Hong Kong
Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly

The gambling industry in Macau was all set to overtake its counterpart in Las Vegas, but the recent financial turmoil has hit them very hard. In 2002, the local government abolished their monopoly over the gaming market. This led to casinos from all over the world, rushing in to tap the wealthy resources of the Chinese. Macau soon became synonymous as the ‘Asian Las Vegas’. The first American company to enter the market was Las Vegas Sands, which opened the Sands Macau casino in 2004 — and earned back its $285 million investment in the very first year.

Macau, which was once known as ‘the most exciting growth story of the decade’ is now suffering at the hands of the Chinese Government and the current recessionary scenario. Last year, Chinese authorities without explanation began restricting the number of citizens who were allowed to enter Macau.

Gaming revenues fell to $3.3 billion in the first quarter of 2009 – a decline of almost 13% compared to the same period a year earlier. The number of visitors to the city dropped by nearly 10% in the first quarter, and this has hit the hoteliers and casino owners hard. They had to shelve most of their expansionary plans and take a hit on their bottom lines. The hardest hit has been the Las Vegas Sands, who had envisioned transforming a strip of the island into a Las Vegas replica. But now they are struggling to even find financiers for their projects.

Although, things are looking down and out for the gambling industry in Macau, yet analysts are positive about a turnaround pretty soon. They believe that the Chinese economy is strengthening, which is going to benefit the city’s tourism sector. They also believe that the Chinese Government is relaxing its visa restrictions, which will enable more people to enter Macau and enjoy the Asian Las Vegas.

Hong Kong
Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly
20-20 in 2010

The prestigious world of Olympics is just a few steps away from having a new discipline added to it. Recently, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) passed a resolution; thus adding cricket to the Asian games in Guangzhou (China) from 12th-27th November 2010. Cricket has been included as a medal sports for both men and women in the 20-20 format. The main reason for this addition is the ever increasing popularity of the shortened version of this game, worldwide.

Cricket could feature at the Olympics quite soon, because the 20-20 version was awarded the status of provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2007. The first time cricket featured at the Olympics was in 1900, when Great Britain beat France to win the coveted gold medal. Cricket also appeared at the 1998 Commonwealth games, where South Africa beat Australia to win the gold medal. Cricket was supposed to be included in the 2006 Asian games in Qatar, but had to be dropped since none of the teams were able to send their best players to the games.

This time test-playing nations Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will qualify automatically along with host China. All other subcontinent teams will have to fight it out to qualify for the remaining three places. According to the chairman of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), teams India and Pakistan will be the driving force for this competition, since they are the heavyweights of this game and they have also promised to send their best teams to this competition.

This could prove to be a significant step in the history of cricket. China along with the United States of America are the two biggest countries of the world. If cricket is able to leave a positive impact on them, there is a wonderful chance that it would spread to other smaller parts of the world as well. China is already making a bid to become a test playing nation in the coming few years. There could be some exciting times ahead for Asian cricket.

Bangkok
Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
The 7 Most Beautiful Temples in Asia

There are a number of places in Asia which have sites of religious importance and architectural beauty. A recent survey was conducted to adjudge the most beautiful temples and religious places in Asia and there were 7 clear winners.
Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple is devoted to Lord Buddha and was built over a period of a decade, in Thailand. Brought to life by a popular local artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat, the temple is constructed with only white materials. The Golden Temple in India has been constructed from real gold and the finest marble. This temple is considered one of the most pious places for Sikhs all over the world and also houses the holy book of the Sikhs – Guru Granth Sahib.
Considered one of the most pious places in Bhutan, the Tigers Nest Monastery sits on top of a 3,120 meter high cliff. It is said that this place was once the place of mediation for Guru Rinpoche. Standing at a staggering 98 meters, the Shwedagon pagoda or the Golden Pagoda has become synonymous with Myanmar. The holy shrine houses the relics of the last four Buddhas. Archaeological reports hold the Golden temple to be about 2500 years old.
The Borobudur temple in Indonesia too has won top honors in the list. Built in the 9th century, this temple signifies the 3 levels of Buddhist philosophy – Kamadhatu, Rupadhatu and Arupadhatu. The temple was recently given a coveted position on the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. Another holy place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list is the Prambanan temple complex in Indonesia. Built in 850 AD, the temple was meant to symbolize the victory of Hinduism in Indonesia. The complex houses yards devoted to Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma.
Last but not the least, the Kinkaku-ji temple in Japan, is one of the most important Zen temples today. Also known as the Golden Pavilion, this temple is covered in gold leaf and looks truly spectacular. All these places are a must visit for anyone going to Asia.

Beijing
Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly
The famous movie star, Jackie Chan, who is loved by fans all across the globe for the extraordinary martial arts skills he displays in his movies, met the students who survived the fatal earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province last year. The actor joined the students on the eve of the earthquake’s anniversary in singing a song that helped boost their morale.

Jackie Chan visited the Beichuan Middle School, which was one of the worst affected schools in the quake. He sang a song titled “Nation” alongwith the students present over there. Jackie Chan and his team are promoting this song since they shot a music video on it in April this year. This song was dedicated to PRC on its 60th anniversary.

The national flag of China covering a space of 5,000 square meters was unfurled by Jackie Chan on the school playground. The 55-year-old star shouted, “Go! Beichuan” meaning, “Go! China”, which was echoed by more than 1,000 students present in the ceremony.

The students were elevated to meet their much-admired movie star and were happy that he came to lend his support to them. Jing Shengxi, a student of the Beichuan Middle School commented, “I really feel the strength of our nation after the quake. The song gives me a better understanding of the relationship between the nation and a family”.

The principal of the school, Liu Yachun expressed his happiness and sense of integrity by saying, “We would not have such bright smiles today without a strong nation. I hope every student can make best use of time, remember the love, make a better self and help build a strong nation.”

Last year, nearly 1,000 students as well as teachers of the school went missing or were declared dead in China’s worst-ever earthquake that happened on May 12. The construction of the new school will commence from the may 12 this year from the donations received by China from all over the globe.

The earthquake was recorded having a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale was responsible for the misery of over 87,000 people who either died or went missing.

Food Editor
James M. Kelly
Nature has bestowed us with an enormous range of fruits for the summer season. Every fruit has certain elements that are advantageous for the human body. Here is a comprehensive list of some of the favorite fruits of people during summer alongwith their respective health benefits.

Watermelon – the rich sweet taste and water in the fruit helps you in quenching your thirst and has a cooling effect on the body. Moreover, it is also a rich source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, lycopene and iron.

Berries of all sorts, strawberries, blackberries and blue berries aid in boosting up immunity levels in the body owing to the presence of phytochemicals in them. These are also excellent for protection against heart diseases, circulatory problems and cancer.

Mangoes and papayas are perhaps the most cherished summer fruits. Containing high quantities of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene and fiber, these two fruits are excellent options for beating the summer heat while relishing their sweet, delectable taste. In fact, only eating adequate quantity of mangoes can provide the body with the benefits of vitamin A.

Another set of fruits that contain appreciable quantities of vitamin C, antioxidant phytochemicals, beta-carotene and anthocyanins are plums and peaches. These fruits help purify the body be cleaning it of all the free radicals present in the body.

The unforgettable taste of pineapple makes it the favorite of fruit lovers from all over the globe. Apart from having almost all the essential vitamins and minerals, pineapple also contains bromelain enzyme that is extremely helpful in regulating the digestive system.

Few other fruits that are available in summers include apricots, cranberries and cherries that help cure constipation, urinary tract infection and the growth of carcinogenic cells in the body, respectively.

Summer time is great for soothing your taste buds with the delicious taste of so many fruits and also, for building a healthy body by deriving the nutritional benefits from these fruits.

Bangkok
Bureau

Edited by James M. Kelly
When one thinks of beer, there are a number of brands that pop up in the mind. But chances are that none of those brands will be Asian. Although beer has been popular in Asia for almost a century and has been consumed in large quantities, there are very few brands that have been able to win for themselves a global standing.

This is surprising, because Asian food is known to be spicy and nothing eases that hot sensation better than a cold beer. Even the climate has a large role to play in the growing demand for beer. The rising demand could probably explain why, today, there are a number of indigenous brands offering good quality lager.

For instance, China is being touted to becoming the largest manufacturers of beer in the world. Given that China has the largest population in the world, there is no real surprise in the fact that they also have the greatest demand for beer. Presently the country produces and markets almost twelve times more than that produced by a nation like Australia. Even though Indonesia is a Muslim country, this nation too has a thriving beer business. Most of it can be accredited to the high levels of tourist influx.

Similarly, in the Philippines, beer has managed to garner a large market. San Miguel, established in 1890 is one of the largest breweries in South East Asia and is on its path to beer glory. In Japan, beer was first introduced in 1870 by an American named William Copeland. He set up the very first brewery in Japan and called it the Spring Valley Brewery. Today, the Japanese people have adopted beer as their favorite alcoholic drink, as against the indigenous sake. Hundreds of microbreweries are presently functioning across the four islands of Japan.

Over the years, the demand for beer has grown by leaps and bounds in Asia. This reason is one of the prime facilitators for the rise of local breweries and indigenous brands. Today, people all across the world are beginning to recognize brands such as Chang Beer, Kingfisher, Singha Beer and Tiger Beer.

Manilla
Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Despite the harsh economic climate the organic industry is still managing to maintain a steady growth rate. A group of green minded growers gathered together at the EchoStore in Serendra Piaza, Taguig City to try and convert industry leaders to the green side with some fresh ideas.
Mara Pardo de Tavera, who started the organic buzz in the metro 15 years ago with her company, the Organic Galaxy explained how the business is still booming and how many people are now going for quality to get the full value of their money.
And there’s room for 30 to 40 per cent growth so far, she added.
Rosalina Tan, an organic fertilizer producer also for the last 15 years, shares the same sentiment, although she prefers to focus by region.
“Mommy Lina,” as Tan is fondly called, is the founder of the Organic Producers and Trade Association with nationwide organic farmer members.
She adheres to the organic marketing principle to “buy organic produce closest to the community and meet the local demand.”
Tan explained how she wanted to concentrate on the regions rather than the whole of Manila.
Escaping from the middlemen
Pardo de Tavera tells how they can help the farmers if they wish to avoid the middlemen. The organic industry can easily set up a system where the farmers can supply to a local market on a regular basis themselves.
If organic produce is made accessible in every region, it would mean that the carbon footprint would lessen because it would be less fuel in transporting the harvest to different regions.
The Philippines is already known to be a huge exporter its processed organic products to India, China, Vietnam, and even the United States, Japan and Europe.
However, it has been reported that the main carrier of the Philippine harvest was down this year due to the economic crisis.