cool is that! its interface is also very user friendly, so even an idiot will know how to navigate. whether it'd be for personal needs or work purposes, igoogle has saved me a lot of time and hassle.

for those who haven't tried, why not give it a shot. i am sure it's worth your while.

http://www.google.com/ig

Need a good laugh?

2007-07-03T23:34:00.000+08:00

needed a good laugh after a long day of work... so i went to youtube to look for some stephen chow classics to entertain myself.

enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFzdJy9fOfA&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2I1jwH5c7w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWBEiCxK5g0&mode=related&search=

10th Anniversary of the HK Hand-Over X Canada Day

2007-07-01T16:50:00.000+08:00

today marks a very significant day in HKSAR's history. July 1, 2007 is a day that marks the 10th anniversary of the HK hand-over and the farewell to a rocky decade of financial woes, disease outbreaks and economic recovery.

uncertain about HK’s future under the “one country, two systems” promise, many of us fled HK to seek refuge elsewhere during the few years leading up to 1997. after making our pledge in becoming patriotic americans, canadians, etc., many of us still came back to HK. so i guess there must be something fascinating about this place that has attracted so many of us to move back.

although i've not been around long enough to witness all the ups and downs in HK during the last decade, hong kong is my home and there are good reasons to celebrate. what's so unique about HK that gives its "Asia's World City" identity? i could probably write an essay about this, but i'll keep it short, sharp and punchy… HK is a culturally rich, fast-moving metropolis that never sleeps - a place full of life and light.

today is also canada day, so it gives me another reason to celebrate july 1. to commemorate both occasions in one go, i will indulge myself with a cup of maple syrup while i watch the victoria harbour fireworks.