Genting To Build Sentosa Integrated Resort

After awarding the Marina Bay Integrated Resort to Las Vegas Sands Corps (as per my blog on 18 Nov 2006), today, the Singapore government has now awarded the 2nd Integrated Resort ("IR") to Genting/Star Cruise - the Malaysian gaming and entertainment giant.

Together with Universal Parks and Resorts as a non-equity partner, Genting group emerged as the winner with its S$5.2 billion project, Resorts World at Sentosa because it submitted the most compelling proposal, overall, that best meets our economic and tourism objectives. The Design Architect for Resorts World is Michael Graves. (source: AsiaOne)

Following attractions will be available when the IR starts operations:-
* Research centre within the IR and named marine biologist Dr Craig Venter as the man to head this Research Centre. Dr Venter who has been round the world studying the rich diversity of marine life is set to start ground-breaking research into the microdiversity of Southeast Asian waters.

* World's Largest Oceanarium - Quest Marine Life Park, featuring marine educators Dolphin Quest, featuring 700,000 aquatic animals and the world's largest collection of coral reef and open ocean fish, spread over 8 hectares.

* Equarius Water Park with exciting water rides. Designed by Forrec Limited of Canada, the park will have, among other features, a 450m water flume, or water coaster rides, winding through tree-tops, a surf pool that generates various kinds of waves, and also a water-based adventure zone.

* Maritime Xperiential Museum, by the world's largest interpretive museum design firm Ralph Applebaum Associates, dedicated to the heritage of Asia - the Asian voyages of discovery and a chronicle of global trade in the region and beyond. Also, in this museum will be a theatre, a 360-degree multimedia experience where visitors board an Arabia-bound vessel which sank near Singapore 1,100 years ago.

* The Universal Studios - 22 feature attractions, many unique to Singapore, on a 49ha plot with features such as live studio with soundstage as well as back lots for movie and television productions. Rides could be tied into movies such as King Kong, Jurassic Park, The Mummy, Shrek and Spiderman.

* Hotel Michael, Maxim's Residences, Hard Rock Hotel, ESPA Villas, Festive Hotel, Equarius Hotel and a casino which will be located underground.

Read more about it in AsiaOne and TODAYonline.
Tags: Genting, Star Cruise, Universal Parks and Resorts, Singapore, Sentosa, Travel, Resort, Leisure, Business, Entertainment, Casino, AsiaOne, TODAYonline, Resorts World, Michael Graves, Dr Craig Venter, Dolphin Quest, Ralph Applebaum Associates, Maxim's Residences, Hard Rock Hotel, ESPA

GIFA 2006

The keenly anticipated G.I.F.A. Awards 2006 is being held in Kuala Lumpur from 7- Dec 2006. Glam-brand Provogue has been roped in as the Title Sponsor of Global Indian Film Awards 2006. G.I.F.A. - a global brand and the brainchild of Popcorn Entertainment and Global Events - has been re-christened as PROVOGUE G.I.F.A. 2006 AWARDS.

GIFA 2006 promises to be a slick show with a galaxy of Bollywood superstars performing to a worldwide audience in Malaysia. The three-day extravaganza began on 7 December 2006 with a World Premiere of B R Films and Ravi Chopra's Baabul at TGV cinemas, KLCC, in Kuala Lumpur. The Baabul World Premiere was attended by the lead star cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee and John Abraham. The Awards function, scheduled on 9 December 2006, will have mega performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif and Ameesha Patel and the master of ceremonies will be Arshad Warsi and Amrita Arora. Leading Indian film stars and personalities from the sports and corporate world will be gracing this International Mega Event.

Tags: GIFA Awards, Global Indian Film Awards, Popcorn Entertainment, India, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Provogue, Baabul, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, John Abraham, Shah Rukh Khan

Women, Wine & Hair

A woman was walking down the street when she was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked her for a couple of dollars for a meal.

The woman took out her purse, extracted ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy some wine with it instead of food?" "No, I had to stop drinking years ago", the homeless woman replied. "Will you use it to go shopping for clothes instead of buying food?" the woman asked "No, I don't waste time shopping", the homeless woman said. "I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive." "Will you spend this at a beauty salon instead of food?" the woman asked. "Are you NUTS?" replied the homeless woman. "I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!"

"Well," said the woman, "I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and myself tonight. The homeless woman was astounded. "Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting. "The woman replied, "That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments and wine.
Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humour, Women, Wine, Hair

Chris Evert's Divorce

Many younger folks may not have heard of Chris Evert (doesn't mean I'm old). FYI, she was a former tennis ace and holds 18 Grand-Slam tennis titles.

Recently, a divorce outcome required Chris Evert to give up nearly a third of her net worth, according to the details of her divorce finalized on Monday. Evert, now 51, signed a settlement agreeing to pay $7 million in cash and securities within 48 hours to her ex-husband Andy Mill, 53. Financial disclosure forms listed Evert's worth to be $24 million with her declaring a monthly income of $58,333 and total monthly expenses of $41,666.

Evert will keep the couple's $2.8 million home in suburban Boca Raton, and Mill gets their $4 million vacation home in Aspen, Colo. Get your butts of your couch and go straight to the tennis court. Want to see how big is her family's tennis academy facilities? Click Evert Tennis Academy to see more. (source: Sun Sentinel)

Tags: Chris Evert, Evert Tennis Academy, Divorce, Tennis

Inavailability of Internet Service

Out of touch for the moment due to interuption of internet service back at office (cum home too). Was at a cafe called "Solitaire" in Khartoum with my colleagues accessing our office emails. Will blog more once internet service is back to normal.

Meantime, please view the website links at the blog's left column.
Tags: Internet, Cafe, Solitaire, Khartoum

Cover Up Or Else

Women working in retail outlets and restaurants in Kota Baru, the Kelantan state's capital city, (a state in Malaysia under the rule of an opposition Islamic political party - Parti Islam SeMalaysia a.k.a PAS) have been warned to mind their dressing or be prepared to face a fine. The Kota Baru Municipal Council (MPKB) has announced that it would “no longer tolerate indecent dressing” by women, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

Under local council by-laws women who “dressed sexily or indecently” could be fined up to RM500 (US$138). “Such outfits are prohibited here as it smears the reputation of Kota Baru and affects its status as an Islamic City. The local council added that although punishment for indecent dressing was in place under the by-laws, it had not been totally enforced. “But now, MPKB will no longer tolerate skimpy outfits, following mounting complaints from the public,” MPKB PR officer said, adding that under the by-laws, women working in retail outlets should wear decent clothes. Council enforcement officers, he added, would step up checks in various localities. He said MPKB would focus on “suspicious areas”.

The council stated that they had received complaints from ratepayers that certain shop assistants and waitresses here donned sexy outfits, supposedly to woo more male customers. Under the standard dress code here, a Muslim women has to be covered until the ankles and wear a tudung. Non-Muslim women are required to wear decent clothes. Tight-fitting tops and pants were not allowed, even for non-Muslims, the PR officer said.

(source: 5 Dec 06, The Star and 4 Dec 06 International Herald Tribune) I'm still wondering how come an international newspaper could have reported this issue 1 day earlier than a Malaysian newspaper???????
Tags: Kelantan, Kota Baru, Muslim, Non-Muslim, Indecent, Dressing, Clothing, Dress Code

Woman's Ashes Mistaken For Crack

A news article from a Florida newspaper, Sun Sentinel, read ... "When Nathan Radlich's house was burgled, thieves left his TV, his VCR, and even left his watch. What they did take was "... generic white cardboard box filled with grayish-white powder." (that at least is the way the police described it)

A spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale police said "that it looked similar to cocaine and they'd probably thought they'd hit the big time."Then Nathan stood in front of the TV cameras and pleaded with the burglars: "Please return the cremated remains of my sister, Gertrude. She died three years ago. "Well, the next morning, the bullet-riddled corpse of a drug dealer known as Hoochie Pevens was found on Nathan's door step. The cardboard box was there too; about half of Gertrude's ashes remained. And there was this note.

It said: "Hoochie sold us the bogus blow, so we wasted Hoochie. Sorry we snorted your sister. No hard feelings. Have a nice day." (source: 4 June 1993, Sun Sentinel)
Tags: Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA