OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2014

TL;DR Version: I won the OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2014 - Best LifeStyle Blog. This is now an award winning blog. KTHXBYE.

First of all.. THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO VOTED!! BECAUSE I FUCKING FINALLY DID IT!! YES! With all your support I WON!

While everyone stood there waiting for other winners, I had to monkey around.

For those who missed my previous post some time ago regarding my last ditch effort in the blog awards - here you go.

The atmosphere was really different for 2014 because like I mentioned I did not see many of the familiar faces but the interesting thing was I actually made a lot of friends and also took a lot of pictures with many many pretty girls. Not too sure if it was the power of the trophy. the costume or the face. :p

Anyway, I actually wanted to do a video to thanks everyone and in fact I did but it was so draggy and boring I put myself to sleep and I thought I would rather put the speech up here for your reading pleasure. Here we go!

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如有雷同，实属巧合

Any similarity to any persons, living or dead, or to any actual events is coincidental and unintentional.

The Speech

First of all I need to 感谢煮。。饭给我吃的妈妈.. I also wanna thanks OMY for organizing and Lucas for giving me this chance. Not sure who is Lucas but everyone says that on the ceremony I used to know so I thought I should follow.

Me, horsing around for the surprise dance segment.

Anyway, as we all know we were not given any time on stage to give any thank you speech thus I have to make this video blogpost myself as I've to thank some people. There are reason why we are not given any time to do so because 1. We have limited time, 2. Because we are bloggers are not all of us are well spoken, in fact many of us do it better with writing than saying and 3. Because there are people like me, I will simply offend people at any given chance to speak regardless accidentally or purposely. Anyway as you can see from the YouTube time bar below, this is not going to be a short video and if you are impatient you might want to find the written version on my blog, Ctrl F find your name and if you can't find your name I'm sorry. (Sorry no more YouTube version.)

On stage for the 2nd time to collect my awards. Show host Evelyn is my annual friend. I see her once a year at the award. She is also my favourite host when I was younger. "WHO'S THAT POKEMON!"

I'm a blogger and I believe the importance of voice and thus, 沉默是金 is not my style. The road to this award ain't exactly hard and it sure is not 龟兔赛跑. In fact it's a road I've never regretted. Along the way I've met many interesting people. People who are crazy, who are nice, pretty, sexy, boobs no boobs, made me laugh, made me cry and some that made me do both at the same time. I guess this is the beauty of social media because u always expect the unexpected. I've never expected an online space that I started years ago because of trend and later because I wanted to record my activities as well as to improve my writing can evolved into a page where thousands of readers visit. Allows me to get free trip, sponsored items and even earning cash. Truth is none of these benefits were part of the plan and less say about winning an award. I guessing good comes when you do good instead of chasing after the wrong thing. I am saying this for many younger bloggers out there. Do not do it because you are out chasing money. 

Beauty and the beast for Ms Sim Ann

I've nv been good at competition because I'm competitive. Once I dive my head in, I'll want to win and if I can't, I wouldn't feel too good about it. I know I can't handle loses well and thus I've nv really signed myself up for any contest or competition since I was a kid. When I first came to know about blog awards, I wasn't an active blogger like now. I knew nobody and I was a nobody myself. I never dared to step up and try being part of it because I tell myself that it is nothing but a popularity rat race. I know I will never win because I'm a nobody. Fast forward to 4yrs ago and because of a twist of fate I've met many interesting bloggers. I was in fact the events company that powered the event. I werent a finalist. A year later I was lucky to be nominated by some readers but I didn't put my head into it because I was still part of the events team and I didn't want to win because I felt it's not exactly the best thing to do since I'm considered a working com. Last year was the 1st year that I made an effort but I lost. The feeling sucks. The feeling of losing sucks not just because I let myself down but also because I let my readers, friends and everyone who voted for me down. I never understood how people can feel happy for being 2nd or just nominated. I'm competitive and I'm not shy about it. I joined because I want to win and not because I want to be 2nd or 3rd. The opportunity came again to give my shot again this year. I told my friends that I really want it but little believed me. Some said things like with my reputation in the industry this award is not important to me. Some said that because this award is not justifiable as a standard in singapore because bloggers from other companies are not allowed to join and also I'm not playing with big boys like brown or xx and it means nothing. Many of you might not know but many "famous" bloggers also started via OMY blog club. To be honest, I don't feel like those are compliment to me. Who am I to say the award is not worth my time or below me when I've yet to beat it? Who am I to say that this award is not a standard just because we are not in the major league? A champion in division 2 league is still a champion and if you have never won that spot, you can't even consider yourself out of that league. Moreover, winning for me is not about proving that I'm better than the award, it's to prove that I can win it. It's not even about beating the rest, it's just about winning myself, my very huge ego hidden up my ass.

On stage for the 3rd time - best dress. I dress up every year just in case I don't get an award so at least I can still get some "airtime"

I didn't really believe I can do it because my blog is not exactly your typical politically correct blog. I blog things that I feel it's right even when people think it's not. I blog about things that some call it lack of morale but I call it the truth of the world. Life is too short for sugar coating. When I didn't believe myself, people around me believed me. They believed in me even without supporting evidence. That is faith. Faith in me is believing in me because it's me and not because it's perceived truth. People who voted for me daily, I do not know who you guys are besides some of the very vocal people like Mei, Priscilla and of course Melissa. But she's a lil different. Not like she is a fan but because she wanted a meal from me and the deal is only if I win. With friends like this, where got time for enemy? And of course I want to thank my wife and ex office wife Eunice who came down to the event and supported me not knowing if I can win it.

Unicorn and Horse racing beauty.

In fact I really thought I didn't win. The result of the followers choice was out a few days before the rest of the main awards. Knowing that I didn't win the best twitter influencer sucks. I was really moody for that day and the worst part was people didn't believe I was sad because of that. Everyone just thought I was kidding. Nobody expected me to be affected by a blog award. And based on historical evidence, you will know that you are the winner the day before because of certain admin work but nobody from OMY contacted me. And when they had the award before mine to a substitute receiver because the winner didn't attend, my heart sank. I told my wife that if they had time for a substitute, it means they have contacted the winners and thus it's obviously not me as nobody contacted me. So when they were going through the nominees for best lifestyle blog, I was actually switched off and talking to the people around me. I was a lil shocked when I heard my own name being called to receive my prize. I did it. I fucking did it.

I fucking did it with SWAG.

I was already telling everyone that I will not participate in this for 2015 anymore because it's no longer fun that I've so little finalist friends this year as compared to the previous years. I feel like the feeling of home coming is not there anymore. Some bloggers grew out of it, some has won and left, some just believe that they are better than the award while others gave up trying. I was wrong because despite not having many friends present this year, I made many new friends and the feeling was pretty amazing.

Fif whom I met briefly at another OMY event months ago. She is geting cuter btw!

Last but not least, I would like to thank alvinology, not the Elvin Ng fan club but the real alvinology blogger. It was because of him that I got connected to OMY and met all these wonderful people as well as was given a lot of opportunities and 2 because he did not participate because I doubt I can beat him in this.

Thanks once again, I can't say enough how happy I am even until now. 

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On The Press

Just for keepsake - Featured on OMY.sg

On 早报 - 17th August 

On MyPaper - 18th August

Interview - not sure when will the video be up thou.

So they asked me during the media interview " complete this sentence, I love social media because" and I went "I have a lot of opportunities to meet many pretty girls" #NothingIsGonnaChange

What's Next?

I guess nothing would change. This space will still be the same space that allows me to be lame and have fun. It's not like I am some celebrity now because I got an award. I think many advertisers just felt a sense of relief cause that means no price hike for advertorial. HAHA.

My wife would say, 红了 lor! Ya, face quite red really.

P.S.

Epic Selfie is Epic.

Mr.Smith, HUAT LIAO LOR!