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Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts

January 24, 2014

4 Lessons from an Entrepreneurial Career

I've been working from home since January. While it has only been one month since I officially started on my online fashion business, it has not been easy mentally. The uncertainty of whether you are doing the right thing, and whether you will eventually get there can be daunting. 

I only know a handful of entrepreneur friends and David happens to be one of them. He's so approachable and chatty that there is rarely any awkward silence when you meet him. And today, I decided to visit him at his own entrepreneurial venture, Wee's collection - which specializes in the buying, selling & renting of vintage items from Post War Days right up to the 1970s. It has been a good 1.5 years since he turned this passion of his (since he was 16) into a full-time career and it was a joy seeing the vast collection of vintage items and knowing that it has been doing well. 

Wee's Collection
512 Changi Road, Singapore 419913


The main purpose of the visit was really to catch up and gain some insights into an entrepreneurial career. Four points that I took away from our conversation:

1. Focus - Personally I agree that it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to achieve everything, especially when ideas start to flow. But, point to self, stay focus. Set milestones along the way. It's easier to direct one's energy and hit one milestone at one time than to achieve everything at one go.

2. Find means and ways to reach out to your target market - Reach out to your audience base using different marketing means, even if it requires you to put in plenty of effort, plenty of legwork and multiple rejections. It will eventually pay off.

3. Be patient - Unless your product/service is out-of-the-world, one-of-its-kind, it takes time to see if it will eventually work out. Be patient, strategise.

4. Network - Network and know more people, both within the trade and people whom you need to know in order to make your job easier. Help them out so that they have a reason to help you in return.

Some sneaks that is really not representative of the collection that he had. Head down to see more ;)

Did you know that bicycles in Singapore used to have number plate?

Thank you for reading.
ZM & Kim

January 19, 2014

A&Z ROM loh!


Following the post about how our love story begins (here), aiks and I ROM-ed this week! Depending on how you see it, the date could be interpreted as 1314 (一生一世 in chinese). This, of course, is an unintentional coincidence. haha!



Given a choice, I would prefer to have the solemnisation held together with the ceremonial wedding. But according to a fortune teller, getting married in the year of snake would be better for the both of us. It's better to be play safe and on a bright note, it saves the trouble of having to look for and invite a solemniser. haha!

We deliberately chose a late afternoon slot so that we could have our hair styled and have sufficient preparation time. I did my own makeup and it turned out pretty well! *beams*


We were told to arrived around 20 mins before but waited for more than half an hour to enter the solemnisation room. The point to note, it's okay to arrive a bit later. 

And this is what we do during the spare time that we had...


Mandatory photos with the parents and siblings.


And of course, the wedding rings and the LCD TV screen that broadcast your names!

The face reads, "Oh no! What am I getting myself into?"

There's a phototaking corner inside the building as well!


While I wasn't nervous on the day itself, but the idea of having to change surname and be part of another family does seems a little, for the lack of a word, scary...


Throughout the session, we were asked to hold our hands together and look into each other's eyes. Being together for more than 6 years, this gesture does make me tickled especially since this was done in front of so many people *shys*

 
The process ended in less than half an hour and I'm now officially married in the eyes of the law! Oh no!


Thank you for reading.

ZM & Kim

August 9, 2013

Day 37. Be brave and be different.

"If you going to look at what people are going to say, you'll never do anything..." - Mr Nathan

"I think fear is somthing you impose on yourself - if you were taught to fear (venturing into the unknown), you will." - Elisha Tan, CEO of Learnemy

Sometimes we are so affected by what people think of us and would say of us that we decided not to venture into something unknown or different from the norm. From young, I was under the illusion that by studying hard and getting good enough grades, I would eventually end up with a good job or at least should have no problem looking for one. When all my friends decided to take the JC route, I follow suit even though I knew that I wanted to give Media studies a try. 

Having graduated from a local university, indeed job search hasn't been difficult. What's more difficult is about finding the right fit. Once, I quit my first job without securing another just because I wanted to embark on a self-reflection trip to find out what I want out of life. With a backpack, and some help, I left for Cambodia. Reflection proved to be an easy word to say. Even after the trip, I wasn't as much enlightened as I was prior to the trip. Not thoroughly thinking about it (in the past few years) has apparently granted permission to that part of my brain to go on infinite days of holiday.

Having graduated and worked for 3 years now, I still feel somewhat unaccomplished. As my interaction with the world increases, I feel increasingly limited - in terms of my knowledge, skills and experience. Every now and then, I would pose the question to people I met, "why do you do what you are doing now?" Often, it's about making ends meet, and that job fulfillment isn't as important as earning enough money to spend on what you enjoy. Is it? Earlier, I had a conversation with a taxi driver, and his story was rather thought-provoking - he left a well-paid position in a big company to enjoy doing something he likes, but with time to spare for himself and his family. I imagine a taxi driver with a grad degree - doesn't sounds quite appealing does it? 

Indeed, to be in a career that you love, you have to take risks and ignore what others think of you. This is a lesson that will take some time for me to digest, and perhaps a while to internalise.

Heavy story aside, Aiks and I went to try Tim Ho Wan at Plaza Sing today! It was a totally random and impromptu attempt, especially upon seeing that the queue was shorter than usual. Having said that, it still took us a good 1 hour to get our foot inside the restaurant.


Having heard of the super long queue time, we actually run a stop watch to see how long it takes for us to enter the restaurant. Technically, it was a 49 mins wait. 

 What we do best when we are bored, self-entertainment. I look so different here!

 Finally! One step closer to the food.
I was rather surprised to see the rather limited variety offered on the menu, but that also explains why the food were of a certain (controlled) quality. Having only 2 of us, we ordered a total of six dishes (though we really wanted to try more!):

1. Pork Dumpling with Shrimp “Siew Mai” ($5)
2. Steam Egg Cake ($3.80) 
3. Prawn Dumpling ($5.50)
4. Vermicelli Roll with Shrimps ($5.50)
5. Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp ($4)
6. Baked Bun with BBQ Pork ($4.50)

The Siew Mai was really juicy, the best that I have ever tried thus far.
I had a bite, and had the next and it never stopped. The steamed egg cake was so fluffyyyyy I can die! Have it when its piping hot.
Though there's a generous number of shrimps (about 3) inside each dumplings, I would say the prawn dumplings were pretty normal. Value-for-money?
This tasted pretty normal too.
I don't really like this dish. If you were to order, I rather you wait for the temperature to cool down before eating it, I feel that it's more fragrant when eaten cooled.
True to its reputation, this legendary baked bun with BBQ pork was really yummy. It came last, and by then I was pretty full but I decided to have my deserving half portion anyways!
It was, overall, a pretty good experience. I would say it's baked bun with BBQ pork and the steam Egg cake are to die for - cause you probably can't find better ones elsewhere. But for a one-hour long queue, I probably need to have it bad enough before I would put myself through this process again.


Tim Ho Wan
68 Orchard Road, #01-29A Plaza Singapura
Singapore 238839

Mon - Thurs: 1000 - 2200 hours
Fri - Sun & PH: 0900 - 2200 hours

August 2, 2013

Day 30. My birthday was yesterday

Home-baked with love from Aikky and Mommy!
It's interesting how birthdays seem to be a big thing in the past - anticipating what presents I will get, what should I wear just so I look so stunningly gorgeous even for a day and who will be the first to post the a birthday greeting onto my Friendster, or the now more popular Facebook wall. 

Years passed, the cycle repeats. As if struck by a sudden realisation, I realised these are rather superficial self-fulfilling materials that I no longer crave. What I wish for, instead, is just a simple meet up or wishes from my few besties (who will always remember my birthdays) and time spent with my loved ones. And so, my fb account no longer has my birthday indicated, nor did my office colleagues knew about it.

Surprisingly though, yesterday was liberating. 

Having said that, a dinner with my beloved bf is definitely a must. And so he chose Momoya, a Jap restaurant near Simpang bedok. It was one of shophouses, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Quiet and cosy and at first glance, quite pack. At $32++ for a Japanese buffet, it was indeed value-for-money, and I have to say that it's got one of the better service that I had encountered. Entering the place, I had high expectations and was rather thrilled with the spread on the buffet menu.

Right photo taken by my irritating bf, when I was asking him for something, I look so unflattering here! :(
We ordered quite a couple of dishes - salmon sashimi, ebi tempura, chawanmushi, yuzu salad, grilled mushroom, wasabi mayo maki with soft shell crab, grilled mackerel, grilled salmon with butter sauce, unagi with egg, fried tofu and so on.
I'm not a salad person, and this doesn't look appetising that all. Needless to say, I didn't order this.
HAHA! What kind of look is that?
(L to R) Amaebi, Sake, Spider Wasabi Mayo Maki,  Unagi Tamago Toji, Grilled Chicken Wings, Unaku Chiizu Maki
In sum, I have to say the food wasn't that fantastic, and in fact, a little disappointing. The only few dishes that were nice was perhaps the maki and the chawanmushi. I'm glad that we gave it a try though, cause it was rather inaccessible without a car, but I don't foresee going back to the place any time soon. If you are going for value and variety, this is perhaps the place to go.

Momya Japanese Restaurant 
Picardy Gardens, 16 Jalan Pari Burong
Mon - Sun: 11:30 - 14:30; 18:00 - 22:00

March 24, 2013

Top of the World, Swissotel

Do you have something you worked so hard for, felt so proud of, as if you are on the top of the world in that mini realm of yours; yet at the very next moment, you came crumbling down because of a comment made by someone? Someone who is important to you, but is not able to see things in your perspective and came out with comments that seem so effortlessly hurtful. 

Life, isn't that easy after all. Learn to take things in your stride and believe in yourself. Never let someone put you down. For one day, you will emerge stronger, and the scars from the battles will be your little trophies to keep. 

Swissotel The Stamford 

2 Stamford Rd, 178882
Exit from Cityhall MRT station

View from Swissotel Suite, 65th level during Earth Hour
A colleague of mine booked a room from Swissotel recently. Lucky her got a free upgrade to a suite and this was how we got a magnificent view of Singapore during Earth hour from the tallest hotel in Singapore. The view was simply breathtaking, and cars instantly transformed into mini lego toys. This is must-have experience once in a life time. Thanks Su Li! (:

Hotel Lift Lobby
Interior Sneak Peek, 65th Level Suite
Bathtub shot is a must-have!
Not forgetting the galore of home-cooked food with ♥ and the famous roast duck from Yan Chuan!