Wassup january 2012

WassupIssue 7 January 2012

WassupThe cultural trends magazine fromOgilvy & Mather Asia PacificEdited & designed by Kunal SinhaEditorial assistant: Lara FarrarCorrespondents:Astrid Savitri (Jakarta)Elaine Dai (Beijing)Timothy Sarker (Dhaka)Naima Hamid (Dhaka)Neha Punjabi (Mumbai)Donnah Alcoseba (Makati City)Wine Chua-Leonardo (Makati City)Tania Chan (Singapore)Naoko Ito (Tokyo)Azusa Fukai (Tokyo)Natalie Gruis (Ho Chi Minh City)Siddharth Roy (Colombo)Mei Wu (Taipei)Caryl Heah (Kuala Lumpur)Beatrice Yong (Kuala Lumpur)Josephine Phang (Kuala Lumpur)Scheherezade Saadat (Lahore)Serena Park (Seoul)© Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2012

Move over Greeks. The Big Fat Wedding is happening now, and in Asia. If there is oneevent in a lifetime when families let go of their wallets and inhibitions, it is at thewedding. The heady mix of traditional rituals with what they see on the big screen tellsus something about a cultural melting pot. Why is the seating arrangement at Chineseweddings in the Western banquet style, while the food is always typically local? Why aresome families choosing to forego inviting everyone they know, rather fly a smallernumber of guests to an intimate seaside resort for the big day? To find answers, weturned to wedding planners. Get a sense of the color and flamboyance in the first issueof this year.We then get up close and personal with village folks. Even as the wave of migration fromrural to urban areas continues unabated, the majority of Asia’s inhabitants live invillages. But they are no longer isolated: mobile phones, television and bettertransportation means they are well connected with the city. That has changedeverything: their expectations, what they want their children to be.The discontent with politics and national leadership is a recurring theme. It is makingpeople angry and tense. India’s Outlook magazine brought out a special issue called ‘TheAge of Rage’ this month. Should businesses be wary of the angry customer? They should,because he or she is no longer going to accept shoddy products or broken promises.Wassup is an early warning system of consumer sentiment, so be mindful of what wereport.Plunge right in. At eighty-two pages, this is our meatiest issue ever.

14 countries.20 correspondents deeply immersed inpopular and leading edge culture bring youCultural Insights that will make a world ofdifference to your business SOUTH KOREA BANGLADESH PHILIPPINES SINGAPORE INDONESIA SRI LANKA THAILAND MALAYSIA PAKISTAN VIETNAM TAIWAN JAPAN CHINA INDIA

contents Look who’s talking:Meet the Wedding PlannersKnowing me, Knowing you: Village folks Movie of the Year Rage against Waiting list Tense about Favorite Green Brands

Look who’s talking Look who’s talking Meet the Wedding Planners

Look who’s talking …PAKISTANWhen it comes to weddings in Pakistan, there is one thing that isguaranteed: Couples will go all out to make their fairytale weddingmixed with tradition come true!According to Jalal, a renowned Pakistani wedding planner whoworks for the famous J&S event management company (thecompany has planned weddings for the rich and famous as well asconcerts for international celebrities such as Edward Maya andBryan Adams) a good floor plan, event manager and location arecrucial to making a wedding one that is memorable. Weddings inPakistan usually last for four days and are one of the most importantevents for families.All eyes will be on the bride, which means a lot of money is spent onwedding attire that is decorated with traditional and very intricateembroidery and beading from top to bottom to ensure she looksnothing short of a royal Mughal princess. The father of the bride isresponsible for the cuisine, which typically consists of elaboratespreads of scrumptious desi dishes ranging from biryani and kormato modern fusion and Mediterranean fare. Each event has up to sixmain course dishes. While Pakistani weddings typically have threemain functions, they now also include bachelor and bacheloretteparties as well as qawwali night and a post-wedding brunch.Throughout the lengthy affair, the mother of the bride plays apivotal role. She is tasked with adorning her daughter in up to fourexpensive and exclusive jewelry sets. Jewels are also exchangedbetween the families at each of the five wedding events. The groomalso takes part in the glamour with his wedding attire costing around$2,300. The bride’s wedding clothes usually run between $3,000and $5,000.With so many decisions to be made about decorations, location andactivities, more Pakistani families are investing in wedding plannersfor help. To save money, more Pakistani newlyweds are opting to goto the Far East on honeymoons.

Look who’s talking …SINGAPOREAn interview with Deirdre FooTHOUGHTS ON MODERN WEDDINGSFor many young Singaporeans, their notion of a wedding is a lotmore Westernized, but we are often held back due to Chinesecustoms.For us, the 100 table banquet is unnecessary. Our wedding shouldbe about the people who truly matter. But it’s a tough battlebecause being Asian, we will always try and respect our parents’wishes.MUST HAVESYour own personal touch. Weddings tend to be rather cookie-cutter and commercialized so it was important for me to inject myown style into the wedding. From personalized, hand-writtenplace cards to the bonnataires that don’t have flowers.LOCATIONIn terms of locations, I’d say the more unique the better. Butmost importantly, pick a place that means something to you as acouple and that feels instinctively right – not by the availability ofa hotel ballroom.WHAT’S INThe releasing of balloons/lanterns is quite a big thing, as arephoto booths. The general trend is to involve your guests in ameaningful way.HONEYMOONSMany couples these days are into short honeymoons – possiblybecause of work constraints. It really works out though! I have afriend who did her honeymoon over 2 years but she got to go to 3different countries and kept her post-marital bliss for a lot longer.COSTIn Singapore, it ranges from $50,000- $80,000 – depending on thenumber of tables at the banquet. 8

Look who’s talking …MALAYSIAMeet Ratna Rashidi of Perfect Day Planner Ratna Rashidi(http://perfectdayplanner.blogspot.com/); a wedding plannerwith eight years under her belt in the industry. She typicallyplans weddings for Malay couples, and her clientele can bedivided into three groups: yuppies, or young urbanprofessionals who lead busy lives leaving them with little timeto plan; motherless grooms, who need a feminine hand; andfamilies for which this is the first wedding, and require herexpertise. Akad Nikah; the solemnization ceremony in a Malay wedding.Her clients usually engage her services for one or more ofthree ceremonies important in Malay marriages: theengagement ceremony; the akad nikah, or solemnizationceremony; and the wedding reception that follows the akadnikah. On average, her clients will spend only about 20,000MYR (about $6,300) on their weddings, preferring to splurgeon their honeymoons instead. Typically, the cost of thewedding is split between the bridal couple and their parents,with the couple footing the bill for smaller items such asinvitation cards and wedding favors, and their parentscovering the bigger costs, like the ballroom and catering.According Ratna, there are two trends influencing Malaysianwedding customs today. One is the influence of Westernwedding culture – while the traditional customs are stillimportant and included, Malaysian weddings are increasinglyincorporating Western touches into traditional customs. Forexample, despite Malaysia’s hot, humid and capriciousweather, garden themed weddings are extremely popularamong couples. Western influence is also evident in thebrides’ gowns. Increasingly, some Malay brides will forgo thetraditional Malay dress for a Western wedding dress, or theywill incorporate Western bridal styles, such as the color whiteand more risqué designs, into the traditional Malay dress. Traditional Malay dress in the style of a wedding gown and a Western style wedding gown.The second trend Ratna noticed is the increasing desire forcouples to create weddings that reflect their personalities.One example involves a groom and a drum instructor giving adrum performance during his reception. In the past, weddingswere almost solely dictated by what the couple’s parentswanted. However, now couples are asserting more say increating the kind of wedding they want – they feel that theyhave a right to since they are also financially contributing.Ratna believes this desire for a more personalized wedding isborn out of a desire to stand out from the rest – by creating awedding that is memorable and better than others’. “There’san ‘I want to do better than the Jones’ mentality,’” Ratnaexplained. 9 Garden themed wedding decorations.

Look who’s talking … SRI LANKA Nelunika Wejeshijnghe (aka Nels) has always been into party planning with her cousins and friends for fun. For every occasion - Christmas, New Years, birthdays - Nels and her gang were busy planning parties. That soon took a back seat when she started working. During her account management sting at Ogilvy Sir Lanka, Nels got a real taste of events, thanks largely to her client Ceylon Tobacco Company. At the same time, her cousin began managing a wedding magazine business. He wanted to expand his business to include wedding planning and other wedding-related events. Nels leaped at the opportunity. Over the next 18 months, Nels ended up planning around 15 weddings. “Wedding planners have been around for some time. We’re the latest entrants,” said Nels. According to her her busy schedule as a wedding planner, such professionals are becoming must-haves at weddings in Sri Lanka. “Of course, its still skewed towards the urban affluent class,” she said. Not surprisingly, considering the average budget range is between $10,000 and $20,000. According to Nels, the important aspects of a wedding are the venue, the designer of wedding clothes and wedding brands. What brands couples use at their weddings indicate social status. “Hosting a daughter’s wedding at the Hilton says a lot about the father of the bride. Attending a reception at such a venue also helps the invitee make an impression among his or her social circle,” she said. Plus there are added benefits such as great service, food and accessibility in terms of transportation. 10

Look who’s talking …“Local clients always play it safe when it comes to venues. They’d prefer an enclosed space to avoid risksof bad weather and also other associated benefits, which you get from a hotel. Whereas expat clients arefar more adventurous. That’s also because they bring foreign friends in town to attend the wedding, sothey would much rather prefer a beach wedding than a wedding in a hotel.”“Who dressed the bride, who did her make-up… are the most discussed topics among the women inviteesat a wedding,” Nels said. With many weddings being covered by popular media, these elements becomeextremely important.Similar to weddings in other cultures, Sri Lankan weddings today are less about tradition and more aboutcelebration. “Gone are the days of unending Poruwa ceremonies,” Nels said. “People just want to have aball.”Honeymoon planning is not as important for wedding planners. “Honeymoon destinations are often givenas a surprise gift to the newlyweds by friends and relatives so they decide themselves,” she said.On a more philosophical note, Nels says that being a wedding planner can be a thankless job andfrustrating at times. “There are clients who have already decided what they want. They just want theplanners to execute. And then there are those who simply treat you as their secretary, only wanting youto coordinate meetings and negotiate rates. No input on anything else. But there are clients who comewith an absolutely open brief. They just give you a budget and ask you to organize something that peoplewill talk about and remember. These are also the people who print the names of the wedding planner onthe invitations. What better way to advertise ourselves! And when they start the wedding celebration,they first thank the wedding planners. It’s icing on the cake,” she said. 11

Look who’s talking … VIETNAM This is Thuy, a busy professional and the official wedding planner of her own wedding this year in Vietnam. Her wedding was held in Vietnamese tradition: a ceremony at home with family followed by a reception at a local well-loved restaurant. Both families were heavily involved in the day’s preparations. The traditional ceremony invites the groom’s family to bring several gifts to the bride’s family covered in a red cloth to express their desire for the bride: a roast pig, ao dai, gold rings, gold jewelry, money, wine, tea and fruit. Both parents invite their guests to a dinner and celebration in the evening to toast the new couple. The Traditional Ceremony The Banquet However, like many modern brides in Vietnam , Thuy wanted to do something less formal and in her own taste and style, deciding to have a separate party just for friends after her wedding day with family. This took her over the usual $10,000 budget for a wedding, but with memories she can look back on worth so much more. 12

Look who’s talking … TAIWAN Wedding planners, also called a bride secretary in Taiwan, have to know both the traditional customs and whats trendy so they can make the bride’s dream come true and satisfy the needs of the parents. Lucy has been a wedding planner for about 4 years. She says that the job is not as fancy as it may look: “Most people think all we do is have parties all the time, but they do not see the preparation and trivial aspects behind the job.” A wedding costs about NT$1 million~NT$2million, the price includes the process of getting married, the wedding banquet, and wedding photos. The expenditure can usually be balanced out by receiving the traditional red envelope, which contains monetary gifts from wedding guests. However, if a couple wants a dream wedding, they have to shoulder more of the cost. For example, some brides like to plan their weddings Western style at a manor during the fall season to get the look of weddings seen in the movies.“Brides of this generation take more control thanbefore; they will tell us what their ideas are, or even thedetails of the execution, so sometimes you will see thatthe invitation is designed by the bride,” Lucy said.However, in order to increase the value of a weddingplanner, Lucy likes to plan some activities during thewedding, such as inviting male guests to come on stage,but not to throw and catch the bridal bouquet butcauliflower. Of course the man that catches thecauliflower is terribly sad as he’s the next in line.Except the funny parts, Lucy says wedding planners alsoedit a video for others to share the memories of thebride and groom. “It usually touches everyone becauseyou can see the bride and grooms family and friends”. 13

Snapshots from a Taiwanese weddingThere are usually wedding photos and a guest book to share their happiness. Photos by Lucy 14

It’s popular now to have the wedding ceremony outdoors, especially in fall. 15

Snapshots from a Taiwanese weddingBrides in Taiwan often have the 3 different looks through the wedding day: theinvitation,the show up, and escorting the visitor out, while the groom will haveonly one look because men are not the point (as we know). 16Photos by Lucy

Also, it’s common to invite friends to sing a song or play music in Taiwan becausepeople think it is a way to express their blessing. 17

A Chinese groom is picking up the bride at her family home Chinese wedding cake with the “double happiness” symbol on the top The new couple’s friends are “disturbing the bridal room” byChinese wedding photography Friends at the new couples house to “disturbing the bridal requesting the new couple and playing games room”A Chinese wedding in hotel 18Wedding reception in a five star hotel The tea ceremony

Look who’s talking …CHINAVivian Lee is a 29-year-old independent wedding planner in Shanghai. She has been trained at WeddingsBeautiful, an American association of professional wedding planners that provides quality education to aspiringwedding planners worldwide as well as issues professional certification to qualified wedding planners. Vivian hasbeen working in the industry for 3 years, she is very happy to share some of her knowledge about modernChinese weddings with us:A wedding is one of the most important and significant ceremonies in Chinese culture. Average Chinese couplesare willing to spend more on weddings compare to their Western counterparts. More importantly, an affluentChinese middle class is growing in big cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, therefore, thecost of weddings is increasing steadily in those cities. According to Vivian’s previous experience, the averagewedding budget in Shanghai is between 150,000 yuan to 250,000 RMB. Some couples who are from wealthyfamilies or make decent incomes even spend up to 400,000 RMB because their families want to show statusthrough wedding.Modern Chinese weddings in big cities, such as Shanghai, are combinations of Eastern and Western cultures.Chinese traditional weddings are rich with symbols, traditions and rituals. However, many of them have been lostover time. They are practiced in family beliefs and respect to committed marriage relationship. For instance, thechoice of the wedding date is very important, some couples or their parents will ask astrologists to study theirbirth date and birth time to choose a date that is considered lucky. For example, a date with even numbers isconsidered luckier. In China, there is an old saying that “good things come in pairs.” Chinese wedding ceremoniesare usually scheduled to begin on the half hour because it is believed that time is on the upswing then.There are also many cultural symbols that appear with weddings. The symbol of “double happiness” may be usedon invitations, decorations and cakes. Tea ceremonies are also popular. The original way of the tea ceremonywas conducted for the bride to privately serve her own family before the wedding ceremony and for thenewlyweds to serve the groom’s family together following the marriage vows. However, many Chinese coupleswho adopt this custom in modern weddings only have one tea ceremony with both ceremonies present, whichusually takes place after the end of the marriage ceremony.Modern wedding receptions usually take place in four or five star hotels. A wedding host will lead the ceremonywith activities including introducing the couple, having the couple’s families give a speech, creating games for anew couple to play in front of all guests, announcing marriage and the tea ceremony etc. This is followed by abanquet that serves Chinese food and alcohol. New couples have to go to each table to toast their guests. Atmost modern Chinese weddings, the bride wears three different dresses during the ceremony. The first is theWestern style white wedding dress during the wedding ceremony. The second dress is a traditional Chinesewedding dress that is used at the banquet. The last dress is called the bride’s going away dress. At night, thecouple’s friends will visit the new couples house to “disturb the bridal room” by asking the new couple to playgames, which ends the wedding day.A large percentage of Chinese couples prefer using wedding planning companies or wedding planners becausethey are able to come up with more ideas. They save time and make sure everything goes smoothly on thespecial day. Must-haves for Chinese weddings include engagement rings and wedding bands, weddingphotography, wedding cars, ceremony and banquet, wedding host and wedding gifts.Today more and more Chinese couples want personalized weddings in China and abroad. One emerging trendare destination weddings since a large number of Chinese female celebrities who recently married haddestination weddings, such as Barbie Hsu. Popular honeymoon destinations are Sanya, the Maldives, Bali, Spain 19and Thailand.

Look who’s talking …INDONESIATJAN ING ING,THE MOTHER WHO PLANNED HER DAUGHTER’S WEDDING“Finally comes the day when my daughter is getting married. It’s a mixed feeling between excitement andworry. The biggest worry that comes to mind is about the new life she will have.”An Indonesian with a Chinese background, Tjan’s planning starts with choosing a good date for the wedding.Traditionally, the good date will impact the life the couple will have in the future. It was decided to have it afterChinese New Year since it’s considered bad to have it before. Tjan then planned to leave other decisions to thecouple, but, being a mom, she was actually involved in everything from deciding the gown, the color theme,invitation, decoration and the cuisine.Required activities are Sangjit and Tea Pay. “These arethe Chinese traditions that we should keep,” she said.Sangjit acts as a traditional proposal between the twofamilies. The groom’s family comes over to exchangegifts with the bride’s family. The gifts are traditionalclothing from top to bottom, and for the groom, theyhave to bring two red envelops of money called “UangSusu” or in English, “Milk fee”.The bride’s family is supposed to receive both envelopsand return the bigger one to the groom at the end ofSangjit event to show that “you don’t buy my daughter,you just pay a respect to me for raising her.”The Tea Pay is when the couple pays respect to the elders, and when the family wishes them a happymarriage by giving the red envelop “Angpao”. “I did it when I got married too,” said the mother of three.For the reception, “She [the bride] wants the color theme to be black and gold, and I’m trying to be moremodern and agree to that, but I think there should have been at least a little bit of red [Chinese traditionalcolor for marriage] or pink,” said the mother who eventually ordered peach-colored flowers on every diningtable at the reception.They are having the reception at the RitzCarlton Hotel in Jakarta, with 60 dining tables.Sit down receptions are becoming common inJakarta. People are trying to invite fewerguests, making the ceremony more and morepersonal instead of having a standing buffetwith a thousand people. 20

Look who’s talking …The reception starts with a jazzy orchestra, which finally welcomes the two families and the couple. Thesefamilies are the celebrities of the night and sit at a special dining table on the stage, facing the guest tables.“It’s a little awkward when you’re put under the spotlight and people are observing you, what you wear topdown, but I can still enjoy the dinner and champagne.”On the menu, there must be shark fin soup and bird’s nest. These are the traditional celebration cuisines forChinese. “So out of all the 10 cuisine we have, we have shark fin soup as one of the appetizer, then we mix itwith Indonesian foods like Bangka noodles because the groom’s family comes from Bangka, and we also havepasta and steak because the couple loves it, then we ended it with bird’s nest and chocolate cake as dessert.”As always, there are toasts, the wedding cake cutting and a little bit ofvideo showing the morning church ceremony and Sangjit. For the coupleand their friends, they have the after party with hard liquor and livemusic. “My husband also had drinks with his business partners. He saidthere is this guy who got drunk and slept on the table for a bit and theyhave to bring him to the room. They also took a photo booth picturetogether,” she said as she shows the picture. “We planned on the budget to be under 2 BILLION RUPIAH in total for the reception - Sangjit, gowns and all. But it ended up to be 2.5 billion Rupiah at the end. It’s very costly we thought, all that money for just 2 days, it’s a waste of money. But at the end, I think it’s worthwhile. It’s a once in a life time event for them, and I don’t want people to remember that “Han’s and Lilie’s wedding was the one that the food doesn’t taste good or the event is very unorganized.’ It has to leave a good memory in other’s minds as well,” says Tjan. 21 The father of the bride on the top left, accompanied by his business partners from China at the after party.

Look who’s talking …JAPANMarch 2011, the month of the devastating tsunami and earthquake in Japan. The cataclysm changed people’sview towards their lives, and to many, it provided them areason to seriously think about their future. Manyrealized the true importance of their partner. Many realized that there is more to life, choosing to move on bythemselves.Either way, one big key word that has come up in 2011 was “KIZUNA” (bond) between family and friends.KIZUNA was chosen as the word of the year for 2011.KIZUNA Wedding is now the big trend in the wedding industry, says Kei Yamamoto, a wedding planner in Tokyo.Many couples who come to plan their wedding often mention that they have decided to have the weddingbecause they want to express their gratitude to their parents. According to Zexy, the biggest wedding planningcooperation in Japan, the top three reasons why people have wedding parties are 1) To express their appreciationto their parents, 2) To make their parents happy 3) To express their appreciation to their friends and relatives. Thistendency seems to have increased post 3.11.Kei says that activities which involve parents to participate in the wedding has increased. In addition, so has thetradition of the father of the bride escorting the bride into the church (venue). Activities such as mother of thebride placing the bridal veil and parents or siblings escorting the couple out of the wedding venue is becomingpopular. Another activity is the candle relay where all the participants relay the candle light to the person sittingnext to them. Once all the candles are lit, they blow the candles, making a wish.The average expenditure per wedding has increased in 2011 (it has been constantly increasing in the past 5 years)and this trend is predicted to increase.Despite the recession and despite the disaster, or because of the recession and the disaster, people acknowledgeand treasure the importance of bonding with people. 22

Look who’s talking … “Being a wedding planner requires me to wear several hats. You have to be part-psychologist, life coach, personal assistant and friend.” – Pat Pastelero According to Pat, the challenge lies in helping the bride always see things in perspective. The term “bride-zilla” is often the norm than it is the exception. Years ofPHILIPPINES working with brides has been instrumental in managing last-minute glitches and coming up with solutions onIn the business of weddings, the Philippines is a prime the spot.market for designer dresses, elaborate flowerarrangements and professional videography. Gaining Being a wedding planner in the Philippines is a lucrativeclients has less to do with marketing and more to do business, especially since women nowadays get marriedwith referrals from people within the business. mid-career, which makes it difficult for them to be very hands-on with their weddings.Pat Pastelero started off as a florist in 2008, cateringto offices, luncheons, and events. Her business However, success depends on the network you’ve built.Spruce Floral Designs, enabled her to grow a network Brides are not convinced by advertising, but theof happy brides, designers and wedding suppliers recommendations of people they know and trust. Forwilling to refer her. Not too long ago, she decided to now, she is working on weddings of close friends.branch out to wedding planning, at the request ofsome of her clients who appreciated her impeccabletaste, keen attention to detail, and professionalism. BANGLADESH In Bangladesh, more people are turning to wedding planners to help organize their special day. So much so that it could be considered the next big trend in the country’s wedding industry. What should wedding planners offer to their clients here? There are key components, including special “Dala” decorations, stage decorations and “Rasam” functions. Must-have trends for brides include an elongated Rakhi ceremony, which is the entrance of the bride in a Palki or some other extravagant vehicle to showcase her beauty. Massive, glamorous centerpieces at dinner tables are also popular. Couples prefer to have an open location rather than a community center. Such open locations enable the bride and the groom to have more luxurious ceremonies. Activities at the wedding include small plays where the bride and the groom along with their families act out the story of how they met each other. Weddings are done with a carnival theme with many stalls offering food and other activities. The themes are very flamboyant, some are more Mughal focused, often with very bright colors. People don’t usually have traditional biryani cuisine but rather different types of food. More attention is given to the clothing worn by the bride than the groom. People prefer more gaudy dresses with heavy embellishment work. Popular 23 honeymoon destinations include Thailand and Bali.

Look who’s talking … SOUTH KOREA Eunkyung Chang, Director of Design Wedding (www.designwedding.net), is a veteran wedding consultant with more than 15 years of experience working as a wedding planner. She is now focusing more on new business development, training and recruiting staff. This veteran wedding consultant said the current Korean wedding market is undergoing big changes from many perspectives. Let’s hear some major trends and interesting points of latest Korean wedding culture from her.How does a much wedding cost?Per couple, it costs approximately 70 to 100 US grandincluding all wedding ceremonies, furniture,honeymoon and other related expenses (this excludeshousing). One interesting old Korean traditionalwedding culture in Korea is money gift for theceremony, which can cover a guest’s meal for wedding.What are the most popular locations?The majority of Korean couples are married in awedding hall, which is a wedding exclusive venue. Somevery devout Christians or Catholics will not use such What kind of food is served?facilities. More recently, the convention halls ofrenowned hotels have become one of the popular After wedding ceremony, guests are guided to awedding venues. And the wedding hall interior style is banquet hall where different types of cuisine awaitsunder transition, from Baroque elegant style into more them. There are three main types of wedding cuisine.modern and simpler one. One is Korean cuisine, the second is more Western and the third is a typical buffet style. One interesting meal inAmong some very high society people, very luxurious Korean weddings is a warm noodle traditionallyhouse weddings for a very small number of guests (less believed to imbue the newlyweds with a long and happythan 100 ) are preferred as being very private and more marriage. This dish is still one mainstays of Koreanflexible time management. weddings. 24 27

What do the bride and groom wear? Look who’s talking …Generally Korean couples have a Western-style weddingceremony. No wonder the core of the ceremony is a dress!Every bride has a fantasy over her own dress for one singlespecial day for entire of one’s life. That’s why the wedding dressis worth more than fuss about.One big change for wedding dresses over the last decade is thatEwha Women’s Street, a once popular place to buy weddingdresses, is not as popular among couples anymore. Now, thepreviously up-market dress shop street Cheongdam has becomethe most popular shopping area now for wedding attire.Preferences for wedding dress have also changed. After one topKorean celebrity wore a dress from Vera Wang, many Koreanwomen started to shop for imported designers. Another changeis that Korean males are now more involved in the decisionmaking processes. Men’s clothing is also more important thanbefore. More grooms prefer custom-made tuxedos withluxurious materials from designer brands rather than ready-made ones. Where do they go for their honeymoon? Interestingly, the top priority of Korean couple in selecting a honeymoon destination is a location where there are not many Koreans. However, due to their time limit (average Koreans have maximum only 7 to 9 days off for a honeymoon), long flights and high costs, the majority of couples choose to go to South East Asian countries. If the couple has enough time and money, Cancun, Tahiti and Bora Bora are also preferable destinations. More couples are also aware of branded resorts, such as Banyan Tree or the Four Seasons, for example. Sometimes these resorts matter more than the destination itself. Any other trends? A decade ago, it was not difficult to see a wedding reception where the friends of the bride and groom party with each other after the wedding. Now, as couples become more economically conscious. they are having fewer extravagant banquets. Friends also do not want to burden the couple as they know they will have to reciprocate in the future. In short, young Korean couples tend to be more individualistic and also Western in terms of the style of their weddings. They do not want to place too much burden on others. It is likely the worldwide economic downturn is one of the key influencers of this trend - 25 27 28 weddings are becoming more realistic and mature rather than overly romantic and expensive.

Look who’s talking …INDIAMeet Varun Raj and Smriti Chabbra. They are a Smriti’s wedding was originally budgeted at INR 8lakhsnewlywed Indian couple who planned their own but they ended up spending INR 12-15 lakhs. Thiswedding with necessary approvals and requests from spillover was mainly due to accommodation of guestsfamily and friends. Like many other young couples, at the venue. “We selected a destination wedding,Smriti and her beau wanted their wedding to be which shot the budget by 30%,” the couple said.different. Different today means how the wedding is Must-havesdone and/or where it is done. Food : Most important. That’s what most peopleThough Varun is from Mumbai, his family is settled in attend weddings for. Good food. Offering 3-4 differentDubai. Smriti’s family is in Chandigarh. Usually, couples kind of cuisines is the norm. Indian and Chinese usedopt to plan their wedding in the same or one of their to be must. Italian and continental are the new musthometowns. haves. Besides these, many people choose to alsoHowever, they chose to have a destination wedding in keep some dishes that are popular from theGoa, which is a seaside destination in southern India. community they belong to.They said they chose Goa because there is a beach, and Venue : The grander the venue, the better the imageits closer to Mumbai than Chandigarh and Dubai. It’s of the financial stability of the families involved.also cheaper than Mumbai and has a certain romantic Second to that is the convenience of the venue innostalgia for them since they frequently vacationed terms of proximity to the main roads, facilities andthere. They also wanted more friends to attend their residence of both the families.wedding rather than only old relatives!“Destination weddings are popular. And most of themare planned on beaches or palaces,” says Divya Tejujawho works with the wedding planning team at acompany called Percept. Besides Goa, Jaipur is apopular destination for those who seek grandeur intheir wedding. 26 27 28 29 30

Look who’s talking …ActivitiesMehendi : Earlier both families would have a separateMehendi party for their respective relatives. But now tosave costs, many functions and puja ceremonies, likeMehendi, are combined functions.Before and after party : The party before the wedding isusually termed as a cocktail party where rings areexchanged. The after party is more of a youngsters partywhere the couple can now celebrate the wedding withoutany ceremonies involved.Music : A good DJ and dance music is an integral part ofevery wedding. Everybody tries to get into clothes thatallow easy maneuvering and bold dance moves.Performance : A group from both sides of the familiesperforms a skit about how the couple met, eccentricities ofeach – the bride and groom, the crazy families comingtogether. It is supposed to be humorous at the expense ofboth the families and creates an entertaining spectacle forthe entertainment of the outsiders. The two groups practicethis performance for a few months before the wedding withthe help of a choreographer.DécorDrapes instead of traditional heavy flowers. Earlier theseating arrangement would be like in a theatre, with a stageand everyone facing it. Now , the preference is for roundtable setting. The hanging out area is separate from theeating area.Favorite honeymoon destinationsWest India: GoaSouth India : KeralaNorth India : Shimla/NainitalOverseas: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and SriLanka arepopular destinations because they are affordable andadventurous. Plus it is not too difficult to acquire a visa. 27 28 29 30 31 32

Knowing me,Knowing you Village Folks

Knowing me, knowing youRural Pakistan is an emerging market that comprises67.5 percent of the country’s total population. Smallvillages exist in clusters where the main source ofincome is derived from farming and raising cattle fordairy products. Key challenges faced in rural areasinclude sanitation, education and health facilities.Sewage systems usually consist of small wells that arebuilt outside of houses. Few villages havegovernment-funded schools, which means parentsinterested in educating their children have to sendthem to cities that are often far away. Males tend tobe sent away for high school while females onlycomplete primary school. Villages have fewgovernment or private hospitals, which means healthservices and information is mostly spread through so-called Lady Health workers who go from door-to-doorin selected communities.Strained finances, security of elders and strong values of sharing have nurtured a tradition of joint householdliving in villages. This sometimes leads to family disputes over distribution of wealth and disputes betweenwomen living in one household. Religion dominates the lives of villagers and religious festivals are of vitalimportance. The most popular festivals include the birthdays of Sufi saints that are commemorated throughexciting, colorful festivals called melas. During these festivals, everyone comes together to showcase theirindividual flair for creativity via folklore, folk music, traditional food as well as crafts such as embroidery, stitchingand pottery. Numerous vendors sell different wares. Young men take part in activities such as the wrestling sportcalled kabbadi.Behind the colorful lives of rural villagers, are strong undercurrents of conservatism. Arranged marriages areubiquitous. Women are restricted from going out in public alone. There is shocking gender discrimination andlimited educational opportunities for females. Yet those living in rural Pakistan continually hope for a betterfuture. They want access to clean drinking water and other basic infrastructure. That the health risks they face ona daily basis go away with better hospitals and more doctors. They seek empowerment - empowerment ineducation, entertainment, vocation, freedom of expression, finances or simply access to basic utilities. In the faceof continual hardships, Pakistan’s rural population is inspirational. They are genuinely warm and hospitablepeople who are always smiling and forever hopeful. Diana’s approach to life is simple. Why fuss about things when you can just “be happy”? She strongly believes in taking things easy and bearing no ill will towards others. Despite the rising cost of living in Singapore, she appreciates the governments small effort in trying to ease the burden on the lower economic strata but feels it is barely enough to make a difference. At home, she often prefers to veg out on her sofa and watch her favorite Tamil cartoons, instead of using her computer. “When you go online, you have to read this, read that, click here, click there. I rather just watch cartoons on TV – it’s so enjoyable and always puts a smile on my face. When you watch movies, sometimes you get sad also – what’s the point?” Her love of the telly has Diana lusting for her next home furnishing purchase – an L-shaped couch with a reclining back rest!

Knowing me, knowing you Her son Adam, in the living room Safida and her dadSafida, who is 31, lives with her parents and her four- Safida’s biggest challenge is having to travel around onyear-old adopted son in a hilly Malay village in Kuala her wheelchair. She contracted a fever when young andLumpur called Kampung Palimbayan. The village is gradually lost control over her motor abilities. Thesituated close to the city centre and, as a result, many limited infrastructure and facilities available for thedevelopers flock to the village to set up retreats for physically disabled makes it hard to earn a living.people looking for a quick escape from the city. Currently, when she needs to travel, her parents have no choice but to carry her down the steep stairs of herThe village isn’t your typical village scene as community home. Their health is her biggest worry, especially withties are not very strong, perhaps due to the close the strain of transporting her to work and backproximity to Kuala Lumpur. Safida commutes to the city everyday. However, thanks to technology and her goodto work. She works from 8 in the morning until around 6 command of English, she has found a solution - anat night as a secretary/ receptionist at an oil and gas online English tutoring job which will give her thecompany situated 45 minutes away. She earns RM1500 freedom to work from home.(US$476) every month. Her parents sell nasi lemak (ricecooked with coconut) every morning at the local market She hopes the government will be more supportive ofand run a small catering business. On a good day, they their community and provide more job placements andmake RM200 (US$63). They have a comfortable life with facilities for the disabled. Despite her challenges, shetheir combined household income. Her home is simple has never given up and plans to set up a school afterwith all the basic amenities. She has a car, two televisions she moves back to her dad’s hometown in Perak whereand subscribes to cable TV and wireless internet. The there is a stronger knit of family and community tofamily loves to watch Masterchef Malaysia together as support her.her parents love to cook.Safida isn’t the typical village folk either. She’s more techsavvy than most and uses an Asus laptop to update herblog (www.girlonchairblog.blogspot.com), a Blackberryphone to connect with her friends and also teaches herson to type and use the internet using an Android Tablet.She says, “There is no limit when it comes to educationthese days” and hopes that she can prepare him tobecome someone useful like a doctor or a pilot who isable to take care of the family. Her son speaks Englishand Malay and goes to an established English medium 30Smart Reader Kid preschool.

Sumanapala Knowing me, knowing you Paddy field worker Anuradhapura He is also happy that the road to the village is now paved and wider and that the government is giving fertilizer to farmers at cheaper prices. But there are still problems. It is hard to get good prices for paddy harvests, for example. Yet, overall, the eldest son says he believes the future of his children will be brighter and better than his - better socially as well as economically.Sumanapala is a rice paddy cultivator fromAnuradhapura, in Sri Lanka. Rice paddy cultivation isthe staple of this economy in addition to Chena, orvegetable, cultivation. He works nearly 16 hours a day,his time divided between paddy fields and the Chena.He rarely travels outside the village, but when he does,he takes a bus.Sumanapala has a large family with four children. Hisparents’ generation had families with as many as 10children. The smallest son is in grade six and studies ata local primary school run by the government. He has asister who just completed her O/Ls and his currentlyhoping to enroll in a computer class in their town. Thiswill likely place a strain on the family’s budget, butthey have decided it is necessary for the child. Akira Wakabayashi moved to Kagoshima prefectureSumanapala has never touched a computer, but his (southern tip of Kyushu, Japan) in 2007. He wasyounger daughter will need the knowledge to find working in Fukuoka city (a big city in Kyushu) as asuccess in the future. His eldest daughter and eldest computer engineer for 10 years and decided to moveson never learned how to use a computer. Now the to a rural place with his family to lead a self-eldest daughter works in a garment factor. The son is sustainable, simple life. He now manipulates an axin the army. instead of a computer. He built a house and cultivates vegetables.Sumanapala’s home is sparse. It has a few old, woodenarm chairs and a table with a few chairs where the He has a mobile phone for an emergency, but does notfamily gathers for meals. He has an old black and white have TV anymore. If you live in Japan whether rural ortelevision and a radio, which is youngest son wants to urban, things you can get, watch or hear are not soreplace with a model that has color. Sumanpala says different. Same national TV shows are available,he could find a better use for the money, hoping to nationally standardized education systems are equallybuy a small tractor that he could use to plough other available, Any fashion items or gourmet dishes are allfields and earn extra income. one click away.He says there is really no use for a better TV as he only However, there is an increasing number of people whouses it to watch the news and a few random drama wish to lead a simple life. They choose to live in theprograms. His youngest son likes to watch cartoons. scarcity of things. Mr. Wakabayashi believes that ruralThey have no landline but instead a mobile phone, living can give a rich experience not only to him and hiswhich functions as the home phone. It was purchased wife, but also to his children. He says “now weby the eldest son who says he is relieved the war is appreciate every single thing around us that we used 31over. to take for granted. It is a joy of life”

Wang Dong and her daughterSamsung desk computer mixed with parts ofother brandsUnknown brand air conditioner 32 Skin care and laundry products

Knowing me, knowing you Wang watches TV and uses her computer after work at home for an hour or two. National news and local news are her favorite content. Wang’s most often watched channels are CCTV 13, the Liaoning provincial channel and Liaoning local channels. The motivation of watching TV is she wants to know government’s policies and whatWang Dong is a 34-year-old rural doctor who lives in happened around herLinhai, a county level city in China’s Liaoning Province.Inspired by her friend’s parents, Wang decided to study She also likes reading her friends’ diary at their QQmedicine at Linghai Hygiene School when she was young spaces. It is the main way for her to understand what’sand has received her professional certificate. Wang’s going on with them, what do they worry about andhusband runs his own shipping business, and they have what are the things they are happy about. She alsoa 12-year-old daughter. Both Wang’s parents and her reads newspapers at work and especially focuses onparents-in-law are from and now still live in the recruitment information.countryside. Wang and her husband make around 2,500 yuan perWang’s family used to live in a one-story house that is month. She thinks their income is not high enough andmade of red bricks. They had to sell it since the land was the “comfortable life” has not yet arrived. “If I see a bagneeded by developers two years ago, and their old that I like, I cannot buy it because I cannot afford,” shehouse has since been knocked down. They bought a said. Wang also dreams of traveling. But she doesn’tnew apartment by using the money from selling the old have the money. The only place that she has travelled toone. Wang’s family moved into the new apartment two is Qianshan mountain in Anshan, the same province thatyears ago. It is in a newly built brick blocks on the edge she currently lives in. Wang is not a sophisticatedof the city. People living in the neighborhood are also consumer for fashion and beauty products. She mainlyfrom rural families. There are very few cars parked in purchases low-end Chinese skincare brands such as Dathe neighborhood, and those cars that are there are Bao. However, she desires to go to a beauty salon sinceentry models. Some families with ground floor flats her girlfriends who are able to afford to go are usingeven keep the habit of rural lifestyle, growing their own direct-sale cosmetics and skin care products bought atvegetables on the first floor. that salon such as Chedoven.Wang’s apartment has 2 bedrooms and 2 living rooms. Wang worries about inflation. She thinks the inflation inThe overall feeling of the living space is simple and the past few years is making things more and moreminimal, but bright. The dining room, kitchen and unaffordable for average people like her. When I askedbathroom are decorated in a green color. All big ticket her how she deals with inflation, she replies that theyitems in Wang’s apartment were mostly purchased from “eat less meat”. “I only make 33 yuan per day, but thelocal private shops through friend’s recommendations. meat (pork) price is now 17 RMB per half kilogram, so IThey are currently using home appliances, including a have to look for discounted meat from supermarketSamsung desk computer mixed with parts of other everyday,” Wang said.brands, a Panasonic TV, a Royal Star refrigerator and anunknown domestic brand air conditioner. Wang prefers However, Wang still feels optimistic about the future ofjoint venture brands because Chinese brands are still in her family. She thinks the government will launch betterthe process of learning advanced technology from policies that are going to benefit more people. She alsoforeign brands, but most of the time she can only afford believes her family will be able to have a “comfortabledomestic brands. She also uses Nokia cell phone. life” because they will work more and work harder. 33

Knowing me, knowing youIt is not an easy job to be an over-60 year old female “I don’t agree that this is good for kids, but it’s true iffarmer in Taiwan, but Mrs. Chen does not take the you study in the city, you have more chances to studycultivation as a dirty job. Instead, she is thankful that at a better college and get a better job,” she said.nature can give her and her family such a beautiful lifewithout the pressure form an urban lifestyle. Although she can only see her grandsons about 3 to 5 times a year, she keeps in contact with them through“Although there are no such fancy entertainment as in the use of a mobile phone, and recently her sonthe big city, we still have lots of fun on any normal recommend that she should have a computer so theyday,” Mrs. Chen said. can visit more frequently via webcam.Mrs. Chen likes to sing with her relatives and friend. “I have learn some computer skills through theThey will have a gathering twice a week at a local KTV. Township Office, but computers are not practical toRecently she likes to invite people to her place me. However, I recently have wanted a smartphone,because her husband bought her a karaoke stereo set. especially since the Elder Farmer allowance has been“Of course I am very happy, and I look forward to raised to NT$ 7,000 per month in 2012,” she said.singing with my sons and grandsons in the comingChinese New Year,” she said. Generally, Mrs. Chen is satisfied with her life, and welcomed the youth back to the rural life. “Maybe youJust like the rural people go to city to pursue a better can’t get wealthy, but you can enrich your life here.”life, Mrs. Chen’s son also as a job in Taipei where hischild can attend a better school, which means thestudents have to study 10 hours per day. 34

Knowing me, knowing you Maria is a 32-year-old living in Deli Serdang, a second-tier city near Medan, North Sumatra in Indonesia. She is the mother of a 7-year- old son. Maria is optimistic and tough. Even with rising prices for food and other basic goods, she still manages her family’s needs by working as a high school teacher in the morning and as a private teacher twice a week in the afternoon. Her husband works for a manufacturer in Medan. While life seems slow in her small city, things continually move faster with technology - TV, internet, mobile phones. Family drama, music shows and infotainment are her favorite TV programs, but her attention is frequently diverted to her mobile while she watches television. She constantly chats on Facebook, updating her status and posting photos. “The government is busy with their own concerns. They don’t think of us, their citizens,” she says. “Politicians are busy creating their good images. Political parties race to get our hearts by doing social activities. I only care about my family life - how to run it well, make sure my child gets a better education. I hope we can buy our own house next year and no longer live in my parents’ home.”Taju Sarker, who is also called Tajuddin, is a painter who lives inrural Bangladesh. He also works as an electrician and earns a salarythat is slightly higher compared to others in his village. His incomehas increased recently as more people in his community arebuilding their own homes, which means they need to hire apainter.In his home, he has a television, a transistor and other home appliances. He has no clear idea of any majorpurchases he would like to make in the future, adding that he would rather save his money than spend it on anyone particular item.Tajuddin has two sons: One is 7 and the other is only two. His eldest son attends a school located at the end oftheir street. The family watches mainly Bangla movies on TV as well as dance shows - apparently Hindi TV danceshows are a big hit in the villages. None of the family members have ever used a computer. But there is a mobilephone repair store that just opened right next to their home. They have gone to this store to watch its ownerwork on a computer. When asked whether the government is doing enough to help the nation’s poor, Taju said:“I do not care as long as I live well and my children grow up well, I am more than happy. I do not care what thegovernment does.”He owns two mobile phones, which his children use to talk to their relatives.Tajuddin said he did not want any photos taken of him or his family. He insisted it was better not to take any 35photos because his house was being renovated and his wife was not present. He said he did not want to sendout an “unfinished” photo of his life for the world to see.

Knowing me, knowing you Eugenio, who lives of North Luzon in the Philippines, learned farming from his father who learned farming from his. He spends everyday tending to his vegetables as it is the main source of income for his family. Everyday starts early at 430am and the rest of the day is spent instructing his employed workers hands- on or conversing with agricultural specialist on different crop issues.Eugenio seeks to improve his farming practice to remain competitive in the market. He makes sure to establishclose relationships with his buyers and sees to it that they get the consistent quality that they have come toexpect from his produce. His years in farming taught him that reputation of his produce is valuable in gaining andmaintaining buyers. He knows that his chosen livelihood requires daily personal attention. Because of this, herarely goes on holidays. In fact, the first time ever he rode a plane out of his province was last December 2011(which was partly also for his business). He takes pride in his respected vocation but does not wish his children toinherit it. Under his management he strived to grow their family’s farming livelihood so that, unlike generationsbefore them, his children can go to college. This way, they can have a more prosperous life without having to toilunder the sun. Phuong is a Vietnamese housewife with 2 children under 10 years old who both go to public school. Her life is non-stop work with both her weekdays and weekends being filled work in the fields or chores in the house. Her husband works as a building assistant and lives away so that they can earn more money for the family. Her life is becoming more difficult with the increasing price of necessities such as fuel, water, and electricity, hoping that the government will have new policies to support their lives and control price fluctuations. Her reputation is important to her and while money may be tight, she doesn’t want her family to ‘lose face’ so she still has goods in her home such as a TV, motorbike, CD/VCD player and electric fan. Phuong’s main form of entertainment is chatting with friends or watching TV for normally 1-2 hours/day during lunch, dinner, or relaxing at the end of the day. Computers aren’t something she feels she needs to buy or have in her home yet: she believes that because she has never needed one before, her money will be better spent on other products more essential to her family’s lifestyle like her mobile phone that she uses to keep in contact with her husband living away. 36

Knowing me, knowing youRam Naresh Yadav is a 32-year-old commerce graduate employed with a local bank called the Regional RuralBank, in the outskirts of New Delhi. He is married and has two kids. Ram stays with his parents and youngerbrother who is single. His father is a farmer who owns 1 hectare of semi irrigated land. Ram is the first person inthe family to break out of the farming occupation. He wants his kids to study in New Delhi and then become civilservants (as they call collectors), or go abroad.Has life got better or worse for them recently? He says that mobile connectivity, a media explosion, improvedinfrastructure and government funded rural development schemes have made a difference to his and his peergroup’s life. He also says the quality of health care has improved over the last ten years.Whats in their homes? He has white goods, including a TV, refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, fan, etc.He drives a motor bike and has a small sofa set, a few chairs and a double bed. He has a bone china tea set. Foodis consumed using steel utensils.What are they planning to buy next? He wants to buy a big screen TV and a DVD player.Where do the kids go to school - what kind of school? Ram’s daughter goes to a government primary school andand his son to a local English medium school, which they call a convent school.What TV programs do they like to watch? Mostly Bollywood movies, the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati,,laughter shows and news on Aaj Tak or India TV (instead of saying news he mentioned channel names).Have they ever used a computer? Yes. Ram says that most of the youngsters in his village want to learn how touse a computer because that is perceived as the key to success. This belief has aided in mushrooming of computercenters all over around the community.Is the government doing a good job? He and most of his peer group feel that the schemes proposed by differentgovernments don’t reach them and middlemen siphons it all off. Also, they think that the caste factor plays amajor role in getting government support in rural areas.Do they use a mobile phone? Yes he uses mobile phone. There are two phones in his house, one he carries withhim and the other used by everyone at home. The second phone is never carried out of home, it has replaced thelandline! 37 45

Movie of the YearPAKISTAN : BOLBol‘ is a renowned Pakistani film director Shoaib Mansoor’ssecond dramatic film that reveals the country’s rigid social, culturaland right-win religious complexities.The film takes place in Lahore in a household with a number ofdaughters. Their life is, on the surface, vibrant. However they havesevere restrictions on freedom of expression. ‘Bol’ takes audienceson a journey into the life of this family, illuminating their sufferingsand triumphs. As the women try to solve their problems, they faceeven deeper challenges. The complexity of their circumstancesbecomes a struggle between life and death.The movie was nothing short of controversial. The name itselfmeans “speak” and is a simple and symbolic comment on the lackof free expression in Pakistan. Never before have issues such ashomosexuality, the stigmatization of female use of contraception,the freedom to choose one’s partner and public demonstration ofsinging and dancing been addressed so directly in Pakistanicinema.‘Bol” is undoubtedly the most provocative and most talked aboutmovie of the year in Pakistan.SINGAPORE: ALREADY FAMOUSFollowing ‘The Noose’s’ Emmy Nomination for BestInternational Comedy, Michelle Chong has shifted gears forher directorial debut, ‘Already Famous.’The movie was extremely well-received by Singaporeans. Itsperformance matched Hollywood movies released the sameweekend and raked in S$1.04 million in just 11 days.Beyond just a good directorial debut, this movie symbolisesan increasing appreciation of our country’s local talent, bothamongst Singaporeans and international audiences.Storyline: Lim Ka Kiao sells TVs but she wants to be on TV!The young Malaysian girl heads off to Singapore to fulfill herdream of becoming a famous TV star. In her journey tosuperstardom, she meets a shy coffee shop assistant namedAh Seng who helps her achieve her dream. Seemingly light-hearted but not without moments of vulnerability andemotion, ‘Already Famous’ is touted as "not just about thetrials and tribulations of making it in showbiz, but also amessage of truth and heart to anyone whos ever wishedupon a star".

Movie of the Year Malaysia’s Movie of the Year goes to controversial local film ‘Nasi Lemak 2.0.’ The comedy, named after Malaysia’s national dish, takes an unflinching look at racial stereotypes that persist among the locals. ‘Nasi Lemak 2.0’ tells a story of a Malaysian Chinese chef who, ignorant of the other cultures that compriseTAIWAN: YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE Malaysia, discovers the meaning of being Malaysian on his journey to learn about local cuisine.The blockbuster ‘You Are the Apple of My Eye’ hasbecome the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie One of the reasons for the popularity of ‘Nasi Lemakin Taiwan. The film has grossed NT$410 million 2.0’ is the fact that it originated from Namewee, a(US$13.54 million) at the box office in Taiwan since Chinese Malaysian who shot to fame after he releasedits release in August. a controversial song fused with Malaysia’s national anthem that aired his views of Malaysia and itsThe romantic comedy adapted from one of Kos leadership. In a country where media is highlynovels, which opened in Hong Kong theaters on Oct. controlled, his bravery and transparency won him20, depicts the life of a troubled high-school boy who many supporters.falls in love with a girl who is adored by almost everyboy in her class. While Hollywood movies dominate screen time in Malaysia, ‘Nasi Lemak 2.0’ is one of the few locally-Taiwan movie critics have said the films ability to made movies that has captured the attention ofarouse the "collective memory" of audiences in Malaysians. Many look to ‘Nasi Lemak 2.0’ as anreliving their high-school years is what has made the honest portrayal of life in Malaysia, in a society wherefilm so popular. media tend to gloss over sensitive issues, such as race. The style of acting, script and characters is uniquelyAfter ‘You Are the Apple of My Eye’ was released to Malaysian, and local references to typical Malaysianaudiences in Taiwan and Hong Kong, some large-scale problems, such as the well-known poor quality ofplots have triggered intense discussion between Malaysian made cars, is also included.moviegoers. Therefore, the movie successfully passedthe Chinese mainland film censorship board, the This theme of finding a Malaysian identity clearlyproduction company behind the film immediately reflects a cultural shift. In the past, we were less awareannounced that the film is set to hit theaters on of racial divides, but these days, there is aJanuary 6, 2012 in China. hyperawareness towards racial lines. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QyRzSKuwkY&fe ature=related

Movie of the Year SRI LANKA : VIDHU Directed by Asoka Handagama, the film features an adolescent boy called Vidhu, presumably, an offspring of a politician. With no birth certificate, he is denied access to free education. His mother, a prostitute and pickpocket, educates him and pushes him up the socioeconomic ladder. With his inborn skill of speaking, he overwhelms the whole country and achieves his dreams. A politician, thought to be his father, tries to maneuver Vidhu to attract audiences to his superior’s election rallies. The catalyst of the film revolves around the politician’s arduous attempt at manipulating the child into speaking on the political stage, and the child’s resistance to speaking on the school stage at the same time. The story entails a layer of fantasy, and achieves a closure similar to that of Slumdog Millionaire. ‘Vidhu’ presents a criticism of the contemporary economic and socio-political issues of Sri Lanka. Vidhu’s mother has to sin to keep the son alive. As she says to the son, her value vacillates by the day, and when it has no value, she cannot help but pick pockets. The politician, a former lover of hers, typifies a Sri Lankan politician entrapped in the impenetrable mire of corruption and misuse of power.JAPAN: KOKIRUKO – ZAKA KARA(From Up on Poppy Hill)‘Kokuriko-Zaka Kara’ is thesecond film from director GoroMiyazaki, the son of Ghiblifounder Hayao Miyazaki. Itadapts Chizuru Takahashi andTetsuro Sayamas originalmanga about the coming of ageof a high school girl named Umi.Bunkatsushin.com reported‘From up on Poppy Hill’ hadgrossed over 587,337,400 yenat the box office. During thesethree days, over 445,000people watched this film.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2hBnA-R4uw

Movie of the Year CHINA: LOVE IS NOT BLIND The movie ‘Love Is Not Blind’ is about a 27-year-old woman breaking up and dealing with the challenges of being single before she eventually finds a new boyfriend. The movie was released on November 8 to coincide with a holiday in China called Singles Day. The low- budget film swept the national box office chart after raking in 160 million RMB (US$25.2 million) in five days during its first week of screening, according to a Mtime.com report. It was one of the most successful releases ever for a Chinese film. Slogans of the film are also becoming very popular among young Chinese. For example: “When you’re in love, be crazy; when you lose love, be independent!’” and “Breaking up can be a chance to love yourself again.” The movie reflects a current cultural phenomenon that an increasing number of young Chinese women and men are staying single. Today they have more freedom to achieve independent success and explore exciting urban lifestyles. At the same time, their expectations of potential partners are becoming higher. Meanwhile, many young men are unable to buy property that most women and their parents consider necessary for marriage. As time goes, aging singles feeling bad about themselves and trying to find a partner as quickly as possible. The movie has delivered a positive message that single women and men should embrace independent values, at the same time searching for successful single lifestyles to match. Life can still be awesome without a partner. The mass movement feeling helps create a communal experience of banding together with other singles for comfort and support. PHILIPPINES: NO OTHER WOMAN The film revolves on a man’s journey on becoming a successful working husband whose perfect marriage becomes complicated when he commits into an adulterous affair that changes his life. Released: September 28, 2011 Box Office Sales: Php 278.39M It is the 2nd highest grossing Filipino film of all time The movie was loved by audiences for its numerous quotable lines.

Movie of the YearINDONESIA: ARISAN! 2Nia Dinata, the famous Indonesian director, released themovie in December. It is a continuance of ‘Arisan!’, which was8 years ago.The movie created a buzz on Kaskus, the biggest onlinecommunity in Indonesia, and is much loved for showing anugly truth about Indonesian socialites which no other moviesdare to speak. It also shows a lot about the social pressure tofit in in Indonesia. Tora Sudiro plays a famous gay architectand Cut Mini played as a successful career woman comingfrom a well off family.The second ‘Arisan!’ shows a life progress among a small groupof socialites who, in the first movie, realized that life shouldnever be superficial, and, in this second movie, embark on anew discovery that life is not all about working hard andplaying hard. It’s about appreciating the time that God hasgiven by stepping back, relaxing and seeing the world withclear eyes, listening with opened ears and embracingfriendship and love.The movie depicts the change in Indonesian culture wherepeople start accepting differences like homosexuality, and theyoung generation are becoming more and more educated, Watch the trailer:hence more open minded, creative and expressive. The movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBIpmmWis an example of the creative industry in Indonesia that is AayE,growing and accounted for 6.3% of the total GDP. More and http://ekonomi.kompasiana.com/bisnis/2011/1more Indonesian movies are liked not only by people living in 1/24/ekonomi-kreatif-berbasis-budaya-lokal/suburbs, but by the educated young generation in big cities . SOUTH KOREA: SUNNY The 1980s retro drama ‘Sunny’ is about seven junior high friends reuniting 25 years later and has been noted for its vivid portrayal of the 1980s, consequently evoking the nostalgia of retro pop culture and the wonders of youth. The film captures the restlessness of youth as much as it evokes the nostalgic pangs of middle age, appealing to teenagers and older viewers alike. The coming-of-age drama sees a timely release for Family Month here, but its universal themes aptly pave possibilities of a wider exposure. It was not uncommon to see mothers and daughters go to the movie theater hand in hand.

Movie of the Year INDIA & BANGLADESH : THE DIRTY PICTURE ‘The Dirty Picture’ not only thrives on these traits but literally celebrates them like never before in its 144 minutes of unabashed, in-your-face entertainment, entertainment and entertainment. It has been hot not only in India but also in Bangladesh. Reshma (played by Vidya Balan) is a non-conformist who leaves her home to become a star in the big bad world of Bollywood. The character she plays in the movie is called Silk. She has no qualms about her sexuality. She is brazen enough to put her neighbors to sleep with her fake moans. She is well aware that everything comes at a price, especially the much-vaunted fame. But soon she realizes that success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it wont taste good. And Silk learns this bitter truth the hard way. Overall it is a great movie. Vidya carries her role as a professional. This movie has taught the viewers how an actress in the film industry grows. How they have to control their emotions and how they are working as team to change the minds of the people who do not know how things are done in this industry.It’s one of the in-your-face movie which does not care for any critics view but to uplift the scene behind acareer in the film industry. With ‘The Dirty Picture’ director, Milan Luthria tries to explore the dirty underbellyof the Indian cinema and excavates a gem in the form of Vidya Balan. You can’t help but appreciate the effortshe puts in to make her Silk look authentic. In the age where majority of leading ladies won’t dare to look uglyor overweight, Vidya carries her ample love-handles and haggard looks with aplomb. It’s the role which isbound to earn her some of the most prestigious awards in town. VIETNAM Long Ruoi is the first Vietnamese film to become the highest grossing film of the year against the increasing number of international movies screening in Vietnam. This comedy captures not only Vietnamese humor, but the dream of many that come to the city for a better life. The movie follows the story of Teo, who started his journey moving from the countryside to Saigon. After arriving in the city determined to become rich, he soon discovers that he is the spitting image of a local ring leader named Long Ruoi. A recent ambush has left Long Ruoi in a comatose condition, forcing his henchmen to enlist the hapless Teo to masquerade as the ring leader to prevent an all-out gang war. Teo must transform into the stereotypical ‘ city slicker’ to survive, playing out well known rural and city references which comes together as a comedic performance for all audiences.

What’s making people really angry, and why?

Rage against After a decade and a half of hysteria about how the web would obliterate conventional advertising with its raging tsunami of digitally empowered consumers, the results have been somewhat…flaccid. Yes, there have been occasional steamy successes, but those have been the exceptions rather than the rule. (I bet half a donut you’re thinking about Old Spice, the T-mobile flash mob or BMW’s ‘The Hire’.) Even those had extensive ATL support before they went viral. Ask any web pundit for an example of digital advertising success in more digitized countries, and they will likely parrot the same three tired campaigns back to you. For all the promises made by the Digerati, the web has“Are we donkeys?” the graffiti asks. The proven to be a stubborn advertising nut to crack. Nowvandal hit a public taxi signboard shortly after we’re told social media is where it’s at, andComfort (Singapore’s largest taxi provider) ‘conversations’ are the aphrodisiac that will transformannounced price hikes in its taxi fares. While your business into an irresistible hurricane of brandseveral fare items were discounted, many potency.more were raised, leading manySingaporeans to question if price fixing had Now personally, and I have been advertising professionoccurred. for some time now, Ive never had a social media ‘conversation’ about the laundry detergent I use orDisgruntled citizens protested not just with which butter I buy. And if I had friends who did havevandalism but also with a boycott of taxis. conversations like that, I’d de-friend them immediately.Cabbies are reported to have experienced But for all I know, I’m in a minority. I might brag aboutlower numbers of passengers since the fares making an expensive purchase, but that usually happenswere raised. after the fact, and it’s more about me showing off generally to annoy other people.Will this trend continue? Or will mostSingaporeans, as some would predict, “adapt So, to my Digerati friends residing in other parts of theto it” and continue to help our local taxi world, who claim divine knowledge, insight, andbusiness flourish? prophecy into the future of advertising, this heretic asks you but one ignorant question: When was the last time you purchased a product after participating in a social media campaign / conversation? Omair Ahmed, Creative Manager, Ogilvy Lahore

Rage againstMalaysia’s Prime Minister Najib recently announced plans to review or abolishlaws inconsistent with the constitutional right to freedom of speech, assemblyand association. The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was passed in December.The bill was part of Najib’s promise to grant more freedom of assembly to thecitizens. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib recently announced India’s Lokpal: To be passed, or not to beHowever, when the contents inconsistent with the passed plans to review or abolish laws of the bill were revealed, local commentators suchas the Bar Councilto freedom of speech, assembly constitutional right and netizens were enraged that the new law was, in manyways, more restrictive than the previous laws in place. The bill placesmuch Anna Hazare’s middle-class and association. The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was However morerestrictions on the freedom was part of Najib’s does nothing tofans in Indiapotential passed in December. The bill to assemble and curtail the want to paint the entire political class as unscrupulous, political India remainsfor arbitrary exercise of police of assemblyrecent example is the police refusal to promise to grant more freedom powers. A to the passionately involved with the art of politicalallow Seksuality Merdeka (“Sexuality Independence”), an annual sexuality citizens.rights festival, to be held as certain religious groups lodged complaints against rooted big leaders. Give play and the craft ofthe gathering. the contents of the bill were revealed, However, when Team Anna credit. But for its two Delhi local commentators such as the Bar Council and protests, the political class, especially theEnragedwere enraged that the new law was, in awareness and UPA, would not have woken up to its netizens netizens used Facebook to spread many gather momentumfor themore restrictivethe bill which culminatedplace.protest by growing public anger against corruption and ways, opposition of than the previous laws in in a hundreds of acted on the Lokpal Bill. From beingMalaysians in more restrictions on the freedom to lawyers marched to the The bill places the KLCC Park. Some six hundred projected as an apolitical, anti-corruptionParliament to does nothing Bill, vowing that they would “continue knocking on the assemble and oppose the to curtail the potential fordoors of Parliamentpolice the bill was removed." arbitrary exercise of until powers. A recent example movement, it has turned into an unabashed is the police refusal to allow Seksuality Merdeka anti-Congress bandwagon, with little scopeEven though the bill has beenannual sexuality rights and protestshide its politicaltill and RSS link-up. (“Sexuality Independence”), an passed, the debate to still continue biastoday. to be held as certain religious groups lodged festival, Anna tested the UPA in 2011, and, in the complaints against the gathering. New Year, he, himself, will be tested.While everyday news updates us about the details Enraged netizens used Facebook to spread awareness of the journey of the Lokpal bill, everyone’s and gather momentum for the opposition of the bill attitude towards it has gone from inspired to which culminated in a protest by hundreds of angered to, with the recent events, resigned. Malaysians in the KLCC Park. Some six hundred The fate of the bill seems shaken, but behind lawyers marched to the Parliament to oppose the Bill, the rage against the political system is a little vowing that they would “continue knocking on the ray of hope that wants this one baton in the doors of Parliament until the bill was removed." form of a bill to correct the corruption in the country.Even though the bill has been passed, the debate andprotests still continue till today. 47

Rage against Sri Lankas parliament passed controversial legislation recently that will allow the government to acquire enterprises or assets it deems underperforming or underutilized, despite concerns the bill could hit investment in the country. The new law will pave the way for the state to acquire 37 properties, including from two listed companies it has said are underperforming. Leases on the assets, mainly land, wereSri Lankas or sold at a discount years ago legislation given awayparliament passed controversialeither as an recently that will allow the government to incentive for investment or with the aim that loss-makingacquire enterprises or assets it deems underperforming or underutilized, despite concerns the bill state-owned enterprises could be turned around.could hit investment in the country.The new law will pave the way for the state to acquire 37 properties, including from two listed President Mahinda Rajapaksas ruling party has been stronglycompanies it has said are underperforming. Leases on the assets, mainly land, were given away criticized by opposition parties and leading business chambersorfor seeking discount years ago either as an incentive for investment or with the aim that loss- sold at a to expedite the bill without public discussion andmaking state-owned enterprises could be turned around. without any opportunity for the properties holders to arguePresident Mahinda Rajapaksas ruling the owners been strongly criticized by opposition parties and against their listing.The government says party has will beleading business chambers forwhat criteria expedite the bill without public discussion and without compensated, but it is not clear seeking to compensationany opportunity on. the properties holders to argue against their listing.The government says the would be based forowners will be compensated, but it is not clear what criteriaEnraged residents of San Juan Cityon. the compensation would be based inThe main opposition UnitedNational Party said during the the debate that the a would damage The main opposition United National Party said during Philippines threwbill homemade grenade at the government demolition team who arrivedinvestor that the bill would damage investor investment debate sentiment and discourage foreignsentiment andin the $50 billion economy, hindering Sri to tear down the shanties.Lankas post-war development. the $50 billion economy, discourage foreign investment inThe asset Sri Lankas post-war development. hindering acquisition bill allows the government to appoint authorities to manage "in the interests Homes of some 300 people were torn downof the national economy”. The opposition argued that the bill violates 2011countrys constitution to in January the as people were forced The asset acquisition bill allows the government to appointand should not be debated while a rulingof thefundamental evacuate the against it is pending. given authorities to manage "in the interests on a national rights case area. Settlers had beenThough Rajapaksa has said the bill will be a violates the acquire the specified properties, demolition, economy”. The opposition argued that the bill one-off to notices by the government on theeconomists, investors, state officials be debated whilepoliticians few heeded heeded the notice. countrys constitution and should not and opposition a but have warned it amounts tonationalization and couldrights casebusiness confidence. ruling on a fundamental damage against it is pending."ItThough Rajapaksa has said the bill will be a investorsto large scale will be worried," Frontier out will impact larger projects and potentially one-off of Residents, homeless and hapless, lashedResearch economistproperties, economists,told Reuters. acquire the specified Amal Sandarathne investors, state to the government for not giving themA officials bank economist speaking on condition of anonymity said the way in About 50 people were senior and opposition politicians have warned it amounts to enough support . which the bill had nationalization and could damage business confidence. injured , due to the onslaught of bottles andbeen introduced risked discouraging investors. mini-grenades being fired at the demolition "It will impact larger projects and potentially investors of large team. scale will be worried," Frontier Research economist Amal Sandarathne told Reuters.A senior bank economist speaking According to local officials, the clearing on condition of anonymity said the way in which the bill had operations will pave the way for the been introduced risked discouraging investors. construction of the San Juan 48 hall. City

Rage againstOverloaded School Van Killed 18 Children in ChinaOn November 18, 2011, a severe car accidentoccurred in Yulin County, Qingyang City, GansuProvince. A dump truck carrying coal smashed into akindergarten school bus in a head-on collision. Theaccident caused 20 deaths. The bus driver and fourkindergarteners were killed immediately and 15others died in the hospital. The revised Land Expropriation Act Amendments hurt farmer groups Several civic groups lashed out Taiwan’s president, making claims that his administration had been working to reform laws governing land use and housing “lies.” “The government has made the changes in favor of developers and big corporations. The revised Land Expropriation Act should be a protection for disadvantaged people. However, it is now a weapon against them," Liao said.The so-called school bus is actually just a small vanwhich was supposed to carry maximum of 9 In the revised law, the government promised topeople. According to Gansu Province emergency grant landowners compensation for expropriatedteam, this school van was carrying a total of 64 land based on the market value of the land —people at the time of the accident, including one bus instead of the published value, which is usuallydriver, one kindergarten teacher and 62 much lower.kindergarteners. The school bus driver and fourchildren were killed at the scene, 14 children and the Maybe some people do not realize this policy, butteacher already died in the hospital. The remaining they all notice the 84-year-old farmer Hsieh, who44 children were injured, 13 seriously. faces forced expropriation of his farmland. The amended Land Expropriation Act focuses too muchBadly maintained school transport has been the focus on compensation, and fails to pay attention to theof public anger for months after a series of accidents rights of those who do not want to sell their land.in which children were killed on their way to andfrom school. In December, Chinas safety regulator “The government always said that they woulddemanded immediate action to improve safety protect designated agricultural zones, but that wasaboard frequently overloaded and badly maintained a lie,” Hsieh said. “I don’t want to give up my land,school buses. The demand from the State no matter how much they pay me.Administration of Work Safety came and followed bya high-profile pledge from Premier Wen Jiabao that Countries all over the world are trying to boost theirnew rules to ensure school bus safety would be food self-sufficiency rate, but our government is stilldrafted soon. Road safety is also a serious problem in seizing farmland. How can we guarantee food -China, with many accidents caused by poorly security for generations to come if we don’t protectmaintained roads and bad driving habits. farmland? 49

Rage against New Years is the biggest holiday event in Japan, just like Christmas in Western countries. The countdown to the beginning of a new year is a big event as it is anywhere in the world. The count down to theIn Indonesia, it is reported that there are 700 to 1,000 beginning of the New Year is a big event just likecases of disputes between palm oil developers and anywhere in the world.local communities each year. The latest one underscrutiny is Mesuji land dispute in South Sumatra. Thecase has always been in the grey area between statelaw and customary law. The companies who havebought the land and have been using it as crude palmoil plantations feel that they have the right to do sobased on the state law where they already bought theland and have permission for exploitation. Localcommunities feel like they own the land because theyhave been living there generation for generations. In recent years, Shibuya Tokyo has been a popular venue for young people and foreigners to unite for a big count down event. But it has perhaps become a little too popular. Local representatives seeks justice, reporting human rights violation to the National Commission of Human Rights in JakartaThe land dispute in Mesuji has already involved threedifferent companies: PT. Barat Selatan MakmurInvestindo, PT. Sumber Wangi Alam, and PT SilvaInhutani. The dispute itself has been going on since “It’s really scary” was the first impression to many.April 2011 and has previous records of clashes. The Scramble Intersection right in front of the Shibuyarecent one has been rumored to have taken the lives station was packed with young people andof some locals with the involvement of local police. foreigners. Once the lights turned green, a flood ofThe local police reportedly supported the companies people flowed into the middle of the intersection,instead of the locals, which heated the situation. most of them drunk. Empty beer cans and bottles were thrown everywhere. The sound of crackersThere have been angry debates about who is actually were heard everywhere along with the sound ofresponsible for the clashes, but people are debating roaring. Many who had taken off their shirts wereon two different bases: One is on the customary law piggy back riding on their friends’ shoulders andfor the locals, and others are on the state law for the screaming. A man was transferred to a hospitalcompanies. As a collective community, Indonesians because his hand was smashed in the crowd,tend to stand for the community but the government breaking his finger. Over a hundred policemen triedtends to side with the businessmen due to a long diet to stop the chaos but failed.of Holland colonization and way of governing backthen. Where did they leave behind their morals?

Waiting listPAKISTANWith the coming of winter, we once againare seeing snakelike lines at petrolstations as motorcyclists and cars awaittheir turn. Sometimes they wait patientlyand sometimes they wait not so patientlyfor their CNG fill. There has been ashortage of compressed natural gas inPakistan over the past several years.With the recent price hikes for petrol, a number of motorists have converted their engines into onesthat run on CNG. Little did they know this would not solve their problems but rather add to them. Therecent decision to keep CNG filling stations closed in Karachi is fueling unemployment and poverty. Thegas reserves in Pakistan are enough to meet demand and it was ensured in the constitution that thepeople had the first right to use the country’s resources. Lengthy lines of motorcycles and cars can behence seen at the CNG pumps due to a low pressure of gas that is alarming. Pakistan has muchreservoirs of compressed natural gas but there is a dire need to think over how to use these reservoirseffectivelySRI LANKAColombo’s busy streets wereinvaded by mean machines on Dec.16 and 17, 2011 when the cityexperienced its first-ever ColombiaNight Races. The races took place inthe middle of the country’s capital.Cars and motorbikes lined up on aracecourse at night. Ten car eventsand seven bike events took place.The main race took place on Dec.17. It included those who qualifiedfor it based upon their performancein races on Dec. 16.Streets were mapped out for the racecourse. Different races were allotted to different car brands. One race, forexample, was for Ford cars while another for Mazdas and Honda Civis. The main event was a race for GT3 andGT4 cars with top international drivers taking part. Sri Lankan fans had the opportunity to see Aston Martins,Porsches, BMWs, Moslers, Lamborghinis and other racing cars competing on home soil. They also got to see SriLanka’s only international driver, Dilantha Malagamuwa, drive his new Lamborghini.Pulsating beats from the bands Basement Jaxx and Chicane accompanied the races as part of the ElectricPeacock Festiva, the country’s annual electronic and house music event. Countless Sri Lankans in Colombosought much coveted passes to attend the two events.

Waiting list Waiting list SINGAPORE Moshi Monsters Nintendo is a game that was on every child’s wish list this Christmas. The Nintendo version of the wildly popular Moshi Monsters was sold out across all toy stores a week before Christmas in Singapore. What is it? It’s Tamagotchi meets Facebook meets Sesame Street. Kids adopt pets, take educational quizzes in order to earn rox (currency) to purchase items for their monster, grow their brood and eventually trade/sell monsters for more rox. Kids compete with one another within their community and chat with other kids who are playing. With monster names like Dustbin Beaver and Lady Googoo, who can resist? TAIWAN Currently, only two department stores in Taiwan have reported annual revenue of more than NT$10 billion: Pacific Sogo Department Stores Cos Fu-xing and Zhongxiao outlets in Taipei City. But these department stores are far for those consumers with the buying power in Taiwan’s tier two cities. These populations are waiting for the new “Mega City” mall, which is run by the Far Eastern Group. After opening two huge new shopping malls - one in the Greater Tai-chung area, and the Banchiao District, New Taipei City - Far Eastern Department Stores Ltd said it expected the malls to make a combined revenue of NT$14 billion (US$426 million) in the first year. A Far Easterns manager surnamed Cheng said, “The residents there like to try out new things and many purchases were made at our mall, we were taken aback by the spending power in Greater Taichung and New Taipei City.” 53

Waiting list: Waiting listFood- crazy Malaysians queue for popcorn Picture credit: www.dropsofcontentment.blogsp ot.com MALAYSIA Malaysia is a nation obsessed with food fads. We’ve seen many fads come and go: from donuts, to cupcakes, to macaroons, to bubble tea. And while the latest craze for bubble tea has died down, a new craze has taken over. Malaysians have been queuing for flavored gourmet popcorn. While popcorn has always been a favorite movie snack among Malaysians, there aren’t many flavors to choose from and freshly made popcorn isn’t easy to find. Thus, when Garrett’s premium popcorn from Chicago launched in Kuala Lumpur late last year, Malaysians queued up to 30 minutes just to try their gourmet variety of freshly made popcorn despite hefty price tags. Their popcorn is well-known for their crunchy and caramelized nutty exteriors. Another chain named Planet Popcorn from Taiwan has sprung up with flavors such as seaweed, curry, cheese, chocolate and coffee to cater to those with more eclectic tastes. These two brands have stood out for their quality, variety and re-sealable packaging, which has helped to transform popcorn into a versatile snack that can be eaten anytime, anywhere, not just in a cinema. INDONESIA Indonesian teenage girls have been eagerly awaiting the news as to whether the next Mnet Global Awards (MOA) will be held in Jakarta in 2012. The rumor has been making itself a twitter trend in Indonesia, and recently it just made more buzz since there is more and more proof of MOA coming to Jakarta. As K-Pop is growing vastly among Indonesian teenage girls, they are waiting for the announcement in suspense, hoping they can watch the MOA and see Super Junior in February 2012. Based on their tweets, it seems that many of them have been saving money to buy 54 MOA tickets.

Waiting list Waiting list BANGLADESH Everyone in this cricket-loving nation is eagerly awaiting the chance to see foreign and domesticCHINA players battling it out at home for dominance in the sport. They will have their chance on Feb. 9, 2012The release of Air Jordan XI Retro “Concord” sneaker has when the Bangladesh Premier League launches incaused a frenzy among Chinese sneaker fans. It is officially the country. The 20-day tournament will include sixlaunched in China on the morning of Dec. 23, 2011. teams playing each other twice in a round-robinHowever, in big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, lines format with the final matches held on Feb. 29.were already forming outside of Nike shops the night Games will be played in Chittagong and Dhaka.before its release since people who had hoped to buy apair have been told stores are receiving as little as 12 pairs. Teams will be allowed to field five foreign players asPlus they’ll likely be snatched up by Nike employees. On opposed to the four foreign players allowed in IPL.China’s largest e-commerce website, Taobao.com, prices Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Kieron Pollard,of the sneaker are already jump from 1,429 RMB to 2,000 Dwayne Bravo and Kamran Akmal are among the atRMB, and it is still hard to get one pair competing with least 25 non-Bangladeshi players taking part in theother Jordan fans. tournament.Bringing back the old days, the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) The BPL will be televised on a new sports channel inConcords was worn by Michael Jordan back in 1995 in the Bangladesh and the organizers are believed to be inNBA semi finals. Sadly, each game Jordan wore the Original discussions with Ten Sports to broadcast theAir Jordan 11 (XI) Concords he was fined $5,000 because tournament in India. However, Indias domestic 50-the OG Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords was a black and white over tournament begins on February 20 andshoe, and the whole Chicago Bulls team only wore black therefore could restrict Indian participation. "Indiasneakers. Even though, he continued to wear the Original is a problem," Lal said. "In the first six or eightAir Jordan 11 (XI) Concords for two more games, then games, they [India players] could play.“Theswitched shoes. organizers are also hoping that the winner of the BPL will be given a place in the Champions LeagueSince 1995, the “Concords” have only been retro’d twice. Twenty20 next year.Game on Sports paid US$44.3And fans last opportunity to buy a pair came all the way million for the rights to the BPL for six years.back in 2006. The new retro “Concord” has no doubtbeing expected by Jordan fans and sneaker collectors for BANGLADESH is very eager to get55 show on the thisyears. road.

Waiting listWaiting listJAPANFukubukuro – Happy & surprise bagIn Japan, the New Year is celebrated on a muchbigger scale than Christmas. All stores are closed onNew Year’s Day. On January 2, it is quite commonfor department stores and other large retail storesto open and many people flock to a "fukubukuro”.Fukubukuro is one of the most typical features ofthe Japanese New Year. As the name indicates, theyare bags (usually paper) that contain several itemsinside. The items are usually much more valuablethan the price of each fukubukuro (ex: 10,000 yenfukubukuro may contain items that are worth30,000 yen), so, fukubukuro are considered to be a"good deal.” The most popular ones are the fukubukuro of trendy fashion brands, with the price around 5,000-20,000 yen. At Shibuya 109, the most famous fashion complex in Japan, about 40,000 people formed a line in order to get fukubukuro. Department stores also sell special fukubukuro that are super-expensive or very unique. Fukubukuro are usually sealed firmly so you cannot see whats inside until you buy one as it is considered as a "good deal," but also something that people try their luck on. If you find something good in the bag, it can be a good start for the New Year. If you find something you dont like or you dont need, some people exchange their goods in front of shops. 56

Tense about …

Tense aboutSRI LANKAThe recent murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra by Dumina Silva during the keenly contestedColombo Municipal Election has set off a series of events and intense criticism of the ruling regime. Theresponse of the Rajapakse government has surprised even the most hardened critics of the regime.Despite eyewitness testimony as to the identity of the murderer, no action has been taken to arresthim, and to add insult to injury, Gotabhaya Rajapkse, the president’s brother & the nation’s defensesecretary, has allegedly pressurized the police to not include the name of the prime accused in the Breport. Cries from the public to rein in the politicos who hire their own security details (who are mostlymade up of thugs and criminals) are gaining volume, and, in typical fashion, some of them have usedthe situation to cause problems for their opponents. What is highly amusing in this is that the`opponents` involved in this incident are from the same political party.SINGAPORESingapore is well-known for its methodical efficiency. Sowhen trains started to breakdown, Singaporeans wereunderstandably shocked and enraged, with some evencalling for SMRT Chief, Saw Phaik Hwa, to step down.Passengers affected by the breakdown described scenesof confusion and panic across the 2 breakdowns, whichhappened over 2 days. Commuters continuously bangedon train doors during the hours of their entrapment,with one even using a fire extinguisher to break thewindows of the underground train due to lack ofventilation. In the end, thousands were left stranded asshuttle bus services and taxis could not cope with theexcessive demand. Hmmm. I think I’ll take the bus fornow.

Tense about PAKISTAN The New Year is here and people worrying about new resolutions. They are thinking about the ones they failed at sticking to and are making numerous plans: getting married, being single. Yet the biggest tension on New Year’s Eve was where to find a party in Pakistan.Even with movements to become more liberal when it comes to celebrating, partying in Pakistan is still largely anunderground phenomenon. So for those of us who want to dance and drink the night away, the planning muststart at least a week or two before the actual date. How many parties are happening? Who is throwing them?Where are they being arranged? And how will we even get in? People start using their social circle, askingaround for details (social networks like Facebook are crucial tools for communication) to find those in the knowabout New Year’s Eve soirees. It is not easy to find a party. Then there are further challenges - what clothes towear, how to find a date, who will be a designated driver? After finding solutions to those questions, there is stillthe challenge of surviving the actual party itself. Fun will be had, music will be danced to, women will be flirtedwith and there will be a guaranteed hangover the next day. But the key element is always how to secure agraceful exit. In Pakistan, New Year’s Eve is a heavily policed event. One wrong move, and partygoers could havea lot of explaining to do to the plethora of law enforcement friends policing the streets. As all of us undergroundparty people know, it’s good to have a wild night of fun and craziness as long as you don’t get caught.MALAYSIAThere has been intense scrutiny and debate as to how the ruling party, theNational Front, will perform in the run up to the 13th General Elections, which aredue to be called sometime this year. The National Front has been in power sinceMalaysia’s independence in 1957. However, their popularity has slowly declinedover time, especially in the past year. 2011 has been a particularly challengingyear for Malaysia, with increasing racial and religious tension between the threeprimary races in Malaysia (Malays, Chinese, Indians) and a fast rising cost of living.Political youth movements, previously been suppressed by the government, havestarted to gain ground through technology and social media. Young people haveled campaigns to spread awareness amongst Malaysia’s largely apathetic youthcommunity, urging them to stand up and vote for their rights. Netizens are alsotaking the Malaysian cyberspace by storm with a movement called “Anything ButUMNO” (The ‘United Malays National Organisation- Malaysia’s largest politicalparty and a founding member of the National Front coalition), which supportsanyone at the helm of the nation so long as it is not the UMNO party. While thereis great discussion and speculation, many are also apprehensive and uncertainabout what the future holds after the 13th General Elections. Ultimately, theupcoming elections will reveal if the ruling party, which has been in power for thepast 54 years, has any chance left at securing the administration of the federalgovernment. This long-awaited moment, deemed the “Mother of All Battles,” willdefinitely be an unprecedented moment in Malaysian history.

Tense aboutTense about INDONESIA Indonesia has started the switching process from card ID to electronic ID called e-KTP, however the process have been far too slow. Jakarta’s administration has asked the Home Ministry to push back its deadline for the registration period for electronic ID cards (e-KTP) for Jakarta residents from December 2011 to April 2012. Based on calculations, only 40 percent of people in Jakarta will have had their e-KTP made by November 2011 given that each set of equipment CHINA can serve only up to 150 people per day.Young Compensated Dating Girls in ShanghaiEnkō means "compensated dating” and is a practicewhich originated in Japan where older men give moneyor luxury gifts to attractive young women for theircompanionship and, possibly, for sexual favors. Thefemale participants range from primarily school-aged girlsto housewives.The first week of November 2011, Shanghai prosecutorsdisclosed a case which involved more than 20 middle andhigh school girls in compensated dating. In this case, mostof the female students are under 18. The youngest is lessthan 14. This case caused public uproar that rippled In Praya, a small area in Jakarta, out of 93,000through the entire country. Shanghai Zhabei people, so far e-KTP has only been made forProcuratorate also published a signed article in local 3,500 people while the deadline is Decembermedia that said these female high school students 2011. Everyday, the authorities in the area can“organized prostitution, referred clients and formed a only make e-KTP for 250 people and if you dividefixed circle, kind of like the so-called enkō in the Japanese it up, it will take around 300 days to complete allsociety.” They blame the influence of Japanese and 93,000.Taiwanese culture for the phenomenon of young womenaccompanying men in return for money. After theShanghai “compensated dating” phenomenon, moregroups of “compensated dating” were revealednationwide.However, according to the confession of one"compensated dating" girl in Shanghai, it is a way to makesome extra money which for them is not consideredequivalent to prostitution. The practice does notnecessarily mean having sex with a customer (though itmay) but often refers to escorting or accompanying aman in return for payment. Others see the trend as areflection of the materialism that rapid economic and 60social change has brought to China.

Tense about Tense aboutJAPAN“Shohi-zei” – Consumption taxFifty-eight percent of respondents in a nationwidesurvey in Japan are opposed to the governmentspolicy of doubling the consumption tax rate instages by the mid-2010s.Most of Japanese are against the consumption taxhike because of the added burden on the public, People in Bangladesh are tense about rising fuel prices,especially those with low incomes, at a time when which have gone up four times now.there are growing concerns about Japanseconomic outlook in the wake of the rising yen and The most recent hike was BDT 5 per liter of fuel. This hasthe debt crisis in Europe. become a major concern for commuters in the country as it becomes more expensive to travel and take publicThe survey also found that 72 percent are in favor transportation.of a general election before laws on the plannedsales tax hike are enacted. In Bangladesh, once fuel prices go up, they never come down. Additionally the price of everyday consumer goodsJapanese prime minister Noda has said he may go is also increasing. Economists blame inflation; locals sayto the people but not until after the relevant they are worried about putting food on the table. Pricelegislation has been passed by parliament. hikes are becoming unbearable in the country and public sentiment is starting to boil over.Source : Tokyo Shimbun (January 1, 2012) 61

Tense aboutTense aboutPHILIPPINESA week before Christmas, Cagayan de Oro province inMindanao, Philippines was struck by the typhoon“Sendong” that sent a flash flood rushing throughsleeping towns and villages killing close to 1500people. An area that is not normally visited bytyphoons, the province was shocked not only by theweather pattern change but also the amount ofdestruction it created. INDIA Indian Rupee is under attack. At the end of December, the Indian rupee nearly breached the Rs 50 per dollar mark, closing at 49.90, its weakest rate against the greenback since May 2009. As the concerns mount, the Reserve Bank had to interveneAs evidenced by images of the devastation, massive in the market by selling part of its $300 billion reservesillegal logging was thought to be the culprit. National to curb the volatility as well as clamp down on traders.and local government officials, even Catholic Church From an investors’ perspective, the movement of rupeeofficials, have started finger pointing given that the may not matter much as only a few can figure out thatpresident has declared a total log ban since February unlike Sensex, the rupee going up is not positive news.2011. On the contrary, it actually means rupee is becoming weaker. Many wrongly think that if rupee goes up it is something good for them not realizing when the Indian currency depreciates against any foreign currency it has many negative impacts from the economic point of view. When a currency loses its value it creates many problems for the economy. It leads to inflation. As India imports around 70 per cent of its crude oil requirement, the government will have to pay more for it in rupee terms. Due to the control on oil prices, the government may not easily pass the increased prices to the consumers. Further, this higher import bill will lead to a rise in fiscal deficit for the government and will push the inflation, which is already hovering around the double- digit mark.Two weeks later, a landslide due to heavy rains killed31 people in an illegal gold mining area in CompostelaValley, also in Mindanao. The people await thegovernment’s investigation and action toward theobvious cause of these tragedies. 62

Tense about Tense aboutOn the other hand, India Inc will also have to pay more inrupee terms for procuring their raw materials, despitedrop in global commodity prices, only because of adepreciating rupee against dollar. Already, oil companiescited the fall in the rupee value to the dollar to increasepetrol prices recently. For oil marketing companies, withevery fall in the rupee, the under-recovery on account ofpetroleum products goes up by Rs 9,500 crore per year onthe price-controlled items, said an HPCL official. Just likeoil, all products and commodities are more expensive toimport now. Corporations, who have foreign currencyloans on their books, also take a view that despite adepreciating rupee, keeping the benign interest rates in VIETNAMdeveloped markets would be lot better to hold on toforeign currency debt as one gets 0-2 percent interest on Inflation is one the biggest concerns for Vietnamesedollar debt compared with 12-14 percent on rupee debt. for 2012. With continued fluctuations in pricesIndividually, traveling abroad becomes more expensive as across all goods, both high income and low incometravel costs can go up by at least 10 percent. Students consumers are becoming more conscientious aboutstudying abroad too will be hit as more rupee will go out their spending and investment.to pay for tuition. Depreciation of rupee also affects themoney flow in the Indian stock markets. FIIs, the main A lowering confidence in the dong brought on theinvestors in the Indian equity markets, also start rise of buying gold as the most secure method ofwithdrawing their investments from the markets fearing saving for Vietnamese, making gold almost aloss of value. In terms of portfolios, if you hold stocks in oil currency. More recently, banks have beenand gas, infrastructure, fertilizer or tyre business, your aggressively drawing in Vietnamese with attractivereturns will take a hit as the shares of these companies interest rates, encouraging saving accounts towill fall when the rupee falls as they procure their raw become more acceptable, and often more affordablematerials from abroad. On the other hand stocks of as gold prices rose. However, as worries about theInformation Technology (IT) companies and export- economy and financial security will continue intooriented units should do better. 2012, turning the dong into gold is still believed to be the safest way to spend money. 63

Everyone’s talking aboutBrands & campaigns generating buzz

Everyone’s talking about IINDIA Mumbai Mirror Newspaper Now, people of Mumbai will wake up every morning to nothing but the truth as the tabloid newspaper, the Mumbai Mirror, the second largest read English daily in Mumbai from The Times of IndiaPAKISTAN Group, pledges to reach out to its readers with real voices daily. The hard-hittingAfter decades of political stagnation, Pakistan’s politics have a new campaign based on four real storiesunderdog, the extremely popular Imran Khan. He has rocked the broken by Mumbai Mirror in the recentboat and has done something very few politicians have managed, past is the brain child of TOI’s creativein any country. He has excited young people about politics, hope agency, TapRoot India. The central ideaand change. was to create a fictionalized account ofWhat is really interesting, however, is that he is the first Pakistani how affected citizens from all walks ofpolitician to craft a smart, sustained political campaign that life found a strong and powerful voice inspecifically targets the youth. He has stormed social media; the paper.Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are buzzing with messages, videosand pictures from his enormously successful rallies. Shot in black & white, the television commercial shows the resentment andHis rallies themselves feature performances by the country’s the fury expressed by the centralbiggest pop stars and rock stars, (and by extension, their protagonists of each of the stories, whichendorsement of Khan’s party). His party’s website features includes a writer protesting over hispictures, videos and blogs. burnt books, a mother raging over theImran Khan is a politician who use of sewage water in milk fed to herknows how to talk to the young children, street urchins screaming aboutpeople in their own language. And their inhuman living conditions, and awow, have they responded. His young lad dissenting about the politicalcampaign has basically turned a parties’ posters pasted on the city walls.nation of apathetic youngsters intoactive, enthusiastic voters. Watch it here:He made democracy cool again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNow that’s a campaign. vLIjemSIs4&feature=related

Everyone’s talking about Everyone’s talking aboutSINGAPORE and MALAYSIA …Everyone from my sister to my And boy, did their launch set tongues wagging in Malaysia! Leading upgrandmother wanted a piece of that! to the opening of the store, A&F employed about 40 male models to get Singaporeans excited about the opening. These men, sourced fromSome 425 shoppers queued before the international A&F locations throughout the world, were positionedopening of Singapore’s first outside the store daily wearing nothing but red A&F sweatpants andAbercombie & Fitch, with the earliest sandals. According to Singaporean newspaper Straits Times, responsefan arriving around 5 in the morning was tepid at first, with onlookers taking pictures from afar. But theon opening day. passers-by quickly overcame their shyness and within half an hour, the men were swarmed.Once the doors opened, the first fewin line rushed enthusiastically to enter The hype surrounding the A&F models quickly spread to Malaysiathe 2,000 square-meter flagship at through Facebook. For about two weeks, the models were a hotKnightsbridge, along the famed conversation topic and photos of these shirtless men dominatedOrchard Road. For almost a week, A&F Facebook news feeds. What’s more, the A&F models even became ahad been on our sunny island’s Twitter tourist attraction – Malaysian women who travelled down to Singaporetrending topics with the public lapping made it a point to journey to the A&F store to snap a few photos withup the bevy of shirtless hunks the chiseled men. The Malaysian men’s reaction, on the other hand, wasstationed outside the store. to scoff at the hype over the models, but even they joined into the fun by sharing spoofs about the hype over the models’ built bodies. 66

Everyone’s talking about SRI LANKA The idea behind Mobitel’s M Tunes capmapign was to promote the ring-in Tones based on individualism. The commercial features different animals and their favorite tunes. The commercials received a lot of attention for the below reasons: - Different in execution to the other commercials that are on-air currently - Has Famous / Popular songs appealing across age groups - Each song gels extremely well with the animals featured - Humorous The commercials also got more air plays to create buzz, especially during cricket matches.Watch them here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1yyXkVd-vA&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpakHAWDnR8&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFxWIgwUZ9Q&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AodEZxxbt3c&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpZZIT6Ox0&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OdJNqZa--k&feature=related “One Seal, One Legendary Y Chi” VIETNAM On November 11, SAB Miller Vietnam unveiled the highly-anticipated first brew of its premium Czech beer Gambrinus into the Vietnam market. The launch campaign developed by Ogilvy & Mather Vietnam brings to life the Gambrinus spirit of Y Chi: the strength, vision and determination that drives real success. The fully integrated campaign captures the aspiration and respect of Vietnamese men who believe that real success comes from overcoming challenges with the spirit of Y Chi. This spirit of authenticity and commitment to quality is translated into the Gambrinus brew itself – guaranteeing Vietnamese beer lovers that every premium Gambrinus bottle is brewed longer with 100% Czech barley and aromatic hops – recognized by the distinctive gold Gambrinus seal. 67

Everyone’s talking about

Everyone’s talking aboutSponsored jointly by Guylian and Lindt, the ChocolateWonderland in Shanghai is drawing in the crowds. If youthought that chocolates had to be brown or white, if youbelieved that they could be shaped like the Alps (Toblerone) orseashells (Guylian) , the artisans here will blow your mind. Overtwo acres of exhibition space, they’ve created dragons, thePudong cityscape, toy poodles and fancy hats, scooters androbots, in the wildest of colors and shapes. Visitors can pause inbetween the tours to take in educational programs and tastingsessions. No, you can’t taste any of the magnificent creations,but you can take pictures. Dress warm, for the whole show – onuntil late February 2012, is kept at a constant 4 degrees Celsius.At the Jumeirah Himalayas Center, Shanghai .

Everyone’s talking about Everyone’s talking about TAIWAN One Bike One http://www.onebikeone.tw/ The last day of the Republic of China’s (ROC)CHINA 100th year was celebrated in elaborate fashion as a record--breaking cycling event drew more than 110,000 cyclists across the country to ride at theDuring September, 2011, Johnson & Jonson launched a same time, which truly rocks the brand “Taiwan”.new advertising campaign featuring a diary purportedlywritten by “Little V” (V indicating vagina, “小V日记” in The event “One Bike One” heralds the arrival ofChinese). The video commercial has been viewed over the next century in Taiwan, event organizers said,1,180,000 times on video sharing sites such as adding that the rolling wheels symbolizes theTudou.com within three months. Viewers note that energy of the Taiwanese.there is barely a product image or brand name shown inthe advertisement until you search it online. If people “This is the most significant event I have eversearch “The Little V’s Dairy”, they will find a small participated in in my life because we needed tobooklet published by Johnson & Johnson to share work together to set a new world record,” saidknowledge about gynecological health. The book is Chen, who started from the National Chiang Kai-thirty pages long and covers sexual health in a friendly shek Memorial Hall, one of the events majorway with articles covering friendship, fashion, traveling, points in Taipei.fitness, love and sex. It is free and available both on andoffline. The previous world record for the most cyclists riding at once was set in Italy in 2000, withWith the rapid development of China’s economy, 48,615 people cycling at the same time. Taiwan’sChinese consumers are becoming more experienced success in setting a new record was confirmedand mature. They are able to handle more honest after the event by Guinness World Recordsconversations, more daring innovations as well as more authorities.quirky flavors. The campaign is an interesting step by abrand to add information to a topic that is mostlyignored for fear of embarrassment. While young peopletoday are certainly engaging in sex, formal education isstill minimal. Even though some pilot sex educationprograms are being launched in schools, young people’sprimary resources are still word of mouth from friendsand online.Mini site of the campaign:http://www.xiaov.tudou.com/#/diary/ 70

Everyone’s talking aboutINDONESIAAfter teasing Indonesians for weeks by a big red Blackberryad on billboards around Jakarta, BlackBerry placed a full-page ad on the day of its launch on Kompas, the most readnewspaper in Indonesia.The strategy comes to a too fruitful result where thousandsof Indonesians jammed into Pacific Place mall on November25 to get hold of the BlackBerry Bold 9790s, which will be JAPANthe first in the world launched in Indonesia.With a 50 percent discount on the $540 phone for the first1,000 buyers, lines started forming in front of the mall onThursday night. By daybreak, impatient shoppers startedrattling the gates. Fearing a riot, hundreds of police weredeployed outside, tying up traffic in the heart of the capitalfor hours. And when rumors spread that the new Whats going to emerge next when social mediaBlackBerry, called Bellagio, had already sold out, the crowd comes to an end? Key persons who lead theof 3,000 went crazy. Several people fainted in the crush. cultural context in Japan got together at the "Social Lab 0.0" to achieve an ambitious objectiveSource: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Thousands- of finding out whats beyond social and seeking aqueue-in-Indonesia-to-buy-new-Blackberry- rich future. The social network can become vicious2291906.php#ixzz1hEJxNhRU or, at other times, become an innocent baby. What kind of future will it let us see? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_enzFZW1dw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMcmhXVYRH0 The ‘Blind’ film is set in post-nuclear Tokyo in a dimension not so distant from ours. Young salary-mans morning commute takes a surreal turn. http://www.blind-film.net http://vimeo.com/28533174 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2SgonaD4U0

Everyone’s talking about Everyone’s talking about BANGLADESH One of Bangladesh’s most popular daily newspapers Prothom Alo recently launched a campaign called “Ut Pakhi,” or “Ostrich.” The campaign centers on raising public awarenessPHILIPPINES against indecencies in the country, encouraging people to not ignore bad things happening inSocial media in the Philippines were abuzz with activity as society.the Department of Tourism’s advertising campaign wasunveiled. Filipinos were quick to jump on the bandwagon The campaign has garnered much appeal asand create different variations of why countless people use repeat the phrase in#It’smorefuninthePhilippines. reference to unsavory activities they see in public. The advertisement, featured both in print andThe campaign initially drew flak from some quarters, electronic media, encourages people to take acrying plagiarism because the words had been used stand against violence, indecency and corruption.before in an old Swiss tourism ad with the headline “It’s Its core message: “Do not live the life of an “utmore fun in Switzerland”. This allegation fueled a wave pakhi,” lift your head up and raise your voice.”of backlash from supporters who responded by sayingthe only way to create a truly unique advertising slogan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmEdKZzyVC4“with words that have never been used before” is todevelop our own language. For a few days, pundits havebeen posting their own versions of the ads withtrademarked gibberish talk, signing off with “It’s morefun in the Philippines!” Complaints have died down, asmore citizens have been rallying Filipinos to supportrather than criticize our own campaign. After all, it’s nota DOT campaign, it’s every Filipino’s campaign. 72

Favorite green brands / movementsWhen it comes to eco-friendly brands inPakistan, you may have to think hard to comeup with a few names. However, there aresuch brands that are taking initiative tospread awareness and promote a greenmovement. In Malaysia, the one environmentally-friendly initiative that really took off iin 2011 wa the “No Plastic Bag Day.” BeginningOne such name is Espresso, a renowned January 1, 2011, “No Plastic Bag Saturdays” was placed intocoffee house in Lahore, which has initiated effect in hypermarkets, supermarkets, department stores,the change from within first and then spread convenience stores and retail stores all over the nation. Thoseit to its customers. The practice of recycled who require plastic bags are charged 20 cents for each bag.napkins, eco-friendly reusable bags, recycledpaper towels and energy saving light bulbs is This campaign initially appealed only to a niche – the morecommon at Espresso. A step further into the environmentally conscious – and was not without its complaintsgreen initiative, the brand team has not only in its infancy. For the average Malaysian, the plastic bag wasplanted trees around the city but also indispensable in the shopping routine; annoyed shoppersobserves Earth Hour religiously. Yet observing derided the plastic bag ban as inconvenient and ultimatelythe green movement is still a niche market in having little impact on the environment.Pakistan and has a long way to go as notmany people pay much heed to it. However since its introduction a year ago, Malaysian shoppersNevertheless, at Espresso you will never find have slowly adjusted their shopping habits to bringing reusableanything packed in a plastic bag. bags on their trips. Furthermore, the “No Plastic Bag Day” has been expanded in some Malaysian cities – in Penang, for example, everyday is a “No Plastic Bag Day!” The Green Corridor movement

Favorite green brands / movementsIn a historic land swap betweenSingapore and its immediate neighborMalaysia, what remains unknown is thefate of the 26km tract from Woodlandsto Tanjong Pagar. Will it too, fall victim tothe rapid urbanisation that has overtakenthis Little Red Dot? The Nature SocietySingapore backed by over 8,000 pledges,submitted a proposal called the TheGreen Corridor: A Proposal to Keep theRailway Lands as a Continuous GreenCorridor, to the Singapore governmentlate last year. A readymade nature trail,recreational space and eco-friendlytransport route all rolled into one – theNSS argued that the Green Corridor is avaluable piece of ecological and historicalheritage that should be preserved forfuture generations of Singaporeans. Inthe end, our society will be defined notonly by what we create, but by what werefuse to destroy. – John C. Sawhill Recently, the “eco-friendly” concept has been introduced by mainstream Chinese fashion brand Me & City. The brand is from Metersbonwe Group, the largest domestic apparel retailer in China. Me & City has been compared to Zara of Spain and H&M of Sweden. It emphasizes quality, style and personality. Metersbonwe introduced the brand to capture the market of consumers aged 25 to 35 - a group that has strong purchasing power but not yet received much attention from other domestic brands. The eco-friendly line of Me & City claims to be made from recyclable material right down to the label. In order to educate target consumers, the brand is also using social media channels such as twitter-like service Sina Weibo to promote the line by explaining its eco-friendly features. A few weeks after it launched, the line has received great attention from fashion conscious young people online and offline. One of their followers on Sina Weibo commented: “The design and colors of the new eco-friendly line look great, the price is also similar compared to non eco-friendly products of its type. I will definitely check it out in the store and give it a try.”

Favorite green brands / movementsYour text here According to scientific studies, many cleansing products contain toxic ingredients, such as surfactants, fluorescent agents, and other artificial materials that can be bad for our health and the planet. In order to prevent the environment from deteriorating and bring a better living environment to our offspring, finally the Taiwanese company Yuen Foong Yu created “Orange House”, a natural cleansing brand. They have adopted a 100% natural cold-pressed orange oil as the main ingredient to replace all the chemicals. The orange oil consisting of 90% d-Limonene has an amazing cleansing effect. And unlike the chemical materials used in most commercial brands, the non-toxic orange oil does no harm to both human bodies and the environment. According to their core belief, Orange House would like to leave behind a cleaner earth for the coming generations. Bike To Work started with a small group of people who love to bike and got themselves into Jalur Pipa Gas Community with the goal to create clearer air in Indonesia’s cities. From there they created the Bike To Work Community, which started their first campaign on August 6, 2004. The Bike to Work center was officially opened by program manager Toto Sugito, head of the National Council on Climate Change Rachmat Witoelar and Deputy Minister of Environment, Hendri Gustaman. There are now 9,320 members on their website and more than 30,000 bikers in total. These are the people who commit to bike to work for greener Indonesia. Their concept is as simple as car-pooling. They meet at one point and go together to the area where they work. There are many sub-groups in the community, depending on where members bike from or where they go to. People going to the same destination can meet at some assigned meeting points, bike together and separate when they reach. They have some resource centers often called “homes” that also serve as a meeting point for the nation’s biking enthusiasts. B2W has also announced corporate sponsorship deals with state flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia 76 and Sodexo Pass Indonesia.

Favorite green brands / movements Panasonic create the icon “ECO NAVI” for environment friendly product.Your text here Suntory’s corporate slogan “Live together with water” Toyota Prius Portable “my chop-sticks” with box to carry The environmentally friendly movement in Japan ranges widely from corporate activity, personal activity to government policy. The Toyota Prius is Japan’s most famous environmentally friendly product. Panasonic succeeded in enhancing its brand value through environmentally friendly products. It has more eco-friendly electrical appliances, selling the products with the icon of “Eco Navi.” The company has air conditioners that are good for the environment and refrigerators that save electricity at night or when people are not at home. The “Eco Navi” campaign has been very successful, winning an award for the most environmentally friendly brand in 2010. Suntory is the latest brand recognized for its efforts to help the environment. It won first prize for its efforts in 2011. One of their activities is to plant a trees, adding 7,000ha of trees to forests across the country. The goal is to help promote water conservation. Suntory communicates their philosophy through a corporate slogan of “Living together with water.” An individual movement in Japan is to save chopsticks. The aim of the campaign is to reduce deforestation caused by the widespread use of disposable chopsticks. People are encouraged to bring their own chopsticks when they go out to eat. Some restaurants offer special discounts or free drinks to those who bring their own utensils for dining. The Korean food maker, Daesang, started its organic food business actively under the brand name of “O’food ‘” with an intention of upgrading its core brand “Cheongjeongwon”. O’food originates from a compound word , mixture of Organic and Food. Raw materials used in O’food product s all obtain certification from organic food certificate authority including CAAE and WSDA . The brand has been leading the organic food market with more than 30 products such as organic olive oil, tomato ketchup, sesame oil, red pepper sauce, soy sauce and bean paste .

Favorite green brands / movementsHuman Nature is a line of personal care and beauty products that advocates natural ingredients. It guaranteesnot only the use of at least 95% natural ingredients, but also biodegradable, from renewable resources with nopetroleum compounds and processed without harming the environment. Human Nature is a business thathelps sustain Gawad Kalinga, a nation-building movement known globally. Producing and processing the rawmaterials and end products for Human Nature are the livelihood of a number of families under the GK program.Human Nature is also distributed outside the Philippines, making the Philippines a player in the beauty businessworldwide. The philosophy of Human Nature is to be Pro-Philippines, Pro-poor and Pro-environment.BRAC Kanon, an endeavor of BRAC Social Enterprises in Bangladesh, started its journey in the capital aiming topromote greenery through their green products and services in order to save energy, money and theplanet. The outlet is fully powered by BRAC solar and supports a 2.4 kilowatt load for eight hours. It is locatedon the Gulshan-Tajgaon Link Road and is spread over one bigha of land. The countrys first ever green retailoutlet comprising four enterprises -- BRAC Solar, BRAC Nursery, BRAC Recycled Handmade Paper and BRACSericulture was inaugurated by internationally renowned human rights activist Irene Khan. The outlet willfeature their products and services, including ornamental, fruit, timber and medicinal plants, seedlings,landscaping and plant rental services, silk products produced by rural artisans, recycled handmade paper-basedproducts and office stationary, and energy saving solar instant power supply and power solutions.

Favorite green brands / movementsGo digital. Save paper.Back in 2010, Idea Cellular Services came up with yet another innovative campaign called ‘Use mobile Save Paper’that promoted the idea of mobile VAS usage for a vast number of day to day activities to save paper and save theEarth. The commercial showcased how the mobile phone can be used as an efficient tool to read dailynewspapers, generate e-bills, make payments and transactions, issue e-tickets and boarding passes; thereby savingtons of paper everyday. Taking it further, IDEA partnered with two leading Coffee chains – Barista and Café CoffeeDay – to spread awareness about its green campaign through a unique mobile application that will allow people todownload the menu card and bill on their mobile phones. The application is intended to eliminate the need for apaper-based menu and bill in that particular transaction.Watch the TVC here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBuAUKJXZGwBack then, it seemed like a good brand initiative carried across media but maybe too niche. Until we found out thatcome September 2011, the Indian Railways announced that there is no need to take print-out of your e-ticket. Instead it is sufficient to carry the ticket on electronic mode as – mobile, laptop and i-pad. Imagine theimpact of this single act considering that the Indian railways carry over 30 million passengers daily. (Source:Wikipedia).Another Save Paper, Save Forests campaign that runs on digital media was developed by the Cheil India teamasking people to adopt a simple practice to make their valuable contribution towards a greener world. Cheil WWSW Asia has rolled out a CSR campaign in a bid to help save forests and to make the human beings responsibletowards Nature. The practice, aptly called MINUS ONE, asks us to reduce the font size by 1 before taking aprintout which reduces the number of pages required for the printout. It helps in saving the forests by shrinkingthe paper need as paper is responsible for one-third of all the axed trees.For instance, a 39 page document reduces to 32 pages once the font size is reduced from 11 to 10. That’s an 18%reduction in paper consumption. So one can take all the printouts he wants while ensuring a better world for thegenerations to come. At an average rate of 18%, around 21 billion sheets of paper can be saved every year. Andthat means thousands of hectares of forests can be saved from being axed.

The cover of this issue of Wassup, showing a caparisoned elephant, was not shot in Asia, but in San Francisco’s Clarion Alley. We use it to show how the reach of Asian culture is now widespread, riding on a wave of Asian brands.Graffiti Wall at the Radisson Blu in Shanghai

For more information, to request a presentationon cultural insights, or to contribute yourperspectives in your market, please write to:kunal.sinha@ogilvy.com Graffiti aimed to beautify plain walls in Lahore, Pakistan

Wassup january 2012

by Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific on Feb 01, 2012

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Wassup january 2012 — Document Transcript