Yamato

Next day we decided to have Indian food for lunch. We Googled and there was a Royal Tandori so we went. On arrival we found ourselves in a "not so nice" neighbourhood. Its like the houses are really old and streets dirty how shall I say? Hate to say this but yes its like a "low income" neighbourhood. First reaction was regret as I don't think such a place will have nice and authentic Indian food. Anyway since we arrived let's do it Inside also looked old but we were immediately welcomed by a very nice aroma of Indian spices really wonderful fragrant but is clean I must say We were the only customer, again a feeling of regret The chicken buryani came first Naan Beef curry Lamb curry Oh wonderful lamb Spinach Finally I highly recommend this very authentic Indian restaurant if you are looking for one in Quebec. A real gem we found.

As we're tired and cold so decided to have dinner in hotel BBQ ribs Second beer More beer

After the lunch we continued our drive entering Canada via Stanstead border crossing. While leaving the US there's no immigration check you simply drive on and hit the Canadian side of the border crossing passport control. There was only 1 car in front of the queue. When it was my turn I simply gave the officer our passports and showed him QR code (on my phone) that we received after filling up a form online with the ArriveCAN app. Then we're off, about 2 minutes I'd say. Then it was a 3hrs drive to our hotel in Quebec

So previous Monday (26th Sep) we left the Glen House in the White Mountains for Quebec. On the way there we stopped by a wonderful restaurant for brunch J's Corner Very busy restaurant during lunch, there's no table so we sat at the bar The bar My beer Onion soup Here comes the steak Here comes my fish Ordered a chicken finger (to go finally) Wonderful experience and very good service and delicious food.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/From-Singapore-to-Thailand-Asia-dangles-visas-to-lure-high-fliers?del_type=1&pub_date=20221004190000&seq_num=2 From Singapore to Thailand, Asia dangles visas to lure high-fliers New programs kick off as companies struggle to find skilled workers KENTARO IWAMOTO, TSUBASA SURUGA and APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writersOctober 4, 2022 06:00 JST TOKYO/SINGAPORE/BANGKOK -- During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore tightly closed its borders. While many countries did the same, it was a sharp shock to the system for a city-state that had thrived as a hub for travel and as a magnet for foreign workers. As some foreign nationals left, and entries were largely halted, Singapore's population dropped by 4.1% over the year through June 2021, to 5.45 million. The latest data released on Sept. 27, however, shows nearly as swift a turnaround, thanks to a gradual lifting of restrictions. The population rebounded by 3.4% to 5.63 million, largely driven by workers in sectors like construction and shipyards -- the unsung labor that keeps the economy going. Now, Singapore hopes to attract more highly skilled professionals with expertise and ideas that could jolt growth in the post-COVID era. "This is an age where talent makes all the difference to a nation's success," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his annual National Day Rally speech on Aug. 21, days before his government announced a new type of visa designed to lure such people. "We need to focus on attracting and retaining top talent, in the same way we focus on attracting and retaining investments." The city-state is far from the only place that covets high-flyers. From Thailand to Taiwan, a competition is heating up to entice the best of the best, and to fill hiring gaps with people equipped to excel in today's pandemic-altered workplace. Innovative sectors like digital technology and biotechnology are especially hungry for talent. Singapore's latest carrot is called the Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass, a new visa for high-skill professionals who earn at least 30,000 Singapore dollars ($20,800) a month. The program will allow people with these visas to stay at least five years and work at multiple organizations. Office workers in Singapore: The city-state's newest visa will allow holders to stay at least five years and work at multiple organizations. © Reuters Thailand, meanwhile, began taking applications on Sept. 1 for a new visa that lets global professionals stay in the country for 10 years. The government hopes to bring in 1 million foreign nationals with the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa, designed for those with skills in targeted sectors such as electric vehicles, biotechnology and defense. Tourism-oriented Thailand, like Singapore, has been hit hard by travel disruptions. Both also have aging populations. While Singapore is expecting growth in the 3% to 4% range this year, the Asian Development Bank's latest outlook forecasts Thailand's growth rate at 2.9%, far below Indonesia's expected growth of 5.4%, Malaysia's 6% and Vietnam's 6.5%. Malaysia, for its part, aims to attract wealthy investors with its new Premium Visa Program. The program, which began accepting applications on Saturday, allows people who can deposit 1 million ringgit (about $215,000) in the country and have an annual offshore income of around $100,000 to stay for up to 20 years. During that time, they can invest, run businesses and work. As part of a broader move to bring in more human resources, Australia recently raised its annual permanent immigration cap to 195,000 for the current fiscal year, from 160,000. These initiatives add to existing programs offered around the region, such as Taiwan's Employment Gold Card system, which started in 2018 for foreign professionals in targeted sectors such as science and technology. "Despite recession fears, many companies are backfilling from the pandemic and hiring for new roles as part of their expansion plans that they have put a pause on for the past two years," said Jaya Dass, managing director of permanent recruitment for the Asia-Pacific region at Randstad, a staffing company. Dass noted that the evolution of business and digital transformation over the past two years have created a need for professionals armed with new skills. "There is now a greater focus on high-value jobs. Besides being digitally adept, employers are looking for talent who are agile, innovative and able to think critically," Dass said. Finding that talent appears increasingly difficult. A survey by ManpowerGroup, another human resources company, found that 75% of about 40,000 companies globally reported challenges in hiring the employees they need, a big jump from 54% in 2019. Companies in some Asian economies are struggling more than the global average: 88% of Taiwanese employers reported such challenges, the highest among the 40 economies the survey covered. Singapore employers did not fare much better, at 84%. Government leaders share a sense of crisis about the competition for talent. "Right now, the best and the brightest minds aren't coming to Australia. They're going elsewhere," Canberra's Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said, announcing the immigration revision on Sept. 2. "If we want Australia to continue to thrive, then we are going to need more help." Japan is rushing to catch up with other Asian nations, planning to expand its own programs for high-skill foreign workers. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, pictured during remarks on Sept. 17, has acknowledged that Japan is "lagging" behind when it comes to competing for human resources. "We are now entering an era of global competition for human resources, in which countries around the world are competing to attract the best foreign talent," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Sept. 17. Pointing to Singapore as well as New Zealand as another country with preferential visa programs. "Japan is still lagging in this area, and we must make more efforts," he acknowledged. Businesses seem to appreciate such endeavors. Singapore's new ONE Pass has already drawn significant attention and rave reviews. Kei Shibata, a Japanese entrepreneur who runs a travel startup in Singapore, said he was interested in the new visa, as it offers a longer stay than existing programs and allows holders to work in multiple companies. "In terms of setting up and growing a business here, it would be nice to have a visa for about five years," he told Nikkei Asia. He also noted that some entrepreneurs serve as outside directors of other companies, saying he thinks there is a need for the program. Magnus Grimeland, founder and CEO of Antler, a venture capital firm established in Singapore with over 550 portfolio companies, was also upbeat. "It's a really good scheme," he said. "Super smart." Grimeland said about 60% of the founders his company supports in Singapore have set up their businesses using EntrePass, a separate visa for entrepreneurs. But ONE Pass is more flexible than existing schemes. EntrePass has no minimum salary but is only good for one year to start. Another visa, the Employment Pass (EP), is typically granted for two to three years and is tied to a specific job. "Moving [to Singapore] with their family can usually only be guaranteed for around two years, so the five-year term will give them security," he said. Not surprisingly, the new visa has raised some questions about the impact on citizens. In a parliamentary debate following the ONE Pass announcement, an opposition lawmaker stressed that "skills transfer to Singaporean workers must be at the center of our manpower policies." But the graying population is adding impetus for overseas recruiting. The latest data showed that people aged 65 or older accounted for 18.4% Singapore citizens of the total, up from 17.6% last year. Grimeland suggested Singapore has a lot to gain from programs like ONE Pass. "If you combine the best talent in Singapore with great people from abroad, it's very beneficial," he said. "Many governments are trying to do this. From our experience, Singapore is exceptional on its execution of ways to attract talented people to build companies." Likewise, Thai businesses are welcoming the LTR Visa, which has already attracted hundreds of applications. Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, chair and group CEO of industrial real estate developer WHA, said companies appreciate the policy because there is an urgent need to bring in skilled labor. The need is especially acute in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a development zone envisioned as a hub for high-tech industries such as health care, robotics, biotechnology, electric vehicles and tourism. Jareeporn said that when the EEC is promoted, "many foreigners ask whether we have enough expert workers to work here." The answer? "There are not enough expert workers, so we have to import [them]," she said. "We have to build our own [talent] too, but it takes time." Koji Sako, an associate professor at Japan's Josai International University and a longtime Asian economy watcher, said the strategy behind Thailand's new visa is to offer early incentives to attract professionals in sectors that could be major industries in the future. He suggested the government hopes to get a head start on potential competitors -- say, India, which "could potentially be an EV exporter." The Grand Palace in Bangkok lies empty of tourists in late 2020: As COVID-19 border restrictions come down, countries are looking to rev up their economies by attracting more international talent. (File photo by EPA/Jiji) The battle for high-skill workers is not just an Asian phenomenon, but a global one. For example, the U.K. earlier this year launched a new system called the High Potential Individual visa, allowing graduates of prestigious universities to stay in the country even before they land a job. Meanwhile, some markets are losing human resources. Hong Kong's population fell by 121,500, or 1.6%, over the year through June 2022, the sharpest decrease since comparable data became available in 1961. The Asian financial center has been hit by a decline in births and an outflow of people. China's strict national security law, as well as tight COVID-19 restrictions, appears to be among the reasons people are heading for the exit. Sako pointed out that geopolitics could affect the movement of workers in other ways -- and open up opportunities for Asian economies that offer the right enticements. "Highly skilled workers had been concentrated in the U.S., but due to the recent conflicts between the U.S. and China, some Chinese talent is losing their place to go," he said. With their new programs, he said Asian countries could become a destination for such people.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Indonesia-presents-China-made-high-speed-train-cars?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20221004123000&seq_num=5&si=44594 Indonesia presents China-made high-speed train cars Railway to connect Jakarta with Bandung; operations to start in June 2023 A total of 12 sets of eight-car trains, approximately 200 meters in length each, will be delivered in the future. KOYA JIBIKI, Nikkei staff writerOctober 3, 2022 21:48 JST JAKARTA -- Indonesia has presented in public the cars of the country's first high-speed train connecting the capital Jakarta with Bandung, a major city in West Java, with commercial operations expected to start in June 2023. The cars, presented to the media on Saturday, were manufactured by a company under China's state-owned train manufacturer CRRC. The covers on the cars were not removed throughout the event. The cars arrived at the port of Tanjung Priok in Jakarta in early September. A total of 12 sets of eight-car trains, approximately 200 meters in length each, will be delivered in the future, including those for inspection According to Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), an Indonesia-China joint venture for the high-speed rail project, the cars consist of VIP seats, first- and second-class seats, and a dining car. With a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new railway connects Jakarta and Bandung, a distance of about 142 km apart, in as little as 35 minutes, compared to 3.5 hours by the existing railway. There is a plan for Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping to take a ride together for a test operation of the new railway in November. Xi is scheduled to attend the Group of Twenty (G-20) Summit in Bali the same month, which Indonesia will chair. Initially, Japan was considered a strong contender to win the order for Indonesia's high-speed railway project. However, Widodo adopted the Chinese proposal on condition that China would not require Indonesia to bear any financial burden. Nevertheless, the completion of the project has been pushed back from the original target of 2018 due to delays in land expropriation and the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction is approximately 90% complete, and the railway is expected to open in June 2023. The total construction cost exceeds the initial estimate of $5.5 billion. In October 2021, the Indonesian government reversed its previous plan and decided to invest government funds. The parliament is scrutinizing the amount of money needed.

That only 1 night in the White Mountains had dinner in this cosy local restaurant Cider Co. Menu Soup Starter Main

Glen House room, beautiful view from the window

Took a walk around the hotel next morning before check-out

Glen House, love this hotel. Its built in the 1800s At the back of the hotel

Destination is this beautiful hotel in the White Mountains known as Glen House this is a relaxing and beautiful drive almost reaching Glen House

Then it was time to leave Boston for the White Mountains. Looked for brunch and found a Taiwanese hot pot shop. Pretty good but portion is rather huge

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Airport-projeAirport projects in Thailand, Singapore resume after COVID hiatus Airport projects in Thailand, Singapore resume after COVID hiatus Despite traffic recovery, scale of expansion raises concerns about capacity glut Tan Son Nhat Airport near Ho Chi Minh City will break ground soon on a $460 million expansion that will boost capacity by 80%. © Reuters TAMAKI KYOZUKA, SHUGO TAMURA and MAYUKO TANI, Nikkei staff writersSeptember 30, 2022 10:53 JST TOKYO/SINGAPORE -- Airport projects are popping back up across Southeast Asia as demand for passenger and cargo flights rebounds from the pandemic. Thailand is accelerating expansion plans at three Bangkok-area airports -- Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao. The government is looking to accommodate an expected increase in travelers in the upcoming busy season and beyond, a spokesperson told local media. Multiple projects are underway at Suvarnabhumi, Thailand's main international gateway. A third runway is set to be completed this year, and the government plans to solicit bids next year for construction of a new terminal. The additions are expected to enable the airport to handle 120 million travelers a year. In Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in August that work would resume on the new Terminal 5 at Changi Airport. "The future of aviation remains bright," he said. The new terminal -- a long-term project expected to finish in the mid-2030s -- will be able to operate as smaller sub-terminals to adjust capacity as needed and prevent infections from spreading between flights. This facility, along with an expansion of Terminal 2, will boost Changi's capacity to 140 million passengers a year, up 65% from pre-COVID levels. These are part of a broad push around the region to expand airports to lift pandemic-hit economies, both by buoying the tourism industry and via an economic boost from the construction projects. Eight major Asian economies are investing $164 billion in airport projects, according to Fitch Solutions. The Philippines and Vietnam are outpacing even mainland China, with $44.3 billion and $23.7 billion in spending, respectively. Inbound travel to Southeast Asia is gradually recovering, if more slowly than in the West. The number of passengers at Changi had returned to 58% of 2019 levels as of late August, according to Singapore Transport Minister S. Iswaran, and the flight schedule will be back to 80% of its former levels at the end of this year. Singapore's Changi Airport is restarting work on a planned fifth terminal. (Image courtesy of Changi Airport Group) As traffic picks up, congestion, long a challenge at major aviation hubs, could hold back the industry's recovery. The impact is already being felt at Tan Son Nhat International Airport near Ho Chi Minh City, where a long queue snaked from domestic flight check-in counters during a visit in mid-September. Nearly 20% of domestic flights in Vietnam faced delays or other issues in June, according to local media, with most caused by overly packed schedules. Tan Son Nhat is set to break ground soon on an 11 trillion dong ($460 million) expansion slated for completion in 2024, boosting capacity by 80% to 45 million passengers a year. Work is also underway on the new Long Thanh International Airport nearby, now scheduled to open in 2025. There are concerns that these expansions will increase supply far beyond demand. Total capacity in Thailand, southern Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore is set to swell to 460 million people based on known projects alone -- well over five times the total number of international travelers in 2019. The Philippines in mid-September awarded the $11 billion Sangley Point International Airport project to a consortium including Samsung group member Samsung C&T, an affiliate of local conglomerate LT Group, and Munich Airports International. The decision brings plans for the new airport back on track after a previous contract winner dropped out amid profitability concerns. "Southeast Asian countries have been starting to put funding for coronavirus countermeasures into infrastructure development and other public works investments, making it easier to move forward with plans," said Makoto Saito of the NLI Research Institute. But companies still remain uncertain about the likely profit margins of these projects. Airport expansion presents business opportunities to construction companies. But those companies will face high material and labor costs, just like airport operators that are making the investments. "Not only are large-scale construction projects at overseas airports risky, the profit margins are slim," said an executive at a Japanese general contractor with an extensive track record landing contracts in Southeast Asia. A candidate for such contracts would face local contractors, along with rivals from China and South Korea. The bidding wars have devolved into cutthroat price competition. For projects that would strain a government's coffers, debt risks lurk around the corner. Japanese engineering group Taisei entered negotiations with the Sri Lankan government to possibly suspend the expansion of an airport. Funding for the project was frozen due to Sri Lanka's economic crisis, and the talks could result in Taisei being released from its contract.

I was very surprised the lobster is inexpensive

So Boston is well known for clam chowder. Hotel staff told me best seafood is by Legal Seafood at harbourside so off we went

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Crisis/Former-Miss-Myanmar-leaves-Thailand-to-seek-refuge-in-Canada?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220929121000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Former Miss Myanmar leaves Thailand to seek refuge in Canada Han Lay, who denounced the Myanmar military government, was denied entry in Bangkok Han Lay, who was crowned Miss Grand International Myanmar in 2021, was placed on a wanted list after denouncing Myanmar's military government last year. © AP YOHEI MURAMATSU, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 29, 2022 01:57 JST BANGKOK -- A Myanmar beauty queen who sought refuge in Thailand after criticizing her country's military government has departed for Canada to seek asylum there. Thai immigration officials confirmed Wednesday that Han Lay, the former Miss Grand International Myanmar, has left for Canada. After Myanmar's military seized power in February 2021, Han Lay gained fame when she denounced the new leaders during a beauty pageant held in Bangkok the following month. Military officials responded by placing Han Lay on an extensive wanted list, which forced her to stay in Thailand for refuge. But she was refused reentry into Thailand on Sept. 21 upon landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport following a trip to Vietnam. Myanmar's military government is believed to have invalidated Han Lay's passport, according to Thai media reports. She appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for support while she was held at Bangkok's airport.

I really like this Boston Public Garden, really beautiful The entrance

My actual destination was the Boston's Public Garden so I had to walk almost 2km passing by this housing area along a Commonwealth Ave that has a park towards the Public Garden, here are some photos of the walk and through the park -

Arrived in Boston a bit late so next morning which was a Sunday went out for a walk. The hotel was just next to Charles River and I did not expect to see this

Good morning from Quebec. So today we will be driving to Montreal. Last time I left off was about going to Boston. But before we could do that I had to go to the car rental to pick up the car a GMC Terrain SUV. Paperwork was a breeze that only require my driving license (I used my Singapore license) and credit card. I told the guy again I want to get the top insurance coverage and he told me it is also got assurance that I could drive into Canada and that the insurance also covers Canada, both he said was good to go. Obviously driving on the other side of the road made me nervous at first and getting used to its been quite a few years. So off we went towards Boston on our 4hrs journey. Came across this small beautiful lake Stopped by the side Beautiful isn't it?

I am already missing Thai food now, sigh. I remembered last week had this brunch Yam pla kapong (Sardine salad) Tomyam, krung (prawn tomyam) Krapow moosaab khai dow (Thai basils minced pork with egg) All freshly prepared and costs only $6.50 Amazingly delicious

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Supply-Chain/Apple-already-building-latest-iPhone-14-in-India?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220927123000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Apple already building latest iPhone 14 in India Move a sign South Asian country is gaining importance in supply chain Apple has started producing its newest iPhone 14 in India, within weeks of their global launch. (Source photos by Reuters and Kosaku Mimura) CHENG TING-FANG, Nikkei Asia chief tech correspondentSeptember 26, 2022 19:40 JST TAIPEI -- Apple announced it has started producing the iPhone 14 in India just three weeks after the release of the smartphone lineup, a significant win for the South Asian country as it attempts to grab a bigger piece of the global electronics supply chain. Apple said on Monday that it is "excited to be manufacturing [the] iPhone 14 in India." It is the first time that Apple has started producing its newest phones outside of China so soon after their launch. For now, only the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 model is being built in India, two people told Nikkei Asia, saying that additional models, including the iPhone 14 Plus, could follow in a matter of months. Traditionally, Apple keeps the manufacture of new iPhones entirely in China until it is confident that production of the devices is running smoothly. Only then does it begin producing the latest models in other countries, like India. Apple started assembling its budget iPhone SE in India in 2017 via a smaller iPhone assembler Wistron. Two major assemblers, Foxconn and Pegatron, later expanded production in India and helped Apple assemble some parts of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models in the South Asian country. In April, Apple confirmed it had started to build iPhone 13 in India -- more than half a year after it introduced the product. Most iPhones are still built in China: in the Chinese cities of Zhengzhou and Shenzhen by Foxconn, in Shanghai by Pegatron, and in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, by Luxshare Precision Industry. Foxconn is still the biggest supplier, securing orders to build three different models of the latest range, including the iPhone 14, and is the primary source for the premium iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models, sources briefed on the matter told Nikkei Asia. Pegatron and Luxshare mainly assemble the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus models, they said. Apple has started to diversify production out of China, its main production base, in recent years. It asked suppliers as early as 2018 to evaluate producing some AirPods outside of the country, with the test production of the earphones beginning in Vietnam the following year. Apple also plans to build iPads and the Apple Watch in Vietnam as it attempts to lower its dependence on the world's second-largest economy. "We see Foxconn and Pegatron are all expanding production in India," said Jeff Pu, an analyst with Haitong International Securities. "Given the rising labor costs in China and the ongoing trend of diversifying regional manufacturing, we do see a growing portion of iPhones being built in India in years to come." Additional reporting by Lauly Li.

Finally it was time to head to Boston. Will post more photos of Boston later today in the mean time . . . . . Gasoline prices in US is really cheap Topping up my ride Costs

Some photos of the Liberty Cruise