My New Job

Perhaps I don't need to tell the name and business of my new company. It is a well-recognised and straight-forward name. However having studied in Japan for over three years, I found that I am not familiar with the way most Cambodians and my colleagues pronouce the name: it sounds like Thai rather than Japanese.

This is my second job upon returning to Cambodia. It seems that I like the job more than the previous one. Of course, it is not because the businesses are completely different. I feel that I like color so much (maybe because my eye-sight is not good!). The slogan: Working Beautifully Everywhere is also stimulating and rewarding.
It seems that my position is bigger than before, but having worked for a while, I dare say that the position and the job description on the paper do not really stipulate your authority and your job duties. Although my title in the previous company is an Assistant Manager, my real responsibility and authority are like General Manager, having access to all information and have the right to stamp!
Anyway to have a good start, I care more about the nature of the job rather than the size of the company and the position. At last, I get the job I want: holding a managerial position in sales and/ marketing. The next step is to learn all the tips and tricks and overcome awaiting challenges, while preparing for my next plans.

Asia's Export Dependency Has To Change

The article gives insightful ideas for Cambodia's policy makers. I agree with both scholars, but more with Huang than Kruman. Which model is best for Cambodia, the Chninese or VN?

While westerners are busily building up their depleted savings, can export-dependent Asian economies adjust to a world in which the US consumer is no longer the buyer of last resort?

Economists are asking whether countries such as China will be able to reorient their economies so that domestic demand becomes the main driver of growth.

Why is Chinese household consumption so low and what can be done to fix it?

Mr Krugman pins much of the blame on a threadbare social safety net, which has shrunk even as China has grown richer. Most Chinese build up precautionary savings at the expense of consumption, he says.

Erecting a safety net, however, may have only a marginal effect on spending, says Mr Huang. He pins the blame not on high savings but rather on declining incomes, especially in rural areas where 700m people still live. He advocates a push to increase rural incomes by legalising micro-finance, abolishing the city registration system that prevents migrant workers from receiving social benefits, and accelerating land reform.

Classic Jokes

Here are some classic jokes just to break the ice:

1. A man went to apply for a job. After filling out all of his applications, he waited anxiously for the outcome. The employer read all his applications and said, "We have an opening for people like you." "Oh, great," he said, "What is it?" "It's called the door!"
2. A cowboy rode into town and stopped at a saloon for a drink. Unfortunately, the locals always had a habit of picking on strangers, which he was. When he finished his drink, he found his horse had been stolen. He went back into the bar, handily flipped his gun into the air, caught it above his head without even looking and fired a shot into the ceiling. "Which one of you sidewinders stole my horse?!?!?" he yelled with surprising forcefulness. No one answered. "Alright, I'm gonna have another beer, and if my horse ain't back outside by the time I finish, I'm gonna do what I dun in Texas! And I don't like to have to do what I dun in Texas!" Some of the locals shifted restlessly. The man, true to his word, had another beer, walked outside, and his horse has been returned to the post. He saddled up and started to ride out of town. The bartender wandered out of the bar and asked, "Say partner, before you go... what happened in Texas?" The cowboy turned back and said, "I had to walk home."
3. A guy sticks his head in the barber shop and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop and says, "About two hours." The guy leaves. A few days later, the same guy sticks his head in the door and asks, "How long before I get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop full of customers and says, "About two hours." The guy leaves. A week later, the same guy sticks his head in the shop and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop an says, "About an hour and half." The guy leaves. The barber looks over at a friend in the shop and says, "Hey Bill, follow that guy and see where he goes." In a little while, Bill comes back into the shop laughing hysterically. The barber asks, "Bill, where did he go when he left here?" Bill looked up and said, "To your house."
4. A man is walking down the street and he sees a boy riding a wagon. The boy has his dog pulling it with a rope attached to the dogs balls. The man says "You know if you tied it around his neck, it would go faster." The boy replies, "I know but then I wouldn't get the cool siren."
5. A man hasn't been feeling well, so he goes to his doctor for a complete check-up. Afterward, the doctor comes out with the results. "I'm afraid I have some very bad news," the doctor says. "You're dying, and you don't have much time left." "Oh, that's terrible!" says the man. "How long have I got?" "Ten," the doctor says sadly. "Ten?" the man asks. "Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!" The doctor interrupts, "Nine..."
6. Tom had this problem of getting up late in the morning and was always late for work. His boss was mad at him and threatened to fire him if he didn't do something about it. So Tom went to his doctor who gave him a pill and told him to take it before he went to bed. Tom slept well, and in fact, beat the alarm in the morning. He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work. "Boss", he said, "The pill actually worked!" "That's all fine" said the boss, "But where were you yesterday?"

My Northwestern Trip

Asia's Top Business Schools

Staying in Asia for an MBA

As B-schools in China, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and other parts of Asia make their programs more global and establish partnerships with schools overseas, more Asian students are staying home to get their MBAs

For years, Asians interested in entering the best business schools had little choice but to head to the West. Now, though, business schools throughout Asia are trying to become more competitive with the top schools in the U.S. and Europe. B-schools in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and other parts of Asia have been making their curricula more global and recruiting more professors from abroad. At the same time, Asian business schools increasingly are partnering with one another or with schools from the West to offer more options to their students.With the global economy in the doldrums, the competition to enter business schools is growing far more intense as students look to escape the dire job market and improve their chances of getting a well-paying position when the world recovers. So even though Asian schools are still no match yet for the Whartons and Kelloggs of the world, more and more Asian students are now looking to them as alternative places to get their MBAs.

For more on the best business schools in Asia, click on the title link.

The global politics of swine flu

Adapted from Kaveh L Afrasiabi
Lesson: Crises could create opportunities, more crises, or both.
We may be at the incipient stage of swine flu's deadly spread across the globe, but already signs of new trans-Atlantic fissures over EU travel advisory to the United States and Mexico.
Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that usually affects pigs. "Hysterical", "unwarranted", "overreaction" and "ineffective", were the top choices of words used by US officials in reaction to the EU health officials' alarm bells, and the stern US responses to the Europeans' health disaster response reminds one of China's similar response when the US Center on Disease Control, put this statement on its website in response to the early reports of the SARS epidemic in Asia: "Don't go to mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hanoi unless you really have to.
Hundreds of US flights to and from Mexico have continued unabated since the swine flu outbreak, and there has not been any attempt by the US government to either close some borders with Mexico or even reduce the substantial human traffic crossing those borders, fearing the adverse economic impacts in today's climate of global economic recession. The trick is undoubtedly not to make policies based on worst-case scenarios, but then again there is also the grave risk of avoiding a painful "great reshuffling" of policies. "A severe pandemic might encourage us to rethink the deadly pace of globalization and biological trade in all living things," wrote Nikforuk. Clearly, Third World Mexico's lack of an integrated strategy to combat the infectious disease with adequate resources has a lot to do with the flu's high mortality rate compared to its impact in US and Canada. As usual, the North-South gaps reveal themselves with glaring and oppressive clarity in such outbreaks of public illness. At the same time, by posing the US as a "risk society", a whole new fertile field of discourse on America's (health) identity has been opened by the threat of swine flu. An imagined pandemic may sting the US nearly as much as a real pandemic and the sheer indeterminacy of the flu's potency and future growth simply adds to its dispensation of a new unhealthy image for the US. Swine flu points at the growing linkage between foreign policy and health policy, as well as the nexus between health and security. Should it turn out that we are merely witnessing its first phase of attack, which is pregnant with multiple subsequent waves causing greater and greater disruptions in world trade, transport and trans-border human movement, something impossible to pre-calculate at this stage, then a whole new logic of de-globalization may be inevitable. On the other hand, this flu has the potential to be labeled as a "metropolis disease" that does not contaminate much of the the Third World. On the whole, swine flu can take one of two directions, it can either act as a circuit-breaker for a renewed globalization in terms of collective response, or a potent source of "international solidarity" as envisioned by UN chief Ban. Or, finally, it may have the contradictory effect of pushing both chariots simultaneously, at least in the short run.

Link to Swine Flu: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/20061101/swine-flu-faq

Mount Fuji Climbing- an unforgetable experience

Mount Fuji taken from Kawaguchiko 5th station, 2300m.

Mount Fuji, with the height of 3776m, is the highest and most beloved iconic mountain in Japan. Climbing the mountain itself can make lifelong memories, both in terms of physical challenges and the panoramic view of the surrounding areas below. Mount Fuji climbing is very popular, and it is crowded during climbing season, July and August.

I had longed for reaching Japan's highest point before leaving. As an inexperienced climber, I chose the easiest trail, starting from Kawaguchiko 5th station (2300m). It's supposed to take between 4-7h to ascend to the top, but it takes me about 8h. There are many huts for overnight stay, selling foods and drinks along the trail; the price becomes more expensive with altitude.

Climbing Mount Fuji is the most exhausting and challenging experience I ever made. I had to endure strong and cold wind during the night due to poor preparation. I almost gave up the original plan to get to top. One lady felt unconscious, falling down and crashing her head cus of extreme exhaustion, but I was determined to move on cus I saw some old people and small children (who know how experienced they are)!
It was not really climbing anyway. I don have to climb the cliff like the professional ones, but it's not really hiking too because the volcanic mountain has long and steep slops from its foot to the top (it looks much easier and shorter to climb in the above pic, but don be fooled!). I reached 1oth station, the top, around 5:30 am. There is nothing much to see on the summit besides the crater, but the below scenery is so breathtaking that I felt most rewarding like being on the heaven.

The ascending trail I take. Some people were climbing at day time while I was descending.

It was supposed to post no more physical challenge after I reached the summit. I, however, didn't notice the sign and took the wrong descending trail which is more difficult and sleepy. That is the most terrible road on earth with its endless slop and rocks. I had to hold my heels constantly and felt like skiing rather than walking all the way down from the top to 2000m. Worse, I had to trek one more hour in the jungle to get to the bus stop. My legs were killing me. I would call it Mount Fuji adventure than climbing or hiking. The author said don be petrified by the saying that a wise man climbs Mount Fuji only once in a life time. I say it is too enough to climb Mount Fuji once in a life time.

Sunrise on Mount Fuji, taken from 9th station overlooking mountains and Fuji 5 lakes.

Two hikers are sleeping soundly by the cliff of the ascending trail as if they don love their lives.
Mount Fuji crater. The building behind is the highest point in Japan.
Kawaguchiko 5th station, 2300m. Mount Fuji is scenic and forested till this station.

On the top of Japan World. I did it at lasttt!

Look fresher at a viewing platform of the 5th station before climbing.

More on Mount Fuji: http://www.mt-fuji.co.jp/index-e.html

The World's Most Competitive Countries

Half of the top 10 are European and the U.S. is still No. 1, but Asia's tigers are coming on strong.

Asian economies are overtaking the U.S. and Northern Europe to become the most competitive in the world.

Among the top 20 economies out of the 55 ranked, those in Asia-Pacific posted the greatest gains compared with last year.

IMD produced the rankings using 331 criteria ranging from gross domestic product growth and unemployment to the number of Internet users and the price of local cell-phone calls. Hard data from sources such as the World Bank and U.N. comprised two-thirds of the inputs; the rest came from nearly 4,000 survey responses from executives in each country regarding the availability of skilled employees, government regulation, the availability of venture capital, and other more qualitative issues.

See BW's slide show of the top dozen countries in this year's IMD competitiveness ranking.
Table: The World's Most Competitive Countries 2008

Done! Goodbey Student Life In Japan

At last, the day I had been waiting anxiously has come: Sucessful thesis defense. That is the end of my student life in Japan. Will have to face a new life when going back to Cambodia. For the time being just enjoy my last two months sightseeing. Feel like missing the spring and fall here before going.

Took some photos and videos as memories on the defense day at Waseda' main campus and an arabian resturant in Ikebukuro. I had never thought how important it is to take photos of my university before. Honestly speaking, the middle-east food is not my favorite. It's nice to have a change and try a new taste, anyway. It is the most expensive dinner I ever had. Maybe it was because of the belly dancing; everyone, including my prof., enjoyed it and forgot to eat.

Bad to the Bone: Dealing With a Bad Boss

By Susan M. Heathfield,

Dealing with a less than effective manager, or just plain bad managers and bad bosses, is a challenge too many employees face. No matter the character of your bad boss, these ideas will help you deal with your bad boss.

Start your campaign by understanding that your boss may not know he is bad. Just as in situational leadership, the definition of "bad" depends on the employee's needs, the manager's skills and the circumstances.

Recommended Approach to the Unwitting Bad Boss

- Talk to this boss. Tell him what you need from him in term of direction, feedback and support. - Be polite and focus on your needs. Telling the boss he’s a bad boss is counterproductive and won’t help you meet your goals.
- Ask the manager how you can help him reach his goals. Make sure you listen well and provide the needed assistance.
- Seek a mentor from among other managers or more skilled peers, with the full knowledge of your current manager, to enlarge your opportunity for experience.
- If you’ve taken these actions, and they haven’t worked, go to your boss’s manager and ask for assistance. Or, you can go to your Human Resources staff first, to rehearse and gain advice. Understand that your current boss may never forgive you, so ensure you have done what you can do with him, before taking your issues up the line.
- You may never hear what the boss’s boss or the HR staff did to help solve your bad manager’s behavior. It’s confidential. But, do allow some time to pass for the actions to have their desired impact.
- If nothing changes, despite your best efforts, and you think the problem is that they don’t believe you, draw together coworkers who also experience the behavior. Visit the boss’s manager to help him see the size and impact of the behavior.
- If you think the problem is that your boss can’t – or won’t – change, ask for a transfer to another department. This recommendation presumes you like your employer and your work.
- If a transfer or promotion is unavailable, begin your search for a new job. Fleeing is always an option. You may want to conduct your job search secretly, but under the circumstances, it may be time for you to go.

Click on the title link to read more. See what to do When the Bad Boss Knows.

Hun Sen's Diplomatic Juggling Act

While the US interests for Cambodia come mainly from terrorism, China involvement is driven by economic interests.

More than any other Southeast Asian country, Cambodia finds itself caught in the middle of competing United States and Chinese diplomatic overtures. With Washington offering bilateral strategic initiatives and Beijing rich financial assistance, Prime Minister Hun Sen has deftly balanced the country's diplomacy between the two superpowers to his government's political advantage.

Cambodia's economy is expanding at double digit growth rates and China's economic interest in the country has intensified since 2005, when US oil company Chevron discovered what some have projected are large stores of oil and gas off the country's southern coast. Those growing commercial ties were witnessed in the establishment in February of a special economic zone at the coastal town of Sihanoukville, from which goods will be produced for export duty free to China.

While China's economic influence grows, that of the US is on the wane. In recent years the US has given around $150 million in annual economic aid, a small fraction of China's commercial patronage. At the same time US-Cambodian trade ties have fallen off, seen in the 30% year-on-year decline in garment exports to the US in 2007. The US has long been the primary importer of Cambodian textiles, which is still the country's largest export item.

By offering more aid through strategic initiatives, the US policy towards Cambodia has apparently shifted after emphasizing throughout the 1990s the promotion of democracy and the rule of law. That frequently put the two sides at diplomatic loggerheads, notably over an FBI investigation into a March 1997 bomb attack.

While the US tries to deflect China's commercial diplomacy, Beijing has simultaneously landed on ways to unite economically and culturally with Cambodia, including through outreach to politically influential ethnic-Chinese entrepreneurs. It's also apparent, some say, in the fading popularity of the English language over Mandarin Chinese, also known as Putonghua, in local schools. Cambodia is now home to the largest Chinese school in Southeast Asia, Duan Hua, which currently enrolls over 8,000 students. The most popular Chinese courses are specifically geared towards business, with students reasoning that English language capability may help to land jobs with international aid organizations, while Mandarin, which is taught across mainland China as the official language, will catapult them into more lucrative positions in business.

Cambodia's Construction Boom

Golden Towers 42 (under constuction), Pharos Mekong Towers (in planning)

By roatha007

Cambodia has seen unprecedented construction boom in recent years, driven largely by S. Korean investment. Mega construction projects include Camko City, Golden Tower 42, De Castle Royal, Koa Pich, Boeng Kok, PP Pearl, PPSES and River Palace. The boom is driven by economic factors and speculation:

• Macroeconomic and political stability: This is the first and foremost driver. Improved macroeconmic management and CPP's dominance play a vital part in boosting confidence in construction investment.
• Rapid economic and population growth: The stability has contributed to double digit growth . Combining with high population growth, it is expected that there will be more affluent people demanding better living and shopping places, entertainment centers...
• Tourism boom (Angkor factor): Tourism is shooting up and is expected to boom in the near future. As a result, there is a high demand for hotels, resorts and entertainment centers. The trend is obvious in Siem Reap, and PP and Kampong Som are joining the rank. The upswing also helps prop up other sectors.
• Influx of foreign investment and equity funds (spill-over effect): Cambodia's investment-friendly policy has attracted investors hoping to reap windfall profits. Some investors and private equity funds find Cambodia a safe heaven in hedging against international financial turmoils and avoiding strict regulation in neigbouring countries. Investing in real estate is a wise decision in this sense. Some Korean construction companies have shifted to Cambodia due to the high cost and restriction in VN.
• Cambodia's lost decades: Decades of turmoils and destruction means Cambodia is in immense need of all types of infrastructure, both private and public.
• Underground money: The laundering of money obtained from corruption and other illegal activities contributes to construction boom. Cambodia's present situation and lax law enforcement provide a rare opportunity for money laundering; investing in real estate in a fast growing economy is a best option in yielding quick and high return. Some development projects by foreign investors, esp those from eastern Europe, are in fact international money laundering.
• Last but not least is speculation and somehow opportunism: The indirect-but-indispensable element is optimism. There are a lot of speculation about Cambodia's hidden wealth and positive prospect. These include agricultural potentials, unexploited natural resources (esp oil), tourism promise and political stability. The boom is much more about speculation than reality, as most mega projects are still in planning stage. Big investments in Cambodia are still very risky, and investors are adopting wait-and-see attitude.

Real estate boom in Cambodia's capital: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2008/gb2008062_768642.htm

Special supplement on real estate in Cambodia: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php?option=com_news_portal&Itemid=54&id=44&lang=en&sectionid=18&task=category

Cambodia's mega projects on Youtube: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dEQCNQ1GKxQ&feature=related

The World's Happiest Countries

A British researcher merged dozens of statistical metrics to rank nations on the elusive notion of contentment.

By Marina Kamenev

Feeling blue? Perhaps you live in the wrong country. A recent study from Britain's University of Leicester examined a range of statistical data to devise a ranking of the world's happiest nations. Heading up the list: Denmark, which rose to the top thanks to its wealth, natural beauty, small size, quality education, and good health care. At the bottom were Zimbabwe and Burundi. There were a few surprises along the way, too. Asian countries scored worse than researcher Adrian White expected. Capitalism — sometimes criticized for its heartlessness — was far from a source of discontent, though the top-scoring capitalist countries also tended to have strong social services. And the U.S. ranked only 23rd, due to nagging poverty and spotty health care.

Not surprisingly, the countries that are happiest are those that are healthy, wealthy, and wise. "The most significant factors were health, the level of poverty, and access to basic education," White says. Population size also plays a role. Smaller countries with greater social cohesion and a stronger sense of national identity tended to score better, while those with the largest populations fared worse. China came in No. 82, India ranked 125, and Russia was 167. The U.S. came in at 23. View the world's happiest nations: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/happiest_countries/index_01.htm?chan=rss_topSlideShows_ssi_5

Rating coutries for happinest factors: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2006/gb20061011_072596.htm

CEOs' Words of Wisdom for the Class of 2008

With graduation behind them, newly minted MBAs are getting ready to put their hard-earned knowledge to work. Perhaps some of the most valuable wisdom they received didn't come from professors or coursework, but from the inspirational words of a CEO on the commencement podium. A prevailing theme from this season's commencement speakers was how new challenges—including globalization, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability—will change the role of the leader in the 21st century.

• Muhammad Yunus (the pic), Founder and managing director of Grameen Bank: The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner addressed the entire body of MIT graduates, but his message that businesses should exist first to serve social good was perhaps heard loudest by Sloan's MBA grads.
• William Weldon, Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson: Weldon pointed to two adages that have inspired him most: the words written on Jackie Robinson's tombstone—"The value of a life is measured by its impact on other lives"—and his own company's credo, which says strong leaders are those who build a sense of purpose for themselves, their employees, and their organization.
• Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE: Immelt urged graduates to continue the process of learning throughout their careers—both from successes and failures. "One thing I wish you more than anything else is failure. I don't mean that in a bad way, but I can't tell you how much I've learned from failure. It's how you generate confidence."
• John Denniston, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers: John Denniston told graduates they should be ready to adapt in order to lead during periods of "unprecedented economic transformations."
• Robert Rodriguez, CEO of First Pacific Advisors: "As your career unfolds, you will face many choices. Beware of gravitating to the expected, expedient, accepted, and the safe. They all entail hidden risk. All too often the easier pathway appears to be the safest and surest, but it is not necessarily so."
• Ann Moore, Chairman and CEO of Time Inc: "Inactions may be regretted more in the long term. As you age, you feel worse for not trying."

Click on the link for more wisdoms.

More on Preah Vihear

Just seeing the photo is enough to tell why the Thais want it and why we need to protect it. Below is the list of news, documents and links related to Preah Vihear:
Cambodia's proposal for the inscribtion of Preah Vihear on the World Hertiage List

http://www.pressocm.gov.kh/publishing/Preah%20Vihear_English.pdf
Prasat Preah Vihear overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasat_Preah_Vihear
http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2008/05/23/preah-vihear-an-overview/
Preah Vihear travel guide: http://wikitravel.org/en/Preah_Vihear
International Court of Justice: Case concerning the temple of Preah Vihear
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?sum=284&code=ct&p1=3&p2=3&case=45&k=46&p3=5
Understanding Preah Vihear issue: http://www.mfa.go.th/internet/information/19648.pdf
Preah Vihear News: http://www.preahvihear.com/
Tale of Asia on Preah Vihear: http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-preahvihear.htm
Pilgrimage to PV: http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/stonesinsky5.html
Gobal Voice on Preah Vihear (comments on Preah Vihear issue)
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/06/24/preah-vihear-belongs-to-cambodia/
Preah Vihear Photos: http://impressive.net/people/gerald/photos/by/location/cambodia/preah%20vihear
News links related to Preah Vihear dispute:
Thailand to co-host bid Preah Vihear listed by Unesco (a new trick)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/280608_News/28Jun2008_news10.php
Thai court nixes temple cooperation
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_Jf2WvfwZyntywvbTXg0VfGEfwwD91J39TO0
Temple tenstion: Kenneth's letter to PP Post (why is Cambodia gov't so stupid)
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/200806268841/National-news/Temple-tensions.html
Ancient temple at center of debate in Thailand
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZwfevhsGLvqW-M__bOJ1Psix7swD91HT2H00
The judgement of the World Court, 1962
http://www.bangkokpost.com/250608_News/25Jun2008_news20.php
Abishit: Gov't telling lies ( Leader of gouts)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/250608_News/25Jun2008_news01.php
Win-win temple deal (Cambodia was trapped in fact)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/220608_News/22Jun2008_news08.php
Preah Vihear white paper to be released
http://www.bangkokpost.com/210608_News/21Jun2008_news06.php
Thai rally over temple dispute
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gsN2uTPpxoebQhHlznf-JLCQyKvgD91CEF500
Dispute holds up temple listing
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/200806/s2273596.htm
Preserve the integrity of Preah Vihear ( a Thai scholar reveals some facts)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/290608_Perspective/29Jun2008_pers001.php
Commentary: Nationalistic puppets (why Thais think they are greatest race in SE)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=128521

Preah Vihear listed as a world heritage

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080708/ap_on_re_ca/canada_world_heritage_site_3

Temple issue helps pin Thai stance on colonial map (a big gain for Thais)http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/14/politics/politics_30078015.php

Thai-Cambodian border stand-off continues

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/world/asia/21cambodia.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Cambodia turns down Thai request to review the borderline

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/22/content_8742133.htm

The reasons behind Thai-Cambodian temple dispute

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0722/p06s02-wosc.html

Dealing with stress on the job

Today job stress poses a threat to the health of workers and, in turn, to the health of organizations. Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk, but when stressful situations persist and remain unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of activation, creating increased wear and tear to biological systems. Ultimately, fatigue or damage results, and the risk of injury or serious disease can escalate.
Job stress can be caused by a number of conditions. These include corporate culture, interpersonal relationships, roles and responsibilities on the job, how work tasks are designed, career concerns, and environmental conditions. If your workplace seems stressful, you can try to reduce it by considering the following:
• Ensure that the workload is in line with workers’ capabilities and resources.
• Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills.
• Clearly define workers’ roles and responsibilities and provide opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs.
• Improve communications and reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects.
• Provide opportunities for social interaction.
• Establish work schedules compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job.
• Identify and promote strategies for employees to use to reduce stress day to day. These include recognizing the symptoms of stress, exercising, eating right and getting enough rest, learning and practicing relaxation techniques, talking things out with someone, and having a good laugh.
Being vigilant and paying attention to individuals and the environment can help you create a healthy workplace.

The key to marketing any product

By Marilyn J. Holt, CEO of Holt Capital

Whether you are marketing an existing or introducing a new product, you need to present the "whole product," not just the primary offering. Marketing the whole product is not just about creating a new gadget or service, but also about presenting everything to buyers that is necessary to define, support, and drive them to take action.
You are well on your way to delivering the whole product to customers if you can answer the basics to some of these questions:
• Who is your primary buyer and why?
• What are the top three "Why to buy?" messages that you want to deliver to the market?
• What are the top three to five features you want to emphasize and why?
• What is the differentiation positioning of your offering?
• How does your product compete and compare against other offerings in the marketplace?
• How is your company going to support the product?
• What is your company's discount structure for multiple purchases?
• What is your return or cancellation policy?
• Is the offering itself or the services around the offering more important?
• Finally, if you were to buy this offering from a competitor, what questions would you want to have answered before you paid good money for it?

Lake Tōya: 2008 G8 Summit Venue

The picturesque lake was chosen as the location of the the G8 summit which Japan will host from July 7-9, 2008. The leaders of the world's eight major industrialized nations will meet at Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa overlooking lake Toya (the pic). The lack attracts more than 4 million tourists a year.

Lake Tōya (洞爺湖, Tōya-ko) is a volcanic caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Abuta District, Hokkaidō, Japan. The stratovolcano of Mount Usu lies on the southern rim of the caldera. It is a nearly circular lake with 10 kilometers diameter in east-west direction and 9km in north-south direction. The main town is Tōyako Onsen, on the western shore.
Lake Tōya is said to be the northernmost lake in Japan that never ices due to thermal activity in the area, and the second most transparent lake in Japan. Nakano-shima, an island in the middle of the lake, houses the Tōya Lake Forest Museum.

Click on the title link to view travel and sightseeing inf.

G8 Toyako summit special reports: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/G8_summit_2008.html

Tibet Railway (Part 1)

One of human greatest achievements ever made! It seems that riding the train itself is a great pleasure given the stunning scenery across diverse landscape from Shanghai to the top of the world. Men could make anything possible; it is just the matter of time.

Inflation in emerging economies: An old enemy rears its head

Emerging economies risk repeating the same mistakes the developed world made in the inflationary 1970s

There are an alarming number of similarities between developing economies today and developed economies in the early 1970s.

Inflation in developing countries are in deed more serious, as official figures often understate their inflationary pressure. Widespread government subsidies and price controls are one reason, and price indices are often skewed by a lack of data or government cheating.

The recent jump has been caused mainly by surging oil and food prices and speculation.

Governments have responded with more price controls and export bans. In the short run such measures may help to cap inflation and avoid social unrest, but in the long run they do more harm than good.

Some central banks have nudged up interest rates this year, but they have not kept pace with inflation, so real rates have fallen and are now negative in most countries. Many policymakers in emerging economies argue that serious monetary tightening is not warranted: higher inflation is due solely to spikes in food and energy prices, caused by temporary supply shocks and speculation.

The synchronised jump in global food prices suggests there is more to the story than disruptions to supply. Prices are also rising partly because loose monetary conditions in emerging economies have boosted domestic demand.

Another reason why central banks cannot ignore agflation is that it can quickly spill over into other prices. Food accounts for 30-40% of the consumer-price index in most emerging economies, compared with only 15% in the G7 economies.

Philip Poole, also of HSBC, says that many emerging economies have run out of spare capacity because investment has not kept pace with economic growth. Hence firms are more likely to pass on cost increases.

In another echo, those central banks often face intense political pressure to hold rates low to boost growth and jobs. To many Western economists and policymakers the solution is simple: emerging economies should allow more flexibility in their exchange rates. This would permit them to raise interest rates, and a stronger currency would help to curb import prices. Another solution is to tighten fiscal policy to reduce excess demand.

China has helped to hold down inflation in developed economies because its goods are much cheaper, replacing more costly goods. Competition from China also forces local producers to cut their prices and it curbs wage demands in rich countries. As China moves up the value chain it will pull down the prices of a wider range of products. China will continue to help hold down global prices—although possibly by less than in the past.