My boss announced today we've lost an account !

This is worrying.
Initially I was pleased because it meant my group do not need to spent the rest of the week staying late & I could concentrate on shopping online at work ...lol...
But then someone suggested that they might have to get rid of someone and it was more likely be the person who shops online all day than the person who finishes their work early & ask for more.

My fear was compounded when boss told me ,he needs to talk to me, once he comes back from his trip to BKK. What am I supposed to do now? There's no way I could focus now ...argh....

The cow, the radiation & Fukushima...

This piece of info definitely caught my attention as I love Japan & most of my holidays are spent there !!!!

Last week angry farmers from Fukushima brought a large cow to the centre of Tokyo- sounds funny but it's NOT!  This cow & other cattle had apparently developed “ white dots on their skin  ” since the nuclear disaster after the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011.

According to the farmers the cows cannot be shipped as meat as they are evidence of lives affected by radiation. They are worried that this could happen to people as well. Therefore it’s important to investigate the cause asap. The white dots are visual, what about the unseen effects????  They are demanding the government to take serious action.

The vast farmland in Fukushima has been contaminated by radioactive materials from the Fukushima plant, forcing thousands of local residents to give up their homes to live in temporary shelters. The government says it could take decades to clean the region, but scientists say many residents may never be able to return because of the contamination. So if you plan on travelling to Japan, avoid this area please….

Dogs can be shocked by electric currents when walking in snow, so Hokkaido is dangerous? Where's the logic?

Was thinking of going to Hokkaido for some skiing but the whole idea was totally shelved because Celest brought up the Latest news that “ Dogs can be shocked by electric currents when walking in snow.” !!!! Seriously ?????

See, as winter's snow slowly melts,  those ice-free sidewalks and roadways may be rather dangerous: death by electrocution. No this don’t even happen in Japan, but warnings were given in USA,  in Sixth Avenue- downtown Manhattan . Something happened there recently, the problem was a defective electric cable. Though no injuries were reported, similar incidents in the recent past have proved deadly to people and pets.

Celest dig up more gross news. Apparently In winter 2004, a student, was electrocuted to death while walking on a damp street in New York City. It was  later found out that it was a result of poorly insulated electrical wires.

In 2007, two dogs were electrocuted in as many days after walking on New York City sidewalks where snow and ice had melted. One dog died; the other was revived after its dog walker was able to perform  (CPR) on the pet.

It's not a coincidence that these electrocutions all happened in winter, during periods when the weather was just warm enough to melt the snow and ice that had accumulated on roads and sidewalks. Water can conduct electricity, though not very efficiently. The conductivity of water is greatly increased when salts and other inorganic are dissolved in water.

So when ice and snow begin to melt, certain minerals are dissolved in the meltwater, creating a perfect conduit for any electrical charge that may be present in wires that are frayed or have cracked insulation.

But this happened in New York right, what has it got to do with Hokaiddo ???? I so wanted to go & Celest excuses are just plain weird!

Have you heard of Tuna fish getting Acupuncture ????

This might be the first time that a fish is getting acupuncture. Japanese tunas are given samba-dancing lessons, their choicest beef herds are treated to daily massages and now, in an effort to produce the most delicious sushi in the world, Japanese tunas are to be given acupuncture. It is said that the company in Osaka that patented the technique claimed that calm tuna thrashed about less in their death throes. Once the fish have received the brief treatment the blood becomes purer and the flesh has a better flavour.

Toshiro Urabe, the president of the Osakana Planning Company, said that the tuna do not need to be dosed with chemicals to keep them tasting fresh during transportation. He added that the acupuncture can be used on bream and the company plans to begin testing it on salmon. According to Urabe the acupuncture would give Japanese fishermen a chance to compete in the markets and their catch an added value.

It was first exhibited at the International Japan Seafood Show but where the needles are inserted remains a secret. As the demand for sushi has increased so the fishing of tunas and the markets have become more stiff and competitive. The touch of acupuncture is just a market gimmick to ahead with an edge.

So strange right? But I don't mind, my first love is still salmon , so please... can salmon have some acupuncture as well...lol....

What’s new in Japan? Mote Tear-Duct Moisture

Along with mascara, eye shadow and eyeliner, a whole new category of eye make up has emerged this year.
The Mote Namida-Bukuro (“Tear-Duct”) stick is used to make the eyes pop even more by strategically highlighting the tear duct and under eye area.
This product brought over 180,000 sales in 3 months!
The eyes are said to be the windows to one’s soul, so it better grab and mesmerize, right?

But from the pictures I saw, it's not so nice leh..... like suffering from eye bags ! But... to be fair I've not seen the real thing, thinking of asking Celest to try...lol.... Me? don't think so!

Have you tried Maruchan Seimen?

Well during my last trip to Japan, Me & Celest get to try this Maruchan Seimen. It's an instant noodle, very popular there, & we love it!


While instant noodles has been around for a long time and packaged ramen sales have been decreasing in the recent years, Maruchan repackaged and improved the quality and taste of their noodles and soup in their Maruchan Seimen product line. A huge success,  I was told Maruchan Seimen sales, take up over 10% of the packaged noodle market. So if you have the chance, get one home to try- It's very nice.

Celest bought a whole case back home!!!! It's gone now of course. She has been trying desperately to get people who are going to Japan to get for her....lol..... Addicted!

Casinos replacing Pachinko in Japan ???

For those of you who has been to Japan, have you tried Pachinko there? Pachinko is a game similar to pinball & is very popular in Japan, & Celest became addicted while we were there...lol... Me? no interest.

Well they don't have casinos there, at least not yet but this Pachinko game generates some $200 billion in revenue each year for them , that's about the same as Toyota Motor Corp!!!

Lately some of their politicians plans to legalize casinos in Japan. They argued that Japan could become a profitable gaming center, providing tax revenues to raise the state’s shrinking funds, analysts think. If two big resorts were approved, Japan’s gaming market could be worth at least $10 billion, more than Las Vegas’ $6.2 billion in 2012.wow....

 But as always it's not so easy, many analysts do not think the bill will have enough political support. In 2012, the attempt of introducing a casino bill to raise money for rebuilding northeast Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami failed in the face of a poll conducted in December.

In March, Shinzo Abe said he could see the economic benefits of introducing casinos, but he also said that additional studies have to be made in order to estimate the potential social costs. But whatever it is, will it take business away from our IRs? I hope not. Also why do so many people love gambling so much?