so stopped writing for a while, I was working on the following things:
1. Launch a few new campaigns for client
2. Wrote a few PR plan
3. Wrote a bad business development plan – which by the way need to be re-written
4. Produced, wrote a first professional video clip for launching a campaign then continue to work on the campaign after launch.
Meanwhile….had lunch with my friend Anders to rework on a plan to improve and revamp annha.com. Just like work…everything required strategy soon become stragedy hic hich hic as of my brain dont already have to produce for work!
And lately I’m into illustration and thinking to take up the concept for design of the page. And Hannah, a brilliant mind will hopefully help me to do so.
Here I dig up a few links on personal branding: the 101 stuff is pretty decent and this one is super ancient but still have good principle behind.
Now all I need is to put all my must do in a power point slide and get some cash to get started! It’s about time.
….It’s been months, the heat was truly bad, horrible. Everyone hated the weather, more so the sun, its heat was too much to bear. It rained occasionally, but it never really started….
and it did just now, on May 22nd. Last few weeks it rained, but come and go, me and my best mate was running away from it, we got wet then it stopped, then it chased us again, like a game.
But I have a feeling this rain, now, is it. We needed.
I have been sick since yesterday, probably a good thing, I got a whole day off….meaning not going out, not having to do anything just lay on the couch and watch Lost….
This rain reminds me of the rain in Frankfurt, I was looking out of the window.
This May I’m off to Turkey…its this coming Friday I cant believe it’s that close. I have so much work to do and the trip is uber short. Maybe I’ll join the gang in Hong Kong as well, that depends on the visa situation that I’m about to find out on Monday.
The counting really start, I still have a book of Turkey to read, better start cracking at it.
I tried to capture the turning of this modernity. A friend of mine is teaching all this Asian values, culture and Asia modernism/modernity at university for those who are about to embark on their communication journey. When asked on their view about the architect of the city esp the modern buildings, more on the aesthetic side, they really dont give a damn. Another friend of mine also think the smashing down the old building is a necessary phrase while the nation is fostering its development at a rapid phrase. She thinks, and I quote her, we – Vietnamese people have not experience modernity until now, so the city needs to turn its skin, putting on some new ’surfaces’ and without saying a word, should express the approach towards a modern world.
I dont deny the effort of thriving for improvements and enhancement, surely, some of the infrastructure aged real bad and they need surely a ‘facelift’. I just would like to see how its citizens go about this change.
District 1 is where most of this cosmetic surgery is being practiced. Positioned as the heart of HCM, representing the HCM image and reputation, it would be a shame to have anything that spell old fashion or ruined, run down, and anything relating to this ideal?
Among the standing tall…..more are being constructed….rushing to show off its blocky style…somehow they’re all very generic to me. You have a tall building, possible lots of windows and glass, somewhat rectangular, and straight up. Pretty much done with the architect, a concrete block, nothing else, nothing to it.
In the heart of the Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard is one of the ugliest clocks I have never seen, sponsored by ANZ, this clock is truly a beauty representing the power of say….the blind attitude towards culture and art, and design. Ah actually it’s none of it…nothing arty or cultural or has any design element to it. Yet it is situated in one of the main venue of D.1
Among the clutter, the low-roofed housing, the mighty hotel structure standouts, dominating the center’s skyline.
Among all these box blocks lie the little old ‘chung cư’, trying to survive, waiting for the day to be demolished
I dont think the ‘red flag’ will be able to save these apartments….soon Nguyễn Huệ could be like somewhere in Singapore or KL
Timesquare is an odd one….been there for ages it was pretty obvious the investors pulled out and probably run away together with the crisis excuse. Seem like the work is resuming slowly…with the Tôi Yêu Việt Nam billboard of Dutch Lady….it might give some blessing for the foundation block.
On the other side of Nguyễn Huệ….things are taking more time….the old block with dwellers living on top of the shops below….this actually very similar to the UK.
Just when you think there’s not much else you can do to Nguyễn Huệ….well cranes are all around.
Among all the horrible no soul, ugly looking building, there’s something I quite like…the new Bitexo…the only building in town with a different shape….not square! and a helicopter shape landing space on the top, imagine having an open sky bar party up there….or rock band performance….pretty wicked.
Also the glass building behind the old french colonial style government place…also interesting….remind me of the Apple Store in NY.
I find more comfort and pride in something like this….’hidden charm’
Colours I added…the rare greenery among a thriving urban/city. Authorities said they are moving the People’s Committee master piece (HQ) out to Thu Thiem (D.2), I guess every other departments will follow….meanwhile…what will happen to D.1 with all the new developments spring up like mushroom every corner. After all D.1 will eventually become the true Commercial Heart of HCMC.
(On the way back to D.1 through D.4)
There are still housing boats, docking along the river…new establishments popping up….white….I guess that stands for something new….white? white wash? Uneven distribution of landscape. Nice urban planning work my friend.
(Testing my colouring skills) :-p
Ending this part is the ‘wash’ and contrast between what is old and new. By the Nha Rong area, bordering D.1 and D.4, there’s a lot of construction going on. I’m not why sure what will be here apart from the massive connection of highway….making the entrance to the city more grand, easier if people were to commute or going from the provinces area, you will reach this end where you will meet the central of the Commercial Hub.
“white’ is in….old and rusty is out…..and Yes the red flag said so.
New artificial coming to town…so scary the trees turns green.
What was that again sorry? My ears are up here, cant hear ya dude!
Watch out…posters are coming….western invasion….they brought families….
komm aus dem club, war schön gewesen
stinke nach suff, bin kaputt, is’n schönes leben
steig über schnapsleichen, die auf meinen weg verwesen
ich seh die ratten sich satt fressen
im schatten der dönerläden
stapf durch die kotze am kotti, junks sind benebelt
atzen rotzen in die gegend, behnehmen sich daneben
szene-schnösl auf verzweifeleter suche nach der szene
gepiercte mädls, die wollen, dass ich “strassenfeger” lese
halb sechs, meine augen brenn,
tret auf n typen der zwischen toten tauben pennt
hysterische bräute keifen und haben panik, denn
an der ecke gibt es stress zwischen tarek und sam
tarek sagt ” halts maul,
oder ich werd dir ins gesicht schlagen”
sam hat die hosen voll, aber kann auch nicht nichts sagen -
die rote suppe tropft auf den asphalt
mir wird schlecht, ich mach die jacke zu denn es ist kalt
guten morgen berlin,
du kannst so häßlich sein, so dreckig und grau,
du kannst so schön schrecklich sein,
deine nächte fressen mich auf,
es wird für mich wohl das beste sein
ich geh nach hause und schlaf mich aus,
und während ich durch die strassen lauf
wird langsam schwarz zu blau
müde gestalten im neonlicht,
mit tiefen falten im gesicht
die frühschicht schweigt, jeder bleibt für sich
frust kommt auf, denn der bus kommt nicht…
und überall liegt scheisse, man muss eigentlich schweben
jeder hat n hund aber keinen zum reden
ich atme ständig durch den mund das ist teil meines lebens
ich fühl mich ungesund, brauch was reines dagegen
ich hab n dicken kopf, ich muss n saft haben
ich hab dringlichen bock auf bagdads backwaren
da ist es warm, da geb ich mich meinen träumen hin
bei fatima, der süssen backwarenverkäuferin
r’n'b-balladen pumpen aus’m parkenden benz
feierabend für die strassengangs
ein hooligan liegt einer frau in den armen und flennt
diese stadt ist eben doch gar nicht so hart wie du denkst
ich bin kaputt reib mir aus meinen augen deinen staub,
du bist nicht schön und das weißt du auch,
dein panorama versaut,
siehst nicht mal schön von weitem aus,
doch die sonne geht gerade auf,
und ich weiss, ob ich will oder nicht,
dass ich dich zum atmen brauch
I come ouf ot the club, it was nice
Smell like drinking, I am exhausted, it’s a beautiful life
Walk over drunken bodies rotting on my way
I see rats eating until they are replete
In the shadow of the kebap shop
I walk through puke at the Kottbusser Tor, junks are befuddled
Guys spitting around, not behaving well
Snotty upstarts on a desperate search for the scene
Pierced girls who want me to read “Straßenfeger”
Half past five, my eyes are burning
Step on guy who’s sleeping between dead pigeons
Hystericals girls nag and are in panic, because
Around the corner there’s tension between Tarek and Sam
Tarek says: “Shut up
Or I’ll hit you in your face”
Sam is frightened, but he can’t just say nothing
The red soup runs over the asphalt (blood)
I’m feeling sick, I clasp my coat because it’s cold
Good morning Berlin
You can be so ugly, so dirty and gray
You can so wonderfully terrible
You’re night are devouring me
It might just be the best for me
If I go home and sleep
And while I’m walking through the streets
Black slowly turns into blue (darkness is fading)
Tired figures in the neon light
Deep wrinkles in the face
The early shift stays silten, everone remains to himself
Frustration comes up, the bus is not comming
And everywhere there’s sh*t, one would actually have to hover over it
Everybody has a dog but nobody to talk to
I breathe through my mouth all the time, that’s part of my life
I feel unhealthy, need something pure against it
I have a headache, I need to get medicine
I’d like to have some Bagdad pastries now
It’s warm there, I try to loose myself in my dreams
With Fatima, the sweet pastries saleswoman
R&B ballads come out of a parking Benz
End of the work day for the street gangs
A hooligan is lying in a woman’s arms and he’s crying
Well, this city isn’t as hard as you think it is
I’m tired, rub your dust out of my eyes
You’re not beautiful and you know it
Your panorama filthy
You don’t even look beautiful from afar
But the sun is just rising
And I know, if I want to or not,
I was at work…..my ears started to pick up some odd sound….familiar and very loud…..it was throbbing pretty hard. Heart palpitations – 2 of my Asian friends called it -, the kind of sensations where you can feel and hear your heart beat pounding fast, at times skipped beats. Pretty serious stuff. I called it ‘episode’.
Throughout the day…and the next 3 days, it was pretty frequent that I had such ‘episode’. Was not very pleasant nor fun. So I took the liberty of stop drinking caffeine, saying no to my 3 cups of coffee and 2 cups of tea per day was pretty shocking. I rushed to tell others and my family about it the next thing I know….I got everyone worried. My dad decided to check my pulse and record my blood pressure right away, wise things to do, and of course after he’s ‘through’ with me about my lifestyle and the non-exercise ‘habit’ of meself. Great. Here I was worried enough about my heart and also got told off for it.
I spent my entire weekend lying in bed…taking things slow, doing some deep breathing once in a while. The first night the ‘episode’ hit, it was too much to bear….I hardly had any sleep. My heart rate went up to 114 (double the normal standard), and my blood pressure also was in trouble, ‘it got stuck’ my dad say. When you use one of those machine, there’s 2 numbers to look out for and apparently the upper and lower no must equal to 40, mine was either 50 or 30….not good.
….the week was moving slow and fast….Sunday was really bad, I felt like a vegetable the whole day and had to skip Mat. V’s yummy cold cut dinner. To add to the ‘drama’, I spent my time in front of the dvd player…watching ‘ Desperate Housewives’, how appropriate.
I went to work normally on Monday….with the aid of the med over the weekend, something my dad gave me pretty cool stuff, 3 tablets per intake, 2 was vitamin & the other must be for the heart. All my friends insisted I urgently visited the hospital and should not wait until my Tuesday morning check up.
The hospital on a Tuesday was busy…I did a electrocardigram test and blood test….to examine the entire system bio-chemically speaking. There was a bunch of nurses, newbies gathering around my bed learning how to withdraw blood from the right hand vein while I was lying half naked on the bed, of course with cloth covering the significant bits. Then they went off to observe other things. The test was ‘ok’. Everything within the limit but doc said I urgently need to work on the excising part. In fact my blood pressure is a bit low, meaning prone to sickness.
Since the weekend, my dad urged me to take up his 5 slow breathing moves every morning. Each move must be done in the odd numbers only and the key is not to do it fast but slowly and together with breathing. Now to breathe correctly is totally new now for me. After 5 days of doing the move, I have just upgraded into 7 times per move and my sweat already starting to pour. In addition, I also use the machine at home to do some slow swing step. The key to the breathing session is also to open all the window early in the morning, taking all the positive air in, inhale from the stomach and breath out solidly. It was difficult at first, but I got the hang of it now…..the funny thing was I did not feel like I needed a coffee after the session.
I guess caffeine was not particularly suitable for me, well for a hyperactive person like me who is also working in a stress-prone zone industry where juggling more than 1 thing is our expertise.
I stopped taking the med on Monday….not feeling 100% but the heart did stop protesting.
