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Hello! It's been a busy month, resulting in a lack of updates. Nevertheless, here's the latest scoop:
I'll be setting up a stall (as Loupin Jewels) at the Makers' Market, in front of Capitol Piazza (City Hall area) over the weekend, from 10 - 11 Dec, 1pm - 9pm.
There, I'll be launching a new product, showcasing some charming jewellery and doing an activity-giveaway!
So, if you're in the area, do drop by, say hi and get a little gift from us! See you there!
The day is finally here! After months of preparation (and some delays), the website of Loupin Jewels is now live! There are still a couple of tweaks and updates needed there, but the site is up and running!
It's not been easy juggling the book - The Introvert Teacher - and the gemstone business, but it all now comes to fruition. And not a moment too soon. It's still 2016! I'm in time!
The aim of Loupin Jewels is to bring awareness and attention to the vibrant world of gems and gemstone jewellery.
There will be gemstones, gem-related products, gem hunting services and beautiful jewellery available through us.
There will also be classes and blog posts on how to buy gems, how to assess them and how to avoid getting ripped off.
How to avoid getting ripped off has been asked of me by so many people so many times that I have written a book about it. There is some information on the website - here - and I envision that the book will be ready soon, but it's still in the works. Right now, I'm looking for an illustrator to enhance the readability of the text that I've written.
Please have a look at the website: www.loupinjewels.com and let me know if there are any bugs on the site. I might have missed something. Give me your comments too!
Hoping to hear from you!
On Thursday, I assisted a fellow trainer friend at his talk on racial harmony in a local JC. The session consisted of a film made by a local director/producer and a discussion afterwards.
One of the statistics that my friend stated got me thinking. Only 20% of Chinese in Singapore have a close friend who is from another racial background. Granted that we make up the largest proportion of the local population, that number is still pretty low.
Racial harmony is, doubtlessly, an important thing to have and we have done a fairly good job of it so far. Racial riots no longer occur, though the same cannot be said of racial tensions.
My pondering over this was also spurred on by the gem and jewellery fair that occurred over the weekend. A number of the vendors are familiar faces, though there are also quite a few new ones.
As I spoke to the different vendors, the cultural differences between us quickly became apparent. Simply the way they related to the locals here was obviously different from the way they related to their own countrypeople. I even had a chance to observe some interactions between vendors from different countries. It was, in a word, interesting.
Perhaps, deep down, we are all still very much more comfortable with people who are similar to us and race is a point of commonality for many. After all, who could argue that race and culture are related and that it is easier to make cultural references with someone who has the same understanding as we do?
That said, I enjoy meeting people from different countries, and hope to have many more opportunities to do so in the coming years.
In the coming week, I will be meeting with a business developer friend for one of the training companies I work with.
I will be discussing the possibility of introducing new programmes involving some other trainers I met and myself. Thus far, I have not seen any programmes in the Singapore education industry that are similar in scope. Well, pioneering a niche is always a good experience. Whether it succeeds or not, we will learn something from it.
I am also working on helping a couple get their wedding bands made. Their wedding date is coming up and it's all quite a rush, but I have a very reliable designer and smith who is able to do it. Now, it's all up to the couple, whether they are willing to go ahead with the project. Their alternative is to simply buy ready-made bands from one of the many jewellery shops / chains in Singapore.
My other suggestion was for them to visit the upcoming Gem & Jewellery Fair at Marina Bay Convention Centre and look for a suitable pair of rings there. It's a little hard to believe that the event is almost here, meaning that a year has passed so quickly.
There'll also be a network / training session on Wednesday evening this week. It'll be good to catch up with some familiar faces. I must say that I'm glad to have expanded my network of like-minded people in the past couple of years. Before, I wondered if I was the only person doing what I do. Now, I know that there are actually many others who are similar to me in my work life and style.
I'll also be attending a housewarming party by a couple who recently got married. I haven't seen them in a while, so that'll be a good chance to see how they are.
All in all, it's going to be event after event this week. Let's get productive!
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