Knowledge Of Asia

Learn Japanese for free with Genki Japan

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:46:15 +0000

Genki Japan is a new website where you can Learn Japanese for free.

On the site there are fun free games and crazy songs for learning Japanese; because learning should be fun. Plus there’s a free ebook on how the site author got fluent in Japanese! It even teaches you how to get a job in Japan. (Check out the site’s hiragana song for a way to memorize hiragana too).

Visit the site to start learning japanese now.

Eduardo Saverin to become Singapore citizen

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:25:01 +0000

Eduardo Saverin drops US Citizenship for tax reasons

“SAN FRANCISCO (REUTERS) – Facebook co-founder, Mr Eduardo Saverin, has renounced his United States (US) citizenship, according to an Internal Revenue Service report, just days before the company’s record initial public offering.”

Read more at http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_798141.html

Cool Stuff: Fake Food Japan

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:18:27 +0000

Fake Food Japan – Own a Piece of Japanese Culture

Fake Food Japan prides itself in bringing you true works of art. Our handmade fake food are carefully designed and crafted from the most skilled in the industry right here in Osaka, Japan, where the fake food industry got its start in 1932.

Visit the site for 100s of fake food items like iPhone cases, USB flash drives & more!

Boracay Hotels

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:57:46 +0000

Boracay Island is a truly wonderous place of fun and adventure. What makes this place all the better is the fantastic accommodation, Boracay hotels and luxurious Boracay resorts. Here are just a few:

Astroria Hotel

The Astoria Resort hotel is a superb three star classed vacation resort which has a ultra-modern casual ambiance precisely in the midst of all the fun. You’ll be in the heart of the numerous eateries and pubs of the extraordinary White beach. You will be spoiled with the number of choices and also you’re going to be straight on the path from 1 of the finest shorelines on earth.

This stunning Boracay resort has only thirty eight suites and due to its capacity, the employees are extremely helpful and the service is remarkable. The suites are fresh and have absolutely all of the features that you might expect to have from a vacation resort of this quality.

Should you be with limited funds howeveryou do not want to go with out all of the improvements and the high quality, the Astoria Resort Boracay is one resort you simply can’t go past.

Boracay Regency Resort

The Boracay Regency Beach Resort is the center of all adventure and action at station 2 on White Beach. This excellent Mediterranean designed hotel is big in attitude, a spot where all kinds of things is available for the discerning holiday maker.

Which consists of large hotel rooms, gigantic swimming pools and social spots, lovely exotic gardens and finest non-public beachfront on Boracay.

The Boracay Regency Beach Resort is loaded with impressive features that you just don’t need to leave the resort, ever. A great spot to for couples to relax, eat, drink and frolic . It’s in close proximity to all of the recreational pursuits, dining establishments and discos on White beach and you’ll be be assured that you’ll always have an great position on the enormous non-public beach.

Fridays Resort

The most recognized vacation resort on the island along with the 1st holiday resort to boost the standard of quality. Fridays Boracay Resort is really genuine as it gets on Boracay island. With old-fashioned Philippine structures and attitudes, this excellent resort is probably the best selling on Boracay. This astounding four star holiday resort prides itself on providing it’s clients with a genuine Boracay tropical island vacation experience.

Fridays Boracay resort provides gorgeous personal bungalows set within the rich tropical landscaping and pure beachfront accessibility. When compared to many other Boracay resorts, Fridays focuses on a level of privacy and downtime with all of the holiday villas offering an enchanting tropical garden atmosphere.

If you decide to be a little more sociable there are various areas within the holiday resort to hang out plus you can actually eat in one of the greatest eateries on the island inside of the vacation resort.

Delivering a lot more than simply a bedroom. After you have stayed at this resort, you certainly will go back over and over.

The Shangri-La Boracay

The Shangri-La Boracay Resort is essentially the most astounding vacation resort on Boracay. Set between the luxurious tropical forest along at the northern end of Boracay island.

This gorgeous hotel is beautifully made with influences of standard Filipino style and sensitivity that co-exists gracefully within the the harmony of nature and wild animals that surrounds it.

With high class comfort like the Shangri-La Boracay Resort, other Boracay Hotels are envious. The Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort was developed solely for giving holiday makers who wish to be adorned and indulged.

If you are wanting to get away from those mid-winter doldrums, delight in | take pleasure in | indulge in the sunlight, rest, renew the batteries and unwind in stylishness whilst in a extremely electrifying exotic locale. Then this vacation resort is for you.

Discovery Shores Hotel

The Discovery Shores Resort Boracay is amongst the freshest resort on Boracay island. Streamlined and appealing with Oriental and western style, this astonishing resort is without a doubt a 100 % pure delight of all the sensibilities. Together with the dazzling usage of open areas all through the resort, this Boracay vacation resort has impressive viewpoints of the privately owned beach front and the Boracay sea-coast.

This excellent hotel will make an impression even the most professional tourist with a high-class two-level club house that features the fine cafes and restaurants, cool pubs, a restful health spa and a wellbeing centre and is centerpiece of the resort as it displays the beautiful coast line of Boracay Island.

With eighty-eight remarkable guest suites, this world-class vacation resort is the perfect spot to unwind, revigorate, mingle and absorb in the things Boracay island can give without being on of the herd.

Cherry blossom Japan – The Best Sakura Spots in Tokyo

admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 07:01:48 +0000

Guest Post By: www.tokyo.first-time-japan.com – How to make the most of your first trip to Japan and not get ripped off

Spring brings with him the excitement and anticipation of a new beginning to Japan, a new cycle begins.

This period lasts about 6 weeks – begins around March and progressing with the warming weather. The cherry tree The Sakura in Japanese represents the peak of spring its blossom symbolize the humble and fragile nature of the Japanese people.Duration of peak flowering of the cherry tree is short and lasts from few days to a week. It has very delicate bloom. The strength and beauty depend on the weather. Sometimes a full flower can last a month, and sometimes for only a single day.The strong breeze and rain make them fall on the floor sometimes it looks like snow. It is very difficult to predict the peak of bloom. Japanese people know that this beauty is temporary and could expire in any day.They celebrate the culmination of a great wonder in “flower viewing” which mean HANAMI (花見). Millions of Japanese families, friends and work colleagues organize a “picnic” under the sakura trees, usually sitting on large sheets enjoying the view while drinking alcohol and eating traditional food. These parties make the people take off their masks of restraint and seriousness, they all play and sing under the trees.

Japanese Spring Celebration Culture

Spring Celebration of Japanese culture is deeply tied to the season’s cycle of nature. Sensitivity of the Japanese season touched every aspect of life. Spring perform the color pink summer is strong green, the red leaves are in the fall, and winter snow gave the white paint. In the Spring Japanese wear kimono with pink trim colors corresponding boom.City streets, train stations and public institutions decorated with pink plastic flowers contrast the delicacy of sakura tree flowers. Ice cream and cookies in the spring season will be of course pink, and Department stores will replace its decoration colors to pink and embedded in flower buds. Japanese will eat candies and buy a gift package wrapped in pink of courseIt is important to always remember that nothing is accidental in Japan. They carefully designed their gardens thinking of all the small detail caring for the right location for every tree and flower. Spring sticking to the point spots of hidden corners surprising beauty, stand out against the background of evergreens or reflected in the lake.Planning a Japanese garden would be careful about combining groups selected plots flowering trees, often incorporated into the kinds of cherry trees with different bloom colors.

Mass Tourism

Another feature, no less important, is estimated institutional organization, planning and encouragement of the movement of mass tourism. The Japanese plan their vacations according to the forecasts of bloom. They tend to arrive few days before to the area that is recommended and combine recreation and bathing in hot springs. The Japanese government is aware of the economic value of this tourist phenomenon and is interested in developing and encouraging the movement of the “pilgrimage” of millions of Japanese flowering cherry .Government and municipal institutions work hard and budgets in planning and developing the tourism sites especially tourist attractions with local crowds that visit the areas in bloom. Japanese spring arrival is a cultural experience. Hang out with the masses Be wrapped in joy.

The best sakura spots in Tokyo

Shinjuku Gyoen
Location: 11 Naito-cho Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Access: To the Sendagaya gate
5 minute walk from Sendagaya Station or Tokyo Subway Kokuritsu Kyougijo-mae Station
To the Okido gate
5 minute walk from Tokyo Subway Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station
To the Shinjuku gate
About 10 minute walk from Shinjuku Station
About 5 minute walk from Tokyo Subway Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Stationor Shinjuku 3-chome Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Late March – Early April

Inokashira Onshi Koen
Address: 1-chome Gotenyama Musashino-city /
4-chome Inokashira Mitaka-city, Tokyo
Access: JR Kichijoji Station / Keio Train Inokashira Line Inokashira Koen Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Late March – Early April

Shiba Koen
Location: Shiba-koen Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: Subway Shiba-koen Station/Onarimon Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Late March – Early April

Hama-rikyu Onshi Teien Garden
Location: 1-1 Hanarikyu Teien Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Access: Tukiji Shijo Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Early – MidApril
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
Location:1-6-6 KorakuBunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Access: 2 minute walk from Tokyo Subway Iidabashi Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Late March – Early April

Sumida Koen
Location: 7-1 Asakusa, 1-1 Hanakawado, 2-1HanakawadoTaito-ku,Tokyo/ 1-chome, 2-chome, 5-chome MukoujimaSumida-ku, Tokyo
Access: Tokyo Subway/Tobu Line Asakusa Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Late March – Early Apri

Chidorigafuchi Koen
The Chidoriga-fuchi moat is located west of the Tokyo Imperial Palace.
Address: 1-2 Kojimachi Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Access: Tokyo Subway Hanzomon Station
Cherry Blossom Season: Late March – Early April

Inspired by the popular folk song of Japan: Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) performed by Clint Goss on the EZ Anasazi Flute in Bb. For song info: www.flutopedia.com For flutes www.deruby.com Clint beautifully demonstrates the expressive potential of the EZ Anasazi Flute. The style of playing is similar to the style of the more difficult rim-blown Shakuhachi flute from Japan. There is no record of the Anasazi Pueblo People’s style of flute playing. Do you think it possible they may have played in a similar style?

This guest post was written by www.tokyo.first-time-japan.com – How to make the most of your first trip to Japan and not get ripped off.

HD Asian Art – Building a business and lifestyle from a passion for Southeast Asia

HDAsianArt — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:11:42 +0000

Before setting up HDAsianArt.com – a gallery of unique, affordable, museum quality Southeast Asian art – we had, for 20 years, found joy in travelling and experiencing Southeast Asia. Along with wonderful people, amazing food and unique encounters we enjoyed seeking out and acquiring high quality Asian Art, for our personal enjoyment. Returning home friends and family would always comment on the amazing workmanship and sheer beauty of the pieces we had secured. As our trips to Asia continued, and our passion for Asian Art grew, our painting covered walls and statue filled shelves began to resemble a small museum that we were often told should ‘attract an entry fee’.

After a successful career in IT a change in lifestyle was sought. Hoping to turn our hobby and passion into a business we spent six months travelling through Southeast Asia, exploring outside the ‘tourist trail’ seeking out the quality Asian Art we thought would be desired, by fellow enthusiasts.

Concluding our wondrous six month travel experience we had secured and shipped home beautiful statues, paintings and lacquerware from countries throughout Southeast Asia – the foundation art collection for HDAsianArt.com.

Fig. 1 – Pieces such as this lacquerware trunk are hand carved, taking four months to craft

Whilst securing beautiful art that appealed to us was important of greater importance were certain criteria, that all of our purchases had to achieve:

1. Unique and Museum Quality

We were not interested in purchasing anything that could be considered mass produced. Unique, individual pieces that would not look out of place behind glass in the Victoria & Albert museum in London or the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Our website offers worldwide shipping and pricing in USD, EUR, GBP, JPY & AUD so our pieces had to be of sufficient quality for an international audience.

Fig. 2 – An aged bronze Apsara – the celestial nymph – these centerpieces have generated much interest.

At times we clarified our purchases with Professors at the University of London, School for Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS). Their concern that some of the pieces we had seen being produced in Cambodia or Thailand might be 12^th or 13^th century originals was particularly gratifying.

2. Artisan Crafted

Commencing our venture we were determined to work directly with the artisans producing our Art. We wanted to travel to their workshops, meet their workers and understand the effort involved producing the quality of pieces we required. Some of our lacquerware trunks take over 4 months to produce.

By refusing to buy from ‘middlemen’ or faceless mass supply websites we ensured a unique product but more importantly our continued purchase of their pieces providing a long-term stable income source for both themselves, their family and their workers.

Fig. 3 – An aged bronze statue arises from the workshop of a Cambodian artisan.

As our understanding of the communities and villages that they lived in grew we have also been able to work with local schools and hospitals – items that might be considered ‘basic’ are often much sought after. Through our regular trips to the region we have been able to provide, along with an income to our artisans, some much needed supplies to the communities that they work in.

3. Affordable

It is easy to source beautiful pieces of Asian Art when cost is not an issue. However, we wanted to supply beautiful, unique, museum quality art to a much wider audience. More expensive than the typical ‘tourist market’ souvenirs, that are readily sourced throughout Southeast Asia, we looked to appeal to customers wanting unique, artisan crafted, affordable, museum quality art. Today we work with Interior Designers, Architects, Retailers and Consumers to provide art that brings a little affordable Asian serenity to their home, office or design project.

Fig. 4 – Burmese sand paintings, depicting 12^th and 13^th century temple wall murals offer stunning wall art

Since launching our website interest in our art has continued to grow. Comments such as ‘beautiful’, ‘I want one’ and ‘amazing’ abound. Continuous buying trips to Southeast Asia are planned throughout the year, to help meet demand for our pieces, with orders for specific pieces being placed ahead of these trips and local artisans now contacting us directly with details of what they produce.

Travelling in Southeast Asia has always been a personal joy. Building a Southeast Asian inspired business that both fulfils a lifelong passion and also helps those living in the region is extremely satisfying. Hard work, great art and amazing customers should allow us to continue building on this passion.

For more information about Southeast Asian art please contact:

James Horsfall

The Chinese Communist Party – What Foreign Business Owners Need To Know

UniversalConsensus — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:17 +0000

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a huge influence on world politics, but it still relatively unknown. In fact, 80% of listed Chinese companies are State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The rise of State Capitalism is a hot topic, extensively covered in the latest issue of The Economist and a crucial talking-point at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos. The Chinese Communist Party is at the heart of this development. Doing business in China, knowledge of the political system, and the role of the Chinese Communist Party are imperative.

With more than 80 million members, the Chinese Communist Party is the largest party in the world. Simultaneously, the Chinese Communist Party holds absolute power – including power over the judiciary, the armed forces and intelligence apparatus, and SOEs. But for Westerns doing business in China, the Chinese Communist Party is largely invisible. While power is centralized at the top, it is decentralized at local level. There is no total control ála 1984, but if something is in the party’s interest it will most likely be implemented.

Chinese Democracy

“All power in the People’s Republic of China belongs to the people,” the People’s Republic of China constitution proudly proclaims. But Chinese democracy is defined (by a CCP whitepaper) as “Democratic government is the Chinese Communist Party governing on behalf of the people.” Only 5-10% of people applying are accepted into Party ranks. Consequently, being accepted is seen as a status mark similar to an Ivy League education in the U.S. There are no direct benefits of membership – you pay a monthly fee (salary deduction) and have to submit two patriotic essays annually. Only the most ambitious, well-connected, and educated are accepted. It has been a conscious CCP strategy to target the best and brightest. The Chinese Communist Party has transformed itself from a mass organization for workers mobilization to a “technocratic leadership corps”, according to Professor Jeremy Paltiel of Carleton University in Ottawa, a CCP expert.

Propaganda

The propaganda starts at an early age. The CCP’s youth organization (7-14 year olds) outlines in their official mission statement, that their goal is to promote “indoctrination of children by cultivating [positive] feelings of the Party and the socialist motherland.” In the most comprehensive survey to date, when Mainland Chinese where asked how democratic their current system was, Chinese gave it 7.22 on a 10-degree scale – third in Asia and well ahead of Japan and South Korea. It is important to recognize that Chinese don’t necessarily strive for a Western governance model with a multiparty system – but rather freedom of information, improved rule of law, and greater accountability for local officials.

In a collectivist culture like the Chinese, the one party system has worked remarkably well. Other influential cultural threads are the Chinese endurance and resilience as well as the society’s long-term orientation. Today, it is hard to see an alternative to the Chinese Communist Party. Mostly because so many of the most able people are now party members – more than one in ten of the urbanized (665 million) population is now a party member – as almost all natural leaders have been swooped up by the Party there is no viable leadership alternative.

Special Interests

Not having to directly placate special interest groups or changing policy directions after an election has served the Chinese economy well. But while pressing issues may be addressed quickly there is a problem when SOEs need Party guidance in strategic issues. Although all Chinese SOEs have direct communication lines to top-level Party officials, the decision process can be protracted, especially as decisions are made through somewhat lengthy internal consensus-building. Also, there has generally been a problem for Chinese SOEs to execute more complex financial maneuvers as the financial aptitude is lagging. But this is rapidly changing. One of the greatest assets of Chinese SOEs have been access to State owned bank funding (both for themselves and their customers). These banks are also directly or indirectly influenced by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese Communist Party has cultivated an international non-intervention perception, but the Party is omnipresent. Officials’ loyalty is foremost to the Chinese Communist Party and keeping the current system in place, second only to the State and the people. Hu Jintao is primarily Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (and Chairman of the Central Military Commission – just as important) and secondarily President of the PRC.

Five Year Plan

China’s biggest dirty little secret is its 5-year plans. This is a fairly detailed insight into the Chinese Communist Party’s plans for the country. In a bureaucratic communist country where Party and State is almost one and the same, one thing is sure: plans are going to get implemented. The current 5-year plan was enacted in 2011. The plan outlines a range of sustainability and equality-oriented policies growing out of the (socialist) “scientific development concept.” More specifically the plan will address these issues:

Counter rising inequality and create an environment for more sustainable growth by prioritizing more equitable wealth distribution with increased domestic consumption, and improved social infrastructure and social safety nets
Re-balanceing its economy, shifting emphasis from investment toward consumption and from urban and coastal growth toward rural and inland development – initially by developing small cities and greenfield districts to absorb coastal migration
Enhance environmental protection, accelerate the process of opening and reform, and emphasize Hong Kong’s role as a center of international finance

Richard McGregor published the highly acclaimed The Party: the Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers in 2010 which is a great insight into how the party works. McGregor makes the acute observation that the Chinese Communist Party works very much like the Vatican, with arcane election procedures and absolute power. Moreover, this Chinese “Vatican” runs on Leninist-inspired structures and principles.

Foreigners should be very conscious with which information they share. Locally engaged staff in China will be expected to deliver intelligence on your operations to the authorities if your business is perceived to be sensitive to Beijing’s broad definition of ‘national security’ – the Chinese intelligence community could pressure any ethnic Chinese (for example using travel privileges as leverage), even expats, to provide them with information.

Finally, one should remember that two thirds of Chinese businesses (as percentage of GDP) are not owned by the State. This means that when engaging with small to mid-size companies, the Chinese Communist Party exercises no direct influence over your counterpart.

By Andreas Fried and Jessica Chang of Universal Consensus, a leading international cross-cultural consulting firm.

Sekrett Scilensce (アソシエイツ) – Freestyle music from Japan

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:53:32 +0000

Forget the manufactured, robotic and Hollywood sounds that you’re sick of. Freestyle music is back and it has some upgrades. The best news you wonder? For starters, NO AUTO-TUNE; something lurks behind the wall of scenes depicting simplicity in the Red Carpet land, and if you can, hear this song, “The Love Is Sound”; make peace with your mind, realize someone’s brought back the times – Are you in?

In this era of romance, we are digitally connected more than we are emotionally. Sekrett Scilensce (アソシエイツ) from Japan is bringing freestyle music back in the form of music, stories and poems. Check them out at www.secretsilence.com.

Sekrett Scilensce is an officially distributed line of MP3/e-reader products under the “Kuneo Koei” publishing trade. KuneoKoei

Singapore’s tasty Hawker Centres

rosbland — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:01:36 +0000

(image by lensfodder under CC license)

As with most major cities, its common knowledge that the best places to find top quality and tasty food are not necessarily the most expensive and Singapore is no different! The history of Singapore’s food is influenced by Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine. There are plenty of local foods stalls around which are known as “hawkers” and here you will find a section of the tastiest food Singapore has to offer. Whether you are after a curry, some noddle’s of something sweet, the hawker centres are where you need to head. Avoid the cheap restaurants that only offer a basic section of the same boring food you can find throughout the city and head to the stalls that will offer you so much flavour you’ll never want to eat anywhere else again. There are a number of hawker centres throughout Singapore,

Hokkien mee is a traditional Singapore dish of fried noodle dish comes with prawns and is a delicious blend of briny seafood, oil, noodles, a slight spritz of lime and some heat from chilli. You will be hard pushed trying to find it anywhere outside of Singapore. One place where you can get hold of some hokkien mee is at the Cuppage Food Court: A huge space with low-ceilings and plenty of stalls to choose from. Alongside your seafood noodles, why not grab a couple of spring rolls as a side and some freshly squeezed fruit juice? A meal like this will cost you around $5! Amazing value.

Another bargain place to dine is the food mecca the East Coast Lagoon Food Centre. Singapore is full of amazing scenery and here you can eat your food and enjoy this all at the same time. Sit outdoors and surround yourself with the palm trees and warm sun. The smell of burning wood and grilled meats fills the air and creates mouth-watering atmosphere. A great tip is to head to the satay house with the longest queue and you will not be disappointed with your meal. Enjoy barbecued skewers with marinated, tender meats are served with a tasty peanut sauce and mixed vegetables. Whether you’re in the mood for seafood, beef, pork, or chicken, you can enjoy them all here. You can get your hands on about eight meat skewers for $4 and then head out to the sandy outdoors area and soak up the lively atmosphere.

If you feel like working up an appetite before you buy your meal. Make your way to the Chinatown Complex Food Centre – the largest and oldest food centre around. There are literally hundreds of stalls to choose from and you can be walking for ages until you find what you want. A favourite with the locals is the beef or minced meat noodle soup. A large bowlful will set you back as little as $2 and is enough to fill you. If you want something a little more substantial, opt for the crispy roast duck and rice option for a dollar more. There are also plenty of stalls that sell desserts for only $1, like mochi balls, which are sweet, glutinous rice with a sweet paste in the middle, often served with a sweet sauce.

Singapore’s hawker centres are a way of life and have been around for decades. Entering a hawker centre, it is hard to control yourself when you are surrounded by the smells, sights, and sounds of food being prepared in so many ways. If you want to become a real Singapore Foodie, buy a copy of Makansutra, by K. F. Seetoh (Makansutra Publishing) at a local bookshop. Seetoh is the well-known local guru of hawker foods and has sniffed out the tastiest, most authentic local delicacies you can imagine.

Thanks to Rosalind B from the car hire provider, Errentals.co.uk

Dine Mates is a site for Asian food lovers!

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:10:19 +0000

I want to introduce you to Dine Mates – a free food social network! People are sharing their dining experiences, showing off the food they’ve cooked, and organizing events throughout Asia to meet other travelers over lunch or dinner.

Asia has always been a very mysterious and intriguing place for many Westerners. Over the years with the free flow of information from the Internet, people around the world are beginning to get more information about Asia. This has definitely makes an average person feels a little bit more comfortable in visiting the desired Asian countries of his or her choice.

Traveling should be fun, but sometimes the experiences shared by tourists are not always positive. Tales about shady business practices and unethical dealings have always been a major issue with tourism in Asian countries from retail shopping to restaurants. DineMates.com is a determined food and travel community aiming to minimize this problem and help people create international and long lasting friendships.

So what is Dine Mates really about? It is a social networking site focusing on Asian food culture allowing fellow foodies to share pictures, videos, blog about their experiences, and connect online and in person over meals or drinks. The idea was born when it’s creator who is a regular traveler found it difficult to get access to the “best kept secret” places by the locals. He tried connecting with people from different social networking sites but it was difficult to find people with similar interests… GREAT FOOD!

After years of traveling and meeting a few locals and ex-pats in Asia he decided to take his passion for food and adventure a step further, so he created DineMates.com with the goal of getting a large community of people that are interested in food. People can meet and guide others to great dining and drinking locations.

“I know there are people who are passionate about their country, culture, and food, and they love meeting and introducing foreigners to their local delicacies! Living in Asia, I am one of them. Anybody can go to big restaurants or road side food stalls, but true experience begins once you go off the beaten path to a small family owned shop with food that makes your taste buds tingle!” says the DineMates.com founder.

For food fanatics, fast food is a big ‘no no’ and healthy local meals remains to be the trend. Compared to most Western cultures, eating is a big part of life in Asia and meals are usually shared between a group of people making it a social event. The majority of people in Asia are proud of their food culture and love showing off their knowledge, cooking, and exposing new travelers to their favorite dishes. So I recommend visiting Dine Mates because the site brings people together to learn about different food through out the world and get a grasp on local culture when they travel and meet up. All one needs is an awesome and exotic meal introduced by the locals and that will definitely give you a memory that will last a lifetime.