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gotta love nik

When things gets a bit stressful and out of hand in the office, we do get a bit cranky. It was such a draining and tiring day for us (myself and Nik, in particular) - we were out almost half the day doing site recce and buying some stuff for an upcoming project as well as of course, our Halloween party! A visit to our favourite gift/toy store never fails to pick up any damp spirit. The shop is always equipped with the most up-to-date toys, gadgets and notebooks! (yes, I am a total sucker for pretty notebooks!) Look at what we picked up today (and see how excited Nik is with our purchase)!

Boo!

blast to the past

We were doing a site recce today in Petaling Street when we stumbled upon this tiny little cafe called "Old China". It was a rather small cafe drown by many big colourful sign of its neighbours. We decided to stop for a cuppa, and of course, to check out this very unique cafe. The entrance of the shop has this old cowboy town type of door - where you push it and it will swing back. Very antique indeed. The place was very dimly lit and there was only a table occupied by a group of Japanese tourist, having their late lunch. Chinese classic song was being played (I remembered a song by "Ge Lan" - as I am quite a fan of these classic old song myself) - and the walls were filled with old pictures (in sepia), chinese words and vintage posters. We quickly scanned through the place, caught the attention of the waiting staff and ordered our drinks. Food menu was pretty decent and intensive from fish head curry, assam fish, stuffed tofu to many other nyonya-style cuisine. It was quite an experience for us all - after all, it is quite hard to find a cafe with such character nowadays.

I thought it would make quite a nice place for a private small event for a hens night, birthday party or even a Shanghai night theme party. Whilst we send our Hunter & Gatherer team to package up something amazing with this unique place, do contact our Pleasure Team should you wish to have an experience there either for yourself or for someone who has the soft spot for all things old and vintage.

Lovely, isn't it?

Red thinking cap

As we are fast approaching 2012, I can't help but to wonder what lies ahead in 2012. So much prediction for the end of the world come Dec 2012 - but how many of us are actually taking this with a pinch of salt? Come what may, life goes on and doesn't help to just sit around for the whole of 2012 and wondering if it is going to be the end of humanity. So for me, life goes on like normal - and of course, more growth and expansion plans for RedRibbon Days®. Come June 2012, RedRibbon Days® will be 4 years old - and like a toddler of that age, RedRibbon Days® is now walking steadily and is even starting to run. So much to think about for the next course of growth - that I've been putting on my red thinking cap for the past 2 days at work. Of late, I've been thinking a lot. About my team of people, the performer, the letdowns, the next promotion, the next person who will be taking over Nik's responsibilities and duties (while she goes on a sabbatical leave - but my money is on she's trying to conceive).

Things are slightly slower around here on a Monday morning...which gives me some time to dwell deeper into my thoughts and the future direction for the company. Later peeps. Happy Monday.

The thoughts and intention behind a "gift"

I was having a cuppa over the weekend in this trendy upcoming café when I overhead a group of people having this conversation. They are deciding what to get for their best friend’s wedding. When it comes to the word “gift” I can’t help but to eavesdrop further.

So this group of people, aged between 28 – 35 was discussing an upcoming wedding of one their mate. And most naturally, the topic of “What should we get for them” pops up. It was very interesting – and definitely a new perspective to how people makes decision when it comes to buying gifts. I overheard one of them saying, “We shouldn’t give them anything physical – because they are having difficulties with storage.” And don’t bother with gadgets, because they are well equipped in that area as well. One of the savvier friend then interrupted. “They rarely have time for each other due to their heavy workload. Let’s buy them something that will make them spend time with each other”.

Brilliant decision-making skills, I thought.

Their conversation got me thinking about “gifting”. When it comes to giving a gift to someone, do people in general put in much thought about what they are buying for the recipient? This group of people gave me a new insight to how people make decision when they are making a decision on what to buy.

A gift can make or break a relationship, so I was told once. A great well thought gift will be cherished and appreciated – whereas a bad gift can wreck a relationship. How can a gift in general wreck a relationship, I thought? A gift is a gift, no? A company (with good intention) wants to reward their team of people for a good job done on a project. So they bought everyone involved in the project a GPS (car navigator). It is a good gift, many would think. However, the next two days, the management received a resignation letter. When probed further, they found out that the person resigned because he is handicapped bottom down – and will never ever have the opportunity to drive a car. So why would he have use for a GPS? In this context, the buyer has not put in much thought when deciding what to give as a gift – hence wrecking a relationship.

Back to the conversation I eavesdropped earlier, I was thinking how a RedRibbon Days voucher would satisfy all the requirement of a perfect gift for this group of people. A gift that is not physical (hence not taking up space) and allows the couple to spend quality time together.

If I have the opportunity to ever propose the ideal gift for a couple as such, here’s one perfect gift : An epic day out for the couple.

Since it’s going to be an epic day out, the couple should never worry about driving, finding parking and etc. The couple will be drive around the whole day (from the start of their experience till the end)!


Personal Limousine Chauffeur

Their very own chauffeur will be waiting outside the couple’s house waiting for the couple to embark on their epic day out.


First stop: Hearty Breakfast

There is nothing quite like a big hearty breakfast. Indulge in a range of healthy, scrumptious breakfast in a laid-back, cosy restaurant.


Second stop : ATV Waterfall Adventure

Perfect for that busy couple who is constantly buried with work. Take this opportunity to explore the beauty of our natural surroundings in this amazing experience. With a stop-over at a 7 tier waterfall, pristine surrounding untouched by humankind – this experience will definitely be a good breather from the city.


Third Stop : Mandara Massage

After all that adrenalin rush, head down for a pampering, relaxing and indulging couple massage. Let our masseur work their magic, and put the couple into deep relaxed state of mind. For the next 50 minutes, you will be at total bliss.


Fourth Stop : High Tea

So the couple had a hearty breakfast, and by now, should be feeling a bit peckish. Time to indulge in some sweet and savoury treats. Head down to the savvy BSC and indulge in a high tea experience fit for a socialite! Well known for it’s amazing range of chocolates and macarons, this experience will tease all your taste bud. Indulge in quiche, sandwiches, macarons and chocolates over a cup of fine tea.


Fifth Stop : VIP Shoe Shopping for Her

All girls have a soft spot for sexy, glamorous shoes. Proceed next to the experience, the VIP Shoe Shopping Experience where the show will be exclusively closed for an hour just for the couple! Let our personal stylist attend to the every need and advice on how to wear the perfect shoe for each occasion.

A bottle of bubbly and fine chocolates will accompany the couple while carrying out this experience. Imagine sipping bubbly while trying out shoes, without the intervention of others – definitely an experience not to be missed for all shoe aficionado.


Sixth Stop : Golf in The City for Two

Now that she has gotten herself 3 pairs of new shoes, it is time to do something that will make him happy as well! The couple will head down next for a “Golf in the City for Two” experience – whereby the couple will get to learn how to play golf – indoor style. For beginners, it will a good introductory experience to see if you really like the game (before you invest on the golf clubs) – and for the professionals, it will be a good time to practice your swing , and show her how good you are in this!


Seventh Stop : Stylish and Contemporary Asian Dining for Two

The couple must be famished by now - proceed next to a unique dining experience at ISHQ that features authentic Asian recipes from the humble Thai cuisine to Kampuchea and Vientiane and also the infamous Kahsmiri food. Served with a slightly modern twist, ISHQ dishes retain their original, traditional flavours. Having undergone a million dollar renovation resulting in the cosiest of ambience for patrons of fine dining, ISHQ boasts a large pillar-less dining hall that accommodates up to 200 persons, a garden courtyard with alfresco dining and an upper level which acts as a stylish cocktail bar and lounge.


Eight Stop : Movie for Two – Platinum Suite

What better way to end the night with a movie in the comfort of a Platinum Suite? With plenty of facilities to enjoy before the movie, you and your partner are bound to enjoy every minute of the night! Hop on to the massage chair, sip on complimentary soft drinks or surf the net before your movie starts. You and your partner will watch the movie in a 20-seater hall – fit with deluxe sofa that reclines for your ultimate comfort. There is also a service call button – so feel free to call for service any time during the movie! Slump on the plush sofa, eat popcorn, and relive the day’s experiences.

The perfect gift for the busy couple who rarely have time for each other, and yet nothing physical that will clutter their home! You won’t be just giving them an experience, but also the gift of time and love.

*Note: Package above is just a suggestion of an epic day out. All RedRibbon Days experiences are customizable to suit the recipient’s lifestyle and most importantly, your budget.

To customised a gift as such, email us at info (at) redribbondays (dot) com (dot) my or simply tweet to us @redribbon_days or call us at +603 - 2093 5973

Lean v. Fat

I had the most amazing conversation last night during an event with a friend and her husband. We were talking almost about everything until my friend's husband enquired about RedRibbon Days, and if I'm doing any marketing at all - as he only knew about it when my friend(the wife) told him about it. Quite honestly, I do not have an up to date marketing plan for RedRibbon Days. All our marketing was executed as we go along - and as a university graduate, I've done 1 subject on marketing - so I know the importance of a marketing plan. Right...Really ? Do we really need to have a marketing plan that we adhere to like a bible?

Back to the conversation I had with my friend and her husband - so, we went on to discuss about the market for "experience gift" in Malaysia, and he went on and mentioned that "RedRibbon Days is a great product - unfortunately, I think you do not have a very strong marketing strategy". I gulped - I had to agree. After being in this business for 3 years, finally, a very honest soul came to me and said that to my face. Was I offended? No. I was thankful.

As we chat into the night, I learnt more about my product - and he went on to give few very critical feedback. He quickly surfed through our website, and within seconds, he pointed out to me things that should be there but was not there - and things that shouldn't be there but was there.

I had to be honest on this. As a growing company, everything that we do is constantly in a "chop chop" pace. Quite simply, there is no room for too many pilot testing - and to gather feedback for everything that we do. Everything has to be done in-house, seeing that I'm rather fussy when it comes to designing work ; from the type of font use, to the very red that represents RedRibbon Days.

And then my friend went on to say "Lean is the way to go" - I had to pause for a second or so ; and I thought it was an answer to a question that has been disturbing me for the past one week. Lean is good. Lean is this context refers to "a small company but with very good,efficient people". It is better than a company that is big(fat), with many team members, but only a handful are top achievers/performers. I had to agree. I had rather have a small team of good, efficient people working with me, rather than a big team - that does nothing productive but give me problems. Of late, I've been very troubled by the fact that I had to let go of some staff. I hate letting people go, as I believe each of them has something unique in them that will do good for the business.

So, when my friend said that - like a light bulb lighting up a room, my question was instantly solved. I do not need a big team for now especially if they are a team of people who are not pulling their weight to meet the company's objective. I need a very lean team - not a fatty team that will cause health problems to the business down the road.

I had to asked myself last night before I slept - Did God/The Universe sent them my way to give me answers to all the questions that I've asked myself before?

We are turning 3 !!!!!

RedRibbon Days is turning three this 19th June 2011! How time flies and within a blink of an eye, we will be blowing 3 candles on the lovely pavlova cake that we will be having tomorrow. I'm very thankful for what we are today, the group of wonderful people supporting me all the way - relentlessly.

It is customary for everyone to indulge in a whole day of good food, good cake and good company! (well, it's not like we are already doing that every day!). For lunch, we will be having the famous Sunrice duck rice - the yummy black sauce, thick chilli sauce and sour soup is just mind-blowing. Story of sunrice duck rice begun 3 years ago, during our launch date (19th June 2008) - we were frantically running around for our launch and we were supposed to have that very duck rice for lunch - but we totally missed it as we were too busy. So, it was a whole bag of duck rice gone to waste. To commemorate this very auspicious day, we decided that we should make up for the waste and eat duck rice every time we celebrate RedRibbon Days birthday. Sound silly ? Well, it might be to some, but to us, the whole tradition of eating duck rice must continue and must be adhere to come this day, every year.

And yes, a birthday celebration can never be complete without birthday cake! Last year we had tiramisu and we even water it down with a bottle of bubbly. This year, we have ordered a Strawberry Pavlova cake (absolutely divine) and waiting to be popped is a bottle of Veuve.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my team members (who seldom comment on my blog, although I know they follow me and read my blog ardently). This day, 19th June forever belongs to us all at RedRibbon Days - and without you guys, we will never be what we are today ; and without you all, we wouldn't be having so much fun and food!! Thank you, thank you and thank you for everything bestowed to RedRibbon Days and me. We are very blessed to have you all as part of the team.

Happy Birthday RedRibbon Days and may our future days ahead be filled with abundance of fun, happiness, joy, pleasure, experiences, good food, good people and good PROFIT !!

Father's Day

Father's Day this year falls on Sunday (19th June). Like any other years, I never had the opportunity to spend Father's Day (or Mother's Day as a matter of fact) with my dad/mum. Come every weekend, I'm either tied down with events or too busy to travel all the way back to my hometown. The 3 hours journey was to me a complete drag and I get edgy even before the journey home starts!

Anyways, I was going through RedRibbon Days website to decide what I should be getting for dad this year. Dad is a very fussy recipient - he never appreciates me buying cologne, wallet, handphone or watches for him. I have actually given all the mentioned to him for his previous birthdays, Father's Day and Christmas. And whenever he sees me giving him a present, like a remote "ON" button, he will say the same thing each time. "Why you waste money and buy this type of things for me? I got so many bottles of perfumes and I don't even go out that often to spray them"....and he will go on and on..

So when RedRibbon Days was borned 3 years ago, I told him - there will be no physical or tangible gifts from us all from now onwards. You will either be receiving cash (who will say no to cash/ang pow, right) or an experience from RedRibbon Days! Dad was clueless at first. What is RedRibbon Days - and what exactly I do in RedRibbon Days? I explained and knowing Dad, he probably nod as if he understood, but when he explained to others about what I do - it is always somehow not that accurate. Anyways, since I won't be going back to spend Father's Day with dad this year, I need to go through the list of "gift options" that is suitable for him and - that gift must be something that he will really like, remember and have no complains about me wasting money ...

Dad loves to eat - but he has to cut down on his food intake due to the rise in his sugar level. So, I'm opting out on our gourmet/dining experiences. He is not really into adventure/outdoor experiences - so that is out too. I'm putting my bet on a get-aways experiences. That is something that he really likes and I know he will not even murmur a word when he receive the gift!

Seeing that we have so many wonderful get-away experience locally, I've filtered my list to the top three get-away experience for dad:-


1. 3D/2N Survivor Island Adventure

2. 2D/1N Jungle Lodge Weekend Getaway

3. Countryside Hill Tour Overnight Getaway

I know dad will surely not object to these gift options as I'm buying it for him and the whole family will be doing this experience together.

What are you planning to get dad for Father's Day this year?

weddings, weddings & more weddings!!

We are barely into the 3rd month of march and I'm already overwhelmed by weddings! By tradition, the Chinese normally will give red packets on this joyous occasion. Be it a Malay, Chinese, Indian or western wedding, I always ended up giving the couple a red packet as my token of appreciation for being invited.

Ever since the birth of RedRibbon Days, I'm extremely particular about the kind of "gift" on weddings. Nik mentioned to me that she received up to 3 toasters on her wedding day! Boy ! What will a girl do with 3 toaster? Hmm... And I've friends who returned the gift back (and some had the cheek to call up the giver of the gift for the receipt so they can do the exchange!) Gulp!

So, I make it a point from then on that every gift that comes from me on my friends wedding will be carefully thought and intended for. So what makes a good wedding gift, besides cash? Speaking of the latter, I have actually received an invitation card that clearly states that the couple would much prefer to receive their gift in the form of cash. Very direct - but hey, at least they are sparing themselves from the multiples photo frames, toasters and mugs!



I reckon a nice quick getaway experience for the newly weds would be something nice. For those who have no immediate plans for a honeymoon, they could sure do a quick escape from the gift. And a romantic, dining experience never goes wrong. Everybody loves food ! And not to mention, spa & pampering experiences. The newly wed could surely make do with one from pre-wedding preparation.

So yes, I have two lovely experiences nicely wrapped up with our signature gift pack ready to be sent on first thing on Monday morning for two weddings. I sure hope the couples will enjoy the experience and most importantly, understand the intention and emotion behind the gift.

Working hard makes you invisible?

I came across the saying above few months ago - and today the exact same saying popped up in my head again. Is it true that working hard actually makes you invisible? Well, unless of course, if you are working hard to make yourself to be seen then that would be completely irrelevant.

Since the beginning of the new year, I've been totally swarmed with work, back to back events and hardly had anytime on hand to focus on "being seen". This I refer to appearing on media, interviews and etc. So when I stopped doing all that, am I making myself or the business invisible? But isn't business about being preoccupied about getting lots of "real work" and not socialising or attending functions. Isn't business about providing the best you can to your customers ? If so, why then these hard work will make the business less visible and less renown?

And if I'm only working hard to be seen and not working hard in doing the real work, wouldn't that also reflects on how your product/services is? Wouldn't this affect your business or business credentials in the long run? Yes, I may ended up being really popular, in the who is who list - but if my product / services is crap (due to negligence in running the business, because I'm working hard to be seen) wouldn't that make your affect your business or diminishing its value as well?

Xmas @RedRibbon Days

Since it is already 2011, and I've already begun a blog on 2011, I will not be blogging about our RedRibbon Days Xmas Annual Company dinner this time. For interesting reads on this, visit our other blogs at :-

http://redribbondays.blogspot.com
http://nikhida.blogspot.com
http://blackbunnyjournal.tumblr.com

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011 !

In a blink of the eye, 2010 is over and we are bestowed with 2011. 2010 has been an absolutely fabulous year for me personally as well as for RedRibbon Days. I'm extremely grateful for all the things that was bestowed to me last year. Firstly, we moved to a bigger office space that has the capacity to fit in at least 20 new employees! We are definitely in a much better position compared to when we first started - and totally ready to face new challenges. Secondly, I was thrown into "pr" work where I have to socialise with prominent socialites and the get to know the "who is who". Certainly not my preferred cup of tea, but an eye opening experience for me. I got to meet some very superficial people - whom I was introduced to and subtlety snubbed. This however, did not affect me in anyways - if it did in anyways, it only made me stronger and thirsty and eager for success.

As I sat down ushering 2011 last night, I asked myself if I have any resolution(s) of 2011. Quite frankly, this year, I decided to make things easier for myself and the universe. I do not need any resolution(s) - because I believe resolution(s) should be made when it is necessary. For the past 20 years of my life, I never failed to have a list of resolution. Do I actually see and attend to it? I've not much recollection for the past - and frankly speaking, I don't think resolutions works.

So this year, no resolution(s) for me.

However, I strongly believes that the universe is my genie, and my wish is the Universe command.

a wardrobe full of clothes, yet...

I'm not sure if I'm the only one that always felt this way, but of late, I've been struggling to find a decent work attire to don on for work. Everytime I open my wardrobe door, I only see a wave of dull, boring old clothes (despite the fact that I had just recently added on another cabinet!). I can almost feel myself saying out loud (for the past 1 week), "What should I wear today?", "I got nothing to wear" and "I am sick of my clothes".

If I have a wardrobe filled with clothes, why do I then feel this way? Is this normal ? How long does one need to throw out old clothes and replenish it with new ones? In fact, I realised every time I buy something new, I will be wearing the new attire for a week or so, then to realise again that I do not have clothes to wear. So, my question is, what have I been wearing before I bought this new attire that I have been wearing for the past week? Somehow, I don't remember what I have been wearing before my current merchandise.

And is it okay for me to spring clean my wardrobe every season? And how much clothes does one need to have in order to not have that feeling of "what should I wear today" or "Argh, I have nothing to wear!"

So, what should I wear tomorrow?

my 21st birthday

So it was my 21st birthday - again!! Okay, let's be truthful about this. It's not my 21st birthday, but hell, I do feel 21 still ! Anyways, age to me is just another number. So whether I'm 21, 35 or 50 - it doesn't matter. Bottom line, I truly feel good about where I am now. I am still very passionate about what I do at RedRibbon Days - and most importantly witnessing its growth by the day.

Anyways, on 26th November (my birthday actually falls on the 27th, but since 27th is a Saturday, we celebrated a day earlier) I arrived at work as usual - and had to admit here, I kinda knew that the girls will be doing something either on my table, my chair or my room. So, I went in and everyone shouted "Happy Birthday". I smiled, went into my room - and to my horror, they placed something obscene on my chair and table. Too obscene that I'm not even inclined to put up any picture of it here. Well, Nik seem to be enjoying it more than I do anyways! haha !!



It was work like usual - nothing special except that Nik and Ming Ne was acting kinda strange- disappearing every now and then. The day started off extremely well - first I received a Melinda Looi dress as one of my birthday gift and a very generous red packet. At that moment, I felt loved - truly blessed to be surrounded by people who cherished me and remembered my birthday.

It is tradition for us to have birthday lunch in the office - so when Nik came over and asked me for lunch, I eagerly skipped out wondering what they prepared for lunch. I was jumping with joy when I saw the spread of nasi padang ! Nik and Ming Ne had gone all the way (cant remember where they got it, though I remembered asking) for this feast. They got my favourite sambal belacan, fried fish, curry fish head, fried chicken, paru, petai and prawns - it was divine!! It was the most satisfying meal I had in a long time!


Nasi padang spread

Lunch was devoured rather quickly - and soon after a heavy meal, it was back to work like normal. Some time around 3pm, Nik came in again - this time to cut my birthday cake. I was not really hungry - but certainly ready for some sweet stuff after the heavy savoury lunch. I was shocked to see Atika and Az in our meeting room - as it didn't occur to me that they will be getting me an experience gift - to be experienced immediately!

I was thrilled to see boxes and boxes of shoes laying on the floor ! It was actually one of the many packages that I personally created and packaged up. This experience that I received was called "Serious Shoes Lover". When creating this package, I was thinking of the convenience of shopping without having the need to leave the comfort of your house/office. I like the idea of not needing to drive through jam and find parking (can be a bitch especially during peak hours). So when they gave me this gift, I was pleased. I felt so VIP.

The girls (well, we are pretty much an all ladies company) all got excited - all circling around me checking out the range of shoes and bag. The girls all ended up trying the shoes and bags. They were gleefully excited. It was a really cool experience (for me too, even though I was the one that came up with the package!) and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. So without much difficulties, I picked up 3 pairs of very lovely 5" heels (one black, one beige and another in dark blue/silver) and a gold clutch.

Here's some pic I took on that day :-


The angels that brought the shoes and bags to me !





My Louboutin birthday cake & another courtesy of Fuji Xerox

All in all, it was a wonderful day - and once again, I'm truly blessed to be surrounded by lovely people who went all the way to make my day truly special and memorable.

My Age and Passwords

You know you haven't been blogging in a while when you tried accessing the account and then you realised that you do not remember the password. Yup! It just happened to me - while trying to access my very own personal blogspot. Is it a sign of ageing or simply, there are too many accounts one need to sign up these days? In the world of the internet, almost everything requires you to sign up as a member, open an account and etc..I have an account with gmail, google, blogspot, digg, delicious, hotmail, yahoo, messenger, skype and the list goes on and on and on. While some site is totally fine with a short and simple password, some sites simply make it difficult and requires alpha-numerical passwords!

So about an hour ago, I was extremely pumped up and driven to blog about the year of 2010 - when I tried accessing my very own account and I realised I have completely forgotten my password. And it wasn't that long ago, that I celebrated my 3x birthday. So I had to do the normal process of "forgotten password" - reset the password. When I'm finally log in, I have totally lost the urge to write. My mind is now totally focused on am I getting older - hence the slight memory lost or quite simply, there are too many passwords one has to remember that I'm confusing one password with another?

when customer can't see themselves in our shoes...

Last week was indeed a very rough week for everyone in RedRibbon Days. At RedRibbon Days, we take pride in what we do, and each and every experience is of penultimate importance to us. Hence, when a customer come to us and passed crude remarks about our service and how we should be doing it, it was really upsetting. Especially so when the customer kept expecting us to compensate them despite the fact that it is totally not our fault and beyond our control.

In this very instance, one of our flight and flying experience was grounded for this week. And unfortunately, one of our customer had purchased this experience in conjunction with her dad's 60th birthday. I can totally comprehend the excitement and how eager they (the buyer and the recipient) must be. So on the very morning of the experience day, we received a phone call from the buyer, ranting to us about the cancelled flight. We then contacted our provider and asked them for a full explanation in regards to the cancelled flight. We then conveyed the reason to the client (the buyer and the dad) and even our provider called her to explain the situation. What happened next was unimaginable!

Instead of being totally understanding about the whole situation, this customer wrote us a threatening email saying that she will expose about how bad we are in doing what we do to her family/friends and even the media! My response upon reading the email ? I was appalled. It was made clearly that the flight was cancelled due to some last minute regulation that was imposed by DCA and even the Captain who was accompanying the customer (the buyer and the dad) tried to explain it to the customer, but it fell on deaf ears. In her email, she even asked me to close down my business ! What audacity ! And she even asked me to put herself in her shoe!

Quite frankly speaking, I was very apologetic and upset about the whole thing, especially when I found out that it was a gift bought in lieu with a 60th birthday and it was something the dad has always wanted to do. Yes, and I can totally comprehend how disheartening it is when the customer has to walk away without experiencing "the experience". It is after all what we had promised to deliver : an amazing and unforgettable experience for everyone; convenience of buying for the buyer and for the recipient, the opportunity to do a once in a lifetime experience.

I wonder if this customer can actually put herself in our position and try to understand the whole situation. We do try very hard to convey information as accurate as we can to all customers prior to their experience day, but when it comes to experiences that could be affected by weather, technical issues, airport security - these are simply beyond our control and we are not in the position to be liable for the inconveniences caused. So to come back to us and holler rude remarks and to ask for full refund(including delivery and packaging cost!) this is totally unacceptable for us.

I do try very hard to make our customers happy ; making sure their experience (from the minute the establish contact with us, to after the experience) is as pleasant as possible. For issues which is our fault, I have no qualms on bowing down, apologise and offer a compensation. However, for issues which are totally beyond our control, it is then not our obligation to please and compensate.

a "wonton" post

For those who loves "wonton" you will know how much ingredients it goes into making just one wonton ... so for this post, I've called it a "wonton" post because, I've decided to lump everything that happened (since i last blog) into one posting :)

CSR : Corporate Social Responsibility (RRD Initiative) - 4th September 2010

It has been almost a month since my last posting, and so much has happened that quite simply, time flies. Right after our Merdeka Day event (the Bungy Jump challange), we had another event the following week for 4 orphans from SUNBEAM and RACTAR in lieu with our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative. To kick start this initiative, we contacted 2 orphanage and held a simple competition to the orphans, and 4 lucky orphans were chosen to experience our RedRibbon Days KL City Sky Tour. Having met this kids personally, literally changed my opinion about life - and to what extend do we measure from one another. Being compared to these kids, I'm way luckier and fortunate. These kids has never been up close and personal near a plane what more being on one.

Here are some pics taken on the day :-





Open for Business - RedRibbon Days with Freda Liu (BFM 89.9) - 21st September 2010

When Katja from BFM contacted RedRibbon Days in regards to an interview slot on BFM - Open for Business, I was thrilled. Firstly, I have always been an ardent listener of the radio station, and yes, I've always tuned in to Freda. I was nervous, unsure of what is going to be asked on air - and certainly the thought of my voice live on the radio kinda freaks me out ! Anyways, the day came and I marched up to the radio station. I was brought to Freda - and her comforting voice and genuine smile put me at ease and eventually calms me down. The butterflies were still fluttering in the stomach but it was manageable.

I chat with Freda for couple minutes before we went on air - and in that few minutes, I felt like she's a friend from the past. An old school mate or someone I have met before. Even Freda herself mentioned that I looked awfully familiar - but she can't remember where we could have met. The interview went well, and the 10 minutes was over in a breeze. I flipped a little, fumbled for some words, but all in all, it was a good experience.

Here's the link to the interview:-




And here's two pic I took with Freda in her studio :-




IDEA Forum @ Sunway University - 23rd September 2010

Next up, I was invited to be one of the speaker for a forum held in Sunway University in lieu with 1Malaysia - Entrepreneur Week. It was my very first time as a speaker - especially one that geared towards being an entrepreneur and tips of how to be one! It was a nerve-wrecking moment for me, of course. I had no time to prepare for anything, so the day before the event, I kinda quickly put everything in a word document and PRINT. I thought it should be fine now that I have a hard copy on my hands. But I was wrong !! I was shocked to find out that the other three speakers were so well prepared that they do not even need a piece of paper on hand. And one of them even said, well, thats what entrepreneurs are all about - you just wing it ! Gulp! So I am NOT an entrepreneur now that I have a piece of paper on my hand? Geez..I'm just trying to be prepared and I need to make sure I'm sharing substantial stuff with everyone present and not just utter rubbish!

Well, as usual, since I'm not that much of a speaker nor am I born to be one, I endeavour to share as much as I can on my entrepreneur journey. I shared everything that I know with everyone present that day. And at the end of it, though my speech was not as entertaining as the other speakers (mine surely did not attract much laughter), I sure hope I did impart some valuable lessons to the students. I may not inspire all, but I hope at least 1 or 2.

All in all, it was a good experience. I met few interesting people that day, learnt few new tips from the other speakers and definitely honed my public speaking skills!

Here's a picture of me with the other speakers:-



And a plaque (pic below) that was given to me towards the end of the forum as a token of appreciation. Hmm....perhaps, they should start giving out experience vouchers instead of a plaque?

The JUMP for Merdeka Day

It was an exciting moment for everyone at RedRibbon Days. Just days before Merdeka Day (Malaysia's National/Independence Day) we released a competition in our Facebook fan page for a new experience in lieu with our Merdeka Day. This experience is like no ordinary experience - it is after all the very first in Malaysia! (it may well be common in other countries, but it is certainly new for us). BUNGY JUMP ! Everyone in RedRibbon Days was eager to try out the new experience once news broke out that Bungy Jump is ready to be experienced !

So hastily we released the competition and crossing our fingers that Malaysians would be brave courageous enough to do this experience. To align it with our Merdeka Day, interested parties were invited to write in a simple sentence on why they deserve to win this experience in lieu with the special day. Many interesting answers came in, however we were only allowed to pick 3 lucky winners.

After much deliberation, 3 lucky winners were picked out and the best answer goes to Reuben Rethinalingam :-

"Though its a working day tommrow it doesn’t stop me from giving this challenge a shoot to overcome one of my greatest fear which I still haven’t been able to conqeur apart of my other fear which is, SEA WATER.
I personaly think I should be given a chance to experince this challenge of bungee jump to break free myself and getting me to conqeur my fear of hights. Its makes it more signifact in conjuction with Merdeka Day as it perfectly resembles of me being able to MERDEKA myself from my fear and how I’m able to rule my own fear like how Malaysia fought for its independence and now is able to rule its own country and not being a slave to others. It’s 53 years we have got the independce and I think its time for me to get my indepence of overcoming my fear of 27 years."


On the fateful morning of 27th August, the three lucky winners were gathered at the location and were all geared up for the jump. The weather was perfect, scorching sun and no sight of possible rain or thunderstorm. Nik and Ming Nu was sent to location to capture each and every jump, to interview the winners and of course to be part of the experience.

Here's some pictures taken on that day :-

In orange : Wei (one of the winner), Rueben (in stripe red and white) and Donna








The winners are grouped together to fill in an indemnity form, briefed on safety and etc, donned on the Malaysia flag around their shoulder and waited patiently for the moment. Reuben was the first to do the jump, after all he has the best answer. It was all dandy for Rueben until the moment came for him. His fear of heights finally took over him and he was hesitant about jumping (for at least 5 minutes). After calming himself down, Rueben finally set his fear aside and plunge! It was such an exhilarating moment seeing him shouting hysterically and triumphantly with our Malaysia flag.

The terrifying moment was finally over for Rueben and Wei was lined up next. Without much hesitation, Wei took the plunge shouting "This is for Malaysia!". It was a beautiful dive and was over within minutes. Donna, the only female winner in the competition took the challenge with a pinch of salt. She even requested for her head to be dipped into the water !

So now that all the winners had experienced this experience, I know it will be my turn soon. I have no fear of heights, in fact, I love flying fox and high ropes. Perhaps, this will be the experience for me on my upcoming birthday?

Though a bit late, but hey, its better late than never, right? So to Malaysia - Happy National Day/ Happy Merdeka Day !



Here's a video clip taken on the day - enjoy !

truly blessed

I recently read a book and it asked me to list down all the things that I'm grateful for in life. Without hesitation, I picked up a pen and paper, and start penning down the list. And as I was going through my thoughts rummaging for other things that I am grateful for, I stared at the two names that I've written down. My two business partners - both who are my best friends in life.



Indeed at this moment, I felt very fortunate to have them both as my business partners. I've known both Nik and Ming Ne for close to a decade, but our relationship is still going strong and working as a team with them makes me feel wonderful about doing what I'm doing.

Never did it crossed my mind before that I would be doing business with my two best friend, and to achieve such amazing result as well. Each of them brings along with them a different set of skills and know-how, and this I strongly believe is the reason to why the three of us can work so well together, harmonically and happily. Of course there are days when we do get a bit under the weather, but we are always there to support and cheer each other on. When time gets rough, we will pat each other and motivate each other to persevere and move on.

I've known them both since university days - and have gone through thick and thin together. We partied together till wee hours, supported each other when we are broke (overspent on our allowance) and of course, those days spent on playing "shithead" and cooking "mee soto" and devouring the whole chicken between us!

And now, we are all sitting in the same office, working towards the same goal - doing our best for RedRibbon Days.

To my two best friend and best business partner, Nik and Ming Ne, this post is dedicated to you both. Thank you for believing in me, and supporting me throughout ; without qualms and hesitation.

Looking forward to our "mee soto" session tomorrow !! :)

The Adventurous 4

Couple months ago, I purchased an experience from RedRibbon Days for TY (we also call her moley) for her 32nd birthday. TY is adventurous, definitely an outdoor person and loves to have fun ! So, I chose a ballistic experience for her - and yes, you can imagine her response when she received the gift pack on the morning (while recovering from a massive hungover from the excessive, crazy drinking the night before). She went totally ballistic and messaged me saying "Wow ! This is the best gift ever!"...

And few months down the road, TY booked in for her experience (Oh! I got her a package experience called "The Adventurous 4") and she decided to make Alice and Howie who was visiting to do the experience with her! I knew she will like this gift because she had on numerous occasion mentioned to me that she really wants to try it out. And I clearly remember the personalised message I included in her voucher "Happy Birthday, have a great one - and roll yourself silly and get drunk!". So yes, kinda like a riddle - the experience is a combination of two experiences ! One involves rolling and another involved, yes drinking !!

Everyone arrived on time on that very morning - perfect weather conditions, albeit a bit cloudy. No sun ! It was perfect for me, because I was personally doing the delivery of the picnic basket and champagne myself. And I am certainly no big fan of the sun! The new site for the experience is at Serdang - a good 30 minutes drive away from Bangsar. A quick scan around the new area tells me there is a lot of new potential for development and for our suppliers to add on and bring in more exciting experiences. Compared to Lake Titiwangsa, this place feels almost abandon - it is lacking of the ice-cream man, yelling kids and couples strolling hands in hand. Let's hope our supplier can bring Gackaroo and water orb there soon!

The adventurous 4 looks slightly nervous now - not knowing what to expect ; but the big plastic ball that they are soon to dive in certainly intimidate them a little.



Without much delay, TY and Howie did their first dry sphereing together. TY was looking slightly pale and worried. So while they are getting strapped up and all, I poked my face into the ball and took some pics.





The wet ride certainly was a favourite. All 4 of them were drenched from head to toe. The verdict ? They finally get to feel how it is to be inside a washing machine!! It was hilarious seeing how wet they were and how much fun they all had.




What better way to end the experience but with a delightful picnic basket and a bottle of bubbly ? By now, everyone was famished and the food in basket was quickly and quietly devoured within minutes.



I have personally tried our Dry Sphereing Ride before - it was done very spontaneously; I was not mentally prepared at all. In fact, we were there to oversee an event, and somehow, I was convinced to try it out. After all, we have to personally try out our experiences to make sure they are safe, fun and exciting enough to package it as a gift ! I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, though Nik was yelling at my face for the whole 30 seconds! I literally had to yell back at her to make her calm down !! It was indeed a very unforgettable experience for us both, as every time we talk about this particular experience, it never fails to make us laugh !

Seeing all my friends enjoyed their experience definitely made me feel proud and happy of what we do here at RedRibbon Days. Not only we provide people with memorable experiences and unforgettable memory ; we also have the power to make people happy.