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Running Up Those Hills

May 11, 2008 • Blog • 17 comments

Henderson Waves Bridge courtesy of chooyutshing

After viewing the launch of the Southern Ridges by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night on Channel News Asia, I felt an inner voice tell me that I need to run up those hills. Stretching across from Alexandra Road (Gillman area) to Telok Blangah Park and Mount Faber, there were three new linkways stretching 1.3 km long which range in height from three to 18 metres high. At the highest point across Henderson Road, it is about 36 metres above the road.

From my home at the Bukit Purmei area, I ran this morning along Telok Blangah Rise, all the way to Henderson Road, and then through Depot Road till I reached Alexandra Road near the old Gillman Camp area. Gazing upwards at the Alexandra Arch, I felt an great attraction in scaling up those heights, even though I knew that it wasn’t exactly child’s play to run up those steel structures. I wasn’t alone though as there were many families, silver-haired folks, and youths up there enjoying the breathtaking view of lush forests and beautiful landscape.

Shutdown Day @ Singapore’s Largest Primary Rainforest

May 10, 2008 • Blog • 2 comments

As a botanist by training specialising in tropical ecology, I have always harboured a deep interest in nature. One of my favourite haunts was the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve – a small 410 acre area of lush primary rainforest, and probably the only place in Singapore where you can see tall towering dipterocarps in all their glory. Housing over 840 species of flowering plants and 500 species of fauna together with the Central Catchment area, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was established way back in 1883 by the British Straits Settlement government. Dr David Bellamy, a renowned conservationist, once pointed out that the number of plant species growing in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is more than that in the whole of North America! It is indeed a green jewel in our concrete jungle – a natural oasis in the hectic city.

To celebrate Shutdown Day (yes I switched off all computers and did not SMS or call for 24 hours) last week, I brought my wife and kid to Singapore’s highest hill (at a grand 164m tall) for a couple of hours in the morning.

Greeting us at the entrance was a visitor centre, which has fascinating specimens of animals, birds and plants on display.

A New Marketing Idea

May 7, 2008 • Blog • 6 comments

In the age of increasing emphasis on individual preferences, coupled with the prevalence of social media, the traditional rules of marketing would need to change. We are no longer talking about market segments that aggregate themselves neatly into discrete demographic groups, or consumer preferences that follow neat patterns. Information is available fast and free, and the general levels of trust in advertising has descended to an all-time low.

How do marketers hope to thrive in this landscape? Enter the concept of I-Marketing.

I-Marketing (or iMarketing if you prefer) is centred on the inherent quality of social relationships and consumer culture in the age of new media. The word “I” represents a clear focus on the singular person and what makes him or her tick in this day and age. It also reflects a sea-change in thinking, and moves away from the mass-produced age of television commercials and newspaper advertising to strategies that are more natural and organic, which flows better with people’s behaviours and wants.

Childlike Marketing (No Kidding!)

May 5, 2008 • Blog • 3 comments

Child’s Play or a Lesson in Marketing?

As I was going for a run this evening at the neighbourhood park, I noticed how kids have this boundless energy aimed at the sole purpose of having non-stop fun. Jumping and skipping from one activity to another, they appear not to have a care in the world, and are focused on their agenda of having pure, unadulterated fun. While watching them play in glee, it hit me that perhaps there are lessons there that we can learn from in the realm of marketing.

Indeed, some of the traits of childhood – especially at play – are invaluable to us jaded marketers. They include the following:

What the Fish!!

May 1, 2008 • Blog • 1 comment

On my way to lunch today at the Jalan Besar area, I spotted this eye-catching sign which loudly declared that no aquatic and finned organism being served smelled fishy. Or that you wont’ find them deplorable anyway.

Upon closer inspection, I realised that the shop actually serves Nasi Lemak. This put to rest my initial thoughts that an ultra-enthusiastic and confident fish monger has set up shop at Jalan Besar.

Well, I didn’t quite feel like Nasi Lemak that day but if I do, I will certainly share with you if their claims to fame are as “fresh” and robust as what they make it out to be. Anybody with a positive piscean experience to share?

Maiden Flight on the Singapore Flyer

April 29, 2008 • Blog • 6 comments

After blogging about what the Singapore Flyer could do to shore up its marketing efforts about 15 months ago, I finally had the chance to embark on a maiden voyage on the world’s largest ferris wheel. This was possible thanks to the good folks at the Civil Service College who organised this special thank you function for contributors and supporters of their various programmes. Joining me were Rambling Librarian Ivan Chew as well as David Lee of PRSpeak.

Here’s a pictorial account of my voyage tonight, fresh from the lenses of my digital camera.

A view of the complex with the Singapore Flyer which had various F&B outlets, a teddy bear workshop, and various other specialty retailers.

The Sky Has Fallen!!

April 28, 2008 • Blog • no comments

Took this photo sometime in December last year from my regular bus stop. Very atypical of a hot tropical island like Singapore and I remembered how chilly the weather was then. Effects of climate change perhaps?

Of course those days are long gone, and the weather has turned blazingly hot nowadays and suffocating even. Time to give up my car?

Service Recovery at an Aunty Restaurant

April 27, 2008 • Blog • 6 comments

To celebrate my dad’s 68th and my niece’s 10th birthday, my mum decided to book a restaurant for dinner last night at Tiong Bahru’s Seng Poh Lane. Going by the unassuming name of Por Kee Eating House (porky?), the outlet was your typical old-fashioned Chinese restaurant with red plastic chairs and an outdoor al fresco eating area. It was as unpretentious as you can get, with a clear focus on its food rather than ambience.

When we arrived, we were ushered to a space next to the public carpark outside, under the starry moonlit sky. As the evening was cool, most of us didn’t quite mind sitting outside. Especially with a beer or two!

Stunning Sukhothai – Thailand’s Ancient Kingdom

April 25, 2008 • Blog • 4 comments

As part of an official trip for the Networking of ASEAN Cultural Heritage (NACH), I had the pleasure of visiting Sukhothai, the old historic kingdom of Thailand, sometime in end January this year. Existing from 1238 to 1438, Sukhothai is the first kingdom of Siam, and its old capital is now a historic park which has been gazetted by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It has a number of fine monuments which showcase the beginnings of Thai architecture and can be considered one of the cradles of Thai civilisation.

Ruled by King Ramkhamhaeng the Great, who created the Thai alphabet, Sukhothai once stretched all the way from Martaban in Myanmar to Luang Prabang (Laos) and down south to the Malay Peninsula. Its influence was larger than that of modern Thailand, and the kingdom appeared to have absorbed the styles of Khmer, Thai and Sri Lankan cultures as seen in its temples and pagodas.

A blissful retreat nestled amidst charming organic farms, the Sukothai Heritage Resort is a great respite from the urban jungle.

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