Reccession proof businesses?

Looking around, there seems to be a few business in SIngapore that are still thriving in reccessionary times like this.

Gyms- People are stressed and have no jobs, so they have lots of time. They dont mind paying for a gym package to relieve stress.

Tour agencies - Singaporeans love to travel, because Singapore is so b*** boring, so tours to nearby asian countries are still as if not more popular then ever.

If you notice, both are industries that relieve stress........hint hint

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

I am so happy that I am catching all the right movies recently. This one will be another of my all time favourites. What does a game show got to do with the telling of a Indian slumboy's pathetic life? How the gameshow is connected throughout the movie and ends as a final climax is so well woven into the movie fabric. Intense storeyline, well balanced rythm that kept me captivated by what is going to happen next. This movie has Daniel Boyle's characteristics that he used in 28 Days Later, by using lighting from a main source and shadow casting to create a wilderness effect. In 28 Days Later, it was the humans that were alone. In the case of Slumdog Millionaire, it is the loneliness of the main character where he is all alone in the slums of India.

Ultimately it is a love story of hope and faith. I think he chose India as the setting as it is the most unlikely of places to find hope and faith. Similarly in 28 Days later, he chose London as the setting because it was the most unlikely place to find zombies. I love his anti mainsteam style.

I am beginning to regonise his trademark characteristics, such as aerial shots, tracking shots, using colours in a dull setting, and the spot lighting effect....

This movie certainly deserves the accolades that it has been getting. Piece of art.

Thoughts of a Financial Idiot - franchises

A friend once asked me if I am keen to bring in a certain cafe chain to Singapore. Well I did think about it and then reasoned to myself: if I did that then I would be first paying a lump sum of money to the original owner and the business still had a certain risk of failing. I would have lost a large sum of money (in the range of 100K to 200K) even before I started! Fanchises dont really maximise their profits as they are paying heaps to the original owner.

Well to be fair it depends a lot on the type of business and location of the outlet. I guess 7 -Elevens are still profitable, as long as the location is right. But the same may not be said about a specialised product which does not target the masses.

Sure it is tempting when you see the brand so sucecessful in other countries, especially if it is something close to my heart like a cosy cafe or something, but I keep reminding myself not to be tempted.

I keep telling myself, instead of being the franchisee, why dont I be the franchiser instead? Why dont I use my creative thinking as an Architect to conceptualise and create a brand which will be successful? That certainly seems possible. The brand does not have to be established historically, as long as it is successful.

I think I might do that one day, when my brain is freed from thinking about other things.....haha..Anyone wanna give it a go with me?

Ngong Ping 360

Ngong Ping 360. The name is aptly given to this latest tourist attraction in HK. I was in HK for the Chinese New Year again and my in laws brought me to this new theme ride. The ride claims to guarantee you a 360 degree view of Hong Kong, which is how the name Ngong Ping 360 was derived. Boy the ride was way beyond my expectations.

The ride was supposed to take us from the commercial centre of Lantau Island up to the Big Buddha. As I got into the cable car I was immediately swung into action as the cable car swerved up a few hundred metres into the air. Right away I knew that what the ride claimed was right. As I turned left to right I can see everything that HK has to offer, a panaromic aerial view of HK.

It is not often that a theme attraction lives up to its hype and marketing. But this ride is larger than life. The HK govt has made it the biggest, the longest, the highest and the most spectacular. By the time I reached the top of Lantau island, I had crossed 2 oceans and 3 mountains. The feeling of hanging few hundred metres in the air with only a cable is exhilirating. I caught sight of the entire aerial view of the airport.

As you reach towards the end of the ride, you see the Big Buddha in the distance, and I was suddenly reminded of the ancient Chinese folklore, where the Monkey God somersaults in the clouds to reach the Buddha.

When I alighted, the government had also constructed this delightful new village of restaurants and shops. As you walk further up you reach the older and quieter part of temple and you know that the Buddha is near. The government has taken great pains in ensuring that the commercial entity was situated away from the religious areas and did not engulf the serene and religious environment of the temple.

This ride will make Hong Kong even more regonised on the world map. A trapeze in the sky hanging from the top of the world. A successful attraction with the X factor.