Food
When the Chinese government left planeloads of $2 million worth of Australian lobster to rot on a Shanghai tarmac last November, it was a signal that the hostility between both countries could only get worse. The shipments had experienced Customs clearance delays because the Chinese authorities were inspecting 100% of the Australian rock lobsters to […]
... written on Apr 22 2021It’s been close to 12 months since China suspended imports of beef from Australia, and it’s hard to see how the ban would be relaxed anytime soon. In fact, the damage to Aussie red meat, valued at about A$3 billion, could be permanent. The exports of Australian beef to the Chinese market was the most […]
... written on Apr 19 2021On Friday (March 26), China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that import duties between 116.2% and 218.4% will be imposed on Australian wines effective Sunday (March 28). The massive tariffs arrived after the ministry concluded that domestic wine industry had been hurt by the dumping of cheap Aussie wine. Worse, the anti-dumping punishment will last for […]
... written on Mar 26 2021The “Reunion Dinner” takes place on Chinese New Year’s Eve, which falls on Feb 11 this year. This is the most important day in the 16 days of the festival. The Chinese community looks forward very serious to this day. Even if they have to work on this particular day, they will rush for the […]
... written on Feb 06 2021As predicted, the half-baked second MCO (movement control order) lockdown, announced by backdoor Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Jan 11, 2021, has now been extended for another 14 days. The MCO 2.0, initially implemented for 14 days – effective from Jan 13 to 26, 2021 – had already been extended by 9 days to Feb […]
... written on Feb 02 2021As Malaysia becomes more radical and extreme, this year’s Christmas has again attracted blockbuster drama from some silly religious fanatics whose faith in Islam appears to be challenged – by cakes. Apparently, bakery or cake shops with “halal certification” cannot decorate cakes with “Merry Christmas” greetings if the goal is to display the cakes at […]
... written on Dec 27 2020A junior secondary school student was happy that the weekend has finally arrived. She wanted to join her parents for a short shopping trip to a nearby supermarket. After all, the school is closed and she was tired being trapped at home attending online classes. To her horror, her parents said she can’t join because […]
... written on Oct 17 2020After a short period of celebration, Hong Kong is back to square one. Cinemas are closing their doors again from July 15. Dining at restaurants will be unavailable from 6pm to 5am every day. Mask-wearing is now mandatory on public transport at all times. Group gatherings have been reduced from 50 people to just 4 […]
... written on Jul 22 2020One of the most frustrating moments during a shopping trip is the unpredictable amount of time spent at cashier counters. In general, the queue at the checkout lines would be extraordinary long during the end or the beginning of a month. That’s when workers or employees get their salary. Towards the middle of the month, […]
... written on Jul 15 2020Wall Street economists and analysts were looking at a nonfarm payrolls loss of 8.3 million for the month of May. That estimation would see an unemployment rate of 19.5% – the nation’s worst since the 1929 Great Depression. Instead, the month surprised everyone when payrolls added a whopping 2.5 million jobs, the biggest job increase […]
... written on Jun 07 2020
