» Port Douglas: Another Fake Town, in a Part of the World Which Has All too Many Real Attractions
» Rustic North Queensland Architecture: In The Streets of North Cairns
» Avoiding Those Second Third Time Blues: Round Three in Cairns
» Thailand's Secret Tourist Destinations
» Beware Petronas Job Scam
» Asian Tourism Industry Booms Despite Global Recession
» Watch Out for Travel Club Scams
» Eastwood, Sydney (Little Korean Enclave, Surrounded by the Australian Bush)
» What You Can Learn About Yourself as a Dater (By Looking at the People You Date)
» Malaysians Fail to Get into Harvard for Second Year Running
» JPA Scholarships: A Billion Ringgit Throwaway?
» Oxley Tower, a New Development in Singapore
» Improved Performance in IT/ITES Services Boosts Demand for Residential Properties (in Chennai, India)
» How to Deal with a Bad Date
» Are You Ready (For the Social Business Revolution?)
» Writer/Researcher Needed in Malaysia
» Cattle Station Hopping, in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
» New Home Delivery Service Launched in Ho Chi Minh City
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Revisiting Pearl Beach: The Most Expensivest Suburb on the NSW Central Coast
WRITING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE IS LIKE DANCING ABOUT FOOD -- BUT A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS!
After an 8-year absence to anxiety and agoraphobia, I was able to return to Pearl Beach with my Mum, and her friend Beth. The sun was shining, and the houses here looked even more magnificent than they used to look. For some reason, high ceilings seem to be the craze these days... high, vaunting cathedral style ceilings. I would prefer something cozier myself, but then again, I am agoraphobic. The architecture, both on the beach and along the leafy streets, was similarly grand... (For the complete pictorial account of my outing, click here.)
Rustic Homes & Quirky Folk: Walking in Cairns
IN MY DREAM LIFE WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH BECOMING REAL, I WOULD TRAVEL THE WORLD LIVING OFF MY ONLINE INCOME AND BASICALLY HOP FROM COOL ATTRACTION TO THE NEXT. The city of Cairns, in northern Queensland is very much an ideal candidate for me to hang out in for a couple of months, as I awaited the next boat or plane out to another haven (perhaps Port Moresby, or the Torres Straits). It is small enough not to be a rat race, but big enough to be creatively vibrant (in a fashion). It is home to all manner of strange and quirky minorites, such as resident Japanese working holidaymakers and Indian taxi drivers. There is a huge Aboriginal community in town... in fact there are about five kinds of Aborigines in town according to my Sydney buddy M Tumbers, but he was counting the Japanese as being one of them. The architecture, both in the centre of town, and on the outskirts too, is similarly quirky... (For the complete Cairns Architecture guide, click here.)
Avoiding Those Second Third Time Around Blues: Round Three in Cairns
I JUST HIT THE GROUND IN CAIRNS, NORTH QUEENSLAND, AND ONCE AGAIN AM STAYING AT THE BOHEMIA RESORT WITH MY FATHER. This is actually the third time I have been to Cairns in the past 18 months, and the town has become a kind of north pole or home away from home during this current spell in Australia (a spell which will expire, I expect, in early 2014.) Cairns was the place I fled to like a refugee, after the great Tohoku Earthquake rattled me out of my 10-year slumber in Japan, and propelled me on to the path of True Vagabondism. It was a reintroduction to the land of my birth, and a refresher course in Australian culture (loud dance and rock music, guys with their shirts off, strangers saying "G'Day" to you heartily on the street). Such a different world to the one I had left behind in the Land of the Rising Sun, just a couple of aftershocks earlier! I was only in town for half the morning and half the afternoon, but the town exerted a profound effect on me. About four months later I was back again, this time with my Dad, who wanted to winter here and check out some birds... we ended up staying nearly five weeks! My online income was booming at the time, and I thought this long tropical adventure was just a taste of the global Vagabondist wanderings which awaited me, once I had repaid my debts: this was the template for how I wanted to live my life, a Digital Nomad travelling from Paradise to Utopia! Cairns was the place I dreamt up the One World Orbit, the ongoing blueprint and mission statement for this website (and my life). I walked around town, looked up at Aboriginal art galleries, drank in the bars and clubs every night, and imagined that one day soon I would be able to support myself financially just from writing about these experiences. Carried aloft around the world, by the winds of online income! It was an idealistic dream; the weather changed, the winds changed direction, and I met a big reality check, about two months later, while I was living with my parents down in NSW. My online earnings slumped, and have not yet recovered. Ma, iya, as they would say in Japan... shou ga nai!. The show will go on, and I will make the Orbit happen, one way or another. That so much is beyond doubt. What is in doubt, however, and this is what it struck me shortly after arriving in Cairns today with my father... can this town wow me for a third time? It wasn't my choice to be here, and I am spending money that could be going for my ticket to Cambodia in 2014, or entrance fees to Angkor Wat. Much as I loved this place last year, I fear I am pushing my luck, in expecting to deliver life changing magic three times in a row. In any case, at least I am back in the tropics!
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Thailand's Secret Tourist Destinations
UK-BASED TRAVEL WRITER LIV RABAN HAS WRITTEN A SECOND GUEST POST FOR ME, THIS TIME ON THE SECRET TOURIST DESTINATIONS OF THAILAND. "Although Thailand is a vast, magical haven for tourists," Raban writes in her latest piece, "it seems that we only ever hear about the same places: the bustling city of Bangkok, the jungles tours of Chiang Mai and the southern Islands famous for their Full Moon Parties. Many backpackers want to experience something new � something slightly off the usual tourist trail..." (For an introduction to some of the secret tourist destinations in Thailand, click here.)
Beware Petronas Job Scam
I OFTEN RECEIVE RESUMES FROM INDIANS, PAKISTANIS AND RESIDENTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST LOOKING FOR WORK IN MALAYSIA. Sometimes I get emails asking for advice on the job market there, but since I am not Malaysian, it is hard for me to provide a constructive reply. I have seriously considered working in the country, however, and have enough experience to know that not every offer is as golden as it appears. It was with interest, therefore, that I read this email recently from a certain T.M., from India. T.M. seems to be the latest victim of a malicious Malaysian scam currently doing the rounds. The Indian gentleman wrote: "I want to work in Malaysia with my prestige and dignity.At present I have got the opportunity from Petroliam nasional berhad(petronas) if possible please help me by providing information,whether this company is real or fake.They claiming that they will provide me 189200$ per month and for that I
have to pay there travel agent GRANDLOTUS TRAVELING AGENCY MALAYSIA... Please help me by giving me the proper information regarding there
intention..." (For the full story on the Petronas job email scam, click here.)
Asian Tourism Industry Booms Despite Global Recession
LIV RABAN, A UK TRAVEL AND BUSINESS WRITER, WAS KIND ENOUGH TO WRITE FOR ME A GUEST POST ON THE ON GOING BOOM IN THE ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY. Raban writes: "Last week came bearing good news for the Asia-Pacific travel industry. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) announced on Thursday that in the space of just one year, the number of international arrivals into Asia-Pacific destinations had increased by 10 per cent. This is a huge climb in such a short space of time, especially at a time when so many visitor countries are facing increased financial hardship and austerity measures..." (For the full story on the Asian tourism boom, click here.)
Watch Out for Travel Club Scams
EMILY GREEN FROM COPY FOR BYLINES WAS KIND ENOUGH TO WRITE FOR ME A GUEST POST ON THE DANGER OF TRAVEL CLUB SCAMS. Since I am an inverterate deal seeker and also a little paranoid, I felt compelled to publish the piece! Green writes: "Vacations can cost a pretty penny. Nowadays many companies offer promotions and travel deals that allow vacationers to catch a deal on a trip. This comes in handy whether you're looking to save money on a hotel, a cruise, a honeymoon or getaway, or even if you're looking to save some dough on business travel..." (For the full story on how you can avoid being scammed, click here.)
Eastwood, Sydney, NSW (A Little Piece of Korea, Surrounded by the Australian Bush)
AT THE WEEKEND I WAS AT MY BROTHER'S HOUSE IN EPPING IN NORTH-WEST SYDNEY, AT A REMISSION PARTY, WHEN I TOLD MY BROTHER'S PART-CHINESE NEIGHBOUR THAT I HAD JUST COMPLETED A 10-YEAR LIFE IN JAPAN. The neighbour asked me if I missed Japan, and I said I surely did. "You should go to Eastwood, then; it's just down the road," he replied, a gleam in his eye. "It's like Chinatown, except it's full of Koreans. It might remind you of Japan... people eating and shopping for good Asian food." A few days later, reading Murdoch's local rags, I discovered that Eastwood's Rowe Street and Railway Parade were listed among Sydney's "ethnic eat streets", suburbs which the NSW Government wanted to exploit to promote international food tourism. Since I have always been a fan and promoter of ethnic enclaves, I knew I had to go down there, and check it out. The next day, I was in Eastwood... (For the full story on what I discovered, click here.)
What You Can Learn About Yourself as a Dater (By Looking at the People You Date)
ANDY BURKE FROM WOMEN DATING MEN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO WRITE A GUEST POST FOR ME, ON HOW TO BECOME A BETTER DATER BY STUDYING PAST MISTAKES. Burke writes: "If you're blaming everyone but yourself for your dating failures, it's time to take an internal look at why your love life is going awry. Instead of putting the blame on your dates, take these tips on what you can do to improve your dating life by some simple self-reflection..." (For the full story on what you can learn about yourself as a dater by looking at the people you date, click here.)
Malaysians Fail to Get into Harvard for Second Year Running
DESPITE RECORD RESULTS IN THE LOCAL SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA (SPM) EXAMS, MALAYSIAN STUDENTS HAVE FAILED TO GAIN ADMISSION INTO THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERISTY, THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER REPORTED TODAY. Harvard University�s selection panel chief for Malaysia, Datuk Dr Goh Cheng Teik, said that not only did no Malaysian student receive an offer letter to attend the prestigious institution, none were apparently even good enough to make it to the interview rounds.
"This comes after a controversy erupted over the quality of Malaysian education when Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pointed to a World Economic Forum report to claim that Malaysians had a higher standard of education compared to that in some advanced countries," the Insider's Lee Wei Lian wrote.
"Opposition lawmaker Tony Pua rubbished Muhyiddin's claims, pointing to another international study -- the PISA 2009+ -- that showed Malaysian students lagged far behind western nations in terms of literacy, mathematics and scientific understanding..." (For a further insight into Malaysian education and universities, click here.)
JPA Scholarships: A Billion Ringgit Throwaway?
WITH APPLICATIONS FOR JPA SCHOLARSHIPS OPENING TOMORROW, LOYARBUROK HAS PUBLISHED A TIMELY ARTICLE CRITICISING THE METHOD BY WHICH SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED. "Whoever rules the Government in future, it�s imperative that JPA�s overseas scholarship policy be revised," concludes the article's author, Hafidzi Razali. "Straight A�s in SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) alone don�t equate to the excellence deserving of golden (yes, it�s that expensive) opportunities abroad. Overseas institutions too, aren�t necessarily exceptional just because they�re located in the US or UK where hallowed institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford are found. More importantly, a more refined approach will ensure meritocracy at its best, while improving the standard of our local institutions with billions saved as well as a better pool of students to choose from..." (For more news on Malaysian education and scholarships, click here.)
Oxley Tower, a New Development in Singapore
I GOT AN EMAIL FROM A GENTLEMAN CALLED WILLIAM CHOO THE OTHER DAY REGARDING A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN SINGAPORE, THE OXLEY TOWER. While not strictly Vietnam related, I thought it was still relevant to this blog, as it kind of illustrated, once again, that Asia is where it is at when it comes to high rise towers. Over in Tokyo, where I used to live, looms the Sky Tree. Singapore has its share of great towers too. "Conveniently located within walking distance of Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place MRTs," Choo's email read, "Oxley Tower is a dream come true for professionals seeking a cosmopolitan lifestyle right in the heart of the CBD. The stunning 32-storey office/shopping commercial development consists of a 3-storey podium, 29 Storey Tower and three Basement Car Parks. Business owners can have quick access to their offices, supplies, vendors, partners; as well as F&B, entertainment joints and top-notch recreational haunts such as Clarke Quay and Marina Bay Sands. One can also commute conveniently via major expressways like the CTE, KPE & ECP, which are just round the bend... (For the full story about Oxley Tower in Singapore, click here.)
Improved Performance in IT/ITES Services Boosts Demand for Residential Properties (in Chennai, India)
INCREASED JOB SECURITY IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENABLED SERVCIES (ITES) ARE LIKELY TO HELP SPUR DEMAND FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN CHENNAI, ACCORDING TO LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS. Property sales in Chennai rose in the final quarter of 2011 on increased buyer interest, a trend that was followed in most Indian metros. Over the past year (2011), by contrast, residential sales in Mumbai dropped by 28 per cent. Interestingly, the preferred size for 3BHK apartments has also increased since the end of the recession. Jones Lang LaSalle India's residential services head for Chennai, Siva Krishnan, claims this is down to an improvement in the performance of IT and ITES industries. "Over the last 12 months, it has become increasingly evident that Chennai�s residential real estate market is significantly dependent on the IT/ITES sectors," Mr Krishnan told City Express last month. "With employment stability in these sectors looking a lot better now than it did in 2010, demand for homes has now reached a comfortable and dependable growth trajectory from which developers are taking their market cues." (For more on the Chennai real estate market, click here.)
How to Deal with a Bad Date
ERICA St. CLAIRE FROM CATHOLIC SINGLES DATING SITES WAS KIND ENOUGH TO WRITE FOR ME A GUEST POST ON THE SUBJECT OF BAD DATES, AND IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO PUBLISH THE POST TODAY, WHICH IS OF COURSE SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY. "If you're single and in the process of dating, you might have enough bad dates under your belt to write a horror story - or maybe even a series," the article reads. "And sure, bad dates are expected to happen from time to time... but when they do, there's no doubt that they leave you feeling awkward, disappointed and maybe even questioning the entire human race as you swear never to go on another date again. So the next time that you're on a date that would be described just about as far away from 'good' as possible, be sure to keep the following tips in mind for dealing with it..." (For the full story, click here.)
Are You Ready (For the Social Business Revolution?)
COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE INCREASINGLY FORCED TO EMBRACE SOCIAL BUSINESS AND IMPORT THE 'WISDOM OF THE CROWDS' INTO THEIR INTERNAL OPERATIONS AFTER IBM'S LANDMARK LOTUSPHERE 2012 CONFERENCE, HELD LAST MONTH, RADICALLY LOWERED THE BARRIERS TO ADOPTING COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGIES. While social media has become the buzz term of the year, it makes sense that no enterprise can succeed socially unless it becomes a social business internally. A survey conducted by IBM last year found that, indeed, most companies were failing in their social media strategies. But as Gartner analysts have pointed out: "By 2014, refusing to communicate with customers via social channels will be as harmful as ignoring emails or phone calls is today..." (For the full social business story, click here.)
Are You Ready (For the Social Business Revolution?)
Full Time Writer/Researcher Needed in Malaysia
I RECEIVED AN EMAIL YESTERDAY FROM A MALAYSIAN GENTLEMAN WHO SAID HE IS LOOKING FOR EXTRAPRIATES TO WORK AS FULL-TIME WRITERS/RESEARCHERS. The email read: "Researcher and writer is needed full time to research on:
- a) Malaysia's top CEO and their success stories.
- b) Malaysia's Top Brand success stories, philosophy.
- c) Industry competitiveness Report.
- d) Highlights of corporate growth.
- e) Business premise special report.
- f) Issues in malaysia's supply chain management
.
"Report will be published as columns /articles/special report in Malaysian newspapers and Blog." (For more details about this job, click here.)
Cattle Station Hopping, in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
New Home Delivery Service Launched in Ho Chi Minh City
A FRIEND OF MINE HAS LAUNCHED A COOL WEBSITE FOR ORDERING FOOD FOR HOME DELIVERY IN HO CHI MINH CITY. While many restaurants do home deliveries, EatVn is the first service I know of which groups them all together, giving you access to multiple cuisines. On EatVn you don't need to make a single call, which is attractive to people like me who feel shy telephoning restaurants in foreign countries, wondering if we will get an English speaker on the other end. You don't even need to enter your credit card details either, just make your selection and wait for the goodies to arrive. When he launched the website last April, Swedish-born Palm Anders claimed to have about 20 restaurants signed up, with another 100 expected before the end of the year... (For the full story, click here.)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
7 Online Dating Mistakes That Could Break Your Heart Bank
CINDY McDONALD FROM BEST CHRISTIAN DATING SITES KINDLY WROTE A GUEST POST FOR ME ON THE PITFALLS OF ONLINE DATING. "If you�re single and looking for love or companionship online in this day in age... it�s no secret that it can be tough out there," the article reads. "And because of the dangers hiding behind every '.com,' not only do you have to protect your fragile heart from being broken, but you also have to protect your wallet from being robbed. So before you take to the dating scene on the web, it is essential to educate yourself on the various mistakes that could leave you loveless and penniless. Check out the following financial pitfalls in online dating and tips for avoiding them in your quest for a cyber-relationship:... (For the full 7 Online Dating Mistakes That Could Break Your Heart Bank story, click here.)
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