Lifeline

Most big corporations I know has at least some kind of reference to commitment, be it in their mission statement, their company values or people strategy. Commitment. The culture or value they would like to inculcate is for their employees to put their work first on their priority list. Especially in Asia, people are proud to be staying back late for work and they boast of their important role that the company simply cannot live without them. Whenever you ask a friend out for dinner, for coffee or for drinks and a chit-chat, 9 out of 10 will be busy with work. That is considered "normal" here in Asia. If you are not busy with work, it means that you are less important or less significant in whatever you are doing, no?

Have corporations ever done any research to evaluate... is that commitment and the culture of going the extra mile truly beneficial for the company?? Does extra time or extra mile really translates to extra value to the company?

As a marketeer, creativity and innovation is key to coming up with new ideas. This is applicable for architects, designers, and any job that requires any form of creativity. Creativity needs to be inspired. Where then is one most often inspired? Within the 4 walls of your office? Or somewhere else? For me it is obviously on stage... where I recharge and refill all my inspirations for creativity and my inspiration for life as well. I am after all fueled by my many passions. It is not the commitment of extra time or extra effort that yields the ideas, but it is the inspired soul that yields those brilliant money-making ideas.

Remember Rapunzel's magic healing & youth-generating hair??

Once you cut it off to have all the whole length of hair to yourself, it loses its power

Your employee is that hair, their passion is Rapunzel and the company is Gothel. If they want the hair all to themselves and cuts it off of Rapunzel, the hair turns brown and loses its youth regenerating powers. So, the lesson is... all employers out there, please allow your employees to pursue their passions and they will in turn give you unlimited supply of their magic-youth-regeneration powers. hehehehehe ;-)

Breaking a Vicious Cycle

Remember the virtuous vs the vicious work-rest cycle???

Well, I have a new vicious cycle to break... or to turn into a virtuous one. As you can see from my "heart's desires", I want a flexi-freelance job. Reasons for that are:
1. To control my own time in order to do more performance arts, yayyy!
2. To set my own pace, goals and objectives in my day-job rather than have these things thrust upon me.
3. To be my true self rather than conforming to what the corporate world deems a "proper" corporate citizen.
4. To set my own work culture, an office-politics and hypocrisy free environment.

How do I get there?? I need to start my own business... a simple yet practical solution. If it is that simple, then what is the problem??

Either I give up the number 1 reason I want this business so that I can free up some time to work on this business, or I give up my current dayjob and be super-poor while I work on this business. I can't recharge emotionally and creatively in the former which will affect both my capacity in my business and my employment dayjob. I can't possibly predict how long I'd need to be poor in the latter which stress me out financially till I cannot enjoy doing my business or performance arts. My parents will also kill nag me if I choose the latter as they are typical Chinese-ed parents who insists on money, status and everything practical for their children.

How now brown cow???

I need an anomaly to hit me & break this cycle before I go mad juggling so many things. Anomaly, anomaly... where art thou??

30hr Famine

Last weekend, I spent it with a bunch of crazy colleagues and friend starving for 30 hours without any food or calorie containing drinks.

Why did we torture ourselves that way??? All for a good cause. It was for the 30hr Famine by World Vision. Many people would ask "What would starving yourself for 30hrs do to help those who are faced by famine and strife in lands far far away from here???" I asked the same question when I was first asked to go for this camp.

But I went anyway, and I learnt the answers to my question just being there at the camp. It was a fruitful and heart-tugging 30hr where we learnt not just by watching something on TV, or on the internet but we experienced what it would be like to be those people in developing countries.

Before the 30hr hunger journey, as typical Malaysians... we stopped for makan first. ;)

Then we arrived at the destination of our campsite, in Port Dickson... a simple but cosy house by the sea.

Sista was so nice to have joined me although I was the only person she knew at the camp at first. But later she made plenty of new friends.

Hungry sampai nak bunuh diri??? No la... drama je

Group-shot of some of us Abbottian campers

We still had some time to monkey around...

Yes, really really monkey around ;P

The Famine Challenges: where we learnt a lot about the tough choices the mothers in developing nations have to make. How do you make a choice on basic necessities??? Food or shelter or healthcare or education or hygiene or job??? How can you live if you can't have it all?? Every choice has its consequences and they have to live with these consequences because the MUST make a choice no matter how difficult. And they cannot have it all. Unlike us.

Reenactment of the scenarios: A widow and her child

A husband forced to join the army leaving his wife and kids behind to fend for themselves.

A drunken and abusive husband forcing the wife to runaway with her children for the sake of their safety.

We had to be in the shoes of either one of the 3 families above... and are faced with difficult choices? What were the options??? What were the consequences of our decisions?? It seems in the end that no matter which path they choose, there are negative consequences 1 way or another. Because they do not have the choice to choose ALL the things that are important. Teaches us that we are sooooooooo abundantly blessed that not only do we have the choice to have it all, we even have more than what we need. Simple things that we take for granted each day, are precious treasures to these people.

Some even brought along their little ones and they fasted with us... for 8hrs. You need to teach them from young to appreciate what they have.

Other than learning and suffering hunger, we had loads of fun too!! Sista & I did each other's make up blindfolded. Not bad leh??

Musical cotton ball, siapa lambat dia keluar!

Cert presentation to us campers

Then we all proceeded to Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil for the final 4hr countdown together with about 9000 other campers from other campsites.

Guest appearance by Angry Bird!!

Amazing how our energy was still up after zero calorie intake for 27hours!!!

Ah Niu was the finale performer for the day... he really raised up d energy level for everyone in the stadium!

Even our youngest camper stayed till the end!!

The final countdown! 5-4-3-2-1!! Buka puasa!!!

V-Soy never tasted so good in our entire life!!! :)

Congratulations to all the Famine Warriors who campaigned and stand up for a good cause. World Vision raised RM1.5million for all their relief efforts in developing countries as well as some local beneficiaries like retirement and disabled homes. Our hunger definitely made a difference in the beneficiaries' lives. And that, was the answer to my initial question!! :)

Short & Sweet Festival 2011

I will be in not one but TWO Short and Sweet Festivals this year!!! Yes, the over-ambitious new-comer is gonna juggle 2 festivals and another full-length musical.... oh, and then there is my day-job too. :p

I auditioned for S+S Musical wt hubby and we both got through... He'll be the bf of an social media addict while I will be... ahem... a prostitute!! Where can I learn how to be a prostitute?? The Obedient Wives Club!!! hehehehe... whatever it is, it's gonna be fun. The script is crazy funny!! Haven't heard the songs yet though. Can't wait for rehearsals to start! :D :D

I auditioned for S+S Dance and got 2 offers... both for Indian Dance-styles!! Omg... I soooooo love Bollywood!!! So, naturally I picked the Bollywood piece!! The other was a classical Bharatanatyam piece... dah Youtube it, macam susah leh. My choreographer is Shobana Sahajananan and she is wayyyy cool & can really really MOVE IT MOVE IT!! I can't wait, can't wait!!!

Hubby also auditioned for S+S Theatre & is playing a suicidal fler who hired an assassin to kill himself. Dark emo-stuff by a happy-feeted cheerful playright BB. Can't wait to see it!

So, if you guys are free... please do come to Pentas 2, KLPAC and watch all of us in the Short + Sweet Festival Malaysia 2011. Am sure you will enjoy yourselves!!

S+S Musical Performance: 28-30 Sept
S+S Musical Gala Nite: 1 Oct 2011
S+S Dance Performance: 5-8 Oct 2011, 12-15 Oct 2011
S+S Dance Gala Nite: 16 Oct 2011
S+S Theatre Performance: 19-22 Oct 2011, 26-29 Oct 2011
S+S Theatre Gala Nite: 30 Oct 2011