zero waste bag Zero Waste is an everyday city bag made from a single sheet of #2 plastic. Its pattern allows for zero cutting waste in manufacturing. Zero Waste can be used as a travel log, allowing you to record thoughts, inspirations and messages directly on the bag. Light weight, durable and machine washable, each bag includes a non-toxic marker that can be used to personalize Zero Waste with doodles, sketches and notes. I really like this. It’s just such a pity it’s sold out. Via: Better Living Through Design royal teabags And I don’t mean Prince Harry’s balls. Fancy a cup of tea, my dear? Via: swissmiss 24 rooms in 1 A reason to which why I’d never move to Hong Kong is due to the conditional of its real estate. Or rather, the lack of. Unless your wallet’s as thick as Jackie Chan’s, there is a high chance you’d be calling a miserable 300-something square feet shoebox home. Award-winning architect, Gary Chang, has single-handedly turned constraint into efficiency. Check out how he changed a 344-square feet apartment into 24 whopping layouts. Some fat property mogul in Hong Kong with 10 China mistresses should so totally hire him. Special thanks to Arti for this. run by leona lewis This song is currently on repeat-til-it-breaks mode. Lyrics as follows. // I’ll sing it one last time for you Then we really have to go You’ve been the only thing that’s right In all I’ve done And I can barely look at you But every single time I do I know we’ll make it anywhere Away from here Light up, light up As if you have a choice Even if you cannot hear my voice I’ll be right beside you, dear Louder, louder And we’ll run for our lives I can hardly speak, I understand Why you can’t raise your voice to say To think I might not see those eyes Makes it so hard not to cry And as we say our long goodbyes I nearly do Light up, light up As if you have a choice Even if you cannot hear my voice I’ll be right beside you, dear Louder, louder And we’ll run for our lives I can hardly speak, I understand Why you can’t raise your voice to say Light up, light up As if you have a choice Even if you cannot hear my voice I’ll be right beside you, dear Louder, louder And we’ll run for our lives I can hardly speak, I understand Why you can’t raise your voice to say like button Like Button is a collection of links shared by your Facebook friends from most popular sites. Add your personal favourite URLs too. Makes a pretty cute home page I reckon, if not for the hideous Lucida Grande typeface. the secrets of success by james sun Imma tell you a little story about this Asian man named James. James Sun. James was born on February 14, 1977, in Seoul, Korea. In  1982, his family moved to Houston, Texas. As the only Asian-American family in the neighbourhood, James’ family was taunted with extreme racism. In spite of, or rather, as a result of his harsh upbringing, James was fueled with a fiery drive unlike any other to succeed. James started his first company at the tender age of 11, way before puberty even hit him. Negotiating contracts with local window cleaning companies to market their services door-to-door, James successfully brought on three partners (at 11?!) and started a profitable small business. After graduating from high school with a perfect 4.0 GPA, James started a technology investment company, with nothing but just 5Gs in his wallet. He was barely 18 then. While graduating (cum laude, mind you) from the University of Washington with a Business and Computer Science degree, he transformed the 5Gs he had into a cool $2.2 million dollars. He was 22. You may know him best as the first Asian finalist on Donald Trump’s television cash cow, The Apprentice, or perhaps, the TV host for BBC’s Sun Tzu: War on Business. But have you wondered what James’ like up close and personal? Well guess what? Here’s your chance to meet him in person. James will be swinging by our little island for a one-day-only luncheon seminar come Thursday, 6 May 2010 and I have TWO tickets worth S$98 each to give away! Leave me a comment on why you think you deserve to win, and I might just pick you to come along with me. Yeah, it’s that simple. Hurry along now! GOOD LUCK! Contest ends this Friday, 30 April 2010. Winners will be notified by email by Monday, 3 May 2010. taiwan’s boy wonder Oh. My. God. And I’m sorry I can’t find anything more interesting to say. I don’t think I need to. things i’ve learnt from social media On a wet Easter Thursday, I swung by the house of DDB Group for a little talk on Social Media. Joji Jacob, the Executive Creative Director of DDB and Rapp Collins had invited me months back for the talk, but unfortunately, I had to decline at that point due to a conflict of interest. Presenting to seasoned advertising folks was interesting if not a little nerve-wrecking. Nonetheless, I’m grateful for the invitation. And I’m always happy to be meeting some ex-colleagues (when you’ve covered all major advertising networks like I have, from Publicis Groupe to Omnicom to WPP, you tend to bump into ex-colleagues everywhere). This talk was literal; mostly verbal, with minimal words in the deck. I wouldn’t go into details – some things said are definitely better left verbal, but here’s the deck for reference. For those who are wondering why there’s both Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi’s logos in my deck, this article sums it all. And this video too. skinny lee To compliment the Lee Skinny campaign, Happy (the agency) created a packaging design that became a fashion accessory in its own right. A D&AD 2009 winner, the packaging received just as many compliments as the ladies wearing the jeans themselves. I do wonder though, if this is a scam submission. Lovely packaging, no doubt, but I can’t imagine how expensive this packaging must have cost to mass produce. Via: the artist and his model upon death, my blog goes to… What would happen to all your digital assets when you’re gone? The typical Monica Geller in me has thought about this, actually. I’ve unofficially designated heirs to my assets although no, I haven’t quite placed this in writing. Entrustet allows you to protect your digital assets and take control of your legacy, even after you’re all ashes and stuph. You’d still need an attorney to incorporate your digital assets into a traditional will or trust, but this is fun anyways. Out of curiosity, who here would like to be heir to blankanvas? open homes, singapore Since the unfortunate volcano eruption from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull (I won’t even pretend I know how to pronounce that), many Singapore residents have offered their homes to some of the 40,000 travelers stuck in this island. In view of the generosity from the members of the Public, Changi Airport Group is now compiling offers of accommodation on behalf of any traveler in need. This database will be shared with airlines and embassies. Am I the only one feeling all fuzzy wuzzy inside? the conception of wine The best design, in my opinion, is one that addresses a situational problem with a sound solution, and delivers information in such that it becomes digestible, if not delicious. Tiago Cabaço, a New Media designer and developer based in San Fransisco, California, does just that with his animated infographic. Easy on the rotations though. They were a little excessive. onitsuka tiger sasuke messenger bag I’m a little embarrassed by my one and only traveling companion of a bag. It’s a Gucci and in the offbeat cities I travel to, yes, I’m inviting trouble. In search for the perfect traveler’s bag, I stumbled upon Onitsuka Tiger’s new Sasuke Messenger bag. At only AU$29.91, I might just PAYPAL this over. singapore 2010 i can I admit, the working title for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics Games TV commercial was a tad off-putting at first glance. If I count the number of times my Government clients wanted to rip of Obama’s winning slogan, I would’ve needed a calculator. But you know what, I quite like this commercial. It’s simple, inspiring, and even the title doesn’t appear cheesy by the 60th second. For the first time since the whole falala about the world’s first Youth Olympics Games, I actually feel proud my country is playing host. Well done, McCann-Erickson Singapore. You’re the saving grace to the so-hideous-it-should-be-illegal website. Anyone has any idea which Agency did this horrendous website for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics Games? Oh good god, it looks so typically Government-like and no, for all my Government peeps reading this, that isn’t a compliment. nike sportswear x cassette playa 2010 summer fashion show On April 2 2010, NIKE Sportswear rolled out its Summer 2010 collection in Bangkok, Thailand, in a first-of-its-kind digital fashion show, by no other than the renowned London-based fashion prodigy, Carri Mundane, the mastermind of cult label Cassette Playa. With less than two days to play with, Carri rendered the runway in a stunning art installation infused with live and digitally recorded models, handpicked from the streets of the dynamic city. I was there to witness Carri’s beautiful interpretation of NIKE Sportswear. The fashion show presented the GS Polo, N98 track jacket and LunarLite Rejeven8 sneakers with detailing that served to inspire people with the beauty and spirit of football. With various artists’ twists incorporated into cutting-edge innovations in sportswear, the collection projects a phenomenal crossover where silhouettes of what seen on pitch make their entrance into streetwear fashion scene. Excuse my terrible video editing skills, but here’s an exclusive preview of the fashion show that took place. Needless to say, the biggest sneaker freakers of Bangkok were present. Such include Giftza from Girly Berry, Thaitanium, Ploi Horwang, Nat Sarasas, and Russell Williamson. As all NIKE Sportswear fashion shows would guarantee, heaps of seriously sick kicks from the streets graced the event. A few hours before the show, Carri caught up with some of us for a group interview. Gosh, she must be the sweetest thing ever to be created by God, second to perhaps, Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough. Here’s Carri talking about her experiences working with NIKE Sportswear. An exclusive, limited edition poster inspired by football was served to each attendee as a night cap. Imma leave you now, with them gorgeous pictures taken from that night. DKNY Delicious Candy Apples Giveaway! People, meet my new best friends from DKNY Delicious Candy Apples collection; Sweet Caramel (the refreshing greenie), Ripe Raspberry (that one blushing in red) and Juicy Berry (the juiced up purple).  As any reader of mine would know, I’ve got a sweet tooth for all things visually arresting and lethally beautiful. I can’t help it really. Ten years studying Fine Arts does that to you. At first sight and whiff of the DKNY Delicious Candy Apples, I was instantly reminded of my childhood. Fair enough, I didn’t have my impressive jugs or bespoke shirts back then, and mum had me in this godawful pigtail all the time, but still… Life was so much simpler those days. Watching my ‘fighting spider’ battle against another. Renting an Archie comic book from Johdi bookstore. Buying ‘5-for-10cents’ Hacks sweets from the Mama shop. Sucking on colorful ice popsicles on a brutally humid day. Ahhhhh memories. You can imagine why I was smiling like the little munchkin with a pigtail that I was as a kid, when I was fiddling with my DKNY Delicious Candy Apples in my studio. Now’s your turn to smile. Thanks to the lovely people at DKNY, I’m giving away not 1, but 5 limited edition (read: very limited quantities available in Singapore) DKNY Delicious Candy Apples!  I have 3 Sweet Caramel, 1 Ripe Raspberry and 1 Juice Berry to give away in total. Here’s how we roll. Good luck everyone! What does DKNY Delicious Candy Apples remind you of? 1/ Leave a comment with your best answer. Get creative. Get dramatic. Get emo. I welcome a William Blake any day. 2/ Re-tweet this sentence “DKNY Delicious Candy Apples remind me of… http://bit.ly/candyapples @patlaw” 3/ 5 lucky winners will win themselves a limited edition DKNY Delicious Candy Apple (50ml) worth SGD88.00 each. 4/ Contest ends 30 April 2010. All winners will be notified by email by 5 May 2010. 5/ This contest is open to Singapore residents only. Just so as to inspire you in crafting your answer, check out what these ladies think DKNY Delicious Candy Apples remind them of. The limited edition DKNY Delicious Candy Apples will be launched on 23 April 2010 at TANGS, Vivocity (East Boulevard). Go grab yourself a lovely bottle of sweetness at only SGD88.00 if you don’t trust your luck with this contest. august man a-listers: vote for Noel Yeo In this post, I shall talk about the one man I absolutely adore – Noel Yeo. I had the privilege of working with him back in Ogilvy Public Relations. Without a doubt, Noel is immaculately beautiful (I’d definitely do him if I fancied that dangling procreation tool), intensely passionate about his craft (calling it work would be an understatement to the quality of his masterpieces produced) and above all, Noel has a heart of gold. It is easy to find a gorgeous man with an ugly heart. One who knows he is visually arresting, and flaunts it arrogantly like a peacock to peahens. One who probably thinks it is an honour for the Public to be polishing his balls or something. Noel is a gentleman true to the bone, and is democratic about his generosity. In other words, he is not nice to you because he wants to get into your pants or because you’re a Who’s-Who. He is just a nice guy, period. I have NEVER seen Noel nasty to anyone, save for the occasional idiot who screws up his/ her work. Noel is a perfectionist and such is telling when he goes about combing every single speck of flaw in his projects. It is almost funny watching the perfectionist in action. A Chinese Tom Ford in making, if I may so say. August Man is in search for the top 3 A-Listers from a pool of 24 gents. It is little surprise to find Noel in the mix of candidates. It will be utterly shocking if I don’t see him emerge as the top 3. This campaign relies on the Public’s votes as well as a series of tasks and challenges predetermined by August Man. Men like Noel are an endangered species who deserve to be celebrated. I’ll be voting for him. I want you, my discerning reader with similar appreciation for men, to do the same. GO VOTE NOW. All images courtesy of August Man. the spilt girls I saw these girls earlier this afternoon playing a game I never thought I’d ever see. Wow. Whatever happened to good ol hopscotch? incarnation by mark ryden My dream is to one day own a Mark Ryden original. The intensity and insanity of his strokes are unbelievable. Watching him paint Incarnation whilst listening to his favourite musician, Dustin O’Halloran, has just made me tear. I am at loss for words. korean gambit If you leave the social media marketing of a digital camcorder to a typical Media person, chances are, he/ she would tell you to get 20 bloggers to review your product for X amount of moolah. Not his/ her fault really. They are engineered to sell space, not create ideas. I’m not sure who’s the mastermind behind this lovely video for Samsung Digital Camcorder H205 but I’d bet on my entire collection of NIKEs it ain’t a Media agency. My point to this? Don’t consult a neurosurgeon if you need an oncologist. Via: weloveviral™ recycled boombox The candy box reincarnated as a boombox with a duo of clear-sounding, powerful speakers, available at only USD18.00. Purrrfect for the iPod. Comes in Red too. nike free run+ This is probably the closest you can get to barefoot running. The Nike Free Run+ running shoe was designed with a full bootie, giving you a customized fit and barefoot-like feel during your run. Built to train your feet to be stronger over time, the Nike Free Run+  offers exceptional comfort and insane flexibility. So flexible in fact, them boys from Japan decided to have a little fun with them. Check this hilarious video out. the search for the world’s greatest salesperson My former agency Ogilvy has just launched this brilliant self-promotion campaign out of its New York office – the Search for the World’s Greatest Salesperson – that doubles up as a recruitment drive. Here’s the brief: Sell a brick in a video of 2 minutes or less. Give your best pitch, and if you’re the One, you win yourself the title of World’s Greatest Salesperson (haha) and a three-month paid fellowship at OgilvyOne. Founder and Advertising God, David Ogilvy, had a mantra that still holds true today – We sell, or else. The Ad Men and Women alike from Ogilvy are top dogs equipped with the ability to deploy tactics as reflected in the 6 absolutely-hilarious videos below. I’m guilty as charged for all but the Envy Transfer. I’m not good with theatrics like that… Too much of a straight talker, maybe. The Stat Factor The Metaphor The Envy Transfer The Name Stamp The Jargon Joust The Personal Touch I adore this campaign but I can’t figure out why the fuck they would  include this What it Takes to Work at Ogilvy & Mather video in this campaign. After watching the rest of the videos, this one feels like a bloody joke. In fact, it was such a disconnect I honestly thought it was a spoof by some guy from a competitive agency or something. Hmm. The One That Disappoints instant lomo This must be the final thrust to a photographic orgasm for Lomo LC-A loyalists. The best of the Lomo LC-A – its perfect blend of saturation and contrast framed by smoky vignettes, now comes instantly with this dream accessory, the Instant Black+. Available at €100.00. superpitch! I’m a sucker for clients like that. How accurate. Prepare your schmooze. For a brand that targets at professional designers, art directors and printers, or rather, all of the Advertising industry in general except for pathetic Media ‘mouse-clickers’, this microsite is cute. I only wish the corporate site would look a little sexier. Think you have what it takes to win a pitch? Give SuperPitch your best shot and see if you get the clients’ approval. You get to select the type of clients you’d like to pitch for, the members you’d for your pitch team, the flow of your presentation, and the level of drama you’d like to in this presentation. For all curious, I failed. I’ve never been that great of a car salesman, unfortunately. If I enjoyed fluffing that much, I would’ve been an actress. i can hardly wait Finally, a brand that smartly leverages on the insight that humans in general (straight women included!) enjoy watching two gorgeous women kissing. How else would you make one listen to your entire song? This is the official video by Complicated Universal Cum, based on the hit-ballad from Frederik Valentins solo debut. Released on Fake Diamond Records of which album you may purchase on iTunes. god’s men go gaga Oh. My. God. Pun not intended. This was City Harvest Church’s rendition of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance for Easter 2010. Oh. My. God. and the electric bike gets sexy Nope, I’m not kidding you, the Enertia is an all-electric, plug-in motorcycle that goes upwards of 55mph, with a range of 40+ miles and takes merely 3 hours to charge (like my badly abused iPhone). Due to be born this Summer/ Fall, at USD7,995.00. Oh I wish this baby would come by my country. Via: Feel More Human the map of the future I need to find a way of getting this 82 x 27″ print conceived by Density Design for WIRED Italy. The former was tasked to draw a map based on the scenarios developed by the brains in the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, to aid the  reader in the net of ideas and hypothesis built by 7,000 influencers around the world. The result? This Map of the Future. Via: The Donut Project a kiss to remember In the haven designed by Valentina Audrito, I laid by the day bed in absolute bliss. Sipping on my piping hot Balinese coffee whilst watching the source of Life glisten against the private pool, I thought to myself, “Thank God I didn’t give this trip a miss,”. My initial reservation came from an experience three months prior. I was visiting Bali for the first time and by the end of my stay, I was ready to make it my last. My hotel in Nusa Dua had a 6-star badge to brag, but it lacked character. Judging by its patrons, I felt like I was in a luxurious home for the Aged. To contrast, Kuta beach and its polluted waves of horny surfer cocks was a gentle reminder of why I retired from the party scene years ago. I do party, don’t get me wrong, and damn I party hard… but jesus, it felt as though there was a STD carrier every 5 steps I took. By the time I was harassed by a lunatic of a taxi driver who tried to pull me (literally) into his taxi, I was ready to kiss Bali goodbye. Little did I imagine I would be kissing Bali again. But this time, it was a kiss to remember. This was the villa I was in. Gorgeous, ain’t it? This was my lovely bathroom. Blessed with volcanic views tucked amidst traditional rice terraces, KISS offers 7 pockets of Heaven, with a total of 12 cozy and spacious bedrooms. In each villa, a private pool greets you against the blistering heat, alongside these lovely items included in their rates: • airport transfer (both ways, and if you’re like me, you’d appreciate this) • a 15-minutes stress break with a head and shoulder massage • a nightcap of delicious chocolates (!) • daily breakfast • unlimited flow of bottled water, coffee and tea (you can imagine why I was such a happy bunny) • 24-hour personalized butler, concierge and house-keeping service • Complimentary hi-speed WIFI internet access  (yes, seriously, you don’t need to buy some freaking pre-paid card and wire up by the desk unlike most places) • Complimentary Mini bar (first round only but damnnnn, since when was the Mini bar ever complimentary?!) KISS was born from a relentless desire to offer a unique experience, away from the cookie cutter designs (like half of the soulless hotels we know in Bali), for discerning jetsetters escaping to this island. Influences of the 1970s glamour ooze through the sleek architecture and design of the Present. With only 7 precious villas, tranquility is guaranteed. I was in dire need of a recharge and KISS gave me just that – the rejuvenation of my jaded soul and tired mind, in an expected kiss of nostalgia and utter bliss. A bit dramatic perhaps, but KISS has single-handedly restored my faith in Bali. In fact, I’m toying with the idea of working from KISS for a month a year. We’ll see. Meanwhile, be sure to try your first KISS, if you’re visiting Bali. I’ll leave you now with some of the pictures my friend R and I took. All of them pretty ones were taken by her.