Showing posts with label ACE COLLECTIONS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACE COLLECTIONS. Show all posts

Top 10 Yummiest Food Around The World


1 Valencia, Spain

Eating food out in Spain is often cheap and meals are substantial rather than gourmet. One of the best ways to sample Spanish food is to try tapas, or snacks, which are served at any time of day in local bars. It is also renowned for its health benefits and fresh ingredients. A famous Spanish dish called Paella is consisted from rice and seafood and can also be vegetarian.

2 Paris, France

Paris food is known throughout the world for its unparalleled quality and taste. The wide variety of food in Paris is sure to overwhelm every food lover with delight. French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social and political change.

3 Malaysia

Malaysian Food is not one particular distinction of food but a culinary diversity originating from it’s multi-ethnic population of Malay, Indian, Eurasian, Chinese, Nyonya and the Indigenous peoples of Borneo. A brief look into the past and how this multi-ethnic country came to be, is essential in order to comprehend how such a cosmic array of food, has now come to be known all over the world as ‘Malaysian Food’. Presented here are some of the various delicious and popular dishes from this rainbow of gastronomic spectrum, with pictures and detailed recipes, from each unique ethnic kitchen.

4 Bangkok, Thailand

Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cuisine places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. Thai cuisine is known for being spicy. Balance, detail and variety are important to Thai cooking. Thai food is known for its balance of the four fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter and it also can be quite hot (spicy).

5 Hong Kong

Hong Kong cuisine can best be described as a type of eclectic cuisine with extensive influences from Cantonese cuisine and parts of non-Cantonese-speaking China (especially Chaozhou, Dongjiang, Fujian and the Yangtze River Delta), Western world, Japan, and Southeast Asia, due to Hong Kong’s past as a British colony and long history of being an international city of commerce. From the roadside stalls to the most upscale restaurants, Hong Kong provides an unlimited variety of food in every class.

6 Japanese

Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule. In the early modern era significant changes occurred resulting in the introduction of non-Japanese cultures, most notably Western culture, to Japan.

7 Alexandria, Egypt

In Egypt, dining out can range from stand-up sandwich bars to luxurious five-course meals. You can find small, inexpensive establishments that serve good Egyptian food for only a few pounds. If you’re in a hurry, try the local snack bars. While the cubbyholes off the street (which probably have running water) are generally safe. The larger cities even have Western-style fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but they’re relatively expensive. In cities both food and water are safe although the change in your diet may produce short-term gastrointestinal upsets.

8 Mexico

Real Mexican food is quite unlike the dishes found in most Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in other countries. In tourist areas you’ll find restaurants with familiar names and gringo menus, though the offerings will often be over-priced and not of a high standard. If you have a taste for adventure you’ll be well rewarded in Mexico; if not stick to a few simple and traditional dishes that are almost always excellent and not too spicy.

You’ll find standards much higher than if you search the menus for something familiar. Mexican cuisine has some superb rich or spicy dishes, but we recommend that you take it easy for the first few days until your stomach has grown accustomed to its new environment.

9 Kashmir, India

Indian food is a diverse and extraordinary one, reflecting a complex layering of cultures through history and based on religious beliefs, geography, climate and availability of ingredients. India’s range of cuisine can amaze even a connoisseur. Different regions in India offer their own specialties with their very own taste, subtlety and aroma. The exotic tastes, hues and textures of Indian food have ensured a steady growth in popularity in the West. The combination of fresh ingredients and cooking techniques are both a gastronomic delight and fulfill today’s requirements for healthy eating.

10 Veneto, Italy

Italy is famous for its food as much as for its huge artistic and historical assets and for the fashion industry. To check our recipes please check also our Italian food recipes database. Actually food is one of the cornerstones of Italian culture and even if times are changing and life is more and more frenetic, Italians still find a great pleasure in sitting at a table, in an home or restaurant and sharing a good meal together. Italians love discovering new foods and new way of preparing familiar dishes. Every year there’s more and more interest in the traditional cuisine of the various regions and in biological, environment friendly foods.

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Top 10 Techies Who Changed the World


Steve Jobs, Apple – Maverick entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs is the current grandmaster of technology. Business savvy and a risk taker, Jobs is the visionary who redefined technology with world changing products like the Personal Computer, iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook – Whizkid Zuckerberg almost single handedly transformed the Internet from a place people went to get information to a place they went to meet each other. Facebook gave the virtual world a patina of humanity, the real world a new medium of interpersonal relationships, and made Zuckerberg not only this generation's phenomenon, but also the second youngest billionaire in the world. Interesting fact: The youngest billionaire is Dustin Moskovitz – co-founder of Facebook and 8 days younger than Zuckerberg, his Harvard roommate

Bill Gates, Microsoft – The Microsoft founder has passed the legion of supergeeks into the pantheon of technological demi-gods. The richest man in the world from 1995 to 2007 is currently the second richest. He holds 8 percent of Microsoft stock and now functions as the non-executive chairman of the company. Over the years, Gates and wife Melinda have made philanthropy their primary concern and recently pledged to give away at least half their fortune to charity with time.

Linus Torvalds, Linux – This Finnish engineer is virtually unknown outside the inner circles of technology, yet he is among the most influential figures in software development. A believer in open source software, Torvalds initiated thedevelopment of the Linux Kernel. He now acts as the coordinator of the project. The Linux operating system runs the 10 fastest supercomputers in the world and a diverse range of hardware including the smallest of devices. A modified version of the Linux kernel powers the ubiqitous Android OS

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google – Co-founders of internet behemoth Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin ran Google from a rented garage in 1998. Twelve years later, Google has left it's Silicon Valley startup past way behind to become the world's largest media corporation.

Evan Williams, Twitter & Blogger – Virtually unknown in the real world, this college drop-out created two key communication technologies that shaped the Internet – Blogger and Twitter. He no longer works at Twitter but he's left an indelible handprint on the cyberworld.

Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo – Even if you've never played a video game, chances are you've heard of Super Mario Bros. Shigeru Miyamoto is the Japanese game designer behind popular Nintendo titles like Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and the grand old man of gaming, Mario.

Jeffrey Bezos, Amazon – In 1994, this Princeton graduate started Amazon.com from his garage in Seattle and changed the face of online retail forever. He began with selling books online but soon diversified into, well, almost everything. Amazon made him a billionaire as well as Time magazine's person of the year in 1999.

Tim Berners-Lee, the World Wide Web – 20 years ago British physicist and computer scientist Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, the first web browser and the first web server. This man is the reason we can access webpages and surf the Internet using browsers today.

Akio Morita, Sony – Former naval officer Akio Morita left his family business of sake, miso and soy sauce to co-found Sony Corporation in 1946. Most of Sony's path-breaking products like magnetic tapes, tape recorders, pocket-sized radios, the Walkman and the Discman were developed under his leadership.

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World's Top 10 Countries with Fastest Trains


10. Russia
Train: Siemens Velaro RUS
Top Speed: 175 mph
Capacity: 600 passengers

Russia’s fastest high-speed train runs on the Moscow-St. Petersburg line, and made its debut in December 2009. The German-built Velaro RUS trains, also known as the Sapsan, have cut the travel time for the 401-mile route from eight hours to three hours and 45 minutes. The 10-car passenger trains operate at a maximum speed of 155 mph, but hit a speed record of 175 mph during trials in 2009.

The eight high-speed trains are worth nearly $1 billion.

Russia is eager to expand its high-speed rail network ahead of hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The country has invited foreign investors to bid on development contracts for new lines that will link its cities.


Here is a compiled list of the countries with world’s fastest trains based on the maximum speed measured in miles per hour (mph). We’ve included record speeds hit during trial runs on electric and magnetic levitation (Maglev) trains, as well as those of experimental models. The numbers are based on a series of publicly available reports, as well as information from organizations such as the Railway Gazette International and the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation.


9.Taiwan
Train: THSR 700T
Top Speed: 186 mph
Capacity: 989 passengers

Taiwan’s high-speed rail project, which cost a total of $18 billion, is one the world’s largest privately funded rail construction plans.

The country’s THSR 700T trains have cut travel time from 4.5 hours to 90 minutes on the 214-mile route from the northern capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung.

The 30 high-speed trains, which began operations in 2007, are based on the Japanese 700 Series Shinkansen “bullet train” model.
A record 36.9 million passengers rode the trains in 2010, a 14 percent increase from the year before.

The country’s high-speed rail system has been making headlines recently after the government said the network might not last more than 10 years because of sinking land caused by the overuse of groundwater. Last month, the government said it would cap deep groundwater wells that threaten the structural base of the high-speed system.

8. South Korea
Train: KTX-I
Top Speed: 190 mph
Capacity: 965

South Korea’s high-speed rail network, known as Korea Train eXpress (KTX), carries more than 100,000 passengers a day on its two lines. In April 2010, a record 178,584 people used the country’s high-speed rail network.

After 12 years of construction, the first high-speed line was opened in 2004, slashing travel time from the capital Seoul to the port city of Busan to two hours and 40 minutes, half the time it took previously. The travel time between the two cities was reduced by a further 22 minutes when a second line was opened.

The impact of high-speed rail has been felt by the domestic airline industry, which has seen its capacity shrink by more than 30 percent between 2003 and 2007. Although the introduction of low-cost air carriers in the country has helped demand for air travel grow again, passenger levels are still below what they used to be before high-speed rail was introduced.

7. United Kingdom
Train: Eurostar 3313/14
Top Speed: 208 mph
Capacity: 750 passengers

The Eurostar has changed the way Western Europeans travel. Since it began operations in 1994, the London-based high-speed rail network connects England with cities in France and Belgium via an underground tunnel in the English Channel, often referred to as the “Chunnel.”

With 27 trains and links to more than 100 destinations across Europe, the network marked its 100 millionth passenger in August 2009. The rail line carries passengers at speeds of up to 186 mph. The Eurostar 3313/14 broke a British rail record set in 1979 by reaching speeds of 208 mph in 2003.

The rail network was recently taken to court by French train-maker Alstom over its decision to give a $600 million contract for 10 new trains to German builder Siemens. However, a U.K. court rejected the application to have the contract suspended. Alstom is the world’s second biggest train maker and the supplier of all existing Eurostar trains.

6. Italy
Train: ETR 500 Frecciarossa
Top Speed: 225 mph
Capacity: 590 passengers

One of the early pioneers of European high-speed rail technology, Italy is home to Europe’s first high-speed train line. The Florence-Rome high-speed line made history when more than half of its entire length—the first 86 miles from Rome to Citta della Pieve—opened in 1977. Trains on the track reached a maximum speed of 160 mph.

Since then, the country’s high-speed rail network has grown substantially, with high-speed lines reaching as far north as Torino to as far south as Napoli.

The Italian-made ETR 500 is the fastest train series in the country, with its ETR 500 Y1 model hitting speeds of up to 225 mph in 2009 on a trip between Florence and Bologna.

Not everyone is happy with the progress, however. Earlier this month, more than 200 people were injured in a rally against the construction of a planned 36-mile tunnel in the northern Susa valley that would cut three hours off the current seven-hour train journey between Paris and Milan. Protesters say the high-speed line will ruin the area and its construction could release harmful chemicals.

5. Spain
Train: AVE Class 103
Speed: 251 mph
Capacity: 404 passengers

Spain has the longest high-speed rail network in Europe, with 3,433 miles of tracks. With six high-speed train lines and several under construction, the Spanish government aims to have 90 percent of its population within 31 miles of a high-speed station by 2020.

The country’s fastest trains are the AVE series, which is manufactured by several train makers, including Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier. The Siemens-made AVE Class 103 train began commercial service in 2007, and hit a record speed of 251 mph during a test run between Madrid and Zaragoza. The maximum top speed for commercial trains in Spain is limited to 186 mph for passenger safety.

The euro-zone debt crisis and Portugal’s austerity plan have halted a major expansion plan, which would have linked Spain’s capital Madrid with Lisbon in Portugal. The high-speed train link would have cut travel time between the two cities to two hours and 45 minutes instead of the current nine hours.

4. Germany
Train: Transrapid TR-07
Speed: 270.3 mph
Capacity: Experimental

Germany is a nation that has been at the forefront of high-speed rail technology. It’s home to Siemens, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-speed trains.

German companies Siemens and ThyssenKrupp have developed the Transrapid system, high-speed monorail trains operating on magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology, that can reach speeds of 311 mph. In 2004, the Shanghai Maglev train in China was the first commercial Transrapid train to carry passengers, hitting speeds of 267 mph.

Although the magnetic levitation trains are developed in Germany, they have never been used commercially in the country. The technology has faced several setbacks, including high costs and a crash that killed 25 people during a test run in 2006. Instead, the InterCityExpress (ICE) system has been adopted nationwide since 1991. These high-speed trains hit speeds of 199 mph and connect German cities with cities in Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.

An ICE train disaster near the German village of Eschede in 1998 is considered the world’s deadliest high-speed rail accident, leading to the deaths of 101 people.

3. China
Train: CRH380AL
Speed: 302 mph
Capacity: 600 passengers

China has the world’s longest high-speed rail network with more than 6,000 miles of routes in service.

It also boasts the longest high-speed rail route, with the opening of its Beijing-Shanghai line earlier this month. The 819-mile route was made using 60 million cubic meters of concrete, twice the amount used in the Three Gorges Dam. While the CRH380AL trains operate at a speed of 186 mph, the train hit a record speed of 302 mph in a test run.

China’s first high-speed line, which opened in 2007, saw 40.6 million passengers travel on it in just the first two years. The government hopes to stretch China’s rapidly growing high-speed network to 28,000 miles by the end of 2015.

2. France
Train: TGV V150
Speed: 357 mph
Capacity: Experimental

France sped ahead of the rest of Europe in the race to build the first fully functioning high-speed rail network.

The first Alstom developed TGV trains hit the tracks in 1981, with service between Paris and Lyon. Since then, the network has expanded to service 150 destinations within France and neighboring countries. Limited to a speed of up to 200 mph during normal service, the experimental TGV V150 hit a record speed of 357 mph in 2007—making it the second fastest train in the world. TGV’s high-speed technology is used in national trains in many European countries including the U.K., Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Last month, French train maker Alstom signed a preliminary deal to build a high-speed rail line in Iraq linking the cities of Baghdad and Basra

1. Japan
Train: JR-Maglev MLX01
Speed: 361 mph
Capacity: Experimental

Japan is the world leader when it comes to high-speed trains, opening the world’s first modern high-speed rail in 1964.

The Japanese first made a breakthrough in the field when they introduced the first series of the Tokaido Shinkansen “bullet trains,” which could reach a top speed of 130 mph. The early bullet trains carried more than 100 million passengers in just the first three years. Today, the trains are still operating on the world’s busiest rail line, carrying 378,000 passengers a day.

Maglev trains have also been developed in Japan since the 1970s. The government has approved plans for a $112.4 billion project to build a Maglev train line between Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, with a completion date of 2027. These planned high-speed trains are expected to cut the current travel time between Tokyo and Osaka from two hours and 18 minutes on the Shinkansen to just over an hour.

Currently, the experimental JR-Maglev MLXO1 is considered the world’s fastest train, with a top speed of 361 mph in a test run in 2003.

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World's Top 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live


10. Bern, Switzerland
The country’s capital is home to several major Swiss companies including Rolex, Toblerone, Swisscom and The Swatch Group, as well as the foreign offices of American companies, such as eBay, Cisco and Ingram Micro.
Bern is popular for its lower taxes, as well as liberal labor laws. To top it off, the city has managed to retain its cultural heritage. Old Bern has been recognized as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site for being one of Europe’s best examples of a medieval town.

The city, which is filled with diverse historical attractions, was home to Albert Einstein from 1903 and 1905, during which he developed his groundbreaking theory of relativity.


Human resources consultant ECA International has drawn up its latest list of the world’s most expensive cities for U.S. expatriates. The survey examined 400 cities and regions across the world, and measured a basket of common items purchased by foreign workers in U.S. dollars terms, including food, clothing and electrical goods.


9. Kobe, Japan
Kobe is one of Japan’s busiest container ports. It is also the point of origin and namesake of the world-renowned Kobe beef.

While Japan is the only Asian country surveyed where the cost of goods in the ECA basket has fallen, it is the most expensive country for foreign workers in U.S. dollar terms. That’s a largely a result of the appreciation of the yen over the past six months, as well as the already high cost of goods and services.

8. Geneva, Switzerland
Situated along Lake Geneva in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, Geneva is regarded as the global center for diplomacy. It’s home to many United Nations agencies, as well as the World Trade Organization, Red Cross and World Economic Forum headquarters.

One quarter of this picturesque city is made up of public parks, making it a popular destination for U.S. expatriates looking to relocate. Geneva is also well known for its haute cuisine, boasting more restaurants per capita than New York City.

7. Luanda, Angola
The capital of Angola has seen an influx of multinational companies looking to tap the country’s rich energy reserves. The country is also rich in other goods, exporting coffee, diamonds, sugar, iron and salt.

But a three-decade-long civil war has devastated Luanda’s infrastructure, driving up the cost of goods and services. From haircuts to gym memberships to fast-food meals, nothing comes cheap in the city. A one-year gym membership reportedly costs $2,500 and a haircut can cost upwards of $150.

6. Zurich, Switzerland
Despite its low tax rates, Switzerland’s largest city ranks as the fifth most expensive for expatriates. A large reason for this is the rapid appreciation of the Swiss franc, which has strengthened 27 percent against the U.S. dollar in the last year.

The country’s business center is the base for many leading financial institutions, including Credit Suisse, Julius Baer and UBS. In addition to its position as a European financial hub, Zurich is famous for its watch companies and chocolate makers, such as Lindt & Sprüngli.

5. Yokohama, Japan
As Japan’s second-largest city, Yokohama is a major commercial center for the Greater Tokyo Area.

The port city has a strong economic base, particularly in the biotechnology, semiconductor and shipping industries. Carmaker Nissan and Fujitsu semiconductor have moved their headquarters to the city.

Yokohama also is a budding artistic hub. The city is gearing up to host its triennale art event from August to December this year, with artists from around the world exhibiting their works at venues around the city.

4. Stavanger, Norway
The discovery of oil in the North Sea during the 1960s, converted this quaint metropolis into Norway’s petroleum capital. Over 50 energy companies have offices in Stavanger, making the city home to hundreds of expatriates working in the oil and gas sector.

During the recent economic downturn, Norway’s oil wealth meant the government could sustain economic growth with a lavish stimulus program. The country also has one of the world’s most generous welfare systems, including public schools that offer free, high-quality education.

It is the high cost of food and transportation that make Stavanger No. 4 on the list, however. Food prices in Norway are around 50 percent higher than the euro zone average, with meat, sugar and cereal products being the most expensive products.

3. Nagoya, Japan
Known as Japan’s most dynamic region, Nagoya is located 165 miles west of Tokyo. It is the hub for most of Japan’s manufacturers, and produces a large portion of the country’s automobile and aircraft parts.

A number of Japanese automotive companies are headquartered in Nagoya, including Toyota and Honda. Fortunately, these manufacturing plants were largely unaffected by the impact of the March earthquake and tsunami, which struck the region north of Tokyo.

2. Oslo, Norway
Oslo has been the second most expensive city for expatriates for six years in a row — that’s thanks to the relative strength of the Kroner, which has appreciated 16 percent against the U.S. dollar over the last year, and the resilience of the Norwegian economy during the financial crisis.

This hub of Norwegian trade is the home to the world’s largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance companies.

The city also boasts of one of the world’s most extensive and efficient metro transportation systems, and an environmentally friendly tram system. Efficiency comes at a price, however — a one-way ticket on public transportation costs around $5.60.

1. Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world, with a movie ticket costing $24 and the average taxi fare at $8.

As a global financial center, the city is home to headquarters for many of the world’s largest investment banks and insurance companies.

Tokyo is also one of greenest cities in the world. Despite having a population of more than eight million, it has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions in Asia-Pacific.

The city has been praised for its comprehensive transportation policy, under which the city’s entire taxi fleet is being converted to electric vehicles.

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