Can global brands catch up with consumers on sustainability?

Sustainability tops list of important causes for socially aware consumers: Nielsen - News - Marketing - Campaign Asia-Pacific

What happens when you lose?

March was a krazy month.  With a capital K.

Amidst our campaign launches, pitches here and there, small and big, we got two wins and two losts.  I remember someone telling me that we're always SO focused on our shortcoming that sometimes we forget to celebrate the other great stuff that has happened.

But sometimes when we're too focused in that elated feeling, we become over-confident and arrogant.  And I think that is what caused us the lost.  These were very difficult pills to swallow.  Because you know exactly why you lost.

Sheer arrogance.

Kills opportunities.

Or was it exhaustion?

My ex-boss used to tell me to stop being so competitive.  But I have a whole different contention to that.  It's not that I'm competitive (okay, maybe a little bit) but you really wanna give your best to every project.  If it's not 100%, it's not a 100%.  It's okay if you're ready to bite the bullet and chew on the results if you're well aware from the beginning, you're not gonna give a perfect ten.  But it's something else when you perceived yourself for having done that and yet in retrospect, you realized it was just over-confidence masquerading as know-how.  The frustrating thing is I know this.  We've had a similar experience with a long-time client.  The day we lost, the feeling... sucked.  Again, because we know why we lost.  Since, we've vowed to always carry humility to this particular client and so far, so good.  So this is not a new lesson.  It's a forgotten lesson but it's one, once again, well-learned, well-deserved.

I'm deeply humbled.

And I owe an apology to my client.

For losing on such irrelevant ground.

We'll be better next time round.  That's our professional commitment.

What makes wild active honey so extraordinary?

I think the order word of the day is non-processed.  Wild honey is harvested from the rainforest that is 100% unprocessed with no artificial sweetening, colouring and preservative (which most of the honey that you are consuming right now are probably processed with some kind of additives).  It goes straight from the hive to the jar.  If it goes through processing, heating will destroy most of the health benefits that are supposedly found in honey.  If you wanna know whether it's processed, raw honey is thick and opaque, almost solid at room temperature, whereas processed honey is more fluid and usually has a transparent amber colour.

Almost everyone knows that honey is good for you, but what remains a mystery is 'how good'.  I mean at the end of the day, this isn't some immortality food nor steroid which you can expect to see an immediate difference.  Honey like all supplements (and fruits, and vegetables, and all things good for you) take time to be absorbed into your system before you can fully feel the results.  Besides, you should realize by now that processed honey (that has gone through heating) loses numerous benefits that its original state should have.  So if you've not been seeing the difference, maybe you're consuming the wrong kind of honey!

Through recommendation, I've been consuming Yummi House's wild active honey for slightly more than a month now.  This daily night ritual of drinking a glass of warm honey, trust me, is the most (or one of the most) disciplined routine I've ever taken.  Partly cause it's really yummy.  And partly cause I was curious whether the product truly serves its claim.  So, now that a month is over with a bout of flu in between (you do know that drinking honey doesn't make you invincible right?), I realized a couple of things:

1) I do in fact, sleep better.  This is truly so.
2) The one that I'm taking is apparently harvested from a tree that's er... called 'Anchovy Pear'.  I'm not sure if the name is priming me, but I seriously do taste a slight 'pear' hint in my drink.
3) I don't really like the pungent smell or taste of honey (although I do still eat it sometimes) but Yummi House's raw honey is really something else.  It's not your 'sugary' sweet sort of taste.  I've indulged a scoop on its own and it's... yummy.  Sweet and bit sour, like candy except it's good for you :)
4) My digestive system is better.  No kidding, you can ask my colleagues.  They were shocked at how much I chowed down recently.  But then again it could have been stress :P A better input-output system, makes a healthier me ^^ um, not sure if my complexion is better but I guess yea, it seems all right ;)
5) It's supposed to help as a stress-reliever... mmm... I can't really tell because the duress that I went through the last few weeks... was beyond any cure by any foods.  But then again, it helped me to sleep better so I'm guessing it kinda works.
6) I had a cold last week and I started taking two glasses a day, in the morning and night.  I did not take any extra medication - not even off-the-counter Vit Cs.  Except for loads of fresh orange juice.  Surprisingly, other than the major discomfort on the first few days of falling sick, the recovery was faster than usual.

So there.  If you ask me if this is worth trying, well... like I said, I don't think there's anything in this world that can claim to work magic if you don't try to eat, sleep and exercise well.  But if you've done all those (or at least to the best you can), I think this supplement will definitely help boost your immune system and add some delicious goodness to your current lifestyle :)

There are various types of honey available, suitable for different family members.  I mean seriously, you and I know that there's no one size that fits all right?  My parents are taking Mahogany which is supposed to be an energy booster for them.  Other variants are suitable for boosting up your immune system, boosting up your er, masculine system, boosting up your pregnancy power, boosting down your PMS syndrome, and all sorts.  Go ask within.

True to its form of wild honey, texture is solid and not watery.  It doesn't attract ants because there's no additional sweetener, and hence good for even diabetic patients :) 

In order to avoid oxidization, the honey is packed sealed in glass jars and you're to use a wooden spoon (instead of a metal one) to scoop the honey. 

It's tempting to take a bite at this point.  But no, don't be shtoopid :P

 Melt honey in warm water (about 70 degrees), never in boiling water or over the recommended temperature.  Remember our lesson in 'heating'?  What does 'heating' do to honey?  Yes, it kills off the good stuff, leaving you with just honey-flavoured water :)

Because of it's semi-solid original state, you just need to give it a good few stabs and be patient during the melting process.

Of which after that, what you get is a dlish golden clear liquid (normally processed honey will give you a murky, yellow instead of golden, sort of colour).  You can drink it warm or you can ice it or you can put a slice of lemon in it, whichever that makes you happiest :)

Ah but of course, alas I'm not as disciplined as you thought I was.  I pre-mixed a jar and kept it in the fridge, so that all I have to do is pour it out and mix it with water and it's ready to drink :)

 

So if you're a consumer of honey, I suggest you go check if your product is processed.  If it is, tough luck.  Time to chuck it and go check out the real deal at Yummi House in SS2, PJ for some serious honey enlightenment.  Hope this helps! :)

Yummi House
Add: 70, Jalan SS 2/75, 47300

Tel: +60378652888/+60193332595
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 10:30 - 20:30

What does it feel like to live in a retro world?

Retro noon in my tattered Admirals at FRIM.  Have you ever wonder what does it feel like to live in a retro world?

All pictures taken by a Lumix GX1.  Yes, including the Sony NEX ;) boo

How do you rub shoulders with the rich and famous?

You push them.  And they push you back.

:P

Attended the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Fashion Grand Prix last night at Thean Hou temple and had mixed feelings.

What I love: 

1. Very fresh idea of having an event at a temple, according to its theme French and Chinois.  Very Chinois but not sure where the French comes from, probably from the Kronenbourg beer that sponsored the event.  Cause first thing that came to my mind; Mercedes defected?! :P The setup was simple but really gave me some great ideas on how to 'work around' the environment :) 
2. Since 'Sex and the City' made Jimmy Choo a household name, I've always wanted to interview him.  I've always wanted to know about his beginnings - not as how media writes it but how he feels it (which is thoroughly absent from press releases).  I wanted to know what he feels about being Malaysian.  I wanted to know what's next for him.  What happens to people who have already made it.  I wanted to know if people knew Jimmy Choo was a Malaysian and not an ABC.  I wanted to know his creative inspiration.  I wanted to know his marketing strategy - how did he decide one day that he should price his delicate shoes at an unattainable couple of grand and made women worship them.  I wanted to know who was his mentor and who he is mentoring.  I wanted to know what keeps him up at night.  I wanted to know what his real passions are.  I wanted to know if he could change one thing about Malaysia (however small and however big), what would it be (for someone of his position).  I wanted to know if he was... a nice person.  And when I was finally introduced to him... all that came out was just 'uh, hi'.  ?!?!?!?!  Yup.  Uh, hi.  Oh well, brighter next time, sparks!
3. While I didn't particular 'get' the creative showcase because it was beyond fine art, it was still an interesting presentation of fashion (and hair) abstract expressionism.  Just felt sorry for the models who were trippin' on the runway because of impossible shoes.  Jimmy, you should really look into that, y'know...
4. Runway muzik.  Muzik pumps me up and makes everything better :)

What I didn't love:

1. They don't serve non-alcoholic drinks.  I'm heavily allergic to alcohol, like how Mogwai is allergic to water.  You don't want no Gremlins now, do you?  So this stereotyping of 'everyone drinks' or 'everyone should drink Kronenbourg' just didn't cut it for me.  I wonder what those Malay datuks and datins drink.  From their tumbler?
2. This... fwa fwa hoity toity vibe.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not holier than thou, there's certainly nothing wrong with the crowd.  It's okay to be rich and famous, all glitz and glamour.  It's just me.  It's all me.  It's everything about me.  It's my 'Fun to Drive' ecobag (woops!).  And I can't seem to perfect the air-kissing thing, I'm sorry.  I'll do better next time.
3. The SLK 200 displayed at the door.  Yawn... Merc, I've seen you do better.

How do you deal with 'complicated'?

Life is easy for people who stand only on one side of the fence.  But less so for those who have inclinations to both sides.  I can understand the difficulty in dealing with the latter because they seem so fickle-minded, it's almost impossible to know what's coming next.  If you think it's difficult to deal with that, trust me, it's even more difficult to be one of them.  Imagine if you:

Are strong but also weak.

Are innocent but also wild.

Are masculine but also girlish.

Are a go-getter but also a destroyer.

Are a people's person but hate socialising.

Want to settle down but also roam the earth.

Remain low-profile but aspire to change the world.

Care about the big picture but are anal about details.

Dislike glitz & glamour but love a Rolex Milgauss and a Chanel 225.

Are highly factual by day but turn emotional at night.

Are tough to convince but relent easily to tears.

Are submissive but need to be given a choice.

Are fiercely loyal but also anti-establishment.

Persevere but only till the last straw.

Are creative driven but mechanical.

Are spontaneous but strategic.

Are confident but shy.

When you are constantly swinging like a pendulum between two sides, you will then understand the tragedy of such predicament.  If you come across someone who's like that and you don't know how to deal with that person, here's a major tip for you.  The person is not fickle-minded, they are simply using different criteria to judge different situations which may not appear to be very consistent to you.  Thus, it's very easy to misunderstand them.  If you're unsure, the best way is to ask.  Please be fair to them, don't guess their intention because it might really turn out to be the complete opposite of what you have in mind.  Sometimes, they don't even realized they have caused a confusion.

I'm not really sure if you consider this schizophrenia or worse, a bi-polar trait but on good days, it's really good to have dual perspectives on everything.  Somehow it makes you more neutral and balanced, hence more accurate judgements.  But on bad days, it's tough to make a stand and easily sucked into confusion.  And you feel the world misunderstood you and that feeling is horrid horrid horrible.

Anyway, if you have a friend like that, good luck.  All I'm asking, is just a little patience and a whole lot of kindness.  Remember, if in doubt, just ask!

What happens when a Victorinox Original arrives at your front door?

It's arrived.  Got my new watch :) I'm gonna be NATO navy!  I decided to go green besides I really do think the khaki green exudes the most personality.  I got second opinions, a lot of my friends feel I should have gotten the beige or grey because they are more 'ladylike'.  I'd love to be a lady, but... despite what logic tells you, the heart has an uncanny way to defy it ;)

So anyway, back to the little black box.  I took some photos to introduce you to the new Victorinox Originals.  I like the idea that, while it exudes masculinity, there are a lot of tiny details that are purposefully designed to give a sense of quiet elegance.  For example, the unmistakable cross-shield badge engraved on the dial and the metal piece on the strap.  I'll be on time from now on :)

It goes with most of my outfits.  Well, um.  Almost ;)