CAN'T SLEEP

because there are too many good things happening!

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i underwent media training at hill & knowlton on friday. what a hoot! the experience proved that i look about as welcoming as the grim reaper. MORE SMILINESS REQUIRED. this has been a life-long problem which, in static photos, i've managed to overcome, but not when a camera is trained on my face. what was much more important though was discovering that our campaign manager, Sum,is fantastic on camera -- engaging, amiable, and articulate, with commitment and passion practically oozing from every pore. for a movement which MUST be spearheaded in chinese, it was a very important corroboration of my early instincts that i would be able to pass the baton to her. alleleuiah! Now if only i could clone 3 more of her....

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i spoke at Chinese International School yesterday to an enthusiastic, even rapturous, audience of more than 120 14-year olds. bar none, they were the most exuberant youngsters i've met so far in my short NGO career. there was cheering and whistling but also silence and respectful listening. and when i asked for 3 volunteers, i got 15. the highlight was showing them our video, "Breathing not allowed", then watching the videos they'd made about air pollution with sister NGO, focus on film. the whole thing reminded me why i decided to quit my private sector career: my highest use is influencing people's minds.

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i went straight from cis to ddb, our ad agency, to discuss their proposed concepts for our tv commercial campaign. we decided to do two ads: one will be shocking and visceral -- based on breathing and, well, er, not breathing. the other concept will be much more cinematic, scrīpted and acted. artistry, ingenuity and originality are even more difficult and, yet, more important, in this area.... we also have to take much more responsibility for our imagery. "what if a 4 year old is watching?" these questions never used to come up when i was photographing completely transparent blouses on bra-less 20 year old models...

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i'm happy to report that looking back over the past week, we've managed to sign up one of hk's biggest movie stars to front our ad campaign and signed up one of hk's biggest shopping mall developers. 40% of hong kong passes through their malls. ZOUNDS! one of hk's most prominent restauranteurs has also decided to conduct a major PR stunt/campaign for us, details to be hammered out shortly. it's all good in CANland -- at least for the next forty-eight hours, until it starts all over again.

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now if i could just get back to sleep....