Be Prepared for Beijing Culture

Interesting tips from BBC News (please read full tips here)

# Chi fan le ma? [Translation: Have you eaten?]

Learn some Chinese. Just a bit. Locals absolutely love it the moment you speak Chinese. 

# Be prepared: you will be used for English practice

Beijing locals love outsiders. Not just foreigners - but people from other parts of China too. 

# Small-talk can be blunt

In China be prepared to be asked how old you are, if you are married and if you have kids. 

# Stop! Look both ways!

In China a zebra crossing does not necessarily mean cars will stop for you. 

# Smile, smile...

Smiling police officers make your day,

# No to Xiaojie

One word you should not use in a Beijing restaurant to get the attention of a waitress is xiaojie - which means Miss. 

# Seek what unites

# When in Beijing prepare to get renao [Translation - hot and noisy]

Go to a karaoke bar in Beijing and you will find people singing, clapping, a lot of noise and people enjoying themselves. 

Image source: AP

Story source: BBC News (31 Jul 08)

Catch the News; Touch the Future

This is a Suzuki Pixy + Suzuki Sharing Coach (SSC), on show at the soon-to-come Tokyo Motor Show. An auto show of the future, the 40th Tokyo Motor Show is ready to show off the new concept cars from world's automakers like Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, etc.

Start today at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, until Nov 11.

See more photo from BusinessWeek

Happy 60th Anniversy to the Best Store in Thailand

The best and the largest retail chain in Thailand, Central Department Store, at its 60th anniversary! From a magazine/news stand comes a little store in China Town, then bigger one in Silom, luxurious Chidlom, the first large-scale shopping plaza in the country Central Plaza Lardprao, and the funky-looking Zen. This place is rich of memory - remember when you were in high school, or university? It was and is still our meeting points for movie, dining, and shopping. Happy 60th anniversary!

Bert's - The Well-Being Moment (Made in France)

Interesting newcomer for a contemporary 'French' sandwich shop, Bert's. The chain is big in Paris, started in 2002 - now having more than 30 locations locally and internationally (Dubai, UK, Belgium, Bangkok! and etc). It calls itself a 'contemporary cafe', selling variety of breakfast, lunch, snack to drinks.

Interestingly, it's actually French but has an English name. And the reason is "The English sounding name is intended to bestow an aura of cosmopolitan smartness". If you know (well, I know you know) Au Bon Pain, or Hagen Daz - they are not French but have French names just because of that same reason?!?

The review I read also said "the Bert's-type cafe, imposing a self-consciously youthful style for a well-heeled target market, is flourishing." Is it just a trend?

Keira Knightley Featured on Chanel.com

Watch a very nice, very well-done ad of Chanel (click to view the video) performed by lovely Keira Knightley with a new hot song L-O-V-E by Joss Stone. You may also see this ad on a regular TV show in the US. The web is extremely awesome and beautiful - not to mention the video itself.

Alaska Thru My Eyes: Denali National Park (1)

It's time for wildlife viewing! Let's go to Denali.

Let me convince you how big Denali National Park is... It is 24 395 sq.km. Well, who knows how big is that... Say it another way, if you combine all areas of 50 national parks in Thailand together - it is equal to the size of Denali National Park. That’s how huge it is!...
Continue reading the story and view the photos....

HAPPY OCTOBER!

Have a great month! It's getting colder here in Boston!

Yummy Food

This link is an informal review in pantip.com - I guarantee it will make you hungry!

Happy Birthday!

Didn't know before that I have the very same B.D. as this giant search engine!

Thule: Rack Your Car

This company (Thu-le) actually sells 'racking' of any kinds for your cars (of out-going people), i.e. bike rack, snowboarding, luggage carriers, etc. The website is kind of cool to move the rack on any cars. The shop is also newly open in Bangkok...wow..

Tipping Etiquette Quiz

Tipping could be a confusing issue....

There was a blog war over the tipping issue created by a waitress who received 10% tip (which is considered - suboptimal in the US by most people) from a customer who said he/she received less than an adequate service....

Tipping Etiquette Test

As far as I read the comments, it seems to me that there's no rule but in general - in the U.S.
- Waiter/waitress does not receive an adequate amount of pay per hours (only $2-4/hr) so they rely on tip to make money (the facts could be different from states to states)
- Most people considers
10% lower than average, if you leave this amount it is good to talk to the manager about it also (to let them know that the service is unacceptable)
15% average tip
20% or more - for exceptional service

However, some people does think that no tip should be made if the service is lousy. It's up to personal preference, I think.

One thing to remind you, at the end of test, they will ask your name and valid email address - make sure you put your uncommon email (the email you allow all spams to come) rather than your usual one!

Poll result from Quibblo

What is Your Type?

Interesting personality test originated in Russia - then transformed into many languages, including English and Thai. It's kind of work-oriented. They basically divided people into 9 dominant groups by testing with tens or hundreds questions.

Like this ...
I give up when things get very unpleasant
I have a need to maintain high levels of excitement
I do not back down when threatened

For each question, you give a score of 1-5 depending on how accurately it describes yourself. It is good in a sense of way to see where you are in these 9 types, see if it is correct, then see what is good and what can be improved in your type.

Learn more about Enneagram
Take the Enneagram Test (pick on the 'Enneagram Test', the test is free of charge)

Best Digital Cameras by BusinessWeek

The list created by BusinessWeek was out last week.

1. Casio Exilim Zoom Series (credit card size)
2. Canon Powershot SD Series (7 megapixel, ultraslim, face recognition, auto ISO shift)
3. Kodak V Series (2 lens, one for traditional shot, another for wide angle and telescopic shots)
4. Fuji Finepix F Series (automatic flash adjustment)
5. Kodak Z Series (simple printing)

And more at www.businessweek.com

Pravsworld "Life Begins Here"

Nice website www.pravsworld.com

Alaska Thru My Eyes: The Alaska Railroad

Let me bring you on the most scenic railroad in America! The Alaska Railroad....

Like any other lands owned by native people, early Alaska was exploited by the European explorers and settlers. Russians came first to use the labor of the Aleuts, killing sea otters for their pelts (skin). Later on, Russia, Britain and the United States signed a treaty forming the boundaries of Russian America and British Canada along Alaska’s current boundaries. Alaska then was unwillingly bought by the United States from Tsar Alexander II of Russia (when there was nothing left to cultivate from this land - in the Russian’s minds at that time). The price was unbelievably low, for only 2 cents an acre (1 acre = 4000 sq.m.) in 1867. Read more and view photos here.

Green Techs That Could Change Your Life

From smart lighting to high-tech recycling, let's see these innovations taking shape in our eco-friendly world. The story is on BusinessWeek... Read it here

Don't forget to visit its nice Slideshow

Siam Park but not in Siam?

Kind of cool-looking water park, although it's not in Thailand. It is scheduled to open in this coming winter. Anyone will go there, please report!

See its plan

APEC 2007 Leader Group Photo

APEC 2007 at Sydney
Don't know how to describe.... :)

Images from www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/

MTV Video Music Award 2007

And the winners are...

Single of the Year - Rihanna f/ Jay-Z "Umbrella"
Threat of the Year - Justin Timberlake
Best Collaboration - Beyonce f/ Shakira
Male Artist of the Year - Justin Timberlake
Female Artist of the Year = Fergie
Best Group - Fall Out Boy
Best New Artist - Gym Class Heroes
Video of the Year - Rihanna f/ Jay-Z "Umbrella"
Best Choreography - Justin Timberlake "My Love" Choreographer: Marty Kudelka
Best Direction - Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around...Comes Around" Director: Samuel Bayer
Best Editing - Gnarls Barkley "Smiley Faces" Editor: Ken Mowe
Wanna see more...

New Generation of iPods

Apple just announced the new generation of iPods including the new iPod Nano, and iPod Touch. They look cool (as always), with new color, larger storage, video capability on the Nano and the iPod Touch comes with a touch screen and WIFI technology!

They all will actually come out at the end of this month. Check how cool they are at Apple website.