GrEen SeCreTs

green se.crets (adj) our unique interpretation through our experience with nature. it can be anything but it’s always fun & inspiring to others.

12 ambassadors. 1 dream. to explore & discover green secrets.

Do you want to find out what the guests who came on Sunday said and wrote on their leaves? =D

“Well done! Keep up the good work!” – Pang Yong

“Very creative exhibition of design. For me, all are winners.” – Miss Earth Singapore 2008, Nicole

“GREAT JOB! You are amazing & winners in your own idea! Business of changing the world… God Bless.” – Elim Chew, 77th Street

“Green Secrets is a way of saving the world silently.” – Anonymous

“Chairs made with a pinch of intelligence, a handful of creativity and a cup full of love for the nature.” – Eileen Chia, Felicia’s sister =P

“Green secret… how you can link back to nature, yourself, friends and environment to create better living.” – GAGA Linda =)

 

 

The day that these youths have been spending countless hours preparing for is FINALLY here… SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2007 =D

I’m sure all of them went through this day with mixed feelings… excited that it is finally here, nervous because they have to pitch to the final panel of judges, sad because all 12 of them will split at the end of the night, and happy because they can finally go home to the warmth and comfort of their house and family.

Let’s have a look at what the last day of the Creative Youth Xchange was like for these 12 amazing people =)

The Country Rose has been like a war zone for them… the tables have never been neat since the day they arrived, but all that is what I call “Creative Mess” =P This is also the area where they spent their time brainstorming and creating all their wonderful ideas and masterpieces… where “blood, sweat and tears” was shed to reach the finishing line.

Admira looks through her autograph book… Admira, I forgot to tell you… I LOVE YOUR “I have nothing to wear” shirt (the one she’s wearing in this photo). Everytime you wear it, I wanna steal it from you =P But then I thought… “if I do that, then you’ll REALLY have nothing to wear.” Hehe!

Johnny pre-empt that the youths would want to have something to take home with them to remind them of their CYX experience. So, he designed an autograph book, and gave each of them one to write messages to each other.

Her beautiful smile =D She is ALWAYS smiling, and ever so cheerful… it’s unbelievable how she does it! (… that shirt, I still want it, LOL!)

Let’s head on over to the Kranji Loft, where the chair exhibition is…

Presenting to you…

Admira Pustika’s Chill Bill -

 

 

 

The designer intended to create a space to sit and relax while listening to music and finally read a book she has put away for a long time. This chair is crafted from wooden panels and woven attap leaves to add comfort like pillows do. The structure lets her get lost in surrounding nature elements like how she likes to sunbath by the beach front. The orchids watch over her from above while she takes her nap.

Ong Limin’s Fireplace -

 

 

 

 

A cozy nook. Made out of bamboo, wood and stone, the cold touch of the materials warmed by the fire make it comfortable to sit low. The intricately pattern alternating between bamboo and wood for the base give the feeling of intimacy while the stone top acts like the binder.

Chien Lin’s Lazy Bone -

The feeling while building the chair and the foresight of taking this experience further to all is the inspiration behind the design. An outdoor seating in a garden setup that itself is complemented by the choice of materials, makes you want to plop yourself on after a long walk in the garden on a hot summer day. This aspect of comfort and laziness is what stands out as a feature and design consideration.

Mikko Fong’s Back To Nature –

Back to Nature stands for just what it is, back to simplicity and comfort. Crafted out of materials that bring out the raw and natural feel, symbolizes nature as the designer sees it. The back rest is interestingly shaped as a leaf to generate a physical interaction between the user and the surroundings.

Linda Yuliana’s Summer –

Feel the warmth of summer as you sit on this chair. That is what the designer wants to convey. The aesthetics, the functionality, the balance and availability of materials being the key governing factors, gives out the most logical and practical end product. Simple yet beautiful, a fascinating combination of wood and stone brings out the desired effect.

Lin Yushan’s Flipsides –

Gets people to change their mindset and bring them closer to the nature by looking at the transition between the two aspects, organic and modern city life. As the chair is structured back-to-back, it conveys the idea that the two work together. The choice of material of wood reveals the organic quality and the concrete reflects the modern aspect of the chair. Both elements create balance as they compliment each other as cohesive elements.

Huang Zhi Ming’s Chair-Man –

The Chair-Man is a dining chair. It exudes modernism with its clean-cut lines and strong concrete materials. The chair’s firm structure keeps its user’s back upright giving a good posture while also giving comfort. The designer effectively imparts a feel of importance and confidence to the user through the chair while seated on it.

Calvin Chua Tin Giap’s Mummy Chair –

The idea of this chair is to visualize the cold exterior of a mother who is full of warmth from the inside. The chair conveys just this feeling, the cold stone outer structure, and the warm relaxing cushion, and more importantly, the strength of the woven rope that binds these two aspects.

Do Nguyen Lap Xuan’s Station –

The designer thought the chair relates back to personal experiences. The bench is the designer’s station, a reflection of the feeling of nostalgia, and the comfort of home. The small little details of life, whether green moss, stones, pebbles, water hyacinth or fishes is the story the chair tells to those who sit on it.

Sangeeta Ramakrishnan’s Yin Yang –

A seat built with available materials need not be temporary is what the designer feels and portrays effectively through the chair. The stark vertical support balances the bold horizontal seat. The colour black stands out amidst the sea of white pebbles and screen of bamboo. The slender plant compliments the vertical and balances the bulk. Interplay of colour and texture teases your senses and enriches the experience. It is an outdoor seat just as effectively as it is an indoor one.

Bao Xiao Xiao’s Zen –

The process of building the chair is transparently evident in the finished product. Step-by-step, black stones are piled up to make the stanchion. That is true to its function, supports the horizontal plank seating. The balancing stanchion of long bricks, apart from supporting, nests bamboo shoots. This itself is complimented by pebbles. All in all, a feeling of Zen, a tranquil state is established.

Ling Han’s Secret Garden –

The most significant aspect of design is definition of space, to create a place. This is what dictated the terms of the design, and the designer has created an entity which at the same time effectively breaks the barriers of confinement through the right amount of punctures and interaction with the outdoor space. An inspirational private secret garden.

While waiting for the judge to arrive, the youths decided to take some goofy and silly random pictures =P I guess that’s one way to relieve stress and anxiety ^_^ Here are some never-before-seen photos!! You saw it FIRST here!!

Admira thinking “Hmm… are they here yet?”

Admira thinking “Oh My Gosh!! Is that them? HIDE ME!!”

Mikko & Admira =)

Welcome to Limin’s salon… be prepared for the wildest hair-dos you’ve ever seen =P Admira, are you a happy customer?

Mikko likes eating hair…

but Sangeeta, like most of the rest of us, prefers eating biscuits =P

*Gasp* A pierced tongue =P Mikko’s proud of it!

CYX… where best friends are made! =D

Uh oh… I feel a cat fight coming this way O_o

Hmm… Limin’s trying to make herself look taller by standing beside Xuan =P Limin, stop being so mean!

Everybody’s Uncle Ming =)

OK… the judges are arriving soon… let’s focus! No more horsing around…

In the morning, there were 3 judges who came… and they are none other than:

Mr Lai Choon Hung, Dy CCO for CapitaLand

Mr Benny Ong, Fashion & Lifestyle Designer

Mr Eliam Eng, Director Nyee Phoe group

Upon arriving, Johnny gave a briefing at Country Rose on what the Creative Youth Xchange programme is about, as well as the judging criteria.

 

The judging began shortly after the briefing, and knowing that this is the panel of judges that decides who wins the CYX 2007, the youths put their best foot forward, and put on a MAGNIFICENT presentation =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst waiting for the 2nd round of judging, everyone sat along the curb, awaiting for the next judge to arrive…

WHOA!!! She’s Here!! Judge arrives in her shiny red Mercedes convertible!! Who is she?

She is none other than Ms Elim Chew. Ms Chew is the founder and the current president of 77th Street (S) Pte Ltd. Elim founded 77 th Street in 1988. It was her first foray into the retail industry and has since revolutionized the streetwear scene in Singapore.

Also here with her (her sidekicks) are her 2 personal assistants (PA) =)

People, let’s get the show going!!

During the pitch, each of the youths had to do a presentation on the chair they designed and built and on their green secret idea, their two main accomplishments for CYX.

To get the ball rolling, Ming was first up…

Sorry Ming, I do not have any pictures of you presenting. I was looking for the camera during your presentation… and it ended right when I found the camera =(

After Ming was Sangeeta…

Followed by Admira…

Limin was up after her…

And then Mikko…

Xuan presenting in her usual giggly and smiling self…

… she even manage to persuade Ms Elim Chew’s personal assistant to test out her COMBE =)

Followed by Chien Lin…

… and the unbelievably quiet and talented Calvin =P

Pitching after him is Linda…

Followed by Yushan…

Finally we have Ling Han…

and last but not least, Xiao Xiao… who TOTALLY amazed me with her performance =) She has learnt ALOT and improved SOO much since her first day here. She spoke with so much confidence and conviction ^_^

And that wraps up the judging.

After the judging, Yushan brought Ms. Elim Chew around to view the exhibits…

At 5pm, the reception counter was set up, and our receptionists for the evening are Xiao Xiao and LiMin.

Our ushers for the evening… Chien Lin, Ling Han and Calvin .

Our Green Secrets tree and voting boxes…

The Green Secrets tree grows throughout the evening as more guests and visitors arrive and share their thoughts and feelings by writing a message on the leaves…

At the reception counter… our CYX mentors, Aaron and Ix.

Right before the event starts, Yushan gets interviewed by a reporter from the Today paper =)

We are also very honored to have Ms Earth Singapore 2007 with us tonight…

Shirlene, Director of Phish Communications, was the emcee for the night…. and she did a smashing good job =D

First up to give his speech, Mr Kenny Eng, Director of GardenAsia Pte Ltd…

 

 

 

 

Followed by Mr Baey Yam Keng, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility for CapitaLand…

Last but not least, giving us his views is Mr. Zaqy Mohammed.

And now… for the moment these youths have been waiting for for the last 11 days… for the moment we’ve all been waiting for all evening… the announcing of the CYX 2007 winner!

(… waiting anxiously for the winner to be announced!!)

BEFORE we announce the winner, let’s present each of these youths with a certificate of participation to acknowledge their efforts, hardwork and talent, not only during these 11 days, but also for their CYX entry submission prior to the programme.

At this point, Shirlene announced “At this moment, 9 of the youths have received their certificates, and the remaining 3 youths that have NOT received their certificate will walk away tonight with, not only their certificates, but also a cash prize!”

And the winner for the Creative Youth Xchange 2007, who will be walking away tonight with a cash prize of S$10,000 goes to…

CALVIN from Malaysia!!!

The 2 runner-ups for the Creative Youth Xchange 2007, who will be walking away tonight with a cash prize of S$2,000 each, goes to…

Admira from Indonesia!!

Xuan from Vietnam!!

With that, the ceremony came to a close.

Everyone proceeded to the Petals & Leaves Bistro for a sumptuous buffet dinner =)

Everyone, except our winner, Calvin >_< He had to do a little bit more work before getting dinner =P But I’m sure he didn’t mind his 15minutes of fame =D

Every end is a new beginning and it’s never over until it’s over =)

Although this marks the end of the Creative Youth Xchange 2007, it is also the beginning of the journey to unravel the many hidden green secrets.

What’s next? Where will we be heading towards?

Stay “tuned” to find out! =D

But before we go… let’s have one more look at our CYX 2007 winner:

OH NO!! He’s getting bullied by the 2 runner-ups =P

OK… ok… they were just messing around with him…

Right before everyone leaves to go home, we had one FINAL meeting… and just in case you didn’t know, in CYX, we have meetings for EVERYTHING =P (… maybe even to decide where to meet for lunch, LOL)

And the FINAL group picture for the night before we bid farewell…

Just one more day before the BIG day… the youths have all been working hard and long to make Sunday happen… to make it an event that runs smoothly… and an experience that will be remembered by the public (… for how fantastic it was, of course) =)

Although none of them have complained YET, it definitely shows on their faces that they are all stressed out having to do so much under such a short time frame. I guess it doesn’t really help either that Johnny has such high expectations of them =P OK guys… he’s only playing the “bad guy” here because he has to… he wants all of you to remember your CYX experience for the rest of your lives =) I mean, how else would you have learnt so much from this programme, right? (… Johnny made me say this =P LOL, just kidding! It’s my honest feelings =D)

Having said that, Johnny knew they would need a good stress reliever before the big day, so he invited Aaron and Ix back to GardenAsia to lead the youths in their morning exercise… To give them that additional endorphin boost for their final lap in CYX!

Come on guys! Let’s get those muscles working!!!>_<

What is Aaron and Ix doing with them this time?

Ah…. Tai Chi. Or should I say… contemporary tai chi =D

Looks easy when Aaron and Ix does it, don’t you think?

*giggles*

Ok… maybe it’s not THAT easy -_-

Nevermind… let’s move on to the next move… this should be easier.

Whew… ok, that second move wasn’t too bad =) YAY!!

OK… what’s next…

Whoa…. looks like some David Blaine trick… are we REALLY going to do that?

I guess so…

Phew… ok, we survived that!

Give me more!

OK… that looks easy enough.

Maybe not… ok, I take that back =P

Come on… give and take… why can’t I give and take… balance…

*Tai Chi session ends*

Remember those Osmoxylon Lineare plants they planted on the first day and took care of throughout the CYX? Well… it’s time to get feedback on how their plant is doing =)

First, Aaron and Ix talks about what he observed from the body movements of the youths during the tai chi session. In a nutshell… he felt that the youths were not willing to give, and did not dare to accept. Lesson to learn here is for us to offer unconditional help to people, and to accept help and advice graciously when we need it.

Moving on to their plants… Johnny “summoned” Kenny with his powerful handphone, and called him to BlueSky =P

With his expertise and experience in the gardening and landscaping business, Kenny shared with the youths how he felt their plants were doing.

“Did you know that plants have MANY roots that spread out like this? (hand gesture)”

 

“Look at that tree over there… how big do you think the roots are? A plant has many roots, and through these roots, they absorb various nutrients from the burnt soil and top soil mix. Unlike humans who only have one source of nutrients (eating through their mouth), besides obtaining nutrients from the soil, plants can also produce their own nutrients if they receive enough sunlight.”

“However, plants are similar to humans in a way, they need space to grow too. We hate being confined, so do the plants…. so remember to give them plenty of growing space.”

“These plants are growing this way because they are in a pot. Plants take the shape of the pot they are in. So, sometimes… they have a narrow base, and a bushy top.”

“Make sure you look into these conditions when taking care of a plant.”

“I think all your plants are growing well, good job! Of course, it has only been 11 days… so all you had to do was water your plants to keep it healthy. However, the nutrients in the soil will only last the plant a few months, so you have to re-pot and change the soil in a few months to keep the plant growing healthily.”

Hmm…. will the youths continue to take care of their plants religiously after CYX? We shall see, hehe!

Time to show Aaron and Ix their chairs…

As part of preparing for tomorrow, Aaron and Ix offered to help the youths with the dry run for the event.

First, they had to learn how to present their chairs to the guests in an appropriate manner… In a way that will keep the visitor interested in what they have to say. They were taught how to create a story to introduce their chair, how to give the chair more character by adding the designer’s personality to it (“giving a piece of you to the chairs”) , how to stand and move around their chairs when presenting, and also to be mindful of their body language… like Aaron said “movements NEVER lie” =)

Everyone gathered for some general feedback from Aaron, Ix and Johnny

Before meeting Aaron and Ix, I never knew there was such a thing as a movement specialist. When I first saw it in the CYX handout, I was like “What is that? What do they do? Tell you that you are moving wrongly and teach you how to move properly? Is there even such a thing as moving wrongly? Huh?”

Now, that I’ve met them, I think what they do as movement specialists is extremely interesting and very unique. I’ve learnt alot from them, and one of the things I’ll remember as a student doing marketing is: “when people buy things, they want to buy a story, something different that they don’t already have.” I thought that made ALOT of sense =)

Oh ya… here’s a random picture I took while I was looking around…

(Ix’s uniquely shaped back pack =P)

Next part of the workshop… Aaron and Ix made them figure out what are the 3 most comfortable ways to sit on their chairs…

… everyone looked like they were posing for a photoshoot… here’s Mikko =P

Happened to catch Admira while she was sitting on her chair… she looks REALLY comfortable, doesn’t she? Chill Bill was made specially FOR Admira because she fits on it perfectly ^_^

After a morning of moving around and learning… it’s time to take a break…

BREAKFAST TIME!!

Fueled with food… the youths head back to work once again…

“Come on guys… let’s go!” says Yushan.

Back to the dry run…

Aaron and Ix pose as guests …

Everyone figuring out how to solve the ushering problem at the entrance as Johnny plays the “bad guy” again and tries to paint every possible scenario that could happen at the entrance… even the most unlikely and ridiculous scenarios were brought up!

“Oh my gosh… what if they start wondering off here… or there… or even behind here… what should you do?”

“No signages? Where are the signs? Your guests will be lost…”

“2 ushers for 80 guests?! Are your ushers going to be on rollers? Cannot lar…”

Very real problems they would face, all pointed out by experienced event planners Johnny, Ix and Aaron.

OK, the stressed out youths FINALLY came up with a solution to ALL the problems raised by the “bad guys”… moving on to the museum…

Johnny continues to challenge them with every possible scenario that could happen on the actual day…

Everyone joining in to give their opinions and to help perfect every little detail and aspect of the event =)

Finally, the dry run ended at Kranji Loft with a final debrief by the 4 mentors …

Managed to get a picture of the 4 mentors in one shot… As you can see, Johnny and Kenny are STILL looking very serious… thinking of other things that could go wrong… not an easy task because you have to PRE-EMPT everything and anything that could happen =)

 

 

 

 

 Johnny and Kenny are the 2 people I admire for their foresight and ability to plan WAY WAY ahead… I need to learn to be more like them and think ahead =D

 

 

There’s no “I” in TEAM… and true enough, the 12 youths worked and gel-ed together like a peanut butter and chocolate sandwich (… which I remember, from the first day, is Admira’s favourite ^_^) OK, what I mean to say is… the 12 of them worked REALLY well together, playing it by each other’s unique strengths. They worked SOOOO well together with such great team spirit that if I didn’t know better, I would NEVER have guessed that this was a competition.

What the youths have displayed… THAT spirit is what I feel the CYX is all about. It shouldn’t be about knocking each other out on the way to the top, it’s about learning and progressing forward together because by teaching others, you learn just as much as they do. Like what they always say, it’s not the outcome that matters (… although sometimes it is =P), it’s the process you have to go through to achieve the outcome that you should understand and appreciate.

Today was spent solely on making preparations for Sunday… don’t really have much to say here… so I’m going to let all the photos do the talking this time =D

LiMin reproducing more of her signature CYX ZoCard fans for the guests and visitors to take home on Sunday…

I sat there for a while, watching her make the fans… and I could tell, she’s a perfectionist! Am I right, Li Min? Every corner has to be perfect, everything has to be exact and she is SOOO precise =P Li Min, well, that’s OK… because let me tell you a little secret… (I’m a perfectionist too, hehe!)

Mikko and Xuan working on the banner design…

This came last minute and they only had a few hours to get it done, by 5pm the design had to be sent to the printer…

Calvin was given an important new task… to draw the instruction steps for ALL 12 green secrets. That means, if people look through the book and say “Huh? How do you use this product?” Calvin’s dead because that means he didn’t do a good job with his diagrams! O_O But like I mentioned in my previous entry, Calvin can draw and colour so well, this task is probably “xiao er ke” to him >_< Am I right?

What happens when everybody thinks “who has time to clean up a table when there are more important things to do?”?

Answer:

Admira, Xiao Xiao and Linda making sure there is enough walking space for the guests and visitors to maneuver between and around the chair exhibits.

Another look at the chairs they designed and built… now with an added touch, they’ve added greens and stones to them =) Now, they’re better than before… pretty-er ^_^

Sangeeta’s Yin Yang:

LiMin’s Fireplace:

Chien Lin’s Lazy Bone:

Calvin’s Mummy Chair:

Mikko’s Back To Nature:

Yu Shan’s Flipsides:

Xiao Xiao’s Zen:

Xuan’s Station:

Linda’s Summer:

Ling Han’s Secret Garden:

Admira’s Chill Bill:

Ming’s Chairman:

Another timeline to keep everyone on their toes =)

Let’s have a look at what the others are up to…

Everyone is doing their part and contributing to the event in their own way.

Chien Lin working on the Green Secrets book:

Admira doing her thing as Editor of the Green Secrets book:

 

Calvin took a break from drawing “instructions” and joined the banner designing duo… SEE?! Now you know what I mean when I say they help each other out and work as a team =)

Ming doing what he does best… PHOTOGRAPHY!

Uncle Ming, you look so professional in these pictures =) So HAWT!! LOL! =P

 

After hours of brain-storming…

Hours of reading pop-up books for reference…

Hours of working on the computer…

Hours of drawing, colouring and cutting…

… Above and beyond all that,

2 LONG sleepless nights…

The Green Secrets pop-up book is FINALLY completed!

Well… almost.

On the way to CapitaLand, Calvin was still adding the final touches to the pop-up book on the bus:

HERE IT IS… “Hot out of the oven”!!! =D

This book was brought by the 12 youths to CapitaLand Towers this morning. With this book, they presented their 12 green secrets to the CapitaLand Green Committee.

To start things off, Mr. Tan Pang Yong did a short presentation on CapitaLand Group’s corporate profile to give the youths a better idea of what CapitaLand does. Before this presentation, I never knew how huge CapitaLand Group is. CapitaLand has footprints in countries in Europe, Asia and Australia. Under their arm, there are CapitaLand Residential, CapitaLand Commercial, CapitaLand Financial, CapitaLand Retail, CapitaLand International Leisure, Entertainment and Conventions and The Ascott Group. Impressive, isn’t it?

 

The 12 of them, sitting in an arc…

Following the corporate presentation, Kenny did an introduction of what the Creative Youth Xchange is and how the whole idea came about.

Hmmm… why did Kenny turn around to look at the slides when he didn’t prepare any slides for the presentation? =P LOL!

So, what exactly is all of this, and what are the youths going to be presenting?

“Creative Youth Xchange in association with GardenAsia and CapitaLand focuses on unleashing simple green innovations that can be incorporated to make convenient our daily lives. The Green Secrets pop-up book is a compilation put together by 12 youth from various parts of Asia, mainly Singapore, China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. The designs are a proposal for incorporation of green ideas into Plaza Singapura. Although the designs act as individual creations, it follows a sequential flow, coming out of one spirit, Green Secrets.”

Introducing… the panel of judges…

Admira steps up to the plate and does an introduction on the behalf of all the youths…

Li Min giving out her handmade CYX ZoCard fans to the judges… I’m sure they will keep it as souveniers =)

FINALLY! The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here… Let’s start!

First group to present… the group who came up with Pre-emptive green ideas.

Yu Shan did the opening introduction for her group =) Yu Shan, I really like your presentation style, always so calm and composed… though a little shy… but you express and articulate your thoughts and ideas VERY well =D

Designer: Bao Xiao Xiao

Product Name: Green Hand

Idea: To allow shoppers carrying multiple bags to loop them all into a holder, making carrying the bags more convenient and less strenuous on their hands. Green Hand is made from used toilet paper roll core.

Designer: Lin Yushan

Product Name: Twee

Idea: To encourage shoppers to reuse their shopping bags, and reduce the usage of plastic bags. Twee is a trendy foldable recycled paper shopping bag with a rattan casing. The rattan casing serves as a storage case when bag is not used and a bag handle when in use. Twee is made from recycled paper and rattan.

The panel of judges loved the ideas… they even started giving our youths ideas to improve the products =P

The fact that these youths made the pop-up book by themselves impressed the judges too =D They enjoyed the creative way the presentation was done… Definitely something different from powerpoint presentations.

See their happy and excited faces *points below* ^_^

Designer: Ong Li Min

Product Name: Paddie

Idea: A pouch for females to dispose used sanitary pads in a hygienic manner. A stack of Paddie pouches will be suspended on a string next to the toilet paper dispenser for easy and convenient access. By tugging on the pouches, Paddie will detach from the string and be ready for use. Paddie is made from recycled paper and magazines. 

Designer: Chua Tin Giap, Calvin

Product Name: Ha-ha Leaf

Idea: A disposable baby changing mat for parents to lay their babies on while changing their diapers. The mat comes with a drawstring that allows the parents to turn the mat into a bag for containing soiled diapers, before disposing into the trash bin. This product helps to ensure hygiene in the changing room and disposal of diapers. The mat comes in 3 sizes, small, medium and large. Ha-ha Leaf is made from recycled paper and organic cotton wool.

Designer: Mikko Fong

Product Name: GreenSole

Idea: A disposable, eco-friendly, non-woven shoe wrap with an elastic band at the ankle to accommodate to varying sizes. Allows users to cover their wet shoes on a rainy day, and prevents shoppers from slipping on wet floors in the shopping mall. GreenSole is made from eco-friendly materials and organic cotton fabric.

Designer: Tang Chien Lin

Product Name: Bag Roll

Idea: Already a product that exists in the market, this is a plastic bag used for carrying wet umbrellas into indoor areas. However, instead of a standard size, Bag Roll comes in 2 sizes, one for the full size umbrellas, and the other for the foldable umbrellas. This helps to reduce plastic wastage for shoppers using the foldable umbrellas. Bag Roll is made of plastic.

Designer: Linda Yuliana

Product Name: Infox

Idea: A box, the size of a namecard, that holds cards and booklets with environmental information and do-it-yourself project ideas. The box can also be used as a namecard holder. The 2 slits at the bottom of the box makes it stackable and can be used as a toy for children.  Infox is made from recycled paper, plastic and cardboard.

Second group to present… group who came up with Reactive green ideas.

Designer: Admira Pustika

Product Name: Bagcharia

Idea: A re-usable shopping bag that unfolds into a chair. This product is targeted at the teenagers as it allows them to carry their shopping items, as well as take a sit when waiting for friends, for a movie to start, or in a crowded food court. Bagcharia is made from recycled cardboard and cloth.

Third group to present… group who came up with Adaptive green ideas.

Designer: Sangeeta Ramakrishnan

Product Name: Cart-A-Pram (CAP)

Idea: An adjustable clip that can be fastened to baby strollers and trolleys and is used for carrying additional bags. CAP is made using cardboard, padded with bubble wrap, plastic buttons and hooks.

Designer: Do Nguyen Lap Xuan

Product Name: COMBE (Care of My Better Earth)

Idea: Disposable comb that can be used up to 3 times. COMBE is made from recycled cardboard.

Last but not lease, group with Failsafe ideas =)

Designer: Huang Zhi Ming

Product Name: Lampedia

Idea: For exhibiting, showcasing and promoting products, ideas and for spreading information and creating greater awareness. It also serves as a lamp. Lampedia is made from used tin cans/ box cartons and a bulb.

Designer: Ling Han

Product Name: Hidden Space

Idea: Multi-function reclinable seats that occupies minimal space and maximizes available space. Bottom of seats can be used as an advertisement bulletin.

DONE!!

12 Green Secrets have been revealed… now it’s up to the panel of judges to decide which secret to implement =)

The judges were VERY much impressed, to say the least…. this is probably something new to all of them, and having heard such refreshing and creative ideas, they were all smiling at the end of the presentation =D They were very receptive of the ideas, and at the same time inquisitive and interested in what the youths had to say. The judges were also very open-minded, which made persuading them a ton easier. Going the extra mile…. the judges even provided good suggestions and raised valid concerns for the youths to ponder on and consider.

Kenny wrapped things up for the day… and that was that!

After the presentation, everyone proceeded for a short tour around CapitaLand’s showroom… There, they got to see models of properties owned by CapitaLand.

 

Found out from Johnny that there are people whose job is to make trees for models like these… ONLY trees, nothing else. What are these people called? Hmm… maybe Tree Model Experts? ^_^

After the tour of the exhibits, they were free to go for the day. Everyone headed back to the Singapore Sports School for a well-deserved afternoon of ZZzzZzZzz =D Johnny made it clear that EVERYONE should sleep… no sneaking out into town to go shopping, sight-seeing or partying =(

(I was going to put a quote here… but I can’t think of one to express what I have to say… so I’m going to KIV this space for now…)

Shirlene Noordin, Director of Phish Communications, spent 2 days at GardenAsia conducting PR workshops for the youths.

Just a little background information about Phish Communications… With a unique company name like theirs, they take on an unconventional approach to marketing communications, or what the Phish people call it “creative communications”. What exactly are they about? Well, in short… they help to differentiate companies from the mainstream by ensuring that their clients gain a creative edge over the others.

Day 6

CYX Workshop #4: Press Releases

With her expertise and knowledge in creative communications, Shirlene is here to share with the youths how they should go about getting others to know about their green idea, and how to persuade people to buy their ideas.

At the beginning of the workshop, the youths did a short introduction of themselves, gave their feedback and views of the CYX programme so far, and explained their individual green idea for the Green Secrets Pop-Up Book. (…. remember Green Challenge #5? Yup, that’s the one. At this point, all of them have a pretty good idea of the nature and purpose of their product.)

After their individual mini presentations, it was obvious that some people were better at public speaking than others… yes guys, the audience can tell if you are nervous =P Nevertheless, all 12 of them came up with wonderful green ideas, but some of the ideas required a little refining =)

Shirlene got everyone to gather and sit around a table before she officially started her workshop.

 

 

 

She started by introducing the different kinds of dailies and monthly publications in Singapore, as well as the 2 publishing companies, Mediacorp Publishings and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). Shirlene showed the youths a sample copy of the actual publication, and explained the characteristics and target audience of each publication.

Shirlene also taught the youths the difference between time sensitive issues and non-time sensitive issues. Time sensitive issues, like a tsunami or earthquake hitting a city, should be submitted and published immediately. Such issues should be submitted to the dailies. Non-time sensitive issues, like having a new product in the market, can be submitted and published in monthly publications as time is not a critical factor. Hence, the press release for the green ideas the youths have come up with are classified as “non-time sensitive” issues.

An important lesson I learnt from her is, news that is not important enough to make headlines can still be published in other sections the papers. So, if the news desk does not buy the story, it does not mean the news is not news-worthy, it simply means it doesn’t belong in the headlines. Hence, to increase your chances of persuading the press to do a write-up for you, you have to pitch to the right people and to the right places. For instance, if you have an event for youths you want to promote, instead of writing in to The Straits Times General Office, you should send the press release straight to the Life! office. By getting your news in the hands of the right people, and to people who are interested in what you have to share, your chances of succeeding is TREMENDOUSLY increased.

Of course, besides strategically choosing who to send your press releases to, the press release itself has to be interesting to read and attractive enough to make people WANT to read it.

And that’s what Shirlene went on to covering… how should you write a press release?

Here is what she covered in a nutshell:

• PR should only be done when there is a clear brand, product and/or position for your offering.
• Use a catchy and interesting headline, followed by a sub-headline to explain further.
• Press Release should only be 1-2 pages long. All other details can be placed in the annexe (… do not make it too heavy either).
• Press Release should contain FACTS, no marketing jargon or flowery language allowed.
• Keep the tone neutral, do not make it sound like an advertisement.
• Use simple language and vocabulary, but make an impact.
• How? What? When? Where? Who? should be covered in the press release.
• Include important and relevant quotes in the press release (… allows the editor to pluck it out of the press release and use it in the write-up should they choose to do one)
• ALWAYS write in 3rd person perspective

Having said all that, it’s time to find out if the youths understood all of it. What more… practice makes perfect… so the youths were put to work once again.

Green Challenge #6: Writing A Press Release For Green Ideas

 

 

After lunch, Shirlene gave each of them feedback on the press release they had written. Most of them had to make slight amendments to their press release to make it more attention-grabbing and captivating.

With their final and improved press release … they proceeded on to their next green challenge… (ya, I know… they’re always kept busy in the CYX, which is what makes it SOOO much fun!)

Green Challenge #7: Press Dating – Pitching To The Media

The 12 youths were split into groups of 3 again, and each group will be pitching to one of the following press media: Berita Harian, Elle magazine, Lian He Zao Bao and The Straits Times.

The first pitching session was done on Day 6, and was made to Berita Harian.

Pitching to this malay newspaper are Calvin, Linda and Xuan.

 

 

(Calvin pitches his innovative green idea of letting people’s feet enjoy nature while they are using the toilet)

 

 

 

(Linda pitches her idea of having handouts with environmentally-friendly project ideas and messages printed on them. )

 

 

(Xuan pitching her idea for a comb made of recycled material that is to be given out for free in public toilets)

 

 

It takes alot of courage to speak to strangers and what more, to have to persuade them to buy your idea. What’s important is that all 3 of them gave their best and that’s what counts!

I was particularly impressed with Xuan’s pitch and idea. When I first heard her idea this morning during the stand-up presentation to Shirlene, it was still rather “raw”. However, in a matter of hours, she improved her green idea, thought of the material it would be made of, the size, made a prototype of the comb to show, and EVEN gave her product a catchy name – COMB E, which stands for Care Of My Better Earth =D Even Kenny and Shirlene were impressed with her performance ^_^

After pitching, they each got feedback from our media friends on how to make a more convincing pitch in future, on how to improve their pitch for their green idea… and EVEN ideas on how to improve their products.

While that was going on… Samuel and his team of lawyers were helping the youths with issues relating to the intellectual property of their green idea.

They were advised on what they should do to register their green ideas as a registered design and/or to get a patent. Afterall… they have worked hard and thought long to come up with these green ideas. It wouldn’t be very nice if someone came along, took the idea, and made it their idea. So, what do we do? We have to be pre-emptive… protect it! =P

While ALL that was going on… a creative mess was being created in the other room. Everyone was coming up with new ideas to improve their green ideas, thinking of ways to translate their ideas into pop-up books, and looking through Johnny’s AMAZING collection of books for inspiration =)

(… I later found out that Johnny has a whole library of books in the boot of his car… need book? Find Johnny, will travel =P)

Day 7

The youths did not go home last night… they decided there was much work to be done, and as a team, decided to stay overnight to get it done.

They worked all night long, and only went back to the Singapore Sport School at 7:30am to take a shower and catch whatever little bit of sleep they could.

At 11am, they arrived back at GardenAsia (… with groggy and tired eyes). Despite being tired, everyone proceeded on with enthusiasm.

They started off the day by having a meeting that was led by Xuan. Xuan is a natural leader, she knew what needed to be done, and started delegating the jobs to the youths. She made clear to everyone what needed to be done, and which she needs help with. From there, the rest of them volunteered their help according to their individual strengths. Sitting in a corner, observing and taking notes… I could see that everyone felt that they were a part of this project. I could sense their commitment to the team as it wasn’t like “… I don’t wanna do this… I don’t wanna do that… that’s too much work” . Each of them knew what they were good at, and took up that role =D

Xuan went on to check on everyone’s progress on their pop-up book. In her soft Vietnamese accent-ed voice, she asked “so, how many percent you finish already?” ^_^

“By 4pm, I want the final pop-up page to be done so that I can put it together into a book. For those who finish, can help others do their pop-up. Okay?”

Everyone agrees… it was a done deal… and they all split to do their own work.

They gathered for another meeting in the afternoon… this time with Johnny. He tells them that they are to decide if their green idea is a pre-emptive, reactive, adaptive or failsafe approach. He also told them about having to prepare a book that documents all their work during the CYX. This book will eventually be given out to the VIPs and guests on Sunday. Ok… let’s see, what else was covered in the meeting… well, he said a whole bunch of other things during the meeting… it was like a pep-talk to perk everyone up =D

Something Johnny said that I found interesting… that to make people value a book and to show them their importance at an event, you have to make sure the book that you are giving to them is of a certain weight. A heavier book will be “ranked” and treated as more important, so the weight of the book actually equates to the level of prestige. I guess that’s true… you wouldn’t give a minister a flimsy black and white flyer, he would just chuck it into the next trash bin he sees =P You would want to present him with a bounded, hardcover book.

Apart from all the meetings, today was pretty much a continuation of the day before. Shirlene was back at GardenAsia to continue to guide the youths with their press release and pitching techniques.

Today, we worked with 3 publications, Lian He Zao Bao, Elle Magazine and The Straits Times.

Pitching to Fong Wei from Lian He Zao Bao are Ming, Xiao Xiao and Chien Lin…

Getting feedback from the man himself…

He was giving feedback in Engish to Ming, and in Mandarin to Chien Lin and Xiao Xiao. I was sitting in the corner, thinking “Wow… he’s fluent in BOTH languages! Now, that’s what I call, bilingual!”

While that was going on outdoors… we had a tele-pitch to Elle Magazine going on indoors at Country Rose.

LiMin pitches her Bloody Wrap idea, a newly designed recycled paper/magazine-made bag for disposing sanitary pads in public toilets. This is to prevent girls from wrapping their used pads with a ton of toilet paper before disposal, and thus help reduce toilet paper wastage.

Shirlene holds her lips to stop herself from laughing when the lady on the other end is taken aback by the name LiMin gave her product… the “Bloody Wrap”.

Issues pointed out by Elle to LiMin:

• when explaining the size of your product over the phone, do not use “15cm”, instead say “around the size of an A5 paper”. Compare it to a common everyday item, rather than give measurements
• ‘bloody wrap’ may not be an appropriate name in a conservative society like Singapore, might want to re-think that
• before pitching, make sure you know your marketing plan and how it is going to reach out to people… even it will be given out for free, think about the distribution channels to adopt.

Unfortunately, I did not manage to catch Yu Shan’s and Sangeeta’s tele-pitch to Elle because I was outside with the other group. Sorry girls, but I have no pictures of you =(

For those who are reading who want to know exactly how a tele-pitch is done… here are some guidelines:

1. Introduce yourself

2. Ask “Did I call you at a bad time?”

If person says “yes, you did… I’m busy!” – Ask “When is is a better time for me to call you back?” “Is there another time I can speak with you?”

If person says “no, now is good” – Continue with what you have to say (of course!)

Note: Call in the early morning or late evening… most of the time, people are away from their desks during the day and can be difficult to reach.

3. Stay calm. Be confident and sure of what you want to say. (… if you are nervous, write a script in point form to jog your memory when your brain shuts down while you are talking on the phone.)

The last group pitching for today… The Straits Times group.

Just before our media friends from The Straits Times arrive, Shirlene sat down and prepared the group for their turn. Pitching to The Straits Times are Admira, Ling Han and Mikko

And that pretty much ended the day…

Oh ya, Calvin managed to come up with the mascot for the Green Secrets pop-up book =D

Calvin, you are a man of few words… but MAN, CAN YOU DRAW & COLOUR!! You are REALLY good, have more confidence in yourself because you are doing very well =D

Once again… for the second night in a row, the youths stayed overnight at GardenAsia to work on completing their Green Secrets pop-up book.

 

 

Any idea where this place is?

Maybe this next picture will help…

If you’re Singaporean, chances are… you would have been to Plaza Singapura shopping mall before. Did you know that Plaza Singapura is one of the many shopping centres under CaiptaMall?

Plaza Singapura is a popular contemporary one-stop urban mall with emphasis on fashion, entertainment and food for families and young adults. Located in the heart of Orchard Road, its retail outlets are spread over 9 floors with each floor having its own theme.

B2 – Hypermarket and The Marketplace

B1 – Young Fashion & Casual Dining

L1 – Hypermarkets/Fashion

L2 – Fashion and Beauty

L3 – Family and Lifestyle

L4 – IT and Electronics

L5 – Home Furnishings

L6 – Food and Education

L7 – Entertainment

Day 5 of CYX, the youths were brought on a mini excursion to Plaza Singapura. Away from the countryside for the first time, and in the heart of downtown Singapore, the youths were introduced to Francis, Plaza Singapura’s Operations Manager, Melissa, Plaza Singapura’s Leasing Manager and Isabel from the Marketing Communications department.

Melissa started off by giving our youths some basic facts about the shopping mall, general statistics and property profile…

 

At the end of her presentation, Johnny took the stage and announced the next challenge to the youths…

Green Challenge #5: Green Secrets Pop-Up Book

The youths were told that they are to each come up with a simple green idea that Plaza Singapura could implement in their shopping mall. The brief given by Johnny was as follows:

• Product must be able to be manufactured for less than $10 per unit
• Product can be manufactured by the cottage industry
• Main material used for presentation: paper
• Final presentation of the product must be in a pop-up book
• Pop-ups have to be photographic-based and realistic, not abstract art
• Final presentation will be done to the Green Committee of CapitaLand on Thursday (3 days later…)

Johnny gave the youths a couple of existing examples to ensure that they will be on the right track…

A Starbucks hot drink cup holder made from recycled paper

A plastic bag for carrying wet umbrellas into an indoor building on a rainy day

So, with the new challenge in mind, the youths were brought around Plaza Singapura for a tour by Francis, Melissa and Isabel.

 

One of the existing green features in Plaza Singapura is the CarPark Guidance System. It helps to cut down fuel consumption and carbon monoxide emission as cars do not have to drive around and around the carpark looking for parking lots. Empty lots will be indicated with a green light, lots that are occupied will be indicated with a red light, and handicap lots that are available will be indicated with a blue light.

Besides this, there is also a sensor that measures and shows the level of carbon monoxide in the carpark. If in the unlikely circumstance where the level of carbon monoxide is above the safe level, a vacuum will automatically suck out the poisonous gas and bring the air to a level safe for breathing.

Other green initiatives Plaza Singapura has undertaken are:

• motion-sensored taps in toilets
• motio-sensored lights at stairs
• glass ceiling panels filled with argon gas that keeps out the heat from the sunlight from entering the bulding
• temperature sensors to regulate the temperature indoors
• variable speed device on travelators
• recycling bins
• shuttle bus service from designated train stations to shopping mall

 

 

After the tour, the youths were given 2 hours for lunch and to shop for materials they think they would need for making their Green Secrets pop-up book.

 

See you guys again in 2 hours!! ^_^

 

Back at GardenAsia, Didier made her way down to help the youths with their pop-up books. She taught them basic pop-up book techniques, and explained the basic steps of creating and putting together a pop-up book. After that… these kid-dos are on their own =P

 

At this point, most of them had yet to come up with an idea…

Well, it’s REALLY not easy having to think of a new product, and what more having to go in accordance with Johnny’s brief.

That’s the strange thing about humans… we always complain that we are missing this and that, that we would be better off if we had this or that… but when it comes to actually thinking of creating a new product, it feels like we already have EVERYTHING we need, and any ideas we attempt to come up with already exists. Am I alone on this? Can you relate to what I mean?

Well, the youths worked on developing their green idea for the remaining of today… after dinner, the bus took them back to the Singapore Sports School.

 

BUT… what do you do when you can’t fall asleep at night?

Call for a CYX meeting and discuss outstanding issues, tasks to be completed and datelines of course! =P

 

Xuan taking charge… YES MA’AM!!

 

 

TADAH!!

Their timeline and workplan =)

I do this too for my projects… it REALLY does help plan and get everything organised, especially when there is so much information to take into consideration.

 

 

Well, now you know… Singapore has her very own countryside… the Kranji Countryside! But besides GardenAsia, what else is there to do in the countryside?

Having been at GardenAsia for the last 3 days, it’s time for the youths to explore and find out what else the countryside has to offer them, and in turn figure out what they can do for the countryside.

 

To kick off their Kranji exploration, we invited Mrs. Ivy Singh-Lim, founder of Bollywood Veggies, president of th Kranji Countryside Association, to speak to the youths about her passion for farming, gardening and her love for a countryside lifestyle.

Bollywood Veggies, one of the farms at the Kranji Countryside, specialises in growing fruits, vegetables and fruit vegetables. They are the largest producer of organic bananas and papayas in Singapore. They also grow uncommon medicinal trees and herbs and probably the hottest chilli padi on the island on their 10 acre farm.

 

 

 

After the talk, the youths were free to visit any of the farms in the Kranji Countryside, but had to be back at GardenAsia by 4pm. This is an important exercise as getting familiar with the surrounding environment will enable them to come up with practical ideas for the farm stay.

The remaining of the afternoon after the Kranji exploration was spent brainstorming and refining their farm stay ideas. Once the rough proposal was done, the teams did “chain pitching”, basically going around and explaining their farm stay ideas to other groups and getting feedback on how they can improve on the ideas.

Once that was done, the groups went back into their individual space, and continued with their preparation for their presentation.

After spending hours working on the presentation, building models, printing visuals and juicing sample fruit juices (… for Admire, Xiao Xiao and Xuan), the groups were FINALLY ready to pitch their ideas to Johnny, Kenny and Catherine (… remember the lady from Homespun?) at 11pm =D

The presentation was done right at the farm stay area. Despite the drizzle, we went ahead and did the presentation there… THE SHOW MUST GO ON! ^_^

 

Some responded through impulse, some on insight, while some just adapt to work around the situation and still some others adopt the most rational failsafe approach. All these approaches together have worked towards designing a farm stay, at Gardenasia, Kranji Countryside.

Just a recap of what this green challenge is about… the brief required each team, whatever the method of approach, to generate innovative concepts and design ‘A Program’, ‘A Service’ and ‘A Product’ that will enhance the farm stay experience.

First up… the Adaptive Group with Admira, Xuan and Xiao Xiao!

 

Adaptive:

The program:

“Chill Bill” an experimental juice bar where everyone can create their own juice recipe from fruits and vegetable they find in the farm stay. The recipes can be put up on a bulletin and the best can feature in the café menu.

The service:

“Station” is a bus pick up service, making the farm stay more accessible.

The product:

“Zen” is a portable home that can be located anywhere in the farm stay and can adapt to suit its surroundings.

Look what this group made Kenny do…

How does it feel Kenny? =P

Next, we have the Pre-Emptive group with Ming, Ling Han and Mikko!

 

Preemptive:

The program:

Monthly music festival called “Secret Garden” featuring musician from the cottage industry, bringing together an experience that soothes the senses.

The service:

Music workshop called “Back to Nature” for the guests hosted by the musicians of the “secret garden”

The product:

“Chair-man” is a compilation of the music by artist of the “Secret Garden” Guests can bring home a piece of the musical experience they have had at the farm stay. With it, they can remember their encounter with nature through a relaxing time listening to the music when back home.

After that, it was Reactive group’s turn, with Yu Shan, Calvin and Sangeeta, to take the stage!

 

Reactive:

The program:

“Yin Yang” is a balance of fun, adventure and nature trail activities. Including a bicycle trail as a new feature. This program is crafted to engage people of all ages in the farm stay experience.

The service:

“Flipsides” is turning around and building a self-sustaining, completely independent community with features that benefit all at the farm stay.

The product:

“Mummy” is a green protective envelope, a curtain that regulates your indoor temperature to

establish comfortable conditions.

 

Last but DEFINITELY not the least, we have Failsafe group with LiMin, Linda and Chien Lin.

 

Failsafe:

The program:

“Summer” a positive feel good environment that will serve as a retreat for the sick who need peace, calm and rest. For the family, learning to grow and cook organic food, is a part of the farm stay experience.

The service:

“Fireplace” is a cozy comfortable bus tour of the refreshing Kranji countryside for the patients.

The product:

“Lazy Bone” is a herbal pillow, stuffed with essential herbs that improve your health and energize your body.

 in every competition, there’s bound to be a winner… and the winner for the Farm Stay Pitch goes to….

*DRUMROLL*

The winners are Admira, Xiao Xiao and Xuan from the Adaptive Group!

At 2am, the youths were “brain-dead”and sleepy… and the night ended shortly after the announcing of the winner.

ZZZzzzZZzzz