Here's a price question. I'll post the answer as a comment.
Two products. Chocolates: Toblerone. Cigarettes: Camel.
Two locations. Singapore airport duty-free. Frankfurt airport duty-free.
Countries of origin. Toblerone: Switzerland. Camel: Germany (this particular pack found in both duty-free shops).
Let Pts be the price of Toblerone in Singapore, Ptf Frankfurt. Let Pcs be the price of Camels in Singapore, Pcf Frankfurt.
Pts is 14.5, Ptf is 8.
If Pcs is 14, what is Pcf?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Health care
The attitude of some of my Malaysian friends toward preventative procedures is somewhat different than the attitude I'm used to.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Music
We are the world.
The passing of Michael Jackson united the front pages of newspapers around the world and has been uniting radio stations around the world for the past couple of weeks.
So his passing is creating that unity that his lyrics inspire us toward.
This unity was also inspired this past weekend as musicians from around the world united at the Rainforest World Music Festival.
In previous centuries, music was used for battle. But as warfare has been declining, music is more typically put to peaceful purposes. Rather than contributing to clashes, it is uniting.
At the rainforest music fest, members of different bands combined talents at jam sessions. As we sat and sweated in a dimly-lit longhouse in the mid-afternoon heat, I mockingly told my friend, “Music will bring peace on earth, man!” But I soon grew less sarcastic. Drummers from Malaysia, Chile, and Morocco thrummed together. Rather than calls to battle against each other, we in the crowd were called to chant together. Then, the Moroccans teamed up with Tanzanian drummers and dancers. The whole room was filled with friendly energy!
How is it that music can be used either for starting war and or for building community? I think it is a common thread of tribal vibes. Drumming inspires tribal emotions. I think we are hardwired with a motto of, “If you're in my tribe, I got your back. But if you're not in my tribe, watch your back.” And where once I would have viewed a Moroccan as coming from another tribe, at the festival we were in the same tribe. Music united us. Peace on earth, man!
The passing of Michael Jackson united the front pages of newspapers around the world and has been uniting radio stations around the world for the past couple of weeks.
So his passing is creating that unity that his lyrics inspire us toward.
This unity was also inspired this past weekend as musicians from around the world united at the Rainforest World Music Festival.
In previous centuries, music was used for battle. But as warfare has been declining, music is more typically put to peaceful purposes. Rather than contributing to clashes, it is uniting.
At the rainforest music fest, members of different bands combined talents at jam sessions. As we sat and sweated in a dimly-lit longhouse in the mid-afternoon heat, I mockingly told my friend, “Music will bring peace on earth, man!” But I soon grew less sarcastic. Drummers from Malaysia, Chile, and Morocco thrummed together. Rather than calls to battle against each other, we in the crowd were called to chant together. Then, the Moroccans teamed up with Tanzanian drummers and dancers. The whole room was filled with friendly energy!
How is it that music can be used either for starting war and or for building community? I think it is a common thread of tribal vibes. Drumming inspires tribal emotions. I think we are hardwired with a motto of, “If you're in my tribe, I got your back. But if you're not in my tribe, watch your back.” And where once I would have viewed a Moroccan as coming from another tribe, at the festival we were in the same tribe. Music united us. Peace on earth, man!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Food post: #3
Linda introduced Rob and I to a durian, a spiky, melon-sized creature known as the "king of fruits." We ate all of it. The fun part was making fun of how anyone could like it (and they really like them here). It smells like an alley. It tastes like soap. It dries out your throat. It's fatty. And it gives you bad breath.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Invention
Here on the other side of the world, I see American brands everywhere.
What inventions will the coming years see?
Two cheers for America
What inventions will the coming years see?
Two cheers for America
Monday, July 6, 2009
Pictures
The Petronas Towers. Built with reinforced concrete because it was cheaper than steel. But I wonder at the electricity bill!
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