Traveling to Sailimu Lake

Sailimu lake is located in the Boertalan Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygurs  Autonomous Region,China. Encompassing an area of about 460 squarekilometers, it is a fault basin at an elevation of 2,073 meters, the highest among the Xinjiang high mountain lakes and with a maximum depth of 91 meters.  

(People's Daily Online - China, Photo : sina.com.cn)

Traveling to Samoa

Samoa consist of nine islands, each one offering something different, some islands only inhabited by vegetation and wildlife. Covered by rugged volcanic mountain peaks in tropical rainforest, sprawling coastlines fringed with reefs and white sandy beaches that make Samoa have many beautiful scenery

The independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa, is a group of islands in the Polynesian region of the South Pacific. It is roughly halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. To be more precise it lies between longitudes 171 and 172 west, latitudes 13 and 14 south of the equator, and is just east of the International date Line.

The heaviest and most frequent rainfalls occur during the monsoon season, between November - April, and the December - January holiday season, Samoa have many tourist coming.  (Samoa Observer)

 

Allianz, AMEX retain ICBC stake

Allianz SE and American Express Co plan to keep their Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd stakes, which have a combined value of about $ 3.1 billion, past a lockup on the holding that expired yesterday.

Allianz and American Express have no immediate plans to sell, the companies and Beijing-based ICBC said in statements. Allianz has 3.22 billion Hong Kong-traded ICBC shares, worth HK$ 19.9 billion, while American Express owns 638 million shares with a value of HK$ 3.95 billion.

The agreement "is an indication that key shareholders are optimistic about ICBC's business and growth potential and will lend some support to its shares", said Victor Wang , an analyst at UBS AG in Hong Kong who rates ICBC a "buy".

ICBC is the world's biggest bank by market value and profit. It has more than 16,000 outlets nationwide, 112 branches overseas, and 190 million individual customers--equivalent to the combined populations of Japan and France.

The Beijing based bank's profit may rise 16 percent to a record 128.4 billion yuan this year, according to analyst surveyed by Bloomberg.

ICBC shares advanced 2.4 percent to HK$ 6.24 yesterday in Hong Kong trading, taking this year's gain to 55 percent.

Reevaluating holdings
"In case of a potential disposal in the future, Allianz will explore all potential methods of sale that would maximize value and minimize market impact, with a preference for a private to investors,"the companies said.

American Express "will reevaluate its shareholding from time to time depending on market conditions" and "has no current plans to sell its shares", ICBC and the New York-based company said in a separate statement.

Allianz would have a profit of $2 billion and American Express a $400-million profit if they sold their stakes, bought in April 2006, at the current market price.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Allianz and American Express purchased a total of 24.2 billion shares in ICBC at that time for about $3.8 billion, six months before the Chinese bank's initial public offering. They agreed to hold half their shares for three years, and the remainder for six months more.

Previous sale
Munich-based Allianz, Europe's second biggest insurer by market value, and American Express immediately sold half their original investments in ICBC after the first lockup period ended on April 28. Goldman Sachs extended the period it must hold 80 percent of its stake to April 2010 under a revised agreement. The New York-based bank sold some of its ICBC shares in June.

Allianz, which booked a gain of 658 million euros on the sale of the first half of its stake in ICBC in the second quarter, has provided the bank with expertise in asset and risk management, while American Express issued co-branded credit cards with  the Chinese lender.

"Our partnership with ICBC offers a platform for expansion in our strategic growth market China and give us access to a huge number of Chinese customers," said Christoph John, a Singapore-based spokesman at Allianz.

Chinese banks "offer probably the clearest earning visibility" for 2010 among the nation's major industries, JP Morgan Chase & Co analysts led by Samuel Chen wrote in an Oct 11 report. They forecast 32 percent average earning growth for Chinese lenders next year, driven by loan expansion and a recovery in lending profitability. (People's Daily Online - China)  

   

Secondhand Clothes at Jeddah

Jeddah:

There was a time in the Kingdom when people shopping for clothes would only buy new. Saudis would never conceive buying secondhand clothing, something that has, however been growing in popularity in recent times.

Al-Sawareekh Souk (or called as the Rocket Market) is one of the biggest open air markets in the Kingdom, it also houses a huge clothing section.

The market is locally known as the dead-man's clothing market, since most of the clothes on sale previously belonged to people now dead.  The clothing section is a jumble with piles of clothes and peddlers sitting on the ground and on sidewalks selling clothes.

Most sellers, who are mainly of African nationalities, begin selling after Friday prayers. Saudis and expatriates often donate old clothes, especially those belonging to deceased relatives, to African women during the week. Clothes on sale range from anything between SR2 to SR100 and even include designer brands.

Saudis once looked unfavorably at buying used clothing, this was the realm of expatriates, especially those who are of low-income. "The market is crowded with people who want to buy used clothes," said Abu Ghalib, a 53 year old Saudi who works there. "Most of our customers are Asian nationalities and they come here to buy gifts for their families in their home countries. They come here because they can buy bulk for cheap." Another worker said most people buy used clothes during summer. "Some expatriates buy them as gifts for people back home. Most of my customers are Filipinos and Arabs. We import these clothes from Europe and sometimes from Dubai," he said. He added that the specific sources of clothes are unknown. "Some of clothes are donated by people whose relatives recently died. Some people asked me whether the clothes they are buying belonged to dead people. I just tell them that all my clothes are imported from abroad," he added.

A Filipino shopper at the market said he comes just to buy wedding dresses. "I make a few changes to them and then send them to the Philippines. The dress are then rented out for occasions. It is a profitable business," he said . Umm Ahmad, who is of non-Saudi Arab nationality, said she comes here to buy clothes for her children as she has a budget on what she can buy.

"The clothes are good and there are many varieties and choices. I avoid buying used clothes, which belonged to dead people. I found a wedding dress for my daughter  for SR90. If I bought it from a proper store then it would have cost me over SR3,000," she said.

Ahmad Mustapha, a skin disease specialist at a hospital, warned people against wearing used clothes saying this could lead to the spread of harmful bacteria and diseases. "I suggest people who buy used clothes wash them with hot water and put them under the sun,"he said. (arab news)

Glass Painting "Wayang" Never Extinct

Buleleng, Bali :

The art of glass painting "wayang" (Indonesian heritage puppet) developed in Nagasepaha Village, Buleleng District, was not yet extinct. Painting on glass that appeared around the year 1927 it still has in one generation descendant to the painter, puppeteer Jro Dalang  Diah (100).

In fact , during the last five years this painting back up and collected by collectors intellectuals from several areas, including Jakarta. In fact, in his prime, instead of the collector among coffee farmers and citrus farmers.

A curator and as a professor of art education from University of Ganesha, Singaraja, Buleleng, Hardiman said," The work of painting was re-entering the resurrection after struggling with modern art.

"In fact, the themes of glass painting from "wayang" puppet to develop a modern image, such as political developments or turbulent youth," he said at the opening of Glass Painting Exhibition at the Bentara Nagasepaha Culture, Bali on last Saturday (17/10) night.

He added, Jro Dalang Diah who became the first artist of this island resort has bequeathed  their natural talents to the children and grand children. They, among others, is I Nyoman Subrata, Suamba Ketut, Kadek Nurining and Ketut Santosa. There are also Made Sukrawa, Sumadrawan Ketut, Kadek Suardi, Ketut Sekar, Arnawa Wayan, Gede Kenak Aryadi, and Kadek Wijana.

Similar expressed Suteja Neka Pande Wayan, collector and owner of the Neka Art Museum. He added, Nagasepaha style has their own uniqueness among other art styles in Bali, such as Kamasan, Bali and rocks.   

Executive Director Bentara Budaya Bali, Efix Mulyadi supports efforts to contribute to preserve and develop culture and art such as glass painting original Balinese. According to him, this painting has unique process of workmanship and become meaningful , because of its rarity.

In the opening, Dean of the Faculty of Language and Arts Education University of Ganesha, DR. Made Sutama donate a "wayang" puppet sketch drawing on paper to be wrapped cement before painting "wayang" puppets to Bentara Budaya Bali.  Made Sutama also said sketches are a rare collection of original strokes Jro Dalang Diah and currently only a few pieces of it.

In addition, also attended the opening of the exhibition a number of artists and collectors, including art collectors from Jakarta, Adrian Pala and Tossin Himawan. The exhibition shown 52 glass paintings and lasted until October 27 next.

(KOMPAS)

Swine Flu's Outbreak at Grenada

Grenada :

Grenada could be on a verge of  a major outbreak of swine flu. According to Health Minister, Ann Peters. A number of persons have tested positive for the influenza following tests carried out in the past view days at the CAREC laboratory in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ann Peters told a meeting of the Senate on Wednesday that although she could not give a specific figure, however some of those who tested positive could include students of secondary schools on the island, as well as health workers at St. George's General Hospital.

The alarm bell was sounded on Monday when the Ministry of Health was called in to investigate a possible outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) at the Happy Hill Secondary School (HHSS) in St. George North-west. According to reports reaching this newspaper approximately 40 students at the school had to be send home early after they displayed flu like symptoms such as fever, headache and vomiting.

One student said that she arrived at the school on last Monday morning what she believed was the common cold but her condition soon deteriorated and was told to return home and to have her parents take her to a doctor. A team of senior health proffesionals was dispatched  to HHSS to conduct the necessary testing and investigations. A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said that  the health profesionals evaluated 13 students and it was discovered that three of them had elevated temperatures.

One official of the school who wished to to remain unnamed said that a decision was taken to send the students home as the result of increase body temperature and that they are expected to remain home until they have seen a medical doctor and their symptoms are cleared. There are also unconfirmed reports that the students from Grenada Boys Secondary School (GBSS) and Anglican High School (AHS) were also sent home this week for displaying symptoms of Swine Flu. The Spokesman from the Ministry of Health said that the protocol which was establish earlier this year when the H1N1 virus first surfaced was immediately kick into action by health care workers.

The Ministry of Health has repeated calls for the population to continue exercising proper personal hygiene, including the washing of hands properly and frequently and to cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing. Swine flu is a respiratory disease thought to spread through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms mimic those of normal flu.

The H1N1 virus is said to be the same strain that cause seasonal flu outbreaks in humans but the newly detected version contains genetic material from versions of flu  which usually affect pigs and birds.

Image center : Grenada's Ministry of Health, Ann Peters (The Grenada Today/SPICE GRENADA.COM) 

     

David Beckham have motivation to rejoin AC Milan

England Midfielder David Beckham, is very likely to rejoin AC Milan on loan in January.

"It's highly probable that Beckham will arrive at Milan on Loan until June 30," Milan chief executive Adriano Galliana said. "But I'm not taking anything for granted until it's signed."

England manager Fabio Capello has said Beckham must return to a top European side from Los Angeles Galaxy to have any hope of making his squad for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

The 34 years old won back his international place during a successful loan period at Milan last season.

Beckham and LA Galaxy chief executive  Tim Leiweke have both said recently that a deal to take him back to the San Siro was close to being finalize.

Image : David Beckham     (Reuters/The Standard - HK)