The human brain and our society are programmed to build upon our pre-established building blocks. This is very helpful, because we don’t have time to reinvent the wheel for every action or task we’re required to undertake. But it also means we tend not to think creatively and look at the bigger picture. We map out where we…
Anybody been following the recent tirade by a Marc Jacobs intern who somehow was given the keys to drive Daddy’s Twitter account? I can’t imagine CEO Robert Duffy would have been too impressed! Any exposure is not necessarily good exposure, and if Marc Jacobs have a “social media policy”, I suspect this fell well outside the policy guidelines.…
Myer may consider themselves to be positioned as an upmarket department store, but the customers they are trying so hard to appeal to are starting to disagree. Myer staff would only need to spend a few minutes on the floor of one of their suburban locations to sense the sentiment, but the problem is precisely that — there are no…
A farewell is as good an excuse as any for an extravagant luncheon experience at one of Jakarta's elite 5-star hotels, and thus I found myself invited to the Ritz Carlton's Pacific Place Restaurant today. After a slightly confusing passage from the Pacific Place shopping centre carpark below, skirting the grand building, and through a security check complete…
I love the Philippines. The people, culture, and natural beauty (outside Manila)... but my love for the country stops at the airports. If you're travelling to or from Manila, you'll most likely pass through NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), or if travelling on a budget carrier such as Air Asia you may fly into Clark's Diosdado Macapagal International…
KL Sentral is the hub of Kuala Lumpur's transport system, making it a very convenient location from which to get to any of your destinations. It also has a number of 5 star hotels beside the Sentral Terminal/Station, and when you head West from Sentral you'll find Brickfields, which is substantially Indian (Tamil) with heaps of cheap Indian…
New Years Day in Jakarta is frantic, frenetic, hectic, and every other tic that denotes crowded and intense public spaces. Asians have a tendency to eat out far more than Westerners, and shopping malls in particular attract huge crowds on significant days such as New Years. In Central Park, this was further exacerbated on 1st January 2011 by…
Phloey (Suan Thai) Thai Restaurant Panin Center Building, Basement, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 11, Sudirman Jakarta, Indonesia I was invited to Phloey (Suan Thai) restaurant this evening by a group of friends, and this was perhaps the most enjoyable dining experience I've had so far in Jakarta. The range and quality of Thai food was excellent, the service…
I admit it, I've got a stronger than average obsession with coffee. There's rarely a day goes by when I don't have several café lattés. If asked to associate a word with me, most friends, colleagues and clients would probably nominate 'coffee' first. And needless to say, I have strong preferences in this regard. For those of you…
Bali is a popular holiday destination for Australian families due to it's relatively close proximity and (potentially) low cost. If you've never visited Bali before, it pays to do your homework in advance and set your expectations accordingly. Bali is an entire island, and you have many options as to where to stay and visit. Your plane will…
