KEE@FSWMAG.COM


SHERATON MACAU ALL SET TO ROCK!

With a staggering 3,863 rooms, Sheraton Macao is the biggest hotel in Macau, the biggest hotel in the Starwood Group and certainly one of the world's biggest if not the largest! 

SHERATON MACAO HOTEL, COTAI CENTRAL LAUNCHES

sheratonmacao.com, A MACAU DESTINATION WEBSITE

New Interactive Website Designed to Help Visitors Connect with Macau through Stories of Fellow Travelers

Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central today announced the launch of sheratonmacao.com, a vibrant and engaging website designed to introduce travelers to Macau’s diverse offerings, including top cultural and historic attractions, events, shopping venues, and culinary delights, through the stories of fellow Sheraton travelers. The new site was launched by the Sheraton Macao Hotel which will make its debut this September. 

As the largest hotel in Macau and Starwood Hotels & Resort’s largest hotel worldwide the 3,863 room Sheraton Macao Hotel will be part of Macau’s new fully integrated resort complex, Sands^® Cotai Central, a hub of world class shopping, dining, and entertainment in a luxurious setting. With an emphasis on hospitality, connectivity, and unique branded amenities, Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central is redefining how travelers are experiencing this storied city, helping to transform Macau from Asia’s gaming center into an all-round travel destination for a variety of audiences, including families, leisure travelers, business people, and conference participants. 

“We are excited to launch sheratonmacao.com – a one-click destination website that introduces visitors to the wide variety of experiences they can enjoy in today’s Macau,” said Josef Dolp, Managing Director of Sheraton Macao Hotel. “sheratonmacao.com is a robust, user-friendly site that makes it easy for guests to explore all of the unique experiences that Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel has to offer.”

The comprehensive website lets visitors explore Macau via four different dimensions – Dining & Relaxation, Heritage & Culture, Adventure & Fun and Shopping & Entertainment – through the eyes of four different Sheraton travelers, including a foodie, heritage seeker, adventurer and shopper. Within each category, the site suggests day trip itineraries and highlights the best Macao has to offer in gourmet cuisine; high end, duty free shopping; seasonal festivals and events; popular live shows; and historical, UNESCO-designated landmarks and hidden gems. The website also includes useful information on places to visit, including maps, opening times, and contact telephone numbers.

In addition, Sheratonmacao.com guides visitors through Sheraton Macao Hotel’s guest offerings, including room types, facilities, function capacity, and promotions and packages. It introduces signature Sheraton services and amenities such as the Shine Spa for Sheraton, the holistic Sheraton Fitness Programmed by Core Performance, Link@Sheraton^SM, Kid’s Program, and restaurants Bene, Feast and Xin, serving a diverse array of Asian and international cuisine. With simply one click, the website also facilitates the hotel’s booking process.

To make browsing easier for international visitors, sheratonmacao.com is available in English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

As Macau emerges as a premier vacation and entertainment destination for a wide range of travelers, sheratonmacao.com will be adding extra features to enhance the traveler and guest experience. One such addition will be an “e-concierge” button on the site that allows visitors to quickly and conveniently make reservations for restaurants, live shows and activities throughout the city, from bungee jumping off of the Macau Tower to a guided tour of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Another initiative is a series of Macau “destination guru” videos that will feature local experts and celebrities who will connect with travelers by showcasing their favorite local restaurants, attractions, cultural sites and experiences. As part of the website launch, Sheraton Macao Hotel will be inviting travelers to share their fresh, authentic experiences with Sheraton through social media channels, and win the chance to be one of the stars in the video series. Additional details will be provided shortly.

In the meantime, please visit www.sheraton.com/macao for more information.

About Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central

Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central is the largest hotel in Macau, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ largest managed property in the world. Owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp., a Fortune 500 company and leading global developer of integrated resorts, Sheraton Macao Hotel is located within the Sands^® Cotai Central complex, providing instant access to high-end retailers, diverse dining venues, and world class entertainment. The hotel boasts 3,863 stylish guestrooms along with the largest Sheraton Club in the world, with 570 exclusive rooms and suites, and a well-appointed Club Lounge for guests to relax, socialize, and work.

 Sheraton Macao Hotel features expansive state-of-the-art meetings facilities offering over 15,000m² of meeting space with access to a further 5,000 m² within the Cotai Central complex; three signature restaurants, Bene, Feast, and Xin, offering fine Asian and international cuisine; Link@Sheraton^SM; Shine Spa for Sheraton; three swimming pools; the holistic Sheraton Fitness Programmed by Core Performance^®; a Kid’s Program; and other amenities catering to business and leisure travelers and families. Like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, Sheraton Macao Hotel is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest^® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. For more information, please visit www.sheraton.com/macao.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis^®, The Luxury Collection^®, W^®, Westin^®, Le Méridien^®, Sheraton^®, Four Points^® by Sheraton, Aloft^®, and Element^SM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

WORKS FROM CHINA CENTRAL ACADEMY OF FINE ART

KEE@FSWMAG.COM


WE KNOW CHINA NOW HAS SOME IF NOT MOST OF THE WORLD'S FINEST DESIGNERS FROM FASHION TO FURNITURE TO FABULOUS FOIBLES.


Of all the many schools, China Central Academy of Fine Art is the most authoritative and prestigious, akin to St Martin's School of Fashion in London. 


Now the fruits of the graduates' labours will now be exhibited at Sotheby's London and best of all, available for sale!


So if you are going to London from 1 to 8 November after the Olympian dust is long settled and gone, go to 'Unfolding Landscape' for the best in Chinese contemporary works of art, from furniture, fashion, ceramics, photography and jewellery.


SOTHEBY’S LONDON TO HOST FIRST EVER
GRADUATE SHOW FROM
THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN,
CHINA CENTRAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
*** Curated by Janice Blackburn ***
*** 1st- 8th November 2012 ***

This is my favorite---an antique chair married to modern resin legs! By Gui Ying. "Freeze---Wood and Resin Chair". Now you know what to do with your old, damaged or decrepit furniture in dire need of a breath of fresh air! 




Hong Kong, July, 2012 Sotheby’s London will host “Unfolding Landscape”, a special selling exhibition of works by
graduates of the School of Design of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) – China’s premier arts
academy – from 1st-8th November 2012. The first Western exhibition of graduate work from CAFA’s School of
Design, the show will include furniture, ceramics, jewellery, fashion as well as photography by China’s next generation
of creative talents.


 The show is curated by taste-maker Janice Blackburn, renowned for bringing lesser-known,
emerging artists from around the world to international attention. The exhibition space, logo and catalogue are
designed by Professor Min Wang, China’s most important graphic designer, best known for creating the graphics for
the 2008 Beijing Olympics.


Janice Blackburn said: “I am delighted to be presenting, with Sotheby’s, the creative talents of emerging Chinese
designers and photographers from the School of Design of CAFA, China’s premier arts academy in Beijing. This
exhibition follows my previous London shows of the graduates of the Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, and Eindhoven
Academy, Netherlands. Having visited CAFA in Beijing last March to meet the faculty and students, I wanted to select
the finest works for a special exhibition in London. ‘Unfolding Landscape’ is the culmination of my discoveries, and
sheds light on the next generation of artwork to come from China.”


Professor Min Wang said: “The School of Design at China Central Academy of Fine Arts is the leader in design
education in China. We are setting up new ways to educate future generation of leading designers, and entrepreneurs
for the design industry. Our students will use their design to serve humanity, and influence the future of China. I am
very pleased to have the opportunity to show their work in London at Sotheby’s.”


EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Li Bowen
‘Memory of Childhood’, Dual-function wicker seat/rocker



Huo Yijin
‘Colourful Tea Tray’, Heat-reactive tea tray

Li Yongling

lower Chair’, Stool



Liu Xueqian
‘Landscape Series’, Wire and lacquer jewellery



Kuang Da
‘Beauty wearing flowers’, Photograph mimicking a painting! I love this new genre!



Ge Wei
‘My Twelve Months’, Lacquer box



Kong Fanfan
‘My Recycling’, gown of reconfigured CD parts

BROOKE ASTOR'S ESTATE FOR AUCTION ON 25 SEPTEMBER

KEE@FSWMAG.COM


BROOKE ASTOR LED A FABULOUSLY LUXURIOUS LIFE (THOUGH HER FIRST HUSBAND BROKE HER JAW WHEN SHE WAS 6 MONTHS PREGNANT) AND DIED IN NEW YORK AGED 105 IN 2007. 

LONG SHE REIGNED AS THE SOCIAL QUEEN AND PHILANTHROPIST OF NEW YORK, BROOKE ASTOR LEFT RM 600 MILLION TO CHARITY.

Brooke Astor in her heyday

Stunning emerald suite which I adore!

Her comfortable and luxurious home in Holly Hill


Chinese gilt bronze lion clock

Buddhist altar deities




Of course all this will be deadly dreary and blatantly boring if there are no lawsuits among the beneficiaries. And there are! Just to make us peasants pat ourselves on our backs and say just as well we are not so rich though in our heart we wish we would be far richer as we would make sure such shenadigans would not occur.


Anyway she married thrice, each time to rich scion of some fabled fortune or company so she scored on this. I never get to marry at all since this is the wish of Buddha and Jesus Christ and who am I to argue with the gods but at least they gave me Dedione Kee, my 1.5 month old adopted French son. My first son also named Dedione Kee, died on 4 May 2011 aged 13 years and I got the new replacement Dedione on 7 May 2011.


Where are we?


Oh, Brooke Astor. I love her famous quote; "If I go to Harlem or down Sixth Street (poor areas of New York) and I am not dressed up or wearing my jewellery, then people feel I am talking down to them. People expect to see Mrs Astor, not some dowdy old lady, and I don't intend to disappoint!"


Wow, said like some hardcore fashion trooper! I love this and another of her quote, "I now feel like a public monument"!


Suffering from dementia before she died, Brooke Astor signed various  wills and codicils that were hotly contested by her sole heir and son Anthony Marshall who at 87 years old is not exactly a naughty playboy cruising the wateringholes of the world in some flashy Ferrari. He went to court using a walking stick and looked rather decrepit and ailing, poor thing. But at least he led a life of unfettered luxury from the day he was born.


His fortune and inheritance have been slashed. He will get RM 55 million but his legal fees are nearly RM 36 million!


This sordid story started when Brooke Astor's only heir and son, Anthony Marshall, stood to inherit some RM 100 million, with the rest going to charity when he died. This should have been enough since at 87 he really did not need to dough to go clubbing nightly or pay for prostitutes.


However there is a feminine spanner in the works in the form of his wife Charlene who was detested by Brooke Astor and seen as the manipulative, greedy harlot or some such epithet. I cannot say for sure as I have never met her.


In 2002, Anthony Marshall and his lawyer Francis Morrissey got Brooke Astor, then suffering from dementia, to sign several codicils to the main will, giving Marshall extra power of execution and allowing him to leave much of the fortune to any charity or anyone, especially his younger and third wife!


This led to criminal prosecution and in 2009 Marshall and his lawyer were found guilty of grand larceny, fraud and all sorts of naughty things. Marshall appealed which is now pending though his sentence should be 1 to 3 years and at his age and condition, he would probably die in prison so the court may place him under house arrest and he need not have appealed. But I am not a lawyer...


On 28 March 2012, a settlement was reached. From the original RM 210 million, Marshall would get only RM 100 million which is more than what I have.


Sadly, he will now get a mere RM 9 million!


Meanwhile, Anthony Marshall's son Philip also had little to gain. It was Philip who testified against his father Anthony in court as he filed for guardianship over his grandmother, opening the can of worms over his father's chicaneries and mistreatment of Brooke Astor. In court, Philip testified that his father forced Brooke Astor to sleep on a couch stained with dog urine! If true, he should be cooked in boiling water for being such a unfilial son!


Now, RM 300 million has been released for charities and include Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Prospect Park and New York Public Library.



PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF BROOKE ASTOR
Sotheby’s New York, 24 & 25 September 2012


FEATURING FINE AND DECORATIVE ART FROM
MRS. ASTOR’S NEW YORK RESIDENCES,
AS WELL AS JEWELRY FROM HER PERSONAL COLLECTION


July 2012 Sotheby’s New York auction of Property from the Estate of Brooke Astor – beloved philanthropist and legendary figure in New York society – will be held on 24 & 25 September 2012. The sale will comprise fine and decorative art from Mrs. Astor’s Park Avenue apartment in New York City and her Westchester County estate, Holly Hill, as well as a selection of jewelry from her personal collection. The approximately 800 items in the sale will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 17 September.

In keeping with her unwavering commitment to numerous New York institutions and causes, Mrs. Astor selected a number of charitable organizations to benefit from her estate, including The New York Public Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Pierpont Morgan Library, The Animal Medical Center of New York, and New York City Schools, in addition to various charities in Maine.

"Brooke Astor’s enthusiasm for every detail pertaining to the furnishing and decorating of her rooms is charmingly effective. No one can equal her gaiety of spirit, her joyous laughter, and her keen wit.”
– Albert Hadley, famed decorator who designed rooms for both
Holly Hill and the Astors’ Park Avenue apartment.

As Mrs. Astor surrounded herself with objects she loved, each of the works on offer this September reflects her life and passions: from Chinese lacquer furniture, clocks, mirror paintings and export porcelain that recall her early years in Asia when her father was stationed abroad, to the drawings and  paintings of dogs – many depicting her own – that demonstrate her love for her animals, to the lion brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels that evokes the iconography of The New York Public Library, an institution she championed for decades.  The rooms and contents of both residences display a mix of comfort and refinement and reveal a woman of taste who would embody the New York of her time. 

Mrs. Astor’s duplex apartment in the Rosario Candela designed
building at Park Avenue and 73rd street is one of New York City’s most famous residences, and housed the iconic library that is one of the most photographed rooms in the history of
 American interior design. Mrs. Astor hosted American  presidents, foreign dignitaries, and influential cultural figures and members of society in the celebrated rooms, which she decorated to serve as an inviting space for raising funds for her numerous charitable causes.

The furniture and decorative arts from the residence
represent a mix of styles and periods, evidence of the
worldly eye of their collector. The furniture on offer in the
September auction features English and French pieces from
both the 18th and early-19th centuries, as well as Chinese
lacquer furniture primarily dating to the Qing dynasty. Fine
art from the apartment is highlighted by strong groups of
both Old Master drawings – including works by Giovanni
Battista Tiepolo, Canaletto and Nicolas Lancret – and
Chinese export reverse-painted glass pieces.

Mrs. Astor’s stone manor set on more than 60 acres in
Westchester County was designed in 1927 by architect Paul
William Delano. With the same approach she took to her
New York City duplex, she filled Holly Hill with furniture,
decorations and personal effects that very much reflected
her tastes and interests. For example, Mrs. Astor’s love for
her gardens at the estate carries through to the many of the
floral-themed pieces on offer.

In keeping with the natural setting, Mrs. Astor filled multiple walls with pictures of dogs, which will form a
significant selection in the September auction. Additional highlights of the fine art from the Westchester estate
include Henri Fantin-Latour’s The Red Rose and The White Rose (ests. US$80/120,000 each), and
Maurice Prendergast’s Sitting on the Rocks (est. US$300/400,000).

A view of the drawing room in Mrs. Astor’s
New York City apartment, including a selection of
Old Master drawings and Chinese export porcelain
A view through the drawing room
into the library at Holly Hill

Assembled primarily in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, Mrs. Astor’s
personal collection of jewelry evokes her role as a renowned New York social figure, with pieces appropriate for every occasion both day and night. In addition to examples by each of the best designers of the 20th century – including Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, Cartier, Buccellati, David Webb, Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co., and Bulgari – the September auction will also feature a strong group of stones. Highlights will include an Emerald and Diamond Ring set with a Colombian emerald weighing 22.84 carats (pictured right, est. $100/150,000), an Emerald and Diamond Necklace,
circa 1965 ( est. $250/350,000), and the wonderful articulated 18 Karat Gold, Fancy Colored Diamond, Coral and Ruby Lion Brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels, New York ( est.
$20/30,000).

Estimated at RM 750,000 to over a million ringgit---my favorite piece!

Chinese gilt bronze lion clock



Buddhist altar pieces

PERTH FASHION FESTIVAL---RESTYLED BY 10 BLOGGERS!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM


HOW I WISH I AM IN PERTH RIGHT THIS INSTANT! FOR SURE THE ORGANISERS OF PERTH FASHION FESTIVAL WILL INCLUDE ME AS A RESTYLE BLOGGER!


But I am now in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia is nowhere near Australia so I will just have to grit my perfect teeth and bear/bare it!


What a brilliant idea for Perth Fashion Festival to rope in 10 local Perth bloggers to buy only secondhand, vintage clothes from 7 such stores and restyle them into funky, fun and fabulous fashions, proving style can be had at any price! Even I, rich and famous as I am, do not wear Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton 24/7.


PERTH FASHION FESTIVAL GETS RESTYLED IN 30 DAYS! 
Perth Fashion Festival (PFF) announces 30 Days of Restyle, proving fashion can be fabulous at any price! PFF has partnered with 10 local bloggers and 7 charities to show you how to restyle your wardrobe for less and support the community at the same time.


During the month of August, bloggers have agreed to purchase only recycled clothing and accessories from the charities involved, they will then post their daily ‘restyled’ look on their blogs showing the fashionistas of Perth where they can go to find the ultimate vintage look.


Bloggers involved in 30 Days of Restyle include Vintage Valley, Gin in a Teacup, Love thy Muse, Blonde Suburbia, Hug Sized, Peanut Moonbeam Knickers, Le Fanciulle, Sass & Spice and Love from Shell and, Bonnie Friday.

Peanut Moonbeam Knickers



Vintage Valley

Bonnie Friday




"Restyle is an event that I am very passionate about. Fashion (and fashion bloggers) often gets a bad rap for encouraging disposable consumerism and a fad mentality. 30 Days of Restyle proves that fashion can be recyclable and that style is first and foremost about individuality and confidence. I'm so excited to be involved with the project this year, to prove that style doesn't necessarily flow from the latest trends, and that fashion can be both inexpensive and eco-friendly." Bonnie Doran, WA Best Fashion Blogger finalist, Bonnie Friday.


Charities involved in this wonderful project include Save the Children, Anglicare, DrugARM, Good Samaritans, The Salvation Army, The Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul.
“Save the Children is excited to be involved with Restyle once again this year. The Perth Fashion Festival initiative is going to be a fantastic event that will really highlight the benefits of recycled fashion for shoppers and the community,” says David Bright, State Manager, Save the Children.


“We believe that it will inspire people to take a fresh look at op-shopping as an alternative way to achieve stylish looks for less whilst also encouraging people to support the community by volunteering their time with the charities involved”.


During PFF, STM Fashion Central will play host to the Restyle on the Runway event showcasing the most stylish and innovative looks from the 30 Days of Restyle project.


“We love the new Restyle format for this year’s festival. 30 Days of Restyle gives us a great opportunity to engage with the community, bringing affordable, fun fashion to the people and supporting seven wonderful charities at the same time,” PFF Director, Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan said.


30 Days of Restyle is a Perth Fashion Festival initiative supported by Lotterywest.


Perth Fashion Festival is supported by the State Government through Eventscorp, the Department of Culture and the Arts and the City of Perth.


Further information on PFF 2012 program of events will be unveiled in coming weeks.


Perth Fashion Festival 19-25 September 2012.


Follow us on Facebook at Perth Fashion Festival and on Twitter at perthfashfest
www.perthfashionfestival.com.au

MAHATMA GANDHI---THE GREAT SOUL

KEE@FSWMAG.COM


MAHATMA GANDHI, THE GREAT SOUL (1869-1948) WAS BORN MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI, LED INDIA TO INDEPENDENCE FROM GREAT BRITAIN. SADLY, HE WAS ASSASSINATED BY A HINDU FANATIC ON 30 JANUARY 1948 WHO THOUGHT HE WAS TOO SYMPATHETIC TO THE MUSLIMS.


Mahatma is a honorific title meaning 'Great Soul' and was already bestowed on Gandhi by 1914. Using non-violence and civil disobedience, he freed India peacefully though Sir Winston Churchill did call him 'half naked fakir' though some wags said he actually said 'half naked faker'.


I admire Gandhi the Father of Modern India as he is someone I can never emulate. If I am famous like him, I would lead a luxurious and decadent life (not that I am living in a slum right now) but he wore next to nothing without a stitch of designer thread! And never gallivanted around Delhi in a personalised Rolls-Royce!


Below are some of his famous quotes which we should all try to abide. I consider Mahatma Gandhi the Indian version of Confucius!



















Inspiring or what...

FOODS THAT FIGHT CAVITIES

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

ACTUALLY THIS ARTICLE HAS NO BEARING ON ME ANYMORE SINCE I DID 28 TEETH AT LIVINGWELL CLINIC AT STARHILL OWNED BY DATUK DR SEAN PAUL. MY TEETH ARE NOW PERFECTION PERSONIFIED AND WHITER THAN WHITE.


But for those whose teeth are less than perfect, go to Livingwell at Starhill and have them perfected. But meanwhile here are some great tips to keep your gnashers looking good as long as possible. 

Foods That Fight Cavities inShare Encountering dental problems isn’t the most pleasant to happen to anyone.  In order to prevent and protect us from these issues we must take the necessary steps. There’s nothing simpler than including a few foods to help you stay away from cavities and tooth decay. Below are a few for your help: Fruits and Veggies Including high-fiber foods in our daily diet keeps the saliva flowing, which creates minerals that help fight tooth decay. You must include fresh fruits like bananas, apples oranges and vegetables like beans, peas and sprouts in your daily diet. Eating these fresh fruits and veggies is the simplest and healthy way to fight it out with tooth problems.  Whole Grains Whole grains are a rich source of Vitamin B, fiber and iron, which help in keeping the gums healthy. Eating bran, brown rice, whole grain cereals and pasta could help you put a stop to cavities.  Calcium rich foods Few of the most basic and vital ingredients to prevent tooth decay and ensure the good heath of your teeth are calcium rich products like milk, yogurt, cheese etc. This holds true particularly for growing children. Other sources of calcium would be leafy greens like spinach, broccoli. Apart from that fish, almonds, dried beans contain a good amount of calcium.  Sugar-free Gum It is recommended that one can chew sugar-free gum to avoid cavities. While chewing gum, there is a constant flow of saliva in your mouth. The mineral in the saliva helps to replace essential minerals on the teeth that are otherwise lost daily.  Other Natural Ingredients Adopting the natural route and taking a few extra steps to prevent tooth decay can be extremely rewarding. A few drops of tea tree oil on your toothbrush helps kill bacteria and has anti biotic properties. Another natural way is to rinse your mouth with either mint or cinnamon. These ingredients not only heal wounds but also help reduce toothaches.  Following a healthy diet is not only good for your teeth but your entire body. None of us want to exclude the ‘interesting’ foods from our diet. But along with the sugary treats, it is essential to include nutritious foods that help keep your teeth healthy and strong.