Part 2 - How to Organised a Simple BBQ !

Make sure you read the previous post 1st before you read this !!!
This is a post for organisers wannabe only !

Using the simple 5WH1.... And for example my last BBQ i did...

What -- BBQ
Where -- East Coast Park
When -- July 2009
Who -- Lets say... 30 names....
Why -- Birthday Celebration
How -- Budget of 200-250....

So... Send out a simple msg to everyone 1st when you got all the details you wanna do....

Message Example !
Normally i will write for the first message !
Hi everyone, anyone who is free on XX July09, im doing a birthday celebration at East Coast Park for "Person X" who is interested ?! Please replied asap thanks ! Oh ya... a 20 bucks i needed for BBQ food....

Second message !
Once a date is cfm... then you sent out a message again !
Alright guys... Majority of the ppl can make it on the XX July 09... Those who have trouble coming, please try your best to come. I will be booking the BBQ pit by this week and will collect the 20 bucks from everyone individually !

So collect all your money asap in every weekends and call them before hand 3 days in advance and be a great loan shark from here ! If not you money collection will drag your time down alot !
Best is to keep it in a 2 weeks time line for some reason some ppl have time forking out money or whatever !!
NEVER NEVER EVER !! Let them tell you... I give you when i go the money / you help me pay 1st / I pay you on the BBQ day itself unless their 100% trusted !

3rd Message (Send to those who are unconfirm 1 week before you buy your foods)
Just to double confirm, who can suddenly make it or able to come just that i dont know please confirm with me your attendances within this 3 days so that i can collect your money and i can get enough BBQ food for you guys too !

4th Message a reminder to people they have a BBQ (not really necessary)
Alright guys... Im going to BBQ food shopping in this weekend, anyone who wanna help me out please call me up i will appreciate a few strong men / women that can help me with all the stuff back to my place !

5th Message REMINDER(3-5 days before the BBQ)
Alright guys... Just so you guys dont forget ! XX July09, East Coast Park....
I and my helping crew will be there at 5pm to start the fire etc... Come anytime from 6-7pm the best =) Cya guys....

There you go... A simple message sending to people... If im doing a 30-40 ppl attendances i will be cutting down my sms into 3 times.... This aint really a good example after all and it also gotta depend on the situations !

FOOD LIST !!!!
1. Budget !! How much food you can buy !
2. Halal food... If your inviting Malay friends !
3. Seafood ? Make sure you friends aint allergy to seafood !
4. Vegetarian ? Wtf huh ?! Vegetarian come to BBQ ?!
5. Drinks ? Not a problem

BBQ food are normally Chicken Wing, Satay, Otak, Corn, HotDog, Prawn, Crab Stick, Potato or whatever crap you wanna !

• Chicken Wing is a MUST LA !!! 1 pack can give about 10+/- ppl to eat !
• HotDog is CHEAP !!! Just count 1 person can eat 3 or 5.... then 5 x AMOUNT of ppl Going... Then divide by 2.... Get around that amount !!
• Satay are NOT cheap !! cost about 40cent per stick... a person can eat 5-10 sticks...
• Otak are NOT cheap too... and some commericals one in the NTUC are not really nice !
• Crab Stick to me is a average finger food ! Around the price of a HotDog too !
• Corn is Cheap & Filling !
  
• Prawn is kinda expensive !
  
• Soft Drinks are damn expensive !! Get Syrup will be cheapest !
• Fried Rice very filling a good food for BBQ to avoid people from a empty stomach

Other food at your own choice and budget.... Calculate the amount you can buy... =)


A few things i learned from seeing people eating at BBQ ! Normally people just dont really wanna get their hands dirty ! Such as chicken wing, prawn etc... those food which u need to use your hand to eat.... People dont really will touch it....
Satay and Otak is the most people will touch cause it taste great and it doesnt really stain your hands...
Hotdog & Crab sticks are kinda filling... And it's also easy to eat with a fork !
Corn gotta use hand to eat but kinda stain your hand a little !
Prawn is a hassle and lots of ppl hate to plug the shells / legs of the prawn

Making a BBQ is not just making it and the food is there... And GUYS tuck up !! Nope... WE HUMAN BEINGS are spoiled brags... We tend to be very picky at times !! And we will be very lazy to go in and out of the toilet just to wash our hands...

PEOPLE ALWAYS TEND TO FORGET THINGS !! Even you Organiser too !
What i mean is a lighter.... 2 days before the event put a lighter or matches into the charcoal plastic bag.... Or at your desk where you often put your cellphones and wallet at.... Ignore what your parents will think as you as a smoker or not... Cause if they do, their a true idiot, not you !

BBQ cfm need ! Excluding food !

• 2 Aluminium Tray - square size will be good (for serving food)
  
• PANTA margarine - just dont keep in the refrigerator
  
• Brush for margarine
  
• 2/3 LONG thong - 1 for charcoal 1 or 2 for food
  
• Reinforced Wire mesh - Thick metal framing wiring mesh
  
• Fire Starter
  
• Water Dispenser - if you have one
  

CHALET !
Crazy enough for me to say ! Chalet is seriously god damn tough to do !
As for me, chalet is not about having fun there ! Is about the time spend with your friends !
Lets get straight to the point....

Depending on what chalet you wanna get...
A bunch of list of chalet i love and enjoyed and affordable !

• HomeTeamNS Pasir Ris
• NTUC Coasta Sand - Pasir Ris
• Aranda Country Club (among this 4 this is the most exp)
  
• PA Holiday Flat (cheapest in whole of SG)

This are the few chalets that is affordable and convenience enough for me as a host and the guest i invited to come along.... Organising Chalet is the same as organising a BBQ, but is all about how many ppl wanna stay over and can afford to share the chalet fees with you as a host !

Few things u need to know before you book a chalet

• Confirm staying people
• Affordable price for a person to stay over !
• Enough beds for everyone to sleep and stay comfortably !

OUTING !
This is pretty much everything i ever done ! Least but not least
Organising a outing is 10x much more easier then a BBQ... Cause you just need to call the people up and tell them the WHY and WHAT and WHEN !
After that they cfm if they can... then tell them the where to meet and time for meeting... Simple as that...



If you met any trouble, feel free to call me...
Continue to Part 3 - Time Management

Getting Started In Organising A Event !

This post is for Lukman or anyone who is interested to be a organiser !
Before i even begin.....

MY BIG URGE !!
NOT ONLY THE ORGANISER BUT EVERYONE !!!!
- Everyone will be active in MSN /Facebook !!!!
Why ? Internet Broadband is a fixed price, used it more often come on ! Save everyone phone bills alot !
- Everyone to be a responsible enough to pick up / return phone calls !
- Systematic enough to know what you should do / ask if your not sure what the organiser need/want/help !
- Helpful to do things ! But not just wanting to have fun only with your friends =)
- If a person is BBQ-ing already for quite some time, insist to take over his spot !
- Learn from each other.... Dont just sit there and wait for the sunrise/sunset.... Learn how to start a fire, learn how to BBQ, ask how to do things !
- Dont fucking ask who is going when the 1st msg is sent out ! It is god damn irritating ! Ask on the event date itself !
- Please fucking dont use the word "SEE HOW FIRST !!" It is also a god damn irritating word !! We prefer.... YES / NO / NOT SURE / LET YOU KNOW AGAIN (but please dammit remember to let the organiser know)


Alright Here We Go !
Everyone keeps telling me I can organise things because everyone have faith in me that i can do a pretty good job... No... I believe there is someone better then me....
It can be anyone out of you guys....
If no one have faith in you.... You show them some...
- Talk like you have the power... Talk big.... Dont act timid !!!
- Make sure your information is detailed enough for them to understand in just 1 sms...
- Make sure you get all your plans lay out 1st before you send the msg... Save you 1 or 2 smses money.... So when ppl ask you something you can tell all at one go... Dont need multiply times !

To save your ass from backfiring from people ! Make sure you have everyone contact numbers .... Dont have... Ask from me.... I dont have ? Ask someone else... I sure someone out of 30 sure have the another person contact....

What I Expect as a Organiser !!
- Organise something without you caring about your sms bills ! Cause end of the day it seriously will cost at least half of the bill more then u used to pay.... Or depends lol...
- Take actions into your own hands ! People dont reply you... Call them !
- Talk as if you have the power to make any event able to happen !
- Good with time management ! *(IMPORTANT)
- Think deep down into situation what will happen ! Anything will happen in a event ! You need to think of everything stupid or possible that will happen !
- Improvise in the spot and solve any problem asap on the event itself !
- Be aware and get ready for any danger that will happen, i mean supernatural or fights !


INFORMATION NEED FOR EVENTS !!
For example your doing a BBQ....

1. Number of people going - This will be a important thing you need cause of the food amount you need to buy !!
2. Location - Is it convenience for ppl to go to.... Cause we're all students / average joes... no cars and hardly can afford for 2 taxi fare ! And it also save your time to explain to more then 30 ppl how to arrive to your BBQ location
3. Date - Keep in mind that Sunday is the least amount of people attendance... Family Day YO !! Saturday is always the best for anything... And make sure your msg is send out 1 month or latest 3 weeks before the event.... Dont be so stupid enough to plan something 3 months before time... If you are to do so... Keep it mind that you gotta send reminder out all the time ! It is also good cause 3 months time have alot of planning time for you to do & also some responsible ppl will cancel anything on that date ! Normally 3 month is not needed unless it's a chalet or whatever that involve with big amount of money and preparations !
4. Always have a backup plan - For example... Rain.... Umbrella etc... shade your bbq pit... Plastic bag to cover ur food from rain water... =.= Always think for your worst case scenario plan ! At least have 3 backup plans for yourself... Sometimes all 3 will just fail in a instant.... That is where you got to improvise on the spot, what you need to do in order to carry on your plans / event !!
5. And the most important - Double Confirm events during one / one and a half week before your event... Because some morons wont update you till the day itself whether they can or cannot make it for the event ! Like i say 3 month is quite a long time for some people ! Tend people will keep forgetting stuff !

How to Get Started
Like what you guys do in pri & sec sch... Writing English Compo.... 5W1H The brainstorming !
What ? Where ? When ? Who ? Why ? and How ?

What - Kinda of occasion (Birthday ? Teacher's Day ? New Year Countdown ?)
Where - The event held & Meeting Location (East Coast Park ? Orchard Road ? Your House ?)
When - Is the event & Meet what time (Time and date)
Who - Are the people going ? (List of names going)
Why - Are we doing this for ? (Celebration ? For Fun ? Is there need to be a reason ?)
How - Are we going to make this event happen ? (Budget for the event ?)

Normally you will just need the WHAT ? and WHERE ? for the start for your 1st msg to be sent out !

Once you got this stuff sorted out... Your ready to send your 1st msg out for awareness and ask for people who wanna go.... Normally your 1st msg wont work... And we organisers cannot make things fair for everyone.... So what i normally do is send out a couple of dates to check who are free on which date.... And they send back the msg and you need to tally the poll and check which is the most available dates of the majority....
After that you will send out another msg which is with a cfm date !
Normally this information wont need to be gathered, unless it is a random event.... Or a advance birthday celebration etc.... Or a event being sent out in a very short notice !


Ridiculous/Annoying Answers I faced from people SMS replied & What i reply back to them !
- What time will the event ends ? I replied : "Anytime as long u wanna go !"
- Can my boy/girlfriend or gay partner come along ? I normally will call them up : "No... But if you wanna bring he/she along... Make sure you guys can mix around with the people here but not you 2 together talking alone, i wont wanna see that, if so i will asked you guys to make a move !"
- Who is going ?! I replied : *nothing*
***Dont expect a person to tell 30 person who is going ! You wanna come ! Come... Dont see who is going just because you think someone is not there then the event will be boring / the classic word.... SIAN !!


CONTACTING !
Calling their handphone is hard ?! Try some place they will be most of the time !? Their home... Get hold of their home number ! So that even you call their home the parent pick up and they will pass it to them when u ask for them !

When i say contacting someone... It means all out notice... Facebook, Friendster, MSN, Emails (failed), SMS, Calling both Hp and Hm... Your personally blog / Twitter for some reason if you want !


$MONEY$
It has always been my worst enemy for organising anything and i mean it..... Because when comes to money... Everyone can run as fast as Osama and hide inside a cave !
You need to call them up 1 by 1 to collect the money from them ! Arrange a meet up... You need to go to them forget about they coming to you... It just wont happen !
Or even better... Bank transfer ! Woooah... Technology are better this days... So use it wisely !! =D It's like... Why not ?!

Just make sure your always collect more money for BBQ / Chalet.... like 5 or 2 bucks more if your not sure the money is enough for your food list for example !
Always have more food for BBQ then lesser food... People will then complain a waste of money for the BBQ ! Dont make ppl starve ! Lesser food can end in a result of half of your guest with a empty stomach !

For People Who Doing BBQ for Their First Time !
1st time doing BBQ ?! Make ur trip down to NTUC or any Supermarket with a pen and notepad in hand.... Write down what u need to buy and the price... Go home calculate the amount and quantity you can get !
Charcoal 6 bucks ? Mesh 2 bucks ?!
Oh keep it mind.... Dont forget about the BBQ pit money !


Spreading the Message
NEVER NEVER EVER !!! Send a few message out and ask people to spread the message for you.... I tried many times and it failed miserably ! Your pure dumb to even believe they will do that for you.... Just send the message out personally !!!
1 way to say things... If you care about your phone bill... THEN FORGET ABOUT YOUR EVENT !!!
If you need help... Split the phone calls or message into 2(the lesser the better, 2 is just nice) BUT !!! make good sure that you check frequently and make sure your helper update you asap once they get replies from the any fellow !


Last but not least =D
Motto as a Organiser !

• Dont expect big !
• Dont expect a return in favor !
• Get ready to spend more then the everyone else !
  
• Never give up !
  
• Always give out important information when needed to be sure whether there wont be a moron coming to ask you stuff !
  
• Checking your phone every once in awhile !
  
• Return phone calls and Replies of SMS asap !
  
• Active in MSN / Facebook ! To sent out notices !

When i tot of more... I will update here.... Best to bookmark the link i provided below ! =)
Link : http://eric-mermories.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-organised-something.html
Dont understand anything call my number.... Im always a phone call away !

I hope i made a statement here in this post....
Continue to Part 2 - How to Organised a Simple BBQ !

Back from Bali

Awesomeness great trip.... =) Have a great time with my friends as well as an inspirational eye opening of architecture...
Oh well... Im very tired throughout the trip.... Just touch down Singapore early on in the afternoon 2pm....
But i will share some of the highlight photos of where i been to.... At the meantime, im actually uploading some of the photos into my facebook... So those we wanna see more of where i been to... Ya... right hand column there is my facebook profile link you can access from there as a shortcut....

Anyway this is what i did in Bali -
Day 1
Nothing much but landed down from the plane and it was quite late, we when for a small tour to take a look at a status and after that we when for a Balinese dinner the 1st day dinner wasnt that great as i expected... After the dinner we when to a Hotel and check-in... It was a Villa... Goodway Hotel & Resort Nua Dusa Bali....

Day 2
It was a damn rushing day for us.... 1st we when to this Beratan Lake... Which is the 1st picture right below it is a landmark of Indonesia too... Why ?! You can find this picture right at the 50,000 Rupiah Note...
Then we head down to a paddy fields and start trek along paddy fields..... Ended the whole morning with a nice exercise and eating a packed lunch on the top of the paddy field.
Afternoon - We now then head down to Alila Uluwatu Villas by WOHA Architects, which is a local architect firm and allowed us to go inside and take pictures of the places. Pretty eye opening and great view and the sea is in a very nice blue. I have nv seen a blue sea that blue in my life... And the wind is great right there....
We're also allowed to take pictures of their cheapest suite which cost USD750 per night... Great huh ?! Oh btw this Villas is a 5-6 Star... And pretty much explain the prices too....
Night - Ended in a very nice Sea Side, Beach, Seafood dinner... There is crab, scallop, prawn and fish.... The greatest dinner among the whole trip i shall say... We ended the day by going to a Super Mart and bought whatever we need to least through the night, like instant noodles and potato chips for example.

Day 3
Super early in the morning, we got a talk & workshop by a Balinese Architect - Popo Danes... It is his workshop and his so call office area... We got a nice talk and his sharing of his personal architecture experiences by saying himself giving lots of talks to Singapore University and they were like very disappointed about his work done... It is actually he doing it in a simple way. It is like, your doing for the person needs but no needs for a fantastic job.
After the talk, we had a lunch at his workshop, and after the lunch we are supposedly to head down to a City tour and shopping at monkey street. But there are many people craving to head down to Kuta, which is the place that got bombed on 2002.
And so we spending 2 hours of the afternoon at there shopping & i hardly see anything that caught my eyes and i only bought a towel written "I Love Bali" costing about 15 bucks in Singapore...
After the shopping spree we when down to the Green School of Bali, Why call Green School ?! The school is totally made out of BAMBOO, the kids there learn inside the BAMBOO structure, They are learned how to plant, harvest and prepare their food....
Furniture their used, are also made out of bamboo. The kids there also learned how to built a bamboo structure by themselves too... And it ended the day with their traditional mud throwing performance while eating dinner prepare by them which i got a little mud on myself while their doing their slamming and running on the mud.
After that we head back down to the hotel, before we hit the hotel, we when to a Mini Mart like 7-Eleven and we buy lots and lots of potato chips, drinks and cup noodles that is enough for us to last through the mid night....
We when back to the hotel, we then moved over to a person room and we stayed there and have fun by playing cards games and super epic things that is damn hyper. Hyper enough to make us laugh till 3am...

Day 4
Adiós Bali.... And back to Singapore in 2pm....



Oh well... Some of my Highlights trip photo....
For more of the rest of the photos, please do feel free to view my Facebook photos....

Getting Ready for Bali Trip

For those who still unaware !
Im going to Bali on the 13 September 2010 (Monday).... 2pm flight....
and will be back to town by 16 September 2010 (Thursday).... 2pm

It's a 4D 3N Bali Study Trip.... Living at Goodway Hotels & Resort Nusa Dua Bali....

So i packed half of my baggage already... Loaded up numbers of nice songs into my Mp3 until my Mp3 left 100mb... After all it's a 2gb Mp3 lol....
Bought a new camera battery just in case anything battery dead or whatever... haha...
New Screen protector for my camera....

And last by not least... i still havent change my money into Rupiah lmao... Will do that tmr and some other stuff before i leave for Bali... Will share my pictures here when i get back =D

Primer Two - LivingCELL

1 week of work
4 people working on a project
But 2 men working fully into it & 1 model, 1 A1 board done and printed, all the documentation is done super completely nicely.

- 3000mm x 3000mm x 3000mm size model
- Drawings of plans and sections
- Photoshop into a A1 Board
- Lots of documentations


3 days of sleeping with only 4/5 hours per day.... And the result !
Presenting FLIP SIDE !

1 Whole Busy Week

Oh ya on Monday 30 Aug 2010, Met out with some of the people who I still trusted and gives me the least problems through out the years of my organsing days and events....
Basically this meet out is like also saying, this is the last i could do for everyone.

Not to mention it is Teacher's Day on the Wednesday 1 September 2010, anyway... So yeah... And to my surprise September 1 is Mrs Puru Wedding Anniversary ! Hahaha... Cool aint ?!

And also someone should really take over me sooner or later. And i wont be there for everyone soon. Yeah... Everyone will leave some day eventually. Not saying that i will DIE damn soon... CHOI !!! Cb... LOL! Im just trying to say Poly is seriously damn tough to what you think, it is very busy and my project base course is fucking busy to the max... So ! Bottom-line if someone even organised something i also dont even know whether i can make it !
So ya... Thanks to those who can make it ! Anyway.... Looking forward to who is stepping up to take over my position as a organiser !

Here are the folks =D

















Great just back from 3 weeks of YOG break and totally no enthusiasm to even do anything right now.... And i got a 1 week time of project deadline....
Which is more or less, need to be done asap ! Busy busy busy busy week !

One of the worst project i guess anyone could handle right now. Worst part of it, it is a group work base project which is more or less feels like hell if your group mates dont know what the fuck is going on !
Oh well....

Ya... Im confirm going to a Bali trip on 13-16 September 2010.... YEAH Holiday !!
My ass... It is a Study Trip... More or least a half half la... Lol.... Seriously havent be out of the country for like 3 years flat other then Malaysia.... Lol...
Yeah so it is a study trip so if there is anything important give me a call if not... Dont waste my god damn money on a freaking expensive phone bill.... Cause i will kill you.... =D Lol....