Friday, August 10, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com

Half-naked, all smiles: Abercrombie & Fitch opens in Hong Kong

Posted: 09 Aug 2012 11:02 PM PDT

by Johannes Pong

 Abercrombie and Fitch Hopefully for Abercrombie & Fitch, seeing naked torsos makes you want to buy a shirt.

Abercrombie & Fitch Hong Kong has the city in its grips.

A hundred hunks were flown in from all over the world to promote the city's flagship store in the week leading up to the opening on August 11 at 11 a.m.

The shirtless models have been clapping and hollering by the storefront as well as waving from the A&F bus that drives around town to attract attention.

And attention they got plenty of in the form of screaming women, stalled traffic and photos posted and liked on Facebook.

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China’s ‘richest village’ takes tourism to the skies

Posted: 09 Aug 2012 03:40 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

huaxi village aviation -- inlineA bird's-eye view of China's wealthiest village and its landmark, Longxi International Hotel.

Dubbed the "No. 1 Village Under The Sky," Huaxi (华西村) -- which is actually a tad larger and wealthier than most other residential ares in southern Jiangsu Province -- recently started up its own air service: Huaxi General Aviation (HGA).

This is China's first village-owned aviation business, backed by an initial investment of RMB 100 million. Huaxi -- which is spread over 35 square kilometers -- obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China early this week.

First village-owned aviation business

China's latest aviation company is equipped with two helicopters: a six-seat AS350B3 and an eight-seat MD902.

Jiangsu Huaxi Group, the parent company that runs the community and all its affiliated business, shelled out a total of RMB 90 million to purchase the two choppers in 2010 from McDonnell Douglas and Eurocopter.

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The trials and tribulations of bringing UMF to Korea

Posted: 09 Aug 2012 03:07 PM PDT

What is going on with the ridiculously impressive roster of names that Korea has managed to lure to the peninsula this summer?

Jisan Valley Rock Festival, which spread over three days at the end ofJuly, drew 101,000 music lovers to catch bands like The Stones Roses, Owl City, James Blake -- and of course Radiohead. 

Coming up on August 24 is Super!Sonic, with another star-studded lineup that includes the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, New Order, Foster the People, Gym Class Heroes, Soulwax and the Vaccines. 

And just last weekend, on August 3-4, at the first Asian debut of the world's largest electronic music festival, Ultra Music Festival, electronic dance music giants Steve Aoki, Skrillex, Tiesto and Carl Cox spun to crowds of 25,000 on the first day and 30,000 on the second day, leaving decidedly staggered by the Korean crowds. 

As Skrillex proclaimed on his Twitter soon afterwards, "UMF KOREA was easily top 5 festivals I've ever played…that was intense. Crowd gave me goose bumps the whole time."

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Salaryman smoking salons out to clean up Tokyo

Posted: 09 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT

Next time you're pounding the streets of Tokyo in search of that elusive sushi bar, temple or naughty nightclub, just remember it's rude to spark up on the hoof. In fact, it's a civil offense in many areas.

Which may be why big-hearted investment firm General Fundex has come to the rescue by bestowing a chain of dedicated smoking lounges on the gaspers of Tokyo.

Its three-strong lineup of Ippuku smoking salons allows nicotine addicts the luxury of not only avoiding fines, but also a cool, air-conditioned respite from the summer heat -- frankly, the main attraction, we imagine.

For the ¥50 (US 65 cents) admission charge, smokers get to relax to piped music, enjoy the special stain-resistant interior and chug one of those tiny cans of revolting Japanese coffee between 6 a.m. and midnight.

More on CNN: Screw you for smoking, Tokyo

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The joy of the towel elephant: Hospitality loves and hates

Posted: 09 Aug 2012 11:10 AM PDT

by Barry Neild

In many ways our relationship with the hospitality industry is like a fledgling romance.

Sometimes, it pulls some smooth moves, everything just clicks and we walk hand in hand into the sunset. 

But just as often, its fumbling advances leave us feeling cheap, embarrassed and more than a little concerned about an itchy rash.

So, in the interest of seeing this relationship through its growing pains, here's a few hints about what we'd like to see more of -- and less of -- if the hospitality industry hopes to get us past first base.

Let us know your loves and hates too, down in the comments box below.

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at 9:09 AM