The cultural trends magazine from Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific Edited & designed by Kunal Sinha

Editorial assistant: Nishtha Mehta Correspondents: TariRusbianti (Jakarta) InkeKurniawan (Jakarta) Mala Yutimalah (Jakarta) PiyawatRattanakhachitwong (Bangkok) Elaine Dai (Beijing) Timothy Sarker (Dhaka) NaimaHamid (Dhaka) Neha Punjabi (Mumbai) DonnahAlcoseba (Makati City) Wine Chua-Leonardo (Makati City) Joyce Koor(Singapore) WaqasTahir (Singapore) Naoko Ito (Tokyo) Azusa Fukai (Tokyo) SiddharthRoy (Colombo) Mei Wu (Taipei) Michelle Lim-Chua (Kuala Lumpur) Beatrice Yong (Kuala Lumpur) Josephine Phang (Kuala Lumpur) Serena Park (Seoul) Jackie Lang (Seoul)

Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2012

We usually go to doctors when we have a problem. Wassup takes a slightly different approach: in this issue we speak to them, because we believe that they are a great predictor of social tensions. When they told us that diabetes and cancer are rising as never before, it revealed the true impact of changes in lifestyle that Asians have been experiencing. When they tell us that nearly 80% of children suffer from eyesight problems, it shows us the impact of all the pressure parents are putting on them, aggravated by the uninterrupted hours of being glued to the screen. Shocked? If you are, then start thinking about how brands can play a larger role in stopping these problems. We profiled Successful Asian Men, those in their mid 30s who have leading and participating in the positive change that Asia has experienced in the last decade. While the fields where theyve excelled are greatly varied, how theyre marking their success remains very predictable: buying expensive watches, upgrading their cars, traveling overseas on holiday. Can we make them think outside the box a bit? An unstable world means that people remain on their guard at all times. Some of the tensions they face are natural (such as the tsunami scare), others like the North Korean missile that fizzled out are created by humans. Most are deeply embedded in local politics, and every marketer needs to be aware of that. Tread carefully, because you may just lose customers by being on the wrong side of the tension! Finally, we pay our homage to brands or stores that have faded away into oblivion. Theres a cautionary tale in our obituary: about how staying relevant with changing customer needs, technology, and market conditions are absolutely imperative in every market. We hope Wassup is able to deliver you with the foresight that will enable your business to prosper in Asia.

14 countries. 20 correspondents deeply immersed in popular and leading edge culture bring you Cultural Insights that will make a world of difference to your business.

BANGLADESH

SOUTH KOREA

PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE

INDONESIA

SRI LANKA

THAILAND

MALAYSIA

PAKISTAN

CHINA

INDIA

JAPAN

TAIWAN

VIETNAM

contents
Look whos talking: Doctors in Asia Knowing me, Knowing you: Successful Asian Men Playing on my iPod Elated about Waiting List Everyone is talking about Tense about Obituary: Brands we miss

Doctors in Asia tell us about health trends

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CHINA - DIABETES Dr. Zhang Li Dr. Zhang Li, an endocrinologist at Japan-China Friendship Hospital in Beijing, attended college at China Academy of Medical Sciences majoring in Endocrinology and now specializes in Diabetes & Metabolism. China is facing a serious diabetes epidemic, says Dr. Zhang. "In the past 5 years, diabetes patients have risen sharply. From just 3 to 4 diabetic patients in 2004-05, I now receive about 15 daily. This clearly reflects a major public health problem in Beijing and diabetes is becoming one of the major common illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disorder, she added. In the past 10 years, Chinas economic development has progressed from, not being able to eat enough, poverty to having enough food, warm clothes, and lack of exercise. Peoples standard of living has improved, alongside, lifestyles changes. In big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, more and more people are skipping their meals due to high pressured jobs; leading them to eating out more often, which is pretty oily & flavored. Choice of meals are getting out of ones own control and it is one of the key factors causing diabetes Dr. Zhang added.

According to Dr. Zhangs observation, there are more diabetic patients in the north of China than in the south. The cold weather in the north makes people eat more fatty foods with higher levels of sugar like meat to keep them warm. Northern China also sees increased level of tobacco & alcohol consumption. During the conversation she added, that people are becoming more dependent on cars and less inclined to walking or riding a bike. All these factors contribute to increase in diabetic condition. As China becomes wealthier, lifestyle factors associated with diabetes such as weight gain, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity is on an increase, especially amongst the younger generation. She suggests to eat a healthy diet to prevent diabetes, like, eating high-protein foods found in seafood and vegetables. She also suggests to live a healthy lifestyle: take regular meals and exercise often.

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SRI LANKA - MALNUTRITION Dr. (Mrs.) Sonali Goonetilleke
Sonali entered the Medical College of Colombo in 1987 amidst the dark era in the political history of Sri Lanka, which directly affected all university students during the period. As a result, Sonali had to spend 8 long years as a medical student before she actually became a doctor in 1995. Sonali married Ushan at the age of 30 and continued her studies, successfully specializing in child healthcare, and became a pediatrician in 2004. By this time, she was also a mother of two boys. Soon, she took up the role to serve at the Lady Ridgway hospital for children for the next 4 years. She also served in various rural parts of Sri Lanka for a number of years. At present, Sonali is the head of the Child Healthcare unit of the General Hospital in Ragama, Gampaha District. Dr. Sonali reveals that for a country that has no significant food shortage and provides for extensive free maternal and child health services, it is rather paradoxical that malnutrition affects nearly one-third of children and one quarter of women. She further shared some alarming statistics on this subject: almost 1 out of 5 children are born with low birth weight; around 29% of under-fives are reported to be underweight, rising as high as 37%, in some deprived districts; 14% of under-fives suffer from acute malnutrition when their weight is compared to the weight of a normal child of the same height; nearly 58% of infants between 6 and 11 months and 38 % children between 12 - and 23 months are anemic . Dr. Sonali adds that the immediate and underlying causes for child malnutrition in Sri Lanka range from disease and inadequate dietary intake, to lack of knowledge and cultural factors that influence the utilization of health services and available food supply. Poverty also affects nearly 23 % of the households in Sri Lanka and is closely intertwined with household food security. Other major determinants of malnutrition in the country include inappropriate feeding practices & micronutrient deficiency. Highlighting the dangers of this situation, Dr. Sonali mentions that girls who are born with low birth weight grow into women of short stature, who themselves are more likely to have low birth weight babies, especially if they have their babies whilst they are very young. Unless the cycle is broken at some stage, this situation will perpetuate over many generations resulting in an intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. On the other hand, malnutrition impacts childrens learning ability and people who survive a malnourished childhood are less physically and intellectually productive and suffer from more chronic illness and disability. She further states that the wide disparities that prevail across the districts of Sri Lanka create major challenges in dealing with malnutrition. As the causes of malnutrition are many, actions to reduce malnutrition require concerted efforts of several sectors at a national level addressing different challenges - care for pregnant mothers, educating them on prenatal nutrition services including iron and folate supplements, de-worming, monitoring the nutritional status of expectant mothers and nutrition counseling amongst the few. Support for breast feeding, coupled with support for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and development of National Policy on the Code of Marketing for Breast Milk substitutes should be promoted at the National level.

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MALAYSIA - KIDNEY DISORDERS Dr. Vincent Wong At 36 years of age, Dr. Vincent Wong is the youngest consulting nephrologist (kidney doctor) at the Kajang Specialist Hospital (KSH) in Kuala Lumpur. It is a mid-sized private hospital with 160 beds and 30 consulting physicians located in Kajang, a bustling town on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. He completed his medical training at University College Dublin, Ireland as well as his specialization in nephrology at the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK before moving back to Kuala Lumpur three years ago. Like every other doctor in Malaysia, he served his three year service with a public hospital before moving to a private hospital where consultants run their own individual clinics with the freedom to determine their own workload and work hours. He works regular office hours from 9 to 5 on weekdays and on average sees 10 to 15 patients daily. His patients are mostly the elderly, aged 50 to 70 with kidney diseases and already having a long history of other medical problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Malaysia in particular, has high incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks, which he attributes to the our love for food and our sedentary lifestyle. We tend to eat out most of the time and the food tends to be saltier, fattier and generally unhealthy compared to a home-cooked meal. This is attributed to our longer working hours but more importantly, our lack of exercise. He says, We dont exercise enough perhaps because its too hot and our exercise is limited to walking in shopping malls, which isnt enough. He tells us, Rise in the consumption of alternative medicines & health supplements is a cause for health problems. This has become even more common with the growth of multi-level marketing. People take supplements because it makes them feel healthier but yet they will continue eating their rendang (coconut beef curry) and smoke, he says. However, he cautions that this isnt a solution or remedy and could even be harmful to your health. Certain traditional medicines may even directly damage your kidneys, for example, star fruit juice can cause gallbladder stones. Shockingly, there are incidences of traditional medicine manufacturers mixing western painkillers with the medicine to make patients feel better, however, painkillers can cause kidney damage. It may seem that Malaysians are keen on taking the easier way out and compensating their unhealthy lifestyles with traditional medicine and health supplements. However, his advise to Malaysians is, the hard things in life are usually better for you.

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THAILAND - GENETIC MEDICINE Dr. Rungarun Santhadkolkarn CEO, Phyathai Hospital Dr. Rungarun, a graduate from the faculty of medicine, Chulalongkorn Univerisity, started working at Phyathai hospital in the internal medicine department. With years of hard work put in at the hospital, she was promoted to be the member of the management board, and took new responsibilities of the hospitals finances & management. Today, she stands at the 31st year anniversary of her professional life; however, shes still faced with new challenges daily. Healthcare Trends While speaking about Thailands healthcare reforms, she outlined 3 major trends sweeping the nation at the moment. 1. Medical Genetic Treatment. This can detect genetic causes for major diseases, likecancer, hemophilia or anything related to hereditary. This makes it possible to predict and illustrate the contribution risk from any member of the same family. At our hospital we have an innovative technology to make a pedigree of patients family, and then we are able to identify potential cancer risk like a professional medical consultant. 2. 360 degree medical care through the human life stages. As we start to apply genetic studies in medical field, we have more knowledge and understand much cause of various syndromes and diseases better. Therefore, we can offer 360 degree medical care across the various life stage of the human being. i.e. - we offer medical treatment from pre-marriage stage to marriage stage and to baby stage she said. 3. Personalized Medicine. Personalized Medicine is like a tailor-made, the doctor explains. Currently, when getting the healthcare check ups, a number of general packages provided from the hospital seem to be insufficient for people today. What do they need? They need something which can offer the right solution per their individual need, the doctor answers. . Our hospital provides personalized medical treatment, not just a general one. Different people need different treatment because they have different make up. As part of the treatment, this hospital also inquires about their lifestyle, their career. For instance, if our patient is a traffic policeman who is usually exposed to air pollution, he will be be summoned to check his respiration system as part of organ system check up.

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TAIWAN - AESTHETIC TREATMENTS Dr. Kwang-Ho Choi Aesthetic fever in South Korea has become a significant phenomenon in and beyond Korea, across Asia. As growing number of Asians become familiar with contemporary Korean wave, especially K-Pop and K-Drama, a lot of Asians are flying over to Korea for aesthetic treatments. No wonder a large number of Koreans, regardless of age, gender or lifestyle, are finding interest in transforming their physical appearance to conform to socially accepted ideals of beauty . For more on this phenomenon, we visited Dr. Chois Dermatology Clinic in Sin-sa Dong, one of the most trendy districts in Seoul. The head of Chois clinic, Dr. Kwang-Ho Choi, is originally from Seoul and received his medical degree in dermatology from HanYang National University back in 1986. Dr. Choi defines dermatology as specialty that is beyond just a skincare. He specialized in this specialty because he did not want to face the pressure of life-threatening illness which often encounters limitation on treatment. He finds it joyful to advise patients who want to look younger and better. By the time he opened his first clinic in Hagye - a residential area in Seoul he couldnt practice limited aesthetic techniques alone, such as removing facial moles or armpit procedure, due to low demand for such service. As more and more people became aware of the importance of appearance and began investing on new costly aesthetic treatments from rejuvenation to hair transplant, Dr. Choi explored the potential in aesthetic market and began expanding his clinics to downtown areas of Seoul while adapting variety of new techniques and machines from overseas. He currently runs three clinics in with more than 80 employees including cost-specialized counselor - and anticipates further expansion to U.S. and China. Dr. Choi quotes, The number of patients visiting from eastern Asia to receive aesthetic procedures is continuously increasing, and especially Chinese patients have strong faith and confidence in Korean physicians. For instance, stem cell procedure is not favored by Korean patients yet due to unfamiliarity, however, Chinese patients totally go for it if recommended by medical professions Is beauty is really skin deep? Dr. Choi questions this old saying.

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INDIA DRUG RESISTANT TB Dr. Sharad N. Shenoy Laparoscopic Surgeon

Dr. Shenoy practices at his own clinic, Narayan Nilkant Surgical Centre, and is a consultant for the top hospitals, Jaslok Hospital, in Mumbai where he is also a professor at Jaslok Hospital. He believes that he has a bad habit of developing strong relationships with his patients that go beyond consulting based on his specialization his patients soon become friends and he advises them on most health issues. Dr. Shenoy refers to the stream of recent articles on tuberculosis in the papers over the past few months. Physicians in Mumbai are calling the strain TDR, for Totally Drug-Resistant. The Times of India disclosed that at fist there were actually 12 known cases just in one hospital, the P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre; in the article, Hindujas Dr. Amita Athawale admits, The cases we clinically isolate are just the tip of the iceberg. And as a follow-up, the Hindustan Times reported that most hospitals in the city by extension, most Indian cities dont have the facilities to identify the TDR strain, making it more likely that unrecognized cases can go on to infect others. Health authorities estimate that one patient with active TB can infect up to 15 others. Why this is bad news: TB is already one of the worlds worst killers, up there with malaria and HIV/AIDS, accounting for 9.4 million cases and 1.7 million deaths in 2009, according to the WHO. At the best of times, TB treatment is difficult, requiring at least 6 months of pill combinations that have unpleasant side effects and must be taken long after the patient begins to feel well. And this is exactly Dr. Shenoys contention. He believes that only 10% of the patients that are advised to follow the prescription for six months actually do so. Many of them cannot afford to afford the medicines but many are defaulters. WHO advises three months of medication, but it is not enough according to Dr. Shenoy. Most doctors take the WHO advice very seriously. Just like that even Oral cancer is on the rise because of tobacco consumption and smoking habits. The first step to prevent widespread and alarming concern towards any health issue in a country is to take individual responsibility follow the dosages, prescriptions, lifestyle standards and not abuse ones body. What annoys Dr. Shenoy is the lack of individual responsibility that leads to grave concerns in healthcare.

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TAIWAN YOUNG MYOPIC GENERATION Dr. Tseng Hailing from southern Taiwan, Dr. Tseng went to medical school to pursue a M.D. degree because his parents thought that it is noble to be a Doctor. After graduation he served as an ophthalmologist at 3 different hospitals over the years in Taipei, and he recently started his own eye clinic. Today its nearly 20 years since hes been practicing. During the span of his career, Dr. Tseng has observed that the rate of childrens myopia has increased significantly in Taiwan. While the rate of myopia amongst 6 year olds was only 3% in 1986, it has dramatically increased to 21.5% in 2011. On an average. elementary school students in Taiwan spend more than two hours a day watching television, surfing the internet and playing video games. With parents super busy schedules, they are being replaced by television and computers as the new caregiver. Additionally, with huge competitive pressure mounting around their childs future, parents have arranged for a many a talent classes right from kindergarten phase. This environment is consequently resulting in the elevated prevalence of myopia amongst primary school students. Due to the prolonged use of computers, some office goers and internet addicts are also developing eye problems, which is also known as Computer Vision Syndrome. The symptoms not only includes eye lesions, but also shoulder and back muscle discomfort. Dr. Tsengs worry goes beyond just patients ophthalmic problems in Taiwan, onto the working environment of medical professions in Taiwan. Taiwan National Health Insurance system has created a friendly medical environment for patients which make it easy to obtain treatment at a low cost. Because of issues within the National Health Insurance System, low salaries of nurses, long working hours without pay, and an unreasonable nurse to patient ratio, many questions have been raised. Recently a nurse was put on a IV drip and worked as usual even though she was sick, which has intensified the discussion about the medical care profession in Taiwan. Medical school students in Taiwan do not want to become surgeons or work in the emergency room. On the contrary, they want to be dermatologists or plastic surgeons, because of the short working hours, high income, and low risks of medical lawsuits.

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SINGAPORE Dr. Francis Seow-Choen

We all have the same number of hours in a day but sometimes we wonder how some people can achieve more than others. One such driven person is Dr. Francis Seow-Choen, a colorectal surgeon and the director at his private clinic Seow-Choen Colorectal Centre. Mainstream media interviews and achievement certificates hang in frames, adorning the walls of his clinic located at Paragon Medical Centre, Singapore. Apart from specializing in colorectal surgery, he also travels frequently to deliver lectures and to demonstrate surgery, to countries like, USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, India and Malaysia. Surprisingly, his dream job when he was young was to be a zookeeper. During his A levels examinations, he applied to the Singapore Public Service Commission, hoping to receive a scholarship to become a veterinary surgeon. However, treating animals was not meant to be. Studying Medicine at university was his fourth choice, after Science, Chemistry and Law. It was only after his older sister convinced him that he should study Medicine that he picked up a pen and wrote a letter to the Dean at National University of Singapore telling him that he had changed his mind and requested to do Medicine as his top choice. He got in, and never looked back. His credentials include being a Visiting Professor to the National Centre for Colorectal Diseases and being the founding and current President of the Eurasian (European-Asian) Colorectal Technology Association, which aims to foster knowledge exchange between Europe and Asia in matters relating to colorectal surgery. He has also published extensively; with 39 chapters in surgical textbooks and more than 261 original articles in peer reviewed surgical journals. Dr. Seow-Choen is a pioneer in his field as he has helped established the first colorectal surgery department in Asia at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) after returning from London in 1989 where he worked with world-class surgeons of St. Marks Hospital. He was only 36 years old when he became the director of the department. With all these accomplishments under his belt, Dr. Seow-Choen remains humble at heart and believes in giving back to the community. He says, Give time to things that are important. Working does not make one whole. Perhaps his personal mantra can shed light on his determination to make the best out of every minute of his life. Be the best you can be and always do what you consider is right.

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PHILIPPINES RISE OF CANCER Dr. Eladio Penaranda. Aka. Dr. Lads Dr. EladioPenaranda, or Dr. Lads as most people call him, is a one of the sought after Nephrologists in the Philippines. Not only is he a trusted expert, he is also one of the most accommodating doctors. He really makes time to talk to you and help you out no matter what time of the day you might call him. Even at an early age, medicine and healthcare was something that really interested him. He started his medical training at the Iloilo Doctors College of Medicine. He then did his residency at the Iloilo doctors hospital, wherein during his third year, he decided to specialize in Nephrology (Kidney). After finishing his residency, he entered the Makati Medical Center and became an associate Physician of one of the pioneers of Nephrology in the Philippines, Dr. Ramos. He still supports Dr. Ramos, but at the same time has his own practice at the Makati Medical Center (MMC). He works practically 24/7, because he is always on-call. But he does try to take half-days on Saturdays and Sunday to be able to relax and unwind. An alarming trend he notices is the rise in cancer which has gone up from last year. He attributes this to the lack of awareness amongst people about what causes cancer. People may know what cancer is, but rarely do people know that everyday things that they do can actually make them prone to cancer. The best way to prevent this is to have yourself screened and checked at the proper age. At the age of 50 for men and 40 for women. Another good way is to just keep yourself informed about the different causes and try to live a cautious lifestyle.The biggest medical topic being talked about now is the recent development in Stem Cell treatment. Though this treatment is not yet widely available in the Philippines, and along with all the controversies it faces, we still cannot deny the many possibilities and applications this can have.

SAMs
Successful Asian Men

Knowing me, Knowing you

SINGAPORE Terence Quek Director of Emergentics& International Director of Communication and Outreach, Project Happy Feet. Life is a huge container truck of exciting opportunities and we must choose to make the best of it, despite the occasional disappointments and frustrations. For Mr. Terence Quek, he surely walks the talk. The 37 year-old frowns upon complacency and is always striving for improvement. In 2007, he left his stint at the Singapore Navy after 13 years of service and co-founded a strategic communications consultancy firm, Caelan& Sage. He then merged his company with the Asian subsidiary of US-headquartered global consultancy Emergenetics International and oversees business expansion in Asia as CEO, Emergentics International-Asia. Terence is no stranger to humanitarian and philanthropy efforts both in Singapore and overseas. He is actively involved in grassroots activities. For his efforts, he was awarded JCI The Outstanding Young Person of Singapore in 2009 for humanitarian and/or voluntary leadership.

As one of the founding members of Project Happy Feet http://www.projecthappyfeet.org, a non-profit group that empowers lives of underprivileged children and youth through education and training in places like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Nepal, he shares, what keeps him going, the belief to make a positive difference in any way. Terence graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Sheffield, UK. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Communication Management at Singapore Management University. When asked to describe a career defining moment, Terence recalls his days in the Navy where he attained invaluable leadership and teamwork skills. One of his senior commanders imparted: Look ahead; think safety, take charge which still resonates with him today.

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CHINA Paul Wu There is an old saying in China, a man should be established by the time he reaches the age of 30. However, Paul has already established himself before he turned 30. He currently lives in Shanghai and works for one of the worlds largest fast moving consumer goods companies as Group Product Manager. He is more than satisfied with his current life. Paul was born and raised in Nantong, in Jiangsu province. When he was a young boy, his dreamed of becoming an engineer because he thought it is a cool job to be able to create things, he even chose Vehicle Engineering as his major when entering college. However, after studying engineering for a while, he gradually realized that it is not exactly what he likes and his personality doesnt fit this work type. Therefore, he self studied marketing and practiced English in his spare time in order to find a job at a foreign company. Paul graduated from Tongji University in 2005. The first thing he did after graduation was applying for the management training program at Unilever. After a couple of interview rounds, he got in the program and received his first promotion at the end of 2006 as Brand Supervisor because of his excellent performance at work. Good things dont come without a reason, you need to have good eyes to discover the opportunities to become successful. Paul outlines. In large foreign companies, theyve already built a good and fixed promotion system, everyone has the same opportunity. If you perform well, you will have a chance to be promoted. However, there are other things that can help you to be promoted faster. First, I believe to be insightful and indentify the problems at work and be able to solve these problems innovatively. Secondly, I dare to talk to my boss every once a while, invite him to a chat and share my point of view and thoughts at work. Thirdly, I keep good relationship with HR people so that I could be the first one to know about any internal hiring positions - which department is hiring and why do they need to hire. During his 6 years at Unilever, Paul has been promoted four times already. He was the product manager for a new brand launch for two years before he moved to his current job. Having a mentor is also very important, Paul mentioned. His old boss at Unilever has been helping him on his path to becoming a successful business man. To me, my old boss is more than a mentor, he is a true friend. He has been giving me valuable guidance to help me balance work and personal life. Ive learned diving because of him. I often travel to places that have beautiful beaches where I can relax and dive. It helps me to get ride of my work pressure and rethink about problems at work and in personal life. He moved back to Germany last year but we still talk to each other through emails and Skype calls, he adds.

Knowing me, Knowing you

Currently, Paul finds his new job fulfilling and feels confident about his financial status. Two months ago, he purchased a Volkswagen Scirocco car. I personally favor German brands, and I chose this car because the design is somewhat sporty which allow me to express myself. I love sports, I go to the gym three times a week and I also play various sports such as Tennis and basketball. He uses his new car for commuting to work and getting around in the city. He sometimes takes few friends for weekend get aways, like, Moganshan. He has recently also purchased a Breitling Super Ocean Steelfish watch as a birthday gift for himself. I have been looking for a luxury watch with sporty design and affordable price. I fell in love with the design of this watch immediately, plus it offers 2000 meters water resistant with helium escapement valve. Maybe I can even wear it when I am diving. Paul mentioned and his face lit up. Good things come in pairs, Paul is not only satisfied with his new job but also feels happy about his new relationship. He and his girlfriend have been dating for half a year, if everything goes well, he is planning to buy a house and get married in three years. I started my new job 9 months ago and I want to bring my work to certain level before I get married. I am too busy with work and I cant see my girlfriend as often as other young couples do, so we will need more time to know each other before we tie the knot. Paul laughed. He is also hoping he can have two children. I am the only son in my family, it is quite lonely growing up by myself, I have quite a few cousins but they are not quite like siblings whom you can grow up in the same family. I want my child to have someone to play with, and they can also learn from each other. Paul explained.

Knowing me, Knowing you

MALAYSIA Nick Lee Meet Nick Lee, a 36 year old entrepreneur, who owns The Ark Studios, a production house in Kuala Lumpur. Its an all-in-one audio facility that does everything from recordings, digital mastering, and music for albums, radio, television and movies, but with a special focus on the local and international music scene. He and his wife Lindy, have two kids Leanne, aged 3, and Leyxton who is 4 months old. Nick has always been passionate about music. He was lead guitarist in a band at the age of 16, and even landed a record deal at 18! At an education fair in high school, he was inspired by a brochure of a professional recording studio which eventually led to a Degree in Music Production and Engineering at the Berkelee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. For him, it was a natural progression of passion into a profession. He moved back to Malaysia at the age of 27 after having a successful career in music production in America. The defining moment in his career came with the move, when he decided to build his own production business. Over the years, he has established his business by trying to stay relevant to a new generation of artists. His production house has started to generate a lot of buzz regionally, with high-end clientele from Hong Kong and Japan seeking his services. In life, Nick believes in realistic goals. Pacing himself is crucial, along with celebrating the small successes along the way. At times when he is overworked, hell stop himself to ask, What kind of a legacy do I want to leave behind? and What are the most important things in my life? His answers help to ensure that he has his act together at all times. This year, Nick looks forward to seeing his kids grow. And even without a holiday planned for the rest of the year (the two little ones make this near impossible), he says that he looks forward to coming home to be with his family.

Knowing me, Knowing you

SRI LANKA FerozeKamardeen Feroze is a successful entrepreneur/ dramatist who studied at D.S Seynanayake College and was a theatre fanatic right from his early age. Although his first love was theatre he realized at a certain age that Sri Lanka doesnt offer much scope in the theatre industry. Which lead him to peruse an education in CIM and went on to graduate as a qualified marketer. After getting the necessary professional qualifications, he is now the proud owner of South Asian Technology , a local marketing distributor for several IT based businesses such as Symantech, Vision Solution, checkpoint and many more. Although he chose IT as his career, his true passion for the theatre was never lost. Stage, Light and Magic is his own Theater production company where he creates wonderful theater productions. However, he claims that it is his hobby. The defining career moment in his life was when he started his own business 3 years ago. The inspiration for him to start his own business originated from his aversion to work under someone else. He considered that as a hindrance in moving up the career ladder. He well understood that starting ones own business would not be an easy task as there are so many contingencies to prepare for, such as initial market penetration, proper ways and means to set about targets and to approach objectives etc. I have never had a mentor as such, but I have always had my close friends and family to advice and support me with the decisions I needed to make in life, he says. His philosophy is to lend an ear to the advices given by others but always have a method to filter them to suit the need of the moment. The most memorable day of his life was the day he got married at the age of 33, and now believes he lives a complete and happy life. The first car he bought himself was a Honda Civic and lives in a luxury apartment in the heart of Sri Lanka (Kotte). He proclaims himself to be a gadget freak, his laptop is an imac, owns a lot of up to date gadgetries such as an ipad, galaxy S2, Jawbone jambox, Jawbone bluethooth etc.

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INDONESIA Dennis W / Donald J Success, to Indonesian men, means being able to live independently and to leave a legacy, which will make people remember you with fondness, respect, and admiration - in that order, said Dennis J, the man who is in charge of the business development of one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia, which is also his family business. To reach such success, young Indonesian men agree, it is a never ending struggle. All of them agree that many a time it takes more luck than hard work. Many successful Indonesian young men studied abroad, either in the US, Europe, or Australia, which is where they got their business skills, language skills and connections. Most of them took business as major, or for some, a very specific major like biochemistry or engineering, although many ended up working in the business sector. Most of them agree that they learn a lot more by doing and college seems less significant as they get to deep dive into the real working world. Fathers and uncles have been the best mentors in teaching them the mindset, tactics and tricks that works in Indonesia. These tricks, cues and persuasive language you cant learn in school, especially abroad, Donald W told us. Using these tricks, he has managed to grow his fathers business 5 times in the past 3 years. JAPAN Kenji Yamamoto Kenji, 34 years of age, has been building his career in global energy business. His trading company is one of the biggest trading firms, called Shosha, which is well-known for its great network around the world. He travels every two weeks to the Middle-East and Asia to negotiate with leading energy companies. He wouldnt have been in this business, if it wasnt for his father whos actually the owner of the trading company and travels often too. His father has become his greatest mentor. He is not married as yet due to his busy schedule but has a girlfriend, and is planning to get married soon. Not surprising, he cannot travel without his favorite Macbook Air for it makes it so easy to carry & use in planes. Living in Shiagawa, located in the center of Tokyo in a 2 bedroom rented accommodation, he pays 200,000 a month, which is nearly double the price compared to the average rent people his age spend on. Time is the most essential element of his daily life, thus, wears Bretling wrist watch for its history of aircraft engineering. He has no fear in his future or career but has deep concern in Japans energy & economic future. Thus, he feels responsible to support the domestic economy with the energy business.

Knowing me, Knowing you

BANGLADESH Simon Monsoor Simon is in his mid-30s and currently works as the Director of Marketing Sales, at Grey, a leading creative agency in Bangladesh. He completed his schooling from Government Laboratory School and graduated from National University Bangladesh with commerce background. He did not expected to be working in a creative agency when he was young. He worked at BAT, BanglaLink and at Samsung before he joined Grey and finally started loving what he does. His defining career moment was when he joined British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh. Thats where he met his mentor. His mentor gave him career advice, and showed him the path towards success. He got married when he was 25, had his first child at 31. He bought his first car soon after joining his first job, at the age of 22 and it was a Toyota Corolla EE90. He bought his first house just six months ago (actually booked an apartment under construction), but he inherited his first house when he was 22 from his parents. His passion for watches is unmatched. Owning close to 20 of them now, his current favorite is Omega. His current laptop is a Compaq. He fears working in a non-creative work environment where he might be forced to just do his job, not nurture his passion and talent for creativity.

Knowing me, Knowing you

THAILAND Pairoj Jongprasanwong Pairoj graduated from Thammasart University International College, majoring in Economics and minor marketing. When he was 24, he began to work as a marketing executive in Hitachi, Thailand and realised that this is the career he wants to pursue.

Within his initial working years, he received great opportunity to take larger responsibilities, from analysis to product development, from working with the engineering department to devising research methodology, finally applying theory to practice. He planned his career path to achieve goal of becoming a marketing manager within 5 years in the same company. And then it came! He was promoted to the position of Marketing Manager at the age of 28. Later he decided to switch to another company to give his career a further boost. Now hes with Pacific healthcare as their Brand manager. On the personal side he seems to have planned it all. He married at the age of 32, what he calls the right age for marriage! Soon after he & his wife had their first child. Hes already planning to send his child to an international school when he grows up, imbibe various cultures, learn the art of adjustment, languages. For now the focus is on his babys growth development.

His passion includes wearing luxury watches like Tag Heuer, Rolex and collecting classic car models. Having bought his first car at the age of 27 with his entire savings, he now prefers to buy 2nd hand cars. His first home was bought at the age of 29 with the intention to marry, have more privacy & live separately from his joint family. He mentions that hes not worried about the future as he plans everything and things happen accordingly. He advises not to be too serious about tomorrow but spend life in the present.. His belief of every bad story will have a good story as well. His next 5 year plans include traveling around the world with his family including his parents.

Knowing me, Knowing you

PHILIPPINES Nico Alcoseba 34 year old Nico is the Head of International & Domestic Data, PLDT Business Solution. He has been married for three years and they do not have a child yet. Compared to the previous generations of marrying in their early 20s and having an average of 4 children before thirty, Filipino men have taken to marrying later, having kids later. Nico took his undergraduate degree in Ateneo de Manila, one of the countrys most prestigious universities, his MBA in De La Salle, and further studies in Wharton. He wears a Panerai chronograph. His wife, Lani, followed suit. Both hold executive positions in large corporations. At an early age, Nico aspired to hold an executive position, inspired by his fathers career. My dad used to tell me to not rush, take it one step at a time and pretty soon I will get where I want to be, he shares. Lots of Philippines new generation corporate job holders can easily afford to buy their own house and cars, very different from the 30 year olds of the previous generations who did not have much disposable income. This is largely attributed to SAMs finding partners who were equally successful women. Because both have invested additional years to their careers, the natural cycle of getting married-having kids was pushed back. Due to this, SAMs and their wives worry about their health, as they have contracted minor illnesses at an early age - a price they pay for their hectic lifestyles. However, their financial worries are fewer, as they are certain they can provide a comfortable future for their children

Knowing me, Knowing you

TAIWAN David Tan David, age 35, is a middle manager in the legal department of a well-known security company in Taiwan. He has engaged in legal work for over 10 years, and this is what he wanted to do since he was young. His work involves various kinds of people, including colleagues from different departments within the company and people from opposite sides on the court. For him, it is serious but interesting work. He & his supervisor get along very well, both at work and beyond. His supervisor not only directs his work, but reminds him to establish good interpersonal relationships within the company. Additionally, his supervisor is willing to share his life experiences, such as investment, buying houses, taking care of the family, and the education of children. To David, his supervisor is like his older brother. When David was a child, his father had high expectations for him. David was sent to writing and painting classes to develop multi-disciplinary interests. David studied in a strict private high school, in which entering the higher education level was set as his top goal. His fathers hope included entering a good university, and even go abroad to study. He married at 31 years of age and has no children as yet. Because of Taipeis unreasonably high housing prices and a 20-year mortgage, David has not planned to buy a house in Taipei. He enjoys his life; fond of photography, classical music, whiskey, traveling, and fashion. Rolex is his favorite watch brand, and he adores his Apple laptop. In the future as he has children, he plans to buy a house in Taipei. "Because I want to give my children and my family a good and reassuring environment" says David. Like his father took care of his family, David also wants to fulfill the responsibilities of being a husband and a father.

Knowing me, Knowing you

INDIA Aalap Sharma

Currently working as Senior Global Brand Manager, Domestos Global, Unilever, Aalaps job involves leading teams located across the world in delivering innovations to enter and expand the toilet & bathroom cleaner markets in their respective geographies as a Market Development expert. His role has special focus towards Asia, Africa and Latin America. Prior to this role, he worked for 3 years as Senior Regional Brand Manager, Ponds South Asia. Then his role involved creating mixes to grow the range of Ponds talcum powders and develop a Market Development strategy to expand the facial cleanser market in South Asia while gaining disproportional share for Ponds. Aalap joined Unilever in 2005 and after his training, he undertook a 3 year Customer Development assignment as Area Sales & Customer Manager for Madhya Pradesh Rural geography in India. With an engineering degree from Delhi University, he completed his MBA from the prestigious IIM-Bangalore (2003-05). Aalap says, as a young kid, I did not know about the stream of marketing. I thought about becoming an engineer because that is what all my friends seemed to be doing. I went with the flow. He further adds, the defining moment of my professional life came in 1999 when I did not get through to the IIT engineering entrance. I saw that those around me had stepped up their game and I had a lot to do to catch up. I promised myself that I would not let go of another chance to build my career and with some hard work, topped the CAT entrance exam in 2003 with 99.99 percentile. Talking of his mentor, he mentions his first boss and what he preached - Most people spend their lives trying to figure out what others think of them, leave that and concentrate on your measure of success. Aalap well managed his romance alongside his education. He got married at the age of 25 to his high school sweetheart. They dont yet have a child. He bought his first car at the age of 27, a Maruti Swift Dzire. And how hes in the process of buying their first house.

Knowing me, Knowing you

Not surprisingly, Aalap, like many of his corporate peers, owns 9 watches. Each to match with his clothes and mood. From Guess Chronograph to Tissot and Tommy Hilfiger. His dream is to own a Patek Philippe soon. He carries his company provided Dell laptop. When asked about his biggest fear, he answers, I fear not being there when my family needs me the most. I am attached emotionally to my parents and would like my success to reflect in their lives too. His measure of success is in the way he reflects upon various success - small or big, in the past or in the future. I find that I have been reasonably successful till now but neither a shining success nor a mediocre student who pottered along. In Business school, I thought that I wanted to spend the first 10 years of my professional life learning, the next 10 leading and the 10 after that maximizing financially. I have had 2 good stints and have the promise of a challenging one next. Of course, I have made mistakes along the way and those are the dimensions which I seek to excel at in the next stint, he adds.

*or any other music player

Playing on my iPod*
JAPAN SINGAPORE Come Home (Geylang Song) Eli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= QKvf2mFwuc&list=UUOvzTEmaL55GG0 nUj0dCaMw&index=9&feature=plcp

GReeeeN ORANGE
http://www.universalmusic.co.jp/greeeen/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYG EiH7FWZg

SRI LANKA
Mata HeenayakWela DamithAsanka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A 5Jz2LbnOAM

PHILIPPINES

MALAYSIA
Remake of "Ra Sihinen ShihanMihiranga (Originally sung by NamalUdugama)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTOyah w-lJE

Gotye (Album: Making Mirrors) Somebody That I Used To Know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvI GY

KOREA
Yuna Terukir Di Bintang http://youtu.be/SjHTJywVmAI BuskerBusker 1st album Cherry Blossom Ending)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXV7dfvSefo&ob=av3e

Night Sea)

(Yeo-Su

http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TV4vJe3jgAE

TAIWAN
Count on Me Show Lo
http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=YWZ2-WEMdDk

Playing on my iPod*
CHINA Milkshake Love In The Buff
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XM zMzMzcwNjc2.html

BANGLADESH
SheshGaan Nemesis
http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=Q_8cI-j34dU

G.E.M. Someday Ill Fly

http://v.youku.com/v_show/ id_XMzc1NzI4MjQ4.html

Jin Sha

INDIA & BANGLADESH PyaarkiPungi Fdrom the movie: Agent Vinod

The Magic of Love

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id _XMzUzNTkzODY4.html

THAILAND
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DqsSB bRtg&feature=related

Chun-Mai-Tord NekoJump
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=qH-LC0iNc7o

INDONESIA

Kon-kang-kang 25 Hours

Apalah (ArtiMenunggu) Raisa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx_kW1f5 W6M

http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=6Df3d75YgXM

Elated about

Whats giving people great joy?

Elated about
SINGAPORE Project Hello Stranger

When was the last time you went out of your way to make a stranger smile? The fast paced life in Singapore and the constant economic development has inevitably caused people to build walls between themselves, leaving a city devoid of soul. Project Hello Stranger is a voluntary movement by a group of youths who are neither out there for money nor for fame, but with just a simple belief of spreading happiness and warmth amongst strangers. This movement involves guerilla strategies and engagement of Singaporeans mainly through social media as they roll out different activities to get them to show their softer side.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td7-xkI5n4c

They debuted on 18 March 2012 where they took to the streets and held up huge cards that greeted Hello Stranger before flipping to the other side, which said Honk if youre having a great day. The results were positive, with many drivers excited to pitch in the cacophony of honks, with the pedestrians also feeling pleasantly surprised. Additionally, high-fives were also on offer at Raffles Place MRT station during the morning peak hour of Friday the 13th (April). These may be small gestures but what a great way to start someones day. For more on their fun and meaningful projects http://hellostrangerproject.wordpress.com

Elated about

INDONESIA Protests prevent rise in fuel prices

After a long big protest for few days, the government on March 21st, expressed confidence that it would be able to proceed with its plan to increase the price of subsidized fuel next month despite strong opposition from political parties and labor unions. Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo told reporters at the Presidential Palace he was optimistic the government would be able to apply the planned 33 percent increase in the price of subsidized fuel to Rp 6,000 per liter. As he spoke, thousands of union workers started to march towards the palace from the Hotel Indonesia, about two kilometers to the south to protest against the subsidy cut. There were also demonstrations in cities across the country, with some of them turning violent. Kwik Kian Gie, an economist who is also a member of the Indonesian opposition, Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), says the government does not need to raise fuel prices at all in fact, it is using this opportunity to manipulate the masses. Finally on March21st, the government decided not to increase the fuel price from April 1st. Not today, not tomorrow, not anytime soon, said Bambang Brodjonegoro, the head of Fiscal Policy in The Monetary Ministry. While people feel relieved and happy about the announcement, many realized that this is just a temporary escape. While canceling the price increase, the government has decided to establish a new policy where in if the market price of oil has increased more than 15% in the past 6 months, the government has the right to increase the fuel price to keep them away from losing money. If nothing else, the protest succeeded in buying some time.

Elated about
CHINA Kindness and Humanity Among Strangers

On the afternoon of April 16, 2012, a blind young man was taking a taxi in Meizhou city, Guangdong province. When the young man was about to get off the car, the taxi meter showed the ride cost as RMB 14. However, the taxi driver refused to take the money from the young man, instead, he supported the young man to get off the car and said to him, I dont want to take your money because making money is easier for me. After the young man got off, another elderly man who witnessed the taxi driver helping the young man took the cab, chatted with the driver the whole ride. And when the taxi meter showed RMB 14.5, the elderly passenger gave the taxi driver RMB 30 and said, I am no great person but I want to pay for the young man because I I make money easier than you do and I want to support you to continue doing what you just did.

On April 17, the daughter of the taxi driver, with the online ID yaoyao521, posted the whole story on Chinas largest micro-blogging service Sina Weibo. Within few hours, the post has been forwarded for more than 64,000 times and received more than 10,000 comments. One netizen commented, I feel so touched by the story and I really hope everyone of us can pass along the warmth to people around us so that kindness and humanity will exist in the society forever. Another netizen also commented, No matter you are rich or poor, you should be part of the community that passes along the kindess and humanity. The world will become a much better place if we all start doing this!.

Elated about
MALAYSIA JinnyboyTVs nostalgic video of our childhood days in the 90s

A locally produced video has been bringing smiles and even happy tears to the faces of Malaysian youth who did their schooling in the 1990s. Co-produced and co-directed by Jin Lim, 27, and Rueben Kang, 25, of JinnyboyTV, the seven minute video titled My Generasi (My Generation) recalls Malaysian primary school days in the 90s before the proliferation of smartphones and gadgets. The idea for the video draws from the starkly different childhoods that kids who grew up in the 90s experienced from those of today. According to Rueben Kang, the inspiration came from an outing at a restaurant: The family next to us had 3-4 kids, all of whom were busy with their phones and gadgets. When we were kids we saved money to buy rubber bands and multi-colored pencil boxes, he said. The simple video struck a chord with the young Malaysian netizens, garnering 1 million views along with countless shares and blog posts in just four days after its upload on Youtube. Viewer comments reflected their sheer happiness seeing the video bringing back their happy, simple childhood days and some even remarked that the video sparked a sense of pride in their uniquely Malaysian childhood and in the Malaysian talent that produced such a well-made video. Most remarked the video evoked a sense of pride among those who grew up in the 90s with the real childhood days they had, as opposed to the technology-driven ones that kids experience today. Following the videos considerable impact on Malaysian youths, telecommunications youth brand Digi decided to leverage on the popularity of the video by sponsoring a smartphone give away contest. As part of the contest, participants recorded and uploaded their own interpretation of My Generasi, which was also automatically entered for Digis WWWOW Internet Awards. Digis quick and astute actions allowed it to effectively capitalize on a pop culture phenomenon in progress that perfectly embodies their own campaign. Watch My Generasi at: http://youtu.be/CzkAPMWNSGc

Elated about
SRI LANKA Sangakkara Makes Sri Lanka Proud Sri Lankan Cricket recently congratulated Senior player Kumar Sangakkara on being named the International Cricketer of the Year 2012 by the Wisden Almanack. Sangakkara, 34, was picked by the Wisden as one of its five cricketers of 2011. He has scored 9382 runs in 108 Test matches with 28 centuries with an average of 54.86. In the ODIs, he has scored 10472 runs in 325 matches with 13 centuries with an average of 38.21. His performance behind the stumps- 167 catches with 20 stumpings in Tests and also 315 catches with 80 stumpings has been outstanding. Kumar now joins a special brand of great cricketers dating back to 1889, and the award he received is not only a global recognition but a national achievement as a true son of the Sri Lankan soil.

JAPAN Womens World Cup Win

The victory of Womens World Cup soccer has been a nationwide exciting news across Japan. It elevated the mood of Japan which had been depressed after the earthquake disaster of March 11 2011. Their dramatic come back has energized Japan. The match garnered 27.7% viewer ratings despite being aired in the wee hours of the morning, 4am.

Elated about

THAILAND A Taxi Driver who returned 13 Million Baht worth of Gold !!

Taxi driver Saksri Kesseekaew, 56, told police that he was worried after he discovered a bag full of gold jewellery left in his car by a passenger in Bangkok. Mr Saksri said there were 10 boxes of gold in the bag. He opened three of the boxes and found many gold ornaments inside. He asked his friend to call the Police Radio FM 91 station to broadcast details of the incident and help find the owner. He also drove back to the areas where he had picked up and dropped off the passenger who left behind the gold.

The gold dealer, Akekarat Kanokwannakorn, said he has rewarded the driver with two gold necklaces, one weighing three baht and another weighing two baht, alongwith 500,000 baht in cash. Mr Akekarat, 60, is a gold shop owner in Ubon Ratchathani. He told police that he mistakenly left gold weighing 540 baht in the taxi but could not remember its license plate number. This act shows the kindness of Thai people . This reflects the Thai society and quite a few foreign tourists have praised Thailand for this.

Elated about
PHILIPPINES A Filipinos shot at fame in American Idol

This girl is one of the best singers in America ever. -Randy Jackson, judge

Filipinos have always been proud of their singing talent especially when they have one of their own gaining popularity in singing contests internationally. It is anticipated that each American Idol season, a Fil-Am will get a shot at the title. This year, it is Jessica Sanchez. Already through to the semi-finals, Jessica is predicted to be one of the finalist until she got the lowest votes during Top 7 of the week. But in one of the most dramatic turnaround on the show ever, the judges used their one and only SAVE of the season to keep Jessica on the show. Filipinos local and abroad are abuzz online rallying to keep support for Jessica to the end. BANGLADESH Country wide strike ends! People are thrilled that the three day strike is over now. People have thanked the opposition party for lifting off the strike, Hartal as called in local language. People are going back to their normal lives. In Bangladesh its being seen as a very positive action from a political party initiating the strike call-off and allowing people to live their normal life.

Elated about
TAIWAN Wei-Yin Chens first ever MLB win

Taiwanese pitcher Wei-Yin Chen got his first win in his Major League Baseball (MLB) career. Chen is Taiwan's first pitcher to have won games in both the Japanese Professional Baseball League and MLB. On the game day, many fans gathered to watch the game. The students from the high school from where he graduated, even lined up at the campus in a particular way to display his last name, CHEN , as part of a tribute to his victory. INDIA More engineering seats this year Last year, 42,000 government quota seats offered through single window counseling went vacant. This year, an estimated 28,000 seats are to be added to the engineering seat matrix and there is no need to book a seat in a top college or otherwise, experts advise parents. Parents who remain doubtful could just look at the numbers to feel reassured. The state has set up three new government engineering colleges that will start taking students from 2012-13. More than 100 new engineering colleges have sought approval from the All India Council for Technical Education this year, and several existing colleges have been allowed to add additional seats and start new courses. "We haven't received complaints of seats being sold or bought. But there is no need for parents to worry. More seats will be available through single window counselling than last year," said Anna University vice-chancellor P Mannar Jawahar. The university is responsible for conducting the single window counselling system.

Waiting list
THAILAND & TAIWAN, LADY GAGA CONCERT

With only a month to go, most Thai fans of Lady Gaga are counting down to the most anticipated concert of the year by the world's most famous superstar. In this brand new tour, Gaga will perform her latest album Born This Way as well as music from both The Fame and The Fame Monster. The Born This Way Ball world tour includes a performance at Bangkoks Rajamangala National Stadium on May 25th, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. As part of her Asia tour, Lady Gaga will soon make her second visit to Taiwan as well. The concert takes place in May. Although the most expensive seats for the concert were priced at nearly $430, they have already sold out. Some Taiwanese fans waited 3 to 4 days before the official ticket opening day in front of the ticket office, amidst high police security.

Waiting list
SINGAPORE, DOUBLE DOWN BURGER Will a burger be a burger without the buns? Well, KFC thinks so. However, this bunless sandwich is not your typical low-carb diet choice. Far far from it. In fact, KFCs latest Double Down burger has probably twice or three times the number of calories, as the buns have been replaced by two thick, juicy-on-the-inside and crunchy-on-theoutside chicken patties and are stuffed with turkey bacon, sliced cheese and creamy mayonnaise. Phew! Judging by the 2000 likes for the Double Down post on KFC Singapores Facebook page, people are welcoming this burger with open arms and hungry stomachs, with many stating that they cannot wait to sink their teeth into the burger.

JAPAN, SALTED RICE MALT Shiokoji is a salt-marinated rice malt which was originally an old Japanese seasoning, made just from rice malt, salt, and water. All these three ingredients are mixed, fermented, and matured to become what it is. In the old days, Japanese used shio-koji as the dip to pickle vegetables/fish as a preservative, as well as for staying healthy. Amazingly shio-koji has become so popular again since 2011 that many recipes are being introduced on various TV programs and blogs, mostly because of its health benefit. New Shiokoji products are being introduced everyday and even Shiokoji jam has been a huge hit. Everyone is looking for recipes using Shiokoji and it has been the number one word being checked out on Cookpad, the most popular recipe site in Japan.

Waiting list

INDONESIA, SS4INA, Super Show 4 - Super Junior World Tour 2012 Finally, Indonesian Elfs ( the name for Indonesian Super Junior Fans) have the opportunity to see the Super Junior live performance on 28-29 April 2012. Super Junior is boy band from Korea. With its live performance, Indonesia seems to have been swept by the Korean wave. The fans who are mostly teenagers are very excited and enthusiastic with the concert, their enthusiasm doesnt seem to cease. As soon as the concert information was released, the fans celebrated. The public ticket sales was in news as it created lot of chaos. The public sales venue couldnt accommodate the fans. To avoid havoc at the public ticket sale venue, promoters offered a selection question. Only fans who could mention the SUJU personnel name was allowed to buy the ticket. Within 2 hours, 6000 tickets were sold out, many teenager cried for not getting the concert tickets. Junior sky seat priced at around US$55, was the most sought after. Initially the concert was scheduled for two days. Seeing the rocking response SHOWMAXX, the organisers, negotiated for an additional concert day. Finally it became a 3 day concert, from 27-29 April. Fans went crazy hunting for tickets both online and offline, and some brands held online free SUJU ticket contests on twitter. Teenagers from outer Java island such as Sumatra, Bali and Sulawesi spent their saving, flew to Jakarta with their parents just to buy the ticket.

Source : http://i.okezone.com/tv/photos

http://hot.detik.com/music/

Waiting list

CHINA Titanic 3D movie tickets On April 10th, Chinese moviegoers flocked to cinemas and lined up for tickets to see James Cameron's epic "Titanic" in 3D. Three IMAX cinemas in Beijing were packed for the movie's debut screening on the first day, despite the high ticket price-150 rmb (24 US$)-and the inconvenient midnight hour of the screening. Even outside Beijing, screenings of the film in 3D cinemas in other large cities sold out days before the film was released. "I have watched Titanic seven or eight times," said Liu Jianwen, 27, who lined up for tickets outside a cinema in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia with his girlfriend. "I'm here for the story rather than the visual effects. It's such a touching love story." The 1997 movie was a phenomenal success globally, and grossed 360 million rmb when it entered the Chinese mainland market in 1998. This phenomenal box office record remained unbroken for 11 years, until the release of Transformers 2 in 2009. A ticket to see the Titanic at that time cost 25 rmb, at most. Today, the high priced ticket doesnt deter fans. Market analysts believe the 3D "Titantic" is likely to gross over 500 million rmb in mainland cinemas, according to media reports in China. Still, despite the special effects, and reworked footage, many fans are disappointed. Some fans were upset about missing out on the romantic but controversial scenes in which Rose, played by Kate Winslet, posed nude for the sketches. Social networking sites such as Sina Weibo were abuzz with criticism of the cut by the censors. "I've waited for close to 15 years, but not for the 3D icebergs," said a widely forwarded microblog post. Cinemagoers were especially annoyed, given that the same censorship allowed the movie to be screened uncut back in 1998. There is no official response to the roll-back of the censorship policy concerning the 3D film. However, on an online survey conducted by popular microblogging site Sina Weibo, 73 percent of those polled said the movie was "great" and only 12 percent expressed dissatisfaction. 'Titanic' shows us what love is about," said Qi Lunna, a university professor, adding that the movie highlights a sore point in today's society, that materialism is eroding pure relationships, she said.

Waiting list
BANGLADESH, ARTCELL ROCK BAND

ARTCELL is a Bangladeshi progressive rock band. The BIG four, as the fans call them, are a four member team band. They have a cult fan following. Their first full length album was back in 2002. Then after a long waiting, their second full length album was release on 2006. Now, in 2012, after a a long 6 years wait, they have announced their third full length studio album for release soon. Fans are eagerly waiting for their album. They started as one of the most noticeable underground band. It did not take long for them to build a loyal fan base and make a huge name for themselves. After the first album launch, every rock n roll lover had their album either in car audio system or walkman or in their portable music player. So, when they announced their third album, fans erupted and they are indeed WAITING! SRI LANKA HYBRID VEHICLES Sri Lankans are dying to buy Hybrid Vehicles. Will it last? The one consumer decision most people make which impacts the greatest on the environment is the choice of car we drive. Hybrid cars have been gaining popularity over the years primarily due to their fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions to the environment. The quality luxury features combined with premium pricing makes it one of the most wanted option for many high net worth consumers. Sri Lankas demand for hybrid vehicles during the year 2011, has risen by 1200% and the country has imported 5927 hybrid vehicles last year There was a good inducement in Sri Lanka in the past few months for people to buy hybrid vehicles due to the tax concessions but currently the situation has changed where total taxes increased to 24 percent and the increase in fuel prices has also led to decline in demand. Will this trend continue? We are yet to find out

Waiting list

MALAYSIA Roadside grilled gourmet burgers Will you wait for three hours just to buy a burger from a roadside stall? In a nation obsessed with food, its no surprise that a long queue forms almost every evening at a street gourmet burger stall in Wangsa Maju, a major township in Kuala Lumpur. Many customers are willing to wait for hours just to get a taste of Kaw Kaw Burger Bakars grilled chicken and beef burgers. The average waiting time to get A long queue nightly for Kaw Kaw Burger Bakar your hands on a burger is reportedly three hours. Kaw Kaw Burger Bakar is owned by two young entrepreneurs, Mohd Faizul Baharudin or Zul, 26, and Nini Haznita Muhammad or Nita, 25, who attribute the popularity of the burgers to the fresh, homemade meat patties and grilling technique used. According to Zul, People like something new. They want to know what a burger bakar (grilled burger) tastes like. Furthermore, our prices are good for this huge portion. Open from 7.45pm to 2am, the stall gets an average of 250 orders a day with burger prices ranging from MYR 7.50 (USD 2.45) to MYR 18.50 (USD 6.05). Customers may also request for Tower burgers with any desired number of patties their largest order to date is a Tower 20, made with 20 beef patties.

Owners Zul and Nita showing off their burger creations

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2 012/4/10/nation/11076423&sec=nation

Waiting list

INDIA, VESPA SCOOTERS Vespa was first sold in India in the 1960s and the 1970s in collaboration with Bajaj Auto. After exiting that venture, Piaggio tied up with LML till 1999, when the LML-Piaggio venture ended. This automatic scooter made a public appearance at Auto Expo Show which was held earlier this year at New Delhi. People are very much excited after looking at the Piaggio Vespa LX pictures on different websites and want to lay their hand on this iconic machine. Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director, Piaggio Vehicles (India) said, "We reckon there is tremendous excitement brewing among Indian consumers to experience the original Italian Vespa that is an icon of distinctive lifestyle. With its Indian foray, Vespa will serve the unmet need of fashion, style and brand conscious individuals whod like to make a unique statement in mobility. And the much awaited launch of the Piaggio Vespa just took place with a price of Rs 66,000, exMaharashtra on 26th April 2012. Piaggio has dropped the LX125 tag for this scooter in India and it will be called just Vespa. There is no premium segment in the Indian scooter market. We will not compete with the existing players, but will create a unique segment for the brand. There is no better time to be in the Indian two-wheeler scooter space with evolved consumers looking for lifestyle options that go beyond mobility,'' he said. Piaggio will sell its retro classic, the gearless Vespa LX125 here. The launch marks the world-wide debut of a new engine developed for the Indian market. The new engine is eco-friendly and fuel efficient and will be produced in Piaggio's other manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia,'' said Mr. Chopra. We will double capacity to three lakh units annually by mid-2013 at an additional investment of 20 million euro (around Rs.140 crore). We will gradually ramp up to reach monthly production levels of 12,000 units by September-October and, thereafter, to 15,000 and 20,000 levels,'' said Mr. Chopra adding that the Indian scooter market was growing at 20 per cent CAGR and would grow in double digits in the coming years. At full capacity, Piaggio expects to garner around 10 per cent of this market, he said.

Tense about

CHINA A Beijing woman died from the collapse of a sidewalk

On the afternoon of April 1st, a women named Yang Erjing, was walking to work with her colleague on North Lishi road in Beijing when the sidewalk suddenly collapsed, Yang was doused with scalding hot water spraying from faulty pipes as she fell beneath the street. Her body was almost entirely submerged in the scalding waters before she was pulled free and rushed to a nearby hospital. Young regained consciousness in the hospital at a point and she was able to recognize her family members. But on April 9th at 11pm the hospital confirmed that Yang had passed away. Xicheng District Administration of Work Safety launched an investigation into who should be responsible for the accident. The vice manager of Beijing Heating System Group (BHSG) told the Beijing News on Monday that there were 30 meters of broken piping in the neighborhood, leaking water at temperatures above 90 C. He suggested that the leakage might have softened the soil which led to the collapse of the pavement. "The area of land with the leakage doesn't belong to BHSG, and the property management is responsible for repairs and routine inspections," said Tian, "the group only takes liability to provide assistance." The paper indicated that BHSG had received complaints about hot water leaking through the pavement prior to the accident and had dispatched staff. However, Ma said at the scene that there was no sign of "any staff or any warning signs in the area. A lawyer from Beijing Yusheng Law Firm mentioned The responsibility should be held by the current property owner, it appears the heating group should take secondary liability for their failure to act on reports and complaints, as well as their failure to supervise the property management company," said Fang Bo. According to a Beijing Times, the company had paid 320,000 rmb ($50,816) in medical expenses to Yangs family. Few weeks after the accident happened, it has been one of the most discussed topic on China's largest micro-blogging service SinaWeibo, netizens have expressed their anger on local government and related party delaying solving the problem and causing Yangs death.

Tense about
SINGAPORE An article about Singaporean women unwilling to date blue-collar workers A wedge between blue-collar workers and office executives still exist. A newspaper in Singapore ran an article on 15 April 2012 about a graduate woman whose fianc is a hawker, with an accompanying infographic in which 50 undergraduate women and graduate women aged 21 to 28 were asked if they would date a blue-collar worker. 100% of them said no, expressing reluctance to marry down.

The results of the above snap-poll only reinforces a study published last year by Singapore Management University (SMU) psychology professor Norman Li who found that Singaporean women are significantly more materialistic than their American peers, the former valuing a mans social status over other factors such as kindness and personality. These findings are nothing new since research in evolutionary psychology has shown that women look for partners with good financial prospects, a high social status, ambition and industriousness. Especially here in Singapore, it is widely believed that the path to success and financial security is followed after an education degree and a respectable job. However, the ladies reactions are split between two camps. On one hand, the more open-minded camp questions the validity of social status based on ones job vocation and argues that personality and chemistry counts for more. On the other, the realists admit that they would not date blue-collar workers as they worry about whether they can provide financial stability and whether or not they can get along despite coming from different backgrounds. Perhaps you cannot blame these undergraduates and graduates for sounding superficial as Singapore is now the 8th most expensive city to live in, coming in before Hong Kong and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Tense about

MALAYSIA The fight for free and clean elections In Malaysia, there is a sense of calm before a storm as thousands of Malaysians, young and old, of all races, prepare to sit in for a peaceful rally in the fight for clean and fair elections. The rally, scheduled for 28thAprill 2012, will be the third one organised by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections or BERSIH (meaning clean in the Malay language) which is a coalition of NGOs with the aim of reforming the electoral system to ensure fair elections in Malaysia. The Bersih 2.0 rally held last year drew thousands of supporters to Kuala Lumpur despite a nationwide government ban. The government employed high-handed tactics, using force, tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Their violent crackdown sparked a storm of debate which led to the passing of the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011. This year, the government is taking a more cautious approach so as not to have a repeat of last years rally. Thus, they have given green light for the rally to happen, but the debate as to whether Bersih can happen in the historical DataranMerdeka (Independence Square) has yet to be resolved. Despite this, Malaysians, locally and globally, are still anxious as to how the rally will proceed. The rally is an indication of the tension and anticipation amongst Malaysians as they wait for the next elections to arrive. Recent events like the ban on Erykah Badu, ban on a ballet performance, ban on gays have built up a frenzy, all culminating to Bersih 3.0. Although we cant predict what the outcome of the 28th of April rally will be, but one is assured that the elections to come will be one poised to go down in the history books.
The Bersih 2.0 rally last year

Biker gangs

INDONESIA

Tense about

The controversy is getting bigger & bigger starting last month. Arifin, a seaman from the Navys Western Fleet (Armabar) was killed in north Jakarta. It was then followed by a series of attack in more than 8 areas of Jakarta . People on the street feel extremely unsafe, especially at night.Its suspected that Arifin was killed by the motorcycle gang named Y Gen, a famous motorcycle gang in east Jakarta. And his friends from the Navys Western Fleet using a yellow ribbon in their jacket- took a revenge for him by attacking motorcycle gang in some areas in Jakarta. The motorcycle gangs brutal action actually is not only a happening in Jakarta. Bandung has other motorcycle gangs namely Brigez, XTC etc, which is well know for its violence actions. Brigez have had a series of attacks on people on the street, robbed them at convenient stores, participate in wild races or attack innocent civilians and police. It took a while for the police to neutralizer the situation and took law action for them. Police regularly raid to keep them in control. However it could be an enemy in the blanket, until now the motorcycle gang is still alive and keeps recruiting new members, even though the brutal action is not as violent as before. The President has asked Coordinating Political, Legal and Security affairs Minister to coordinate with the police and the military in ending the violence.Despitethe presidents command, parents are still facing tensed as most of the motorcycle gang members are teenagers. Nowadays its common to let teenagers shave motorcycle even without formal driving license. And their children could be in any situation, a victim of motorcycle violence or the culprit.One can easily recognize the motorcycle gang from their outlook, like, not using helmet, jacket or shoes, carrying a sharp weapon (mostly hand made), only show up in the night (without motorcycle light and creating so much noise).

Tense about
SRI LANKA US Sponsored UN resolution against alleged war crimes against Sri Lanka passed in UNHRC convention at Geneva

POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS AS A RESULT OF THE UN RESOLUTION ON SRI LANKA The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution urging Sri Lanka to investigate alleged abuses during the final phase of war with Tamil rebels. This Norway, US and European Union sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC has been passed with 24 countries voting for the resolution and only 15 against it. Eight countries abstained from voting. This may give rise to negative economical implications especially considering the fact that trade relations between Sri Lanka and Britain are of vital importance to both countries. Sri Lankan exports to the UK in 2011 totalled to more than USD 1.2 billion and imports from the UK were worth some USD 245 million, making the UK Sri Lankas second largest trading partner by volume. While half of the countrys exports worth US$2 billion out of a total of US$4 billion go to Europe. In addition to this the tourism industry may also be affected as Sri Lanka is hot tourist destination for US and European nationals.

Tense about
JAPAN North Koreas rocket launch North Koreans attempt to launch its nuclear rocket caused Japan excessive tension. Mostly becuase Pyongyang announced, it planned to fly over the Sakishima Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The announcement included the timing, ie, between April 12 and April 16. In the event the North Korean rocket veers off course, Japanese Self-Defense Force units deployed 2 ships and 7 PAC3 units whos location included Tokyo metropolitan area. Mid April is the peak season for cherry blossoms in Japan inviting lot of tourists, hence the need for emergency measures increased. In fact, about 100 travelers themselves cancelled visiting Okinawa and 9 schools cancelled their school trips. On April 14th at about 7:40 am local time, North Korea launched its rocket, but within minutes it splintered into pieces. TAIWAN Drop in GDP growth An Economic Research report revised Taiwans GDP growth forecast downward to 3.55%, due to higher fuel and electricity costs. Experts believe this will have a negative affect the economy. With rise in petrol and electricity prices. other goods could soon be affected leading to inflation. An online user commented that the only inflationresistant item is salary. As salaries stay stagnant, there are worries that more and more people will find it harder to keep a financial balance. Deposits cannot keep up with the rising cost of goods, not to mention housing, real estate, food, and other consumer necessities. Many Taiwanese are already feeling stressed financially.

Tense about
THAILAND, Tsunami panic

After a massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra at a location close to the huge quake struck area that contributed to the deaths of thousands of people in 2004, Tsunami panic spread across much of Thailand. From that moment itself, several media in Thailand gave the Tsunami warning and made prediction of the time when Tsunami will reach the coast of Thailand. In time to come, as panic grew and Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre called the situation back to normal, soon the tsunami warning announcement was lifted from media channels. The first quake was felt far and wide, with Bangkok residents experiencing the ground shaking under their feet. The earthquake was felt in many of the capital's high-rise buildings, with some office workers stampeding down to the ground floor after noticing curtains and lamps shaking. "I rushed out of Interchange Tower because the floor was shaking so much that I felt dizzy," said a Bangkok resident. German experts who helped install the tsunamiwarning system off Indonesia said the quake was horizontal, rather than vertical, making a big tsunami less likely. "There wasn't much vertical movement," said Rainer Kind of the German GeoResearch Centre.

Tense about
PHILIPPINES Chinese vessels in the West Philippines Sea On April 8, 2012, 8 Chinese vessels were seen in the Scarborough or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines has earlier dismissed Chinas historical claim of the disputed waters and rocks maintaining that it has jurisdiction over the contested waters since the 1700s, it being within the 200nautical-miles Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf. The country is currently in a 2-week-long stand-off when BRP Gregorio del Pilar boarded eight Chinese fishing vessels and caught them doing illegal maritime activities inside the shoals lagoon. Two Chinese surveillance ships immediately arrived to place themselves between the Chinese fishing vessels and the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, preventing the capture of the said fishing vessels. Both countries, until now, have refused to withdraw their ships from the region. In the middle of the situation, the Philippine and US government also started its friendly military exercises which raised many eyebrows on the real motives behind the program. As of April 19, there are unofficial reports that the Chinese government has rejected the Philippines proposal to seek international arbitration with the Itlos, an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Tense about

INDIA Hostage crisis takes priority for the government The Central government plans unified strategy to tackle hostage crisis spreading parts of India. Negotiations between the interlocutors from Maoist and Chhattisgarh government side are expected to begin on Thursday to resolve the hostage crisis involving an IAS officer Alex Paul Menon, who was abducted by the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) cadres from trouble-torn Sukma district in tribal Bastar region on April 21, official sources said. The interlocutors from the government side former Chhattisgarh chief secretary Sujyoga Kumar Misra and former Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Mrs NirmlaBuch are already in Raipur where they were briefed by senior officials aboutthe situation arising out of the Sukma district collector's abduction. "Our team is ready for talks which, most probably, could be held in the state capital", chief minister Raman Singh's Principal secretary N Baijendra Kumar told The Times of India over telephone from Raipur. Government sources said both MrsBuch and Misra are expected to have a meeting with chief minister Raman Singh at 7.30 PM and later a meeting on state's internal security is scheduled for 8.30 PM on Wednesday. Both MrsBuch, a 1960 batch IAS officer, and 1967 batch IAS officer Suyogya Kumar Misra are also scheduled to meet Chief Minister Raman Singh late in the night. A meeting on state's internal security meeting is slated for Wednesday night. The interlocutors from the Maoist side - Dr B D Sharma and Prof G Haragopal - are expected to reach Raipur by Thursday morning to participate in the negotiations. B D Sharma, a former district collector of undivided Bastar, is the president of Bharat Jan Andolan while Prof. Haragopal was an interlocutor from the Maoist side last year when the rebels abducted Orissa's Malkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna. The Maoist rebels have demanded withdrawal of paramilitary forces from Bastar, release of their eight jailed leaders, stopping of "Operation Green hunt" anti-Naxaliteoperations in the tribal areas-and recalling the security forces to the barracks in exchange of freedom for the abducted collector. The state government has been maintaining that there was no operation code named as "green hunt" and it was ready to hold talks with the Maoists to resolve the hostage crisis. Meanwhile, indications are that the Maoists, who had earlier fixed April 25 as deadline for meeting their demands, are expected to announce further extension of the time limit by late on Wednesday night.
Watch news report here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUcq_QPEW2M

Everyones talking about

Brands & campaigns generating buzz

Everyones talking about

SINGAPORE, COCAL COLA HUG ME CAMPAIGN From US to Pakistan to Singapore, everyones talking about the Coca-Cola dispenser machine which takes hugs as its currency. Online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Mashable, blogs and even international dailies like ABC, Herald Sun, Huffington Post and Forbes were abuzz with videos and updates of this Hug Machine. Even popular show host Ryan Seacrest picked up on this unique vending machine that not only spreads kindness but also rewards people for stepping out of their comfort zone. The red-and-white machine has the words Hug Me written across the front in Cokes signature font. All one has to do is to wrap his or her arms around the machine, give it a tight squeeze in exchange for a can of Coke. Watch it here: The first machine made its debut at the National University of Singapore and this regional initiative is part of Coca-Cola Companys global marketing Open Happiness campaign.

IINDIA, MUMBAI MIRROR TABLOID Now, people of Mumbai will wake up every morning to nothing but the truth as the tabloid newspaper, the Mumbai Mirror, the second largest read English daily in Mumbai from The Times of India Group, pledges to reach out to its readers with real voices daily. The hard-hitting campaign based on four real stories broke first by Mumbai Mirror in the recent past is the brain child of TOIs creative agency, TapRoot India. The central idea was to create a fictionalized account of how affected citizens from all walks of life found a strong and powerful voice in the paper. Shot in black & white, the television commercial shows the resentment and the fury expressed by the central protagonists of each of the stories, which includes a writer protesting over his burnt books, a mother raging over the use of sewage water in milk fed to her children, street urchins screaming about their inhuman living conditions, and a young lad dissenting about the political parties posters pasted on the city walls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvLIjemSIs4&feature=related

Everyones talking about

CHINA GO WILD WITH THE NORTH FACE

On 23rd of March, outdoor sports gear and apparel company, The North Face, has again teamed up with Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai to create an exciting new campaign named Go Wild. The campaign addresses urban consumers increasingly stressful, hectic, and often sedentary lives. It is a breath of fresh air that encourages city dwellers to break free from the eating-drinking-shopping-sitting in front of a screen rut and to replace it with tranquil or thrilling experiences at great outdoor locations. To bring this alternative movement to life, the Go Wild campaign centers on an online documentary series consisting of four short films directed by acclaimed Chinese film director Mr. LU Chuan. Watching the films, consumers are invited to witness the journeys of a determined mountain climber, an adventurous volunteer, a passionate wildlife photographer and a successful entrepreneur as they rediscover themselves and those around them through an exploration of nature. In addition to the films, O&M Advertising created a short, humorous video manifesto that dares urban consumers to slow the pace of their hectic, stressful lifestyles and to let themselves Go Wild by taking a breather or a weekend in nature. Print ads have also been placed at outdoor locations of heavy traffic areas including subway stations and Wangfujing in Beijing, Xujiahui in Shanghai, including in magazines such as New Weekly. In the past one month, the four short films have received more than 2 million views with very positive comments on video sharing website Tudou.com. The theme go wild has also been widely discussed on Chinas largest micro-blogging service SinaWeibo. One netizen named Sam commented: Go wild to explore the unknown scenes, to think about problems in reality, to carry a young attitude. I love the theme and The North Face brand. Campaign page: http://marketing.tudou.com/TheNorthFace

Everyones talking about

INDONESIA, MY WAY ON THE HIGHWAY March 20th, was on an ordinary Tuesday morning in the super jam city of Jakarta. Why? Because on that day, at 6AM, DahlanIskan, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises from the United Indonesia Cabinet II went ballistic in front of the Semanggi gateway and freeing up the highway fee for number of cars to enter the freeway. According to SalingSilang.com, the conversation about this on Indonesian twitter timeline starts to emerge at 7:40 AM, then reach its peak at 09:00 AM. It became one of the trendiest topic on that day. Dahlan reportedly that while he was on his way to a meeting he got stuck in the long queue . While trying to figure out what caused it, he furiously noticed that 2 of the highway counters were empty with no clerks and were holding up the traffic. He, then forced open the counter, throwing off their chairs and immediately opened up the two closed counters. Finally starting to direct the traffic by himself. Cars could pass by without paying the fee! Twitter fans that followed the news have had a mix reaction towards it, many support but few also being cynical of what impact this could have on Dahlans image. This action of Dahlans has stayed in peoples mind, even after a month. People recall Dahlan Iskan now when faced with public transportation problems. He repeated the same act at West Ancol highway, but this time, it came biting back to him. The act gained protest from the owner of the highway (apparently because the highway is privately owned, unlike Semanggi) and told him to pay compensation for it. Ouch! Since being appointed as Minister of State-Owned Enterprise back in October 2001 Dahlan has been known to do several controversial acts.

Everyones talking about

MALAYSIA Vochelle and Malaysias own Gossip Girl Malaysias Vochelle Chocolates have launched an online series called, KhabarCinta (Love News). Starring local rising stars, the 24 webisodes are about the drama-filled life of a (INTI University) student, SheraSamad and her friends. Playful, badly-scripted and full of college clichs, the Gossip Girl inspired series has caught the attention of thousands of viewers; its most recent episode (6) got over 2,000 views in just 2 days. Comments from audiences range from, hats off for putting this together, to I managed to cringe my way through the whole episode, showing that despite the low production value, the show for its content, has hooked Vochelles primary target group Malaysian girls. Behind the scenes and pictures are leaked on the shows Facebook page, and linked to contests with prizes with the likes of the new iPad. Giving the addictive show an interactive hook, and growing its fan base. For Vochelle, a brand barely noticed or considered cool in the market, this campaign has certainly generated plenty of talkability. Watch Vochelle Chocolates online series here http://www.youtube.com/user/KhabarCintaEP

Everyones talking about

SRI LANKA ICC Twenty20 Ticket Launch Event The highly anticipated event of the year, the ICC Twenty20 cricket world cup ticket launch, was held on the 24th of March at Galle Face, Colombo. Thousands of fans turned up for the event to show their support and enjoy the fabulous evening filled with entertainment. Thousands of Sri Lankan cricket fans snapped up the sought after tickets when box office, online booking sites opened at 9.00 am on the 26th of March. The Sri Lanka group games and its potential Super Eight Matches proved to be particularly popular and by the end of the day about categories were temporally unavailable. Indeed, the hype and buzz made this ticket launch one of the most popular talked about event for 2012.

Everyones talking about

BANGLADESH, BENGALI NEW YEAR CAMPAIGN

ShubhoNoboborsho. When we lose ourselves amidst the fun and festivities of Pohela Boishakh, do we, even for once, stop and think about the children growing up on bare minimum in the orphanages all around us? Do we understand that life does not offer them too many occasions to open up and smile and just be happy for a change? This Pohela Boishakh, we made a humble pledge to try and spread the joy of the new year among some of these underprivileged children. There are around 50 lacs orphaned children in Bangladesh. At the onset we knew well not be able to reach all of them. However, if we could put a smile on at least one of their faces, we will consider ourselves worthy. This thought resulted in the campaign idea from Ogilvy Bangladesh, which asks people to pledge a sweet to one such child by visiting the website: www.mishtimukh.com. Help spread joy and bring smiles on these sweet faces. The activation team [along with Community Action volunteers] covered 18 orphanages on Pohela Boishakh. Some big, some small, but all of them welcomed with open arms. We spent time with the kids, played some games, gave away Pohela Boshakh masks and, of course, distributed the sweets. We gave a list of everyone's names [from our Mishtimukh site, FB page and FB event page]. All these institutions sent their blessings (dua in local language). 3 said they will specifically pray for each and everyone on the list and 1 said that they will read out all the names to the kids. All in all, the endeavor was woeth it, and the heartfelt smiles we got filled our hearts. Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/217723428327975/

Everyones talking about

JAPAN, SMARPHONE APP - LINE

A Smartphone application, LINE, was launched in the market on June 23 2011 from a company called NAVER Japan. It is a group messaging application that enables free calls and enables users to use unique stamps. Within just 4 months of the launch, LINE saw a total of 3M downloads with close to 300,000 downloads per day. With the free calls and the unique stamps service, this app has become so popular that its spread over to Taiwan, Thailand, HongKong, Malaysia and Singapore with a total of 5M downloads by November 8th.

Everyones talking about

THAILAND, PORNOGRAPHY IN PARLIAMENT SESSION

A pornographic picture abruptly appeared on a giant plasma screen during the recent parliamentary meeting and has caught the attention of Thais making it a nationwide topic of discussion, alongside becoming headlines in international media such as the BBC and AFP. A committee will be set to seriously investigate this issue. A picture of a half-naked woman popped up on the projected screen during the House meeting. The picture lasted for ten seconds, while parliamentary lawmakers were busy debating the hot charter amendment bill. Bhum Jai Thai alerted the Parliamentary president to this half porn picture that had accidentally appeared on the screen, and asked the Parliament staff to quickly turn off the monitor. Furthermore, the Parliamentary President Somsak Kiartsuranon has clarified that the intrusion may have come from outside, as the Parliament does not have a security system in place to prevent this kind of attack, and that the equipment to block such intrusions are still under procurement. Meanwhile, SamutSongkhram Democrat MP, Rangsima Rodrasami has asked for a committee to be set up to investigate. She suspects that the error happened at the end of the control unit. Currently, the investigation is looking at identifying the technology and device that could have broadcasted the porn picture to the screen.

Everyones talking about

KOREA, BODYGUARD, AN UNDERWEAR BRAND

Korean local underwear brand Bodyguard has drawn remarkable attention right from the moment its new advertising campaign released on its website and Youtube, reaching upto 100,000 hits within a week. Several objects symbolic of male and female major private parts are shown one after another with easy and playful alphabet song background music, instead of clichd commercials featuring models wearing underwear. 5 sequel ads deliver Bodyguards key brand message that Bodyguard provides you great fit, keeping your body toned. The objects that symbolizes male and female private parts are listed as per the alphabet series of A B C D E, implying size of the underwear and certain private body parts, and has caused a controversial stir. For instance, one episode featuring several sizes of cups from small to big, illustrates Bodyguard is equipped with diverse sizes of underwear. Most people after viewing the advertisement, gave an overwhelming positive feedback saying Its brilliant, very catchy campaign whereas some gave a negative reaction like too provocative or too sensual. Interestingly, the choice of media was not Television, but only social networking sites. No wonder, all eyes are set on the outcome of this campaign. Watch the videos here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0LMTxgyV04 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgrE6Kje_AA

Everyones talking about

TAIWAN, HIGH SPEED RAIL

The latest Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) commercial featured a story about a father excitedly buying fish because his daughter that works in another city was coming home. However, later his daughter told him that she couldnt make it due some unforetold reason. This made the father feel lonely. This ad has touched a lot of people.THSR wants to evoke family love, what has been ignored in our busy lifestyles. Family love is priceless. Watch the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZJ8KBfdO78

INDIA, TV PROGRAM, SATYAMEV JAYATE

Starting 1 April 2012, Star TV has put on air the teaser campaign for the much awaited reality show which will mark the debut of Bollywood super star, Aamir Khan on television. The show will be called SatyamevaJayate. The first TVC shows Aamir Khan eating away from an ordinary plate. While eating, he is talking about how the influx of media intrusion on our minds has led to a stage where viewers don't remember half of the content they see the previous day. In such a scenario, he adds, one should make a show that would connect with not only viewer's mind but his heart as well, thereby making a long-lasting impression. The show is going to bring up social issues. The first episode telecasted on May 6th, focussed on the issue of female foeticide in India. Aamir adds, I am no one to solve issues, I can only highlight them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGbnoUftzPs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXg6Usdjl5c http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/satyamev-jayate-aamir-khan-femalefoeticide/1/187581.html

Everyones talking about

PHILIPPINES, MAGNUM ICECREAM

The Philippines Twitter world went abuzz on February 28 when popular celebrity socialites like Ruffa Gutierrez and SolenHeusaff shared the news with their followers of Magnum Ice Creams much awaited arrival in the Philippines. Reaching 10M tweets in just 2 days, Magnum, priced way more expensive than the rest of the ice cream pops, has been a massive success in the first 3 months of its launch. Distribution channels are not being able to keep up with the demand.

Brands well miss

Obituary
SINGAPORE East Coast Park, McDonalds outlet For close to 33 years of service and over 25 million customers, the McDonalds outlet located at East Coast Park has been the place where many Singaporeans have had fond memories, from first dates, birthday celebrations to even break-ups. This outlet which opened on January 20, 1982 was also the first McDonalds in Singapore to offer a drive-in service counter and with 24 hours service. Located close to the beach and chalets, it is common to see chalet-goers and campers heading there for hearty meals. Many East Coast residents go there for their morning breakfast or for a drink after jogging or cycling. The restaurant rolled down its shutters for the last time at the stroke of midnight on March 18, 2012. However, it is moving to another location only 1.5 km away. Here is a good-bye film that sees the crew and customers celebrating and sharing the memorable times spent at East Coast Park McDonalds. https://vimeo.com/38904928 PUNE Manneys Last Hour

It was 6 pm on a Wednesday in March, and Moledina Road was crowded with people and hurried vehicles. In the midst of this, readers and bibliophiles were saying goodbye to one of Pune's most recognised landmarks - Manneys bookstore. Ever since owner Manik Mani announced the bookshop's closure about two months ago, he has been besieged by questions and pleas to reconsider. However, in the last hour of the 63-year-old store's life, browsers and buyers who crowded the store for some last-minute reading goodies were resigned to reality.Long time customer Ranjan Kumar was fatalistic as he said, I love bookstores and I've travelled to some of the best bookshops across the world. Bookshops are ill-fated, even one as big as Borders had to close.Members of staff wore forlorn expressions as they sold books the Manneys way for the very last time. Bhimsen, who has been working there for the past 12 years, shrugged off the nostalgia, saying, It is tough to part with Manneys, but I will adapt to selling books the way other bookshops do. I have to. Owner Manik Mani was his usual genial self. Asked how he was feeling, he simply said, I have made peace with my decision. Imagine, if I was feeling emotional at this stage, at this hour, how difficult it would be for me to close. There are still many loose ends to be tied up I will probably be leasing this space out. But, Im glad I have had Manneys. This isn't just a shop thats closing, it's a legacy of 63 years.

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CHINA Me & Citys Huaihai Flagship Store Closed Down

In February 2012, China's leading casual wear apparel retailer, Metersbonwe Group, shut down its flagship store of Me & City on Huaihai Road in Shanghai. Me & City is Metersbonwes sub-brand that targets middle class, 20-30 year old white collar professionals in China. The Huaihai flagship store of Me & City is over 2400 square meters, one of the largest two stores of Me & City in Shanghai; the other one located at Nanjing Road, one of the busiest shopping streets in Shanghai. According to Huangpu District Commerce Commission, thelocation will be take over by sports giant Nike as the new location for its flagship store. The chairman of Metersbonwe Group, Zhou Jiancheng, has admitted his mistakes on big size store strategy at the board meeting of Metersbonwe group in 2011. He indicated that 60% of Me & City stores in China are profitable, the losses are coming from those big size stores such as Huaihai Road flagship store. Business insiders also commented on Me & City Huaihai flagship stores closure saying: since international fast fashion brands such as H&M, Zara and Uniqlo have located their flagship stores on Huaihai Road, the rent for big size stores have gone up to 30 million to 35 million rmb per year. Moreover, tier one city consumers especially those in Shanghai prefer foreign brands with greater expectations on product quality, design, and other considerations. Consumers who visit international fast fashion brands are not likely to shop at Me & City not only because it is a domestic brand but also their product design is not as forward and trendy as Zara, H&M or Uniqlo.

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MALAYSIA Klue Magazine KLue Magazine, a city guide to Kuala Lumpur (KL) and the surrounding Klang Valley, started out as an online magazine in 2002, at a time when the internet in Malaysia was in its infancy and KL-ites were not exposed to or interested in the city around them. Back then, KL was dubbed by its residents as dull and quiet, but KLue Magazines founder Adrian Yap was not convinced he was sure that there were exciting things happening under the seemingly quiet surface of Klang Valley. From that conviction came KLue Magazine, born with the mission to keep KL-ites on the citys pulse with the best that Klang Valley had to offer, from nightlife to food to music to arts.

KLue Magazines last issue

From an online magazine, KLue then went on to produce weekly info cards that listed the best events of the week. Soon enough, KLue grew to become a physical monthly magazine. And what the team at KLue found was that although KL-ites may not have been interested in what was happening in the city around them initially, the more KLue uncovered about the city, the more its residents started gaining interest in KLs activities. But as the magazine grew and the KLue team grew, expenses also increased and it became tougher to make things work commercially. Sadly, KLue published its last physical issue in December 2010, scaling back its city guide to a digital focus only. But even as KLue continued to bring the latest happenings to the people through its website and through social media, Adrian found that KLue Magazine was becoming less and less relevant in todays digital world. Thus, it was time to move on. Today, KLue still exists on the digital space, but rather than operating as one of Klang Valleys foremost city guide, its focus has shifted to feature the people that make Klang Valley tick, such as its entrepreneurs. But the KLue Magazine that we knew and loved is no more.

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JAPAN, HMV SHIBUYA One of the biggest entertainment retail chain HMV closed their iconic flagship store in Shibuya last year. HMV Shibuya opened in 1990 in Tokyo's Shibuya district, and soon became a magnet for young people searching for music, DVDs and other entertainment products. After 20 years spent influencing the pop music tastes of the nation, HMV Shibuyas closure symbolizes the disappearance of music retail outlets and the CD industry. The rapidly rising popularity of downloading songs from Internet, such as Apple's iTunes has contributed to the marked decline in CD sales in Japan, which has fallen 60% from their peak, resulting in the closure of music retail stores.

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THAILAND, DQ Grill & Chill. DQ Grill & Chill, part of the Dairy Queen franchises that sells soft serve ice creams, started to offer hamburgers,, Chicken Strip basket, salad and more in this concept store in Thailand. It opened in late 2009 on the second floor of Siam Center, Central Festival Pattaya beach and Central Pinklao which recently shut down itself. The local company, Minor Foods Group Limited, had no option to renew the Dairy Queen franchise into its restaurant concept. This model didnt seem to hold a future for business expansion in Thailand. The US parent company sent teams to Thailand to research and identify business opportunities and the study concluded that there is no scope for expansion. Beyond the issue of opening additional branches, the bigger challenge lied in branding. It became difficult to create a clear brand. Consumers will come to buy icecream in a restaurant that sells food ? PHILIPPINES, FRIENDSTER In April 2012, Friendster was formally laid to rest after a hard battle against other networking sites such as MySpace and the Goliath Facebook. It will forever remain to be the pioneer of the phenomenon called social networking. He is survived by a new Friendster site that now focuses on pure entertainment and fun. Launched in its biggest market, the Philippines, with its new tagline of Living the game, it is now SEAs social discovery and gaming platform.

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TAIWAN, NANI CHILDREN CLOTHING Nani is an online children's clothing brand founded in 2008. Per the quality bar they set for themselves and their support for Taiwan's readymade garment factories, they strived to produce all their products in Taiwan. Many of Nanis loyal customers believed in Nanis "Made in Taiwan = Quality Assurance" ethos But due to the increase in price of raw materials, Nani could no longer offer clothes at low price, resulting in the loss of customers. Nani had to shut down in April 2012. Many Made in Taiwan parent-fans have been very disappointed. .

BANGLADESH, BASHORI RESTAURANT At Bashori one can order numerous kinds of delicious dishes ranging from the regular rice, biriani, vegetables, fish and meat items. Go for their local fish delicacies ranging from Ruhi, Koi, Hilsa, Kachki, Pabda - fried or curried, just choose! Same is true for poultry, beef and mutton items which includes KimaMattar and Chicken Jhal Fry. The interior reflects a chic look with intricate wood carvings adorning the walls. The surrounding is cozy and relaxing. But, its shut down now. It was very popular among the university students in Bangladesh. It was located at Banani, just besides the North South University and American International University.. When it shut down, students were in deep grief, mourning the death of their favourite hangout place.

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INDONESIA, FAT BURGER One day, someone tweeted, ini mau buka di PS!! (this will open in PS). And yes, turns out another food outlet will open in the foodcourt. And that new outlet is replacing Fat Burger. Then, the big question arose What made Fat Burger give away their space at PS foodcourt? Fat Burger , known as The Last Stand Great Hamburger Stand first started its restaurant in Indonesia, on November 6, 2010 at Plaza Indonesia, a premium shopping mall, located at the heart of Jakarta. Under the management of PT Global Foods Indonesia, at that time they targeted to open 8 outlets in Indonesia, include 1 in Bali. Six months after its opening, they opened a new restaurant at Pondok Indah Mall 2, and an outlet in foodcourt area of Plaza Senayan (PS). Fat Burgers famous taglines says; every burger is grilled when you order it and we use only 100% USDA lean beef: fresh, never frozen. This is a different communication approach compared to other burger outlets. Food Court PS consists of 21 outlets, 3 others selling burgers, aka. McDonald, Raffels and KFC. Among these all, Fat Burger sells the most expensive package (burger, french fries and cola drinks), starting price of Rp 37,000++. At McDonalds, one could get their best burgers for Rp 34,000. It seems that PS started reaching its peak, during lunch time. With 21 outlets to choose from, and the money in the pocket, they have to be wise, lunch is one of the important meal of the day, after breakfast. A famous saying goes in Indonesia- kalau gak makan nasi gak nendang (if you dont eat rice, your stomach will not be satisfied) . So, looks like, the choice for burger for lunch wasnt on top of customers mind. Soon they were competiting with the outlets that sold rice too. We can predict various reasons, but may not know for sure on what made them leave PS. Luckily they still have 2 other restaurants in the town. For now, we could say that Fat Burger is not The Last Stand Great Hamburger, Stand in PS.

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