1000 Words

Dear Birth,
(NB: Don't worry mom, I'm not pregnant...pregnant get people get their dot at the end of the sentence every month right? That's what I thought.)

My new thing these days (besides discussing things thats make the male species gag) is to be on the cutting edge of this little thing called Life. I even looked up 'new' in the thesaurus...but today is not about new words. No no no folks its about something I think I'm going to appropriately name "1000 Words" as in pictures speak 1000 words. The objective here is to sit back and let the picture tell the story to the audience. That's bullshit. Obviously I'm going to write, cause if I just stuck a picture of like a cow with a red bonnet a whole bunch of things would go through your head.....like is the cow her godmother? Did she eat the cow? Did the cow jump through a ring of fire? Exactly. So let us hold hands, bow our heads, and embark on this journey together...

This is me! Yay me! Those two figures in the background are my parental units, and those little hills in the very back background are part of the Himalayas. That shiny thing that looks really bright is the sun, and we my dear friends are hiking on the roof of the world.

Hindu myths speak of a mountain from which four rivers flow from giving life to all areas they pass through. This area is known as the 'navel of the world' and is described as, "a vast column of 84 000 leagues high, its summit kissing the heavens." Though nobody has ever reached the peak of Mount Kailash (which reaches 6714 meters), it is an important object of worship for four religions (Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bons) and thus a kora (religious pilgrimage) destination.

The picture was taken on Day 2 of the 3 day kora (it only takes locals 1 day, perhaps a few more if they are prostrating) and in the early morning probably one hour before we summited the highest point in the hike. I can recall having to wake up after a night's sleep in the fetal position and answering to nature's desperate call. And I can tell you that there is nothing more rejuvenating than having to expose your bare ass to the elements especially when the wind chill is putting the temperature in the negatives. I suppose the positive side to this is that I can now brag about squatting at 5000m + and surviving...I think I might have a t-shirt...oh yes, here it is I made it myself! Anyways we ascended 500 meters bypassing all those wacky Euros with their wacky walking sticks but found out we were only allowed to stay a few minutes at the top otherwise our brains would do funny things, like explode or clot or something. So after quickly documenting ourselves at the top, we turned and began the hike down. Being the friendly person that I am, I had made a few friends. One was named Tashi and the other Dele (pronounced deli) and they were both dogs (DOGS ARE PEOPLE TOO!). Together their names meant "good day!" in Tibetan, and since I befriended them in the morning and those were the only words I knew I found it fitting. I think Tashi ended up staying with me the entire journey maybe because she knew how awesome I was, but most likely because I fed her all my food.

I didn't quite realize how long this was going to be, so I best be stopping otherwise the title '1000 words' will serve as a disclaimer and people will get bored. So I'm stopping...now.

Source: my journal

The Sizzling Sound of A Brand: Part II

Dear perceptions,

To recap from yesterday's article, nations are approached by the general public in the same manner that consumer products are. Thus it is imperative that nations are branded in a manner which projects their qualities, whatever they may be. Realistically, most people do not have the means (whether that be resources, time etc.) to research, learn, and then form educated opinions on their fellow 6 billion neighbours, 199 other countries, kazillion rival companies, or even whether to go green or not. That is why image is everything and perceptions can either act as the elixir or poison to any commodity.

Yesterday, Brand Africa was mentioned as a continent which is a victim of the 'continent brand effect'. However, it is not the only one that is suffering bad press. In a poll done by a British think-thank, the United States came up as fourth on the list of countries that negatively influence the world (right after Iran, Israel, and North Korea). Uh-oh. However, nation branding is not limited to the naysayers of the world, as it also appeals to those states which barely register on the radar (E.g. Poland), to those trying to make their mark (E.g. India), and to those which are trying to stay on top (E.g. Switzerland). So...what to do?

Simon Anhols quotes Socrates in an attempt to embody what states must do in order to re-brand their image, "the way to achieve a better reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear." Of course it is much easier said than done, but it is a staring point. Because countries are not products, they cannot be marketed in the same manner to which beer is sold. The only way a country can improve its image is if it makes fundamental changes from within - "government, business and society [must] undergo a renaissance in innovation." With creativity and entrepreneurship comes ideas. These ideas then create a buzz, and this buzz makes its way around the world. Once the buzz falls on enough ears, people start to talk. When there are enough people talking you have that coveted reputation and minds begin to change.

Check this out to see New Zealand's effort to create something "pure".

Source: The Monocle (issue 06, vol. 01)

The Sizzling Sound of A Brand: Part I

To my stereotype,

In 1996 a gentleman by the name of Simon Anholt coined the term nation branding, which is defined simply as the stereotypes the general public associates with a place. Much like ordinary brand imaging, nations and even continents are associated with a particular idea or ideas. For example, the golden arches are to McDonalds what fashion is to Paris.

This notion of nation branding came about in a context where reputations and perceptions of places were becoming as important to their success as their consumer product counterparts. In the labyrinthine world where marketplaces are teeming with every product and image one can think of, people tend to, "navigate through the complex world armed with a few simple clichés that form the background of our opinions." Instead of swimming through the sea of information, people choose to carefully wade around it. While not uncommon and not necessarily wrong, it can prove to be quite detrimental to those places who fall victim to over-generalization.

Take for example Africa. When playing a little game of free association, I automatically think: Bono, HIV/AIDS, war, and famine. Though it may be perceived as naïve on my part, you have to admit you probably thought something along those lines as well. Though some of these associations are founded in legitimacy, the truth does not stretch across the fifty-three states which comprise the continent. Not all of Africa is in a catastrophic state. Mr. Anholt diagnoses Africa with suffering from 'continent brand effect' because "there is so little knowledge of its individual nations, all but South Africa end up sharing virtually the same reputation." As a result of 'Brand Africa' countries which are doing relatively well (E.g. Botswana) end up suffering economically from the negative press surrounding their geographic location.

What does Africa look like to you?

It is difficult to shake these stereotypes especially when they are continually reinforced for charity purposes. However, Mr. Anholt stresses the importance of abolishing Brand Africa and allowing the separate entities to emerge each as their own.

How they do this though is a story for another rainy day. That day will most likely be tomorrow since I am a Vangroover and thus an amphibian.

Mornin' Buttmonkeys!

To being sick,

After lying dormant for a week my illness has finally emerged and its wrath is now being felt in my nostrils. I L-U-V when I have a freakin volcano erupting magma ever five minutes (volcano being my nose and magma being boogies). Mmm.

Moving on...I was feeling a little down post-lab on Friday but came home and re-discovered this on my computer. I'm pretty sure this 10 second clip can cure all ailments and end all wars, cause its just that amazing.



Have a most fantabulous week minions!