One or some or every or all without specification

In this day the most popular advertising campaign in Singapore is the "Anything or Whatever" one. The idea of the product - a carbonated beverage - is most unique because it gives consumers the lotto feeling - not knowing what they will get. Out of the Box Pte Ltd - a very apt name for the company launching this product - used to focus on golf related projects before making the switch to being a beverage company.

They are also very socially responsible and concerned about the environment. You can see some cans pasted to the Clear Channel bus stop advert in the picture above. When I took this picture on the 23rd of May, these cans were in the process of being removed because people vandalised these empty cans by crushing them or taking off the flaps, which caused much concern by some members of the public who felt that the opened cans posed possible dengue hazards, collecting rain water.





But what interests me most about Anything or Whatever is the campaign itself - lodging permanently into consumers' heads and creating awareness about the new product. Early May all the Clear Channel bus stop adverts were carrying messages like "Ask for Anything on May 18!", "Grab Whatever you see on May 18!" etc. Yes, I am one of those who saw the website address on the advertisement and went to their website where I got to see a semi-erotic video that was very suggestive and then I got to wish for "Anything". Being a "yippie" or hippie as you may better understand, I obviously wished for "peace". Then they brought me to this screen with a huge tree with a bunch of leaves that show a message when you hovered the mouse over it. My leaf marked "peace" was also there, among others.

I just wonder if it is possible to sue a media giant that promises you "Anything" and gives you a huge tree instead. They could argue that there is a deeper meaning because "Anything" is the name of the product, which is a carbonated beverage. But this is so misleading! Singapore law entitles me to the truth!

I went to the Shell Select shop behind PGP after the product was launched on May 18, and I saw the can marked "Whatever" so I had to try it, and it turned out to be white grape tea. I found out that when you buy Whatever, you could get any of the following:
Ice Lemon Tea
Peace Tea
Jasmine Green Tea [eugghh!]
White Grape Tea
Apple Tea
Chrysanthemum Tea

If you buy Anything, you can get any of these:
Cola
Cola with Lemon
Apple
Fizz Up
Cloudy Lemon
Root Beer [yuck!]

So for me, the main problem is that if I ever think of buying Anything or Whatever, there is a 1/6 probability that my money will go to waste and I will have to throw the drink away. Root beer tastes like toothpaste and I can't go beyond taking more than two sips of Jasmine green tea.

All in all, I think it is a very unique product, which has been launched successfully and effectively. The TV adverts are incredibly funny and what can I say, I am just a great fan of the entire marketing campaign for Anything and Whatever. Considering what most of the Singapore population's taste-buds are like, I think Anything and Whatever will sell loads. My question is, what happens once the excitement of getting "Anything" or "Whatever" is over, or when people stop seeing the humour in it? And what if they want "something" rather than "Anything"? I guess it could not be a more perfect launch if the company is planning to launch each of these twelve drinks individually in the future. As a product, I think sales will soar in the short run, but in the longer run they will tend to drop, and that can't be good.

Anything advert [30 secs]:


Whatever advert [30 secs]:


Making of the adverts and an interview with the director [9 mins, 57 secs]:


Click for the teaser website [the one with the tree]

I have learnt...

I have learnt that achievement is overrated.
I have learnt that cleanliness is hard to maintain but worth it.
I have learnt that creativity and artistry are two different things, though related.
I have learnt that curiosity doesn't kill the cat - the cat only learns by being curious.
I have learnt that even if unintentional, women are the root of all evil.
I have learnt that everyone believes they have a superior understanding about everything.
I have learnt that failure is the best way to learn anything.
I have learnt that faith is subjective.
I have learnt that family will always be your primary social group - no matter what.
I have learnt that friends don't stick.
I have learnt that I can never gain weight.
I have learnt that life goes on.
I have learnt that meritocracy doesn't allow second chances.
I have learnt that miscommunication or lack of communication are the core reasons for any dispute.
I have learnt that money doesn't stick.
I have learnt that monotony is when the brain is dead; when it stops looking for variety.
I have learnt that music can actually capture feelings and transpose moods and emotions through time.
I have learnt that my best friends are those I least stay in touch with.
I have learnt that my worst habits aren't half as bad as other people's bad habits.
I have learnt that no one needs to know what people really think of them.
I have learnt that order can only be chronological, alphabetical or categorical (and chronological or alphabetical within categories).
I have learnt that passion for me lasts not more than two weeks.
I have learnt that perfect planning always results in disappointment.
I have learnt that pictures really are a snapshot in time and time only.
I have learnt that praying can help find peace in desolate times.
I have learnt that reading is the best addiction anyone could have.
I have learnt that regular exercise is beneficial to all - ectomorph or mesomorph or endomorph.
I have learnt that studies are worthless - compared with experience.
I have learnt that subtle things are the major things in fact.
I have learnt that the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.
I have learnt that the only way to do something is to just do it.
I have learnt that the only way to motivate myself is to love what I'm doing.
I have learnt that the word "wish" is just used for something you can hope for.
I have learnt that the world is becoming more and more materialistic.
I have learnt that there's a difference between "I will do" and "I will to do".
I have learnt that those who think they’re in love are merely infatuated.
I have learnt that those who do really love lose in the end.
I have learnt that those you trust most have the highest probability of betraying you.
I have learnt that time never stops.
I have learnt that to be successful in life, you need to wake up early morning and sleep nights; not the other way around.
I have learnt that we all play games with ourselves, and live in a fantasy world.
I have learnt that when you have little you want more, and when you have more, you want even more.
I have learnt that words hurt more than sticks and stones.
I have learnt that words of encouragement can actually encourage you.
I have learnt that you should hope for the best; expect the worst.

Being Under Satan's Yoke

"So, what's it like, the internship?"
"Hello? You there?"
"Squash scene?"
"Where the hell are you man?"
"I was trying to call you."
"Snooker mood?"
"When are you going to be free?"
"Are you mad at me for some reason?"
"Why are you ignoring me?"

If you really are busy, the only honest answer to all these questions is: "I'm busy". Unfortunately, this two word statement [or the lack of any statement whatsoever - also a valid response in such a scenario] has been misused by liars, executives, ex-es and sundry. The people who misused it have now ruined it for people who honestly need to use it.

Yes! It's true, I have been a bit busy lately as you may see from my previous post. So I may have ignored a few messages/emails/calls in the past few days - I'll explain why. But it doesn't exactly end tere; I will be busy for the next few months as well, and let me explain why. [For those with AIESEC-phobia, consider this a warning.]

May 3rd, Thursday

7:30 pm - my exams ended.

May 4th, Friday

Party night, obviously.

[After being a daysleeper, naturally.]

May 5th, Saturday

9:00 am to 12:00 midnight - AIESEC NUS LC Transition.

[This is where the previous AIESEC NUS executive team transfers over all the information, experience, issues and long-term goals to the new executive team. Actually the set of meetings/conferences for the day ended around 7:30 pm to be followed by an AIESEC barbecue-gathering at PGP that went on till midnight.]

May 6th, Sunday

9:00 am to 7:30 pm - AIESEC NUS LC Transition continued.

May 7th, Monday

9:00 am to 6:30 pm - first day of my internship with Pet Paddy.

7:30 pm to 11:00 pm - AIESEC NUS LC Planning.

[This is where the AIESEC NUS team planned the agenda for the next whole year and continued to do so in the successive LC Planning sessions.]

May 8th, Tuesday

9:00 am to 6:30 pm - second day of my internship with Pet Paddy.

7:30 pm to 11:00 pm, AIESEC NUS LC Planning.

May 9th, Wednesday

9:00 am to 6:30 pm - third day of my internship with Pet Paddy.

7:30 pm to 11:00 pm - AIESEC NUS LC Planning.

May 10th, Thursday

9:00 am to 6:30 pm - fourth day of my internship with Pet Paddy.

7:30 pm to 11:00 pm - AIESEC NUS LC Planning.

May 11th, Friday

9:00 am to 6:30 pm - fifth day of my internship with Pet Paddy.

7:30 pm to 11:00 pm - AIESEC NUS LC Planning.

May 12th, Saturday

9:30 am to 4:00 pm - the "Are you afrAIDS" event held in NUS, organized by AIESEC NTU.

3:00 pm to 7:00 pm Marketing/Sales trainings for the executive teams in NUS, NTU, and SMU held by an AIESEC alumni. [They overlapped so I had to skip the last part of the AIDS workshop.]

All that brings me here. I have soaked chickpeas or "channay" in a mixture of water and baking soda, and preparing to cook them as I write here. They need to be soaked for two hours so I have loads of time. Actually, I should use the time I have and make a trip to Mustapha to grab some groceries, but I'm too lazy now, so maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

Here are some of my commitments that will keep me busy for the next few months at least, if not the whole year:

1. JumpStart 2007. This is the induction conference focused on developing leadership, among other things, held for AIESEC "newies" - the people who will join AIESEC in August/September. I am the OCVPPnP and I need to get down to some serious work. [OCVPPnP means Organising Committee Vice President for Publications and Promotion.] The event itself will be held some time early/mid September - we have yet to decide the dates.

2. Annual Stakeholders' Report 2006-07. This is the annual report that needs to be compiled for the past AIESEC year and will be the face of AIESEC Singapore. I am the OCP and since at least half my team is probably away for vacations now, it means a lot of work for me. [OCP means Organising Committee President.]

3. AIESEC NUS Vikings 2007-08. The AIESEC NUS executive team calls itself The Vikings, and I am the BnCC [Branding and Communications Coordinator]. It involves a lot of planning for the next year for now, and understanding what the national plans are. It will involve a lot of writing, designing, promoting and a solid understanding of what branding is, and implementation of the AIESEC brand in NUS.

4. Internship with Pet Paddy Corporation. Pet Paddy is a start-up company and my role is to do Marketing for its main product: the website itself. So all the weekdays for the next three months are booked for me. Also, if we are able to implement the business plan successfully, I may even continue to work for them part-time when the semester begins on August 6th.

So far all these things are more than enough to keep me occupied for the next three months. Upcoming Monday should be the last day of the LC planning [LC = Local Committee by the way]. Then on Wednesday I have a company dinner most probably at Café Iguana - a popular Mexican restaurant in Singapore. The remaining evenings I will either be cooking, doing AIESEC work, or learning a new song. On occasion, I do intend to party. But I also want to do some volunteer work at some hospice or to take some music or salsa classes. This is what happens when you realise you have too many ambitions and dreams and discover ways to realise them. So even though I am far from home and away from any close friends or family, I am happy.

All in a day's work

A time series analysis of the events in the past 24 hours [May 09, 2007] as they occurred.

0:00 - Got off bus route 51 behind PGP. (This was after the AIESEC JumpStart Organising Committee Meeting held in SMU and the following dinner.) Siew Yik who was with me headed to PGP as I headed to the Shell petrol-pump/Select-shop behind PGP.

0:45 - Met a friend there and shared a couple of drinks with him. Left the Shell petrol-pump/Select-shop after purchasing cigarettes.

1:00 - Reached my room. Hit the sack. (I set alarms on both my alarm clock and cell phone for 6 am.)

5:24 - Awoke. Couldn't sleep again once I opened my eyes to check the time.

5:45 - Got out of bed after lying there adamantly trying to get the 36 minutes of sleep I could see I would be missing.

6:00 - Checked my email to plan the day's activities accordingly. Made coffee and sipped through as I went through the massive amount of email.

6:53 - Started ironing shirt.

7:15 - Finished ironing shirt. Hit the showers.

7:36 - Done with shower. Put some sausages in the toaster.

7:38 - Burnt my foot with the hot iron lying on the floor. I'd forgotten to switch it off.

7:45 - Added the sausages to sausage buns as well as the sauces.

7:55 - Ready to leave, hot-dogs in hand.

8:00 - Left for work.

8:05 - Met a friend on the way who was going back home and bid farewell.

8:10 - Exit PGP.

8:15 - Reached the bus stop.

8:18 - Got on bus route 51. Took out Chris Anderson's "The Long Tail" and read along the way.

9:04 - Got off on Eu Tong Sen Street at Clark Quay MRT Station and started walking.

9:16 - Arrived at the Pet Paddy office.

10:24 - Had the hot dog.

11:55 - Break for lunch. Had Chicken in Soya Sauce with white rice.

13:00 - Arrived back at the office after lunch.

15:27 - Smoke break.

15:35 - Got back after one Marlboro Lights, feeling unsatisfied. [Not used to Lights.]

17:29 - Sneaked off to the washroom during a briefing to take a two-minute power-nap. Wasn't able to keep my eyes open and it was getting noticeable so I had to.

18:15 - Boss opened a chaimpagne bottle to mark the launch of the business. This was not just the third day of my internship but also the third day of Pet Paddy itself.

18:30 - Done with chaimpagne. Shutting down Windows and leaving work.

18:55 - Reached the bus stop and got on bus route 33.

19:32 - Got off on Clementi Road at the Kent Ridge bus terminal.

19:37 - Ran a block to catch NUS Shuttle Bus A1.

19:47 - Entered Seminar Room 21 at the NUS Business School for AIESEC LC Planning. [This is where the executive committee or local committee (LC) will be getting together Wednesday through Friday everyday to discuss the plans for the next AIESEC year in NUS - 2007-08]

23:00 - Done with the day's LC Planning session and headed for the bus stop.

23:10 - NUS Shuttle Bus B arrived.

23:13 - Got off at Eusoff Hall and headed to the Cheese Prata Shop on Clementi Road at the back of Eusoff Hall.

23:15 - Ordered Nasi Goreng that arrived in 14 minutes.

23:44 - Left Cheese Prata Shop and got on bus route 30 to get off at the Shell petrol-pump/Select-shop to get cigarettes. Ran into a couple of friends and chatted for a while.

0:02 - It started raining so I rushed to my room in PGP.

0:11 - Arrived in my room. Stripped off my clothes and turned on my desktop computer - first time in two days.

1:06 - Stopped browsing, made this post and prepared to sleep by 1:15.

The incessant problem of PGP

It was 4 am, and I was seated with two of my friends at the blocks opposite the PGPR foyer in NUS. Chatting away, talking about movies, songs, downloads, girls, internships, modules, studies, exams and what not, when, as usual, it started to rain suddenly. The raindrops were getting thicker by the second, and I felt my pulse rise as my nerves sent me an alarm message...

My room's windows were open!

The wind started blowing fiercely as I ran against it, towards my block. "Please God, please! Just hold on for a couple more minutes. I am almost there..." I prayed as I ran like the wind. [Somewhere in my imagination I could hear someone shouting, "Run Forrest, run!".]

As it has happened a countless number of times, everytime it rains, the rain water pours into my room through two gigantic windows. My desktop computer has failed on me many times because of this, including a spoilt motherboard that I had to get replaced, and many other mishaps as I have mentioned on my blog so many times before. Now the stuff in my room is positioned in such a way that the first thing to get drenched in the rain would be my guitar [window 1] and my desktop CPU [window 2]. Other things that could get damaged would be the refrigerator, empty cartons I intend to use for storage, and not to mention, my laptop, which is usually lying on the floor as well.

Why, I keep asking, why did the engineers and architects who designed this residence have to be so airheaded to overlook such a major hitch! It's sad really. And the worst part is, the administration doesn't see how it is a MAJOR problem because if they did, they would have tried to rectify it by now, while doing all the recent renovation.

See, it's terribly hot and humid in Singapore... Before ever coming here, the first thing I learnt about this place was that (1) flumped right on the equator, Singapore is the most humid place on the face of the planet, and (2) it's so humid that car manufacturers bring their newly designed models here to test for rust prevention! Withstanding Singapore's humidity is like the ultimate rust test! So the problem is: when it's hot, I keep my room's windows open to let some air in - because my computer and fridge dispel massive amounts of heat as well since they're both turned on all the time; when the weather is better - when it's windy or raining - I would rather have the windows open but I can't because the rain water oozes in! Hence I'm stuck in this perpetual hotness.

Maybe I should start a petition, collecting signatures from all residents of the prestigious Prince George's Park Residences and file an official complaint to the NUS administration through NUSSU - our safeguarding student union, about our water seepage problem.