Movie Marathon!

I’ve been sloth-like the past few days…my semester just officially ended with the submission of a CRM report. Big wahooooo…or not…I guess atmosphere would have been more jubilant and abuzz if everyone had a job waiting for them…As it is, left and right we read of news about pay cuts, lay-offs and what not.

Sigh.  Sometimes I JUST have that feeling that the universe is conspiring to play tricks on me…Perhaps fate just rounded up all of us sinful people, made us take MBA and made us graduate during a freaking recession, just to get back at us. Hahaha…

So I got hold of graboidvideo…which is a really cool site…and have been through a movie marathon since Monday.  I am not really a movie freak, and I am surprised to find myself looking forward to just straining my eyes looking at the computer screen the whole day…I guess this is what boredom does to a person huh?  To top it off, my phone died on me…My loyal P910i which some people laugh at as it looks like a dinousaur already…Haha, thank goodness people do not depreciate like mobile phones…or do they?  (I mean…do we?) ;p  One day we’re hot, the next day we’re tired of life and life’s tired of us.

Now, I AM babbling…Must be the last movie I watched just now…WHITE CHICKS! Weeeeeee! Bimbo-ish! But definitely had me laughing hard!  All the movies I saw before White Chicks were heavy…though I liked them a lot…Here’s what I’ve been viewing the past days:

1. Alexander the Great, starring Colin Farrel and Angelina Jolie who defintely had a funny accent in the movie.  I’ve always liked epic movies, war, and how the ‘heroes’ do what they do…Also, I’ve been youtubing Firehouse’s “I Live My Life for You” song…and I came across one which had Alexander the Great as the video, which kinda caught my attention…Apart from my interest in history and war, it intrigued me that Hephaesteon (dunno if I got the spelling right) has been portrayed as having sort of a relationship with Alexander…Ewwwwww…Overall the movie was ok though…Initially I was at this crappy site so I fell asleep waiting for the video to stream…kicked my laptop which was at my bedside and started watching 5AM the morning after…Didn’t get to finish it in one go, but tell you what…I was thinking of Alexander and his troops the whole while and spaced out a lot of times in the office! Embarassing! Went home excited to finish the movie only to see him get killed…Duh…I knew he would be killed but still… :p
2. Romeo and Juliet! Ah, romantic! I watched it while folding some clothes into my bag for my December 13 trip. Hahaha…This version was the newer one, starring Leonardio di Caprio and Claire Danes.  While i loved the soundtrack (especiially “Kissing” by Des’ree), the props they used…especially the guns branded as ‘swords’ didn’t sit too well with me…Talk about pushing it too hard. But ya, the movie left me feeling happy for all the Romeos and Juliets out there but at the same time, it was a stark reminder of how emotions can drive people to do things beyond an average joe’s understanding…Dang, if only Romeo got hold of the priest’s letter, then everything would have been different.  Can one learning here be NOT to trust priests with your love affairs? Hehehehe…Kidding padres…
3. 300.  W.O.W.  Totally awesome…of all the movies I watched since Monday, this was the only one I did not see before…and honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing it again.  As I said, epic movies have a way of leaving me inspired and thoughtful..(even for just a while)….Amazing how Spartans live their lives…If only everyone else was as disciplined as them…Xerxes was kinda gay though…well he looked gay at least…Eeky…and somehow the Persians as enemies just had me snickering for a while…as I understand we had a half-Persian in our midst a year back…Haha…
4. Last Samurai…my 3rd epic movie…Ken Watanabe IS hotter than Tom Cruise…Hahahahaha…Yes, he beats Mr. Scientology…in my book at least Hurrah, hurrah!  I’m amused at how all the war movies I watched tied together…Persians and Greeks in Alexander the Great and 300 and then a mention of the 300 men at the battle of Thermopoly in Last Samurai…Amazing…though now that I think about it, the execution of the final battle in Last Samurai was too similar with some scenes in 300.  Owel…Still, I loved it…I ate burger and fries (with a healthy dose of salt and pepper) still thinking about Samurais and Greek Warriors…Amazing. I guess the world will have a hard time looking for people like them nowadays…I am truly in awe in how such men are able to command so much respect and loyalty among their followers…enough for these followers to be willing to die for these lords…Who wants to die for Gloria Arroyo, anyone? Hehe…Not me…No, not me…
5. White Chicks! A wonderful way to wash the heavy thoughts out before tucking myself to bed…And as I will do so later, I know I will still be humming Vanessa Carlton’s “Thousand Miles”…Coolness!

I hope this movie marathon thingie will not turn into a nasty habit…Gotta work on some stuff for website soon…I hope I am not too rusty yet…MBA has a way of making you forget the artsy-fartsy stuff at times…Oh well…Another day tomorrow…What’s in a day’s name?  A Thursday which we will call by any other name will just be as crappy…(well less crappy now, without classes)…Hehehe…Cheers Shakespeare my old man!

Just when you think you had life all figured out…

When you’ve played images of the future in your mind over and over again, you seem to believe that those images will actually happen…that it’s just a matter of time before such come to life.

I am a hodgepodge of emotions tonight.  I was just asked if I could run Green Earth after my MBA.  I feel honored, yet scared of what might be.  It is different having a job (or at least prospects of a job) and just helping out the business…but if the main responsibility is passed to you, that’s also another story.  I guess I was too focused on getting a career after school…The business environment nowadays has somehow blurred my adventurous, entrepreneurial spirit and turned me into such a prude.  Perhaps I was happy experimenting on the small things before, but never really dreamed big enough to actually take over something that people depend on to turn in money for different needs.

It will take time before all these will sink in.  Thankfully, my parents are coming over next week for Nikki’s birthday…so we can talk things through and stuff.

Sigh. A different way to cap the week off.  Will be interesting to see how things develop.

A Thursday that feels like Friday Goldrush

Listening to Y101 play Freshmen by The Verve almost made me feel like it’s Friday.  As I write, I sit in the area my good friend Kartika calls “the windy tables”…   It’s been raining like crazy, and memories of sitting in the area just gossiping or catching up on readings just come flashing back…

Memories of high school and the stupid things I did come rushing back too…and I feel a smile slowly spreading across my face thinking how different things are now compared to what I would have imagined them to be 10 years back…Oh well…those were the heady days of being ‘in love’ (kuno) as teenagers…Hahaha…Thankfully, I woke up from the spell (though it took a while) and now am struggling to be Ms Independent…

Tra-la-la…

Shit…Now what did that have to do with Thursday and Friday Goldrush???!  Now some stupid ad on the radio is playing, with a girl saying (in an irritatingly ya-ya and lata T*****g fashion)..,’dyan ka magaleeeeeeeeeeeng…DUH.

…Hmmm…ok, before I get totally nostalgic, I better get back to studying for my exam in Channels & Pricing…more later…or whenever I can

Friendster’s downfall?

Call me anti-social, but I was never really one to jump on bandwagon when it comes to creating accounts on just about any online communities there are. Haha…That was then.  But now it seems as if there’s just no stopping social media, and so here I am blogging on whatever comes to mind. 

Today the number of friends I have in Facebook has surpassed the number of friends I have in Friendster…Call it some bad omen or what…But I honestly see this as just one of the many signs that Friendster will eventually flop or be left out with users who are hmm…let’s just say of a different profile.  Upon visiting the homepage you really don’t feel like logging in anymore, because the feel is just bad and the look mighty cheap when compared to Facebook (the homepage of which at least looks a bit sleeker…somehow…probably it’s the different shades of blue…)…Also, the name Friendster just sounds so….soooo…juvenile I guess.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons why it has not really caught on that much with social sites like MySpace or Facebook.  While I am not cutting my account off yet, I guess I could say for sure that the action will now shift to other platforms. Friendster just doesn’t cut it for me anymore.  Could it ever be revived?  Could we see a more engaging Friendster in the future?

xxxx

By the way, I unsubscribed to this community called ‘Tagged’…it’s creepy man.  Users get to play a game called ‘Yes’ where you somehow get matched up with different kinds of people.  I seriously feel that this is for the bored and low-down cheapos.  Also, you get these annoying emails from them every time someone clicks a ‘Yes’ on you.  I only got into it because a friend of mine invited me to.   But ya, if you can’t take it, then you’ve just got to leave it.

What’s your take on Office Romance?

Do you see yourself entangled in office romance? Does it pose more harm than good to the organization? What about the parties involved? Should management stifle office romance by implementing strict non-fraternization policies in the office?

Take a stand!  Fill up this 9-question, purely multiple choice survey…

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VIzrICfClzJr4dZVW7U_2fUQ_3d_3d

Backpacking tours to Singapore

Green Earth Tours & Travel, Inc. (www.greenearth.com.ph) is now offering backpacking tours for Filipino students, yuppies, couples, employees (practically everyone!)  While the page on this is still under contruction, you can definitely send an email to info@greenearth.com.ph to inquire on this or drop me a comment with your contact details so I can hook you up with the Green Earth guys.  Singapore is a happening place and is certainly one of the most dynamic Asian cities…don’t be left behind…be in the know! 

Those who are planning to do backpacking in Bohol and Cebu and other places in the Philippines, do feel free to inquire at info@greenearth.com.ph about this too…The travel agency can definitely customize according to your requirements.  So what are you waiting for! www.greenearth.com.ph BOOK. FLY. ENJOY.

A blog entry for KK

KK! Hahahahahahaha! My pee-buddy, planting-buddy, gossip-buddy, pork belly-buddy! 

Kartika is finally flying off to France for her exchange term at HEC…(well, she should have flown off last Thursday but…hmmm… ;p)

You’ll never have a dull moment with Prajitskie…always bubbly and most often than not smiling from ear-to-ear (or now that I think about it, she CAN be harsh too…hahahaha)…but ya, point is there is no dull moment with her ))))

Just want to wish you all the best in France! Hehehe…since am hovering along poverty line and can’t buy you a bag or a turtle stuff toy…nyehehehehe ^^  I thought I’d just write this instead.

Singapore will be quiet without you! Hahahaha! Cheers, Kartiki! ;p

Tabachingching

3-in-1: Create, Connect, Convince by Jorg Dietzel

i just came from a book launch tonight.  The name of the book is Create, Connect, Convince–Fundamentals of Advertising, Branding and Communication.  The author is none other than my professor at NUS, Jorg Dietzel. http://www.jorgdietzel.com/  It was a new experience for  me, my first book launch, my first autographed book, a visit to SMU…(hahaha)…some good food and beer thanks to Jorg’s sponsors.

The book is an interesting one.  Have flipped through already and I guess I would know much of the contents, having taken Jorg’s class last semster.  It is a practical, easy read…with good cases and an Asian flavor to boot.  It is nice that he included snippets of some big names in the industry too: David Guerrero (from the Philippines! Yahoo! He is the head of BBDO in Manila), Andrew Lok (with Ogilvy China, who if I am not wrong spoke to us in class), etc, etc…

Cases include: Australia Tourism (‘So where the bloody hell are you?’), Dove, FedEx, Kinetic, Tiger, Adidas, and Singapore Navy to name a few.  My top 3 favorites are:

Australia Tourism/M&C Saatchi
I find it very engaging, and very bloody hell Australian. Hehehe…Being in the tourism industry myself too, <(www.greenearth.com.ph) (FREE PLUG: value for money vacation packages to Cebu and Bohol—safe, lovely, lovely places–beaches galore!)> I find it a very good ad…postcard-perfect pictures with copies on some stuff about Australia–food, activities, places and what have you…and it ends with the famous scribble: ‘so well the bloody hell are you?’  I hope Philippine tourism can come up with an equally exciting campaign…something beyond ‘WOW’ Philippines which I personally feel is kinda shallow…the materials used in the campaign are very good though, and I especially like ‘Biyahe Tayo’…but maybe they could come up with something that is actually targeted to none-Filipinos as well.

Ok enough..back to the book…

Another favorite would be FedEx/BBDO, because Jorg discussed it in class and so seeing it now makes me feel ‘ah, I know this’ kinda sensation. FedEx ads just have to be one of the most memorable ads ever.  I love the humor in their ads, and I doubt if any other company in the same industry has come up with something to top ‘We live to deliver’.  Genius!

The third favortite ad would be that of Dove/Ogilvy. Ya, ya…it’s almost like a no brainer right?  It is interesting though that a lot of controversies/issues surround the ad.  Imagine, the same manufacturer (Unilever) campaigning for ‘real beauty’ on one hand through Dove actually owns Axe too?  And boy, if you can see Axe ads its like a 180-degree turn!  All about sexy women, seduction and stuff…as if Axe can actually do that right? Haha, it takes more than that I guess   But if you do happen to have time, dig into the issue.  It’s quite interesting.

So those of you looking for a good read, one that mixes theory and practice well…do look out for the book…and if you happen to sutdy in NUS (MBA) or SMU, do enroll in Jorg’s class(es) too…believe me, you may feel the subject is light but it is actually one of the most practical and useful.

Congratulations Mr. Dietzel!  Will be in the look out for more brilliant campaigns from you!

Survey Monkey–Survey on Travel Habits

Perhaps one of the best tools ever invented! Makes doing online surveys and tallying them after easier and more convenient.  You can opt for a free memebership, although for a minimal fee of USD19.50, you get benefits that are quite ok.  For students and the like though, the free one would suffice…www.surveymonkey.com

I am currently doing a survey on travel habits, to get a feel of the market.  The results will be used to formulate marketing strategies for Green Earth Tours and Travel in the future. 

Please feel free to click on the link and take part of the survey yourself.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ICBb9p3Vl58jXRZkLnpueQ_3d_3d

Singapore’s 43rd Birthday

Happy Birthday, Singapore!

Today marks the 43rd birthday of Singapore as a nation.  People are gearing up for the celebrations.  (Though as I look out the window, it seems as if people won’t be fully able to enjoy the spectacular fireworks…hmmm…it’s gonna raiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!) ;(  And am supposed to go out on a dinner date with some friends. *sigh*

I am amused with the fact how different nations would have different problems.  As I listened to the Prime Minister’s National Day Speech, it brought a smile to my face that he had to urge Singaporeans to ‘reproduce our population’…Statistics came out weeks earlier that the country only had x number of  baby’s born last year.  Tsk…tsk…and then the Prime Minister urges some by saying he hopes that Singaporeans will see raising a family as a very fulfilling endeavor, something that is part of life, etc, etc…

If you shift your attention to other countries however, you’d realize that governments are doing the reverse thing: encouraging family planning, etc. Waaaaaaah?

But that aside, I would like to pay tribute to a very great nation: one that other countries can truly look into as a model of how governments should be.  I would like to pay tribute to the Singaporeans in general: hardworking, efficient…One cannot help but admire how they are able to peacefully coexist together, despite having different beliefs and despite coming from different ethnic backgrounds.

As your nation turns 43, I wish you nothing but the best. *ya lor*