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It's beautiful to know that we inherited the Earth at birth. With it... every living creature, every landscape, every wonder. It's ours to use and share while we have our time here. It's ours for now, not ours to keep.

Taking care of this Earth is our responsibility.

I too often take for granted how precious a gift, Earth, truly is. We have it now on borrowed time. One day, I will pass it on to whoever lives after me. I'd like to pass on something worthy of Earth's majesty. I'd like to have made improvements to making Earth a better home.

All these noble "saving the earth" talk, I say with both regret and hope. In my younger days as a teen, I was involved in numerous awareness campaigns. I wrote AV scripts on deforestation, created video presentations and was even featured in some "green" newsletter and the press. I was a Green Advocate that did not follow through. Being "green" is a lifestyle and somewhere along the way, I fell back on the lazy track. Being responsible for preservation and preventing wastage was something I did only when convenient.

These couple of months, being able to contribute back in little ways made me realise that taking care of Earth can be both fun and inspiring.


It started with Earth Hour 2009 in March. On 28 March 2009 at 8:30pm, the world around pledged to turn off all lights in support to stop global warming. For 60 minutes, the world united for a fabulous cause. The FSP princess were over at my place for a Peranakan feast. We had great Nonya food, wine, awesome company; all under the warm flicker of IKEA's vanilla scented candlelight.


The world all over celebrated Earth Hour 2009

We definitely missed the AC. It was a warm night. Still I wouldn't hesitate to participate again in 2010.

I witnessed friends doing their own little part at homes. Fr. David Garcia and Terence both have 2 bins in the kitchen, one for perishable and the other for non-perishable items. I am thinking how this can be made possible in my own home.

Director Luc Besson (of "Nikita" and "The Fifth Element" fame) also produced "Home"; a 90-minute environmental film, which officially debuted on YouTube at the same time it appeared in the cinema and on TV. The docu-movie was a collaboration with photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand who directed the film. 3 years back, while strolling through the walkways of Orchard towards Forum, I visited the open gallery featuring his aerial photography. The pictures were spectacular!

"We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being." - Yann Arthus-Bertrand

"Home" was magnificently shot over 50 countries and is featured in high def on YouTube. You'd be amazed at the beauty of our world. The full production was released on 5 June World Environmental Day 2009.

Just this week in the office, I decided to pick a cardboard box and transform it quite effortlessly into a "Green IT" Recycle Box. I volunteered to take the paper to the recycle bin periodically. After a quick email to the department and a reminder to use a separate tray for recycled photocopy, I noticed colleagues dropping in their recycling contributions. My only sigh is not being able to find a recycle bin around my office building. It's something that still bafflers me.

At the end of the day, it really wasn't all that hard. We're just one, but in our little ways... we can make a difference.

Woohoo! Catch all the TOYS in action 18 June 2010!
"To Infinity and Beyond"!

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

There is a certain part of me that is naturally drawn to the Nazi holocaust . The stories are often filled with so much horror, pain and insanity. I found in "The Diary of Anne Frank", a 13 year old who describes her life in hiding and her impressions of the events taking place in the outside world in a secret annex around Holland. There is much sincerity in her writings. Filled with truthful emotions of fear, joy and hope.

I can only imagine what it would be like to live within a confined area with 7 other people for 2 years... not knowing when the end will arrive. In tough circumstances, will I be as hopeful... as faithful? I wonder if I will write and draw.

The last entry to 'Kitty' (the diary) was on August 1, 1944. The annex was discovered.

Anne succumbed to the disease, typhus (which also claimed the life of her sister, Margot) at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945 a few weeks before the camp was liberated by the British. She was 15 years old ...

Her inner most thoughts scribbled 50 years ago, challenges us today. Her writings lives on not as an ode to the past - but as a beacon of hope to the future ...

"I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me. I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." Tuesday, 4 April, 1944

"Still, what does that matter? I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart." Saturday, 20 June, 1942

Her fears...
"I feel wicked sleeping in a warm bed, while my dearest friends have been knocked down or have fallen into a gutter somewhere out in the cold night. I get frightened when I think of close friends who have now been delivered into the hands of the cruelest brutes that walk the earth. And all because they are Jews!" Thursday, 19 November, 1942

"I could go on for hours about all the suffering the war has brought, but then I would only make myself more dejected. There is nothing we can do but wait as calmly as we can till the misery comes to an end. Jews and Christians wait, the whole earth waits; and there are many who wait for death." Wednesday, 13 January, 1943

"If I just think of how we live here, I usually come to the conclusion that it is a paradise compared with how other Jews who are not in hiding must be living," Saturday, 1 May, 1943

Her frustrations...
"'Would anyone, either Jew or non-Jew, understand this about me, that I am simply a young girl badly in need of some rollicking fun?'" Friday, 24 December, 1943

"The war goes on just the same, whether or not we choose to quarrel, or long for freedom and fresh air, and so we should try to make the best of our stay here. Now I'm preaching, but I also believe that if I stay here for very long I shall grow into a dried-up old beanstalk. And I did so want to grow into a real young woman!" Saturday, 15 January, 1944

Her believes...
"Riches can all be lost, but that happiness in your own heart can only be veiled, and it will still bring you happiness again, as long as you live. As long as you can look fearlessly up into the heavens, as long as you know that you are pure within, and that you will still find happiness." Wednesday, 23 February, 1944

"It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again." Saturday, 15 July, 1944

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!"

"Design is 70% dealing with people, 3% the idea, 2% selling the idea, 2% the brief, 2% being pig headed, 1% printing, 3% eye for detail, .6% invoices, 2% coffee, .7% tracking, .1% warm glow, .6% panic, 1% 4am, .6% staring, .2% checking, 1% letting go, .8% keeping hold, .7% estimates, .3% checking, .4% proofs, .1% colour, .9% understanding, .4% marketing, 1% checking, .8% beach ball, .5% mice, .3% keynotes, .4% persuasion, .2% bragging, .5% smiling, 2% knowing when to stop." - Duane King

LOL! Don't you just heart designers. Almost perfectly spot on... except maybe for the coffee bit for me... I'll have to substitute it some other beverage.

I've been loading my body with a whole lot of crap lately. Late dinners, suppers, too much sugar, too much salt, junk food, too much food, no food... Coupled with the increased stress level at work and other generic activities, I'm starting to feel the damage. It has always been on my mind, but of late, I've been thinking about eating better.

Interesting enough, while at Terence's place to catch "Bella", I was drawn into an unusual conversation about what I'd call 'Blood Food' with his mom. She was most enthusiastic to share her knowledge about the effects of our blood type and the food we eat. I'd never known there was such a thing to begin with. She is one dedicated lady, as she took out foolscap papers of food types suitable for each blood group, painstakingly handwritten on both sides!

Following a diet schedule designed specifically for a particular blood type helps the body to digest and absorb the food more efficiently. The theory (by Dr. Peter D’ Adamo, not scientifically proven) is based on the idea that each blood group has its own unique antigen marker, levels of stomach acidity and digestive enzymes.

It turns out that my blood group O evolved with our huntsmen ancestors around the 50,000 B.C. Also recognized as the first blood group to be identified. Following in the footsteps of our cavemen fathers, a good diet for Os should be high-protein with lots of meat and fish and low-carb with no dairy products, wheat or grains.

Brenda and I had a good time exclamating or sighing at food items we can or cannot eat. Type Os can efficiently digest and metabolize meat because they tend to have high stomach-acid content. As such, red meat such as beef and mutton works great for my system. Thank God BEEF is on my good list! But because the muscle tissue tend be slightly on the acid side, oranges and strawberries work against me.



The complete Asian Chart can be found here.

I'd like to add that we were amongst some medical professionals that night. They probably thought I was overly gullible. I'll still believe in the nutrients each food group carries and as always... everything in moderation with lots of exercise.

“In one irreversible moment, a simple act of kindness brings them together and turns an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience”

A couple of the TOB WM! folks gathered at Terence's place to catch "Bella", winner of 2007's People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, an award recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. With its win, "Bella" joins the ranks of films such as "Chariots of Fire", "American Beauty", "Hotel Rwanda" and "Life is Beautiful"...

"Bella" is a rare gem, a pro-life film and simply a story true to everyday life.
A struggling waitress, Nina (Emmy Award-winning actress Tammy Blanchard), finds herself pregnant and gets fired. Jose (played by Latino heart rob, Eduardo Verastegui) head chef at the restaurant, spends the day around New York with her and shares his family, his believes and his secret.

I loved that Eduardo Verastegui had a awful thick bushy beard which covered his face. It's amazing how much more attention I payed to his screen character.

I liked how we all knew the pro-life sub plot, yet it didn't feel all that in your face. There were moments of the everyday New York that I loved, but yet too often many scenes were portrayed with too much perfection. I loved that the film is romantic in a very non sexual context.

Lessons learnt from "Bella":
1) When someone cares enough, it makes a difference
2) Take time to walk about a busy city street in a semi ridiculous attire
3) There's a lot of beauty in an imperfect family
4) Plant a tree
5) Have a friend with you when making a difficult decision
6) One wrong move can haunt you for life
7) Some choices you make mean more to someone else
8) Sometimes we see the effects or consequences of our choices a lot later in life

See too: Lessons learnt from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"



Since the movie was released in 2007, "Bella" had touched the lives of mothers on the verge of an abortion and opened the eyes of others. Babies are being saved through the film. Grow the awareness. Support the Bella 10 campaign.

Jeremy Monteiro & T'ang Quartet at the Singapore Arts Festival 2009

Singapore's "King of Swing" Jeremy Monteiro meets classical music ensemble T'ang Quartet in their first-ever concert together, with special guests vocals Richard Jackson and Grammy Award winning musicians Randy Brecker (trumpeter) and Ernie Watts (saxophonist). Together in the Monteiro Jazz Trio is Shawn Kelley (drums) and Christy Smith (bass) from Chromazone. It's been a while since I last caught the band at the Harry's Quayside.

I'd say it was an unusual combination of jazz fused with classical and strings. In fact I had thought it was more a T'ang Quartet gig. Wendy had always wanted to catch the T'angs perform, but it turned out to be a jazz feast. Which was more in tune with my liking and a great way to chill on a Friday night. I, on the other hand had always wanted to catch a performance by Jeremy Monteiro. His style on the piano reminded me of Harry Connick, Jr at last year's Mosaic Music Festival Singapore. Harry, of course; had a whole lot more stage presence and a definite eye candy.

Jazz vocalist Richard Jackson had a great tone. You'd be pleased to know he is currently based in Singapore and performs at the Quayside Harry's. Randy Brecker on the trumpet and flugelhorn was a fantastic treat. I'm actually a fan of the trumpet!

Couple of recordings with my handphone. I've mentioned this before, but yupe, I'm still on the hunt for a compact, decent quality recorder.

The funny thing is I've never really liked "My Funny Valentine" until this rendition by Richard Jackson






In memory of Michael Brecker, jazz saxophonist and composer and late brother of Randy Brecker





It was a pity the T'ang Quartet came across very much like a filler and quite out of place in many of the jazz pieces. It goes to show that some genres just don't mix.

And I always knew I will eventually be kicking myself in the butt when I think back at the performances I missed. But on deeper realization on why I had to forgo certain events... I knew I COULDN'T have made the commitment. Knowing that alone kills me in some ways. And that's life... I suppose... you win some, you loose some.

Some of my fav jazz greats; two times Grammy Award winner The Yellowjackets; guitar legend Mike Stern and drums extraordinaire Dave Weckl performed at at this year's Mosaic Music Festival in March. Last year I caught sexy Harry Connick Jr. live and chilled at the festival's "On Air - In the House" gigs. Quite unfortunately, performances for The Yellowjackets, Mike Stern and Dave Weckl all happened to fall within the weekend of the Confirmation Camp.

The month of April has always been dedicated to the Singapore International Film Festival. Last year, I caught 4 films at the SIFF. It's a modest no. compared to what I used to catch. Perhaps with more spread out foreign film festivals and alternatives to catching non mainstream film, the SIFF appeal started to have a downhill effect on me. This year, I was scheduled for my Chengdu / Chongqing trip which clashed with the festival. The trip was later delayed, no thanks to the Dalia Lamas.

And I missed "CATS" (The Musical)! Meoooow!!! It was a combination of high ticket prices and an uncertainty of my travel arrangements. Missing this one will haunt me for a while (if not forever) just like "Rent".

We're now into the tail end of the Singapore Arts Festival and I should be pleased to have caught the Opening Ceremony, Helios II by the La Compagnie Malabra (France) at the Marina Barrage and jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro with the T'ang Quartet who performed a series of jazz pieces at the Esplanade. Special guests in the house were trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Ernie Watts and jazz singer Richard Jackson.

Now with the switch in camps to cover the Pre-Confirmation Camp, I'll be missing this year's closing "Crackers?" at Yishun.


The 9m tall and 24m long metal giant praying mantis made out of an old elevator and parts of a trunk was the highlight of Helios II by the La Compagnie Malabar (France) at the Singapore Arts Festival 2009.

The street performance of men on stilts, swinging red torches, juggling sticks and skipping ropes all looked awfully similar to SAF's 2007 Closing Ceremony "Time Out" by antagon theaterAKTion (Germany).

This year's opening paled in comparison to "Water Fools" by Ilotopie (France) in 2008 and "Dreams in Flight" by La Fura dels Baus (Spain) 2007.

Here it is - the final design approved for the Processional Banner.

Uncle James will be sending the design for print and we'll see it when the litergical colour turns red.

See original banner design

Next project to work on - Lenten Play 2009 Video Editing

You cannot be serious! Elijah Wood... What the hell?!?!
I am speechless...

I was just about to say how ridiculous Yo Gabba Gabba! is, until I recalled those 80s cartoons (which I swear are still the coolest) were probably equally dumb. On second look, I wouldn't mind a Yo Gabba Gabba! T-shirt. They are like bizarre monsters!

Every occasionally, I think about "words".
How often we belittle its influence, its reach and its power. How mere 'words' can induce so much emotions. How it's used to encourage, to build and to grow; or how it's used to criticise, to demean or devastate.

Dr. Frank Luntz, America's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life. Frank uses his knowledge of words to help more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies grow. So when you can't afford to hire his talent, reading his book; "Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear" is next best thing to do.


Rules of Effective Language

1) Use small words
Use Acronyms. Simplify.
Think SMS.

2) Use short sentences
Be appropriate.
Small beats large. Short beats long. And plain beats complex.

3) Credibility
Be aware of expectations.
Say what you mean, mean what you say.

4) Consistency matters
Repetitions, Repetitions, Repetitions.
Find a good message and stick with it.

5) Surprise
Tell people something they do not know.
Shift the thought process.

6) Sound and texture matters
Use sound associated with the product.
Tap on the rhythm of the language.
Use catchy word phrases.

7) Speak with aspiration
Speak what people want to hear. Speak to their deepest fears, deepest hopes and greatest dreams.
Personalise and humanise the message to trigger an emotional rememberance.
People will forget what you say but they will never forget how you make them feel.
Make people identify, it's always about the "You".

8) Visualise
The most important word - "Imagine".

9) Ask a question
It's not what you say, but what you ask that creates an impact.
Questions make the reaction personal. A personalised communication is the best communication.
Rhetorical questions require responses and responses require interaction.

10) Provide context and reveal relevance
Apply knowledge and frame of reference. Simply because assumptions, education, ethnicity and generations' live experiences differs.
Relevance is what makes market research so critical.
See the world through the eyes of the audience.

11) Order of presentation matters
The presentation of A+B+C is not necessary the same as B+C+A

12) Gender Matters
Men and women uses different metaphor.
Use the language of everyday life.
Men respond better to scientific and factual scenarios while women to stories and antipodes.

13) Listening
How often we talk so much more.
Listening implies consideration and requires thought.
It means the listener is taking the question seriously with respect and value the opinion.

An example of how the above rules can be applied to a stump speech delivered by Hillary Clinton outlining the 'four big goals' she would have as president in September 2007. In it, she used the following language:
"Restore America's standing in the world."
"Rebuild America's middle class and the economy to support it."
"Reform our government."
"Reclaim the future for our children."

A more effective representation would have been:
"Reclaim America's standing in the world."
"Reclaim America for the middle class."
"Reclaim our government."
"Reclaim the future for our children."

Brief, consistent and aspirational. Reclaim is used because it implies that something has been wrongly taken away or even stolen. Reclaim gets the nervous system firing. It is rich and motivational. By changing just one word, the message morphs from something that’s not very inspirational and, frankly, forgettable, into a memorable series of statements that builds in impact and pushes all the right emotional buttons. In fact, if people just remember the word 'Reclaim' and associate it with Hillary Clinton, it might have been a success. Think Obama - think 'Change'

In his book, words or phrases that work include: imagine, hassle-free, lifestyle, accountability, results, innovation, renew, revitalize, rejuvenate, restore, reinvent, efficient, investment, independent, all-American, prosperity, financial security & "a culture of...".

In the office, I like to use words like: strategy, objective, purpose, productivity, efficiency, management, dashboard, real-time, business intelligence, streamline, workflow, exceed. So corporate!

I am reminded to think, re-think, and then think some more about the words we use.

Sundown Marathon 2009 Medal

Arrived in the nick of time at 1hr 24mins, just before the 1hr 25min mark. This run marks a 6 mins improvement from Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008. As a team we faired 21 out of 26. Haha, at least there will be room for improvement! All round great timing girls!



Now to look forward to the SAFRA Bay Run and maybe the SHAPE Run.

Read also:
Rundown at the Sundown Marathon 2009
Are You Ready for the SUNDOWN?
Sundown Marathon 2009 : We have a TEAM!
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008
Counting Down to Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008

More Sundown Marathon 2009 Pictures