Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos

Why Israel is not a tourism Mecca-04 November, 2009

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Despite numerous attractions, Israel’s tourism industry continues each year to draw 2.5 million visitors, many of them Americans. That figure has been the same for the past decade meaning tourism has reached a plateau.

The plateau continues even as advertising budgets have increased and government officials have promoted the country.

Why is that?

“One reason for this is that tourists generally seek peaceful locales. Hence, wars and terror attacks keep tourists wondering whether Israel will be safe at the time of their planned vacation, and many forego the visit,” reports ynetnews.com, an Israeli news service.

Periodic episodes of violence have deterred visitor growth, as cited by ynetnews.

Ami Etgar, CEO of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association (IITOA), says that while security issues pose a serious obstacle for the tourism industry, other factors also make it difficult for large groups to visit Israel. He said:

"In Israel there are almost no international hotel chains because entrepreneurs from abroad don't like to invest. (here)”

Etgar says that a longer history of peace is needed to attract investors. "But mostly (entrepreneurs) need help in removing bureaucratic barriers," he said.

Another obstacle for incoming tourism are rules and regulations set up by the Interior Ministry, observers say.

Asia's Best Coffee - Vietnam

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:25:00 +0000

There's no such thing as a quick cup of coffee in Vietnam, where communing with friends over a glass or two is a social ritual on par with the handshake in the West.

"It's all about the conversation, chewing the fat, watching the world go by," says Mark Lowerson, an Australian English-language-class coordinator and culinary-tour guide who has lived in Hanoi for seven years. "We (Westerners) can be at one with our coffee whereas Vietnamese will enjoy it much more among friends."

Coffee -- along with baguettes and crème caramel -- is a culinary holdover of French colonial rule (French-administered Indochina was established in 1887 and dissolved in 1954), when coffee plants were introduced to Vietnam's central highlands by French missionaries. Production dropped off during the Vietnam War but resumed in the 1980s; today Vietnam, which grows primarily robusta but also arabica and small amounts of lesser-known varieties, is one of the world's largest producers.

Usually brewed into a glass at the table using excruciatingly slow single-cup drip filters called ca phe phin, Vietnamese coffee is mixed with sugar and sweetened condensed milk and poured over ice; the resulting concoction is called ca phe sua da (if you prefer yours hot, ask for ca phe sua nong; in Vietnam even black coffee is usually drunk with sugar). It's a burly but smooth brew with a hint of chocolate, a flavor that comes from roasting beans with "butter oil" (clarified butter, margarine or vegetable oil) and sometimes sugar, as well as with other ingredients whose identities are closely guarded by roasters (fish sauce is rumored to be one).

In Vietnam, tea is for drinking at home, while coffee is for enjoying at a cafe. That word may be applied to anything from three tiny plastic stools clustered on the sidewalk in front of a shed to the outlets of upmarket homegrown coffee-shop chains such as Trung Nguyen and Highlands.

Most small operators pride themselves on serving coffee with its own unique flavor, so coffee tasting in Vietnam is a great adventure. "I go to certain cafes for a certain cup because that's the flavor I feel like at the time," says Mr. Lowerson, who likes to find a perch with a good view of Vietnam's frenetic street life.

Though he hesitates to recommend any particular Hanoi cafe, Mr. Lowerson does have some advice for the coffee loving visitor: "Just pull up a stool anywhere, sip the sweetness and watch the passing parade."

Glossary

Ca phe sua da: iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk

Ca phe sua nong: hot coffee with milk

Ca phe da: iced coffee with sugar only

Ca phe nong: hot coffee with sugar only

Where to find a good cup
Publish Post

A good-to-stellar glass of ca phe sua da is literally never more than a block away in Vietnam, though Ho Chi Minh City boasts more three-stool sidewalk "cafes" than the capital city of Hanoi. If you prefer a proper cafe, the Trung Nguyen and Highlands cafes are always a good bet. Both have branches all over Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

China approves Shanghai Disneyland -05 November, 2009

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

LOS ANGELES - Walt Disney has won approval from the central government of China to build a Disneyland-style theme park in Shanghai,

Analysts estimate Shanghai Disneyland — not including hotels and resort infrastructure — will cost US$3.5 billion, making it one of the largest-ever foreign investments in China.

The initial resort, with a mix of shopping areas, hotels and a Magic Kingdom-style theme park, will sprawl across 1,000 acres of the city’s Pudong district.

The theme park will occupy about 100 acres, making it a little bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, California and on par with the parks in Paris and Tokyo.

It is expected to open in five or six years.

Disney has been talking to China about a Disneyland theme park for almost 20 years amd analysts say approval of the project signals that the Chinese leadership may be more open to Western investment.

| Storm victim toll rises to 65 in Phu Yen - Storm victim toll rises to 65 in Phu Yen

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:32:00 +0000

Tropical storm Mirinae, which hit the south-central province of Phu Yen on November 2, killed at least 65 people and left 16 others missing, said local officials.

The mountain district of Dong Xuan reported the largest number of deaths (30) followed by Tuy An district (20), Song Cau town (13), Tuy Hoa City and Tay Hoa district (2 each).

About 145 boats sank, 413 houses collapsed and 5,540 other were damaged, said local officials.

The death toll might keep rising as violent flood waters made it impossible for rescue workers to reach isolated areas.

The province had moved 4,207 families with more than 16,000 residents to safer zones before the storm made landfall. However, many areas in Tuy An district and Song Cau town have remained cut off.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on November 4 flew to Phu Yen to direct rescue work in flooded communes. He asked the province to mobilize all rescue forces and distribute food and other necessities to isolated villages as early as possible to ensure no one is left hungry.

He also asked local administrations to provide emergency aid to families that lost their relatives and had their houses damaged during the storm.

In the evening of November 3, National Highway No1A which had been blocked by landslides, was open to traffic again. The provincial People’s Committee deployed 10 buses to transport 1,800 train passengers stranded at local railway stations to Dieu Tri railway station in nearby Binh Dinh province.

Lowdown on the naked airline scan-03 November, 2009

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:51:00 +0000

With a new x-ray scanner, passengers will not have to remove shoes and belts. No “stick-em-up” hands in the air, either.

Scanners sit in remote locations. It’ll be rolled out by selected US airports over next year.

A Lonely Planet reporter tested the system at Manchester Airport and concluded:
“It’s hard to see much wrong with it.”

He stood in an open-sided metal box with hands on his head for the procedure. Guards at a distance analyze the resulting pictures. But it does open up a passenger’s body to view (at least of the guard).

”But technology sometimes comes at a price and, to some, this may be a step too far, “ says the reporter,” Tom Hall.

“However, anything that gets me through security quicker, allowing more time for browsing geektastic airplane magazines and trying on duty-free sunglasses is a good thing,” Hall concludes.

Safety will be paramount at Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:26:00 +0000

he Chairman of the NA’s Science-Technology and Environment Committee said he’s sure Vietnam will have trained personnel needed to run the first nuclear power plants in 2020.

LookAtVietnam - Deputy Dang Vu Minh, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Science-Technology and Environment Committee, told

VNExpress he’s sure Vietnam will have the trained personnel needed to run a reactor safely when the new plants go on-line circa 2020.

Nuclear power and unanswered questions

VNExpress: What are the basic features of the nuclear power project that will be submitted to the National Assembly?

Deputy Dang Vu Minh: It’s planned that our first two nuclear power plants will be built in Phuoc Dinh and Vinh Hai communes in Ninh Phuoc and Ninh Hai districts of Ninh Thuan province beginning in 2015. Each will have a pressurized water reactor able to supply 1000 megawatts to the national grid. The plants will become operational by 2020.

More info---->>>Safety will be paramount at Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant | Look At Vietnam

Children with cancer paint with hope

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:23:00 +0000

A special picture, completed by famous painter Tran Nhat Thang and various children suffering from cancer in the Tumor Department of the National Pediatrics Hospital, will be sold at an auction for charity on the occasion of Children’s Cancer Day on November 1.

The 1.2m-wide, 2.4m-long picture, completed on Tuesday, is from one of programmed organized by the Chap Canh Uoc Mo (Making Dreams Come True) Volunteer Group, with the aim of giving children with cancer a chance to express their hopes and dreams.

The children are encouraged to come to the public room in the hospital, where they are provided with colour pencils and paper to draw until their hearts are content.

Five-year-old Anh, from the northern province of Bac Ninh, always arrives early to the room. Like the others, the little girl is being given a water transfusion, but the pain caused by the needle does not prevent her from drawing. Anh, who has been fighting a tumour in her lung for three years, still moves her right hand over the papers while the other is being injected.

“When my daughter was not undergoing treatment, she really liked going to the village’s kindergarten in front of our house to play with the otherchildren. But after being called a ‘bald girl’, she now refuses to go back,” Anh’s father says while his eyes brim with tears.

Another “small artist” of the picture is five-year-old Hien, from Thai Binh Province, who was sent to this hospital just last week. Sitting silently inside her mother’s arms, the girl, with concentration, colours in an image of a parrot in a book for kindergartenchildren.

Hien was diagnosed as having acute white blood cell disease and she often runs a high fever that weakens her a lot. But drawing seems to free her from her pain, if only temporarily.

When asked to go back to her room to rest, the girl refuses and keeps on drawing an incomplete picture, featuring the shining sun, some flowers and a heart that she calls “The Sun’s Heart”.

Aside from the pictures by Anh and Hien, those drawn by other children have also been joined together and put into a larger picture by painter Tran Nhat Thang.

Images that appear the most in this special picture are children’s hands, houses and flowers, all of which express the children’s simple wishes of a happy home full of flowers.

“I have painted the picture’s background and arranged the children’s smaller pieces in a way that they will all be prominently featured in the work that I am calling, Nhung Ban Tay Hoa (Flower Hands),” says Thang.

The meaningful picture will head for auction at HCM City’s Ngay Hoi Hoa Huong Duong (Sunflower Festival) tomorrow, and proceeds of this auction will go to these “young artists” in an effort to give them more strength to fight against cancer.

VietNamNet/VNS

Mekong Delta in despair as rodents ravage rice paddies

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:21:00 +0000

LookAtVietnam - Farmers in the Mekong Delta have not eaten and slept well in these days due to the return of rats and mice, which have decimated large numbers of rice crops.

Over 1,500 hectares of fall-winter crops in Tra Vinh Province were destroyed by an infestation of mice.

Farmer Son Danh, in Tra Vinh’s Chau Thanh District, visited his one hectare rice paddy at dawn to collect dead mice. These vermin have gnawed 30 percent of the farmer’s blossoming field.

Fearing that the rice field would be ruined, Son Danh bought two kilograms of Biorat, a mouse and rat poison to scatter around the field.

Over the first few days, some 60 to 70 per cent of rats were killed; however, the rodents have still ravaged much of the field.

Tran Van Cong, chairman of Farmer Association in My Chanh Ward, Chau Thanh District, said, “Rats have ravaged and destroyed 40 percent of 360 hectares of rice paddies in the village of Giong Trom in My Chanh Ward, including four hectares that were completelydestroyed.”

Chau Thanh district’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development estimated around 550 hectares were infested by field mice, with five to 30 percent of crops destroyed and 564 hectares in Cau Ngang District with ten to 30 percent of crops destroyed.

While farmers fretted about the skyrocketing numbers of rats and mice, agricultural officials have done little to reverse the situation.

Farmer Nguyen Van Tien in Cau Ngang said farmers were happy to see a team of inspectors ten days ago, yet there has been no feedback to farmers’ proposals of rodenticides.

Nguyen Manh Thai, head of Chau Thanh District’s Plant Protection, warned farmers to irrigate water into fields in a bid to demolish mouseholes and put rodenticide at the entrances and bushes.

The danger of gnawing rats in the fields of Tra Vinh happened 15 years ago, damaging thousands of hectares of rice paddies. The province launched a campaign to buy the animal’s tail and offered money tofarmers who killed many mice. The campaign proved effective.

Many are now asking whether officials should try the method one again in order to stem the flow of rodents and protect rice crops.

VietNamNet/SGGP

Vietnam grabs gold medal in Chess event

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Vietnam on November 1 overwhelmed India in the semi-finals and China in the finals to win a gold medal in the Team Blitz Chess event.

After a win and a draw in the final round, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Le Quang Liem, Hoang Thi Bao Cham and Pham Le Thao Nguyen outclassed their Chinese opponents Ni Hua, Zhou Jianchao, Ju Wenjun and Huang Qian to secure the first place.

Both Iran and India won the bronze medal.

Chess is one of the sporting events of the ongoing third Asian Indoor Games (AIG III). Chess competitions began in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh on October 31 and will last until November 7. About 110 players from 18 countries and territories are competing in rapid and blitz-chess team and individual events.

VietNamNet/VOV

Vietnam's retail market to explode over the next 2 or 3 years

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Vietnam’s retail market is forecast to explode over the next two or three years, with the appearance on high streets of many foreign retail companies, including shopping centers and large sized supermarkets, said Fabrice Carrasco, general director of TNS WorldPanel Vietnam on October 30.

Speaking at a retail and distribution conference held in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Carrasco said Vietnam’s retail market is smaller than that of other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Philippine, however, Vietnam’s consumer habits are changing sharply.

According to RNCOS, a global market research company based in the US, retail turnover in Vietnam will top US$85 billion in 2012.

Vietnam’s retail turnover was $23.7 billion in 2008 and is expected to rise to $39 billion by the end of this year.

Bui Ngoc Hong, a law consultant at Indochina Counsel, said foreign firms have been eyeing retail and distribution business in Vietnam.

Indochina Counsel has alone supported seven foreign retail companies, which will appear on Vietnam’s high streets in the next two years, Mr. Hong said.

2009 is considered an important milestone year for trading and distribution sectors in Vietnam. Distribution in Vietnam is set for a shake up, as foreign companies move in following the country's commitment to open the market in 2009, on the back of World Trade Organization accession in 2007.

As a result, firms from abroad have been setting up shop here since early this year, particularly firms from Japan, though no official statistics are currently available.

Japanese sewing machine manufacturer Brother International recently won a license to set up a distribution company with an initial investment of $2 million.

Stainless steel and construction material producer Sojitz opened an import, export and distribution branch in March.

Car manufacturer Nissan and electronics producer Sharp have both started distributing their own products.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam's annual retail turnover has increased by 20 percent, on average, over the last few years and is forecast to maintain the same growth for the near future.

Cambodia & Vietnam open two routes Air travel

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Vietnam and Cambodia are planning to open two routes linking the coastal city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia with Phu Quoc Island and Can Tho city in the south of Vietnam.

Experts said that the new air routes will help create an attractive tourism triangle, facilitating the promising service sector of the two countries.

According to Undersecretary of the State at the Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia (SSCA), Soy Sokhan, SSCA and Vietnam Airlines are conducting a feasibility study for the two new routes.

Chairman of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents Ho Vandy said both Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province and Can Tho city are attractive tourism centres in Vietnam.

Once launched, the weekly flights will help transport a large number of foreign tourists to Cambodia, he added.

Thailand's islands & beaches - Asia, Travel - The Independent

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:07:00 +0000

For laid-back living, white-sand shores and delicious food all at an affordable price you can't do better than these stunning hotspots, says Lucy Ridout

Sun-kissed: the beach at the Indigo Pearl resort on Hat Nai Yang

Why should I fly 6,000 miles to find a beach?

For the whitest sands and the most turquoise of seas, for a Buddhist culture that is both gentle and fun, for a winter-sun break that won't ruin your bank balance. Even the Post Office thinks you should go: in its recent Holiday Costs Barometer survey, Thailand came in ahead of South Africa and Malaysia as the best-value long-haul destination.

Thailand has about 2,000 miles of tropical coastline, so there are hundreds of beaches and islands to choose from. The tourist industry is well developed so transport links are efficient, there is accommodation for every budget bamboo huts for the equivalent of 4, five-star indulgence for 100 and the food is exceptionally delicious, from chilli-laced seafood curries to make your eyes water to juicy fresh mangoes straight from the tree.

The big beach resorts on the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, in Pattaya, and along the Krabi coastline offer the works. You have a huge choice of restaurants and nightlife, a phenomenal range of shopping, and plenty of chances to ride elephants, trek through the jungle or go fishing. There is spectacular snorkelling and diving too, particularly around the Andaman Coast reefs.

It's not all about spas and golf courses, though: Thailand still offers the chance to get away from it all, on quiet island hideaways like Koh Kood off the Eastern Seaboard, Ang Thong National Marine Park off the Gulf Coast, or the Tarutao Islands in the Andaman Sea.

I'm flying to Bangkok get me to the nearest beach

Just a couple of hours by bus from Suvarnabhumi airport, Pattaya is Bangkok's nearest beach resort and the most visited in Thailand. But its biggest fans are Russian package tourists and single men drawn to the tacky apartment hotels and seedy swarm of hostess bars, go-go clubs and gay massage parlours.

Head half an hour further along the Eastern Seaboard, though, and the island of Koh Samet makes a better introduction to Thailand's stunning coastline. Fringed by white sand so soft that it squeaks underfoot, Samet is a tiny, forested drop in the Gulf of Thailand, partly under the jurisdiction of the National Park authorities. Despite the protection there is a lot of development some would say too much though it's small-scale bungalows and nothing high-rise.

Once a backpackers' favourite, the trend is now "flashpacker" and up, with hip young Bangkokians weekending at the minimalist whitewashed huts of Vongduern Villa (00 66 38 644260; vongduernvilla.com ; doubles from 1,200 baht/£23, excluding breakfast) and the handsome wooden chalets of Tub Tim Resort (00 66 38 644025; tubtimresort.com ; doubles from 1,000 baht/£19, excluding breakfast). At night, everyone dines on barbecued seafood at the candlelit tables set out on the sands: Ploy Talay is the most popular; it stages fire-juggling shows, too.

more info--->>>Traveller's Guide: Thailand's islands & beaches - Asia, Travel - The Independent

India whip Thailand in women's Asia Cup hockey

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Rani Ramphal led the charge with six goals as India thrashed hosts Thailand 15-0 and inched closer to the semi-finals of the women's Asia Cup hockey tournament at the Queen Sikrit Sports Centre in Bangkok on Friday.

India led 6-0 at the break.

With six points from two matches, India are now a win away from cementing a place in the knock-out stage. They have to beat either Malysia or China in the next group outings to advance.

India had earlier steamrolled Singapore 13-0 in their campaign-opener on Thursday.

Ramphal won the hearts of the sparse but appreciative crowd at the ground with a dazzling display of deft stick work. After finding the back of the net twice in first half, she sounded the board four more times in the second session.

Veterans Mamta Kharab and Saba Anjum accounted for three goals each, while captain Surinder Kaur, Ritu Rani and Monika Bardan also joined the party with a goal each.

India's chief coach M K Kaushik introduced fresh legs in the second half and gave a chance to the younger players, like S Sunila Kiro, Mukta Barla, Vartika and Moika Bardan.

"Fielding youngsters is worth doing. We would have liked to score 20 goals and thus put the Chinese under pressure. But, overall, I am happy with the performance," Kaushik said after the match.

After two days' rest, India plays China on Tuesday and Malaysia the next day.

Surinder's team is expected to sail through along with Malaysia, who are 10 rungs below in the world rankings to India's 14th.

Meanwhile, defending champions Japan [ Images ] crushed Sri Lanka [ Images ] 20-0, while Korea defeated Hong Kong 10-0.

China opened their campaign in the tournament with a 13-0 victory over Singapore.

the tax slug that canes long haul travellers-30 October, 2009

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

SYDNEY - The British government has a nasty little surprise waiting – it’s called the Air Passenger Duty (APD) and from this Sunday, November 1, it will rise substantially.

APD will now fall into four bands – with passengers being charged according to how far they fly. The increases are planned for November this year and November 2010

The tax on the longest flights over 6,000 miles – including UK to Australia - is more than doubling from £40 now to £85 next year.

Passengers in premium-economy seats flying long haul to Australia or New Zealand will be hit hardest. The duty on these seats, which offer a little more legroom for a modest fee, will rise to £110 on November 1 to £170 in November 2010.

Premium economy passengers will pay the same APD as passengers in Business and First Class.

A family of four flying from London to Sydney or Auckland will pay £220 from November 1 and £340 from November next year.

The tax rise threatens to curb travel from the UK to long haul markets.

International long haul visitors will pay the tax when they fly out of the UK on their return journeys.

"APD is now a significant part of the overall price of the air fare and the planned increases in long-haul APD rates over the next year are a genuine threat to the commercial viability of premium economy," said Dermot Blastland, chief executive of TUI UK

When APD was introduced, the UK Government said the money raised would be used to offset environmentally damaging carbon emissions.

"There is no evidence to date of any environmental benefit, and it is ridiculous to think that holidaymakers travelling in premium seats on one of our charter flights will have to pay the same APD fee as those flying in first class on a scheduled flight," said a spokeswoman for Thomas Cook.

"When they should be doing all they can to lessen the strain on hard-working families, they are yet again making the consumer pay."

Vietnam ranks 4th in consumer confidence: survey |

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Consumer confidence in Vietnam has increased for the first time since March 2007 as sentiment around the globe rebounds, according to survey results announced Thursday.

With the increase, Vietnam is now the fourth most confident country in the world, up five places since March this year, according to asurvey by the Nielsen company, conducted between September 28 and October 16.

â€œIf consumers have shifted gears across the globe from recession to recovery, Vietnam is truly at the head of the pack with an increase of 28 points and ranking fourth most confident country globally,â€� said Darin Williams, Managing Director at The Nielsen Company Vietnam. The global average has jumped 9 points.

â€œA nine-point surge in consumer confidence signifies a welcome return to positive territory,â€� said James Russo, Vice President, Global Consumer Insights at Nielsen. â€œIt really demonstrates that in the last six months, a majority of consumer sentiment acrossthe globe has shifted gears from recession to recovery â€“ the tide has turned.â€�

Confidence was highest in India, followed by Indonesia and Norway, while the most pessimistic countries were Latvia and Japan, thesurvey said. Consumer confidence rose in 45 out of the 52 countries compared to six months ago.

According to the survey, 69 percent of Vietnamese said their nation is currently in a recession compared to 76 percent in April 2009. More than half of the Vietnamese surveyed believe they will be out of the recession and job prospects will be good to excellent in the next 12 months.

Despite the new sense of optimism around the world, spending is still restrained, the survey said.

Vietnamese consumers, for instance, remain relatively cautious. According to the survey, 46 percent of Vietnamese consumers stated that timing is â€œnot so goodâ€� to buy the things they want and need while 51 percent said they will put their money into savings after covering essential living costs.

Source: Thanh Nien

Mekong Delta hosts annual Khmer culture fest

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Ok Om Bok, the largest festival of the year of the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta, is taking place from October 26 to November 1.

Soc Trang Province is hosting various activities including a traditional boat race seen as the most exciting event during the festive days.

The festival features many cultural activities including an exhibition of the socio-economic achievements and cultural developments of Soc Trang Province, information about Vietnamese ethnic groups, and artistic performances.

During the festival, there is also a trade fair organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local authorities to attract more than 180 enterprises with over 430 booths displaying handicrafts, farm and garden equipment, textiles and more.

This year’s traditional boat race will take place in Soc Trang on November 1-2 with participation of 49 Khmer teams from Mekong Delta provinces.

The Ok Om Bok celebrations, also known as the Khmer Moon Thanksgiving Ceremony, fall on October 15 of the lunar calendar. It is a time for the Khmer to show their gratitude to the Moon Goddess for giving them a bumper harvest and rich aquatic sources.

VietNamNet/SGGP

Vietnam : Viet Tien Garment opens retail outlet in Cambodia -

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:16:00 +0000

An outlet to sell Vietnam-branded products has been opened on 26th October in Cambodia by the Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation. The Corporation has built its first ever overseas outlet in association with Cambodia’s Caja Top Company.

The outlet established in an area of 120 sq. m. displays a wide range of garments including shirts, trousers, shorts, jeans, and coats of various kinds of materials such as khaki, elastic, and cotton.

A series of trade fairs organized to promote high-quality Vietnamese produces to Cambodian consumers helped the Vietnamese goods to gain a firm stand in the Cambodian market.

With gradually improving product quality, the country has acquired a competitive stand against the products from countries such as Thailand and China, which already have a firm footing in the market, said experts.

Viet Tien will open more showrooms and sales outlets across Cambodia, in association with Caja Top.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

A hotel costing 20 cents-29 October, 2009

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Would you believe a hotel room for as low as 20 cents? The new low-cost Tune Hotel near Kuala Lumpur’s airport is the brain child of AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes.

“The no-frills hotel, one of a slew popping up across Asia, is the definition of budget digs and anything above the basics will cost you,” say wire services.

Despite having a no-star rating, a standard room comes with a 5-star queen bed, a hot "power shower" and a ceiling fan.

Average prices are more like US$3 but there are rooms for less than a dollar as packages.

But the room is small - to say the least - albeit clean and modern, according to several reports.
Tune hotels, similar to low-cost airlines, employ a self-service online booking system and the rates are kept low by offering limited service.

The rooms are also available for three-hour stopovers, which the hotel calls its refresher pack.

There is no television or refrigerator. Want a towel? There’s a cost. Ditto for air conditioning.

It can get steamy and hot in Malasia but Fernandes thinks bargain-hunters will pass up creature comforts.

By David Wilkening

Experts: Tigers fast dying out despite campaigns

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:54:00 +0000

KATMANDU, Nepal — The world's tiger population is declining fast despite efforts to save them, and new strategies are urgently needed to keep the species from dying out, international wildlife experts said Tuesday.

"We are assembled here to save tigers that are at the verge of extinction," Nepal's secretary of forest and soil conservation, Yuvaraj Bhusal, told a conference of tiger experts from 20 countries, including the 13 where wild tigers are still found.

An estimated 3,500 to 4,000 tigers now roam the world's forests, down from the more than 100,000 estimated at the beginning of the 20th century. All the remaining tigers are in Asia.

Participants at the conference, which also includes the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund and other groups, plan to discuss strategies for tiger conservation, as well as challenges such as poaching, the trade of tiger parts and conflicts between tigers and local populations.

In a recent case, a Sumatran tiger died after being caught in a pig snare last week in Indonesia, the country's news agency, Antara, reported Monday. The report said the tiger died as it was being prepared for surgery Monday. Only about 250 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild.

"Despite our efforts in the last three decades, tigers still face threats of survival. The primary threat is from poaching and habitat loss," Nepal's prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told the conference.

He said extreme poverty has also challenged efforts.

"Global and regional solidarity and corrective measures are more necessary now than ever to face these challenges," the prime minister said.

Bhusal, the forest secretary, said participants hope to make high-level policy makers in their countries more aware of the animal's possible extinction.

The 13 countries where wild tigers are still found include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The conference continues through Friday.

PM attends opening ceremony of Samsung mobile phone factory - PM attends opening ceremony of Samsung mobile phone factory

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has attended the opening of a Samsung mobile phone factory in Yen Phong industrial park in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

At the opening ceremony on October 28, the PM praised the Samsung electronics company and the province of Bac Ninh for working together to put a mobile phone factory into operation. He expressed his belief that the factory will contribute to the socioeconomic development of Bac Ninh in particular and the country in general.

Mr. Dung said the government will create good conditions for the company in their business operations in Vietnam. He also asked the company to increase the proportion of local content in their products as they had previously committed.

The mobile factory in Yen Phong is one of Samsung’s seven most modern factories in the world with a capacity to produce 1.5 million products per month. There are now 2.500 employees working at the factory.

It plans to raise its monthly capacity to six million products by 2010 and to nine million by 2011, creating 8,000 – 12,000 jobs for local people.

Drought in India, Typhoons in Philippines/damaged crops

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:40:00 +0000

CEBU, Philippines (AP) - A drought in India and typhoons in the Philippines have damaged large tracts of rice paddies, threatening to upset the fragile food market amid fears of shortages and riots, experts said Wednesday.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap of the Philippines, the world's biggest rice importer, told an international rice conference the impact of the next "perfect storm" will be greatest on vulnerable countries like his, and the world's poor.

He proposed an international food reserve that will safeguard against wild fluctuations in food prices. When prices are down, producers can build stocks to halt further decreases, while consumers can turn to the reserves when prices are rocketing, Yap said.

"We are not very far off from possibly another rerun of 2008," he said. Last year's record-high price of rice and other staples led to riots in at least 30 countries, according to the World Food Program.

The biggest rice producers, Thailand and Vietnam, had curbed exports to protect domestic supply. In the Philippines, people formed long lines to buy low-quality rice at subsidized prices while traders were suspected of hoarding.

Rice is a staple for half of the world's population, a big chunk of them poor, Yap said.

India and Philippines are the two main drivers of the market, and rice traders are waiting to see if and how much they will import.

"I can tell you any panic reaction by any of the countries can easily flare up this market which is already in a very tight situation," said Samarendu Mohanty, a senior economist at the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute. The institute has been trying to breed high-yielding rice varieties that can survive extreme weather.

The Philippines — which imports rice every year to cover a 10-percent domestic production shortfall — says it has lost at least 925,000 tons (840,000 metric tons) due to recent back-to-back storms.

Officials earlier said there will unlikely be need for more imports this year, but on Wednesday Yap refused to rule it out, saying the government will do "what we have to do to protect our people's food security."

While there is no official estimate yet of losses due to low rainfall in India, a drought of similar magnitude in 2002 lowered rice production in that country by 23.5 million tons (21 million metric tons), Mohanty said.

"So it is very likely the crop yield will be 20 million less than what we had last year," he added.

8-year-old boy has "sex change" | Look At Vietnam

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

8-year-old boy has "sex change" | Look At Vietnam

Just like any other little girls, 8-year-old Josie Romero loves wearing skirts and playing with dolls.

Josie Romero of Arizona, the United States.(Photo: xinhuane.com)

She was born into a boy’s body in Arizona, U.S., but now her sex has been legally changed and, with the help of drugs and surgery, she will grow up to be a woman.

She used to wrap up her army figures and rock them like a baby when she was a toddler, and she only wore colours like orange which were nearest to girly pink.

When she started to talk, she always said “I’m a girl.” Whenever someone called her a boy, she would correct them. At the age of four, she insisted: “No, I really am a girl.”

The little girl’s favourite game was to wrap her mother’s scarf around her waist to make a skirt, according to the mother.

By the time she reached six, Josie had been diagnosed as transgender and was beginning her transition to becoming a female. VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

Documentary about Michael Jackson to arrive late in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:58:00 +0000

The posthumous documentary about “King of Pop” Michael Jackson “This Is It” will show in Vietnamese cinema theatres from November 11.
“This Is It” will come out in 15 cities in the world on October 28.

It means Vietnamese audience will watch the documentary two weeks later than audiences in many countries in the world.

Though cinemas in Hanoi and HCM City aren’t yet selling tickets, many Vietnamese Jacko fans have already been in touch requesting details of its arrival.

In North America, This Is It is expected to become one of the best selling films of the year when it opens in 3500 theatres from October 28. The documentary will be also screened in 75 other countries by Sony Pictures.

Drawing on more than 100 hours of footage of Michael Jackson, producers say This Is It brings together the best images of Jackson’s performances and behind-the-scenes shots. Fans will also get to see a new 3-D version of “Thriller.”

“The world will see what we were lucky enough to witness and experience: the effort, the passion and the creativity that Michael Jackson invested in this project,” said Kenny Ortega, the director of the musical movie, “High School Musical,” and the director and choreographer for Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, and documentary.

Why 2010 Will Be the Year of the Travel Deal

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:27:00 +0000

If you thought the travel bargains were unbelievable this year, just wait until 2010.

I'm fully aware that this prediction flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I mean, how many travel experts have you seen on TV lately, warning that the deals are going, going, gone?

They're everywhere. But they're probably wrong.

Consider:

A recent forecast by Mintel, an international market and consumer research firm, predicts travel sales will basically remain flat in 2010 (they fell a projected 2.2 percent, to $123 billion, this year). However, air travel and hotel sales will drop by roughly 2 percent each, it says.

Research by Deloitte & Touche paints an equally bright outlook for bargain-hunters. "Leisure travelers will continue to seek out specials in 2010," says analyst Adam Weissenberg. "With hotels fighting to hold their rates as much as possible, they may offer an additional free night, complimentary spa treatment or discounted meals. For its part, the airline industry is also boosting incentives for leisure travelers by offering such things as a monthly pass."

In case you're wondering why the deals will probably continue through next year, industry guru Peter Yesawich of Y Partnership has an answer: According to his research, just over half of all active travelers say they plan to "stay fewer nights" on an upcoming vacation than they did this year. The implications are of "considerable concern" to the travel industry, he says, because they could push prices lower.

I realize nobody knows the future, and predicting travel prices is a fool's game. Still, it seems to me the real question isn't whether there will be more deals, but where they'll be.

Here are 10 places to find them during the Year of the Deal.

1. Bargains Are (Almost) Everywhere

If you come across a hotel or cruise line that insists it "never" discounts, don't believe it. In 2010, everyone will discount. It's just a question of how much. Amanda Sundt, the chief marketing officer at the adventure travel site iExplore (www.iexplore.com), says upscale resorts will continue to offer spa and dining credit credits and two-for-ones. Worse, hotel capacity is expected to grow as major chains like Hyatt and Four Seasons open new properties. "Look for good introductory deals as the hoteliers want to start seeing an immediate return and build buzz about the new properties," she says.

2. Yes, Even Airlines

The travel industry's soothsayers want you to believe that airfares are on the verge of taking off again. They may be right. But they probably aren't. Chris Lopinto, the president and co-founder of ExpertFlyer.com (www.expertflyer.com), says lackluster demand from leisure travelers will continue to keep fares low. In fact, he predicts fares will stay depressed until business travelers jump back into the game. "I think once business and business travel picks up again, we'll see air prices go significantly higher," he says. When? Maybe by the fall of 2010. Then again, maybe not.

3. Forget Blackout Dates

Resorts offer so-called "value" season during off-peak times to lure guests. Guess what? Those value prices could last all of 2010, according to hoteliers like Steve Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts, one of the largest independent Caribbean hotel groups. "Resort business is not showing any measurable increase," he told me.

"We've responded to this trend by ensuring that we allow our current value pricing to roll over and be available next spring, summer and fall. This is the only way we believe we can stimulate advance vacation bookings."

4. Catch the Wave

"Wave" period, which happens early in the year, is the time when most cruises are booked. In 2010, they'll be giving them away, from the sounds of it. "Cruise lines are putting the brakes on new ship builds, and those under construction are still being built, but most of those on the drawing board are on hold," says Danny Borg, a partner for the discount travel site Undercover Tourist. "The cruise lines will continue to lower prices until their ships sail at capacity." He and other experts recommend booking early in 2010, which is when all the sales are likely to happen.

5. Get Social

Here's a tip from an airline insider: If you're looking for deals in 2010, it pays to participate in social media, like Twitter or Facebook.

"Social media has quickly become a new sales and loyalty channel for airlines," says Lufthansa spokeswoman Jennifer Urbaniak. Her airline sees social media as a way to offer special Internet-only discounts on tickets next year -- and she expects other airlines to do the same.

6. Go Where the Crowds Don't

"The problem we are battling now is perception," says Robert Tuchman, an executive vice president at New York-based event planner Premiere Corporate. "Companies don't want to seem like they are being extravagant, so they are making employees fly coach and not business or first." That's translating into bargains just where you wouldn't expect them: in business- and first-class fares and at upscale resorts.

7. Log on For Deeper Discounts

How much deeper? A lot. I asked Clem Bason, president of Hotwire, and he's looking for "sharply discounted deals" -- both on the kind of opaque deals his site offers (those are ones where the name of the resort isn't revealed until you book) and vacation packages. Archrival Priceline.com also offers opaque deals, but most of the major online agencies, including Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, have aggressively discounted packages that promise to be even more aggressively discounted in coming months.

8. Look for an All-Inclusive Rate

Many travel companies plan to make up for lost revenue by "unbundling" their rates -- meaning they'll separate the base fares and rates from "extras" like the ability to make a confirmed seat reservation or get a newspaper delivered to your room in the morning. "The trend towards a la carte pricing will definitely continue in 2010," says Todd Dirks, a vice president at WNS, a business process outsourcing company. "Airlines have found this to be a material and sustainable source of revenue."

Just one problem: The reservations systems can't handle these fees, so customers don't find out about them until it's too late. Lesson? Look for a rate that includes everything (Southwest Airlines is one of the few carriers that doesn't nickel and dime customers).

9. Zig When Everyone Else Zags

A bargain-hunter's natural instinct is to look for a deal where the deals are known to be. In 2010, they'll be there -- and elsewhere, predicts Elie Seidman, the chief executive of Oyster Hotel Reviews. Take New York City, for example. "Rooms at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas would cost $500 a night if it were in Midtown Manhattan, but these days, they're often going for less than $100 a night," he says. "Prices in Las Vegas will go even lower when City Centre opens at the end of the year. And if the Fontainebleau in Vegas is able to get out of its current problems, Las Vegas will get even cheaper for tourists." People don't normally associate these destinations with bargain rooms. But that's the thing about 2010 -- whether you follow the crowd or not, you can't lose.

10. You Don't Even Need to Spend Real Money for these Deals

Some of the most attractive offers in 2010 may be related to your award miles, according to Chris Barnard, president of Points.com. That's because travel companies are trying to unload as many miles as possible. "In order to increase their value to travelers, program operators are adding new and different redemption options -- everything from restaurant and retail gift cards to program-sanctioned mileage trades," he says.

Next time someone tells you to hurry up and book now, ask yourself: Why are they pressuring you to make a purchase this second? What do they have to gain from it?

Remember, next year will be filled with travel bargains, if these industry-watchers are right.

And I think they are.

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the host of "What You Get For The Money: Vacations" on the Fine Living Network. E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/articles/6378.html#ixzz0UVBglgK7

Golf Courses Now Grow in Vietnam’s Rice Fields - NYTimes.com

ckuhn55@gmail.com (Chuck Kuhn) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:07:00 +0000

PHAN THIET, Vietnam — It may be the most capitalist enterprise in Communist Vietnam — by the rich and for the rich: a proliferation of golf courses that is displacing thousands of farmers and devouring the rice fields the country depends on.
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The Sea Links Golf and Country Club, which is built on sand dunes, pipes in water from a source nearly two miles away. More Photos »
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In Vietnam, a Backlash Against Golf CoursesSlide Show
In Vietnam, a Backlash Against Golf Courses
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Groundskeepers at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club, 125 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. More Photos >
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The Dai Lai golf course drove thousands off their farmland. More Photos >

Until last year, according to experts who have done the calculations, licenses for new courses were being issued at an average of one a week, for a total of more than 140 projects around the country.

Promoters created the idea of a “Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail,” a series of eight courses whose label is as good a sign as any of where Vietnam seems to be headed — its heroic wartime past redefined as a sales pitch.

If all those projects were completed, the number of courses would approach that of golf-mad South Korea, where there are close to 200. It would still fall well short of China, which has more than 300, and would be nowhere near the number in the United States, which has about 16,000 courses, or even Florida, with 1,260.

For a country that had only two courses at the end of the war in 1975 and that according to some estimates has only 5,000 golfers today, however, the increase in projects over the past four years has been explosive.

But a backlash emerged within the news media and among academics and government officials over the social and environmental costs.

In summer 2008, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered a halt to new construction pending a review, and last June the government ordered the cancellation of 50 of the projects. But most of the others are well under way, to add to the country’s 13 established golf courses.

“Developers and foreign investors are saying they want to make the country a tourist destination, and to do that you need to offer more amenities like golf,” said Kurt Greve, the American general manager of the Ocean Dunes Golf Club and the Dalat Palace Golf Club. Most of those tourists would come from elsewhere in Asia, especially South Korea and Japan, where golf courses are hugely overcrowded.

“They’re all wanting to grow golf,” he said, referring to the developers and investors, “but the government is saying, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!’”

In its drive to industrialize, Vietnam has already lost large amounts of farmland to factories and other developments. According to the Agriculture Ministry, land devoted to rice, the national staple and a leading source of export revenue, shrank to 10.1 million acres from 11.1 million acres, just from 2000 to 2006.

Many of the new projects seem to have to do more with capitalism than with sport. Taxes on golf courses are lower than those on other forms of development, and many of the projects appear to be disguised real estate ventures.

Only 65 percent of the land involved in the current projects has been set aside for golf courses, Ton Gia Huyen, an official with the Vietnam Land Science Association, said at a conference on golf courses in May. The rest of the land is reserved for hotels, resorts, villas, eco-tourism areas, parks and recreational projects.

One solution is to change the tax structure, said Nguyen Dang Vang, vice chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment.

“Golf courses are for rich people, account for vast areas of land, cause pollution and affect food security, so taxes should be appropriately high,” he told the newspaper Tuoi Tre in July.

And when rich people play, it appears that farmers and villagers pay the price.

Development of a single course can cost the land of hundreds of farms, displacing as many as 3,000 people, sometimes devouring an entire commune, Nguyen Duc Truyen, an official of the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Sociology, said at the recent conference. Only a small number of them find jobs on the new golf courses.

For example, the Dai Lai golf course in Vinh Phuc Province drove thousands of people from their land but provided jobs for only 30 local residents, according to a report in July on the Vietnam News Service. Farmers are typically compensated at a rate of $2 to $3 a square meter, the news service said, about the cost of a sack of rice.

Along with land, golf courses also put a strain on water resources, said Le Anh Tuan from the Can Tho University Environmental Technology Center. In a widely quoted estimate, he said an 18-hole course could consume 177,000 cubic feet of water a day, enough for 20,000 households.

“The dry season is critical,” said Kiet Tuan Le, the chief groundskeeper here at Ocean Dunes, 125 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. “I’ve got to continually ask the water department, almost fight them, because there’s not enough water for the city people.”

Mr. Greve said that the resort was working to minimize its environmental impact, with a new strain of grass that was more salt-tolerant and would require less fresh water.

The nearby Sea Links Golf and Country Club, which is built on sand dunes, pipes in water from a source nearly two miles away, said one of the resort’s directors, Tran Quang Trung. Automatic sprinklers switch on every 15 minutes and individual hoses provide a continuing drip at the base of each tree.

The sumptuous, rolling 18-hole course is only one part of the ambitious, 420-acre development, he said.

Rows of villas, 315 of them, stand behind the course like soldiers on parade, with many sold before they were built. A five-star hotel overlooking the course has almost been completed.

Just beyond the development area, the red earth is already being turned for the construction of six ocean-view apartment buildings with 550 units.

In the future, Mr. Trung said, it will all be known as “Sea Links City.”

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