Wassup January 2012

Wassup
Issue 7 January 2012
Wassup
The cultural trends magazine from Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific Edited & designed by Kunal Sinha Editorial assistant: Lara Farrar Correspondents: Astrid Savitri (Jakarta) Tari Rusbianti (Jakarta) Inke Kurniawan (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 one event in a lifetime when families let go of their wallets and inhibitions, it is at the wedding. The heady mix of traditional rituals with what they see on the big screen tells us something about a cultural melting pot. Why is the seating arrangement at Chinese weddings in the Western banquet style, while the food is always typically local? Why are some families choosing to forego inviting everyone they know, rather fly a smaller number of guests to an intimate seaside resort for the big day? To find answers, we turned to wedding planners. Get a sense of the color and flamboyance in the first issue of this year. We then get up close and personal with village folks. Even as the wave of migration from rural to urban areas continues unabated, the majority of Asias inhabitants live in villages. But they are no longer isolated: mobile phones, television and better transportation means they are well connected with the city. That has changed everything: their expectations, what they want their children to be. The discontent with politics and national leadership is a recurring theme. It is making people angry and tense. Indias Outlook magazine brought out a special issue called The Age 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 we report. Plunge right in. At eighty-two pages, this is our meatiest issue ever.
14 countries. 20 correspondents deeply immersed in popular and leading edge culture bring you Cultural Insights that will make a world of difference to your business
BANGLADESH
PHILIPPINES
INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
SOUTH KOREA
SRI LANKA
MALAYSIA
THAILAND
PAKISTAN
CHINA
INDIA
JAPAN
VIETNAM
TAIWAN
contents
Look whos talking: Meet the Wedding Planners Knowing me, Knowing you: Village folks Movie of the Year Rage against Waiting list Tense about Favorite Green Brands
Look whos talking Look whos talking
Meet the Wedding Planners
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PAKISTAN When it comes to weddings in Pakistan, there is one thing that is guaranteed: Couples will go all out to make their fairytale wedding mixed with tradition come true! According to Jalal, a renowned Pakistani wedding planner who works for the famous J&S event management company (the company has planned weddings for the rich and famous as well as concerts for international celebrities such as Edward Maya and Bryan Adams) a good floor plan, event manager and location are crucial to making a wedding one that is memorable. Weddings in Pakistan usually last for four days and are one of the most important events for families. All eyes will be on the bride, which means a lot of money is spent on wedding attire that is decorated with traditional and very intricate embroidery and beading from top to bottom to ensure she looks nothing short of a royal Mughal princess. The father of the bride is responsible for the cuisine, which typically consists of elaborate spreads of scrumptious desi dishes ranging from biryani and korma to modern fusion and Mediterranean fare. Each event has up to six main course dishes. While Pakistani weddings typically have three main functions, they now also include bachelor and bachelorette parties as well as qawwali night and a post-wedding brunch. Throughout the lengthy affair, the mother of the bride plays a pivotal role. She is tasked with adorning her daughter in up to four expensive and exclusive jewelry sets. Jewels are also exchanged between the families at each of the five wedding events. The groom also takes part in the glamour with his wedding attire costing around $2,300. The brides wedding clothes usually run between $3,000 and $5,000. With so many decisions to be made about decorations, location and activities, more Pakistani families are investing in wedding planners for help. To save money, more Pakistani newlyweds are opting to go to the Far East on honeymoons.
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SINGAPORE An interview with Deirdre Foo THOUGHTS ON MODERN WEDDINGS For many young Singaporeans, their notion of a wedding is a lot more Westernized, but we are often held back due to Chinese customs. For us, the 100 table banquet is unnecessary. Our wedding should be about the people who truly matter. But its a tough battle because being Asian, we will always try and respect our parents wishes. MUST HAVES Your own personal touch. Weddings tend to be rather cookiecutter and commercialized so it was important for me to inject my own style into the wedding. From personalized, hand-written place cards to the bonnataires that dont have flowers. LOCATION In terms of locations, Id say the more unique the better. But most importantly, pick a place that means something to you as a couple and that feels instinctively right not by the availability of a hotel ballroom. WHATS IN The releasing of balloons/lanterns is quite a big thing, as are photo booths. The general trend is to involve your guests in a meaningful way. HONEYMOONS Many couples these days are into short honeymoons possibly because of work constraints. It really works out though! I have a friend who did her honeymoon over 2 years but she got to go to 3 different countries and kept her post-marital bliss for a lot longer.
COST In Singapore, it ranges from $50,000 - $80,000 depending on the number of tables at the banquet.
MALAYSIA Meet Ratna Rashidi of Perfect Day Planner (http://perfectdayplanner.blogspot.com/); a wedding planner with eight years under her belt in the industry. She typically plans weddings for Malay couples, and her clientele can be divided into three groups: yuppies, or young urban professionals who lead busy lives leaving them with little time to plan; motherless grooms, who need a feminine hand; and families for which this is the first wedding, and require her expertise. Her clients usually engage her services for one or more of three ceremonies important in Malay marriages: the engagement ceremony; the akad nikah, or solemnization ceremony; and the wedding reception that follows the akad nikah. On average, her clients will spend only about 20,000 MYR (about $6,300) on their weddings, preferring to splurge on their honeymoons instead. Typically, the cost of the wedding is split between the bridal couple and their parents, with the couple footing the bill for smaller items such as invitation cards and wedding favors, and their parents covering the bigger costs, like the ballroom and catering. According Ratna, there are two trends influencing Malaysian wedding customs today. One is the influence of Western wedding culture while the traditional customs are still important and included, Malaysian weddings are increasingly incorporating Western touches into traditional customs. For example, despite Malaysias hot, humid and capricious weather, garden themed weddings are extremely popular among couples. Western influence is also evident in the brides gowns. Increasingly, some Malay brides will forgo the traditional Malay dress for a Western wedding dress, or they will incorporate Western bridal styles, such as the color white and more risqu designs, into the traditional Malay dress. The second trend Ratna noticed is the increasing desire for couples to create weddings that reflect their personalities. One example involves a groom and a drum instructor giving a drum performance during his reception. In the past, weddings were almost solely dictated by what the couples parents wanted. However, now couples are asserting more say in creating the kind of wedding they want they feel that they have a right to since they are also financially contributing. Ratna believes this desire for a more personalized wedding is born out of a desire to stand out from the rest by creating a wedding that is memorable and better than others. Theres an I want to do better than the Jones mentality, Ratna explained.
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Ratna Rashidi
Akad Nikah; the solemnization ceremony in a Malay wedding.
Traditional Malay dress in the style of a wedding gown and a Western style wedding gown.
9 Garden themed wedding decorations.
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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. Were 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 daughters 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.
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Local clients always play it safe when it comes to venues. Theyd prefer an enclosed space to avoid risks of bad weather and also other associated benefits, which you get from a hotel. Whereas expat clients are far more adventurous. Thats also because they bring foreign friends in town to attend the wedding, so they 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 invitees at a wedding, Nels said. With many weddings being covered by popular media, these elements become extremely important. Similar to weddings in other cultures, Sri Lankan weddings today are less about tradition and more about celebration. Gone are the days of unending Poruwa ceremonies, Nels said. People just want to have a ball. Honeymoon planning is not as important for wedding planners. Honeymoon destinations are often given as 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 and frustrating at times. There are clients who have already decided what they want. They just want the planners to execute. And then there are those who simply treat you as their secretary, only wanting you to coordinate meetings and negotiate rates. No input on anything else. But there are clients who come with an absolutely open brief. They just give you a budget and ask you to organize something that people will talk about and remember. These are also the people who print the names of the wedding planner on the invitations. What better way to advertise ourselves! And when they start the wedding celebration, 11 they first thank the wedding planners. Its icing on the cake, she said.
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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 days preparations. The traditional ceremony invites the grooms family to bring several gifts to the brides 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.
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TAIWAN Wedding planners, also called a bride secretary in Taiwan, have to know both the traditional customs and what's trendy so they can make the brides 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 than before; they will tell us what their ideas are, or even the details of the execution, so sometimes you will see that the invitation is designed by the bride, Lucy said. However, in order to increase the value of a wedding planner, Lucy likes to plan some activities during the wedding, such as inviting male guests to come on stage, but not to throw and catch the bridal bouquet but cauliflower. Of course the man that catches the cauliflower is terribly sad as hes the next in line. Except the funny parts, Lucy says wedding planners also edit a video for others to share the memories of the bride and groom. It usually touches everyone because you can see the bride and grooms family and friends.
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Snapshots from a Taiwanese wedding

There are usually wedding photos and a guest book to share their happiness.
Photos by Lucy 14
Its popular now to have the wedding ceremony outdoors, especially in fall.
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Snapshots from a Taiwanese wedding

Brides in Taiwan often have the 3 different looks through the wedding day: the invitation,the show up, and escorting the visitor out, while the groom will have only one look because men are not the point (as we know).
Photos by Lucy
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Also, its common to invite friends to sing a song or play music in Taiwan because people think it is a way to express their blessing.
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A Chinese groom is picking up the bride at her family home
Chinese wedding cake with the double happiness symbol on the top Chinese wedding photography The new couples friends are disturbing the bridal room by Friends at the new couples house to disturbing the bridal requesting the new couple and playing games room
A Chinese wedding in hotel
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Wedding reception in a five star hotel The tea ceremony
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CHINA Vivian Lee is a 29-year-old independent wedding planner in Shanghai. She has been trained at Weddings Beautiful, an American association of professional wedding planners that provides quality education to aspiring wedding planners worldwide as well as issues professional certification to qualified wedding planners. Vivian has been working in the industry for 3 years, she is very happy to share some of her knowledge about modern Chinese weddings with us: A wedding is one of the most important and significant ceremonies in Chinese culture. Average Chinese couples are willing to spend more on weddings compare to their Western counterparts. More importantly, an affluent Chinese middle class is growing in big cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, therefore, the cost of weddings is increasing steadily in those cities. According to Vivians previous experience, the average wedding budget in Shanghai is between 150,000 yuan to 250,000 RMB. Some couples who are from wealthy families or make decent incomes even spend up to 400,000 RMB because their families want to show status through 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 lost over time. They are practiced in family beliefs and respect to committed marriage relationship. For instance, the choice of the wedding date is very important, some couples or their parents will ask astrologists to study their birth date and birth time to choose a date that is considered lucky. For example, a date with even numbers is considered luckier. In China, there is an old saying that good things come in pairs. Chinese wedding ceremonies are 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 used on invitations, decorations and cakes. Tea ceremonies are also popular. The original way of the tea ceremony was conducted for the bride to privately serve her own family before the wedding ceremony and for the newlyweds to serve the grooms family together following the marriage vows. However, many Chinese couples who adopt this custom in modern weddings only have one tea ceremony with both ceremonies present, which usually 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 ceremony with activities including introducing the couple, having the couples families give a speech, creating games for a new couple to play in front of all guests, announcing marriage and the tea ceremony etc. This is followed by a banquet that serves Chinese food and alcohol. New couples have to go to each table to toast their guests. At most modern Chinese weddings, the bride wears three different dresses during the ceremony. The first is the Western style white wedding dress during the wedding ceremony. The second dress is a traditional Chinese wedding dress that is used at the banquet. The last dress is called the brides going away dress. At night, the couples friends will visit the new couples house to disturb the bridal room by asking the new couple to play games, which ends the wedding day. A large percentage of Chinese couples prefer using wedding planning companies or wedding planners because they are able to come up with more ideas. They save time and make sure everything goes smoothly on the special day. Must-haves for Chinese weddings include engagement rings and wedding bands, wedding photography, 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 trend are destination weddings since a large number of Chinese female celebrities who recently married had destination weddings, such as Barbie Hsu. Popular honeymoon destinations are Sanya, the Maldives, Bali, Spain 19 and Thailand.
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INDONESIA TJAN ING ING,THE MOTHER WHO PLANNED HER DAUGHTERS WEDDING Finally comes the day when my daughter is getting married. Its a mixed feeling between excitement and worry. The biggest worry that comes to mind is about the new life she will have. An Indonesian with a Chinese background, Tjans 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 after Chinese New Year since its considered bad to have it before. Tjan then planned to leave other decisions to the couple, 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 are the Chinese traditions that we should keep, she said. Sangjit acts as a traditional proposal between the two families. The grooms family comes over to exchange gifts with the brides family. The gifts are traditional clothing from top to bottom, and for the groom, they have to bring two red envelops of money called Uang Susu or in English, Milk fee. The brides family is supposed to receive both envelops and return the bigger one to the groom at the end of Sangjit event to show that you dont 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 happy marriage 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 Im trying to be more modern and agree to that, but I think there should have been at least a little bit of red [Chinese traditional color for marriage] or pink, said the mother who eventually ordered peach-colored flowers on every dining table at the reception. They are having the reception at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jakarta, with 60 dining tables. Sit down receptions are becoming common in Jakarta. People are trying to invite fewer guests, making the ceremony more and more personal instead of having a standing buffet with a thousand people.
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The reception starts with a jazzy orchestra, which finally welcomes the two families and the couple. These families are the celebrities of the night and sit at a special dining table on the stage, facing the guest tables. Its a little awkward when youre put under the spotlight and people are observing you, what you wear top down, but I can still enjoy the dinner and champagne. On the menu, there must be shark fin soup and birds nest. These are the traditional celebration cuisines for Chinese. So out of all the 10 cuisine we have, we have shark fin soup as one of the appetizer, then we mix it with Indonesian foods like Bangka noodles because the grooms family comes from Bangka, and we also have pasta and steak because the couple loves it, then we ended it with birds nest and chocolate cake as dessert. As always, there are toasts, the wedding cake cutting and a little bit of video showing the morning church ceremony and Sangjit. For the couple and their friends, they have the after party with hard liquor and live music. My husband also had drinks with his business partners. He said there is this guy who got drunk and slept on the table for a bit and they have to bring him to the room. They also took a photo booth picture together, 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. Its very costly we thought, all that money for just 2 days, its a waste of money. But at the end, I think its worthwhile. Its a once in a life time event for them, and I dont want people to remember that Hans and Lilies wedding was the one that the food doesnt taste good or the event is very unorganized. It has to leave a good memory in others 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.
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JAPAN March 2011, the month of the devastating tsunami and earthquake in Japan. The cataclysm changed peoples view towards their lives, and to many, it provided them areason to seriously think about their future. Many realized the true importance of their partner. Many realized that there is more to life, choosing to move on by themselves. 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 wedding because they want to express their gratitude to their parents. According to Zexy, the biggest wedding planning cooperation in Japan, the top three reasons why people have wedding parties are 1) To express their appreciation to their parents, 2) To make their parents happy 3) To express their appreciation to their friends and relatives. This tendency 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 the tradition of the father of the bride escorting the bride into the church (venue). Activities such as mother of the bride placing the bridal veil and parents or siblings escorting the couple out of the wedding venue is becoming popular. Another activity is the candle relay where all the participants relay the candle light to the person sitting next 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 acknowledge and treasure the importance of bonding with people.
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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 of working with brides has been instrumental in managing last-minute glitches and coming up with solutions on the spot. Being a wedding planner in the Philippines is a lucrative business, especially since women nowadays get married mid-career, which makes it difficult for them to be very hands-on with their weddings. However, success depends on the network youve built. Brides are not convinced by advertising, but the recommendations of people they know and trust. For now, she is working on weddings of close friends.
PHILIPPINES In the business of weddings, the Philippines is a prime market for designer dresses, elaborate flower arrangements and professional videography. Gaining clients has less to do with marketing and more to do with referrals from people within the business. Pat Pastelero started off as a florist in 2008, catering to offices, luncheons, and events. Her business Spruce Floral Designs, enabled her to grow a network of happy brides, designers and wedding suppliers willing to refer her. Not too long ago, she decided to branch out to wedding planning, at the request of some of her clients who appreciated her impeccable taste, 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 countrys 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 dont 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. 23 People prefer more gaudy dresses with heavy embellishment work. Popular honeymoon destinations include Thailand and Bali.
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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. Lets 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 grand including all wedding ceremonies, furniture, honeymoon and other related expenses (this excludes housing). One interesting old Korean traditional wedding culture in Korea is money gift for the ceremony, which can cover a guests meal for wedding. What are the most popular locations? The majority of Korean couples are married in a wedding hall, which is a wedding exclusive venue. Some very devout Christians or Catholics will not use such facilities. More recently, the convention halls of renowned hotels have become one of the popular wedding venues. And the wedding hall interior style is under transition, from Baroque elegant style into more modern and simpler one. Among some very high society people, very luxurious house weddings for a very small number of guests (less than 100 ) are preferred as being very private and more flexible time management.
What kind of food is served? After wedding ceremony, guests are guided to a banquet hall where different types of cuisine awaits them. There are three main types of wedding cuisine. One is Korean cuisine, the second is more Western and the third is a typical buffet style. One interesting meal in Korean weddings is a warm noodle traditionally believed to imbue the newlyweds with a long and happy marriage. This dish is still one mainstays of Korean weddings.
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What do the bride and groom wear? Generally Korean couples have a Western-style wedding ceremony. No wonder the core of the ceremony is a dress! Every bride has a fantasy over her own dress for one single special day for entire of ones life. Thats why the wedding dress is worth more than fuss about. One big change for wedding dresses over the last decade is that Ewha Womens Street, a once popular place to buy wedding dresses, is not as popular among couples anymore. Now, the previously up-market dress shop street Cheongdam has become the most popular shopping area now for wedding attire.
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Preferences for wedding dress have also changed. After one top Korean celebrity wore a dress from Vera Wang, many Korean women started to shop for imported designers. Another change is that Korean males are now more involved in the decision making processes. Mens clothing is also more important than before. More grooms prefer custom-made tuxedos with luxurious materials from designer brands rather than readymade 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.
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INDIA Meet Varun Raj and Smriti Chabbra. They are a newlywed Indian couple who planned their own wedding with necessary approvals and requests from family and friends. Like many other young couples, Smriti and her beau wanted their wedding to be different. Different today means how the wedding is done and/or where it is done. Though Varun is from Mumbai, his family is settled in Dubai. Smritis family is in Chandigarh. Usually, couples opt to plan their wedding in the same or one of their hometowns. However, they chose to have a destination wedding in Goa, which is a seaside destination in southern India. They said they chose Goa because there is a beach, and its closer to Mumbai than Chandigarh and Dubai. Its also cheaper than Mumbai and has a certain romantic nostalgia for them since they frequently vacationed there. They also wanted more friends to attend their wedding rather than only old relatives! Destination weddings are popular. And most of them are planned on beaches or palaces, says Divya Tejuja who works with the wedding planning team at a company called Percept. Besides Goa, Jaipur is a popular destination for those who seek grandeur in their wedding. Smritis wedding was originally budgeted at INR 8lakhs but they ended up spending INR 12-15 lakhs. This spillover was mainly due to accommodation of guests at the venue. We selected a destination wedding, which shot the budget by 30%, the couple said. Must-haves Food : Most important. Thats what most people attend weddings for. Good food. Offering 3-4 different kind of cuisines is the norm. Indian and Chinese used to be must. Italian and continental are the new must haves. Besides these, many people choose to also keep some dishes that are popular from the community they belong to. Venue : The grander the venue, the better the image of the financial stability of the families involved. Second to that is the convenience of the venue in terms of proximity to the main roads, facilities and residence of both the families.
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Activities Mehendi : Earlier both families would have a separate Mehendi party for their respective relatives. But now to save costs, many functions and puja ceremonies, like Mehendi, are combined functions. Before and after party : The party before the wedding is usually termed as a cocktail party where rings are exchanged. The after party is more of a youngsters party where the couple can now celebrate the wedding without any ceremonies involved. Music : A good DJ and dance music is an integral part of every wedding. Everybody tries to get into clothes that allow easy maneuvering and bold dance moves. Performance : A group from both sides of the families performs a skit about how the couple met, eccentricities of each the bride and groom, the crazy families coming together. It is supposed to be humorous at the expense of both the families and creates an entertaining spectacle for the entertainment of the outsiders. The two groups practice this performance for a few months before the wedding with the help of a choreographer. Dcor Drapes instead of traditional heavy flowers. Earlier the seating arrangement would be like in a theatre, with a stage and everyone facing it. Now , the preference is for round table setting. The hanging out area is separate from the eating area. Favorite honeymoon destinations West India: Goa South India : Kerala North India : Shimla/Nainital Overseas: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and SriLanka are popular destinations because they are affordable and adventurous. Plus it is not too difficult to acquire a visa.
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Knowing me, Knowing you
Village Folks
Knowing me, knowing you

Rural Pakistan is an emerging market that comprises 67.5 percent of the countrys total population. Small villages exist in clusters where the main source of income is derived from farming and raising cattle for dairy products. Key challenges faced in rural areas include sanitation, education and health facilities. Sewage systems usually consist of small wells that are built outside of houses. Few villages have government-funded schools, which means parents interested in educating their children have to send them to cities that are often far away. Males tend to be sent away for high school while females only complete primary school. Villages have few government or private hospitals, which means health services and information is mostly spread through socalled Lady Health workers who go from door-to-door in selected communities. Strained finances, security of elders and strong values of sharing have nurtured a tradition of joint household living in villages. This sometimes leads to family disputes over distribution of wealth and disputes between women living in one household. Religion dominates the lives of villagers and religious festivals are of vital importance. The most popular festivals include the birthdays of Sufi saints that are commemorated through exciting, colorful festivals called melas. During these festivals, everyone comes together to showcase their individual flair for creativity via folklore, folk music, traditional food as well as crafts such as embroidery, stitching and pottery. Numerous vendors sell different wares. Young men take part in activities such as the wrestling sport called kabbadi. Behind the colorful lives of rural villagers, are strong undercurrents of conservatism. Arranged marriages are ubiquitous. Women are restricted from going out in public alone. There is shocking gender discrimination and limited educational opportunities for females. Yet those living in rural Pakistan continually hope for a better future. They want access to clean drinking water and other basic infrastructure. That the health risks they face on a daily basis go away with better hospitals and more doctors. They seek empowerment - empowerment in education, entertainment, vocation, freedom of expression, finances or simply access to basic utilities. In the face of continual hardships, Pakistans rural population is inspirational. They are genuinely warm and hospitable people who are always smiling and forever hopeful. Dianas 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 its so enjoyable and always puts a smile on my face. When you watch movies, sometimes you get sad also whats 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!

Her son Adam, in the living room
Safida and her dad Safida, who is 31, lives with her parents and her fouryear-old adopted son in a hilly Malay village in Kuala Lumpur called Kampung Palimbayan. The village is situated close to the city centre and, as a result, many developers flock to the village to set up retreats for people looking for a quick escape from the city. The village isnt your typical village scene as community ties are not very strong, perhaps due to the close proximity to Kuala Lumpur. Safida commutes to the city to work. She works from 8 in the morning until around 6 at night as a secretary/ receptionist at an oil and gas company situated 45 minutes away. She earns RM1500 (US$476) every month. Her parents sell nasi lemak (rice cooked with coconut) every morning at the local market and run a small catering business. On a good day, they make RM200 (US$63). They have a comfortable life with their combined household income. Her home is simple with all the basic amenities. She has a car, two televisions and subscribes to cable TV and wireless internet. The family loves to watch Masterchef Malaysia together as her parents love to cook. Safida isnt the typical village folk either. Shes more tech savvy than most and uses an Asus laptop to update her blog (www.girlonchairblog.blogspot.com), a Blackberry phone to connect with her friends and also teaches her son to type and use the internet using an Android Tablet. She says, There is no limit when it comes to education these days and hopes that she can prepare him to become someone useful like a doctor or a pilot who is able to take care of the family. Her son speaks English and Malay and goes to an established English medium Smart Reader Kid preschool. Safidas biggest challenge is having to travel around on her wheelchair. She contracted a fever when young and gradually lost control over her motor abilities. The limited infrastructure and facilities available for the physically disabled makes it hard to earn a living. Currently, when she needs to travel, her parents have no choice but to carry her down the steep stairs of her home. Their health is her biggest worry, especially with the strain of transporting her to work and back everyday. However, thanks to technology and her good command of English, she has found a solution - an online English tutoring job which will give her the freedom to work from home. She hopes the government will be more supportive of their community and provide more job placements and facilities for the disabled. Despite her challenges, she has never given up and plans to set up a school after she moves back to her dads hometown in Perak where there is a stronger knit of family and community to support her.
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Sumanapala 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 from Anuradhapura, in Sri Lanka. Rice paddy cultivation is the staple of this economy in addition to Chena, or vegetable, 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. His parents generation had families with as many as 10 children. The smallest son is in grade six and studies at a local primary school run by the government. He has a sister who just completed her O/Ls and his currently hoping to enroll in a computer class in their town. This will likely place a strain on the familys budget, but they have decided it is necessary for the child. Sumanapala has never touched a computer, but his younger daughter will need the knowledge to find success in the future. His eldest daughter and eldest son never learned how to use a computer. Now the eldest daughter works in a garment factor. The son is in the army. Sumanapalas home is sparse. It has a few old, wooden arm chairs and a table with a few chairs where the family gathers for meals. He has an old black and white television and a radio, which is youngest son wants to replace with a model that has color. Sumanpala says he could find a better use for the money, hoping to buy a small tractor that he could use to plough other fields and earn extra income. He says there is really no use for a better TV as he only uses it to watch the news and a few random drama programs. His youngest son likes to watch cartoons. They have no landline but instead a mobile phone, which functions as the home phone. It was purchased by the eldest son who says he is relieved the war is over.
Akira Wakabayashi moved to Kagoshima prefecture (southern tip of Kyushu, Japan) in 2007. He was working in Fukuoka city (a big city in Kyushu) as a computer engineer for 10 years and decided to move to a rural place with his family to lead a selfsustainable, simple life. He now manipulates an ax instead of a computer. He built a house and cultivates vegetables. He has a mobile phone for an emergency, but does not have TV anymore. If you live in Japan whether rural or urban, things you can get, watch or hear are not so different. Same national TV shows are available, nationally standardized education systems are equally available, Any fashion items or gourmet dishes are all one click away. However, there is an increasing number of people who wish to lead a simple life. They choose to live in the scarcity of things. Mr. Wakabayashi believes that rural living can give a rich experience not only to him and his wife, but also to his children. He says now we appreciate every single thing around us that we used 31 to take for granted. It is a joy of life
Wang Dong and her daughter
Samsung desk computer mixed with parts of other brands Unknown brand air conditioner
32 Skin care and laundry products
Wang Dong is a 34-year-old rural doctor who lives in Linhai, a county level city in Chinas Liaoning Province. Inspired by her friends parents, Wang decided to study medicine at Linghai Hygiene School when she was young and has received her professional certificate. Wangs husband runs his own shipping business, and they have a 12-year-old daughter. Both Wangs parents and her parents-in-law are from and now still live in the countryside. Wangs family used to live in a one-story house that is made of red bricks. They had to sell it since the land was needed by developers two years ago, and their old house has since been knocked down. They bought a new apartment by using the money from selling the old one. Wangs family moved into the new apartment two years ago. It is in a newly built brick blocks on the edge of the city. People living in the neighborhood are also from rural families. There are very few cars parked in the neighborhood, and those cars that are there are entry models. Some families with ground floor flats even keep the habit of rural lifestyle, growing their own vegetables on the first floor. Wangs apartment has 2 bedrooms and 2 living rooms. The overall feeling of the living space is simple and minimal, but bright. The dining room, kitchen and bathroom are decorated in a green color. All big ticket items in Wangs apartment were mostly purchased from local private shops through friends recommendations. They are currently using home appliances, including a Samsung desk computer mixed with parts of other brands, a Panasonic TV, a Royal Star refrigerator and an unknown domestic brand air conditioner. Wang prefers joint venture brands because Chinese brands are still in the process of learning advanced technology from foreign brands, but most of the time she can only afford domestic brands. She also uses Nokia cell phone.
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. Wangs 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 governments policies and what happened around her She also likes reading her friends diary at their QQ spaces. It is the main way for her to understand whats going on with them, what do they worry about and what are the things they are happy about. She also reads newspapers at work and especially focuses on recruitment information. Wang and her husband make around 2,500 yuan per month. She thinks their income is not high enough and the comfortable life has not yet arrived. If I see a bag that I like, I cannot buy it because I cannot afford, she said. Wang also dreams of traveling. But she doesnt have the money. The only place that she has travelled to is Qianshan mountain in Anshan, the same province that she currently lives in. Wang is not a sophisticated consumer for fashion and beauty products. She mainly purchases low-end Chinese skincare brands such as Da Bao. However, she desires to go to a beauty salon since her girlfriends who are able to afford to go are using direct-sale cosmetics and skin care products bought at that salon such as Chedoven. Wang worries about inflation. She thinks the inflation in the past few years is making things more and more unaffordable for average people like her. When I asked her how she deals with inflation, she replies that they eat less meat. I only make 33 yuan per day, but the meat (pork) price is now 17 RMB per half kilogram, so I have to look for discounted meat from supermarket everyday, Wang said. However, Wang still feels optimistic about the future of her family. She thinks the government will launch better policies that are going to benefit more people. She also believes her family will be able to have a comfortable life because they will work more and work harder.
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It is not an easy job to be an over-60 year old female farmer in Taiwan, but Mrs. Chen does not take the cultivation as a dirty job. Instead, she is thankful that nature can give her and her family such a beautiful life without the pressure form an urban lifestyle. Although there are no such fancy entertainment as in the big city, we still have lots of fun on any normal day, Mrs. Chen said. Mrs. Chen likes to sing with her relatives and friend. They will have a gathering twice a week at a local KTV. Recently she likes to invite people to her place because her husband bought her a karaoke stereo set. Of course I am very happy, and I look forward to singing with my sons and grandsons in the coming Chinese New Year, she said. Just like the rural people go to city to pursue a better life, Mrs. Chens son also as a job in Taipei where his child can attend a better school, which means the students have to study 10 hours per day.
I dont agree that this is good for kids, but its true if you study in the city, you have more chances to study at a better college and get a better job, she said. Although she can only see her grandsons about 3 to 5 times a year, she keeps in contact with them through the use of a mobile phone, and recently her son recommend that she should have a computer so they can visit more frequently via webcam. I have learn some computer skills through the Township Office, but computers are not practical to me. However, I recently have wanted a smartphone, especially since the Elder Farmer allowance has been raised to NT$ 7,000 per month in 2012, she said. Generally, Mrs. Chen is satisfied with her life, and welcomed the youth back to the rural life. Maybe you cant get wealthy, but you can enrich your life here.
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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-yearold son. Maria is optimistic and tough. Even with rising prices for food and other basic goods, she still manages her familys 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 dont 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 in rural Bangladesh. He also works as an electrician and earns a salary that is slightly higher compared to others in his village. His income has increased recently as more people in his community are building their own homes, which means they need to hire a painter. In his home, he has a television, a transistor and other home appliances. He has no clear idea of any major purchases he would like to make in the future, adding that he would rather save his money than spend it on any one 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 of their street. The family watches mainly Bangla movies on TV as well as dance shows - apparently Hindi TV dance shows are a big hit in the villages. None of the family members have ever used a computer. But there is a mobile phone repair store that just opened right next to their home. They have gone to this store to watch its owner work on a computer. When asked whether the government is doing enough to help the nations 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 the government 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 35 photos because his house was being renovated and his wife was not present. He said he did not want to send out an unfinished photo of his life for the world to see.

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 handson 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 establish close relationships with his buyers and sees to it that they get the consistent quality that they have come to expect from his produce. His years in farming taught him that reputation of his produce is valuable in gaining and maintaining buyers. He knows that his chosen livelihood requires daily personal attention. Because of this, he rarely 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 to inherit it. Under his management he strived to grow their familys farming livelihood so that, unlike generations before them, his children can go to college. This way, they can have a more prosperous life without having to toil under 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 doesnt 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. Phuongs 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 arent 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 familys lifestyle like her mobile phone that she uses to keep in contact with her husband 36 living away.
Ram Naresh Yadav is a 32-year-old commerce graduate employed with a local bank called the Regional Rural Bank, in the outskirts of New Delhi. He is married and has two kids. Ram stays with his parents and younger brother who is single. His father is a farmer who owns 1 hectare of semi irrigated land. Ram is the first person in the family to break out of the farming occupation. He wants his kids to study in New Delhi and then become civil servants (as they call collectors), or go abroad. Has life got better or worse for them recently? He says that mobile connectivity, a media explosion, improved infrastructure and government funded rural development schemes have made a difference to his and his peer groups life. He also says the quality of health care has improved over the last ten years. What's 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. Food is 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? Rams daughter goes to a government primary school and and 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 to use a computer because that is perceived as the key to success. This belief has aided in mushrooming of computer centers 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 different governments dont reach them and middlemen siphons it all off. Also, they think that the caste factor plays a major 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 with him and the other used by everyone at home. The second phone is never carried out of home, it has replaced the 37 45 landline!
Movie of the Year

PAKISTAN : BOL 'Bol is a renowned Pakistani film director Shoaib Mansoors second dramatic film that reveals the countrys rigid social, cultural and right-win religious complexities. The film takes place in Lahore in a household with a number of daughters. Their life is, on the surface, vibrant. However they have severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Bol takes audiences on a journey into the life of this family, illuminating their sufferings and triumphs. As the women try to solve their problems, they face even deeper challenges. The complexity of their circumstances becomes a struggle between life and death. The movie was nothing short of controversial. The name itself means speak and is a simple and symbolic comment on the lack of free expression in Pakistan. Never before have issues such as homosexuality, the stigmatization of female use of contraception, the freedom to choose ones partner and public demonstration of singing and dancing been addressed so directly in Pakistani cinema. Bol is undoubtedly the most provocative and most talked about movie of the year in Pakistan. SINGAPORE: ALREADY FAMOUS Following The Nooses Emmy Nomination for Best International Comedy, Michelle Chong has shifted gears for her directorial debut, Already Famous. The movie was extremely well-received by Singaporeans. Its performance matched Hollywood movies released the same weekend and raked in S$1.04 million in just 11 days. Beyond just a good directorial debut, this movie symbolises an increasing appreciation of our countrys local talent, both amongst 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 her dream of becoming a famous TV star. In her journey to superstardom, she meets a shy coffee shop assistant named Ah Seng who helps her achieve her dream. Seemingly lighthearted but not without moments of vulnerability and emotion, Already Famous is touted as "not just about the trials and tribulations of making it in showbiz, but also a message of truth and heart to anyone who's ever wished upon a star".
Movie of the Year
TAIWAN: YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE The blockbuster You Are the Apple of My Eye has become the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie in Taiwan. The film has grossed NT$410 million (US$13.54 million) at the box office in Taiwan since its release in August. The romantic comedy adapted from one of Ko's novels, which opened in Hong Kong theaters on Oct. 20, depicts the life of a troubled high-school boy who falls in love with a girl who is adored by almost every boy in her class. Taiwan movie critics have said the film's ability to arouse the "collective memory" of audiences in reliving their high-school years is what has made the film so popular. After You Are the Apple of My Eye was released to audiences in Taiwan and Hong Kong, some large-scale plots have triggered intense discussion between moviegoers. Therefore, the movie successfully passed the Chinese mainland film censorship board, the production company behind the film immediately announced that the film is set to hit theaters on January 6, 2012 in China.
Malaysias Movie of the Year goes to controversial local film Nasi Lemak 2.0. The comedy, named after Malaysias 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 comprise Malaysia, discovers the meaning of being Malaysian on his journey to learn about local cuisine. One of the reasons for the popularity of Nasi Lemak 2.0 is the fact that it originated from Namewee, a Chinese Malaysian who shot to fame after he released a controversial song fused with Malaysias national anthem that aired his views of Malaysia and its leadership. In a country where media is highly controlled, his bravery and transparency won him many supporters. While Hollywood movies dominate screen time in Malaysia, Nasi Lemak 2.0 is one of the few locallymade movies that has captured the attention of Malaysians. Many look to Nasi Lemak 2.0 as an honest portrayal of life in Malaysia, in a society where media tend to gloss over sensitive issues, such as race. The style of acting, script and characters is uniquely Malaysian, and local references to typical Malaysian problems, such as the well-known poor quality of Malaysian made cars, is also included. This theme of finding a Malaysian identity clearly reflects a cultural shift. In the past, we were less aware of racial divides, but these days, there is a 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 superiors election rallies. The catalyst of the film revolves around the politicians arduous attempt at manipulating the child into speaking on the political stage, and the childs 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. Vidhus 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 the second film from director Goro Miyazaki, the son of Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki. It adapts Chizuru Takahashi and Tetsuro Sayama's original manga about the coming of age of a high school girl named Umi. Bunkatsushin.com reported From up on Poppy Hill had grossed over 587,337,400 yen at the box office. During these three days, over 445,000 people watched this film. http://www.youtube.com/watc h?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 youre 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 mans 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 Year

INDONESIA: ARISAN! 2 Nia Dinata, the famous Indonesian director, released the movie in December. It is a continuance of Arisan!, which was 8 years ago. The movie created a buzz on Kaskus, the biggest online community in Indonesia, and is much loved for showing an ugly truth about Indonesian socialites which no other movies dare to speak. It also shows a lot about the social pressure to fit in in Indonesia. Tora Sudiro plays a famous gay architect and Cut Mini played as a successful career woman coming from a well off family. The second Arisan! shows a life progress among a small group of socialites who, in the first movie, realized that life should never be superficial, and, in this second movie, embark on a new discovery that life is not all about working hard and playing hard. Its about appreciating the time that God has given by stepping back, relaxing and seeing the world with clear eyes, listening with opened ears and embracing friendship and love. The movie depicts the change in Indonesian culture where people start accepting differences like homosexuality, and the young generation are becoming more and more educated, hence more open minded, creative and expressive. The movie is an example of the creative industry in Indonesia that is growing and accounted for 6.3% of the total GDP. More and more Indonesian movies are liked not only by people living in suburbs, but by the educated young generation in big cities
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBIpmmW AayE, http://ekonomi.kompasiana.com/bisnis/2011/1 1/24/ekonomi-kreatif-berbasis-budaya-lokal/
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 won't 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. Its one of the in-your-face movie which does not care for any critics view but to uplift the scene behind a career in the film industry. With The Dirty Picture director, Milan Luthria tries to explore the dirty underbelly of the Indian cinema and excavates a gem in the form of Vidya Balan. You cant help but appreciate the effort she puts in to make her Silk look authentic. In the age where majority of leading ladies wont dare to look ugly or overweight, Vidya carries her ample love-handles and haggard looks with aplomb. Its the role which is bound 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.
Whats 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 somewhatflaccid. Yes, there have been occasional steamy successes, but those have been the exceptions rather than the rule. (I bet half a donut youre thinking about Old Spice, the T-mobile flash mob or BMWs 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 proven to be a stubborn advertising nut to crack. Now were told social media is where its at, and conversations are the aphrodisiac that will transform your business into an irresistible hurricane of brand potency. Now personally, and I have been advertising profession for some time now, I've never had a social media conversation about the laundry detergent I use or which butter I buy. And if I had friends who did have conversations like that, Id de-friend them immediately. But for all I know, Im in a minority. I might brag about making an expensive purchase, but that usually happens after the fact, and its more about me showing off generally to annoy other people. So, to my Digerati friends residing in other parts of the world, who claim divine knowledge, insight, and 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
Are we donkeys? the graffiti asks. The vandal hit a public taxi signboard shortly after Comfort (Singapores largest taxi provider) announced price hikes in its taxi fares. While several fare items were discounted, many more were raised, leading many Singaporeans to question if price fixing had occurred. Disgruntled citizens protested not just with vandalism but also with a boycott of taxis. Cabbies are reported to have experienced lower numbers of passengers since the fares were raised. Will this trend continue? Or will most Singaporeans, as some would predict, adapt to it and continue to help our local taxi business flourish?
Rage against
Malaysias Prime Minister Najib recently announced plans to review or abolish laws inconsistent with the constitutional right to freedom of speech, assembly and association. The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was passed in December. The bill was part of Najibs promise to grant more freedom of assembly to the citizens. Indias Lokpal: To be passed, or not to be Malaysias Prime Minister Najib recently announced However, when the contents inconsistent with the passed plans to review or abolish laws of the bill were revealed, local commentators such as the Bar Councilto freedom of speech, assembly constitutional right and netizens were enraged that the new law was, in many However more ways, more restrictive than the previous laws in place. The bill placesmuch Anna Hazares middle-class and association. The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was restrictions on the freedom was part of Najibs does nothing tofans in Indiapotential to assemble and curtail the want to paint the entire political passed in December. The bill class as unscrupulous, political India remains for 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 political allow Seksuality Merdeka (Sexuality Independence), an annual sexuality citizens. play and the craft of rights festival, to be held as certain religious groups lodged complaints against rooted big leaders. Give Team Anna credit. But for its two Delhi the gathering. the contents of the bill were revealed, However, when protests, the political class, especially the local commentators such as the Bar Council and Enragedwere enraged that the new law was, in awareness and UPA, would not have woken up to its gather momentum netizens netizens used Facebook to spread many for themore restrictivethe bill which culminatedplace.protest by growing public anger against corruption and opposition of than the previous laws in in a hundreds of ways, acted on the Lokpal Bill. From being Malaysians 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-corruption Parliament to does nothing Bill, vowing that they would continue knocking on the assemble and oppose the to curtail the potential for movement, it has turned into an unabashed doors of Parliamentpolice the bill was removed." until powers. A recent example arbitrary exercise of anti-Congress bandwagon, with little scope is the police refusal to allow Seksuality Merdeka to still continue bias Even though the bill has beenannual sexuality rights and protestshide its politicaltill and RSS link-up. (Sexuality Independence), an passed, the debate Anna tested the UPA in 2011, and, in the today. to be held as certain religious groups lodged festival, New Year, he, himself, will be tested.While complaints against the gathering. everyday news updates us about the details of the journey of the Lokpal bill, everyones Enraged netizens used Facebook to spread awareness attitude towards it has gone from inspired to and gather momentum for the opposition of the bill angered to, with the recent events, resigned. which culminated in a protest by hundreds of The fate of the bill seems shaken, but behind Malaysians in the KLCC Park. Some six hundred the rage against the political system is a little lawyers marched to the Parliament to oppose the Bill, ray of hope that wants this one baton in the vowing that they would continue knocking on the form of a bill to correct the corruption in the doors of Parliament until the bill was removed." country. Even though the bill has been passed, the debate and protests still continue till today.
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Rage against
Sri Lanka's 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, were given away or sold at a discount years ago legislation Sri Lanka's parliament passed controversialeither as an recently that will allow the government to incentive for investment or with the aim that loss-making acquire 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 Rajapaksa's ruling party has been strongly companies it has said are underperforming. Leases on the assets, mainly land, were given away criticized by opposition parties and leading business chambers orfor seeking discount years ago either as an incentive for investment or with the aim that losssold at a to expedite the bill without public discussion and making state-owned enterprises could be turned around. without any opportunity for the properties' holders to argue President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling the owners been strongly criticized by opposition parties and against their listing.The government says party has will be leading business chambers forwhat criteria expedite the bill without public discussion and without compensated, but it is not clear seeking to compensation any opportunity on. the properties' holders to argue against their listing.The government says the would be based for owners will be compensated, but it is not clear what criteriaEnraged residents of San Juan Cityon. the compensation would be based in Philippines threwbill homemade grenade at The main opposition United National Party said during The main opposition UnitedNational Party said during the the debate that the a would damage the government demolition team who arrived debate sentiment and discourage foreignsentiment andin the $50 billion economy, hindering Sri investor that the bill would damage investor investment to tear down the shanties. discourage foreign investment in Lanka's post-war development. the $50 billion economy, hindering acquisition bill allows the government to appoint authorities to manage "in the interests The asset Sri Lanka's post-war development. Homes of some 300 people were torn down of the national economy. The opposition argued that the bill violates 2011country's constitution to in January the as people were forced The asset acquisition bill allows the government to appoint and should not be debated while a rulingof thefundamental evacuate the against it is pending. given on a national rights case area. Settlers had been authorities to manage "in the interests Though Rajapaksa has said the bill will be a violates the acquire the specified properties, demolition, notices by the government on the economy. The opposition argued that the bill 'one-off' to but have warned it amounts to economists, investors, state officials be debated whilepoliticians few heeded heeded the notice. and opposition a country's constitution and should not nationalization and couldrights casebusiness confidence. ruling on a fundamental damage against it is pending. Residents, homeless and hapless, lashed "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 to the government for not giving them acquire the specified Amal Sandarathne investors, state Research economistproperties, economists,told Reuters. enough support . which the bill had A 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 injured , due to the onslaught of bottles and nationalization and could damage business confidence. been introduced risked discouraging investors.
"It will impact larger projects and potentially investors of large scale will be worried," Frontier Research economist Amal Sandarathne told Reuters.A senior bank economist speaking on condition of anonymity said the way in which the bill had been introduced risked discouraging investors. mini-grenades being fired at the demolition team.
According to local officials, the clearing operations will pave the way for the construction of the San Juan 48 hall. City
Rage against
Overloaded School Van Killed 18 Children in China On November 18, 2011, a severe car accident occurred in Yulin County, Qingyang City, Gansu Province. A dump truck carrying coal smashed into a kindergarten school bus in a head-on collision. The accident caused 20 deaths. The bus driver and four kindergarteners were killed immediately and 15 others died in the hospital. The revised Land Expropriation Act Amendments hurt farmer groups Several civic groups lashed out Taiwans 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. In the revised law, the government promised to grant landowners compensation for expropriated land based on the market value of the land instead of the published value, which is usually much lower. Maybe some people do not realize this policy, but they all notice the 84-year-old farmer Hsieh, who faces forced expropriation of his farmland. The amended Land Expropriation Act focuses too much on compensation, and fails to pay attention to the rights of those who do not want to sell their land. The government always said that they would protect designated agricultural zones, but that was a lie, Hsieh said. I dont want to give up my land, no matter how much they pay me. Countries all over the world are trying to boost their food self-sufficiency rate, but our government is still seizing farmland. How can we guarantee food security for generations to come if we dont protect 49 farmland?
The so-called school bus is actually just a small van which was supposed to carry maximum of 9 people. According to Gansu Province emergency team, this school van was carrying a total of 64 people at the time of the accident, including one bus driver, one kindergarten teacher and 62 kindergarteners. The school bus driver and four children were killed at the scene, 14 children and the teacher already died in the hospital. The remaining 44 children were injured, 13 seriously. Badly maintained school transport has been the focus of public anger for months after a series of accidents in which children were killed on their way to and from school. In December, China's safety regulator demanded immediate action to improve safety aboard frequently overloaded and badly maintained school buses. The demand from the State Administration of Work Safety came and followed by a high-profile pledge from Premier Wen Jiabao that new rules to ensure school bus safety would be drafted soon. Road safety is also a serious problem in China, with many accidents caused by poorly maintained roads and bad driving habits.
Rage against
In Indonesia, it is reported that there are 700 to 1,000 cases of disputes between palm oil developers and local communities each year. The latest one under scrutiny is Mesuji land dispute in South Sumatra. The case has always been in the grey area between state law and customary law. The companies who have bought the land and have been using it as crude palm oil plantations feel that they have the right to do so based on the state law where they already bought the land and have permission for exploitation. Local communities feel like they own the land because they have been living there generation for generations.
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 the beginning of the New Year is a big event just like anywhere in the world.
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 Jakarta
The land dispute in Mesuji has already involved three different companies: PT. Barat Selatan Makmur Investindo, PT. Sumber Wangi Alam, and PT Silva Inhutani. The dispute itself has been going on since April 2011 and has previous records of clashes. The recent one has been rumored to have taken the lives of some locals with the involvement of local police. The local police reportedly supported the companies instead of the locals, which heated the situation. There have been angry debates about who is actually responsible for the clashes, but people are debating on two different bases: One is on the customary law for the locals, and others are on the state law for the companies. As a collective community, Indonesians tend to stand for the community but the government tends to side with the businessmen due to a long diet of Holland colonization and way of governing back then.
Its really scary was the first impression to many. Scramble Intersection right in front of the Shibuya station was packed with young people and foreigners. Once the lights turned green, a flood of people flowed into the middle of the intersection, most of them drunk. Empty beer cans and bottles were thrown everywhere. The sound of crackers were heard everywhere along with the sound of roaring. Many who had taken off their shirts were piggy back riding on their friends shoulders and screaming. A man was transferred to a hospital because his hand was smashed in the crowd, breaking his finger. Over a hundred policemen tried to stop the chaos but failed. Where did they leave behind their morals?
Waiting list
PAKISTAN With the coming of winter, we once again are seeing snakelike lines at petrol stations as motorcyclists and cars await their turn. Sometimes they wait patiently and sometimes they wait not so patiently for their CNG fill. There has been a shortage of compressed natural gas in Pakistan over the past several years. With the recent price hikes for petrol, a number of motorists have converted their engines into ones that run on CNG. Little did they know this would not solve their problems but rather add to them. The recent decision to keep CNG filling stations closed in Karachi is fueling unemployment and poverty. The gas reserves in Pakistan are enough to meet demand and it was ensured in the constitution that the people had the first right to use the countrys resources. Lengthy lines of motorcycles and cars can be hence seen at the CNG pumps due to a low pressure of gas that is alarming. Pakistan has much reservoirs of compressed natural gas but there is a dire need to think over how to use these reservoirs effectively
SRI LANKA Colombos busy streets were invaded by mean machines on Dec. 16 and 17, 2011 when the city experienced its first-ever Colombia Night Races. The races took place in the middle of the countrys capital. Cars and motorbikes lined up on a racecourse at night. Ten car events and seven bike events took place. The main race took place on Dec. 17. It included those who qualified for it based upon their performance in races on Dec. 16. Streets were mapped out for the racecourse. Different races were allotted to different car brands. One race, for example, was for Ford cars while another for Mazdas and Honda Civis. The main event was a race for GT3 and GT4 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 Sri Lankas 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 Electric Peacock Festiva, the countrys annual electronic and house music event. Countless Sri Lankans in Colombo sought much coveted passes to attend the two events.
Waiting list
Waiting list
SINGAPORE Moshi Monsters Nintendo is a game that was on every childs 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? Its 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 Co's Fu-xing and Zhongxiao outlets in Taipei City. But these department stores are far for those consumers with the buying power in Taiwans 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 Eastern's 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.
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Waiting list: Waiting list Food- crazy Malaysians queue for popcorn
Picture credit: www.dropsofcontentment.blogsp ot.com
MALAYSIA Malaysia is a nation obsessed with food fads. Weve 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 arent many flavors to choose from and freshly made popcorn isnt easy to find. Thus, when Garretts 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 domestic players battling it out at home for dominance in the sport. They will have their chance on Feb. 9, 2012 when the Bangladesh Premier League launches in the country. The 20-day tournament will include six teams playing each other twice in a round-robin format with the final matches held on Feb. 29. Games will be played in Chittagong and Dhaka. Teams will be allowed to field five foreign players as opposed to the four foreign players allowed in IPL. Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Kamran Akmal are among the at least 25 non-Bangladeshi players taking part in the tournament. The BPL will be televised on a new sports channel in Bangladesh and the organizers are believed to be in discussions with Ten Sports to broadcast the tournament in India. However, India's domestic 50over tournament begins on February 20 and therefore could restrict Indian participation. "India is a problem," Lal said. "In the first six or eight games, they [India players] could play.The organizers are also hoping that the winner of the BPL will be given a place in the Champions League Twenty20 next year.Game on Sports paid US$44.3 million for the rights to the BPL for six years. BANGLADESH is very eager to get55 show on the this road.
CHINA The release of Air Jordan XI Retro Concord sneaker has caused a frenzy among Chinese sneaker fans. It is officially launched in China on the morning of Dec. 23, 2011. However, in big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, lines were already forming outside of Nike shops the night before its release since people who had hoped to buy a pair have been told stores are receiving as little as 12 pairs. Plus theyll likely be snatched up by Nike employees. On Chinas largest e-commerce website, Taobao.com, prices of the sneaker are already jump from 1,429 RMB to 2,000 RMB, and it is still hard to get one pair competing with other Jordan fans. Bringing back the old days, the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords was worn by Michael Jordan back in 1995 in the NBA semi finals. Sadly, each game Jordan wore the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords he was fined $5,000 because the OG Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords was a black and white shoe, and the whole Chicago Bulls team only wore black sneakers. Even though, he continued to wear the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords for two more games, then switched shoes. Since 1995, the Concords have only been retrod twice. And fans last opportunity to buy a pair came all the way back in 2006. The new retro Concord has no doubt being expected by Jordan fans and sneaker collectors for years.
Waiting list Waiting list

JAPAN Fukubukuro Happy & surprise bag In Japan, the New Year is celebrated on a much bigger scale than Christmas. All stores are closed on New Years Day. On January 2, it is quite common for department stores and other large retail stores to open and many people flock to a "fukubukuro. Fukubukuro is one of the most typical features of the Japanese New Year. As the name indicates, they are bags (usually paper) that contain several items inside. The items are usually much more valuable than the price of each fukubukuro (ex: 10,000 yen fukubukuro may contain items that are worth 30,000 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 what's 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 don't like or you don't need, some people exchange their goods in front of shops.
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Tense about
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SRI LANKA The recent murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra by Dumina Silva during the keenly contested Colombo Municipal Election has set off a series of events and intense criticism of the ruling regime. The response 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 arrest him, and to add insult to injury, Gotabhaya Rajapkse, the presidents brother & the nations defense secretary, has allegedly pressurized the police to not include the name of the prime accused in the B report. Cries from the public to rein in the politicos who hire their own security details (who are mostly made up of thugs and criminals) are gaining volume, and, in typical fashion, some of them have used the 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. SINGAPORE Singapore is well-known for its methodical efficiency. So when trains started to breakdown, Singaporeans were understandably shocked and enraged, with some even calling for SMRT Chief, Saw Phaik Hwa, to step down. Passengers affected by the breakdown described scenes of confusion and panic across the 2 breakdowns, which happened over 2 days. Commuters continuously banged on train doors during the hours of their entrapment, with one even using a fire extinguisher to break the windows of the underground train due to lack of ventilation. In the end, thousands were left stranded as shuttle bus services and taxis could not cope with the excessive demand. Hmmm. I think Ill take the bus for now.
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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 Years 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 an underground phenomenon. So for those of us who want to dance and drink the night away, the planning must start 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, asking around for details (social networks like Facebook are crucial tools for communication) to find those in the know about New Years Eve soirees. It is not easy to find a party. Then there are further challenges - what clothes to wear, how to find a date, who will be a designated driver? After finding solutions to those questions, there is still the challenge of surviving the actual party itself. Fun will be had, music will be danced to, women will be flirted with and there will be a guaranteed hangover the next day. But the key element is always how to secure a graceful exit. In Pakistan, New Years Eve is a heavily policed event. One wrong move, and partygoers could have a lot of explaining to do to the plethora of law enforcement friends policing the streets. As all of us underground party people know, its good to have a wild night of fun and craziness as long as you dont get caught. MALAYSIA There has been intense scrutiny and debate as to how the ruling party, the National Front, will perform in the run up to the 13th General Elections, which are due to be called sometime this year. The National Front has been in power since Malaysias independence in 1957. However, their popularity has slowly declined over time, especially in the past year. 2011 has been a particularly challenging year for Malaysia, with increasing racial and religious tension between the three primary races in Malaysia (Malays, Chinese, Indians) and a fast rising cost of living. Political youth movements, previously been suppressed by the government, have started to gain ground through technology and social media. Young people have led campaigns to spread awareness amongst Malaysias largely apathetic youth community, urging them to stand up and vote for their rights. Netizens are also taking the Malaysian cyberspace by storm with a movement called Anything But UMNO (The United Malays National Organisation- Malaysias largest political party and a founding member of the National Front coalition), which supports anyone at the helm of the nation so long as it is not the UMNO party. While there is great discussion and speculation, many are also apprehensive and uncertain about what the future holds after the 13th General Elections. Ultimately, the upcoming elections will reveal if the ruling party, which has been in power for the past 54 years, has any chance left at securing the administration of the federal government. This long-awaited moment, deemed the Mother of All Battles, will definitely be an unprecedented moment in Malaysian history.
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INDONESIA Indonesia has started the switching process from card ID to electronic ID called e-KTP, however the process have been far too slow. Jakartas 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 can serve only up to 150 people per day.
CHINA Young Compensated Dating Girls in Shanghai Enk means "compensated dating and is a practice which originated in Japan where older men give money or luxury gifts to attractive young women for their companionship and, possibly, for sexual favors. The female participants range from primarily school-aged girls to housewives. The first week of November 2011, Shanghai prosecutors disclosed a case which involved more than 20 middle and high school girls in compensated dating. In this case, most of the female students are under 18. The youngest is less than 14. This case caused public uproar that rippled through the entire country. Shanghai Zhabei Procuratorate also published a signed article in local media that said these female high school students organized prostitution, referred clients and formed a fixed circle, kind of like the so-called enk in the Japanese society. They blame the influence of Japanese and Taiwanese culture for the phenomenon of young women accompanying men in return for money. After the Shanghai compensated dating phenomenon, more groups of compensated dating were revealed nationwide. However, according to the confession of one "compensated dating" girl in Shanghai, it is a way to make some extra money which for them is not considered equivalent to prostitution. The practice does not necessarily mean having sex with a customer (though it may) but often refers to escorting or accompanying a man in return for payment. Others see the trend as a reflection of the materialism that rapid economic and social change has brought to China.
In Praya, a small area in Jakarta, out of 93,000 people, so far e-KTP has only been made for 3,500 people while the deadline is December 2011. Everyday, the authorities in the area can only make e-KTP for 250 people and if you divide it up, it will take around 300 days to complete all 93,000.
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JAPAN Shohi-zei Consumption tax

Fifty-eight percent of respondents in a nationwide survey in Japan are opposed to the government's policy of doubling the consumption tax rate in stages by the mid-2010s. Most of Japanese are against the consumption tax hike because of the added burden on the public, especially those with low incomes, at a time when there are growing concerns about Japan's economic outlook in the wake of the rising yen and the debt crisis in Europe. The survey also found that 72 percent are in favor of a general election before laws on the planned sales tax hike are enacted. Japanese prime minister Noda has said he may go to the people but not until after the relevant legislation has been passed by parliament. Source : Tokyo Shimbun (January 1, 2012) People in Bangladesh are tense about rising fuel prices, which have gone up four times now. The most recent hike was BDT 5 per liter of fuel. This has become a major concern for commuters in the country as it becomes more expensive to travel and take public transportation. In Bangladesh, once fuel prices go up, they never come down. Additionally the price of everyday consumer goods is also increasing. Economists blame inflation; locals say they are worried about putting food on the table. Price hikes are becoming unbearable in the country and public sentiment is starting to boil over.
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PHILIPPINES A week before Christmas, Cagayan de Oro province in Mindanao, Philippines was struck by the typhoon Sendong that sent a flash flood rushing through sleeping towns and villages killing close to 1500 people. An area that is not normally visited by typhoons, the province was shocked not only by the weather pattern change but also the amount of destruction 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 intervene in the market by selling part of its $300 billion reserves to curb the volatility as well as clamp down on traders. From an investors perspective, the movement of rupee may not matter much as only a few can figure out that unlike Sensex, the rupee going up is not positive news. 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 doubledigit mark.
As evidenced by images of the devastation, massive illegal logging was thought to be the culprit. National and local government officials, even Catholic Church officials, have started finger pointing given that the president has declared a total log ban since February 2011.
Two weeks later, a landslide due to heavy rains killed 31 people in an illegal gold mining area in Compostela Valley, also in Mindanao. The people await the governments investigation and action toward the obvious cause of these tragedies.
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On the other hand, India Inc will also have to pay more in rupee terms for procuring their raw materials, despite drop in global commodity prices, only because of a depreciating rupee against dollar. Already, oil companies cited the fall in the rupee value to the dollar to increase petrol prices recently. For oil marketing companies, with every fall in the rupee, the under-recovery on account of petroleum products goes up by Rs 9,500 crore per year on the price-controlled items, said an HPCL official. Just like oil, all products and commodities are more expensive to import now. Corporations, who have foreign currency loans on their books, also take a view that despite a depreciating rupee, keeping the benign interest rates in developed markets would be lot better to hold on to foreign currency debt as one gets 0-2 percent interest on dollar debt compared with 12-14 percent on rupee debt. Individually, traveling abroad becomes more expensive as travel costs can go up by at least 10 percent. Students studying abroad too will be hit as more rupee will go out to pay for tuition. Depreciation of rupee also affects the money flow in the Indian stock markets. FIIs, the main investors in the Indian equity markets, also start withdrawing their investments from the markets fearing loss of value. In terms of portfolios, if you hold stocks in oil and gas, infrastructure, fertilizer or tyre business, your returns will take a hit as the shares of these companies will fall when the rupee falls as they procure their raw materials from abroad. On the other hand stocks of Information Technology (IT) companies and exportoriented units should do better.
Tense about
Tense about
VIETNAM Inflation is one the biggest concerns for Vietnamese for 2012. With continued fluctuations in prices across all goods, both high income and low income consumers are becoming more conscientious about their spending and investment. A lowering confidence in the dong brought on the rise of buying gold as the most secure method of saving for Vietnamese, making gold almost a currency. More recently, banks have been aggressively drawing in Vietnamese with attractive interest rates, encouraging saving accounts to become more acceptable, and often more affordable as gold prices rose. However, as worries about the economy and financial security will continue into 2012, turning the dong into gold is still believed to be the safest way to spend money.
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Everyones talking about

Brands & campaigns generating buzz
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 India Group, pledges to reach out to its readers with real voices daily. The hard-hitting campaign based on four real stories broken by Mumbai Mirror in the recent past is the brain child of TOIs creative agency, TapRoot India. The central idea was to create a fictionalized account of how affected citizens from all walks of life found a strong and powerful voice in the paper. Shot in black & white, the television commercial shows the resentment and the fury expressed by the central protagonists of each of the stories, which includes a writer protesting over his burnt books, a mother raging over the use of sewage water in milk fed to her children, street urchins screaming about their inhuman living conditions, and a young lad dissenting about the political parties posters pasted on the city walls. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y vLIjemSIs4&feature=related
PAKISTAN After decades of political stagnation, Pakistans politics have a new underdog, the extremely popular Imran Khan. He has rocked the boat and has done something very few politicians have managed, in any country. He has excited young people about politics, hope and change. What is really interesting, however, is that he is the first Pakistani politician to craft a smart, sustained political campaign that specifically targets the youth. He has stormed social media; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are buzzing with messages, videos and pictures from his enormously successful rallies. His rallies themselves feature performances by the countrys biggest pop stars and rock stars, (and by extension, their endorsement of Khans party). His partys website features pictures, videos and blogs. Imran Khan is a politician who knows how to talk to the young people in their own language. And wow, have they responded. His campaign has basically turned a nation of apathetic youngsters into active, enthusiastic voters. He made democracy cool again. Now thats a campaign.
Everyones talking about Everyones talking about
SINGAPORE Everyone from my sister to my grandmother wanted a piece of that! Some 425 shoppers queued before the opening of Singapores first Abercombie & Fitch, with the earliest fan arriving around 5 in the morning on opening day. Once the doors opened, the first few in line rushed enthusiastically to enter the 2,000 square-meter flagship at Knightsbridge, along the famed Orchard Road. For almost a week, A&F had been on our sunny islands Twitter trending topics with the public lapping up the bevy of shirtless hunks stationed outside the store.
and MALAYSIA And boy, did their launch set tongues wagging in Malaysia! Leading up to the opening of the store, A&F employed about 40 male models to get Singaporeans excited about the opening. These men, sourced from international A&F locations throughout the world, were positioned outside the store daily wearing nothing but red A&F sweatpants and sandals. According to Singaporean newspaper Straits Times, response was tepid at first, with onlookers taking pictures from afar. But the passers-by quickly overcame their shyness and within half an hour, the men were swarmed. The hype surrounding the A&F models quickly spread to Malaysia through Facebook. For about two weeks, the models were a hot conversation topic and photos of these shirtless men dominated Facebook news feeds. Whats more, the A&F models even became a tourist attraction Malaysian women who travelled down to Singapore made it a point to journey to the A&F store to snap a few photos with the chiseled men. The Malaysian mens reaction, on the other hand, was 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

SRI LANKA The idea behind Mobitels 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=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpakHAWDnR8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFxWIgwUZ9Q&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AodEZxxbt3c&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpZZIT6Ox0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OdJNqZa--k&feature=related
VIETNAM
One Seal, One Legendary Y Chi
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 67 distinctive gold Gambrinus seal.
Sponsored jointly by Guylian and Lindt, the Chocolate Wonderland in Shanghai is drawing in the crowds. If you thought that chocolates had to be brown or white, if you believed that they could be shaped like the Alps (Toblerone) or seashells (Guylian) , the artisans here will blow your mind. Over two acres of exhibition space, theyve created dragons, the Pudong cityscape, toy poodles and fancy hats, scooters and robots, in the wildest of colors and shapes. Visitors can pause in between the tours to take in educational programs and tasting sessions. No, you cant taste any of the magnificent creations, but you can take pictures. Dress warm, for the whole show on until late February 2012, is kept at a constant 4 degrees Celsius. At the Jumeirah Himalayas Center, Shanghai .

TAIWAN One Bike One http://www.onebikeone.tw/ CHINA During September, 2011, Johnson & Jonson launched a new advertising campaign featuring a diary purportedly written by Little V (V indicating vagina, V in Chinese). The video commercial has been viewed over 1,180,000 times on video sharing sites such as Tudou.com within three months. Viewers note that there is barely a product image or brand name shown in the advertisement until you search it online. If people search The Little Vs Dairy, they will find a small booklet published by Johnson & Johnson to share knowledge about gynecological health. The book is thirty pages long and covers sexual health in a friendly way with articles covering friendship, fashion, traveling, fitness, love and sex. It is free and available both on and offline. With the rapid development of Chinas economy, Chinese consumers are becoming more experienced and mature. They are able to handle more honest conversations, more daring innovations as well as more quirky flavors. The campaign is an interesting step by a brand to add information to a topic that is mostly ignored for fear of embarrassment. While young people today are certainly engaging in sex, formal education is still minimal. Even though some pilot sex education programs are being launched in schools, young peoples primary resources are still word of mouth from friends and online. Mini site of the campaign: http://www.xiaov.tudou.com/#/diary/ The last day of the Republic of Chinas (ROC) 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 the same time, which truly rocks the brand Taiwan. The event One Bike One heralds the arrival of the next century in Taiwan, event organizers said, adding that the rolling wheels symbolizes the energy of the Taiwanese. This is the most significant event I have ever participated in in my life because we needed to work together to set a new world record, said Chen, who started from the National Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall, one of the event's major points in Taipei. The previous world record for the most cyclists riding at once was set in Italy in 2000, with 48,615 people cycling at the same time. Taiwans success in setting a new record was confirmed after the event by Guinness World Records authorities.
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INDONESIA After teasing Indonesians for weeks by a big red Blackberry ad on billboards around Jakarta, BlackBerry placed a fullpage ad on the day of its launch on Kompas, the most read newspaper in Indonesia. The strategy comes to a too fruitful result where thousands of Indonesians jammed into Pacific Place mall on November 25 to get hold of the BlackBerry Bold 9790s, which will be the first in the world launched in Indonesia. With a 50 percent discount on the $540 phone for the first 1,000 buyers, lines started forming in front of the mall on Thursday night. By daybreak, impatient shoppers started rattling the gates. Fearing a riot, hundreds of police were deployed outside, tying up traffic in the heart of the capital for hours. And when rumors spread that the new BlackBerry, called Bellagio, had already sold out, the crowd of 3,000 went crazy. Several people fainted in the crush.
Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Thousandsqueue-in-Indonesia-to-buy-new-Blackberry2291906.php#ixzz1hEJxNhRU
JAPAN
What's going to emerge next when social media comes to an end? Key persons who lead the cultural context in Japan got together at the "Social Lab 0.0" to achieve an ambitious objective of finding out what's beyond social and seeking a rich future. The social network can become vicious 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-man's morning commute takes a surreal turn.
http://www.blind-film.net http://vimeo.com/28533174 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2SgonaD4U0
BANGLADESH One of Bangladeshs most popular daily newspapers Prothom Alo recently launched a campaign called Ut Pakhi, or Ostrich. The campaign centers on raising public awareness against indecencies in the country, encouraging people to not ignore bad things happening in society. The campaign has garnered much appeal as countless people use repeat the phrase in reference to unsavory activities they see in public. The advertisement, featured both in print and electronic media, encourages people to take a stand against violence, indecency and corruption. Its core message: Do not live the life of an ut pakhi, lift your head up and raise your voice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmEdKZzyVC4
PHILIPPINES Social media in the Philippines were abuzz with activity as the Department of Tourisms advertising campaign was unveiled. Filipinos were quick to jump on the bandwagon and create different variations of why #ItsmorefuninthePhilippines. The campaign initially drew flak from some quarters, crying plagiarism because the words had been used before in an old Swiss tourism ad with the headline Its more fun in Switzerland. This allegation fueled a wave of backlash from supporters who responded by saying the only way to create a truly unique advertising slogan with words that have never been used before is to develop our own language. For a few days, pundits have been posting their own versions of the ads with trademarked gibberish talk, signing off with Its more fun in the Philippines! Complaints have died down, as more citizens have been rallying Filipinos to support rather than criticize our own campaign. After all, its not a DOT campaign, its every Filipinos campaign.
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Favorite green brands / movements
When it comes to eco-friendly brands in Pakistan, you may have to think hard to come up with a few names. However, there are such brands that are taking initiative to spread awareness and promote a green movement. One such name is Espresso, a renowned coffee house in Lahore, which has initiated the change from within first and then spread it to its customers. The practice of recycled napkins, eco-friendly reusable bags, recycled paper towels and energy saving light bulbs is common at Espresso. A step further into the green initiative, the brand team has not only planted trees around the city but also observes Earth Hour religiously. Yet observing the green movement is still a niche market in Pakistan and has a long way to go as not many people pay much heed to it. Nevertheless, at Espresso you will never find anything packed in a plastic bag.
In Malaysia, the one environmentally-friendly initiative that really took off iin 2011 wa the No Plastic Bag Day. Beginning January 1, 2011, No Plastic Bag Saturdays was placed into effect in hypermarkets, supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores and retail stores all over the nation. Those who require plastic bags are charged 20 cents for each bag. This campaign initially appealed only to a niche the more environmentally conscious and was not without its complaints in its infancy. For the average Malaysian, the plastic bag was indispensable in the shopping routine; annoyed shoppers derided the plastic bag ban as inconvenient and ultimately having little impact on the environment. However since its introduction a year ago, Malaysian shoppers have slowly adjusted their shopping habits to bringing reusable 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

In a historic land swap between Singapore and its immediate neighbor Malaysia, what remains unknown is the fate of the 26km tract from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar. Will it too, fall victim to the rapid urbanisation that has overtaken this Little Red Dot? The Nature Society Singapore backed by over 8,000 pledges, submitted a proposal called the The Green Corridor: A Proposal to Keep the Railway Lands as a Continuous Green Corridor, to the Singapore government late last year. A readymade nature trail, recreational space and eco-friendly transport route all rolled into one the NSS argued that the Green Corridor is a valuable piece of ecological and historical heritage that should be preserved for future generations of Singaporeans. In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse 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.
Your 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 Indonesias 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 nations biking enthusiasts. B2W has also announced corporate sponsorship deals with state flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia and Sodexo Pass Indonesia.
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Panasonic create the icon ECO NAVI for environment friendly product.
Your text here
Suntorys 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 Japans 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 Ofood with an intention of upgrading its core brand Cheongjeongwon. Ofood originates from a compound word , mixture of Organic and Food. Raw materials used in Ofood 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 .
Human Nature is a line of personal care and beauty products that advocates natural ingredients. It guarantees not only the use of at least 95% natural ingredients, but also biodegradable, from renewable resources with no petroleum compounds and processed without harming the environment. Human Nature is a business that helps sustain Gawad Kalinga, a nation-building movement known globally. Producing and processing the raw materials 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 business worldwide. 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 to promote greenery through their green products and services in order to save energy, money and the planet. The outlet is fully powered by BRAC solar and supports a 2.4 kilowatt load for eight hours. It is located on the Gulshan-Tajgaon Link Road and is spread over one bigha of land. The country's first ever green retail outlet comprising four enterprises -- BRAC Solar, BRAC Nursery, BRAC Recycled Handmade Paper and BRAC Sericulture was inaugurated by internationally renowned human rights activist Irene Khan. The outlet will feature 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-based products and office stationary, and energy saving solar instant power supply and power solutions.
Go 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 the Earth. The commercial showcased how the mobile phone can be used as an efficient tool to read daily newspapers, generate e-bills, make payments and transactions, issue e-tickets and boarding passes; thereby saving tons of paper everyday. Taking it further, IDEA partnered with two leading Coffee chains Barista and Caf Coffee Day to spread awareness about its green campaign through a unique mobile application that will allow people to download the menu card and bill on their mobile phones. The application is intended to eliminate the need for a paper-based menu and bill in that particular transaction. Watch the TVC here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBuAUKJXZGw Back then, it seemed like a good brand initiative carried across media but maybe too niche. Until we found out that come September 2011, the Indian Railways announced that there is no need to take print-out of your eticket. Instead it is sufficient to carry the ticket on electronic mode as mobile, laptop and i-pad. Imagine the impact 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 team asking people to adopt a simple practice to make their valuable contribution towards a greener world. Cheil WW SW Asia has rolled out a CSR campaign in a bid to help save forests and to make the human beings responsible towards Nature. The practice, aptly called MINUS ONE, asks us to reduce the font size by 1 before taking a printout which reduces the number of pages required for the printout. It helps in saving the forests by shrinking the 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. Thats an 18% reduction in paper consumption. So one can take all the printouts he wants while ensuring a better world for the generations to come. At an average rate of 18%, around 21 billion sheets of paper can be saved every year. And that 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 Franciscos 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 presentation on cultural insights, or to contribute your perspectives in your market, please write to: kunal.sinha@ogilvy.com
Graffiti aimed to beautify plain walls in Lahore, Pakistan

Wassup January 2012

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Wassup

Issue 7 January 2012

Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2012

Look whos talking Look whos talking

Meet the Wedding Planners

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Akad Nikah; the solemnization ceremony in a Malay wedding.

9 Garden themed wedding decorations.

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Snapshots from a Taiwanese wedding

Snapshots from a Taiwanese wedding

A Chinese groom is picking up the bride at her family home

A Chinese wedding in hotel

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Look whos talking

Knowing me, Knowing you

Knowing me, knowing you

Knowing me, knowing you

Sumanapala Paddy field worker Anuradhapura

Knowing me, knowing you

Wang Dong and her daughter

32 Skin care and laundry products

Knowing me, knowing you

Knowing me, knowing you

Knowing me, knowing you

Knowing me, knowing you

Knowing me, knowing you

Movie of the Year

Movie of the Year

Movie of the Year

Movie of the Year

Movie of the Year

Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBIpmmW AayE, http://ekonomi.kompasiana.com/bisnis/2011/1 1/24/ekonomi-kreatif-berbasis-budaya-lokal/

Movie of the Year

Whats making people really angry, and why?

Picture credit: www.dropsofcontentment.blogsp ot.com

Waiting list Waiting list

Tense about Tense about

JAPAN Shohi-zei Consumption tax

Tense about Tense about

Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about

One Seal, One Legendary Y Chi

Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about

Everyones talking about Everyones talking about

Favorite green brands / movements