Miscellaneous

Gastronomy has been a distinctive element of Macao’s culture. Titled by UNESCO as the City Of Gastronomy, Macao is renowned for its unmatched flavour-blending food. Macao’s East-meets-West culinary game is as strong as it gets. Mimicking Portuguese flavours, spices and ingredients are sourced from Portugal and the regions colonized by Portugal such as Africa, Southeast Asia and India. This list of authentic ingredients used includes: curry, coconut milk, cloves and cinnamon - all combined using Chinese culinary technique in a wonderful potpourri of tastes and aromas, giving birth to the flavoursome Macanese cuisine of today. ${image_1} Being a gastronomic heaven, it’s only fair that the food here gets the credit it deserves. Check out the 5 must-have foods that make up the Macanese food landscape a spectacular adventure! Egg Tarts: It is said that, a trip to Macao isn’t complete without trying one of its highly-praised egg tarts. They have become the city’s own edible icon. Lord Stow’s Bakery has become the oldest home to the original and fresh Macao Egg Tarts. With their flaky pastry crusts, delicious egg custard centres and crispy crème tops, they taste twice as nice when piping hot. The egg-custard stuffed pastry with a bitter caramel essence really captivates everybody’s soul. ${image_2} Pork Chop Bun: A Macao-style burger is different from a regular hamburger as it doesn’t have vegetables or sauce but just meat. The crispy baked baguette is stuffed with thickly sliced grilled pork in between. It is different from a regular hamburger as it doesn’t have vegetables or sauce, but just meat and a heavy grilled charcoal flavour that make for a great combination. ${image_3} Almond Cookies: These are some of Macao’s most popular traditional cookies. They have a lot of almonds, which means every bite is crunchy, but it’s recommended that you eat it with a drink because it’s dry ${image_4} African Chicken A traditional Portuguese preparation of grilled chicken topped with piri piri sauce, which is a mix of pepper and herbs and has its own unique taste. The cooking style varies according to the restaurant, with some places having a slightly spicy curry sauce than the true piri piri, and some places pouring the sauce on top of the fried chicken. Serradura or Sawdust Pudding: A soft whipped cream with cookie crumbs layered on top to be eaten with a spoon, the Serradura, is one of the best snacks of both Portugal and Macao. The taste varies according to the texture of the cream, so it’s recommended to try it in a Macanese/Portuguese restaurant that’s rated above average. Find the real taste of Macao at the corner of an old snack shop or somewhere on the street. Leave your stomach empty and peer into the alley. ${image_5} The stunning variety of distinctive cuisine available in Macao makes this international city a paradise for food lovers. The rich cultural history of the place can be credited to the delicious palate it has on offer. With plenty of fresh ingredients and many restaurants to choose from, you’ll find a variety of flavour to tickle your taste buds. Enjoy the best of Macao, one delicacy at a time.

${image_1} ~The Begum of Bollywood will be seen hosting remarkable women as well as feature noteworthy men to amp-up her return to the radio show~ ~ The record smashing show is all set to go live on digital and radio from 12th December onwards ~ National, 12th December, 2019: 104.8 ISHQ, India’s first romantic radio station, announces the launch of the second season of their pioneering show called ‘What Women Want’, hosted by the glamorous Kareena Kapoor Khan. After acing the RJ game with her fiery personality and breaking women-centric stereotypes in the first season, the Bollywood megastar is back to get candid with a distinctive line-up of guests on eccentric topics starting 12th December 2019 onwards. To take it a notch higher Kareena will not only feature powerful women this time, but also acknowledge male guests who are stalwarts in their own right. Excited about her second stint as a radio jockey, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “I am more than elated to be back onto radio and be associated with a show which aims at addressing unconventional topics. Dabur Amla’s What Women Want 2 will not only be cognizant of a women’s outlook, but at the same time provide a male’s perspective as well, something which no one has ever seen before. It is going to be more exciting, interactive and entertaining and I am looking forward to the launch of the second season on 104.8 Ishq” ${image_2} After a staggering success last year, it was a no-brainer for Ishq FM to have Kareena Kapoor Khan back behind the mic. A role model to many women and men, her unabashed and exuberant personality fits the theme of the show and the channel perfectly. With a more engaging and a prodigious radio show, What Women Want will witness a range of guests inclusive of inspiring women as well as men this time, the show is sure to be bigger, better and guaranteeing to be the new age knock-out of the year on digital and radio. Stay tuned to season 2 of What Women Want with Kareena Kapoor Khan on Ishq’s YouTube channel and on-air from Monday to Friday at 8 pm and 10 am.

${image_1} Over the past decade, technology has changed the way many companies conduct their business, enabling an unprecedented level of collaboration, flexibility, and productivity. For most industries, the Internet has been the single most disruptive tool of this century. In a study conducted by 451 Research, 90% of surveyed organisations reported that they were already using some form of cloud computing service to augment their business. In the same vein, Gartner predicts that the global cloud services market will grow exponentially through 2022, reaching an estimated $331 billion. ${image_2} While leveraging these technologies is the goal of many businesses today, there can be huge costs associated with infrastructure, hiring talent, and maintenance. Cloud service providers offer a solution to this problem, allowing business owners to pay a monthly price for hardware, internet infrastructure, and other services. Why Businesses Favour the Cloud Besides lowering the initial cost of admission, cloud-based services offer a slew of advantages related to security, availability, reliability, and scalability. To understand why cloud computing has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry within a few short years, let us expand on each of these benefits. Security While data security is integral to the functioning of any business, many non-IT enterprises are inadequately equipped to deal with viruses, ransomware, and other attacks. Large financial institutions, for instance, have been the target of many security breaches of late, with American bank, Capital One, finding itself in the middle of a data leak controversy as recently as September 2019. Cloud providers specialise in maintaining a secure physical and virtual environment to ensure that their clients’ data is protected in accordance with local laws and regulations. With the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, many businesses have to tread carefully around the storage and use of personal information. By leveraging the expertise of existing service providers, companies can abstract a great deal of the compliance overhead at little cost. Availability and Reliability Any company with an online presence needs to ensure that its services are available at all times. However, businesses that rely on in-house infrastructure often report that this can be an extremely challenging process. Data centres, in contrast, are specifically engineered to migrate workloads in the event of a failure, ensuring consistent uptime and a virtually seamless experience for end-users. Business owners also do not have to worry about aspects such as disaster recovery, hardware-software incompatibilities, and data loss. Service providers have the resources to build fail-safes and prevent downtimes, even in the most dire of situations. Scalability In today’s fast paced environment, companies are often unable to estimate the exact amount of computing resources they need for a certain task. Furthermore, businesses that experience short bursts of consumer interest may have to temporarily ramp up their infrastructure. However, buying additional hardware specifically to handle these rare occurrences can be a wasteful and expensive endeavour. Cloud service providers offer a robust and scalable platform capable of handling variable processing or storage requirements. Many providers also offer a pay-as-you-go plan, so that companies are not compelled to pay for services they do not need or use. The Future of Cloud Around a third of all companies’ IT budget - an average of $2.2 million - is already devoted to cloud computing-related services such as email and web hosting. Cloud service providers are uniquely positioned to cater to this market segment, particularly since budgets for digital transformation appear to be on the rise at many companies. However, identifying these opportunities might be challenging due to the lack of market data. Data providers, however, can help mitigate this problem by offering up-to-date information on up and coming startups. Oddup, for instance, specialises in providing real-time data on the global startup ecosystem across a multitude of industries and geographic locations. Oddup offers decision-makers proprietary tools like the Oddup Score and the Benchmark Valuation, which estimate the health, potential, and valuation of a startup, as well as exclusive startup scouting reports which highlight potentially disruptive companies, and markets and industries which show growing startup activity. Data providers can also help with a new challenge that even established cloud service providers are facing. Some of the world’s largest technology giants are spearheading the cloud computing revolution, however, the market’s rapidly growing size means that there is plenty of space for smaller enterprises with unique services and offerings. Currently, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Alibaba hold the vast majority of the global cloud market share. These companies could face strong competition from smaller vendors with the emergence of new technologies such as machine learning, blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT). This is resulting in the emergence of new, smaller Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). ISVs are both threat and opportunity for the larger players. Consequently, larger companies are on the lookout for disruptive ISVs with whom they can partner or whom they can acquire. Data providers like Oddup aid in identification of such ISVs too, enabling cloud service providers to expand both, their portfolios and client base. As modern businesses continue to generate and process more data, cloud computing is set to become the primary focus at many companies. This fact is especially true for smaller companies and startups, which also have significantly lower capital on hand and have variable needs. With an increasing global emphasis on cloud computing services, we will likely see an exponential rise in the number of internet-enabled startups and companies over the next few years.

${image_1} Today, CPA Australia works with over 30 Recognised Employer Partners in India to provide members with access to learning and development opportunities. Here, Raj Kumar Kapoor CPA (Aust.), Senior Vice President and Chief Internal Auditor at Magma Fincorp Ltd, discusses the benefits all accounting and finance professionals in India can reap from obtaining CPA Australia designation. How and when did you become aware of CPA Australia and its CPA Program? Being a chartered accountant (CA) and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), I have been aware of CPA Australia for many years. In early 2016, while going through the website of the ICAI, I read about the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between ICAI and CPA Australia and about the CPA Program. That is how I became aware of the process involved. In what practical ways did you see professional value in actively pursuing the CPA Australia designation? The CPA Australia designation is known the world over and is especially valued in the Asia-Pacific region. However, having obtained a CA degree in India as early as 1987, my interest was not so much in gaining recognition through a degree as in becoming part of a professional body of a developed country like Australia, with a mature institutional and professional framework. As part of the MRA, I had to [undertake] two subjects – Better Practice in Governance and Accountability (an online continuing professional education module) and Global Strategy and Leadership. Having worked in internal audit for most of my career, I was familiar with these subjects but wanted to gain further insight into the framework of the two areas, especially with regards strategy. With respect to interviewees intending to join via the MRA pathway, what are some of the main takeaways you can share as to what you personally gained from the Global Strategy and Leadership subject? Based on experience, my belief is that it makes a lot of difference if one gains an in-depth conceptual understanding of a subject matter while dealing with it in practice. I have experienced this with respect to each of my professional qualifications – the CA, among others. It is so much more satisfying and enriching to experience what one has understood academically and vice versa. As part of my role as Chief Internal Auditor of a public limited company, I have seen strategy planning and execution in practice. However, it was an enriching experience to gain in-depth knowledge of the subject. As I kept reading, I was able to relate the contents of the study material not only with my on-the-job experience but also with the business environment – the scenario, practices, and developments – within India and around the world, since the material was so up to date. I was also able to use the knowledge gained through this study as a benchmark to what I observed in my organisation with respect to the formulation of strategy and its implementation. For example, the importance of setting an organisation’s vision and mission statements for getting the right focus on its strategy formulation, and [ensuring] they are aligned with the KPIs of its senior management and employees is often understated. I have certainly seen this happen in organisations. I noticed its importance when I read The Balanced Scorecard by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton a few years ago. Both areas – vision and mission statements and the balanced scorecard – are explained and emphasised at length in CPA Australia’s Global Strategy and Leadership subject. In fact, a few days ago I read the article Why Are We Here? by Sally Blount and Paul Leinwand in the Harvard Business Review where the authors, based on their work, describe how organisations struggle to define and live their purpose, how most employees feel disconnected with their organisation’s purpose and how important it is for them to articulate and implement these. Another example is the coverage of leadership in the subject. It is useful and very interesting to understand and apply knowledge of different leadership styles in your workplace. Then there is a discussion on shareholder view and stakeholder view in both the Better Practice in Governance and Accountability module and Global Strategy and Leadership subject. Recently, in August 2019, one of America’s largest business groups, The Business Roundtable, which has close to 200 members, dropped its “shareholder first” mantra. Clearly, there is a shift happening in the business world in favor of a stakeholder view. Similarly, the discussion on strategic drivers, operational drivers, people, and organisational drivers are related key areas covered in the Global Strategy and Leadership subject, and something everyone would find of practical use. In your view, what are the most rewarding and direct benefits after gaining the CPA Australia designation? For example, can it be a ticket to pursue overseas career opportunities or, concurrently, enhance the likelihood of internal job promotion? I think the sense of professional satisfaction and fulfillment on the learning and development front could be the most direct first-hand benefit one is likely to get. On the job or business opportunity front, the CPA Australia designation could help one pursue new opportunities, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. A professional designation such as that offered by CPA Australia is also likely to help you gain further recognition within your own company since it enhances professional competence in areas that are likely to be relevant for organisational development. Would you like to see the ICAI and CPA Australia collaborate beyond the existing MRA, and, if so, in what specific areas? I think the two could collaborate on doing some more research work or expert studies in areas of common interest and utilise the findings in improving the knowledge of their students, members, and associated organisations. Also, CPA Australia needs to cover more distance to tap the potential of its brand in India. It needs to create greater awareness of its program. It might be worth taking note of the increasing popularity of some of the other international bodies in India, via which CPA Australia could enhance its presence to create awareness about its program. In summary, why would you recommend CPA Australia to other Indians? The CPA Program does not require rote learning. The examination approach does not demand knowledge based on memory. The content of its program and its examination approach emphasise a qualitative understanding of the subject matter to the core, with the objective of developing proficiency in it. [This approach helps to] ensure success in the exams, rather than leave it to chance. Good quality study material ensures learning is a pleasant and enriching experience, not a laborious exercise. Practical examples and case studies enhance understanding and make it easy to relate to the subject matter. ‘’Find out how to become a CPA through our Mutual Recognition Agreement with ICAI’’

Macao boasts of unique festivals & events culture and there are many large-scale international events held in Macao every year. This year, Macao will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary Celebrations of the Establishment of Macao SAR and there will be a line-up of exciting festivals and events. Read more to find out about upcoming events in Macao: 1) Macao International Marathon – 1st December ${image_1} This international marathon attracts large number of local and international long distance runners. Be ready to see the best runners sweating it out. There will be the marathon and half marathon and the mini marathon. The full course Marathon includes the Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane, while the Half-Marathon and Mini-Marathon are designed to attract not only professional athletes but amateurs seeking to test their endurance. 2) Macao Light Festival – 1st to 31st December ${image_2} Macao Light Festival 2019 – Explore the Light” is set to dazzle different places in Macao from 1st to 31st December, manifesting the sound development of the Macao Special Administrative Region since its establishment 20 years ago through the splendor of light artistry. Staged for the fifth year, Macao Light Festival will illuminate the city’s northern district for the first time, and once again feature participation of non-local teams just as last year. Four teams coming from Spain, Portugal, Japan and Shenzhen will join two local teams to present an array of projection mapping shows Learn about the local culture and history from innovative angles shaped by light artistry at Macao Light Festival. Held at various locations, the event program includes projection mapping, light installations, interactive games and a series of other activities. 3) International Film Festival & Awards. Macao (IFFAM) 5th – 10th December ${image_3} The 4th International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao (referred to as “IFFAM” or the “Film Festival”) will be staged from 5th to 10th December this year. As an annual international event in Macao, the Film Festival will continue to push forward the development of Macao’s film, cultural and creative industries, enhance exchange opportunities with international movies as well as unveil a wider landscape for development of cultural and artistic platforms, tourism and other fields. The International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao celebrates the extraordinary contributions of filmmakers to the Asian film world and pays special tribute to classic film works, while enhancing the experience Macao has to offer as an international city and showing to the world the city’s diverse new dynamic of the cultural and creative development. IIFAM have announced the appointment of Karan Johar as one of the Festival Ambassador this year. 4) Macao International Parade – 8th December ${image_4} Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the “2019 Macao International Parade”, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, will be held on Sunday, 8 December. Extraordinary performing groups from all over the world and local artists will amplify their creativity and present the theme of this year’s Parade on the cultural and artistic characteristics of countries and regions along the initiative “One Belt, One Road”, bringing a festive atmosphere of the Parade as “an annual celebration for the entire city – VIVA!”. Themed around the cultures of countries and regions along the initiative “One Belt, One Road”, the “2019 Macao International Parade” features an estimated number of 1,800 artists of 61 local groups and 19 groups from areas across five continents, including Portugal, Kenya, Angola, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Hungary, Chili, Cyprus, New Zealand, Italy, Russia, Myanmar, Thailand, Zhanjiang of Guangdong province as well as Hong Kong, bringing a grand feast of cultural exchange to spectators, and giving full play the rich cultural and artistic characteristics of these countries and regions. Macao is visa free for Indians, so head to Macao this winter and experience the endless excitement that it has to offer.