Dairy and Milk in China: Dangerous!

I have never imagine that drinking milk can be so scary. Terribly scarry! This milk scandal in China has now spread to global issue. Babies die and ten of thousands young infants and babies are sick. Its a very terrible news to even hear about.

Who are those culprit who does this? It might be still a foul play, for the truth is still out there.

1. The milk sellers to the milk factory adding melamine to the milk to make the milk to have more protein.

2. The milk manufacturer itself, has a secret all the while, by adding melanine to bring the profit up.

3. Someone else trying to sabotage somebody in the dairy industry by adding melanine to tarnish their image?

Who knows? The truth is out there.

Check out this funny post in ChinaSmack about the Sanlu milk powder. Humour at this tragedy time.

Financial Meltdown: Recession!

I was made aware and am pretty much understand the power of economics in the America. Especially after recent times, that the price of crude oil shoots to USD140 and the sub-prime mortgage crisis that hit the Wall Street so damn badly. What else is more to talk about?

Everyone who has pass through the stages of recession in South East Asia during 1997 will recalled back those terrible times. Economic collapsed overnight, recession and unemployment, stagflagtation, monetary and local currencies is deem worthless at that particular time.

Malaysia, particularly, before that terrible time of 1997, was thriving on the bull run of economy. Almost everyone can blindly blindfolded pick any stocks in the market and make crazy money out of it. Then, came the crash. Everyone who is deemed brilliant then, was branded as greedy and stupid. Malaysians, in general, never really recovered from that recession. The bull that runs and rage in Malaysia fled elsewhere. China perhaps? This event, we called as 97, really teaches us to believe in ourself and look at the earth under your feet all the time. Always look at the downside, and normally, the upside will take care of itself, somehow.

The situation and crisis in America now is not of a HUGE surprise. Some economists and brilliant businessman has foresee this. Some brilliant analyst actually feel and know by instinct, that this crisis will come. It came hard. When banks start to offer funny campaigns to boost the figures and sales, while, making you hard to believe that they can actually making any money at all from the mortgage they offered, is the 1st sign of trouble. In addition, the risk-management is at mediocre, at best. Wall Street analyst and bankers wish to look good and look successful. Everyone is trying to boost that they can overcome the economy. Everyone thinks that they can be better than the Wall Street. The craze is there.

Then, fear comes. There are more supply than demand of houses in the market. Controls can no longer be applied to suppress the forces of fear of common men. As the oldest saying goes, man are driven by both greed and fear. Its true. Came the crash. Some so-called brilliant economists even dares to come out publicly and says that the recession is almost over! BS, IMHO! Everyday the economy looks gloomy, as the autumn comes. Banks is collapsing and declared bankrupt. How can this happen?

Now they are using the tax payers money to help and try to save the so-called, giant financial institutions. USD700 Billion to be exact, the American tax payers money. Lehman Brother declared bankrupt and Barclays took over them. AIG suffers substanstial losses and almost got wiped out clean. What happens?

I believe one of the problems, is back then when the bull is raging in American economy, the prices of home is simply, out-of-the-mind or CRAZY! A simple house by the highway 30 minutes to the nearest town in the middle of nowhere costs you USD1 million bucks. Can you believe it? But, the bankers look at the short term numbers to satisfy the shareholders and investors on the return of investments. Hence, they are blinded by the fact that HOUSES and property prices might be overvalued when it reaches certain craziness stage.

And now, American make decisions to use tax-payers money (good money) to throw after the bad money (losses suffered by American institutions) at the expense of American citizens. Can you believe it? Instead of making a better use of the money for the needy, like mid-class American, who are suffering due to bad credits, losses of employment and the ever rising inflation, they uses USD700 billion to rescue banks. Why? Important shareholders and important individuals holding their stocks la. What else?

Read this article for further information.


What do you think?

Nouveau Hermitism

Warning: You might encounter massive headaches after reading this post, due to the fact that you are out-dated from the cyberspace arena for a gazillion years, especially when you read the acronyms. Acronyms is explained at the bottom of post. Be warned!



Have you notice recently, for the last couple of years, that there are new trend of young adolescent youth emerging from the internet-connectivity-society? This newly trend is different from the previous generation of youth. How are different?

They go online and live their life online. They play MMOPRGs in regardless of their gender males or females, in regardless of age from 8 to 56, such as WOW, which is already the most successful games ever created. They have an online identity, which they refer as IGN. Most probably they are even known from their IGN rather than names!


They have massive updated information of everything from the online world, from news locally and globally, from fashion tips and celebrity gossips, from eBay and lelong.com, from online shopping and online air-ticketing booking, from hotel reservation and food reviews, from phone reviews and Amazon.com. They have more information than you know. Seriously!



They blogs and reads more now than ever. They blogs and reviews everything, from food to drinks, from restaurants to cafes, from mobile phones to IPODs, from magazines to books, from their latest games to that character in WOW. They become more open than ever and more willing to share everything from opinions, thoughts, Mp3s, JPEGs and AVIs in their harddisk. They are more connected and more network in their Facebook and MySpace than the president of Namibia.


They are fast and mobile. They listens to their IPOD and have more gadgets than anyone from the previous generation. Gadgets such as not-the-latest-phone (youth do not chase after the latest phone anymore, rather a phone with style, usability and functions to suits their needs), a blackberry (its not a fruit), a 8.0mp camera with wide angle lens and LEICA lens, their IPOD touch with 32gb memory, their international passport, their Armani sunglasses or Ray-Ban aviators and every other thing that they can fit into their hand carry bags.



They went to more places and more countries than anyone when they are in their 20's. They can popped out in China one day and appears the next week in Australia. They can be a French who speaks perfect Chinese putonghua who lives in Shanghai. They can appear in Hong Kong this moment, be off to Paris and holiday the next month in Colombia with their friends. They have friends all over the globe. They can travel to Japan alone and will still be able to survive all by themselves for their holiday without any problems, alone. Thanks to the internet, MSN and FB.

One such example would be Nicolekiss who is a world traveller and famous Malaysia blogger, who likes to blogs about her journey and experiences. Another example of a famous blogger, Xiaxue, who choose to live her life from the rat race and still be able to buy her new Sony VIAO notebook that costs a bomb!

They no longer talks deeply in those smooth pre-english era conversations, rather they MSN, SMS and message each other by using internet, Facebook and they loyal faithful mobile. They uses acronyms such as AFK, LMAO, ROFL, BBFN, gtg, TTYL and et cetera. They are multilinguals and be able to speak in various languages from French, Spanish, Italians, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, English, Cantonese, Tagalog and much more.

They are good looking, they are trendy, they live their life to the fullest, they enjoys the unknown, they are fun and witty, they likes travelling, they loves freedom, they are fashionable and most importantly they are truly an enjoyable companion.



They belongs to Nouveau Hermitism.



I believe no one really understands how powerful this emerging group of youth are. They are the future. They are the next generation of consumers who thinks and reasons differently. They are no longer being "trapped" into the rat race like the previous baby boomers or generation X. They do not NEED to climb the career ladder, stabbing everyone in the back, pressuring themselves to get that promotion or work that 12 hours daily 6 days a week. They understands and feels, better about the world, society and life more than any other generations. Thanks to internet again.



They are NH, Nouveau Hermit!








Acronyms explains:

Nouveau Hermitism = An emerging trend of youthful tech savvy kids who opts out of rat race and live their life through online trading and file sharing.

NH = Tech savvy kids who opts out of rat race and live their life through online trading and file sharing.

MMORPG = Massive multiplayers online role playing game

WOW = World of Warcraft

IGN = In game name

FB = Facebook

AFK = Away from keyboard

BBFN = Bye bye for now

LMAO = Laughing my ass off

ROFL = Rolling on the floor

TTYL = Talk to you later

gtg = got to go

*pictures and photos plucked from respective blog owners and p1.cn*

18,000,000 For Charity!

How are you doing? hope fine. I am very sorry to contact you like this, my name is Al-hawshabi karim, from Yemen, i have a very severe Oesophageal cancer that the doctors said will lead to death in few Months time after trying all medical treatment. I have given most of my assets to my family members and i have decided to give the other part to charity organisations. I cannot do this myself anymore because of my health. I once asked members of my family to give some money to charity organizations,they refused and kept the money.I have Eighteen Million Dollars with a security and storage company abroad and i want you to help me collect the 18Million Dollars and use it for charity works. You will take out 20% of this funds for your assistance. If you are willing to assist me, do contact me through my email address: hawshabikarim@hotmail.com

Regards,

Mr. Al-hawshabi karim.

Anyone feeling charitable?

*psssst: its a bloody scam!* Hahahahaha. I almost puke when i saw that email. Check out the email address of the sender vs the contact person. I doubt that they are able to con anyone with the level of stupidity!

6 Benefits of Blogging!

Reading blogs is healthy. *this is my humble opinion*

Go on and read yourself. Now i know now the benefits of being a blogger. Funny and hilarious, when you really think about it. Let me break-it-down to you.


*I almost Laugh My Arse Off .LMAO. when i read Cheeser and Nicolekiss posts*

Why?!?!?!?!?!? Go on. Read the details at their posts.




1. You can bash and bash anyone you dislike (provided if you have the proof). This is particularly good for stress release!


Read more about her funny-way-off-bashing someone in her posts! *please try not too be stupid and comment stupiditily on someone posts!*



2. You can raise fund ala get-me-back fund raising campaign



Read more about her escapade and blurriness of lining up in Virgin Blue air, when she actually flies AirAsia! *always remember what airline you taking when you fly!*



3. You can connect to your audience and customer better!

You can be the CEO of an organization, such as AirAsia, and still be able to blog and LISTEN to your customers instead of going through feedback from a 3rd party or worst NOT listening at all, like MAS? Visit CEO blog at http://www.tonyfernandesblog.com/!


Check out also his blog introducing. Damn cool! *how i wish my blog could be halfly-as-cool-as-that! Check out at http://www.tonyfernandesblog.com/intro/index.html!



4. You can rant and scream Niamah!

You can now say NIAMAH repeatedly and screams and rants as long as you like without really disturbing your neighbours sleeping. You can complain and shakes your head as much as you like when you write your blog, as you are feeling like bashing-those-stupid-ministers repeatedly for their racists and brainless remarks. *shaking head now T_T*


Go on and read more about Patrick's NIAMAH!



5. You can make people DROOL!

You make Malaysians feel instantly feel better by creating a super-delicious-mouth-watery food blog for Malaysian food gallery.

Seriously! By just looking at the food gallery and the pictures Timothy snapped. Enough SAID!



Go ON! Indulge yourself! Make yourself drool and curse him for taking such a nice photo for us at overseas! Go check out for the ultimate food photo at http://www.3-meals.com/!



6. You can have your own Ms Malaysia blog!

Check out her blog at http://levyli.blogspot.com/. *Pssst! there are secret ingredient cooking recipe in her blog!*

Of course, there are more blogs and sites out there, be it political such as Malaysiakini or Malaysia-today, bimbo blog such as Xiaxue, our famous Kuching blogger Kennysia, our ex-PM Dr Mahatdir at his Chedet and much more!


Go on! Read more!



p.s. Oprah once said,"Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi."

Pocoyo

Anyone heard about Pocoyo before? Its an animated cartoon series about a boy who dresses in blue with a cute hat and dances cutely. He is full of curiosity and cutely fun. He also likes to dance and dance very cutely as well. *sort of Romeo dance!*

In the cartoon, he also have his bunch of great friends, a duck name Pato, a pink elephant that carries a small backpack name Elly, his puppy dog name Loula and a sleepy bird. Check out Pocoyo's entry in Wikipedia at here.

Pocoyo also have his own official blog site at http://www.pocoyo.blogs.com/ . Cutely but its true, that this little cute boy have his own blog and can speak several languages such as Spanish, Japanese and Chinese as well! Hahahahaha.

Pocoyo: Season 2 is coming out with more musics and more adventures! Hahahaha!



So cute!

Dear Sisters

Dear sisters,

We are fine here and pretty pink in health. Of course, for the exception of Romeo, who is still having his flu, phlegm and cough. He is very emotional nowadays, giving his condition, not feeling well, growing teeth and changing weather. Been crying at night and waking up + vomitting middle of the night. Apart from that, he is pretty okay. *Perhaps he is missing both of you!*

In fact, we are very happy and delighted to have received your emails to Dini. It shows that both of you are in fact, loving people and lovey lovey to Romeo. See see! We are loving lovey lovey family. So happy! Romeo is happy as well. Knowing both of you miss him so much!

Dini and little baby is growing fine as well. Weather is changing fast here, from summer to autumn now. Not much of a raining season yet, but its dry and its getting chillier every night. Perhaps this year, Autumn is coming earlier and winter will be colder. *Fun Fun!*

Remember, by the time you come during end of January next year, the winter is at its peak. Cold and freezing condition. Perhaps its might be even colder and bone-biting condition. Perhaps perhaps.

Just to let you know, since i know both of you are so freaking busy, that we are fine and we are very grateful that you contacted Dini. I am gladly greatly delighted, deep down in my heart, knowing both of you are so lovey lovey still, in regardless of your busy-ness schedule.

Take care ya and stay happy, stay healthy and most important of all, stay lovey!

Sayonara!

p.s Remember Romeo birthday on 18th Sept ya!

Arch Cafe in Shanghai: Weekend Brunch

I've recently read some article in some Shanghai magazine about weekend brunch. I believe weekend meals should be simple, light and refreshing. Meals should be a wide variety, several choices and taste, served with the appropriate drinks to quench the thirst within.

As we work and work hard, Monday to Friday, i doubt that we replenish our energy at all on weekdays. Over the weekend, without any nice meal especially, is torturing. Hence, the need for a simple, nice cozy refreshing enjoyable meal over the weekend. Wide variety should be the answer or common ground when we search for food choices.

I like brunches. Its nice and refreshing especially on Sunday noon. With lady luck on my side, Shanghai and Suzhou is a bus journey away for a breakaway meal over the weekend. Weekend brunch should be taken with the following condition:

1. The lunch cum breakfast cum evening tea over a single meal on Sunday

2. The meal should be taken at around 12pm to 2pm, latest to 4pm

3. Meal should served with an orange juice and a double shot cappucino

4. Brunch should be taken after last night hangover at clubs/bars resulting in waking up at 11am

5. Ciggies, newspaper and light musics from IPOD is a must must have

6. Sunglasses and aviators is an optional but highly recommended

7. Makeup, lipsticks and perfumes is a NOT really recommended on brunches

8. Clean nice cozy laid back bermudas and t-shirts are the recommended attire!

There are some nice place to hang out in Shanghai over the weekend brunch. Of course, i will do more research and try more of these, but, over the last time, i tried Arch over the weekend brunch. More about Arch.

Arch is sort of an alfresco cafe dining that is cozy and nice. Check out them at their website for more information (i love their kickass website for a restaurant!) Located at Wukang Lu by Huaihai Zhong Lu, nearby to Xujiahui in fact.




Meals and foods are nice and tasty. Their dessert, namely cheesecake and chocolate mousse is tremendous, i heard. Their drinks, coffee and wine is rather nice. Prices are affordable, within the range of RMB100 per person. Mostly i love Arch for their ambience and cozy design with cold aircon during the summer.

You can hang out there having sipping your cup of coffee, while laying back on the sofa, smoking like a chimney and read that magazine and newspaper. Its cool and its nice. Sort of al fresco dining! Check out the pictures.

Of course, all the above are my personal experience and maybe not suitable for everyone. Some like it classy while some like it fast. Hey, everyone is unique! But, if you are similiar as me, check it out. You will definitely love it there!


Bon Appetit!

LV: Fashionista?

LVMH or simply known as Louis Vuitton, are mostly, associated with branded and classy look. Trendy joneses (people that goes with the crowd) rushed to LV boutiques to get their handbags. Girls spend their yearly bonus to get 1 for their own. Asian boyfriends and husbands buys for their love ones. But, is LV really that classy?




Ask French this question: Do they buy LV in France? Chances are they will not. LVMH might be the country's prominent fashion employer and brings a lot of international business profit back to France, but chances are, the younger crowds might go to H & M while those classier ones, will go tailored-made.





Individualistics and trend setters normally goes "un-branded" fashions. Its about mix and match. Its about creating your own image and identity. Why would anyone really wanna go and advertise someone else name on their chest or their underwear? Looks like walking advertisement for me. Looks so boring, and dull. Just imagine someone walks with a big CALVIN KLEIN in front of you. Yucks!

No doubt. LVMH is very successful in creating their brand image globally. Asians flocked to their boutique to get their latest fashion handbags, lining up for their new range of products introduced at their new boutique.

But, this picture, ruins it all!

Anyone still wanna go and get one LV-themed bags, accessories or fashion-items?

Does the pictures above looks filthy, dirty, disgusting giving you an image of the classy and branded Louis Vuitton bags? We can even make a protest of pigs being abused with LV tattoos. Pigs!

My question: When i insult you by calling you PIG, am i insulting you or insulting the pig?

*Catch the joke?*

Same with LV scenario as the picture above. Pigs tattooed with LV logo. Are we insulting LV or insulting the pig? Hahahahaha!

I believe the management at LV must be concerned or furious over the incident or pictures circulating over the internet. If i am the owner or the management, i will rage all over and make sure the person who comes out with this picture, pays! Lawsuit!

On the lighter note, the pictures below are far much more cuter and adorable.

Anyone wanna get this pig as pet? Damn expensive you know! LV pig pet!

Macau: Gambler's Paradise

Macau is a superb place. A super place destined for gamblers, punters, casino raiders or anyone who wish to associated with cards, chips, dices and fun! Blackjacks, craps, studs, pokers, roulette, slots and dominos are the tables and games that you will associate here. Plentiful of fun, hot and humid weather with summer sky all year round, Portuguese egg tart, Ruin's of St. Paul standing at the hill top and much more to be visited in the wonderful place of Macau!

I was there recently for my holiday trip. Awesome! I visited almost all the casino's in town. I've tried their local cuisines and of course, their famous egg tart while i am there. I visited Ruin's of St.Paul while snapping a few pictures. I was drenching away at day, sweating profusely while walking around there without cab, accompanied by a pair of aviator sunglasses and a Viewty camera at my hand.


To start it off, i continued my journey from Hong Kong: 2 Days via TurboJet at Sheung Wan jetty in Hong Kong. The journey takes me almost an hour to reach the magnificent place, Macau! Surprisingly, not much of a hassle nor i encounter any sea sickness (touch wood!)


Reached to Macau jetty and to my surprised, all the casinos buses and coaches are available there by the entrance of the jetty. Buses to transport any visitors from the jetty to their respective casinos. I mean, any visitors or jay walkers, can take the bus, without fare (free!) to their casinos. Of course, there are certain small local casinos that does not provide this, but larger foreign casinos are a sure bet to these buses. Its free!

But, i took the taxi and went straight to the hotel to check it. I stayed at Western Best Sun Sun Hotel, which is like 20 minutes walk to the Casino Lisbao at the famous casino strip. Please dun ask my why the hotel name sounds funny or how did i ended up there at the hotel. I make a reservation online and that is the cheapest hotel available at the time. HKD 400/night to be exact. Almost the cheapest, IMHO. Try booking at Venetian or Wynn and you will know what i mean. Decent hotel and clean toilet (rather old but clean) is what i wanted anyway.





I went out from the hotel at evening walking to find the famous Ruins of St. Paul. That is my plan and that is the executioning, until i mistakenly walk to a different path leading to another different way. Carrying a map with me, i re-routed myself back to the place, alone and without asking any help or directions from the local! *proud*

I manage to reach there, snapping pictures there and walked up the fort next to it, namely Fortress Armourial Gate that have cannon! Snapping the pictures again from there, while listening to my Zen Stone Plus, blasting nice tunes through my ears. Very nice cannon, indeed! So boring the hill!

I then went down the hill and proceed to go back to hotel via the correct route, passing by all the boutiques and shops. I have yet to have my dinner even at 8pm? Hahahaha! Too busy and too occupied to even actually starting to think about food yet. After a nice cool bath, i went out of the hotel and take a cab to Casino Grand Lisbao, the newer version hotel of the Casino Lisbao, to start my journey to conquer all the casinos in Macao! All the review of the casinos in Macao/Macau will be written at another post though. Too long and too much to write in a single post!

But, basically, i visited all the casinos at the casino strip in the mainland or downtown Macau. All the local and smaller version of the casinos are located there. Casinos such as Lisbao, Rio, Pharoah, Fortuna, President, Golden Dragon and Diamond are the smaller version casino that is available there. Of course, those bigger and grander ones such as StarWorld, Wynn, MGM, Sands and Babylon casinos are located around the same vicinity as well.

Well, i started my journey at 8pm from the 1st casino in Grand Lisbao and ended up in Wynn at around 4am in the morning. I took almost 8 hours browsing and walking in and out of each casino snapping pictures and visiting the tables at each floor to get a feel of each of the casinos. I was excited and i was not tired!

I went to check out some of the pubs and bars by the seaside as well. Bars such as MP3 and Moonwalker located together in a row next to MGM Casino, are famous there with those tourists and foreigners. Phillippines and Viets, she-male and females are aplenty there, dancing and live bands playing at the bars. Mp3 even have pole dancing when i make my pass there! Talk about F.U.N!

I went to a disco around there at 4am. This disco, name D2 is located in AIA building nearby to Grand Lisbao. Walking distance of around 10 minutes to the club. D2 is not particularly huge or very special, but with house/techno music blasting served with Jack on the Rock or the Long Island Ice Tea, anything is great!

With that i ended my day, at morning! With a much needed sleep and rest after waking up for more than 18 hours and a sleep of couple hours the day before? Hahahaha. Wait for my further exploration in Venetian the next day!

p.s. I even managed to ride local in the Macau bus to the jetty to catch Venetian coaches to their superb hotel!