How it started
I saw Nelly post it on FB: “Global Connections: Can you connect Sweden and Malaysia?” Well, the only thing that comes to mind when Sweden is mentioned is: Timmy goes there for work lo. I glanced through the page. What you have to do is to submit a comment on what connection there is and then you might get to appear on the programme. Featuring on a programme is not an attractive prize to me; I take part in contests for cash prizes and goodies. I thought of being the cheeky-me and submit “I send bf to airport, I cry. Bf come back, I happy”. But somehow I came to my senses and decided to be professional instead.
“Sweden and Malaysia are connected when the Swedish bank, SEB, has an outsource office running here in Kuala Lumpur. My boyfriend leads a team of programmers and travels to Sweden once or twice a year. From his photographs, I've had the opportunity to see the country in a closer view, while hearing about the extreme cold, such a contrast from the scorching sun in Malaysia!”
-September 4th, 2010 9:51 am-
I then pasted the thing on bf’s wall and asked him to take part. He’d definitely have better thoughts on how Sweden and Malaysia are connected; he might strongly have something to say.
I thought it was spam
September 6th, an email came. I guess I didn’t even look at the title; it might not even have rang a bell if I did, for of course I was not expecting anything out of that comment I wrote! To me, it was more of a lovey-dovey comment about my bf and Sweden. I decided to give this ‘spam’ a chance by reading it before deleting it.
Hi
Hope you’re doing well. (this part looks dodgy, don’t you think? Probably cos it wasn’t addressed to anyone)
My name is Phil Han and I’m a producer with CNN International’s Connect the World. I am writing you today because I am looking after the viewer interaction element to our new segment on the show called “Global Connections.”
As you know, this week we’re going to focusing our attention on two countries – Sweden and Malaysia and from what I know, you just submitted some comments and opinions on what you think connects these two countries.
Ideally, what we are looking for is if you would be able to say your comments and opinions in a quick little Skype webcam interview sometime this week. It would only take two or three minutes and it would be a great way to illustrate some of your great comments to show on air. This would be televised on CNN International and your participation would form the backbone of our launch week program.
Thanks so much and please do let me know as soon as you can whether this would be something you would be interested in doing.
Best,
Phil Han
Digital Producer, CNN International
Turner House, 16 Great Marlborough Street
London, W1F 7HS , UK
Skype webcam interview? Show on air? Televised on CNN International? O.Mai.God!!
Making the appointment
Phil suggested September 7th evening, London time. Unfortunately, I slept at 9.30pm that night in pain and didn’t get the email til the next morning. Rescheduled it to the following day, 10pm Malaysian time.
THE day
Since I had not taken this entire thing seriously until an appointment was made, I had 2 hours upon reaching home to make the preparations – namely write a script. No thanks that there was no dinner, so I had to tapau. Half hour before time, I brought the laptop to the room, turned on the Acer webcam, pulled the curtains nicely, chuck away the pillows that appeared in the background, arranged my hair and checked how I looked like with the headphones, applied concealer to the HUGE pimple on my face, apply more and more concealer to the pimple.
I was so obsessed with looking at myself in the webcam that when the Skype call came, it won’t show my image because my Acer webcam was on :D I had to call him back for it to work.
And then Phil emailed, asking me to say that both countries had their first astronaut in space in 2007. Malaysia’s is that who-else while Sweden’s in Christer Fuglesang. Ok. And before that, I managed to speak to bf just before he went to bed; he said both countries have kings and are democratic countries.
So.. I had to say “Hi, I’m Sue Ann from Malaysia ..” and say the similarities. Phil said that it was all pre-recorded, so if I’m not happy with the answers, I can always do it again but I guess it all went well, no need to redo. They wanted it to be fun and didn’t think my bank-similarity was ‘fun’, so that was why Phil gave me the astronaut thingy for me to say. Was kinda disappointed but somehow I said all 3 in the end!
I said the 1st similarity is the astronaut thingy, 2nd is the democracy, ceremonial role kings thingy and the final one is the SEB thingy! I remember Phil asking me “You said your bf went to Sweden?” and he asked if I’ve been there (I haven’t gotten the chance to), if there are any Swedes here (I said his manager is and that several team mates come down once in a while), how do I find the people (I’ve never met any la, so I said bf finds their working ways different and admires the way they work). Now I wonder if all those were going to be on air or was just casual talk after I had spoken on the similarities. I was caught off-guard for those questions.
So Phil said that the programme would be on air on Friday 10pm! He said since I would be asleep by then, he would send me the link. It’s not that I have CNN anyway.
When I was done, my hands were cold... real cold. So nervous, so stressful. But it’s CNN! As bf said, who cares about TV3 when you have CNN! He said “dahsyat la budak tembam ni” hahaha.
Reshoot!
Last night (Sept 10th) while I was trying to finish the entire HBV Asia report to be sent back to UK while I holiday, Phil emailed:
Hi Sue Ann
We have a big EMERGENCY!
Are you able to re-skype with us? We just need you to re say something?
Are you free now? If not now, perhaps tomorrow morning London time? It is very important
Thanks
It was 11pm and I was very tired with a headache. I told him I would do it tomorrow, he asked if we could do it really really quickly now. I decided to let it be, as though I was no longer online. It was an hour later that I decided to go for it – what if they decided to drop me? The programme was due to go on in 2 days, they might just decide to omit me. Besides, I wanted to sleep in peace and don't want to have a sleepless stressful night. All tasks must be completed by today!
So I mailed him, yes I would do it *groan* Bad enough that my hair was tied up and I hadn’t bathed but I was too tired to bathe and let it dry before coming online. So I repeated the steps of bringing the laptop to the room, turning on the Acer webcam, pulling the curtains nicely, chucking away the pillows that appeared in the background, arranging my hair (it was tougher this time) and checking how I looked like with the headphones and applying concealer to the HUGE pimple on my face. It is as tiring as it sounds.
Phil said that his coll would do it this time and shortly later, a Keiren Buchanan dropped a note. And then he said the Skype suite is busy, could we do this in 15 mins? At this time, I felt like setting an alarm and dozing off a little. When he finally called, I was caught off-guard and disconnected the call cos I had removed the headphones and hadn’t put them on yet. I need to see how I look before accepting the call!
And then I realised with all the preparations, I had forgotten to plug in the mike and the headphones! >.<
It took a few more tries to get connected. Keiren wanted to do a test run and gave me word-for-word of what I should say. Hey, I’ve done this before la, I don't have to follow every single word you say! So, I did a test run with the sentence that I had rehearsed. He said I did very well! And it would be good if I can do it for the subsequent weeks!
Ok, so now he’s going to start recording and so I said again, “Hi, I’m Sue Ann from KL. The connection between Sweden and Malaysia is that both countries had their first man in space within a year from each other” and end it with a stupid smile instead of just being expressionless. And then he said it wasn’t recording, so let’s try again. “Hi, I’m Sue Ann from KL...”
Nope, he’ll go and get his producer to check what’s wrong. “Hi, I’m Sue Ann from KL...”
Maybe it’s the tape. He put in a new one. “Hi, I’m Sue Ann from KL...”
I could hear them discussing among themselves. Each time I speak, I wonder whether I’m going to fumble on my next word. My heart thumps; do not fumble! And I did not and it took the 5th try I think to get it working!!
Phew, at that point, I really felt like an actress acting out the same scene over and over again. It is seriously tiring. And not getting sleep too. Boy, being a celebrity is stressful and not fun!
I asked Keiren if the previous clip is not going to be used; he said it would and it’s just that this astronaut part needs to be redone. But then, I spoke about the astronaut part as the 2nd point, why do I need to introduce myself again? I thought of wearing the same shirt as I was the day before but I had a feeling that they only wanted me to say the astronaut thing and nothing else, thus a fresh shirt doesn't matter. (I wore my new Banana Republic top some more, with the label still intact :D I feel like a newscaster who’s wearing a nice top but sarong underneath :D)
I was reading the other’s comments and it’s no wonder why they thought mine was one of the best. Some fella said that both are Muslim countries and an idiot said that both had 4 letters left in the name after the vowels had been removed.
And I found out that the astronaut thing was actually submitted by someone else. I had thought that they had found it out themselves and wanted me to add it in. So why didn’t they ask that guy to present his own point? Cos they like me!
Am waiting for the link!
(My and all other comments are found here. Search for 'sue ann' and you'd see the comment that brought me this fame! :D)
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