Thinking and Working in Singapore and other more Virtual Places

Another one about our pals at Stockbridge Consultants

I received this via email as the guy said he couldn't add directly to this blog:

Nin hao Carl.

I’m sending from Beijing. Thanks for some warnings reg. so called “StockbridgeConsultants” (short: ‘SC’).

First step:             Telefon. A lady (name unclear), and on a very, very bad voice-quality line, rang me up at the office. She asked if she could send me info materials from ‘SC’. She allready got our comp. address, and asked if the address would be right.

Second step:    A week later I got a 5pages carton-covered brochuere (in red&grey colors), via express-post, for joining these “elite club”, and an attached “client account agreement”. Inside a name card from a Ms. ‘Ashley Tyler - Director’.

Even they have had the exact address of our company (from where??), and reconfirmed, the address on the ‘RAF-waybill’ showed a name of a company from Macao in the ‘company field’. Instead of ’street/address’ in the bill, there was the name of our company. Quite “serious” for a “elite club”. As ‘shipper’ stated ‘SC’ from ‘Korea/Seoul, ASEM Tower, 159-1’.

Third step:             I got a phone call yesterday from a guy who said his name is ‘Mark’ from SC in Korea, and he would like to introduce me to a super chance to boost my money. Well, even I told him I’m not interested at all, this guy talked and talked so eloquently about “the chance” for a share in an tremendous, upcoming investment-chance in “Sportchannel from KIF Cenetics”, or as the case may be. The whole nine yards of cold calls.

I didn’t really listened, but I told him -again and again and …- that I’m not interested in any investments, in ‘SC’, or in ‘sport-buiss-whatever’, or in ‘telefon brokerage’, or any investments with companies I don’t know, with guys I don’t know, a.s.o.. But the kept on talking and talking, and he really tried to give me bad feeling to hang up.

Next steps:             Other phone calls, from “colleagues from SC”. I call it phone terror now. – If, and I say if ‘SC’ would be a reputable, reliable company, I guess they would have stoped trying to breaking my nervous system. But they are really stiff-necked.

And after what I’ve read in your blog (I couldn’t reply directly, caused by “errors on page”), I’m quite shure that ‘SC’ (I guess former “Cambridge …whatever”) is a nest of humbuggers. Former contacts, with absolutely congruent procedure, broke up, after I told the guy –straightforward- that I don’t trust him at all. He found “sincere thankful words” for my behaviour, and “stealing his time”, a.s.o.. But, however, the phone terror stoped. And, I’m positive about the fact, that I saved my good money. 

Blood Donation - Refused

I just went to donate blood at work.  But, I was refused as a donor because I lived in the UK for 3 consecutive months between 1980 and 1996 (actually I lived there the whole time).  Apparently they (the Singapore health Authority or whatever it is) are worried about Mad Cow Disease.  Now, I am no medical expert but this continuing ban seems a little excessive... I've had my blood tested about 5 times since I have lived here.

I blame Thatcher.

An email to Simon Mayo and Mark Kemode's Film Review show on BBC Radio 5

I just emailed this to their show

Dear Bill and Ben

Thought you may be interested in a story I have just read about MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) along with a handful of former Hollywood Executives and their plans to 'Save (Film) Story telling'....

Although I haven't heard Mark use his infamous phrase for a few weeks now, I'm sure that the "Death of Narrative Cinema" and all that that entails is never far from his mind!

This is a quote from the article:
"I even saw a plasma screen above a urinal," said Peter Guber, the longtime film producer and former chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment who contends that traditional narrative — the kind with unexpected twists and satisfying conclusions — has been drowned out by noise and visual clutter.

Full article can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/movies/18story.htm?_r=1

Cheers Guys!!!

--
Carl (from Singapore)

My Relationship with Ricky Gervais

I have been a fan of Ricky's for a long time now.  I can even remember him on 'The Eleven o'clock show' on Channel 4 a long time ago - probably before most people had heard of him or started admiring him.

Then of course came 'The Office' and all the other great stuff that's come from this comic genius. 

I have been living in Singapore for over five years now and it wouldn't be unfair to say that, from my perspective, it's a cultural void to a large extent when it come to edgy, satirical or intelligent comedy.  There still seems to be a penchant for visual gags here where someone entering a room with a pair of stupid glasses on and a wig is still considered funny.  I say 'still' because I remember a time when that 'Benny Hill' approach to humor was popular in England when I was growing up.

I mention this because this void had led me to almost reach a point of craving humor of Ricky's type and then his podcasts and audiobooks came along.  They first started appearing a few years ago and  suddenly my walks home from work were delightfully enhanced and I found myself almost skipping to the train with a permanent grin on my face.  It would not be unusual for me to burst out laughing on the train either and, believe me, that's not something that's encouraged here!

It was, I suppose, at this time that I began to form a kind of relationship with Ricky.  It was no more than him making me laugh I suppose but it was the fact that it was a solitary experience for me (iPod and headphones you see) - not sharing my laughter with anyone:  Just Ricky, Steve (Merchant) and Karl (Pilkington) and me.

Recently I have taken to reading Ricky's Blog. I suppose it has a lot to do with Ricky's writing style and his incredibly open approach to blogging that that has further cemented my relationship with him.  I've read so many blogs - professional blogs, blogs of friends, mySpace stuff etc but never have I felt so openly invited into the life, feelings, musings and, above all, wonderful comic energy and ebullience as I feel when I read his blog.  It feels like the connectivity that the internet offers coupled with the whole notion of blogging all wrapped up with the genius and complete lack of pretence of this man has somehow opened up a new communication channel for me that feels really fresh,vibrant and, at the same time,incredibly intimate and almost naiive and child-like in its appeal.

Carl at home..... with a woman...

A friend and colleague sent me (and some of our other colleagues) an email the other day.  The subject header was:

   

'Carl at home... with a woman...'

And it was just the cartoon image that you see on the left.

I think he was what psychologists would call - 'Projecting'

....Psychology .....To externalize and attribute (an emotion or motive, for example) unconsciously to someone or something else in order to avoid anxiety.