Disclaimer: I'm not looking for freebies*

Faithful readers of the blog will know that we're quite fond of Hill & Knowlton, because:
1. They've astutely hired some of Singapore's best IT journalists over the years, who are able to talk the language of my editorial team
2. They throw the best media parties
3. The Alphabet team covered itself in glory at their last party

But today they added another reason to recommend them: they were attentive and friendly enough to send through a bloody great big bunch of flowers to the team, wishing us well on our big move to Prince Edward Road.

I do have to admit that as the little man walked up the length of our office to my table, I did for a moment think that Valentine's Day had come early for me ... so there was a slight quiver of disappointment when it turned out that the flowers were not from some Asian hottie. But in an age of social media, it made a pleasant change to receive something real which has helped brighten up the office, rather than receiving a nudge, poke or having a (virtual) sheep thrown at me.

Which brings me to my point. Media - that which helps mediate information between multiple parties - is a relationship-driven business. Hill & Knowlton understand this, and live up to this in their interactions with myself and my team of journalists. We appreciate this socially, and take note of this professionally. Companies looking for PR agencies who walk the talk should take note of Hill & Knowlton's gentle activism as well.


*I'm not looking for freebies ... however my colleagues are tugging at my elbow, and want me to mention that we also have space for an XBox 360.

Like a rolling stone

The deed is done. Yesterday Alphabet upped sticks and shifted six years of collective baggage to 12 Prince Edward Road. Thanks to an excellently marshalled moving committee consisting of Kelly, Chris, Katrina and Patrick (and ably assisted by Alex), there were remarkably few tears as we said 'goodbye to all that'.

Parting is such sweet sorrow ... unless you've a heart of stone like Sam(antha) in which case, c'est la vie. But I'm more emotional about these things, and so my enthusiasm for moving to our new office at Bestway Building next to Shenton Way in Singapore's CBD was tempered by nostalgia.

Almost all that Alphabet has achieved, for good and ill, sprang from the poky, poorly ventilated, oddly shaped, largely gloomy premises that have been our home since August 2004. I'm going to miss Aunty Katherine the hapless cleaning lady (though probably not as much as she's going to miss us), Pauline the dipsomaniac landlady of our local pub, the pastel parallel lines painted on the wall a lifetime ago, and the archaic central airconditioning unit that has struck fear into several generations of female Alphabetters. I won't, however, miss the toilets.

Goodbye Evershine & Century Complex, and farewell.