Here’s an updated list of blog posts I have on Digital Dudette. Do visit my new blog!

Mistake to Avoid #1 on Digital Media – : What Happens When Expandable Banners Expand On Each Other?

Mistake to Avoid: What Happens When Your Competitors Start Talking To Your Users, In Your Own Aisle

8 Steps to create an Infographic Resume

Cheers,
Ruby

Appreciate all feedback on the new blog!

Searched online and got back with some response to his email, some people said give him a chance since he’s trying. Most said he’s trying to SPAM our inbox or worst, some think it’s a virus.

Here are some additional links:

Lowyat Discussion Forum. http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1736531

Blogs: http://remgold.blogspot.com/2009/04/pm-najib-dropped-me-email-no-seriously.html

And today, Najib is asking the youths through Twitter  how to spend the RM 20 Million allocated for them. Read it here: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/25/nation/7865169&sec=nation

Finally the government is embracing the posibilities of Internet. Owh how wonderful!

- Travel: I went to Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok & Phuket. A nice list isn’t it? Cambodia up next April!

- Finished a 5 KM marathon. Yes, I did!

- Learned to cook =)

- On the process of healing my bad knee pain.

- Won a Digital Search Award for Vizeum!

- Invested in mutual fund *Ka-ching*

- Bought a new phone, N8 rocks!

- Transformed my room to a mini chill out zone

- Got a puppy!

- Start collections: Paintings, Coins & Dolls.

And here’s my 2009 list… Soon, I’ll share my 2011 – a girl has gotta have something to look forward too, doesn’t she?

And believe me, shopping in Bangkok will make you go OMG, OMG, OhhhMaaaaaaaiGawwwdddddddd!!! *wink*

Tips to shop in Bangkok.

1. If you see something you like, buy it. There’s simply no time to go back to a shop where you saw that pretty little dress but was too fickle minded to decide whether you wanted it or not. Besides, there’s so much to see, bargain and buy, you would even get lost trying to find your way back to a particular shop.

2. Don’t take plastic bags. Apart from “saving” the earth, you also tend to save baggage space. Bring you own backpack and shopping bags (Note that I used AND – trust me, you’ll need both).

3. Wear comfortable shoes or sandals. Last thing you need on a trip is an achy feet caused by bad slippers. Invest in a good pair of walking shoes or sandals.

4. Keep your money/purse in front of you. Even keep some in different pockets, you don’t want to lose your money. Another tip is to keep your money in separate 5,000 Bahts (or other amounts you wish) cause it’s extremely hard to keep track of what you have been spending on. By keeping your cash separated, you know how much you have left to spend. And bring only cards that you need, keep that privilege card that get you discounts in Robinson’s at home. 

5. Get a hotel room that provides safe deposit box. Yes, unfortunately there are some that don’t provide it, so do check on that when you’re booking your hotel. 

6. Do not trust strangers! I cannot stress enough the importance of this, but con fellows are roaming the streets of Bangkok, looking for tourist like you. If they speak fluent English, convince you that they are merely trying to be friendly, help you with a tuk tuk, BEWARE YOU MIGHT JUST FALL INTO THEIR SCAM. Yes, many have been fooled.

7. Decide what you want to buy, and research where to buy it. Do you want to buy genuine products for a cheaper price, or bargain clothes, or crafts, or jewelry, or thai silk or home decor. Yeap, there’s a list of unlimited choices for things to buy in Bangkok. Once you have decided what you want to shop for, then Google up the best places to buy those things. i.e. best place for crafts is Chartuchak Weekend Market, but best place for 

8. Get adventurous, take the train. Don’t rely merely on cabs, you might get stuck in traffic for hours. The train is fast, cheap and convenient. 

9. Get pampered, go get a massage! Choose from foot reflexology to thai massage to oil massage, you’ll need the pampering after all the shopping.

* To illustrate how cheap you can afford things in Bangkok, visit this website and notice that the Tuk Tuk made out of can drinks are priced at USD 32.30? I got the exact same item for USD 3.80. Happy shopping everyone!

Related Articles

• A market economy thrives in Bangkok (thestar.com)

but when consumers are talking to you, are you listening?

Perhaps this issue has been highlighted over and over again, but no one seems to take notice off it. Brands usually repeat what they are familiar with and expect different results. (If you feel your clients are “NUTS”, you’re not alone - that’s how the world’s famous genius, Albert Einstein describes insanity anyways!)

So here are some brands that have been listeningg…

GAP listens, and closes the awkward gap between brands & consumers

GAP wanted to show their consumers that they are becoming more contemporary, hence designed a brand new logo. But it didn’t work too well for them, with people lashing out at them on their facebook account.

So they finally decided to change back to their original logo (thank god for that), so here’s the response on Facebook.

It’s lucky that they had been managing a Facebook page and this while and got early response. Could you imagine if they didn’t have a Facebook page and had their new logo all over their apparel – having to recall them after some months knowing that sales were dropping – a whole load off problems to deal with!!!

So here’s a solid reason (yet again) to have a Facebook page

Celcom oh Celcom, don’t you know what your missing out on?

A group has been created to discuss their unsatisfaction towards Celcom broadband. The people who join claim to pay too much for bad service.

This is what happens when you don’t listen to what others are saying about your brand. And I’m very surprised, a competitive telco brand – Celcom DOES NOT have a Facebook account.

What a pity, the other brands have been leveraging on social media quite well. At this point of time with Maxis at 125K fans, Digi with 87K fans and even the newcomer, Tune Talk has about 14K fans already.

*UPDATE (03/11)* I was highlighted from a reader (thanks Jin Guan!) that Celcom has a Facebook account afterall – Celcom Blue Cube with a fanbase of 870 people. Stil bit insignificant compared to the rest of the telco players eh?

Honda’s loyal fans did support Crosstour after all

Remember the big fuss about the latest Honda Accord Crosstour that happened sometime in September 2009? – Here’s a post about it.

Now, if you visit their facebook page, you’ll come to see that all feedbacks are positive! Many say that they love the car and are excited to get it.

Lesson to Learn: Even if you’re not going to be present on social media, atleast engage on a social media monitoring pleaseeeee. People are talking about you anyways, atleast provide them with a way to express it cause if not, they are gonna find it themselves.

Related Articles

• Gaps’s brand launch turned fiasco (dontdrinkthekoolaidblog.com)
• Brand Loyalty in the Age of Social Media [TNW Social Media] (thenextweb.com)

I convinced my friends to join, one lazy bum couldn’t get herself up so she skipped – thinking I’m gonna get back to zzzzzzz on that sunday morning as well.

So the rest of us, made our way to KLCC by LRT – I didn’t wanna bring my car and get stuck with the jam and pay a hefty parking fee.

Honestly, I didn’t know the way to the race start but how am I to get lost when almost half of the train was filled with bright lime green Nike tshirts (I was hoping to get a nicer tshirt though) cramming their way – just follow the crowd honey!

Freshhh before the run

There were more 10km runners than 5km runners and that was kinda surprising! And the crowd turn up was good (almost 6,000 runners wei!), never knew so many peepz in kl were into marathons.

Through out the marathon, a lot of us walked instead of actually running. Even one of the DJs along the booth were teasing that it was supposed to be a run, not a walk. Haha, but I couldn’t help it – I jogged around, walked when I got huffy puffy and ran a little when I naik semangat.

Drinks along the race was bit scarce. By time I hit 1.5 km, all the 100 PLUS/water were “outta stock” so we had to make our way till the other “pit stop” to get some water down our throat.

I finished the race in 54 mins 25 secs – an average off 11 mins/hour. A respectable 5 km run time in 30 mins *cries*. Looks like I’ve gotta improve my timing by a whole 50%!!!

Finishing line

Love this shot off myself with Ash =D

Anyways, you can check your timing if you’ve joined by heading to Nike Marathon Results by simply typing your full name or your participation number if you remember.

I was hoping for a cert, a goodie bag but all we got was a Nike Doll, a concert line up and lots of bananas. I had no idea that some runners didn’t even get bananas cause the staff there kept giving out 2 bananas/person even though I only wanted on, hence the pic below…

But I did get a surprisingly warm email from Kaki Lari after the race.. It’s as per below:

I used to shy away from PJ lessons in schools simply because I felt I was too fat too run and I didn’t like the huffy puffy feeling, and not to mention the achy body the next day.

I used to try, and then give up after some weeks. And just kept myself away from sports for good, growing side ways like never before.

Then I got into college and started going to the gym a little bit with my friend Abidin. I must admit, having a partner to exercise with really gives you the determination you need. It’s like a support system, cause you know your own wouldn’t last for more than 3 months.

But soon I got “busy” with college, stopped gym all together excusing myself with the typical “I’ve got no time” line.

Things got worst after I started working ’cause I was behind desk all day long and frankly, the only exercise I got was when I walked to office from the carpark. Yes, it was that bad.

Not surprising, my weight increased by 6kgs in a couple of months so that lead to my resolution this year – to run a marathon.

I thought I wouldn’t make it – but thanks to my ex-collegue, Alice Tan who triggered this up again by encouraging me to sign up for the SHAPE 5km Night Run.

Though I was bit too late to sign up for that, I did manage to go for the Nike – We Run KL 5km Marathon on 10.10.10. An auspicious day to be the start of a new lifestyle eh? (Read about my experience in the marathon here.)

I’m just keeping my fingers crossed so that I continue going to the gym, attend more marathon and build my stamina.

I’ve already been seeing improvements in my energy levels, hopeeeeee it’ll last! Gambateh…

“How’s your mom doing?”

A decent question, with a concerned tone. But for some reason it triggers a battle of emotions within me.

What should I say???

Should i tell the truth? Should I repeat what the doctor said? Should I lie and say everything’s okay or just I just shrug it away?

At times, I feel compelled to tell. Not for them, but for me. To let is off my chest.

But everytime I do tell the truth, I feel like I’m giving up on her. Everytime I say, actually she’s not doing too well and the doctors aren’t too positive about it either, I feel that I’m washing my hands too.

So I lie. She’s bouncing back just fine… and slowly I believe my lie, and build a fake confidence that everything will be alright again.