Wassup July 2012

The cultural trends magazine from Correspondents:
Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
TariRusbianti(Jakarta)
Edited & designed by Kunal Sinha InkeKurniawan(Jakarta)
Mala Yutimalah (Jakarta)
Elaine Dai (Beijing)
NehaPunjabi (Mumbai)
DonnahAlcoseba(Makati City)
Wine Chua-Leonardo (Makati City)
Joyce Koor( Singapore)
WaqasTahir (Singapore)
Naoko Ito (Tokyo)
Azusa Fukai (Tokyo)
Madhurim Gupta (Colombo)
Mei Wu (Taipei)
Beatrice Yong (Kuala Lumpur)
Josephine Phang (Kuala Lumpur)
Serena Park (Seoul)

© Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2012

Our engagement with the digital world is driven by what technology allows us to do, but
in great part it’s because it is shaping our opinions like never before. Amongst the
burgeoning population of bloggers and those that tweet, some folks are particularly
sticky: these opinion leaders stand out and are avidly followed because they have a pulse
of what’s happening across diverse fields: entertainment, politics, sport and lifestyle. In
this issue of Wassup, we speak with a cross-section of such influencers to get a sense of
what makes them so appealing.

Even as Western animation characters gain a toehold amongst kids and youth in Asia, an
entirely homegrown set of quirky characters has emerged on to the scene, dominating
the world of cinema, TV, comic books and theme parks. Japan’s foremost cultural exports
might be mangaand Hello Kitty, but here we’ve chosen to profile some of the lesser
known characters who are no less engaging. Go on and explore how they tap into local
cultures.

While political and economic turmoil continue to buffet the world, with little resolution
in sight, Asians have to deal with their own uncertainties and tensions. Sometimes, an
over zealous police officer may have a city’s merrymakers up in arms; or a bureaucrat
who decides to crack down on those sporting tattoos can face strong resistance. On
other occasions, politicians and religious leaders who drive a wedge amongst people
invite their anger.

Ambitious new buildings, a new beer variant with frozen froth toppings, a new video
game and new TV shows, and the forthcoming cricket Twenty20 World Cup are just some
of the things that folks are talking about. They may be interested in the Euro Football
tournament, or the London Olympics, but these topics aren’t quite on top of their
agenda.

Here in Asia, what’s trending is different. And Wassup tells you all about it !

14 countries.

20 correspondents deeply immersed in
popular and leading edge culture bring you
Cultural Insights that will make a world of
difference to your business.

SOUTH KOREA
BANGLADESH

PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE
INDONESIA

SRI LANKA

THAILAND
MALAYSIA

PAKISTAN

VIETNAM
TAIWAN
JAPAN
CHINA

INDIA

Look who’s talking:
Internet Opinion Leaders

Knowing me, Knowing you:
Animation characters

Playing on my iPod

Rage against

Waiting List

Everyone is talking about

Tense about

Favorite knock-off brands

Look Who’s
Talking

Internet
Opinion
Leaders

Look who’s talking

Indonesia
Pribadi Prananta

PribadiPrananta is among the 5,5 million Twitter
users in Indonesia. However, PribadiPrananta is not
just a Twitter user, he has that special “spot” in the
twitter land for tweeps around Indonesia as the
influencer. Pribadi aka Pipu is out othere on Twitter
using the name @pipis , in which in Indonesia, means
“pee”. That’s a plus one for Pipu, as it’s an interesting
name selection.

*on his experience on transjakarta bus

On his Twitter account, Pipu describes himself as a
Transjakartabus user, and an ad man - story teller for
the whole day. Pipu does play a role as a story teller
in Twitter, at least to his followers. He’s telling his
story in the morning when he takes Transjakarta bus
on his way to the office. He describes the people, or
the things that he sees, and his experience in a
different way.

Pipu doesn’t stop to tell “story” in the morning. Duringthe day, he usually shares content such as videos of
things that interest him; about cats and dogs, movie trailer, inspiring people, any updates on Japanese group
“AKB48” and last but not least, as an Ad Man, he also shares great ads around the world. What’s unique is on
Thursday night, it a session for a horror story, or called #memetwit. Pipuis one of the influencer who is
actively sharing a story each week.

His followers are mostly young people, cat lovers, Japanese girl band; JKT 48 or AKB48, and horror story
lovers. Every day, there will be one or more followers who shares photos of his/her cat, and they ask Pipu to
say “hi”” to them, and he did RT and say Hi. On Thursday night, also the same, there will be followers whoask
Piputo tell them a horror story. We asked him how can he tell horror story each week, and doesn’t he run out
of stories? Do you experience something scary each week? Well, story tellers are like magicians, they never
tell.

Because of his populariity among theTwitterati, brands such as AXIS (telecommunication provider), Pocari
Sweat , SMAX (Crackers), and others are using Pipu to drive his followers to get to know more about their
brand, or join the campaign they’re running. It seems that big brands trust Pipu will tell good stories about
them to his followers.


Sri Lanka

RamodMalaka is a talented 23
year old dancer who excels in
all types of dance genres.
Ramod is also a choreographer
at his young age and owns his
own dance studio. But this isn’t
his only talent; his skills in IT
have given him the opportunity
to launch his own website to
exhibit his dance skills and to
promote his dance studio.

He has made many friends
especially because of internet.
His dance troupe is also like
family to him and he hangs out
with them a lot. He feels he
gains a lot of knowledge just
socializing with his friends
because each person has a
different perception not just
about dancing but about life in
general. He further explains
that his life is not completely
about internet, although it
plays a big part in his life. Life
outside internet is where he
finds emotion. He says he
enjoys it a lot. He loves to hang
out at the beach because it
relaxes him and enables him to
improve his creative thoughts
in dance.

Internet is a drug to him is
what he says. His typical
explanation on how he feels
without internet is the same
way a drug-addict would seek
for his “line” to snort every
www.ramodonline.com
day, anytime of the day. He
quotes “Without the internet I
would feel weak and lifeless”….


The main reason why Ramod’s second home is the net is
because of his career. He thinks that the net helps him in
many ways to promote his dance studio. He launched his
website in early 2011.

What kind of stories does he like to share? Does his site have any impact?

Since Ramod’s passion is dancing, he finds interesting quotes, He believes that his writing definitely has
stories, case studies on dancers, dance genres and so on to an impact, especially on budding dancers
share with dance enthusiasts. He also likes to share videos of who are inspired to reach the heights he
interesting dance moves he comes across on famous shows has at his young age. Whenever he comes
like “So you think you can dance” and “Dancing with the across something that is interesting he
Stars”. Moreover, he always uploads his personal shares it with his fans with the hope that
performances which have always managed to get him a good it will inspire them as well. Interestingly, it
crowd cheer. By doing so he expects his fans and friends to is not only dope on dancing that he
share their thoughts and takes the positives and the negatives shares, but also information about new
as constructive criticism which he believes improves him technologies as he is also very much into
performance by performance. this industry, and is doing his BSc in
Computing with Interactive Media at the
South Asian Institute of Technology and
Management.

What are his favourite sites?

So You think I can dance-
http://www.fox.com/dance/

Monster Hip Hop –
http://www.monstersofhiphop.com/

Look who’s talking Mumbai
Miss Malini

We hereby present to you MaliniAgarwal who is
also popularly known as @missmalini on Twitter.
Her blogs feature on her own website –
missmalini.com

“So it’s like this; I’ve worked as a DJ on a local Radio Station – 94.3 Radio One,
reported in on the Bollywood buzz live with Nikki Bedi on BBC Asia Network, continue
to run a social network called Friday Club, write a gossip column in theMid Day and
attend a hell of a lot of social “dos” (I plead occupational hazard but secretly enjoy it.) I
like to think my fly-on-the-wall perspective is sometimes funny and mostly fair.

Remember though that this is Bollywood; aka tinsel town, the land of Prada &
Paparazzi. Here everyone wants to be on “Page 3″ – a direct descendant of the LA
“Page 6” and very often they’ll stop at nothing for a full color high resolution mugshot.
Watch this space then for all your desi glam gossip..Perez Hilton I’m about to play it
forward.”


She covers way more topics than just Bollywood, “Everything from an awesome site called postsecret.com to
500pencils.socialdesigner.com dedicated to pencils of every imaginable colour, how cool is that right? I publish
whatever I find interesting assuming only that if its good enough for me its good enough for you! (excerpt from
her interview back in 2010)

What has made MissMalini, the blog, so popular?
I think MissMalini.com has a very unique voice and a living breathing personality which really sets it apart. It is
also completely a labor of love and I think that comes through. Since I've been in the media in Mumbai for over a
decade, the network I have built affords me unique access to Bollywood, lifestyle and fashion events as well as
personalities. So my perspective comes from behind the velvet rope which people are most curious about. We're
also very particular about the quality of writing and use a variety of media to make the posts very interactive. So
it's a fresher approach than traditional media.

My style.
I try to do what I always tell my writers and guest contributors: write the way you speak. Like you're telling a
friend. I want to hear your voice. Don't be afraid to have an opinion. The beauty of a blog is that you have great
creative freedom. The only 2 big rules I have are: a) don't be unnecessarily nasty and b) always spell check and
respect proper grammar rules! Its part of respecting your readers.Blogging at this scale is still pretty limited in
India. We just do what we think our readers will appreciate. We keep it fun, fresh and current. We're happy to see
the blogging industry grow in India!

What works for me?
I think brands are looking for new ways to connect with their audiences, in more individual, interactive ways.
They also want to get a finger on the pulse of today's youth, and we can help them with both. I think being
associated with the MissMalini brand also offers some credibility among my 18-35 demographic, especially
because we only work with partners and brands we genuinely like. Honestly, I think we mostly influence by
example. If we like a product, we'll talk about it. We like sharing the love if we think its something our audience
will enjoy. Where brands want a more sustained campaign, we work with them to create customized and unique
solutions that include editorials, contests, photo and video content, interviews, events, etc. But the golden rule is
that we only support things we like.

Look who’s talking How Malini, the girl, become Miss Malini, the
blogger?
I grew up in the digital age! I call it serendipity
and being in the right place at the right time.
I've always loved to write and am an Internet
junkie, after working in print and radio for 9
years running a social network called Friday
How do brands capitalize on her popularity? Club and working online with MTV and Channel
V (as head of digital content) I found that
blogging was a fabulous way to connect all my
passions in one place. The blog is a living
breather mirror of my life and curates
everything to do with Bollywood fashion
lifestyle and geek chic - I am a life caster, I live
my life online and I love it :)

Rules I blog by:
- Keep it honest. Blog about what you love. It
shows.
- Respect your readers. Give them something
that deserves their time. They'll respect you for
it and come back too!
- Don't take yourself too seriously. Its very easy
to get caught up in yourself, especially in the
entertainment industry. But you need to be
able to laugh at yourself and let things roll of
your back.
- Make it fun!


Malaysia
Kenny Sia (www.kennysia.com)

Kenny Sia is one of Malaysia’s most popular bloggers. In fact,
his blogging career is one that most bloggers aspire to have.
He started the blog in January 2005 as a tool to
communicate with his overseas friends. However, it soon
became one of the Malaysian blogosphere’s most popular
blogs, partly attributed to an infamous post on April’s Fool’s
Day where he made fun of a score of famous bloggers.
Today, his blog has been visited over 24 million times and
has been awarded titles such as Blog of the Year and Best
Entertainment Blog.

It’s easy to see why people love his blog. His posts never fail
to make you laugh, whether he is writing about current Kenny Sia after shaving his head for charity
issues, Malaysian politics, local advertising, product reviews,
understanding women, day-to-day life or his travels. He
writes with a sense of humor that appeals across borders,
and it’s this humor that keeps people going back for more.
He’s notorious for his crude humor and satire, his
unabashedly self-depreciating wit and is well-known for his
parodies of scandals and controversies.

He’s not merely funny. He also writes thoughtful and
poignant posts, in between nonsensical ones, and his
product reviews are well researched and informative. But
whether it is a trip to the salon or patriotism or vibrating
condoms, his perspectives on the issue at hand never fail to A parody of a slimming product advertisement
generate vigorous discussions and spark heated debate
amongst netizens.

Readers also love his blog because each post he puts up is an
original creation, not simply a copy-and-paste of interesting
news. Much thought and research goes into the planning of
each article and he painstakingly creates candid photo-
shopped pictures to illustrate his stories.

The most recent brands that have capitalized on his celebrity
blogging status are Apple, local car brand Perodua and
Guinness, but apart from the wide endorsements of
products, he was also appointed a judge for Malaysian
Dreamgirls, an online reality modeling pageant, and engaged
to be the brand ambassador for Mister Potato, a potato chip
brand.
A controversial parody of a Malaysian
politician’s sex scandal

South Korea
Hyori Lee

‘Social-tainer’ is a new terminology, that
combines society and entertainer. Lately, it’s a
big trend amongst entertainers to actively get
involved with social issues by lending their
voices, and even sometimes participating in
touchy issues, which consequently makes
them even more popular amongst the public.

Hyori Lee is South Korea’s most famous singer
and at the same time, fashionista. She is well
known for expressing hers view on various
issues via social media. This has made her one
of the best social-tainers in South Korea.
Most of all, she actively tweets about her care
and concern about abandoned dogs and
cats; these are reported by a large number of
Korean media. Now, the serious issue of
Via Twitter, Hyori Lee showed her on-going abandoned pets has become the talk of town.
support and care for pets and animals, which
gradually raised the public’s interest in animal
rights.

Most of her Tweets (numbering around 2000) are about her
trivial everyday life story, along with her support and care
for pets and animals. Half of her Tweets are about
animals in danger. Quite often, she makes an effort to help
pet owners to search and find their lost dogs by Tweeting
and re-Tweeting their message. Obviously her influence as
a celebrity works well in finding lost pets.

She has also donated her possession towards raisings funds
for the animal protection movement.


Hyori Lee recently announced that she had turned vegetarian, publicly encouraging vegetarianism amongst her
followers. She said “I tend to act without hesitation when I have a conviction. Since I have been interested in animal
rights and protection, I found out another hidden side of animal protection. This made me turn vegetarian
spontaneously. Actually, after becoming a vegetarian, I am less touchy, more generous and relaxed about things
around me.” She added “If you feel it is difficult, or too dramatic a change to become a vegetarian, I recommend
that you skip having meat at least once a week, which would be a good way to start.”

In one media interview, she confessed her inner thoughts, saying, “Sometimes, as a well known celebrity, I feel a
burning desire to express my opinion in SNS like Twitter. Nonetheless, I enjoy expressing myself straightforwardly,
without any barrier through SNS, which is its biggest charm.”

Lately, we have noticed that a number of celebrities are easily hurt and mentioned negatively via SNS. But there
aresomecelebrities who use their fame for socially responsible activities, and in a more productive manner, like
Hyori
Lee.

She truly knows how well-known public figures can change the world into a better place.

Hyori stars in a documentary about
vegetarian life style on one of major
South Korean cable TV channels.

Hyori posts pictures of
her own vegetarian
pizzaon Twitter,
promoting
vegetarian life style
among Koreans.


16 year-old Xia Xue Before & after plastic surgery Xia Xue today, with dyed hair, make-up
and help from Photoshop

Singapore
Xia Xue Before diet pills: 46kg After: 38.5kg & her 24-inches
shorts being very loose

Whether you love or hate her, Wendy Cheng (better While she has her fair share of haters who criticize
known as Xiaxue) is arguably Singapore’s most well- her for being ‘bimbotic’, ‘shallow’ and ‘vulgar’, she
known blogger. With 86,205 people likes on also has a strong following, even winning various
Facebook, 105,323 followers on Twitter and 37,842 blog awards such as her latest win for “Most
page visits on an average day, it’s hard to deny her Influential Blog” which caused some to deem it as
popularity. “inappropriate” and “disappointing” last year.

She’s known for many things- her honesty about her Her latest blog post, “The Faces of
plastic surgery and experience with diet pills, her Haters”http://xiaxue.blogspot.sg/2012/05/faces-of-
penchant for pink and purple hair, her heavily haters.htmlcaused controversy as well as people
photoshopped photos and last but not least, her were split between supporting her and condemning
vocal expressions of her (often controversial) points her for “hurting” innocent bystanders. This
of view. She even has her own mini-series titled controversy was also published on national
“XiaXue’s guide to life” which covers things from “Lie platforms such as The Straits Times and Yahoo News.
Detecting” to “My Pet Bunny” to “Kissing AGirl” As one article aptly put it “Depending on who you
which you can view here: are, Wendy Cheng aka Xiaxue is a feminist avenger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgFJlXB2cJo or a symbol of everything wrong with young women
today”.
According to a survey she conducted with 6000
respondents, her readers are mainly Singaporean
females, young adults, into fashion and looking for
alternative voices.


Taiwan
Chen Chi-shun

Chen Chi-shun, acerbic style blogger of the highly influential
"My Bitchy Personal Opinions,” is a fashion critic who is loved
and hated by almost every entertainer.

"Just because you love someone and are a huge fan, doesn't
mean everything that person does is perfect," Chen argues,
adding that he would personally never forgive a serious
fashion disaster just because he loved the person wearing it.

Chen says people often tell him that criticizing fashion is
much easier than creating fashion or great personal style of
your own. To this, the droll Internet personality explains that
“criticism" and “creation" have always been completely
different things, and bridging this distinction has never been
the point of his blog.

Chen has recently described popular entertainer, Jolin Tsai, a
fashion disaster in her latest MV ,“Honey Trap(美人計).” He
ridicules her shoulder pads with tassels as being“a monthly
calendar on shoulders.”

Jolin’s agent responded to Chen’s “bitchy” comments by
saying, “as long as they’re not personal attacks, Jolin can
dismiss them with a sense of humor.”

With over 10 million views this year, "My Bitchy Personal
Opinions" has allowed Chen to develop his own fan base
amongst a group of readers who are most likely office
workers suffering from work related pressure, and enjoy the
temporary pleasure of mocking someone’s clothing or a
particular brand. And of course, they may also appreciate the
fashion tips and trends.

And though he is frequently invited as a guest by many
fashion and luxury brands, Chen continues to criticize them
on his blog, which demonstrates his true commitment to
justice and humor.

Jolin’s fashion disaster

CHINA
Sisi Ren

Sisi Ren is a 28-year-old popular blogger from
Hangzhou, China. He has been blogging at
Yoho.cn, one of the biggest youth online
communities and trendy online shops in China
since 2008. As an art director at a leading
premium women's wear brand in China, he has
always been on top of fashion trends and
loves sharing his fashion inspiration with his
friends online. He also writes reviews and
recommendations about recent popular music,
movies and art exhibitions that interest him
personally. In 2010, Sisi’s blog was featured on
the leading youth fashion and culture
magazine YOHO as the editor’s recommended
blog for fashion conscious Chinese youth.

The majority of Sisi’s online followers are fashion conscious
and artistic youth between 18 and early 30. They visit his blog
to look for inspiration in fashion and art, as well as
recommendations on music, movies and new products.
However, Sisi doesn’t like to call his blog readers as ‘followers’,
he thinks he is also learning from them when they are
interacting online. “I always respond to each comment on my
blog and I love to interact with my online friends. I feel fulfilled
that my voice is being heard and appreciated by others, but
most importantly, I’ve made friends who have the same
interests and we will always learn new things from each other.
It is harder to find friends offline with mutual interests,” Sisi
says. He also cares very much about the quality of his blog
post. “I make picture board for each of my blog post because I
know young people prefer to look at picture, instead of
reading a long text article. I keep my writing as concisely as
possible and I always post new article every 3 or 4 days.” Sisi
explains.

Because of having a strong online presence, Sisi has been
identified by agencies and brands that are trying to market
and promote products among young Chinese consumers. In
the past three years, Sisi has collaborated with brands such as
Lynx, Lego and DEMETER to promote their products amongst
young Chinese consumers. He has also helped movie
companies such as Sony to do film promotions before the
movie is released.

Japan
Kyohei Sakaguchi

“A house, by nature, should be something free,
flexible, and personal, and that is what I wanted to
pursue,” Sakaguchi explains. But even his water
tower house and pizza scooter house didn’t prepare
him for what he found on the banks of Tokyo’s
Tama river in the year 2000. It was an encounter
that changed his life.

After the earthquake last year, he moved to
Kumamoto (a southern island in Japan) and built up
a new government, becoming its first prime
minister. He has started up the “Zero-center”;
where there were only four residences, more than
fifty people live today: the number of people has
grown quickly in the last six months.

Architect, artist and photographer of 0 Yen house Creative people, who worry about radioactivity, are
moving from Tokyo to Kumamoto. A social
“Man can also build a house just like a bird can build its community was built around the new government
nest. A wall of morning-glory, a house made of pottery and started sending out information. It has become
pipes, and a two-generation house with dog … the total one of the fastest growing creative communities
cost of construction is just 0 yen. Photograph collections today.
of houses on road covered in surrounding of Shirakawa
Park and Kamagasaki and Shinjuku Central Park, etc. Sakaguchi suggests that as human beings, people
Drawing is on the back of the cover.” have to stop depending on others, but need to start
expressing their own creativity in their own lives.
While studying architecture at Waseda University, His attempt is to wake Japanese people up and to
Sakaguchi eschewed model-making and drafting for restart people thinking by themselves.
more more visceral explorations, like living in an
abandoned water tower, and converting a pizza
delivery scooter into a mobile home.


Philippines
Jenni Epperson

Jenni Epperson is one of the Philippines’ most
popular bloggers these days. Not only does
she have a very entertaining and fun writing
style, her blogs also covers a variety of topics,
ranging from food, beauty, interior design and
general lifestyle. This range of topics is one of
the main reasons why she can reach such a
wide base of people. This also helped her
build her huge Twitter following of around
fifty-five thousand people. Because of her
growing popularity, a lot of different brands
have been engaging her. She has recently
written blog posts about Havaianas, Beach
Hut, Avon and a couple of make-up brands
such as NARS. Other brands and services that
have gone to her for support are a couple of
food services and beauty treatment services.
Jenni is definitely one of the countries top
influencers and more and more people and
brands are starting to take notice.

She blogs about a variety of topics

Knowing me,
Knowing you

Animation characters

Knowing me, Knowing you

India
ChhotaBheem

With a viewership of over 35 million people, home
grown hero Chhota Bheem is India’s top animated
television series.

Launched in 2008, by this year, over 120 episodes of
the popular animation series have been aired. The
success of the series has spun off into a number
of short animation films over the years and a full
length feature film titled ChhotaBheem and the
Curse of Damyaan which was released in 2012.

Bheem is an adventurous and fun-loving 9-year-old
who is gifted with extraordinary strength. This power
is a boon for Dholakpur, Bheem's village, which is
constantly beset by all kinds of perils. This child has a
big heart and he always uses his strength to help
those who are wronged or needy. He nabs culprits,
robbers and is seen as a Guardian of the innocent
and poor people and also the animals. He wants to
be a protector of the world. Bheem loves food
and has a certain craving for laddoos, which in fact,
give him a surge of energy and make him even
stronger than he normally is. Every episode comes
with a subtle message.

Parents and grandparents love him because it helps
them instil values into the child through stories from
epics of ancient India. How? Kids ask for Lord
Bheems’s stories because they want to know what
their favourite character grows up to become.

Inspiration : Bheema isone of the central characters
of Mahabharata, an epic of ancient India. Bheema was
distinguished from his brothers by his great stature
and strength. He was said to be capable of fighting
60,000 warriors at once, so mighty was he that when
he were to roar in anger he would put to shame the
proudest lion and frighten the most fearless warrior.
It is said that Bheema's appetite was so huge, that he
always had to eat less than full.


My 9 year old nephew prefers Indian mythology
heroes over Avengers or Transformers. Like all
boys, he loves fights but prefers those that make
his imagination run wild. He loves Bheem’s
weapon, gadda, and how he fights with it. The
village is different from our world, just like our
mythology stories. Not like Spiderman’s or
Batman’s.

He doesn’t like spinach so he doesn’t get how
Popeye loves it. But he loves laddoos, just like
Chota Bheem and the rest of India does. Director Rajiv Chilaka on how he wanted kids to connect with an
Indian hero and ChhotaBheem was the perfect choice.
Also pushing the character's popularity is
merchandising. The comics, DVDs, t-shirts etc. “He was so strong and we all wanted to be like him,” says the
ChhotaBheem'sFavourite Drink 'Notty' Makes Its founder and MD of Hyderabad-based Green Gold Animation.
Fruity Debut - Years later, he came up with ChhotaBheem and set him in a
http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/food/ different era and context. “Children fell in love with the boy
20120523120685.htm who was righteous and could take on any opponent. Bheem has
ChhotaBheem Games - some unique character traits and is deeply rooted in Indian
http://chotabheemgamess.in/ culture. He came in at a time when children had access to
ChhotaBheem Home Décor – mostly to international content. We wanted to give them a
http://www.greengoldstore.com/shop-by- chance to experience an Indian hero who could connect with
category/home-decors.html them,” he adds.


Sri Lanka
Scooby Dooby Doo The top 3 cartoon characters that are famous amongst
Sri Lankan kids are: 1st: Scooby-Doo; 2nd: Dennis the
Menace; 3rd: Tintin

The Scooby-Doo series is well-known not only amongst
kids but amongst young adults too. In Sri Lanka, the
series is aired on Sirasa TV. It is dubbed in Sinhala but
still retains the same name- Scooby-Doo, whereas the
other cartoons dubbed are given Sri Lankan names. (e.g.
Dennis the Menace – “Dangaya”)

Who is Scooby?

Originally aired in 1969, Scooby-Doo has been on TV
virtually non-stop ever since, entertaining generations
of kids around the entire world. Scooby-Doo is a
smart, funny, adventurous series that will always be a
classic among the viewers. Well-formed humor is by
far the show's best quality: there's a laugh for
everyone, and especially the kids will love how Scooby Fanspeak …
always runs away from trouble. At the same time the
cartoon shows how kids can apply the characters' “Scooby Doo!!! because I like the doggy!..” –
ideas and solutions to their own lives, at home and at Mihelie(5)
school. How do Scooby and his friends use clues to “Scooby!, he makes me laugh!” – Shaniza (7)
solve a problem? Every episode is an interesting “Scooby – Doo!, I think Fred is cute!” – Venuki (8)
mystery for the kids. “Scooby-Doo!, He’s COOOOL!!” - Jason (7)


Indonesia
Si Kancil (The Deer) is one of the famous characters from traditional
Si Kancil Indonesian fairy tales. It is quite likely that many adults have forgotten
the stories, which their parents or grandparents and teachers may
have told them when they were kids. Si Kancil has many adventures to
share, among them“Si Kancil dan Si Siput (The Deer and The Snail)”, “Si
Kancil Mencuri Timun (The Deer Steals Cucumber)” and “Si Kancil
Menyeberang Sungai Penuh Buaya (The Deer Crossing River of
Crocodiles)“ were quite popular. The most famous one is “Si Kancil
Mencuri Timun”. These stories have now been transformed into a
series of books, a cartoon show, and even a song to tell his story about
stealing cucumber.

*The Captious Deer Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ_LZU75Av0
&feature=related

The Adventure of The Deer Cartoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96greHc4kjM

In recent years, some parents were concerned that Si Kancil‘s stories were
about his using cleverness to trick, deceive or cheat others. Because of the
concern that the fairytale could affect children’s character, Dr Sofyan Djalial,
MA.MALD, Ministry of State Owned Enterprise, told people to stop telling
stories about Si Kancil Mencuri Timun. Then, in 2009, Tedi Siswoko,
published its first book, “Kancil (Bukan) Si Pencuri Timun (The Deer (is not)
The Cucumber Stealer)”. It was a different story compared to the previous
one, with Si Kancil using his cunning to help his friends, instead of cheating
or deceiving them. Si Kancil plays the role of an anti-hero, but is still quite
loveable, with children enjoying his adventures very much!

Malaysia
Upin and Ipin

Their popularity amongst Malaysians has
made them Malaysia’s favourite
animated twins. Their Facebook page is
a testament to that. With over 5.4
million fans on Facebook – they are the
most “liked” Facebook page in
Malaysia.To date, the series has reached
its fourth year-long season on TV. Apart
from TV, you can also read Upin and Ipin
comic books, buy their DVDs, watch
their series online, in Malaysia’s first CGI
Animated feature film Geng: The
Adventure Begins.
Hi! We are Upin and Ipin, a pair of animated 5 year old
Malay twins who live in a small Malaysian village,
Kampung Durian Runtuh (Literal translation: Village of
Falling Durian) with our big sister, KakRos and
grandmother, Opah. We attend classes everyday at our
village’s TadikaMesra (Friendly Kindergarten) with our
Malay, Indian and Chinese friends.

‘Upin and Ipin’ was first created as a series of four
minute animated shorts by Les' Copaque Production to
educate children of the meaning and importance of
fasting and the Islamic holy month. It debuted on TV as
a Ramadhan special in September 2007 and was an
instant hit amongst adults and children in Malaysia.
Upin and Ipin and their classmates
Since then, the series has evolved into Upin&Ipin and
Friends, a more general themed series surrounding the
lives and adventures of the twins and their friends on You can even catch them up close live in Upin
normal days, which has garnered an international and Ipin The Musical, a theatre play production
audience following their debut on Disney Channel Asia. performed by children. You can also track their
journey at the National Museum exhibiting the
It’s easy to see why viewers love the show. Aside from animation process, memorabilia and a tour to
their entertaining misadventures and fantasies, children Upin and Ipin's fantasy land.
love the show because the show’s characters, who are
far from perfect, are easy to relate to regardless of race, Upin and Ipin merchandise include T-shirts,
religion or nationality, attributed by the racial diversity bags, stationery, water bottles, soft toys and
of Upin and Ipin’s friends. Parents appreciate the show’s even their own range of Upin and Ipin food (e.g.
moral grounding in each episode, aimed at educating biscuits, chocolate, curry packets, edible pictures
children values such as responsibility, loyalty and for cakes). There are also Upin and Ipin themed
honesty. But more than that, viewers love the show carnivals with activities for children and families
because the show’s typical Malay village setting makes and Upin and Ipin Cafes which serve dishes such
them feel at home better than shows set elsewhere. as ‘Opa Fried Rice' or 'Chicken Fried Upin’.


South Korea
Pororo

“I am Pororo, the little penguin in a computer-generated animated cartoon series created by Iconix Entertainment
and EBS (a major education TV channel in Korea). Since my debut in 2003, I became so popular not only my
home country, Korea, but also overseas. I starred in animation film series revolving around the adventures in the
snowy village of PorongPorong Forest, where my friends and I often meet challenges and learn practical and
moral lessons in each episode.

You can easily guess how popular I am by seeing the nickname "Pororo the President" while some teenagers call
me "Pororo the God“ . I am so popular that a number of brands, especially brands targeting babies or children,
started using me to promote in their products. In 2011 June, Korea’s biggest shopping mall brand, E-mart, held a
Pororophoto exhibition in book and music section, as a result boosting their sales by 32%. Lately bakery brand,
Paris Baguette, also started producing cakes and breads that look like me, aiming at winning the young
consumers’ heart”.

Pororo’scharm comes from each character’s uniqueness and friendliness. The main character ‘Pororo’ is a
penguin wearing big round aviator goggles and a tan-colored aviator cap. Considering that penguins are incapable
of flight, a penguin aviator is rather nonsensical, however the character is full of wit and imagination.

Likewise, other characters also have distinct personalities and unique interests which sometimes cause little (and
sometimes not so little) happenings in their calm white world.

Compared with other animations based on a super hero’s story, Pororo is something that’s more human and child
like, which helps young audiences stay engaged with the story more intensely.


Consumer brands
like Paris Baguette
have adopted the
Pororo character in
their products to
attract young
consumers.

Lately, the episode of one enthusiastic fan
rushing onto the stage proved Pororo’s
popularity among kids.


Singapore
The Legend of Korra

‘The Legend of Korra’ premiered in Singapore on the Nickelodeon television network on April 14 this year.
This animated series is a sequel to ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’, which aired on the same network from 2005
to 2008. Although only in its first 10 episodes, the show already has a strong following, appealing to a wider
demographic than just teenagers and kids despite being an animated series. One reasons for the show’s
popularity is it explores a number of universal themes, mainly friendship, family, love, sacrifice, power and
the responsibilities that come with it. Underlying all these is also an examination of what freedom really
means. Wrap that together with amazing animation that pays close attention to details plus a mixture of
humour and seriousness, you’ve got yourself an amazing series.

Although ‘The Legend of Korra’ is a relatively new series, you can
already find weekly reviews on YouTube and elsewhere online
where fans come together to discuss the latest episodes,
speculate about what the show has in store next and anticipating
the release of each new episode. As one critic put it “’The Legend
of Korra’ promises to be an excellent addition to the Avatar
mythos, pleasing both fans and newcomers alike”.


Taiwan
Open Chan

Open Chan, the first cartoon spokesperson in Taiwan’s
convenience retail industry, was born on July 11th,
2005. Open Chan is a dog who comes from the Open
planet and who loves to eat Onigiri (三角飯糰). He
was created by Japan Dentsu and Taiwan Dentsu, the
advertising company which is the agency of the
convenience store 7-ELEVEN.

In launching Open Chan, 7-ELEVEN and Dentsu enter a Open Chan items
new level of connecting emotionally with people. Also,
Open Chan showcases the friendly spirit of 7-ELEVEN
while introducing new products and services to
consumers and releasing peripheral products loved by
everyone.

Children and office ladies are the key target audience
for Open Chan. They are attracted by the distinct and
loveable image, and lots of popular products enjoy
good sales if they are tagged a Open Chan image.
These include cookies, bread, cake, soft drink, tissue,
or small appliances (tooth brush, chopsticks, shopping
bag, T-Shirts…etc)

With the popularity of Open Chan and its growing fan
base, Open Chan’s first music album was released. In a Open Chan’s Hotel
related MV, he plays guitar with his friends Momo,
Paiko, Chicowa, and others, thereby expanding the
number of cartoon characters associated with Open
Chan.

Based upon Open Chan’ success, 7-ELEVEN has
ventured into the hotel and restaurant business with
Open Chan as a central theme. Furthermore, a
shopping mall as well as a theme park featuring Open
Chan were opened.

To some marketers’ point of view, Open Chan’s
success is an innovative marketing model which has
pleasantly surprised 7-ELEVEN, and has successfully
recruited children as new consumers.

Open Chan’s Mall


CHINA
Pleasant Goat

“I am Pleasant Goat,
an animated school-
age lamb living in the
village of Green
Pasture. I wear a blue
ribbon, with a bell
around my neck. My
friends think I am a
hero because I
always help them to
get through danger
when the wolves are
trying to catch us. I
love to play pranks
and all my friends get
mad at me.”

In the U.S, there is Mickey Mouse; In Japan, there’s Hello Kitty. Both animated icons have generated billions of
dollars in revenue and, perhaps even more importantly, raised the cultural cachet of their respective countries
to sensational levels. And now China is getting into the action.

Pleasant Goat is an animated lamb from a Chinese animated television series, ‘Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf’,
which created by Huang Weiming, Lin Yuting and Luo Yinggeng, and produced by Creative Power Entertaining.
The series is about a group of goats living on the Green Pasture and the story revolving around a
clumsy wolf who wants to catch and eat them. Since 2005, the series have been broadcasting on more than 75
satellite and cable TV networks across China, including Hong Kong‘s TVB. The first film based on the character
Pleasant Goat, released in 2009, broke box-office records for locally produced animation films in China with 130
million RMB (US$19.6 million) in revenue. In 2012, Disney announced that the series will be aired on its
channels in 46 countries in the Asia Pacific region, it is a milestone for China‘s homegrown animation industry. In
the coming three years, audiences in countries such as India, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Malaysia and
Singapore will be able to enjoy the latest 100 episodes of the hit cartoon series ’Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf -
Joys of Seasons.


There are few reasons that the series is so
popular. The animation industry in China has
been undergoing a period of rapid
transformation in the past ten years, the
Chinese government at various levels have
promulgated over 25 regulations to encourage
creative industries and the development of
specific creative clusters especially animation.
Homegrown skilled animators are increasing and
the quality of animation production has
improved dramatically. The storyline of
‘Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf’ is very simple
and easy for children to understand: a wolf tries
to catch goats, but he always fails because the
goats work together as a team and good will
always win in the end. The whole story is very
positive. The language that’s used in the series is
based on the updated slangs and internet
memes, even young parents enjoy watching it
with their children.

Pleasant Goat is not only a popular cartoon
series, it is also a merchandising
powerhouse! You can see it everywhere in
China. In 2011, Hong Kong’s animation studio
Imagi International bought the merchandise and
licensing rights of the television series and
animation films, in a 105 million USD deal.
Disney has also been master licensee of Pleasant
Goat and Big Big Wolf since December 2010.

Knowing me, Knowing You
Japan
Rirakuma

Sawako Watanabe, also known as “Hiyoko 555” (39 years old) is a famous housewife who invented
food shaped in the form of 3D animated characters. She creates different kind of dishes using a
character called “Rirakuma” – Relaxed Bear. She has 5,000 followers in her photo sharing application.

Sawako makes the 3D character from whatever is available at home.

Recently, this trend has extended to other Japanese housewives who have found this as a great way of
encouraging their kids to eat healthy foods.


Philippines
Plogas: angasonghindi
‘The dog who isn’t’

Created by Pol Medina, Pugad Baboy is a comic series
about the “pigs” living in different levels of Manila
society. Polgas, the family dog of the Sungcal family, is
depicted as the crimefighter – battling corruption, drug-
pushing, extortion, and stupidity – the evils of scociety.
He appears in many other guises such as Dr. Sigmund
Floyd (a spoof of Sigmund Freud), Pol Torero (World
Wrestling Entertainment or WWE's The Undertaker),
Amorsolo (a non-existent Ninja Turtle), Aquapol
(Aquaman), Growlsbuster (spoofing The Ghostbusters),
Darth Paul (spoofing Darth Vader), Polverine (a spoof of
Wolverine, an X-Men character) and many others.
The strip does not only showcase domestic life;
occasionally, it features adventure, drama, and pure
spoof sequences. More often, the strip mirrors the
general sentiment of the Filipino people on relevant
topics such as corruption in the government as well as
Filipino pop culture.
iconic is this character, that Polgas appears in a variety of
merchandise: limited edition San Miguel beer, plush
toys, indie artist sneakers, shirts, and chess sets.


Pakistan
BankayMian

I am BankayMian, a 53 year old (animated) qawwal from
Pakistan whom you must have seen on Express News.
Alongside, I am also a columnist in the Urdu newspaper Express
and my column is published under the title, ‘BankayNama’.

People know me well for my sarcasm and wittiness. I use the art
of qawwali to comment on everyday issues which are being
faced by the Pakistani people and use my cynicism for the good
of the society. I strongly believe that parody is the best revenge
of modern times. My qawwalis follow the same pattern and so
goes the main line of my qawwali “BankayMianKiQawwali, Sub
Say Nirali” (BankayMian’sQawwali is the most unique.)

As the name Bankay (brave) suggests that I am not scared of
saying and telling the truth to and in front of anyone – but I say
it my way. This is what makes me stand out from the rest of the
qawwals and that is why everyone likes me and respects me so
much.

My struggling, stressed out, yet full of energy and enthusiasm
qawwal party, consists of BabooBhai, Kallan and Laddan.
BabooBhai plays the tabla while Kallan and Laddan are for claps.

One interesting fact is that these three copy me in my style and
appearance; I certainly don’t mind it, in fact I am proud of it.

I am on a mission to be the voice of the common Pakistani
people and to act as the platform through which I can shout out
the grievances of theirs to the relevant in a humorous way.

To watch me in action, visit
http://www.youtube.com/bankaymianqawal

Playing on my iPod*
SINGAPORE

Payphone

Maroon 5 ft Wiz Khaila JAPAN
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=5FlQSQuv_mg Kana Nishino
Watashitachi
Broken Hearted
Karmin http://www.youtube.c
http://www.youtube.co om/watch?v=jFTMj7va
m/watch?v=s8cbak34DR RjI
0

MALAYSIA
SRI LANKA
PathuSenehe Seya Roo Carly Rae Jepsen

PoornaSachintha&Kushani Ft. Call me Maybe
THILINA R.
http://youtu.be/fWNaR-rxAic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vXnKFSqs6N0

SOUTH KOREA
EpitoneProject – 2nd album
Klangit
Crack of Dawn
SesalMendua
v=u_5C5am2530 http://youtu.be/sHF1YJY7tWc

Minuethttp://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=K4D8cdz_eA0&feature
=related
INDIA
Wonder Girls - Wonder party album
Like This http://www.youtube.com/
Song: ‘PaniDa Rang’
watch?v=7EZTUYwjWBs
Girlfriend Movie: Vicky Donor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u
vzVhrdq0NI http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=yA_S1s0DFmU&feature=fvwrel

INDONESIA

“AkuPastiBisa”

Citra

http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=MVsY4bmYhqE

Playing on my iPod*

CHINA

Oli Hang
Go Go Fighting
TAIWAN
http://v.youku.com/v_show/i
2012 d_XMzk2OTIxMTUy.html

by May day

http://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=Yyg
VVvuIWm4&feature
=relmfu
Miss D.D
Everybody Loves A
PHILIPPINES Lover

http://v.youku.com/
v_show/id_XMzk3OT
YxNDA0.html

Ingrosso&Alesso ft. Ryan Tedder
Calling (Lose My Mind)
v=9G1I16gJBvU

Chien Yao
Star Toes

http://v.youku.com/v_s
how/id_XMzk0NTkxMjU
2.html

Calvin Harris
The Rain
http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=jscd9utzNHs
PAKISTAN

TahirMitthu

PerePavandiSaan

http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=fCP8uv9v0yI

Rage against

What’s making people really angry?

Rage against

SINGAPORE

Project Hello Stranger

Sri Lanka
The Let-down at Rio-20

 Some groups attending Rio+20 felt the summit was a
Sri Lanka’s position on Rio+20 was largely in line with complete failure. On the penultimate day, protesters
that of the Group of 77, a coalition of developing took up a position near the entrance to the summit
countries. venue, where the top-level plenary sessions were in
 In his Rio +20 address, the Sri Lankan President progress, and said the Green Economy would not save
MahindaRajapaksa said “Outsiders should not the Earth, which was being battered by anti-
encroach on a country’s natural resources, whether environmental practices.
on land or in the ocean. Protection of the sea bed
and the ocean floor against damage by the use of Back in Colombo, organizers of Earth Walk 2012 and
environmentally unfriendly methods of fishing, such other youth groups were disheartened, upset and
as bottom trawling, should be guaranteed by some even angry that the summit had been “so non-
international law and practice.” conclusive”.
 

Japan
Restarting a
nuclear plant

There was outrage in Japan when the government announced the
re-start of one of the shut nuclear plants. 11,000 people
surrounded the Prime Minister’s residence with banners saying
‘STOP the nuclear plant’, ‘STOP OOI (name of the nuclear plant)’.
The local police arrested one of the protesters who assaulted a
police officer. Supporters of the rally included influential figures
such as famous writers and actors. But it remains a divisive issue:
there are some people who support the reopening of nuclear
plants to support Japan’s economic growth.

Rage against India
Moral policing by the Mumbai Police

Assistant Commissioner of Police Vasant Dhoble, 57, Working on a multi-pronged marketing strategy, the
has been accused by his severest critics of trying to team has begun distributing flyers with morning
Taliban-ise Mumbai. Mr Dhoble, who heads the newspapers and will distribute around 600,000
Mumbai Police's Social Service branch, faced his latest leaflets over the weekend. "We have hired 200
criticism on Twitter when he was a trending topic for commercial hoardings across Mumbai. In fact we are
recent raids on some of the city's landmark restaurants paying Rs 28,000 to put up 30 hoardings in the
and pubs. Bandra-Santa Cruz area whereas political parties are
charged only Rs 8,000-9,000 for this number. Being
It's not just his mission, but his style that has enraged private individuals, we are charged many times more
the city. He often carries a camera during his raids because the civic body assumes we are advertisers,"
to film people for relatively minor violations. Armed at says Kanal. The team has spent Rs 1,000 as printing
least once with a hockey stick, MrDhoble arrived to charge for each hoarding.
enforce what many in the city believe are archaic laws.
He raided Cafe Zoe for playing music without the The artistic community has pledged support from day
required license for a DJ, and because it was over- one. Writer-singer RamjiGulati whose song
crowded. 'Apni Mumbai police sabkabhai' had created waves
will record a special song for the rally.
A day later, he raided the Shiro nightclub in Worli on Choreographer SandeepSoparrkar is working on a
Saturday, saying it was flouting rules. piece as well. Kabir Bedi posted his thoughts online.
"Mumbai Police trample democratic rights (by)
He has said in his defence that he needs to protect denying permission for Sunday rally against brutal
young people who gather at hookah bars and pubs crackdown on city's nightlife," he wrote.
which are breaking the law. "I am doing my job," he
said to NDTV, a week after two women sued the police
for defamation because they were arrested for being
prostitutes in a raid led by Mr Dhoble.

A Facebook page called 'Dhoble - Oppressor of the
Innocent Public' has 20,000 members. Writer and
commentator PritishNandy has described him as
'Public Enemy No 1' on Twitter. TWITTER HANDLE

MrDhoble's track record in the police force has many ‘#DHOBLE’
blemishes, but a patina of political patronage has
protected him. He was suspended in 1989 for
accepting a bribe in Pune. In 1994, he was sentenced to
seven years in prison and fined a lakh for his role in a
custodial death. He was dismissed from the force but
reinstated in 1996, after his jail sentence was dismissed
by the Mumbai High Court. A departmental inquiry
against him is still pending in this case - the Supreme
Court had ordered this. Before the Special Service
branch, Mr Dhoble was posted with the Maharashtra
VidhanSabha security.

The organisers of 24TH June’s proposed anti-Dhoble
rally at Carter Road say the Mumbai Police's denial of
permission has in fact resulted in a fresh groundswell of
support.

Rage against

China
Pregnant Editor-In-Chief Forced to Resign

A former chief editor of a Chinese website PClady,
which provides information services aimed at
women, was reportedly forced to resign last month
for being pregnant. The company canceled her
computer and email account after she refused to
quit, reports the XinxiShibao, a newspaper affiliated
to the Guangzhou Daily. The 34-year-old woman,
surnamed Dong, had been working for the website
since last February, rising on the strength of her
performance to become chief editor. The
Guangzhou-based website asked Dong to quit her
job on Apr 24, five days after she informed the
company of her pregnancy. Dong had told the
company that her doctor had suggested she take a
period of time off. The company's senior vice
president told her to quit on April 24 despite
recently released national regulations stipulating
women should not be made unemployed or paid
less on account of pregnancy, giving birth and
breastfeeding. Dong refused to quit but found her
computer, permit and email account had been
rendered invalid the same afternoon.

Dong said this is not the first time the company has
dismissed a pregnant employee, adding that the
company prevented a previous incident from being
disclosed. The editor says she has retained legal
advise over the case. Dong’s story has appeared on
China’s largest micro-blogging service Sina Weibo.
Within few days, the story has became one of the
most discussed topics. Netizens have expressed
their anger on this issue, one commented: “As one
of the largest websites that target women, it is
shame that you don’t even give your employee
basic woman rights. Women today are well
educated, we should fearlessly go to court to
safeguard our legal rights and interests when we
have not been treated fairly.”

Rage against
Singapore
The Ferrari accident and its aftermath

On May 12 2012, 4.15am, at the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street, a red Ferrari ran a red light,
crashing into a taxi and instantly claiming two lives at the point of impact. This incident reads like an episode of
a drama series; a rich married man from China with an unknown female passenger driving recklessly in the
night causing the death of two other innocent victims. One victim was the taxi driver, a father of 3 and the
household’s sole breadwinner. The entire incident was captured on tape by another taxi driver’s inbuilt camera
whose occupants managed to escape death by mere seconds. This footage quickly went viral, sparking outrage
online from both Singaporeans and those in China.

This incident has caused additional tension on the ground amongst Singaporeans especially at a time when anti-
foreigner sentiment is on the rise. Many blame the government for its ‘liberal’ acceptance of foreign talent
which they say is the culprit behind the rising influx of foreigners causing trouble.

Even the Chinese embassy in Singapore has told its citizens living in the Republic, that “[they] hope that Chinese
citizens living in Singapore will respect life, value the safety of themselves and others, abide by its laws and
regulations, and live responsibly and gracefully”. The embassy also conveyed its sincere and deep condolences
to the victims and their families.

The Chinese themselves were outraged at the behaviour of one of their own as commentaries have appeared
in China condemning the obnoxious behavior of rich Chinese overseas. Many see this irresponsible behaviouras
a result of the sudden rising affluence among the Chinese and the lack of education and etiquette that should
follow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZG1HgOyFkU

Rage against

Taiwan
Poor working conditions for nurses

About 200 nurses protested in front of the Department of Health
on 5/30, urging relevant authorities to immediately modify labor
laws to prevent hospitals from further exploiting them.

"Let me sleep," shouted Liang Hsiu-mei, a member of the Radical
Nurses Union, which was formed recently to address the
increasingly deteriorating working conditions for local nursing
staff.

Liang presented a sample shift chart that showed how their
employers forced them to take care of patients when they didn't
have enough rest.

Nearly one in four nurses had the experience of working both the
night shift and the day shift on the same day, Liang said, citing
findings from a survey her organization had conducted.

"Only if we have enough rest can patients be in good hands," she
said.

However, some nurses just leave the industry or go to another
country to get the better pay and betterquality of life. At the
moment, there are 230,000 individuals who hold nursing licenses
in Taiwan, though only about 40 percent of them are working as
nurses in the work force, according to statistics compiled by
health officials.

According to statistics from the DOH, the turnover rate for nurses
reached 20 percent last year, which was 3 to 4 percentage points
higher than in previous years. About 17,800 people left the
profession in 2011.

In a ceremony held to recognize distinguished nurses a few days
earlier, President Ma Ying-jeou announced a set of guidelines for
nursing reform and promised to improve the working conditions
for nurses.

Rage against
Indonesia
Lady Gaga’s Cancelled Concert

The National Police stated that they would not issue a permit for Lady Gaga’s concert scheduled for Jakarta on
June 3, 2012, for, among other reasons, fears that the Grammy Award winner would exploit her sensuality in a
manner which could harm the morals of Indonesian youth. This statement is more or less in line with the same
tune as that of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), which previously said that Lady Gaga would “bring the faith of
Satan to the country and thus would destroy the nation’s morals” (The Jakarta Post, May 16, 2012).

Whether the police’s decision is right or wrong does not matter. In this case, state institutions seemed to fall
under the influence or are unable to deal with threats that come from religious hardliner groups. In those
cases, the hardliner groups clearly stated that they would launch physical attacks on other parties. Through
their actions, the hardliners were actually presenting more potential, and in some cases, actual threats to other
groups.

The irony, however, is that state institutions, which ideally must stay neutral to protect the well-being of all
people, are aligning with the hardliner groups. Instead of overcoming potential threats, the state apparatus
chooses to cooperate with the side that has launched the threat.

Lady Gaga fans went mad and protested back, but it clearly did not save the concert. Local concert promoter
Big Daddy Entertainment has promised to issue full refunds for the 52,000 tickets purchased for Lady Gaga’s
June 3 concert in Jakarta, after the US singer backed out early on Sunday morning. Big Daddy executive Michael
Rusli told reporters in Jakarta that the tickets would be refunded “100 percent“, starting on June 10. "We will
announce detailed procedures on Wednesday because we have to ask the police to issue a permit for us to
refund the tickets, since it will involve crowds," Michael said.

A total of 52,000 tickets, with prices ranging from Rp 465,000 (US$50.75) to Rp 2.25 million, have already been
sold since tickets sales opened on March 10. Michael Rusli declined to comment on how much money that the
promoter had lost due to the cancellation.

A total of 52,000 tickets, with prices ranging from Rp 465,000
(US$50.75) to Rp 2.25 million, had already been sold since tickets
sales opened on March 10. Michael Rusli declined to comment on
how much money that the promoter had lost due to the
cancellation.

Waiting list

Sri Lanka
World Cup Cricket Twenty20

The 2012 ICC World Twenty20 will be the fourth ICC World Twenty20 competition,
an international cricket tournament that will be held in Sri Lanka between
September 18 and October 7, 2012. This will be the first World Twenty20
tournament held in an Asian country, the last three being held in South Africa,
England and the West Indies respectively. Sri Lankan pacer LasithMalinga has been
chosen as the event ambassador of the tournament by ICC. On 21 September
2011, ICC unveiled the logo of the tournament, named "Modern Spin”

On 10th June 2012, the 100th day countdown for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup
2012 was launched at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium. As part of the
celebrations, more than 300 school children from the Kandy District formed a
giant '100’ (actual photograph on the left). The ICC together with Sri Lanka Cricket
also donated cricket bats to 100 girls and boys schools playing competitive cricket
in the Kandy District. Also present at the occasion were Pakistan captain
Mohammed Hafeez and Sri Lanka captain MahelaJayawardena and Sri Lanka
women's captain ShashikalaSiriwardena.

Schedule available on:
http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/events_and_awards/twenty20/fixtures.php

Malaysia
Prevé from local car manufacturer Proton
Recently, local car manufacturer Proton announced
that its latest car model, Prevé, has received over
10,000 bookings in just two months, making it the
most popular 1.6 liter sedan in the market. The Prevé
is claimed to be Proton’s effort to offer the most
technologically advanced vehicle available to the mass
market and its launch was greatly anticipated by car
enthusiasts and the average Malaysian alike.

So far, reviews of the car have lauded the Prevé for its
affordability and for its technological innovations, The 1.6 liter Proton Prevé
such as the built in GPS system and touchscreen audio
system on the dashboard. Some reviewers have even
deemed the Prevé as Proton’s first global car and its
finest model yet.

Waiting list
India
‘Gangs of Wasseypur’

This year’s most
talked-about movie
‘Gangs of Wasseypur’
is probably the only
Hindi film of recent
times which is getting
so much attention
abroad also.

The movie director AnuragKashyap is
like a representative of Indian cinema,
who stands out from the usual masala
entertainers. His films are hard-hitting
and realistic and that is the reason
why ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ was a hot
favourite at Cannes this year.

‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ is a six hour
marathon and will be released in two
parts. But the 2nd part will be
released probably after 2-3 weeks of
the first part. At the end of the first
part is when you can sit back to watch
the trailer of the second one.

Last February, Japanese
Philippines
company Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
Uniqlo formally announced the June opening
of the first Uniqlo shop in the
Philippines, which will be located at SM
Mall of Asia. With just days to go,
shoppers are giddy with excitement
especially with an opening sale to
welcome them for the first 3 weeks.
Many came to know and love Uniqlo
from their travels around Asia. The
arrival of the brand is a big treat for
Filipino shoppers. In the next 3 years,
more shoppers will get their Uniqlo fix
with 49 other stores to open in the
greater Manila area.

Waiting list
Indonesia
Maroon 5
With the cancelation of Lady Gaga’s concert, people are
resorting to the next concert by Maroon5, which is scheduled
to be on October 5, 2012. Despite the fact that it will the their
second concert this year in Jakarta, fans had lined up and
fought for the presale tickets launched on June 16. The sales
turned out amazing with 8000 presale tickets sold in less than
3 minutes.

This was exactly what happened on their last visit as well.
Looks like Indonesians haven’t had enough of Maroon5, and
this time, Maroon 5 made a short video to promote their tour
in Asia, where Jakarta will be the last city, closing their tour.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedde
d&v=d0BXrq-_7pI

Prior to their concert on October 5, Maroon 5 will be
launching their new album, and this is what people have been
waiting for, on top of the upcoming concert.

Japan
Tokyo Sky Tree
Tokyo Sky Tree opened on May 22. It is the world's tallest free-
standing tower with a height of 634 meters. The tower was
primarily built to broadcast clear TV and radio signals without
interference from the many skyscrapers that have been built in
central Tokyo. Now, it become a town combining the
broadcast tower, an aquarium, a planetarium and the Tokyo
Solamachi complex, which boasts 312 shops and restaurants.
From May 22 to July 10, entry to the observation desk are by
Advance Reservation only, which had been sold out before
opening. In the first weekend, Tokyo Sky Tree and surrounding
facilities drew 564,000 visitors. Calculate on a year-long basis,
the number of visitors to Tokyo Skytree Town is expected to
total 32 million in the first year, and 25 million in the second.

Waiting list
Singapore
Diablo III

It’s been 12 long years since Diablo II came out, and the worldwide wait for the
sequel was finally over this year wth Diablo III’s release.

While fans of the game had the option of getting their games through third
party suppliers or directly online, many others decided to do the brave thing:
Face off countless other fans and get their games in person at the launch event
held by Asiasoft at FunanDigitaLife Mall. Some even lined up 24 hours before
the launch of the events while others took leave from school and work specially
to get their hands on the latest game. But to them, it’s a small sacrifice. Just ask
Seth Chan, the first person in the queue. Hestarted queuing with his friends at
6am the day before and even took two days off his annual leave to prepare for
this launch event.

This craze may not seem so surprising when one takes a look at the statistics:
Singaporean youth are playing 27 hours of computer games/week according to
an ongoing study by National Institute of Education (NIE).

Some fun facts: this game has proved so popular that it’s namesake even made
an appearance at this year’s Beerfest Asia in Singapore.

Waiting list

and also in Taiwan !

Diablo III has been the most anticipated game this
decade, drawing an eager audience in in Taiwan
too! The game’s creator, Blizzard, had us waiting
years for the next installment to Diablo II – a
game that millions of people still play.

Those long years of anticipation can seem like a
lifetime in the gaming world, when games such as
World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, or Battlefield,
release yearly updates .

Blizzard, the game’s creators, announced that
Diablo III had sold about 1 million copies in a
single month in Taiwan, making it the hottest-
selling PC game this summer.

However, there was some negative publicity as
one gamer was too excited and couldn’t stop
playing the game day and night, as this 31-year-
old man eventually died in front of the computer,
with the screen continuing to show Diablo III.
That’s how crazy these fans of popular computer
gamers can become!

Waiting list
China
Xiaomi “Youth Edition” Smartphone

May 15, 2012, Chinese smart phone marker Founded by Chinese Internet guru Lei Jun, Xiao
Xiaomi released a new version of its smart phone mi began with a small team but aimed high - to-
targeting younger and more price-sensitive make Chinese high-end performing smart
consumers. Its name, the 青春 (Qing Chun) or phones with affordable prices. The company's
“youth edition” also invokes a feeling of smart phones, which cost around 2,000RMB
springtime, indicating that they aim for this to be ($317) or less than half the price of an Apple
a seasonal deal. According to the announcement iPhone 4,soldmore than 1.65 million units since
on Xiaomi’s Weibo, the model is limited to it entered the market on Oct 20 last year, the
150,000 units, preorders were only available company said. Xiaomi only offers its products
through May 18. Priced at 1499 RMB ($238), the through online sales, with limited number
new phone is 20% faster in speed but 25% of units at a time due to its limited production
cheaper in price 25% compared with the original capacity.
model.
Earlier this year, Xiaomi secured $90 million in
Before the preorder day, the message on Xiaomi’s a venture capital fund-raising that attracted
Weibo page has already been reposted 72,000 foreign investors, bringing the total investor
times by fans. On May 18, the company sold all financing to $130 million. It also
150,000 phones in just 12 minutes as it launched made Foxconn, the primary Apple product supp
the online sale. One netizen commented on its -lier, to be its supplier from January this year.
Weibo page: “I heard great things about Xiaomi
smart phone, I have been wanting to buy it but
the price is kind of expensive to a college student
like me. When I heard about the release of the
youth edition, I was so happy and I have been
waiting in front of computer to preorder on May
18. But it is too popular and I couldn’t get a quota,
they should produce more units!”

Wassup July 2012

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Wassup July 2012