Beautifood HK

Growing up in HK as a healthnut, I was often disappointed with the limited selection of health food stops. I was mostly limited to Pret being the dominant chain for ‘healthy eating’ (and occasionally MIX). By contrast, upon moving to the UK, I had a plethora of places to choose from, including organic food stores, salad and sushi takeout bars and smoothie houses. When I heard HK had opened a gourmet salad takeout, I was intrigued. It’s a clever business move – by taking a one in a dozen concept in London and placing it in HK, it stands out more.

While they do online delivery, I placed my first order in their well positioned shop in the heart of LKF- a prime location to cater to the health-conscious Central business suit folk that congregate there in the masses during lunch break hours. Settling on a Umami salad and half sushi burrito deal, I was impressed with how fast service was and the stylish packaging. For 50HKD, you get a hefty amount of salad encased in a plastic dome, the top of which could probably be used as a hat! The salad itself was delightfully fresh, from the clean unfettered mesclun lettuce and ripe cherry tomatoes to the juicy prawns and tangy dressing. My spicy Si Chuan chick burrito was also a hit and I cannot help but commend the business savvy behind the genius idea of adding this fusion-ised item to the menu which gratifies the desires of HK’s elite for the trendy and cosmopolitan.

Thoughts on Graduation

Three years have whisked by in a flash, and before I knew it, I was donning the cape, diploma in hand, and bidding farewell to (yes the saying is true) the best years of my life. So far that is. Seeing as I've come out of it with a First Class Honors and an award for the Best Undergrad Dissertation, I'd say I did not too shabby.

So what's next on the cards for me? Well, while I've definitely had my lion's share of fun at Leeds, it's time for this fresh-faced grad to be moving on from laid-back student town to The big city - London.
I received the shock of my life when I got accepted into LSE for a Master's in Management, so that's where I'll be headed.

I know job experience is the name of the game nowadays, and getting hands down into work is the most reiterated piece of advice, but my decision to keep studying was fueled mainly by two key reasons:

1. Time - I'm still 20, which buys me some time in terms of doing more things before I decide to devote my life to the 9-to-5.

2. Development - Speaking of extra time, I'll be using it to further develop myself. Through the course, I hope to refresh my faded math and econ skills ( long untouched since the dreaded IB) and bump up my Mandarin, which I've come to realize is crucial to getting any decent job in Hong Kong nowadays. Especially if, like me, Chinese happens to comprise (half) your heritage. So alongside the intensive academic pounding LSE is so renowned for, I'll also be dedicating my 2 years to honing my language skills.

I'm not expecting to come out with any accolades or distinctions as per my undergrad studies, but rather, just leave wiser (on financials, strategy and Chinese especially) than I had started.

I will end this post by sharing an Ancient Chinese fable I stumbled across in the paper today that I think summarizes my feelings on how I will face my next coming years after this resonant point:

A man and his wife live on the 80th Floor. One day, they walked up, carrying several bags with them. Till the 20th story, they were energetic. After the 20th story, they realized they were carrying too many bags so left them on the 25th story. Each step approaching 40th, they criticized each other and got grumpy about not bringing the water they left in the bags but kept moving up. At 60th, they had no breath left and just looked at each other. The journey from 60th to 80th was monotonous and when they finally reached 80, they realized that the apartment keys were back in the bag on the 25th floor!

Moral: Most important decisions in life are taken in early 20s. The actions and activities of that age shape ones identity and create the path for life's journey.

Working in Aesthetic Med. | Training Workshops in Taiwan

Currently undergoing an internship with a Taiwanese anti-aging clinic, which is attached to a training and consultancy sister company.

In these two weeks, I have mostly been involved with the second venture, recently set up to provide knowledge and education to Taiwan's medical professionals. I had the privilege of helping them organize and execute their first series of workshops, allowing me to see firsthand what is entailed in carrying out a successful training event.

Every little detail needs to be considered. From contacting speakers, issuing invites, planning locations, to determining the manner of greeting the guests or the display of food and beverages laid out on seating spaces.

The FF Intern's Final Swansong

Wrote a final post recounting my experience as a Part-Time Marketing Intern.

London Fashion Weekend 2013

Having missed London Fashion Week by sticking to my resolution to be a good student in Leeds, I was keen to find out more about the Vodafone London Fashion Weekend after a friend recommended it to me when we were brainstorming possible activities for another one of my weekend retreats to the big city. A tribute to that pinnacle week on the Fashion calendar, LFWeekend is situated at Somerset House on the Strand and consists of a host of fashion-related activities: discounted designer shopping, live talks and catwalk shows. It definitely sounded like our kind of day, so we promptly bought the last few tickets left for Sunday afternoon and wasted no time planning out LFW worthy outfits.

 On the day, we joined the throngs of equally excited (mainly female) shoppers, snapping preliminary shots outside the show tent and weaving through the packed indoor shopping zone. I admired those who threw caution to London's freezing cold by going without a coat or even a pair of tights. Now that's real dedication. On the other hand, Juliet and I were content with being wrapped up to keep warm outdoors. Pneumonia is never in style.

University of Leeds | World Unite Festival 2013

Multiculturalism is an integral part of the University experience. Especially in the case of those, like myself, who have moved away from the bubble of their hometowns to be exposed to the cultural melting pot that is Higher Ed. And if we don't take advantage of this, we are seriously missing out.

University of Leeds Promo Video

In early December. I helped out a bunch of talented course mates by appearing in their submission for a University student video competition. The brief was to create a promotional short featuring different aspects of student life at Leeds and showcasing what the University has to offer prospective students. They used original music, which goes uncannily well with the stunning visuals and clever editing. I was impressed when I finally saw the finished product and immediately knew that they stood a great chance of winning.

As the winning entry, the video has been featured on the main University of Leeds youtube page and will be broadcasted on the LCD screens around the campus. It's a surreal feeling knowing that I am associated with this brillant production even though I merely played a small part. Congratulations Bar7 team who, now with their 250 pounds cash prize, are laying the foundations to establish their own production company. 

PR and Marketing | What we can learn from the Instagram PR Debacle

credit to marketingland.com

Instagram encountered a massive toll on it's social capital after a PR firestorm regarding the introduction of controversial policies that permit third-party commercial use of photos without user consent or compensation. This was a poorly timed decision, given the recent Facebook acquisition and new competition such as Twitter’s added filters and Google Snapseed. The public outcry generated also indicates that society still holds strong attitudes on online privacy and emphasizes the need for transparency in terms of service changes. In short, this case signifies the PR challenge faced by technology companies in introducing social advertising to a free service without jeopardizing their consumer relationships.

On a more optimistic note, the consequent retraction of these policies demonstrates that Instagram respond to user concerns. Still, given the inevitability of the Perceptive Web as the next logical step for advertising, along with the fact that Facebook will expect returns on their $715 million investment, there is no question that Instagram will be monetized, though the method by which this will take place remains largely undefined. No matter the final proposal, PR firms will certainly be interested to see whether Instagram have learnt from their mistakes when releasing this news a second time around.

Hong Kong Hustle | Andy Warhol Art Exhibit

I admit to being a slight culture vulture. I enjoy frequenting museums and art galleries, reading those little descriptions of the exhibits and dreaming of a time before this crazy technological mega-mall we live in today. So when the 2nd largest Andy Warhol exhibit rolled into town, I embarked on a cultural outing with my accomplished and gorgeous New Yorker, Jaclyn Siu - an entrepreneur with a penchant for all things fashion - to spend a day appreciating the life and work of this great influential figure. The gallery is located at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, where the dominant color scheme was pink - more reminiscent of a Barbie store than a homage to a historical icon. Understandably, we weren't permitted to take any photos inside (but how we wished we could have!). Most of us tend to only associate Andy Warhol with his more publicized works: the infamous Campbell Soup series and iconic Marilyn Monroe screen prints. But people are rarely aware of the fact that Mr.Warhol was actually an artist of various styles. He was an acclaimed shoe illustrator in New York, a skilled photographer specializing in  expressive polaroids, and dabbled in other modes of innovative art techniques. Though I would have to agree that some of his work does verge on the over-eccentric (was an eight hour long take of the Empire State Building really necessary?).