Sunday, August 29, 2010

Teo Nie Ching

In today's ST, I read about this Malaysian non-Muslim MP who spoke in mosque with her head uncovered.

My gut feel is that it is a case of misunderstanding as something similar happened to me recently.

I was recently invited to a Sikh temple to attend to an assignment. My contact, a Sikh, was showing me and my colleague around the temple. When we were in the prayer hall, a few of devotees were pointing to their head. Sensing that we may have done something wrong or that we may not be allowed to be in there, we swiftly made our exit.

A few minutes later, the priest brought some headscarves for us. Apparently all ie. male and female, who enter a Sikh temple must cover their head. My contact missed that.

We apologised immediately of course. I learned something new that day. Moral of story - We really need to get to know other races.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Albert Wong, Senior Marketing Director, ERA Realty Network

our home

Dear Mr Albert Wong,

I wish to respond to your letter in the Forum, Straits Times dated Aug 7, 2010 (Sat) on Ms Nadia Abdul Muttalib's concerns with junk mails ie. litter being strewn and asked that those businesses be targetted for action.

My basic position is that any business should be allowed to exercise their marketing creativity in promoting their products and services as long as it does not impede into personal space and property without permission.

You said you got no choice but to deliver to our doorsteps as you have been shut out of our mailboxes. And that we should pity you for making you and your fellow "Professionals" to incur higher marketing expenses as a result. You said we should not hit your livelihoods (and others in related industries of producing/delivering those "litter") as you need to publicise the products that you are selling.

Excuse me, if every business think like you and assuming it is justified to do so, we would have mayhem in every part of Singapore when businesses promote their respective products and services in any which way possible.

To mitigate the problem of fliers being strewn all over, you suggested that home owners like us, attached a tray or box to our gates to collect these fliers. But should you not be asking us whether we want those "litter" in the first place. You are asking us to incur costs to facilitate your marketing practices. Perhaps you would want those who do not want any fliers, to place a big signboard at our doors. You have made our fault for not thinking of ways to make it convenient for you to do your business.

You have implicitly warned those staying near MRT stations and good schools that this "problem" will continue unabated (and possibly intensify) as demand is there and that those units command higher value (ie. more commission for him and his "professionals").

You said you have been using fliers all these years and (defiantly, in my opinion) stated that you will continue to do so with a bit of consolation to us ie. you will tell your contractors to place those fliers carefully at the gate or under the door where possible.

You have signed off the letter to the Forum as Senior Marketing Director of ERA Realty Network ie. this is the position of one of the largest property agency in Singapore.

I am really disappointed by you and your organisation position on this matter.

P/S - Please have a word with your corporate lawyer on whether you and your company have violated any law.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

F1 sham?

When Felipe Massa let his Ferrari team mate, Fernando Alonso passed and subsequently win the German Grand Prix, do you still want to classify F1 racing as a sport or a travelling circus?

A travelling circus where drivers, team managers, sponsors etc are all putting up a multi-billion dollars show which create entertainment where millions of fan pay money to watch.

I saw the title of an article a moment ago.. "How real is the reality show?" Actually whoever gets to stay or whoever get booted at the end of show depends on the rating each participant receives during the show? As ratings mean advertising dollars, the person who ultimately wins the $1million prize monies is actually being rewarded for keeping the show watchable by millions.

Wouldn't you wonder why an Idol would always end to be someone good looking who can somehow sing? Or the idealists would really think the best person did actually win the race?