Monthly Archives: September 2010

UGGly but Comfy

Nearly everyone has an opinion about those god-awful sheepskin boots from Australia but few know about the legal shenanigans behind the scene. In Australia, they used to be sold at mom and pop stores and at gas stations when I … Continue reading

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Mad Chinamen and their Lafites

Come October 29, Sotheby’s Hong Kong will hold its first-ever sale dedicated to the Lafite estate. The collection has an enviable provenance: It comes directly from the château itself – nearly 2,000 bottles in pristine condition that have never left … Continue reading

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Campaigning has Begun

It’s quite amusing to see Josephine Teo trying to act cute on TV, prancing around like a retard. The program is The Chinese Challenge which I stumbled upon on September 26. The Chinese Challenge is a TV quiz show to … Continue reading

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A Conch Feast

Yesterday, just a day after Alec Ee hand-carried an entire foie gras for me from his overseas trip, Freddie Tan presented me with three live conches – one gigantic one and two smaller ones. Conches are mollusks second in popularity only … Continue reading

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Cougar Phenomenon a Myth

So Madonna and Demi Moore are exceptions. What a letdown. I was hoping some about-to-croak wealthy old cougar will adopt me as a “cub.” A study of online dating, by the University of Wales found men and women are still … Continue reading

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Burnt Further into Memory

At midday on June 11, 1963, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc took a ride in a car to the corner of Phan Dinh Phung and Le Van Duyet streets in central Saigon (now Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Cach Mang … Continue reading

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Mooncrap Festival

So the Mid-Autumn or “Mooncake” Festival was on Wednesday. Did you have some mooncakes? I was in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday and was given some really nice mooncakes – the traditional kind – by my colleagues. When I … Continue reading

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Born in Havana, Raised in Manila

I have always been fascinated by cigars from the Philippines since I was introduced to them over 30 years ago. The history of tobacco in the Philippines dates to 1592, when the Spanish galleon San Clemente brought about 50 kilos … Continue reading

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Fiestas in the Philippines

Ah the Philippines. It’s good to be back and plunge right smack into the familiar. The country has so much memories for me – Luneta Park, Manila Hotel, Ongpin, crispy pata, Lydia’s Lechon, Banaue, Bagio, Bohol, Philippine Rabbit, bagoong, Max, … Continue reading

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Farewell, Uncle Leong

When Jeff phoned me to tell me that Ignatius Leong has passed away on September 12th I was in Manila. I couldn’t go to the wake or the funeral. And I was saddened by it. Ignatius – often referred to as … Continue reading

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