Travelogue around Asia Pacific

China - Every where I go there will always be some article about China. China's development and growth has been more than phenomenal. In November, I went to Sydney and everyone is talking about China. Why? because China is now Australia's largest export market and it is the real reason for the strong Australian dollar and booming economy. Sydney taxi drivers talk about how China has made Western Australia a booming state and made many people there rich. In such a short period of time, China has become an economic Juggernaut: - World largest mobile phone subscribers and still growing... - 3rd largest economy in the World - by end of 2007, China will overtake Germany to be the 3rd largest economy in the World - Bringing more than 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years World's Largest Steel Producer - China surpassed the US to become the World's largest steel producer in 1997 (10 years ago). China's mills have increased their output five fold over the decade, ...

Singapore - Having travel to most parts of Asia Pacific, I find that Singapore has the most varieties of car brands. There are 49 brand of cars being sold in Singapore. The largest are European made with twenty-four (24) brands, next nine Japanese made brands, five are made from China, six are USA made brands, three brands are Korean and three from our neighbour Malaysia. Alfa Romeo - Europe Aston Martin - Europe Audi - Europe Bentley - Europe BMW - Europe Chery - China Chevrolet - USA Chrysler - USA Citroen - Europe (France) Daihatsu - Japanese Dodge - USA Dongfeng - China made Ferrari - Europe (Italian) Fiat - Europe (Italian) Ford - USA Geely - China GM - USA Ha Fei - China Honda - Japan Hyundai - Korea Jaguar - Europe Jeep - USA KIA - Korean Lamborghini - Europe Land Rover - Europe Lexus - Japan Lotus - Europe Maserati - Europe Mazda - Japan Mercedes Benz - Europe (Germany) Mini - Europe Mitsubishi - Japan Nissan - Japan Naza - Malaysia (new introduction in 2007) Opel - Europe Per...

Hong Kong - Today, we will be checking out of Grand Hyatt Hotel. So, the kids want to stay in the Hotel to rest and watch their favourite cartoon programmes from Cartoon Network. So, me and my wife just walk around till it is near time for check-out. Our next hotel is Le Meridien Cyberport - located @ 100 Cyberport Road. This hotel is not on any popular Hong Kong tourist map. Upon arrival via taxi, the fare was quite expensive because it was far. The reception at the Hotel was unpleasant for a 5-star hotel - only 1 staff manning the reception and it took so long to check us in. The Le Meridien Cyberport is a modern ultra sleek hotel but it does not give you a cosy feeling. The rooms are ultra modern - with a 42" LCD TV and a naughty shower that you can bring the shower blinds up and down. So, if you are in the mood for some extra sexy and modern feeling - you can bathe with the shower blinds up. Walking around the hotel and a small shopping centre was quiet and ...

Hong Kong - After a hearty breakfast, we make our way to the MTR for our next adventure into the heartlands of Kowloon. Our 1st stop was Mong Kong station, because we want to visit the Ladies market (also called Tung Choi Street) that we hear so much about. This is a place to find good bargains, inexpensive ladies clothes, jeans, bags, watches, etc. Opens daily from noon till 11:30pm. We walk up the down the street a number of times - spent lunch at a local eatery. After lunch, we walk a distance to the Goldfish market - this place is located at the further end of Tung Choi, crossing 3 roads - and this is where you can find ornamental fishes. Walking around is quite an eye opener for the children. We then walk back to Mong Kok station and hop onto the MTR for Jordan station. This location is where the Gentlemen market is location (also called Temple Street or their night market). This is also famous for their numerous fortune tellers all lined up along Temple Street. After mu...

Hong Kong - We took the MTR from Wan Chai station all the way to Sunny Bay station, and then hop on the Disney train to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort . Throughout the trip it was pleasant but never expected to have such a huge crowd on a monday morning. We started our Disneyland tour at around 11.30am and left at 9.30pm. I was told by many Kong Hong friends that Monday is a good day to visit HK Disneyland as it is not a HK school holiday and many parents are back at work. They were correct to an extend as many of the visitors were foreigners and Mainland Chinese. We had to queue at popular stations about 30-45 minutes. This HK Disneyland is smaller to the ones I have been to at Tokyo and California - but to my kids there is no difference - this is a paradise of fun and play. We paid HK$ 295 (S$59) for adults and HK$ 210 (S$42) for children. There are 3 fantasy lands ( Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Adventureland) and it would be best to plan your route around the Resort. Tomo...

Macau - Since it is our last day in Macau, my wife together with my youngest son decided to tour around Taipa. Taipa is one of the smallest city of Macau. The three bridges connecting Macau to Taipa are Nobre de Carvalho (2.5 km long), the Friendship Bridge (4.5 km long) and Sai Van Bridge (2.2 km long). The longest one (Friendship Bridge) leads directly to Macau International Airport located on the Island of Taipa. Also located on Taipei is the famous Macau Jockey Club . After being dropped off by the Westin Macau shuttle bus, we walk around for a few hours and had breakfast at a neighbouring Macau chinese restaurant. Quite surprising on a Sunday morning it was crowded. In the afternoon we took a dip at Westin Macau Resort's heated swimming pool. Spent about 2 hours in the pool and then it was check-out time. We have already bought the tickets one day earlier so we zip through immigration quite quickly. The only hic-up was that Turbojet insist that I pay a fee for my har...

Macau - There is a hill just behind Royal Hotel and so early in the morning after breakfast, we set off walking up to Guia Hill. On this Guia Hill stands the Guia Fortress and Lighthouse . The Fortress was built in 1637 and the Lighthouse which is still in use, in 1865. This Lighthouse when it was built was the first of its kind along the China Coast. There is also a small and simple chapel - Chapel of Our Lady of Guia. This chapel was originally established by the Clarist nuns, who resided at the site before establishing the Convent of St. Clare. The chapel's elaborate frescoes depict representation of both western and Chinese themes, displaying motifs of religious and mythological inspiration that are a perfect example of Macau's multicultural dimension. Walking up I found an interesting sign board.... This is a great morning walk and the Guia Hill has many exercise equipments along the pedestrian path, and is popular with joggers, birdwatchers and lovers alike...

Macau - We took bus No. 28C from the bus stop outside Royal Hotel as we wanted to venture into the heartlands of Macau. We wanted to see how the Macau people live and eat. We alighted after 5 bus stops and decided to have lunch at a local restaurant. The restaurant owners were very nice people and guess correctly that we were from Singapore. We had a hearty meal at a very reasonable price. We had to walk a distance to reach The Red Market but along the way we came across Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macau . We finally reach The Red Market is located on the corner of Avenida Almirante Lacerda and Avenida Horta e Costa, in an area that has some of Macau's most interesting 20th century architecture. The market was built in 1936 by the Macanese architect Jio Alberto Basto in the Art Deco style and is classified as an architectural heritage site. It still houses a vigorous trade, with vendors selling dried foods, fresh produce, fish and meat. In earlier times the market was cl...

Macau - We had to cross the bridge from Macau City to Taipa and then towards Coloane. Macau City, Taipa and Coloane are 3 islands that make up Macau. Taipa and Coloane are now joined through land reclaimations to create a new city called Cotai Strip . The Cotai Strip is the location of the new Casino and Resort Hotel - The Venetian Macau. More than 7 Resort Hotels are under development along the Cotai Strip and this will make it the Asian version of Las Vegas. The Westin Resort Macau is the only beach fronting resort Hotel in Macau - we had a beautiful balcony overlooking the sea. Unfortunately, we will be resting here for just one night. The Macau Golf and Country Club is located next to the Hotel. On the 5th floor, there is a passage to the entrance of Macau Golf and Country Club.

Macau - Checking out at Metropark Hotel, I was confronted with a rude front desk lady. Never had anyone slide the check-out bill to you - most hotel staff will politely hand over the bill with 2 hands. The service from the Metropark Hotel is below acceptable standard. The taxi driver that took me to Royal Hotel which is a 10 minutes trip that cost about HK$ 30 - wanted me to pay HK$100. I refused and came to a compromise of HK$40 - which I think is also too much. This was a very bad experience in Macau. Futhermore, Macau has a stupid policy of some taxi can only take 4 passengers and some 5 passengers. If you have 5 people including kids, you have to look on the side of the taxi with the number 5. This is rediculous.... You need to be extra vigilant in Macau:- 1. When taking a taxi, don't forget to write down the taxi number and driver's name which are affixed next to the taxi meter. 2. Make sure that the taxi meter is running - walk out if he wants to hustle and nego...

Macau -  We visited the Fisherman Wharf located near the Macau ferry - occupying 111,5000sq meter and claimed in their brochure to be the 1st ever themed entertainment attraction in Macau. But reality is far from claimed by the brochure - this is the most boring theme entertainment ever - not advise to visit at all. There is nothing of interest here - most of the theme attractions are closed. Went over the New Yaohan departmental store - claimed to be the only department store in Macau - not too exciting. Came back to the Hotel for a meeting with their sales and banquet to discuss for next year conference. Overall, I am not impress with Metropark Hotel. Generally, I think Macau has a big problem in Macau on their service level. Macau has so many Mainland Chinese in the service and entertainment business that most are not given ample service training besides just being able to speak Mandarin. Macau is the only place, in all the countries I have travel around that the housek...

Hong Kong - After all the meetings, I decided to take a nice stroll along the Harbour front located next to the Renaissance Kowloon Hotel. It is also called "Avenue of Stars" having the hand prints of HongKong famous movie stars similiar to Hollywood movie stars. The weather is very nice around 17 degrees and many times it reminds us of Perth. At the end of the Avenue of Stars, there is the HK Space Museum and fortunately it is free entry on every Wednesday. Macau - At around 8pm, took the jet foil ( New World First Ferry ) from Kowloon Harbour to Macau jetty. It took about 1hr and it was a smooth ride. There was meant to be a free shuttle bus to pick us up but did not know that it end at 9.15pm - we were 30 minutes late. Macau like Hong Kong is part of China.  Macau, the former Portuguese colony is a  Special Administrative Region and has an area of 28.6 sq. km (about half the size of Singapore) - comprising of the Macau Peninsula (with 9.3 sq. km and connecte...

Hong Kong - Even at 10.45pm the Hong Kong International Airport was crowded with people. It is the holiday season and many people are in Hong Kong enjoying the cool and nice weather. Took the Airport Express to Kowloon and stayed at Renaissance Kowloon Hotel . Just had to prepare for the next day and the time is already 1am...time to zzzz. Renaissance Kowloon Hotel is a walking distance to the harbour front.

Sydney - Yes, I am back on the plane again. Arrived @ 1am and slept at 3am. I was woken up by my youngest son @ 10am. At 6pm, I called the taxi company to pick me up but did not arrive at all and the taxi company had to change to another taxi to pick me up to the airport. I was in a hurry but manage to get to the airport with time to catch a quick dinner at the lounge. The SQ premier lounge has improved on their spread of food for dinner - it is good and tasty now. Maybe someone did complaint to them about it. This will be my first time on board the new Airbus A380 - the largest commercial aircraft in the world. It is very spacious and I had the economy upper deck and was seat right at the back. The seat next to me was vacant so ample room space for me. I pre ordered seafood and it was served first otherwise I will always get it last or no choice left for me. The take off and landing was smooth but expected turbulence over Australia is very normal.

Seoul - At 8.30am, Young Jin arrived via Taxi which I told him to do so. Reason being is that I have a very short time to complete 3 meetings and a lunch and have to be back before 3pm (managed to get a a late check-out). Young Jin told me that he discussed last night rendezvous with his wife on his missing turnings and came to the conclusion that he 'gotten approval' to buy a GPS system. We arrived at the meetings on time and completed it on-time too. The 3rd meeting was done over lunch at a traditional Korean noodle restaurant - An Dong noodles. It was my first time and it was delicious. In the short time of knowing Mr Koh, I have had tried different Korean dishes with him - pork trotters, special Korean Ginseng chicken soup, introduced me Makegeolli (Korean liquor) and now An Dong noodles. This meeting was a heart felt because of the consolidation within LG, Mr Koh and team will no longer be doing training and thus a partner any more. But I really treasure his friendship ev...

SEOUL - It was only last Friday that my travel agent confirmed a ticket for today's flight. It's the holiday season in Singapore and many families have booked their holidays to popular destinations like Korea, Japan and China. Back again in Seoul for 2 days of back-to-back meetings - this will be one of my shortest trip to Seoul. I took the Limosine bus (602-1) @ bus station 12 to Grand Hilton Hotel . I decided to stay there because it is about US$50 cheaper than my ususal Renaissance Hotel. It took only 1hr 10 minutes to reach the hotel. The Hotel shuttle bus was waiting at the bus stop on the main road to bring me up the small hill to the lobby of the Hotel. The rooms are clean, spacious, and the bed is soft and comfortable. Compared to Renaissance Hotel, this hotel has a wide range of cable TV to choose from therefore they do not have any pay video-on-demand. At 6pm, Young Jin arrived in his car and we left for the Gangnam area to meet our partner for dinner @ a sashimi ...

Tokyo - There is no country more gastronomic and passionate about food as Japan. Tea-making is a semi-religious ritual, pastry chefs can gain rock star status and people can queue for hours to buy courgette-flavoured macaroons or the first special mushrooms of the season. According to Michelin guides - in 2007 Japan restaurants was awarded an unprecedented 191, more than they have bestowed on any other city. And now the new guide, Michelin Guide Tokyo 2008. Japan's food obsession runs deeper than the huge array of top quality of restaurants. More than one third of Japanese commerical television is devoted to food-related themes, from wacky eating competitions to earnest cooking programmes. On a per-capita basis, inner Tokyo (pop. 8.5m) boasts the highest concentration fo eateries among the world's major cities - just under 200,000 according to the Japanese government, compared with about 20,000 restaurants for Paris and 23,000 restaurants for New York City. Japan now draws more...

Tokyo - Tim and Tony has never been to Tsukiji (the largest fish market in the world), so we met @ 4.30am at the lobby and reach Tsukiji around 5pm. We arrived early and had to wait because the auction of the Tunas did not start until 5.40am. The auction area was crowded with many people inspecting the tunas. Later I was told by Terry that these bidders check the fat and quality of the Tunas by inspecting the tail. The higher the fat content the more expensive the Tuna cost. Maybe similiar to beef - which in this case they called 'marble' - the streaking fat on a piece of steak that when cooked just melts in your mouth. All the Tuna's tail portion has been cut off leaving the red meat of the fish - some bidders were poking their fingers into the flesh of the Tuna. There are 2 section of the auction - the fresh Tunas and the frozen Tunas. The fresh Tuna auction is much more expensive - each Tuna can cost US$2,000 to US$ 20,000.

Tokyo - This trip to Tokyo I booked my seats way at the back because it was a full flight on this 'red eye' and there are not many aisle seats left. But it was marred with 3 out of 4 toilets spoilt. I think this Boeing 747 is due for retirement but had to be dragged on because of the A380 delays. Whilst most airlines are using past 7-8 years. On this aircraft, knowing that SQ does a good job you can still see the discolouration on the decoration, breakdown on the toilets, and inflight entertainment screen is no longer sharp. Took 1hr from Narita to reach Hotel East 21 @ 9.20am. I like this hotel because of the warm toilet seats - it is winter and can you imagine seating on a cold toilet seat...ouch! Furthermore, Japanese toilet seats has bidet. I had breakfast at a Japanese burger fast food restaurant - Lotteria. Lunch and dinner was at a soba tempura restaurant. These restaurants are within 10 minutes walking distance from Hotel East 21.

Seoul - The Budget carrier Tiger Airways will spread its wings to South Korea. It is setting up a nwe carrier called Incheon Tiger Airways and will have an initial fleet of 5 A320 aircraft. Tiger Airways will own 49% of the carrier and the South Korean city of Incheon will own the rest. The new carrier will start flying in 12 months time. The join venture will challenge Korea Air Lines and Asiana Airlines for passengers in Asia's fourth largest economy; it will have domestic and international routes - with flights from South Korea to China, Japan and the Russian Far East.

Ho Chi Minh City - After all the day's meeting is over, I went over to Ben Thanh market for some souvenir shopping and be absorbed in the local's hustling and bustling. The constant bargaining is such fun and you become good after a few good buys.... I also caught up with some friends who happened to be in HCMC at the same time. At night we had a late dinner @ a road side hawker for seafood. This is located beside Ben Thanh market. It was good and delicious - BBQ snails, ginger stir-fried clams, seafood soup, Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, vegetables (Kang kong fried with garlic) and fresh lime juice for just S$30.

Ho Chi Minh City - Upon landing I noticed a spanking clean new airport terminal with aerobridges. Quite different from when I arrived in March this year. This is a new airport terminal only thus at the same old location. The Vietnamese Government is building a super airport at Long Thanh to be completed by 2015. The arrival was quite a nightmare with long queues moving very slowly towards to immigration officials. I queue at the wheelchair lane because the immigration officials were stamping entry on the foreigners queuing at this lane. There were 2 lanes, I was in the inner lane. When the wheelchair passengers starting rolling in, the immigration officials gestured with his hands movements for passengers queuing in the outer lane to move to the inner lane. The lady that was up front and next to be stamped by the immigrated official was pissed and started making a scene. She was edging herself upfront in the inner lane trying to cut the queue, obviously standing in no man's land. ...

Petaling Jaya - I saw in a magazine about 3 famous roasted duck restaurant in Kuala Lumpur , but I have never been to any one of them. I decided to ask Donny and he replied the restaurant is always crowded...but strangely, I had a hankering for duck meat. So, we made a "beeline" to this famous duck restaurant that he knew of in Petaling Jaya. Restaurant: Sunrise Roasted Duck restaurant Located @ 31 Jalan 21/1, SEA Park, Petaling Jaya Upon reaching, it was packed and the crowds kept pouring in. The restaurant ambience is by all standard looks old with tiled walls, plastic chairs and slopping looking attendants. To compensate this restaurant roasted duck is heavenly - the best I have ever tasted! The roasted ducks are skillfully chopped up piping hot and served to customers. The duck meat is succulent and tasty. We order one whole duck and it cost M$40 each. This was the reason why customers keep coming back to this restaurant over and over again and don't mind the long ...

Kuala Lumpur - Arrived on time and I had already pre-paid my Hotel stay at Boulevard Hotel. A good class 4-star hotel that is new and clean. The rooms are well kept and that's one of the reason I am back again. Donny arrived with his colleagues (Eunice and Donald) and together with Young Jin we hopped into his car for a sumptuous meal at... Grandpa Bak Kut Teh restaurant - a very famous Bak Kut Teh restaurant in Petaling Jaya. The Bak Kut Teh has a strong herb aroma - the broth is thick and delicious. The Pork has definitely been cooked for many hours as the meat is tender and juicy. What is Bak Kut Teh? This is a Chinese dish and is very popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Literal translation means "Pork Bones Tea". The dish of meaty Pork ribs is served in soup of herbs and spices. The Malaysian Bak Kut Teh consist of more herbs whilst Singapore Bak Kut Teh has more spices especially pepper. The Bak Kut Teh is served with rice and often served with "You Tiao" (...

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival , which is China's equivalent of America's Thanksgiving holiday - this could be recognized as one of China's happiest holiday besides of course the Chinese New Year! Like Thanksgiving, it is a time when people reunite with their families and get together, be with loved ones and celebrate the year's harvest. In China, people come together and enjoy a feast of mooncakes. Like many Chinese tradition, this one stems from ancient legend. A long time ago, 10 suns circled the earth. One day, all 10 suns appeared in the sky together and the heat caused a great drought. A famous archer named Hou Yi came to the rescue, shooting down nine of the suns and earning himself vast acclaim. The Emperor awarded him a beautiful wife, as well as an immortality pill. One day while Hou Yi was out, his wife ate the pill. She became a fairy and floated to the moon, leaving a heartbroken husband at home on Earth. The gods noticed the couple's deep love and ...

TOKYO - I was determined to see this fish market which I understood is the larget in the world. Told the front desk to wake me up at 4.30am - had to repeat to her several times before she understood it was 4.30am. Got the morning call as expected..to be even "kiasu" - I set the alarm on my hand phone and the bed-side clock too. At 4.30am, I did not want to wake up but I dragged myself out of bed and took the taxi (about Yen 17,000) from Hotel East 21 to Tsukiji about 20 minutes away by taxi. Tokyo Central Wholesale Market handled 787,782 tons (2,888 tons a day) of marine products, 748 billion yen (2.8 billion yen a day). Some 450 kinds of fish are received; this figure is unparalleled in the world. Marine products sections are set up in three markets: Tsukiji, Ohta and Adachi. Above all Tsukiji Market, handling 87% of the total amount, is one of the biggest markets in the world. There are plans by the Japanese Government to relocate Tsukiji fish market to another locati...

TOKYO - After a day of meetings, Terry brought us to a French restaurant - this is really high class fine dinning. The restaurant is Ochanomizu Ogawaken and has 2 floors - 1st and basement. 1st floor is used only for Lunch and the basement is only used for dinner. The basement has only less than 10 tables. The food is excellent and came in minute portions. They served 5 rounds of apetitisers, and then the main course. It is the ambience that made this place very cosy and classy. I understood the bill for 3 persons came up to over US$400 - wow!

TOKYO - Arrived today from Seoul and stayed at Hotel East 21. The good news is that there is a direct Limo Bus to the Hotel but only twice a day from Narita to Hotel East 21. My first trip to Tokyo was on 7 Aug 2000, thus making this trip my 21st trip to Tokyo. Leaving @ 10:25am and 5.25pm. I caught the 5.25pm Limo bus that took me directly to the Hotel - this is much more convenient. Next time, I will time my SQ flight to catch this Limo bus transfer. Hotel East 21 rooms are much smaller but for the price I am paying - it's ok. This Hotel is also popular for families going to the Tokyo disneyland as there are shuttle to and fro provided by the Hotel. This time I travelled with Mahboud and he wants to try Okonomiyaki (I tried it once before) and the concierge told us that it is around Kiba station, could not give us an exact location. It was quite a distance to Kiba station and we manage to find the restaurant with the help of a convenience store boss. I was not disappointed with ...

SEOUL - Meetings after meeting, we finally had a good dinner at a good sashimi (raw seafood) restaurant few kilometres outsides of Seoul City. It was a good drive but worth the time taken as the restaurant had a homey ambiance - Hari Sen Bon (tel: 031-707-6777, 2577, 1477) is the name of the restaurant. We had plates and plates of sashimi of many types of fishes. The fresh taste of sea urchin does not go well on my palate - it's taste is bitter even after dipping with strong wasabi (also known as Japanese horseradish). Wasabi is the root of the Japanese horseradish. I have not seen the origination of wasabi - mostly in Japanese restaurant it comes in a small dish of green paste. But I was once introduced by my Japanese partner (Kinya) in Tokyo which he demonstrated to me the art of eating Soba. He took the greenish root (Wasabi) and grated it on surface of a small board made of shark skin. The root eventually became the green wasabi paste.

SEOUL - Arriving on a Sunday was good because of lesser traffic on the highway, so I got to the Renaissance Seoul Hotel much faster. It was a tiring flight as I just got back home from Beijing on Saturday and had a turnaround flight to Seoul on Sunday. I slept most of the time on the flight to Seoul. I had an aisle seat which I reserved and had two unpleasant experience of passengers trying to take my seat. I stood firm and say this is my seat and I am not going to move, since I took the time to reserve it over the net. Upon arrival at the Hotel, Young Jin was already waiting for me at the Hotel. He looks chirpy after a week of work cum vaccation with his family in Singapore. Dinner was at the Eel restaurant (same restaurant I had on 18 July) - it was very crowded this time with many Koreans. It's summer so the weather was hot so we sat near the air-conditioner. After dinner, we adjourned to a traditional drinking house serving dong-dong ju.

BEIJING - You have not tasted Beijing till you had your Beijing Duck. I have tried numerous Beijing Duck but this restaurant in Beijing was the best ever. Beijing or Peking Duck it is the same. Peking is the former name for the Brits that cannot pronounce Beijing. Restaurant: Beijing DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant - The dish is mostly prized for the thin, crispy skin with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat. Most Chinese restaurants will make two dishes out of one duck -- one with thin slices of skin with a small layer of fat, or none at all, underneath, and another one with the duck meat. The latter is often a stir-fry dish or made into duck soup.

BEIJING - The flight from Singapore took about 5hrs to reach Beijing. The plane was packed like on most SQ flights. The last time I was in Beijing was more than 7 years ago. I don't remember the city being covered with so much smog. It would be amazing to see how the municipal government plans to rid of the smog covered city especially since the Beijing Olympics is only next year. Apart from that, there are many foreigners everywhere trying to catch a glimpse of what ancient Beijing was. Beijing has a rich culture and for new comers it would be good to visit the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, Summer Palace, etc. I have visited these places of interest before and would like to revisit them again next trip. I stayed at the Trader Hotel (part of the Shangri-La group) @ 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue. The Shangri-La group is owned by a rich Malaysian tycoon family - Kuok, whose family are called the sugar king. They now based themselves out of Hong Kon...

TAIPEI - As a regional traveller, we spend more time on the plane and in foreign countries than at home and sometimes it is great to meet your Singaporean comrades in these foreign lands. We seldom meet because of our busy travelling schedules and so if we meet in a foreign land is like a roll of a dice chance. I met David at Taipei and we had been colleagues and now business friends for many years so it was good to catch up with one another. I hired him as my engineer in my previous company but now he is the chief honcho for the Greater China territory based out of Singapore working for another company. He has indeed honed his sales and inter-personally skills over the years. Selling is an important skill that sadly enough is not taught in school - it is used by everyone that you meet. Taxi driver, Politican, even a doctor and even your child. I have met many taxi drivers - but only few catches my attention and it's because of the X factor, their sales skill - met one in Singapor...

Taipei - It has been one year since I am back to here. Upon arrival my usual limo driver was there to pick me up. He has prospered tremendously from many introductions to use his service - and now he has a huge database of customers that he needs to sub-out to his limo driver friends to help. The hotel for my stay was The Westin Taipei @ 133 Nanking East Road. Previously, stayed here before. There is a in-house cinema and was curious and so I went to check it out. This might be the only hotel that has a cinema on its premises. Located at B2 - they charge the public NT$400 (S$20) and for room guests NT$320 (S$16). It is quite expensive compared to Singapore. For my hotel stay, I had complimentary pressing for 2 shirts and would like the hotel to just iron it for me to be ready for my meeting tomorrow but the reply was it will be return by tomorrow 7pm. The laundry staff was so inflexible and insist that I had to pay an express price unlike other hotels where guest interest is most im...

JAKARTA - There are lots of security checks entering buildings and hotels - for both people and cars. Cars are checked on their undercarriage, boot, passengers and bonnet too - and the security personnel were polite. Every time, I go back to Le Meridien Hotel - there is a metal detector that I need to pass through. It can be troublesome but it is the high crime that worries me the most. Even my Indonesian partners advise me never to walk on the streets alone at night or even daytime, it can be very dangerous. Obviously, I don't see many foreigners walking around too. If you intend to go from building to building take a bluebird or silverbird taxi. Lunch was @ The Buffet - it was all you can eat for just Rp 55,000 (about S$10). It is extremely cheap with a similiar restaurant would cost at least 3-4 times as much. The food was not to my liking - either too oily, too sweet. There was not one dish that I really like but I was in good company and that matters. Dinner was @ P...

Jakarta - I spent so much time on the road that writing about the traffic woes is most naturally. My partner, Yudi says that he will grow old very fast driving around Jakarta - it is so choatic. He picked me up at 8am for a meeting at 9am at the customer place for a location that is not far. He instead of going through a tunnel, he took a wrong turn and ended up having to make a U-turn and this takes about 30 minutes to get back to the correct turn-off. Yudi too sometimes have a problem because there are few road signs so you really have to know your Jakarta roads very well otherwise you will spend hours on the road and this can be an expensive and unpleasant journey. Taking taxi is also another risk - take the only reputable Taxi company - Blue Bird group with with their famous Blue Bird taxis or Silver Bird taxi (this is the executive taxi). Dinner we had at one of Indonesia's popular restaurant situated in the middle of Jakarta - Pondok Laguna @ Jl Batu Tulis Raya No 45-...

Jakarta - The flight to Jakarta on SQ was pleasant. SIA had some special seats in front row economy that are more spacious. I was able to put my leg out and not touch the front seat - it was comfortable but for only a short while of about 1hr 20 minutes. I met up with my channel partners outside the airport near McDonalds and the weather was hot. It has been more than 10 years (my last trip to Jakarta was June 1997) since I have been back to Jakarta and not much has change especially the traffic - looks like it got worse. Travelling around Jakarta is a nightmare in a constant traffic jam. 2 hrs in a traffic jam is quite normal for road warriors salesman - in the car you can see cars coming to the main road from the right and left, further down the road more cars are making U-turn...it was quite a scene that brought back memories. KL and Bangkok traffic jams look junior compared to Jakarta and I think it was because the subway and light rail helped alleviate the traffic. People use th...

SINGAPORE - For 5 days next year, hotels across Singapore will raise their rates when the F1 comes to town. Today, the Singapore government announced the specified taxes it will levy on hotels to help defray the cost of bringing the race here from Sept 24 to 28 next year. In a 2-tier system, track side hotels have to pay a 30% tax on their total room revenue. Even hotel 81 will have to fork out a 20% tax from their total room revenue. Singapore got the green light on May 11 to host the F1 for five years. The Government is expected to foot the lion's share - 60% of the cost of staging the annual race, a sum which can reach $150 million. The race, widely expected to be the first to take place at night , is part of the city-state's effort to increase the number of tourist arrivals to 17 million, who are expected to spend $30 billion h ere by 2015.

It is a lesson for smokers to never smoke on a plane...as reported by The Straits Times. This lady of Thai national was on a budget airline, but the flight ended up costing here a great deal more. She was fined $1,000 for smoking in the plane toilet. She had been on a Tiger Airways flight from Bangkok to Singapore this Saturday when a crew member smelt cigarette smoke coming from a toilet. Suparat Daorung , 24 - was then spotted leaving the toilet and returning to her seat. Another crew member went in and found the cigarette butt inside a dustbin. They informed their supervisor who approached Suparat , who admitted that she had smoked inside the toilet. The supervisor then informed the captain who alerted ground staff in Singapore. She was arrested when the plane touched down at Changi Airport. A packet of cigarettes with 12 sticks left, and a lighter were seized from her. The cigarette butt found in the toilet was also handed over to the police. She could have been fined up...

So what's the difference between Sake and Soju? I have asked many people and none could tell me so I did a couple of research and this is what I found.... Sake is a brewed beverage made from rice that, like beer and wine, has been fermented and aged. Commonly called "Rice wine". Soju (or Shochu in Japanese) is a distilled beverage, making it a kin of whiskey or vodka. It is unique among distilled beverages, because the production process combines the two conversion stages--from starch to sugar and from sugar to alcohol--which are usually separate. It is then aged, sometimes for as long as 10 years. While sake is brewed only from rice, shochu can be made from rice, sweet potatoes and barley. In Japan, there are two shochu classifications. The first is koshu (Grade A), which has been distilled several times. Multiple distillation smoothes out the rough spots, resulting in a beverage that is generally flavorless and odorless. Koshu is generally 70 proof. Down south, howeve...

When you come out of the air-conditioned building or hotel, you will feel the sweltering heat - it's hot here in Tokyo. I was soak in perspiration when I reach my partners office in a business suit. Unlike in Singapore, many of the roads are lined with trees so the heat gets dissipated but it is the humidity in Singapore that really gets to you. I am used to the humidity of course without the business suit. So, the alternative of another route from Narita airport to East 21 Hotel takes 1 1/2 hrs but lots of walking and changing of trains. I would have to take "Narita Express" to Tokyo station, walk 15 minutes to "Otemachi" station, get off at "Toyocho" station and then walk about 20 minutes to the hotel. A bit troublesome after a 61/2 hrs flight - nah! I will take the Limo bus and taxi the next time too.. Lunch was a quaint and quiet Sushi restaurant - and there are many dotted around Tokyo - seating around 15-20 people in the restaurant. Japanese like...

As far as catching up on my movies - this flight was very productive. I manage to watch 3 movies - the hilarious Shrek 3 , Next (starring Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore) and Perfect Stranger (starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis). I like Shrek 3 for the laughs and Perfect Stranger for an outstanding plot. Took the Limousine Bus from Narita Airport to TCAT because the Limo Bus does not go directly to my hotel. The Limo Bus arrives punctually @ 6.05pm and I only reach Hotel East 21 @ 8.00pm (nearly 2 hrs of travelling). There was a heavy traffic jam coming into Tokyo. Maybe, next time I will try coming via the train - I will ask my partner whether that will be faster. I had dinner @ Inaba Wako restaurant serving Tonkatsu (Breaded Pork cutlet) located walking distance from the Hotel. This is what my meal looks like with additional soup and rice. The set meal cost 1,450 Yen - a simple meal. Today, marks the 62nd anniversary of the bombing that ushered in the atomic age, as 40,000 peop...

Singapore - Fly the inaugural A380 flight from Singapore to Sydney and back; with all proceeds going to charities. SQ will auction seats on the world's 1st commercial Airbus A380 flight on eBay. According to SQ, the move is in response to an overwhelming number of people from world over, who wants to be part of this history-making flight. Singapore Airlines will be the first airline to put the giant double decker in commercial service in October. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to charity and all customers on this historic flight will receive a personalised ceremonial certificate confirming that they were part of the first commercial A380 flight. The delivery of the 1st commercial A380 was bumpy - with delivery delayed for almost two years owing to technical issues. SQ has secured support from 3 global partners fro this charity event. ExxonMobil Aviation will donate the fuel for the flights; eBay will subsidise the fees and charges from the auction; and Paypal wi...

A WHO study says the risk of developing deep vein thombosis doubles after 4 hours of travel including car and train journeys, estimating that one in 6,000 long-haul passengers is at risk. Who are at risk? Tall people who legs are jammed in economy class and the very short whose feet do not touch the ground are particularly vulnerable to potentially dangerous blood clots linked to immbobility during travel. Also the obese, women on birth control pills and those with blood clothing disorders are also more susceptible, as are frequent travellers and those who take very long journeys. The risk is immobility - without regular muscle contractions, blood starts to pool in the legs and can create conditions for a clot, or thrombus, to develop in deep veins. Thrombosis can be symptom-free to trigger cramps, soreness and swelling in affected areas. It is most dangerous in cases where blood clots travel through the body to the lung, blocking blood flow. Such pulmonary embolism, characterised by...

My son said "why don't you write about Racial Harmony Day?".... Background : Racial Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21 July in Singapore. The event is to commemorate the 1964 Race Riots, which took place on 21 July 1964. Racial Harmony Day also represents a day for schools to reflect on, and celebrate Singapore's success as a racially harmonious nation and society built on a rich diversity of culture and heritage. In schools all across the nation on that day, students are encouraged to be dressed in their traditional costumes such as the Cheongsam and the Baju Kurung. Traditional delicacies are also featured in the celebrations. Traditional games such as Kutih-kutih and zero point are played in schools, where inter-class competitions are sometimes organised. Schools are also encouraged to recite a declaration on religious harmony during the celebrations. We, the people in Singapore, declare that religious harmony is vital for peace, progress and prosperity in ou...

Seoul - It is comforting to note that when you travel your partners and friends who drives refrains from drinking. Singapore drivers should follow the Korean example if they intend to have a drinking session with their friends. Lately, 2 popular Singapore artistes were caught drink driving and was jailed. There are many occassions when I am out with partners on drinking sessions - either one don't drink or the hire "replacement drivers" to bring them home. There are so many services in Seoul that provides people to drink and still be alive or not in jail the next day. One is "replacement drivers" to drive your car back to your home for a fee of KW15,000. It seems in Seoul there are tens of thousands of replacement drivers operating in this hard-drinking metropolis of 10 million people. Some 100,000 replacement drivers handle 700,000 customers a day, the nuber shooting up by 30% on Fridays. Their work has become such as essential part of life in Seoul and other m...

Woke up early for my 1st trip to Busan to meet new partners..it was a 2hrs 45 minutes high speed ride at 245km/hr from Seoul to Busan. We caught the 8.45am KTX to Busan at Seoul Station. The ride was noticeably comfortable. Busan is Korea's second largest city with close to 4 million people. It also serves as the country's main port for international cargo, as well as passenger ferries to Japan and Jeju Island. This city was hotter and humid than Seoul. In my business suit, I was perspiring and wet under the suit. This city is famous for its seafood. So, for lunch - we had sashimi, and the fish is called " Jul Dom " - the chef remarked that five Jul Dom fishes was prepared for us. After lunch, we made our way to the Busan station for the 2.45 hrs back to Seoul. It was a very tiring day but the night was not over - we had to meet another partner for dinner and further drinking. I missed eating "Unagi" (Grilled Eel) so I was explaining this to the concierge b...

Knock-knock "House-keeping"...open the door in my daze and was pissed that someone woke me up from my slumber before the alarm bell. This was the first time such a nuissance happened to me. Visited Insa-dong - it looks like the arty scene of Seoul. Insa-dong, located in the middle of the city, is an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each store is unique. The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong. I bought a souvenir that looks like the shape of a question mark, "?" - do you know what it is for? A: To scratch my back.... Lunch was interesting because Young-jin insisted that we have it at a popular traditional Korean restaurant but it comes with waiting standing outside the entrance for 30 min...