Racing to be Number One... Philippines

The Philippine call center outsourcing in today's world is keeping its pace fast enough to be able to catch up, and if possible take away India's position as the lead player in the outsourcing business. To prove this in 2002 India had only surpassed the Philippines for only $1.5 in terms of profit. Outsourcing started in 1949, during those times outsourcing is only known as a resource firm offering payroll, tax, and benefits functions, which eliminated the need for in-house accounting departments. But together with technological advancement outsourcing also widened its scope. Now, its services range from call centers, medical   transcriptions, software development, technical support and its prime function before; accounting and other back-office operations.

The Philippines became a qualified location for outsourcing especially in terms of call centers whether it be as offshore or for local companies because of different and considerable reasons. For one, the country has a lot of skilled, knowledgeable, and English- proficient call center agents,where the wages of customer service   representatives (CSRs) can be as much as 80 percent lower than those of their American counterparts. It is also known as the worlds second-largest English-speaking country,making the Filipinos very well versed in terms of speaking the English language than Indians. In addition to this, Filipinos have the needed orientation and patience in handling calls. Thus, keeping a good relationship with the clients which their company had merged with.

Though i have noted how Filipinos can very well be respected in terms of English proficiency and can be a well matched rival with India, outsourcing deals globally which means it also is of service to non- English speaking countries. This is where the Philippines sort of declines, so in order to ensure its place in the ranking of countries which are known of its outsourcing capacity, they should also invest to learn different other languages such as Nihongo(Japanese), Mandarin (Chinese), Spanish and European languages which will ensure the Philippines of keeping its quality to serve a lot of variety of countries in terms of outsourcing, giving them more business opportunities to these non-English nations.

With all of this the Philippines proved itself to be the most cutting edge country in Asia to provide outsourcing to the world. Among the services offered in Philippine-based outsourcing companies are copyediting and indexing; web design and maintenance; data conversion, data warehousing,data capture and data entry; OCR and scanning services; proofreading; encoding and keyboarding; imaging services and graphics design; call center and customer service; abstracting and document conversion; typesetting; and tagging, among others.

Weddings in Koh Samui Thailand

Meaningful weddings start with choosing an equally superb wedding destination.
When it comes to wedding destinations, people dream of far off places like Thailand.

Weddings in Thailand are becoming more and more popular and this offers something a bit unusual for those who want to escape the stress and pressure involved in many traditional weddings.
The exchange of "I dos" should indeed be made an unforgettable moment-after all, isn't this the happy ending you have been waiting for all along?

A particularly popular time to get married in Thailand is on Valentine's Day on a tropical island beach. The stir of the warm afternoon sand between your toes; the natural harmony of the sea as it gently cuddles the shore; standing hand-in-hand, with the one you love, committing to one another completely. Sound like a passionate dream? As you will discover on Koh Samui weddings, dreams can come true.

Koh Samui is an admired and one of the biggest and famous islands for weddings because of its spectacular sceneries. At Koh Samui you will find busy tourist areas like Chaweng or Lamai or more laid back places like the Fisherman's village. Despite its popularity it is still possible to find beach resorts and particular areas where you will be left in private for some romantic solitude with your new spouse. And when it comes to wedding services you will find plenty of local agencies do most of the hard work and preparation. A lot can be organized before you arrive, but couples may need to visit Bangkok for some final paperwork; an agency will be able to help you complete all the necessary paperwork and it shouldn't take long.

Koh Samui is also known as "The Land of Smiles". As you go into Samui's tropical and most undeniably unique open-walled airport, you will immediately feel the warmth and hospitality 'Amazing Thailand' is famous for; with an obvious infusion of a peaceful island lifestyle. The friendly character of the locals is absolutely catching - you will soon find yourself smiling at the mention of the word Samui.

A Green Legacy

Assam situated in the easternmost sentinel of India is endowed with exquisite fauna and flora. The lush green forest, blue mountains, rippling water bodies, wild animals and birds are the highlight features of this region. Adding to the green serenity, are the age old tea plantations. The British, they came, conquered and left, leaving behind in this region, a green legacy i.e. the tea estates. These tea gardens are the integral part of the most flourishing industry of Assam providing sustenance to a huge population in the state.

A trip to this part of the country would be incomplete if one does not pay a visit to these tea estates. As one travels towards upper Assam one can experience the thrill of travelling through long patches of greenery extending beyond the horizon. The topography of the land provides an undulating picture of the bushes, as if a green carpet has been laid down. Here and there are well laid labour lines, factories and the manager’s bungalows. Towards the evening one might hear the drum beats rolling out from the lines to brush of the days toil by merry making.

Just as the tea cup brings in a cheer to millions of people around the world, here’s only hoping that this age old industry flourishes, overcoming all difficulties for a long long time to come.

Uniquely Singapore

Singapore, high standard of living, country for the people

As I walked passed the colourful Singapore tourism hoarding, screaming ‘Uniquely Singapore’, the travel bug bit me harder. When I finally donned my traveler’s hat with camera in tote, Singapore unveiled a different kind of uniqueness.

As expected ‘Uniquely Singapore’ did its bit of showcasing the best bird’s park, the best zoo, the best amusement park among the other bests. However what met my eye was more than the brand ‘Singapore’ – it was the disciplined behind the scene activities that catered to the masses that kindled my interest.

The city’s landscape is like a neatly drawn bar graph. Symmetry is the key. No asymmetrical monstrosities peep out to spoil the picture postcard. Self sufficient matchbox like buildings called HDB flats seemed to be the character defining structures of the city. Old timers tell me these HDB (Housing and Development Board) flats not only changed the slummy face of Singapore to its current chic look, but also resolved the housing problems of a growing population.

Singapore is the second most densely populated country in the world with a population of 4 million in its 697 sq km of land. Obviously housing problem loomed large. The slums or Kampongs were razed to accommodate smart affordable HDB flats attached with all amenities including community markets, schools, shopping centres and hospital. The idea being the HDB resident does not leave his locale for basic needs.

The allotment of HDB flats is an interesting process in itself. The interested party applies and the allotment is usually on first come first serve basis. However chances of a quicker allotment are high if parents of either spouse stay within 2 kms radius of the applied locality. An ideal way to soft pedal values to the country facing the threat of a rising ageing population. A water tight housing policy ensures no religious or ethnic pockets are created and national loyalty is fostered through social cohesion.

I was also told that the natives can give the littering and spitting Indian a run for his money when it comes to cleanliness, but a strict government and laws cast in stone ensured a complete turn around over the years. 4 million people marching to the same drum beat in clockwork precision is no mean feat to achieve. The metamorphosis from dirty kampongs to a clean nation took a toll on the common man’s wallet and freedom but the effort paid off. Today Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia.

Quite naturally my mind ran to my own city infested with slums and bursting in the seams awaiting the drumbeat to commence to begin its transformation to Shanghai! A ‘unique’ wish indeed!

Tips for Traveling in China

Transportation, travel, public

The best "Travel Tip" for traveling in China is that public transportation really works for millions of people every day. People travel to work, to shop, or travel on holiday and they get there on time with few delays. There are many buses running daily throughout China's cities that travel short routes and many that travel the same route. Buses in the cities are often crowded but usually only when school begins and ends so plan your travel time accordingly. Public transportation is reliable, inexpensive, and easy to use.

Taxi's are also relatively inexpensive and also a reliable way to travel. But most taxi drivers do not speak anything other than Chinese and many speak only a local dialect.

Bus stops, however, I've found provide you with the number of each bus that picks and drops off there, sometimes a city bus map, and many Chinese people who speak some English and are pleased and honored to help and speak to a "foreigner". Most Chinese people under 25 speak some English and do not hesitate to talk to strangers.

Long distance trains and bus travel is also a travelers dream but only if you plan ahead. First you need to find someone to write in Chinese where you are traveling to and other pertinent information to show when you purchase your tickets, find your gate, and show train or bus staff so you get off at the "right stop". Second, DO NOT TRAVEL ON HOLIDAYS as it very crowded and you may not return when you need to.

Public transportation is affordable and most of the time comfortable and appeals to our belief "to travel helping to reduce air pollution". We often discuss what will happen when all the current students in China buy their cars and trucks just like we westerners. People outside Asia should really look at and consider the public transportation in China really works.