Facebook campaigns – you’re doing it wrong when…

Posted on April 15, 2014 Leave a Comment

I wrote this article for the Social Sessions blog recently:

[Open rant]

I need to rant about this. I follow the rules. I sit for hours on end when brainstorming campaigns in order to work around Facebook’s strict promotion rules on timelines. I put a lot of effort into it and I come up with lots of fun stuff as a result.

Then I log into Facebook and see campaigns/promotions being run that blatantly go against Facebook’s specified campaign rules. I can’t cope. I huff and I puff and I rant about life being unfair. And then I secretly hope that their pages get shut down for being so lazy and/or arrogant about it all.

Let me set it straight for you. If you’ve attended our workshop, you will have walked away with a very clear understanding of this, but for those of you who haven’t, I’d really like to explain to you how it should work and hope that you share this with everyone you know!

Here is what Facebook says about what you are allowed to and not allowed to do when running a promotion on Facebook:

1. If you use Facebook to communicate or administer a promotion (ex: a contest or sweepstakes), you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including:

a. The official rules;

b. Offer terms and eligibility requirements (ex: age and residency restrictions); and

c. Compliance with applicable rules and regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered (ex: registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals)

2. Promotions on Facebook must include the following:

a. A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant.

b. Acknowledgement that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

3. Promotions may be administered on Pages or within apps on Facebook. Personal Timelines must not be used to administer promotions (ex: “share on your Timeline to enter” or “share on your friend’s Timeline to get additional entries” is not permitted).

4. We will not assist you in the administration of your promotion, and you agree that if you use our service to administer your promotion, you do so at your own risk.

There are a few points here to focus on, but I’d like to explain point 3 to you, as this is the one where people make my blood boil when ignoring it:

In plain English, you may NOT request users to share the promotion on their own timelines to enter, or obtain bonus entries. Yes, you read that right – you may NOT do that. You can ask users to comment/like your post or send you a message etc. as an entry, but asking them to do anything where their personal timelines are used as an entry is not allowed.

The result: If Facebook catches you, they will shut down your campaign without warning. Good luck trying to reach them to get anything back. All your entries will be lost in the black hole of Facebook deletions, never to be seen again. If you are continuously caught doing this, they can also remove your entire page.

Also, I will find your promotion and troll it to death.

[Close rant]

This is a warped world. And insurance. Dammit.

Posted on April 14, 2014 Leave a Comment

I recently used a removals company to move, store, and move again my house contents from Joburg to Cape Town, as you do. They managed to break my furniture, steal some of my things that weren’t locked up and must have played rugby with my fragile boxes instead of a rugby ball. On complaining about it, they pulled the ‘you didn’t take out insurance’ card.

Now the problem is that I didn’t take out insurance on the move, and the damages incurred equate to more than the move itself actually cost. Now one would say that I’m an idiot for not taking out insurance on the move, so ‘sorry for me’, but I have a big problem with that principle. Yes, I should have taken insurance out for protection against unforeseen damages, like a fire in the storage unit or for small things that can happen with the physical handling of goods – things do happen. So I accept that principle and I accepted that risk at the time. What I don’t accept is that I have no recourse for ANYTHING at all, so these guys can throw my boxes around, have a party in the truck where they see how much furniture they break and go through any unlocked suitcases to see what they can take home as gifts for themselves, with no consequence. I must pay for my move and then also pay for the damages they cause along the way. I must trust people to take care of my entire house, yet they honestly don’t actually having any intention of keeping my things safe and deliver them in one piece.

I must be so completely misguided in this world to think that people do their jobs (that I pay them for) with care or at least some sort of intention to do what they are paid for – to store and deliver goods on time, safely. It’s bigger than removals. It’s with everything that we do. People are lazy and greedy and they abuse the consumer at every turn.

Prime example of human beings being @ssholes. The world we live in is so warped.

Macaroon Me Please

Posted on April 7, 2014 Leave a Comment

These days I am all about personalisation. We’re in a strange era where we demand attention, now, and in the way that we want it. We want things that have meaning, that are special to us, not just things for the sake of things.

I have a friend in a different city, whose birthday presents are always incredibly special (albeit incredibly belated) online orders delivered to her at work. In searching for some interesting online shopping options, I came across Macaroon - taking you back to physical stationery and personalised gifts. Being the kind and caring person that I am, I’m going to share this find with you

Love the concept! And I don’t have to ever deal with printers. #Winning

He just wanted a cuddle

Posted on March 31, 2014 Leave a Comment

The single life is indeed exciting. I get to tell hilarious stories to all my friends on a regular basis.

I recently found myself on an accidental date with a closet hippie. How was I to know? He didn’t have dreadlocks and he was wearing shoes, he seemed very normal to me.

Turns out he was an earth-child, trying to find ways to be one with the universe and still make some of that thing called money so that he can stay alive. It also turns out that he liked to cuddle. At the dinner table. With a stranger: me. I think this is what they refer to as ‘The Cape Town Vibes’.

Bless.

Also, awkward.

The tea that makes me want to love more

Posted on March 14, 2014 1 Comment

Two things in life that I love: creative entrepreneurship and tea. So it was no surprise that I fell in love with Lady Bonin’s Tea at first sight (sip). Lady Bonin herself (Jess Bonin) is one of the most honest and down-to-earth people I have ever met and her personality just oozes love for her tea, love for others and love for herself.

Her story is so unique and so real. She gave up a job that no longer satisfied her and started selling tea out of a 1957 caravan. She now owns a successful and thriving business which boasts the infamous mobile tea caravan, a gorgeous tea parlour in Woodstock and a growing distribution channel. Her story is such an inspiration to all of us entrepreneurs. You know those days when you think you’re just potting along and making it up as you go? It’s great to be reminded of what a person is capable of and how visions can bloom with hard work, dedication and love for what you do.

Her Earl Grey in bed in the morning makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, her “Bliss” tea in the afternoon makes me happy and her chamomile in the evening takes me to another place. I can’t wait to stock up on more and more along the way.

Lady Bonin tea makes me want to love more.

P.S. For the Joburg folk, the tea is stocked at La Vie En Rose and Wolves at the moment and an online store is coming soon.

Why I emigrated to Cape Town (from Joburg)

Posted on March 10, 2014 1 Comment

So I did it, dear readers, I emigrated to Cape Town. From Johannesburg. Yes, emigrated, because I feel like I am in a different country here. I hear people talking in the streets and think ‘Ah – some other South Africans around here’ and then realise what a stupid statement that is because I am in South Africa. Candice, you dork.

It’s been a long road and I had to knyp and wingle and wangle for a few months to make the change and the journey – perhaps too much, but that’s all okay now.

Why did I do it? So many people have asked me this question and a multitude of others in the past few months, so let me gather all the questions and answers into one post.

I’ve lived in Joburg most of my life. I’ve done it, I’ve seen it, I got bored. I am by no means putting Joburg down, I just want a change and a different lifestyle – I’m asking Cape Town to give that to me. I don’t understand this rivalry between Cape Town and Joburg, really. They’re two different COUNTRIES, man, right? I don’t appreciate the looks of contempt that I got when announcing my big move. The responses ranged from “I’m so jealous, you’re so lucky” to “Traitor”, “You know the weather’s shit, right?” and “Cape Town people don’t make friends”.

Can I just say a big WTF? Luck has nothing to do with it, my friends. I decided what I wanted and then strategised and worked my butt off to get it. I don’t recall pledging allegiance to a city that no longer makes me happy and correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m sitting here in the warm sunshine while you’re busy swimming through the traffic day in and day out (yeah okay, winter is a different story, but I think you get my drift – it’s what you make of it, really). I also find it difficult to believe that there is a bunch of people out there who don’t want friends. There are Cape Town folk who I am connected to on Twitter who have offered to help me move (who I have never even met), while my Joburg friends are still ‘promising’ to come help me pack 3 months ago.

I digress.

No, I am not running away from anything. No, I did not go through a trauma or have my heart broken by a douchebag. I am running towards a dream and a life that I’ve always wished for. It may not be here, but there is only one way to find out, right?

Hello Cape Town – here’s to a long and fruitful relationship.

Get happy with your snappy: February Photo-A-Day Challenge

Posted on January 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

I wrote this little post of creative fun for the Social Sessions blog (with artwork by the ever-talented Zoe Inc) and thought you might find it quite appealing too. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with every day

“We’re sure you’ve seen them around, these photo-a-day challenges. There’s the hardcore 365 projects where you post a photo a day for the entire year, 100 day projects where you post a photo a day for 100 days of what makes you happy and such.

Photography has taken a turn in the past few years. You no longer need a professional camera to be able to express yourself through photographs, our smartphones and tablets do the trick quite nicely. This decade is the rise of iPhoneography – photography with a iPhone – and you won’t believe the beautiful images that are created with a phone and an application. Opportunities are endless and our very clever phones allow us the freedom to explore the world of photography instantly and easily.

This being said, we introduce you to the Social Sessions Photo-A-Day challenge! It’s only for the month of February and happens to be the shortest month of the year so you don’t need to feel the pressure of keeping it up for too long.

How it works:

Post a photo a day, to any or all of your social media platforms, that related to the topic that we have given you for each date. You can be as abstract or as literal as you like – it’s about your own creativity and exploration.
If you want us to see and share your work, use the hashtag #SSLove and mention @Social_Sessions on Twitter. If you want to use Facebook, post your pic on our page too.

We’ll feature our best pics of the day for the month of Feb!

Time to get happy with your snappy…”

Is 30 the new 21?

Posted on January 20, 2014 2 Comments

This is the year that I hit the big three-oh and I didn’t think it was a big deal until people started telling me it’s a big deal.

I’m a big fan of celebrating milestones in life. We each have our own goals and our own achievements throughout our lives that are defined by us, not others, and those are the ones I like to celebrate as and when they happen. A trip to Thailand when my first business hit one year, a champagne dinner at the start of my second, a good pedicure to congratulate myself on getting through a rough time… big or small, I have my ways of celebrating ‘myself’.

What I’m struggling to grasp now, is the need to celebrate reaching 30 years of life. Look, it’s not difficult to survive in this world with a good upbringing, decent education and a clever pip in your head. What’s the big deal?

I suppose birthday parties have always been a non-entity in my life. I don’t get it. Just an excuse to have a good party? Perhaps. But now the whole “Big 30″ thing comes and smacks me in the face and I’m supposed to create a big celebration for it.

The big 30th parties are popping up all over the place – it’s like 21 all over again. It means bigger parties, bigger presents and dress-ups – just like our 21sts, but on our budget instead of our parents’.

I watched an interesting TED talk a while ago, which delved into the topic “Why 30 is not the new 20″, where a clinical psychologist (Meg Jay) talks about how your twenties are not a throwaway decade, but rather a defining decade in our lives. She says that 80% of life’s most defining moments take place by the age of 35.

I tend to agree with Meg Jay on this one. I didn’t necessarily waste my twenties, but I did go through it with a mindset that it is a temporary period of my life and I only started to take things a bit more seriously a few years ago (thank frik for that).

But I digress. These days we marry later, have children later, start making money more in our thirties than we did in our twenties. SO perhaps 30 is the new 21? Is that why I am supposed to have a second 21st?

Being defined by a number grates me. I know that I’m getting older, you don’t need to point that out, and I’m very much okay with it. I’m much happier with myself and my life now than I was when I was in my early twenties. I can see the physical effects of age and I’m okay with that too. My laugh lines mean that I’ve laughed. My wrinkles and dimples mean that I’m not the same person that I used to be and that is good.

Please enlighten me then – what is the big deal about ‘The Big 30′?

A Philippine Paradise – El Nido

Posted on January 15, 2014 Leave a Comment

Guys, I do believe that I have just experienced my top holiday of all time – the island paradise of El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.

I find myself on a never-ending backpacker search for the ultimate island-style destination and each time I’m convinced that ‘this is the one’. Thailand’s Haad Yuan on Koh Phangan and Kantiang Bay in Koh Lanta, Cambodia’s Sihanoukville islands, Egypt’s Dahab, Australia’s Byron Bay and now the Philippines’ best kept Palawan secret:

Basic simplicity in tropical paradise of still relatively raw and untouched beauty.

My holidays tend to be simple and carefree: make-up, and pants for that matter, are long forgotten and soaking up the coastal vibes takes priority. This is what life is about.

I’ve travelled with friends, boyfriends and on my own and people often ask me about how to do it, where to go, what to do, what to book and what to just wing.

So here is my account of my trip with all the info that you need to do it yourself and know what you’re in for. If you can’t cope with all the writing, there are pretty pictures too.

The Journey

Be prepared for a long haul – likely the longest that you’ve ever experienced. I sit here in Dubai airport, writing away a few hours of the 10 I have here to wait between flights. I’m feeling a little like Viktor Navorski in The Terminal. You’re looking at around 3 flights, at least, and some road time to get to this little island paradise. I kind of like that it’s a little more difficult to get to than other places – it makes it a little more exciting knowing that you’re going off the beaten track and the likelihood of bumping into someone you know is slim to none.

My journey was on Emirates from Johannesburg to Dubai and from Dubai to Manila, Philippine Airlines from Manila to Puerto Princesa, then a private van drive from Puerto Princesa (arranged by the hotel in Puerto) to El Nido. Don’t bother to spend any time in Manila – it’s a hole (I am not a fan of Asian cities at all, so nothing appealed to me here). The airport is a hole too, so try not to have too much of a layover there. In and out – that’s the key.

There is also a private charter airline ITI which flies direct between Manila and El Nido. It’s priority is the El Nido Resorts guests in the fancy Schmancy resorts on the Bacuit Archipelago, but you can get yourself onto a flight by booking directly with them or through the Art Cafe in El Nido.

The Town

After three days or so (lost count) of solid travel, arriving in El Nido is a quite a feeling to remember. There’s not much in life that is as sweet as the first glimpse of palm trees, white sand and bright turquoise sea through the gaps between the village huts. I’d later learn that Palawan was showing off its’Las Cabanas beach on the way into El Nido town.

The town itself is bustling. Through the haze of humidity, the streets are alive – street stores spilling their goods out onto the road, tricycles maneuvering through people and obstacles, motorbikes flying around corners. Hooting. Smiling. Hooting. Tricycle!

Electricity in El Nido only runs from 2pm until 6am, so be prepared to sweat it out for most of the day without fans if you stay in town during the day. The beach itself in Bacuit Bay is not fantastic, so you’ll be out each day to spend spend some time in paradise – it’s part of the adventure and SO worth it. Every day out holds something to top the day before.

El Nido town itself seems like merely a place to start your island hopping through the Bacuit Archipelago, but spend some time there and you’ll see how its’ own personality comes to the surface.

The Roof Over Your Head

El Nido town itself has plenty of basic accommodation available, but I would recommend staying a little out of the city, along Caalan Beach, where you wake up to a quieter, cleaner, breathtaking island home.

This is the view from the Main House at Makulay Lodge – a self-catering cottage with the BEST view in El Nido, I swear:

Copious amounts of gin and tonic were consumed while sitting on the deck and looking at this view – so much so that the town literally ran out of tonic water during our stay! Granted, there are 103 steps up to this hilltop paradise (which is also incredibly affordable), but you need them anyway to work off all the fresh seafood that you consume every day.

There are quite a few resorts along the coastal path of Caalan Beach as well as some incredibly cheap bungalows right on the beach, which require no prior booking – just rock up and make yourself at home.

The Stuff To Do

Spend your time in El Nido – there is so much to do and everything runs on island time so take it e-a-s-y…

Here’s some suggestions:

Island hopping

This is a must on your to-do list. There are four standard island hopping tours offered by everyone in El Nido and is a great start to your adventures, without you having to anything much at all. Try and find someone who will source a smaller local operation – if you get shoved onto a boat with ten other tourists and forced to wear a dorky orange life jacket, you’re likely to be less than impressed. Makulay seems to have their own little local operation that they use and even only two people on a boat is the norm.

You’ll be boated off to five isalnds/lagoons throughout the day, dropped off on the small and breathtakingly beautiful beaches, be served the freshest seafood and fresh produce lunch and snorkel/laze away to your heart’s content. It doesn’t matter that you’re sharing it with a bunch of other dork tourists, it’s so unbelievably gorgeous that you just block them out.

Another option for some island time is to pack your own food and drinks and organise a private boat drop-off and pick-up on an island for the day.

Sea kayak rentals are in abundance. Rent one of these for the day and choose your own islands to kayak to (if you’re feeling particularly energetic).

Diving

I’m a diving person, when I’m in some sort of tropical paradise and craving some boat time. There are loads of dive shops in El Nido to choose from and plenty of good dive sites. A day out on a dive boat always soothes a stressed soul.

I chose El Dive, a very new dive shop run by Yoshi Ohtshuka, who has 20 years of diving experience under his (weight) belt already. All his equipment is brand new and good quality, clean and comfortable.

You can also book in on one of the dive days as a snorkeller and enjoy the best snorkel spots with the best snorkel gear in town.

Nacpan Beach

Rent a scooter/motorbike and take a scenic drive up to Nacpan Beach. When I say ‘scenic drive’ I mean ‘motor cross adventure’. If it’s been raining, you’re in for some extra mud fun

Nacpan beach is beautiful and quiet. There are one or two little restaurants on the beach that you can grab some fresh seafood (seeing the pattern here?) or a coconut. There are also some incredibly cheap bungalows on the beach that you could stay at for some SERIOUS time-out. No pre-booking is required, or even possible, just rock up and chill out.

Las Cabanas

Las Cabanas is a GORGEOUS beach just a short tricycle/motorbike ride from El Nido. Hang out there all day, swim in the perfect sea and sip on cocktails while you wait for the sunset that happiness is made of. You should definitely NOT fill your coconut up with rum and take cheesy silhouette sunset photos. Just kidding. You should definitely do that.

Quiet beach time

If you walk along the beach/coastal path on the Caalan beach side of El Nido, there are two rather secluded and beautiful beaches for lazy days of nothingness and the occasional dip in the sea. You’ll catch a pretty mean sunset from there too.

Massages

Massages are on offer on almost every corner. My recommendation is most definitely the spa bungalow at Cadlao Resort – it’s outside in the shade by the resort poolside. Book your massage just before sunset and catch the pink skies as you fall into a relaxation coma. Then slip on up to the deck for cocktails and dinner. Epic.

The Other Stuff

There’s loads more – treks, mountain biking, rock climbing, overnight island camping, hikes to waterfalls… I couldn’t do it all – I became too relaxed and ‘island made’ prevented me from doing much more than walking to a beach or climbing on a boat. Life sucked!

The Food Stuff

You’ll find some lovely eating spots in El Nido. Fresh, grilled seafood is easiest to find and some speciality spots in between.

My favourites:

La Bodega – This stylish French spot is a few weeks old and offers some beautiful French and Western meals. The decor and ambience is by far the best in town. If you have some cash to splash, they have champagne and some good wines!

Lonesome Carabou Lounge – This Mexican spot serves decent tacos, burritos, quesadillas and fajitas. They also have speciality wiskey! Do it.

Altrove – These guys have a wood-fired pizza oven. Enough said. The only place worth eating pizza. They have a queue every night of people waiting to get in. They also do take-aways.

GK Restaurant – A tiny little local kitchen on Caalan beach makes the most delicious sandwiches, with a view to die for.

El Nido Corner – They have great Arabic coffee and homemade bread.

Advice and Tips

You will spend copious amounts of time in the water and on the water, so have a waterproof bag
Bring waterproof shoes/booties. Getting in and out of boats if often rocky and you will cut your feet.

Exhibit A:

That being said, pack bandages, antibacterial cream and antibacterial tablets. If you cut yourself, it will not heal in the wet and humidity and is almost certain to get infected, no matter how well you look after your wounds.

If you need an automatic scooter, book the night before to ensure that you get what you want
It can rain a lot in tropical paradise, be flexible enough to cater for this
There are no ATMs in El Nido, you need to take cash with you
Wearing a bikini in the town is illegal – I kid you not
If you’ve booked an ITI flight out of El Nido, be aware that the luggage restriction is 10kg, including hand luggage (you can pay 100PHP per extra kg of luggage). Your bags will be thoroughly searched. Your flight time is also not actually your flight time. It is really the time that the priority passengers (El Nido resorts guests) arrive at the airport to check in and eat their cucumber sandwiches.
Be prepared for humidity and heat! Temp: 30′C, real feel: 74′C. Don’t bother packing any creams or make-up. Or anything with a sleeve or a leg.

The Round Up

So there it is, folks, all you need to have an epic island holiday. Get in there before it becomes another commercialised Thailand. And don’t be a douche – leave nothing but memories in the wake of your travels – respect the untouched beauty that you explore.

This is a geeky post

Posted on December 19, 2013 2 Comments

This is a geeky post. It is not sexy or insightful, it is just plain useful.

As part of my whole “I love to experience things” mantra for my life, I travel quite a bit. I love to throw some clothes in a backpack, book a flight and end up on a breathtaking island somewhere. I’m so good at it.

I’m also good at packing light and taking as little as possible, yet still having everything I need. I have a towel that packs into a bag the size of my fist and some teeny weeny bikinis (I’m always going somewhere where nobody knows me, or cares what I look like, so I don’t need to care either!). Today, I found a proper travel gem – the SKROSS World Adaptor.

For this particular trip, the only electronic item I am taking is my camera (no, not even a phone, f*ck that) so it needs to be able to be charged. Every trip I buy some sort of plug adaptor-type gadget, but this year, I found one that caters for freaking everything and will be TOTALLY useful for some good few international trips to come.

This baby transforms into whatever input and output plug you can think of, for over 150 countries. It also has an add-on with dual USB ports. Shut the front door.

Easy sliders to adjust your plug options according to country

It’s a bit more than I need for my one lonely camera charger, but I’m sure that my (equally mental) friends will be pleased to be able to charge all their devices and Future Me thanks me.

One more thing: PHILIPPINES BABY!

PopcornCandi

So much to experience...