Divorce slowly gaining acceptance in India

In India, marriage is, by and large, socially compulsory. A website created six months ago : www.secondshaadi.com ( "shaadi" being the Hindi word for marriage), already has a data base of 25,000 clients.

Even conventional marriage portals are beginning to see listings from people who want to tie the knot a second time. Once, such a notion would have been anathema in middle-class India.

The society is in a transitional period, gingerly embracing new habits but still deeply traditional in matters of marriage.
Generally, people are OK with divorce. But the attitude towards divorcees is still the same. They are outcasts. They tend to think divorce won't happen if the person is a good person. I think such thinking will slowly change to accept the circumstances and decision of the affected parties.

Luxury Living For Rich South Korean Pensioners

In fast-ageing South Korea, some entrepreneurs come up with a novel way to tap the silver dollar-offering serviced apartments for senior citizens. Grace Hill, only 15-month-old,is the only such serviced apartment complex in Seoul, is more than just luxurious living. Specialists are hired to design the building specifically with the needs of the elderly in mind.

1) The height of the wash basins can be adjusted at the touch of a buttion to cater for those who have difficulties bending down.
2) Shower sprinklers are bulit close to the floor so that the residents can sit down to take a bath.
3) The heating system in the swimming pool ensures that the water is at a uniform 30deg C always.

The array of activities include daily swimming sessions, dance and fitness lessons conducted by trained instructors. Also it come is a mini golf range, snooker lounge and table tennis. Parties ar held on special occasions such as Christmas and Chusok, Korean thanksgiving. Internet terminals and playrooms to entertain young grandchildren.

The whole concept is very pro-family and good for the physical and emotional health of the old folks.

A refundable deposit is between S$347k - S$767k, depending on the size of the unit ranging from the equivalent of a two-room HDB flat to a five-room HDB flat. The yearly rental including three buffet meals a day per person ranges between S#17.3k to S$30.4k.

Presently these residents come from the middle to upper class of Korean society will sign a contract to live at Grace Hill for a minimum of three years.

What is your opinions on such a concept? You are welcome to leave your comment here.

Bye Bye Fei Fei, Lydia Sum

Hong Kong TV host and comedienne Lydia Sum, died on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at 8.38am I read with sadness about her death. Her loud laugh and the joy she bought to people will be much missed. Even Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang mourned her death.

Lydia, affectionately known as Fei Fei (Fatty) or Fei Cheh (Fat Sister) believed to have been battling liver cancer. She also had diabetes and hypertension. It was reported that she had been in and out of hospital since late 2006, when she had a tumour removed from her liver.

Her colleagues remembered her as not just a great star but also a great person. Nancy Sit, Hong Kong actress, who had worked with Lydia since the 1960s, said Sum was an outstanding actress and compere. It's a very big loss to the entertainment circle.

Singaporean actress Koh Chieng Mun, who worked with Sum on Living With Lydia for four years, said she was a very generous and giving person and treated everybody every well and with respect.

Born in Shanghai in 1947, Sum moved to Hong Kong at age 11 and made her movie debut at age 13 as a teen Shaw starlet in When The Peach Blossoms Bloom (1960). A household name in the 1970s as a host of TVB's variety show, Enjoy Yourself Tonight. She had acted in more than 100 Mandarin and Cantonese movies.

Hong Kong actor, Adam Cheng of Swordman Chu and Lydia were married in 1985, after living together for about a decade. The couple divorced just months after their daughter Joyce ( now 20) was born.

Lydia had also shown exceptional dignity and courage as a divorced mother who raised her daughter and maintained a cordial relationship with her ex-husband, singer-actor Adam Cheng.

The comedienne appeared on TV for the last time in November last year when she received a lifetime achievement award at the TVB Anniversary Awards. Her hair and glasses looked the same but she was thinner than before and was in a wheelchair. She had reportedly lost 20kg.

There were tears, not laugher when she said then when the award was presented to her : " I hope my health will progess day by day. I will not give up so easily the TV career that I loved most. Thank you."

To Lydia, thank you for all these decades of entertainment and may you rest in peace.

Youth Olympic Games - It's Singapore 2010

Singapore, You have got the spirit. The news that Singapore waited over seven months for came at precisely 7.11pm on 21 February 2008, broadcast live via satelite link from Lausanne in Switzerland.

The good news was delivered by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge. The message was sweet & clear - " The IOC has the honour of announcing that the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010 are awarded to the city of Singapore".

More than 5,000 people gathered at the Padang for the announcement as well as countless others glued to television sets across the island. IOC Executive Board member Ng Ser Miang and Parliamentary Secretary (Committee Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck, who had been instrumental in pushing the bid, reflected Singaporeans' joy over making this historic moment. Bear hugging, jumping up and down on stage, broad grins creasing their faces. Seeing the picture does make you feel the joy and resounding cheer of this historic moment.

"Great honour and priviledge for Singapore and every Singaporean. For the first time, the Olympics flame will be in South-east Asia, and in Singapore. We will be the focus of a new era of sports development for Singapore, for South-east Asia, and for the Olympic movement". A celebratory speech, delivered by our smiling Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong.
The national effort to land the Games - both young and old, from schoolchildren to taxi drivers were involved. This including a 68-year-old cabby who wrote letters t all IOC members telling them why Singapore deserved to host the games.

The IOC members voted 53-44 in the Republic's favour, which the final leg between Singapore and Moscow. What clinched it was Singapore's innovative Games concept, which included a compact venue plan and a comprehensive Olympic education programme. As quoted by Mr Rogge: Singapore has put together a very exciting project and I have no doubt that their professionlism and enthusiasm will be instrumental in the staging of a successful YOG.

Now the countdown to the Games' opening on Aug 14, 2010 begins. We have 2-1/2 years to prepare for the YOG. Its going to be challenging, but it's going to be full of excitement and achievements. BIG CHEERS for all SINGAPOREANS

How do you like sleeping on a stranger's couch ?

With about 1,639 Singaporean Couchsurfers scattered around the island, it looks the idea of spending the night in a stranger's house for free may be appealing and welcoming.

Couchsurfing.com, a website which helps travellers look for places to stay in cities around the world at no cost.

The online travel community requires members to fill out a profile to introduce themselves. Members can then choose the option of opening up their homes, or their "couch" , to other Couchsurfers around the world.

But it is not just the cost savings that the members are interested to join. The opportunity to see countries through a local's perspective and make friends all over the world is another factor that got the members hooked.

What do you think of this idea ? Will you be interested ?

Loud cheers for Youth Olympics bid

With the exciting moment, 21 Feb 2008 getting closer and closer, YOG events have been sprouting up all over the island. Singapore or Moscow will be chosen on this date to host the augural 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Elim Chew, 41-year-old founder of youth-oriented fashion chain 77th Street , also the ambassador for sports, is one of the first business owners to back the bid.
Eng Wah, Chevron Singapore, DHL and Visa International are among the supporters. Fashion chain NewUrbanMale.com the latest YOG supporters by adorning HDB blocks in Rivervale Crescent with flags trumpeting the bid.

Being in the international limelight would reinforce Singapore's reputation as "a small yet world-class and highly efficient country able to successfully take on the boldest challenges"

This whole project has evolved from a dream of a small group to that of an entire nation, now, that dream may soon become reality. All the people now realise why this bid is worth the effort. Even in the event that Singapore does not succeed, we have already benefitted from the exercise. This project has galvanised the entire nation through sport, capturing not only the imagination of the young, but also the old.

As quoted by Elim Chew, " If Singapore wins, it'll be the closest feeling I get to experiencing what it would feel like to win an Olympic gold medal!"

Let's cheer loud and clear to show our support and excitingly wait the BIG DATE.