Gaw Yu Han wants a sport car for free from Sentosa Cove residents

"I am writing this personal letter to you with the hope of finding a sponsor. I like cars and my favorites are Audi R8 Coupe, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Honda CR-Z and etc. May I have the courage to ask for a car as a gift from you?". This is what was written in 300 letters sent to Sentosa Cove landed property addresses by Gaw Yu Han in hope to find someone to waste money to buy a completely non-essential gift to a stranger. The Malaysian who is a Singapore Permanent Resident is relatively wealthy: He already has a Toyota Camry at the age of 20 and lives in a private apartment.

"Call it an experiment or a request if you want... Anyway, I spent only five cents on a letter ... I do not expect to give anything in return. What I can offer is casual friendship" he said when contacted.

Incredibly Gaw Yu Han claims that 10 Sentosa Cove residents, all Singaporeans, have contacted him. Luckily none was out of their mind to buy a sport car to this kid but more interested to find out why he has sent this letter.

According to The Straits Times,  Gaw Yu Han thinks that "Singaporeans will never give him a car" but he is hopeful that one of the foreigners living in Sentosa Cove will be stupid enough to do that.

Yesterday,  netizens naturally slammed this spoilt kid with what he has done and said[1][2]. I say spoilt because this 20 years old kid has felt no reason to put a single word to explain why he thinks he deserves a sponsorship like this. Neither he even bothers to offer anything in return. Even if I was shameless enough to write a letter like this, I would at least put a paragraph like "If you sponsor my sport car, I promise to devote my next 3 years of weekends for helping the poor on behalf of you". But the kid does not bother to give anything in return at all! If he did this I am sure he would still get nothing in return but at least he would look like looking for sponsorship rather than begging.

Sentosa Cove is a residential enclave in the East of Sentosa Island in Singapore for ultra rich. About 60% of the buyers of property in Sentosa Cove are foreigners.[3]

[1] - 20 year old malaysian PR in SG ask sentosa cove residents for sports car
[2] - Singaporeans will never give Gaw Yu Han a car
[3] - Sentosa Cove

Buying gold in Singapore is tax free by October 2012

In Singapore, there are several ways to invest in gold like gold certificates, gold saving accounts, jewelry or buying gold bullion coins or, if you are rich enough, gold bars. Although buying gold jewelry in Asia is a popular gold investment method, since you pay for the craftsman also, it is not the best way to invest. Another way is to buy gold bullion coins but there is a large spread as 7% GST to be paid while buying gold.  But the GST on investment grade precious metals will be history soon.

Singapore Government has now recognized investment-grade gold and other precious metals as investment instruments such as bonds and stocks and by October 2012, Singapore will exempt investment-grade gold and other precious metals from 7% GST (goods and services) tax to spur the development of gold trading. This was announced by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on February 2012.

"Singapore will exempt investment-grade gold and other precious metals from a seven per cent goods and services tax to spur the development of gold trading, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Friday.
The change takes effect in October and may lift demand for gold bars and coins in the fourth quarter and into 2012. Singapore's investment gold demand nearly tripled to 3.5 tonnes in 2011, according to consultancy firm Thomson Reuters GFMS.

"It seems a little unfair to put a sales tax on what is essentially money. The removal of the GST on gold will allow Singapore to better compete with Hong Kong and other bullion trading centres in the region," said Nick Trevethan, a senior commodity strategist at ANZ in Singapore."[1]

Buying physical gold in Singapore will be tax free in Singapore by October 2012.

Last month, Juerg Kierner, chief investment officer for Swiss Asia Capital in Singapore, said that gold prices may rise above $2,000 an ounce. Unlike paper money which is currently being destroyed by western central banks, gold has a store value which will hold up in the event of a currency crisis and will protect your money from inflation.

Buying physical gold, although storage and security might be an issue, is the more traditional way of investing in gold in Asia. You can physical gold as gold coins and bars in Singapore from some banks. For example, UOB sales gold coins and bars and publishes their selling and buying prices on their web site.

Investment-grade gold refers to gold (e.g. a bar, ingot, coin or wafer) in purity of 99.5% and above, possesses the following characteristics that differentiate it from gold in other forms such as jewellery.[2]

i. capable of being traded on the international bullion market;

ii. bears a mark/characteristics accepted as guaranteeing its quality; and

iii. trade at a price based on the spot price of the metal it contains.[2]

Although this is largely done to turn Singapore into gold hub and to attract refineries here, it will also benefit the investors here since they can diversify their portfolio into something solid like gold. You can buy physical gold in Singapore as gold bars and gold bullion coins. The price differs based on international gold prices and also the amount of gold you are buying (you buy bigger amount you pay less per oz). A 1 OZ gold bullion coin in UOB for example is sold for  SGD 2,432 while a 10 OZ gold coin is SGD 23,837.


In Singapore, you have more options to invest in gold such as Gold Certificate and Savings Account. This will prevent the headache and risks of storing physical gold. But these are usually given against unallocated gold and are subject to risks like bank runs (bank does not have the whole amount of gold to cover up all the certificates or accounts). So there is risk on its own in this type of gold investment.

[1] - Singapore seeks gold hub status with tax-free bullion

[2] - GST Exemption on Investment-grade Gold and Precious Metals 

One fighting championship Singapore October 2012

Thanks to 2 Asian entrepreneurs, Filipino Canadian Victor Cui of ONE Fighting Championship and Thai Chatri Sityodtong of martial arts gym Evolve MMA, Singapore is quietly becoming the fight capital of Asia.[1]  And one more exiting martial arts event will be in town in October 2012:  "Rise of Kings".

"Rise of Kings" will be held on October 2012 in Singapore Indoor Stadium and  feature a lightweight main event pitting longtime veteran Shinya Aoki against fearsome Frenchman Arnaud Lepont. In addition, Brazilian submission expert Zorobabel Moreira battles the venerable Kotetsu Boku while grappling guru Leandro Issa takes on Soo Chul Kim.[2]:

After selling out arenas in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ is coming back to the beautiful island of Singapore to host the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) event of the year – ONE FC: RISE OF KINGS. ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ is Asia’s largest MMA organization in Asia and this is its third time back in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.  

MMA fans can expect some of the biggest names in Asian MMA to feature on this fight card in October. Anticipate the most exciting night of fights in recent Asian MMA history when Asian champions and International superstars clash in the ONE FC cage for an epic night of battles. Be there to support your local heroes and witness your favourite MMA fighters in action![3]

One Fighting Championship - Rise of Kings Singapore Indoor Stadium October 2012
Photo - mmamania.com

[1] - Asia's martial arts capital is ... Singapore?
[2] - ONE FC 6 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Rise of Kings' on Oct. 6 in Singapore
[3] - ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ - RISE OF KINGS

PSY Gangnam Style goes viral

You have most probably already heard about this hilarious 2012 K-pop single Gangnam Style. It has been watched almost 300 million times in YouTube it the site's most watched K-pop video in history. Korean musician PSY's  unusual dance moves (called “invisible horse dance") and humorous, catchy rhythm of the single simply creates addiction. As one of the commentators in YouTube complained(!) "I know it's not healthy when I keep coming back to watch this... help." :) Yeap, I think it is watched on average 20 times per person so 300 million divided by 20 people has already watched it. K-pop (Korean pop or Korean popular music) is massively popular throughout Asia, but very unknown in Western broadcasting networks and newspapers.

If you are asking what the hell is Gangnam Style and what the song is about: Gangnam Style is a Korean neologism and it refers to a lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district of Seoul, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in all of South Korea. In Gangnam people are trendy, hip and exude a certain supposed "class".

Below is the viral video and here in the link you can find Gangnam Style Lyrics (translation to English).

Gangnam Style - Warning! Highly addictive.

By this month (September 2012) there has been reported cases of flash mobs in various cities of the world and there has already been parody versions of the song such as Hongdae Style (another area in Seoul, Gangnam is Posh area and Hongdae is student area) and Gundam Style ()

Gundam Style - Gangnam Style parody

Below is another version, PSY ft. Kim Hyun-a.

HDB is launching 7,055 flats for sale on September 27th 2012

The Housing and Development Board (HDB), the statutory board of the Ministry of National Development responsible for public housing in Singapore, is launching 7,055 flats today. 3,727 of these flats are Built-To-Order (BTO) units and 3,328 of them will be Sale of Balance Flats (SBF). These flats will be offered both in mature and non-mature towns:

"Take your pick from seven new Build-To-Order (BTO) projects spread across five towns - Keat Hong Quad in Choa Chu Kang, TreeTrail@Woodlands and Golden Saffron in Woodlands, Cheng San Court and Teck Ghee Parkview in Ang Mo Kio, Tampines GreenLace in Tampines and Tenteram Peak in Kallang/Whampoa. 

Choose from 3,727 units of Studio Apartments, 3-, 4- and 5-room flats. Apply online for your choice town and flat type by 3 Oct 2012."[1]

Seven BTO projects have been launched today which are spread across the two non-mature estates of Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands, and the three mature towns of Ang Mo Kio, Kallang Whampoa and Tampines. Another 6,400 BTO flats will be launched in November 2012 which will be in Queenstown, Bedok, Toa Payoh, Seng Kang and Choa Chu Kang.[1]  

The projects launched in September 2012 are:

Artist's Impression of TreeTrail@Woodlands
Photo - HDB

• 524 unit Keat Hong Quad in Choa Chu Kang which offers 4-room and 5-room standard flats in one 19-storey and two 20-storey residential blocks.
• 652 unit TreeTrail@Woodlands in Woodlands which offers 4-room and 5-room Standard flats.
• Golden Saffron in Woodlands offering 128 Studio Apartments.
• Cheng San Court in  Ang Mo Kio offering 712 units of Studio Apartments, 3- and 4-room Standard flats.
• Teck Ghee Parkview in Ang Mo Kio 576 units of 3-, 4- and 5-room Standard flats.
• Tampines Greenlace in Tampines offering 380 units of 4-room and 5-room Standard flats.
• Tenteram Peak in  Kallang/Whampoa offering 755 units of 3-room and 4-room Standard Flats.

See details in HDB web site: HDB Sales Exercise September 2012

Today, HDB has also stated that it will increase its new flat supply for 2012 by 2,000 units from the originally planned 25,000 units to 27,000 units. This boosts the number of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats for the year to 27,000 - up from the originally planned 25,000.

[1] - HDB Sales Exercise September 2012

Boutique hostels in Singapore

As traditional hotel prices went to roof in Singapore, a new breed of upmarket boutique hostels started to mushroomed in the past few years. These hostels, with their pod-like bunk beds, relatively luxurious facilities and many more bonuses, cater to both traditional backpackers who are looking for more than no frills bed to sleep and flashpackers, a new breed of backpackers who require more from their hostel stay.

Matchbox The Concept Hostel

39 Ann Siang Road, Singapore, Singapore

Located in one of the best places in Singapore, Matchbox The Concept Hostel offers boutique-style accommodation to those on a backpacker's budget in comfortable pods. It has been featured in The Independent as one of The Big Six: Capsule hotels.

Bunc Hostel

15 Upper Weld Road, Little India, Singapore 207372
This new generation boutique hostel, located in a 3-stories shophouse in Little India, offer full air-conditioning, Wi-fi, kitchenette facilities, recreation rooms with gaming facilities, an outdoor tanning deck, commercial washer-dryers, a ladies-only floor and most of all. With custom made beds which comes in 2 sizes, Singles and Deluxes,  Bunc Hostel offers a clean, neat and value for money stay in Singapore. The hostel provides key card access to guest rooms, oil-based air fresheners and bug-resistant pillow and mattress covers

Guests in Bunc Hostel Singapore - Photo: Relax.com.sg

Wink Hostel

A Mosque Street, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru, Singapore 059488
Housed in a 3-storey historic shop house, Wink Hostel offers designer pod-beds and high-tech dormitory rooms which can be accessed by a personal key-card. Each pod at Wink Hotel is equipped with sound-resistant walls in between the pods, an orthopaedic mattress, a reading light, and a power socket, amongst other features.[1] Lockers under the beds are locked and unlocked with personal key-cards.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown, 5footway.inn Project Sultan, 5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2

63 Pagoda Street, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru, Singapore 059222
8 Aliwal Street, Bugis, Singapore 199901
227 South Bridge Road, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru, Singapore 058778
There are three branches of 5footway.inn: One is located in Chinatown at Pagoda Street and named 5footway.inn Project Chinatown, one is off Beach Road at Aliwal Street and called 5footway.inn Project Sultan and the newly opened 5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2 is on South Bridge Road, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru.

Singapore's China Town
Photo - 5footway.inn

[1] - New breed of hostels in Singapore

$65 million marriage bounty for Gigi Chao Hong Kong tycoon's daughter

According to a South China Morning Post report, a Hong Kong shipping tycoon named Cecil Chao announced a marriage bounty of HK$500 million for the generous and kind hearted man who can put the ring on the fingers of her daughter, Gigi Chao:

""I don't mind whether he is rich or poor. The important thing is that he is generous and kind hearted,'' 76-year-old Chao was quoted as stating. "Gigi is a very good woman with both talents and looks. She is devoted to her parents, is generous and does volunteer work,'' he added.

Hong Kong shipping tycoon Cecil Chao with his daughter, Gigi, who has married her girlfriend in France. Same-sex marriage is not recognised in Hong Kong. He also rejected "false reports'' that Gigi, 33, had married abroad, saying she was still single."[1]

Gigi Chao, the daughter of Hong Kong shipping tycoon 

According to reports, Hong Kong's pre-eminent playboy tycoon offers 500 million to break up her daughters marriage to her girlfriend Sean Eav. The lesbian couple has announced last week that they had married in France, where the law recognises gay partnerships.[2]

UPDATE 2: Gigi Chao wrote on her Facebook account:
"Dear Earthlings, thank you for your flood of marriage proposals, love letters, business proposals, death threats and other general correspondence.

"Whether you are Muslim, Catholic, Atheist, Hindu, or what your world views may be, I implore you to stop bothering my friends or my receptionist.

"I pray that you will all find love, that which begins with self-love, and that which begins from love of parents, and that which stems from love of the Universe.

"It's been my deepest honour that you have found me interesting enough to follow me."
Source : Gigi Chao thanks overwhelming marriage responses

Gigi Chao and her partner, Sean Eav

UPDATE : Gigi Chao already has 200+ marriage proposals as applications poured in from around the globe. And please do not write me mails to ask how you can contact Gigi Chao and make her marry you by her own will lol :D

"For your family's sanity's sake, daddy, please rescind the notice!" Gigi Chao, 22, wrote on her Facebook page overnight, adding that she would no longer accept Facebook friend requests.   Her father Cecil Chao owns Cheuk Nang (Holdings) Ltd, and she says she has received marriage offers from Nigeria, Bulgaria and Turkey.  

"Where do all these people come from? (Jerusalem)? Ethiopia? Istanbul? ridiculous," she wrote in an earlier post.[3]

[1] - Hong Kong tycoon Cecil Chao reportedly offers any man $65 million to make his lesbian daughter Gigi their wife
[2] - Sweet Gigi marries her girlfriend. Dad offers 500 mill to break it up...
[3] - Gigi Chao whose tycoon dad Cecil has pledged $65 million to any man who can marry her, has 200 marriage proposals

Emirates starts scheduled A 380 services on Singapore Dubai route

By December 2012, Gulf carrier Emirates will permanently operate Airbus A380 service between Dubai and Singapore according to a news announcement by the airline.[1] Emirates Airbus 380, which has 517 seats will be deployed for flights EK354 and EK355 and replace the 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER. This means a 46% increase in capacity of Emirates on Dubai - Singapore route which is a good news for Singapore Changi Airport but bad news for Singapore Airlines (SIA):

While Emirates' move may be welcome news for Changi, where concerns in recent days have centred on the loss of significant business from Qantas, it could introduce more competition to SIA on its European services. 

SIA operates direct services to 13 European cities from Changi. Emirates provides connections to more than 30 European cities from Dubai. But industry insiders reckon it could lure travellers from Changi to connect via its Dubai hub with more competitive fares.[2]

The launch of Airbus A 380 will not only 1659 seats daily across four daily services, it will also strengten Singapore Changi Airport’s status as Emirates’ South East Asian hub. Emirates provides over 1,100 seats daily connecting through to Brisbane, Melbourne and Colombo.

Emirates will operate scheduled A-380 services between Singapore and Dubai starting from
December 2012.

Emirates says the current two week ad-hoc Airbus A380 service between Dubai and Singapore received extremely positive responses from the passengers and they have decided to provide A 380 services on the route permanently. Emirates will be the first and only carrier to offer a scheduled A380 service on Singapore - Dubai route:

“The signature Emirates A380 service is pivotal to our overall business strategy. Our passengers in Singapore can look forward to enjoying the widely admired and popular aircraft, known for its quietness, spaciousness and award-winning on-board products, all the way from Singapore into much of Europe that includes Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, Paris and Rome,” added Mr Obaidalla. 

The Emirates A380’s three-class configuration boasts 14 private First Class Suites, 76 lie-flat beds in Business Class and 427 seats in Economy Class. Passengers across all cabins will get to enjoy over 1,400 channels on Emirates’ award-winning Digital Widescreen inflight entertainment system, ice and stay connected to the Internet throughout their journey with high speed Wi-Fi access.[1]

See also Qatar Airways deals from Singapore

Qatar Airways deals from Singapore

[1] - Singapore joins Emirates’ Airbus A380 network

[2] - A boon for Changi Airport, a bane for SIA

Jenny Lau smacked around by director Cheung Wing Ho

A video, apparently showing TVB actress Jenny Lau assaulted by director Cheung Wing-ho during the filming of TVB new series Heart Road GPS has sparked an outrage in Hong Kong and the director came under fire from several actors for physically assaulting Jenny Lau. Initially a top TVB executive has defended Cheung Wing Ho, who has garnered a reputation as a bad-tempered director, and claimed that the director was only showing the young star how to react in a scene[1]. TVB even tried to Blame Jenny Lau for Lthe leaked Video Clip[2]

In the scene of Heart Road GPS,  debt collectors were after TVB newcomer Jenny Lau's character and she had to get a plastic bag shoved over her head, get pushed into the wall and get threatened with frogs.[2] But since her performance couldn’t meet Director Cheung Wing Ho’s expectations, the scene had to be filmed several times and Director Cheung was being very forceful while teaching her how to do the scene.

Still, several celebrities such as Charmaine Sheh, Chapman To and Anthony Wong denounced him, as well as the television station for defending his behaviour in the video.[1] According to Sina.com, in the past Cheung's verbal abuse had driven actresses to tears:

It was understood, during Charmaine Sheh’s early years of acting, she was also treated harshly by Director Cheung.... Former TVB actress, Erica Yuen (known to bash TVB), made an angry comment: “Tell that girl to come to me. I will go with her to the police station! Is he crazy? I think that director should be fired!”.[3]

Below is the video in which the director allegedly abuses the young actress.

Video of Jenny Lau threated badly by Cheung Wing Ho during filming

Later director  Cheung Wing-ho made a public apology to Jenny Lau and TVB also gave him a warning letter:

"Last night Eileen Cha's interview with Director Cheung and Jenny Lau was aired on Scoop. Jenny mentioned what happened that night: "At first, I didn't have to get the plastic bag over my head, but then it was added in. I did mention that I was afraid of frogs ("tin kai"), and the Director did ask me if I was afraid, but I insisted on shooting the scene."

Jenny Lau

When Eileen interviewed Director Cheung, she asked him if he'll apologize to Jenny? Director Cheung said: "I have room for improvements in my own EQ, perhaps I've been too stubborn towards my work, I'm sorry. (Will you apologize to everyone who was scolded by you?) I will say sorry to everyone, hope to wipe it all away." As for Jenny, she couldn't hold in her tears as she expressed she didn't feel wronged because newcomers hope to work hard to overcome the hardships and to do the best. Then Eileen Cha pulled in the ropes and got the two to shake hands. Director Cheung apologized to Jenny one more time."[4]

But during the interview, Jenny Lau's body language was as if she did not accept the apology according to several netizens who have watched the show.

[1] - Caught on camera: HK TV director smacks actress around
[2] - TVB Tried to Blame Jenny Lau for Leaked Video Clip
[3] - TVB newcomer Jenny Lau treated harshly by abusive Director
[4] - Abusive Director Cheung Wing Ho publicly apologizes to Jenny Lau

Travel insurance in Singapore

Many skip buying a travel insurance in Singapore before going to a nearby country in Asia. This is a big mistake since an unfortunate accident in one of the neighboring countries would cost you a fortune if you are not one of those minority whose health insurance covers foreign countries. If not, you should buy travel insurance every time you leave Singapore.

Unfortunately, my company's HR belongs to the group who does not care to buy travel insurance. Because of this, I again had to buy my travel insurance at the last minute (this is the third time). Luckily, you can easily buy travel insurance from internet. I personally use TravellerShield - Travel Insurance from DBS whenever I need to buy one. Call me paranoid but I always buy a medical insurance even if I am going to Batam or Johor (yes I know I should buy a yearly coverage plan but I cannot claim it from my company so I buy one by one).

TravellerShield is a comprehensive travel insurance plan from MSIG Insurance.The insurance covers flight diversions, accidents, medical treatments and travel inconveniences. It covers emergency medical evacuation up to S$1,000,000 (if it is required to evacuate you by helicopter who do you think will pay the cost? Your embassy?) and overseas medical expenses up to S$500,000 for.

I use TravellerShield - Travel Insurance page in DBS web site to buy it online. This will direct you to MSIG TravellerShield page where you can either buy a single trip or annual policy for you or for your family using your credit card. Check DBS travel insurance promotions from the DBS web page also. Currently they have 10% off + a $99.99 worth of Targus Backpack free for annual plan. Price? Last week, I have paid S$32.40 for a Premium cover for a 1 day trip to Vietnam (standard package is S$25.20).

Source - www.healthcarereformmagazine.com

Of course this is not the only travel insurance you can buy in Singapore. Almost all banks in Singapore provides travel insurances and you can buy most from internet. These will cover almost everything which can happen to a typical business or leisure traveller. But you need to look for answers to some basic questions before buying one otherwise you may fall into one of those fine prints:

What is being covered? (If for example you are planning to skuba dive, is it covered?)

If you over stay, can my coverage be extended?

What is the claim process?

etc. You can find out more here about Questions to Ask when You Buy Online Travel Insurance.

Save money by ceiling fans in Singapore

In Singapore's hot and humid environment and never ending summer, air conditions are seen as must. But since electricity prices are expensive and the weather is always hot in Singapore, the cost of running the air con all year around can be very high depending on how large the area you are trying to keep cool (if you do not have proper insulation you will practically try to cool entire Singapore which will cost you a lot). In fact total monthly utilities bill (gas, water and electricity) can range from a low of S$200 to a high of S$600 a month, depending on your air-conditioning usage.[1] As Mr. Electricity says in the typical home, air conditioning uses more electricity than anything else. In warmer regions AC can be 60-70% of your summer electric bill, according to Austin Energy. This is where the savings are folks, not in worrying that you left your cell phone charger plugged in too long.[2]

A good alternative or at least complement to air condition is a simple ceiling fan which is easy to install and operate. Most ceiling fans uses 55-90 watts per hour which is less than 10% of most air conditioning units use. In most of the nights, a ceiling fan can decrease the temperature enough to make you sleep comfortably in Singapore (yes, even in Singapore). And if the air condition is strictly needed, it can help you to increase the temperature setting of the AC a couple of decrees since it helps to circulate the cool air better. And personally, I find the breeze of the ceiling fan more natural and comfortable compared to a standing fan.

Most ceiling fans are energy efficient even in high speeds. You can also set the speed to your comfort level and a gentle slow speed can easily replace the air condition usage. For many who cannot live without air cons, it can still help a lot to save energy by reducing the total hours an air condition is run. For example you can replace your before sleep air condition usage with a ceiling fan usage and save 60-120 hours of AC electricity bill.

[1] - Singapore Cost of Living Guide
[2] - 39 super tips for saving money on cooling and air conditioning costs

Due West 3D sex comedy actress Wang Li Danni is a medical student

A young busty actress who appeared in a Hong Kong 3D youth sex comedy "All the Way West" (official English name as Due West: Our Sex Journey) is identified as Daniella Wang Li Dan a.k.a Wang Li Danni, 23 years old Chinese medical student from Shanghai, by media. If the news are true, Wang Li Danni played in All The Way West to save 400,000 yuan (S$80,000) needed to get her medical license and open up a clinic. She graduates next October.

Released on September 20 2012,  the movie became a hot topic. It immediately topped Baidu's index and search movie list to become one of the most talked about movie in September. But one of the actresses Wang Li, touted as "Mainland's Amy Yip" drew most of the attention. Her very explicit body massage scene photos are circulating around the internet now.

UPDATE:
Daniella Wang Li Dan 王李丹 is known in China as the "China's Goddess of Boobs". Wang Li Dan is actually of Mongolian ethnicity.

Interestingly,Wang Li Danni said she is doing this not to become famous but to save enough money to pursue her dream in medicine and to open up her own clinic. The former lingerie model added that she will stop filming such movies in Hong Kong if her studies are affected.[2] Although her ultimate goal is to be a doctor, Wang Li Danni now expresses concern that her filming such movies could affect her future medical career.[2]

"According to local reports in Southeast Asia, the woman became a porn actress in order to pay for medical school. Women in the region are angered that local newspapers in the region have revealed the young 23-year-old’s identity, arguing that it was an attempt to shame her publicly. On the other hand, some activists were angered by local media releasing her identity:

“I just find it wrong on many levels because if the woman wanted people to know who she was she would have come forward and talked about it,” said a female activist in Thailand."
Source : Women in Asia angered after porn actress identity revealed publicly

Chinese language 3D movies of this kind are getting popular in Hong Kong since they draw large crowds of Mainland tourists to the city because these movies are usually censored in China.

All The Way West (Due West: Our Sex Journey)

You can watch the trailer of 3D Hong Kong movie All The Way West in the below video. The movie, according to its trailer, is based on internet best seller novel in Hong Kong.

[1] - Wang Li Danni Mainland Amy Yip
[2] - Actress turns out to be medical student

Nico Lai Ying Yu leaked nude photos

Just almost a month after Justin Lee photo and sex video scandal involving famous Model Maggie Wu, another leaked photo scandal has hit Taiwan. This time Taiwanese artist Nico Lai Ying Yu (賴盈羽) is in the center of the scandal. According to Jayne Stars, 457 nude photos of Lai Ying Yu leaked into internet. A part of leaked nude photos were reportedly taken in a bikini-shoot when Lai Ying Yu was only 17 years old and part of the photos came from an ex-boyfriend's collection.[1]:

Lai Yingyu (Chinese:赖滢羽), with the original name Lai Si Yun (赖思澐), is a Taiwanese model born January 6,1989 in Taipei. Lai Ying Yu, under the name Nico, was a former member of the band Blackie Girls 黑涩会美眉. In September 2012 as many as 457 nude photos of her were leaked online, which are said to be taken when she was only 17 years old before she gained fame.[2]

As expected within a few hours download Lai Ying Yu 500 Nude Photos Leaked kind of links mushroomed on the internet while many forum sites started to share the leaked photos or the download links to the photos (the photo collection I have seen actually had 455 photos not 457). The online community was in heated discussion over the emergence of Ying Yu’s nude photos. Due to the massive quantity of leaked photos, netizens dubbed Ying Yu as a “female sex devil.”[3]. There is also a rumor around that Lai Ying Yu has an explicit nude video in the circulation.

In the latest photo scandal in Taiwan, Nico Lai Ying Yu's nude photos are leaked.

Lai Yingyu started modelling at the age of 17 and took sexy bikini photos during a period when she desperately needed money. In an interview, Lai also admitted to having done nude shots on two occasions, but felt "nauseated" afterwards and rejected other offers.[4]

[1] - Nude photos of Lai Ying Yu leaked
[2] - 457 nude photos of Taiwanese model Nico Lai Ying Yu leaked out
[3] - http://www.popularasians.com/forum/f68/lai-ying-yu-457-nude-photos-leaked-76560/
[4] - More than 400 nude photos of Taiwanese artiste leaked online

M1, SingTel and StarHub iPhone 5 plans and prices announced

M1, SingTel and StarHub have released their their iPhone 5 prices and plans today, a day before they start to sell iPhone 5 in Singapore. iPhone 5 was recently announced on September 12 and it will be available for consumers in Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong by tomorrow, September 21st. Although the new handset is not a great leap forward compared to its predecessor iPhone 4S, it will still be highly demanded and we probably see long overnight queues for iPhone 5. According to news, A record 68,000 customers have registered their interest to purchase the new iPhone 5 over six days, said SingTel today:

"A spokesman from the telco added that there was an overwhelming response to its appointment booking website, and the 10,000 appointment slots to buy iPhone 5 at its event were snapped up within one and a half hours. M1 said the registration of interest for the iPhone 5 surpassed previous iPhone models, while StarHub also reported strong interest from its customers.
M1 and StarHub declined to reveal the number of interested customers."[1]

Apple also reported that pre-orders for the new iPhone 5 around the world has been two million in just 24 hours![2]


Below are SingTel, StarHub and M1 iPhone 5 price plans for 2 years subscription.

SingTel iPhone 5 price plans start from $40 / month subscription of iFlexi Lite and the most expensive one is iFlexi Premium with $205 / month.

Singtel iPhone 5 Plans
iPhone Plans	iFlexi Lite		iFlexi Value		iFlexi Plus		iFlexi Premium
iPhone 5 16GB	$478		$198		$0		$0
iPhone 5 32GB	$598		$308		$48		$0
iPhone 5 64GB	$758		$468		$198		$58
Monthly Subscription	$40		$60		$100		$205

Starhub iPhone5 price plans have slightly cheaper monthly subscription payments but the handsets are more expensive to buy with Starhub compared to M1 and SingTel.

StarHub iPhone 5 Plans
iPhone Plans	$38/month		$58/month		$98/month		$205/month
iPhone 5 16GB	$473		$233		$0		$0
iPhone 5 32GB	$613		$343		$83		$0
iPhone 5 64GB	$768		$498		$228		$78
Monthly Subscription	$38		$58		$98		$205

M1 iPhone 5 price plans look the cheapest (although there is no significant difference among 3 telcos).

M1 iPhone 5 Plans
iPhone Plans	iPhone Value+		iPhone Lite+		iPhone Extreme+		iPhone Max+
iPhone 5 16GB	$430		$190		$0		$0
iPhone 5 32GB	$580		$290		$20		$0
iPhone 5 64GB	$710		$450		$150		$55
Monthly Subscription	$39		$59		$98		$198

All 3 telcos offer iPhone 5 16 GB and 32 GB for free for the most expensive subscription plan. Data bundle for the lowest and highest plans for all three telcos are identical at 2GB and 12GB, respectively.[3] According to CNET, although M1 and SingTel plans are quite similar, the upfront iPhone 5 prices are lower for almost all models with M1.[3]

iPhone 5 queue in Singapore - Photo : http://asia.cnet.com

Before you queue for iPhone 5 do not forget to watch the latest attack ad by Samsung which pokes fun at Apple customers who wait in line outside stores for the iPhone 5.

 The ad instead promotes the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, including its NFC ability to beam large files from one S III to another with a touch. Some barbs are also pointed at the highly criticized Lightning port which requires a $29 adapter to connect with older devices. The ad notes the S III has already deployed LTE and a larger display, ahead of the iPhone 5.[4]

[1] - 68,000 customers register with SingTel to buy iPhone 5
[2] - iPhone 5: Record Demand As Gadget Goes On Sale
[3] - Singapore operators release iPhone 5 prices
[4] - Latest Samsung attack ad mocks crowds waiting for iPhone 5

xiaxue pregnant

Singaporean celebrity blogger Wendy Cheng, better known by her pseudonym Xiaxue, has announced that she is pregnant[1] (congratulations by the way) and created an online search craze in this morning. xiaxue pregnant, xiaxue blog, xiaxue.blogspot.com topped the google trends Singapore list. Funny part is that thanks to her detailed description of pregnancy and period before her pregnancy, some phrases like withdrawal method (for those who do not know, she is referring to Coitus interruptus a.k.a  withdrawal or pull-out method) has also topped the charts.

Although she and her American husband Mike Sayre had the good news for almost3 months ago she announces the pregnancy today because Chinese traditionally do not announce the pregnancy in the first trimester. As far as I know, most Chinese also do not visit a pregnant woman during this period if they know that she is pregnant.

Xiaxue is a professional blogger (I mean she seems like she earns her life from her blog) and her blog xiaxue.blogspot.com everyone s reading it is visited by 40,000 people every day according to her (quite big number for a blogger of a country with 5 million+ population). Although she mostly writes about products appealing to woman (mostly sponsored advertisements) and her life, she has been in the news several times for other reasons. She has recently sparked national controversy by naming and shaming several man in her blog after they have posted insulting and derogatory comments on one of her photos taken during the run-up to the People's Action Party (PAP) rallies with her fellow bloggers last May.[2] Previously she drew online backlash by an entry condemning a disabled man, who scolded a non-disabled man for using the toilet for the disabled and when she wrote that foreign workers should be banned from Orchard Road, as they were molesting Singaporean girls.

[1] - Expecting... a baby
[2] - Celeb blogger Xiaxue's name-and-shame post sparks debate

Mio TV secures champions league broadcast rights

If you are asking where to watch champions league in Singapore, your question is answered just a few hours before the clashes started. Champions League matches of this season can be watched from tonight [1] as Mio TV, a 24-hour pay television service of SingTel, has got the broadcast rights to Europe's premier football competitions UEFA Champions League and Europa League. The broadcasts will start with the first round of UEFA Champions Group matches and fans can watch Real Madrid and Manchester City on 19 September at 2.45am. Mio TV's coverage of the Europa League will start with the first round of Group matches on 20 September.[2]

The news came just a few hours before the champions league starts and confirmed by SingTel. All Champions League and Europa League matches will be shown on the new mio tv champions league channel 111, 122 and 113.[3] Current Mio Stadium and Sports Pack subscribers can watch the new channels for free until Oct 31. Then they will need to subscribe to revamped packages in order to continue viewing the new channels.[4]

Real Madrid and Manchester City

Football fans are irritated by the whole issue according to TodayOnline:

“They really need to review such matters early and not wait until the last minute. There also needs to be
some transparency because we signed for the mio TV packages on the understanding we will be receiving, among other sports content, the Champions League for a period of time.”
Manchester United fan Joshua Lee lamented about the monopoly and the haplessness of consumers. “It’s a rollercoaster ride for us consumers,” he said. “We’re constantly at the mercy of  the telco and we don’t have a choice because it’s a monopoly. We can only wait and see.”[4]

[1] - SingTel to broadcast Champions League
[2] - SingTel's mio TV secures rights to Champions League
[3] - SingTel wins deal to screen Uefa Champions League matches
[4] - SingTel finally find net in last-gasp scramble

Costa Cruises collaborates with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group to tap on growth potential in Asia

Costa Cruises is collaborating with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group to tap on growth potential in Asia while sailing Costa Atlantica into Southeast Asia for the first time in May 2013 with Singapore as its homeport. The largest Italian travel group and Europe’s number 1 cruise company will offer extended cruise itineraries out of Singapore with Costa Victoria in 2012 and Costa Atlantica in 2013.

Plans are in place to conduct marketing initiatives in the Asia Pacific region to promote Costa's cruises out of Singapore. To heighten the awareness of cruising as a desired travel option, advertising, product seminars for travel industry partners and brochures will be launched in markets across the region including Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and India.

Being the first international cruise company to enter the Asian market, Costa Cruises recognises Asia as an important growth market. In particular, Singapore holds a key position in the region and has been gearing up to become a major cruise hub in Asia in recent years.

“Singapore is a unique world city, famous for its blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture. We are excited to have this Asian world-class partner onboard,” says President of Costa Cruises, Gianni Onorato. “We are committed to a long-term partnership, which will allow our companies to pursue our future growth in the cruise industry across the Asia region”.

According to Singapore Tourism Board sources, Singapore welcomed 394 ship calls and 942,000 in passenger throughput in 2011. From 2002 to 2011, the compounded annual growth rate in cruise passengers was 3.6%. During 2012-2013, the cruise landscape is set to become even more exciting with major cruise lines either increasing their presence in Southeast Asia or deploying new vessels to Singapore.

“STB’s vision to grow the Asian cruise industry is shared by regional governments, industry partners and major cruise lines, including Costa Cruises. The concurrent presence of Costa Victoria and Costa Atlantica adds further credence to the growth potential and Singapore’s position as a homeport of choice for cruise lines. Supported by the opening of Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore and a rejuvenated Singapore Cruise Centre, Singapore is well equipped to serve as the gateway to Southeast Asia,” offers Mr Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive of STB. “STB looks forward to working with Costa Cruises and CAG in offering new cruise
experiences and introducing these exciting choices to travellers in the region.”

“This tripartite collaboration between CAG, Costa Cruises and STB represents the synergistic efforts by the key stakeholders to work together to grow the Fly-Cruise segment in Singapore. Changi Airport's strong connectivity to more than 200 cities worldwide not only serves to complement STB's vision of developing Singapore into an Asian cruise hub, but also supports Costa's new cruise offerings in Singapore. Looking ahead, CAG is keen to partner Costa Cruises and STB on more of such collaborations, to develop and grow the Fly-Cruise segment together,” adds Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of Changi
Airport Group.

Costa Atlantica

Having seen strong potential in the Singapore market, Costa Cruises has recently launched itineraries onboard Costa Victoria from Singapore which are 3-, 4- 7- and 14- night cruises to Malaysia and Thailand, offering excellent hospitality services and an “Italy at Sea”  experience throughout the journey.

Furthermore, Costa Cruises will deploy a second cruise ship, the Costa Atlantica (85,700 gross tonnage, 2,680 total guest capacity), to the region from May 2013. The dual positioning of Costa Victoria and Costa Atlantica in Asia demonstrates the continued commitment of Costa Cruises in the region, boasting a combined daily passenger capacity of 5,074, which represents a 90% increase in Costa’s “Italy at Sea” inspired cruises.