Barbie Dolls Are Swarming Shanghai

Mattel has found that this is the right time to swarm Shanghai mega city with their Barbie dolls.

And when Mattel decided to do it, they want to give their best. Out came the world's largest Barbie flagship shop that will house 1,600 products at a six storey, 37,000 square feet emporium all dedicated to Barbie alone. All this done at a price of £20 million (wow ...... more than RM100 million????!!?!?!?!?!!).

This shop don't just sell the miniature stuff but dresses that could fit children and adults. Just when you thought that their clothings are not worth buying ........ think again.

What else could you find / do in this shop?
* £10,000 wedding dress designed by Vera Wang
* café's food designed by local celebrity chef David Laris
* a clothing line designed by Patricia Fields, the designer behind Sex and the City
* bar complete with karaoke
* day spa
* get their hair cut
* get their nails done
* the store offers a catwalk space
* shop assistants to teach customers how to sing and dance to the “Barbie Girl” song

Go look for the Barbie Shanghai shop when you are in Shanghai and it's located at No. 55o, Central Huaihai Road.

Reading: World's largest Barbie store to open in Shanghai - Telegraph (source of picture too)
Tags: Mattel, Barbie Doll, Barbie Girl, Barbie Shanghai, Shanghai, Vera Wang, David Laris, Patricia Fields

Economic Bailout

Very, very interesting. Sounds so simple, but feasible. I wonder ... interesting reading!

This appeared in the St. Petersburg Times newspaper. The Business Section had asked readers all week for ideas on "How Would You Fix The Economy?" A man nailed it.

Dear Mr. President,

Patriotic retirement: There's about 40 million people over 50 years old in the work force - pay them $1 million apiece severance with the following stipulations:-

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - UNEMPLOYMENT FIXED
2) They buy New American cars. Forty million cars ordered - AUTO INDUSTRY FIXED
3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - HOUSING CRISIS FIXED

Like I have been saying, they are bailing out the wrong people.

Signed

Tags: St. Petersburg Times, Economic Bailout, Unemployment, Auto Industry, Housing Crisis

Park at Car Park Operator's Risks

Many Malaysians have experienced having their cars being broke into and stuff being stolen from their cars. What can you do after that? Report police and cry all the way home while driving with a broken window apparently hacked by thieves who broke into your car.

What can you do with that police report? Claim insurance to fix your window?

Can you claim against those car park operators who have a big signboard hanging at the car park entrance telling all car owners that they are going to park at their own risk. So how? Blame yourself for parking at that spot? Blame yourself that of all car parks and you have to choose that car park?

From now onwards, all car owners can park at the car park operator's risks ....... hahahaha. Yes! It's true. A magistrate court in Penang has set a good legal precedent (good for me lah) that a car park operator cannot rely on their big signboard discounting their liabilities, one of which is theft.

In this case between a car owner who has lots items such as compact disc and cassette player with a CD of a compilation of Neil Diamond’s songs, an amplifier, and a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.

The car owner stated that he has paid RM2.40 to park at the car park facilitated by Timur Car Park Sdn Bhd ("TCP"). I assume that you have to show the official receipt for that RM2.40. Keep your receipts from today onwards. Throw it after you have driven your car away.

The victim also claimed he parked near a lamppost with 50 to 60 other cars being there at the same time. He also stated that one or two of TCP's workers do patrol the car park on a motorcycle.

TCP argued that they had only provided parking facility and do not provide any security service to ensure that the cars are safe from any theft. Besides that, TCP also said that the victim may have not lock his car / activate the alarm system / failed to ensure that the alarm system and the locks of the car doors were all functioning well.

TCP lost the case anyhow. The victim was awarded RM1,668 and with interest and cost on top of the amount claimed. What a victory! If you are a car park operator cum owner reading this blog post, you better buck up if your car park area is prone to theft.

As for those who still leave their laptops, digital cameras or mobile phones ...... don't know what to say to you if it had been stolen from your cars (presumably in the car boot). Nowadays, the thieves have those battery 'electrical current' detectors and it could detect whether your cars are keeping any of those gadgets at a car park bay located in shopping centre, hotel, condo area or public/private car park.

In this instance, I'm not sure how the court will rule. Maybe you are at fault too. Or the car park operators are now liable for any theft.

Reading: ‘Park at own risk’ sign no shield from liability - Star
Tags: Park At Own Risk, Car Park, Car Park Operator, Car Theft, Timur Car Park Sdn Bhd, Magistrate Court

Pizza Restaurants Facing Threats?

Will Malaysian pizza parlours face threats from the latest pizza company?

This new company can run with the lowest staff personnel, lowest shop rental rate or lowest operating cost. How are you going to challenge this new frontier?

The founder, thinker, inventor, the big dreamer went all the way to create a vending machine to produce a pizza. Yeah, only a vending machine.

This vending machine, named "Let's Pizza", will have containers pouring out flour, water, tomato sauce, and fresh ingredients to produce the pizza as requested via buttons on the vending machine. It will take only three three minutes. This is much faster than those local pizza parlours.

How much is one of this pizza then? Only US$5 or 4 Euros minimum for either the Margherita, bacon, ham or fresh greens choices. Much cheaper than those local pizza parlours.

What if you want to be part of this business venture and challenge the likes of other pizza parlours found in Malaysia.

How much is it to set up this venture? First, you have to buy that vending machine at a cost of US$32,000. Then pay for the high transportation cost to Malaysia where the customs may tax you double or triple the amount, topped up by other local taxes and licensing fees.

Might as well just eat at the local pizza parlours hehehehe. Well, never try never know forever.

The inventor, Claudio Torghele, gave a try and will be going places soon ...... at the moment, in Italy only.

Reading: In Italy, a Vending Machine Even Makes the Pizza - New York Times

(Picture sourced from CNET Asia)
Tags: Claudio Torghele, Let's Pizza, Margherita, Pizza Parlours, Pizza Vending Machine

Long Walk in Dubai Airport

Arrived at Dubai around 12.15am on Tuesday early morning. Walked fast to the transfer desk to collect my ticket for the connecting flight to KL. Lots of flights came and thus, the long queues.

The long queue is not just at the transfer desk but at the security checkpoints before you are allowed into the departure area. Just have to have the right sense to pick the line that is moving faster than other lines. This time, I was correct.

Down at the departure area where they have big signboards to direct you to the right places in this big Dubai International Airport. My boarding gate back to KL is at 121, on the other side of the Terminal 1. Long long way to walk.

I never walk alone here as this airport has registered around 9.5m passengers just for the first quarter of the year.

Their duty free shopping area is just like a large departmental store located in the centre of the airport.

The Perfume section is where I get perfumes for my ownself. I bought myself a Davidoff Silver Shadow Private.
You can almost find anything in this duty free shopping area. You would see passengers queuing up at each payment counter.

Gate 121, Gate 121 ......... wow still long way to go and just look at the crowd. It's more like a departmental store than an airport.

Gold and Jewellery - gold stuff is much cheaper here compared to KL market. Forgotten the rate but I know it's cheaper.

Of course when you buy a big quantity, you'll see the difference.

They sell more watches here than any other departmental stores found in KL.

The middle eastern designed teapots? Aladdin's genie lamps? Lots of them and it's too big for me to bring one back.

The latest mobile phones and cameras are definitely found here. Prices for such gadgets are not cheap in Dubai. Advisable to buy it back home in KL.








This is the connecting section between Terminal 1 and the new Terminal 3 building.















This is the duty free shopping centre area for Terminal 1.

The crowd has certainly dwindled much as almost all flights would land in Terminal 3. Only certain flights will depart from Terminal 1, flights like mine.

Compared to the yesteryears when I took a picture in Sept 2006, the crowd here was madness as this place was very much smaller than the current huge Terminal 3 building.

Got into my 3.15am flight and managed to catch up with three movies by the time I reached KL, namely Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, Eagle Eye and Max Payne. Yeah, I'm quite far back.

Oh yes, I watched Transporter 3 during the flight from Khartoum to Dubai.

Tags: Dubai International Airport, Dubai Airport Terminal 1, Dubai Airport Terminal 3, Davidoff Silver Shadow Private, Transporter 3, Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, Eagle Eye, Max Payne

Guy & Gal Colleagues Sharing Room

Heard of any male and female colleagues going overseas for office work purpose and forced to stay in the same room because the company didn't book two rooms?

Tourist guides in Malaysia face that scenario for umpteenth years. The Malaysian Women Tourist Guide had tried to fight for female and male tourist guides to be given separate rooms ever since 2006. It was met with resistance from some travel agencies as the new association started their campaign.

The Ministry of Tourism has at last decided to impose a ban on such room sharing between female and male colleagues with effect from 1 June 2009. I got one very big question. If the government deemed it to be a very serious case in sharing rooms, why effect the law only on 1 June and not with immediate effect? This, I really can't comprehend.

Why do such travel agencies practise that? It's all about money. The owners of those few travel agencies are just saving a few more hundreds at the expense of those female staff. Do they care? No, precisely!

What if those female tourist guides were to protest to their bosses? They won't as they will lose their job for sure.

Well, I would urge those female tourist guides to complain straightaway to the Ministry of Tourism as the new law states that any travel agencies that repeat the same threat, their licences will be revoked. Bravo! That's the way to force those "profit oriented at the expense of female staff" owners.

I have this friend who has the same situation and if you are reading this, don't worry, I won't reveal your name or even your ridiculous company.

She's comes from a different industry. Her company will showcase their company's products in international exhibitions. One of the bosses will go for sure and two colleagues would go along to assist in the exhibition. She requested to go along for exposure purposes.

As the day came, she was called to see the boss and was told to keep silent that she will be sharing a room with another male colleague. Reasons were not given and she didn't ask. When the husband came to know about it, he was mad and said that it's all because that the wife didn't question and protest about it. The husband kept quiet too and was angry inside but let her go for it ????????????????

My lady friend said the guy whom she had shared the room with is just a mid 20s fella and innocent fellow. Yeah, tell me about it. That was early part of the year which I didn't know about it.

In the coming month, she's about to go again for another overseas exhibition. It's only when I sounded to her that it's total ridiculous on such arrangement, that she said it's ok because she had done it already and he's innocent. Nothing happened to them on the first trip and they draw their lines very strictly. The husband? He let her go.

I told her to protest loudly, not by shouting but make it known to them vocally. She said it's quite difficult and anyway, she don't intend to stay long in this company. She had few reasons. One of the them is to gather as many overseas contacts as possible and move on to other companies that see her overseas contacts as an asset. The other reason is that the economy is not good and it's not easy to find a job nowadays. She's quite sure the company may ask her to quit if she protest.

I only asked her a few questions and asked her to think of it seriously:-

1. If the guy picks up his guts and do something funny to her, to whom can she complain to as it was not a known arrangement but kept secret from everyone.
2. If the guy decides to molest or even managed to rape her, is she prepared to face the rest of the colleagues, family members and her kids/husband. I told her that she has agreed to share room and a legal suit against the colleague may not succeed as she indirectly said yes to it. Is she prepared to fight it out in a legal suit in the first place?
3. For the sake of overseas contacts, she was willing to risk it for her future?
4. She rather take the risk then to protest against the bosses fearing the loss of her job?
5. What made her think that a mid 20s guy is innocent in sex or say lust? I told her that she's too naive to think this way about a guy who's sleeping in the same room (though different bed).

I said that as a friend, I'm asking her to re-consider her decision to which she said that I don't understand her situation. I have done my part and it's all up to her now. She's confident that she can handle him.

I want the government to know that such practise is not found within travel agencies only. Don't be so naive either.

In most cases, the ladies are at fault for not voicing out fearing loss of jobs rather than protecting their dignity. You, as a lady, may argue on a different point of view as I don't look at situations faced by the ladies. Yeah, this world has changed and such things are not looked down nowadays but rather ............. "Wow, you are brave to do it" or "Did anything happen between you two?" or "C'mon, don't tell me you didn't feel the urge".

(If you want to comment on this posting, please ensure no lewd remarks)

Reading: Female tourist guides welcome ban on twin sharing - Star
Tags: Female Tourist Guides, Colleagues Sharing Room, Ministry of Tourism, Malaysian Women Tourist Guide

Best Offer from Bank of China

Before receiving such email as below, I have been receiving tons of emails from supposedly Africans of African nations. This is the first time such email has been linked to an East Asian bank.

Such fraudsters will be hoping that you respond to their emails and get you to commit a certain sum for the purported legal and administrative fees to cover whatever expenses required to obtain those funds supposedly stashed up in the untouched bank account.

I would have been a multi-billionaire by now if all those emails were true hahaha. In the first place, how did they obtain my email address?

And this Liu Yan has the audacity to tell us that this fund is legal (if it was true). This would have been considered money laundering.

One thing about this guy or girl or people, it's written in good english / they got the Bank's wrong / the Bank's address is correct / there is such a BOCHK Charitable Foundation.

Now the big catch. When you google for the name of General Mohammed Jassim Ali, you can find it all over the google search results.

------------------------------------------
FROM: Mr.Liu Yan
Bank of China Ltd.
13/F. Bank of China Tower
1 Garden Road
Hong Kong

I sincerely ask for forgiveness for I know this may seem like a complete intrusion to your privacy but right about now this is my option of communication. This mail might come to you as a surprise and the temptation to ignore it as unserious could come into your mind; but please consider it a divine wish and accept it with a deep sense of humility.

This letter must surprise you because we have never meet before neither in person nor by correspondence,but I believe that it takes just one day to meet or know someone either physically or through correspondence.

I got your contact through my personal search, you were revealed as being quite astute in private entrepreneurship,and one has no doubt in your ability to handle a financial business transaction. I am Mr. Liu Yan a Transfer Supervisor Operations in Investment Section in Bank of China Ltd., Secretariat of the BOCHK Charitable Foundation, 13/F., Bank of China Tower, 1 Garden Road, Hong Kong. I have an obscured business suggestion for you.

Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client General Mohammed Jassim Ali who work with the Iraqi forces and also business man made a numbered fixed deposit for 18 calendar months, with a value of (I will disclose amount upon your reply) in my branch.

Upon maturity several notices was sent to him, even early in the war,again after the war another notification was sent and still no response came from him.

We later find out that General Mohammed Jassim Ali and his family had been killed during the war in a bomb blast that hit their home.After further investigation it was also discovered that General Mohammed Jassim Ali did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last time he was at my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So, (I will disclose amount upon your reply) is still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that, according to the to the laws of my country at the expiration 3 years the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to General Mohammed Jassim Ali so that you will be able to receive his funds.

I want you to know that I have had everything planned out so that we shall come out successful.I have contacted an attorney who will prepare the legal documents that will back you up as the next of kin to General Mohammed Jassim Ali, all what is required from you at this stage is for you to provide me with your Full Names, private phone number and Address so that the attorney can commence his job. After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will also fill in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in your favor for the transfer of the funds to an account that will be provided by you with my guidance.

There is no risk involved at all in the matter as we are going adopt a legalized method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents.

Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue. Once the funds have been transferred to your nominated bank account we shall discuss the percentage issue on your reply.

If you are interested please send me a mail on (liuyan_9bnkofchn@yahoo.com.hk) and your full names and current residential address, and I will prefer you to reach me on my private and secure email address below and finally after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation.

Kind Regards
Liu Yan
------------------------------------------

One short sentence before I end this posting - there is no short cut to become rich, only hard works. By the way, any one want to contact Liu Yan to check on this deal?
Tags: Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, Bank of China Tower, BOCHK Charitable Foundation, General Mohammed Jassim Ali, Liu Yan, Hong Kong Government