What made my birthday special…

SMSs from friends all around

Facebook messages and wall posts from friends

Birthday card and SMS from sister in England

E-cards from friends from parents and friends

Phonecall from bro in Singapore

MSN birthday greeting from bro in Newie

Birthday dinner and cake from cell members

Birthday card from colleagues

Bluewater dining voucher from boss

Dinner date with hubby at Bella Rosa

…

"I love you all! Muaks"

My favourite travel item

Since the subject of my recent Sydney trip is still fresh on my mind... I thought I'd share another one of my favourite things.

This is a must have favourite item whenever I travel. As you can see, it is a toiletry bag... the coolest toiletry bag I've ever had!



It bought it from a limited edition sale from the Australian Women's Weekly magazine. And it's been one of the best buys I've made.

The bag has lots of little pockets of varying sizes for keeping my lipsticks, eyeshadows, and other little items. And on the cover flap, there are hoops to fit my lip liners, toothbrush, contact lense case etc.



I can basically fit ALL my toiletry and make-up needs in this ONE bag. So I never need to scramble with separate pouches or plastic bags. I just fit everything here and tuck it in my suitcase. And at my destination, I just lift it out and put on the corner of the bathroom counter at my hotel.



Every woman needs a good travel toiletry bag. This is mine.

Have you realised…

This morning I decided to listen to the 'Happy Holidays' station on my Yahoo! Radio while working on my client contact report.

As the familiar strains of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' drift into my ear through my headphones… I suddenly realise for the first time this year…

Christmas season is here.

From my hotel in Sydney...

At this moment I am typing away on a laptop in my hotel room in Sydney.

Sydney? How did that happen? Since when? Why so sudden one?

Well, it was kinda kast minute. We had to do some reallocations of projects due to some internal 'changes' in the company. So I was assigned to this project which was due for a face-to-face kick-off meeting with the client this Thursday. I only found out about it on Monday. Flew off this morning and here I am now.



Sydney still is pretty much the same. There is a kind of comfortable familiarity to the place which is nice. A lot more construction work happening in the city. And the Christmas decorations in the shops are up... very pretty.

Will be back on Friday night in time for Lake Leschenaultia!!! Looking forward to that man... tata.

Cool wand!

Hi people... here's another one of my Favourite Things...

One of my favourite kitchen secrets is this magic wand... I got it at Ikea for under $3 and it's one of the best bargains I've ever come across.



So why is it so special?

Well, it's simply because I can create mouth-watering pseudo-cafe foamy cappucino, hot mochas or hot chocolate drinks. No need to get an expensive coffee machine with a steam wand.

But how to get that foamy effect? Come I show you how...

Start with a quarter or a one-third cup of milk. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute only. Not too hot as milk should never be brought to boiling point otherwise it will curdle.

Then here comes the technique... when you put the wand in the milk, do not fully submerge the whisk in the milk. Instead hold it at an angle, letting part of the whisk show above the milk level. Then switch it on and hold the whisk steadily, always keeping part of the whisk visible above the milk. The idea is to churn in air into the milk. The milk will quickly start to froth up and become a smooth foam.




Finally, melt some chocolate and pour the milk in, top up with the foam, sprinkle some cocoa powder and voila!



Cool right? Look out for it the next time you're at Ikea.

Stay tuned for more of Favourite Things!

Happenings...

Guests from Singapore in Perth at the moment.

Possibly upcoming business trip to Sydney

YA Bash at Lake Leschenaultia.

But don't worry… will endeavour to keep you updated, k?

Muaks!

For tired eyes

Bodyshop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-up Remover… Beeeeest (*thumbs up*)



This is absolutely one of my favourite items in my bathroom cabinet. It’s not only an eye make-up remover, but can also be used as a general make-up remover for your whole face. I find it very effective in removing all traces of make-up… no need to rub very hard at all… just a few swipes and it’s gone.

What I like best is the refreshing camomile in it. It leaves a very light tingly and fresh feeling after applying… very very nice, especially after a long day wearing contact lenses and mascara, the feeling of the camomile is just heavenly… and is one the highlights at the end of my day. It’s such a treat and it’s like giving my eyes a mini spa treatment.

I've been using this for probably over 10 years ever since I was in Sec 5. All these years I've never come across any other make-up remover that I like so much. I have a tendency to switch around with other products... like shampoo and facial wash--I frequently like to try out different brands. But I guess my loyalty to this product might indicate how good it is. Somehow it's mild yet very effective.

Anyway, I only want to share good things with my beloved friends and family. So this item gets a thumbs up recommendation from me. It’s just as good, if not better than some of the other expensive make-up removers I’ve tried before (and I’ve tried a few) yet is so much cheaper. You also only need to use a little bit on your cotton pad each time, so one bottle really goes a long way.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Favourite Things.

New topic label: Favourite Things

Hello people!

Thanks for checking back for updates. Sorry I haven't posted anything new in the past few days. But don't worry, I've just had an idea that will help change that and keep this blog regularly updated (somewhat) for a while.

Soooo... I will be starting a new series entitled "Favourite Things" where I'll share some of the good things that help make my life pleasant.

Enjoy!

More panda eyed meetings

On Thursday I had another early morning breakfast seminar. Sighz… had to wake up early and touch up those panda eyes… the seminar was on Innovative Trends in Qualitative Research.

I booked a taxi the night before to take me to the Oxford Hotel in Leederville where the seminar was being held.

Well it turned out not to be all smooth and easy going. First thing, the taxi company got my address mixed up. Instead of 1/85… they thought my address was at No. 185... good thing I spotted the taxi driving around trying to find the address so I waved him over.

The next thing was even better. I reiterated again that I was going to the Oxford Hotel and asked if the driver knew where it was. He confidently told me that he knew where it was. So we drove through the usual morning traffic to Leederville and he stopped in front of a building with a café/restaurant on the ground level. I couldn't see any sign that said Oxford Hotel. So I asked the driver again "Are you sure this is Oxford Hotel?". He assured me that it was and even pointed the entrance out to me. So I paid the fare and got out. He of course drove off while I walked up to the entrance where the café/restaurant was.

The café was quiet and there was hardly anyone there. I walked further down to see if I could spot a sign or another entrance. Nope - just other shops and cafés. So strange. I stopped to ask a few people but they didn't know of any Oxford Hotel. Finally one guy told me that Oxford Hotel was much further up, near the Scarborough Beach side. *Sian* "How long will it take to walk there?" I asked. He looked at me amusedly and said, "In those heels? Probably 15-20 minutes". Alamak! The seminar starts at 7.30am and it was already 7.35am. The guy helpfully told me that there was a taxi stand around the corner. My mobile was ringing, it was my colleague asking where I was. I hurriedly click-clacked to the stand to hail a taxi. Thankfully there was a taxi waiting there, so less than ten minutes later I was at the correct Oxford Hotel. Running late, but at least I finally got there.

Anyway, the seminar itself was great. I ordered blueberry pancakes for breakfast. The first speaker talked about new research technigues like using blogs and online communities to stimulate discussions from an online panel, and ethnographics which means the researcher actually physically observes the subject going about their normal routine to understand their habits, preferences and practices. The second speaker presented a case study on iinet's successful advertising campaign using innovative research techniques.

So the seminar itself was good. Regarding the taxi episode, I lodged a complaint with them when I arrived back at the office. I received a reply from them saying:

Dear Ms Lee

We acknowledge receipt of your email and wish to advise that we are currently investigating the matter.

Due to our extensive investigation and interview procedures, which can include accessing computer and audio records and/or interviewing relevant drivers, your complaint may require up to 14 days to process, at which time you will receive a final response giving details of the outcome.

Yours faithfully

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

2 weeks??? Well, it better be a good outcome.

5 things...

Received another tag. Quite interesting so let's see how I go...

5 Things in My Bag
1. Loreal Lipstick No. 708
2. L'Occitane Shea Butter Mini Hand Cream
3. Essentiels De Chanel palette
4. My new Nokia 6120
5. Business cards



5 Things in My Wallet
1. Credit cards
2. ATM cards
3. Photo of hubby and me
4. Driver's licence
5. Spare bandaid (for emergencies)

5 Favourite Items in My Bedroom
1. Currently reading The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
2. Trying to finish Big in Asia by Michael Backman
3. My cuddly hubby ^ ^
4. Jug of water on bedside table
5. Royal Selangor pewter box - wedding thank you pressie from Wini

5 Things I Wish To Do
1. Sleep
2. Get a pay rise
3. Learn how to be be more patient
4. Be able to cook Kiu Nyuk in the original Hakka style
5. Finish knitting the scarf for hubby

5 Things That I Am Doing Now
1. Writing this tag
2. Watching Heroes
3. Enjoying a glass of port
4. Checking my iGoogle page
5. Chatting on MSN

Anyone else interested to pick up this tag and share?

What I do

The other day as I was chatting to my bro on msn, he made a remark which got me thinking...

"Actually, what is it that you do?"

Apparently a number of times some people asked about his family, and when it came to his sis, he was unable to explain exactly what my job was.

I understood where he was coming from. Many times when I am making small talk with people, and they ask me what I do... I need to decide whether I should really go into the full explanation or just give state my job title and be done with it... because sometimes it's hard to tell whether people are asking because they are really interested, or whether they are just trying to be polite. If its the latter, then it would be wasting my breath to give a full account when I know that they'll be just nodding their heads absent-mindedly as their minds start wandering off on other thoughts. Worse, I've even been accused of 'selling snake oil'! *shaking head*

So for the benefit of all my secret readers... haha! I know you are out there somewhere... I shall attempt to explain what is it I do in my job. And if it happens that you really don't care, you can simply skip the rest of this entry... easy right?

So...

When people ask me what I do, usually my initial short answer would usually be "Management Consulting" or "Business Consulting" or "Market Intelligence".

Quite often, the next question would be "So, what is that?" or "What does that mean?"

Weeeellllll...

Market Intelligence is a term that refers to gathering information and data about a company's market... what do customers want? what are competitors' up to? what are the new products coming into the market? who are my partners? what are the policies governing the market? etc.

Companies need to know this information in order to formulate business strategies to be successful... what to do to give customers what they want, how to defeat competitors, how to keep up to date with the latest products in the market, which organisations to partner with... etc.

Information doesn't just appear out of nowhere. Someone has to conduct research to gather this information. Through surveys to ask customers what they want, through interviews with industry experts, talking to different players in the market, keeping up to date with the news to find out the latest developments in the market... etc.

Companies spend thousands of dollars on Market Intelligence to be in the know. Knowledge is power. When you know something that no one else knows, you usually have the advantage.

So this is what I do. I work in a team with other analysts and consultants to obtain this information... running and managing surveys, speaking to ' industry experts', conducting mystery shopping, researching news articles and industry reports... then putting it all together to provide the client with a clear picture of what is happening in their space, and then giving some ideas on what they can do about it to improve their position.

However there is such a thing as having too much information that you don't know what to do with it. Or it might get lost in the sea of information that the company is swimming in.

This is also where we come in. We formulate tools and strategies to help clients harness their information to make it work for them.

So many customers... which one to target?

So many products... which one to sell?

So much information... which one to look at?

Etc.

It's pretty cool actually. And I generally do enjoy what I am doing most of the time. I'm grateful that I managed to stumble on this career because I can't imagine myself as a boring old bean counter (which was another career path I had seriously considered at one time).


If you want to know more, you can look up some of the terms mentioned on Wikipedia:

Market Intelligence
Management Consulting
Mystery Shopping


Other related terms you can also check out:

Market Research
Competitive Intelligence

Left brain or right brain?

Are you mainly left-brain or right-brain?

Here is a really cool and simple test to find out...

Check out the dancing woman out and see which way she is twirling.

If you see her turning clockwise you use mainly the right side of your brain, and vice versa if you mostly see it turning anti-clockwise.

Interestingly, I can see both clockwise as well as anti-clockwise, though I more easily and more often see her turning clockwise, which according to the article means... I tend use feelings, am ruled by my imagination, symbols and images, I can "get it", believes, appreciates, and have good spatial perception (though I can't understand why since I suck at reverse parking)... but I probably have a balance of left-brain thinking too.

>> So which are you?

Some results so far:

Sam: Clockwise

Paul: Anti-clockwise

Me: Both, but mostly clockwise

Hubby: Anti-clockwise (spent half an hour quizzing me how to see both ways)


"What about you??? "

General nonsense

Just to give you an idea of the sort of crazy people I work with… this is a weird idea shared by my colleague…

Do you know what teleportation is? Well, I have an idea for this amazing innovation.

At this stage, this innovation is not able to be brought to reality as we do not yet have the technology for it. But imagine the possibilities of what you could do with this once we have harnessed the power of teleportation

Just think, what IF we were all implanted with a teleportation device in our rectum?

(My reaction: "GROSSSSSS!!!")

Admittedly it sounds gross. But think of the possibilities… we will never have to visit the toilet again! It would change life as we know it!

I have to admit, it's an amazing idea.

So right now, he'll just have to wait for the technology to be advanced enough to develop this idea, patent and become a trillionnaire.

Yes, I work with weird people.