I have never had anything printed using 3D printing before, so when Candlemize asked if I’d like to customize some candles with this technology, I had to say yes. I’ve only ever had boring candles on my birthday cakes so the thought of being able to decide what my cake candles should look like was nothing short of amazing. I knew it had to involve Hello Kitty (Candlemize made me 3 of those), Olaf (‘cos I’m crazy about Olaf these days), LINE Friends (‘cos my fans on facebook love LINE) and the words “Merry Christmas”.

And here’s what I got:

The candles are too pretty. There’s actually a Christmas tree candle hiding behind the words “Merry Christmas” – see if you can spot it! :D The cake is a Lychee Martini one from Pine Garden (S$29 for 500g).

As for the candles, prices start from S$4, depending on choice of design and number of letters in each word. So, contact Candlemize regarding all customization enquiries (contact details below).

Say Goodbye To Boring Candles Forever:

If you’re curious about the other designs customers have requested for, check out Candlemize’s facebook page here.

I felt the Kitty candles would look really good on cupcakes so I went and bought some:

Guys, this would be a really sweet addition to any birthday or Valentine’s Day celebration for your girlfriend or wife. Just one Kitty candle can transform a S$3 cupcake into one that is a dream for fans of Hello Kitty. And if you’re springing a surprise proposal on her, maybe “Marry Me?” candles too? The possibilities are endless!

Contact Candlemize now:

candlemize@gmail.com OR

via https://www.facebook.com/candlemize

~

{ Giveaway: 25 Dec 2014 – 30 Dec 2014 }

Candlemize has kindly agreed to sponsor customized candles for 3 of my readers and fans! So if you’d like to win some candles (you choose the design), just head over to my facebook page here.

Merry Christmas, Everybody! :D

It seems like Gushcloud is not going to sue Xiaxue, after Vincent Ha (CEO & Co-Founder of Gushcloud) posted the official response. If it’s not the Christmas season, when a statement like “Live and let live” would seem like a really pathetic meek response to what is a fierce and targeted attack on Gushcloud, what would Vincent and Co-Founder Althea do?

After all, Gushcloud’s initial response is that they were seeking legal advice after reading Xiaxue’s Gushcloud exposé. Has Xiaxue dealt such a fatal blow to the company that all Vincent can do is to wish us a Merry Christmas and that we should be “remembering what this season is about”? Seriously?

Vincent has noted in his official response blogpost that the point Xiaxue made about the “Alleged irregular financial reports” is “damaging”, has Gushcloud “run the risk of losing our influencers and partners”, and “create a loss of confidence in the company”.

So, Vincent thinks his blogpost will be able to undo all the damage done? If he thinks that’s the case, I suspect he is very much mistaken.

Also, he had no comments on @linlovesall’s ad-masking. Is this a silent admission of guilt on the company’s part?

But first… more thoughts on ad-masking…

~

{ Ad-Masking: Will You Do It? }

Now, S$300 seems like a very small sum of money when one’s integrity is concerned and one reader even left a comment on my blogpost to say that Yilin has been a “sellout”.

So I’m just wondering…

Yilin has about 4000+ followers on Instagram while Xiaxue has over 500,000. To be offered S$300 for an ad when you have only 4000+ followers is a lot of money. I have heard from an advertiser 2 months ago that LadyIronChef charges S$300 per Instagram post/ad and like Xiaxue, Brad (LadyIronChef) has over 500,000 followers.

So, assuming the tables are turned, and we set up a shell company and offer Xiaxue (or any other top blogger) 125 times what Yilin supposedly charged via Gushcloud (because Xiaxue has approximately 125 times more followers), that would be an Instagram ad fee of S$37,500.

Would Xiaxue/Brad/AnyOtherTopBlogger be willing to mask an ad and essentially do what Yilin did? Not for S$300, but for S$37,500?

I don’t know what their answer would be. I can only hazard a guess. What do you think?

By giving Yilin a disproportionately higher fee than what someone with 4000+ Instagram followers would be able to charge, I think Gushcloud might have inflated her fees, and there might also be a case against Xiaxue for entrapment.

Note: (1) There is no legal benchmark or guidelines regarding what a blogger can charge for any form of advertising, whether on a blog or on a social media platform. So inflating the fees of a blogger in your stable is not illegal. (2) Any discerning advertiser would compare ad rates between bloggers and find that paying S$300 for 4000+ followers (the post will probably get 200-300 eyeballs only) is too expensive. Setting up a shell company and offering above-market-rate fees for an Instagram ad while stressing certain not-too-ethical guidelines might seem like entrapment, no?

You decide.

~

{ What Should Advertisers & Influencers Do? }

As an advertiser with a limited budget, you should approach bloggers directly. Why? You are more likely to get what you pay for.

For instance, if you pay a company S$1000 for a blogger to put out an ad, but the company takes a huge cut so as to have a healthy balance sheet, accrue profits, pay for office renovations, etc, the blogger might end up with maybe, S$400?

So the blogger puts out an ad based on what he/she received, not what you think you should get for S$1000.

And like Xiaxue has proven in her blogpost, bloggers are willing to accept payment that is much lower than what these agencies care to charge. Eric Lim charged her S$100 while Gushcloud had wanted S$300. Asyiha charged her S$80 while Gushcloud had wanted S$500. As an advertiser, you save a lot of money if you approach bloggers directly. What does the agency really do? Send out an email to the blogger with YOUR guidelines. Can’t you send out that email yourself? Assuming it’ll save you S$420 or more?

As an influencer, protect yourself by always asking for payment upfront, whether from your agency or from an advertiser. A company that is here today can easily fold overnight. And who will then pay you for the advertorials you spent hours to craft? An advertiser can also start nitpicking about the post and refuse to pay you. So, always collect payment upfront.

Also, you’ll have to learn to say no to money at some point in your blogging journey. You’ll just have to get used to it.

On Christmas Eve, I received an email from someone asking if I help “personal trainers write articles as a form of marketing”. I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw that email. God help me if it’s another one of Xiaxue’s shell companies! LOL! But like what I usually do, I explain that I already have a sponsorship deal (I work out with Quantum Fitness trainers – I really do! And they are some of my best pals ever) so I have to pass this deal on to a fellow blogger I trust. And I did. *And no, said blogger pal will not give me any money. In fact, I can’t even remember him treating me to a meal ever.

~

Back to the issue of whether Gushcloud has a legal case against Xiaxue.

IF Vincent and Althea’s blogposts contain the truth, e.g. that they did not pay for YouTube views on Yan Kay Kay’s BOAT channel, YES, they definitely should go ahead with legal action.

In Singapore, it is almost EXPECTED that Gushcloud would take action against Xiaxue. Sure, there are people with their popcorn tubs waiting to watch a good showdown, but there are many more wondering if this company conducts its business in a legal, ethical and moral fashion.

In order to restore #faithingushcloud, the company’s CEO has to put his money where his mouth is, and publicly strive to restore its reputation after Singapore’s Blogging Queen tore it to shreds.

Even Xiaxue stated at the end of her blogpost that it might get her a letter from Gushcloud’s laywers. And if, surprise surprise, she doesn’t, the company might as well fold tomorrow.

If Gushcloud is innocent, it should definitely pursue legal action and send out a strong message that it will not tolerate disparaging remarks made against the company, its founders and any of its influencers, partners, affiliates, clients, etc.

But if its financial books will not stand up to close scrutiny, then better not lah.

*Update: My thoughts after reading the Gushcloud Group Whatsapp Chat Log HERE.

I definitely think it is way too soon for another Gushcloud Exposé but this drama is unfolding faster and better than anything MediaCorp has ever put together. This new blog is as lengthy as Xiaxue’s original post, includes (unflattering) pictures of the participants, and reminds me of Xiaxue’s style of blogging (helping readers quickly figure out who’s who, then delivering the punches mercilessly). But of course, we might never know who’d put together this blog. ;)

For some reason, Vincent (CEO and Co-Founder of Gushcloud) is missing from this really long group chat. He’d written in his official response blogpost that “I make mistakes like losing records, glancing over reports, not communicating often enough and perhaps doing the SMU jump awkwardly.” I don’t really care about his jumps but he doesn’t seem to be communicating very much with the rest of his team – and the influencers – involved in this saga. Did someone exclude him from the group chat? In any case…

{ “Why Are Bloggers So Bitchy?!” }

I found it shocking how many people were outraged that bloggers like Yan Kay Kay and Maggie Quek had less-than-pleasant things to say in the group chat.

Do blog readers think their favorite bloggers fart rainbows? Or spend half their time blogging, and the other half meditating?

No, seriously, what you see online is not what you’ll actually get when you have the opportunity to befriend any blogger. We choose the best bits of our lives to post online, so don’t ever assume that our lives are more perfect than yours or that bloggers don’t ever say things that they will eventually regret.

And well, it’s not just bloggers who have not-so-pleasant things to say either:

“25 Dec 6:20 PM: Yan Kaykay:

25 Dec 6:23 PM: Yan Kaykay: Cos she’s another ass kisser. She hated xx. She was the one who told me xx is 1.47m tall. Cos she measured against herself then went to measure that height.

25 Dec 6:24 PM: Jeneen Goh: What a two-face!

25 Dec 6:27 PM: Yan Kaykay: Pls block rozz from ever stepping in GC. The last time I saw her face there I was like, what?? She dare to come here and shoot? Shld be lynched.

25 Dec 6:27 PM: Yan Kaykay: So so so rude

25 Dec 6:33 PM: Eunice Annabel: Rozz dAMn kaypo. Have so many things to say about her but it’s Christmas so fuck it lol”

Hmm… I guess someone might become Xiaxue’s “ex-friend” too? I’m not too sure why Rozz made that comment on Xiaxue’s instagram post when everyone knows that everyone else is making screenshots of every little thing during this sensitive period.

{ Want To Be A Blogger? Learn To Handle Hate Comments }

It’s never easy to deal with “hate comments”. What is arguably worse than those are letters of demand from lawyers. I’ve been served one before. You can read about it here and here. Getting a “hate comment” might make you upset for a while, but being served a legal letter for the first time might make you lose sleep altogether. So, if you want to stay long enough in this blogging scene, know that you might face these at some point in time.

“23 Dec 8:47 PM – ‪Asyiha AMs‬: Idk how eunice deal w it alone before whe. She attack u

23 Dec 8:47 PM – ‪Asyiha AMs‬: I gt hate commentd i cnt tahan alf

23 Dec 8:47 PM – ‪Asyiha AMs‬: My heart break

23 Dec 8:50 PM – ‪Lydia Izzati‬: Just dont get affected w whatever she said. You know yourself better. So tell yourself that. I used to be affected back then but sooner it doesnt rlly affect anymore. Always rmbr you have your loved ones! 😘❤️ *hugs*

23 Dec 9:34 PM – ‪Yan Kaykay‬: Don’t listen to the haters la. You perfect also will have ppl hating.

23 Dec 9:34 PM – ‪Yan Kaykay‬: They don’t pay us, they don’t affect our lives in anyway”

You can choose to ‘Ban, Block, Delete’ and while you might think that people like Xiaxue would be immune to these comments, I don’t think anyone will ever get such immunity.

{ Blogger, YouTuber, IG-er, Influencer: They Are Not All The Same }

It upsets me when people who can’t blog are labelled as “bloggers”. If you can’t write an article to save your life, then call yourself something else. If you’re capable of producing good videos, you may call yourself a YouTuber. If you’re great with pictures for IG, yes, go ahead and call yourself an IG-er.

AND IF you have REAL influence, then call yourself an Influencer. A blogger like Xiaxue is a true influencer – when she promotes a product or service, people will actually go and purchase it. I know this for a fact, because I was once a 20+ year old who scrambled to go purchase the makeup products she was promoting on her blog.

If you don’t have real ‘influence’, then I guess you can call yourself a “Social Media Enthusiast”. At least no one can accuse you of lying.

“24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: I wna write long long post like ya’ll

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: I tried

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: But my english tak boleh

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: Give up

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: Lol

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Lydia Izzati‬: I also

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Lydia Izzati‬: Cannot make it

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: Hahahahahahahahahah

24 Dec 7:08 PM – Kife Wee: Mae don’t worry nobody worse than me

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Lydia Izzati‬: Later got malay word here and there

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Lydia Izzati‬: Hahahahaha

24 Dec 7:08 PM – Eunice Annabel: HAHAHAHAHHA Lydia

24 Dec 7:08 PM – Kife Wee: PHAHAHAHAAH

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Mae Tan‬: Hahahahahahahahahah fuck la

24 Dec 7:08 PM – ‪Asyiha AMs‬: Hahahahahahhahaa”

Bloggers and IGers and YouTubers each have a set of skills that they regularly (try to) hone to perfection. What’s yours?

  ~

There’s more to this. I’ve actually learnt so much more from this really VERY LONG Group Chat, such as:

• How To Blog So You Can’t Get Sued
• Social Media PR Crisis: Should You Engage A Lawyer?
• How To Respond To The Media During A Crisis

Stay tuned for Part Two.

Update: Read Part Two HERE.

[ Read Part One HERE ]

The Gushcloud influencers have used many unflattering choice words to describe Xiaxue, but I think there’s no one else in Singapore who deserves the title of “Blogging Queen” more than she does. How is it possible that she can put such a long and detailed blogpost together, destroy a company’s reputation so publicly and devastatingly, and not get served a letter from their lawyers? And how did the Gushcloud Group Whatsapp Chat Log become available for public consumption so quickly, just as the Gushcloud team was celebrating their “victory”?

It guess it all boils down to one word: finesse.

There is much to learn from her and from the insights revealed through the Chat Log.

{ How To Blog So You Can’t Get Sued }

Perhaps it’s due to us learning from our leaders. Perhaps it’s because lawyers’ fees have become cheap.

But companies are usually quick to threaten to sue. I’ve been served a lawyer’s letter from Data Register, apparently for using the term “fake entity” that originated from a Straits Times journalist. Even my former employer threatened to sue me for reporting to the CPF Board that they had been deducting the employer CPF contributions from my salary.

How did Xiaxue get away unscathed, after that audacious Gushcloud Exposé?

“26 Dec 2:49 PM: Seth Lui: Its not libel if she has ‘evidence’ to support her, even if the evidence has its limitations

26 Dec 2:49 PM: Seth Lui: If gc sues honestly very low chance to win

26 Dec 2:49 PM: Yan KayKay: The prob, as explained to me by Althea, is that there is no hard case. She has lawyers read and reread that post before she published. She insinuated but didn’t say GC DID do this and that. So even if we bring her to court, there’s no hard case. Meaning we spend this money for nothing.

26 Dec 2:50 PM: Seth Lui: Yea waste money only la in the end

26 Dec 2:50 PM: Chermaine Lim: So the max only show she is a dAMn lousy detective la?

26 Dec 2:50 PM: Seth Lui: Sorta

26 Dec 2:50 PM: Yan KayKay: Xx: see this evidence shows that xxx
But we need her to say: Gc did xxx
Then we have a case.

26 Dec 2:50 PM: Chermaine Lim: So dAMaging

26 Dec 2:50 PM: Seth Lui: Yea unless she said ‘gc is a cheat’ then got case

26 Dec 2:51 PM: Chermaine Lim: Yet can’t incriminate her

26 Dec 2:51 PM: Seth Lui: Everything is like letting audience draw conclusion

26 Dec 2:51 PM: Jamie Tan: Yeah I didn’t think she’d have published it before she had her lawyer friend read through it. Eekan or something right, her nAMe?

26 Dec 2:52 PM: Seth Lui: Even the althea bait, she didnt bite

26 Dec 2:52 PM: Seth Lui: Someone smart working with her”

I’m not sure if Xiaxue has “someone smart working with her”, but I do think she is terribly smart, Seth. And please lah, that “althea bait” probably gave her a few good laughs, that’s all. Stop amusing her already.

{ To Engage Or Not To Engage A Lawyer? }

I don’t know if the lawyers are worth what they were paid. That “Merry Christmas” post was just mind-boggling. Perhaps Gushcloud could have consulted a social media / PR expert too and put together a more convincing piece for netizens.

“24 Dec 5:25 PM – Althea Lim (Gushcloud): I just wanted to say our lawyers were expensive haha but Merry Christmas everyone. I hope we sleep well in peace tonight.”

{ Handling The Media: Expert Tips From Yan Kay Kay }

“23 Dec 3:42 PM – ‪Yan Kaykay‬: Tnp contacted me alr. If they call any of you, say you can’t talk and to email you. Forward your answers to althea before you reply them.

23 Dec 3:42 PM – ‪Yan Kaykay‬: Do NOT talk over the phone

23 Dec 3:43 PM – ‪Yan Kaykay‬: They will misquote and use against you. Get everything in black and white”

I’ve blogged about this before. When speaking to the media, and in particular to certain publications, you need to exercise extreme caution. And yes, ensure the conversation leaves a paper trail, whether it’s an email or SMS thread. In the event that you are misquoted, you can submit evidence to prove your innocence and maybe, demand for an apology from the journalist and publication.

{ Who’s The Snake? }

Eric must be a genius. How did he know there would be a “snake”? Ok well, actually he didn’t. So, who’s the snitch? :D Will the person be “lynched” when discovered?

“25 Dec 11:25 PM: Yan KayKay: We just chat here ah. Don’t post publicly.

25 Dec 11:26 PM: Kife Wee: YA of cos! Later kena bash like hell LOLOL

25 Dec 11:26 PM: Yan KayKay: Feels good to troll even if it’s just AMong ourselves

25 Dec 11:27 PM: Eric Lim: Hopefully there’s no snake inside here ☺️”

Oops!

{ Most Touching Statement Of The Year }

“23 Dec 7:57 PM – Althea Lim (Gushcloud): Hey guys I promise everyone that I will protect you guys. And my company.

23 Dec 7:58 PM – Althea Lim (Gushcloud): We will not be bullied anymore ok?

23 Dec 7:58 PM – Althea Lim (Gushcloud): #nofear

23 Dec 7:58 PM – ‪Maggie Quek‬: ❤trust you”

(The original post can be accessed here: Shuyin’s Dayre post)

Shuyin is Xiaxue’s best friend, so what she writes in this Dayre post of hers helps to shed some light on the influencers involved in the Gushcloud Exposé. Tell me what you think of Xiaxue and Kay Kay after reading this. ;)

~

This post has been sitting as a draft for a few days. It was intended for a certain Miss Yan in regards to the blog entry of her response towards the GC exposé.

Once again, she brought up her demised friendship and used it played victim. I’ve been wanting to say these for the longest time. But I’ve always felt it’s between them and it might put @xiaxue in a difficult position if things were to take a bad turn. So I just kept my support to my best friend offline.

But it all changed when the whatsapp chat of the GC people got leaked. Inside it was a part which involved a very private past affair of mine (albeit inaccurate), something which I would do anything to have it erased from my life. Sadly, it was being twisted and used by Kaykay to put CYY in a bad light.

To be honest, I was so upset when I saw it that couldn’t even bring myself to talk to CYY. I’m a very proud person and she knows it. I was shocked that she went to tell someone else about it.

I calmed down later and read YY’s explanation to why she told Kaykay. We are ok now.

I wasn’t upset that she shared with someone about my embarrassing episode. I was upset at WHO she chose to share it with.
But it will be unfair to fault her for that. She regarded her as a friend then, a very close one in fact. And she thought that that friend would understand the importance of it that it is not just another piece of gossip to blabber about.

Anyway, here’s the letter.
I was going to email her. But looking at her IG activity, she seemed rather unashamed. Don’t think she will bother about my letter anyway. So I’ve decided to post it here in an attempt to clear my best friend’s and husband’s name.

Pardon the tone. I was mad. Still am.
I don’t lose my temper easily, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have one.

*****

Kaykay,

So you were furious, hurt and hateful, therefore you were bitchy. Are those going to be your excuses for your malicious lies too? Because I’m not sure they will hold up quite as well.

Was dishing out on her so satisfying or do you love the attention you are getting because you once knew her personally so much, that you had to spin off this little secret she CONFIDED in you so that you’ll score more brownie points with the people hating on her in that chatgroup?

“Trust me she is NOT sorry. When her best friend was cheated on, she used it as a point of gossip to me,” You said.

Did you choose to say this “privately” because you didn’t want to hurt anyone or because no one will be able to call you out as a LIAR?

Nice try Kaykay, in trying to put her in this unfavorable light. They can all believe you but I, aka the best friend , will never ever believe she did that.

You know why? Because ZC didn’t, and would never cheat on me.
Surprise!
We had problems and she probably told you it involved a girl. Maybe that’s why you thought it was cheating. I dunno what kinda relationships you have been into (Wait, maybe I do), but not all r/s problems involving another girl meant cheating. She knew that. So she couldn’t have told you I was being cheated on.

ZC has to be one of the most upright and kind person I know. Ask anybody who knows him and I’m sure they will vouch for his character. He has decided that teaching is his calling and is devoting the rest of his life educating and caring for our next generation. Everyday he tries to be the best teacher he can be to his students, in knowledge, in character and in life.

That very night when I text you to ask if you needed me to get you, he was with me. Who do you think is going up against your violent ex if a fight were to break out? ZC didn’t even know you then.

Yan Kaykay, what has a nice person like him done to you to have his character tainted when you spew your mouth insinuating that he has flawed moral values in a ‘private’ chat made up of 58 other people who you obviously didn’t know very well??

Did it ever occur to you that someone in that chat could be a family or friend to one of his students?

My relationship was on the rocks alright and I had to leave SG in the midst of it. For 2 months I was alone in Cambodia working when I wanted so much to be back here fighting for it. I was miserable. I started work at 7am. She’s not a morning person, but almost everyday she was online in the mornings to accompany me while I work.

Some days I got so upset I called her in the middle of the night crying. I was angry, I was tired, I was hurt but I had to fight. She had never seen me like that and she was worried sick. She even contacted ZC privately to try to help.

I know her and I know what we have between us. There is NO WAY she would have used it as a gossip point.

Kaykay, you were her friend. She told me she was so affected and concerned and helpless about how else she could helped me, so she confided in you.

I believe her.

She TRUSTED you. And you spun a LIE out of it and used this against her. You made her sound like she ditches her friends for a moment of glee when what she did was confide in a friend whom she thought could be trusted.

You can argue definition of cheating, but no way this is a gossip to her.

You lied and you call this merely bitching?

I don’t know what she did to have the site owner removed the part of the chat before it went viral but for sure it was to protect me and ZC. She is very protective of her friends and family like that so through the years I’ve told myself to try to steer clear of her online affairs hoping that this will allow no one to have the opportunity to use me to affect her. Never liked conflicts anyway. But now, I guess there’s no point keeping quiet anymore.

Sorry, but you no longer have this as a leverage against her. I don’t care if it was 1 or 59 in that chat, you insulted my husband’s integrity and you maligned my best friend and you involved Dash.

Now it’s my turn.

When you got sponsored at Dollhouse Pets, got a LIVE pet and other product/services, you didn’t mention you were sponsored.

When you got Slimcouture, you posted photos which you edited away the cupping marks.

These are the things that got her riled up. If it was anyone else in her radar who did the same thing, she would have called the person(s) out too. It wasn’t personal.

It is 对事不对人. It was then, and it still is now. You were picked because you were the only youtuber, you were, one of the oldest and high-profiled ones, and most importantly, you were one of those with stats that looked like they are worth checking out.

I have the same question too, you know? WHY is it always you?

Why is it not anybody else who gets caught in these questionable situations? Even with this chat leaked, why is it that it’s you who is getting the brunt of it but not the other people who were also singled out in the exposé? Was it because you were the one who spoke the most or was it because you were the one caught saying the more horrible stuff compared to the rest?

Of all the times you got called out for what you did, you lashed on her on being personal. And yet time to time again you played victim and used your past friendship with her to gain sympathy. You called her a bully. Who is the one being personal, exactly?

You said she was unhappy about you starting your blog because blogging is ‘HER’ industry. This makes her sound like some jealous territorial bitch, but is she?

For the past decade, I’ve seen her made many blogger friends and she is nothing but generous. With her status in the industry, she often receive the best dibs first and she doesn’t keep it to herself. She shares nice products/services with them, introduce nice clients to nice bloggers and vice versa. Sometimes when she receives advertising/endorsement queries and find herself not suitable, she refers the clients to other bloggers who she thinks is a better fit for them.

Pardon me for pointing this out flatly. Some of these bloggers are more popular than you are. If she is so wary about competition, why didn’t she shut them out too and also try to ‘destroy’ them? Look at Qiu, her blog stats are almost overtaking Yanyan but she still hooked Qiu up with her baby & pregnancy sponsors. If she is such a jealous person you made her out to be, would she do that? Shouldn’t she be paranoid that she’s going to lose all the products for her own son?

I often wonder, was there ever a point in time when you were relishing about how well you think you were doing in the industry, did it ever occur to you that you probably wouldn’t be where you are now if not for her?

She got your name out into online world when you appeared in her blog. She CREATED your twitter account and got her followers to follow you. She got you your reality TV break on Channel 5.

You would never had gotten CvD if she hadn’t introduce you to G and where did you think your initial viewers of your current show came from? I wonder if you would still get your teatox ambassadorship if she didn’t reject it. (She doesn’t want to endorse slimming products.)

You had a headstart and so many opportunities in the industry when you didn’t do much except for being her friend.

No Kaykay, G didn’t ‘spot’ you from her blog. She spoke good things about you to G and encouraged her to engage you for S-factor and CvD.
I remember one time we were at a party and a popular music producer she knew was present and while they were chatting she just smoothly added in that you sing nice and asked him to consider signing you.
If she doesn’t want you in the industry nor you to do good, I have no idea why she would do all these for you.

She had once told me she was never upset about you being a blogger. What upsets her is that your online persona differed so much from the real life one and it is so annoyingly pompous and competitive, she couldn’t help disliking it because it was making her lose a friend who she liked very much.
I know she still mourns for the pre-blogging Kaykay at times but you really do just keep proving her right with your actions that getting out of that friendship is a right choice.

You said you wanna be good, you wanna be at peace, yet you used the personal information and secrets you gotten while you were friends to put down the person you said to have loved dearly, you chided her brother and you made fun of her baby boy and you dragged in my husband who had nothing to do with this.

When that chat got out, you said you’ve cleaned up your act on social media but it doesn’t mean you cannot be mean in private.

So your definition of being a good person is just to appear to be a good one online?

After you two fell out, whenever someone came telling her what you had been saying about her behind her back, she says, ‘It’s alright, I’m guilty of bitching about her too.’

She’s no angel, but she admits it. And at least she knows where to draw the line. Not to worry ‘cos she’s not like you, even after all these that had happened, she still wouldn’t tell me your deepest darkest secrets, they are still safe with her. She is loyal like that.

Can’t say the same about you.

Shuyin

~

[ The original post with 60 ‘signs’ can be accessed here. I’ve picked only the most relevant 26 for this post. ]

1. You think there’s nothing wrong with putting chili sauce on everything you eat.

2. You wait for instructions from people in authority before doing anything. Always.

3. You join queues without knowing or caring what the queue is for.

4. You can type an SMS on your phone as quickly as you would if you had a regular keyboard.

5. Your idea of a good night out consists of having dinner at a hawker centre, drinking beer, and then going to another hawker centre and eating again.

6. You’ve lost your ability to criticize people in higher positions than you, even if they’re wrong.

7. You would buy a $20 product you don’t need if it’s on sale for $10 just to save the money.

8. You think it’s okay to have only one meaningful choice on a ballot.

9. “Crossing the country” means taking the MRT to the end of the line.

10. You don’t just know what “kiasu” means, you have become it!

11. You would cross the entire country all day to find the places that make the perfect fried noodles, or roti prata, or ice kacang, or chili crab. And none of these places would be close to each other.

12. Most or all of these acronyms make sense to you: NUS; NTU; ERP; SDU; PAP; MRT; LKY; GCT; PRC; TIBS; SBS; SMS; JB; JBJ; AMK; AYE; PIE; ECP; ISD; ISA; 5 C’s; CPF; CHIJMES; SPG; CWO.

13. You use too many acronyms when you talk, or you create new ones.

14. You think that $100,000 is a reasonable price for a Toyota Corolla and $1,000,000 is a reasonable price for a bungalow, but $5 for a plate of fried noodles is a barbarous outrage.

15. You believe that not being able to get decent roti prata outside Singapore is enough to keep the best and the brightest people from leaving.

16. You see nothing unusual about an organization of trade unions spending more time owning and operating supermarkets, drugstores, amusement parks, and financial services outlets than planning the next strike.

17. You believe that a lack of land is enough justification for the government to do what it wants.

18. Durian and belachan no longer stink to you.

19. You’re not confused by a street naming system that locates streets like Clementi Road, Clementi Street, Clementi Crescent, Clementi Lane, Clementi Drive, Clementi Way, and Clementi Avenues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 all within walking distance of each other.

20. You get irritated if you don’t see a sign telling you how long your wait’s going to be for a bus, a train, or the expressway to take you where you want to go.

21. You’re certain that Holland Village is for hippie bohemian artist types and not overpaid yuppies.

22. When you cross the border into Malaysia, you automatically and deeply fear for your life and your wallet. Especially your wallet!!

23. You forgot what chewing gum tastes like.

24. You think chicken floss, corn, mayonnaise, and tandoori spices are proper pizza toppings.

25. You accept that expressways here are cleaner than toilets rather than the other way around.

26. You understand everything on this list!!

Click below to share this with your friends!

(Photo credit: Max Clyne)

It’s New Year’s Eve!!! :D Will you be heading to Marina Bay for the Countdown? Here’s what you can look out for, and some things to note:

1) Video Projections on the facade of The Fullerton Hotel and the Merlion. Look out for images from the past and the present, such as the kampongs, samsui women, MRT, etc. The final showcase is at 11.55pm, followed by a countdown showcase to midnight, culminating in a special 8-minute fireworks display. Tune in to 92.4FM to listen to the accompanying music while watching the display.

2) 5 Buildings with Themed Lighting: Catch the lightup (5 mins) every half hour from 8pm to 11.30pm – Ocean Financial Centre, OCBC Centre, Maybank Tower, One Raffles Place, Millenia Tower.

3) Plan Your Route: Note the road closures and plan your route beforehand!

4) Stay Safe: The police will be conducting random bag checks. Still, the onus is on you to keep your belongings safe – don’t leave them unattended.

For more information: http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg/

Happy New Year, folks! :D I’ve just put together the blogging workshop schedule for 2015:

What my Oct 2013 batch of students managed to accomplish in 2014:

To read more testimonials, click here.

I paid S$29 to attend a class to learn how to make almond cookies, durian cookies and pineapple tarts. I didn’t quite care about the cookies as I was there mainly for the pineapple tarts, but my goodness, these almond cookies are absolutely delicious – the best I have ever eaten! I would even say they are worth getting fat for.

And they are super easy to prepare – just a total of 8 simple ingredients!

Ingredients:

300g Almond Powder

200g Flour

120g Icing Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

200ml (or less) Oil *Any kind: sunflower, olive, etc

1 egg yolk (for glazing)

Almond flakes (crushed)

Instructions:

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients together. You can add in some butter if you’d like (optional). Mix well then slowly add in the oil. You don’t have to use up all 200ml of oil if the dough can be kneaded and shaped into a “ball” already.

2.  Roll the dough out into small balls. Weigh them if you want all of the cookies to be of a consistent size. Ensure they are not too big so they will be cooked well.

3. Brush on some egg yolk, and add the crushed almond flakes on top.

4. Bake for 20 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius in a preheated oven.

5. Enjoy your amazingly delicious almond cookies :D This recipe yielded over 40 almond cookies.

~

2015 Schedule Out Now:

I don’t usually eat at McDonald’s. In fact, I think I have not eaten at McD within the last 6 months, at least. But the LINE plushies in their new collection are too cute. I found two of them irresistible. This one you see above is the first to be launched – Cony. The next one I would like to get is Brown in week 3.

 If you cannot be bothered to queue, but want the full set of plushies (minus the Valentines Day set), get it all for S$70 (inclusive of delivery) online: https://onlinestore.mcdonalds.com.sg/

You can order a maximum of 3 SETS per online transaction, and a maximum of 4 plushies per transaction at the McD restaurants.

A new design will be made available every Monday at 11am for five weeks starting from TODAY, 5th Jan 2015.

On 9th February, a Forever Love edition box set (S$19.80) consisting of two characters specially created for Valentine’s Day will be exclusively available in-store.

The plush collectibles are NOT available at:

• KK Hospital
• McCafe
• Dessert Kiosk
• Tampines Interchange Kiosk
• Self-ordering Kiosks
• Drive-Thrus
• McDelivery

~ McDonald’s vs The Other Fast Food Restaurants in Singapore ~

I don’t think McDonald’s serves the tastiest burgers in Singapore. In fact, I think Burger King’s or Carl’s Jr burgers are better. Also, McD does not, in my opinion, serve up the best french fries either. I prefer MOS Burger’s crinkle cut fries over McD’s shoestring ones any day.

But look at the numbers: McDonald’s now has over 120 restaurants in Singapore! (Figure from McDSG’s website)

What draws people to McDonald’s?

#1: The Various Promotions

There are toys for children (I think it’s the Madagascar penguins right now) and there are toys for adults, such as these LINE plushies and of course, the ever-popular Hello Kitty ones.

(And if I may add, the squabbles and fights that result over the long queues for the Hello Kitty plushies, and the ensuing media reports, all add to the hype over McD’s promotions. So if you manage to get your hands on one of those kitty plushies, you may feel like a victor.)

#2: The Insanely Happy Staff

The staff always have a cheery greeting ready, are taught to ask you if you’d like to upsize your meal (every single time), and for not-very-high wages, McDonald’s somehow manages to keep them very happy.

#3: New Items On The Menu Every Time

From new burgers with satay sauce to special coffee brews and “wholesome meals at 500 calories or less”, McDonald’s wants you to keep coming back for more – whether you are feeling peckish, lethargic or currently on a low-carb diet. #somethingforeveryone

And I just love the whole idea of a Happy Meal – you don’t just get food to fill your belly, you get to choose a toy that will put a smile on your face too.

I guess this is why, even while I’m in my late-20s and my version of ‘Happy Meals’ does NOT come with a FREE toy (it costs S$4.90), I’ll still gladly hand my money over. :D

Totally skipped the Monday blues yesterday. :D On top of mailing out yet another autographed copy of my book to a Malaysian buyer from Selangor, I received an email from someone in Penang asking if I conduct blogging workshops overseas, and a reader from Sabah writing in to tell me he bought my book from a Popular bookstore in Sabah! Amazing!

If you’d like to get an autographed copy of ‘Blogging For A Living’, simply drop me an email. :) I’m absorbing the postage charges for all book buyers from Malaysia. You’ll pay the same price of S$22. Get in touch with me via email (gracewwg AT gmail DOT com) and I’ll advise you on the payment procedure.

~

Last Sunday, I had a personal coaching session for Khan, whom I got to know via BNI. Here’s his handwritten testimonial after the session:

Khan is in his 60s but he is not my oldest student. That title is still Steven Lek’s! [Steven blogs at retiredowhat.com and was last year’s Top 10 Finalist (Individual) at the Singapore Blog Awards 2014!]

Coaching someone who is more than twice my age can be challenging at times but I love a good challenge. For adult learners above the age of 55, here are some tips:

1) Come prepared with a written list of questions, then tick them off one by one as you get them answered. Remember to take notes!

2) Ask, clarify, and don’t be shy about asking again.

3) If something is too confusing or too technical or just too hard to remember, ask if you can get a video of the instructor teaching. This is what I have volunteered to do for both Khan and Steven. I know it is very helpful for them. Most phones have video-recording capabilities so make full use of them!

There is no shame in learning something new from someone younger than you. After all, 活到老学到老.

 For all who prefer individual attention, instead of learning in a group in my blogging workshops, you may drop me a note here to arrange for a personal coaching session:

[contact-form]

~

And now, to answer YOUR question if you are wondering what gives me the RIGHT / AUTHORITY to conduct blogging workshops…

Just the truth and solid proof:

Simon received his award from Minister of State (MOE and MCI), Ms Sim Ann:

I am not a self-proclaimed best blogger in Asia Pacific, don’t have pineapple stickers on my car, and neither have I been in a tyre commercial. What matters to me is that what I know, I can teach, and also replicate that success for my students. If I can teach a 67 year old to blog, I’m quite sure I can teach you. If my students can win accolades at the Singapore Blog Awards (organized by SPH, and not awards given to us by companies we have 5% shares in), I think I’m pretty good at coaching.

If I am all talk and no action, you can say it’s all fluff and bullsh*t, but here I present to you only solid PROOF. :) Of course, if you are not into chasing awards and accolades, and just want to have fun blogging, that’s fine too, you’re welcome to join any of my workshops.

See you around! :)

Have you heard about Lowrys Farm pulling out of Singapore soon? Devastating news for its fans, yes, I know. But there is one consolation: a farewell sale with up to 50% discount storewide – simply purchase 5 items or more. I spotted their Farewell Sale notice on their facebook page yesterday and went to their outlet at Plaza Singapura and bought the 5 items in the picture above. Spent a total of just S$107.25 for 4 dresses and 1 top.

From Lowrys Farm Singapore’s facebook page, I have noticed that this 20%-30%-50% discount is not new. The company had such a sale in November 2014. I guess the pulling out of SG was already on the cards back then.

If you’d like to go pick up a good bargain, here are the addresses of Lowrys Farm outlets in Singapore:

・Isetan Orchard (Level1 Collect Point)
Tel. 6735 2182

・Bugis+ (#02-02/05)
Tel. 6884 5019

・Plaza Singapura (#01-58/60)
Tel. 6238 1304

・Vivo City (#02-191/192)
Tel. 6376 8100

・313@somerset (#03-22/25)
Tel. 6235 5469

・Jem (#01-47/50)
Tel. 6734 4597

・Suntec City (#01-375/377)
Tel. 6337 4588

・Tampines 1 (#01-52/54)
Tel. 6789 8465

~

Besides shopping at Lowrys Farm, I also went to Aeropostale because, well, there are many items now at 70% discount. Ha!

The shorts and slippers are at 70% off, while there’s 50% discount for the shawl. I spent a total of S$52.90 on these 3 items. :)

~

Is it REALLY that tough for retail businesses to survive in Singapore? Apparently, yes.

1) PRICE

For one, I don’t think many will want to shell out S$29.90 for a pair of flip flops. If it’s S$9, it’s still acceptable. And S$79.90 for a pair of shorts is definitely eyebrow-raising. A similar pair will probably cost about S$30 at stores like Cotton On.

It’s the same at Lowrys Farm, where a pair of shoes can cost S$100 or more.

There are too many blogshops and online fashion stores in Singapore, so I don’t think their target customers will be willing to shell out more money for something similar to what they can find online at lower prices.

2) MANPOWER

It’s not easy to find good staff for retail and even for F&B businesses in Singapore. Retail hours are usually long, and if it’s a slow day, staff just stand around staring into space, and getting bored – not a lot of fun at all.

I definitely prefer shopping online, because there are no pesky salespeople to follow me around the (deserted) store, all the information I need is on the site (and I don’t have to try getting the attention of zoned-out staff), and there’s absolutely no need to queue.

3) RENT 

Rent, which keeps increasing, is a killer. Enough said. And there are some malls in Singapore that businesses just have to avoid (even along Orchard Road).

~

[Image from comchest.org.sg]

Are you a fan of shopping online at Qoo10? You can now shop for yourself, and for the less fortunate too! In support of SG Care & Share Day, Community Chest is organising a Fú Dài (Mandarin for ‘Fortune Bag’) giveaway to beneficiaries of 14 local social service programmes.

From now till 19 January 2015, you can purchase a Fú Dài on Qoo10 for $50 via the listing (http://list.qoo10.sg/g/422146484) – 100% of the monetary proceeds will go to the Community Chest and the Fortune Bags will be delivered to a person in need (elderly, family in difficulty, etc).

Hurry! Less than 2 weeks left!

The Fú Dài contains festive items and daily necessities such as canned food and 3-in-1 drinks sponsored by Community Chest’s partners. The 14 charities to receive the Fú Dài are:

1. AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens
2. AWWA READYCARE Centre
3. Bright Hill Evergreen Home
4. Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home**
5. Darul Ihsan Orphanage**
6. Dorcas Home Care Service (Presbyterian Community Services)
7. Kampong Kapor Family Service Centre
8. Lions Befrienders
9. PERTAPIS Senior Citizens Fellowship Home
10. SAMH Bukit Gombak Group Homes
11. Singapore Cheshire Home Residential Care
12. The Salvation Army (Grace Haven)**
13. Thye Hua Kwan Home Help Service West
14. TOUCH Ubi Hostel

** Community Chest supports this programme through volunteerism and not through funding.

How about spreading some festive cheer to those who don’t have as much as you do? Share the joy with those in need by buying a Fú Dài via this link: http://list.qoo10.sg/g/422146484

I usually ignore press releases because (1) in no way do they benefit me, and (2) my blog is not a public noticeboard – I do not copy and paste press releases onto this blog, so such emails always go into the trash. But this one from Gillette was simply mind-boggling. “Use Your And”?! Simi?!

I definitely think the campaign could have been named a different way, and given a hashtag that is easier to understand instantly. But if you watch the video, like I did, then you’ll finally understand what this campaign is about.

The Gillette Venus #UseYourAnd video:

Having said that, I still don’t see any link between this campaign and Gillette. And at the end of the video, it states “great legs”. Am I supposed to complete the sentence with “and…”?

*Anyway, what qualifies as “great legs”? Hairless legs?

The first two-thirds of the video are inspiring and all but the final third just (pathetically) tries to link it back to Gillette. Ha! I like that line “You are polished nails and a polished mind” (sounds good) but I won’t buy Gillette’s products anyway. [Daiso sells 3 for S$2 shavers *ahem*]

The comments left on this video are very interesting:

Gillette Venus, I think this video is good (at least the first two-thirds) AND I think you can do better next time! :P

I was not paid to go on these ‘sushi dates’ but I’m really thankful that Blogging has allowed me to have these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. To the people who wonder why I quit my S$114,000 job to become a blogger, I have to ask why not? :D

There has been quite a bit of sushi-making lately. A fair amount of salmon sashimi involved too. So, in short, life’s been good! :D Not too long ago, I flew to Indonesia to learn how to make sushi from an Indonesian chef (read that blogpost here) and today, I made Panda Maki at Maki-San, upon FoodPanda’s invitation. Do you like sushi too? Well then, read on…

Here’s the video of me making sushi and winning the friendly competition previously… in Jakarta:

And today, I was at Maki-San at The Cathay, with my blogging students (Steven and Kirbie), and a number of other bloggers as well.

*Sidenote: I find it disgusting how some bloggers are perpetually late for ALL events. If you are gonna be late, and miss the chef’s demo, then you might as well not turn up, ya? And showing up late and having the PR folks scramble to find you a seat, and causing inconvenience to other bloggers who turned up on time because they have to make some space for you at their tables when they have already started making their panda maki? What a nuisance!

~

Anyway, it’s really difficult to make the panda maki look good. Mine looked almost decent:

But what I loved most has to be going behind the counter at Maki-San and personally customizing my own maki roll. Cue lots and lots of salmon sashimi:

I picked unagi, salmon sashimi, cheese, tuna, tamago and asparagus. Topped it off with Japanese mayo sauce. Probably the best sushi I’ll eat in 2015. :D

Maki-San has a machine which dispenses the rice laid out neat and flat, IN SECONDS! Just slap on the seaweed and you are ready to add the other ingredients. And when you’ve rolled it all up, there is another machine which cuts the maki roll neatly and efficiently. Two thumbs up for the use of technology at Maki-San. I have to say that those machines are worth every pretty penny (or twenty thousand) paid.

~

I most certainly had fun today, though I very nearly didn’t turn up for this event. I got so many emails and one phone call regarding RSVP-ing for this event that I was wondering if the turnout was going to be poor, so the PR had to ensure every single blogger showed up. In any case, I had invited my blogging students to join me for this event so I had to go, despite not liking the need to rsvp MULTIPLE times. Registration did not happen at the stated time (in the email) and the event itself did not start on time either. So… ask us to come so early for what?! 

*ahem*

I had my students join me as firstly, I thought they might enjoy this maki-making experience, and two, because I know that newbie bloggers don’t often get the attention of PR agencies and don’t get the invites that more established bloggers receive.

So I’m doing for them what I wish I had in the past, when I had just started out on my blogging journey.

Same reason why I wrote my book ‘Blogging For A Living’ and why I conduct Blogging Workshops. These are all what I WISH I had back then.

To join me at my next blogging workshop, click here:

*Update: From 1st to 31st March 2015, order from these participating restaurants (Maki-san, Fleeaway cafe, Big Bern’s, The Soup Spoon, Nara Thai Cuisine, La Nonna, Outback Steakhouse and Yoshinoya) via Foodpanda’s website or app, and S$1 from every order will go to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Use code ‘MEALSHEAL15′ upon checkout. **Remember: this happens only in March, NOT this month. And S$1 is a small sum but… do your part for charity. ;)

Over the past two weeks, I had the privilege of coaching 2 beautiful bloggers – Natasha and Elin (aka Selfie Queen). Natasha is a mommy blogger who has been blogging for over 6 years – even longer than I have! Elin is a property agent with a fierce love for writing, meeting people and living life on the edge. Both of them signed up for personal coaching with me, and I have to say that yes, I enjoy personal coaching a bit more as it allows me to get to know each of my students a little bit better!

I love working with women because we have a unique set of issues with regard to blogging, and the way we learn, communicate and experience life is very different from the men. And of course, there are advantages to coaching men too. But first, here are 4 differences I’ve noticed regarding coaching men vs. coaching women:

1) Men like to tell you what they know while women like to tell you how they feel

Male bloggers or gentlemen who wish to learn how to blog are usually happy to share with me about the places they have been to, the number of languages they know, what they have accomplished in their careers, how they think blogging will help their businesses, etc.

My now-famous 67 year old student loves to tell the new people he meets that he worked for SIA previously. I don’t have female students who are as enthusiastic about sharing with new friends where they were previously employed in. Most of the ladies are more eager about sharing about family, especially about the little ones at home.

Women are also more inclined to share about how writing and blogging helps them de-stress, involve them in a community of fellow female bloggers, and how their frequency of posting blogposts is directly linked to their moods. And it is actually true; if I am in a good mood, I can write 5 blogposts in one sitting. If I am in a sour mood… ok, let’s not go there.

It is also true that women struggle with finding the right balance when blogging – “Should I tell my readers how I REALLY feel about today, or should I try to sound positive?” Men have never asked me how much I think they should share (or not share).

And I guess women end up deleting blogposts more often than men do. ;)

-> What to do if you blog based on your moods: Learn to schedule your blogposts. Write as much as you can when you’re in the zone, feeling inspired, and the creative juices are flowing. Then schedule the posts instead of uploading everything at one go. You can even keep some posts as drafts (and your backups) and upload them on days when you are just not inspired to write.

2) Older men are more likely to be punctual while pretty women are more likely to show up late

No, I’m not kidding.

I have noticed that the OLDER the coachee, the more punctual he/she will be. I show up for all my coaching sessions and blogging workshops early. And usually, the older gentlemen will reach around the same time that I do. So I always get myself to the venue at least 15 to 30 minutes ahead of time, especially when I know that I will be coaching someone twice my age.

The younger the female, and the prettier she is, the more likely it is that she will turn up late. It is a given. I once had a model show up for my workshop just in time for us to wrap up. Her excuses of waking up late and all just didn’t register in my brain as I looked at her well-made-up face and I knew she would have been punctual if she had used less makeup and cared about respecting me just a tad more.

Having said that, I do still give them their money’s worth with some extra time. Even if someone is being disrespectful of my time, I do take pride in my work, and cannot have people leave my class saying they learnt nothing.

I used to have one such pretty friend in my junior college days, who once said something along the lines of “Sorry, I’m late, but I’m always worth the wait, no?” Sorry, you’re not sorry. And neither am I that you are not worth the wait, really. We are no longer friends, thankfully. Phew.

My future students, please be punctual ok? Let’s respect each other’s time. :)

-> What to do if you have an issue with punctuality: Decide once and for all that if you are going to sign up for something, that you’ll be there on time. If it is not an event you are terribly interested in, then don’t sign up for it. Set out early, so that even traffic accidents and train breakdowns will not derail your plans to be on time. If you are habitually late, perhaps serve yourself a penalty e.g. buy everyone lunch or a round of drinks – something that will make you ‘feel the pinch’. If you work better with rewards, give yourself a treat (a macaron, your favorite magazine, etc) if you manage to show up on time, or even better, early!

3) Women care more about what other people think

Women care too much, and it sometimes stops them from blogging altogether. If they blog about a friend, and said friend reads the blogpost and is upset, the blogger might just stop blogging altogether, or put together blogposts that are just plain boring and unlikely to make anyone else upset, or interest anyone.

I don’t usually have this issue. I just don’t name the people I blog about. If they happen to identify themselves in my blogposts and are offended, then so be it.

-> What to do if you are constantly afraid of offending people: Understand that you cannot please everyone. And even people you are trying to please may not like you anyway. Live with it. Know what you are blogging for, and who you are blogging for. Don’t blog for the people who hate you no matter what you do, and just write about what you want to get off your chest. Simple as that. Of course, know which things are out-of-bounds e.g. secrets you are supposed to keep, overly sensitive stuff, don’t name-and-shame (if you can help it), and don’t write if there is a possibility of you getting into legal trouble because of your blogposts.

4) Women have to talk about their experiences first before getting down to business

When I coach women, the session usually goes ‘overtime’. Simply because we cannot get down to business till we have gotten certain things out of the way. For instance, a female blogger might need to tell me why EXACTLY she is having trouble uploading blogposts on a consistent basis – maybe even telling me her daily schedule. Some need to explain about how the horrid, horrid traffic (and rain, or accidents) caused them to be late. Some need to gush about how I seem to have achieved so much at a young age (and of course, I have to remind them that others have achieved a lot more at an even younger age).

With men, it is much more efficient. Just a quick introduction – what he does for work, and why he’s starting a blog. And BAM… we go straight into ‘workshop mode’.

Women need to FEEL like they can trust you, and that they like you, and that you ‘GET’ them, before they can dive into ‘learning mode’. (At least that’s my take on things)

And you need to be a really good listener… an emphatic one. Both men and women like to talk. Perhaps men like to brag a little more than most women do. But women have a greater need to feel like someone’s actually listening to them speak. Listening, not plain hearing the sounds coming out from their mouths. ;)

-> What to do if you have trouble getting into ‘learning mode’ quickly: Process those thoughts and feelings on the way to the workshop, NOT at the workshop. No matter what horrible stuff happened to you (bird poo-ed on your head, your car stalled in the middle of the expressway, your dress got caught in the escalator, etc), be present, confident and calm. You can tell everyone at home about the disasters that happened before class WHEN YOU GET HOME. Seize every minute to learn as much as you can. Suspend all negative thoughts about how horrid your day has been and just learn as much as you possibly can, because you paid for this session. ;)

~

Click on the image below to check out my blogging workshop schedule or email me at gracewwg AT gmail DOT com to arrange for a personal coaching session! :D

I really love the way Coca-Cola has so successfully linked the brand with the theme of Happiness. Remember the Coca-Cola Happiness Machine? :D I think the company has hit ‘marketing jackpot’ (if there’s such a thing) with this theme of Happiness. Even with serious issues like female empowerment, there’s still an undeniable link with Happiness. Especially in their 5by20 campaign. :)

And what is this 5by20 campaign all about?

I believe in female economic empowerment because the women usually make the buying decisions for the family, have control over the household’s purse strings, and in the Philippines, women run sari-sari stores and other small businesses.

Watch this short video clip and find out how Coca-Cola has helped female micro-entrepreneurs spread smiles:

Sari-sari grocery stores in the Philippines are what we would call ‘mama shops’ in Singapore and ‘mom-and-pop stores’ in other countries. Many of them are run by female entrepreneurs in the Philippines. However, these ladies often need help in even basic aspects such as understanding the need to keep track of customers who have taken items on credit.

The Coca-Cola STAR program teaches them, among other things, to appreciate the need for conducting a background investigation of clients before extending credit, how to organize merchandise and maintain store cleanliness, provide good customer service, ensure proper recording of credits, how to compute a good mark-up for products, track inventory, determine how much profit is made daily, etc.

After the 12-week training program by Coca-Cola and TESDA STAR, these female micro-entrepreneurs see profits doubling, or even increasing four-fold!

Watch this video to learn more:

In the video, there is also mention of loans that these graduates get. They are said to be able to pay off those loans successfully. :) What we do not get to see is how the families of these female entrepreneurs have benefited. But I suspect that they now have even more things to be happy about, because when you impact a female entrepreneur’s life in such a meaningful and uplifting way, you cannot help but impact the lives of her family members and friends too.

For more information, visit http://www.coca-cola.com.ph/en/5-by-20/

I missed the first MigUp in Singapore so I made sure I didn’t miss today’s, even though I’ll be traveling to Penang tomorrow and I haven’t quite gotten my luggage packed yet! XD Bloggers from Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines came by for a meetup organized by migme.com (hence it is called a MigUp).

If you’re signing up for an account on migme, add me at http://mig.me/u/thegracetan :D

We had the company of the good folks from Changi Recommends – I can’t say very much about Changi Recommends right now as I’ll only be getting my wifi device tomorrow at the airport for my holiday in Penang.

A group picture at Marina Mandarin. Spot me:

First stop: Gardens by the Bay

Juliana from Gardens by the Bay was an absolute darling. She was uber patient towards this group of bloggers who made her job as a guide very difficult as we tended to disperse in all directions to take photos of the Gardens, OOTD photos, etc.

Inside the Cloud Forest – my fear of heights always acts up a little here:

It was really nice to meet (in person, finally!) Valyn, a blogger from Penang. Been following her on instagram. And I have to say that I like Malaysian bloggers a lot. (But not if they have been staying in Singapore. This country changes them. LOL)

A ‘gong xi gong xi’ pose – a bit too early but whatever:

I’d say the Gardens look beautiful all year round. It’s just that it’s now really into the festive Lunar New Year mood, with fake giant firecrackers and all. I’ll probably only visit during TulipMania, unless I want CNY-type photos. And I’ll probably go in a cheongsam to match the decorations.

Next stop: MBS Skypark

57 storeys up, and still less scary than the Cloud Forest. LOL. We noted that the Infinity Pool was really packed with people though. It seemed more crowded than a public pool in the heartlands.

No swimwear, just windswept hair:

Final stop: Dinner at Carnivore

I have never been to Carnivore before this as I’m not exactly a meat lover. So, as you can see in the picture above, I was glad there’s a salad bar. LOL! I love the roast potatoes – the best carbs on that plate.

The servers came by with different cuts of meat, but I had only one favorite. It was tender, fatty, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. I think it was beef cheek but I can’t be sure now, after a food-induced coma. Didn’t get to try the chicken heart *gulp* and I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.

All in all, a day well spent in the company of nice bloggers. Special shoutout to the friendly bloggers I got to chat with a little: Rian (from Indonesia) and Anton (from the Philippines). Anton gave me his namecard, and I’m now checking out his website: http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/ (cool stuff!)

Off to bed now. And I really can’t wait for the next MigUp – wherever it’ll be. :D

*Want to join Migme as a blogger? Fill in your Mig ID and other social media stats in the Google Form here.

It’s my second day in Penang and I already am dreaming of staying put in Georgetown and not returning to Singapore. :D If you have been following me on Facebook, you’ll know that I had a blog coaching session here yesterday AND I also found my ‘Blogging For A Living’ books being sold in a Popular bookstore in Penang! :D

So… this might be my retirement town in future. LOL! And here’s what you should do when you come to Penang, and in particular, Georgetown:

1) Eat a lot of good food

My boyfriend and I have been here for approximately one-and-a-half days and this is not all of what we have eaten, just a portion. :D I really do love Penang’s assam laksa, hokkien mee, char kway teow, and basically, all their street food!

And the food here is unbelievably cheaper than in Singapore. Would you say no to a plate of yummy char kway teow that costs less than S$1.70? You just can’t.

2) Snap pictures of (or with) the street art

I definitely have more street art pictures to share with you… in my next blogpost.

The pink sling bag in the first picture is from Maku Store (20% off) at Bugis Junction #03-20. The T-rex tote bag is from Tee Saurus (www.tee-saurus.com) and so is the tee I am wearing! :D Shorts and flip flops from Aeropostale.

3) Forget about hotels and stay at Carnarvon House

I fell in love with this place from pictures online. Though the rooms don’t come with attached bathrooms, everything is so clean that I feel right at home here.

The first room we stayed in is called the Carnarvon room, and the second, Kimberley room. There’s cold air-conditioning inside and warm showers outside; I cannot ask for more.

The people who run Carnarvon House are also extremely friendly and very generous with recommendations of what to eat and where to go.

(More pictures in my upcoming blogpost)

4) Visit a wet market and the Clan Jetties

It is quite an experience, I tell you! You don’t usually see an array of fish on display right at your feet, ya? Look out for the bloated brown one in the second picture…

Besides seafood, you’ll find household items, vegetables, fruit, snacks, accessories, etc, all sold in the market! :)

I was initially reluctant to head to the Clan Jetties. But Eunice from Carnarvon House had recommended the jetties to us so we walked there from Carnarvon House. Probably a 12 or 15 minute walk. The Chew Jetty is more ‘happening’ than the Tan Jetty. Chew had more stalls selling souvenirs, etc. And I bought some for a giveaway (at the end of this blogpost).

The clan jetties were built by clansmen in the past and traditionally occupied by people of the same surname e.g. Ong Jetty, Lim Jetty, Lee Jetty, etc. You see?! I am destined to stay here at the Tan Jetty. Lol.

5) Buy my book at a Popular bookstore near you :D

6) Go shopping in the many malls; and share your loot with people at home

We obviously did some serious shopping. And I could continue replying to emails, whatsapp messages and also posting on Facebook while we were out because of the Global Wifi device I got from the Changi Recommends counter (available at all terminals in Changi Airport). Check out http://www.rentglobalwifi.com if you are like me and dislike having to purchase new SIM cards in your destination country and going through all the hassle of switching SIM cards.

With this wifi device, I just switch it on, then connect my handphone via wifi to have internet access. Super convenient. More about this device and current promotions in an upcoming post. It is late and I have to sleep now. ;)

But here’s a giveaway that will start on Tues (27 Jan) at 10am:

Just head to my facebook page (www.facebook.com/thegracetan) when the giveaway begins. :)

I received an invite from FLY Entertainment to attend this panel discussion held yesterday evening. Knowing Irene Ang is involved in this, I suspected that it would not disappoint. And I was right. It was an evening of fun and laughter.

Irene helped kick off the discussion by asking the panelists what SG50 meant to them.

Patricia Mok: Celebrating how Singapore has been independent for 50 years. It is now more expensive to stay here but still very safe.

Daniel Ang: A lot of heritage food is gone. Some hawker stalls are gone due to higher rentals, no successor to hand the business down to, etc. You will also get fewer likes if you Instagram char kway teow instead of waffles. :D

Kelvin Ang: When bringing kids to the playgrounds, one can’t help but lament the loss of those sand-filled playgrounds from the past. Now we have mainly those pre-fab and plastic ones.

Hayley Woo: Offers a platform for more work. But also celebrating our freedom / independence.

Tosh Zhang: Progress.

Pat Law: There is no one democracy that survives a hundred years. Cause for celebration?

Qn 2: How can you make a difference for the next 50 years?

Pat Law: We jump the gun a lot to rant and complain. Instead of complaining, use the time to do something useful for the country. Stop blaming the government. Easy to say “hey govt do something”. Walk the talk.

Irene: We take our peace for granted. Pretty girls can go home at 3am and still feel safe, right? ;)

Pat Law: Half my business is for profit (bread-and-butter). Two years ago, our tote bags sold out within 24 hrs. Next week onwards, once every month, we will be documenting LKY through the years. 10 tote bags will be launched every month, from the Aug 9 1965 crying scene onwards. Proceeds go to charity. Why this project? We didn’t get here overnight. They did what they had to do to get us to where we are now. We are the ultimate ‘startup’ country.

Tosh: (when asked what NS means to him) I didn’t understand why, at first, we had to give the best 2 years of our lives to the country. But after training and listening to our commanders, we now understand why NS is necessary. We have such a small nation and with no military, ppl will “F” with us. We need a military.

Hayley: (when asked how she can contribute to SG) 传宗接代 – having kids.

Kelvin: (when asked about cyberbullies) Involve kids in posting and teach them which are the right and wrong things to post. Don’t post immediately when you reach a place in case of stalkers. Post a bit later. When FB allows then kids can have accounts. Be flexible and adaptable for the next 50 years.

Daniel: (When asked why it is important to protect SG’s old school bakeries. Is food so important to us?) Food is a big part of our culture. We connect over food and discussions about food.

Irene: It is hard for F&B businesses to find workers and even harder to ensure good service (e.g. some who work in a bar even have the cheek to say they cannot work during the World Cup season). Be kinder as influencers; give these businesses another chance.

[Daniel went back to an unnamed restaurant 4 times in a bid to give their terrible service a second chance, or four. He urges us to not be too judgemental or give 0 stars in our reviews so quickly.]

Irene: If you have nothing good to say, then don’t say anything.

Patricia: Don’t complain till the point that the point is pointless. Be constructive e.g. if you feel the need to fight for similar benefits for singles (that married couples get).

Bobby Tonelli: How can we combat this rising trend of xenophobia?

Pat Law: Our unemployment rate is not as high as in some other countries and many locals are not keen on certain jobs. My dad sells oyster omelette and is paying $10 per hour yet still cannot find locals to work for him.

There was once when my Mini Cooper (a vintage one) was parked on a downward slope. Tried to reverse but the car still rolled forward towards the other car parked in front. Three foreigners (Caucasians) helped push my car back up. Just because someone is white doesn’t mean he is a bad person. Don’t attack. Just have a civil argument. Don’t be rude or racist.

Irene: It boils down to our sense of entitlement. We have to practise tolerance. Doesn’t mean Singaporeans are the best and foreigners are the worst!

~

Grace: It was definitely a thought-provoking session for me. :) If you were to ask me what SG50 means to me, I’ll say it is a time to think about what we can do for our country.

If you are a writer, perhaps a book on our history or a certain aspect of our culture?

If you are a parent, perhaps tell your children about how far we have come and teach them to remain humble, hardworking, resourceful and resilient?

If you are a blogger, perhaps a blogpost on SG50 and your thoughts to inspire your readers? ;)

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”