Yamato

There's probably one more thing left to do and its to see the Statue of Liberty, so off we went to take the Liberty Cruise, enjoyed the ride very much

Visited the 9-11 Memorial area

This is a nice Szechuan restaurant in NYC, very authentic. We needed something spicy

Went to the Times Square again another night - NYC Time Square 24th Sep 2022, 9pm

Here's a nice video on walking to Central Park and inside the park

One morning I wanted to visit the New York Central Park so I walked there from hotel was a 40mins walk Famous Trump Tower Arriving in Central Park Garden and city, its so relaxing

Oh one day in NYC I decided to see the Charging Bull so I tool the subway

While walking back to the hotel I came across this nice pub - Pig n Whistle Pub Had 2 beers and some meatballs there, really enjoyed the atmosphere

More photos of Times Square

Times Square is simply 1.3km away from my hotel so I took a walk there here's the walking scene along 7th Avenue

Sorry for disappearing past 5 days was busy traveling. Its now 8.20am in Quebec, we just arrived last night at 7pm. Had time to arranged the photos and upload come videos. So my second morning there we had a great breakfast at a Johnny's Luncheonette on the next street. Love this place That's Johnny Here comes the breakfasts

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Sony-s-Aquaverse-set-for-Thai-debut-as-Paramount-eyes-Bali-theme-park?utm_campaign=GL_JP_update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=4&pub_date=20220921085958&seq_num=8&si=44594 Sony's Aquaverse set for Thai debut as Paramount eyes Bali theme park Southeast Asia's growing population and incomes draw overseas players The Columbia Pictures Aquaverse set to open in Thailand will have attractions featuring content from film franchises such as "Hotel Transylvania." (Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Aquaverse) KOYA JIBIKI, KOSUKE INOUE and KEIICHI FURUKAWA, Nikkei staff writersSeptember 21, 2022 03:43 JST JAKARTA/BANGKOK/TOKYO -- Sony Pictures Entertainment will open a water park in Thailand next month while Paramount Pictures plans to build one of Southeast Asia's largest theme parks in the Indonesian island resort of Bali, as the companies seek to tap the region's growing middle-class demand. The Columbia Pictures Aquaverse is set to debut Oct. 12 near the popular Thai resort city of Pattaya, parent Sony Pictures announced last Thursday. The theme and water park, spanning 56,000 square meters, had been scheduled to open in October last year, but the pandemic and other factors pushed back the date. The Aquaverse will be managed by Thai developer Amazon Falls, with the multiple water attractions themed after hit titles such as "Hotel Transylvania" and "Ghostbusters." The attraction is due expand to 160,000 sq. meters within a few years and there are plans to add indoor attractions harnessing virtual reality and metaverse technology. Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO Anthony Vinciquerra said at an investor meeting in May that the so-called location business is largely experimental, and the company does not intend to recreate another Disneyworld or Universal Studios. Unlike Walt Disney Co., it has no plans at this time to directly manage theme parks. Sony Pictures' aim is to license its library of content, which is a high-margin undertaking in itself, Vinciquerra added. Japanese parent Sony Group has issued a long-term goal of directly connecting with "1 billion people interested in entertainment." With Asia as a particularly promising market due to its population growth, the group will monitor the Aquaverse's progress and determine the feasibility of building similar attractions globally. In August, Paramount announced it is partnering with Indonesian resort developer Kios Ria Kreasi to build a theme park in Bali. Measuring 570,000 sq. meters, the site would be among the largest theme parks in Southeast Asia. Bali hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 10 for a new highway that will connect the western and central parts of the country, with Paramount executives in attendance. Paramount plans to open a portion of the site to visitors in 2025. "We believe that the beauty of Bali, combined with integrated resort hotels and a Paramount theme park, will create a magnificent entertainment project that all of Indonesia can be proud of," said Ty Granaroli, Paramount Global's executive vice president of themed entertainment and experiences. The group's portfolio of content includes global successes such as the "Top Gun" and "Mission Impossible" franchises, as well as kids' favorites like "Spongebob Squarepants." Indonesia's past record with entertainment attractions has been mostly defined by small sites run by local operators, with few projects launched by major overseas players. The market was not seen as a profitable target for investment considering the low average income. But in recent years, incomes have grown along with the economy, and a middle class with spare cash to spend on entertainment has started to emerge. Indonesia's per-capita gross domestic product was about $3,900 in 2020, climbing by more than 20% over a decade, according to the International Monetary Fund. The figure for Thailand topped $7,000, giving the nation upper-middle income status. Foreign tourists are also a key target market, which is why Sony and Paramount are locating theme parks near resort spots. With COVID-19 infections heading toward manageable levels, tourists are expected to return in droves to getaways. Capturing part of that demand would be a boon for the theme parks. Representatives from Paramount and Indonesian developer Kios Ria Kreasi sign a theme park agreement in Los Angeles in late July. (Photo courtesy of Kios Ria Kreasi) In other Asian countries, the openings of large theme parks have tracked gains in income levels. Tokyo Disneyland, for example, opened in 1983 when Japan's per-capita GDP was about $10,000. Shanghai Disneyland opened its doors in 2016 when China's per capita GDP was in the $8,000 range, with that measure believed to be above $10,000 in urban areas. In Thailand and Indonesia, the per-capita GDPs in urban areas appears to be around $10,000 as well. However, it remains to be seen whether the theme parks will turn out the way the two Hollywood studios plan. While large theme parks perform well at drawing tourists from neighboring countries, they also risk losing visitors to a rival site. A prime example was Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005 and struggled to turn a profit. After Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016, the Hong Kong counterpart lost traffic and slumped further. And if existing theme parks undertake major renovation projects in response to the new attractions, Sony and Paramount may not realize their ambitions. Infrastructure development presents another thorny issue. In late August, there were reports that the planned highway that would run near Paramount's Bali theme park is facing delays. Considering past cases involving local companies, Paramount cannot rule out lengthy postponements or outright cancellations of construction projects.

Continued the walk back Bought 2 slices of pizzas here New York "street art"?

Since woke up late went out to buy dinner. Here're scenes of me walking from 26th to 35th Bought burger from here - Mooyah The chef Very nice burger

So I finally arrived Newark Airport yesterday (Wednesday) at 5.30am Immigration was a breeze took us less than 5min from queueing to exiting to get our luggage. Luggage trolley is rather expensive at US$6 and then it was the taxi to take us to the hotel and it costs $95 arriving in the hotel just before 7am. Check-in time was 4pm so we went for a walk around the hotel area had breakfast at McDonalds Went to the hotel at 9.30am to hang around. The night before the hotel was fully booked so we have to wait for check-outs and cleaning. I asked the hotel manager about car rental he told be there's one just next street at 25th Street a mere 5mins walk. Was delighted to sort out my car rental on the spot. First is checking my driving license (Singapore and Thai) the staff told me its good both licenses could be use. Staff also told me car is good to drive into Canada and back just need to show the rental agreement. Also insurance is good for both US and Canada so no need anything extra. Total cost of the 10 days rental (including top insurance) was only US$1100, shockingly cheap. So I am basically all set for the trip. Will start driving on Saturday. Very lucky also at 10.20am staff gave us the room key cards as a room was ready. Didn't go out as we slept in the hotel room till 8pm.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Bangkok-governor-battles-floods-red-tape-to-attract-investment?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220921190000&seq_num=20&si=44594 Bangkok governor battles floods, red tape to attract investment Chadchart Sittipunt says ambitions still local despite calls to aim higher Newly elected Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt prays at a shrine inside Bangkok Metropolitan City Hall on June 1. © Reuters FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 21, 2022 12:16 JST BANGKOK -- On a rainy Wednesday in August, Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt woke up at 4 a.m. for his daily run. Sukhumvit Road was still quiet and devoid of its usual congestion, but a fellow early riser heckled the governor on his plan to remove the city's sidewalk vendors. Chadchart, a civil engineer by training, sees it as a problem of supply and demand. Bangkok would be unrecognizable without the food stalls that provide cheap eats for workers and tourists. But space is a limited resource, and the governor has proposed designating certain alleys for vendors and creating more hawker centers. "Some people are happy and some are not happy, and we have to listen to both of them," Chadchart, 56, told Nikkei Asia in an exclusive interview. "I'd rather listen to the unhappy ones so we can make improvements." Residents of a city as sprawling and populous as Bangkok can grow accustomed to rarely seeing -- let alone interacting with -- their leaders. Chadchart's landslide victory in June was due in part to this unusually personal approach, which fed into a 200-point policy platform and a savvy social media campaign run by a young team of digital natives and political neophytes. Running as an independent in the first gubernatorial election since Thailand's 2014 coup, his win sent a message to national parties that voters will be hungry for change by the time a general election, due by next year, rolls around. "Our task is not only to manage the city but also to restore trust, confidence and hope in the democratic system," he told an investors forum hosted by the Stock Exchange of Thailand last month. Leading a metropolis can serve as a springboard for politicians seeking national office. Rodrigo Duterte was mayor of the Philippines' most populous southern city for two decades. Indonesia's Joko Widodo, who served two years as governor of Jakarta before becoming president, is now building a new capital to relieve Jakarta's congestion. But Chadchart is digging into the city where he was born and raised, focusing his four-year term on making Bangkok more livable for its 10.9 million residents -- and for the foreign nationals he hopes to attract as Asian capitals vie for international talent and capital. "We are, in fact, just a labor market. If the city wins, the private sector also wins," he told Nikkei Asia. That will require disrupting the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA), streamlining processes and eliminating the red tape and corruption that burdens businesses in the capital. His young staff of social activists, digital freelancers and former journalists, including the 32-year-old deputy governor, Sanon Wangsangbun, are primed for this disruption. Days after taking office, Chadchart introduced a crowdsourcing app to speed up the authority's response to neighborhood problems, such as damaged sidewalks and dangling electrical wires. The curiously named Traffy Fondue received 20,000 complaints on the first day and has since had 130,000. Over 70,000 have been resolved so far, the governor claims. "You don't need to know the governor to have your problems fixed," he said. Weeks later, the BMA launched the Open Bangkok data project, allowing the public to see all city budgets, contracts and permits. "Corruption is caused by the asymmetry of information. The government has all the information about procuring and budgeting, and the people don't," Chadchart said. Thailand's score on Transparency International's corruption index has fallen since 2014 -- from 38 out of 100, to 35 in 2021. Bangkok's popular Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt often draws crowds of selfie-seeking fans. (Photo by Francesca Regalado) A political stalemate at the national level has contributed to Chadchart's strong performance at the polls. Chadchart won all of Bangkok's 50 districts, with voters supporting him regardless of their parliament member's party affiliation. "I'm not a career politician. Right now, I'm the governor of Bangkok, and I have fun doing it," he said. "If you run for national office, you have to join a political party, and I don't have fun doing that." But Chadchart was once affiliated with the Pheu Thai party, which is now the opposition. The civil engineer and university lecturer got his start in politics as transportation minister under former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. When Yingluck was deposed in a military coup in 2014, Chadchart and other cabinet members were hooded, handcuffed and detained for days. That experience made Chadchart hesitant to enter the gubernatorial race, he said. But he added that he holds no grudge against the coup's instigators, who remain the ruling party eight years later. He says he has a "respectful" relationship with Prayuth Chan-ocha, who was prime minister until a Constitutional Court suspended him in August while it rules on his term limit. Chadchart will need the ruling party's cooperation to stimulate private investment, and to address Bangkok's perennial issues of road congestion and flooding. An unusually heavy monsoon season will be the first major test for Chadchart, who has spent his Sundays visiting communities near the city's overwhelmed canals. On a recent outing to Bang Khen, a district between Don Mueang Airport and a flood-control canal, residents showed their flooded homes to the governor -- and to the cameras that trail after him. Even more people stopped him to take selfies. He once attracted a three-hour selfie queue while picking up his laptop from a repair shop. Even his son and his twin brother, a doctor, have become local celebrities. Critics have called him out for spending time on photo opportunities instead of fixing the city's problems, but Chadchart sees it as an opportunity for people to air their concerns. "They need someone to empathize with them," he said. "You can't do that if you stay in the office." His 200-point platform has also been derided by critics, who say the BMA has neither the budget nor the people to enact it. Chadchart said he plans to enlist the private sector to take responsibility for their own communities, reducing budgetary pressure on the BMA. The governor convened a committee of private businesses for this purpose last month, a first for the city. Chadchart's name has entered national polls on who should be Thailand's next prime minister. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 36-year-old daughter of Pheu Thai founder Thaksin, topped a June poll by the National Institute of Development Administration. Third was Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the progressive Move Forward Party. Prayuth placed fourth and Chadchart seventh. The governor says his policies for Bangkok are realistic, without falling anywhere on Thailand's political spectrum. "People lose hope in the system, whether they're progressive or conservative," he said. "I think we have to bring faith and trust and hope back to the system. And then, in the long term, things will change."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Emerging-Asia-growing-faster-than-China-for-1st-time-in-30-years?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220921123000&seq_num=2&si=44594 Emerging Asia growing faster than China for 1st time in 30 years Indonesia, Philippines are bright spots but India, Pakistan faltering, says ADB Vegetable vendors at a roadside market in Jakarta on Sept. 12. Indonesia is one emerging Asian economy that is forecast to grow faster than expected this year. © EPA/Jiji CLIFF VENZON, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 21, 2022 09:01 JSTUpdated on September 21, 2022 16:16 JST MANILA -- China's COVID lockdowns mean its economic expansion this year will be slower than the rest of emerging Asia for the first time in more than three decades, the Asian Development Bank projected in a new report. In an updated Asian Development Outlook report published Wednesday, the organization downgraded its forecast for China's 2022 growth to 3.3% from 5.0% in April. The bank also cut its projection for next year to 4.5% from 4.8%. Under its zero-COVID strategy, the region's largest economy imposed lockdowns to fight outbreaks, even as other countries loosened restrictions to reopen their economies. Those lockdowns, the ADB said, add to other economic challenges the region faces. These mainly stem from Russia's drawn-out invasion of Ukraine, which has pushed up global food and fuel inflation and led advanced economies to raise interest rates. Developing Asia as a whole is forecast to grow 4.3% in 2022, down from a 5.2% estimate in April. Excluding China, the region is projected to grow 5.3%, the ADB said. The ADB defines developing (or emerging) Asia as one of its 46 regional members in Asia and the Pacific -- basically all of the region's economies except Japan. For 2023, the emerging Asian region is forecast to grow 4.9%, instead of 5.3%. "Developing Asia continues to recover, but risks loom large," ADB Chief Economist Albert Park said in a statement. "A significant downturn in the world economy would severely undermine demand for the region's exports," Park said. "Stronger-than-expected monetary tightening in advanced economies could lead to financial instability. And growth in [China] faces challenges from recurrent lockdowns and a weak property sector." The ADB projects regional inflation to accelerate to 4.5% this year, from 3.7% in its earlier forecast. Price increases are expected to stabilize at 4.0% next year, but that is still higher than the previous forecast of 3.1%. The bank said rising inflation is expected to dent the recovery of South Asia, which is predicted to grow 6.5% this year, instead of 7.0%. The growth forecast for India, South Asia's largest economy, has been cut to 7.0%, from 7.5%, with a 7.2% expansion predicted next year. The economy of crisis-hit Sri Lanka is expected to shrink 8.8% this year, before the contraction eases to 3.3% in 2023. Pakistan, which grew 6% in its 2022 fiscal year ended June, is predicted to expand at a slower pace of 3.5% in 2023 as International Monetary Fund-backed efforts to fix the country's fiscal deficit curtail economic activity, the ADB said. Still, there are bright spots in other parts of the region. Southeast Asia's growth forecast for this year has been raised to 5.1% from 4.9%, and a 5.0% expansion is projected for 2023. This year's improved forecast comes amid stronger domestic demand in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, which is predicted to grow 5.4%, up from 5.0%. The Philippines is now estimated to expand 6.5%, rather than 6.0%.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Honda-eyes-reviving-iconic-NSX-sports-car-as-EV?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220921123000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Honda eyes reviving iconic NSX sports car as EV The car could highlight company's shift to battery-electric propulsion Honda plans to end sales of the NSX by the end of the year. (Photo courtesy of the company) PAUL A. EISENSTEIN, Contributing writerSeptember 21, 2022 11:30 JST DETROIT -- With only a handful of special editions left in dealer showrooms, the Acura NSX from Honda Motor seems ready to drive off into the sunset. But we might not have seen the last of the iconic sports car. When it was first introduced back in 1990, the Acura NSX served to demonstrate the technological prowess of Honda's luxury Acura brand, a strategy repeated with the launch of an all-new NSX in 2016. Now, Acura planners are giving thought to how they might bring the premium sports car back to demonstrate the brand's upcoming shift in direction. While he declined to say whether a third-generation NSX is set to follow, "I would bet on it," said Vice President and Acura Brand Officer Jon Ikeda at American Honda Motor Co. And if it does, he said in an exclusive interview, "it's going to be [all-]electric." Loosely based on the 1984 HP-X, the Honda Pininfarina eXperimental concept, the original NSX debuted as a 1990 model and was used to highlight such technological breakthroughs as the use of an all-aluminum body and chassis. It remained in production, with an ongoing series of tweaks, for the next 15 years. After spending nearly a decade exploring ways to revive the iconic nameplate, Acura brought the NSX back in 2016, this time as a three-motor gas-electric hybrid. It was lightning fast, rocketing from 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds, and used the unusual drivetrain's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive system to give it the sort of handling that even Ferrari struggled to match. But production recently wrapped up with the end of a limited-edition run of NSX Type-S models. And, at least officially, Acura says it has no plan to bring the sports car back. No official plan, but company officials tell another story on background, noting that a third-generation NSX would be the perfect platform to highlight the brand's shift from internal combustion to battery-electric propulsion. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe has shifted gears to EV production. (Photo by Tetsuya Kitayama) While parent Honda was an early pioneer in electrification, the carmaker was long reluctant to embrace pure battery power, much like its bigger rival Toyota Motor. To meet strict California emissions standards, Honda formed a joint venture with General Motors. That will see it bring two battery-electric vehicles to market in 2024: the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX. But, since taking over as CEO in April 2021, global CEO Toshihiro Mibe has shifted gears. Mibe plans to spend $40 billion to have his company go fully electric by 2040, with 30 BEVs due by the end of this decade. The plan actually expands on Honda's ties with GM -- the two set to work up a series of low-priced, all-electric models by taking advantage of their joint economies of scale. But Honda also is developing a BEV platform of its own. Dubbed the e:Architecture, it will provide the underpinnings for both mainstream Honda and highline Acura models. And that's where a new NSX would come in, according to Ikeda. It would fit its role as a halo nameplate and provide a clear indication of what the new battery-car platform is technically capable of. Battery propulsion systems are, by nature, capable of delivering impressive performance, noted Ikeda, as electric motors deliver maximum torque the moment they start spinning. And a number of automakers are putting that to good use already. Even mainstream models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Volkswagen ID.4 can deliver sports car-level 0-60 (mph, or 0-96 kph) times, depending on their configuration. Extreme machines, such as the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Dream Performance edition, are turning in some of the fastest launches ever, at barely 2 seconds. And Croatia's Rimac is hinting at a new model that could cut even that time in half. But Ikeda cautioned that a new NSX wouldn't simply deliver rocket-like speed. As with the second-generation hybrid model, the goal would be to demonstrate extreme levels of handling and other technological advantages. "It won't be just about straight lines," he stressed. The final decision on bringing back the NSX will likely be up to Mibe, Ikeda acknowledged, though the new CEO's support for electric power appears to be a solid sign that a new sports car will follow. The real question, Ikeda and other insiders said, is one of timing. While Acura will have Prologue, its first long-range battery-electric vehicle, in production in 2024, it will be a couple more years before its first model based on the e:Architecture platform is ready. And that, several said, would seem to be the perfect time to debut a new NSX. Late to the BEV market, Acura could need a halo product to show it can truly compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus, as well as all-electric brands such as Tesla. If Mibe gives the go-ahead, that could see formal development of a next-generation Acura NSX begin within the next year or two. Paul A. Eisenstein is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TheDetroitBureau.com, an U.S. automotive web magazine.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Thailand-Cambodia-maritime-border-talks-resume-after-hiatus?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220922190000&seq_num=23&si=44594 Thailand, Cambodia maritime border talks resume after hiatus Bangkok, Phnom Penh seek new energy resources to ease import costs Thailand and Cambodia reached a basic agreement in 2001 to jointly develop the area where their claims overlap, but it has remained undeveloped since then. © Reuters APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 22, 2022 14:27 JST BANGKOK -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to resume talks on their overlapping claims in waters in the Gulf of Thailand after years of silence, as they look to ease the pain of higher energy costs by developing new oil and gas resources. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said last week that the government has assigned the Foreign Ministry the lead role in setting up talks between the two countries to conclude the deal and start producing oil and gas from the area. "If we start talking now and conclude the deal quickly, I think we can start producing oil and gas soon because all the infrastructure is already there," Supattanapong said. "This is good timing to start the talks, which will benefit both Thailand and Cambodia." The overlapping claims cover around 26,000 sq. kilometers in an area that is widely believed to hold significant oil and natural gas reserves as it is located between the Erawan and Bongkot gas fields, operated by Thailand. Those fields have supplied gas to Thailand since the 1980s but are nearly exhausted, forcing the country to import liquefied natural gas and look for new resources to meet demand. Surging global oil and gas prices triggered by the Russia's invasion of Ukraine have also prompted Cambodia to look for domestic oil and gas resources, encouraging the country to resume talks with Thailand. Thailand and Cambodia reached a basic agreement in 2001 to jointly develop the area where their claims overlap, temporarily setting aside the maritime boundary issue. Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister at the time, tried to take advantage of his close relationship with his Cambodian counterpart to promote the project, but it was unfinished when Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup. In late 2019, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to open negotiations for a third time. But the talks have remained in limbo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue was mentioned again in December last year, during the 11th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in Phnom Penh, but the two countries made no progress at that time. "The negotiations have been set for sure, but no one knows when the two countries can seal the deal. It may take years, like when we negotiated with Malaysia," said a senior Thai official. Thailand also had a long-running maritime boundary dispute with Malaysia. The two countries began talks on the issue in 1979, which were finally concluded in 1990 when the two countries set up the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area. The area, which produces around 800 million cubic feet per day, which is split evenly between the two countries.

Over Canada’s Northern Territory now So far had 2 meals and a snack. After take off from Singapore we were served dinner Salmon salad Braised beef with rice Chocolate cake Then it was time to sleep. I think I did 6 hours, nice to be on a flat bed. When woke up was served a satay snack the peanut sauce was really good After more than an hour we were served our second meal Starter is tuna Seafood beehoon The beehoon May look normal but it’s rather flavorful while the shrimp paste chili sauce were a perfect match Ended up with a very nice pudding and cheeses Mildly sweet pudding perfect for me

Entering Alaska now another 6-7 hrs to go Woke up and was served traditional Singapore style Malay satay, peanut sauce is very good

Taking a short break with the missus to see autumn leaves in US and Canada. We usually do this autumn leave thing in Japan but this time we thought we’d travel farther. Journey obviously started in Bangkok. Then we catch a direct flight from Singapore to New York, yes our journey shall start from New York City. The flight is expected to take 18 hours but this is a very comfortable aircraft an Airbus 350-900. Seats are super wide Lots of legroom Lots of storage too Will sign in again when arrive

So the Singapore Airlines lounge in Suvarnabhimbi Airport is finally opened since 14th this month.

Cheeky question - where can you get tomyam seafood soup with Singapore chicken rice and a nice gin tonic all in one meal? I’m not joking there’s a heaven like this somewhere The Singapore Airlines Lounge in the Suvarnabhimbi Airport had just opened last week after more than 2 years. Really missed this wonderful lounge. So here it is my chicken rice with tomyam and gin tonic Finally boarding

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Hong-Kong-mourns-late-queen-in-quiet-snub-to-Beijing?utm_campaign=GL_one_time&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=3&pub_date=20220918093000&seq_num=23&si=44594 Hong Kong mourns late queen in quiet snub to Beijing Tributes seen by some as a dig at Chinese clampdown on former colony's freedoms A woman cries as she pays tribute to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II outside the British Consulate General in Hong Kong on Sept. 12. © Reuters PAK YIU, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 13, 2022 19:49 JSTUpdated on September 14, 2022 10:28 JST HONG KONG -- Thousands in Hong Kong braved sweltering heat to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II in a tribute seen by some as a quiet snub to Beijing's squeeze on civil liberties in the former British colony. Carrying flower bouquets and standing in lines that snaked hundreds of meters from the British consulate on Monday, many expressed feelings of nostalgia for the city's past as they signed a condolence book and paid their respects to a monarch known among older generations locally as the "boss lady." More than 2,500 people signed the book while veteran pro-Beijing legislator Regina Ip and Chief Secretary Eric Chan, the city's second-in-command, stopped by the consulate -- the only politicians known to have attended the memorial site. The British Consulate said Tuesday that it would extend opening hours for people to sign the condolence book in what it described as an "exceptional number" of visitors keen to pay their respects. Hong Kong was a British colony for more than 150 years and many pro-democracy activists -- some now in jail under Beijing's draconian national security law -- used to protest against colonial rule. But since the city was handed back to China in 1997, resentment has grown as the central government tightened its grip on the city, effectively criminalizing freedom of speech and other civil liberties passed on and guaranteed after British rule. "Most Hong Kongers realize that they're under no illusion that Britain was not a perfect colonial master," Hong Kong lawyer and pro-democracy activist Kevin Yam told Nikkei Asia from his home in Australia. "Under the British, we were second class citizens, but under China we are not even citizens." A local television interview with one mourner was scrubbed after the woman said she wanted to pay her respects to the 96-year-old "great leader." "I want to commemorate this great leader. Why?" she said. "Look at how many people are here, this is what the people want." A woman holds the colonial flag of Hong Kong as she and other mourners pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside the city's British Consulate General. © Reuters On Friday, Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee released a statement, two hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping's condolences were published, but he avoided any reference to British colonial rule. "Having reigned for 70 years, she was the longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. She was greatly respected, admired and praised by the British people," he said. In recent years, pro-Beijing officials have moved to wipe away the city's past by covering up British royal insignia and ordering a new crop of school textbooks that claim Hong Kong was never a colony at all, but rather an "occupied territory" in an apparent bid to claim China's unbroken sovereignty. The queen, who died Thursday, was head of state in Hong Kong for 45 years and was the only reigning sovereign to visit the city. Images of her two trips were widely shared when her passing was announced. City democracy activists who fled overseas paid tribute to the queen online, including former legislators Nathan Law and Dennis Kwok. Lining up on Monday, one 62-year-old woman said she was filled with emotion when she heard about the queen's death and reminisced about the city's values and freedoms. "She was very respected by many and represents what we've lost here," said the woman, surnamed Chow. Maggie, who only gave her first name, brought her toddlers so they could learn about the late monarch's role in the city's past. "It's very sad, but it's important for them to learn about our history," said the mother of two.