The latest issue of our cultural trends magazine, from Ogilvy Asia

2. The cultural trends magazine from
Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
Edited & designed by Kunal Sinha
Editorial assistant: Nishtha Mehta
Correspondents:
Tari Rusbianti (Jakarta)
Inke Kurniawan (Jakarta)
Mala Yutimalah (Jakarta)
Piyawat Rattanakhachitwong (Bangkok)
Elaine Dai (Beijing)
Timothy Sarker (Dhaka)
Naima Hamid (Dhaka)
Neha Punjabi (Mumbai)
Donnah Alcoseba (Makati City)
Wine Chua-Leonardo (Makati City)
Joyce Koor(Singapore)
Waqas Tahir (Singapore)
Naoko Ito (Tokyo)
Azusa Fukai (Tokyo)
Siddharth Roy (Colombo)
Mei Wu (Taipei)
Michelle Lim-Chua (Kuala Lumpur)
Beatrice Yong (Kuala Lumpur)
Josephine Phang (Kuala Lumpur)
Serena Park (Seoul)
Ju Young Jang (Seoul)
© Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2012

3. We usually go to doctors when we have a problem. Wassup takes a slightly different
approach: in this issue we speak to them, because we believe that they are a great
predictor of social tensions. When they told us that diabetes and cancer are rising as
never before, it revealed the true impact of changes in lifestyle that Asians have been
experiencing. When they tell us that nearly 80% of children suffer from eyesight
problems, it shows us the impact of all the pressure parents are putting on them,
aggravated by the uninterrupted hours of being glued to the screen. Shocked? If you are,
then start thinking about how brands can play a larger role in stopping these problems.
We profiled Successful Asian Men, those in their mid 30s who have leading and
participating in the positive change that Asia has experienced in the last decade. While
the fields where they’ve excelled are greatly varied, how they’re marking their success
remains very predictable: buying expensive watches, upgrading their cars, traveling
overseas on holiday. Can we make them think outside the box a bit?
An unstable world means that people remain on their guard at all times. Some of the
tensions they face are natural (such as the tsunami scare), others – like the North Korean
missile that fizzled out – are created by humans. Most are deeply embedded in local
politics, and every marketer needs to be aware of that. Tread carefully, because you may
just lose customers by being on the wrong side of the tension!
Finally, we pay our homage to brands or stores that have faded away into oblivion.
There’s a cautionary tale in our obituary: about how staying relevant with changing
customer needs, technology, and market conditions are absolutely imperative in every
market.
We hope Wassup is able to deliver you with the foresight that will enable your business
to prosper in Asia.

4. 14 countries.
20 correspondents deeply immersed in
popular and leading edge culture bring you
Cultural Insights that will make a world of
difference to your business.
SOUTH KOREA
BANGLADESH
PHILIPPINES
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
SRI LANKA
THAILAND
MALAYSIA
PAKISTAN
VIETNAM
TAIWAN
JAPAN
CHINA
INDIA

5. contents
Look who’s talking:
Doctors in Asia
Knowing me, Knowing you:
Successful Asian Men
Playing on my iPod
Elated about
Waiting List
Everyone is talking about
Tense about
Obituary:
Brands we miss

6. Doctors
in Asia tell us
about health
trends

7. Look who’s talking
CHINA - “DIABETES” Dr. Zhang Li, an endocrinologist at Japan-China Friendship
Dr. Zhang Li Hospital in Beijing, attended college at China Academy of
Medical Sciences majoring in Endocrinology and now
specializes in Diabetes & Metabolism.
“China is facing a serious diabetes epidemic”, says Dr. Zhang.
"In the past 5 years, diabetes patients have risen sharply. From
just 3 to 4 diabetic patients in 2004-05, I now receive about
15 daily. This clearly reflects a major public health problem in
Beijing and diabetes is becoming one of the major common
illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disorder”,
she added.
In the past 10 years, China‘s economic development has
progressed from, not being able to eat enough, poverty to
having enough food, warm clothes, and lack of exercise.
People’s standard of living has improved, alongside, lifestyles
changes. In big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, more and more
people are skipping their meals due to high pressured jobs;
leading them to eating out more often, which is pretty oily &
flavored. “Choice of meals are getting out of one’s own control
and it is one of the key factors causing diabetes” Dr. Zhang
added.
According to Dr. Zhang’s observation, there are more
diabetic patients in the north of China than in the south.
“The cold weather in the north makes people eat more
fatty foods with higher levels of sugar like meat to keep
them warm. Northern China also sees increased level of
tobacco & alcohol consumption”. During the conversation
she added, that people are becoming more dependent on
cars and less inclined to walking or riding a bike. All these
factors contribute to increase in diabetic condition.
As China becomes wealthier, lifestyle factors associated
with diabetes such as weight gain, unhealthy diets and lack
of physical activity is on an increase, especially amongst the
younger generation. She suggests to eat a healthy diet to
prevent diabetes, like, eating high-protein foods found in
seafood and vegetables. She also suggests to live a healthy
lifestyle: take regular meals and exercise often.

8. Look who’s talking
SRI LANKA - “MALNUTRITION”
Dr. (Mrs.) Sonali Goonetilleke
Sonali entered the Medical College of Colombo in 1987 amidst the dark
era in the political history of Sri Lanka, which directly affected all
university students during the period. As a result, Sonali had to spend 8
long years as a medical student before she actually became a doctor in
1995.
Sonali married Ushan at the age of 30 and continued her studies,
successfully specializing in child healthcare, and became a pediatrician in
2004. By this time, she was also a mother of two boys. Soon, she took up
the role to serve at the Lady Ridgway hospital for children for the next 4
years. She also served in various rural parts of Sri Lanka for a number of
years. At present, Sonali is the head of the Child Healthcare unit of the
General Hospital in Ragama, Gampaha District.
Dr. Sonali reveals that for a country that has no significant food shortage
and provides for extensive free maternal and child health services, it is
rather paradoxical that malnutrition affects nearly one-third of children
and one quarter of women.
She further shared some alarming statistics on this subject: almost 1 out of 5 children are born with low birth
weight; around 29% of under-fives are reported to be underweight, rising as high as 37%, in some deprived
districts; 14% of under-fives suffer from acute malnutrition when their weight is compared to the weight of a
normal child of the same height; nearly 58% of infants between 6 and 11 months and 38 % children between
12 - and 23 months are anemic .
Dr. Sonali adds that the immediate and underlying causes for child malnutrition in Sri Lanka range from
disease and inadequate dietary intake, to lack of knowledge and cultural factors that influence the utilization
of health services and available food supply. Poverty also affects nearly 23 % of the households in Sri Lanka
and is closely intertwined with household food security. Other major determinants of malnutrition in the
country include inappropriate feeding practices & micronutrient deficiency. Highlighting the dangers of this
situation, Dr. Sonali mentions that girls who are born with low birth weight grow into women of short stature,
who themselves are more likely to have low birth weight babies, especially if they have their babies whilst
they are very young. Unless the cycle is broken at some stage, this situation will perpetuate over many
generations resulting in an intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. On the other hand, malnutrition impacts
children’s learning ability and people who survive a malnourished childhood are less physically and
intellectually productive and suffer from more chronic illness and disability.
She further states that the wide disparities that prevail across the districts of Sri Lanka create major challenges
in dealing with malnutrition. As the causes of malnutrition are many, actions to reduce malnutrition require
concerted efforts of several sectors at a national level addressing different challenges - care for pregnant
mothers, educating them on pre–natal nutrition services including iron and folate supplements, de-worming,
monitoring the nutritional status of expectant mothers and nutrition counseling amongst the few. Support for
breast feeding, coupled with support for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and development of National
Policy on the Code of Marketing for Breast Milk substitutes should be promoted at the National level.

9. Look who’s talking
MALAYSIA - “KIDNEY DISORDERS”
Dr. Vincent Wong
At 36 years of age, Dr. Vincent Wong is the youngest consulting
nephrologist (kidney doctor) at the Kajang Specialist Hospital (KSH) in
Kuala Lumpur. It is a mid-sized private hospital with 160 beds and 30
consulting physicians located in Kajang, a bustling town on the outskirts
of Kuala Lumpur. He completed his medical training at University College
Dublin, Ireland as well as his specialization in nephrology at the National
Health Service (NHS) in the UK before moving back to Kuala Lumpur three
years ago.
Like every other doctor in Malaysia, he served his three year service with a public hospital before
moving to a private hospital where consultants run their own individual clinics with the freedom to
determine their own workload and work hours. He works regular office hours from 9 to 5 on weekdays
and on average sees 10 to 15 patients daily.
His patients are mostly the elderly, aged 50 to 70 with kidney diseases and already having a long
history of other medical problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Malaysia in particular, has
high incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks, which he attributes to the our love
for food and our sedentary lifestyle. We tend to eat out most of the time and the food tends to be
saltier, fattier and generally unhealthy compared to a home-cooked meal. This is attributed to our
longer working hours but more importantly, our lack of exercise. He says, “We don’t exercise enough
perhaps because it’s too hot and our exercise is limited to walking in shopping malls, which isn’t
enough.”
He tells us, “Rise in the consumption of alternative medicines & health supplements is a cause for
health problems”. This has become even more common with the growth of multi-level marketing.
“People take supplements because it makes them feel healthier but yet they will continue eating their
rendang (coconut beef curry) and smoke”, he says. However, he cautions that this isn’t a solution or
remedy and could even be harmful to your health. Certain traditional medicines may even directly
damage your kidneys, for example, star fruit juice can cause gallbladder stones. Shockingly, there are
incidences of traditional medicine manufacturers mixing western painkillers with the medicine to make
patients feel better, however, painkillers can cause kidney damage.
It may seem that Malaysians are keen on taking the easier way out and compensating their unhealthy
lifestyles with traditional medicine and health supplements. However, his advise to Malaysians is, “the
hard things in life are usually better for you”.

10. Look who’s talking
THAILAND - “GENETIC MEDICINE”
Dr. Rungarun Santhadkolkarn
CEO, Phyathai Hospital
Dr. Rungarun, a graduate from the faculty of
medicine, Chulalongkorn Univerisity, started
working at Phyathai hospital in the internal
medicine department. With years of hard work
put in at the hospital, she was promoted to be
the member of the management board, and took
new responsibilities of the hospital’s finances &
management. Today, she stands at the 31st year
anniversary of her professional life; however,
she’s still faced with new challenges daily.
Healthcare Trends
While speaking about Thailand’s healthcare reforms, she outlined 3 major trends sweeping the nation
at the moment.
1. “Medical Genetic Treatment”. This can detect genetic causes for major diseases, likecancer,
hemophilia or anything related to hereditary. This makes it possible to predict and illustrate the
contribution risk from any member of the same family. “At our hospital we have an innovative
technology to make a pedigree of patient’s family, and then we are able to identify potential cancer
risk like a professional medical consultant.
2. “360 degree medical care through the human life stages”. “As we start to apply genetic studies
in medical field, we have more knowledge and understand much cause of various syndromes and
diseases better. Therefore, we can offer 360 degree medical care across the various life stage of the
human being. i.e. - we offer medical treatment from pre-marriage stage to marriage stage and to
baby stage” she said.
3. “Personalized Medicine”. “Personalized Medicine is like a tailor-made”, the doctor explains.
Currently, when getting the healthcare check ups, a number of general packages provided from the
hospital seem to be insufficient for people today. What do they need? They need something which
can offer the right solution per their individual need, the doctor answers. .
“Our hospital provides personalized medical treatment, not just a general one. Different people
need different treatment because they have different make up. As part of the treatment, this
hospital also inquires about their lifestyle, their career. For instance, if our patient is a traffic
policeman who is usually exposed to air pollution, he will be be summoned to check his respiration
system as part of organ system check up”.

11. Look who’s talking
SOUTH KOREA - “AESTHETIC TREATMENTS”
Dr. Kwang-Ho Choi
Aesthetic fever in South Korea has become a significant
phenomenon in and beyond Korea, across Asia. As growing
number of Asians become familiar with contemporary Korean
wave, especially K-Pop and K-Drama, a lot of Asians are flying
over to Korea for aesthetic treatments.
No wonder a large number of Koreans, regardless of age,
gender or lifestyle, are finding interest in transforming their
physical appearance to conform to socially accepted ideals of
beauty .
For more on this phenomenon, we visited Dr. Choi’s
Dermatology Clinic in Sin-sa Dong, one of the most trendy
districts in Seoul. The head of Chois clinic, Dr. Kwang-Ho Choi,
is originally from Seoul and received his medical degree in
dermatology from HanYang National University back in 1986.
Dr. Choi defines dermatology as ‘specialty that is beyond just a
skincare’. He specialized in this specialty because he did not
want to face the pressure of life-threatening illness which
often encounters limitation on treatment. He finds it joyful to
advise patients who want to look younger and better.
By the time he opened his first clinic in Hagye - a residential
area in Seoul – he couldn’t practice limited aesthetic
techniques alone, such as removing facial moles or armpit
procedure, due to low demand for such service.
As more and more people became aware of the importance of appearance and began investing on
new costly aesthetic treatments from rejuvenation to hair transplant, Dr. Choi explored the potential
in aesthetic market and began expanding his clinics to downtown areas of Seoul while adapting
variety of new techniques and machines from overseas. He currently runs three clinics in with more
than 80 employees – including cost-specialized counselor - and anticipates further expansion to U.S.
and China. Dr. Choi quotes, “The number of patients visiting from eastern Asia to receive aesthetic
procedures is continuously increasing, and especially Chinese patients have strong faith and
confidence in Korean physicians. For instance, stem cell procedure is not favored by Korean patients
yet due to unfamiliarity, however, Chinese patients totally go for it if recommended by medical
professions”
Is beauty is really skin deep? – Dr. Choi questions this old saying.

12. Look who’s talking
INDIA – “DRUG RESISTANT TB”
Dr. Sharad N. Shenoy
Laparoscopic Surgeon
Dr. Shenoy practices at his own clinic, Narayan Nilkant Surgical Centre, and is a consultant for
the top hospitals, Jaslok Hospital, in Mumbai where he is also a professor at Jaslok Hospital. He
believes that he has a bad habit of developing strong relationships with his patients that go
beyond consulting based on his specialization – his patients soon become friends and he advises
them on most health issues. Dr. Shenoy refers to the stream of recent articles on tuberculosis in
the papers over the past few months. Physicians in Mumbai are calling the strain TDR, for Totally
Drug-Resistant.
The Times of India disclosed that at fist there were actually 12 known cases just in one hospital,
the P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre; in the article, Hinduja’s Dr.
Amita Athawale admits, “The cases we clinically isolate are just the tip of the iceberg.” And as a
follow-up, the Hindustan Times reported that most hospitals in the city — by extension, most
Indian cities — don’t have the facilities to identify the TDR strain, making it more likely that
unrecognized cases can go on to infect others. Health authorities estimate that one patient with
active TB can infect up to 15 others.
Why this is bad news: TB is already one of the world’s worst killers, up there with malaria and
HIV/AIDS, accounting for 9.4 million cases and 1.7 million deaths in 2009, according to the WHO.
At the best of times, TB treatment is difficult, requiring at least 6 months of pill combinations
that have unpleasant side effects and must be taken long after the patient begins to feel well.
And this is exactly Dr. Shenoy’s contention. He believes that only 10% of the patients that are
advised to follow the prescription for six months actually do so. Many of them cannot afford to
afford the medicines but many are defaulters. WHO advises three months of medication, but it is
not enough according to Dr. Shenoy. Most doctors take the WHO advice very seriously.
Just like that even Oral cancer is on the rise because of tobacco consumption and smoking
habits. The first step to prevent widespread and alarming concern towards any health issue in a
country is to take individual responsibility – follow the dosages, prescriptions, lifestyle standards
and not abuse one’s body. What annoys Dr. Shenoy is the lack of individual responsibility that
leads to grave concerns in healthcare.

13. Look who’s talking
TAIWAN – “YOUNG MYOPIC GENERATION”
Dr. Tseng
Hailing from southern Taiwan, Dr. Tseng went to medical
school to pursue a M.D. degree because his parents
thought that it is noble to be a Doctor. After graduation
he served as an ophthalmologist at 3 different hospitals
over the years in Taipei, and he recently started his own
eye clinic. Today it’s nearly 20 years since he’s been
practicing.
During the span of his career, Dr. Tseng has observed that
the rate of children’s myopia has increased significantly
in Taiwan. While the rate of myopia amongst 6 year old’s
was only 3% in 1986, it has dramatically increased to
21.5% in 2011. On an average. elementary school
students in Taiwan spend more than two hours a day
watching television, surfing the internet and playing
video games. With parents super busy schedule’s, they
are being replaced by television and computers as the
new caregiver. Additionally, with huge competitive
pressure mounting around their child’s future, parents
have arranged for a many a talent classes right from
kindergarten phase. This environment is consequently
resulting in the elevated prevalence of myopia amongst
primary school students.
Due to the prolonged use of computers, some office goers and internet addicts are also developing
eye problems, which is also known as “Computer Vision Syndrome”. The symptoms not only
includes eye lesions, but also shoulder and back muscle discomfort.
Dr. Tseng’s worry goes beyond just patients’ ophthalmic problems in Taiwan, onto the working
environment of medical professions in Taiwan. Taiwan National Health Insurance system has
created a friendly medical environment for patients which make it easy to obtain treatment at a
low cost.
Because of issues within the National Health Insurance System, low salaries of nurses, long working
hours without pay, and an unreasonable nurse to patient ratio, many questions have been raised.
Recently a nurse was put on a IV drip and worked as usual even though she was sick, which has
intensified the discussion about the medical care profession in Taiwan. Medical school students in
Taiwan do not want to become surgeons or work in the emergency room. On the contrary, they
want to be dermatologists or plastic surgeons, because of the short working hours, high income,
and low risks of medical lawsuits.

14. Look who’s talking
SINGAPORE
Dr. Francis Seow-Choen
We all have the same number of hours in a day but sometimes
we wonder how some people can achieve more than others.
One such driven person is Dr. Francis Seow-Choen, a colorectal
surgeon and the director at his private clinic Seow-Choen
Colorectal Centre. Mainstream media interviews and
achievement certificates hang in frames, adorning the walls of
his clinic located at Paragon Medical Centre, Singapore.
Apart from specializing in colorectal surgery, he also travels frequently to deliver lectures and to
demonstrate surgery, to countries like, USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, India and
Malaysia.
Surprisingly, his dream job when he was young was to be a zookeeper. During his A ‘levels
examinations, he applied to the Singapore Public Service Commission, hoping to receive a
scholarship to become a veterinary surgeon. However, treating animals was not meant to be.
Studying Medicine at university was his fourth choice, after Science, Chemistry and Law. It was only
after his older sister convinced him that he should study Medicine that he picked up a pen and
wrote a letter to the Dean at National University of Singapore telling him that he had changed his
mind and requested to do Medicine as his top choice. He got in, and never looked back.
His credentials include being a Visiting Professor to the National Centre for Colorectal Diseases and
being the founding and current President of the Eurasian (European-Asian) Colorectal Technology
Association, which aims to foster knowledge exchange between Europe and Asia in matters relating
to colorectal surgery. He has also published extensively; with 39 chapters in surgical textbooks and
more than 261 original articles in peer reviewed surgical journals.
Dr. Seow-Choen is a pioneer in his field as he has helped established the first colorectal surgery
department in Asia at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) after returning from London in 1989 where
he worked with world-class surgeons of St. Mark’s Hospital. He was only 36 years old when he
became the director of the department.
With all these accomplishments under his belt, Dr. Seow-Choen remains humble at heart and
believes in giving back to the community. He says, “Give time to things that are important. Working
does not make one whole.” Perhaps his personal mantra can shed light on his determination to
make the best out of every minute of his life. “Be the best you can be and always do what you
consider is right.”

15. Look who’s talking
PHILIPPINES – ‘RISE OF CANCER’
Dr. Eladio Penaranda. Aka. Dr. Lads
Dr. EladioPenaranda, or Dr. Lads as most people An alarming trend he notices is the rise in cancer
call him, is a one of the sought after Nephrologists which has gone up from last year. He attributes
in the Philippines. Not only is he a trusted expert, this to the lack of awareness amongst people
he is also one of the most accommodating about what causes cancer. People may know what
doctors. He really makes time to talk to you and cancer is, but rarely do people know that everyday
help you out no matter what time of the day you things that they do can actually make them prone
might call him. to cancer.
Even at an early age, medicine and healthcare was The best way to prevent this is to have yourself
something that really interested him. He started screened and checked at the proper age. At the
his medical training at the Iloilo Doctors College of age of 50 for men and 40 for women. Another
Medicine. He then did his residency at the Iloilo good way is to just keep yourself informed about
doctors hospital, wherein during his third year, he the different causes and try to live a cautious
decided to specialize in Nephrology (Kidney). After lifestyle.The biggest medical topic being talked
finishing his residency, he entered the Makati about now is the recent development in Stem Cell
Medical Center and became an associate Physician treatment. Though this treatment is not yet widely
of one of the pioneers of Nephrology in the available in the Philippines, and along with all the
Philippines, Dr. Ramos. He still supports Dr. Ramos, controversies it faces, we still cannot deny the
but at the same time has his own practice at the many possibilities and applications this can have.
Makati Medical Center (MMC). He works
practically 24/7, because he is always on-call. But
he does try to take half-days on Saturdays and
Sunday to be able to relax and unwind.

16. SAMs
Successful Asian Men

17. Knowing me, Knowing you
SINGAPORE
Terence Quek
Director of Emergentics&
International Director of Communication and
Outreach,
Project Happy Feet.
“Life is a huge container truck of exciting
opportunities and we must choose to make the
best of it, despite the occasional disappointments
and frustrations.” For Mr. Terence Quek, he surely
walks the talk. The 37 year-old frowns upon
complacency and is always striving for
improvement.
In 2007, he left his stint at the Singapore Navy after
13 years of service and co-founded a strategic
communications consultancy firm, Caelan& Sage.
He then merged his company with the Asian
subsidiary of US-headquartered global consultancy
Emergenetics International and oversees business
expansion in Asia as CEO, Emergentics
International-Asia. As one of the founding members of Project
Happy Feet http://www.projecthappyfeet.org, a
Terence is no stranger to humanitarian and non-profit group that empowers lives of
philanthropy efforts both in Singapore and underprivileged children and youth through
overseas. He is actively involved in grassroots education and training in places like Cambodia,
activities. For his efforts, he was awarded JCI The Vietnam, and Nepal, he shares, what keeps him
Outstanding Young Person of Singapore in 2009 for going, the belief to make a positive difference
humanitarian and/or voluntary leadership. in any way.
Terence graduated with a Bachelors of Science
in Psychology from the University of Sheffield,
UK. He is currently pursuing a Masters of
Science in Communication Management at
Singapore Management University.
When asked to describe a career defining
moment, Terence recalls his days in the Navy
where he attained invaluable leadership and
teamwork skills. One of his senior commanders
imparted: ‘Look ahead; think safety, take
charge’ which still resonates with him today.

18. Knowing me, Knowing you
CHINA
Paul Wu
There is an old saying in China, “a man should be established by the time he
reaches the age of 30”. However, Paul has already established himself before he
turned 30. He currently lives in Shanghai and works for one of the world’s
largest fast moving consumer goods companies as Group Product Manager. He
is more than satisfied with his current life.
Paul was born and raised in Nantong, in Jiangsu province. When he was a young
boy, his dreamed of becoming an engineer because he thought it is a cool job to
be able to create things, he even chose Vehicle Engineering as his major when
entering college. However, after studying engineering for a while, he gradually
realized that it is not exactly what he likes and his personality doesn’t fit this
work type. Therefore, he self studied marketing and practiced English in his
spare time in order to find a job at a foreign company. Paul graduated from
Tongji University in 2005. The first thing he did after graduation was applying for
the management training program at Unilever. After a couple of interview
rounds, he got in the program and received his first promotion at the end of
2006 as Brand Supervisor because of his excellent performance at work.
“Good things don’t come without a reason, you need to have good eyes to
discover the opportunities to become successful.” Paul outlines. “In large
foreign companies, they’ve already built a good and fixed promotion system,
everyone has the same opportunity. If you perform well, you will have a chance
to be promoted. However, there are other things that can help you to be
promoted faster. First, I believe to be insightful and indentify the problems at
work and be able to solve these problems innovatively. Secondly, I dare to talk
to my boss every once a while, invite him to a chat and share my point of view
and thoughts at work. Thirdly, I keep good relationship with HR people so that I
could be the first one to know about any internal hiring positions - which
department is hiring and why do they need to hire.” During his 6 years at
Unilever, Paul has been promoted four times already. He was the product
manager for a new brand launch for two years before he moved to his current
job. “Having a mentor is also very important,” Paul mentioned. His old boss at
Unilever has been helping him on his path to becoming a successful business
man. “To me, my old boss is more than a mentor, he is a true friend. He has
been giving me valuable guidance to help me balance work and personal life.
I’ve learned diving because of him. I often travel to places that have beautiful
beaches where I can relax and dive. It helps me to get ride of my work pressure
and rethink about problems at work and in personal life. He moved back to
Germany last year but we still talk to each other through emails and Skype
calls”, he adds.

19. Knowing me, Knowing you
Currently, Paul finds his new job fulfilling and
feels confident about his financial status. Two
months ago, he purchased a Volkswagen
Scirocco car. “I personally favor German
brands, and I chose this car because the
design is somewhat sporty which allow me to
express myself. I love sports, I go to the gym
three times a week and I also play various
sports such as Tennis and basketball.” He
uses his new car for commuting to work and
getting around in the city. He sometimes
takes few friends for weekend get aways,
like, Moganshan. He has recently also
purchased a Breitling Super Ocean Steelfish
watch as a birthday gift for himself. “I have
been looking for a luxury watch with sporty
design and affordable price. I fell in love with
the design of this watch immediately, plus it
offers 2000 meters water resistant with
helium escapement valve. Maybe I can even
wear it when I am diving.” Paul mentioned
and his face lit up.
Good things come in pairs, Paul is not only
satisfied with his new job but also feels
happy about his new relationship. He and his
girlfriend have been dating for half a year, if
everything goes well, he is planning to buy a
house and get married in three years. “I
started my new job 9 months ago and I want
to bring my work to certain level before I get
married. I am too busy with work and I can’t
see my girlfriend as often as other young
couples do, so we will need more time to
know each other before we tie the knot.”
Paul laughed. He is also hoping he can have
two children. “I am the only son in my family,
it is quite lonely growing up by myself, I have
quite a few cousins but they are not quite like
siblings whom you can grow up in the same
family. I want my child to have someone to
play with, and they can also learn from each
other.” Paul explained.

20. Knowing me, Knowing you
MALAYSIA
Nick Lee
Meet Nick Lee, a 36 year old entrepreneur, who
owns The Ark Studios, a production house in
Kuala Lumpur. It’s an all-in-one audio facility that
does everything from recordings, digital
mastering, and music for albums, radio, television
and movies, but with a special focus on the local
and international music scene. He and his wife
Lindy, have two kids – Leanne, aged 3, and
Leyxton who is 4 months old.
Nick has always been passionate about music. He
was lead guitarist in a band at the age of 16,
and even landed a record deal at 18! At an
education fair in high school, he was inspired by a
brochure of a professional recording studio which
eventually led to a Degree in Music Production
and Engineering at the Berkelee College of Music
in Boston, Massachusetts. For him, it was a
“natural progression” of passion into a profession.
He moved back to Malaysia at the age of 27 after
having a successful career in music production in
America. The defining moment in his career came
with the move, when he decided to build his own
production business.
Over the years, he has established his business by trying to stay relevant to a new generation of artists.
His production house has started to generate a lot of buzz regionally, with high-end clientele from Hong
Kong and Japan seeking his services.
In life, Nick believes in realistic goals. Pacing himself is crucial, along with celebrating the small
successes along the way. At times when he is overworked, he’ll stop himself to ask, “What kind of a
legacy do I want to leave behind?” and “What are the most important things in my life?” His answers
help to ensure that he has his act together at all times. This year, Nick looks forward to seeing his kids
grow. And even without a holiday planned for the rest of the year (the two little ones make this near
impossible), he says that he looks forward to coming home to be with his family.

21. Knowing me, Knowing you
SRI LANKA
FerozeKamardeen
Feroze is a successful entrepreneur/ dramatist who studied at
D.S Seynanayake College and was a theatre fanatic right from
his early age. Although his first love was theatre he realized at
a certain age that Sri Lanka doesn’t offer much scope in the
theatre industry. Which lead him to peruse an education in
CIM and went on to graduate as a qualified marketer. After
getting the necessary professional qualifications, he is now
the proud owner of South Asian Technology , a local
marketing distributor for several IT based businesses such as
Symantech, Vision Solution, checkpoint and many more.
Although he chose IT as his career, his true passion for the theatre was never lost. Stage, Light
and Magic is his own Theater production company where he creates wonderful theater
productions. However, he claims that it is his hobby.
The defining career moment in his life was when he started his own business 3 years ago. The
inspiration for him to start his own business originated from his aversion to work under someone
else. He considered that as a hindrance in moving up the career ladder. He well understood that
starting one’s own business would not be an easy task as there are so many contingencies to
prepare for, such as initial market penetration, proper ways and means to set about targets and
to approach objectives etc.
“I have never had a mentor as such, but I have always had my close friends and family to advice
and support me with the decisions I needed to make in life”, he says. His philosophy is to lend an
ear to the advices given by others but always have a method to filter them to suit the need of the
moment. The most memorable day of his life was the day he got married at the age of 33, and
now believes he lives a complete and happy life. The first car he bought himself was a Honda
Civic and lives in a luxury apartment in the heart of Sri Lanka (Kotte).
He proclaims himself to be a “gadget freak”, his laptop is an imac, owns a lot of up to date
gadgetries such as an ipad, galaxy S2, Jawbone jambox, Jawbone bluethooth etc.

22. Knowing me, Knowing you
INDONESIA
Dennis W / Donald J
Success, to Indonesian men, means being
able to live independently and to leave a
legacy, “which will make people
remember you with fondness, respect,
and admiration - in that order,” said
Dennis J, the man who is in charge of the
business development of one of the
biggest pharmaceutical companies in
Indonesia, which is also his family
business. To reach such success, young
Indonesian men agree, it is a never ending
struggle. All of them agree that many a
time it takes more luck than hard work.
Many successful Indonesian young men studied abroad, either in the US, Europe, or Australia, which is
where they got their business skills, language skills and connections. Most of them took business as
major, or for some, a very specific major like biochemistry or engineering, although many ended up
working in the business sector.
Most of them agree that they learn a lot more by doing and college seems less significant as they get to
deep dive into the real working world. Fathers and uncles have been the best mentors in teaching them
the mindset, tactics and tricks that works in Indonesia. “These tricks, cues and persuasive language you
can’t learn in school, especially abroad,” Donald W told us. Using these tricks, he has managed to grow
his father’s business 5 times in the past 3 years.
JAPAN
Kenji Yamamoto
Kenji, 34 years of age, has been building his career in global energy business. His trading company is
one of the biggest trading firms, called “Shosha”, which is well-known for its great network around the
world. He travels every two weeks to the Middle-East and Asia to negotiate with leading energy
companies. He wouldn’t have been in this business, if it wasn’t for his father who’s actually the owner
of the trading company and travels often too. His father has become his greatest mentor. He is not
married as yet due to his busy schedule but has a girlfriend, and is planning to get married soon. Not
surprising, he cannot travel without his favorite Macbook Air for it makes it so easy to carry & use in
planes. Living in Shiagawa, located in the center of Tokyo in a 2 bedroom rented accommodation, he
pays ¥200,000 a month, which is nearly double the price compared to the average rent people his age
spend on. Time is the most essential element of his daily life, thus, wears Bretling wrist watch for it’s
history of aircraft engineering. He has no fear in his future or career but has deep concern in Japan’s
energy & economic future. Thus, he feels responsible to support the domestic economy with the
energy business.

23. Knowing me, Knowing you
BANGLADESH
Simon Monsoor
Simon is in his mid-30s and currently works as the
Director of Marketing Sales, at Grey, a leading
creative agency in Bangladesh.
He completed his schooling from Government
Laboratory School and graduated from National
University Bangladesh with commerce background.
He did not expected to be working in a creative
agency when he was young. He worked at BAT,
BanglaLink and at Samsung before he joined Grey
and finally started loving what he does.
His defining career moment was when he joined
British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh. That’s
where he met his mentor. His mentor gave him
career advice, and showed him the path towards
success.
He got married when he was 25, had his first child
at 31. He bought his first car soon after joining his
first job, at the age of 22 and it was a Toyota
Corolla EE90. He bought his first house just six
months ago (actually booked an apartment under
construction), but he inherited his first house when
he was 22 from his parents.
His passion for watches is unmatched. Owning
close to 20 of them now, his current favorite is
Omega. His current laptop is a Compaq. He fears
working in a non-creative work environment
where he might be forced to just do his job, not
nurture his passion and talent for creativity.

24. Knowing me, Knowing you
THAILAND
Pairoj Jongprasanwong
Pairoj graduated from Thammasart University International College, majoring in
Economics and minor marketing. When he was 24, he began to work as a
marketing executive in Hitachi, Thailand and realised that this is the career he
wants to pursue.
Within his initial working years, he received great
opportunity to take larger responsibilities, from
analysis to product development, from working
with the engineering department to devising
research methodology, finally applying theory to
practice. He planned his career path to achieve His passion includes wearing luxury watches like Tag
goal of becoming a marketing manager within 5 Heuer, Rolex and collecting classic car models.
years in the same company. And then it came! He Having bought his first car at the age of 27 with his
was promoted to the position of Marketing entire savings, he now prefers to buy 2nd hand cars.
Manager at the age of 28. Later he decided to
switch to another company to give his career a His first home was bought at the age of 29 with the
further boost. Now he’s with Pacific healthcare as intention to marry, have more privacy & live
their Brand manager. separately from his joint family.
On the personal side he seems to have planned it He mentions that he’s not worried about the future
all. He married at the age of 32, what he calls the as he plans everything and things happen
right age for marriage! Soon after he & his wife accordingly. He advises not to be too serious about
had their first child. He’s already planning to send tomorrow but spend life in the present.. His belief of
his child to an international school when he “every bad story will have a good story as well”.
grows up, imbibe various cultures, learn the art of
adjustment, languages. For now the focus is on His next 5 year plans include traveling around the
his baby’s growth development. world with his family including his parents.

25. Knowing me, Knowing you
PHILIPPINES
Nico Alcoseba
34 year old Nico is the Head of International & Domestic Data, PLDT Business Solution. He has
been married for three years and they do not have a child yet.
Compared to the previous generations of marrying in
their early 20s and having an average of 4 children
before thirty, Filipino men have taken to marrying later,
having kids later.
Nico took his undergraduate degree in Ateneo de
Manila, one of the country’s most prestigious
universities, his MBA in De La Salle, and further studies
in Wharton. He wears a Panerai chronograph. His wife,
Lani, followed suit. Both hold executive positions in
large corporations. At an early age, Nico aspired to hold
an executive position, inspired by his father’s career.
“My dad used to tell me to not rush, take it one step at
a time and pretty soon I will get where I want to be”, he
shares.
Lots of Philippines’ new generation corporate job
holders can easily afford to buy their own house and
cars, very different from the 30 year olds of the previous
generations who did not have much disposable income.
This is largely attributed to SAMs finding partners who
were equally successful women. Because both have
invested additional years to their careers, the natural
cycle of getting married-having kids was pushed back.
Due to this, SAMs and
their wives worry about
their health, as they have
contracted minor illnesses
at an early age - a price
they pay for their hectic
lifestyles. However, their
financial worries are fewer,
as they are certain they can
provide a comfortable
future for their children

26. Knowing me, Knowing you
TAIWAN
David Tan
David, age 35, is a middle manager in the legal department of a
well-known security company in Taiwan. He has engaged in legal
work for over 10 years, and this is what he wanted to do since he
was young. His work involves various kinds of people, including
colleagues from different departments within the company and
people from opposite sides on the court. For him, it is serious but
interesting work.
He & his supervisor get along very well, both at work and beyond.
His supervisor not only directs his work, but reminds him to
establish good interpersonal relationships within the company.
Additionally, his supervisor is willing to share his life experiences, such as investment, buying
houses, taking care of the family, and the education of children. To David, his supervisor is like his
older brother.
When David was a child, his father had high expectations for him. David was sent to writing and
painting classes to develop multi-disciplinary interests. David studied in a strict private high school,
in which entering the higher education level was set as his top goal. His father’s hope included
entering a good university, and even go abroad to study.
He married at 31 years of age and has no children as yet. Because of Taipei’s unreasonably high
housing prices and a 20-year mortgage, David has not planned to buy a house in Taipei. He enjoys
his life; fond of photography, classical music, whiskey, traveling, and fashion. Rolex is his favorite
watch brand, and he adores his Apple laptop.
In the future as he has children, he plans to buy a house in Taipei. "Because I want to give my
children and my family a good and reassuring environment" says David. Like his father took care of
his family, David also wants to fulfill the responsibilities of being a husband and a father.

27. Knowing me, Knowing you
INDIA
Aalap Sharma
Currently working as Senior Global Brand
Manager, Domestos Global, Unilever, Aalap’s job
involves leading teams located across the world
in delivering innovations to enter and expand
the toilet & bathroom cleaner markets in their
respective geographies as a ‘Market
Development’ expert. His role has special focus
towards Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Prior to this role, he worked for 3 years as Senior Regional Brand Manager, Pond’s South Asia. Then
his role involved creating mixes to grow the range of Pond’s talcum powders and develop a Market
Development strategy to expand the facial cleanser market in South Asia while gaining
disproportional share for Pond’s.
Aalap joined Unilever in 2005 and after his training, he undertook a 3 year Customer Development
assignment as Area Sales & Customer Manager for Madhya Pradesh Rural geography in India. With an
engineering degree from Delhi University, he completed his MBA from the prestigious IIM-Bangalore
(2003-05).
Aalap says, “as a young kid, I did not know about the stream of marketing. I thought about becoming
an engineer because that is what all my friends seemed to be doing. I went with the flow”. He further
adds, “the defining moment of my professional life came in 1999 when I did not get through to the IIT
engineering entrance. I saw that those around me had stepped up their game and I had a lot to do to
catch up. I promised myself that I would not let go of another chance to build my career and with
some hard work, topped the CAT entrance exam in 2003 with 99.99 percentile.”
Talking of his mentor, he mentions his first boss and what he preached - ‘Most people spend their lives
trying to figure out what others think of them, leave that and concentrate on your measure of
success’.
Aalap well managed his romance alongside his education. He got married at the age of 25 to his high
school sweetheart. They don’t yet have a child. He bought his first car at the age of 27, a Maruti Swift
Dzire. And how he’s in the process of buying their first house.

28. Knowing me, Knowing you
Not surprisingly, Aalap, like many of his corporate peers, owns 9
watches. Each to match with his clothes and mood. From Guess
Chronograph to Tissot and Tommy Hilfiger. His dream is to own a
Patek Philippe soon. He carries his company provided Dell laptop.
When asked about his biggest fear, he answers, “I fear not being
there when my family needs me the most. I am attached
emotionally to my parents and would like my success to reflect in
their lives too”.
His measure of success is in the way he reflects upon various
success - small or big, in the past or in the future. “I find that I
have been reasonably successful till now but neither a shining
success nor a mediocre student who pottered along. In Business
school, I thought that I wanted to spend the first 10 years of my
professional life learning, the next 10 leading and the 10 after
that maximizing financially. I have had 2 good stints and have the
promise of a challenging one next. Of course, I have made
mistakes along the way and those are the dimensions which I
seek to excel at in the next stint”, he adds.

29. *or any other music player

30. Playing on my iPod*
JAPAN
SINGAPORE
“Come Home (Geylang Song)”
Eli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Q-
Kvf2mFwuc&list=UUOvzTEmaL55GG0
nUj0dCaMw&index=9&feature=plcp
GReeeeN ORANGE
http://www.universal-
music.co.jp/greeeen/
SRI LANKA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYG
EiH7FWZg
‘Mata HeenayakWela’
DamithAsanka
PHILIPPINES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A
5Jz2LbnOAM
MALAYSIA
Remake of "Ra Sihinen”
ShihanMihiranga (Originally sung by Gotye (Album: Making Mirrors)
NamalUdugama)
Somebody That I Used To Know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTOyah
w-lJE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvI
GY
KOREA
Yuna
여수밤바다 (Yeo-Su
Terukir Di Bintang Night Sea)
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=TV4vJe3jgAE
http://youtu.be/SjHTJywVmAI
BuskerBusker 1st album
Cherry Blossom Ending)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXV7dfvSefo&ob=av3e

31. TAIWAN Playing on my iPod*
‘Count on Me’
CHINA
Show Lo
http://www.youtube.com/watc Milkshake
h?v=YWZ2-WEMdDk
Love In The Buff
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XM
zMzMzcwNjc2.html
BANGLADESH
‘SheshGaan’
G.E.M.
Nemesis
Someday I’ll Fly
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=Q_8cI-j34dU http://v.youku.com/v_show/
id_XMzc1NzI4MjQ4.html
Jin Sha
INDIA & BANGLADESH The Magic of Love
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id
‘PyaarkiPungi’ _XMzUzNTkzODY4.html
Fdrom the movie: Agent
Vinod
THAILAND
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DqsSB
bRtg&feature=related Chun-Mai-Tord
NekoJump
INDONESIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=qH-LC0iNc7o
Kon-kang-kang
25 Hours
‘Apalah (ArtiMenunggu)’ http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=6Df3d75YgXM
Raisa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx_kW1f5
W6M

32. Elated about …
What’s giving people great joy?

33. Elated about
SINGAPORE
Project Hello Stranger
When was the last time you went out of your
way to make a stranger smile?
The fast paced life in Singapore and the
constant economic development has
inevitably caused people to build walls They debuted on 18 March 2012 where they took to
between themselves, leaving a city devoid of the streets and held up huge cards that greeted
soul. ‘Hello Stranger’ before flipping to the other side,
which said ‘Honk if you’re having a great day’.
Project ‘Hello Stranger’ is a voluntary
movement by a group of youths who are The results were positive, with many drivers excited
neither out there for money nor for fame, to pitch in the cacophony of honks, with the
but with just a simple belief of spreading pedestrians also feeling pleasantly surprised.
happiness and warmth amongst strangers.
This movement involves guerilla strategies Additionally, high-fives were also on offer at Raffles
and engagement of Singaporeans mainly Place MRT station during the morning peak hour of
through social media as they roll out Friday the 13th (April). These may be small gestures
different activities to get them to show their but what a great way to start someone’s day. 
softer side.
For more on their fun and meaningful projects -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td7-xkI5n4c http://hellostrangerproject.wordpress.com

34. Elated about
INDONESIA
Protests prevent rise in fuel prices
After a long big protest for few days, the
government on March 21st, expressed
confidence that it would be able to proceed with
its plan to increase the price of subsidized fuel
next month despite strong opposition from
political parties and labor unions.
Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo told
reporters at the Presidential Palace he was
“optimistic” the government would be able to
apply the planned 33 percent increase in the
price of subsidized fuel to Rp 6,000 per liter. As
he spoke, thousands of union workers started to
march towards the palace from the Hotel
Indonesia, about two kilometers to the south to
protest against the subsidy cut. There were also
demonstrations in cities across the country, with
some of them turning violent.
Kwik Kian Gie, an economist who is also a member of the Indonesian opposition, Indonesia
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), says the government does not need to raise fuel prices at all -
in fact, it is using this opportunity to manipulate the masses.
Finally on March21st, the government decided not to increase the fuel price from April 1st. “Not
today, not tomorrow, not anytime soon,” said Bambang Brodjonegoro, the head of Fiscal Policy in
The Monetary Ministry.
While people feel relieved and happy about the announcement, many realized that this is just a
temporary escape. While canceling the price increase, the government has decided to establish a
new policy where in if the market price of oil has increased more than 15% in the past 6 months,
the government has the right to increase the fuel price to keep them away from losing money.
If nothing else, the protest succeeded in buying some time.

35. Elated about
CHINA
Kindness and Humanity Among Strangers
On the afternoon of April 16, 2012, a blind On April 17, the daughter of the taxi driver, with
young man was taking a taxi in Meizhou city, the online ID “yaoyao521”, posted the whole
Guangdong province. When the young man was story on China’s largest micro-blogging service
about to get off the car, the taxi meter showed Sina Weibo.
the ride cost as RMB 14. However, the taxi
driver refused to take the money from the Within few hours, the post has been forwarded
young man, instead, he supported the young for more than 64,000 times and received more
man to get off the car and said to him, “I don’t than 10,000 comments. One netizen
want to take your money because making commented, “I feel so touched by the story and
money is easier for me.” After the young man I really hope everyone of us can pass along the
got off, another elderly man who witnessed the warmth to people around us so that kindness
taxi driver helping the young man took the cab, and humanity will exist in the society forever.”
chatted with the driver the whole ride. And Another netizen also commented, “No matter
when the taxi meter showed RMB 14.5, the you are rich or poor, you should be part of the
elderly passenger gave the taxi driver RMB 30 community that passes along the kindess and
and said, “I am no great person but I want to humanity. The world will become a much better
pay for the young man because I I make money place if we all start doing this!”.
easier than you do and I want to support you to
continue doing what you just did.”

36. Elated about
MALAYSIA
JinnyboyTV’s nostalgic video of our childhood days in the 90s
A locally produced video has been
bringing smiles and even happy
tears to the faces of Malaysian
youth who did their schooling in
the 1990s.
Co-produced and co-directed by Jin
Lim, 27, and Rueben Kang, 25, of
JinnyboyTV, the seven minute
video titled My Generasi (My
Generation) recalls Malaysian
primary school days in the 90s
before the proliferation of
smartphones and gadgets.
The idea for the video draws from the starkly different childhoods that kids who grew up in the 90s
experienced from those of today. According to Rueben Kang, the inspiration came from an outing at
a restaurant: “The family next to us had 3-4 kids, all of whom were busy with their phones and
gadgets. When we were kids we saved money to buy rubber bands and multi-colored pencil boxes,”
he said.
The simple video struck a chord with the young Malaysian netizens, garnering 1 million views along
with countless ‘shares’ and blog posts in just four days after its upload on Youtube. Viewer
comments reflected their sheer happiness seeing the video bringing back their happy, simple
childhood days and some even remarked that the video sparked a sense of pride in their uniquely
Malaysian childhood and in the Malaysian talent that produced such a well-made video. Most
remarked the video evoked a sense of pride among those who grew up in the 90s with the “real”
childhood days they had, as opposed to the technology-driven ones that kids experience today.
Following the video’s considerable impact on Malaysian youths, telecommunications youth brand
Digi decided to leverage on the popularity of the video by sponsoring a smartphone give away
contest. As part of the contest, participants recorded and uploaded their own interpretation of My
Generasi, which was also automatically entered for Digi’s WWWOW Internet Awards. Digi’s quick
and astute actions allowed it to effectively capitalize on a pop culture phenomenon in progress that
perfectly embodies their own campaign. Watch My Generasi at: http://youtu.be/CzkAPMWNSGc

37. Elated about
SRI LANKA
Sangakkara Makes Sri Lanka Proud
Sri Lankan Cricket recently congratulated Senior
player Kumar Sangakkara on being named the
International Cricketer of the Year 2012 by the
Wisden Almanack.
Sangakkara, 34, was picked by the Wisden as one
of its five cricketers of 2011. He has scored 9382
runs in 108 Test matches with 28 centuries with
an average of 54.86. In the ODIs, he has scored
10472 runs in 325 matches with 13 centuries with
an average of 38.21. His performance behind the
stumps- 167 catches with 20 stumpings in Tests
and also 315 catches with 80 stumpings has been
outstanding.
Kumar now joins a special brand of great
cricketers dating back to 1889, and the award he
received is not only a global recognition but a
national achievement as a true son of the Sri
Lankan soil.
JAPAN
Women’s World Cup Win
The victory of Women’s World Cup soccer has been
a nationwide exciting news across Japan.
It elevated the mood of Japan which had been
depressed after the earthquake disaster of March
11 2011.
Their dramatic come back has energized Japan. The
match garnered 27.7% viewer ratings despite being
aired in the wee hours of the morning, 4am.

38. Elated about
THAILAND
A Taxi Driver who returned 13 Million Baht worth of Gold !!
Taxi driver Saksri Kesseekaew, 56, told police
that he was worried after he discovered a bag
full of gold jewellery left in his car by a
passenger in Bangkok. Mr Saksri said there
were 10 boxes of gold in the bag. He opened
three of the boxes and found many gold
ornaments inside. He asked his friend to call
the Police Radio FM 91 station to broadcast
details of the incident and help find the
owner. He also drove back to the areas where
he had picked up and dropped off the
passenger who left behind the gold.
The gold dealer, Akekarat Kanokwannakorn, said
he has rewarded the driver with two gold
necklaces, one weighing three baht and another
weighing two baht, alongwith 500,000 baht in
cash.
Mr Akekarat, 60, is a gold shop owner in Ubon
Ratchathani. He told police that he mistakenly
left gold weighing 540 baht in the taxi but could
not remember its license plate number. This act
shows the kindness of Thai people . This reflects
the Thai society and quite a few foreign tourists
have praised Thailand for this.

39. Elated about
PHILIPPINES
A Filipino’s shot at fame in ‘American Idol’
“This girl is one of the best singers in America – ever.” -Randy Jackson, judge
Filipinos have always been proud of their singing talent especially when they have one of their own
gaining popularity in singing contests internationally.
It is anticipated that each American Idol season, a Fil-Am will get a shot at the title. This year, it is
Jessica Sanchez.
Already through to the semi-finals, Jessica is predicted to be one of the finalist until she got the lowest
votes during Top 7 of the week. But in one of the most dramatic turnaround on the show ever, the
judges used their one and only SAVE of the season to keep Jessica on the show. Filipinos local and
abroad are abuzz online rallying to keep support for Jessica to the end.
BANGLADESH
Country wide strike ends!
People are thrilled that the three day strike is over now.
People have thanked the opposition party for lifting off
the strike, “Hartal” as called in local language. People are
going back to their normal lives. In Bangladesh it’s being
seen as a very positive action from a political party
initiating the strike call-off and allowing people to live
their normal life.

40. Elated about
TAIWAN
Wei-Yin Chen’s first ever MLB win
Taiwanese pitcher Wei-Yin Chen got his first win in his Major League Baseball (MLB) career. Chen is
Taiwan's first pitcher to have won games in both the Japanese Professional Baseball League and
MLB.
On the game day, many fans gathered to watch the game. The students from the high school from
where he graduated, even lined up at the campus in a particular way to display his last name,
“CHEN” , as part of a tribute to his victory.
INDIA
More engineering seats this year
Last year, 42,000 government quota seats offered through single
window counseling went vacant. This year, an estimated 28,000
seats are to be added to the engineering seat matrix and there is
no need to book a seat in a top college or otherwise, experts
advise parents. Parents who remain doubtful could just look at
the numbers to feel reassured. The state has set up three new
government engineering colleges that will start taking students
from 2012-13. More than 100 new engineering colleges have
sought approval from the All India Council for Technical
Education this year, and several existing colleges have been
allowed to add additional seats and start new courses. "We
haven't received complaints of seats being sold or bought. But
there is no need for parents to worry. More seats will be available
through single window counselling than last year," said Anna
University vice-chancellor P Mannar Jawahar. The university is
responsible for conducting the single window counselling system.

42. Waiting list
THAILAND & TAIWAN, LADY GAGA CONCERT
With only a month to go, most Thai fans of
Lady Gaga are counting down to the most
anticipated concert of the year by the world's
most famous superstar.
In this brand new tour, Gaga will perform her
latest album Born This Way as well as music
from both The Fame and The Fame Monster.
The Born This Way Ball world tour includes a
performance at Bangkok’s Rajamangala
National Stadium on May 25th, 2012 at 8:30
p.m.
As part of her Asia tour, Lady Gaga will soon
make her second visit to Taiwan as well.
The concert takes place in May. Although the
most expensive seats for the concert were
priced at nearly $430, they have already sold
out.
Some Taiwanese fans waited 3 to 4 days before
the official ticket opening day in front of the
ticket office, amidst high police security.

43. Waiting list
SINGAPORE, DOUBLE DOWN BURGER
Will a burger be a burger without the buns? Well,
KFC thinks so. However, this ‘bunless’ sandwich is
not your typical low-carb diet choice. Far far from
it. In fact, KFC’s latest Double Down burger has
probably twice or three times the number of
calories, as the buns have been replaced by two
thick, juicy-on-the-inside and crunchy-on-the-
outside chicken patties and are stuffed with
turkey bacon, sliced cheese and creamy
mayonnaise. Phew!
Judging by the 2000 ‘likes’ for the Double Down
post on KFC Singapore’s Facebook page, people
are welcoming this burger with open arms and
hungry stomachs, with many stating that they
cannot wait to sink their teeth into the burger.
JAPAN, SALTED RICE MALT
Shiokoji is a salt-marinated rice malt which was originally
an old Japanese seasoning, made just from rice malt, salt,
and water. All these three ingredients are mixed,
fermented, and matured to become what it is. In the old
days, Japanese used shio-koji as the dip to pickle
vegetables/fish as a preservative, as well as for staying
healthy.
Amazingly shio-koji has become so popular again since
2011 that many recipes are being introduced on various
TV programs and blogs, mostly because of it’s health
benefit. New Shiokoji products are being introduced
everyday and even Shiokoji jam has been a huge hit.
Everyone is looking for recipes using Shiokoji and it has
been the number one word being checked out on
Cookpad, the most popular recipe site in Japan.

44. Waiting list
INDONESIA, SS4INA, Super Show 4 - Super Junior World Tour 2012
Finally, Indonesian Elfs ( the name for Indonesian Super Junior Fans) have the opportunity to see the
Super Junior live performance on 28-29 April 2012. Super Junior is boy band from Korea. With its live
performance, Indonesia seems to have been swept by the Korean wave.
The fans who are mostly teenagers are very excited and enthusiastic with the concert, their
enthusiasm doesn’t seem to cease. As soon as the concert information was released, the fans
celebrated. The public ticket sales was in news as it created lot of chaos. The public sales venue
couldn’t accommodate the fans. To avoid havoc at the public ticket sale venue, promoters offered a
selection question. Only fans who could mention the SUJU personnel name was allowed to buy the
ticket. Within 2 hours, 6000 tickets were sold out, many teenager cried for not getting the concert
tickets. Junior sky seat priced at around US$55, was the most sought after.
Initially the concert was scheduled for two days. Seeing the rocking response SHOWMAXX, the
organisers, negotiated for an additional concert day. Finally it became a 3 day concert, from 27-29
April.
Fans went crazy hunting for tickets both online and offline, and some brands held online free SUJU
ticket contests on twitter. Teenagers from outer Java island such as Sumatra, Bali and Sulawesi spent
their saving, flew to Jakarta with their parents just to buy the ticket.
Source : http://i.okezone.com/tv/photos http://hot.detik.com/music/

45. Waiting list
CHINA
Titanic 3D movie tickets
On April 10th, Chinese moviegoers flocked to Market analysts believe the 3D "Titantic" is likely
cinemas and lined up for tickets to see James to gross over 500 million rmb in mainland
Cameron's epic "Titanic" in 3D. Three IMAX cinemas, according to media reports in China. Still,
cinemas in Beijing were packed for the movie's despite the special effects, and reworked footage,
debut screening on the first day, despite the high many fans are disappointed. Some fans were
ticket price-150 rmb (24 US$)-and the inconvenient upset about missing out on the romantic but
midnight hour of the screening. controversial scenes in which Rose, played by Kate
Winslet, posed nude for the sketches. Social
Even outside Beijing, screenings of the film in 3D networking sites such as Sina Weibo were abuzz
cinemas in other large cities sold out days before with criticism of the cut by the censors. "I've
the film was released. "I have watched Titanic waited for close to 15 years, but not for the 3D
seven or eight times," said Liu Jianwen, 27, who icebergs," said a widely forwarded microblog post.
lined up for tickets outside a cinema in Hohhot, Cinemagoers were especially annoyed, given that
Inner Mongolia with his girlfriend. "I'm here for the the same censorship allowed the movie to be
story rather than the visual effects. It's such a screened uncut back in 1998. There is no official
touching love story." response to the roll-back of the censorship policy
concerning the 3D film. However, on an online
The 1997 movie was a phenomenal success survey conducted by popular microblogging site
globally, and grossed 360 million rmb when it Sina Weibo, 73 percent of those polled said the
entered the Chinese mainland market in 1998. This movie was "great" and only 12 percent expressed
phenomenal box office record remained unbroken dissatisfaction. “'Titanic' shows us what love is
for 11 years, until the release of Transformers 2 in about," said Qi Lunna, a university professor,
2009. A ticket to see the Titanic at that time cost 25 adding that the movie highlights a sore point in
rmb, at most. today's society, that materialism is eroding pure
relationships”, she said.
Today, the high priced ticket doesn’t deter fans.

46. Waiting list
BANGLADESH,
ARTCELL ROCK BAND
ARTCELL is a Bangladeshi progressive rock band.
The BIG four, as the fans call them, are a four member team band. They have a cult fan following. Their
first full length album was back in 2002. Then after a long waiting, their second full length album was
release on 2006. Now, in 2012, after a a long 6 years wait, they have announced their third full length
studio album for release soon. Fans are eagerly waiting for their album.
They started as one of the most noticeable underground band. It did not take long for them to build a
loyal fan base and make a huge name for themselves.
After the first album launch, every rock n’ roll lover had their album either in car audio system or
walkman or in their portable music player. So, when they announced their third album, fans erupted
and they are indeed WAITING!
SRI LANKA Sri Lankan’s are dying to buy Hybrid Vehicles. Will it
HYBRID VEHICLES last?
The one consumer decision most people make which
impacts the greatest on the environment is the choice
of car we drive.
Hybrid cars have been gaining popularity over the
years primarily due to their fuel efficiency and low
carbon emissions to the environment. The quality
luxury features combined with premium pricing
makes it one of the most wanted option for many high
net worth consumers. Sri Lanka’s demand for hybrid
vehicles during the year 2011, has risen by 1200% and
the country has imported 5927 hybrid vehicles last
year There was a good inducement in Sri Lanka in the
past few months for people to buy hybrid vehicles due
to the tax concessions but currently the situation has
changed where total taxes increased to 24 percent
and the increase in fuel prices has also led to decline
in demand.
Will this trend continue? We are yet to find out …

47. Waiting list
MALAYSIA
Roadside grilled gourmet burgers
Will you wait for three hours just to buy a burger
from a roadside stall?
In a nation obsessed with food, it’s no surprise that a
long queue forms almost every evening at a street
gourmet burger stall in Wangsa Maju, a major
township in Kuala Lumpur.
Many customers are willing to wait for hours just to
get a taste of Kaw Kaw Burger Bakar’s grilled chicken
and beef burgers. The average waiting time to get A long queue nightly for Kaw Kaw Burger Bakar
your hands on a burger is reportedly three hours.
Kaw Kaw Burger Bakar is owned by two young
entrepreneurs, Mohd Faizul Baharudin or Zul, 26,
and Nini Haznita Muhammad or Nita, 25, who
attribute the popularity of the burgers to the fresh,
homemade meat patties and grilling technique used.
According to Zul, “People like something new. They
want to know what a burger bakar (grilled burger)
tastes like. Furthermore, our prices are good for this
huge portion.”
Open from 7.45pm to 2am, the stall gets an average
of 250 orders a day with burger prices ranging from Owners Zul and Nita showing off their burger creations
MYR 7.50 (USD 2.45) to MYR 18.50 (USD 6.05).
Customers may also request for ‘Tower’ burgers with
any desired number of patties – their largest order to
date is a ‘Tower 20’, made with 20 beef patties.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2
012/4/10/nation/11076423&sec=nation

48. Waiting list
INDIA, VESPA SCOOTERS
Vespa was first sold in India in the 1960s and the 1970s in collaboration with Bajaj Auto. After
exiting that venture, Piaggio tied up with LML till 1999, when the LML-Piaggio venture ended. This
automatic scooter made a public appearance at Auto Expo Show which was held earlier this year at
New Delhi.
People are very much excited after looking at the Piaggio Vespa LX pictures on different websites
and want to lay their hand on this iconic machine.
Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director, Piaggio Vehicles (India) said, "We reckon there is
tremendous excitement brewing among Indian consumers to experience the original Italian Vespa
that is an icon of distinctive lifestyle. With its Indian foray, Vespa will serve the unmet need of
fashion, style and brand conscious individuals who’d like to make a unique statement in mobility.”
And the much awaited launch of the Piaggio Vespa just took place with a price of Rs 66,000, ex-
Maharashtra on 26th April 2012. Piaggio has dropped the LX125 tag for this scooter in India and it
will be called just Vespa. “There is no premium segment in the Indian scooter market. We will not
compete with the existing players, but will create a unique segment for the brand. There is no better
time to be in the Indian two-wheeler scooter space with evolved consumers looking for lifestyle
options that go beyond mobility,'' he said.
Piaggio will sell its retro classic, the gearless Vespa LX125 here. The launch marks the world-wide
debut of a new engine developed for the Indian market. “The new engine is eco-friendly and fuel
efficient and will be produced in Piaggio's other manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia,'' said
Mr. Chopra. “We will double capacity to three lakh units annually by mid-2013 at an additional
investment of 20 million euro (around Rs.140 crore). We will gradually ramp up to reach monthly
production levels of 12,000 units by September-October and, thereafter, to 15,000 and 20,000
levels,'' said Mr. Chopra adding that the Indian scooter market was growing at 20 per cent CAGR and
would grow in double digits in the coming years. At full capacity, Piaggio expects to garner around
10 per cent of this market, he said.

50. Tense about
CHINA
A Beijing woman died from the
collapse of a sidewalk
On the afternoon of April 1st, a women named Yang Erjing, was walking to work with her colleague on
North Lishi road in Beijing when the sidewalk suddenly collapsed, Yang was doused with scalding hot
water spraying from faulty pipes as she fell beneath the street. Her body was almost entirely
submerged in the scalding waters before she was pulled free and rushed to a nearby hospital. Young
regained consciousness in the hospital at a point and she was able to recognize her family members.
But on April 9th at 11pm the hospital confirmed that Yang had passed away.
Xicheng District Administration of Work Safety launched an investigation into who should be
responsible for the accident. The vice manager of Beijing Heating System Group (BHSG) told the
Beijing News on Monday that there were 30 meters of broken piping in the neighborhood, leaking
water at temperatures above 90 C. He suggested that the leakage might have softened the soil which
led to the collapse of the pavement. "The area of land with the leakage doesn't belong to BHSG, and
the property management is responsible for repairs and routine inspections," said Tian, "the group
only takes liability to provide assistance." The paper indicated that BHSG had received complaints
about hot water leaking through the pavement prior to the accident and had dispatched staff.
However, Ma said at the scene that there was no sign of "any staff or any warning signs in the area.“ A
lawyer from Beijing Yusheng Law Firm mentioned “ The responsibility should be held by the current
property owner, it appears the heating group should take secondary liability for their failure to act on
reports and complaints, as well as their failure to supervise the property management company," said
Fang Bo. According to a Beijing Times, the company had paid 320,000 rmb ($50,816) in medical
expenses to Yang’s family.
Few weeks after the accident happened, it has been one of the most discussed topic on China's largest
micro-blogging service SinaWeibo, netizens have expressed their anger on local government and
related party delaying solving the problem and causing Yang’s death.

51. Tense about
SINGAPORE
An article about Singaporean women unwilling to date blue-collar workers
A wedge between blue-collar workers and office executives still exist. A newspaper in Singapore ran an
article on 15 April 2012 about a graduate woman whose fiancé is a hawker, with an accompanying
infographic in which 50 undergraduate women and graduate women aged 21 to 28 were asked if they
would date a blue-collar worker. 100% of them said no, expressing reluctance to “marry down”.
The results of the above snap-poll only reinforces a study published last year by Singapore Management
University (SMU) psychology professor Norman Li who found that Singaporean women are
“significantly” more materialistic than their American peers, the former valuing a man’s social status
over other factors such as kindness and personality.
These findings are nothing new since research in evolutionary psychology has shown that women look
for partners with good financial prospects, a high social status, ambition and industriousness. Especially
here in Singapore, it is widely believed that the path to success and financial security is followed after
an education degree and a respectable job.
However, the ladies’ reactions are split between two camps. On one hand, the more open-minded
camp questions the validity of social status based on one’s job vocation and argues that personality and
chemistry counts for more. On the other, the realists admit that they would not date blue-collar
workers as they worry about whether they can provide financial stability and whether or not they can
get along despite coming from different backgrounds.
Perhaps you cannot blame these undergraduates and graduates for sounding superficial as Singapore is
now the 8th most expensive city to live in, coming in before Hong Kong and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

52. Tense about
MALAYSIA
The fight for free and clean elections
In Malaysia, there is a sense of ‘calm before a storm’ as
thousands of Malaysians, young and old, of all races,
prepare to sit in for a peaceful rally in the fight for clean
and fair elections. The rally, scheduled for 28thAprill 2012,
will be the third one organised by the Coalition for Free
and Fair Elections or BERSIH (meaning ‘clean’ in the Malay
language) which is a coalition of NGOs with the aim of
reforming the electoral system to ensure fair elections in
Malaysia.
The Bersih 2.0 rally held last year drew thousands of
supporters to Kuala Lumpur despite a nationwide
government ban. The government employed high-handed
tactics, using force, tear gas and water cannons to disperse
the crowd. Their violent crackdown sparked a storm of
debate which led to the passing of the controversial
Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011.
This year, the government is taking a more cautious
approach so as not to have a repeat of last year’s rally. The Bersih 2.0 rally last year
Thus, they have given green light for the rally to happen,
but the debate as to whether Bersih can happen in the
historical DataranMerdeka (Independence Square) has yet
to be resolved. Despite this, Malaysians, locally and
globally, are still anxious as to how the rally will proceed.
The rally is an indication of the tension and anticipation
amongst Malaysians as they wait for the next elections to
arrive. Recent events like the ban on Erykah Badu, ban on a
ballet performance, ban on gays have built up a frenzy, all
culminating to Bersih 3.0. Although we can’t predict what
the outcome of the 28th of April rally will be, but one is
assured that the elections to come will be one poised to go
down in the history books.