Journal

Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand

2011-05-21T17:46:00.000+12:00

DAY THREE (20th May 2011) The early bedtime onboard the Bangkok to Chiang Mai train meant we were all rested for the next day. It was goodbye to the temporary Intrepid drinking buddies, and thankfully didn’t need to exchange emails or cellphone or Facebook. There are too many one-day contacts, unless they actually knew somebody I was friends with. Whilst tuk-tuking into Chiang Mai, I observed this place more as an overgrown village with a moat and walled city. It was not a crazy city like Bangkok and didn't have high buildings. There were still many cars, and people didn’t travel by animal which I was hoping to spot.

We dropped our bags at the guesthouse People’s Place Number 1, and quickly made for the attractions – more temples! Me, Webby and Suze hired a bike from some random hire shop. It’s great the Thai drive on the left-hand side of the road, unless they’re bad drivers or in a mad rush. Biking and charging through busy intersections seemed safer. Swiss Susanne was hesitant to lead as she normally drove on the wrong-side. We made a few U-turns (i.e. we got lost) but it was good that Chiang Mai is smallish. We biked to a few temples but the most impressive was the crumbling Wat Chedi Luang. It was big, ancient, not covered in colourful paint or gold-leaf, had elephant statues and three potential water slides. Nearby in a little house was a dwarf monk sitting inside a glass box. It was creepy even for farmer Webby. The monk was a skillfully waxed sculpture better than Madame Tassauds, and it was haunted with seemingly little eye movements. Google it. Unfortunately my bike rental costed me 100 baht more than the others. What happened was that my keys dropped off from my bike D-lock somewhere. I frustratingly tried retracing our paths with the help of Suze without success.

The 4.30pm planned trip to Doi Suthep mountain temple was a 12 km private minibus ride up a steep hill, then 300 steps up to the temple grounds. Or you could pay for a machine or local human to take you up. The view down was luscious green jungle. I like that. The temple area itself had many fancy Buddhist umbrellas, various sized sculptures, a big bell among other things. Maybe it had a tourist shop but I don’t remember or care. We observed a short monk ceremony of prayer and candle lighting. Although the monks are used to tourists watching their routine, I would find it weird if I was in their jandals. The white-robed monk among the orange majority was a curiosity. We got told she was a nun, but it was hard to tell when they're all bald and wearing big eye-glasses. As we were about to leave, we heard an distressed yelp from the tiny black puppy. It had been attacked from the numerous stray adult dogs. The puppy in its canine-grief, limped slowly off the open court followed by a path of blood drops. It laid down, cuddled up and looked very sad. A few of the Asian and Western tourists were frustrated that the temple staff did not take any action. I guess this was a cultural difference, but would they help a hurt monkey the same way?

I’ve forgotten what we had for our meals that night but after dinner, we headed for the night bazaar where Webby and I were forced to amuse the girls. Guys don’t like the man-eating fish swarms in the so-called fish pedicure spa. I never got used to the tickles from the fish nibbling. It was akin to being bitten continuously by a vampire with a many tiny mouths for 15 minutes. What is so healing or good feeling about that? Moreover, we drew the attention of other male onlookers who thought we were either stupid or brave. I’m never ever doing that again, or succumbing to girls’ peer pressure.

The next day, we were off to Laos, stopping for a look at a craft-cottage cashew nut business. Wow, the staff certainly work their guts out for peanuts. Our second stop was the surreal White Temple or Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai. My favourite looking temple because it is crazy and different. The death metal imagery painted in white and is artfully set into the environs. Fiery fringes line most straight edges of the temple and stupas. There are radical road cones that have skulls on top of it. Along the path leading up to the main building, are begging hands coming out from a hell-pit. They're crying out 'got some change?' The architecture and gardening looks like a tribute to the Predator movie. The place will certainly scare kids, but I was not worried. Next door was a typical golden building or temple, but it had a romance theme! Maybe the architect wanted to contrast our double-edged humanity and help us appreciate the polarities of this world. Maybe. Anyway, this temple is a great place to visit and feel something weird up your spine. I think. Google it.

In the afternoon, we crossed the brown Mekong River on a 10 minute ferry to Huay Xai in Laos. Even though I dislike corruption, we bribed Laos customs. But it was Khompac’s (our guide) recommendation as he had taught us the $US1 visa bribery technique. We got through fine, especially Suse who didn’t even need to pay for a buy-at-the-border visa. Lucky Switzerland. Funnily, the border station is just a quaint little shop up the banks from the ferry jetty making evasion easy.

Photos of North Thailand on my Facebook. More about Huay Xai, Mekong River and rest of Laos in my next journal entry.

Intrepid and Crazy Bangkok

2011-05-19T04:18:00.003+12:00

DAY ONE (18 May 2011) - I met my new 'touring family' on the stunning lookout roof of Grande Ville Hotel in Bangkok's Chinatown. Our party of 12 included the leader Komphac, pronounced Compaq. Here's some interesting things we were advised by him:

- In Buddhist Indochina, don't touch people's head as it is holy. They consider the feet dirty, so don't touch people with them, raise or hang them up on a table or chair
- An awesome alternative to shaking potentially germ-full hands is to do it the Indochinese way. This is a brilliant way to greet from far away too. You don’t get into awkward situations of reaching across the room or table to try to shake hands.
- Don't buy or gift anything from hawking or begging children as it encourages a begging mentality and their guardians will think education is not worthwhile
- Women (and guys) should dress modestly especially in holy places. I saw some German or Swedish or Dutch (or Polish) girls, not from any professional tour groups, asked to leave the temple because they were baring way too much skin even by NZ standards! Fair enough.
- Keep your cool and don't go psycho when upset, frustrated or unjustified. Bottle it up until you get back to your hotel room. Press your face into the pillow and shout. Beat the pillow if it’s that bad.
- Give the local food a go such as: rice, noodles or soup. Don't just eat McDonalds everyday for the whole month straight. At least give Starbucks, BK or Subway an attempt (that is a joke). I think it is sad some people go overseas and don't try out even the most tame of new food.
- Apparently a genuine smile works wonders, and the Thai’s preferred our smiles than our frown. A smile doesn't mean you are offering to marry them.

First evening, we went to Khao San Road – a long market lane with many tourists. Some people find it a shock to the senses with all the human ants all bunching through a humid gauntlet of touts. T-shirts with the words ‘Same Same’, LED-lit squids slingshotted high into the sky, outdoor restaurants and bars, people lying in massage areas, and fold-up tables displaying curios and touristy knick knacks. I found the fake IDs the coolest thing on show. They had many representative cards from all around Earth. I asked if they had Thai Police ID cards, but they smiled and motioned I had gone too far with that suggestion. I should’ve gotten a UK Driver Licence. Drats!

Later our Intrepid Travel group split into two: young and more-younger. There wasn’t much more to see in Khao San Road, so we had talked, drank, and analysed tourists from the beer garden. Our taxi ride back to Grande Ville Hotel was very cheap, but the driver was either an insane genius or absolutely useless in his navigation skills. We went the wrong way in a trafficked one-way street. There was beeping, but no swerving thankfully. Nobody wet themselves from the thought of dying. We gave no tips for the taxi driver for that thrill ride.

Here’s some observations and series of events from DAY TWO (19 May 2011):

- Our hotel breakfast was a curious Euro-Asian mix, but the coffee was nothing like Wellington’s. Juice from bottles or dispensers is never real in Southeast Asia, it’s always Raro/cordial.
- Our competent local guide was a former temple chief-assistant. He guided us on the Bangkok tuk-boats through the dirty Chao Phraya River and its canals. There were shanty huts making up half of canal edges and many temples dotted along the main riverbank.
- It’s not easy getting in or out of the boats from the jetty. I don’t know how our 70-year old intrepid traveller (David from Waikato) successfully managed such task without spraining a muscle. The whole river transport industry has little regards to personal safety.
- Women on merchant boats accosted us to buy touristy stuff. Why women – why don’t men do this?
- The Bangkok sun burns brightly even through the smog.
- We visited Wat Pho. It has lots of stupas, a large golden reclining Buddha with intricate feet, an emerald Buddha, tiny Buddhas, Buddha guardians and yet-to-be repaired Buddhas. The roof of buildings were interesting though. Some looked like fish scales.
- We also visited the Grand Palace, but beforehand we were half-tricked that the entrance was closed for lunchtime siesta. I had read a lot about this scam prior visiting Asia, and I was angry at myself that the three of us had been wasted 10 minutes by a bloody schemer. Oh well. You learn. The Grand Palace was grand but the lack of shade, the lack of a map, and the ‘same same but different’ gold-gilded buildings had the ladies tired. They couldn’t go on following me.

There was no more time to visit and experience other things in Bangkok. By 6pm we had to board the overnight sleeper-train to Chiang Mai. The amount of people sitting directly on the railway station floor seemed to have increase from the previous time I was there with the Swiss-French couple. It’s a sooty, big and complex station - just like the rest of the city. Exciting!

Link to photos are on my Facebook.

Malaysia to Bangkok - trains and sex sales

2011-05-16T02:52:00.024+12:00

I always think I am late to my train, boat or bus. Several times already, I traverse fairly sizable city distances in heat, rain and dust with my big tramping/hiking bag and backpack. I arrive soaked with rain or sweat after the walk to discover I wasn't late at all. Instead of being a walk-loving Wellingtonian, I should do what the locals do - take the mass-transit or taxi.

On one of these rush to the terminal, I talked with Claude and Danielle, a fascinating Swiss French couple who could speak Bahasa. They greatly assisted me buying a second-class sleeper train ticket from north Malaysia (Arau Station in Kedah state) to Bangkok. They had a storybook life - you could write a decent biography of their many adventures including their good time living in Lower Hutt, Wellington - my home cityburb. Their secret to a their lifestyle is obvious.... no kids.

This train was full of security guards. Unbeknown to me, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) strongly recommended not to take the overland border route due to regional instability. These trains get hijacked or bombed often. But ignorance was a good thing this time. The lower bunk was very spacious with lots of headroom. The Thai meals they offered were also good too. We were traveling in second-class carriage but were given a first-class service. Look at these photos here of how spacious and private the bunks in the carriage are.

After arrival in Bangkok, the French couple and I booked into the YHA youth hostel in Silom Road. I didn't know this, but Silom Road happened to be the main street linking the red-light side streets (called 'soi'). We discovered this because of YHA's Anti-Dodgy Policy posted on all the doors especially regarding exploitation and prostitutes. I met another roommate, Aaron D the arborist from Portsmouth UK who was making a long travel to ultimately live in NZ. When we ventured out for a meal at night, there were tonnes of hawkers or pimps trying to sell us: ladies, ping pong show, lap dance, or Thai massage. If we waved them away with a "No Thanks" they'd finally offer us boys or ladyboys! These salespeople aren't shy and very persistent . Another thing is that Aaron is white, so he gets picked on. If I'm not walking with him or talking to him, the sales reps don't hassle this Thai-lookalike, i.e. me the generic Asian.

I'm confused at some of the people's priorities here. They esteem their "High Institution" with much reverence. Good. But they don't seem to frown the exploitation happening under their noses. There are many organisations that are trying to stop this, but the sex-industry thrives because of the permissive culture. I look negatively at the old white man with the young Thai lady or boy that's holding hands with him. We laugh and cringe when we saw this coupling - and we saw it often. That's my rant.

The next day was Wednesday 18 May, the start my Intrepid journey around the great Indochina loop. Oddly, it took me ages, I was lost, to look for the hotel where the adventure kicked off... I should've taken a tuk tuk.

Adventures in Langkawi - 14-16th May

2011-05-14T18:32:00.000+12:00

I still chundered during the three hour trip from Penang Island to [Palau] Langkawi Island on the 32-knot ferry. Would it have been worst if I wasn't wearing the magnetic anti-sickness wristbands? I stayed at the very popular Gecko Backpackers on [Pantai] Cenang Beach. It had basic facilities but the staff are hardcases. Some people stay there for a long time. I'm lucky I got a bunk 30 minutes earlier, because new people were rejected.

A bunch of random boyz were assembled quickly comprising of outer Londoners, a small-town Frenchman, and a Jakartan. You really need to show leadership by initiating talk with people and asking to do something together. We hired a decent 1.6L Galant to road trip around the attractions of the islands. A girl was badly 'damaged' after slipping on her motorbike, and that's why a car was hired rather than scooters. I turned out to be the driver, a last minute decision, because it seemed nobody else could drive automatic, on the left, or had carried their licence. My navigator was quite awful - we took a road which became a rural lane which became a footpath. No U-turn was possible on what's supposed to be a secondary road around the airport. I'm sure I scuffed the side of the cars on the branches with many scratches.

Our first destination was Langkawi cable car at Gunung Machinchang where we enjoyed the steep ascent and descent. It was expensive ($NZ15) but the couple of hours gazing at the beaches and whole mountainous island was very cool. It did involve a bit of walking up and down, and we saw that the retiree tourists definitely suffered. There is a big modern boomerang shaped viewing bridge but it seems misplaced and an eyesore. Still, it works for photographers as long as the planks get maintained. What a little scare that caused me when a rickety wooden plank moved as I stepped on it.

Our next drive was to the Seven Wells Waterfall where we got a dip in. It wasn't that awesome. It was getting dark, so we made our way to Tengah Beach and looped around the island on our drive back to Cenang. We had dinner with more randoms, and met more people in the Babylon drinking establishment on the sand. The drinks are around NZ$1 per beer because the island is a dutyfree haven. I met so many more people and enjoyed the company with many Dutch and British girls, among others [too many names to list sorry]. Everyone had such diverse backgrounds and yet we all clicked well as a big group. It seems the Royal Dutch Shell affiliation and rare Kiwi-experience for them is an icebreaker - maybe. From the beach, you could see red lightning strikes every half a minute out to sea. We all went over to Sunbar nightclub after Babylon closed at 11.30pm and danced the morning away at this great club. I'm surprised the band and DJ were really good at crowdpleasing. After club closure at 4.30am, we went back to the beach to catch the sunrise. I was too old man tired to stay till 6pm. Just after I left with the Dutch girls, a Canadian mate got stung by night jellyfish. We also later realised, the sun doesn't rise looking towards the west!

Next day, sleep-in! But what a fantastic day ahead. We had brunch; made the best big white sandcastle that other Asian tourists kept snapping pics of; tried catching crab (the Dutch girls idea for dinner!); playing in the warm water, and the beach soccer match. Tip: watch out for the decapitating ropes from speedboat paragliders. The sunset was beautiful, but we were cautious of staying in the sea for too long due night jellyfish. From 7pm we had dinner, drinks and clubbing with a slightly expanded group of people. It was at the same places like the previous night.

It was sad to see new friends go their separate paths the next day (16-May). I was leaving the lovely island too. I will treasure great times together, and it is awesome I will be visiting them in Europe soon. I wish I had spent a few more days there, but my Intrepid Trip on the Great Indochina Loop was about to begin on the 18th. Now, to get to Bangkok I had to go against the strong recommendations of Lonely Planet and NZ Foreign Ministry.

Penang and bus gripes

2011-05-13T21:46:00.093+12:00

I'm frustrated at KL's un-common-sense transport situation. I took the bus from Malacca back to KL but arrived at BTS - a station which is 20 km south of KL city centre. The new BTS terminal is clean and massive but doesn't support northbound buses. Apparently I have to take a train or taxi to Puduraya bus terminal in the city centre to get a northbound bus. I gave a trick question to English-speaking staff if I could walk to Puduraya station, and they said "Yes". Pathetic.

So I took the KTM train to Puduraya and arrived an hour earlier than required, but unluckily the bus to Penang still left without me. Thankfully I was given a child ticket for departure an hour later. Onboard the driver didn't allow me to change from the child seat which is a (windowless) permanently-curtained seat for me to photograph some of the gorgeous scenery. In the end I snuck to another seat while intransit. The bus only had 7 people on board. I feel so awful for bending the terms and conditions (sarcasm added).

I arrived at another bus terminal in Penang Island which was again quite far from Georgetown centre. I walked past my first encounter of lady-boy prostitutes. They're scary. In the dark, you can't always tell if women is really a guy. And you suspect most skinny women. I ate at a nice eatery-market with a national champion karaoke stage - the Red Garden Cafe. The singers were pretty good. I didn't have time to find a guest-house with shared dormitories so had to stay in a single room. Not much interaction there. My hunt for dorms the next day was made difficult due to rain and two Lonely Planet recommended backpackers under demolition. In the end I settled for a more upmarket guesthouse Hutton Lodge, but in a single room once again. No new mates to share my adventures together with in Penang. I walked a self-guided city trail and loved the heritage buildings around. There's even a massive Chinese clanhouse similar to a marae for people who's surname is Khoo. We should have a marae/clanhouse for Fung in Aotearoa. There is much to see and do in Penang, that I'll make better plans for this place next time. I thirsted for a visit to the beach, unfortunately the Southern Thai beaches were too difficult to get to, so Palau Langkawi in Malaysia was where I headed next. And what a turning point in my travels this place would be.

Malacca or Melakah

2011-05-11T19:11:00.000+12:00

Me and Caitlin stayed in Eastern Heritage a rustic but worn-down backpackers in Chinatown. Their was only one toilet and shower, but the charm of the place was a big plus. I'm not sure I saw a bed bug or whether it was just a insect.

Tri-shaw drivers were always heckling us. If they weren't, we'd actually go for a trip with them. The riverboat ride along the Malacca river was the best experience. We saw the best of Malacca's nicely preserved heritage which wasn't overtly commercialised. I love how some of the roads weren't designed for automobiles, so a lot of streets don't have footpaths or covered decking. But still, why would the authorities designate some of these as normal thoroughfares for cars?

We went to a couple of temples (I get confused with Ancestor, Confucius, Tao, Buddhist temples) but it was a scorcher and we were walking long distances. It was refreshing to try out the chicken rice balls and cendol in the shade of good eateries. Unfortunately we couldn't go to the museums, as it got too late. Besides, being a weekday, the place was a bit too quiet. No street hawker stores could be found for our evening dinner, so we ate at the shopping mall (oh no!). Caitlin was fun to hang with - hopefully we get to see each other more often in our travels or in the States. Although we had to separate ways the next day, the next stop for me was to Penang (Georgetown) by bus, via the confusing transport options of KL.

KL with the Chans

2011-05-10T17:50:00.000+12:00

I had multiple changes of plans for Singapore and Malaysia. I took a bus to KL instead of Malacca because my meeting with Alychia Chan was only going to be for a day. The border crossing is noticeable with change in language, quality of service and presentation. I've been to KL before, and in my point of view, there's not as many things to see and do compared to Malacca or Penang. Alychia's sister Tiffany and her boyfriend Kim had taken a day off work for me and chauffeured me in their nice Toyota Camry. Wow - what awesome friends. We went to KLCC Petronas Twin Towers and Batu Caves. We slowly walked up nearly 300 steps to the cave entrance. It was sight to behold (with monkeys), but the ugly stalls, some statues/displays, and neon lights were distracting to what could be a pristine environment. In the evening, we browsed around the famously big Petaling St markets to buy myself a 'terrorist' wristwatch Casio F91W, Facebook jandals, and fake Oakley's all for less than $NZ20. We ate ice kacang too! I stayed in Pondok Lodge very close to the eateries of Alor St, where I met my new dorm mate - Caitlin the Iowan. We struck a good 3 hour talk, and decided to head to Malacca the next day.

Unfortunately, I don't have a guidebook, so I rely on the Visitors/Tourism Authorities or the team of dorm buddies to help determine traveling destinations. I love staying in dorms because you meet people to do stuff together. Staying in single rooms or non-conducive guesthouses greatly lessens this opportunity and fun.

Singapore III - Sunday 8th May and Monday

2011-05-09T21:18:00.000+12:00

Sunday:
City Harvest morning service is big and much like ARISE. There's actually a few churches held in the same convention complex called Suntec. The special speaker was Yongg Cho's wife. After lunch, I finally got an awesome digital camera, Nikon Coolpix S8100 for NZ$530 including accessories, from Sim Lim Square. Most of the haggling efforts was done by a new Singaporean friend Sandy the Wine Connoisseur. It wasn't my original choice of camera, my choice actually sucked. This model is superb with the quality lighting clarity and anti-vibration features to the envy of fellow backpackers. Next we went to Bugis to meet up with more ex-ARISE mates to have a final and very long coffee and bubble tea catchup. Sounds like the Wellington thing to do! I got lost for an hour trying to walk back to my hostel through Little India. Little did I know it was the day off for thousands of single Indian construction workers, and wandering through it was extremely nerve racking for the roommate girls I had talked to about.

Monday:
This was my day for myself to wander the attractions and museums. My line-up included Asian Civilisation Museum which I think any Chinese Kiwi should take a few hours in. As part of a $NZ66 sightseeing package, I'm not one to waste its many offerings, so I tried out the Duck Tour on an amphibious assault vehicle. It turned out to be great with great snaps and commentary from the thickly-accented Singaporean university student. Around sunset, I headed to Sentosa Island, a slightly tacky resort. It is definitely a retreat for locals rather than Westerners. The beach on Sentosa itself had excellent views of the Shell and oil company refineries on Jurong flaring away excess gas. And the sight of heavily trafficked shipping lane is surreal from any vantage point. This was my last night in Singapore before a sudden change of plans to visit KL first rather than Malacca.

Singapore II - Friday 6th May and Saturday

2011-05-08T21:05:00.000+12:00

Friday:
We got on board the red/brown double decker sightseeing bus around, and first stop was Chinatown. I was with Eoin the Belfastian and Emma the Manc. The Hindu temple was adorned with a large figurines on each cascade of the roof whilst inside was an elaborate pouring ritual. The statue was poured with milk, then rinsed with water, then poured with flour, then water again, with each pour given a sniff of burning incense. They could make pancakes if desired. We also visited Mr Bud Dha's big temple where lots of 5c coins were 'credited' there into many fake gold vases. The lingering smell of burnt perfume pervaded the intricately covered walls. Once again I forget which Chinese zodiac creature I would be - blar!

We ate at the People's Centre huge hawker place - great food except for the durian smell and the sweltering heat of the sitting right outside the shop's stove. We took to the Singapore River on the guided Sightseeing Boat. There's skyscrapers everywhere except in the river itself. I saw a painting of this place, and the 19th century cozy fishing village serenity and fun chaos of 1960s traders is gone. We watched the Hurricanes vs Blues game for a brief 40 minutes, but explaining football (e.g. AFL, Gaelic, league, union, touch) and cricket is easy to the British and Indians respectively, but not to Germans.

At night, I didn't have a Sinapore Sling at Raffles Hotel but enjoyed a local delicacy of Chilli Crab with former ARISE churchillians and their boyfriends and some others. I am semi-allergic to crab, but I ate it anyway without a problem. LOL. Clark Quay is where we the party is but there was no drunk people strangely. As a representive to oddball NZ culture, I took an umbrella and took photo-ops under the civic water displays. We spent a couple of hours conversing and tasting a selection of Italian wines at a chic vintners shop in the Quay. A few hours of sleep before the next day...

Saturday:
Kicked off with Singapore Art Museum (sam) - named after my shortname. The Thai tragedy displays were moving but I don't recall many Singapore artists on display. Unfortunately I didn't get my digital camera at Funan DigitalLife. Three of the shops didn't give good service - all I asked was for the price and what accessories it came with... if they gave a smile I would've bought it. After that, I really needed a to be at a happier place with Emma, and went onboard the Singapore Flyer (aka the London Eye not in London) which offered great views but it was confusing to find your way inside. You can't see the edge of Singapore island over the horizon - it's the size of Lake Taupo, but maybe you could spot the Malaysian foothills. There's 1000s of tall apartments and condominiums but it's the super-rich that live in self-contained houses. At night, we wandered in Little India and had a proper hand-fed curry meal.

Singapore is amazing

2011-05-06T04:53:00.000+12:00

I flew out of Wellington on Jetstar but the Auckland check-in process took a very long time. If they stuck by their strict rule, then 30% of the passengers would've missed the transfer Jetstar flight from Auckland to Singapore. That company needs to put more workers at the check-in terminal. We had a very multi-Asian crew made up of Japanese, Chinese, Malaysianese,... Luckily I got 2 seats (aisle and window).

Singapore's first official greeting to me is: Death to drug traffickers. Welcome to Singapore if you're not a drug trafficker. It would suck if you were a DT'er.

Changi Airport was deceptively cold, and I kept expecting the heat to be unbearable. I was wrong, the equatorial oven is appealing. My Singlish is imperfect "How's your daie beEEn?" - they didn't understand 'day been'. I described that it was 24-hour unit of measure. Fail. I've also been misunderstood for: sex/six, tin/ten, bin/been, chips/sheeps, sweet, et al.

You can smell the rain coming, and see the lightning approaching. Then a downpour hit when I was at the Esplanade Theatre on the Bay (the authority detests the label Durian). I and the two Brits that hanged out with me were absolutely drenched even the cardboard box. Silly cars also purposely swerved-up the stormwater on us. My feet are blistered by dad's stupid knife-jandals.

People keep gawking at me - why? Especially when I talk with my travel-buds and friends. Anyway, I spent both evenings here with Marc & Liching, and Esther and Stanley. They're wonderful Singaporeans.

Observations:
They don't wear sunglasses here. Most taxi cabs have an shoebox back design, and there are a lot of black cars. Everyone seems to dress similarly here. I have yet to see somebody Alternative. It feels very spick and span especially shopping mall/plaza/area design, urban atmosphere, people all carrying Apple, and it seems plastic or video-game lustre. There's a democratic election between the Lightning Bolt (PAP) and Hammer (WP) parties. I hope it's a synergistic win/win. The food and its much cheaper prices is so cool.

Voyage - Planning time for my Large Overseas Expedition

2011-02-15T11:48:00.032+13:00

During my summer holidays, I had a lot of time to peer into the sky for inspiration as well as to disgustingly navel gaze. There has been a tangible feeling to do something quite radical - finish up with the company, head on a grand adventure overseas and settle in a foreign lands where people are not just Aussies or Kiwis.

Yip, I'm definitely going to do it. First off, as my usual style for big things, I strategize and plan. Mmmm... which countries should I go for? This is a once (or twice) in a lifetime window to travel big. I have been intending to visit China for centuries, but was swayed more by career advances. As well as China, I like to do other parts of Asia too. However my big question is, which city and country would I like to work and stay for a little longer? Mother England? O Canada?

Vision 2011: Better Relationships and Improved Lifestyle

2010-12-27T23:53:00.000+13:00

I'm taking five weeks leave off work around Christmas and January 2011. During this time I will be planning for next year's strategy and goals. I've learnt much in 2010 especially how work has negatively affected my lifestyle and relationships. I will try to journal my progress each week. Here are some goals with the key being consistent, prioritised and focussed:

Spend more quality time with friends
Exercise more, eat better and rest properly
Develop better interpersonal skills
Develop good habits and lessen bad ones
Put first things first
Learn Mandarin
Read the bible everyday

Goodbye old, Hello new

2010-04-02T23:32:00.003+13:00

After Easter, I'll be moving on from Shell New Zealand and onto Greenstone Energy (GEL). It's been a great 5 years of growth, challenge and transformation. I'm probably facing the most obvious internal change as an employee by coincidence. Not only has the company had just changed hands, on Tuesday 6th April I'm moving out from the Wellington Queens Wharf head office to Gracefield Manufacturing Plant in the Hutt. I'm also moving to a different business - Chemicals. My new role is mainly client relationships but I still be called to help others in business improvement (process) areas! Old skill-sets die hard.

Anyway, I'm excited of taking a step into the unknown, and hopefully help shape the path ahead. Being away from the head office means I don't get to meet the management and executive teams. But it be good to have a great meet-up with Mike Bennetts, our new CEO, and help him on our vision of a new energy future for New Zealand.

NZ vs Oz society and economics

2010-01-31T15:20:00.002+13:00

A great article comparing NZ and Australia in societal economics, industry, tax, migration, education, labour, gaps, rankings in world surveys and personal earnings and the state of the nation. These two countries are good places for many things. Makes me feel proud we are blessed in God's Own!

By the Ditch Divided and Oz vs Nz big showdown

Notes from the Leadership and Development Conference 2007

2010-01-05T11:06:00.008+13:00

Steven Young – Conference Introduction
• Themes in Conference are: leadership, achievement, identity

Peter Chin - Do it your way
• Failures make me better, so I understand others better. It humbles me.
• Listen to authority, they have wise advice
• Do the work and success will be more likelier
• Family stability is very important
• I have to do it my own way, not from the conflicting opinions of everyone else
• Since I am Chinese, some of my achievements may not get noticed in our community and society due to stereotype
• Test my limits. Do the hard work to gain confidence.

Nigel Murphy - History of Chinese in NZ
• Chinese history had 2 mass migrations: Nanyang (to SE Asia), and Gum San (to Western areas)
• Gold miners from Guangdong went through British Hong Kong
• British introduced opium into China to rebalance the trade in their favour. China didn't want opium problems, so British went to war and won Hong Kong
• Coolies were cheap Chinese people planted in foreign areas, but were removed after a period. Some lived in Samoa and reproduced with locals there
• Gum San was a perceived and conceptual place that people can make a living from e.g. by mining
• In the 1800s, Chinese identified not with self, but how they related to other people
• In NZ, many laws were progressively added to exclude Chinese until 1938 (Sino-Japanese War)
• In 1987, Labour party made all immigration equal for all
• The saying, One New Zealand, may mean the erasure of all differences

Swee Tan - Leading and Achieving in the Surgical Field
• Pursue my dreams
• Nothing is too small
• Use mentors
• Believe we're going to be better
• Be open minded. You can learn from anyone
• Some ideas can come from the most unlikely places
• Promote excellence. Write down your plans, the journey and achievements
• Collaborate
• Invest in new people and the next generation

Robyn Wong - Achievers in the sporting field
• Do the hardwork, persevere, keep up the commitment, stick to plans
• Even under doubt, strive on
• Although the Olympics (and people's lives) is about excelling, not everyone can be excellent
• Find belief in myself
• Don't compare and excuse myself
• Set goals, plan, set milestones
• Dream. Reach for the heights

Monica Mercury - Achievers in the sporting field
• Know where I come from
• Acknowledge my family and true friends. Be with them forever
• Learn a language
• Take up the opportunities
• Expand your horizons e.g. do a big OE
• Be positive, learn through my failures
• Help the community
• Balance my life
• Cultural diversity improves society

Andrew Young - Self-identity: the crucial factor to lead and succeed
Leadership is also good staff management:
• Good perception from others
• Having vision
• Motivational
• Inspirational
• Having credibility
• Grounded self identity
• Having passion
• Competitive
• Having balance e.g. don't let job consume me
• Knowing my limitations
• Having good advisors. Remember that good advisors are brainier than me
• Not worrying about making mistakes
• Having focus
• Having objectives
• Recognising other people and rewarding them

Jef Wong - Achievers in the creative mainstream
• Be proud of who I am
• Don't need to conform to the motions of the day

Alistair Kwun / Charles Mabbett - Building the Chinese profile: an exercise in PR
• Maintain relationships
• Prioritise on relationships
• It's me that raises the profile of our voice in the community
• Respond carefully to media when there is a wrong

James Liu - What's hot, what's not
• Hotness linked with youth
• Whereas leadership is linked with older age
• Chinese guys are perceived as not hot, hard to get Western girls, geeky
• Identity doesn't 'belong' to an individual. But what a person chooses to do with the situation. The changing situations mean we choose what to do with what is given.
• Leadership is based on how strong my sense of identity and how to take advantage of my situation
• We have lots of opportunity. Assimilation is not the best approach
• Leadership endurance depends as much as skilful navigation of the direction of the tide/current.

Jilnaught Wong – The principles of leadership
• There are no banana-specific barriers being leaders
• Destiny is a matter of choice
• If I want something, it's got to burn in my guts. I've got to believe it
• We shouldn't compare achievements between others. Know other people's qualities
• Leaders have: culture, communication, focus, teamwork, execution
• Is there any additional/special constraints or challenges with Chinese leadership? No
• Chinese have same opportunities. Race is used too much as an argument that people can't get a job. Probably the CV was badly written, or weaker social skills displayed in the interview.
• Leadership behavioural tips: Be confident (not aggressive), inquisitive, not naïve, practise deference/respect, humilty
• Avoid flippant remarks i.e. being a smart alec

Focus
• Willing to accept a challenge. Set and follow a vision, a direction

Execution and Teamwork
• Working in a team increases the output. Organisation success utilises the team players
• You need right people in your team. Take the wrong people out. e.g. You need the best players for a good All Blacks team
• Get the best out of myself and get others to grow to be a leader
• There are different leadership traits e.g. authoritative, affiliative, pace-setter, democratic, coercive. All are useful in differing situations e.g. fire wardens need to be coercive.

Communications
• Early on in the team, you must communicate vision quickly
• A leader turns ideas into vision successfully
• No one likes to be left in the dark. Otherwise they will start guessing, and guesses can turn into truths.
• Medium of communications are Talk, Email and Meetings – use the correct medium, don't abuse it.
• Listen. Ears never get me into trouble. It is a privilege to listen.

Culture
• Charisma can't be defined but you can see it. So is the same with culture. We know whether the culture is strong or not.
• Culture slowly permeates through the organisation from leaders e.g. SouthWest Airlines, Hewlett Packard – teamwork, respect
• Leaders need to match actions with what they say. Walk the talk.
• Culture is the DNA of the organisation

Charles Chow – Leadership in Asia
• China has its own way of doing things today especially after Tiannamen Square 1989
• We should be proud of China's continuous improvements. The free market presents opportunity.
• Learn Mandarin
• China has good leaders – they look after 1.3 billion people.
• The overseas Chinese Diaspora has been contributing majorly to Asian nations such as Malaysia and Singapore.

James Liu – The psychology of leadership

Social and psychological basis of leadership
• Personality traits and situation
• Culture and inheritance
• Social capital (human resource)
• Organisational structure

Leadership's Big 5 temperaments
1. Extraversion
2. Openness
3. Low Neuroticism
4. Conscientiousness (how hardworking a person is, lesser degree)
5. Agreeableness (lesser degree)

Lead in 2 ways
1. The most instrumental is task leadership
2. Social-emotionally in providing social and emotional support for team members
• Task leaders perform better in either highly structured or very poorly structured situations
• We shape our temperament of the situation. There is no consistent relationship between situation and being a good leader.
• Family inheritance are strongly correlated with income of children
• Basic social identities strongly influence leadership possibilities (ethnicity, age, gender). Each aspect of my identity connects me to a group of people that I could potentially lead, and positions me as 'authentic' or 'inauthentic' to them
• Language and physical appearance are the most visible properties of cultural inheritance. Tip: learn Mandarin songs, try to be authentic of our culture that is act Chinese
• Asian values: family, hardwork, non-hedonistic, loyalty

Social capital (or network) -is something I can effect:
• Doing things to your social networks to make them do stuff for me. The collective value of social networks and inclinations that arise from these networks is to do things for one another
• I'm born into groups e.g. church, family. It is my social relationship essential component to leadership. Patronage and other social support are critical to becoming a leader and leading in any society
• Unlike traits and cultural inheritance, I produce social capital. Who I marry is the single most important source of social capital, and then where I go to school is second.
• There is both bonding capital (reaching within, solidarity) and bridging capital (reaching out, outside group). Which you have more often decides your leadership

Organisational structure: Team building
• Every organisation has a group prototype or ideal employee or leader. This is part of the organisational culture
• Being a leader is often about getting along with and working interdependently with other members of leadership team. Teamwork between task-orientated leader and emotional-social leader is typical in many successful organisations.
• For biculturals, leadership is often bridging between two constituencies or groups rather than being prototypical of one group

Kefeng Chu – Leadership in public service
• There are hardly any Chinese in public service today
• You need vision and determination

Kai Leuy – where to from here?
• Out true worth has never been better with China being this big

Continuing improvements in Royal Dutch Shell

2009-07-03T22:50:00.008+12:00

It's been a while since my last post. Since March, Shell New Zealand was under a strategic review by the portfolio strategists in Royal Dutch Shell. The 'For Sale' sign is now hammered down into the front-lawn of our national downstream business. UBS, popularly known as the Swiss Bank, has been appointed as the dealer.

Most of my time during the strategic review has been within our strategy, marketing and sales businesses. Not much on projects. Nevertheless, exciting times await.

We also have a new CEO now - Peter Voser. Jeroen van der Veer retired after many progressive years of service where he placed a springboard to lead through the challenge of increased global demands, balancing the energy mix, and greater corporate social responsibility to stakeholders. It's a difficult job being the most senior leader, and I'm fortunate I'm not going to be yet.

There has been a major planning and transition underway since June. Upstream is journeying through a planetary-wide restructure. Mr Voser has set a new focus on business agility, maximising ourselves of the global economic downturn, and conserving resources. In a couple years, I can picture a company that's more leaner, responsive, sustainably more profitable, and better for all stakeholders. My revised mid-year career plans will be inline with these prospective themes. As a (very very) junior officer to another chief XO, I wish Mr Voser bon voyage.

2009 - the year of business challenge and opportunity

2009-01-04T14:02:00.002+13:00

Jeroen van der Veer, our CEO, said this year will be very tough. Cash is king in this global recession. His main message was to focus on doing the essential things, and reduce non-essential expenditure and investment. This was not just good advice, it was advice for survival for business and jobs.

This has led me to think more carefully about my 2009 goals and plans. My goals will be much more adapted to this business climate. I believe that the Enterprise-First mindset and behaviour based on leadership, accountability and teamwork are even more relevant. To stay in business requires good teamwork, and leadership of integrity by every team member.

As a national business, Shell in New Zealand still needs to continue to simplify, and continue to excel operationally. By doing business better during difficult times, we will earn greater trust and staying-power with our customers who are also in hardship.

We do not have to go about massive-spending projects to achieve these changes. Cash is very tight now. We need to do things differently. So our actions will require more innovative and critical thought prior to any spending or investing. The simple question before doing anything is: Why do I need to use money on this? What is a better way?

This year is not necessarily a year of gloom. We can turn this year into opportunity. It is difficult to think in a positive light, but I strongly believe anyone can think of newer and alternative ways to make business better.

Note: also written within my Shell Blog (intranet)

Unsustainable biofuels bill repealed today

2008-12-11T19:08:00.003+13:00

Today the new New Zealand National Government repealed the biofuels bill. This is the Bloomberg article of the news. It is encouraging news for New Zealand (and the world). The excerpt below is especially poignant.

Governments worldwide are tempering their drive for biofuel use after a surge in production increased land clearance in Latin America and Asia and reduced food production in some regions. In July, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated wheat and corn prices may rise as much as 7 percent in the next decade because of greater U.S. and European production of alternative fuels.

You can see how negative the effects of foodcrop-based biofuels can be. There are better ways to manage energy. Number one is making things more energy efficient, and conserving fuel and power. So let's start doing that.

Atmosphere Breakthrough

2008-11-23T23:06:00.000+13:00

Hey friends!

Friday last, we traveled approx two and a half hours to a town called Labis. As we travelled along the road, it was so nice to notice the difference in scenery. Rather than farmland (like in New Zealand) where we can see across the landscape, here, as we travel through the countryside there is a continuous canopy. Sometimes there is wild forest but mostly there are plantations. Some of the plantations we have seen so far are banana, palm, cocoa, dragon fruit and papaya. In Labis, we were blessed to stay with Ps Ronnie's older sister and her family. They live on a fruit plantation. There, we had dragon fruit, watermelon, papaya and pineapple! (Some found out for the first time that pineapple grows from a ground fern rather than on a tree.)

We enjoyed our first outdoor market and found some fab bargins :-) Also, we were taken out for afternoon tea by some of the local pastors. Mmmm.....more local food!!!

In Labis, we ministered at two evening services and one social home for drug addicts. Once again the power of God was on display. We saw more people set free from demons and and more joy for the saints. On Friday night especially, the atmosphere was noticably heavy when we arrived but by the time we left, hallelujah! The Spirit of joy had come in!!!

Yesterday we had the afternoon off and went to the waterfall and enjoyed having a jumping competiton with local teenagers.

Today, back in JB, we ministered at four church services. Each time was awesome! Wow, our God is great :-)

Gotta go,
Much love,
Laurel Hungerford (NZ mission team 08)

Comments

Hey Laurel, SO cool to hear about what you have been doing, and what God has been doing! Thinking of you lots and praying too, that you will increasingly know and love the one true God, and love people on his behalf :D Sending love and hugs, Erica

Hey team! (especially Ally and Laurel) Sounds like you are having a blast, go hard, our God is BIG! Beth

Hi everyone, Sounds great. I am glad that you are all being encouraged and pray that this would be life changing experience not just for those to whom you minister but also for you. Eat some yummy tropical fruit for me. Big hugs for Lydia. Love, Susan Pilbrow

Wow...wow...wow...How amazing your trip has become. People set free!! It is going to be so exciting for you to come back home to share all God has done not just for those who live in Malaysia, but those who will return. Rob Barton

Wow..read this. Gods power in Malaysia

2008-11-21T23:00:00.000+13:00

Hello all!

well we have had an awesome time since the last update!!

yesterday morning we went to the Calvary Charismatic Centre and took part in a service with the all people from the calvary homes in that centre. God is providing financially for these homes over 100,000 rengit a month (about 50,000) to run! Yet the homes always have a surplus. We are learning this amount is nothing for God! The people includud lots of orphaned children and also old people. We shared some kids songs, Pastor Ronnie shared and awesome word and i shared my testimony. Wow

In the afternoon we went to a boys home which was awesome again. It was great hearing of some of the boys dreams and encouraging them, one boy in particular was talking to Laurel and we all prayed for him! All the boys pray in tongues when they worship, and are really united in love. there is a total abundace of resources at the centre. the director of the centre (Ps.Muthi)used to own a successful restaurant ten years ago but gave it up to come and run the boys home. He is an awesome man of God and he is being blessed. He and his wife have three kids including one adopted girl. so cute!! they are still little.

Li Ching shared her testimony with the boys and Pastor Ronnie shared a inspiring word. Both messages really tied in.

Li Ching is so awesome to have in our team. For those of you who dont know her, she attended Arise for about 1 1/2 yr when she was in Wellington and has been back in Singapore for a couple of months.

by the way- every meal has been like a banquet. We have been so blessed. Last night Pastor Boi and Pastor Rajan took us out to dinner in Chinatown. man... such fun times as well. Like a story from Ps. Rajan -Pastor Ronnie telling Ps Rajan at a wedding they went to years ago that the preacher looked homeless! cheeky aye...

Testimonies of Gods goodness: Laurel has been healed of her dairy and gluten intolerences! And also Jenny is not so afraid of chickens (the boys home had a free range chicken farm so they were everywhere (eg under feet while eating lunch etc)! also i am no longer allergic to Eggplant! yup God is the Giant slayer, whatever we face

signing out...
Sister in Christ,

Lydia (21 November 2008)

Comments

Woah! Wow you guys, that is awesome, thanks so much for the updates, sounds like God is totally moving :) Youor family back in NZ is thinking and praying for you!!!! Cat Pilbrow

Hi Sam, Sorry to wake u up at 7a.m, because it was 12p.m here...lol...i will call you back later. =) Anonymous

WOW, Good to hear about healings etc. keep up the good work. look forward to more stories. Love ya heaps. John Newton

By Faith. Heb 11:1-3 Niv. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command. So that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Anonymous

Hi Laurel. Go well in God. Love from Mum & Dad & Granny

Jenny is over the Chickens? thats awesome~ lol. great to hear about the healings too and Gods faithfulness:) We are thinking of and praying for you guys:). Mel Tan

Yup, we are all thinking of you down here in Welly! Anonymous

Hello from Malaysia

2008-11-19T22:45:00.000+13:00

We have arrived safely in Malaysia!!! The flight from Wellington to Singapore was provided by great service by Qantas. We were had a committed crew who farewelled us bright and early in the morning at the airport. Jenny, Grace & Lee Ching meet up with us at the Singapore Airport. Great to see familiar Wellingtonian's greeting us with their smilie warmth!

We are staying with Brother Ng in Johor Bahru,who has been very generous with letting us all stay and been so hospitable to us all. So far the heat is at a comfortable temperature, inside everythings air conditioned and outside it's a bit like a toasty oven. Though as I'm writing this it's starting to pour down with rain..

There's been a few halts on the journey getting into Malaysia. At the airport with Febrina's passport & visa there were concerns and queires from the lady who was checking in our luggage. Then at the boarder of Malaysia & Singapore Jenny & Grace didn't have the immagration tabs kept with their passports. But Praise God they each managed to get through as so good and continues to provide on this trip.
This morning Ps Ronnie shared a great devotional with the team. He spoke about Peter turning away from God 3 times then later on in his journey sees 3 thousand lives saved! And it doesn't matter whether we have a degree, are or aren't educated, God can still use us. It's not the education that counts it's the power of God that changes lives!!!

We had our first Malaysian breakfast at a "lu-bien-tan" (chinese style sit and eat outside on the roadside) . Real good noodle soup, marinated pork, chicken feet, tofu, nasi lemar. Superb way to start our eating experience with the trip.

This morning we went to one of the drug rehab centres Calvary Care Centre. This centre has around 50 men who were drug addicts or have mental health issues. Frank shared his powerful testimony, God's grace was glowing as he speaking in Mandarin! Ps Ronnie preached a great word. During the worship, the Holy Spirit was moving and there was change in the atmosphere!Later on we meet one of the graduates from CCC who is now pastoring one of the churches here. He is a true and faithful example from what Ps Ronnie was sharing this morning at the devotional. Drug addict, kicked out of school, and used to be a monk - stealing money from the offering! God has done wonders in his life.

We had Indian at another lu-bian-tan for lunch, eating authentic styles: fingers only. Very filling, some of us have decided it's a good idea to go for a run at nights to balance out all the very good food we're eating otherwise we'll have to be rolled back to NZ. Makes up for all the walking we're used to in Wellington.
Would love to hear how you are doing in NZ or where ever it is you're reading this from. Thank you for all your encouragement and prayers, please continue praying for us as we go forth and do the will of God here in Malaysia.

- posted by Allison Young (19 November 2008)

Comments

Hello Team : ) It's good to hear that everything is going so well. I am really proud of all of you. I encourage each of you to step up when the time comes. I Believe that Jesus is with you each step of the way, trust in him. I got a litle emotional when i read about Frank and the holy spirit and realise that God is there with you touching peoples lives. I like what pastor John says. Changed lives, change lives. I look forward to hear more stories from Malaysia. Not sure how you spell this but MALAYSIA BOLE!! (Malaysia Can!!) and God already has. Lots of love, John Newton

Hi guys and especially Ronnie. I am salivating at the mere mention of the food!The heat sounds good too as it has been a bit on the cool side here. Ronnie, have you seen the email from Lee about the contact for the person at CCKL? Love, Lyn

Hi, It is good to hear that all is going well. I am praying that God would bless you all and those to whom you are ministering. Love to Lydia, Mum

I'm off to Malaysia on a Mission

2008-11-17T18:01:00.002+13:00

That's correct - I'm going overseas from 18 November and returning 8 December. Here are our team's websites:

http://arisemission.blogspot.com for the blog
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6519024 6112 for the facebook group and photos

Enjoy.

Malaysia mission trip introduction

2008-11-14T22:40:00.000+13:00

There are a few days to go before the nine of us fly to Malaysia for our mission trip. Nearly all of us will be flying out of Wellington in the very early morning of Tuesday 18 November. The team that are going are:

Ps Ronnie Tan our mission leader
Lydia Pilbrow
Frank Hsu
Esther Koh
Febrina Kolibu
Liching Keh
Jenny Wang
Grace Zhang
Laurel Hungerford
Sam Fung
Allison Young.

The feeling is exhilarating as we take ourselves out of our comfort zones in New Zealand to 'go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit' (Matt 28:19). We've already witnessed miracles with prayers answered and travel issues resolved. This mission will be full of exciting opportunities and challenges, but with God's presence with us, we will see his Kingdom come.

We have been actively preparing for God's calling since August 2008. The fundraising preparations culminated to a big variety night on Saturday 8 November. We thank everyone who generously took their time to help. You have touched our hearts with your time and spirit of love and contribution. We also thank you, our guests, who came that night to share in our excitement of God's love and providence. Last, but not least, we thank all those who have been putting in their energy and time throughout these past months. You have helped us greatly with your fundraising efforts and prayer for the trip. There's so many people to thank! It goes to show how God is good in providing us an Arise extended-family that is loving and supportive.

Keep tabs of this diary to see God moving through Malaysia. Join our Facebook group to share your encouragement, prayers, notes and comments. And please continue to pray for us and the people of Malaysia we are reaching for God.

Future energy challenges and future scenarios

2008-10-20T09:48:00.002+13:00

In 2007, our CEO Jeroen van der Veer, said there are three hard truths of global energy challenges.

The global demand for energy is growing, both in the developed and developing world. This will mean greater demand for oil and gas.
Supply will struggle to keep pace. Easy oil (accessible, conventional oil and gas) cannot keep up with the unconstrained growth in energy demand. Society has no choice but to add other sources of energy including alternatives like solar, wind and biofuels and 'unconventional' fossil fuels like oil/tar sands, oil shale and contaminated gas. Even with huge improvements in energy efficiency and substantial growth in renewables, fossil fuels will still be the major part of the energy mix by mid century.
Environmental stresses are increasing. More energy means more CO2 emitted at a time when climate change looms as a critical global issue. The societal imperative to limit greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level less than 550 ppm will require the strict management of CO2 emissions from both the production of energy and its use by consumers.

These three hard truths pose obvious dilemmas that can only be reconciled through joint, concerted efforts by governments, industry and consumers. The task of balancing the accessibility, affordability and acceptability of energy will not be an easy one. Humanity faces a challenging outlook for energy. This can be summed up in five words: "more energy, less carbon dioxide".

To help think about the future of energy, long term planners developed two scenarios that describe alternative ways it may develop. In the Scramble scenario policymakers pay little attention to more efficient energy use until supplies are tight. Likewise, greenhouse gas emissions are not seriously addressed until there are major climate shocks. In the Blueprints scenario, growing local actions begin to address the challenges of economic development, energy security and environmental pollution. A price is applied to a critical mass of emissions stimulating the development of clean energy technologies, such as CO2 capture and storage, and energy efficiency measures. The result is far lower CO2 emissions.

Mr van der Veer said he was determined to provide energy in responsible ways and serve customers and investors as effectively as it can. Both these scenarios help the company do that by testing their strategy against a range of possible developments over the long-term. It is in his view, the Blueprints' approach offers the best hope for a sustainable future, whether or not the scenario arises exactly in the way it is described.

World Food Crisis

2008-10-08T00:00:00.009+13:00

What did you and your family have to eat this week? With food prices going up, a greater portion of our household income is being spent on food. Many Kiwis are having to cut back even on basic food items. But have you ever considered what the average family in France, Chad or Aussie is eating and how the rising cost of food globally is impacting them?
To check out what other families around the world are eating click here — there are some amazing and shocking differences. Thank God that He has blessed me as a Kiwi living a comfortable life, but it's my (and all of our) responsibility to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

Can Google massively reduce fossil fuel usage in USA by 2030?

2008-10-07T21:34:00.004+13:00

Clean Energy 2030
Google's Proposal for heavily reducing U.S. dependence on fossil fuels by 2030

Right now we have a real opportunity to transform our economy from one running on fossil fuels to one largely based on clean energy. Technologies and know-how to accomplish this are either available today or are under development. We can build whole new industries and create millions of new jobs. We can cut energy costs, both at the gas pump and at home. We can improve our national security. And we can put a big dent in climate change. With strong leadership we could be moving forward on an aggressive but realistic time-line and an approach that offsets costs with real economic gains.

The energy team at Google has been analyzing how we could greatly reduce fossil fuel use by 2030. Our proposal - "Clean Energy 2030" - provides a potential path to weaning the U.S. off of coal and oil for electricity generation by 2030 (with some remaining use of natural gas as well as nuclear), and cutting oil use for cars by 38%. Al Gore has issued a challenge that is even more ambitious - getting us to carbon-free electricity even sooner - and we hope the American public pushes our leaders to embrace it. T. Boone Pickens has weighed in with an interesting plan of his own to massively deploy wind energy, among other things. Other plans have also been developed in recent years that merit attention. More...

This is great, but far too idealistic. I do not think most of this achievable. The biggest reason why this can't be achieved is that mankind is addicted to materialism, power, money, pride and selfishness. The US government can't amass that effort in their citizens to replace the addictions of black-gold with the alternatives in two decades time. For everyone to work together for all of these initiatives is improbable. For example, the Clinton and Bush administration were far too defensive to get into the spirit of Kyoto, while much of the Western world did or tried.

I agree everyone can conserve more energy with habit change and efficiency initiatives. However we need a fundamental change in the hearts and minds of people. We need to get into the spirit of contribution, interdependence and synergy for a win/win scenario - for Google's proposal to take effect.

Yah! I'm attending the Shell International Nanotechnology Forum

2008-10-03T12:06:00.008+13:00

I've taken up a special opportunity to participate in the Shell International Nanotechnology Forum. It's in Houston, Texas. I will be watching this virtually since travelling to Houston won't be economic, and it's not helpful for the environment or my workmates. Here is the website

This forum is going to talk about what I love about nanotechnology. It's a hot topic in the scientific world and world academic experts will be there. Nanotechnology is about the controlling matter at a molecular level. Being able to control matter at a really really small scale is opening up a range of opportunities that could further help the company meet rising energy demand. Already, we're is seeing projects here in Australiasia benefiting from the nano-engineering of conventional metals, composites and other materials. For example it means we can drill ever deeper, work at greater depth offshore, and lay pipe safely in extreme conditions. The forum will discuss further opportunities as well as the direction the science could go in the coming years.

What is Nanotechnology?
There are several definitions of nanotechnology. To choose one, according to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, “Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.” One nanometer equals one thousand millionth of a meter. There are three elements to this definition:
1) Size: materials or features that have at least one dimension in the range of 1 - 100 nm. As a comparison, to understand what one nanometer is, a human hair is approximately 50,000 nm thick, the HIV virus is 90 nm long and a DNA helix has a diameter of around 2 nm.
2) Unique phenomena: Ordinary materials (like gold or carbon) often show novel properties when reduced to the nanoscale. For instance, 12 nm gold particles do not have the typical gold colour; they are red. Other novel properties that some materials show at the nanoscale are higher strength, electrical conductivity and increased reactivity.
3) Novel Application: We talk about Nanotechnology, when the unique phenomena can be exploited in an application, in something useful. For instance: stronger and lighter composites, more sensitive sensors, faster electronics, etc.
Another common definition for nanotechnology is that nanotechnology is engineering at the molecular scale.
When was nano technology applied first?
The concept of nanotechnology can be traced back to 1959 when Richard Feynman from MIT gave a speech entitled “There's plenty of room at the bottom”. He put the idea forth of atom-by-atom construction. The word “nanotechnology” was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974 to refer to “production technology to get the extra high accuracy and ultra fine dimensions, i.e. the preciseness and fineness on the order of 1 nm (nanometer), 0.0000000001 meter in length”.
Nanotechnology as we understand it today, started taking shape in the 80's and the 90's with the development of new characterisation tools with atomic resolution and the discovery of new nanomaterials (fullerenes in 1985 and carbon nanotubes in 1991), which intrigued scientists due to their unique properties. Although some commercial products based on nanotechnology appeared during the 90's, commercial applications have started to spread faster only in recent years.
Health, Safety and Enviroment (HSE) - There is a lot of debate about the HSE implications of nanomaterials, but they are not all the same. Different nanomaterials might pose different HSE risks - as different chemicals do. As yet the limited research that exists is rather inconclusive, even contradictory. The nanotechnology group in Shell Westhollow Technology Center (WTC) has worked with the WTC HSE department and internal safety guidelines for the use of nanomaterials in Shell labs have been established. Extinction Level Scenarios such as a 'grey goo' will be far from occurring.

NZ is third in economic freedom

2008-09-25T14:44:00.009+12:00

This is quite cool...

Hong Kong stays in top place in ratings of economic freedom compiled by the Fraser Institute. Singapore takes second place and New Zealand comes third. Zimbabwe gets the lowest score. The Canadian think-tank’s index is based on how countries perform in five main areas: size of government, security of property rights, sound money, free trade, and regulation. The lower government spending is, for example, the better a country will fare in the first component of the index. Similarly, low and stable inflation will favour a country’s rating for sound money. The scores extend back to 1980 for 102 countries. Of these, 89 have got better over that period whereas 13 have got worse. Source: The Economist

We won the Shield! Let's have a parade on Tuesday 23rd Sept at 12.45pm

2008-09-22T21:32:00.004+12:00

The heroic Wellington Lions – and the Ranfurly Shield - will be paraded before adoring Wellingtonians in a lunchtime parade along the Golden Mile on Tuesday 23 September 12.45pm. This parade will offer the perfect chance for us to welcome the Shield back after 26 years' absence - and pay tribute to the team. That game was one of the great tough Shield challenges - we overcame some terrible pressure from Auckland in the first half. By holding the parade on Tuesday, it'll just give us a little more time to get over the fact that the Shield is back in Wellington - and to prepare for a rousing reception. The Lion's match performance has ended 26 years of psychological torment in the Wellington region. I know we will be out in force on Tuesday and it'll be a parade to remember. In our heart of hearts we've always known the Lions are far and away the hardest and most entertaining provincial side in the country. Now the long dark years of paranoia and self-doubt are over. Life is good and we are content.

Shell World Article: Young hesitant to act on climate change

2008-09-19T18:16:00.006+12:00

By 2050 people will travel in flying cars, get much of their power from renewable energy and live a life of luxury in a world without borders.
That optimistic image of the future emerged from a survey of young adults in 27 countries worldwide. And while survey respondents believe their generation will have to adapt to rising sea levels and other effects of global warming, they are reluctant to make personal sacrifices that could help address the problem. More...

This is a fascinating article visiting the opinions of climate change from world young adults. I presume that young New Zealanders have differing opinions as well. Here in NZ, especially Wellington and Auckland, we have a hedonistic lifestyle, but we are still thoughtful about how we affect others around us. We still have a good outlook for the future, but that is affected by living in Godzone. Climate change is affecting NZ, but it looks like it affects mostly horticulture (e.g wine) and our power generation sectors since we're mainly powered by hydroelectricity which is dependant on rainfall levels. Tourism and other industries dependent on weather don't seem so much affected yet.
As a small nation, I wonder if we have actually made a difference to those not so materially rich too. What has history told us whether we've been effective with Fiji or Tonga, or East Timor? Has our environmentalism or conspicous-consumption affect those Pacific Islanders that are living in low-lying atolls?

Shell oil extraction and my old question into why fish don't freeze

2008-08-31T00:20:00.004+12:00

In 2002, I reviewed a special protein called AFGP in deep-sea fish. After a few more years in research and development, it is now being applied in the real world for improving offshore production of crude. By questioning why deep-sea fish did not freeze, my Shell workmates have came up with a solution to keep oil and gas moving along pipelines in very low temperatures at the bottom of the ocean. The answer was a AFGP that the fish produced and which our scientist workmates were then able to make a synthetic copy of.

In our deep-water projects, thousands of metres below sea level, temperatures are near freezing. Combined with the high pressure which is also present at these depths, oil congeals and ice-like hydrates form. And both these effects can block pipes. Companies solve this problem in a number of ways, and adding chemicals to prevent freezing is one traditionally used across the industry. But Shell’s approach, using a new additive based on AFGP, is proving to work better and more cheaply. Injected into the oil and gas as it is extracted, the synthetic additive can be used in far lower doses than other chemicals and have already saved millions of dollars in our projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

Shell World article: Delving deeper: unlocking offshore energy

Raybon Kan: It's all crazy at the Games

2008-08-22T14:49:00.005+12:00

My brother comedian wrote this. Quite compelling thoughts.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4657433a25943.html

I know what you're thinking. Raybon, is that really you writing this? Or are you in act a cute seven-year-old girl with crooked teeth only pretending to be you? And it's not even like that girl's teeth were crooked in a bad way. They were crooked in a way that the First World finds charming.

Still, it's good the real singer finally gets the recognition she deserves. Imagine if she'd lived her whole life with that secret. Eventually nobody would believe her. And the girl out front, the girl who did the lip-syncing, will she grow into a bitter and twisted adult? Or will that happen to the other girl, the girl in the backroom, in the sweat shop, the Cinderella scarred by her country telling her at the age of seven she wasn't cute enough? I'm also curious to learn if the guy who blew the whistle continues to live at all. I predict he will be found dead after an earthquake. More...

When I am terminally ill and old

2008-08-17T21:28:00.009+12:00

A person from The Economist - an awesome weekly newspaper - wrote an article regarding looking into curing terminal illness for old people, and living in peace knowing that death is inescapable. It is here.

Here's what I quickly concluded for myself when I am old (like over 65) and terminally ill.

I do not want to be cured from a terminal illness that would only extend my life by say 3 years. That cure would be far too expensive, should I have to use my own money.
Instead I want to see that money more effectively invested into saving more people's lives. Those that are young and in poverty. I want to leave a positive impact, rather than spend all the money on treatment of myself.
So where do I want to see that money go to? Tear Fund or World Vision of course.
The other thing is that this is my choice. I won't judge how others use their money under similar circumstances, since it isn't right to compare my situation with another.

Biofuels and Cars

2008-04-15T21:26:00.004+12:00

This was a provoking cartoon by Mike Moreu. It resembles my thoughts about 'first generation' biofuels from unsustainable, energy-intensive food crops to fuel transport. Hunger and malnutrition are far more important problems to address than gas guzzling cars.

'Second generation' biofuels, such as sewage and waste cellulose, does not appear to have the same problems.

Another year

2008-01-31T00:08:00.000+13:00

It's going to be the best year yet.

Archive - The SFCC

2007-01-28T13:38:00.000+13:00

In the beginning, I classified some things about me under the three 'Smarts'. They were:

SmartCA also called Agpe
The Core Agent for Personal Effectiveness was about becoming a better person in character and personality.

SmartDS
Smart Development Solutions was about doing things better. The SF Acts 94 are part of a system for making actions more effective, and now this is incorporated into the work-DMS.

SmartEA
Smart Education Advancement was about the improvement of knowledge. The historical Education Advancement Schemes and Tripartite Action Plan are below.

The Genesis of the SFCC

In 1997, SmartEA, SmartDS, and Agpe was merged into the SFCC (Sam Fung Central Conglomeration) since there was much in common between the three. This is me viewed as a company rather than a person - a paradigm shift! The new SFCC shared a common foundation and vision. This vision was originally to achieve to a high level in the world marketplace. Due to high likelihood that this was not attainable, the SFCC pursued excellence in what it offered.

The DMS

There are two DMS. One is work orientated and the other is personal. The DMS are goals, outlines, plans and methods for the SFCC's internal character and external relationship. It incorporates or once had incorporated the following:

Time Management System (TMS)
New Years Resolutions
Strategic Plans
Education Advancement Schemes 2000-2003:

Week 12 Propositions (w12P)
Regulated Practise Restrictions, Rest and Relaxation (RPR3)
65 hour Average Study Programme
Semester Work Techniques

Tripartite Action Plan 1997-1999:

Strategic Initiatives for Advancement and Progress (ZAP)
ActiveSmart Exam Study Scheme (ASESS)
Final Scholastic Restoration Plan (FSRP) - example below

SF Acts 94

The Final Scholastic Restoration Plan [23/5/99]

This plan was the ultimate measure to increase academic productivity and attain academic advance. This plan was drawn since 1997 was a slow-down, 1998 was a flop. But in 1999 I was going to change the way I study. I wasted too much time in those bad years and since this year is my final year to do some good - I made this 'sort-of technical' plan that I will follow to improve my marks. It is called Final because this is my last plan before I go off to uni. It is very important for me to follow this plan because I need really high marks to get into Medical School. The other big words are all from the thesaurus. People who are going for such high levels but leave things to the last minute or are sometimes slack could adapt to this plan to help themselves improve. This whole thing may sound geekish but it is better than nothing to follow. Basically you can call it a study goal list.

A foremost increase in quality study time of at least one and a half hours a day
A substantially increased reading time on text books
Introduced supplementary note-taking of reading material
The completion of most exercise activities of material that has been learned
An increased study time towards the most difficult subject
Introduced end of week revision of class and home notes
An attempt of extension exercises from other text books
Extra-curricular activity work to be attempted after academic work
Assignments to be started after first week of hand-out
Assignments to be worked on at least once every two days
Tests to be revised at least one week before the test
Exam revision to commence six weeks before the exam
Extra exam revision for most difficult subject

Hopefully in 10 years time the SFCC will stay standing strong.

i-Video Business Proposal Plan

2007-01-15T14:31:00.000+13:00

Strategic Profile

Vision

Instant digital media at an ease

Mission

To deliver to consumers the best and easiest to use digital media offerings at the best prices.

Core Values

The business is totally customer focussed. The business will strive to meet their needs and wants and beyond.
The business highly values quality in all aspects. If the business is to provide quality products and services, the business expects quality input from our team and suppliers.
Everybody is to put others first. Everyone works united for each other and for the customers to achieve the mission collectively.

Organisation Culture

Innovative Action – Everyone is open to make things better without hindrance. Everything can always be improved upon.
Persistent Improvement – People endeavour to improve personal development, benefit the customers, and add value to the business as a whole.
Honesty, Openness, Respect – The business will foster a culture where people are fully in harmony and can work well together without concern or worry.
Fun – Individuals are enthusiastic and enjoy working for the business. Customers enjoy using the business’s products and services

Goals and Objectives

Goal One: To launch a fully functioning customer website front-end by 31 June 2008.

To secure a supply and operational agreement with a website design and maintenance company on 31 July 2007.
To source 1500 master media titles from media publishers or indirect brokers and agents by 31 April 2008.

Goal Two: To secure 10,000 registered users within 31 September 2008 (3 months after launch).

To complete market research of at least 200 people which is to identify key customer preferences and sale strategies, by 31 May 2007
To initiate an extensive internet and postal advertising campaign in New Zealand within one month of launch.

Goal Three: To attain operational break-even profit by 31 June 2010.

To develop and implement an updated marketing strategy by 31 March 2009 that will increase sales from pre-existing registered customers by 100% in 9 months (31 December 2009).
To develop and implement an updated marketing strategy by 31 March 2009 that will increase first-time customer sales by three times in 6 months ( 31 September 2009).
To have secured better contracts and overall 10% reduced cost with suppliers by 1 June 2009.

Business Description

This business is a fully online-based digital media (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) store with rental facility. It sells or leases entertainment and information media by post or through the internet directly.
The online-media sales industry is segmented into Entertainment such as movies or TV series; Information/Education such as documentaries or courses; and Gaming such as Playstation, Xbox.
We offer a large choice of entertainment, information/educational and gaming titles. The customer chooses to buy the title, rent-to-buy, or rent for a subscribed time. There are different plans for the customer if they choose to rent. The customer chooses to have their purchase/rental posted, or they may download it as a licensed file.
There will be no physical store front since it is entirely based on the internet. The purchase/rentals will only be available for New Zealand customers. The customer market is anticipated to be between 20 to 50 years old with some know-how of the internet. These customers prefer to do things from home or the office at their own pace.

Internal Analysis

Strengths

Unique sales model concept for internet store - purchase, rental, and rent to buy
Unique double-option delivery method for product – receive by post or download product from the one site
Have internet and IT industry contacts
No liabilities and good starting capital of $50,000
Knowledge of effective site design from customer viewpoint
Friends or potential business partners who have premium online-business knowledge
Knowledge and access to internet marketing information
Have spare space in garage to hold tangible goods
Have free time. No commitments or obligations to family.
Experience in business strategy and risk analysis
Have acquired learnings of competitor’s experience on this type of business model

Weaknesses

Lack of contact to media suppliers or publishers
Lack of contact to logistical service providers
Business is not the first type to start in New Zealand
New Zealand has comparatively slow broadband to rest of world
New Zealand customers have hesitant acceptance issues with start-up internet stores

Competitive Advantage

Strength	Is it Valuable	Is it Rare	Not easily Imitable
Unique sales model concept for internet store - purchase, rental, and rent to buy all at the same site	Yes	Yes	No
Unique double-option delivery method for product – receive by post or download product from the one site	Yes	Yes	No
Knowledge of effective site design from customer viewpoint	Yes	No
Friends or potential business partners who have premium online-business knowledge	Yes	No
No liabilities and good starting capital of $50,000	Yes	No
Have free time. No commitments or obligations to family.	Yes	No
Have spare space in garage to hold tangible goods	Yes	No

Obtaining Competitive Advantage and Unique Selling Points

The business aims to be different from competitors with some unique selling points. The business has a unique sales concept which competitors do not offer fully. It provides the customer the option to buy, rent, or rent-to-buy our products all within the same site. Also this business offers two options to deliver to customers, which competitors do not offer. Customers can choose to download their product or receive it by post. This is a competitive advantage for a short period of time until a competitor develops similar sales and delivery methods.
Other points of differences is that the business will try to be the best site on user-friendliness. We think this is a the primary factor which will make us stand out. The above sales and delivery options will not be utilised by customers if it is too difficult to use.

External Analysis and Strategy Development

STEPP Analysis

Socio-cultural factor

The customer’s shift to a home-centric lifestyle is the main social-cultural factor that will affect the business. 90% of customers have access to a phone and internet from their home. These people desire instant communication and the instant retrieval of information. We know that this customer expectation will not decline in the near future.
Customer education and confidence in internet shopping is another important factor. People using this service will have to know how to use the internet; and they should be confident in buying through this channel. Presently, New Zealanders are still quite sceptical about buying things from the internet which is mostly owing to the lack of broad security awareness.

Technological factors

Our two-prong offering is affected by these factors:

Mailed delivery of physical media. We do not think our business’s use of logistical technology will change much for the next five years. The logistical areas involve warehousing, retrieval, transport, and return of our product.
Internet-based distribution. We envisage customers will access much of their entertainment options through the internet within the next five years. The technological pace of change for media delivery is evolving fast. We see this with popular start-up services such as YouTube and TVNZ OnDemand service. Adoption by customers is based on main technological factors of: speed/price of broadband; and the type of equipment to retrieve and present this content.
Our business model will require the gradual downsizing of the physical distribution operations to focus on growth of the internet-based distribution side of business.

Economic factors

Like many businesses, economic cycles affect the demand of our service. Historical periods of economic downturn have shown that customer still demand entertainment but to a lesser extent. We believe our business model will continue profitably during recessionary periods.
Competition is likely to intensify as more traditional media companies such as Sky, TVNZ start to diversify. Globalisation also removes geographical boundaries for some online companies to operate, so companies from Australia or further abroad may start to compete for business here.
Interest rates will have a major affect on our business profitability. Much of our liabilities will be in form of bank loans, with an ongoing cost of interest. Exchange rates could potentially affect our business costs too. This could be minimised since we will try to deal with local operators of the major entertainment publishers.

Political/Legal factors

Changes in laws relating to telecommunications will have the largest effect on our business. We anticipate the unbundling of broadband and better regulation of mobile carrier codes will allow us to focus more on the online-distribution than physical media delivery.
Governments in the future will likely introduce energy or transport taxes which will raise our delivery costs.

Physical/Environmental factors

We do not think physical or environmental factors will impact the business. More people are moving to doing things online, as they recognise this will minimise most types of environmental problems. There is potential for customers to perceive e-waste (obsolete computers, hardware etc) and our electricity consumption as a problem in our business. Pollution from the transport of DVD might irk some potential customers.

Industry Profile

Market size

Our market has an internet reach of four million people – nearly all of New Zealand. Around 1% will be directly aware of our company and its offering.

Growth rate

We anticipate there will be 1000 customers after three months of operation, doubling every three months. The market is currently in period of growth and maturity will not be reached until 100,000 people have subscribed.

Pace of technological change

Technology will continue to cost less and help operations run more efficiently. The cost of bandwidth throughput will also decrease.

Product and service comparisons

Products offered by our competitors are similar however the main differentiating factors are: focus on different genres; pricing structure; usability and accessibility of website features.

Opportunities for economies of scale

Volume and licensing costs will reduce with greater purchasing power of movie titles. At this time, not all titles can be purchased at small prices owing to limited cash. Servers and other computer parts will also cost less with greater quantity purchased.

Capital utilisation

This is substantial since it is expected that existing assets (such as servers) will require continual upgrade to prevent obsolescence. These assets will be expensive to upgrade, however cash could be recovered quickly since the variable costs of ‘virtual goods’ are low.

Industry domination/fragmentation

There are two industry types that are direct competitors. The traditional home video market is dominated by Video Ezy and Civic Video. These franchisees hold the lion’s share of outgoing title releases. The other industry type is online-based movie distribution service. This is dominated by only three companies. Very small competitors are insignificant and usually cater for specific customer interests or small geographical areas.

The extent of vertical integration

This is limited and we do not plan to buy into video production or transport of our products.

The availability of skilled labour

Presently there is no shortage of skilled labour, however the ‘experienced labour’ required to operate this business to best performance is much more limited. Much of the operations will initially be run by the owner and external service providers e.g. billing companies, call-centre operators.

Competitor Profiles

There are only three New Zealand internet-based companies directly competing with us with similar customer offerings. They are Movieshack, DVD Unlimited, and Fatso. These companies deal with customers from the whole of New Zealand.
Indirect competitors are the traditionally non-internet based video franchises that include: Video Ezy, Civic Video, United Video, and Blockbuster. There are numerous sole-proprietor video stores too.
There are indirect competitors based on the internet with a global reach. These are the likes of Youtube, Reeltime, Joost, Wal-mart Media Downloads etc. They have a different income model concentrating on revenue via advertising, however their business activities overlap considerably with our business.

Movieshack Profile

Product Differences

No offering of download service, otherwise everything else is similar

Perceived Success

A New Zealand based company built by young entrepreneurs

Strengths

Website and backend software is fully built from the foundation up to be optimised for video rental management
Easiest to use of all websites
New Zealand family-owned business gives this company an appeal to Kiwis
DVD scratch-quality is generally better than other two competitors
Surveys and forum-responses reveal Movieshack offers superior basic services such as handling technicalities in the Terms and Conditions and sell to customer procedures
Trilogies and bonus disks are considered as one title.
Fast delivery dispatch and receipt time

Weaknesses

Smaller selection of titles
Innovative marketing by the company is less apparent
No financial backing by large parent company
No large-scale alliance with other related companies

What can be learnt

Excellent website design is fundamental for good business
Continuous and focussed software development improves operational efficiency
The underdog appeal or ‘Made in New Zealand’ factor
Don’t undercut the customer by dodging technicalities

Fatso Profile

Product Differences

No offering of download service, otherwise everything else is similar

Perceived Success

Middle of road provider

Strengths

Large title selection
Good support service level with free phone number available. Others competitors don’t offer this level of support.
Innovative marketing with customer electronic appliance makers and retailers
Reasonably fast delivery dispatch and receipt time

Weaknesses

Web and backend software is the same as DVD Unlimited. It is not tweaked for best usability or performance
Each disk in trilogies or bonus disks are considered another title.
No financial backing by large parent company

What can be learnt

Good customer service requires a multi-faceted approach

DVD Unlimited Profile

Product Differences

No offering of download service, otherwise everything else is similar

Perceived Success

Largest selection of titles

Strengths

Largest selection of titles
Owned by Sky Network. Can draw experience, shared resources and backing
Large exposure using Sky, MSN and Xtra/Telecom networks
Potential to expand and diversify into other business models
Possibly the most cost-effective company

Weaknesses

Potential to wear big evil corporate brand syndrome
Web and backend software is the same as Fatso. It is not tweaked for best usability or performance
Surveys and forum-responses reveal DVD Unlimited have much less satisfied customers than the competitors over handling technicalities in the terms and conditions and sell to customer procedures
Most difficult to use websites
Slow delivery dispatch and receipt time
Each disk in trilogies or bonus disks are considered another title

What can be learnt

Backing, not necessarily ownership, by large company brings opportunities for networking, and reserve funds

Key Success Factors

Providing web-users a fast, easy to use, intuitive, non-frustrating website
Offering excellent customer service especially in helping to rectify problems
Offering superior marketing products and services

Industry Foresight

Web based business are fast growing and their sales models also require fast changing to keep up with the pace of technological and social change. The risk of the website and products becoming outdated is high. The major advantage to traditional business is the lower cost of having no store-front, less staff and large customer reach if they’re targeted effectively. We will continuously improve the website inline of customer expectations and streamline backend operations.

There will always be video entertainment demand, however there is now a move from tangible distribution (posted DVD disks) to data distribution over broadband internet (video on demand), since this much more convenient and it potentially will be cheaper. Our business is offering both services now; however we anticipate a gradual downsizing of physical distribution operations, conversely with growth of the internet-based distribution side of business.

Strategy Development

Strategy One

Ally with a vertically-related large company after four years of operations

Evaluation

Consistent with vision/goals? - Yes
Uses skills, resources, abilities to full potential? – No
Sustains a competitive advantage? - Yes
Mitigate weaknesses? - Yes
Addresses threats? - Yes
Is it feasible? - Yes

Strategy Two

Diversify into online music, games offerings and rental software-reseller

Evaluation

Consistent with vision/goals? - Yes
Uses skills, resources, abilities to full potential? – Yes
Sustains a competitive advantage? - Yes
Mitigate weaknesses? - No
Addresses threats? - Yes
Is it feasible? – Yes

The most likely strategy to be followed through is Strategy Two. This strategy allows the business to cover larger customer numbers and increase the business’s profit base. Although the new products offered will be quite different to video, we consider diversification will succeed since the sales and operations framework (i.e. processes) and IT infrastructure will have advanced well enough.

The Legal Plan

Business Structure

Fung Limited is the formal business name for the limited liability company. It will have a different trading name, which at this point has not been established.

Reasons for Selecting a Company Structure

The shareholder’s personal liability is only limited to the value of the shares held. This undertaking carries a degree of business failure risk especially with creditor funds owing. Should this possibility occur, then the liability is restricted.

Future expansion is less constrained. Potential investors can become shareholders of the company and provide capital and funds without the risk of boundless liability. A company structure would be more geared for public listing on a stock exchange.

It is estimated that the company will generate over $60,000 p.a. in profit after a conservative estimate of four years from market release start-up date. This business structure provides the best tax advantage for the shareholders compared to partnership or sole-proprietorship structures. The tax rates are set at 39% for personal income over $60,000; however the company tax rate is set at a lower and flat rate of 33%.

Steps to Company Establishment

Reserve the name “Fung Limited” at the Companies Office web site and pay the reservation fee.
Complete the forms on the Companies Office web site to incorporate the company. The following essential information is required:

Shares: 10000 shares at $5.00 each
One shareholder: Sam Fung
One director: Sam Fung
Registered office is at: 123456 Example Road, Johnsonville, Wellington

Apply for IRD number and register the business for GST online with Inland Revenue web site.
Open a business bank account under the company name.

Documentation Required

Company Name Reservation
Application for Registration of a Company
Consent and Certificate of Directors
Consent of Shareholders
Application for an IRD number
Registration for GST (a blank copy of this is enclosed)
Application for new Business Transactions Account

Ownership of Business

The sole director and shareholder of the business is Sam Fung.

Profile of Sam Fung

Address

123456 Example Road, Johnsonville, Wellington

Office Held

Managing Director and Majority shareholder

Work History

July 2005 – present: Retail Wet Stock Analyst, Shell New Zealand Limited
Analyse, investigate and produce reports for business decisions

Jan 2004 – June 2005: Bank Officer, Bank of New Zealand Limited
Process personal customer lending portfolios

Relevant Qualifications

Master in Business Administration (in progress)
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts

Future Aspirations and Goals for the Business

To manage an internet-based retail company that attains good profitability and produces sustainable growth.

Interests

Movies, Internet and Computing, Science and Technology, Commerce and Business news and developments, World History, Tramping, Skiing, watching Rugby, Personal Money and Financial Management, Science Fiction, British suspense, drama and comedy, listening to Top 40 music

Applicable Insurance Requirements

Workplace Injuries Cover Insurance from ACC – cost $288 + GST (based on online calculator). Alternatively, this can be arranged through broker such as Aon New Zealand.
Property and Fire Insurance from Aon New Zealand (broker)
Business Assets Insurance from Aon New Zealand (brokers)
Public Liability Insurance from Aon New Zealand (brokers)

Regulations and Consents Relevant for Business Location

There are no regulations or consents required for the location that this type of business is required to comply with. If there are plans in the future to situate at a different premise, then advanced preparations will be made for regulatory compliance.

Location, Ownership and Usage Type

This business will be based at 123456 Example Road, Johnsonville, Wellington. This premise is in a typical New Zealand residential dwelling. These business and premise types are commonly called Small Office Home Office. This property is based in an easily accessible but quiet road in the residential suburbs of Wellington.
The premise of this will be leased from the property owner Fung Family Trust.
Storage facilities will be within the garage and basement. Office work will be based in work-designated rooms of the house. For the first two years of operations, much of the distribution of the products will be from this property. The business location may require change sooner, for example to a warehouse, should business growth be stronger than expected.

Legislation and Authorities Applicable to the Business Type

Copyright Act

Relevant Authority – Ministry of Economic Development (phone: 04 472 0030)

Works from the media publisher are protected by copyright. Authorised dealer license from the Video Association of New Zealand and Motion Picture Distributors’ of New Zealand permits the company to distribute film and video works. Since digital media is too easily reproduced, it requires effective preventative measures. To not hinder the customer from using the products retailed from the web site, we will negotiate with the various associations to achieve a good business outcome.

Contracts Act

Relevant Authority – Disputes Tribunal (phone: 04 918 8000)

All customers must adhere to the terms and conditions when they use the company’s goods and services. This includes the timely payment of subscription fees. However should the customer breach the contract, then the company will pursue restitution or exit measures, such as debt collection or banning, whether it is stated in the contract or not.

Employment Relations Act

Relevant Authority – Employment Relations Authority (phone: 04 915 9550)

The company will be employing staff and care will be taken in drawing up a good employment contract to ensure compliance to the Act and good employee relationship.

Fair Trading Act

Relevant Authority – Commerce Commission (phone: 0800 943 600)

All marketing and promotion will be ensured that it is not misleading or making false claims. An example is making the ‘refer a friend’ promotion, whereby a successful referrer will receive the stated reward.

Legal Action Plan

Objective	Actions Required	Date Completed	Cost
Register company	Carry out standard process to register company from Companies Office	1/6/07	$60
Organise tax requirements	Apply for IRD number and register for GST.	2/6/07	None
Organise banking requirements	Setup business accounts with National Bank. Discuss about internet merchant services.	6/6/07	0.15% for credit-card transactions. Other bank fees.
Organise insurance	Discuss, and obtain from broker Aon New Zealand risk management needs.	8/6/07	To be negotiated
Establishment and location consents	Not applicable
Drafting Terms and Conditions and Supply Level Agreements	Discuss with lawyers at Chapman Tripp to prepare for a preliminary draft of a Terms and Conditions contract with customers. Discuss about best arrangements with supplier.	1/7/07	$120 per hour

Note: Sam Fung will take charge of all responsibilities. All costs include GST.

The Marketing Plan

Marketing Goals

Marketing Strategies

Our business will pursue the marketing strategies of:

market development - by attracting totally new people to web-based leasing of our entertainment titles
product development - gearing higher value offerings to customer preferences
diversification - our core offerings will be marketed and distributed via different channels (postal and internet distribution)

Specific Goals

To reach 1000 new subscribers after three months of opening of business
To double customer numbers every three month from the first three months of opening
To reduce burn-out and attrition time to one year for 50% of all new subscribers (key success indicators only available after six months of operations)
To have 20% of our subscribers upgrade their plans after their use of our services in within nine months
To drive 50% of our postal-delivery DVD customers of nine-month maturity, to the internet-distribution channel (key success indicators only available after six months of operations)

Target Market

Our marketing will be targeting the 15 to 35 year old age range living in denser urban population areas such as Wellington and Palmerston North. These people are generally: large spenders on non-essentials; pleasure seekers; prefer easy solutions for their entertainment choice; fast adopters of technology; easily influenced by status and popularity; and don’t mind trying new/better ways of doing their shopping.

Product Positioning

We aim to position ourselves to be a profitable and growing online-based entertainment provider to New Zealanders with a well-suited mix of offerings. We want to be known for our great website experience. To achieve this, our main emphasis is for a website (our store-front) that is greatly easy to use with timely and convenient information on hand. Customers of competitor websites have shown varied experience.
We also aim to better our customer service than our competitors, with extra regard to quickly resolving issues. This will be achieved by maintaining a customer-centric culture. We expect this will contribute to a lower customer burn-out and attrition rate.

Marketing Mix

Product and Services Overview

The product we offer is subscribed entertainment. Customers choose a periodic subscription plan for entertainment that is essentially films, television series, and other demanded videos. The customer will select from our ‘title’ offerings through our website. We distribute their entertainment selections through two service lines:
DVD distribution via postal system, with the return of product anytime or
Internet download of a digital rights managed (DRM) title with a time-limited licence to view. This will be faster than the postal system, but the title won’t be available for the customer to view indefinitely.

Product Lines, Items and Timeframes

We will provide a large range of entertainment titles as our base-stock items. These titles are classified under different genres, types and groups. The classification of genre might be horror, comedy, romantic or documentary. Titles can be classified under several genres. Other grouping schemes include: new releases, animated, foreign, television-series or special occasion.
Initially we will have around 3000 titles. We will be selecting these initial titles with the greatest rental demand, which are mainly new releases, recent releases and popular titles. However this number will grow over time with 100 new titles being added each month. The addition of new titles is not necessarily new releases – they can be older titles if customer demand is large enough for them.

Key Product Line

Our key product group are new release titles. This group is mainly dominated by Hollywood blockbusters. We aim to have this for immediate release to our customers when the publishers allow this. Our website will be geared on helping customers choose new release titles easily. We will also be using this product line to promote more features such as bundling this with other titles. We would aim to develop customer interest to in other areas and generate more demand.

Comments Regarding the Product Mix

Availability of Products

Titles distributed via the internet will have no problems with availability, since this is all computer based. There will be some issues with traffic management issues; however by utilising intelligent demand systems from web-hosting companies, bandwidth problems could be alleviated. Conversely, heavily demanded DVDs distributed through the postal system will be harder to manage. These physical items are likely to run out of stock. A rank-based policy for heavily demanded titles will be utilised so customers know that they may not receive the title immediately, but they will get their second or third preferred title instead in suitable time.

Expected Profitability of Products

We expect titles distributed through the internet will be more profitable than those distributed through the post. However, we anticipate there will be much more demand volume for posted DVDs in the first three years of operations, and our revenue stream will lie mainly in subscriptions to this service.

Expected Product Demand

We believe that subscriber demand will mainly reside with the DVD postal distribution service. Around 20% of the subscribers will be utilising the internet-distribution service. We anticipate that after two years of business, more than half of the subscribers will be using the internet distribution service since residential broadband will be much cheaper, faster and ample by then.

Number of Customers

Product Life Cycle

The traditional video rental industry has long plateau and might actually be shrinking. Consumers now have more choice from where they get their entertainment. Some services in its near-maturity phase has been Video on Demand by Sky, and subscribed DVD leasing by postal distribution by DVD Unlimited. Growth has slowed significantly in the past couple of years since they are not as appealing as first thought. These markets have significant burn-out rates, as customers stop using them after some time. Still, we offer the postal-distribution service since downloading whole titles isn’t yet practical at this time for most people

Over a few years, we will be moving ourselves to take advantage of the Youtube phenomenon. Customers will pay a monthly subscription rate to download whole titles for ‘lease’ by limiting their viewing or exposure time. This internet-distribution service is new globally and in its introduction stage of the product life cycle.

Packaging

DVDs posted will be packaged in a specially designed cardboard envelope which will protect the disk and also allow for its return to warehouse. The envelope will have appropriate basic information and carry the title’s description. This DVD envelope will be designed to look cool and memorable too.

Labelling

Labelling will not be necessary with this business type.

Branding

We will try to brand many things such as the DVD itself, the packaging, our advertisements, some stationery, and business vehicles etc. Smart and stylistic branding is more important than mass branding in order to convey the message that our business is fashionable.

Promotion

The Impact of the Stage of the Product Life Cycle

Our promotions will be based at attracting the target audience to our DVD postal distribution service. We will also promote, as an alternative, the ability to download their title. We cannot fully outright promote our internet-distribution service, since downloading whole titles isn’t yet practical at this time for most people. Therefore promotion of the internet-distribution service is secondary and more complementary to the postal-distribution. This strategy will change in two to three years, when we shift the business towards internet-only sales and operations.

Types of Promotion

A promotions consultant might be utilised, along with a great designer. They will be cost hardly anything since they will receive our lifetime service offer.

Advertising

We will utilise general web-based advertising such as web-banners and search ad-word placements. These will cost $0.02 per impression in the most relevant sites and searches. Our budget will allow for $5000 for this type of advertising for the first six months. These web-based advertisements will start immediately on opening.

We aim to for a traditional advertising onslaught especially in denser population areas. These will be made in high population areas through letterbox brochures ($3000 for 30,000 brochures) and advertisements in radio ($500) and newspaper ($1500). We will also place advertisements in magazines ($1000). It is extremely important to produce a smart message with effective design.

Public Relations

We do not plan to do any significant publicity or gather hype before website opening, since this will not generate noticeable results. This is true for this business type compared to a purely web-based service.

We will run a blog during business/website creation and its operational progress. This could potentially generate an interested audience. After the opening day, we aim to conduct interviews with journalists and popular bloggers from the media and blogs. Our approach to the media will have to be down-to-earth, and not obvious we are trying to use them for promotion. We will try to shape the view of the public eyes as attractive, cool, humble yet aspiring business which will be pleasant to use. Careful preparation on communications is the key to success with public relations.

Sales Promotions

We will offer all new potential customers a three week trial period for the DVD postal-distribution service. This will be heavily marketed in our advertising too. We will make deals with electronic retailers and the consumer electronic makers, such as complementing our promotional/free vouchers with their products. We will try to promote our site through heavily trafficked sites such as Trademe using innovative draw-card methods.

Pricing Strategy

There are separate pricing regimes for the two distribution services. The postal-distribution option will cost more than internet. Pricing is based on an individual periodic subscription charge.

For the postal-distribution option: the subscription charge for the ‘default’ three titles per cycle is $40.00 per month. This will increase or decrease by $10.00 for each title per rotation-cycle. The internet-distribution option will cost less with the minimum and default subscription of three titles per week costing $10.00. Subscribing to more titles per week will cost less per title.
These packaged-prices are determined by measuring the costs per average customer over a one year lifetime. We expect the majority of customers will subscribe to the default packages stated above. Breakeven will probably occur after 12 to 18 months of operations; however continuous heavy growth will stay for the next planned three years. Losses for the difficult start-up phase should not be too high if we commit to quality market research and sourcing the correct supply quantities.

The prices we have stated are standard market prices for this type of industry.

Place and Distribution Strategy

Location

During the first 18 months, our base of operations is from the owner’s residential house. We will occupy an office should space becomes too small. Server and software hosting will be done externally and come from another locality. To the customer, this is a wholly internet-based business, so location is not a problem. Acquiring good domain names for the company is utmost vital.

Distribution Channels

All our services will be offered direct to the final customer using the website interface. This is a one-stage distribution system. We do not plan to sell our products through intermediaries, as this might raise the product’s price and cause too much confusion for the customer. They expect their internet-based entertainment selection not from an affiliate or retailer.

Transportation

We plan to use the traditional postal system for our DVDs, for both ways of the deliver-and-return cycle. We will not offer courier services because this will actually generate overall loss. We will work closely with the logistics company to maximise both our delivery processes. Delivering our DVDs to customers cheaply and in acceptable time is one of our business objectives.

Market Coverage Strategies

Our direct to customer business is an exclusive marketing coverage strategy. As previous mentioned, this will keep our way of doing business quite straightforward, and it will not confuse the customer. It is also a good streamline approach to marketing our own brand of services in the first few years of operations.

Exporting and Internet Sales

We do not plan to export our services including our internet-only downloads yet. International sales and operations are quite complex, and it is best to gain experience in the local market before venturing out. Should exports of our internet-only distribution of titles occur, Australia will be our first market.

Internet Costs

Website and customer-relationship management systems will be significant; so real costs are yet to be finalised. Continuous web development and bandwidth services are expected to be one of heaviest costs for our operations. Security, traffic management, database management, and maintenance of the large customer base are issues of great concern. We will consult these issues with our specialist web hosting company.

Services Marketing

Participants

Attitudes towards Customers

Customers will be able to talk to our phone operators should problems arise. In the end, we want customers to be very happy with how they were treated. Therefore we require operators to be friendly, courteous, show genuine concern and a desire to resolve problems. They will also handle complaints promptly, ending with both parties as winners.

Motivation of Employees/Contractors

We provide ongoing and broad training to our people in the frontline. Having a motivated and high-class frontline reflects on our business appearance and culture. We will train and support them in skills in: effective communication, organisation and time management, personal confidence, customer relationship, etc. Leadership will recognise all good employee work by driving simple things such as pats-on-backs, small notes of thanks, morning teas etc, in order to breed a culture of recognition. Ultimately our culture and behaviour will play a consequential part on how our customers will see us.

Influence of other Customers

Generally, online customer reviews and opinions have the strongest effect on the popularity of online businesses. Their messages are usually placed in public sites, forums and blogs. A quick and effective response is vital. We will dedicate time and resource following-up to comments from people. Our response should be transparent, clear, constructive and considerate. This will lessen the impact of negative comments and possibly help our business’s favourability.

Process

A couple of problems with our processes and their solutions:

Main site goes down

Ensure there is a barebones backup site is available for the customer. This backup site may not be able to deal with complex functions such as user-authentication; however it should provide the facility to note down customer choices and orders. We will require much manpower fulfilling these ‘manual’ customer requests, when the main site is online again; therefore we must dedicate resources to downtime prevention, than its cure.

Customer informs of non-delivery of DVD

Release a second DVD immediately and apologise appropriately. Check and ensure the tracking system and procedures were working. If not then this issue should be resolved, and prevented in a review of processes.

Physical Evidence

Dress Code and Personal Grooming

Professional business attire is the standard requirement when dealing with stakeholders, but this is dependent on context. For example: smart casual is more appropriate for a weekend developers function at a golfing retreat.

Vehicles

The company vehicles are to look smart, cool and informative. It must have the website address and logo. The aim here is to drive traffic to the website, by intriguing potential customers.

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme is to look consistent on the website as it is in the real world such as: stationery, business cards etc.

Marketing Action Plan

These are the main actions of our business marketing plan. All actions will be conducted by the owner/operator, however much will be delegated to specialists of agents, consultants, designers and service providers.

Objective	Actions Required	Completion Date	Costs ($)
Gather initial 3000 digital master titles	Find good agent to acquire titles from publishers at negotiated bulk prices Research and list up most popular titles (might consult agent too) Store digital masters in database and press first DVDs with machine	1/6/08	$30000
Collate and index the titles meta information	Agent to also acquire meta-information of 3000 titles (publisher not necessarily a provider!). Collect expert review opinions from cheap or open sources. Store this in database	1/9/08	$2000
Website and backend fundamentals are planned and assessed before opening day	Research and hire a good web designer with mastery in information systems interfacing, optimisation, backend development. Consult on styles, themes, navigation, limitations etc. Write language to interface database to front-end and finalise site design Trial testing on minimalist site	1/1/09 (Opening day is 1/6/09)	$40000
Promotions through vehicle, DVD envelope, stationery	Research and hire a good designer Design logo and motto etc Apply labelling on company vehicle Design cool, memorable, innovative DVD envelope Organise screen print any selected stationery items	1/1/09	$1000
Promotion on internet	Research and hire a promotions consultant Submit keywords and marketing package and plan to internet advertising company e.g. Google Start a developers blog on the site to generate interest and get feedback	1/1/09	$5000
Traditional media promotion	Research and hire a promotions consultant (same as above) Assemble together brand marketing package and plan for advertising company (TV, radio, newspaper, printers and postal company)	1/1/09	$6000 to $7000
Pricing	Thoroughly analyse pricing of services to finalise best price	1/1/09	$0
Services Marketing	Ensure appropriate company training and indoctrination of participants All processes including contingencies should be planned, determined, discussed, documented and realised.	1/1/09	$0

Market Research

Research Brief

Objectives

To determine what features and aspects customers would like of the website
To ascertain what pricing and offerings suit customers well to use to our services
To determine effective methods to attract more customers from different demographics to use the website

Role

This market research will be used to help with website development and product offering planning.

Existing Data

Individuals and companies worldwide have provided useful knowledge and statistical data on website aspects that customers demand. This information is usually present through dedicated websites, periodicals and books.
There is hardly any information on pricing and package plans for what suits customers well. The obvious data here is the existing pricing and package regime competitors offer now.
Marketing analyses of businesses that utilise the internet are heavily published by newspapers, periodicals, books and web sites. This data is by both experts and opinionated lay people. There is some information of effective marketing to various New Zealand groups, however most cover marketing in a global or western-society context.

(http://www.google.com/search?q=effective+internet+marketing+zealand+demographics)

Timing

This research will be conducted over two weeks from Monday 7 May to 20 May 2007.

Budget

This research will cost around $20 and will take an estimated 12 hours.

Method of Research

This research will be a questionnaire based on the internet. We intend to use a specialist survey circulation panel such as Smilecity. Optionally, where time and resources permit, the survey will also be conducted on face to face using a descriptive questionnaire form in a shopping mall on two Saturday afternoons.

Sampling Procedure

Through the specialist survey circulation panel Smilecity, the potential reach of New Zealanders who will complete the survey is reasonable. This is estimated to be around 1000 respondents. Some preconditions apply to this survey: people must have access to the internet, be a Smilecity member, and choose to respond to this survey. Therefore it is a non-probable survey and not a fitting representation of the New Zealand market. This would be an anonymous survey.

The optionally shopping mall situated survey will probably survey 30 people. This procedure is more a probable sample of New Zealand market.

Questionnaire (web-based form)

Please tick the relevant boxes:

Are you?

Female, Male

What is your age?

0 – 12, 13 – 17, 18 – 22, 23 – 30, 31 – 40, 41 – 49, 50+

Where in New Zealand do you live? (select closest)

Drop-down list of 40 New Zealand places north to south

What speed is your internet connection at home?

No internet, 56kbs or less, 57 - 128kbps, 129 - 512kbps, 513kbps -1.5Mbps, 1.6 - 3Mbps, 3+ Mbps, Don’t know

Have you watched any videos or DVDs from any of these websites in the past 6 months? (you may tick more than one)

Movieshack, Fatso, DVD Unlimited, Youtube, TVNZ on Demand, Google Video, Yahoo Video, MSN Video, Reeltime, Joost, Myspace Video, Metacafe, iFilm, Other, None

What features in a website do you rate most important? (tick your top three)

Fast browsing speed, Pleasing to the eye, Different variety of products offered, Ability to post your comments or chat, Relevant information that is presented well, Intuitive navigation and search, Relevant links to other useful features, Fast buying process

Please comment on what you find important for a website? Give some examples you like.

Comment here...

What is your favourite ‘film setting’? (tick top two)

Crime, Film noir, Historical, Science fiction, Sports, War, Westerns, Don’t know, Not listed here

What is your favourite ‘film mood’? (tick top three)

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thrillers, Don’t know, Not listed here

How much do you typically spend a month on cinemas, video store rentals, movies on demand (e.g. Sky Box Office), and internet DVD subscriptions? If this is shared in the household, please include it in your spending amount.

$ 0 – 15, 16 – 25, 26 – 35, 36 – 45, 46 – 55, 56+

How much do you spend typically spend a month buying DVDs or videos?

$ 0 – 25, 26 – 40, 41 – 50, 51 – 60, 61 – 70, 71+

Data Analysis

The following responded through the web-based form survey. Note this is an illustration.

Are you?

Response	No. of respondents
Female	50
Male	50
Total Responses	100

What is your age?

Response	No. of respondents
0 – 12	0
13 – 17	20
18 – 22	30
22 – 30	30
31 – 40	10
41 – 49	10
50+	0
Total Responses	100

Where in New Zealand do you live? (summarised to closest region)

Response	No. of respondents
Auckland	25
Provincial Town or Rural Area	25
Wellington	15
Christchurch	15
Hamilton/Waikato	10
Dunedin	10
Total Responses	100

What speed is your internet connection at home?

Response	No. of respondents
No internet	0
56kbs or less	20
57 - 128kbps	30
129 - 512kbps	30
513kbps -1.5Mbps	10
1.6 - 3Mbps	10
3+ Mbps	0
Don’t know	0
Total Responses	100

Have you watched any videos or DVDs from any of these websites in the past 6 months? (more than one entry allowed)

Response	No. of respondents
Youtube	85
Other	70
Myspace Video	50
iFilm	25
Google Video	20
Metacafe	20
TVNZ on Demand	15
Yahoo Video	15
None	10
MSN Video	10
Movieshack	5
Fatso	5
DVD Unlimited	5
Reeltime	5
Joost	5
Total Responses	340

What features in a website do you rate most important? (rated as top three)

Response	No. of respondents
Fast browsing speed	100
Intuitive navigation and search	70
Relevant information that is presented well	50
Pleasing to the eye	20
Different variety of products offered	20
Ability to post your comments or chat	20
Relevant links to other useful features	10
Fast buying process	10
Total Responses	300

Please comment on what you find important for a website? Give some examples you like.

Gets the job done fast, not much mouse clicking, uncluttered appearance, Google, Gmail, Youtube, NZHerald were frequently cited preferences and examples

What is your favourite ‘film setting’? (rated as top two)

Response	No. of respondents
Science fiction	60
War	60
Historical	40
Crime	10
Sports	10
Don’t know	10
Film noir	5
Westerns	5
Not listed here	0
Total Responses	200

What is your favourite ‘film mood’? (rated as top three)

Response	No. of respondents
Action	80
Adventure	40
Comedy	40
Drama	40
Romance	30
Fantasy	20
Horror	20
Mystery	10
Thrillers	10
Don’t know	0
Not listed here	0
Total Responses	300

Response	No. of respondents
0 – 15	20
16 – 25	30
26 – 35	25
36 – 45	15
46 – 55	10
56+	0
Total Responses	100

How much do you spend typically spend a month buying DVDs or videos? (dollars)

Response	No. of respondents
0 – 25	50
26 – 40	30
41 – 50	10
51 – 60	10
61 – 70	0
71+	0
Total Responses	100

Summary of Main Findings

Most respondents are young from the 13 to 30 age range. Large New Zealand cities have the largest response.
80% of the respondents have broadband internet, although 80% of the sample population has slow internet (512kbps and less).
90% of the respondents have watched a video on the internet in the past 6 months, with the majority of them having watched a video from Youtube and Myspace.
All respondents want a website that is fast to browse and is intuitive for navigating within and provides good search features. Having relevant information that is presented well was also a strong website feature. These respondents point to Google services such as Gmail and Youtube as good websites to follow.
There was a variety of genres that respondents favoured with action, adventure, comedy and drama being well favoured. Science fiction and war were well favoured settings.
Most respondents spent between nothing to $35 on cinemas, movie rentals, video on demand and internet DVD subscriptions. None of them spent more than $55 per month. This category is considered ‘watch-once’ entertainment that will require more spending to watch again on another day. A breakdown of this spending was not asked.
Half the respondents bought less than $25 of DVDs or movies a month. However, it is not known how many respondents buy nothing. Around 30% of them bought $26 to $40.

Recommendations

Based on these findings, it is recommended that:

Advertising be targeted to the 13 to 30 year old age range. Any printed-based advertising should be targeted in main cities to economise spending in high density population areas.
Website design is catered for slow internet users and that all videos are sized appropriately for this default majority. The design must also be efficient and easy to use, with Google and Youtube as a model design of the site. Planning should be meticulous in order to maximise website loading speed; enabling straightforward navigational capabilities, and providing a level of information that is relevant, timely and incorporated smoothly into the scheme.
Initial stocks (volume licensing) should be geared towards the large customer demand for action, adventure, comedy, drama movies. Science fiction and war based movies will also be procured. If the above genres overlap, then possibly more stocks should be procured.
Price modelling of the main offerings should be ideally placed between $16 and $35 to generate greatest customer demand.

Human Resources and Operations Plan

Current Personnel

Staff Member	Current Position	Current Salary	Length of Service	Qualifications and Skills	Current Training	Current Responsibilities
Sam Fung	Owner Operator	No income yet. Intends to draw $700 per week after 18 months of operating.	3 to 6 months before website goes live	Financial and marketing skills. Technology and computer skills.	Enrolled in the MBA course	Prepare business plan and setup business.

Operations and Personnel Requirements

Operating Hours

The storefront is based entirely on the internet and will be open for customers 24 hours everyday of the year. It is likely the hours of staff work will be 8am to 6pm everyday, although Sunday will be the rest day, if not busy.

Forecasted Sales

Sales are difficult to forecast. It is anticipated that the initial growth of first six to twelve months will be slow. This could result in 1000 regular monthly-customers (subscribers) at the end of the first year of operation. After that, this could be followed by accelerated growth, which could result in 5000+ customers after three years of operations.

Staffing Levels Required

None.

Office/Business Equipment and Fittings equired

The items presented are required to fulfil customer orders. Except for the computers, servers and software, none of the equipment will be leased. There are no items that are contributed by the owner.

Items to be Purchased	Quantity	Estimated Cost
Computers	2	$2500
Internet and database servers	2	$3000
Main and Supporting software	1	$3000
Specialised media racks, shelves, cabinets	5	$300
T3 (extranet) connection	1	$100
Disk burner	1	$1000
Disk cleaner	1	$1000
Air-conditioner	1	$300
Telephone	1	$100
Fax, Photocopier, Scanner	1	$800
Desks	2	$100
Chairs	2	$80
Sofa	1	$500
Company car	1	$8000

Staff Roster

Owner Operator works everyday. Hours are flexible.

Job Description

Title: Owner/Operator
Purpose: To ensure the business achieves its goals and objectives. Ensure the business is functioning effectively and to generate growth by increasing revenue and finding ways to reduce costs.
Location: 123456 Example Road, Avenue, Johnsonville, Wellington

Responsibilities and Tasks

Finance:

Maintain good book keeping records. Ensure source documentation is maintained inline with standard business practices and legal requirements.
Plan and monitor cash flow and adjust spending accordingly
Conduct cost-benefit analysis of new initiatives and track of costs of the implementation.
Liaise with accountant

Administration:

Ensure business goals are achieved
Maintain an up-to-date business plan
Fulfil legal requirements for paperwork
Attend to customer orders everyday

Sales and Customer Services:

Ensure the customer ordering to follow-up process is executed properly
Manage customer relationships
Check invoicing and payments are correctly carried out
Communicate with customer requiring support and handle feedback
Follow up with late payments.
Analyse sales and records. Improve upon business or develop new initiatives.

Operations:

Maintain user and sales database
Tweak website design for increased customer usability
Order new supplies (DVDs, postage, printing materials)
Keep track of entertainment and culture news for latest market developments

Contracting and Procurement:

Liaise with supply agent regarding business requirements and developments
Communicating with billing service provider about unusual transactions
Dealing with distribution service provider to deliver products effectively to customers
Communicate with collections service provider or authorities about bad customers

Marketing

Introduce new marketing initiatives
Work with complementary suppliers to maximize customer base
Produce display advertisements such as brochures or internet adverts

Conditions of Employment

Salary and other benefits:

As owner/operator, the owner will not be employed by the business. Drawings will be taken based on profit and cash available. It is expected that no drawings will be made in first 18 months of operations. After this, if business plans are successful, $700 shall be drawn each week.

Hours of Work including Overtime:

It anticipated that work will be forty hours per week for the first six months. This should increase to 60 hours after this when business activity has increased. There will be no overtime.

Physical and Social Environment:

The owner will generally work mostly by himself. The office atmosphere will be based indoor with good lighting and climate control. A significant proportion of time will be used interacting with suppliers, service providers and business improvement consultants such as accountants, lawyers, and mentors. Meetings will occur outside of the office.

Advancement Opportunities:

Manager of the Operating Unit, should the company be taken-over by a larger company.

Personal Specifications for Owner/Operator

Competencies Required:

Excellent communication skills
Good time management capabilities
Analytical and can produce business actions from conclusions
Adaptable. Always seeking knowledge and forming new ideas for business growth
Confident and assertive in dealing with stakeholders
Pragmatic with small business life

Qualifications:

Sixth Form Certificate English (NCEA Level 2)

Previous Experience:

2 years work within the MIS experience is desired

Health

Health should be excellent to stand the rigours of hard and long hours

Special Conditions

None

Training and Professional Development

The Induction Process

Not required since business originates with the Owner/Operator

Planned Training and Professional Development for Owner/Operator

Training Needs	Dates Planned	Training Provider	Budget
Database Management block course	1 – 8 October 2008	Wellington Institute of Technology	$700
Effective Communication	10 – 12 October 2008	Dale Carnegie Associates	$300
Internet Development block course	14 – 20 October 2008	Wellington Institute of Technology	$700
Advanced Small Business Management	1 – 30 November 2008	Starry Consultants	Free

Human Resources and Operations Action Plan

Objective	Actions Required	Date completed by	Estimated Costs
Purchase equipment and fittings (incl. company vehicle)	Reach best deals from best suppliers. Negotiate lowered costs and after-sales support.	30 September 2008	$12660
Rent computer, servers and software	Consult with supplier re best package. Negotiate and produce good service-level arrangements.	30 September 2008	$14000
Develop professional business needs	Study the database, communications, internet development, and business courses.	30 November 2008	$1300

All activities will be undertaken by the owner/operator.

The Financial Plan

This document is to be used in conjunction of the business financial statements and reports.

General Business Assumptions

Digital video/media data cannot be considered typical stock with tangible properties, because it is non-consumable, limitless and copies are immeasurable. Strictly speaking, they are not purchased and kept by the customer, but licensed for use under the sale’s terms and conditions. Master video data are bought digitally from the publisher, and stored on the host providers databanks and office computer. The initial capital outlay for this Digital Video data is very large. It is not a Cost of Good Sold. It does not depreciate, since it is intellectual property. Amortisation is beyond the scope of this plan.

Sales Assumptions

The business is open 24 hours, 365 days.
The company does not foresee employing staff in the next three years, owing to operations and activities being contracted or sourced through service providers.
There is an expected total of 1500 monthly subscription packages (MSPs) sold in the first year of operations. Determining the new individual monthly sales of MSPs at start of operations is difficult, so these quantities will be spread to the proportion of operational days (365) of the year.
Unit sales price is generalised from normal market rates, and their profit margin capacity.

Expense Assumptions

No salaried employees.
General expenses are usually petty cash costs.
Internet costs are only small-office user costs. This is not the leasing cost.
Service provider costs include SLA-agreed customer service, order processing and billing company charges.
Administrative contractors costs (or other administrative costs) are not staff costs of the company. Examples: temporary workers; IT, marketing, business advisors and consultants (if not included in other cost categories)
Leasing costs include: Hosting Space, Database Administration, Traffic/Bandwidth Provision, Security and technologies upkeep. These cost a lot with video-based sites. Estimates are adapted to local market costs converted from overseas video businesses. We assume set-charges per month rather than volume-based charges. This could grow if customer demand is too high.
Heavy promotional marketing during first two months, tapering down to small expenses of web-based advertising expenses.
Bank charges include credit card royalties, merchant fees and typical account fees.

Income Tax Assumptions

Business is a private limited liability company and subject to present Government tax rate of 33%.
No tax changes in the future.
GST is excluded from the sales unit rate.

Three-Year Statement of Financial Performance Assumptions

This Three-Year Statement assumes zero-base budgeting.
Sales has doubled in the second year.
Sales has also grown much in third year, but this is not a doubling of the second year MSPs. It is not completely exponential growth. Growth is expected to be more proportional in the third year.
Phone, travel & vehicle, internet, postage, stationery, general expenses, insurance, accountancy, service provider costs have stayed the same, since they are not significantly related enough to the sales growth.
Administrative contractor costs are much lower, since advisors and consultants are not as heavily required after the first year setup. Much efficiency would have been worked out.
Overheads are the same. This assumes hosting provider does not negotiate for more charges owing to more customer demand.
Depreciation of the tangible assets decreases year by year, since its value has decreased.
We anticipate that marketing/promotional activity remains level after the big spending activity in first few months of operation. There is only an startup spike in spending.
Bank charges increase owing to more merchant transactions.

Cashflow Assumptions

All sales made are cash and they are collected immediately. There are no customers who have accounts payable, so no income is accrued to the next period (month).
We assume (inadequately) that all there are no accounts payable expenses. GST and other monies owing are paid on the same month they were applicable.
In effect, the closing-bank balance will depict equal opening-balance minus outgoings plus incomings, accounted as it is. There will be no ‘delay’ owing to accruals.
No drawings were taken out, even if drawings were made - this will not appear in the statement of financial performance.
GST will be paid monthly.

Financing Options

Refer to the ‘Finance Plan’ sheet and Initial Statement of Financial Position.

Break-even Analysis

The business will need to make $49,900 in first year sales to cover all expenses in the business. At the average unit price of $35.56 excl GST, this will be barely achievable with the forecast volume of 1500 subscribers.

Forecasted Statement of Financial Position

Refer to the Statement of Financial Position sheet.

Ratio Analysis

Refer to calculations and comments made in the Ratio Analysis sheet.

OOS is a pain in the fingers

2007-01-03T02:01:00.001+13:00

Midway through 2006, I developed some of the symptoms of OOS. That soreness and tingling feeling around my fingers from typing all those numbers into Excel.

I'll get straight to the point. More people should report their OOS or RSI or MTD, or more TLAs. When I first started, my job involved a lot of typing. I'm a fairly quick touch typist and use the number pad a significant amount of my time. After a while, I started to get some sensation in both my wrists and then it quickly spread to all my fingers. The feeling was stronger with on my right side. This had occurred before sporadically about five times a years on average. The past he use of my home computer but this time, the sensation did not go away by the next day. It is hard to describe this feeling. For me it was not painful, it didn't feel like pins and needles, and it didn't feel unbearably uncomfortable. So I went about my business, trying to ignore the warning signals my nerves were sending to my brain. Good thing I told my team leader and he got the OT onto it straight away. So now I try to do OOS exercises, but I usually forget. Now my arms, hands and fingers are feeling better.

My most-easily-memorable or favourites 'List' of the past few months

2006-10-07T13:06:00.000+13:00

Interests: Everything, Movies, Comedy, Dancing, Hiking, Watching sports, Travel, Cellular Biology, History, Technology, Computers, Science Fiction, Games, Business Development, Cars Information Books

Music: New Zealand Billboard 40 Singles

Movies: Braveheart, Back to the Future, Terminator II, Shrek

TV: Top Gear, Lost, BBC News

Books: New Zealand Atlas, Bob the Big Bible Brute, Study Bible, Bible Handbook, Oxford English Dictionary, Managing Projects

Heroes: Queen Elizabeth I, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Peter Buck, Albert Einstein, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Gates, Dad

Quote: Yes, I've heard. Kills men by the hundreds. And if HE were here, he'd consume the English with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.

Planned Trip to China in 2006

2006-04-04T12:51:00.000+12:00

There are over one and half billion and ethnic Chinese people which represents a large proportion of the world population. This size stems from its age as the oldest surviving civilisation. It is a nation with an extensive and diverse history. China is under a new enlightenment from the Dark Ages of 1930s through to 1980s. Now it is having a profound impact on international affairs in the third millennium, and I do not think that this effect will subside anytime this decade. In regards to business developments, it was logical for me to further explore the potential impact of Chinese global affairs - economically and geopolitically especially how it would confront New Zealand in the long term.

For this life experience and 'discovery', I have organised an informal yet crucial insight tour. Preliminary planning during the next few months will establish areas in my family life that will require further and better exploration. This fact-finding research cannot be done in New Zealand. The primary motivation for this tour is to add value to my personal development. This currently needs to be strengthened, in order that my identity can be better understood and characterised. I plan that the tour will occur in the third quarter of 2006. Significant factors such as weather, costs, time availability, security and preparatory readiness will be in favour for this time period.

Preliminary agenda places of interest are those within the Pearl River delta region such as Hong Kong SAR, Guangzhou, Shenzhen; and East Coast metropolises of Shanghai and Beijing. Many places in Beijing are consider World Heritage by United Nations, so this place will have much to offer. Other significant places include Great Wall and possibly more inner regions.

Oxburgh discusses climate change at Shell

2006-03-30T21:53:00.000+12:00

I was blessed yesterday to have a question up with Lord Ron Oxburgh yesterday. He was down to earth in his approach and he utilised an impeccable chorus of words to describe us his well researched opinions regarding global climate change. Most people already agree that climate change is inevitable or even occurring on this planet. However no-one can predict the degree of its effects of this phenomenon to human civilisation in this century. He said we do need to do something about it now, even though we many not agree on all the main details, the world has recognised that a small diversion in our culture of mostly unsustainable consumption has to change.

What can we do with the carbon emissions which most scientists agree has an effect on global temperatures? Lord Oxburgh discussed about carbon sequestration. This means to pile carbon dioxide units below the earth's deep surface. We can not only just sequester carbon through geologic ways but also from, my favourite, a microbiological means using highly reproductive photosynthetic algae. Reduction of carbon dioxide can also occur with utilising terrestrial carbon. The most promising way is to utilise enzymatic processes to digest useless organic matter such as household waste and coal to fuel like petrol.

All that talk brought me of back to the good old days of biochemistry and microbiology. It's awesome my degree was finally linked with an energy company.

Blogging by Workers and Blogging Rules

2006-03-27T22:51:00.000+12:00

I have blogged for quite a while now in one form or another, but it was specifically for a social or exploratory basis. This blog will be more serious but still comfortable. Blogging is already quite popular worldwide among millions people, interest groups and even companies. Strangely it seems like the blogging phenomenon hasn?t reached the majority of New Zealand people or companies.

The idea of everyday workers blogging for a company or organisation is really the interesting. My first impression was that too many company going-ons or secrets would effortlessly escape by over-chatty workers. Many people seem to speak their mind so readily on the faceless WWW, so when blogging from a corporate outlet they may blunder. This could lead to a PR nightmare and the worst thing than getting fired is being liable for the collapse of a company and hundreds of workmates losing their livelihoods. Just a little unintended slip of the tongue could bring about a calamity.

Corporate blogging like any other communication tool has it rules. It is still quite early days for the universal business conventions to be set as rock. A company blogger will face evolving rules and guidelines for the next few years as the world gets used to the blogging scene. In one year it maybe encouraged to blog about departmental activities, like blogging I feel tired today, but the next year this maybe shunned. For the meantime, I think it is important to take a cautious approach and I believe a general rule to blogging for workers is to treat it as writing a corporate postcard open to the world. So I think workers should not write anything opinionated contrary to company direction even through an intricate mask of careful sarcasm. The returns for risking an audacious blog are not worthwhile for most workers.

I hope that my blog will be interesting and I envision my thoughts will be of some use. I encourage you the reader to make comments but regrettably I won?t reply to all because replying can take up lots of time.

Here?s for a flourishing future! Cheers.

Cold day for starting out

2006-03-03T17:50:00.000+13:00

Yesterday Wellington was battered by an Antarctic southerly which probably cancelled a lot of public events. Wind, rain and small bullets of hail dropped itself on my home's corrugated roof producing metallic tap dancing above my head. I had to cancel my planned long walk/jog through Wellington City from the Botanical Gardens to Island Bay. This was going to be a four hour workout for the old pumper, but instead I hibernated in bed till the afternoon. It was freezing like hell, so I ignited the computer and signed up to MySpace for the first time.
So far I have no friends there right now, and the nearly everyone in my Gmail address book doesn't use this site. Perhaps I'll just wait and see.

Doing the Northern Walkway in work clothes

2006-01-18T14:49:00.000+13:00

Yesterday, I walked home in my work clothes along most of the Northern Walkway. Starting at 5.30pm from the Big Oil HQ at Queens Wharf, to major Tinakori Road/Karori Intersection... Through the Town Belt, into Wadestown Village, then Trelissick Park, onto the Ngaio/Khandallah/Crofton Downs Main Road. Then into Cummings Park and saw a dodgy ugly sculpture. The stone thing was a 'Gift' to Ngaio. Why not just put a sculpture of a giant fruit or Ngaio tree or a scallop shell.

Then the outside signs outside Cummings Park went crazy and pointed me to Skyline walkway but Awarua St was very unclear that I walked up that road for 15 minutes and turned back because I didn't think I was going anywhere. That was a huge waste of time. I got a burger from Ngaio Takeaways to feed my hunger and it was my only food.

I decided to go to Mt Kaukau from the entrance of Khandallah Pool after walking 30 mins along the Main Road again. That uphil track from the Pool took a weewhile and by 8.30pm I was on the exposed places of the hills with a strong ferocious wind just chilling my non-covered head. There were signs back to J'ville and although they were tempting to sidetrack, I told myself to go up the mountain. So by 9.00 I made it and just missed the sunset but the views were good. Didn't know it was private land. The brightest thing I saw in the twilight was the bright yellow Shell Crofton Downs station, really strange eh.

Then I made my way back home by going through the tussock farms which were not officially part of any council path. It was quite dark by that time, so I ran alot just like Gimli, Aragorn and Orlando looking for Frodo & Samuel. The wind was ever so strong that people can just curl up and die - just like Antarctic explorers. The atmosphere was bleak.

Made it onto Mcclintock Road and shortcut to my place along the undeveloped Old Coach Road path and via Flinders Landfill Park to My House. Now I know the path direct to Mt Kaukau from My House. I used to look all over with my brother for a path to Kaukau (without using the Trescott St entrance) from the Old Coach Road area but all I use to see was gorse. I calculate it will only take 30 - 45 minute normal walking to Mt Kaukau from My House. That's really close.

I got home very dehydrated, windswept and with dirty/sweaty work clothes. Leather shoes had scraped away 1mm of sole. Had a small left-over dinner and took a shower (that maybe unusual to you but that's the Chinese way - i.e. taking showers at night). I can't imagine the non-Chinese: going to bed in work clothes all dirty and sweaty. I wasn't tired so went to bed late again.

I wish I had a digital camera to prove all this.

Learning stuff and blogging

2005-12-29T23:20:00.000+13:00

I'm a passive web user. I do not write or contribute much because I prefer to read other people's opinions and learn from current events. I decide on where I stand by reading than typing. In real life I listen to people more than express my opinions, because I am not a confrontational person. I don't really post questions on forums or blogs but when I do need to know something I use Google or Wikipedia. This is the way I learn on the internet. For me the internet is far more a information tool than a social tool. It's probably why I don't write on this blog much.

New job, new appreciation

2005-12-27T16:14:00.000+13:00

I now work for a major oil company. I have been working since July 2005. It's my first job where I feel far more useful than just a paper office worker. I get challenged by new things, I solve problems and this involves important decision-making. I feel respected because my leaders give me work that uses my skills and brains. My role is to investigate petrol loss from the depot to the service station. It also involves asking why did the problem happen, how to prevent it, and how to improve the techniques the workers get my information. It involves much two way communication to service station workers. I've learnt that people highly value good communication and I believe I am highly capable in this aspect.

Hello 2

2005-05-06T17:02:00.000+12:00

One year hence and hellooooooo? Are you there Sam? I am tired.

Defensive Driving, Career Directions, and the Big OE

2005-05-03T22:13:00.000+12:00

Is the Defensive Driving Course worthwhile?

My baby brother said it's not worth it. I think it is, because I can get my full license sooner. Yes I am always embarrassed that I didn't get my full by 17 y.o. However, and apparently you don't really learn that much and its a waste of money. "Just wait till the 18 months is up." True or Not? Why? By the way I want some responses with these topics, otherwise I just spent all this time writing crap. I'd be a fool and I don't want to be a fool.

Do you think OE's to England are worthwhile?

A wise person told me (against the prevailing view) that it isn't. Here's why:
- The money made will not be that large a profit compared to if you had worked in NZ for the equivalent amount of time.
- I'd be more tempted to do things like drink alot more, spade on girls and even go out with alot of them, even drop my strong standards concerning sex etc.
- This is due to a relaxing of moral standards owing to a weak foundation in a foreign land where settling and finding a good church is difficult.
- And nearby friends and family are not with you to hold you accountable and give support.

The Wise Person said the OE is over-rated. You can grow in two years in NZ just as fast as overseas. Going overseas just exposes you more to (moral) dangers that will definitely hurt you badly. Take for example the Contiki Tour around Europe with its screw the bus/locals & drink everynight mentality. To me it's not that great thought in NZ but if I were in Europe, then I'd probably give in. I've been to USA for 5 months and I did a some regrettable things. I blame it on myself firstly, for giving into the strong temptations. And secondly, I had no moral support.

So there you have a few points for arguing against the Big OE for Christians and non-Christians too. There are many more pros and cons. What would you do for your OE and do you think it would be 100% growth experience?

What Career Directions should Young Adult take?

Thanks for your time for reading this topic about my career direction as a young adult. Because there maybe Christian-speak in this topic, please don't get put off. You know who I am so you'd probably expected that. To be honest, I don't know my direction. I want God to let me guide me but I would love to really know His plan. Faith, I think sometimes sucks because it is so uncertain. But I still rely on it in all this confusion.

My mind is filled with words like: BSc, science career, entrepreneur, banking career, money, a people-servant, wasted tertiary degree, the next Bill Gates, etc. If you were me, what would you do? To me you look like you have a straight and certain path. You can't be worrying like
me about this matter; or are you?

I'm going to write my next topic now (about England), so it keeps some of you interested. Otherwise please write 'I'm totally bored of you forever!'. You can even put a topic in for people to chat around about - just like around a campfire.

Hello. Sorry and old website now finalised

2004-09-16T00:17:00.000+12:00

Oh my, that previous entry was written quite a while ago. Sorry, I'm still lazy at blogging but at least I'm not unemployed now. My favourite internet activity is still emailing and reading the news. Blogging is not high on that activity list.

Things have changed alot since then 1st of May. I am happy to have finalised my fortnight-long effort in assembling an archive of sites and material. With all that excitement on putting historical material up on the web I nearly forgot to communicate about current issues. So what sites does this archive have? It incorporates nearly all the material from my four ex-sites: 1stVersion 98, Sam Fung's Place: Original Everybody's Place on the Web, Revisionist SFP and Site2002.

I have been very busy with my new Lending Officer role at the Bank of New Zealand. When I arrive home from a long days work, I do not have anything on my mind. I'm at a loss to have something to write about. Maybe I'll write about things regarding capitalism.

This is not my first blog. Graduating and job hunting

2004-05-01T16:14:00.000+12:00

It is now the Fifth Phase of my life which I classify as the post-tertiary early-career time. After a four year long gap from writing stuff onto the web about me myself and Irene, the SFCC has grown. I was recently capped from the best ever university in New Zealand and that's Otagooooh, and now I'm searching for a job in the science or health sector. I have been rejected after all my application interviews, but I am grateful for people, businesses and my parent's tax-dollars for funding my unemployment benefit while I look for a job.

Without much success in the job-hunt, I feel rather bored a lot. I have decided to give writing online a try again with Blogger. This will be my recordings of my week to week ongoings. I use to have a blog-like personal site from 1998 to 2000. It was called Sam Fung's Place. I had planned to make the site a focal point of my various interest channels but that was impossible to implement. During university I stopped further site development. Now the good old Sam Fung's Place will truly stay archived, since blogging is easier and I believe it has good potential. So for early insights into my teenage life before 18, take a look back at the Sam Fung's Place.

Archive - My view of Jesus at the Nazerene synagogue

2003-06-01T17:48:00.000+12:00

This is a sketch of what happened during Sabbath Day with Jesus at our synagogue in Nazareth. I also discuss here about our synagogue and the ways we worship God here. I, the synagogue’s attendant, regard the Temple and Torah of great importance because my whole culture is based on those precepts; consequently I wish to compare the differences between the synagogue and the Temple.

It was going to be a rather exciting Sabbath Day at our synagogue in Nazareth. We heard news that Jesus was in Galilee and coming over to the synagogue on the Sabbath. We had expected more than the normal numbers in the congregation because Jesus could perform miracles and cure people from their diseases. I guess people wanted to see all this before their very eyes and not just listen to the Torah. The elders and I wondered how we were going to fit that many people in the synagogue.

That day, Jesus came along to the synagogue. It was just an everyday flat-roofed house. There was nothing particularly outstanding about it compared to the Temple in Jerusalem. Unlike our brothers in Judea, we did not go to the Temple regularly. It was about three to four days of walking to get to Jerusalem and since many Nazarenes were not wealthy, we could not take that many days of from work regularly. Some of our friends living very far away, such as in Egypt, had to rely heavily on their synagogue to maintain their faith. Wherever Jewish groups were around the empire, there was likely to be a synagogue. Their synagogue was also used as a study place, a school, a hostel, a court for law and justice, and surprisingly it was sometimes a place to meet socially with other Jews. Unlike our synagogue here, their synagogue was a separate building in its own right because it was a busy place. The functions involved with their synagogue were much more diverse than the Temple's purpose that was to worship God. It played a big role in the life of their everyday community. I presume that the design of their synagogues was more purposeful with benches and a stage for the menorah – it may even have some design features reminiscent of the culture around them. However, every synagogue function was first and foremost to worship God.

Meanwhile, men, women, children and a few gentiles crowded around to attend the synagogue. Jesus must have selected this day probably because he wanted maximum exposure to the people. We all washed our hands and feet as we entered the place. The synagogue officials and I decided to let Jesus recite and interpret the Scriptures. We performed the traditional ceremonial introductions then we all prayed facing Jerusalem. I washed my hands again before I gave the relevant Torah scroll from the ark to Jesus. When he finished reciting from the scrolls in Hebrew, he sat back down and discussed his views of the Scripture in Aramaic especially relating to the passage from Isaiah. We were amazed that he had so much charisma and wisdom in his message. His interpretation of the Torah and the haftrah were wonderfully better than, dare I say, the rabbis in the Temple. Yet, Jesus was just an ordinary man – the carpenter, the son of Joseph. That was another difference between the synagogue and the Temple; anyone could be involved with the more open synagogue and not just priests and men. There was also no need for strict hierarchy that even women were the head of some synagogues. Therefore it was not essential to divide the synagogue up into restricted areas of priestly and or patriarchal status.

We did not sacrifice animals here as well, because it was a privileged rite for God in the Temple. Besides, we did not have the facilities here. In the Temple, purity was a big focus. The Levites, the priests and the Temple layout worked with the strict Temple procedures to ensure that purity was maintained for God. We could not duplicate these at the synagogue, so we followed the Torah and its practices which allegorically substituted Temple worship. We are obedient to the Law as our expression of thanks to God for he elected us as his covenant people.

Then Jesus unexpectedly changed tact and we got quite upset. The statements he made about our hometown and implying that the prophets were indifferent to us warranted the need to remove him from the place. I do not understand why he changed his approach suddenly since he was so good at the start. The head of the synagogue allowed the more fanatical people in the crowd to take him outside. During that time, Jesus managed to cure some sick people, however that was against the oral Torah – to practice healing during Sabbath. The people healed were certainly delighted though, and those with skin diseases left the synagogue and headed off to the priests. The more learned of us in the Law looked upon all these actions as an act of defiance towards God.

We think Jesus committed much sin on the Sabbath. God would not save him unless he went on pilgrimage to the Temple and repented his sins there by offering a blood sacrifice. It was certainly not the synagogue’s role to act as mediator for God. That role was with the priests in the Temple. While our synagogue is a house of gathering for the community to worship God.

Archive - How the belief of Pharisees developed

2003-06-01T17:44:00.000+12:00

The Pharisees were a group in Jewish society that featured significantly in the New Testament. Christianity, especially of the modern-day evangelical inclination, has contrasted many of their traditions and doctrines to the practices of the Pharisees. However, scholars have found it difficult to describe the Pharisees actual role and activity in Palestinian society during the second Temple period. We have very limited ancient sources and these sources are difficult to interpret and criticise for historical information. Scholars have produced a large number of hypotheses about the Pharisees, some of them conflicting, which demonstrates how poorly we understand them. Although we have not discovered a text yet that was directly written from the Pharisees, there are three main ancient sources from which a historical picture of the group can be constructed. These sources are from the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus; the New Testament scriptural texts; and rabbinical literature such as the Mishnah (ca 200 CE) and Talmuds (fifth and sixth centuries). Each source depicts the Pharisees in different contexts with their own objectives and audience. It is therefore prudent to realise and appreciate the background from which these sources were written. Josephus, who claims to have been a Pharisee, speaks of the group with much respect and his writing includes comparing them with other Jewish groups. His descriptions of them and their activities are far from complete. Material from the New Testament is certainly slanted with the general portrayal of them as hypocrites, for example in Matt. 7:1-13. However, in contrast to the negative portrayal of them, the New Testament also features some Pharisees as honourable like in Acts 5:34 and Matt. 5:20. The rabbinical texts are extensively analysed as they provide much more information than Josephus and the New Testament, although again it is very biased. Rabbinical Judaism believes that rabbis are the spiritual heirs of the Pharisees after their survival from the destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE.

Many scholars trace the roots of the Pharisees to the Hasidim. The Hasidim were rural Jews who protested against the intrusion of Hellenistic culture at the time of Ptolemaic rule. The name Pharisees is hypothesised to mean ‘the separated’, however exactly what they were separated from is unknown. The Hasidim were filled with a great zeal for the Torah and they frowned upon the Hellenising of their fellow Jews. The Maccabean revolt beginning in 167 BCE, under Mattathias Maccabeus, was assisted by the Hasidim to retake the Temple from Antiochus IV Epiphanies – the Greek Seleucid king. Over the period of the Hasmonean Dynasty (167-63 BCE), the Pharisees emerged from the broad-based pietist movement. They were the ‘party of the synagogue’ and they strove to reinterpret the law to enable Jews to live righteously before God, in a world that had changed drastically since the days of Moses.

The Pharisees were reminiscent of today’s American political lobby groups. They had the support of the public and they managed to influence certain people with power, such as King John Hyrcanus I (135-104 BCE). They did not have direct power as a group, but they were recognised by Alexander and Alexandra Janneus (102-67 BCE), as they could influence public opinion. Therefore siding with the Pharisees was a strategic step for a powerful government. Alexandra was so benevolent to the group that she allowed the executions of those who opposed the Pharisees. Under her, the Pharisees also had much bureaucratic power in domestic affairs and recalling Jewish exiles to Palestine. The power of the Pharisees would not last though; historical literature does not cite the Pharisees involved in governance or political affairs, except occasionally with Herod the Great (34-4 BCE) and their unsuccessful persuasion with the Government to stop the Jewish Zealot revolt against Rome in 66 CE. In the larger political context, Pharisees were not regarded much in the ancient source literature, and when they were regarded this was owing to: ‘…times of change, crisis or transition in government because when power shifted they and many other social and political forces in Jewish society became active in competition for power and influence.’ Hence, we observe that the Pharisees were effectively only a small part of Jewish society, and were only significant within Jewish affairs at certain times of the group’s existence.

The Pharisees were not members of the governing class although a few were. The governing class was mainly centred around the Temple with the high priests and kings who exercised the executive and religious authority. The Pharisees were an educated class of servants subordinate to the governing class. They had occupations such as bureaucratic officials, advisors, teachers and lawyers. They had fairly close access to the governing class above them, thus they were a link between the governing class and the masses. Some scholars viewed them as a professional social movement trying to seek change by persuading the government in line with their own agenda. Pharisees were not solely dedicated to their occupation and movement. As individuals, they also belonged to or were part of other groups such as their families or territorial affiliations, thus being a Pharisee was a comprehensive way of life than simply a membership claim.

Some Pharisees of the governing class sat on the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme judicial and legislative body, which comprised of members from various groups especially the Sadducees. Gamaliel, a Pharisee of high standing as acclaimed by the New Testament apostle Paul and in the Mishnah, was a member of the Sanhedrin. Within the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees were an opposition political party in constant bickering with the Sadducees as depicted in Acts 23 and even the Mishnah. The Sadducees were quite unlike the Pharisees, they were a Jewish party that was heavily associated with the Temple, whereas the Pharisees were more involved with the synagogue. The Sadducees were mainly the wealthy Jewish aristocracy and many were priests. The two parties were seen united and testing against Jesus in Matt. 16, which was rather peculiar because it did not reflect the political situation at that time. In spite of the tensions between the two parties, it is possible they could have united to oppose a greater threat, namely Jesus.

Josephus describes the Pharisees also as a philosophical school of thought along with the Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots. He compares their philosophy with Greek Stoicism. Stoicism was an attempt to understand the way the world worked and the way to live in accordance with it. The fundamental view of the Pharisees was that they were to live a life in accordance to the traditions of the Torah. Their beliefs included the oral Torah, which was the revelation that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai but that was not written down. The oral Torah was preserved through the generations by memorisation. From Josephus and the New Testament evangelist Luke we are told that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead; the reward and punishment in the afterlife, that is a heaven and hell; and that human life was destined by a mix of fate and free will. We do not know the other theological doctrines held by the Pharisees. The above philosophical beliefs did not indicate that the Pharisees believed in things that were distinctively different from other Jewish people. Instead, Josephus and Luke wrote these points to a Gentile audience in the Greco-Roman Empire. The general Gentile culture had no conception of life after death and many believed that ‘fate’ was a god rather than a concept. The Pharisees belief in such tenets was exceptionally unique to the Gentiles. The Sadducees, in contrast, rejected the claims of resurrection, immortality of the soul in heaven or hell, and fate.

The Pharisees interpreted the Torah with special focus on ritual purity applicable to priests. They took Exod. 19:6 ‘you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ very seriously. They widened the ritual systems of the Temple undertaken by priests, by applying it to everyday living. The purity of food was therefore very important and they established many rules and regulations to govern how the food was processed. In particular, table fellowship – which was about who could eat with whom and under what circumstances – was heavily regulated and carefully observed. The New Testament also shapes the Pharisees as a group that had great attention to many other laws, and the text selectively showed debates with the Pharisees on the legal and moral aspects of the Sabbath, divorce, tithing and oaths. Rabbinic literature reports, however that the Pharisees were not interested in civil laws and Temple worship regulations.

After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, many of the Temple’s worship practices and institutions disappeared including the Sadducees since the Temple was central to their movement. In 68 CE, the Pharisee Yochanan ben Zakkai set up an academy on the coastal town of Jamnia, and from there Pharisaic traditions progressed into rabbinical Judaism. The Pharisees survived the capture of Jerusalem by avoiding conflict with the Romans. The chief custodians of the Jewish heritage were no longer priests but the rabbis.

With their already high popularity amongst the masses, the Pharisees were highly influential in pushing their agenda for progressive religious reform. Their pious observance of the oral Torah had them held in great consideration, that they were assessed extensively with emerging Christian doctrine and given their due account by Josephus. The destruction of the second Temple and moreover their survival ushered the development of rabbinical Judaism.