Nguyen Thi Thu Trang

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang.

No, I haven't taken up yogic chanting - as a culturally-sensitive employer I've merely been practising the pronunciation of our latest colleague's name. Clearly I still have some way to go before I am able to pronounce our new Vietnamese operations executive's name without making her wince. Happily whilst studying in Singapore one of her tutors suggested she embrace a nickname, and they settled on 'Vanessa'.

Vanessa joins our operations team, with the official title of 'Customer Experience Executive'. Her job is to liaise with the venues of our conferences and seminars, oversee the event-related logistics of the events, and handle delegates and speakers during the proceedings themselves. She has great experience of operations from her time at Pacific International Lines.

An interesting fact about her is that when she's not posing beside water features she heals small animals in her spare time.

Doughnut Day

You can tell a lot about a person from what they eat - which is why I hesitate to reveal that today is Doughnut Day at Alphabet Media. Alanna and Melissa were dispatched to wait in line patiently at the Donut (sic) Factory outlet at Raffles City - and everyone received three doughnuts of their choice. Burp.

Although there were initially some "harrumphs" from Gerald on the basis that the hollow confectionery would ruin his low body fat ratio ... he rather athletically stuffed his face in double quick time when they turned up.

Now in the spirit of openness and transparency for which we're famed, this is what is currently giving us all indigestion at 43c Beach Road:

James1:
Apple Cinnamon
Glazed
Peanut Butter Glazed

James2:
Apple Cinnamon
Blueberry Glazed
Orange White Chocolate

Captain:
Cheese Tartar
Lotus Mocha
Orange White Chocolate

Si Mink:
Double Chocolate x 3 (rather singleminded of her, I thought)

Jianggan:
Cheese Tartar
Spicy Cheese
Lotus Mocha

Kelly:
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate
Double Chocolate
Cheese Tartar

Gerald:
Double Chocolate
Peanut Butter Glazed
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate

Melissa:
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate
Lotus Mocha
Glazed

Edmund:
White Strawberry Heart
Cheese Tartar
Blueberry Glazed

Alanna:
Cheese Tartar
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate
Double Chocolate

Jeslin:
Orange White Chocolate
Apple Cinnamon
Lotus Mocha

Raj:
Cruelly denied - he lives in New Delhi!

Move over Prada

Yes, it's a thing of beauty isn't it? This is Alphabet Media's new corporate identity, and we thought we'd give it the audience it so richly deserves and share it with you lot.

Just for the record, before I go on to wax lyrical about what it "means", we're called Alphabet Media - and not 'Media Alphabet'. People who take a look at my namecard and then say "Oh, cool name - 'Media Alphabet'" were once the bane of my existence, until I attained my present Zen-like outlook on life. Now I just smile indulgently and make all sorts of disparaging assumptions about them.

Anyway, what does it mean? Well, besides looking a bit pretty, it is an organic change from our previous logo - which featured "creative scribble" within the letters of the word Alphabet. In our natty new guise, this creative scribble now breaks from its orginal confines, and surrounds the words Alphabet Media. Anyone who's ever seen us work here at 43-45c Beach Road would understand that we are a pretty creative bunch (unless you catch us in the immediate aftermath of a big fat cat media lunch on someone else's account).

So, in the spirit of touchy-feely creativity, please feel free to let us know what you think about the new corporate identity. And in the spirit of media freedom in Asia, I will only publish the responses I agree with.