Thai Kissing

20 Feb 2011 - A Thai couple has sealed a new record for the longest kissing, after locking lips for 46 hours, 24 minutes. The Guinness World Records still have to verify the latest "kissathon" for it to become official.
Husband and wife team Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat were one of 14 couples taking part in a contest in Bangkok. The pair won a diamond ring worth 50,000 baht (£1,016) and a 100,000 baht (£2,032) cash prize.
The couple began smooching at 0600 local time on Sunday, and were announced the winners just before dawn on Tuesday. Contestants had to be either married or a serious couple, with a marriage certificate or letter from both parents required as proof. They were allowed to eat, drink and use the lavatory, provided they did not break their embrace. No sitting or sleeping was permitted; one woman fainted just half an hour into the competition. "We want to show that love is meaningful and powerful," said organiser Somporn Naksuetrong.

Naked Pics

15 Feb 2011 - I hope everybody enjoyed (or survived) their Valentine's Day, which seems increasingly becoming a commercial opportunity here in Asia. And all the restaurants were packed and flower shops were sold out, although it was announced in Malaysia that Muslims are not allowed to celebrate St. Valentine's special day  I read that many love-struck Asians have spiced up their work day at with saucy emails to whomever they are besotted with, according to an international poll conducted in Asia and Europe by Microsoft’s Windows Live Hotmail.  Research findings released by Microsoft suggests that many Asians feel comfortable expressing their love, flirting freely and even broaching problematic issues in their relationship via email.  In fact, they are less conservative about doing so than their counterparts in Europe. Who would have thought? Btw - I did not put it to the test, my Valentine was already as magnificent as it was.  

My Funny Valentine

14 Feb 2011 - "My Funny Valentine" is a sow tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms. After being recorded by Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, the song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists. Babes in Arms opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway on April 14, 1937 and ran for 289 performances. In the original play, a character named Billie Smith sings the song to Valentine "Val" LaMar ^.  In the song, Billie pokes fun at some of Valentine's characteristics, but ultimately affirms that he makes her smile and that she doesn't want him to change. The song first hit the charts in 1945, performed by Hal McIntyre with vocals by Ruth Gaylor. It only appeared for one week and hit #16.In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan, Oricon Style found My Funny Valentine to be the fifth most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan. The most popular song was Sayuri Kokusho's 1986 debut single Valentine Kiss, followed by Love Love Love from Dreams Come True, Valentine's Radio from Yumi Matsutoya, and Happy Happy Greeting from the Kinki Kids.

The President's Love Life

10 Dec 2010 - I am still in The Philippines and enjoying it. President Benigno Aquino has appealed for privacy, saying journalists' prying eyes are ruining his love life. Aquino has been linked to sevral women after he broke up with girlfriend Shalani Soledad in October. One was his stylist. There are also pictures in circulation of the President with a stock broker said to be his new romantic interest. Aquino said he will spend Christmas without a date because women were scared to go out with him for fear of ending up in newspapers. He said it was difficult to woo a woman with the nation watching and joked with reporters that it would be "on their conscience" if another prospective girlfriend stayed away. Maybe he should call Mr. Sarkozy for some advice? Or how about Berlusconi? Putin? Clinton?

Baby Kingdom

5 Sep 2010 - Many developed Asian countries are confronted with low birth rates, and Governments despair how to boost up the birth rate. Taiwan unveiled a new slogan on Wednesday aimed at encouraging couples to have more babies in its latest bid to boost the island's dwindling birth rate, which is among the world's lowest. "Children - our best heirloom" is the somewhat awkward choice. The slogan was chosen via an online poll after garnering nearly a third of the 31,000 responses, followed by "Happiness is very easy; baby one, two, three" and "it's good to have a child", said the Interior Ministry spokesperson. The slogan's writer will get a prize of NT 1 million (HKD 242,600) while the phrase will be printed on government literature and leaflets, it said. Taipei also plans to start paying couples NT 20,000 for every newborn from next year onwards.

The Price of Being Single

9.Aug 2010 - A recent study showed that living single costs a whopping HKD 3 million more over a life time compared to couples. Singles have to carry the full burden of the mortgage, bills and holiday costs. The researchers felt that singles pay a hefty price for their singledom, and concluded that the idea that a single life is 'one non-stop party' is a myth. People simply cannot afford the party routine, they said. Expensive hotel rooms in particular add up, but it was also argued that cooking dinner for one is always more expensive than dinner for two, because it is difficult to buy most ingredients in small portions. However, a note was made that some felt that single life cannot be compared to a life in a relationship as choices, and hence expenses, are totally different. However, it seemed there was clear scientific proof that life is cheaper as a couple. Maybe that is true, but it leaves me with the question what the price of freedom is?

Watch Me

19 June 2010 - A court dispute between a 30 years old woman and her 39 years old lover was settled in court the other day. After meeting on an online dating site, the couple was on & off since 2006. Whenever the guy broke up with the increasingly desperate woman, she bought him a watch to lure him back into the relationship. The man could not get enough of thew watches and threatened to leak saucy sex pictures of the couple online, if he was not given more goodies. The woman bought him a Rolex, but when the guy refused to return the pictures to him she went to court. What to learn from this story? It's sad, some Hong Kong people are greedy, desperate and unreliable, and there is not enough love in this city.

Melting Pot

27 May 2010 - Associated Press reports that the growth of interracial marriages is slowing down among US-born Asians. Recent influxes of immigrants give them more ethnically similar partners to choose from, according to demographers. About 8% of US marriages are mixed race. Broken down by race, about 40% of US-born Asians now marry whites. The numbers reflect in part an internal struggle that Asians say they feel navigating two cultural worlds - the US and their parents' homeland. "My parents have prejudice, but they have accepted my (white) husband," says Hai Nguyen. I wonder if there are any similar figures available for Hong Kong. Who knows?