Getting Used to the Public

Technology can be scary. It has resulted in an incredibly fast dissemination of information that has resulted in the exponential growth of our channel and videos. Don't get me wrong, I am happy that our channel is growing fast and people are appreciating our work. It makes us feel good that our hard work has not gone to waste. 

The nature of our work requires us to put ourselves in front of the camera and on screen. I love acting because it allows me to be someone else. However, this passion comes with a price. As much as I love the appreciation and attention, I love my private life as much. This makes it really tough for me when I am off screen. 

I do love sharing my life with my friends and family as I had been doing for years before YouTube changed my life. But I don't like feeling exposed. 

I enjoy walking around in public, having my $1 pushcart ice cream; dressed in shorts, tank and slippers, laughing out loud with my friends, not having to worry that people are looking at me weird or pointing at me. 

In the beginning, I didn't like being recognised in public. I felt like I was not safe in public, that people are constantly watching me. They know who I was hanging out with, where I was eating or even where I lived. That really scared me. I was so not used to it. I wanted everyone to just go away. 

It's been almost 2 years since this YouTube work started for me and I have begun to get used to being recognised and approached in public. I won't say I like it but I don't detest it. I have accepted it as a part of my job. The boys have also taught me to see it from a different perspective; they come up to you because they really love and appreciate your work, be glad that they do. I do from the bottom of my heart but I am still trying to get used to having my life going public, give me some time. 

Currently, I am happy to have people come up to me to say hi. I am absolutely cool with that. I don't even mind if they ask for pictures and autographs. However there are times when I am taken aback by the way some people approach but that, deserves a post on its own. 

OSIM uDiva’s Mystery Man

I got invited by OSIM to attend the launch of their new chair, the uDiva!

The first thing that I did the moment I arrived at the launch was to sit on the chair. Yes, I’m a fan of massage chairs. I love getting pampered, well… who doesn’t right? You can even choose between the uDiva's signature Neck & Shoulder programme, and five others: Spa, Happy Hour, Lumbar, Stretch and Sleep.

I have tried other massage chairs but I got to say this has got to be my favorite by far. The chair is designed specially for the ladies (reason why it seems slightly smaller than the usual chairs) so the contours of the chair just enveloped me and oh boy, felt like I was in heaven.

Just look at me. I was so embarrassed because I fell asleep the moment the massage started.  >.<

While I was in heaven (getting my massage), they served me cocktails prepared by Mixes from Mars. Each drink was specially designed to match the different colors of the chairs (Gorgeous Pink, Stunning Black, Luscious Maroon, Elegant Beige and Enchanting Blue).

If you are into cocktails, do check out Mixes from Mars (www.mixesfrommars.sg). Mixes from Mars is a pioneer in the bespoke portable bar industry that started in early 2013. They offer a distinctive concept where each drink is personalized to the palate, mood and flavor preference of every guest. They currently have a pop-up bar called Mars Bar at 83 Duxton Road (Duxton Hotel). This isn’t the first time that I’ve tried their drinks and I got to say they never fail to impress me. AND I am a very picky drinker.

The drink I chose was so delicious! It even came with strawberry and ladyfinger cookies on the side. I wanted to try all of the different concoctions but being a light drinker, I will most likely KO.

We were made to guess who the endorser for the uDiva chair may be. Can you guess?

Hint: F4 Korean version.

If you still don’t know who it is after that hint, the explanation can only be that you were probably living in a well for the past 5 years.

Yes! It’s Lee Min Ho! Handsome? Yes, handsome.

I pretended to be his girlfriend and took a selfie while the rest were busy doing their manicure. I think we look pretty good as a couple. :D

Got my gelish manicure and paraffin treatment for hands for free as well. It’s the first time that I’m doing paraffin treatment for my hands, really interesting. Supposed to put my hands into the hot wax, thought it’ll be painful at first but the heat felt really relaxing. At the end of the treatment, I had baby skin on my hands. NO JOKE.

Chose blue to match my outfit for the next day’s shoot.

Random picture of us at the event.

Want to win a OSIM uSlender Slim belt massager worth $268? Just snap a picture with the standee at the OSIM outlets / roadshows, upload it on Instagram and tag #uDiva #OSIMSG and tell OSIM your favourite massage program. 1 lucky winner will win an OSIM uSlender Slim belt massager worth $268 every week from 11 Apr till 31 May (total 7 sets).

You can stalk the OSIM SG Facebook page to be updated, as 1 winner will be announced every Monday :D

For more information about the uDiva, you can check out:

http://uDiva.OSIM.com
or download the QR Code!

Thoughts on a Friday night

My best friend just broke up with her boyfriend today. They have been together for about a year and throughout this entire year, they've been arguing.

It's normal to argue, in fact I think it's healthy to argue in a relationship, IF both parties learn something about each other from the arguments. But the problem with most couples is that they are always arguing about the same thing because they never learn. Repeating the same mistake again and again.

He is temperamental and tends to take it out on her when he's stressed or upset. I'm sure he doesn't do it on purpose, it's tough to control your emotions. She's sensitive and emotional, taking his words to heart. She gets hurt, argument ensues.

She tries talking about the problems of the relationship, he gets upset. So she gives up talking about it and keeps them inside her till it explodes. Then he gets upset that she doesn't share and talk about the problems in the first place, causing unnecessary distress and arguments.

In the end, both got tired of arguing and just gave up on the relationship.

Listening to her made me realised just how familiar her problem sounded and it made me sad. A proud man with an emotional lady, sounds like a disaster in the making

It's tough being a woman. A part of you tells yourself that as a woman, you're the emotional support of your man. You have to be understanding and patient with him. When he gets impatient and frustrated at you, tell yourself that he's upset and stressed, he didn't mean to take it out on you.

At the same time, the strong independent woman in you tells you that you don't deserve this treatment. If a man can't treat you properly, he doesn't deserve you. He should separate work from his personal life, and not bring work problems home.

So where do you draw the line? Where do you find that balance? When is it considered being understanding and when is it inappropriate treatment?

It's so tough. It's not easy being the support.

My Art of War

I am a geek. 

Most of you probably don't know this, but during my free time, I read and watch documentaries on ancient and medieval history. Yes, things that most people find boring. 

Judge me if you want.

Many may think that history is, well, history. Long gone and redundant. They are just fancy stories that grandparents tell to keep their children entertained. Well, they definitely entertained me when I was a kid but now I have come to appreciate the beauty of history.

One thing that keeps popping out in history is the struggle for power. Constantly, people fought and blood was shed for the sake of power. No matter the religion, language and color of the people, it's the same thing that drove people to war. (Ok, the other thing is religion but I shall not venture into that.)

Power hungry, you may say but it is still very much applicable in today's society. We may not go into a physical war like they did in the past, but the concept of war is still more or less the same. Battlefields no longer takes place in some valley or field, they are held in the business world. Undeniably colder. 

So after reading and watching so many history documentaries, I have come to notice certain patterns to successful war campaigns. It may or may not be entirely applicable in today's world but hey, this is my version of the Art of War (I have yet to read Sun Tzu's version but I think I should >.< ):

1: Pick Your Battles Well

Many people get overzealous and think that they should be involved in every battle, that they should make their presence felt in every battle. I think this is either being KIASU or working hard but not working smart. Let the others fight their wars. Don't get involved unless there isn't a choice. Entering a battle requires a lot of effort and money so pick your battles well. Forget about the minor squabbles, look at the big picture. Sometimes it's easier to eliminate your enemy after they are weaken from their battles which leads to my second point...

2: Be Patient

One classic example of how patience can help in winning a battle without much bloodshed is by starvation. Generals refrained from entering the battlefield but instead deny the enemy troops water and food supply and just well, wait. The enemy troops will start to get hungry and tired. This lowers the morale of the enemy's troops, weaken them physically and may even lead to an internal fight. After which, the enemy either gives up and go home or gets wiped out easily.

3: Find the Right Opportunity

Some battles in history utilised the same strategy and yet not all succeed. It comes down to the right opportunity. The ally of your enemy passed away or internal conflict within the enemy's team can be good opportunity for one to start sending troops over. Being patient and waiting for the right opportunity to strike is crucial but this is so incredibly subjective and relies on so many different factors, one has to have exceptional foresight to determine the right opportunity.

You may have an awesome idea and wonder why it isn't selling. Maybe the market is simply not ready for it. 10 years ago, SEA wasn't ready for YouTube. SEA is now. Maybe all you need is to modify the idea to suit the needs of the current market or just wait for the right time to release it. 

4: Know Your Enemy Inside Out

There's this Chinese saying that is obviously a quote from Sun Tzu's Art of War: 知己知彼百战百胜 (Know your strengths as well as your enemy's and you'll win hundreds of battles). Knowing realistically what your strengths and weaknesses are is probably the first step to achieving success. Knowing your enemy's strengths and weaknesses as well as yours, this is something many people fail to achieve. It helps to predict your enemy's next move so you can counter it. Of course, your enemy is probably also stalking you. LOL

5: Know the Battlefield Like the Back of Your Hand

So many battles were lost when troops were out-manoeuvred, simply because they do not know the terrain well. It is so important to know every pothole, stream, mud patch etc, of your battlefield because you can use that to your advantage. In today's world, know your market and industry well. Research is crucial. 

There are more points but this post will be too long if I list them all down so 5 points for now. 

Disclaimer

I am not claiming to be Sun Tzu or some history scholar, in fact I have never read Sun Tzu's Art of War. I am also NOT advocating war! These are just some of my thoughts that I mulled over after watching documentaries of ancient battles. Don't take them seriously >.< but do feel free to share your thoughts with me whether you may agree or disagree with me. 

Hectic January

January has been a crazy and hectic month for me! It was a month of collaborations and making new friends!

We worked with Ming Yue and Tammy Tay to produce the second episode of A Date with the Stars on Live Great TV YouTube Channel. It was my first time working with Tammy and it was so fun!

Shot a short video with Noah Yap slightly before Chinese New Year. He's such a fun and loveable guy. Let's work again soon! The video will be out on his channel http://www.youtube.com/user/waitformelah, so stay tuned to his channel and subscribe if you haven't! 

We had a guest star in our "13 Types of Boyfriends" video, Symone Oei! This pretty damsel is not only popular with the viewers, she's also a fantastic actress. I am sure you will see her more often in our videos. :)

Lion Men is now out in theatres! I was invited to the private screening and found the movie to be thoroughly entertaining. 

 At the end of January, it was the welcoming of the Horse Year of the Lunar New Year. Got my pretty dress from TwoTimesDreams http://shoptwotimesdreams.com

My 26th Birthday

I just crossed the 26 year mark of my life on Sunday. Starting to feel really old but hey, since I can't stop time, I guess I'll just enjoy my 26th year.

Spent the last day of my 25th year on this planet with my family and the Tree Potatoes team. My team has got to be the best people in my life. Always there for me when life gets tough and we stood by each other as we fought obstacles after obstacles. Couldn't ask for a better team.

Had a surprise dinner with the beautiful girls. Known these girls since we were 13, it makes me feel incredibly old just thinking about it. Nevertheless, I'm glad that our friendships are still going strong.

If you're wondering who made that awesome cake, it's none other than Rachel Wong. The crazy woman who started baking the cake for me on Tuesday. Doesn't the cake look amazing?! If you wish to order a customized cake from her, contact her at http://rach-wong.tumblr.com/contact This woman is insanely talented.

Goodbye Wah!Banana

How It All Begin

One year just flew by like that. In such a short period of time, I have done and experienced so many things. So many things that changed my life in ways that I would never expect. 

Slightly more than a year and a half ago, I graduated from NUS with a degree that didn't give me much confidence. I knew the laboratory wasn't a place for me, I absolutely cannot fit into that environment. It was just so... not me. The young and ignorant me decided to seek out job opportunities in other fields; knowing, at the back of my mind, I wasn't going to find one. 

I was walking around the NUS Career Fair and a booth caught my eye. It was a company that I am familiar with because I played games with my then-boyfriend on their platform. I walked up, curious to know what they had to offer, leaving my resume with them, not expecting anything. But then they called me back.

I took up the job offer. The pay was decent and the environment seemed chill. I was to help the director with managing the eSports scene or so I was told. Within weeks, I got transferred to the production team. The team that was in charged of making product videos on YouTube for the company, and it was there, I made friends that I know will last a lifetime. 

The Teamwork

We were working on a series of product-related videos for the company's channel that were doing relatively all right. So the management decided to try something different, something that can target a wider and more general audience. So we were tasked with the duty of starting and growing a new comedy channel to eventually use it as a marketing platform for their products, and so we did.

Wah!Banana was created. The name was designed to sound local and yet fun at the same time. It was a fantastic name. The videos were designed to be relatable and ridiculous. It was a success. It started a whole new trend on the SG/MY YouTube scene, everyone was doing a list format video. We were ecstatic.

We were an extremely organised team. Aaron was the overall in charged. He managed the channel and was the brain behind the scripting and editing directions. Jason would be in charged of filming and editing the videos. I was in charged of managing the social media platforms and props. Elliot was still a student and he would drop by to help us with the filming and acting. 

It was the teamwork and the creative brains of Aaron that brought the channel to a whole new level. We wrote, direct, act, edit and market the videos. We did everything without any prior skills or knowledge on video production. We observed, researched, asked and learnt as we went along. The willingness to learn and the acknowledgement that we don't know everything were what drove us to strive for the better. 

Things Didn't Work Out

Everything went well for a long time. We were preoccupied with growing the channel until we realised that we weren't able to grow it anymore. We realised that it was not going to be possible because the channel was simply not meant for that, it was built solely for marketing purposes. 

The interest of the company and our interests weren't on the same page. Talks didn't turn out as expected. They made no effort to retain us. We knew then, we had to leave. 

And so we did.

We knew we had to leave because there was no progression if we were to stay. Aaron, Elliot and I are constantly striving for improvement and progression, we knew we wouldn't be happy staying. It is really painful letting go of something that we had spent so much time and effort on. The channel was our baby, we worked so hard on it yet we own absolutely no part of it. We had no control of how the channel would grow. 

The Future

Letting go was tough, in fact we still find it extremely difficult to accept that we are no longer a part of it. Yet at the end of the day, we know it is the right choice. Now we are free to start our own channel, and actually own it and to be able to decide the course of its journey and growth. We never felt more motivated. 

We know the fans are upset and disappointed that we are no longer a part of Wah!Banana, so are we. I don't know the plans for Wah!Banana's future but I know ours. We are setting up a new channel to do what we do best, entertain. I sincerely hope that if you enjoy the videos that we have produced so far, you would jump onboard the new channel as a subscriber, a viewer and the most importantly, as a friend.