Happy 81st Birthday to the Peninsula in Hong Kong!

(From Left to Right): Mr Edmond Kwok, Managing Director of BMW Concessionaries (HK) Ltd.; Mr Gert Hildebrand, General Manager, MINI Design; Mr Neil Galloway, Chief Financial Officer, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited; Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited; Lady Betty Kadoorie; Ms Rainy Chan, General Manager, The Peninsula Hong Kong; Mr Clement Kwok, Chief Executive Officer, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited; Mr Peter Borer, Chief Operating Officer, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (Copyright Navjot Singh 2009)

On the morning of the 11th of December 2009, the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong (Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotel), celebrated its 81st anniversary with the addition of two new MINI Cooper S Clubman vehicles. These two cars are the luxury version of the MINI Cooper, and will be used to whisk around Peninsula’s distinguished guests around Hong Kong. The two MINI Coopers will join the existing fleet of fourteen Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms and one 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

Ms Rainy Chan, General Manager of The Peninsula Hong Kong (Copyright Navjot Singh)

One may ask why is the 81st anniversary more important than the 50th of the 100th? Bonnie Kwok, the Peninsula’s Public Relations Manager explained that the MINI cars were “presented as gifts from the BMW group on the 81st birthday because the MINIs reflect the legendary Grande Dame’s youthful spirit as she enters her ninth decade”. “I am certain that we will have more exciting happenings on our 100th birthday.” explained Ms. Kwok.

Sir Michael Kadoorie, chairman of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd: Copyright Navjot Singh

Stephanie Sim, the Peninsula’s Director of Public Relations, explained to me that the two MINI Coopers will be offered as a complimentary service to guests who stay in one of the hotel’s suites, and will be a treat for the hotel’s distinguished guests while they are in Hong Kong. The MINI's are a complimentary service for suite guests using the car exclusively for shopping and perhaps sightseeing purposes. This is on top of the fleet of 14 Rolls Royce Phantoms for airport transfer services.

Mr. Gert Hildebrand, General Manager MINI Design: Copyright Navjot Singh

Ms. Sim further explained that the MINI engineers and designers worked closely with The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (photo below), and Martin Oxley, The Peninsula’s Fleet Vehicle Manager, to develop a number of dedicated features which took into consideration the specific requirements of the hotel’s brand policy- and its guests. These include a custom-illuminated Peninsula logo on door entry sills, leather finishing matching the existing Rolls-Royce interiors and the signature Peninsula Green color that adorns every vehicle in the hotel’s transport fleet. Each car is also fitted a mini-fridge, and an iPhone. The two MINI coopers’ are registered PEN 1 and PEN 2.

Mr Peter Borer (Chief Operating Officer Peninsula Hotels): Copyright Navjot Singh

The Peninsula’s two MINIs were unveiled by Sir Michael and Mr. Gert Hildebrand, General Manager MINI Design (pictured below. The two guests of honor were then joined by three representatives from The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited: Mr. Clement Kwok (Chief Executive Officer), Mr. Neil Galloway (Chief Financial Officer) and Mr Peter Borer (Chief Operating Officer), together with Ms Rainy Chan, General Manager of The Peninsula Hong Kong.

Mr Edmond Kwok, Managing Director of BMW Concessionaries (HK) Ltd. Copyright Navjot Singh

In his speech, Sir Michael announced, “In keeping with The Peninsula’s Rolls-Royce fleet, they will quite simply add further inspiration to our unsurpassed levels of luxury and service.”


The Peninsula MINI Clubman will consist of the following features:

• Exterior finished in the trademark Peninsula Green
• The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited crest on both doors
• Illuminated Peninsula logo on door entry sills
• iPod/iPhone connection in front and rear for guest use
• Mounted rooftop box to carry guests’ shopping, incorporating The Hong Kong
and Shanghai Hotels, Limited crest on front and rear, trimmed in Green
Everflex leatherette and printed with Peninsula logo
• Filler cap painted in Peninsula Green (Rare and only for the Peninsula)
• Rear door handles painted in Peninsula Green
• Windscreen pillars painted in Peninsula Green
• Roof rails
• Mini fridge in rear for refreshments & cold towels
• Run-flat tyres

Copyright Navjot Singh

Copyright Navjot Singh

MG 6 on show at a shopping mall in Guangzhou!

Image Copyright Navjot Singh 2009

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a photo shoot of the new five-seater MG 6, which was briefly being showcased at the Grand View Mall in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou earlier this month. The MG 6 fastback was first shown at the Guangzhou Auto Show in mid-November 2009. Based around the architecture of the Roewe 550 sedan, which in turn is based on a similar status on the late 1990s’ Rover 75, the production version of the MG 6 is powered by the same 1·8-litre engine, and the range-topper is a turbocharged model. The fastback neatly ties in to the British image which was firmly established for the brand by NAC, MG’s original Chinese purchaser, and SAIC, which took over NAC. Within the first day of being showcased, MG confirmed around 200 potential buyers (would you believe it, those 200 buyers are just regular shoppers who happened to walk by and thought "Hmm...I would not mind taking a MG home today!"). You'd be amazed what you can get in China!

The model is Miss. Jiang Li. With Miss Li’s, and MG's permission, I have the pleasure of sharing some photos with you. Please note that some of my photos are only available on my website (www.navjot-singh.com) because of copyright issues. Enjoy!

Image Copyright Navjot Singh 2009

Image Copyright Navjot Singh 2009

Random Thought

IF God (if he/she exists!) didn't want us to smile, than humans would have been born with black teeth!!

Culture shock of a different kind (London!)

I have managed to live in south-east London for the majority of my life without any problems. I have only once experienced the drama of being “partially” mugged when I was 16. It has stuck with me ever since, and I still recall the event as if it happened yesterday- a rather lanky ragamuffin (the types you see in inner city London these days), approached me outside the gates of Dulwich College, aggressively grabbed my shirt from the neck and asked if I had any money on me, and upon telling him “No, I’ll tell the police about this”, he pushed me to the ground with some force and simply left!; I am sure I must have been an easy target, especially while wearing the trademark stripy school blazer and straw hat!. Apart from this incident, I don’t recall being in any sort of trouble/danger whatsoever. However, I have heard quite a number of negative remarks about East London, and how rough the area is. I got a first hand taste of this “rough” side to the East End earlier this year when I rented a room just close to London City Airport and Custom House. I was not made aware that the area in which I rented my accommodation was the rough side and just across the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) on the other side was the posh side. The rental price looked attractive and the area on the whole seemed “OK”- it wasn’t your average “Ramsey Street” style neighborhood, but, hey, I just needed a small bedroom to lay my head on after a long day at work. There was some broken furniture lying on the street right in front of my new home, and a couple of youngsters (“Hoodies” may be better description!) lurking in the background, but nothing out of the ordinary for this kind of area.

“How long has this rubbish been here?, “When will it get cleaned?” I asked the landlord, who assured me that it will be cleaned quickly (it was still there when I left the place a few weeks later). Keeping trust in his words, I happily signed the contract for 6 months, and upon getting my keys, I went over to my VW Passat to get some belongings- came briefly into the flat to drop some bags. It must have been less than 5 minutes before I returned to see my car’s front right hand side window completely smashed. “Nooo…this cannot be happening, has this really happened to me?” I asked myself in sheer panic. Sudden confusion and shock hit me. Initially I looked around to see if there could be sign of anyone that may have seen or heard anything- but no, not even a whisker in sight. It was just like the ghost town I had arrived in 5 minutes ago- I feared that even those who may have seen something perhaps were too afraid to come forward. Anger also hung around my heart- I wasn’t sure what to think because just a few minutes ago my landlord reassured me that this is a perfectly safe area and he has never had any problems; and here I was looking at my car completely smashed in within 5 minutes of me moving into this place! Taking deep breaths, whilst I tried to calm myself down from the abrupt adrenaline rush, I took a quick walk around the car to see if there was anymore damage caused.

Thankfully there was no further damage to the car, except that the culprit/s’ had skillfully taken my TomTom Navigation system. I frantically dialed 999 on my phone, hoping for the Police to turn up within minutes. “Police here, how may I help you?” spoke a lady with a calm voice. “My car’s front right hand window has been smashed and my GPS has been stolen, can you get someone here ASAP please?”, at this moment, words projecting “SOS!” seemed to have rolled out of my mouth without much attention being paid to anything else. I had to know that I was being looked after and that I was safe. However after the police verified all the details, they gave me an unexpected response: “Mr. Singh, it seems this is not an emergency, but we can advise you to take your car to the nearest repair garage”.   

“What?!” I asked in shock, “I’ve had my car smashed into and burgled and you are saying this is not an urgent situation??!”, “What do you want me to do in the meantime? Hope for someone to come and attack me?”; Perhaps this was not a sensible response or maybe too panic ridden – but it goes without saying that, yes, I was in a highly distressed situation. I tried to calm myself down by telling myself not to take this personally, it can happen to anyone and anywhere in the world- and at that moment, I just wished I had taken the GPS out of the car. The Police did not arrive and said they cannot come because they have other “serious emergencies” to deal with. I would say that a fair statement, I mean it wasn’t that my life was at risk or anything (so far!); therefore I had the long wait for the AA Car services got there. Those few minutes of panic felt the loneliest in a long time…random thoughts kept jumping in my head, “Someone must have seen something?” I thought. It was a complete mystery to me that despite this crime happening in a built up area, surrounded by terraced homes, that no as to be seen in the area. Then, as I made my way back to the flat to see if I could get some advice from my neighbors, a couple of teenagers’ in hoods went towards my car to take a curious look. Immediately I turned around back and hurried towards them. “Hey, wait, did you guys see anything?” I asked them. “Yo rudeboy* is this car yours?” asked the tallest of the two. “Yes, did you guys see anything?”, I asked them again, hoping they would be able to tell me the identity of the culprit. “No, but if you left something in your car, people would smash it anyways”, he carried on: “Geezer*, in this area even if someone sees a 50 pence coin, even that is enough for them to smash your window”. I didn’t know what to think. I could only sigh. This experience was enough to persuade my inner-self to pack up and leave as soon as I could. Much to the Landlords disappointed, I departed with the next 7 seven days. There you go, now just because I had one bad experience of East London, does not mean the whole of the area is ridden with burglars’, but it has somewhat confirmed to me, at least, the stereotypical statements I had been told all these years! On the other hand, a friend reassured me that I shouldn’t be surprised- after all, pickpockets, thieves and likewise were invented in London (well before the Dickenson era!)!

* “Rudeboy” and “Geezer” are slangs used by some individuals in parts of London (some may say it sounds cool, but in a civilized/professional environment it would be deemed quite the opposite).

Be well- prepared for travel!

Image Copyright Navjot Singh

Apart from the normal travel checklist which everyone has to tick prior to their journey, (Vaccinations, Visas, Currency exchange and Hotel booking etc.), you’d be surprised to know the large number of people who, while maintaining that they are indeed clean and correct, tend to easily forget or just don’t bother to take certain essential products on long haul trips (irrespective if its for business or pleasure). Now while the following may all seem like common sense (and it is), people do sometimes brush these aside believing “they will never require them”, so, here are a few personal recommendations from my own experience – I, for one, have got into a routine habit of taking them wherever I go in the world, and it doesn’t weight more than half a kilogram! (Please note this is just my personal two cents of advice, whether you take it is up to you, of course!):

• Water proof antiseptic bandages (especially if you are going to take part in Sports
• Recommend you take your own towel (while Hotel towels may be clean, there is always the unpleasant thought that a lot of people have used the same towel before you, and especially in places where the Hotel/Hostel may not be of a luxury quality!) 
• Recommend you take any Rehydration Tablets (for Diarrhoea and vomiting), a decent factor ”Sun cream/spray” and a good quality “Insect Repellant”- this is true for most tropical places, and also places where the water quality is not deemed acceptable (though on that note it goes without saying that Water should be boiled before drinking and ice-cubes should be avoided at all costs- even in five star hotels!)
• Basic First Aid like Paracetamol or any cough relief tablets.
• Recommend you take your own Shower gel, Shampoo, Toothpaste, Shaving Cream and Tooth brush (Hotel kits may be acceptable, however, in some places even a no-frills kit from Asda is better off!)
• For long haul flights, a mouthwash or strong mints are recommended (but then again, 99% of passengers probably don’t brush their teeth between the two meals served on a, say, 12 hour flight)
• On long haul flights, to counteract the lack of moisture and protect from bad smell/germs, most people use moisture cream or aftershave (men) on their face (or even Olive Oil extracts…this does work).
• Perhaps even take a small pillow for long haul travel- a seat recline of 31 inch (32 inch on some airlines) is not really comfortable for any flight over 11 hours.
  

The following is essential for travelling in places like China, India and other countries where the definition of a toilet is a “Hole in the ground”:

Now, imagine you have been sight seeing on a ridiculously hot, humid and sticky day, and when nature calls you come across a “toilet” which is essentially no more than just a hole in the ground with no tissue paper, no water to clean the unmentionable parts and no soap; or even worse if there is no toilet for miles- then you will know what I mean! On the whole I try to avoid using public toilets at all costs (anywhere in the world), however when nature calls, options can be limited as mentioned above! While travelling anywhere in the world, no matter where I go, I always take a bottle of water, plenty of tissue paper, liquid soap and hygiene wipes. Amusing as it may sound while reading this, you can only thank yourself for being so well prepared! Basically, the reasons for all these preparations are simple: you want to arrive back home in the same clean and healthy way in which you left prior to your trip- and thankfully (touch wood), I have never been sick abroad, ever. All the mentioned products don’t cost much, and they don’t weight much either.

One night in Beijing

Welcome to Beijing! Copyright Navjot Singh

The last time I was in Beijing was about 8 months prior to the Olympic Games, in late 2007, and because of work commitments, I could not make it to the city (or the Games themselves) during all this time. That all changed on the 21st of November 2009, as fate allowed me to come back to this great city- but only for one night on a stopover. I had to make the most of my 21 hours to the journey down memory lane. My flight from Kunming arrived just before 3pm at Beijing airport’s impressive Terminal 3. My next flight was at 12.30pm the following day. I was excited, and very much looking forward to reliving the experience. Rather strange as it may seem but I had carefully planned out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go in the short time that I had. I suppose the key advantage I had was that I knew where everything was - and hoping that it didn’t change from 2007! Much to my surprise, the heavy smog still lurked around the city- and the traffic is without a doubt worse than in 2007 (In actual fact I should say there are more Cars on Beijing's roads' than in 2007).

After checking in at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, I quickly made my way to the Xidan shopping area. This enormous shopping centre is one of the two main areas for hardcore shoppers (the other being Wangfujing- and I did not have time to go there this time). It looked the same as in 2007...except a few new shops had opened here and there. After about an hour there, I made my way to the Hilong Electric City (海龙电子城), a seven storey building specializing in electronics products. I wanted to see if I could get a reasonably priced Camera as a replacement for the one I had lost in Kunming the day before. Just as I had started to be mobbed by a group of eager sellers, an elderly Chinese gentleman offered to translate for me. He actually happened to be a professor emeritus in Automation at Tsinghua University (the Oxbridge of China). With his assistance I managed to purchase a bargain and a spanking new Camera (under from my insurance!)- I am highly grateful to this great man for the assistance he provided. It also worked out to be a great networking opportunity and we have kept in touch since then.

With ample time remaining, I made my way to the Quan Ju De Restaurant on 32 Qianmen Street for a delicious meal of fresh roast Beijing duck. The restaurant, the largest Roast Duck restaurant in Beijing and rumored to serve at least 8000 meals a week, is popular with Government Officials, VIPs, VVIPs and Celebs. I would highly recommend sitting on the 2nd floor as it’s a bit quieter, and provides a view of the open kitchen at work. The duck was accompanied with some fine Chinese red wine (“Great Wall Wine”). This was followed by about an hour’s stroll around the ever impressive Tiananmen Square- the scene of the recent 60th Anniversary Parade on the 1st of October. The square is busy with tourists and locals excitingly taking photos against the backdrop of the Great Hall or Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum; and even the occasional march by young Army cadets can be observed.

The following morning, I got up quite early and spent the remaining 4 hours taking photos around the Shangdi, Xizhimen and Wudaokou areas, before returning to the hotel. Breakfast consisted of a scrumptious Lai Huang Bao (White bun with sweet Egg yolk), fresh Soya milk and a delicious crispy pancake- all worth only 7RMB (Approx US $0.90).

Instead of going straight to the airport, I asked the taxi driver to take me around the 5th Ring Road to the north of the city, so I could get a glimpse of the Olympic Stadium- I had come all this way and thought why not spend the extra fare just to catch a quick photo opportunity! As the taxi approached the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube (which by the way are remarkable pieces of architecture- it’s almost like entering a different world), the only thought that came to my mind was “Wow, this is where it all happened!”. I am not a specialist on architecture, but you don’t need to be an expert to see the obvious large scale projects that are filling Beijing’s skyline- it’s like entering a large playground full of so many weird and wonderfully shaped buildings which cannot be found anywhere else in the world! 21 hours (Minus the 6 hours I slept for!) were not enough to digest the full flavor of the city, nevertheless, I am thankful to fate for allowing me to at least refresh my memory- and hopefully I will come back soon. Oh, by the way, for those of you who don't know, there is a song called "One night in Beijing" by Xin Yue Tuan (and no, the title of my blog article is not inspired from the song!).

Where I stayed:

Grand Hyatt Beijing*****
1 East Chang An Avenue,
Beijing

The CITM in Kunming, Yunnan Province, CHINA

 Welcome at Kunming Airport: Copyright Navjot Singh

Finally, I have had a chance to update my blog. I have been in China for the past few weeks, and due to local firewall restrictions, I have been unable to get access to my personal blog- among other websites. After the World Travel Market (WTM) event in London, I was invited to Kunming (the Capital of Yunnan Province) by the China National Tourist office (CNTO) to visit the China International Travel Mart (CITM) from the 19th until the 21st of November. The CITM is China’s domestic equivalent of the WTM, where, rather than focusing on the world’s countries, the event is a showcase for the various provinces in China, as well as some of the surrounding countries (such as Mongolia, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan) who want to buy from or sell to Chinese Tourist agencies. The annual CITM event is held in either Shanghai or Kunming. The emphasis is to promote China and its travel industry to the world.

Discussion at the CITM: Copyright Navjot Singh

After the 10 hour non-stop flight from Heathrow, we arrived in Beijing at around 11am (local time), still quite disoriented- I suppose it was more the effects of jet-lag which seemed to descend fatigue on everyone rather than the long journey, which seemed comfortable enough on Air China. Every time I visit Beijing Airport’s Terminal 3, which is still relatively new having been opened in 2008 prior to the Olympics, I am just overwhelmed by this magnificent piece of architecture, its like entering a whole new world. The ridiculously huge building alone dwarfs most airports around the world. Ironically the place is not that busy, even during peak hours. Perhaps the terminals just look empty because of the sheer size of the airport, like an illusion. But I am sure if you look the picture at large and when you see the number of passengers that pass through the airport every year, you can clearly observe that the numbers add up to being more than those seen at London Heathrow Airport, and some of America’s busiest airports’. Also bearing in mind that all of the airport’s three runways are actively in use 24 hours day- and it is not a unusual sight to see 3 aircraft taking off at the same time on those runways. As can be observed from the pictures I have taken (shown on my website: http://www.navjot-singh.com/), that President Obama was also in town the day we arrived in Beijing. Air Force One (Boeing VC-25A Registration: 29000) was parked at the VIP Terminal suite overlooking Runway 36R, flanked by the two smaller Boeing 757-200s (Version: Boeing C-32A) of the US Security Service (I believe that is Air Force Two and Air Force Three respectively- both these aircraft shadow Air Force One in the skies).

The 3 hour hop to Kunming was operated by Shandong Airlines, a CAAC subsidiary of Air China. Normally, on domestic flights that are over 2 hours a full hot meal is served, however, much to my surprise we were only offered a hot “Bacon and Egg Chinese style Burger” along with drinks for the whole flight. Upon landing at Kunming Airport, we were warmly welcomed by senior Yunnan Government officials and local fanfare- this was accompanied by loud music, and having necklace charms given to us. I wasn’t all that impressed by the sight of a ridiculously cold and wet Kunming. We were very unlucky to have arrived in Kunming during the rainy season- which normally does not last more than about a month. Whether luck plays any part in it or it’s just bad planning- but the CITM is always held in Kunming during the rainy season. This trip to China was different to all the other times I have been here because it was the first time I had been hosted by the China National Tourism board- all the other trips I have been on were on either corporate business or pleasure.
On our first official day in Kunming, we were taken to see the “Stone Forest”-known as the 'First Wonder of the World', located around a one hour drive from the centre of Kunming. Because we were the guests of the China Tourism government officials, our motorcade was neatly protected and escorted by armored Police and Ambulances- and all the roads were cleared in advance so we could pass through with ease. I took around 400 beautiful pictures at this place and we spent around 4 hours there (highly recommended). The stone forest covers an area of around 400 square kilometers and includes both large and small natural stone forests- these are stones (limestone and granite) forming weird and wonderful natural shapes and sizes. From distance, some stones may look like animals while others may look like buildings and so on. Nothing is man-made and every detail is remarkably pleasing to the eye. In the evening we were honored to be invited to the opening banquet, where VIP guests included Mr. Zhang Zulin, the vice secretary of Kunming municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Kunming; Italian Tourism Minister Michela Vittoria Brambilla; Chinese Minister for Tourism, Mr. Shao Qiwei; Shanghai Expo's chief planner Mr. Wu Zhiqiang and many others.

Now, the sad thing about this trip is that during an interview which I was doing for Yunnan TV at the CITM, and amidst the loud noise and crowds, my 500D Camera got stolen- without going too much into details, I (along with the assistance of Kunming’s Chief of Police) tried my best to look for the Camera or the thief but could not find any clue. After checking all the CCTV cameras in the control room, it turned out that all 4 of the Camera’s are just like television monitors (meaning you cannot zoom in or move them around), plus they are placed so high up in the ceiling that it is almost impossible to see anything in detail. I lost the vast majority of the photos, including those of senior officials from the China Tourist Board, the Provincial Banquet that we attended and all my photos of the Stone Forest trip. The fact that no security staff could find the thief at such as high profile event as the CITM is still a mystery to me. It goes without saying that I am sad about the loss of my photos more than the Camera itself. I was offered a nice gift from Mr. Shao Qiwei, as a token of appreciation, which I highly value; and I am very much thankful to the Chinese government for inviting me to this event. It was just unfortunate that it happened, and it can happen to anyone.

On the evening before our departure from Kunming, we were treated to a VIP special viewing of the award winning "Dynamic Yunnan" show at the Kunming Conference Centre. Dynamic Yunnan is a grand song and dance performance with its inspiration derived from the southwestern ethnic people of Yunnan province. The unique style is choreographed and performed by the famous dancer, Yang Liping. Yang, a very popular dancer of the ethnic Bai group from Xishuangbanna in southwestern Yunnan Province, began her career at the age of 13, and has been dancing for over 35 years. The majority of the performers of the show are local farmers Yang discovered in outlying villages of Yunnan- with most of them are from ethnic groups including Yi, Miao, Tibetan, Dai, Bai, Va and Hani. The music of the show is, at time very emotional, and has a deeply romantic theme to it. The breathtaking performances by the actors are a must see because every sound, every move and every look on the actors faces illustrates the roots of Yunnan's culture. "Dynamic Yunnan" has been played in over 150 shows around China and Abroad. The performance lasts 2 hours and consists of seven parts with varied themes including Cloud, Sun, Moon, Forests, Fire, Mountain and Feather in turn. It was a nice way to polish off the Press trip to this colourful city (in Colourful Yunnan!).The show was spoiled by the constant background noise of mobile phone ringtones and people using flash Cameras- this despite a warning sign clearly asking the audience (in both English and Chinese) not to use flash photography and mobile phone. I know this is common practice in theatres and cinemas around China, but it's not fair on the actors, as well as the rest of the audience.

Early morning traffic in Kunming: Copyright Navjot Singh

Compared to other similar events, such as the WTM in London, the CITM was grander in terms of the number of stage musical performances and the loudness in which it was all presented- the event was full of so much random (yet beautifully illustrated) song and dance which at times did not really make any sense whatsoever (and no one explained why or what people were dancing for or saying). Next years event will be held in Shanghai, around the same time. Below are some more photos. Some of the better photos are displayed on my website (www.navjot-singh.com) because of copyright issues. The pictures shown here are not the best of quality because I have used my spare Camera (which does the job!).

 

 

 

 

How I got there?

I flew with Air China, first non-stop from London to Beijing (10 hours), and then a 3 hour flight from Beijing to Kunming.

Where I stayed?

Horizon Hotel *****, Yunnan, Kunming

No. 432, Qingnian Road, Kunming, China, 650021

The World Travel Market- A fusion of Cultures!

The WTM 2009: An International Extravaganza!

For anyone who is connected with the travel industry in all sorts of fields, the first four days of this week had been an incredibly busy affair because the annual “World Travel Market (WTM)” was held at the London Excel Center in the London Docklands area. This year the action packed event was particularly special, not just because it was the 30th Anniversary of this premier global event for the travel industry, but also because it was the first time the event was live on Twitter, enabling millions of people around the world to tune into the latest Press Releases’ by the second; as well as the introduction of new initiatives’ such as the WTM Get Connected and the WTM Hub. Both of the latter activities enabled industry professionals to connect by launching discussions, photos, podcasts and blogs. This was one place where million dollar deals were signed by Airline CEO’s, travel agencies and the various tourism ministries’.

The opening day itself was buzzing with activity all around- it had a true international feeling to the place. People dressed in their native costumes’ could be seen proudly posing for pictures in all corners of the giant exhibition hall- it felt as if one has almost stepped into a world carnival or something similar. All around the exhibition hall one could hear various accents and languages being spoken; and for those who wanted to, could spend the whole 4 days' trying to please their gastronomical interests by trying the various sample dishes on offer. The event’s slogan “Around the world in 4 days” seemed to fit appropriately too.

In amongst the hustle and bustle, one could notice that apart from the extravagant displays and the costumes’, everyone had brought their own cultural habits along to the event too. This “fusion of cultures” created a few misunderstandings and confusions alike. For example it did not take long for one to observe that some people were not used to saying “Thank You” or “Please”; or that some people were not aware that its rude to shout loudly across a hall or answering their phone loudly in the middle of a packed conference (especially when the Mayor of London is speaking too) - but of course the fun of it all was that at least we all got to experience a taste of another person’s culture.

Selamat Detang from Malaysia!

The first day, which is always reserved exclusively for the Media and Captains of Industry, consisted of Press Conferences, interviews and launches. The opening speeches were presented by Fiona Jeffrey, the Chairwoman of the World Travel Market; and Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. The enthusiastic mayor’s speech was, as always, interesting and full of good news- as one would expect from someone who is the major representative of a metropolis that is going to be host to the world when the Olympic Games arrive in the summer of 2012. I have been informed that the Paris and Berlin Travel markets are generally larger, however, with the 2012 Olympics just around the corner, London's annual WTM is sure to gain more attention in the coming few years. I cannot wait to go next year!

A colourful representation from Azerbaijan

Experience diving in Malta!

The author experiences weightlessness

Upon my graduation from Loughborough University, I was offered a job in the Republic of Malta (commonly known as just Malta), with ST Microelectronics, at that time one of the biggest employers in the country. However for one reason or another fate took me to Hong Kong to work for Philips Semiconductors. It was one of those difficult choices that you sometimes have to make in life. I wanted to live and work in Malta, but also in Hong Kong too! With a pinch of salt I made the decision to settle for the latter because it was farther away and somehow seemed more of an exotic destination than Malta (I take back my words now that I have been to Malta!). Ever since that day I had always wanted to visit Malta, but for some reason or another (and due to the pressures of a busy life I suppose!), I just never had the chance to go. That opportunity came in early October when suddenly I got an invitation from the Malta Tourism Authority to come and experience Scuba Diving in Malta.

Even before any training started I had to pass the full medical exam. Because Diving is one of the more dangerous sports around, so it is absolutely imperative that anyone taking part should be fully fit and healthy (i.e. have no exposure to Asthma, Epilepsy, Migraine Attacks or any lung problems). Initially I feared the worst because I do have a minute history of Asthma; however considering that my last Asthma attack was almost 12 years ago, so thankfully I was given the all clear by the doctor.

Prior to going to Malta, I attended a two day full immersion Diving Training course in London. This was arranged by BASC (British Sub Aqua Club), the UK’s leading dive club that provides an internationally recognized qualification for divers. The intensive pool orientation training was completed at the ShellCentre’s swimming pool in Waterloo. This included the basics of Diving, safety demonstrations, practice of balancing underwater, Snorkeling (which is easy!) and lots of practice related to the equipment and gaining confidence under water. The training was in preparation to qualify as an Ocean Diver where one can dive up to 20 meters deep under the guidance of a qualified Diver Manager.

Considering that I had never done any Diving before so this was a truly unique opportunity to try something adventurous. I was anxious because when you are carrying so much equipment on your body (especially the 10Kg cylinder at the back!), you do question yourself that once you are in the water, “What happens if I sink!?” But it’s all very safe and controlled. The Diving instructors are very professional and high training individuals so there was nothing to worry about- just needed to carefully listen and follow the instructions! The next step was to go to Malta and commence the three-day open water training that combined shore-based instruction with five open water dives with the instructor. The good thing about diving is that you don’t need to be a good swimmer- in actual fact its so easy that you don’t need to know any swimming at all because the flippers, along with the weightlessness in the water, do all the hard work for you. All you need to do is flap your feet gently and counter balance the air in the tank so that you don’t have too much or too less either. On Earth at least, Diving is probably the closet you’ll get to experience the affects of weightlessness in Space. It really is a remarkable feeling being underwater- quite surreal too, because all you hear is your breathing, and the hollow echoes of the surrounding water.

With over 40 dive centers across the Maltese Islands, for Europeans and North Africans, Malta is a great place to go diving because it’s reached well within a couple of hour’s flight time from any major European city, the waters are clean and clear (especially at Comino Blue Lagoon) and the weather is great- warm (ridiculously hot in the summer though), with clear blue skies for most of the year. I went in late October and even then we were welcomed by warm waters.

Voted the third best place for Diving in the world, the Maltese Islands are also a heaven for night diving, there are many beautiful sea life that come alive and are more vibrant during the night. Colors appear almost fluorescent by torchlight. Although I must admit that the thought of diving at night time is fearful and dangerous, because if you get lost or you lose your diving buddy then I suppose the only option left is to quickly accelerate yourself to the surface and send a distress signal. Therefore it is safe to conclude that Night diving is for experienced divers only.

The mornings were spent carrying out the open water training; while the afternoons were free to explore the cities and their restaurants in detail. Sliema, Valletta (the Capital city of the Maltese Archipelago), and St Julian's are Malta's modern, most happening and built up areas. It is where one will find the majority of the top hotels, rental apartments’, restaurants, bars, shops and clubs. The remainder of the Island is usually silent except for the few restaurants and bars that are open till midnight.

Malta is also a popular country with many Hollywood directors who decide to shoot scenes here. Because of the presence of yellow limestone buildings and the general calm feel that resembles a typical middle eastern village, if one is watching a movie filmed in some parts of Malta, it can be easily confused with, say, being in Iraq or Qatar. The Maltese Islands have been home to Hollywood movies such as Gladiator, U-571, Rules of Engagement, Troy (The highest tower on Comino is featured in the opening scenes), Munich and many others.

Places where I went diving:

 

The wreck of Lady Davinia, Sliema Creek

 

The Maltese islands are home to numerous purposely sunk vessels, scampered deliberately for the purpose of diving. The Lady Divinia is one such wreck located around 15 meters deep in the harbor. The Lady Divinia was formally known as the Zuara when it was with the Libyan Navy in the 1960s and also HMS Greetham prior to this when it was with the British. The Engine room and wheel house is in pristine condition, complete with a telephone. There are a myriad of large wine bottles and bits of complete cutlery scattered around on the harbor bed. Plenty of shiny silvery fish can be seen as well as some large groupers. We even came across a large lobster. The views down at this wreck are truly breathtaking.

X127 wreck, Manoel Island

Prior to this dive we carried out some useful diving exercises’, and also to get used to the surrounding waters. The Lighter X-127 is accessible from Manoel Island in Marsamxett Harbour.  To reach the wreck, it takes about fifteen minutes, and divers have to swim in a south-westerly direction at any depth of around 10 meters. The greatest difficulty I had over here was balancing myself on the seabed, especially with currents pushing you away from your standing position, and also with the rather muddy seabed around the wreck is muddy! Dave, our instructor showed us around the wreak of the X127. The most amazing part of the dive was when we went through the wheelhouse and came out the other end, and also the huge torpedo damage at the stern of the vessel. Around the wreak there are meant to be lots f sea life lurking around, such as octopus, small groupers and thousands of small silvery fish.

Qawra Point, St Paul’s Bay

Qawra Point is located at the southern tip of St. Paul's Bay.  The dive profile here drops slowly at first and the repetitiveness of the meadows gives way to a steep slope that goes down to a depth of 40 meters. As trainee divers we only went to a depth of around 20 meters and carried out underwater safety exercises such as taking your goggles off and putting them back on again (without taking your mouthpiece off of which somehow I managed to take off twice!! I can reassure you that it’s not a nice feeling swallowing all that salty water- and definitely not recommended!). The steep slope of the valley continues underwater.  The bottom is scattered with sharp ended rocks- much to my unpleasant surprise when I tried to balance myself by putting my knees on the rocks. Hence there is very good reason why someone should wear a full body wetsuit when diving (apart from protecting yourself from the cold water)! We did not come across any interesting Crabs; Lobsters…guess they must have been hiding during the day!

Cirkewwa

This dive was without a doubt the highlight of the trip to these beautiful islands. The sea was a bit rough due to the high winds the previous day but our group managed to dive to the picturesque arch at the bottom where there is also a statue of statue of Madonna, and (rather strangely) people leave candles as a mark of respect. The water is remarkably clear and clean. The arch is a cavern which has a large hole in the top that creates a narrow bridge of rock under which divers can easily gain access. It was one of the best things I have ever seen; and although you can read about dives and see photos, seeing it in real life is just amazing. You have to experience this dive to fully appreciate the real joy of this wonderful sport. Our instructor, Dave, gave us a gift by taking us to this dive, and all that hard work in training really paid off well. The area around Cirkewwa is also beautiful. There is a tiny beach on the other side of the dive resort; and regular ferries to Gozo and Comino operate from here too.  

Who provided the Diving training?


Full professional training was provided by the Maltaqua Diving School based at St Paul's Bay. Our inspirational diving instructors, David Colquhoun and Dragan Donkov were very professional, friendly and made the diving experience fun and enjoyable for all. Maltaqua can be reached on: www.maltaqua.com 

How I got there:

I flew with Air Malta (www.airmalta.com) from London Heathrow (Terminal 4). The flight was on time, and took around 2 hours and fifty minutes. I highly rate this airline for many reasons, including the flawless in-flight service, the friendly crew members and the highly professional way in which the check-in staff deal with any problems.

Where I stayed:

The four star Maritim Antonine Hotel & Spa (www.maritim.com.mt). The Spa treatments and the Massage are highly recommened.

What are the indicators of a good airline company?

British Airways Boeing 737-500 parked at Luxembourg Airport

I have decided to write this article in regards to me being inspired by my love for aviation and flying with airlines that have a less than glamorous reputation for their safety in the skies!

Below are some of the major indicators that contribute to the making of an above average/decent airline company. It’s a sad fact that within a short space of around 60 years commercial passenger flights have seen their birth (around the 1940s), rise (1950s/60s), their heyday of flying (1970s/80s), and sadly their gradual demise to what has transformed a once luxurious way of travel to one where we are beginning to see airline tickets being sold for less than a pound sterling (excluding taxes!). Budget airlines are good for short haul travel where smaller aircraft can be used (such as the Airbus A320 or the Boeing 737 Series) to full capacity and planes can be turned around within 30 minutes; but for medium to long haul travel (i.e. more than 4 hours flight time) there will always be a need for some sort of luxury because of the long distances and the other fuel costs involved. Although not the main ponint of discussion for this blog article, nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that IATA (International Air Transport Association), recently predicted the airline industry will make a snowballing loss of €11 billion by the end of 2009, a rapid increase from the projected €9 billion estimated earlier in the year. The full impact of these losses is yet to be felt despite over 65 airlines failing over the course of 12 months from December 2008.

Safety

When booking their flights, for most people, the cost is the number one factor which makes them choose their particular airline. Safety is probably at the back of everyone’s mind once they know which airline they are flying (depending on how old or new, good or bad the aircraft and its engines are!). It’s too deep a subject to get into so I am going to keep this brief. On the whole it is reasonably safer to fly than to cross a busy street. However in the following cases, safety can never be played around with:

1. If you happen to fly with an airline company where the level of English of the respective pilots is not proficient enough as in this example of a LOT Polish Airlines Pilot: http://tinyurl.com/ybnwqg7
2. Where the aircraft being operated is more than twenty years old (Aeroflot, Air Koryo, Iran Air, Syrian Air and many others). - Although most of these mentioned airlines are phasing out the older types of aircraft.
3. Poor Maintenance Record of aircraft- Engineers not qualified enough
4. Some airlines cannot afford to upgrade their aircraft parts because their countries may be under International sanctions that prevent them from trading with the USA (Home to the Boeing Aircraft Company) or Europe (Home to Airbus Corporation).
5. If your Captain happens to be “Drink-Flying” then it’s a serious cause for concern! Apparently, according to these reports, Aeroflot officials thought that it’s no big deal for the Captain to have a few Vodka shots to relax some pre-take off chills!  
6. If the Captain decides to challenge his fellow crew to a physical punch up while in International Airspace- sadly its becoming more of a fashion statement these days! Actually this is one of the reasons why many major airlines encourage their Pilots to work with a different crew on every flight: you will seldom find yourself flying with the same crew. 
   

In July 2009, the European Commission published a list of over 90 International Airline companies that are banned from flying into European Airspace and airports within the European Union. These include the national airlines of Congo, Angola (TAAG- only allowed to fly to Portugal), North Korea (Air Koryo), and Afghanistan (Ariana Afghan). The full list is available here.

 Air Malta A320 Parked at Luqa International, Malta

In-flight Meals

Gone are the days when airline meals were something to look forward to when you fly. Nowadays almost all economy class In-flight meals are the same, which is why I try to fly Business Class most of the time - at least there is a proper choice available. One of the best In-flight meals website ever is www.airlinemeals.net where passengers could upload their meal photos and give a personal review of the food, the service and the flight in general. The website has been dormant since 2007, but you can still browse through the various world airlines listed. Surprisingly some of the best meals are served on some of the less well known airlines (like Syrian Air, Tunis Air and BWIA West Indian* as an example).  * BWIA has been rebranded as "Caribbean Airlines".

The sad thing about In-flight meals is that so much food gets wasted after a flight, that many airline companies are thinking of cutting down on giving away free meals. The only proper option left here is that passengers’ can purchase their desired in-flight meal. 

 

Business Class Meal on British Airways (London to Geneva) Copyright Navjot Singh

My idea is that there should be a special chain of “In-flight meal restaurants” located at all airport departure lounges around the world where passengers, who wish to do so, can purchase their desired In-flight meal and drink prior to boarding the aircraft. Once on the plane they can store their food; and eat it whenever they like without anyone telling them when to eat etc. The concept can be similar to MacDonald’s (just as an example), but of course I am not saying it should be a fast food chain (come on, it needs to be more healthy ad better tasting at least!)- rather the In-flight meal restaurant chain should just specialize in providing healthy and delicious In-flight meals to passengers. In actual fact this concept should be tried at one airport to start with, and if the concept works I believe in the long term it would be a very cost effective way to introduce In-flight meals to airlines. The downside of this idea is that the food labels will not be branded to any particular airline company, but it will be a one common global brand which will be on everyone’s lips. 

Aircraft type and seat

If you know which aircraft you are flying in (usually it states this on the ticket or when you check in online), then from the website www.seatguru.com you can find out which seat is suitable to sit on for your particular flight. The best seats are usually next to the exit and away from the galley and toilets. The vast majority of new aircraft (like the Airbus A340-600, Airbus A380, Boeing B777-200LR and Boeing B777-300) have state of the art In-flight entertainment systems embedded to the back of every seat from where passengers can listen to music, watch movies, play games and even read the in-flight magazine on the screen! Yes, sadly some airlines are even phasing out the traditional hardcopy In-flight magazines to save weight costs. So even the In-flight magazines are becoming collector’s items now- quick! Get your last copy before it gets replaced by the on-screen version!

Most passengers actually are not aware of what aircraft they fly in, and even if they were told of the aircraft type, I highly doubt that most would even know what the words A320, B747-400 etc. mean. People don’t care much, as long as they safely get from A to B. It’s like when you sit in a bus, a taxi, train or a boat; no one cares or notices who’s manufactured the machine- unless of course if you happened to be offered a “Mini” as a taxi when you expected it to be a BMW or something!. But when it comes to aircraft it is a different story- you have to approach it with an unusual line of angle. I suppose it’s because it’s a different way of travelling to what you are normally used to travelling on a daily basis.

The professionalism of the Airline Crew

A perfect example of how not to behave when flying a plane was displayed to the world recently by an Air India crew on a flight from Dubai to New Delhi where, according to media reports, the Pilots and Cabin Crew had a mid-air scuffle at 37,000 feet. Not something that you would want to see or hear about when you know that the two people who are responsible from taking you safely from A to B are too busy fighting with each other rather than flying!

Other questions that people always wonder about are if the staff are generally friendly and professional. Do they serve the meals at the right time? Are the air hostesses polite when they speak to you? Is the Cabin Crew helpful if you cannot speak English? It’s easy to put aside the fact that being an Air Hostess is not an easy job either because you have to deal with various situations and different kinds of people from all cultures. In actual fact the job is sometimes too glamorized.

If you feel you have a point to make about the airline you travelled on then feel free to voice your personal review on www.airlinequality.com, a site which rates airlines according to a five star category, with the best airline company getting five stars and the worst getting one star or no stars at all.

The brand image

The company’s brand image and its name are two of the essential core elements what attract the passengers to use the airline in the first place. When someone goes through the procedure of booking their flights, apart from the costs and the timings of their potential flight, the most crucial questions are “Which airline is it?” Now, if the answer happens to be one of the major global brand leaders in the airline industry, such as, say for example, British Airways, United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates or any one of the other top airlines, then its highly likely there won’t be further questions coming out from people’s mouths. However, say if the airline company happens to be one of lesser known ones like, for example, Syrian Air, Mexicana, TAM Brazilian and others of a similar standing, then you are bound to get a barge of questions related to the company’s standing in the aviation industry. But then again you can have an excellent brand image but the rest of the package of the service is not worth mentioning- just a few examples are: American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, KLM (poor in-flight service), Air India (one can write a book on this one!) and Aeroflot (enough said already I think!).  

The brand of an airline is a key indicator to the success of the company: Copyright Navjot Singh 

  

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I personally fear that in the USA and across Europe, flying is no longer the luxury way of travelling; and globally, flying is not glamorous anymore because people treat it in a similar way to catching a bus or a taxi (if you fly on a private jet!). European and American flyers won’t have much choice of top branded airlines; instead the skies are going to be dominated by the likes of Easyjet, Ryanair, Flybe, and other low cost airlines. The mainstream market for aviation is in the Middle East (Esp. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways) and Asia (Esp. Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air China, China Eastern, Kingfisher, Malaysia Airlines, Jet Airways and Cathay Pacific). I have just provided a few key indicators that may determine the quality of an airline. Of course, just like any other product, you cannot judge what the quality of an airline company is like until you try it yourself. Let us conclude this blog by saying that a good airline is one where the passengers are well informed of any changes that may occur (such as a delay for example), and where they are in the full knowledge of being safe and comfortable from their point of origin to their destination.