Market Research on Gems and Jewellery is Tough

I recently started writing down my thoughts on the market for gems and jewellery in Singapore and I found how difficult it is to do market research properly.

One way would be to look for statistics and consumer data. There are those who say that numbers do not lie, but numbers make my brain hurt, so I'm trying to use as few numbers as possible in my research. 

That would automatically mean that my "report" will be poorly-received by "official" sources because I'm not referencing numbers.

Then again, these are still my own thoughts and observations. I learned what I wrote down by talking to dealers and jewellers, observing customers when they buy and a good deal of internet articles.

So all I'm trying to do is to string these thoughts together in a coherent fashion and study them so I can make some headway in the direction of what I want to do about the jewellery scene in Singapore.

Yeah, it's been pending an update for ages, and I'm nearly ready for the unveiling. It'll take a little while more. Stay tuned!

Giving Out Oranges for Chinese New Year

My church, Bethesda Cathedral, has an initiative that began last year. A couple of weeks before Chinese New Year, we would go to the blocks in our community and give oranges to the residents there.

Yesterday was my cell group's (we call it an Oikos - the Greek word for 'family' or 'family's household') date for the task.

We covered our block quickly enough to help another group cover theirs and I learned a few things through the process.

1) Many residents aren't at home on Friday evenings and nights

This is likely to be family dinner time, and many families enjoy a night out as the weekend approaches. We even caught a family just in time as they were leaving the house on our distribution round.

2) Some are wary of our intentions

Some residents were wary when we told them that we were giving them oranges as part of our celebration, perhaps rightly so. After all, in this materialistic world, few would ever give without expecting any return. I understand their caution, because I, too, am cautious of such things.

Though we were asked to give flyers of invitation for various events at the church, I didn't use any. I felt that it detracted from the simple act of giving without expecting a return. Others may have a different view on the matter, but I stand by what I believe.

3) We need to learn to speak better Mandarin and Chinese 'dialects' if we are going to do this on a regular basis

Due to the emphasis on English as the language of business and education in Singapore, many of us neglect to study Mandarin well. We are also lacking in proficiency in the various 'dialects' (I place this in inverted commas because they are really separate languages. It's only because our government terms them 'dialects' that we call them as such) such as Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese to properly communicate with residents who cannot speak English.

I'm sure there are other points of learning, but three will suffice for today

A Personal Branding Workshop

On Wednesday, I attended a workshop on personal branding. With no idea of what to expect, I went with an open mind.

Though the basics of the concepts were known to me, I never connected them the way that the presenter did - yet another reason to be constantly learning.

The workshop was practical. The participants were tasked to complete 5 steps, one after another, until a story was formed. As with all stories, there had to be a before and an after, revolving around a pivotal moment.

I found that it was easier to focus on a specific epiphany than to find meaning in my numerous experiences, simply because there were too many to sift through.

With that, my story has been formulated, but not refined. It'll be something I'll work on over the next few days.

Attending this workshop also reminded me of my need to be constantly seeking new knowledge and reaching out towards new contacts. You never know who you might meet in these events.

Back from Hanoi!

I've just returned from a short trip to Hanoi, Vietnam!

Because the trip was so short, there was no time to go to Ha Long Bay or any further north, so we stayed in the city itself, within the Old Quarter.

Nevertheless, it was quite a remarkable experience. The streets are chaotic but, once you get the hang of it, quite navigable. The key, we learned, is to always walk at a constant, not-too-quick pace, and not make sudden dashes or stops. The motorists are well-aware of your presence and will avoid you.

The temperature there was a cool 12 to maybe 18 degrees (Celsius, of course), nothing like the sweltering heat of Singapore. The only issue we faced while there was the constant rain, though it didn't beat down in torrents like it does in Singapore. The rain there was more like snowfall - very small droplets that were easily moved by the wind. 

The food was magnificent. With only a few days to try the local cuisine, it didn't feel like there was enough time. To bring back a taste of Hanoi, we attended a cooking class on our second day there, where we learned to make Vietnamese spring rolls and Bun Cha - rice noodles in a sauce with barbecued pork. We learned that the dish itself didn't take long to cook, but the preparation takes quite a bit of time due to the myriad of different ingredients. Definitely can't wait to try it out in Singapore.

On this trip, we learned that there was a price for locals and a price for foreigners (like us). This was alluded to by the host of our homestay, who was very friendly, helpful, and willing to please. The residence was not quite what we expected. Buildings in the Old Quarter were tall, generally about 3 to 4 storeys high, but they were narrow. Perhaps we have become too used to buildings in Singapore and other highly developed nations.

Though it seems rather unfair, the difference in price amounts to a few cents to a couple of dollars. If we had aggressively disputed every price we were given, we would've saved perhaps 25 dollars or so for the four of us combined - not really worth making a bad impression over.

Of course, when the prices were ridiculously high, we had to push them down or walk away, simply because it didn't make sense to deal with an unscrupulous merchant. We were willing to overpay a little, to give the local merchants an easier time, but we weren't suckers.

Hanoi is a beautiful city, charming and eye-opening. I definitely hope to return soon and, if possible, visit the northern reaches of Vietnam.