william (wN) Ng | Remaining Humble

Starwood in talks to bring W and aloft to Malaysia

2010-04-14T14:29:00.003+08:00

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, which owns and operates hotels under nine brands, including Sheraton, Westin and Le Meridien, is in talks to bring two more hotel brands into Malaysia, namely W and aloft.

"We are in two pretty advanced (stage of) discussions in Kuala Lumpur. We are looking at (introducing) a W and an aloft brand," its senior vice-president acquisition and development for Asia Pacific, Matthew Fry, told Business Times in a recent interview in Singapore.

He said one negotiation was for a W hotel and residences that will be built from scratch, and may be ready in four years should the deal be sealed.

"The Kuala Lumpur City Centre and the Bukit Bintang areas are the focus for our W brand," he added.
On its aloft brand, Fry said that there could be one in Malaysia within the next 18 months. The location could be in Kuala Lumpur, Johor or Sabah.

"aloft, basically, has the DNA of, and is the spin-off of W. The hotel measures about 28 sq m compared with a W hotel, which is about 42 sq m to 48 sq m or bigger," he said. "aloft does not have as much public space, and the food and beverage offerings are not as elaborate."

W is described as one which provides the "wow" factor and a holistic lifestyle experience integrated into the brand's sensibility through contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experience and signature spas.

Meanwhile, Fry said that Starwood sees a lot of activities around Johor, especially in the east coast of the state, and would consider this area to have Starwood's representation.

Currently, Starwood operates five hotel brands in Malaysia and has confirmed a sixth - The St Regis.

The hotels operating in Malaysia include Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, The Westin Kuala Lumpur and The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa.

In December 2009, it took over the management of The Andaman in Langkawi from General Hotel Management, and is now operating the property as a Luxury Collection.

The Starwood group also operates the Four Points by Sheraton Kuching and is scheduled to open the Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan in March 2011.

It has also confirmed the opening of The St Regis Hotels and Residences Kuala Lumpur in 2014.

Yet another brand which it operates in Malaysia is the Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort. It also part owns and manages the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur.

On plans to divest its stake in Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur, Fry said: "Our long-term strategy is to divest real estate holdings. At one point Starwood owned 190 hotels and we are now down to about high-50s.

"The long-term strategy is to divest our hotel ownership and become more of a management/franchise fee-based business. At one point 80 per cent of our income was from our own hotels and 20 per cent from fees. Our goal is to switch that.

"We are not actively looking (to sell). This particular estate (Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur) has not been discussed," he said.

The hotel is jointly owned by Indonesia's Rajawali group and Starwood.

Bid Farewell to El Bulli

2010-02-13T10:45:00.003+08:00

El Bulli to Close Permanently

By ANDREW FERREN

Sergio Perez/Reuters Ferran Adrià at the International Gastronomy Summit in Madrid in January.

Ferran Adrià, the Catalan chef who for two decades has been the leading catalyst and inspiration for avant-garde cuisine, has decided to permanently close his restaurant El Bulli, considered by many to be the world’s greatest, and to replace it with an academy for advanced culinary study, Mr. Adrià said in an interview on Friday.

In January, Mr. Adrià had said that the restaurant would go on a hiatus starting in 2012 , but that it would reopen in 2014. For many years El Bulli, in the Mediterranean town of Roses, north of Barcelona, closed for half the year so Mr. Adrià and his chefs could spend the off months developing new techniques, like the foams, airs and other culinary wizardry that he has created.

He told The Wall Street Journal at that time that his research would “be focused on sustaining and growing our brand however possible. A brand with goals like ours requires a big capital investment.’’

On Friday he said he decided to close the restaurant for good because he and his partner, Juli Soler, had been losing a half million Euros a year on the restaurant and his cooking workshop in Barcelona.

“At that level of contribution,’’ he said of the losses, “I think we would rather see the money go to something larger that expands the concept and spirit of what El Bulli represents.’’

He said he would use that money — which he earns mostly from consultancies and other businesses — to establish his new academy and to finance scholarships so the world’s most talented cooks can attend.

“We had planned to use the two years to see how El Bulli could evolve,’’ Mr. Adrià said in a telephone interview. “We’ve been looking at many options, but yesterday we decided that the foundation would be the most satisfying.’’

He said of the demands of the restaurant, “at that bestial pace, it would be impossible to continue.’’

Adrià said the academy would be “a place for free thinking and kicking around ideas’’ about food. The El Bulli academy would likely work with many cooking schools around the world and would seek students — perhaps 25 in the first year — who had the highest levels of professional training.

“Throughout the history of El Bulli we’ve made seemingly drastic decisions in order to maintain our level of creativity,’’ he said.

Mr. Adrià, 47, arrived at El Bulli in 1983, when it was a French restaurant. Soon he took charge of the kitchen and by the 1990s it became known as a laboratory for daring innovation.

“Mr. Adrià’s idea, as he describes it, was simply to ‘do new things with old concepts,’’’ Mark Bittman wrote in 2006. “So, seeing chicken curry as a concept and determining to do something that hadn’t been done before, he developed a dish, now famous, in which the sauce is solid and the chicken liquid.’’

In 1997 he won three Michelin stars. He has since been proclaimed by many to be the greatest chef in the world. He has been widely influential in the spread of “molecular gastronomy’’ — a term he has renounced.

The restaurant will reopen for six months on June 15 after its winter break and will close for good in December 2011.

The 3,000 people on the waiting list for one of about four dozen seats, will just have to hope that someday Mr. Adrià will open another restaurant.

He said that has no plans to, but the academy might be open for breakfast, or an occasional lunch. (And he is the director of gastronomy at El Bulli Hacienda Benazuza hotel near Sevilla.)

“Everything new looks strange,’’ Mr. Adrià.

Migrated to http://www.humblerboy.com

2010-02-05T23:42:00.003+08:00

Dear readers, I have successfully migrated my blog from http://humblerboy.blogspot.com to http://www.humblerboy.com as of 5th February 2010.

Also, do check out from time to time for my food review in Adelaide Foodies showcasing the best foods that you mustn't missed out while you are on your holiday trip here in Adelaide, Australia.

Cheers,
William

Top 20 High Performance Schools

2010-02-02T16:09:00.002+08:00

Of recent, the Government of Malaysia under the Education Ministry have came up with a list of schools that are of "High Performance School" list. But of the 20 schools that have been announced recently, it causes uproar amongst many quarters of Malaysians who thinks certain schools are left out even-though they were qualified.

There are even a few states that were not even in the Top 20 of the list at all. Why were there clusters in certain states? How was the evaluation being done? Of that 4 are from Kuala Lumpur, 2 are from each states of Selangor, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Kedah respectively and, 1 from each state in Cyberjaya, Perak, Penang, Malacca, Putrajaya, Perlis respectively.

Where is Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak, and Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan? Are they lacking of something? I don't think so. How do they actually evaluate these Top 20 schools? That is what I want to know. How do you judge a school is a High Performance School? That is so subjective to measure how a school is performing well. There may be schools who are performing extremely well, but they are not in the list.

Instead of a High Performance School, why not list the opposite with Top 20 instead? I am sure we are also interested to see such schools in the country.

Such Top 20 High Performance School list would have motivated the Top 20 schools in the country but it doesn't motivate schools who are equally competitive with those on the list. Imagine this would leave other students and even teachers disparity than good. As I have left my high school for approximately 6 years now and is always in the loop with my former alma mater and my batch mates.

I am sure all my 400-odd high school batch mates would disagree with such ratings. It has done more harm than good in my own opinion.

Why spend $20 million by giving to these Top 20 so-called "High Performance Schools?" Spend it on training these teachers who complained "Saya tak fasih Bahasa Inggeris lah. Tak boleh ajar Sains & Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris". Go spend on them on training.

My friend BITES OFF her bf's NIPPLE during ahem

2010-01-30T01:31:00.005+08:00

I nearly fall off from my chair laughing at this but I can't help but to blog about this. Approximately 3:30am on 30th January 2010 (to be specific, Adelaide, Australia's time), I suddenly received a phone call. I thought what happened.

My friend told me that she accidentally bite off here boyfriend's nipple during *ahem* just now. So, since was panicked and didn't know what to do, she called me up asking what to do next.

My answer was: WTF? Go to hospital lah, what else? You want him to bleed to death is it.

Lesson to learn guys: Go slow, don't be too excited. That nipple is fragile and not your regular KFC fried chicken ok.

World's Best Restaurant: Reservations Get Tougher

2010-01-30T00:36:00.001+08:00

Given the excitement surrounding the press conference in Madrid on Tuesday, you'd have thought that Jennifer Aniston were announcing that she and Brad Pitt had gotten back together. But no. Here at Madrid Fusion, an annual international culinary conference, the news is all about chefs, and no news is bigger than that of Ferran Adrià, the chef of elBulli, reputedly the best restaurant — and the toughest reservation — in the world. To the accompaniment of dozens of flashing cameras and a live feed for Spain's main television channel, one of the masters of the culinary universe declared that he would be closing his restaurant to the public for two years beginning in 2012.

It's not a definitive end to the restaurant that has been voted the best in the world five times (including in 2009) by Restaurant magazine, the recognized arbiter of such things. Adrià and his team will still be working at elBulli, developing ideas and trying to figure out what comes next. But he says the restaurant's current format is finished. "When we come back in 2014, it's not going to be the same," Adrià says.

Although rumors of elBulli's closing have circulated for years, the news still came as a mild earthquake in culinary circles. Frequently referred to as the founder of molecular gastronomy — a term the chef himself reviles — Adrià and his team have revolutionized modern cuisine with their constant search for new techniques and ingredients. In their hands, olive oil has been "spherified" until it takes on the shape and texture of caviar, and Gorgonzola cheese has been transformed with liquid nitrogen into a frozen globe that looked like nothing so much as a dinosaur egg. Dinner at elBulli, which consists of 30 or so courses, is a unique experience that has diners routinely laughing in delighted surprise at the new sensations provoked by the food on their plate.

The lucky few diners, one should say. Eight thousand people get reservations at elBulli each year, a mere fraction of the million who request them. (The restaurant is open only about half the year.) Indeed, despite its 230-euro price tag, dinner at every table for the six months that the restaurant is open is assigned in a single day. And now that it's clear that this year's reservations lottery may well be elBulli's penultimate, the number of gourmands clamoring to get in will surely grow.

The change will bring other sacrifices as well: Adrià and his team will have to relinquish their three Michelin stars, for example, and no one knows how they'll pay for the two years of inquiry without customers to finance them. But citing a desire to spend more time with his family, the chef says he needs a break from serving food to figure out what comes next. "We still want to be creating in 2020," he says, "but for that to be possible, we have to normalize our lives."

Adrià refused to speculate on what elBulli will be like once the two years are over, emphasizing repeatedly that at this point, he has no set plans. He did suggest, however, that although elBulli would once again feed customers, research would likely take on a greater priority than cooking. And he joked — if it was indeed a joke — that in whatever new outfit he comes up with, he might just have one table.

When journalists in the crowded room pressed him for more details, he cut them off. "Our challenge is just this," he said. "To find out if there's anything beyond what we've already done."

Abend is working on The Sorcerer's Apprentices (Free Press), a book about the young cooks who each year come from around the world to work in elBulli's kitchen.

Polish priest checks fingerprints for mass attendance

2010-01-29T22:26:00.001+08:00

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish priest has installed an electronic reader in his church for schoolchildren to leave their fingerprints in order to monitor their attendance at mass, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on Friday.

The pupils will mark their fingerprints every time they go to church over three years and if they attend 200 masses they will be freed from the obligation of having to pass an exam prior to their confirmation, the paper said.

The pupils in the southern town of Gryfow Slaski told the daily they liked the idea and also the priest, Grzegorz Sowa, who invented it.

"This is comfortable. We don't have to stand in a line to get the priest's signature (confirming our presence at the mass) in our confirmation notebooks," said one pupil, who gave her name as Karolina.

Poland is perhaps the most devoutly Roman Catholic country in Europe today and churches are regularly packed on Sundays.

May God save Brangelina's (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie) marriage

2010-01-28T22:58:00.002+08:00

Pitt's mother steps in to help save Brangelina's relationship

Brad Pitt's mother is desperately trying to help save her son's relationship with Angelina Jolie.

Family counsellor Jane Pitt - who is famously close to her son's ex-wife Jennifer Aniston - is keen for the couple to repair their five-year union for the sake of their six children - three adopted children, Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, and Zahara, 5, and three biological children, Shiloh, 3, and 18-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

A source told the Daily Mail website: “Brad is trying to cling on to the wreckage of the relationship as he is still very much in love with Angelina and believes they can make it work.

“Jane wants what is best for her son and grandchildren and Angie has agreed to meet her. She has stuck at her own marriage and worked with families for 30 years trying to keep them together.”

Jane Pitt believes her skills as a mediator will come in useful when speaking to Jolie to whom she has become close in recent months thanks to their joint work in setting up a cancer centre.

It was recently reported that Brad Pitt and Jolie were heading for a separation after signing a legal document that split their $US330 million ($365 million) fortune and custody of their children equally.

However, sources close to the couple denied this and insisted “everything was fine” between them.

Friends also said the couple were planning to attend the Oscars together in March and had already started planning their outfits.

One friend said: "Angelina and Brad are still very much together. They're even in the process of planning out their Oscar outfits. Brad wanted to make sure he didn't clash with Angelina, who's putting some serious thought into her choices. They are still a couple.”

Pitt and Jolie - who has been married twice before - got together after meeting on the set of the film Mr and Mrs Smith in 2004, while he was still married to Aniston.

Driver watching PORN when he rammed into car

2010-01-28T13:45:00.000+08:00

BUFFALO (New York): State police say a truck driver was watching pornographic movies on his laptop computer when his rig struck a disabled car on the New York State Thruway near Buffalo last month, killing the driver.

Thomas Wallace of Ohio was arrested Tuesday. He’s been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of 33-year-old Julie Stratton, a mother of two from a Buffalo suburb.

The 45-year-old Wallace was being held in Genesee County Jail on Wednesday. It was unknown whether he had an attorney.

Investigators say Wallace also violated federal trucking rules by sleeping no more than four of 27 hours before the crash.

Stratton’s car was struck soon after she called police to report she’d hit a deer east of Buffalo. -- AP

Australian Open 2010: Roger Federer is through to Semi-Finals

2010-01-27T17:53:00.003+08:00

Australian Open 2010: Roger Federer beats Nikolay Davydenko to reach semi-finals

World No 1 Roger Federer recovered from a set down to overcome his recent tormentor Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 and continue his remarkable run of reaching grand slam semi-finals.

Davydenko had beaten Federer in their previous two meetings and began confidently to roll through the opening set before grabbing an early break in the second.

The Russian had all the momentum, but Federer responded to the challenge in emphatic style as he peeled off the next 13 consecutive games and leave his Russian opponent stunned.

Davydenko, who had won his previous 13 matches, regained his composure to briefly threaten in the fourth set, but again Federer withstood the challenge to book his place in a record 23rd consecutive grand slam semi-final.

"I've played him many times and I know he goes through phases although they weren't a notch on what he did in that first set." Federer said.

"I just tried to stay positive. I wasn't playing bad but he was just playing so well.

"It was obviously a bit of a surprise to come back that great because obviously he has been on an incredible run."

The Swiss also revealed he had used a toilet break to his advantage at the end of the first set after Davydenko had broken him twice to take the initiative.

"I was having problems with the sun in my eyes also in the opening set," Federer said.

"I was waiting for it to move. I never use my toilet breaks so I thought I will use it and I hoped that maybe in that time the sun would move maybe one centimetre, maybe three.

"It might have been one point that it affected, but maybe that is important in the end."

His relief break did not work immediately as Davydenko again broke and went 3-1 ahead before the Swiss reeled off the next 13 games in a row.

The run handed Federer the second and third sets as well as a break in the fourth.

Davydenko had gone an hour without winning a game when he held to love and then broke to level at 3-3.

But after the players traded breaks again, and Federer failed to serve out the match, the Swiss finally landed the final blow with a cross-court winner.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/yggkb6r

A Lion Won't Cheat Its Wife But a TIGER WOOD

2010-01-26T21:39:00.003+08:00

Well, it's the time of the year again. It's the 2nd cycle of my life. It's the Year of the Tiger (Year 2010). This Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger and it coincidentally falls on 14th February 2010 which is also Valentine's Day.

For the 2nd year in the row, I have been missing the opportunity to toss the "Yee Sang" ("lou sang" in Chinese) but ironically, this dish is only found in Malaysia or Singapore. It's not a dish where you will find it in other parts of China or any Chinese speaking nations. Well, it is alright. I shall be back for THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT 2011.

YEAR OF THE RABBIT 2011
3rd February 2011 - 22nd January 2012

Of Religion vs. McDonaldisation

2010-01-25T20:14:00.007+08:00

How would McDonald's have changed our lives over the years? Since the existence of Golden Arches in Malaysia, I remember that my not so well-to-do father only took me there once in a blue moon when I was young but nowadays, McDonaldisation have changed us Malaysians. We can practically sit there through the night till the wee hours of the morning for their breakfast studying, using their Wi-Fi and refilling our drinks - all for a cup of Regular Coke and a Medium French Fries. That is just sufficient. But that's not what I am going to tell you here.

I'm sure all of us remember the stampede that took place back in the year 2000 in which McDonald's Singapore introduces the Hello Kitty, now they are back again, not with the kittens anymore but with animals.

Of recent McDonald's in Singapore were place on the griller not over their beef patties but over the "pig zodiac" toys in which they wish to introduce in their Happy Meal. A set of 12-zodiac toys were introduced namely: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and CUPID!!! The missing animal which supposed to be the Pig was purposely left out for fear it might offend their Muslim customers.

According to the Straits Times, the fast food chain was apologetic about the initial decision to yank the pig character. McDonald’s Restaurants communications director Linda Ming said the chain excluded the pig toy out of sensitivity for its Muslim customers and chose Cupid instead to commemorate Valentine’s Day, which coincides with the first day of the Chinese New Year this year, on Feb 14. "We seek our customers' understanding that it has never been our intention to be disrespectful towards any religion or culture."

But the damage is already done. Blogs and forums are already calling it an overreaction and experts say it showed a lack of cross-cultural understanding. Sociologist Daniel Goh said that if McDonald’s did not consult Muslim opinions before making the decision to exclude the pig toy, the company had then assumed Muslim sensibilities, which amounted to a form of self-censorship.

Dr Mohamad Maznah, a visiting senior research fellow with the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said to the Straits Times that she felt the restaurant was just being cautious, although she doubted the Muslim community here would have been upset if the pig toy had been included. Dr Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied, an assistant professor of Malay Studies at NUS, said, "Pigs and dogs are not non-halal, except when they are consumed."

Pope Benedict XVI is blogging

2010-01-24T20:43:00.004+08:00

Pope to priests: Go forth and blog

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog.

The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures.

And just using e-mail or surfing the Web is often not enough: Priests should use cutting-edge technologies to express themselves and lead their communities, Benedict said in a message released by the Vatican.

"The spread of multimedia communications and its rich 'menu of options' might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web," but priests are "challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources," he said.

The message, prepared for the World Day of Communications, suggests such possibilities as images, videos, animated features, blogs, and Web sites.

Benedict said young priests should become familiar with new media while still in seminary, though he stressed that the use of new technologies must reflect theological and spiritual principles.

"Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ," he said.

The 82-year-old pope has often been wary of new media, warning about what he has called the tendency of entertainment media, in particular, to trivialize sex and promote violence, while lamenting that the endless stream of news can make people insensitive to tragedies.

But Benedict has also praised new ways of communicating as a "gift to humanity" when used to foster friendship and understanding.

The Vatican has tried hard to keep up to speed with the rapidly changing field.

Last year it opened a YouTube channel as well as a portal dedicated to the pope. The Pope2You site gives news on the pontiff's trips and speeches and features a Facebook application that allows users to send postcards with photos of Benedict and excerpts from his messages to their friends.

Many priests and top prelates already interact with the faithful online. One of Benedict's advisers, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the archbishop of Naples, has his own Facebook profile and so does Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles.

In Saturday's message — titled "The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word" — Benedict urged special care in contacts with other cultures and beliefs.

A presence on the Web, "precisely because it brings us into contact with the followers of other religions, nonbelievers and people of every culture, requires sensitivity to those who do not believe, the disheartened and those who have a deep, unarticulated desire for enduring truth and the absolute," he said.

Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, who heads the Vatican's social communications office, said that Benedict's words aimed to encourage reflection in the church on the positive uses of new media.

"That doesn't mean that (every priest) must open a blog or a Web site. It means that the church and the faithful must engage in this ministry in a digital world," Celli told reporters. "At some point, a balance will be found."

Celli, 68, said that young priests would have no trouble following the pope's message, but, he joked, "those who have a certain age will struggle a bit more."

Source: Pope to priest: Go forth and blog

Check out also Pope2you, a website on Pope Benedict XVI's blogging

Not one but THREE Funerals

2010-01-23T19:32:00.002+08:00

How would you feel when some you loved and being close is gone? Death in fact is inevitable. I'm sure many of us have seen deaths taking place in our lives. But as I was indulge in a conversation with one of the bloggers early the wee hours of my day (at about 4am Australian Time), he told me that his day was bad as he has THREE separate funerals to attend.

With the news was being related to me, I had a sudden uneasy feeling over me and my gastric juice was being pumped up. How would you take it if two of your friends who were in Haiti volunteering in distributing foods and drinks to the victims of the earthquake became the victim of violent or stampede?

In this case, the two friends who were volunteering, distributed foods and drinks to the locals, beaten them up on their heads (I presume repeatedly) till they were dead. I guess when such catastrophe takes place, it doesn't matter anymore, you will snatch whatever food or drinks that you can find. You have to fight in order to survive.

My condolences to you and the family of your friends (I shall not name the name of the blogger here). Thank you for understanding.

The Controversial Sultan of Johor dies

2010-01-22T22:58:00.003+08:00

JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail, passed away at the Puteri Specialist Hospital here at 7.08pm on Friday. He was 77 years old.

He will be laid to rest at the Royal Mausoleum at 2pm on Saturday. Members of the public can pay their respects at the Istana Besar from 9am 10.30am, while dignitaries can do so from 11am to noon.

He was admitted earlier Friday due to an unspecified illness.

Sultan Iskandar was born on April 8, 1932 in Johor Baru and became Sultan on May 11, 1981. He was also the eighth Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, from April 26, 1984 until April 25, 1989.

Two hours before his death, the Tengku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ibrahim Ismail was appointed the Regent.

News about the Sultan not being well had surfaced Thursday night. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman cut short his trip to India with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and returned by 6pm on Friday.

The first to visit the Sultan in the morning was the Sultan and Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, who arrived by helicopter, while former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited him at about 3.40pm.

By then, the press and a large group of members of the public were waiting at the lobby of the hospital. Media offices were inundated with calls from people who wanted to know about the sultan’s condition.

Tunku Ibrahim Ismail and the Raja Muda of Johor Tunku Ismail Idris Tunku Ibrahim Ismail left the hospital at 4.40pm.

The swearing-in of the regent was held soon after at the Istana Besar here.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/22/nation/20100122173117&sec=nation

On Twitter

by Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir
Ok this time it's true. Sultan Iskandar of Johor passed on around maghrib this evening. Will be buried after zohor tomorrow. Alfatihah.

Stop Complaining - Eat What You Have

2010-01-21T12:24:00.005+08:00

HAITI EARTHQUAKES - 7.0 & 6.1-Magnitude

If you think you want to have a rib-eye steak for dinner or your favourite nasi lemak ayam rendang with your spicy sambal, stop being so fussy and eat what's in front of you.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Approximately 8 days after the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake of 7.0 on the Ritcher's scale that kills 200,000 people, leaving an estimated of 2 million people to be homeless and tens and thousands injured everywhere, the nation once again was shook with another earthquake of 6.1 on the Ritcher's scale.

What was really needed is food, drinks, clothes to cover themselves, money to build their homes, medical aides and many more. We are so blessed to have everything at present. Even if there's anyone approaching you for donations, give generously without any questions. You are helping a life that is in need or in danger.

Haiti's main hospital is open again, but there are no doctors and few medical supplies and wailing injured earthquake victims litter the grounds, waiting for treatment on makeshift beds.

On the other hand, the United Nations also said that the body of Haiti mission chief Hedi Annabi has been found in the rubble of its headquarters in Port-au-Prince, which collapsed in the earthquake.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the bodies of Annabi's deputy, Luiz Carlos da Costa, and the acting police commissioner, Doug Coates, have also been found.

LIVE & INSPIRE: Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar

2010-01-15T01:38:00.008+08:00

For the past half year or so, Live & Inspire has changed many human beings lives be it an overnight inspiration to something in which it can be use in a long-run. A team of young Malaysians who founded this whole idea of Live & Inspire by accident who now finds purposes in what they do.

Thus, every Thursday night for a short stint of one hour or so, they bring you bite size content, interesting and interactive sessions that add value to human potential and personal growth. The session focuses on the examples of ordinary people who have lived the extraordinary.

Thursday, 14th January 2010
Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maybank

Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid bin Omar is the President and CEO of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest banking group, since May 2008. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK) and a Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

Maybank is the third large organisation that he has led as CEO. Prior to joining Maybank, he was Group Chief Executive Officer of Telekom Malaysia Berhad from July 2004. He was formerly Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UEM Group Berhad and UEM World Berhad as well as Executive Vice Chairman of PLUS Expressways Berhad.

Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid had also served at Telekom Malaysia Berhad as Chief Financial Officer in 2001. Born 9 out of 11 children in the family, Dato Seri' had a tough beginning in his life. Prior to his acceptance in Maybank, he was with Telekom Malaysia. He added that "Leaders are not born and it applies the same to me. Each and every one of us . . . even you have a chance to become a leader."Of course every leader would have his / her visionar(ies) but Dato Seri' noted that "A visionary, an inspiring person, knowledgeable, a person open and prepared to learn from team members.

Growing together with Maybank

Since the inception of Maybank on 31st May 1960, the group grew from a local community bank with only 30 branches to 1,750 branches all across South and South East Asia alone. Back in the 60s, Dato Seri mentioned that Maybank was more of a "Kopitiam bank" which was pretty much not alien to many of us. Banking wasn't a trustable tool by many. They're afraid that the bank will cheat their longterm savings and it took a long time before the peole are convince to save their monies in the bank. He added that "No corporation can claimed to be a Regional Leader if their home base is not stable." This is very true especially if Maybank wants to be top in the region, they have to first convince their locals.

Q & A Session with Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar

Question 1
Q: What sparked your interest in finances?
A: I come from a poor background, so money was an issue. One time he asked his mother RM 10 to buy the scouts uniform. Unfortunately they could not afford it and it was then he wanted to create changes so that they didn't live in poverty anymore.

Question 2
Q: If you have a chance to turn back the clock 20 years ago, what would you do to correct your mistakes or what you would have done that you really want to do?
A: I have made mistake before but what is important is for me to learn from them. Some of them are personal in nature and some of them are from my career. I don't have any regrets. I'm so blessed in my life.

Question 3
Q: Looking at the poorer education system in the country, it has changed trumendously over the years, how are we convince to send our younger generations to study with the current education system?
A: I went through a government education system. Many of my management colleagues went to local universities. There are challenges, however I don't think we should generalize that the local educational system are bad. I think we should stop complaining about how bad the school system is here, and do something about it ...to make it better.

To end the night . . .

It was an eventful night of many people from all walks of life including a Senator attending the talk to young entrepreneurs who are the backbone of the future nation. Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar concluded that "I learn a lot of my leadership skills on the job I've been blessed to work with a lot of inspiring people."

LIVE & INSPIRE
w: http://www.liveandinspire.com/
t: http://twitter.com/live_n_inspire (@live_n_inspire)

Astro B.yond Bloggers Night Out

2010-01-14T00:44:00.013+08:00

Greetings once again my fellow readers. Allow me to welcome all of you once again to my blog. Yes, I have disappeared here and there for the whole 2009 but I have decided to spice up my blog by popular demand from many of my blogger friends.
To kick off the year 2010, I have decided to begin my year with ASTRO B.yond Malaysian Bloggers Event. Blogging has gone beyond its distance that it certainly becomes the world's next source of communication in the media industry. It was a mid-week evening where approximately 200-bloggers were treated with an evening of fun, food and friends at Modesto's, Desa Sri Hartamas - but certainly it was the night where ASTRO wants the bloggers to be amongst the first to witness Malaysia's First High Definition Television Commercial for Astro B.yond.Since the inception of technology, Malaysian multimedia industry has evolved trumendously and today Astro prides to be the nation's number one High Definition (HD) broadcast. It will also change TV viewing experience with richer colours, picture-perfect clarity and cinematic surround sound. Of course, Malaysia is way behind many developed nations in introducing HD experience but nevertheless we were not the last to enjoy it.

According to Mr. Henry Tan, the Chief Operating Officer of Astro, he says that "it is undeniable that the bloggers are game changers as their nimbleness and the lack of pretense of their work drawfed and humbled media giants." He further quips that "underlying the success of blogging, we have all learned that it is people who are killer app for the internet age and with Astro B.yond, we are changing the game too.

The Astro B.yond Bloggers Night also saw the premiere of the Astro B.yond TV commercial in High Definition (HD) for Astro B.yond. This television commercial is one of the longest in Malaysian television commercial history with approximately 2.30 minutes. This commercial will be broadcasted in HD and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound on the four HD channels on Astro - ASTRO Supersport HD (Ch 831), HBO HD (Ch 431), National Geographic Channel HD (Ch 573) and HISTORY HD (Ch 575) and followed by ESPN HD (Ch 832) in January 2010.

Dear all, stay tune for more pictures to come soon from the event. Awaiting some hi-resolution photos to come in.

RIP Yasmin Ahmad (1958 - 2009)

2009-07-26T01:10:00.003+08:00

Takziah kepada seisi keluarga Yasmin Ahmad. One of the greatest modern film director, Yasmin Ahmad suffered stroke recently and has passed away in Damansara Medical Centre this evening.

We will mourn your loss Yasmin. Thank you very much for your inspiring movies; Sepet and Gubra as well as the short video clips on every festive season in which you have directed for Petronas. Thank you once again and may you rest in peace.

Al Fatihah.

McDonald’s loses court battle against McCurry

2009-04-29T20:40:00.002+08:00

Published: Wednesday April 29, 2009 MYT 6:27:00 PM

PUTRAJAYA: Fast food chain McDonald’s Wednesday lost its exclusivity to the use of the prefix “Mc” when the Court of Appeal here allowed a local Indian food outlet, McCurry Restaurant, to use “Mc” in its business signage.

Appeal Court judges Datuk Gopal Sri Ram (now Federal Court judge), who sat with Justices Datuk Heliliah Mohd Yusof and Datuk Sulong Matjeraie, held that there was no evidence to show that McCurry Restaurant of Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, was passing off McDonald’s business as its own.

“Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald’s had a monopoly in the use of the prefix ‘Mc’ on a signage or in the conduct of business.

“In my judgment, the irresistible inference to be drawn from the totality of the evidence is that McCurry’s Restaurant signboard would not result in reasonable persons associating McCurry with the McDonald’s mark.

“For the reasons given, I would allow McCurry Restaurant’s appeal and reverse the findings of the learned judge,” said Sri Ram in his 18-page written judgement.

He said the fact that McCurry Restaurant chose the name “McCurry,” could not, by itself, lead to the inference that it sought to obtain an unfair advantage from the usage of the prefix “Mc.”

“You have to look at the plaintiff’s (McDonald’s) getup or logo as a whole ... it consists of a distinctive golden arched ‘M’ with the word, McDonald’s, against a red background.

“The defendant’s (McCurry) signboard carried the words ‘Restoran McCurry’ with the lettering in white and grey on a red background with a picture of a chicken giving a double thumbsup and with the wording, ‘Malaysian Chicken Curry.’

“Thus, the defendant’s presentation of its business is in a style and getup which is distinctly different from that of the plaintiff,” said Sri Ram, adding that none of the food items on the menu card served at McCurry Restaurant carried the prefix ‘Mc’ unlike the items of food available at McDonald’s.

“It would have been different if McCurry Restaurant had offered to its customers, items that were labelled either the same as or similar to those sold by McDonald’s, for example McFish or McLamb,” he said.

Sri Ram also said that the type of food available at a McDonald’s outlet was very different as it served fast food whereas McCurry catered only typically Indian food.

“There is evidence to show that the type of customers who patronise the defendant’s outlet is very different from those who patronise the plaintiff’s several outlets,” he said, adding that the former was patronised by adults and senior citizens while the latter was mainly by children.

On Sept 7, 2006, the High Court held that the McDonald’s fast food chain, a household name among children, had the exclusive right to the prefix “Mc” and ordered McCurry Restaurant (KL) Sdn Bhd to pay damages to McDonald’s Corporation, the proprietor of the McDonald’s chain of restaurants.

In her ruling, Justice Siti Mariah Ahmad said by using the words “McCurry” and employing a signage which featured colours that were distinctive of McDonald’s, McCurry Restaurant was indulging in acts that could give rise to confusion and deception.

McDonald’s, in its statement of claim, said it created the prefix “Mc” as a trademark and that with the usage of the prefix “Mc,” together with the word “Curry,” McCurry Restaurant, which was formerly known as Restoran Penang Curry House (KL) Sdn Bhd, had misrepresented itself as being associated with McDonald’s business.

McCurry Restaurant, in its defence, contended that McDonald’s could not claim monopoly or exclusive rights to the use of the prefix “Mc,” as that prefix was extensively used around the world as surnames, particularly by people of Scottish origin.

McCurry Restaurant said the menu was essentially Malaysian and Indian cuisine consisting of teh tarik, roti canai, nasi lemak, nasi briyani, fish head curry, chicken tandorri, naan bread, tosai, chappati and various chicken and mutton curry dishes, which were totally different from those available in McDonald’s restaurants which comprise food typically found in western food restaurants such as burgers and french fries.

McDonald’s was represented by counsel S.F. Wong while counsel Sri Dev Nair appeared for McCurry. -- Bernama

RAHMAN vs. MAHATHIR Prophecy

2009-03-29T00:47:00.002+08:00

Dear folks,

The prophecy of RAHMAN has been fulfilled. Any Malaysians would probably know that RAHMAN acronyms stands for the names of all the six Prime Ministers of Malaysia.

R - Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj (First Prime Minister of Malaysia)
A - Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdul Razak (2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia)
H - YABhg Tun Hussein Onn (3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia)
M - YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad (4th Prime Minister of Malaysia)
A - Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Hj. Abdullah Hj. Ahmad Badawi (5th Prime Minister of Malaysia)
N - Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak (6th Prime Minister of Malaysia)

Thus, as I would forecast the next prophecy will probably be the MAHATHIR's Prophecy. It is my own personal forecast after studying the 59th UMNO General Assembly's results lineup in Najib's team.

M - Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (7th Prime Minister of Malaysia ???)
A - Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
H - Datuk Seri Hishammudin Tun Hussein Onn
A - Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
T - ???
H - ???
I - ???
R - ???

I cannot foresee if such forecast will work on this new prophecy of MAHATHIR but if you are able to fill in the gaps, please do let me know.

My article in The Advertiser, Adelaide

2009-03-24T16:47:00.002+08:00

Dear readers, this is the article in which I was featured in The Advertiser newspaper in Adelaide, Australia.

* * * * *

Lost in translation

LAUREN NOVAK CALLIE WATSON

March 24, 2009 12:00am

South Australia has set targets to attract more international students but are we doing enough to integrate foreign scholars and capitalise on the qualities they bring to our state?

LAST year, more than 27,700 international students made a temporary home in South Australia to pursue their education.

They bring cultural variety, money and possible future skills to the state and its campuses and, by 2014, Education Adelaide hopes to boost the state's international student population to 62,000.

However, there are concerns the state is failing to capitalise on its influx of foreign students who, with proper support and incentives, could remain in SA as skilled workers of the future.

There are also concerns that the young people who travel here do not get the most out of their Aussie experience and that they have trouble integrating with the community and making friends with local students.

Universities Australia chief executive Glenn Withers said tertiary institutions were making an effort to improve the experiences of foreign students, but more needs to be done.

"It's something that is being taken increasingly seriously, particularly with how classes are being treated," he said. Dr Withers said many students from overseas also struggled to find part-time work to support themselves as they complete their degree. "What we really need is to make it easier for them to get a job that provides a few hours of work and is linked in with their studies," he said.

Adelaide cannot afford to be complacent about its efforts.

"Not only is there competition within Australia from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, but universities in France and Germany are now teaching in English to attract international students."

A recent survey by Education Adelaide and the Adelaide City Council showed international students in SA found it difficult to mix with the local community and other Australian university students.

Of the foreign students who said they lived in share housing between 2004 and 2008, 70 per cent lived only with other international students. Overall, the visitors were dissatisfied with public transport and the proximity of housing to shops and the city. However, earlier research in the four fastest growing international student markets of China, India, Vietnam and South Korea, found the overall perception of Adelaide to be positive.

Many potential students related quality of education with Adelaide, which ranked third as a learning destination for potential students behind Sydney and Melbourne. Research also found students who preferred Adelaide nominated its quality of education, safety and better cost of living.

An audit of the University of Adelaide by the Australian Universities Quality Agency found it was to be commended for programs and frameworks it had developed, such as its International Student Centre. But it still faced the problem of melding its foreign and domestic student body. "One of the most urgent matters for the university to address is the social and cultural integration of international and domestic students," the 2008 audit said.

UNISA received an overall thumbs up for its efforts to grow and support its international student body. A 2006 audit of Flinders found international students had stronger academic progress than domestic students, though "some concerns were expressed (by students) including around enrolment and grievance systems".

Adelaide University Union president Lavinia Emmett-Grey said there was national recognition that foreign students needed ongoing support after O-Week.

"Their needs are a lot greater (because) they're not just coping with university issues but settling in to the city and finding accommodation too," she said.

Ms Emmett-Grey said international students were "far more willing to get involved" in campus activities than domestic students. "The thing that concerns me is that there's not a reciprocity from domestic students to engage them back," she said. "The domestic students don't want to break down the cultural divides."

Ms Emmett-Grey said international students also had particular problems with some educational requirements and "responsibilities". "(For example), a lot of students don't understand what plagiarism means," she said.

William Ng, 23, moved from Malaysia to Adelaide in January to complete a Masters in International Hospitality Management at UniSA and decided to also take on a mentor role to other international students. He said he acts as a "big brother" for those struggling to cope with Australian life.

"I spend a bit of time consoling my friends, some of whom cry almost every night," he said.

"I've spent a bit of time holidaying in Australia and I came here for World Youth Day in Sydney last year, but they are just not coping. I tell them that they will get to go home, they're not here forever.

"There is support, but probably not enough on the one-on-one basis; they feel as though they've got no one to talk to." He added: "Some of my friends said 'why go to such a boring place', you should be in Sydney or Melbourne, but I didn't have much of a choice." Mr Ng said "definite barrier" existed between local and international students.

"Generally Asian students are timid when it comes to mingling, so you can't solely blame the unis or locals, but maybe more could be done to help integrate," he said.

For Anders Stridh, 25, the biggest challenge in moving from Sweden to Adelaide a month ago was finding accommodation.

"We started looking on the Saturday, in the suburbs, but it was all a bit too far from uni," he said. "I started to worry a little about where I was going to end up, but it's worked out OK." Mr Stridh, who studies several law-related subjects at UniSA, found a room at UniLodge on Hindley St.

THE UniLodge, which can house up to 430 students, has developed a Community Spirit program to integrate students and promote self esteem and confidence. This includes encouraging activities from barbecues to tours of South Australia to having access to counsellors.

Group general manager for marketing and communications Karen Vanderpols said students can struggle with a feeling of isolation.

"Some tend to just stay in their apartments - they are not confident about things," she said. Nationally, the number of enrolled international students rose by a record 20.7 per cent last year to 543,898 - the largest increase since 2002 and the first time international enrolments have exceeded 500,000 in a calendar year. Most students, 127,276 of them, were from China.

International education contributed $14.2 billion to the economy in 2007-08, making it Australia's third-largest export behind coal and iron ore.

National Union of Students president David Barrow said universities needed to stop looking at pupils from overseas as "cash cows" and start valuing what they can add not just to a campus, but to society.

"They see them with a price tag attached, but they need to be treated with the same respect that we treat our own Australian students," he said.

Mr Barrow said while some students may initially feel like returning home, pressure from their families and financial commitments meant they were more likely to stay and finish their degrees in Australia.

The Thai-born acting president of Adelaide University's Overseas Student Association, Aushim Merchant, moved to Adelaide as a 17-year-old two years ago and said overseas students should try to accept cultural differences and learn English.

"I know what I found hardest at first was, where I came from there was no alcohol at all, but Australians have a pretty big appreciation for it," he said.

"Everywhere I went was beer, beer, beer, and I thought to myself 'oh my god'.

"But you need to come with an open mind and realise that things will be different. If you don't, then that's when you can end up a bit secluded."

MALAYSIAN WINS MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT

2009-01-20T13:30:00.009+08:00

Michelin first for Malaysian restaurant in London

By CHOI TUCK WO

LONDON: A Malaysian-owned restaurant here has bagged the world-renowned Michelin Star award – believed to be the first for the country.

For Bernard Yeoh of Kai Mayfair Restaurant here, this is the biggest Chinese New Year ang pow and a 15-year dream come true.

“I have been trying to win this award from the day we opened in 1993,” said the Penang-born restaurateur, famed for his soup – Buddha Jumps Over The Wall (touted to be the world’s most expensive soup) which costs £108 (RM606) per bowl.

Winning combination: Yeoh (left) and Chow posing for photos in the Kai Mayfair Restaurant kitchen in London.

Kai Mayfair is the only Chinese restaurant here to win the Michelin Star this year, the highest honour for a restaurant.

Yeoh, 39, said the official recognition from the Michelin Guide 2009 could not have come at a better time due to the economically tough year ahead.

Yeoh said when he found out the restaurant had bagged the prestigious award, it was “one minute of complete elation and five minutes of relief.”

“From now on, it will be 365 days of stress in ensuring we keep to our standards to avoid losing the award next year,” he said, in describing the anonymous visits by food inspectors to evaluate the restaurant on a range of criteria.

He said his staff were surprised when a customer introduced herself as a Michelin inspector and asked to interview the chef and inspect the kitchen last October.

“It was a spot check and you have no time to do anything. She saw the kitchen as it was, spending more than an hour interviewing the staff and watching how food was prepared,” he added.

Yeoh said their success was also a reflection of the general standard of Malaysian-owned restaurants which were increasingly making a mark in the world.

Head chef Alex Chow, from Kuala Lumpur, described the award as the biggest achievement in his 23-year career.

“It certainly is a bullish start to the new year,” he said, in thanking his family for their support and Yeoh for giving him the opportunity to establish his culinary cuisine here four years ago.

Chow, who has 10 chefs under him, said that his advice for upcoming chefs was that they must cook from the heart and give their best to satisfy customers.

_________________

Some facts about Kai Mayfair Restaurant:

Kai Mayfair
65 South Audley Street, London, W1K 2QU

Cuisine:	Chinese
Times:	Mon - Fri 12pm - 2:30pm & 6:30pm - 11pm Sat 6:30pm - 11pm Sun 6:30pm - 10:30pm
Dress code:	Casual
Station:	Bond Street
Payment:	All major credit cards accepted
Capacity:	95
Av. price:	£55 - £64

Critic Reviews of Kai Mayfair:

	Hardens rated it Very Good The ""de luxe"" décor may not be to all tastes, but this ""formal"" Mayfair oriental continues to impress reporters... full review \| all Hardens reviews
	London Eating full review
	Square Meal After three years in charge, executive chef Alex Chow is starting to make some changes at high-priced Kai. The... full review \| all Square Meal reviews
	Evening Standard If you're fed up of the same old Chinese food book yourself a table at Mayfair's Kai. With a raft of awards to its... full review \| all Evening Standard reviews
	Time Out Kai aims to show off the breadth of China's culinary possibilities, and the depth of customers' pockets... full review \| all Time Out reviews
	Yahoo Local full review

For more information on this newly-investitured restaurant, please visit their website.

Adelaide, City of Churches

2009-01-05T02:39:00.015+08:00

Breathtaking of Adelaide City

Victoria Square

State Library of South Australia

Elder Hall, University of Adelaide

Parliament House, Adelaide

Edward VII in stone

University of South Australia, Adelaide

Rundle Mall, Adelaide City

City Tram in Adelaide City

Torren's River

Dear friends, this post signifies my last post from Malaysia and I'll be moving to Australia for the next two years. I will be based in Adelaide - City of Churches in South Australia. I will now leave you with this wonderful pictures of the city and I look forward to blog more in the near future.

Purpose: To pursue my Master Degree
Specialization: Master Degree in International Hospitality Management (M.I.H.M.)
University: University of South Australia (UniSA), City West Campus
(in collaboration with Le Cordon Bleu, Adelaide, Australia)
Duration: 2 years, including a 6 months internship

World Youth Day Themes for 2009, 2010 and 2011 Chosen

2009-01-02T18:35:00.001+08:00

Although the worldwide gathering of youth called World Youth Day only occurs every two or three years, the day itself is celebrated in parishes across the world every year. The Vatican has just released the theme for each of the next three World Youth Days, including the 2011 gathering in Spain.

The theme for 2009’s World Youth Day is “We Have Set Our Hope on the Living God” (1 Tim 4:10.)

The theme for 2010’s World Youth Day is “Good Teacher, What Must I do to Inherit Eternal Life?” (Mk 10:17.)

The theme for 2011’s World Youth Day is “Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith” (cf Col 2:7).

	Hardens rated it Very Good The ""de luxe"" décor may not be to all tastes, but this ""formal"" Mayfair oriental continues to impress reporters... full review \| all Hardens reviews
	London Eating full review
	Square Meal After three years in charge, executive chef Alex Chow is starting to make some changes at high-priced Kai. The... full review \| all Square Meal reviews
	Evening Standard If you're fed up of the same old Chinese food book yourself a table at Mayfair's Kai. With a raft of awards to its... full review \| all Evening Standard reviews
	Time Out Kai aims to show off the breadth of China's culinary possibilities, and the depth of customers' pockets... full review \| all Time Out reviews
	Yahoo Local full review