Fishy Meal Across the River

Lots to share about my frequent trips to Sudan.

One fine day, me and two colleagues decided to try out a well known (to Sudanese of course) restaurant famous for its fresh fish.

It's right on the other side of the capital city, in Omdurman. About twenty minutes drive from the city centre.

While crossing the river, we could see the land below the bridge very fertile as it has the Nile River besides it.

Nobody's there as Sudanese people would have been there much earlier. As we were there for lunch, it doesn't clash with the local lunch time which is usually around 3pm.

Nothing spectacular of the surrounding area. Lots of desert sand.










This man took the fishes and dipped into their self blended sauce / gravy.

The fishes were snapped from the nearby Nile River.












Can be rest assured that the fishes in the Nile River is very different from those found in Klang River near my Kuala Lumpur home.














Thereafter, it was thrown into the basin full of flour just before it was.















Deep concentration on the discussion about the meeting that was held just before we adjourned to this restaurant.









The piranhas that we have ordered.

It looks like one but we don't know what kind of fish was that. We just swallow it. It ends up the same thing for whatever kind of fish we eat .... hehe











My colleague ordered ten fishes and surprisingly we finished all of them.

Together with three big pieces of bread and three bottles of mineral water, it cost us 33 Sudanese Dinar (US$16.50).
Tags: Fish, Omdurman, Nile River

Is Interest Rate Really That Low?

The Bank Negara Malaysia ("BNM"), the central bank of Malaysia, has announced a deduction of 75 basis points on the Overnight Policy Rate. With the cut, the new policy rate is 2.5%.

Besides this, BNM has also lowered the statutory reserve requirement that financial institutions have to place with the central bank, to 2% from 3.5%. Banks will have more liquidity to fund their lendings.

With this new policy rate, banks in Malaysia get to borrow at the rate of 2.5%

This is really good news for existing loans as borrowers will be paying lesser on lower interest rate. But how much will be passed on to the banks' customers?

Bearing in mind that the current Base Lending Rate ("BLR") imposed across the board is 6.5%. A difference of 4%. Banks are expected to reduce the BLR to reflect the cut in the overnight policy rate.

Two major local banks have announced that their new BLR will be 5.95%, only a deduction of 0.55%. Most banks will follow suit. But I find that the banks are still looking for more profits even at this trying times. BNM reduced the rate due to "downside risks to world economic growth as inflation cools amid weakening demand and falling commodity prices".

Banks don't see the same for their profit oriented businesses. Public Bank Berhad ("PBB") had just announced a RM2.58 billion profit for year 2008. That's only superb in the eyes of their shareholders.

Banks borrow at 2.5% and loan out their funds at 5.95%. Whatever rates that BNM decided to lower may not reflect savings for banks' customers as the BLR determines the actual rate that borrowers will pay in the end. 5.95% is still high.

I'm happy with that cut in BLR as my home loan with PBB is BLR minus 2.1%. Effectively, my interest rate is at 3.85% now.

Reading: Interest rates could fall further - The Edge Daily
Tags: Bank Negara Malaysia, BNM, Overnight Policy Rate, Base Lending Rate

Works Halted for World's Tallest Building

The Nakheel Harbour & Tower project in Dubai that was launched in Oct 2008 was indeed an eye catching development which will include the next world's tallest building in the midst of the development.
The US$38 billion harbour front project by the Nakheel Group covers about 270 hectares. Offices to be built could accommodate 45,000 people and housing areas for 55,000.

The Nakheel Tower is the main part of the whole project. It's an engineering feat just to construct this tower as it will be at least a kilometre tall. Besides that, four individual towers will be built within a single structure.

After all the fanfare, the financial crunch has to his Dubai (and the world too). Somehow, it did affect the planning for the world's tallest building - the Nakheel Tower. News came about that the skyscraper will not be built according to the planned schedule.

How bad is it affecting Dubai? Even the condominiums situated in Burj Dubai (the current world's tallest structure) are being sold at 50% discount. So, if you have the funds ...... go get one for yourself. Invite me for a stay when I'm in Dubai.

Reading: Cash Crunch Halts Work on Dubai Skyscraper - New York Times

(Pictures sourced from Nakheel website)
Tags: Dubai, Nakheel Group, Nakheel Harbour & Tower, Burj Dubai

Intel To Streamline Its Malaysian Plants

Intel Corporation, the chip manufacturer that produces your computer's processor, will be consolidating their worldwide manufacturing operations. Their plan is to close two existing assembly test facilities at Bayan Lepas, Penang.

These consolidation exercise will affect Intel's plants in Cavite, Philippines and Hillsboro and Santa Clara, USA respectively. All in all, 5,000 and 6,000 employees will be affected.

The affected employees, in Penang, numbering up to 1,000 people will be transferred to other existing plants in Malaysia. Intel has a total of six plants in Malaysia (including the affected plants) with three in Kulim, Kedah and three in Penang. The six plants employ up to 10,000 employees.

Any Malaysian companies who are ready to absorb these employees if the world economy becomes worse?

Intel is already facing problems and had to close down its plants owing to current market conditions. They reacted even before we could start boycotting them. What if we continue to boycott Intel and cause them to completely shutdown their Malaysian plants ........ that will be powerful indeed! Now, who will support the 10,000 employees?

I did hear that quite a number of foreign owned related manufacturing plants would be streamlining and restructuring their operations too.

Reading: Intel to Consolidate Manufacturing Operations; Company to Halt Production at Five Older Factories - Intel Corporation
Tags: Intel, Intel Corporation, Assembly Test Facility, Bayan Lepas, Penang

Michelin Star For Malaysian Owned Restaurant

A chinese restaurant in London has been hailed as the best chinese restaurant by virtue of obtaining the Michelin star rating.

Kai Mayfair is owned by a Malaysian, Bernard Yeoh, who in turns entrust the kitchen to the head chef, Alex Chow. The restaurant has been operating for the last fifteen years and it's regarded as the highest honour to be rated by the Michelin Guide.

Just by reading its Dom Perignon menu, it does potrays the class and quality it possesses. Can I get a discount when I'm in London?

Once a restaurant is rated by the Michelin Guide, food connoisseurs and those who likes to eat would be making their beeline towards it. In order to minimise any congestion, the restaurant has arranged for table reservations via email and instant online booking.

Michelin Guide should be making its way to Malaysia in due course and I did submit an application to them hoping to be selected as one of their Food Inspector ........ I like to eat, I know what to look for in a dish and I'm good with food tasting ....... willing to travel for food. Yes, I'm dreaming about it and if I don't dream about it, it's definitely zero chance.

Reading: Michelin first for Malaysian restaurant in London - Star
Tags: Kai Mayfair, Foods of China, Best Chinese Restaurant, Bernard Yeoh, London, Michelin Guide, Michelin Star Rating, Food Connoisseurs, Food Inspector

Man Utd Asia Tour 2009

Manchester United has announced their Asia Tour 2009 and will be travelling to East Asia, known for its fabulous fans, in the coming summer.

I can't wait to see them playing again in Kuala Lumpur. The last time they came was in year 2001 where they played against the Malaysian national football team. Man Utd won 6-0. Could have been more but it was more of an exhibition match lah. Cristiano Ronaldo will be the main draw this time.

Hopefully they will have the match at Bukit Jalil stadium on 26 July 2009. This stadium could fit in at least 78,000 people. It will match Old Trafford's capacity at 76,000. In their last visit, there were 67,000 people in the stadium and the atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely amazing.

The atmosphere will certainly be much more exciting when compared to Chelsea's visit to Kuala Lumpur in the last summer as Man Utd is a well supported club in Malaysia. Even two of friends are Liverpool supporters went along with me for the Man Utd's match last time.

However, my wish is to see both Liverpool and Man Utd coming to Malaysia for a match. This will be a cruncher and it could generate the same atmosphere as if it was played in England.

The Man Utd match will definitely bring in lots of people from all over Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Now, my fingers and toes are crossed as I'm hoping that I'll be in Kuala Lumpur during that period.

Tags: Manchester United, Man Utd, Asia Tour 2009, East Asia

Top Up When You Need To Fly

How are you charged for travelling on an airplane? You will tell your travel agent or airline office that you wanted to travel from a destination to another destination and your airfare could be determined by that.

But how do they determine that airfare? A fixed rate? A rate normally charged by various travel agents or airlines?

With low cost carrier like AirAsia and Tiger Airways plying this region, you have to surf their websites to catch the deal of the day to get a low price for your travel.

An airline in South Africa will buck the trend in charging their passengers in time to come. A revolution to the air travel industry, I would say so. If not mistaken, this is the first airline to do so in the world although the airline claimed that it's the first in South Africa.

Who are they? What sort of calculation do they adopt in determining the airfare?

I'm sure everyone has heard of the top up or purchasing of prepaid call time for mobile. Well, this airline doing something similar.

Airtime Airlines, owned by Blackbird Aerospace Corporation, is going to change the face of the air travel industry by charging passengers in terms of the number of minutes they travel from one destination to another. For a start, you need to get a starter pack.

For this, they have patented the words "Pay As You Fly".

Example, Destination A to Destination B takes only 60 minutes and you'll be charged at a certain rate per minute for that particular flight. You could have bought a top up for 120 minutes earlier and by now you have used up 60 minutes. Your next destination will be a 2 hours flight. In order to fly, you would have to top up another 60 minutes.

You would have to surf their website frequently to catch the best rate per minute. It could range from 3 Rand to 9 Rand (1 Rand = US$0.11) per minute.

If my usual airline was to adopt this method, my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai of 7 hours will cost me (7 hours x 60 minutes x say 9 rand) = US$416. Wow!!!!!!

This is what I call, low cost carrier. Really low! It really depends on how much they want to charge you per minute.

Unfortunately, it's only available domestically in South Africa.
Tags: Airtime Airlines, South Africa, Blackbird Aerospace Corporation, Top Up, Pay As You Fly, Low Cost Carrier