Pink Chopsticks

Yup. You read the title right. It’s a Welcome To Japan Bra!

I think this is a justifiable reason for me to get distracted hmmm? I was about to search online for some modern coffee table design ideas when it occurred to me to check out the latest news feeds from Asia. And I this of course, caught my eye..

As Japan hosts the Asia-Pacific summit, underwear maker Triumph unveiled a bra that is meant to lift spirits as well as bust lines and support the country’s tourism sector.

Triumph says that this unique bra was inspired by a tour guide’s uniform, features a display for images of sightseeing spots and can greet visitors in three languages. “A row of three electronic push buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean. The most risque feature is a short skirt attached to the dark blue outfit that flips up to reveal a map of Japan.”

The bra though is not for sale but mainly for promotional purposes only and like other promotional items before it has been has launched to mark major trends and events.

Via LeaderPost

There are a handful of distinctly Asian cuisine that comes up to  my mind whenever talking about Asian food. But one particular Asian food always present on my list is Spring Roll!!! I just love it whether fresh or deep fried, I just can’t get enough of it.

The spring rolls can be found in most Asian countries and each one with a distinct twist to this traditional Chinese food. Spring rolls are said to have originated from the annual Chinese New Year celebration, called the Spring Festival. And the original spring rolls consisted of fresh vegetables but now has evolved into different variations.

I love the Vietnamese version of spring rolls which usually uses boiled or fried pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, fresh herbs, lettuce, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli wrapped in moistened rice wrapper. And served with the dipping sauce of choice.

Here’s the Cambodian version of spring rolls.. And its a lot similar to the Vietnamese variety and its also now one of my firm favorites.

Since, I grew up in the Philippines, I won’t be leaving the out the Pinoy version of the spring rolls. We have two kinds: one fresh (lumpiang sariwa) and usually served with a yummy peanut sauce and the fried version (called lumpia shanghai). Filipinos, however prefer the rolls that are deep fried and made of ground pork and some vegetables, wrapped in spring roll wrappers and deep fried.

Image credit: Art’s Cooking

Yummy goodness,and for sure after having your fill of that, you’d be in serious need of diet pills that really work.

Hmm, lots of variations but all really worth trying out..Here’s a detailed recipe of Vietnamese spring rolls, and of the Filipino Lumpia Shanghai.

One uniquely Asian tradition, specifically a Japanese cultural tradition that never ceases to fascinate me are the sumo’s. And its just fascinating to delve into this world and I was so surprised to see that there are also baby sumo ceremonies held in Japan. Here’s two videos showing babies crying on the ceremony at Ikiko Jinja Shrine in Kanuma city, Tochigi prefecture, Japan.

They say this traditional ceremony is held every year to pray for the health and good luck of babies. There is also the belief that babies who cry while being held up in the air is specially lucky. A curious tradition but nonetheless showcases something so uniquely Asian.

I’m also extra curious. How do sumo wrestlers get so big? Is it the diet or do they take extra supplements like those from http://www.besthghsupplements.net? This really begs me to learn more about this area of Japanese culture..

Via Japan Probe.

This is absolutely hilarious! A Japanese TV ad, that had me almost rolling on the floor laughing..I wonder though what’s the commercial for? Perhaps a theme park?

Whatever. Do enjoy!

I was browsing Japan Probe and reading through the article about about the man who placed hidden cameras on JR Yokohama toilets to relieve his ‘stress’, when I came across another one of those cool stuff from Japan..

Japan’s Sharp System Products have created a self-ordering system for restaurants which can be uploaded and used on Apple iPad’s! I love this and wish I could try it out.

I know that there are similar touch-screen menu ordering systems but I kinda like this one that would run on an iPad..Japanese are just so innovative, I find them really cool!

I was up early this morning, coz I had to finish hubby’s slide show presentation for a class. But typical me, I spent about an hour browsing for news and articles before I got down to it. I was checking out ChannelNewsAsia when I saw this lifestyle article that really got me interested – “Imported brides popular as money mixes Asian marriages”.

It is a well written article on a very interesting phenomenon going on. There’s no denying that its happening.

Asian men from rich countries such as Japan and South Korea are increasingly seeking brides from poorer ones like Vietnam and the Philippines — as economically liberated local women get picky.

Marriages between Japanese men and foreign women shot up 73 percent between 1995 and 2006, to 35,993, according to the latest government survey. Most of the women were Filipinas, followed by Chinese.

"Asian brides — notably Chinese and Filipina — remain popular in the countryside, where it’s quite hard to find young women," said Toshio Esaka, president of dating agency Royal in Osaka, western Japan.

Check out the article link for the full article. I am from the Philippines and now currently living here in Phnom Penh and I know some people who really go for this marriages. Most reason is to escape poverty especially in the provinces.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with inter-racial marriage, I’m prime example of it and no we didn’t meet through this dating agencies. We met in person while hubby was taking his postgraduate studies, we became good friends for sometime before we got serious. So we were in a perfectly normal courtship and relationship before we got married. But I must admit there was still that stigma attached to being a Filipina married to a foreigner. I’ve had various encounters where other people seemed to think of me as a mail order bride, and it used to raise hell with me but now I take it in stride. Hubby finds this really funny, coz he says I have far more money than him lol!

Back on the topic, I did say I see nothing wrong with these guys looking for brides elsewhere but girls should still be cautious as this can lead to some abuses if you don’t really know the person you are marrying. I have this belief that if you marry it should be to a person who considers you an equal and affords you the respect you deserve.

Just the same, I hope governments should do something to ensure the safety of these ladies who choose to go by this marriage route.

One of the best things to enjoy in Asia are colorful and very distinct festivals. The Solo Batik Carnival is an annual carnival held in Solo City , Indonesia. This is really interesting and the colors are just amazing! Hmm, its a very young carnival having been started just last 2008, but it looks really good. Judging by the photos I’d surely want to see this in person. I’ve been searching online though for a website where I could get more info about the festival but there’s not much…

Here’s some photos from the 2010 Solo Batik Carnival..

Image source: Xinhua

This is a little odd I think, but if you think about it, it also makes sense. I’ve been reading around sites when I stumbled across a news article titled, “ When ‘I do’ means ‘I don’t anymore’.

Apparently, divorce ceremonies are now getting popular in Japan. I never see divorce as a happy occasion but I guess I was looking at just one side of the coin. Getting a divorce might mean something good specially for the couple. And since divorce is on the rise in Japan, some couples are choosing to celebrate the end of an unhappy marriage by saying “I do” for a final time at a divorce ceremony before friends and family.

This divorce ceremony trend was started last year by entrepreneur Hiroki Terai in what he calls ‘divorce mansion’ in a small space in Tokyo, Japan. Since then about 25 couples have each paid 55,000 yen ($600) to hold a ceremony which is almost similar to a wedding in grandeur.

Terai, who is believed to be Japan’s first “divorce ceremony planner,” came up with the idea to help couples celebrate their decision to separate after one of his friends went through a bitter divorce.

Trust the Japanese to come up with another ‘weird’ trend.. Read more about the divorce ceremonies at ChinaDaily