Queen of Cuisine

Lori Granito, who runs Go-Gourmet and Magnolia, proves that hardships can be overcome but rishs have to be taken. Ten Things to learn:

1. Take care of your staff People are your best asset. I wouldn't be anywhere without them. If you want them to look after your customers, you have to look after them first. Remember that they represent your company to the public at large. I try to hire people with enthusiasm, energy, and maturity, not necessarily people with the most experience.

2. Transform your clients from passive buyers to true believers Focus on going above and beyond all the time, creating an army of customer advocates. I treat every customer's events as though it were my own because I know that passionate customers can transform your business.Loyal customers are created through experiences with you, your product and your company.

3. Be genuine Don't try to force relationships with your clients and don't overwhelm them with too much information or too many offers. Try to find ways to engage them.

4. Don't compete with your competitors Know what your competitor is doing, but don't try to compete with them on price or item by item. Find out what your unique selling position is, focus on executing it to the best of your ability and seek ways to constantly improve on what you do. Your biggest competitor should be yourself.

5. Win the battle you're in While our company has several different revenue streams, we always keep an eye on our core business. Trying to take on too many new challenges can dilute your ability focus on the battle that's right in front of you.

to be continued...

Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair

Managing Stress

• Learn to breathe : Take a really deep breath and hold it for a moment before breathing out through your mouth. Exhale slowly as you count 10 or 15. Focus on relaxing your stomach and shoulder muscles as you breathe out.
• Take one-minute vacation: Pick a favourite mental image, such as holiday location or the face of a loved one. Practise brining this image to mind whenever you need to relax. Give yourself a full minute to enjoy the positive feelings associate with the image.
• Relax your muscles: Tense muscles stop your breathing deeply, so stretch regularly to allow your body and mind to loosen up.
• Expend some energy: An overstimulated brain is programmed to fight or flee - it wants activity. Give your body a chance to use this pent-up energy by walking around the office, as a short-term solution, and making regular exercise a part of your routine.
  

志蓮淨苑

Adobe Lightroom

Recently I discovered a new photo editing and management software called Adobe Lightroom. It is designed with Adobe photoshop CS3 technology, yet from a photographer workflow point of view. It is very user friendly, especially if you really went into darkroom before.

Browse Here

Hong Kong Electronic Fair (Spring Edition)

This April is the most busy month for us. While most people are enjoying the weekend, I am actually working during Saturday and Sunday at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Although my survey project is s small one compared to other team-mates, it still a demanding month where we work for many consecutive weekends without a rest. While most people may prefer a relax day by staying at office, I actually prefer to work at the trade fairs where I can directly interact with the operation colleagues and facing the customers. It is extremely important to get in touch with customer face to face to hear their comments and feedback!

Google Acquired DoubleClick

Google has purchased DoubleClick at US$3.1 billion to acquire DoublickClick's network of advertisers and web publishers.

You all know Google is good at Text Ad but not display / rich media - video / graphical advertising. This is a very good strategic and synergistic move for Google to expand their product service offerings.

The internet world changes so fast. DoubleClick, owned by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman and JMI Equity and management. Last year DoubleClick sell out it's newsletter engine to Epsilon and quickly acquired by Google this year. It so obvious the core assets of DoubleClick is not newsletter broadcast tool where you can pick up any competitors product around, it is their advertiser networks and products that counts.

"By working together, we're going to be able to offer a variety of tools for advertisers to do better Internet targeting," said Susan Wojcicki, a vice president of product management with Google, speaking on a conference call with reporters. "Advertisers will be able to spend more and be able to make rational decisions about how they are spending their ad dollars."

See Industry Comment

See Google Official Press Release

Best Ways to Manage from the Middle

Middle level manager always sustain higher pressure than others. I've tried to aggregate some management tips from what I've read so far:

• Get away from the desk and talk to employees at all levels
• Understand and train subordinates and help them to understand the bigger picture
• Understand the business, not just my own business or areas of work
  
• Do not forget personal prioritites
• Network with other fellow managers

Sotheby's Spring Auction

Just by chance visited the Sothebe's Spring Auction. My first time visited the Auction in person. It is an interesting and exciting experience to see a painting started with HK$2 million bided up to HK$4 million in 3 minutes. More importantly, there are many famous contemporary Chinese painting, it's worth a visit indeed.

Browse here

Thanks iPod!

This is an interesting story I read from the internet. Kevin Garrad was on a street patrol in Iraq and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed AK47 insurgent came from the other size. The two of them within just a few feed of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his iPod was in his pocket. . It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.
Kevin could send his iPod back to Apple for repairing. By the way, could solders listen to iPod when they're on duty?

Check out here

Otters Holding Hands

My friends always ask me whether there is interesting video clips in you tube. Here I recommend this - one of the top 10 in the last two weeks that attracted over 1.5 million clicks. It shoot in Vancover where two Otters holding their little hands together. Even though the water drive them apart, they get awake and grasp each other hands again. Otters are used to stick together to prevent sea wave driving them apart Yet, the video is so touching and adorable!

Browse here

Mobile Advertisement

Although it has been early 30 years since the first commercial cellular phone network was launched, advertisers have yet to figure out how to get their messages out to mobile phone users in a big way. There are 2.2 billion cell-phone subscribers worldwide, with 25% annual growth rate each year. yet spending on ads over cellular networks is just $1.5 billion worldwide, a fraction of the $424 billion global ad market.

Technical obstacles like handset technology, network bandwidth, screen sizes make the advertising campaign complicated. Even more, customers are hostile to their personal phones suddenly barraged with pictures and advertisement. Countries like US. Singapore, India and China are now considering regulating these commercials.

Imagine..korean teenagers send on average 66 text messages a day. They have higher emotional attachment to their mobile than to their mothers. Once the consumer are convinced with the benefits, the market is here!

尋找快樂2

快樂唔係賜予架，而係自己選擇返黎架。

你明唔明？可能會有好多人唔同意，可能會有好多人用好多好多好多例子去駁我，如果你會駁既，得罪講句，咁你唔明囉。呢個世界有太多可能，咩都可以發生。今日既你幾唔妥幾唔掂幾灰都好，冇所謂，最緊要你選擇相信一切都有可能，一切都會變得好既。

尋找快樂

1) 你會唔會做一份人工高，但係要你犧牲九成私人時間既工？
2) 一份工作裡面，最能夠俾到你滿足感既又係d乜？ 金錢？受人尊重？工作性質？抑或仲有其他？
3) 工作同事業，響你既人生裡面，佔幾重要既位置？
4) 你有冇試過覺得鬱鬱不得志？有既話，你又覺得問題同原因響邊度？

杯子與水的哲學

有一次，我們幾個分別了多年的同學相約去拜訪大學的老師。老師很高興，問我們生活得怎麼樣。

不料，一句話就勾出了大家的滿腹牢騷，大家紛紛訴說著生活的不如意：

工作壓力大呀，生活煩惱多呀，做生意的商戰失利呀，當官的仕途受阻呀…彷彿大家都成了時代的棄兒。

老師笑而不語，從廚房拿出一大堆杯子，擺在茶儿上。這些杯子各式各樣，形態各異，有瓷器的，有玻璃的，有塑膠的，有的杯子看起來豪華而高貴，有的則顯得普通而簡陋……

老師說：「大家都是我的學生，我就不把你們當客人看了。你們要是渴了，就自己倒水喝吧。」七咀八舌，大家說得口乾舌燥了，便紛紛拿了自己看中的杯子倒水喝。

等我們手都端了一杯水時，老師又發言了。他指著茶儿上剩下的杯子說：「你們有沒有發現，你們手上的杯子，是最好看，最別緻的杯子，而像這些塑膠杯沒有人選中它。」

當然，我們並不覺得奇怪，誰都希望自己拿著的是一隻好看的杯子。老師說:「這就是你們煩惱的根源」大家需要的是水，而非杯子，但我們有意無意地會去選擇漂亮的杯子。這就如我們的生活．．．如果生活是水的話，那麼，工作、金錢、地位，這些東西就是杯子，它們只是我們盛起生活之水的工具。

其實，杯子的好壞，並不影響水的品質。如果將心思花在杯子上，大家還有心情去品嘗水的苦甜，這不就是自尋煩惱嗎？

Photo Hunting

Just saw this CD album at the CD shop. Very nice collection packing. Did you notice anything go wrong?

Observe and Change

Learn from the meditation class tonight. We're always in the changing status. We are happy this moment but we will be unhappy the next moment.

We should be observe and aware of our feelings and emotions. By observing our emotion, we can decide how to react to things happening around us. We can decide to follow our behavioral habits but we always have the choice to change and use other ways to deal with. We may be buffed by some unreasonable words. We look at our angry feelings, we can decide to react with angry words or choose to listen, accept and accommodate.

Oscar on the Web

Last week YouTube organized the best online video voting campaign, allowing us to vote for :

• The best creative award
  
• The best inspiring award
  
• The best short movie award
  
• The best comedy award
• The best music award
  
• The best commentary award
  
• The best animals award
  

There is no traditional best actor, nor best actress nor best director awards. So have you casted your voted? Will the "Bus Uncle" get the best comedy awards?

The results have been announced. Check out here

我是最後知道的一個 CK思祺

曲詞：劉祖德 唱：CK思祺

沒有埋怨投訴太多
沒有埋怨動了肝火
事事亦為我好
或你對我實太傻
即使我做錯 亦當沒錯
總�|在維護我

* 無人像你這麼伴我
常為我多辛苦奔波
疲倦發呆 都�|來陪我 同哼愛歌
誰能料你根本弄錯
然後你終於明白在找甚麼
原來我是最後知道的一個

沒法離去 唯有再拖
或有情愫未計清楚
事實上待我好
就算錯愛又怎麼
即使你沒法 為我承諾
一世來維護我

知道今世不能沒你的是我
唯有接受這麼錯

Woo......
仍是往來 不間斷陪我 回憶更多
為何是一開始就錯
然後你終於明白在找 找甚麼
原來我是最後知道的一個

Last week I shopped by the CD shop, just picked up a CD cover that seems interesting - a local artist named CK , titled "Perfect Disorder" whom I didn't know and never heard of. I just bought it and surprisingly, it is a very high quality CD. Good music, good lyrics and good performance. This is her first CD. CK voice is mature and touching, with the street band sound touch. In particular I like this song.

Listen

Browse CK Official Web Site

Busy Busy Days

I just cannot recall when I started my busy life at TDC? Is it a month ago? half years ago? or the day when I first join TDC and I have never get an easy life?

I leave my office on tonight, the quiet Friday night. Do you know when the "Delifrance" at the lobby closed at night?