“Return with your shield or on it!”
That was the urging given by the wife of King Leonidas, one time king of Sparta and a hero who led 300 men to face-off against the almighty god-king Xerxes the Great of Persia and his one million soldiers. Well at least that’s what happened in the movie 300 which I just caught this morning.
Gadgets and geeks galore at the IT Show!
I recently visited the IT Show at Singapore’s Suntec City (also known as our very own vertical Silicon Valley) to see if I could pick up a good bargain or two. It always amazes me how these computer fairs and exhibitions could attract such huge and massive crowds, all thronging the place to catch a piece of the retail action. The number of people streaming in and out are usually non-stop. More importantly, most who leave are seen happily carrying bags and even trolleys full of hardware, software and all manner of computer peripherals and accessories.
Why have these shows become such huge consumer successes? More interestingly, why are some other consumer fairs (like gifts, furniture, weddings, and health) relatively moribund while PC shows continue to draw the crowds?
“The manager of the Chase bank in Pleasantville parks right out front. Her branch is on a quiet street with parking meters available for customers to use. Figure there’s perhaps a dozen spaces convenient enough to make it worth going to the bank… if they’re full, keep on driving, because there’s always another bank coming up soon.”
This reminded me of exactly the same frustration which many of us face.
Recently, I attended a staff seminar where the theme of resonance was used. According to Wikipedia, resonance is a term used in physics whereby one system tends to oscillate a maximum amplitude at certain frequency.
Resonance is a powerful force multiplier. It is both a natural and artificial phenomenon whereby something moves in synchrony with another, for both good and bad. Witness how the powerful high pitched voices of soprano singers can cause wine glasses to shatter.
Marching soldiers crossing a wooden bridge at a certain rhythm can cause it to break. Even helicopters like the almighty Chinook can fall prey to Resonance! Watch this video below:
Singapore’s economy is doing well recently. GDP is up, tourism arrivals are up, average household incomes are rising, and the job market looks white hot. With more potential customers with higher disposable incomes, plus the recent bundle of goodies for SMEs, there is never a better time for entrepreneurs here.
Rather than wait for the perfect job to come along, why not consider starting your own business? Before you take the plunge though, do consider the following:
I recently re-visited the Zoo during a management retreat. Amidst all that brainstorming activity, we did manage to squeeze a little time to visit the Zoo. As I walked through the lush environment in the warm tropical Sun, I was convinced once again why the Zoo can attract more than a million visitors a year! Here’s the story through photos.
The first thing is landscaping. Notice how the home of the Hamadryas Baboons from Ethiopia looks better than a District 10 Bungalow? Go ahead and drool folks!
Crowds thronged VivoCity when they first opened
Recently, quite a few shopping centres in Singapore seem to be left behind in the retail race despite our buoyant economy. Poor customer traffic, contractual spats, tenants going on “strike”, empty shop spaces, decay and disrepair seem to be some of their common woes.
Some are new and spanking. They include Dhoby Xchange, which is strategically located next to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station yet attracting hardly a soul. Another recent case is an unnamed shopping mall at Commonwealth Market (to be renamed Queenspoint) which apparently ran afoul of the law. Its owners Pagar Park did not have approval to sub-let its spaces but still went ahead, with 70% of its 150 retail outlets taken up. Now it is tangled in a messy litigation case involving multiple parties including the Singapore Land Authority.
Ethan wishes you “Gong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nian Kuai Le!”
Here’s wishing all my friends, family members and readers a very “pork”-sperous Chinese New Year full of “ham”-some harvests, sausage days, pigging out, fat returns, and endless opportunities to go the whole hog!
In the wise words of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan:
“I am very proud to be called a pig. It stands for pride, integrity and guts.” Hmmm….reminds me of ter huang kiam chye!
Courtesy of www.uberburger.com
Over the years, we have seen quite a few high profile F&B failures in Singapore. They include Rainforest Cafe at Liang Court, Hello Kitty Cafe at Downtown East, and of course the numerous bubble tea shops whose bubbles have popped.
The latest casualty in the scene is Uber Burger. This uber upmarket joint has folded on 7 February 2007 barely 10 months after a much-heralded opening. Famous for their S$101 Wagyu Burger stuffed with truffles, foie gras and all things decadent, they claimed to offer unique mouth watering experiences that you can never get at cheaper chains.