Halo from the past

If you have a chance to visit Hoi An ancient town, one of World Heritage you will hear the call of history through what still have remained here for many years.

I am a person having a great love with history and heritages, therefore I was here for 2 weeks, it was not too long but enough for me to explore and understand something about this area. During the time I was here, sometime when I walked along the streets I found out that there were more foreigners than local people, which proved that Hoi An owns a magic attraction and it is worthwhile being one of the most beautiful destinations in Vietnam.

The thing that I love most here is the great atmosphere. Unlike modern and noisy cities like Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh cities, Hoi An is very quite and peaceful. It is a great place for you to relax and reduce stress. I came here when I was a lot of pressures from work, however, I quickly balanced myself in Hoi An. Everything came naturally, I don't know but I think I could dothat thanks for the time I was in Hoi An. But in what way?

In the morning, I got up quite early, I went out to the street and started walking. Here, I was not alone because there were a lot of people the same me. They take exercises regularly. It was very interesting, I could make some new Vietanamese friends, they taught me some kinds of exercises that are good for health. It was a memorable time of me that I never forget.

Hoi An is an ancient town. It still preserves a lot of cultural and historical values of Vietnam. Coming here I could understand something about the culture and history of Vietnam.

Kawasan Falls in Cebu Philippines

Boracay Philippines
"finest beach in the world"

It is seven km long and one km width at its narrowest point, is situated off the northwest corner of the island of Panay, and lies in the Western Visayas island-group, or Region 6, of the Philippines. In Boracay, there are three villages or barangays, Yapak, Balabag and Manoc-Manoc.Yapak is generally hilly but there are roughly beautiful beaches such as Ilig-Iligan, Pukashell and Balinhai beach.Balabag is the central part of the island and the virtually popular place is White Beach. Half of the residents live in a quiet place Manoc-Manoc.

Boracay is a beautiful small island surrounded by coral reefs and located one km north-west of Panay island in Visayas of the Philippines. It is the most popular beach in the country as the most visited tourist spot in the Philippines. Before the middle of 1980s, it was a famous hidden resort but known to limited numbers of sea lovers. Now many tourists visit there from all over the world, America, Europe, korea, Taiwan and so on. The climate from March to June are the summer months in Boracay, with temperatures ranging from 28 to 38 degrees Celsius. November to February bring enjoyable winds, cooler temperatures, and occasional rain showers. July to October are the rainy months. Read More.......

Camiguin island

"Paradise Island of your Imagination"

CAMIGUIN is a small pear-shaped volcanic island with a total land area of 238 sq. kilometers in the north west coast of Mindanao. It lies 10 kilometers off the coast of the Province of Misamis Oriental. Along with the Provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, CAMIGUIN forms part of a geopolitical grouping of provinces comprising Region X or Northern Mindanao. In terms of land area, CAMIGUIN is only around 2 percent of Region X.

CAMIGUIN ISLAND is said to be "Born of Fire". It has been known as a volcanic island since it has seven volcanoes unmatched anywhere else in Southeast Asia and one of the volcanoes there has been unpredictably active which is the Mt. Hibok-hibok. Volcanic eruptions and land movements have created this spectacular island full of natural wonders and historical riches. Read More......

Siargao Island

"Hidden Tropical Jewel and the Philippine Surfing Capital"

Surigao del Norte is a medley island in the northeastern tip of Mindanao. A province that has managed to preserve its natural marvel through the years. On the eastern side of the province is Siargao Island, a hidden tropical jewel of the Pacific that hosts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and home of wave surfing and the famous CLOUD 9, the latest sport and tourist attraction to take the country by storm It is the Surfing Capital of the Philippines. The best known surfing break now with a world reputation of being in the top Surfing Waves in the world, is nick-named "Cloud Nine". But there are literally scores of breaks down this coast, and every time a surfing expedition is mounted in the area, more new breaks are being discovered.

Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island situated 800 kilometers southeast of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a land mass of approximately 437 kilometers. It has a land mass of approximately 437 kilometers. The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet-Port Pilar with a coastline marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white sandy beaches. There are similar neighboring islands and islets with similar landforms. The reefs and points are excellent for picking up any swell that comes along turning into clean, fast waves. The Island's Pacific-facing reefs are situated on the edge of the Philippine Trench, and the extremely deep offshore waters guarantee the ocean swells have undiluted power when they encounter the many coral and rock reefs, giving Siargao excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest "habagat" monsoon from August to November, when the prevailing wind is offshore. Read More........

Bantayan Island

"Pacific island Dream"

Bantayan island, the shining tropical paradise in Asia is commonly known as an island paradise in Philippines. Tourists as far as Europe fall in love with its fine white sand and crystal clear blue waters. Many of these foreigners even settled down on the island to spend the rest of their lives. They build single-cottage beach houses along the shore but as time went by, construct a couple of new cottages instead to accommodate the growing number of tourists who seeks safe haven on the splendid island paradise. Two of the main attraction of the island is its crystal-clear waters and it's long stretch of powdery white sand. The stunning sunset will really spice those romantic walks on the beach. One of the reasons the island is famous is its peacefulness, the way a resort should be. Unsaturated beauty and a combination of sweet smiling natives made the island as it is now. Read More.......

Bohol Tourist Spots, Philippines

Out of the 7,107 islands in the Philippines, there is one island that has earned the reputation as the complete travel destination—the island province of Bohol.. Considered as the 10th largest island in the archipelago, this oval shaped island province is located in the heart of the Visayas region. It lies between the provinces of Cebu and Leyte to the northwest and to the northeast respectively.

Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

Recently, the island of Bohol, has been recognized as the number one tourist destination for a lot of local and foreign tourists in the past five years. This reputation has been gained through the ongoing successful development of varying tourist destination sites by the government; thus, boosting its tourism industry. But even in the previous decades, Bohol has already gained the attention of tourists through the world-famous Chocolate Hills and as well as its white-sand beaches. Read More........

Baguio City Philippines

"Summer Capital of the Philippines"

Baguio City is home to many tourist spots and is a weekend getaway of those living in Metro Manila. Baguio City remains a prime tourist destination area in North Luzon because of its cool climate, fresh, green and peaceful environment unlike other tourist destinations in the Philippines. This makes it a favorite destination especially for those who would like to relax and stay away from the excessive heat of the lowlands and also a favorite venue of seminars and conferences.

Baguio is the midway to the wonders of Northern Luzon. The calm beaches of La Union; the fabled Hundred Islands of Pangasinan; the ancient churches, Spanish influenced houses, historical and cultural relics of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte and is also the gateway to the Cordilleras where you could find the world famous Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao; the Kabayan mummy caves of Benguet; and the distinct culture and colorful traditions of the tribes of Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao and Abra. Read More....

Kawasan Falls in Cebu Philippines

Kawasan Falls is actually a series of lovely waterfalls. The first waterfall is the biggest. The scenery gets more rustic/wilder and impressive the further up you go.

From the parking area you'll have to walk about 20 minutes before reaching the first falls — along a rocky, narrow path along the beautiful river. The river is very clean & clear. The river fish can easily be seen as you take it easy and enjoy the walk. Lush tropical trees & plants line the river.

You'll cross 3 small bridges before reaching the falls. Stop in the middle of bridge # 3 & look upstream. It’s a good place for photographs.

Your brief hike brings you to Kawasan Falls, a three-tiered cascade of crystal clear mountain springs. Enjoy a picnic, the lush scenery, tropical forest, and a cool swim. A very lovely experience.

After a 5 - 10 minute trek going up above the first falls, you'll be able to reach the other 3 sub-falls and also the source. Don’t miss them!

The fall areas are very pretty and offers (cold!) fresh water bathing, a Tarzan swing and the opportunity to climb up beside the waterfall and imitate the high divers of Acapulco! The higher up the river valley, the prettier it gets, with places where you must swim up a gorge and clamber over rocks. The area is popular with locals as well as foreigners/visitors, so try to avoid the weekends and holidays otherwise you will share the place with screaming children, BBQ stands and radios! Read More.........

Banaue Rice Terraces Philippines
"Eighth Wonder of the World "

Banaue rice terraces were carved in the mountains of Ifugao Philippines by our ancestors of the Batad Indigenous people. This 2000 year old Banaue rice terraces has also been recognized as one of the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is the only man made wonder that is sculpted from earth. In 1995, Banaue Rice terraces has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This spectacular creation has been built mostly by hand and minimal only with the use of equipments which shows Ifugaos great craftsmanship and creativity. It is composed of rice fields to provide themselves a source of livelihood in the highlands. The location of Banaue rice terraces is 1, 500 meters or 5, 000 feet above sea level and it covers 10, 630 square kilometers about 4, 000 square miles of teh mountainside. This wonder has been fully maintained by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforest above the terraces. This place is greatly known as well as a great tourist destination in the Philippines because aside from its stairway design heading to the sky, there are a lot of hiking trails in the area. It is located north of Manila at Cordillera Mountain Province. If Banaue rice terraces will be connected end to end, the length is ten times longer than the Great Wall of China. Read More........

2nd Magsaysay Bridge
"A landmark in Butuan City"

So much to cheers to all Butuanon when the 2nd Magsaysay Bridge was inaugurated and open in public last April 30, 2007. After a decade of waiting that another bridge will be constructed to support the voluminous traffic in the aging 1st Magsaysay Bridge, finally became a reality, the construction of the 2nd Magsaysay Bridge.

The aging 1st Magsaysay Bridge that was built in 1950's always undergoes major renovation for years. This prompts me to become uneasy person as I passed by to the center of the bridge. But this old bridge was proving to be mightier than a mighty Agusan River because it lives there for years. Read More......

The Pearl Farm & Costa Marina Samal Island in Davao

If your looking for a great destination island hopping escape in Southern Philippines, Then you are looking for a world class destination getaway in Davao. The Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island Davao is one of the popular and great destination for island hopping in Southern Philippines. Read More..........

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Daegu best bars KTV pubs nighlife korean city

Daegu is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon. It is the capital of Gyeongsangbuk-do province, although it is not legally part of that province. As with South Korea's other metropolitan cities, Daegu's government reports directly to the national government.

Daegu is well known for its nightlife. This entertainment central city of South Korea is the place to be for party animals always on the look out for a big night out.

Some night entertainment in Daegu including Night Clubs, Bars & Pubs, Cinemas & Theaters, MMC Mangyeonggwan Cinema, Kolon Outdoor Concert Hall,
Daegu Culture & Arts Center.

There ara a lot of popular bars in Daegu. Some of them are :
1. Mask, the alley just behind the Dunkin Donuts, as you exit the subway stop
2. Tombo
3. Bus
4. Communes, usually pretty chill in the early evening, but then can get very busy! The work crew is great and the music is always always good. It's very music themed with great decor and just a good feel! Check the bathroom and the boards to find out all of the happenings!
5. Thunderbirds, a little more young and trendy; cozy with red couches and a lot of fun things going on!
6. Clubs downtown, Frog & Bubble is very popular. Very fun if you're there with a good group, but the music is kind of hit or miss. It's 10,000 won, and that's access to both clubs, and one free drink ticket! If you get hungry though--the cheese and crackers dish is recommended!
7. The Volken
8. Hof Bonheur

Daegu best travel places and tourist attractions to visit :
1. Gyeongsang-gamyeong Park
2. Gukchae-bosang Memorial Park
3. Inheung Village(Nampyeong Moon Clan's
4. Dalseong Park
5. Dalseong Oriental Arbor vitae Forest
6. Daegu Tower
7. Daegu Hyanggyo Confucian Academy
8. Donghwasa Temple
9. Duryu Park
10. Suseongmot Resort
11. Sincheon River
12. Daegu World Cup
13. EXCO Daegu
14. Jeil Church
15. Mt.Palgongsan


Daegu winehouse in nighlife entertainment


Daegu tower the landmark of the city

Watch The Bus Bar in Daegu video here

Seoul Korean Massage Escort Girl info

Seoul and other korean city are welcome for all foreigners. Visiting Seoul may be so exhausted. If we want to find some massages and spa in Seoul, there are a lot of massage places in Seoul.

Try to Relaxing spot in seoul tower and Myondong. Seoul tower is very beautiful view.
Food is very dericias in Myondon.

Jiljinbags are great and relatively inexpensive but if you don't know the rules or speak the language it can be really difficult to understand what's going on.
My picks are the Park Hyatt (exit 1 Samsong Station) to really get the best pampering massage, complete with a foot scrub, your choice of local ingredients, and music. It's worth every cent- trully unique. Dal in Cheogndam is also outstanding, it's behind a store called Mue. If you are in the Hannam area you have the choice of Spa Day which is good value. If you are looking for a Korean style Spa try Teheran Spa it's pretty different.

Watch Korean Girl Massages in Seoul Video here

SHOP SIGNAGES SHOULD HAVE THEIR ADDRESSES LISTED

In order for us to make Melaka and Malaysia "friendly" to local and foreign visitors, the Melaka Historical City Council should implement shop sign boards with the shop addresses listed. Now, most sign boards are allowed to be displayed WITHOUT the addresses. Years ago in the 1960s and 1970s, our shop sign boards have their addresses listed. They are convenient and easy to be seen.

Shop front signboards without address.

By not implementing the sign boards with addresses, it makes it difficult to find a location or shop. Moreover, most of our road signs are either not prominent or have been stolen and not replaced. However, if the sign boards must indicate the address on it, it becomes a "directional finder". We can now see clearly which road we are in, the postcode and contact telephone number of the premises. If anyone is lost due to lack of road signs, we can still rely on the shop front sign boards.

When I was in Bandung over the last weekend, I was fortunate enough to have shop front signboards with their addresses listed. At least, they indicate to us the name of the road and we cannot get lost. Finding the right road can now be determined by viewing the shop front sign boards.

I do not understand why we took away this simple yet effective shop front sign boards. We do not need expensive Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to get us around. What we need is to re-implement back the simple signages with addresses on them. They will prove to be effective and useful to visitors and locals alike in finding the correct roads and shops. Incidentally, we should also implement these changes ALL over Malaysia again.

The Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year is a sacred occasion of Vietnamese people which everyone wishes to come back to their homeland, gather with their family and enjoy the particular flavors of the Vietnamese Festivities.

I was very lucky when I had a chance to join in a Vietnamese Tet Festival with my friend's family. My friend's name is Nhung, she is a Vietnamese person, we have studied in the same class in the USA. She usually tells me about her family and her country- Vietnam, so when I came here I felt Vietnam is quite familiar. During the time I was here, I explored a number of new things about Vietnam and the Lunar New Year in particular.

I found out that the Tet festival of Vietnamese people have something in common with the Tet in my country. First, they are the most important festivals in a year. It also is the time for people relax and enjoy their holidays after a hard working year. Second, Tet is the only occasion that all the members of a family can stick and share their wishes together. This custom has become sacred, so no matter where they are and whatever their circumstances are, family members find ways to come back to meet their loved ones. But in Vietnam, Tet is also a chance to welcome deceased ancestor back for a family reunion with their descendants.

I have learned a few customs of Vietnamese people in the Lunar New Year. I would like to share here with the hope that those who read my blog can better understand the traditional Tet of Vietnam.

Planting the Neu:
Once upon a time, humans and devils co-inhabited on the earth. The devils overwhelmed former and invaded their land. Buddha told the devils: "I will hang my cassock on the top of the bamboo, and whether the shadow falls is Buddha's land and you must give it to the men". The devils agreed. After planting the bamboo, Buddha made it higher and higher by means of magic, as a result, the cassock overshadowed the whole land and the devils were chased to the East Sea. However, the devils asked Buddha for a permission to return to the mainland for a three- day visit to their ancestors' tombs on the occasion of Tet. From then on, Neu is often planted on this occasion

The "Mam Ngu Qua"
The "five-fruit-tray" on the ancestral altar during the Tet holidays symbolizes the admiration and gratitude of the Vietnamese people to the Heaven and Earth and their ancestors, and demonstrates their aspiration for a life of plenty. As one theory goes, the five fruits are symbolic of the five basic elements of oriental philosophy: mental, wood, water, fire and earth. Some people believe that the five fruits are symbols of the five fingers of a man's hand that is to produce physical wealth for his own use and to make offerings to his ancestors. However, in a simpler ways, the five fruits present the wishes that Heaven and Earth bless humans which is "when taking fruit, you should think of the grower". Today, the tray may contain more than five fruits in the former form or in a different shape.

Dao, Mai, Quat (the Peach, Apricot and Kumquat)
Coming to Vietnam during the season of the Tet festival, the visitors have a chance to watch many kinds of colouful flowers. On this occasion, poor or rich, Vietnamese people have a twig of peach blossom (in the North) or a small branch of apricot blossom (in the South) with a pot of Kumquat on their homes. The Kumquat is a symbolic of good fortune, and therefore people tend to choose a little plants laden with big orange fruits and verdant leaves for a longer display.

The Giao Thua (New Year's Eve)
The Giao Thua is the most sacred point of time. It is the moment of saying goodbye to the old year to welcome the new one with wishes for a better year. Many good sayings are sent in these moments.

I have learned what I share you above. Thanks to my holiday in Vietnam on Tet festival, I had an opportunity to explore and better undestand the customs of Vietnamese people. They are very interesting for me.

Hanoi- Heart and Soul of Vietnam

I have been to many destinations in Vietnam and of course like other people I strongly love Hanoi- the capital of Vietnam. There is one thing that I discovered that not only in Hanoi but also other cities have remained French styled old buildings resulting from the time Vietnam was under French control. The hotel I stayed was in the center of the city and I spent many hours walking the tiny streets to take in the sights and sounds here. I always walked so slowly that I could have deeper feelings about what happening around me. Hanoi is a peaceful city and the people here are very friendly but there is a thing that I was disappointed is the traffic in Hanoi. I myself think that it is a big problem of the city. Motorbike is the main means of transport in Vietnam, the streets were filled with motorbikes and other means of transportation. Especially, in the rush hours, many people could be stuck for hours. The traffic in Hanoi was terrible.

Anyway I have a big love with Hanoi. I love eating Trang Tien ice-creams and walking along the streets and going shopping. The food in Hanoi is also great and cheap. The tastes of Hanoi food are always on my mind, sometimes I still desire to eat them but it is impossible because I am living in the USA.

The beatiful image of Vietnam and particularly Hanoi city are always on my mind.

Nha Trang Travel Guide

I have traveled to Vietnam for many times, each time gave me different feelings and impressions. That is a reason why I have never had an attention to stop exploring Vietnam.

Vietnam has a number of destinations such as Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An,etc. However, Nha Trang is the place that has left the deepest impressions on my mind.

There is a very interesting thing that I discovered here is that most days between 5 and 8am Nha Trang beach is filled with local peaople taking in the fresh sea beeze, socializing, playing socer, badminton or practicing Thai Chi. If you have a chance to watch these activities, I am sure that you also want to joint in.

Traveling to Nha Trang we will have an opportunity to visit the Cham Towers of Po Nager built around the 10th century. No one really knows how these towers were built, but there is a theory that the bricks were laid wet then a fire was lit around the outside to bake them in.

Besides, Nha Trang is a great land to explore with wonderful beaches and luxury resorts. I love Nha Trang very much and I think that the information I gave above can be considered as Nha Trang travel guide that help you plan for your vacations.

Mekong Delta Travel Guide

The Mekong delta is the southern most region of Vietnam. It was formed by the sediment deposited by the Mekong river, the process which continue today; silt deposited extend the shoreline at the mouth of the river as much as 79 meter per year. The river is so larger that it has two daily tides . At the low tide season boat event could not move in the canal.MeKong Delta

The land of the Mekong Delta is renowned for it richness and almost haft of it is under cultivation. The area is known as : "Vietnam' basket of rice". The Mekong Delta produce enough rice to feed the entire country

Other products from this region are: coconuts, sugar cane, fruits, fishes and prawns. Also this is the primary rural area, it is one of the most densely populated regions in Vietnam.

The Mekong river is one of the greatest River in the world. And its Delta is one of the world's largest.

The Mekong River originated from Tibetan plateau, flowing 4500 km through china, Between MyanmarCairang floating market and Laos, Along Laos and Thai border, and through Cambodia and Vietnam on It ways to East Sea of Vietnam. At Phnom Penh ( Cambodia) It splits in to two braches: The Upper Mekong ( Also call the Bassac River, which flow via Chau Doc, Long Xuyen and Can Tho to the sea; and the Tien Giang (Upper River), which split in to several branches at Vinh Long and empties it in to the sea at five points. The numerous braches of the river explain the Vietnamese name for The Mekong: Song Cuu Long ( River of nine dragons)

The water flow in to the Mekong river begin to rise at the end of May and reaches to its highest point around September. its ranges from 1900 to 38000 cubic meter person second depend on the season.

The Major activities in the Mekong river is boating. Indeed, the only way you are really to get closed to the Mekong River id to tour through the canal by boat.
Mekong Delta
The typical tours to Mekong Delta could take you about 2 to 4 days depend on the places you want to go.

Normally the tour will go to Can Tho where you can see the biggest floating market in Vietnam ( May be biggest one in the world) or Vinh long where you can enjoy hone stay as well as tour to Cai Be floating market.
However, if you have such a short time it is still worth to take a day trip to My Tho.

There is an option of taking a tour to Vinh Long, Can Tho and then to Chau Doc to take the speed boat to Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

Incheon korea city best bars clubs tourism places

Incheon (인천, 仁川), also Inchon, is a metropolitan city and a major seaport in South Korea on the coast directly to the west of Seoul.

Incheon's official city flower, the rose, is abundant in the summer, climbing over walls and fences. Even the subway route into Seoul from Incheon is lined with roses and beautifully-tended shrubbery.

Nightlife in Incheon is so wonderful, One of the most famous nightlife in Incheon ins Goose Goose.

Goose Goose located in Bupyeong near the train station is perhaps the most well-known expat bar in the city. To Find Goose Goose, locate Starbucks and then look for The Body Shop. From the Body Shop, walk down the side street (perpendicular to the main street) to the next block and turn right. Walk down about half a block and look up to your right. You will see a huge sign. The entrance goes downstairs to the bar. Another popular bar located near the Goose is Woodstock. However instead of turning left towards The Body Shop, turn right and Woodstock is less than 20 meters from the corner. There is also Wild Bill's in Galsan.

Best Incheon bars, Incheon Nightlife, Incheon Clubs are listed here :
1. Goose Goose, Bupyeong. A western pub where many English teachers and other foreigners go, although things get rowdy sometimes.
2. Rock Bar, Bupyeong. Very cheap beer, 6,000 won for 2000CC. Watch out for rats in the toilets.
3. Woodstock, Buyeong.
4. 66, Yeonsu.

Best places to go and best things to do in Incheon, including port, shopping, city, and park.

1. The islands around Incheon
2. Full House
3. The sea and shorelines
4. Incheon City
5. Incheon International Airport
6. Hangang River
7. Incheon Port
8. General MacArthur Monument
9. Chinatown
10. Wolmi-do
11. Songdo Resort
12. Jayu Park Jayu (Freedom)


Walking in Jayu Walk Way in Incheon


Incheon City nowaday

Watch SEOUL KOREA Suttle subway Incheon airport Video here

Vodafone UK Launches Exclusive BlackBerry Storm

UK : The highly anticipated Blackberry® Storm 9500, the first ever touch-screen BlackBerry smartphone, purpose built exclusively for Vodafone, will be available to buy from 14th November. Available on a range of high value price-plans, the device offers consumers and business customers easy access to voice and email, a range of social media applications, multimedia content, satellite navigation and many other services on the move.

Customers who want to be the first in the UK to have a BlackBerry Storm can pre-order in Vodafone stores, online at www.vodafone.co.uk/storm and telesales, and account managers for our business customers from November 14. It will also be available for sale through Vodafone’s retail partner Phones 4U in store and online.

“We know customers are excited about the Storm and the early pre-orders really emphasise this. We continue to take orders and are excited that customers are responding so enthusiastically,” commented Ian Shepherd, consumer director, Vodafone UK. “Our customers told us that they wanted a single phone that would give them the most secure, reliable email and messaging experience possible combined with all the desirable smartphone features, and at a price that’s affordable. The BlackBerry Storm has delivered all of this and more and will give our customers incredible power in their hands to make the most of now.”

BlackBerry Storm features:

Coming in a sleek and elegant black design, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone brings together messaging services including email, SMS and MMS in a single in-box and alerts from social networks. It also offers superb sound quality and a 3.2 MP camera with video capabilities that exploit the screen’s stunning clarity to deliver advanced multi-media performance coupled with Vodafone’s fast and reliable mobile broadband network.

The BlackBerry Storm smartphone, comes with an enhanced high performance browser which delivers users a high speed web browsing experience, with desktop-style depiction in either portrait or landscape view. The new user interface combines the familiar dedicated "menu" and "escape" keys common to BlackBerry smartphones and adds support for multi-touches, taps and slides allowing the user to easily highlight, scroll, pan and zoom, making navigation fast, easy and intuitive.

The uniquely tactile 3.25” screen gives users a variety of different sense experiences. Despite its flat surface, users feel the sensation of actually pressing down on virtual keys which also light up when touched. This makes it quick and easy to type texts and emails as well as navigate through the phone’s functions. Customers will also have the choice of using a full QWERTY, SureType® or multi-tap keyboard.

By excluding the traditional physical keyboard, more space has been dedicated to the high resolution colour screen, allowing customers to display multi-media content and comfortably view attachments as well as read and edit documents.

The ground-breaking screen with its 480 x 360 pixel resolution display switches from portrait mode to landscape mode as the handset is rotated, while automatically changing the format of the keyboard from multi-tap or RIM’s SureType® to full QWERTY*. A wide range of songs and full length videos can be downloaded and enjoyed with the stunning clarity of the smartphone’s screen and its incredible, high quality audio.

The BlackBerry Storm retains the full functionality and security features of the BlackBerry platform but is also ideal for avid Facebook, MySpace and YouTube users, while Flickr fans will love the ease and speed of directly uploading their pictures seconds after taking them.

Customers can access all Vodafone’s entertainment and information services including Vodafone Music, Google Maps and Find&Go navigation, and the Vodafone live! portal, whilst also benefiting from a removable battery with excellent talk and standby time, and up to 16GB of exchangeable memory.

The BlackBerry Storm will be available from next month through Vodafone stores as well as independent outlets and online. Full pricing details will be available in the coming weeks.

* Virtual keyboards are also available in AZERTY, QWERTZ and other configurations to support different language groups.

Orange Eee PC With Embedded 3G

UK : Orange announced a new edition to its ‘connected laptop’ range. Following the huge popularity of its initial offering launched in August, Orange is now upgrading its consumer offer to make it even easier for consumers to get online by launching the Eee PC 901 ( inset ) with embedded 3G connectivity.

Available from mid-November, the new ultra portable Eee PC comes in a choice of either black or pink and features Intel’s Atom processor. What’s more, the Eee PC 901 comes equipped with five hours of battery life, an integrated webcam, and features an 8.9" compact design, weighing in at just 1.1kg - making it the ultimate portable computing experience.

Francois Mahieu, Director of Devices, Orange UK said: "By introducing the Eee PC 901 with integrated connectivity, we’re now making it even easier for customers to purchase a flexible solution that allows them to access the internet when they are out and about. As a result, we strongly believe this will be one of the most popular device offers in the market place this Christmas.”

With the largest integrated mobile data network in the UK, this is the second package in the company’s consumer connected laptop product line, with Orange also offering a range of connected laptops for business customers. The company plans to evolve its offerings over time to include fixed line broadband and an increased laptop range.

The consumer offer will be available from Orange shops, via telesales and the Orange web site at www.orange.co.uk/shop

Price £25 per month
Laptop ASUS Eee PC 901 16G Flash Memory with embedded 3G SIM
Internet Everywhere tariff

UK data allowance: 3GB

UK: 100 texts from laptop

Contract: 24 month contract

Official FHM 2008 100 Sexiest Women in the Philippines

KaPuso Vs. KaPamilya

100 Most Beautiful Pinays of 2008

They are most admired not just beause of physical appearance but inner beauty as well. They are voted as the fairest women of the country.

We bring you the final results of our fearless and exclusive poll - 100 Most Beautiful Pinays of 2008!

TOP 10

Rank	Name of Celebrity	Prelims	Semis	Finals	Total
1	Angel Locsin	1680	1451	1932	5063
2	Marian Rivera	1968	1169	1903	5040
3	Sarah Geronimo	1872	843	676	3391
4	Anne Curtis	1611	91	189	1891
5	KC Concepcion	1232	171	321	1724
6	Kim Chiu	1094	116	577	1787
7	Heart Evangelista	695	536	170	1401
8	Maja Salvador	947	239	85	1271
9	Katrina Halili	710	152	114	976
10	Bea Alonzo	631	98	113	842

11. Toni Gonzaga
12. Iza Calzado
13. Claudine Barretto
14. Judy Ann Santos
15. Valerie Concepcion
16. Nikki Gil
17. Roxanne Guinoo
18. Jennylyn Mercado
19. Iya Villania
20. Gaby dela Merced
21. Ruffa Guttierez
22. Angelica Panganiban
23. Shaina Magdayao
24. Mariel Rodriguez
25. Kristine Hermosa
26. Bianca Gonzalez
27. Ehra Madrigal
28. Nadine Samonte
29. Iwa Moto
30. Regine Angeles
31. Jewel Mische
32. Kyla
33. Riza Santos
34. Lucy Torres-Gomez
35. Camille Prats
36. Precious Lara Quigaman
37. Regine Velasquez
38. Diana Zubiri
39. Alessandra de Rossi
40. Melissa Ricks
41. Cristine Reyes
42. Rhian Ramos
43. Bianca King
44. Mirriam Quiambao
45. Kris Bernal
46. Yasmien Kurdi
47. Gretchen Barretto
48. Carmina Villaroel
49. Glaiza de Castro
50. Pauleen Luna
51. Sheena Halili
52. Michelle Madrigal
53. Rufa Mae Quinto
54. Jennica Garcia
55. Maggie Wilson
56. Yeng Constantino
57. Angelika dela Cruz
58. Dawn Zulueta
59. Erich Gonzalez
60. Kris Aquino
61. Empress Schuck
62. Dimples Romana
63. Rachelle Ann Go
64. Maxene Magalona
65. Sunshine Dizon
66. Bubbles Paraiso
67. Wendy Valdez
68. Donita Rose
69. Alex Gonzaga
70. Georgina Wilson
71. Isabel Oli
72. Jackie Rice
73. Amanda Griffin
74. Bangs Garcia
75. Beatriz Saw
76. Charlene Gonzalez
77. Megan Young
78. Ryza Cenon
79. Kitchie Nadal
80. Pia Guanio
81. Francine Prieto
82. Cindy Kurleto
83. Ara Mina
84. Jean Garcia
85. Bunny Malunda
86. Lea Salonga
87. Jayann Bautista
88. Jodi Sta. Maria
89. Tanya Garcia
90. Carlene Aguilar
91. Nicole Uysiuseng
92. Phoemela Barranda
93. Janina San Miguel
94. Rochelle Panganiban
95. Cris Pastro
96. Angel Aquino
97. Jolina Magdangal
98. Precious Adona
99. Rica Peralejo
100. Krista Ranillo

Jun Auto Evo X - The Underdog

Jun Auto Evo X: Better Than The New GT-R

Photography by Luke Munnell

writer: RC Faderoga

The most anticipated car this year is undoubtedly the Nissan GT-R. It's dramatically redesigned, a virtual newcomer to the stateside market, and sets off more commercial appeal than pictures of Kim Kardashian in a thong bikini. But it won't be the fastest car on the track, according to Susumu Koyama, the legendary tuner and vice president of JUN Auto (whose full interview was in the May '08 issue of 2NR.) He believes, with all his wisdom and proven track record, that another car will take the reins as the most tunable ride for 2008 and will hands-down beat the GT-R on any circuit. That car is the second most anticipated to arrive in the states, the '08 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Already famous for its underdog-like qualities, what with its closest competitor, the Subaru WRX STI, stealing the spotlight from the World Rally Championships and the X Games, the long line of Lancer Evolutions is more of a crowd favorite long shot than a presidential candidate who doesn't believe in evolution; the scientific kind anyway-nice try, Mike Huckabee. Despite being in production since 1992 and huge amounts of street cred, the EVO continues to unjustifiably get placed second in every category under the sport-compact all-wheel-drive class garnering no major awards. As the proverbial automotive McLovin, the EVO doesn't get its much-deserved respect.

But we're not here to focus on any of the EVO's shortcomings. We're not going to compare it to the STI, or even the GT-R. We're here to investigate why Koyama-san held so much confidence for this beloved little car that could. Let's start at the beginning, the basics if you will. The EVO X has an all-new chassis platform, an equally new engine, and an entire hardware upgrade in the all-wheel-drive department.

The exterior is finally more proportioned and better groomed than the previous nine generations, with its projector-beam headlights, European-style LED taillights, and a more bold front end design; featuring an angry looking intake and grille-mounted intercooler. The new hood is more aerodynamically fit for the 21st century and the rear wing is no longer obnoxiously loud. Granted, it still sits high off the rear trunk, but doesn't give off the shopping cart feel.

Underhood, the age-old 4G63 motor is gone and in it's place sits a brand new inline-four with more power, aluminum block construction, free-revving performance, and a revamped dual MIVEC variable-valve-timing technology. Called the 4B11 (read the sidebar for technical specifications), the new EVO X motor comes with an available six-speed and dual-clutch transmission that can rock the clock out of any track, especially with it's steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters... But Koyama-san can't be swayed from the optional five-speed manual.

The chassis will be controlled by the new Super All-Wheel Control technology, which includes the active center differential, yaw control, and stability control previously found in the EVO IX. High-tech innovation presents itself in active steering for quicker response, active braking control, and active suspension dampening, all of which make the changes on the EVO X as dramatic as a post-op tranny. And the changes that JUN Auto made to their EVO X are the necessary face makeup, clothing, and estrogen shots to make it look sexy and sweet.

JUN Auto's plans for the EVO X platform aren't even in line with what the Mitsubishi engineers originally had in mind. For example, they're converting Kumakubo from Team Orange's new EVO from the all-wheel-drive format to rear-wheel drive (RWD) for drifting, a conceivably hard process that will take them the rest of the year to complete. However, a RWD conversion isn't unprecedented for JUN, seeing that they drifted a RWD Team Orange Subaru Impreza for the past couple of years. "The Impreza was successful in a lot of the drifting tracks," Susumu said, "but that won't necessarily translate to the future success of this EVO X. So we are doing a whole lot of testing on it to work out the kinks."

The kinks they've managed to smooth out are shown in this EVO X. They've set the engine's assurances in Trust, part of the GReddy family, using its air cleaner, intercooler piping, blow-off valve, and boost controller. Spitting out the spent turbo air into competitors faces is a Trust titanium muffler and JUN Sport prototype catalyzer.

To compete with drifting's best around the bends, JUN Auto used a set of Zeal Super Function R coilovers and Endless Racing brakes to prevent the car from smashing into hapless media photographers scattered around the track.

Helping the EVO X traverse the corners with blinding speed, they called upon a set of quality Advan Racing RZ wheels, measuring 19x10 inches on all four corners, wrapped in 265/30-19 Advan tires, which elegantly complement the EVO's sexy exterior.

The chassis is adorned with JUN Auto's finest aerodynamic products. Helping the redesigned front end look more menacing, a JUN lip spoiler and front diffuser are used to defend against the turbulent winds during time attack. The rear features a Sigma Automotive Racing Development (SARD) GT wing and a JUN Auto rear diffuser to balance out the already nimble EVO X. And a JUN Auto car wouldn't be complete without a striking paintjob and well-placed body graphics. In this case, JUN Auto decided to go yellow with green highlights-the company's signature colors.

So with all these modifications, as mild as they are, why would Koyama-san still think that the EVO X will reign supreme? "The GT-R is a very difficult car to tune. Nissan is trying to over manage and control everything." he explained, "They make you sign a contract saying that you won't modify the car. Plus, with its weight and speed limitations, it'll be hard to tune. The EVO X is ready to go from the production line to any respectable tuning shop." But the EVO X isn't a super car and one thing is certain: The EVO X maybe beneath the GT-R in hype, but that doesn't mean it's beneath it in potential.

ENGINE CODE	4g63	4B11
ENGINE TYPE	2.0l, belt-driven i-4	2.0l chain-driven i-4
VALVE TRAIN	DoHC, 16-valve (roller rocker )miveC (intake only)	DoHC, 16-valve (direct-acting) miveC
DISPLACEMENT (CU IN/CC)	121.9/1997	122/1998
BORE X STROKE (IN)	85.0 x 88.0mm	86.0 x 86.0mm
COMPRESSION RATIO	8.8:1	9.0:1
HORSEPOWER (BHP)	286 @ 6,500 rpm	291 @ 6,500 rpm
TORQUE	289 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm	300 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm
ENGINE BLOCK	Cast-iron	aluminum
CYLINDER HEADS	aluminum	aluminum
REDLINE RPM	7,000 rpm	7,000 rpm
FUEL SYSTEM	ECI-MULTI electronic fuel injection	MPI
ENGINE OIL CAPACITY (QT/L)	4.8 / 4.5 (filter: +0.3qt; cooler: +0.3qt)	5.0/4.8 (filter: + 0.3 qt; cooler: + 0.5 qt.)

'08 Mitsubishi Evolution X
Output 374 hp at 7,000 rpm

Engine Trust air cleaner, intercooler pipe fitting, blow-off valve, boost controller, titanium muffler; JUN Reinforced Actuator (prototype), sport catalyzer (prototype); Odyssey battery B-spec II

Drivetrain N/A

Suspension Zeal Super Function R coilovers

Wheels/Tires Yokohama Advan Racing RZ 10.0J-19 + 35 (front and rear); Yokohama Advan 19 inch 265/30-19 (front and rear)

Brakes Endless Racing 6 and 4

Exterior JUN lip spoiler, original racing mirrors, front diffuser, rear diffuser; SARD GT wing Fuji-Spec M; Body Graphic Art Factory

Interior Bride seats; Works Bell RAFIX-II steering wheel; Trust water temp, oil temp, oil pressure mete

1999 Lexus GS400 - Grand Triumph

Being A Champion Doesn't Mean You Have To Be Alone

writer: RC Faderoga
photographer: Chris Reno

Kanye West's Graduation was a jam-knockin' album that quickly became my favorite of last year. It continues to get heavy rotation inside my car's CD changer, and it's a couple more plays from being cataclysmically ruined forever. This not only prompted me to buy an iPod adapter like everyone else in the 21st century, but it also made me the preeminent expert in quoting lyrics from this musical tour de force.

One of my favorites comes from "The Glory" track: "The fur is Hermes shit that you don't floss/The Goyard so hard, think I'm Hugo's Boss/Why I gotta ask what the two-door cost/House on the hills two doors from Tracey Ross." These were the four bars that led me to conclude that if Kanye were a tuner, his affinity for fashion, luxury, and downright boasting would fit right in with this year's hottest tuning trend, the VIP style.

Taken straight from the streets of Tokyo, the VIP style is directly linked to the finger amputating techniques of the Yakuza mafia, which opposed using European sedans for fear of getting targeted by the police and rival gangs. Instead they modified Japanese luxury cars to avoid detection, using standards like large-diameter wheels with broad-faced designs, low offsets that sit flush with the fender, protruding exhaust tips, full body kits that emphasize the front lip, and the use of basic paint colors like black or white. These Japanese luxury rides include the Nissan President, Toyota Celsior, Nissan Laurel, and the Toyota Aristo-better known to Americans as the Lexus GS, and Johhny Tran's main project for the past year.

Johnny is the owner of this '99 Lexus GS400, which not only emulates the VIP style to a tee, but also raises the bar for those who are thinking of getting into the trend. "This car is the perfect example of having the right amount of speed, sound, looks, and comfort in a VIP vehicle," he explained, "because after all, too much of one thing defeats the whole purpose of being comfortable and luxurious." He also added that patience and a pretty big wallet are needed to achieve such a feat of balancing the VIP characteristics. He has both, and the financial requirement is clearly articulated through the profoundly lavish exterior of his VIP GS400.

Using a genuine Junction Produce body kit, including the bumpers, side skirts and rear wing, Johnny added a Ugo roof spoiler and JDM rain guards, chrome door handles and a trunk bar. To highlight the gleaming white paintjob, he painted the roof and part of the trunk black. Lowered to touch the ground, the chassis sits above a set of 20-inch Fabulous Profounds with an offset of +23 in the front and +29 in the back. Falken FK-452 tires stretch around these ridiculously deep dished wheels that tuck perfectly underneath the fenders. These tires avoid tragically rubbing against the car through the use of an Air Runner suspension kit with an eight-valve electric solenoid upgrade-the choice system for VIP cars in Japan.

Inside, the cabin remains stock like most VIP-style vehicles, but Johnny made sure the music came through deep and loud, with a sound system that is sure to bring anyone closer to deafness. Using a set of Digital Designs amplifiers, the speakers made by the same company thump perfectly throughout the interior like a world-class sound hall. The most telling feature that reveals the car's melodic prowess is the 12-inch subwoofer with a carbon-fiber dust cap sitting saliently in the trunk.

Naturally, the sound system's only auditory rival is the 2JZGTE engine underhood. Supported by an HKS SSQV blow-off valve and GReddy M-Spec intercooler, the 3.0L inline-six turbo motor produces upwards of 330 hp at the wheels using a stock transmission. Johnny and his friends did all the engine modifications since he's had terrible experiences with going to shops. "When I first started getting into cars, I hired this mechanic to build my motor," he said. "He was supposedly the best from California, but he ended up costing me a lot of money since the engine he built blew up three times. Now I just do everything myself."

The most intriguing detail behind this GS400 was Johnny's motivation to buy the car in the first place: "My previous car was a Mazda RX-7 and I was tired of being cooped up in it like a coffin and not being able to take my friends out. So I wanted a car that I could load up with a bunch of my friends and still be comfy and look luxurious." Despite the GS400's extravagance, high-fashion, and exaggeration, Johnny can't enjoy the glory that Kanye rapped about, that which pretty much sums up the tuning subculture, without sharing it with his friends-that is how he defines VIP style.

'99 Lexus GS400

Output:

330 whp at 6,000 rpm; 350 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm

Engine

2JZ-GTE VVTi turbo engine swap; HKS blow-off valve; GReddy M-Spec intercooler and piping, boost controller; Blitz SBC i-D; custom downpipe; Sard intake; NGK spark plugs

Drivetrain

'01 2JZ-GTE transmission

Suspension

Air Runner kit, eight-valve solenoid

Wheels/Tires

Fabulous Profound wheels (20x9 +23 offset front, 20x10.5 +29 offset rear); Falken tires FK452 (235/30-20 front and 255/30-20 rear)

Brakes

Tom's four-piston caliper; Project Mu's rotors

Exterior

Junction Produce front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, rear wing; Ugo roof spoiler; JDM rain guards, chrome door handles, chrome trunk bar, chrome grille; Underground Graphics vinyl

Interior

Pioneer AVIC-D3 head unit; Digital Designs S4 amplifier, M2A amplifier, DDC speakers, DD3512 subwoofers; Xstatic BatCap 2000