Dean & Deluca in .. Singapore!

Update: Dean & Deluca officially opens on Friday 22 June 2012.

I just arrived back from Hong Kong recently (see previous post about Social Media Week Hong Kong).  I flew off last week on Valentine's Day, so I wasn't home to receive a sweet little surprise...

What's this?!  Dean & Deluca in Singapore?  

Dean & Deluca, a New York born concept, is one of my favorite upscale groceries.  They'll be opening in Singapore soon at Orchard Central.  I'm nothing short of thrilled.  Woohoo!

Woohoo again.  I got Valentine's Day stuff after all!

And so did Mr. Tofu.  om nom nom.

Come meet me at Social Media Week (Hong Kong)

Be sure to tweet or message me if you're coming!

Social Media Week kicks off around the world in 12 cities from 13-17 February 2012.

Harbour City and Integrated Hospitality Management have invited me to be one of their speakers for the panel discussion on 15 February.  (See details here)

Building an Appetite for Social: What's cooking in the F&B industry?
We'll be discussing the impact of social media on the food and restaurant scene.  Speakers will include:

• Victoria Cheng (Editor, Restaurant Consultant and blogger)
• Chan Chun Wai (Columnist at Oriental Daily and Ming Pao Daily)
• Chef Gregoire Michaud (Head Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hong Kong)
• Gourmet KC (Food Blogger, most prolific blogger on Openrice, columnist at Time Out Hong Kong and Weekend Weekly)
• Brad Lau (Singapore Food Blogger, also known as ladyironchef, he won the Best Food Blog in the Nuffnung Asia-Pasific Blog Awards 2011)
• Hilda Leung (TV Celebrity Chef)
• Karen Tam (Assistant General Manager – Promotions and Marketing, Harbour City)
• Moderator: Geoffrey Wu (Director of Communications of IHM Group)

Date: Wednesday, February 15
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Where: Harbour City - Prince Hotel Venue map: http://g.co/maps/ufz4k
Ticket price: HK$150, inclusive of 1 drink
Event details: SMWHKfood

Note to those in Singapore:
If you want to attend the food topic for Social Media Week SINGAPORE, then check out this page for more info: The Great Food Debate on Feb 15.  Obviously, I won't be there, but I'm sure it'll be interesting.

The truth about "soccer" vs. "football"

2012 Super Bowl Sunday has just come to an end less than 24 hours ago (GO GIANTS!), but the rest of the world could care less.

"Those Americans," I would often hear any Brit say with a mixture of pity and distaste (or by anyone who isn't American, for that matter).  Silly Americans with their nonsense pronunciations, measuring system, other side of the road driving, missing vowels (color/colour), and Super Bowl "football".

popular comic illustration floating around the internet

"American football is stupid!" say my many Brit and Singaporean friends alike.  And other times, "It's 'FOOTBALL', not 'soccer'.  Americans and your soccer... and Justin Bieber," as they roll their eyes.

But hold it right there.  First of all, Justin Bieber is Canadian.  So, we'd like to wash our hands clean of that responsibility, thank you very much.

Second of all, Americans aren't as off as you think with the term "soccer".

I probably wouldn't have believed it myself if it wasn't a Singaporean Cambridge-educated British loving chap who alerted me to this piece of knowledge.  There is Association Football and Rugby Football, Mr. Tan Yi Xun explained to me.  To differentiate the two, Brits abbreviated Association Football to socca (assoc/association).  The term only lost its popularity in the UK when football eventually referred to Association Football and rugby for Rugby Football.  Meanwhile, the Americans kept the original nickname.  In fact, today there are some among the British Isles that still use the term "soccer" as well.

So tease us Americans for our politics and metric system all you want, but back off about Justin Bieber and soccer!  Not such poor form after all, USA.


As posted on notatourist.sg