Investing in Vietnam: Interview- Mr. David Blackhall, Deputy Managing Director, Real Estate, VinaCapital.

With a bevy of development projects in the works, and a strong year-end performance projected, Vietnam is carving out a spot in the emerging property market. A revitalized stock marke; rebounding global economy; and strides in the nation's infrastructure are contributing to the favorable investment outlook. To learn more about the real estate market in Vietnam and the opportunities available for foreign investors, I caught up with Mr. David Blackhall, deputy Managing Director, Real Estate, VinaCapital. VinaCapital is one of the largest property investors and developers in Vietnam. VinaCapital Real Estate (VCRE) is the real estate advisory and development service for VinaCapital Group, which manages three closed-end funds that trade on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. These funds...

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Praise a Korean's English skills and get media space

Is this news? Sometimes I wonder.... Two foreign bank chiefs said in unison that new Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Kim Choong-soo’s English is excellent, with one of them saying that Kim would prove to be competent enough to preside over the central bankers’ meeting as part of the G-20 meeting to be hosted by Korea. Their assessments came during a get-together Wednesday at the BOK. The former ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) greeted bank CEOs. They included Larry Klane of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) and Richard Hill of Standard Chartered First Bank. The head of the BOK exchanged greetings with the two. Klane said in Korean, "I am the CEO of KEB.’’ Kim responded in English and had no problem in making himself understood. The chief executive of SC...

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Ajumma to the rescue

The much maligned Ajumma- hot-tempered, married woman sporting loose floral print pants and tight perms- has her uses. As this blogger so aptly puts it: Ajumma can apply to any Korean woman over 30. By the mid-fifties, because they've "paid their dues," I guess, some behave a little less politely than most other Koreans, and care a little less about the general courtesies that are either the grease that keeps the wheels of society turning, or the B-S- that keeps people from acting out who they really are. ... ajumma is the one most likely to shove you as she dives for a seat on the subway; she's the one most likely to be rude to you in a restaurant, to touch your white skin, poke your curly hair, grab your love handles (out of sheer curiousity -- look at how big those cheese-smelling foreigners...

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Red Star Operating System

More news on North Korea’s N. Korea's 'Red Star' operating system. North Korea's new "Red Star" computer operating system is mainly designed to control the flow of information on the Internet tapped by users, a review by a state-run think tank said. The Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) said a detailed technical analysis of Red Star version 1.1 shows it is a Linux-based operating system with low-end options similar to those found in products that reached the market in the early 2000s. It added that while it is similar to the ubiquitous Windows OS, emphasis has been placed on meeting security and other local requirements. There is only one Korean-language version of the system and due to the limited number of compatible applications there is little likelihood of its being put...

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Was Obama Checking Out This Girl's Butt?

Well, apparently no...

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