The obsession with the phrase ‘No Money, No Honey’ is popular, and is especially true for older guys, or should I say matured guys, when it comes to finding young companions. In many ways, this saying reflects the ultimate truth of human nature when it comes to the distinction of age: how and why do some young and beautiful ladies end up with much older men or vice versa?

‘Love’ is always the most popular answer as it holds up to the ethical part of the law of not being a gold digger, or as we Asians say, ‘money faced’. Although there are some such couplings of those with large age gaps that come together because of true love, a vast majority of these couples are together simply under the disguise of a win-win situation or what is politely refered to as a marriage of convenience. This is a true revelation of the older generation, but what about the current Generation Y?

Today’s Generation Y are a bunch of young and smart people who have never experienced any crisis during their young life. While many Malaysians above a certain age have been through the British colonial period, the Japanese occupation, the May 13 riots, Operasi Lalang, the global financial crisis, etc, this group of lucky late-comers have everything they could ever want the minute they came out from their mothers’ wombs. All they have to do is cry!

Mum and dad are always there to make sure that they have the best of the best. Why such indulgence, some may ask? The simple answer is that nowadays family groupings are much smaller with only one or two children unlike the good old days where most families had more than four or five children.

One cannot blame this fearless generation for wanting more and better since most of them have yet to meet the bad side of what growing up can be about. All they want are the simple things in life – good pay, good position, good benefits, good everything and less work. Hence, many have chosen the popular career path of joining up with a few friends and starting their own business – a modern-day ‘marriage’ of convenience.

Mums and dads are willing to be the main financiers as long as their children are happy without taking into much account whether they are experienced enough or not to run their own business. The most popular business for this generation is the lifestyle café.

Not the tried and tested formulas of established brands such as Coffee Bean or Dome, but the decorative, themed-cafés of various concepts. Simple and easy way of making money, so to speak.

Right?

So, in short,

‘No Money, Make Coffee’.

Dorsett Singapore Charms Its Guests

In the heart of Singapore’s vibrant traditional Chinese quarter of Chinatown is the stylishly modern Dorsett Singapore. A favourite among business and leisure travellers, this 10-storey hotel offers all the amenities and facilities of a world-class hotel for a comfortable stay. On a recent visit to the island country, EZ not only got the chance to experience Dorsett Singapore, but also have a chat with its Director of Sales & Marketing, Frankie Lam.

One of Dorsett Singapore’s most obvious strengths is its prime location. So strategic is this hotel that it is very accessible by public transportation, what with being located just above the Outram Park MRT interchange station! Just an escalator ride down a short walk from its lobby, you will find yourself on the MRT lines that will whisk you away to Orchard Road, Marina Bay Sands, HarbourFront and Singapore’s Central Business District, most of which are a mere train ride away.

Dorsett Singapore is impressive on the outside with its full-glass building façade that gleams in the city skyline. This novel concept of high drama continues inside the hotel with the jet black tiles that are punctuated with streaks of brilliant gold. The walls of the lobby are tiled in reflective glass and mirrors, setting a theatrical backdrop for the opulent chandelier that greets guests as they walk through the doors of the lobby.

While dramatic and quite avant-garde in its appearance, the hotel staff and services come together to offer its visitors an experience of understated luxury that is tastefully contemporary. Lam, who has been with the hotel since its development phase shared with us the scope of work that was done to create this mid-scale hotel that is artistic, cutting-edge and people-centric.

Part of the pre-opening team, Lam joined Dorsett Singapore almost a year before it was opened. ‘It started with a few of us, the GM of course, the Financial Controller, the Room Division Manager, the HR Manager, and myself.’ Having been in the hospitality and hotel management industry for almost three decades, his vast experience, along with that of the rest of the team, has proved to be a success and has attracted guests from all over the world.

‘I built my team and set up the system in the sales and marketing division and the booking procedure. I worked closely with the other departments as we all shared our experiences to benefit the hotel and train the young people,’ said Lam, adding that most of the staff in the hotel front office were working in a hotel for the first time and were trained by Lam and his team.

It is the human touch that Lam said drew him to the hotel industry and at Dorsett Singapore, getting to meet diverse groups of people from different regions and interacting with the hotel staff and training them has been gratifying to him. ‘I enjoy working with people in person and networking. No doubt now the technology has really advanced and technology can help us in certain areas, but the main feature is still human touch. Human networking cannot be replaced with computers or technology. For instance, here we have installed the best hotel management system in the hotel computers, but we still need people to greet the guests and to key in the data to let the system run,’ he said.

As for interacting with the hotel guests, Lam said, ‘I meet many happy people every day; most of them are happy because they are in Singapore and are staying here at the Dorsett. Some of them are here on business, and for their weekends, we talk to them and share with them some good tips or experiences they could try when staying in Singapore. They feel happy and feel like they have been taken care of.’ It is that human touch that sums up what Dorsett Singapore is all about.

Designing Through Harmony

The picture-perfect district of Tanjung Bungah is one of the most glamourous addresses to have in Northern Malaysia. With plenty of sun, sand and sea, millionaires can’t resist to call this place home. Amongst Tanjung Bungah’s luxurious condominiums is Springtide Residences, where its units measuring between 4,000 and 5,000 sq ft allow for unlimited possibilities for exceptional interior design.

To bring out the best of its dimensions, one homeowner at Springtide Residences enlisted award-winning interior décor firm Splendid Interior Décor (Splendid) for this project, and they delivered. Within only two months, team leader Darren Tan transformed the empty space into a practical and elegant open-concept family home.

Seamless transitions between distinct areas such as the living room and kitchen, and the dining area with the lounge create an open and relaxed space that is casual and inviting. Each space blends with the next, with closed sections arranged within in a balance of privacy and airiness.

Eclectic Oriental antiques from the homeowner’s personal collection, which the Splendid team has displayed strategically, harmonise with the contemporary accents of the condo. These artefacts add intimacy to each space and reflect the client’s globetrotting pursuits. A grand Japanese console of dark red wood with Burmese and Thai lacquerware dominates the lounge, while a dining set from Chiang Mai complemented with French silverware is set against a large contemporary painting.

In the lounge, minimalist modern furniture is arranged around an ornately carved antique bed-turned-coffee table from Hong Kong. Adorning its cream-coloured walls are Burmese scriptures, Japanese paintings and bright modern artworks that intensify the warmth of the space. In contrast, the cool ultramarine tones of the kitchen and living area are paired with Chinese porcelain ware, French paintings and an antiquated chest resting upon a Persian carpet, taking the edge off the industrial vibe from high-tech appliances.

Bringing more nature into the room, Darren has introduced autumn hues and solid textures to meld this international feel together with the modern gadgets of the unit. Parquet and tan marble flooring, linen curtains and cotton fabrics create the middle ground that bring modern accents and oriental antiques together to create an air of intimacy and comfort. The result of the Splendid team’s artful coordination with spaces, colour and décor is this vision of a relaxed casual lifestyle.

BOTANICA.CT unveils its fourth phase of resort-style Tropical Hillside Villas in Balik Pulau

Drawing inspiration from resort living architecture, BOTANICA.CT Garden Township is a unique residential development that combines modern amenities with the calming influences of nature. Developed by MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd, commonly known as MTT Group of Companies, BOTANICA.CT Garden Township boasts an exclusive sense of refinement, understated luxury and lush natural surroundings.

Located along the idyllic banks of Sungai Air Putih on the Penang Island district of Balik Pulau, the recent unveiling of the Township’s fourth residential phase, BOTANICA 4, offers 29 spacious, three-storey villas on a raised plateau. Each of the villas boasts individual built-up areas upwards of 6,000 sq ft and land areas between 9,000 to 16,000 sq ft.

Built for people with vision, the 300-acre BOTANICA.CT Garden Township began its journey to become an integrated and self-sustainable township in 2006. Continuing its purpose of becoming a holistic lifestyle sanctuary, BOTANICA.CT plans to launch at least five more residential phases with its heritage club house due to open by the end of the year. This is to be followed with a pedestrian mall named Botanica Walk, a private medical centre, health resort and retirement resort, thus achieving its status as a self-contained and self-sufficient township.

Available in seven contemporary designs to choose from, each unit in BOTANICA 4 comes complete with its own swimming pool, ensuite bathroom for all bedrooms and private home elevator, with some designs offering outdoor lanai, water features and verdant landscaping, creating a contemporary zen-like atmosphere.

The units are available from RM5.5 million onwards and the show villas are available for viewing, preferably by appointment. The BOTANICA.CT Sales Gallery in Balik Pulau is open from 9am to 5pm from Mondays to Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays and Public Holidays. For more information, contact +604-8662 399.