Let me think on it...

September madness

2011-07-12T00:32:00.006+01:00

I usually hate planning to this much detail when travelling, especially in developing countries. But the main trips are booked out so far in advance, there wasn't much choice with only a month off work. So after months of planning, the South American itinerary (should really do this for a living), currently looks like this:

London -> Miami -> Lima, Peru (1 night)

Lima -> Cusco

3 days Cusco

4 days Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

5 hours sleep (in a bed hopefully)...

Cusco -> Lima, Lima -> Quito, Ecuador

4 days Amazon rainforest: Quito -> Coca -> Yasuni (& back again)

1 night back in Quito/travel to Guayaquil -> Galapagos

8 days Galapagos islands -> Quito, then

6 days Latacunga -> Quilotoa -> Latacunga -> Riobamba -> Alausi -> Quito -> Otavelo for the big Saturday market to stock up on presents day before flying home and going in to work the day after.

I had to give up Colombia.

(and Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile this trip)

Domestic flights and accommodation haven't been booked yet. If anyone has any advice or recommendations from previous experience for any of the above, especially for surviving the Inca Trial and Amazon, bug repellent, sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, fast recovery, would be muchísimo appreciated!

I challenge any sane person to be envious right now. Days of just travelling, never camped before let alone at 2000-4000m, not that fit, don't like bugs, recently developed fear of flying, the idea of being out on the open sea for 8 days worries me slightly, even if it is on a yacht what with tsunami warnings earlier this year, not being a good swimmer, sharks...

Going to be a fun trip :)

Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism by Natasha Walter

2010-12-29T11:45:00.013Z

It has been a while since my last Blogspot entry, not least because I have been busy setting up my main website livonyeow.com (a work still in progress), and haven't yet figured out how to incorporate the two together.

This entry is a book review which I posted on Amazon and has received good feedback so far.

"I had a mixed reaction whilst reading this book. As a 20-something female who was born and grew up in London, I have both personally experienced and witnessed some of the changes over the past decade from when I was in (a single sex) secondary school to the things my younger sister tells me goes on now (we went to the same school). For example, first time sexual experiences brought down from age 15/16 to 12. The increasing number of young girls who aspire to be models and put the greatest emphasis on outward appearance (breast enhancements, etc.) and securing 'rich guys' - something I also witnessed in South Africa (5 year olds with highlights too!), rather than challenging themselves to advance in careers they may otherwise be good at.

Now I'm not really one to criticise as I was indeed one of these girls out in tiny skirts clubbing in the middle of winter at 16 - a phase which lasted about a year. I took the higher education route, and even had a brief stint doing modelling test shoots, but at the same time I've always had an interest in politics, ambitions to pursue a successful marketing career, and one day own my own Tourism business (with Travel and Wildlife photography work on the side). I therefore find some of Natasha Walter's critique a little simplistic.

A topic which is most upsetting to me today is the belief, as discussed by Natasha Walter, that women in authoritative positions are perceived in a certain, often negative way. Hillary Clinton for example. For those who followed the US presidential candidate and presidential race, many were appalled by the sexual innuendos attached to Sarah Palin and the insults directed Mrs Clinton's way. In fact I think women in London are being particularly affected by this. You only have to experience rush hour to see that its most often the women who have the least manners and feel they have to act aggressively to get ahead.

I bought this book after seeing a review in Stylist magazine (in rush hour funnily enough). Although I agree with a lot of the argument put forth in the book - reporting good science as one example, it also occurred to me that women and the media are primarily responsible for this backward trend. What also occurred to me whilst reading Living Dolls was that having spoken friends and other women in their 30s, many have made the choice to forgo successful careers for 'more meaningful options' be it raising a family or pursuing low-paid passions - which they are often able to do because they have partners in well-paid jobs for support. Having also spoken to men, it surprised me that many would be only too happy to relinquish breadwinning pressures and in fact, be stay-at-home dads.

What seems to upset men with regards to feminism from personal observation is that they think women today get to 'have it all' if they want whereas they still feel society's pressure to conform to male stereotypes, i.e. apparently its much 'easier for women' crossing boundaries if they so wish. Therefore I don't feel that all the arguments put forth in this book are necessarily valid, which leads me to the topic of Biological Determinism.

The topic of biological determinism and the nature vs. nurture debate has been of great interest to me since studying A Level Psychology and I found this text particularly interesting with regard to this. Its definitely made me think twice about reinforcing certain gender-based behaviours and interests if or when I eventually have children of my own.

The next decade should be an interesting one."

Virgin Atlantic follow up

2010-04-07T17:59:00.004+01:00

Check out the comment I received in response to my last blog entry, which I posted a link to on Virgin Atlantic's Facebook fan page. Hey, maybe the next time I fly with them I'll have mayo rather than mustard sandwiches! Here's hoping :)

Greg Hamling is based in Virgin Atlantic's Gatwick office and is assigned to help with general enquiries about the company's flights and/or services.

New Virgin fan alert

2010-03-30T23:15:00.008+01:00

*VIRGIN ATLANTIC*

I recently booked a flight with Virgin Atlantic for my first trip to the USA - London to Los Angeles. Even though it was slightly pricier than other airlines - Delta, and Continental for example, I booked with them for a number of reasons:

1) The return flight only cost £30 more than an indirect, and therefore more inconvenient and time-consuming flight. Personally however, I probably wouldn't have spent much on a direct flight so its a thumbs up here to VA's pricing strategy.
2) High-profile incidents in the news about both american airlines Delta, and Continental, i.e. Virgin's so-far-so-good safety record
3) Word of Mouth recommendation of Virgin airlines from my cousin's blog, albeit that was a flight from LA to Melbourne
4) Overall brand reputation.

As the below quote indicates, this view is backed up by other research:

'The online reputation index claimed Ryanair was the worst performing UK operator with a score of (-62%). Virgin Atlantic was the only airline to come out with a positive score (33%), followed by BMI (-12%), British Airways (-21%) and EasyJet (-23%).' - UTalkMarketing Editor, Clark Turner.

There's nothing better than when a service meets or even exceeds expectations. Personal highlights included the following:

1) A huge selection of movies - I had a whole list I wanted to get through and didn't manage it.

2) I didn't submit a meal request (no beef) when I booked the flight or even 24 hours before as you're supposed to. On my trip to LA I was given the most amazing sweet chilli prawn and rice dish from a higher class (although I did have to wait and see what was left as I left the request until after they'd actually started serving!). On my trip back to London, I informed an attendant just before they started serving and actually got a chicken dish delivered to me before they started serving the whole of Economy class - I was finished by the time they got to me! Of course I found this particularly amusing. BIG thumbs up.

3) All food and beverages were great. Beverages were also served frequently and water was easily available at water points - I'm also a fan of a little blue cone-shaped plastic cups.

4) The little airline pouch - I'm a big fan of these.

5) The outbound flight was delayed but we made up most of the time. The return flight back to London was early.

6) No problems with baggage check-in (even though I was a few kilos over coming back to London) and reclaim.

7) Baggage check-in staff and plane attendants were really friendly and helpful. This is supposed to be a given but even this often can't be taken for granted anymore - if I had to name names, I talk about the reputations of Alitalia and Air Canada in particular, even though I've never flown with them. You may be surprised to know that Virgin flight attendants' wages are amongst some of the lowest in the industry and compared to airlines such as BA therefore you know that, 1 - they really want to be there, and 2 - they're recruited well.

All of the above points served to reinforce my opinion of the Virgin brand as a whole and in particular Virgin's travel services. A man I was sitting next to who dealt in antiques and is well travelled on this route also told me matter-of-factly that Virgin Atlantic is the best London to LA carrier and he wouldn't consider flying with anyone else.

Now if I had to be really picky, there are a few things which I believe could be improved upon, because let's face it, nothings ever perfect enough! Here's my very short and even, generic list:

1) Movies could be slightly more up-to-date. On Malaysian Airlines for example, I've always gotten to see things which haven't yet been released in the UK. This is therefore a novelty for me. However I doubt I will be booking MA anytime soon as their direct flight prices are almost extortionate.

2) Both chicken sandwich and wrap on the flight from London to LA had mustard in them! I hate mustard...why can't people just stick to good old mayo! I therefore had to kind of starve for 2 of the 3 meals as the vegetarian option wasn't much better.

3) Air cabin temperature was a bit on the warm side. You really do need to wear a T-shirt on the flights or face having jumpers, jackets, and the airline blanket on top of you for 10/11 hours.

4) The usual one - a little more leg space for when the person in front puts down their chair. I'm small and I still end up getting trapped. I flew American Airlines from LA to San Francisco whilst I was out there and even though my initial outbound flight was cancelled the seats were a really good size with lots of leg space - no doubt for the average American 'size'.

If the above four points could somehow be actioned by Virgin Atlantic, their service would be perfect...at least for moi. Even so, alongside South African Airways, Virgin Atlantic now rates as one of my favourite airlines and I will definitely be flying with them again in future.

As an end note, I suspect Singapore Airlines would also live up to its reputation and be included in my top-rated list. Now I only need to plan a trip in order to write a review on Singapore Airlines!!! Hmm, now I wonder if they'd consider sponsoring a flight to SE-Asia for me...

My new website

2010-03-23T13:08:00.007Z

*NEWS*

My new photography-based website is up and running.
Check it out at http://www.livonyeow.com

My first entry dated 20th March titled 'Munchies', is dedicated to one of my favourite topics - FOOD, on my recent trip to California.

It is still a work in progress.
Please feel free to post comments or share your thoughts on it.

Livon :)

Moral Thermostats

2010-01-30T23:33:00.008Z

*Moral Self-Regulation*

I came across an interesting article in Marketing Week (dated 14.01.10) by Richard Madden on the subject of Moral Self-Regulation.

The basic premise behind the concept of moral self-regulation is that when consumers, or rather human beings do something morally good in one area of their daily activities, they then feel ‘entitled’ to do something more selfish as a way of 'balancing' this act out. One of the examples Madden gives is that of a research study involving charitable church-goers; whereby a change in the local tax regime made giving to charities more advantageous. Imagine what then happened. The value of donations went up, and the frequency of church-going decreased. Take another example of a study that found those who have a higher sense of self-worth feel more ‘entitled’ to choose the route of maximum profit in a choice between profit and environmental responsibility. Those who felt a sense of being sinful tended to make the altruistic decision. Fascinating.

‘Trading off’ is something we all do to some extent on a daily basis. Just think about those individuals who ‘treat’ themselves to an extra slice of cheesecake, and then ‘compensate’ at the gym (or at the very least in their heads). Back when I used to me more disciplined (between the ages of 14 and 18 funnily enough), a meal at Maccy D’s or pizza used to equal an extra 50 sit-ups that evening. That was my way of making junk food ok. I wish I had that kind of discipline nearly 8 years later. So in a way this trading off can be a good thing, but then again it can also burden one with a constant stream of guilt, which needless to say can lead to a whole fountain of other problems – OCD, food complexes, various disorders, depression and the like. So the question seems to be, what is most beneficial?

Now, just imagine what the world would be like if people didn’t possess such moral thermostats to regulate their behaviour. On the one hand we have criminals, and on the other we have those devoted full-time to helping others with no thought of either moral or financial reward for themselves.

The implication of moral self-regulation from a Marketing POV? Madden proposes selling sin in the parish newsletter, and virtue immediately after a transgression. Now, there’s food for thought.

Product Placement: The Twilight Saga - New Moon

2009-11-30T16:28:00.015Z

*Marketing strategy: Movie Product Placement*

I'm a new Twilight saga fan. I've been to see New Moon three times in the course of about 10 days (although one viewing doesn't really count as the screen kept freezing so I got a free second round ticket from Vue).

We all know about the most famous product placement example, i.e. 007 -the James Bond franchise. I've compiled a list in my head of all the product placement picked up on on my first visit to the New Moon movie, further reinforced by the following two times. I have a good memory and as an International Marketing student I became increasingly aware of this branding/product strategy throughouyt my four years of study. I have to say that it sometimes detracts slightly from movies and US TV shows for me these days, knowing the covert way such a strategy is designed to get into a viewer's mindset.

So, without much ado in order of appearance (to my knowledge):

1. SONY - pink, automatic digital camera, possible 10.1MP (which Bella receives for her 18th birthday from her dad)

2. VOLVO - initially mentioned in the Stephanie Meyer books as the Cullens family car (used to blend in with normal humans - or rather, 'pale faces'). Of course, the films must stay true to the books! Volvo probably regard this as a marketing coup. It may also be effective as part of any brand/product re-positioning strategy.

3. CANON - black, photo printer (which Bella uses to print part pics)

4. APPLE mac laptop - black (used for emails). No surprise here; Apple pretty much dominate the entire US (teen) market, e.g. pushed heavily in The O.C. and countless other US series' and movies

5. VIRGIN Atlantic - plane trip from USA to Italy (which Bella and Alice take) - visual optimised by light and clouds.

6. PORSCHE 911 - this is actually in the book - an idea for writers to obtain funds? Sounds terrible! But then again, who doesn't want a 911, especially in canary yellow, of which there are only 2 in the world. Reinforcement at work here.

7. TUSCANY, Italy - tranquil landscape shots maximise the view of the place as an idea holiday destination for some. May I suggest the older viewer segments 30+, couples, and the retired?

As you can probably tell, I pay a lot of attention to detail, BUT...
I wonder if there's anything I missed from this list?
I wonder also what was left out of the final cut.
I also wouldn't be surprised if future movies in this franchise were almost entirely sponsored by big brands.

Worldwide Consumer Spending

2009-11-25T17:25:00.011Z

*Consumer behaviour*

I came across some interesting stats today on worldwide consumer spending and how the global recession has had an impact on this. One of the main findings from this study, conducted by The Futures Company, is that consumers in China, Australia and France have proved the most resistant to cutting their expenditure levels during the 'downturn'. Japan was also found to be the most pessimistic of all the markets - this, not such a surprising fact given cultural considerations.

Other key findings included:

32% of Chinese contributors had reduced their outlay since January this year, compared with 41% of their counterparts in France, and 47% in Australia.

77% of South Koreans had actively followed strategies that helped them save money, as had 75% of South Africans, 72% of Italians, and 71% of the panel in Ireland.

55% of consumers on average are now aiming to get the "best price" when making purchases

56% are placing the price of goods ahead of brand names when choosing what to buy.

However, there is some good news for luxury brands in that 16% of people still covet, and buy luxury products and services.

Data sourced from The Futures Company; additional content by Warc staff, 25 November 2009 http://www.warc.com/News/TopNews.asp?ID=25987&Origin=WARCNewsEmail

LinkedIn integrates with Microsoft Outlook

2009-11-20T13:27:00.012Z

Yet another new development in the world of social media.

To read more, click here.

On another note, social networking is now officially one of the fastest-growing activities among mobile users as eMarketer predicts that mobile social network users worldwide will grow more than fivefold between 2009 and 2014, rising from 141.4 million users in 2009 to 760.1 million in 2014.

Jubilee Hair Salon

2009-11-19T17:39:00.012Z

*Jubilee Hair Salon - New hairdresser*

My sister came back one evening about two months ago now sporting such a dramatic new look that I almost didn't recognise her. After having to ask for the details of her new hairdresser a million times I finally got the name (with the promise of M&S piggy sweets in return - she's just turned 19 but is the baby of the family).

So I went in and booked an appointment after work this Monday (turns out its just down the road from where I'm temping at the moment), two days before my graduation ceremony. Prior to this I hadn't actually actually paid for my hair and had been living the student life for a year or two going to model appointments at a salon just off Oxford Street. I'm a very low maintenance hair person and don't bother brushing it most of the time. Its not exactly un-manageable.

Jubilee Hair Salon is located near Tottenham Court Road station in the Korean district of London opposite the food store. The place is home to great Japanese and Korean stylists. My stylist was Yoshie, whose name I got from an online review. She listened to what I wanted, gave me her own opinions on whether this would suit my face shape, and generally played it safe, letting me know whenever she was about to do anything, as opposed to just chopping. I also got reassurance as I was very worried about getting the fringe I wanted to try, having not had one for about 13 years. Seeing about 12 inches of hair fall in front of my eyes freaked me out a but she did it so fast I didn't have time to dwell on it much, thinking 'well that's done, not much I can do now!'. I also had about 3 inches cut off the rest.

For those of you interested, the address is: 28 Denmark Street, WC2H 8NP. Telephone number 020 7240 5999

It doesn't look like much from the outside, or even inside rather (nothing like a top London salon if I were to compare to other places I've been in the past), but don't let this fool you. I was also told that it had recently been refurbished.

I ended up paying £45 because of the length of my hair. Other reviews which I have seen online put the average price for women between £29 and £39. I was also told by my sister later on that they do student discounts. Compared to places like Toni & Guy its a bargain! I'd been quoted in the £30s on my appointment-making visit so was a little dissapointed but overall happy with the result, speed, and friendliness of employees.

The result is my blog profile pic located in the upper left of the page.

Jimmy Choo for H&M controversy

2009-11-15T14:12:00.013Z

*COMMENT: ...and another thing!*

I've read some ridiculous posts on discussion boards relating to how Jimmy Choo has now ruined its brand name by partnering with H&M for this latest collaboration.

Frankly I think this is ridiculous. Some are outraged that they spend hundreds on his shoes and mad about the fact people are now able to purchase them cheaply (if you can call £70-£100 cheap having just left uni), even if it is just a one-off. Others are saying the brand name has lost valuable equity. Yet others call us 'sheep'/label whores. And the best one, "everyone in town will be wearing the same thing tonight" (more correctly, a handful of people will be wearing certain pieces from the collection).

I doubt either Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, or Karl Lagerfeld have had their luxury sales affected by such collaborations with the high street chain.

In fact I think its a very clever strategy which can only benefit both parties. Firstly, H&M stands to benefit from greater brand awareness, positioned as being at the forefront of high-street fashion, and of course, it brings greater numbers of consumers into their stores. It also doesn't hurt that high-profile names such as Hayden Panettiere have publicly coveted H&M (again, of a certain age group), and both Hilton sisters wore outfits from the collection to the LA launch party.

From the Jimmy Choo side, this collaboration represents a short-time publicity drive to increase brand awareness and gain precious column inches. But more importantly, it gives those less wealthy demographics a chance to experience high fashion at an 'affordable' price. The people who bought items from this new range will, on the most part I feel be the ones buying from the high-end luxury ranges in future if and when their earning power should increase. As a recent university graduate with a recent change in view to buying quality items rather than quantity (i.e. I have never jumped on the Primark bandwagon and would rather save for something classic that will last a lot longer), this definitely is the case.

To address the 'sheep' comment, this is the first time I've gone to any H&M collaboration on launch day or in fact, queued for anything fashion. I keep a mixed wardrobe and buy things I know will look good on me (I've seen some horrendous designer pieces around which I wouldn't be caught dead in), and not fall to pieces after a couple of wears. At the same time Jimmy Choo has built a very good all-round reputation and there is nothing wrong with launching a one-off accessible option for 'the masses'. I don't like to take a disposable view to clothes as I think there is enough waste in today's world so for the most part this is a good reason to buying the odd high-end designer item. I also buy from charity shops btw!

Jimmy Choo for H&M (London, UK): SCORE!

2009-11-14T14:13:00.018Z

*UPDATE*

I had one of the best retail experiences this morning, am not nursing any injuries, and managed to score quite a range of items at the Jimmy Choo for H&M collaboration launch. Definitely a successful shopping trip and well worth the wait!

I left my house just before 7am this morning and headed to Convent Garden to the Long Acre branch of H&M. When I got there at 7.15am I was bemused (although not surprised) to discover a group of people with a tent right in the front entrance. 'Wow this queue isn't that bad' I thought on arriving, and then I followed it...right around the building and down the alley. I thought, crap I probably didn't make the first 160 people who get wristbands and alloted shopping times in the Accessories area.

Turns out one of the girls in a group behind me went to count and we were between 85 and 95 in line. Brilliant!

It started raining and staff came around to hand out umbrellas, although nearly everyone had already come prepared (UGG boots and all). The wristbands were handed out around 8.15am and mine turned out to be Orange, in the 5th group of 20.

Although we ended up waiting a few hours, I got chatting to some really nice people in front and behind me in the queue so in the end it didn't feel like we were there that long despite the rain and cold. It was all very civilised and there was a general air of excitement about, especially when the first shoppers emerged with their beautiful royal blue-coloured bags.

I doubt it was the same in the Oxford Circus branch although I'm curious to find out. The whole event was planned with military precision and I was very impressed. There were no arguments over items, no catfights, no treading on toes. The whole shopping process ended up taking a lot less time than anticipated, most likely due to the fact that many had already decided what they wanted to buy from looking at the collection in shop windows and online so the 10minutes was enough. I ended up taking the last pairs of two styles in a size 4 and 5.

I will be wearing these peep-toe grey suede boots to my graduation next week to go with a dress I bought recently for the ocassion.

I'm not 100% about these 'fierce' heels although they look amazing. They're about 6 inches and I doubt I'll be able to walk in them frankly. There is a very small chance they may appear on eBay soon. Am kicking myself for not getting the blue sandals as a quick check has already revealed people bidding on eBay at double the original retail price (the scarcity principle is amazing), and I'm definitely poorer now! But then another part of me thought how unfair it is of people to buy a lot with the intention of selling them on when there are people out there dying to get them in store to their dissapointment and cannot afford such mark ups.

Other purchases included the studded belt, small leather bag, earrings, and matching bracelet.

I tried on the sequin cardigan, leather dress, and leather trousers - all which looked great but eventually I had to take finances into consideration along with the fact the look may not be 'in' for very long, although I admit fashion trends do have a way of re-emerging every decade or so. Clothes were really the only items there was still an abundance of on the racks by the time I left the store. But then that was before the doors were open to the general public. It felt very exclusive for the people who bothered to queue as the rest of the store was closed off to everyone until the 160 had finished shopping. There were no changing room queues and assistance was at hand everywhere. An all round marketing and PR success for H&M I feel.

One of the most surprising things that happened was that I got talking to a woman in front of me in the queue who had just launched her own business, and guess what? Is currently looking for an entry-ish marketing person to train up and incorporate as a new member of staff. So not only did I score some Jimmy Choo, I also scored a business card and potential job lead. How's that for random?!

The final Jimmy Choo for H&M shopping spree result:

Apologies for the picture quality - it doesn't do the items much justice. The D90 is currently in Johannesburg with my bf.

Jimmy Choo for H&M

2009-11-13T09:50:00.013Z

***Saturday November 14th 2009 @ 9.00am (UK)***

If you live or work around central London then you'll probably be aware of the mass promotion this new H&M Designer launch is receiving. It has made world news, and in the UK is plastered on the sides of London buses, PR pieces/coverage in all the major newspapers and fashion magazines (including their websites, such as Vogue) since last month, the H&M website itself completely re-vamped for this occassion.

According to H&M they have made losses in the past with previous designer collaborations (e.g. Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney) due to the high quality of production costs in Europe. This still represents a significant PR coup for the high street Swedish retailer however - one which has seen profits increase year on year since the original Karl Lagerfeld launch in 2004/5.

According to reports people will start queuing at midnight tonight. I was planning to get to one of the central London H&M branches early, say 7.30ish for the 9am opening. Turns out I'll probably be late and won't make the first 160 people in queue if the hype is to believed.

I visited H&M either later in the day or a few days after the original Karl Lagerfeld collaboration and managed to pick up a few things (one of which was a top that was stolen by a cleaner at a backpackers hostel in Honduras on my gap year in summer 2005!) without a problem.

Now the fact that I'm even going on the launch day is testament to my love for a select few designer shoes labels, which as a recent graduate I cannot yet afford to buy myself. I hate crowds. I can't stand getting on the bus in the mornings to work, preferring to wait for an emptier bus (or tube in the case of the Underground). Women, frankly are animals. They'll push in front of you, barging without consideration (in desperation to get to work apparently). And I'm choosing to put myself through what is sure to be mayhem tomorrow morning.

I'm dreading it.

The worst part is, I recognise I may have to tap into some animal behaviour to seize the things I've set my eyes on, one of which is a pair of grey open toed boots that I want to go with my graduation outfit next Wednesday 18th. But there will be some crazed, greedy people there - brilliant subjects for behavioural psychologists.

I keep telling myself that in the worst case scenario at not being able to grab one or two pairs of shoes I'm after plus a belt and some earrings (accessories will be in a restricted area open to the first 160 people in queue for groups of 20, 10 people at a time for the first two hours), I'll just come back on Sunday and/or Monday when H&M will have restocked the shelves. The final thing I tell myself is that if I don't quite manage to be animal enough, I'll have saved myself some much needed cash!

In any case, I shall be reporting back on any injuries sustained and items scored (if any) soon.

ASOS

2009-11-13T09:39:00.005Z

***Consumer update***

I ordered a few winter items on UK online retailer ASOS.com yesterday. It seems they have a new delivery charge pricing option. Usually a 3 day standard delivery costs £3.95. If you select the new 6 day option however you're only charged £1.95 (ideal for those with no urgent item requirements).

The most surprising thing was that I received an email in my inbox this morning confirming despatch!

That's pretty good customer service. This leads me to the assumption that they're not as busy as they'd like to be at the moment, or the £3.95 option is just an attempt to make a little extra profit. Either way, I know which delivery option I'll be using on ASOS in future.

Social Media statistics in 4.23 minutes

2009-11-12T16:59:00.013Z

***Social Media Revolution***

Here is a post I came across on a LinkedIn Marketing Discussion page today. Some interesting stats presented in a very clever and engaging way (in my opinion).

'If Facebook were a country it would be the world's 4th largest'.
Enjoy.

http://www.furlongpr.com/every-social-media-statistic-in-423-minutes

ATM robbery - Central London users beware!!!

2009-10-28T16:31:00.019Z

I got robbed. That's the short of it.

I went to the NatWest ATM down the road from where I work in High Holborn, WC1V last night around 5.45pm. The man in front of me was talking on a mobile and taking a very long time with his transaction so the couple in front of me moved to the other ATM when that became free. In retrospect it appears I had been picked out as a target. After a long day I was tired and not too aware of my surroundings. I assumed it was safe as this was a busy street in rush hour, with a large number of professionals walking past.

I put my card into the machine, entered my PIN (covered by my purse) and then was ambushed by three people – one ‘blonde’ girl of medium build and around 5’3 or 5’4 to my left, and two other men who came from my right (although I only glimpsed the one – short black hair, around 5’7 wearing a black bomber jacket). The girl covered the ATM screen from view with a newspaper as she approached and all begged for money (they sounded Romanian or of other similar eastern European origin, and didn’t speak fluent English). I pushed my arms back to move them away telling them to leave me alone but they stayed and carried on harassing me for money – at this point I was distracted, confused and thought I’d cancelled the transaction (cash with receipt).

After a couple of seconds, all the equally shocked people queuing behind me and at the next ATM kicked up a fuss and told them to get lost. Eventually a few men in suits came up and chased them away. By this point the newspaper had disappeared from in front of the screen and they carried on acting distressed for a while begging for cash (when it appears now they already had it within a few seconds of approaching me). A receipt came out of the machine after they’d left and I assumed I’d cancelled the cash so didn’t analyse it straight away whilst the helpful men who had chased them away could have probably given chase had they still been there. After putting my card back in the machine to draw out the £30 I needed I looked back at both receipts and realised £200 had been withdrawn whilst I was surrounded – I didn’t glimpse this cash at all.

I’ve seen the emails about people copying cards and taking PIN numbers by loitering and other methods but this appears to be a new technique which is being used. I had my purse in hand and bag on the other arm so they could have easily grabbed these and run off, which was what made me assume they were just poor street beggars.

This £200 which I never set eyes on, represents nearly a week’s wages for me on a temp salary. The problem now is that Barclays, although they are sending me a dispute form, say this will most likely constitute a ‘robbery’ rather than ‘fraud’ as I had inserted my card into the machine and typed in my PIN number (covered but which I cancelled along with my card as a precaution). Therefore likely no reimbursement. Having walked into the NatWest brand earlier today whose ATM machines they were, I was told that they are not allowed to put CCTV cameras on the machines themselves due to people’s PIN numbers therefore their hands are tied as it is the police and local authorities’ job to ensure there are street cameras in these locations. I was appalled at being told this as I am sure CCTV cameras can be installed around these ATMs from an angle without being able to record PIN information. If these three people were indeed illegal immigrants as I suspect they are then I don’t hold out much hope of them being caught although there is always hope.

The police are currently investigating and I have been informed that they are aware of this problem in the area that has been occurring for some weeks now. Apparently 10 minutes after I made my call, they received another call reporting the same occurrence at an ATM around the corner.

Some advice I think would be very valid for everyone who uses ATMs:

This may sound so obvious, but if you must use a street ATM look around first to see if there are people watching you. Take note of faces. I admit to walking around in a bubble at times in London. I was much more careful and took greater precautions whilst travelling in Guatemala alone at the age of 19 than I do now at home in London at 23!
Don’t let anything distract you from the screen – have your hand over the cash slot and/or hit the ‘CANCEL’ button as soon as anyone approaches you (I didn’t react fast enough after a long day at work)
Tell your bank you don’t want the emergency reserve cash applied to your account past your overdraft limit. This £200 pushed me over mine and charges would have been incurred had I not had someone transfer over cash to my account on the same night
Go into a bank to draw out cash during the day not on the street after dark if you can help it – if you must, not alone even in a busy street. The many people around led me into a false sense of security, making me think nobody would commit a crime in front of so many witnesses (a few gave police statements). Londoners naturally expect pick-pockets.
Possibly, check your balance before going straight for the cash as these gangs obviously assume most people in rush hour go directly after cash hence the good timing ambushing me at the correct screen ‘how much would you like to withdraw?’
Always get a receipt for proof. I gave mine to the police. It had the exact time on it and cameras in the area will be able to zone in on a specific shortened time period.

It is my hope that by writing this blog entry, I may be able to prevent at least one other robbery from occurring in this way. Please feel free to post your comments, share experiences or ideas about how we can raise awareness of this problem to reduce cases of crime against innocent (hard-working) individuals.

Gutted - water filter bottle

2009-09-25T21:05:00.010+01:00

*Water filter bottle invention*

I'm gutted!

This was the bright idea I had last year in Small Business Management class...the filter built into a bottle, reducing plastic waste and therefore better for the environment. I just didn't have the technical and scientific knowledge to try and develop it into something worth patenting fast enough.

Oh well, this guy developed it with a bigger cause in mind (halting the spread of diseases in developing countries) so I can't feel too bad. There are probably thousands of lives which will now be saved because of this development...as for the commercial market in developed countries, its something I think could replace the need for buying bottled water.

Check it out, it really is great:
http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.html

At least its nice to know I have good ideas!

The ball has started rolling (slowly)

2009-09-24T18:35:00.006+01:00

***Latest buys***

More charity shop finds!

River Island couture top = £2.50 (worn to a fashion show and party within a day of purchase)
Christopher Lee autobiography: = £1.00 (brilliant actor!)

Its a great time to visit right now as we're in a seasonal transition where all the spring/summer wardrobes are being cleared to make way for the new arrivals :) I went to Chelsea over the weekend to see the Thrive! exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery which was great and very inspiring. But on the subject of Chelsea, does anyone know of any good charity shops in that area? I figure its going to be a new haunt of mine.

***Latest job news: PROGRESS***

Thanks to some friendly help I now have a temp job in the International department of a place I used to work and very excited about the prospect of having an income again, if only until Dec. This means I probably won't have to physically create/make my Christmas presents this year...although I've since been told this is a preferred option for some. Wow, tomorrow it will be exactly 3 months to the day!

I've also been invited for my first 'real' job interview in the first week of Oct...for a six-month Research internship I applied for at the Red Cross head offices in London. It is only expenses paid but seeing as I haven't had any other real prospects, i.e. progressed past the application stage to date from other unpaid internships (let alone permanent paid roles) I take this as a very good sign of things getting slightly better. In the meantime I'm still on the lookout for grad jobs in Marketing...the positive of having a temp job now is that I've bought myself a couple more months to not feel pressured into taking anything non-career directed. Tomorrow I'm off to the QS Diversity job forum/exhibition - I'm really keen to get onto the L'oreal Management Training Scheme.

***Latest non-visit: PHYSIO***

I cancelled my last optional appointment because as much as I loved going I decided the gym was a better option. Feeling much better for it! Circuit Training today was tough...it was just me and five guys - I think that may have made me work harder. Oh and I have conquered my fear of the treadmill, haven't yet fallen off :) touch wood

And on a kind of related topic - health?, I've gone off chicken donar kebabs thanks to Ty and his news articles (retaliation for the new smoking research I sent him, which shows heart diseases have declined since the UK brought in the smoking ban).

Lost in Translation

2009-09-08T00:02:00.007+01:00

***World Time Zones: 22 funny translation mistakes***

These made me laugh. And these are only mistakes using words. Its no wonder human beings get themselves into so much crap! Enjoy.

Japanese hotel room - You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid

Paris hotel elevator - Please leave your values at the front desk

Tokyo hotel - It is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing is please not read this notice

Bucharest hotel - The list is being fixed for the next day. During this time you will be unbearable

Leipzig elevator - Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up

Athens hotel - Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11am daily

Belgrade elevator - To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving then going alphabetically in national order.

Sarajevo hotel - The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid

Moscow hotel - You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday

Swiss menu - Our wines leave you nothing to hope for

Hong Kong tailors shop - Ladies may have a fit upstairs

Bangkok dry cleaners - Drop your trousers here for best results

Paris dress shop - Dresses for street walking

Rhodes tailor shop - Order your summer suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation

Hong Kong advert - Teeth extracted by the latest methodists

Rome laundary - Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time

Swiss mountain inn - Special today... no ice cream

Copenhagen airline - We take your bags and send them in all directions

Moscow hotel - If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it

Norwegian lounge - Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar

Tokyo shop - Our nylons cost more than common but they are better for the long run

Acapulco hotel - The manager has personally passed all the water served here

Source: http://www.world-time-zones.org/articles/translation.htm

The Race issue

2009-09-05T13:09:00.014+01:00

***Double Standards***

Why is it that Italian Vogue was allowed to print a 'groundbreaking' issue last year which only featured black models without anyone really saying a word about it...but if they were to do an issue featuring only blonde, white models (and marketing it as such) there would be a huge race outrage?

This has always bothered me. For all those who spout equality, hundreds of years after slavery was abolished why is it that race is still such a huge issue? I mean, take Oprah for example...most of what she does is championing black causes...isn't this racist? Ok I get that maybe in the US the race issues between black and white is so much bigger than in Europe (who have other conflicts such as Turks in Germany, Roma gypsies in Italy, etc), but really these separation mentalities are as good as reverse apartheid.

Oh and another thing. For even the most liberal of people, dating outside ones own race is often frowned upon...Season 3 of Sex and The City where Samantha is dating a cute black record industry guy and her 'friend', his sister warns her off him saying she doesn't want her only brother to date a white woman.

Take another example. I was in Woolworths before it closed down one or two years ago and was in the queue to pay for some stationary. This was in Hackney. I heard one girl say to another, "you can't buy Vogue, because there aren't any black models in it and all the powerful people behind the magazine are white". My thoughts were WTF??!!! Never would a 'white' person be allowed to voice this opinion out loud without shit hitting the fan!

It's all pretty ridiculous in my opinion. Its perfectly acceptable to me to use the differences in upbringing, values, education and culture as a point of difference but the colour thing is BS. Take the South Africa view that many black people outside the country possess. Yes, there was apartheid and actually it wasn't around for very long but even so, its over now yet people see all white South Africans are racist. From what I saw over the course of about a year in Johannesburg at least (ok Durban is!) is mixed groups of friends of all ages, met white people who fought for the end of apartheid and are members of the ANC...and you know what else I saw? Business rules which say you have to hire X number of black people for every white person in your company. Sure, whites there are a minority so in theory this may make sense. The reality is that when I walked into an office to get a holiday visa extension, the lawyer woman was white and there were 10 black women in the office doing absolutely nothing because there was nothing to do. Their job? To go into the CBD (which many white people are afraid to go because of the crime rates there - lots of Nigerian drug dealers, guns, etc.) and queue up to get a stamp in a passport. Also, you actually get asked your race on job application forms as a compulsory question! Now is that reverse discrimination or what? Whatever happened to talent or actual skills?

Remembering

2009-09-01T15:23:00.004+01:00

Its 70 years to the day that marked the start of WW2.
Its 70 years to the day that a German battleship fired the first shot on a Polish fort in 1939 whilst the first invasions took part in the east, west and south of Poland. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. And we know how it all ends.

But exactly how far have with come in the last 70 years? There's food for thought.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8230951.stm
(Source: BBC, 01/09/09)

Autumn is on its way

2009-09-01T14:52:00.007+01:00

It just poured outside...and its the first day of September which probably means the onset of Autumn. Dread.

People are often asked: 'What's your favourite season?', and I've never really been able to decide. Does this make me indecisive? I don't know, but then I think every season has its advantages. I like Spring because its my birthday then, its an often quiet time of year with no other big birthdays I know around then, Easter, and although it usually rains you can also smell this whole renewal thing going on in the air. The birds fly back north, the other animals are coming out of hibernation, there are cute little ducklings out on the pond, and there are bright yellow daffodils everywhere. Spring also means the next season is Summer...something to look forward to. Kind of like the 'It's Friday!'-feeling. I don't like Sundays, because its the day before Monday. Its been a great summer in London this year with perfect weather but some people don't like it. Warm weather makes it harder to get things done, there's all the extra grooming requirements for girls and the pressure that some people put themselves under to get into skimpy summer outfits. But everyone appears happier, smiling and are wearing brighter clothes which seems to have a knock-on effect.

Autumn means Winter. And this year there is no 'back to school' either. I'm all for the pretty colours of the leaves and I don't mind cold weather, but I don't like rain and cold, unless its been desert-like for days. Oh, and the grey gloom that settles over London. That's depressing although very productive for work...if one has a job. The black clothing comes out and people are hit with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). But Winter also means lots of birthdays and the festive season - Christmas (food and presents!) and New Years Eve (parties). Additionally, there's nothing better than staying home on the weekends curled up in bed or with a movie/book when its rubbish outside.

The sun has just come back out. Its not over til its over I say!

Latest Research

2009-09-01T13:41:00.003+01:00

I just came across this 'Doing better for Children' report on the BBC website today which compares the well-being of Young Children (13-15) in the leading industrial economies (24 OECD countries). These were some of the findings:

YOUNG PEOPLE'S WELL-BEING

Worst drunkenness: UK (the highest amongst 15 year old girls)

Highest rate of bullying: Turkey

Most affluent: Norway

Best education: Finland

Best local environment: Australia

Least exercise: Switzerland

Best housing: Norway

Least risk: Sweden

Highest suicide rate: New Zealand

Enjoy school most: Turkey

Enjoy school least: Czech Republic

(Source: BBC, 01/09/09)

Two things I find shocking here:
1) Switzerland and the least exercise - aren't the Swiss supposed to be healthy with all their good food, clean air, and non-confrontational politics? Most of us would relate exercise to good health. Maybe they're just too comfortable to work out!
2) New Zealand and their high suicide rates - possibly due to boredom and isolation? But seriously you would have rather assumed Japan or Finland to be in this category. Shocking when ages are taken into account.

5 more minutes

2009-08-31T23:52:00.007+01:00

***Its 23:55***

I have 5 more minutes of being classed as a 'Student' as my NUS card then runs out (08/09).
So sad :( ...and, its September tomorrow - 4 more months of 2009 eek! This is the first September in years since I was about three years old where I haven't been expecting to go back into education to start a new term and its surprisingly sad. All grown up now...that said, I'm pretty keen on this PG Diploma I found.

I was observing with a friend today, this Christmas is going to be very interesting considering there are so many unemployed...time to get creative! Which is nice I suppose as it may just take away some of the materialism inherent in our culture. Always look on the bright side huh.

SEO/M

2009-08-29T16:41:00.003+01:00

***

For those of you interested in SEO/M, check out this blog:
http://seojoblogs.com/

***

Two types of people

2009-08-29T00:21:00.004+01:00

There are two types of people.

1 - those who get over arguments almost as soon as they've started, apologise for their part in it and get on with things because life's too short (Type C)

2 - those who sulk over an argument for days, weeks, months, years preferring to prolong the BS (Type D)

I've labelled these Type C and Type D.
I'm a Type C as is my mother but quite a few people I know are Type D which is very difficult to reconcile and is pure frustration having to deal with or be around. Because as much as me and my mum may fall out about little things or have bust-ups we're always best friends if not hours later, then definitely by the next day. I don't understand these Type D people and never will. If I had to choose one kind of person I don't like, this is it. The question I ask them is: "Seriously, what's the point of making one bad situation a whole lot more miserable than it has to be?"

I really would like some answers here because its the cause of some BIG problems.

I love charity shops!

2009-08-26T11:26:00.018+01:00

***Latest buys***

Ethnic-style Morgan top = £3
Book (Jeffrey Archer - ' A Matter of Honour') = £1
Book (Peter Hoeg - 'The Quiet Girl') = £1

...all in the name of a good cause and (almost) totally guilt-free!

Not many people talk about charity shop finds as its somehow seen as 'uncool', yet they rave over eBay or Primark (which I only buy the very odd item at due to the bad press it has received and the fact that often manufacturers have to supply at a loss, not to mention the disposable nature of the clothes). I love eBay however, but the problem of online shopping remains; that you never know exactly what you're getting until it arrives. Add the costs of p&p, it is often easier to get down to London charity stores if you have the time. My local Cancer Research UK even has changing rooms. Mornings are the best times. I went straight after my Physio appointment, got there around 10am and spent about an hour just browsing at the piles of 'new' stuff that had just been put out. I found a nice DKNY skirt on the racks too amongst all the Primark cast-offs. It just didn't suit me.

***Latest job news: UNEMPLOYED STILL***

No other interview invites for moi and so have now switched to looking for work experience opps in well-known international companies in the field I'd like to work at. I figured the only way to get a foot in the door may be to prove myself through an initial expenses-only paid work placement with the way the job market is at the moment.

For example:
1) Management Trainee role at Meltwater Group - over 2000 apps for 4 roles. I submitted on the deadline and they got back to me approximately 4 weeks later saying they'd just had a chance to review my app and wondered if I'd be interested in pursuing a role at their new Canterbury, Cardiff, or Manchester offices. I asked them to hold my CV on file for anything that arises in London or Cape Town.

2) Research Assistant role at Insight Research Group - 300 apps for 2 roles. Slightly fewer but then again Market Research is probably one of the less glamourous sides of Marketing...albeit one that I really enjoy!

These are some of the numbers I have on enquiring after my application to give you an idea of just how tough it is right now. I'd assume those newly redundant with much more proven relevant work experience are being given such roles.

Although, even competition for unpaid roles seems to be ridiculous :(

***Latest visit: PHYSIO***

I had a Physio appointment for my foot this morning at 9am...the bad news: turns out I'm not as full healed as I thought I was after a whole bunch of new exercises, the good news: I can get back to the gym to start building up my strength again slowly. The problem: I've been out of the gym nearly three months now and feeling lazy!

How is it possible to be bored?

2009-08-26T00:05:00.006+01:00

***

Boredom = "the feeling of being bored by something tedious" (princeton.edu).

***

Well, thanks for that enlightening definition!
People can be bored from doing nothing...is nothing tedious?

I was thinking about boredom today as I have a few unemployed friends who complain of this sorry state. I came to the conclusion that its almost impossible to be bored today.

Nevermind the job searching, there are still many things I have to do, namely:

1) Start practising the piano again as I'd like to re-take my Grade 8 exam at some stage

2) Get through a bunch of photoshop tutorials as there is so much to learn

3) Get through my library of unread books - I'd say its reduced to about a quarter unread at the moment

4) Edit some photos from my first fashion shoot I took last week

5) Improve my marketing knowledge - revise things I've learnt which have been forgotten, learn about web analytics

6) Get working on photography projects, general learning of my D90 - technical stuff

7) Practice my Spanish or rather, re-learn it

8) Learn French - get through this audiobook course thing as a basic grounding (I don't want to go to France without knowing the language)

9) Get my foot healed quick so I can re-sign up to the gym

10) Catch up with friends (which I've really slacked on)

11) Learn how to cook awesome things

12) Re-study Geography and Biology (in case I ever do get to become one of these wildlife people)

13) Take pictures of and list a million things on eBay to make some cash

14) Stay updated on World news

15) Write blogs about random things

I know these are very personal goals specific to me but doesn't everyone have things they want to achieve and/or be better at?

I love Google!

2009-08-25T23:44:00.006+01:00

*I love Google! and the Web in general*

It's a great age we live in where company's activities are so transparent - they definitely can't get away with as much anymore, and almost any information on anything can be found online at the click of a button. Take my recent experience with London Marketing Services, a company which claimed to train managers from the bottom up, never disclosing that the job was door-to-door sales at entry-level and commission based with no basic salary (or, a small annual salary plus 40% commission I'm informed by other bloggers) until you turned up for the second stage 'observation day' being told to wear comfortable shoes and worked a full day 12.30pm to 8.30pm. If I hadn't found two existing blogs that evening I got the call I would have wasted a whole day of researching credible job opportunities, as in ones companies don't mislead potential employees about.

Ok, so the credibility of many sources on the web are questionable - something that has been drilled into me constantly from university lecturers. But what I enjoy so much is that the Web's like this one big impersonal (or personal if you like) forum where one is able to interact with people all over the world...take for example this site I found through an Oprah article: www.urbanbaby.com, where people go to ask advice or vent feelings annonymously, e.g. "I have cheated on my husband, what should I do?"...completely shocking to me (but so, well, frankly, nice to see that people are able to talk to strangers who do not know who you are personally about issues that concern more of us than we'd think!), but why wouldn't I expect this stuff to be online considering free porn is?!!!

London Marketing Services

2009-08-25T22:33:00.010+01:00

***ATTENTION - Misleading Job advertisement***

So I sent a speculative email with my CV attached to a company I saw advertised online via TargetJobs a few months back and now hiring for Cardiff. I enquired as to whether they were still recruiting for London and within two days had received an invite to a preliminary interview. As one can imagine I was excited after two months of unsuccessful job searching. I spent the weekend preparing and came into the interview on Monday 24th July 2009 at 4pm raring to go.

The first thing I noticed was that the buzzer on the door of the building was labelled in what looked like hand-writing. On entering the building there were printed signs directing visitors downstairs to basement offices. The office itself was nice, with comfy leather chairs but the walls were painted one yellow, one red (the company branding as appears on the 'official' website is blue and white on black)...branding being one of the most important aspects of Marketing. The two South African receptionists were extremely pleasant and friendly but the room was packed with at least 15 other potential employees being interviewed at the same time as me...most suited and booted...others dressed more casually (hoodies and trainers anyone?? to a Marketing job interview NOT for Nike! another in a denim mini and flip flops).

I was interviewed by a pleasant and confident Scandanavian guy who basically explained the structure of the company in a general 'overview' without actually disclosing the entry-level duties, just saying that we have to be good with dealing with rejection and bouncing back. Some of the interviews were also conducted two at the time (strange in itself), but we were told because there were so many people being interviewed the session would just be an initial screening process. I thought it was just a strategy to see how we dealt with an unexpected situation.

Apparently I was right, it was their strategy but not for the reasons I thought. They didn't want us asking difficult questions in front of another person being interviewed and the funniest part was, it worked! Everybody knows that you don't ask what the salary is at the initial interview, and on speaking to the administrator I was informed 'generally between £250 and 400 pw, therefore I suspected it was a commission-based role. We were given no other indications at the interview and on leaving it the other guy said he'd gotten a job offer at a similar company the previous week 100% commission-based and no guarantees. I therefore decided to do more searching online regarding this company (there wasn't much to begin with).

But not before I got the callback at 5.30pm for the second stage 'interview' which was to take place the following day, observing the job role. I was told to wear comfortable shoes.

I found two blogs online which had been googled under 'London Marketing Services scam', and in it there were people who'd experienced the same deal, except some had gone back to the 'second interview' only to be taken an hour by bus across London to a housing estate, trying to obtain direct debit bank details for a charity door-to-door from 1pm-8pm. I figured this wasn't really for me and emailed the company back to say I would not be attending the next day as a commission-based salary with no basic is not something I'm keen on especially in this economic climate.

The problem I had with this whole thing was the misleading way with which it was all conducted, in what seems like an attempt to obtain a day's free labour. Sure, fewer people would have applied for it had they known the real deal but there are still many who would have gone for it as a stepping stone into a Sales career. It seems they are mainly out to lure: 1) fresh graduates desperate for work, and 2) newly arrived foreigners, under false pretences.

Before I emailed back I also consulted my other half and on being asked more questions (like, 'where was it based?) we figured it was the same place (albeit possibly under a different name) he'd gotten his first job on arrival to London from Johannesburg in the winter of 2003 (the company said they'd been around for seven years so I thought that was about right too). He did end up making £50 a day around Christmas time selling toys door to door, which would be a pretty good gig right now however in the current economic climate, I wouldn't bet on earning a good enough salary through commission.

I don't mean to be completely negative about the job itself, as I think its great for people looking to get their first sales role for their CV but personally, with five years of previous work experience and a 1st class degree I'm holding out for something with a basic salary. Good Luck to all who pursue it though! If I can just inform a few more people from this blog about the real nature of companies like this (no wage advertised for starters) then all the better. For now I will be looking for work experience in reputable companies which I'd really like to work for.

Linda Hamilton - what would you do?

2009-08-18T18:55:00.003+01:00

This is a must-see video on Youtube, especially for anyone who lives in a big 'uncaring' city.

Living in London, you see selfishness and inconsideration (rush hour in the underground and getting onto buses) everywhere and its something which often shocks a lot of newcomers here. The problem seems to be the sheer number of people crammed into small spaces and a culture which is wary of strangers, so much so that even I am guilty of walking around oblivious to the things going on around me. For example, it was my South African bf who pointed out the many crackheads that walk by - something I'd never 'seen' before. Maybe it is some kind of unconscious coping mechanism, because its so easy to reason things in our minds to make ourselves feel better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49YQhTLoGuA

Regardless of how a person looks or is dressed, they may still be in need of help...and really who are we to judge who is deserving and who isn't? I will admit to walking back from a night out years ago and often seeing a guy lying on the floor at a bus stop reeking of alcohol and a beer can or bottle close by. Whilst I still wouldn't have approached the guy at the age of 17 at 2am on my own not exactly dressed in jeans and trainers, I probably should have called for help. This video really was a reality check and if this blog gets a few more people to watch it then all the better.

States of Fear and Love

2009-08-18T17:32:00.002+01:00

Simple lists that are so true, which I came across on the Oprah website today...these made me reflect and if I'm completely honest I probably fall into the 'Fear' category 60-70% of the time, really not cool and something I need to work on. My biggest issues are the certainty and control ones!

FEAR
Always feels bad
Motivates grasping
Seizes control
Insists on certainty
Needs everything

LOVE
Always feels good
Motivates liberation
Relaxes control
Accepts uncertainty
Needs nothing

'How to Tap Into Your True Power', by Martha Beck

New pics over the weekend

2009-08-03T19:17:00.003+01:00

Here jobby jobby jobby

2009-07-31T10:28:00.003+01:00

Definitely not impressed with the current UK job market!

Dozens of applications later, many companies have failed to even acknowledge receipt of the application (bad bad form) and the speed of other rejections has been swift, some merely hours after submission (which I suppose is better than being left hanging). The most shocking thing are the Internships, many of which do not even state a salary and the ones which are paying minimum wage and still not getting back to me with anything...and here I was thinking I'd be attractive to many a company! Employers must be loving this recession for the mere fact that they get to pick and choose more than ever before, knowing that they can push down salaries and that we don't have many other options right now....bring on the next economic boom I say!

It appears that a 1st class honours in International Marketing and years of various work experience is not enough these days to even secure an initial interview. Now, some of you may think, maybe its the application which is the problem? Doubtful, I've had both cover letters and CVs checked by friends who work in HR, others who have had to do hiring and firing in management roles, lecturers, careers advisors...all to no avail.

Its frustrating but what to do? Carry on plouging on I suppose in the meantime thinking about more independent entrpreneurial ideas as backup - unfortunately I have nothing viable at the moment.

Photography experiments

2009-07-29T22:41:00.005+01:00

***More to be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30109959@N07/***

Bad karma

2009-07-12T01:14:00.003+01:00

What a crazy last few weeks, it seems to me that all the bad karma is hitting all in one go...here's the list of all the things that have gone wrong in the last few weeks:

1) Got heatstroke for the first time ever and was sick as a dog on holiday in Morocco 2 of the 8 days I was there
2) Shattered half my ankle when I got home to London, after 2 days back...was put in a cast for 2 weeks and now in a splint...no gym for weeks now and feeling very down
3) Dad went into hospital for tests for a week as there is another suspected problem with his heart...lots of worry
4) Everyone has been stressed and arguing at home
5) Brother came down with a suspected case of Swine Flu and been quite ill
6) Job rejections over the past year and a half has led me to being half-hearted about applying for jobs and am feeling lost after finishing uni

As a result I'm feeling so demotivated, uninterested in anything, seriously irritable...and even more so when I think of there being so much bigger problems in the world!

Oh the joys of being one-legged

2009-07-02T15:28:00.003+01:00

So I finally got my new baby (well actually its mine and Ty's first joint asset lol) - my Digital SLR Nikon D90 and its a beauty! Have been playing around with it and doing some reading around the technical stuff but I really really want to take it out around London to start experimenting (looking like a typical East Asian tourist no doubt), but I can't because I'm stuck in this damn plastercast. My clumsiness sometimes fails to amaze...the funniest part of it all is that I managed to fracture my ankle flat-footed rather than in one of my fabulously high heels. Go figure.

I'll say one thing about being one-legged, it really does make one appreciate having two legs and being able to walk normally - similar to the appreciation I had for being able to flush toilet paper down the toilet after my travels in Central America in 2005 and not having a constantly dodgy belly. Walking is something I think many of us today take for granted, especially with our use of cars - although this doesnt apply to me because: (1) I still don't have my licence, and (2) I don't have a car (which would presumably be linked to 1). Additionally its given me a much greater respect to those permanently disabled who have to deal with the constant frustration of not being 100% able...although saying this I've come across some amazing people who are capable of much more physically than people without disabilities.

The point is I believe things happen in life for a reason and this latest accident was followed by a previous few days of tripping over and breaking an internet router, falling up the stairs and getting some lovely bruises among other small acts of clumsiness. Maybe this time (the doctor says my foot could take 6-8 weeks to fully heal - in the midst of an amazingly sunny hot British summer), I'll finally learn to be more careful.

Beautiful

2009-05-26T23:18:00.003+01:00

Britain's longest married couple - celebrate 81st wedding anniversary.

See video at the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8069286.stm

This gives me hope and I think this is exactly what any relationship should be. It's incredibly sweet and has been the highlight of my day, or week rather.

People complicate things so much these days when actually its so simple.

Facebook

2009-05-05T12:04:00.002+01:00

So I've deactivated my FB account for the foreseeable future (at least for a couple of weeks until exams are over and to prove a point)...its amazing how much of a difference being 'logged off' has made already...and its odd how much it has become an integral part of all online computer activity. Like email, it is checked just as regularly.

I can't say I will miss the 'status updates' of some really depressing people, those who post constant complaints, updates every 5 minutes of the day...in fact when I log back on I will have to clean up my friend list again...frankly, FB has gone from addictive to plain annoying. And now? I have so much more time in a day...to be studying, and when I'm not, time to watch a movie and read more rather than spend hours of unproductive time online.

Feminism

2009-04-12T13:06:00.003+01:00

What is the first thing that comes into a man's mind when they hear the word 'feminism'?

Here are a few associations I can think of:

Man-haters
Hypocrites
Lesbians
Power-hungry bitches
Unfeminine
Aggressive

And now let's have a look at some of the facts in the April 2009 issue of COSMO:

For exactly the same job and position, 'women in the UK earn, on average, 17% less than men'. (although, I think this figure would also apply to non-British nationals)
'After divorce, women are three times more likely to fall into poverty than men' (I hate this one particularly!)
'Around the world, 40-70% of female murder victims are killed by their male partners'
'Women believed to have commited adultery are still being stoned to death in some countries (including Iran and Somalia)'
'Only 10% of high court judges are women'
'45% of women in the UK have experienced some form of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking'
In developing countries, 500,000 women die needlessly every year in pregnancy and childbirth, are denied access to education, and 'many find themselves married and bearing children at 13 or 14. Their husbands are the ones who make a choice of whether to pay for a doctor if complications arise (if he's able to), or to let her die.

Some milestones throughout history:

1913: Emily Davidson dies after throwing herself under a horse owned by King George V, fighting to give women the right to vote
1918: The vote is finally given to women over 30 who own property
1928: The vote is extended to all women over 21
1946: The bikini is invented
1948: Cambridge university awards full degrees to women for the first time in its 700-year history
1961: Contraceptive pill becomes available through the NHS - but only for married women
1970: The Miss World contest is disrupted by feminist protestors
1973: Women are allowed on the trading floor of the London Stock Exchange for the first time
1974: Contraception becomes free for all women in the UK
1976: Women get legal protection from violent partners for the first time
1975: It becomes illegal to sack a woman because she gets pregnant
1979: Margaret Thatcher elected the first female British PM in history
2007: Wimbledon history is made when Venus Williams scoops the same prize money as the male champion
2008: Hillary Clinton battles to be the first female US president

Now from one female's POV.

First of all, I don't hate men. In fact, I often prefer their company to other females because the innate bitchiness can overwhelm. Contrary to popular belief, the independence argument is not about 'not needing men', its about being able to be self-sufficient, or at least trying your best before asking for help. Its about pride in self. No, not testosterone-fuelled pride, only human pride in acheivement, no matter how big or small. Do men ever think realistically about how their families would survive if anything were to happen to them? This is what some of us women think about when we pursue decent earning power. Often, it really isn't an attempt to demean the opposite sex but to make sure that our (potential) families will have the best opportunities in life. Just as making the choice to go out to work doesn't make someone a bad mother, neither does staying home to look ater the kids unfeminist.

The biggest issue I have is with the 'hypocrite' association. Some men say we want the best of both worlds, leaving them with nothing. Now, I for one have been guilty of this. I only learnt how to fit a new lightbulb 2 years ago and I do appreciate gentlemanly chivalry! But I also appreciate a man who can cook and do housework. So in order to achieve greater equality I realise that I should also learn how to fix things when they're broken and do some heavy lifting. Without a doubt the two sexes are built physically different, but that doesn't mean we just shouldn't bother at least trying. In terms of money, not suggesting extravagent nights which you cannot pay for, even if you don't (unless its some special occassion) is one way of reducing this association.

Many men complain about the fact that because women are so powerful today, the distinction between the sexes are becoming blurred and they feel 'less-of-a-man', not being able to be the main breadwinner anymore. I do have a healthy respect for those cultures where traditional roles exist, however I also don't see it as a bad thing that maybe having a female in the family as the main breadwinner would allow men to spend more time with their kids, or find a job they love and enjoy doing without the financial pressures. If one just takes a look at nature for example, lions are highly respected as being the 'Kings of the Jungle', but which sex goes out hunting for for the family?

This whole discussion actually reminds me of the TV series' Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia. These shows basically encompass the whole debate and its why I love them. Just because there are some examples out there, feminism should not be unfairly equated with not taking pride in our appearances, or not taking an interest in fashion and make-up. If they could just make all the Miss World contestants intelligent with something worthwhile to say, there would be no reason at all for the demonstrations.

Feminism for me is about having choices, not being discriminated against, and having some measure of independence. It's about being strong yet sensitive, seeing beyond mere physical appearances and not judging others before taking a good look at yourself...because you're so perfect right? What I really don't understand, and which I think is the ultimate definition of being the complete opposite of a feminist, is female bitchiness. I could go on about this all day. It's a given that this will happen throughout the teenage years at schools, but why do some women insist on carrying this behaviour on into their 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond? Shouldn't all women be happy for each other when something good happens or they achieve something?

Take celebrity magazines for example. Are we that jealous and insecure about ourselves that we need to circle cellulite in magazines to make ourselves feel better?! Yes it can be nice to know that these people are that much closer to us mere mortals but is it really that important in the whole scheme of things? For those who do have supposedly 'perfect' bodies, put it into perspective. Think of all the food deprivation, hard workouts at the gym, constant criticism, and ocassionally going under the knife. No thank you. I'll workout and moderate the amount of junk food I eat but never focus my whole existence on attaining something which is just going to go out of the window to a degree with age and childbirth anyway. Would you rather die tomorrow knowing you ate that Krispy Kreme? or die thinking how much you've deprived yourself of some small pleasures in life. I'm not trying to promote unhealthiness here but at the end of the day, wouldn't it be better to focus on the positive? What has she done rather than what her thighs look like?!

Actually, when did it become more about genitals than being a decent human being?

I just saw this on another blog!

2009-04-11T21:17:00.001+01:00

I just saw this on another blog, how lovely!
It both grosses me out and makes me want to LOL at the same time.

Mercy

2009-04-11T19:51:00.003+01:00

I've been unable to get any work on my final dissertation done today. The reason? I had to finish a book.

The book was Mercy, written by Jodi Picoult. It centres around the theme of how far one would go for someone they really loved. Is it possible to love someone so much that if they were living in pain you could bring yourself to kill them? There is also the theory that one person in a couple always loves the other more, resulting in a kind of 70/30, 60/40 split.

Although I generally enjoy her books, I found this one quite depressing because the 'central' story is that of a relationship where man loves and adores wife but has 'settled' somewhat in small town life. This is due to a sense of ancestral Scot-clan leader obligation in modern day Massachusetts. She worships the ground he walks on. A whole series of events happen...and I won't spoil the story for those who have not yet read the book.

Like the film Revolutionary Road, I find such all too real subjects disturbing, not least because I like to live in this fantasy-land bubble. Such subjects promote fear in even the most optimistic of people. I think in this modern day world, the idea of having to 'settle' with someone because of age for example, or thinking no-one better is going to come along (this option supposedly better than being alone), is such a foreign concept to me...and it does still happen today. Disbelieveingly, in South Africa, or Joburg at least, it appears to be perceived as OLD for a girl to settle down after the age of 25!

I've read about 3/4 of all she's published and love how she writes about the moral dilemmas present in all her novels. Most of her books make you ask yourself a whole bunch of 'what would I do in this situation?'-type questions. Really thought-provoking stuff. I also love the court cases!

On a happier note regarding the theme of this book, I take comfort in the fact (and this is what I believe) that the so-called relationship balance split theory is often in a state of flux, switching from one person to another at different points in time.

Blogging

2009-04-08T15:00:00.003+01:00

I enjoy reading blogs and have come across some very good ones on a whole range of subjects, from life and philosophy, to fashion, to the not so interesting IT ones.

So I thought I'd give it a go. I don't know if I'll actually have anything interesting to blog about, and most likely it'll just be a pile of ramblings. Judging from my many five page diaries in the past it may also be short-lived, but we shall see! The truth is, there isn't really enough time in a day. Even now I'm on a deadline...which I shall be getting back to right about now.

Until next time.