You are unique. Just like everyone else.

I've been re-sharpening my skills in integrated marketing, over the past 2 weeks i've consumed more information than your average university geek. i now have THE plan to launch a full scale awarness campaign for the brand i'm managing all over Europa. I'd love to divulge some of this, but hey, some of my secrets will remain my secrets...

One thing though, it is a sorrowful thing that almost every part of our lives are capitalised through and through. Everything has been done, every path has been tread. Every thought and idea that you conceive, you can be sure that somewhere, some marketeer has done some planning to make sure that he makes money out of what you want to do.

Love to travel? You've got STA, thousands of airlines, youth hostels and adventure tour agencies hot on your heels. Love to party? You've got pubs, beers, wines and clubs devising some "fun" thing to part you with your money. Love extreme sports? You've got snowboard distributors, clothing and equipment manufacturers trying to convince you that their product offers the best in quality and protection. Wanna be an anti-capitalist? You've got white label brands that are merely a branch of a mainstream brand that is marketing to you without you even knowing it.

Privacy is a thing of the past. You mentality is being deconstructed by someone, somewhere all the time.

Honesty is a relic of a time long past. Presentation and packaging is the now. Don't believe me? Look at your girl/boyfriend, see how well he/she has sold him/herself to you...

The person that i'm not, is the person that I am.

Wheee!!!

Snowing heaps again! I've been skiing my way to the office! heheheh...snow and ice everywhere and everything's white!! damn, where's the camera when you need one?

There's no such band as The Monkees!! They don't exist!!

Heavy snow showers are reported all over England, especially Essex where I live! We've got about 8cm of snowfall last night! Which is all well and good, except for the fact that it's an arse to try to walk to work in the slushy snow/ice mix. The squirrels don't seem to mind it though... heheheheh....

There's a snow boarding event in Austria in March that some of you guys would be so jealous if i told you i was going. It's a music gig cum snowboarding freestyle competition/display for a week! I may want to visit it for the week end, it's only about $200 from where I am...now if i could just get my hands on a snowboard set... check it out, it's at: www.snowbomb.com or www.snowbombing.com

And then there's the U2 Europe tour! I'm thinking of either Manchester or Brussels, although Brussels would be a better idea cause i can stay with my cousin for a bit.

Other than all that, the week has been pretty good. Getting settled down at work, learning as much as I can about the products and trying to pull together an aggressive marketing plan that's poised to take Europe by storm. If i can pull that off...heh,heh... my name WILL go down in history!

But for now, I gotta deal with this hunger developing in the darkest recesses of my stomach.

Cheers.

Sneaking a note from work.

I get my own laptop! No more dodgy computers at the library with dubious people, i get internet services at the comfort of my desk!

I got sick last night, a mild fever, and i've got myself to blame. I haven't been wearing proper clothes since i've started work, and i haven't come to acknowledge the fact that you cannot wear just a shirt and tie and a jacket, i got frozen to death while waiting over 20 mins at the station for the trains. It's not just a little cold... it's bloody painful! I feel a lot better today after a good sleep and Panadols.

Alright, really shouldn't be here any longer, gotta get back to work!

YESS!!!! I GOT THE JOB!!!!

I've finally got myself into that MarComm role in the ink product company!! Why am i so excited? Well, let's see :

1.) I get to build a relationship with all (well, most of) the media houses in England, thus creating oppertunities for myself in future media positions.

2.) I get to write/publish articles and press releases on a regular basis, thus building a portfolio for my future career in professional journalism.

3.) If i can get good promotional publicity for this company here and in the Far East, I will have got a powerful model to show in my C.V.

4.) I could get a work permit for another 2 years, thus leading to a Resident visa!

yes! yes! yes! yes! yes!

So the journey to work may be a little far (Woodford > Stratford > Barking > National Rail, Westham > National Rail, Rainham = 1 1/2 hrs), but it'll be well worth it, furthermore, if (i dare) drive my car, it's only a half hour away.

So far everything has been falling into place, as according to my game-plan. And.... je suis apprendre parlez le Francais !!! Yes! I'm also taking a course in French! Comment cava? ...tres bien!

Until then....au revoir messiures-dames!!

Chinese New Year : 0900hrs, Leytonstone Library

So this is the Lunar New Year eh? It sure don't feel like it, i've only seen one advertisment in the tube stations announcing that there's gonna be an event at Leicester Square, but apart from that, nothing! At least i got a phone call from Dad at 3am this morning telling me that everyone has come over to visit. Yeah, that's right. Have fun when i'm not around. Bleah. Looks like no red packets for me! You guys back home may feel free to transact the money directly into my account! I can do a virtual "pai nian" via the internet! heheheheheh....

We had a barbeque a couple of nights ago. Guess we must be the only freaks having a barbeque right in the middle of winter! It was so cold we needed two fires going, one for the food, and the other for the heat! We had to raid the whole neighbourhood for discarded pieces of furniture to burn... and i made a pretty mean steak! Not me really, it was my housemate, Mr. Pieter Vieres who did most of the cooking...

I've applied for a role in Public Relations for an ink-refill company, i hope it'll pull through, for now, i've managed to impress them with my portfolio and communications plan for what i can do for them. I gotta keep my fingers crossed, with any luck, I should be hearing from them again at the end of the week.

Ah well, as the Cockneys would say : See ya later, alligator!

Winters. Cold. Brrr.

3 more days to the Lunar New Year!! Bah! Humbug! heh, heh.... guess i'll have to miss out on those little red packets of joy this year...sigh, no windfall for me i guess... and i'll miss out on that fab delicous reunion dinner too. I remembered that I was over at Hui's place last year for r. dinner round 2, i guess this year i'll just buy a packet of cheap mackerel and a cabbage and make myself a sad story of a Yu Sheng. I may pop by Leicester Square to check out the Chinese New Year celebrations here, but i'm sure that it'll be nothing like the ones back home.

Anyway, i've been thinking hard... i now have several options available to me after my visa for the U.K expires.

1.) Get a work permit to extend my stay (and thereafter becoming resident)
2.) Migrate to Belgium and becoming a member of the E.E.C (and live on in Britain)
3.) Move on to Canada
4.) Move on to the U.S of A
5.) Go back to Singapore and raise a family (jEaH....RIGHT!!)

Decisions, decisions....and i'm now on the hunt for the job that puts me in the line that i really desire to be in *whoops, better not let my boss hear bout this...heheheh....*

Edmund (Sim) just bought himself a car, i'm glad that my friends are doing well back home, it's like one of those things... you're here cold and wondering what the hell you're doing freezing your ass off in the Far West, while your friends are crafting careers and making big bucks. Ah well, to each his own. I'm not any worse off and i am having the time of my life... now the only thing that's missing is that elusive girlfriend that we all seek for...where could she be hiding? In the towering cities of England? Or in the green country side of Ireland....perhaps i'll find her fishing around the Lochs of Scotland... Or maybe, just maybe... she may be there in the Lion City after all...
*ahem* excuse me, Feb 14th is coming up, all that marketing happening out there is just driving me nuts....

anyway...till again...