Zsa Zsa, sporting a hot pink collar and matching nails for her moment in the spotlight, came out on top of a tough field of fourteen.

The nine-year-old Zsa Zsa came from a hardscrabble background, spending five years in a puppy mill in the US state of Missouri and being sold at auction before she attained ugliest dog immortality.

Other competitors included Rascal Deux, a Chinese Crested who wore sunglasses and a leopard print coat to cover hairless skin, and Wild Thang, a Pekingese all but hidden by a mass of fluffy hair.

Martha, the jowly Neapolitan Mastiff who took first place in the competition the previous year, was on hand to pass the baton to Zsa Zsa, whose winnings include a trophy, $1,500 and an appearance on NBC’s Today Show in New York.

The Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 and the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 are also offered with a large selection of new dials and a redesigned case, whilst the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in 18 carat Everose gold is presented in a gem-set version with sapphires and diamonds.

The GMT-Master II range comes with a new version in Oystersteel, equipped with a bi-directional rotatable bezel and a 24-hour graduated

two-colour Cerachrom insert in red-and-blue ceramic. The lugs and sides of its Oyster case have been redesigned, and the watch is fitted on a five-link Jubilee bracelet.

The new generation of Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36, in either Everose Rolesor (combining Oystersteel and 18 carat Everose gold) or yellow Rolesor (combining Oystersteel and 18 carat yellow gold) versions, each available with a large selection of dials. The new Datejust 36 watches are equipped with a 36 mm case featuring redesigned lugs and sides, and calibre 3235.

The Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 is also presented in redesigned case sides and lugs and new versions of calibre 2236. Amongst the many combinations available, one, in 18 carat white gold, is fitted with a white mother-of-pearl dial and a diamond-set bezel. Another, in 18 carat yellow gold, features a malachite dial with a Roman VI and IX in 18 carat yellow gold set with diamonds, and a version in 18 carat Everose gold is introduced with a diamond-paved dial inlaid with pink mother-of-pearl butterflies.

Rolex is also introducing a scintillant gem-set version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona. Created in 1963, this watch has established an extraordinary track record in the world of motor sport, rising to the rank of an icon. On this new 18 carat Everose gold version, in lieu of the emblematic tachymetric scale, the bezel is set with a gradation of sapphires in rainbow hues. The case is adorned with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds set into the lugs and crown guard, and the dial features 11 baguette-cut sapphire hour markers, each of which matches the colour of the corresponding point on the bezel. The chronograph counters are in pink Gold Crystals, a material with a particular shimmer effect, created during the crystallisation of a pink gold alloy by means of a special process developed by Rolex.

Check out the timepieces at http://www.Rolex.com/th

AT A REMOTE temple in Japan cradled by a croissant-shaped mountain range, Akinobu Tatsumi leads a rare double life – as a Buddhist monk who preaches about DJing.

The amateur music enthusiast has been dabbling in hip-hop since he was a teenager and makes clandestine recordings of his own ambient music while his temple, located in deepest Kyushu, western Japan, sleeps.

After keeping his nocturnal hobby a secret from fellow priests for years, the 38-year-old Tatsumi now gives record-spinning tips to his ageing temple-goers.

Japanese monk Akinobu Tatsumi speaks with local residents after praying in their house in Kagamimachi, Kumamoto prefecture. /AFP

“It’s true a monk does usually deliver a regular sermon,” Tatsumi says at Syousanji temple. “When I first began playing the grannies music and showing them how to scratch, they did look a little bemused.

“Around here people call me the funky monk,” the wannabe DJ saus after chanting a sutra.

Tatsumi isn’t your typical Buddhist monk.

He has long hair, tied in a ponytail, and fancies himself as a human beatbox – a genre also steeped in hip-hop culture.

Tatsumi, centre, does some beatboxing with his DJ friends./AFP

“I was influenced by hip-hop – I started listening to Run-DMC and Public Enemy,” says Tatsumi, nimbly side-stepping the issue of rap music’s explicit lyrics.

“I got into beatboxing in that way. I used to practise on the edge of a cliff, where there was a lovely echo.”

Tatsumi’s digression from Buddhist writings to scratch sermons was fraught with risk –he kept his monastic life hidden from nighttime venues where he performed.

“I didn’t tell other priests about my music, and I also hid the fact I was a priest from the bars and clubs.”

While the likes of Calvin Harris or the Chemical Brothers have little to fear from his recreational activities, Tatsumi’s love affair with music began very early – before he was even born, he claims.

“My mother used to hold a speaker to her tummy and play me classical music or ’70s disco. Later, when I discovered those records and played them, I felt I had heard them before, which was weird.”

Tatami maker Hatsuko Inazumi listens to Tatsumi performing a prayer before an altar at her house in Kagamimachi, Kumamoto prefecture./AFP 

Tatsumi takes care not to anger his fellow priests, using headphones when he mixes his music – which combines electro and dubstep with Buddhist chanting – to avoid getting into trouble.

Even when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago, he persisted with his hobby, making music from his hospital bed.

“I used to use the beep-beep of the heart monitors to make club music,” says Tatsumi, who now walks with a cane.

The one-time skateboarding monk believes his illness has brought him closer to his fellow devotees.

“I suddenly felt a connection with the aged and temple-goers who were suffering from illness or injury. These days I get on famously with the old folks!”

With 4K broadcast is now available in Thailand from TrueVisions, the next time you buy a TV set, settle for nothing less than 4K resolution.

Beginning with broadcasts of World Cup matches from Russia, TrueVisions has become the first TV operator in Thailand to beam and stream a 4K signal to subscribers.

The subscription TV provider broadcasts its channels to subscribers by beaming down from a satellite and by streaming via a fibre-optic network (CATV).

Now, TrueVisions has provided Channel 400, broadcasting wholly in 4K. It started on June 14 with the opening ceremony of World Cup 2018.

It is now using the channel to broadcast all World Cup matches in very sharp 4K resolution at a refresh rate of 50Hz. If matches are going on at the same time, TrueVisions will select one for live broadcast and the other for taped broadcast.

Current subscribers of Gold and Platinum packages are eligible to receive a 4K receiver box from TrueVisions by paying a Bt2,000 installation fee. If you subscribe for any other package, you must upgrade first.

New customers must subscribe for at least the Gold package to be eligible for a 4K receiver and must pay the installation fee and Bt1,000 deposit on the box. The deposit will be returned when your subscription ends and you hand over the box.

I recently had a chance to test the 4KOP10S box and found that it generated beautiful and sharp pictures from Channel 400. I tested it on the Sony 55-inch 4K TV 55X9000F also reviewed on this page.

The default factory setting has the box displaying in 1080 pixels, so you must have a technician switch the display to 4K 50Hz to enjoy the best-quality picture. And of course, you will need a TV that supports 4K 50Hz resolution as well.

The picture quality is very impressive. It showed a lot of details sharply, the colours were vivid and the motion was smooth. When you watch the 4K channel for a while and switch to Full HD channel, you really notice the drop in sharpness. It’s in fact half the level of 4K.

While the picture quality is terrific, I do have one gripe about the new box. It doesn’t come with a PVR function like that found on previous 1080p Full HD receivers from TrueVisions. I’m hoping TrueVisions will soon come up with new 4K receivers that also provide PVR function.

TrueVisions has said that, after the Word Cup ends next month, Channel 400 would broadcast sports and documentaries in 4K. I hope it expands that to premium movie channels as well.

KEY FACTS

– Receivers: CATV/Satellite TV

– Maximum resolution: 3,840×2,160 pixels 50Hz

– Package required: Gold or Platinum

– Installation fee: Bt2,000; new subscribers also pay a Bt1,000 deposit on the box

JBL Free true wireless in-ear headphones deliver the JBL Signature Sound. They’re a flexible companion for calls, music and an active lifestyle, assuring you of 24 hours of combined playback – four hours of continuous listening on the headphones plus 20 hours of backup from the smart charging case. Expect to pay Bt5,990.

The router for every room

Linksys Velop uses Triband and Mesh systems to make it easy to expand Wi-Fi 802.11ac signals to cover an entire house with strong signals. The maximised package has three nodes, each functioning as a Wi-Fi repeater, access point and bridge. Put them in any corner of the house. The package with one node sells for Bt7,990, two nodes Bt12,990 and three nodes Bt17,990.

Wrap your ears in this

Creative Sound Blaster-X Katana is a 2.1 soundbar with a subwoofer for an immersive audio experience while playing games and watching movies. With the Blaster-X Acoustic Engine and Dolby Digital Decoding, the audio system embodies the perfect combination of powerful 24-bit high resolution DAC and a sophisticated five-driver system.

Go slim, get the Swift

Acer’s Swift 7 SF714 notebook computer is 8.98mm thin and weighs only 1.2kg. You get an Intel Core I77Y75 processor running at 1.3GHz, 8GB of RAM, 256GB on the SSD drive and a 14-inch IPS Full HD touchscreen, all running on Windows 10 Home Edition. There’s a slot for an SIM card that supports 4G LTE connection. It’s in stores for Bt59,990.

Heavy-duty battery for a phone

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 ZB602KL is an affordable smartphone with a large 5,000mAh battery so you can watch YouTube for almost 18 hours continuously. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octacore processor running at 1.8GHz and Android 8.1 power a 5.99-inch IP/s display with 2,160×1,080-pixel resolution. It costs Bt5,990 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM, Bt6,990 for 4GB and 64GB, and Bt7,990 for 6GB and 64GB.

When South Korea introduced the phenomenon known as “hallyu” back in 2000, it’s doubtful that the world expected to be flooded by what has become known as the “Korean Wave”. Yet that’s exactly what has happened, with all things Korean – TV dramas, movies and K-pop – exerting a strong influence on global culture.

Now hallyu is being combined with the more sober meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions or MICE industry and Shinee, one of the country’s most popular K-pop boy bands, has been appointed as the official ambassador of Korea MICE Tourism.

The recent Korea MICE Expo, which had as its theme “Hallyu-meets-MICE”, offered participants new venues, activities and discussions related to popular Korean films, dramas and music. The aim, said the organisers, was to spread the Korean Wave throughout the industry and encourage more visitors to come.

SM Entertainment and Big Data experts are heading to the industry to find a new MICE business model that will serve as a qualitative growth model.

“When MICE events are held in Korea, foreign participants tell us that what’s most important to them is shopping. But they can do that anywhere so we need to find something more than shopping to have a competitive edge,” Ahn Suwook, managing director of SM Entertainment, a South Korean company, explained.

That led the company to develop more products for people to enjoy whenever it is convenient for them. SM has the culture and brand for tourism – shows, sightseeing, food, stays and shopping.”

The combination of the Korean Wave and MICE is expected to be successful and achieve its main goal – enhancing the value added and quality of Korea’s MICE industry while increasing the number of participants.

Back in 2000, hallyu’s main component was K-pop, with its vibrant music scene, featuring bright, explosive colours, as well as bizarre fashion and exciting pyrotechnics. Hallyu later expanded to include Korean art, literature, movies and TV programmes, emphasising the contemporary and with a nod to the innovative. Today it also includes old Korean traditions and customs.

Organised at Songdo Convension in Incheon last week, the 2018 edition of the Expo drew 350 Asian companies and 250 non-Asian international firms, and introduced a wealth of new programmes, among them Destination Presentations, a Knowledge Cafe and a Young MICE Professionals booth, cultural performances and tours of popular destinations.

“Korea has become a favoured destination for incentive travel, especially for groups coming from Southeast Asia,” Baeho Kim, acting executive director of the Korea MICE Bureau told The Nation.

The purpose of MICE is to boost Korea’s tourism and encourage countries to strengthen their infrastructure to accommodate large-scale international events. In Korea, both the government and private sectors are rolling up their sleeves to attract more events and group tours through MICE. The Korea Tourism Organisation has come up with various domestic and international programmes that promote the country as a MICE destination.

The convention itself brought together several booths manned by representatives of the country’s major cities, all of them promoting their tourist attractions. “Discover Incheon MICE” boasted a film location at Incheon Jemulpo Club while Gyeonsangbukdo offered such Unesco World Heritage Sites as Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Gyeongju Historic Areas, Andong Hahoe Folk Village and Yangdong Village (2010). Other booths were boldly headed “Meet Jeju”, “I Seoul U”, and “Brighter Busan”.

“Incheon’s Songdo city has many new hotels, most of them five-star, and great venues like the Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon, a hanok-style hotel. Many major companies have also settled in Songdo City and they are meeting here,” said Min Minhong, KTO’s executive vice president for international tourism.

The industry is also tempting visitors with authentic Korean experiences such as visits to traditional Korean markets, the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History; temple stays and temple food, Korean Buddhism and the multi-pronged programme “Korea, Beyond Meetings”, which offers Bikero, OME Cooking Lab, Campus Stay, DMZ Spy Tour, and Teamax Adventure, as well as a Makgeolli traditional liquor tasting experience.

Artsoombi, meanwhile, is an agency that connects artists, brand and consumers.

“More and more people are interested in cycling here in Korea because there are more and more cycling tracks over across the country,” enthused Minny Kim, who is in charge of overseas sales for Bikero, the only company in Korea allowed to rent touring bicycles and give course information.

“Actually, Korea has more than 5,000 kilometres of tracks to enjoy. I definitely recommend cyclists to ride the tracks on hills all over the country. There is also something called the grand slam, which is like a course with 85 stops and you can have a stamp for each of the special routes. If you get all the stamps, you win a medal.

“So you see, you really can experience more in Korea,” she added.

There’s nothing to match having a great 55-inch 4K Ultra HD TV set in the room when there’s a top match or an excellent movie to see. Sony’s X9000F is a wonderful choice with its excellent picture quality and ability to serve as your all-round home-entertainment hub.

It runs on the TV Android operating system, so you can download games and entertainment apps to enjoy on the huge screen. There’s a Web browser built in too, so get ready to view Facebook writ large.

Apps available for download include iflix and VLC and several from Synology to access video, photos and music. Netflix is pre-installed and there’s even a dedicated button on the remote control.

You get 16 gigabytes of onboard storage for installing apps and stashing content, and this can be expanded further with a USB-based hard drive. There are three USB ports to connect an external hard drive and two input devices at the same time.

Another nice feature is that you can use Voice search to tap Google and find content across different services without the hassle of entering text. You can also ask Voice to recommend something to watch – announce “romantic comedies”, for example, and you’ll see a list of options. A microphone is built into the remote.

You can buy 4K movies from Google Play to watch on the TV, which is nice and convenient.

In my test I had no problem installing iflix and watching the movies on offer, while VLC for Android wirelessly streamed movies stored on Synology’s DiskStation DS418 drive.

The X9000F comes with Wi-Fi 802.11ac connection and a LAN port for connecting to your home router. I hooked up to my Linksys EA8500 router in a breeze thanks to the Android OS and TV set’s builtin Chromecast.

When I was setting up, I was asked whether I had an Android phone. With that, it guided me through the Chromecast connecting function of the phone to link to the TV. The TV automatically adopted the Wi-Fi setting used on the phone. If you wish, your phone can be the remote control.

Next I was guided in tuning in to the Thai terrestrial digital channels, which was also quite easy and produced fantastic picture quality. The text of programme guide also looked crisp and was easy to read on the TV.

The X9000F really rendered sharp, clean, vivid pictures with deep black levels and with depth. The imagery in HDR 4K movies looked sharp, with stunning details right across the screen, even in shadowy areas. The TV supports a variety of HDR formats, including HDR10, Hybrid LogGamma and Dolby Vision.

The TV uses Triluminous Display, which maps from a wider palette, faithfully reproducing every shade and hue, and 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme, powerful software for handling realtime image processing. It also upscales everything you watch to near4K HDR quality.

The Object-based HDR remaster function analyses the colour in individual objects on screen and adjusts the contrast accordingly. Because objects are remastered individually, this TV can reproduce greater depth, textures and more realistic pictures.

The processor’s Super Bit Mapping 4K HDR colour-enhancement function reveals thousands of tones, shades and gradations of light in scenes like a sunset. So it creates smooth, natural 4K TV picture quality as you watch.

The engine comes with dual database processing to improve picture quality – noise reduction database used to clean the picture, reducing onscreen noise and upscale database used to upscale the resolution, improving clarity.

These two powerful image improvement databases work together, dynamically improving pixels in real time. Each database has tens of thousands of references, amassed from our experience creating content for TV and movies over the years.

The X9000F also uses 4K XReality Pro chip developed based on Sony’s knowledge from filming and developing blockbuster movies and TV shows. The chip analyses patterns in each scene and enhances them, resulting in accurate hue, saturation and brightness for incredible 4K TV resolution.

I was impressed with the 4K broadcast of World Cup matches from TrueVisions using its new 4K satellite receiver. The pictures were very sharp, the colours were very vivid and the motion was smooth.

I also enjoyed watching 4K HDR YouTube clips. The colours and details were outstanding.

Watching 4K HDR movies bought from Apple’s iTunes store on an Apple TV 4K box was also impressive, with sharp details and vivid colours.

You can select among several picture modes – Vivid, Standard, Custom, Cinema Pro, Cinema Home, Sports, Animation, PhotoVivid, PhotoStandard, PhotoCustom, Game, and Graphics.

The TV sound is quite powerful with two speakers putting out 10 watts. You can buy an optional wireless subwoofer to enhance the deep, explosive sounds in movies.

The TV can decode several Dolby Audio and DTS Audio formats. Available audio modes are Standard, Dialog, Cinema, Music, Sports and virtual SForce Front Surround,

The Sony 55X9000F has a suggested retail price of Bt52,990.

KEY SPECS

– Operating system: Android 7.0

– Display: 55inch Triluminos

– Display resolution: 3,840×2,160 pixels

– Digital TV: DVBT/T2

– Picture processor: 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme

– Clarity enhancement: 4K XReality PRO Dual database processing

– Colour enhancement: Live Colour Technology Precision Colour Mapping Super bitmapping

– Contrast enhancement: Dynamic Contrast Enhancer

Object-based HDR remaster Xtended Dynamic Range PRO

– Audio output: 10W+10W

– Speaker type: Bass reflex

– Onboard storage: 16GB

– Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11ac

– Ports: 4xHDMI, 1xUSB 3.0, 2xUSB 2.0, 1x LAN port, 1xoptical audio out, 1xcomposite videoin

– Dimensions without stand: 1,228x706x69mm

– Weight: 19.1 kilograms with stand

– Power consumption: 224W

Taking place at Siam Paragon this weekend is the “MGC-Asia Auto Fest 2018”. The expo’s concept is “The Master Class of Automotive and Style” and it features a range of world-class motor cars including Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Maserati, BMW and Mini. Honda and Nissan are also bringing along their top-of-the-range models and they’ll all be offer at special prices and with special privileges.

Actress Sririta Jensen opened the Master Group Corporation (Asia) event by turning out in an Aston Martin.

Rolls-Royce has brought its best-selling models, the Dawn, the Ghost SWB (Standard Wheel Base) and the Ghost EWB (Extended Wheel Base) and is highlighting the Dawn silver with a convertible roof top. The car firm has also joined up with Hollywood’s favourite Thai brand, Vatanika by Vatanika Patamasingha Na Ayudhya, for a fashion presentation tonight and is featuring mini-concerts on the theme “Strive for Perfection with Rolls-Royce”.

Aston Martin Bangkok presents the DB11 V8 and the Vantage S V8 Final Edition, Vanquish Coupe and Vanquish Volante.

Maserati meanwhile delivers the Levante Gran-Lusso, a popular luxury SUV with special decoration as well as the new Ghibli Diesel 275 hp with state-of-the-art technology. Also on show is the Quattroporte S 410 and all models come with a three-year guarantee and free maintenance.

Millennium Auto, official dealer of BMW and Mini, offers the full line of X-series, the plugin hybrid cars. Other activities include a Food Stylist & Photography Workshop, Wine Pairing Night and Golf Clinic plus a concert by ETC and the chance to meet Mini owners DJ Ong and DJ Art.

Summit Honda Automobile shows off its HRV, CRV, Civic and Accord models and highlights the new CMC RED.

Nissan Yokohama, official dealer for Nissan, has brought along such popular cars as the Teana, Sylphy and XTrail.

The opening event, slated for next Thursday (June 28) will features the unveiling of the full Beauty & You concept, and a spectacular K-pop celebrity guest lineup to mark the occasion.

The Shilla Duty Free’s Beauty & You concept will deliver a comprehensive beauty retail experience while ‘Beauty’ and ‘You’ together represent beauty tailored to each individual consumer and the infinite combinations of a multitude of brands. A list of premium brands new to Hong Kong International Airport include David Beckham’s global grooming brand House 99; the best of Korean and Japanese brands like The History of Whoo, su:m37o, Three, ReFa; imagemaker Nars; Italian crafted luxury leather goods labels and accessory brands Bresciani, Maglia Francesco amd Victrix; as well as fashion accessory brands like Alexander McQueen and Didier Dubot.

More than 60 new brands will join the extensive brand selection in offering an enjoyable shopping experience for travellers.

Representing how modern, travel-savvy customers shop, the new retail stores have incorporated a blend of branded and non-branded counters, as well as engagement zones where brands and categories come together under a single umbrella. These special lifestyle and themed areas are designed to enhance the retail experience through engaging customers interactively into immersive experience spaces. They include Elements – an area dedicated to gentlemen-specific products, New Generation – a section showcasing the best of Korean and Japanese cosmetics and perfume brands, and a dedicated Curated Zone where featured themes and trendy looks merge into one showcase with perfume, cosmetics and fashion products for our customers to enjoy.

Hong Kong International Airport serves more than 70 million passengers annually and 1,100 aircraft daily. Hong Kong’s proximity to other Asian countries and mainland China also makes the airport a powerful and promising hub for duty free sales.

Priority Pass has spent one year adding 141 new lounges to cater to increased demand from travellers for a premium airport experience in over 500 cities around the world.

“This year has seen significant growth for the Priority Pass programme in Asia-Pacific, with numerous new partnerships strengthening the offering for members flying in, out and within the region,” says Kevin Goldmintz, executive vice president at Collinson, the operator of Priority Pass.

“As part of our commitment to providing the best possible airport experience, we are continually improving and evolving the portfolio to better meet the needs of our members. New and exciting experiences provide more options to suit individual needs while also broadening our airport coverage.”

In Asia-Pacific, 64 lounges have been added to the network, with noteworthy expansion in Australia. Members can now benefit from the comfort of lounges in Adelaide and Melbourne airports for the first time, and also enjoy access to an additional lounge in Sydney’s Terminal 2.

There are 48 new lounges across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including new openings in Russia. Highlights include the addition of the Kandinsky Lounge at Moscow Sheremetyevo, that city’s largest and busiest airport, plus access to the prestigious Primeclass Lounge in the new Muscat International Airport in Oman.

Find out more details at http://www.PriorityPass.com.