What do Liu Wen, Aki Hoshino, Eunice Olsen, Aishwarya Rai, Shin Min Ah, Nadine Ann Thomas, Sonia Sui, Jessica Cambensy, Dominique Agisca Diyose, Aung San Suu Kyi and Cherman Ploy Boonyasak have in common?

They are all listed in Esquire magazine’s “atlas” of sexiest women alive 2010.

US actress Minka Kelly is at the top of the heap as the Sexiest Woman Alive, and was made Esquire’s cover girl for its November 2010 issue.

Minka Kelly on the cover of Esquire Magazine November 2010

A total of 195 women were singled out by editors of Esquire’s 17 international editions. They were picked for representing “something different, something beautiful, something that reveals a little bit more about who we are.”

There were some beauty queens on the list, as well as politicians, actresses, singers, and models. Among the popular ones on the list are actresses Diane Kruger and Rachel Hunter, model Gisele Bundchen, Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, model Daisy Fuentes, and musician Andrea Corr. Political figures, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, were not left out.

The magazine, which picked one woman per country for its Sexiest Woman Alive Atlas, has included stars like Barbados-born Rihanna, Iceland’s Bjork and India’s Aishwarya Rai in its atlas of 195 women.

Here are the Esquire’s sexiest women alive from 25 Asian countries, listed in alphabetical order.

Afghanistan – Malalai Joya

Afghanistan's Malalai Joya

Malalai Joya, born April 25 1978, is an Afghan politician who has been called “the bravest woman in Afghanistan.”

TIME magazine named Malalai Joya to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Foreign Policy Magazine listed Malalai Joya in its annual list of the Top 100 Global Thinkers. Her most memorable quote is: “I don’t fear death, I fear remaining silent in the face of injustice.”

She was chosen because she won’t be silenced. Because she takes the grand ideals of Afghanistan’s fledgling democracy at face value. And because her condemnations before parliament of warlords, drug lords, the Taliban, and the Karzai government are as courageous as any battlefield heroics, earning her worldwide admiration — and a few assassination attempts.

Bangladesh – Anika Kabir Shokh

Bangladesh's Anika Kabir Shokh

Anika Kabir Shokh, born in Dhaka in 1983, is the hottest and sexiest Bangladeshi model and actress. She makes Bangladeshis drool as the spokeswoman for Nokia.

Bhutan – Tshering Yangzom-Tashigang

Bhutan's Tshering Yangzom-Tashigang

Tshering was anointed Best Model at the 2008 Miss Bhutan pageant. The event’s motto: beauty with a cause.

Brunei – Maria

Brunei's Maria

Maria (real name Meria Aires), born February 16 1989, is the most successful female singer in the tiny oil-rich sultanate of Brunei. Maria won the Most Popular Female Artist award at the 2008 Radio Television Brunei awards. She is known for her high-pitched voice and her hit  single “Bisik Hati,”

Burma – Aung San Suu Kyi

Cambodia's Somaly Mam

This is what a rebel does: meets violent suppression from freedom with words (“It is not power that corrupts but fear”), risks her life for democracy, gets elected prime minister only to have Myanmar’s military force her out, wins a Nobel Peace Prize for it, gets imprisoned for twenty years for it, and begins her release fighting for one thing and one thing only: the right to vote.

Cambodia – Somaly Mam

Cambodia's Somaly Mam

Orphaned as a result of Pol Pot’s reign of terror, left for dead in the Cambodian jungle, and sold into sex slavery, Mam has written a sobering account of her life — The Road of Lost Innocence — and dedicated herself to the fight against sex trafficking. She happens to have a lovely smile.

China – Liu Wen

China's Liu Wen

Chinese supermodel Liu Wen, born January 27 1988, is the first woman of East Asian descent to walk the Victoria’s Secret runway show last year and is the first Asian face for beauty giant Estee Lauder. She is currently ranked 10th on the Top 50 Models Women List by models.com. She was chosen because “She is a top model who started her career in 2005 when she entered the New Silk Road World Model Contest. In 2009, she became the first woman of East Asian descent to walk the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. She is natural and pure, like a clear fountain of water.”

Hong Kong – Jessica Cambensy

Hong Kong's Jessica C.

Jessica C. is supposedly half-American half-Chinese though in all probability she is American/Filipino. Having worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Japan for such high profile companies as Clinique, L’Oreal, Max Factor and now Brilliage Japan through Satoru Japan Inc, she certainly has what can only be described as ’supermodel’ status. Esquire’s comments on her: “The model world in Hong Kong has never been this excited since Jessica C. burst into the scene with her sweet, goggling eyes. Many before her have taken the same express elevator to stardom but have quickly dissolved into obscurity due to their lack of work ethics.”

India – Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

India's Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, born 1 November 1973, is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 1994. During her career, Rai has acted in over 40 movies in Hindi, English, Tamil and Bengali, which include a number of international productions. She is often cited by the media as the most beautiful woman in the world.

Indonesia – Dominique Agisca Diyose

Indonesia's Dominique Agisca Diyose

Dominique Agisca Diyose, born on August 7 1988, is Indonesia’s Top Model and also an actress.  Esquire’s comments on her: “She’s a tough cookie charting her own path, not through increased exposure but by selecting acting roles we will remember. She has magnetic, gorgeous eyes, sexy legs, lovely skin, and a knockout smile.”

Japan – Aki Hoshino

Japan's Aki Hoshino

Aki Hoshino, born March 14 1977, is a Japanese bikini idol. She has appeared in various men’s magazines, such as Sabra and television shows. The Pamela Anderson of Japan, she is incredibly popular after releasing dozens of low-budget DVDs and regularly appearing on television doing absurd things like pitching to baffled Japanese baseball players or competing on Japanese game shows. Men in Japan refer her as the “Angel of Japan”.

Laos – Boutsady Soudavong

Laos' Boutsady Soudavong

Boutsady Soudavong is a Laotian martial arts exponent. She was chosen for looking pretty calm about the whole “totally getting jump-kicked” thing.

Malaysia – Nadine Ann Thomas

Malaysia's Nadine Ann Thomas

23 year old Nadine Ann Thomas from Subang Jaya, Malaysia is the Miss Universe Malaysia 2010. Nadine is an event and talent coordinator. She was once a chubby, acne-pocked teen with braces, only to grow up and represent her country at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant.

Mongolia – Gundegmaa Otrya

Mongolia's Gundegmaa Otryad

Gundegmaa Otryad, born May 23, 1978, is a Mongolian pistol shooter who won thr silver medal in the women’s 25-meter sport pistol at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Nepal – Dichen Lachman

Nepal's Dichen Lachman

Dichen Lachman, born 22 February 1982, is an Australian actress notable for appearing in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Katya Kinski and the American science fiction thriller Dollhouse as Sierra. She was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, and lived in Nepal until she was eight years old, before her family moved to Adelaide, Australia. Her mother was born in India and is of Tibetan descent, and her father is an Australian

North Korea – Jong Song-ok

North Korea's Jong Song-Ok

Jong Song-ok, born 18 August 1974, is a female long-distance runner from North Korea, who won the world title in the women’s marathon at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics in Seville, Spain, beating a top field that included Olympic and World Champions, to bring North Korea its first ever medal at a major sporting event.

Pakistan – Meera

Pakistan's Meera

Meera was born in Lahore to Syed Mohammad Server Shah and Syeda Shafqat Zahra Bukhari. Meera’s mother is a former educationist and has also been a teacher, and her father was an architect. During her career, Meera has acted in over two hundred films including Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi. Meera has won the Best Actress award ten times and she has established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Pakistani film industry.She has received death threats after filming a kissing scene in Nazar.

Philippines – Maria Ressa

Philippines' Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa is a journalist, head of ABS-CBN’s News and Current Affairs Division.

Esquire.com said the reason they chose was Ressa was this: “Despite her size, fearless enough to write an eyewitness account of Al-Qaeda.”

Singapore – Eunice Olsen

Singapore's Eunice Olsen

Singaporean actress and TV host Eunice Elizabeth Olsen, born 24 October 1977, is a former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) from Singapore. She is well known for having been the winner of the Miss Singapore Universe contest in 2000 and went on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in Cyprus where she did not place in the semi finals. Olsen was included “because she went from Miss Universe contestant to (becoming) the youngest Member of Parliament in four years”, the American magazine wrote on its website in October.

South Korea – Shin Min Ah

South Korea's Shin Min Ah

Shin Min Ah, born April 5 1984, is a South Korean model and actress. She debuted as a model for KiKi Magazine and has since appeared in many CF (commercial film) advertisements, becoming one of the most in-demand CF endorsers in South Korea. Aside from acting in films and TV dramas, she has also appeared in numerous K-Pop music videos, notably for G.O.D. She was picked for being a “fashion icon”. “She’s starred in many TV shows and films. She’s considered one of Korea’s hottest fashion icons. Korea is under Shin Min-Ah’s spell right now.”

Sri Lanka – Ishanka Madurasinghe

Sri Lanka's Ishanka Madurasinghe

Ishanka Madurasinghe is Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2010. The 23 year old History student at Kelaniya University has this to say: “My Ultimate goal is to represent Sri Lanka internationally at the Miss Universe pageant and I’m sure the experience I have gained during past pageants as well as in the field of academics will help me better represent my country.”

Taiwan – Sonia Sui

Taiwan's Sonia Sui

Sonia Sui (real name Sui Tang) is a model and actress in Taiwan. She is best known for her role as a fashion model under the management of Catwalk Modeling Agency. “She models, acts, and even contributes to Esquire Taiwan. She’s genuine and witty. Her smile is attractive.”

Thailand – Cherman ‘Ploy’ Boonyasak

Thailand's Chermarn Ploy Boonyasak

Cherman Boonyasak ( also known as Lila Boonyasak), nicknamed Ploy, is a popular Thai actress who has been appearing in films as far back as the year 2000 with an appearance in a little known film called Satang where she is credited as Laila Boonyasak.  Esquire’s comments about her reads “She can be very sexy without any ‘sexy’ pose or doing anything. She can be very sexy reading a phone book. That’s Ploy.”

Timor-Leste – Lúcia Maria Brandão Freitas Lobato

Lúcia Maria Brandão Freitas Lobato, born 7 November 1965 is an East Timorese politician, currently serving as Minister of Justice. She is a member of the National Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party.

Vietnam – Veronica Ngô Thanh Vân

Vietnam's Ngo Thanh Van

Veronica Ngô Thanh Vân, born on 26^th February 1979, is a Vietnamese dancer, singer, actress, and model. She is also known as Veronica Ngo and by  her initials NTV. She is reputedly better known than MTV in parts of the Far East.

It’s Gawai Dayak and I would like to wish my very good Iban friend David in Brunei a very happy Gawai and “Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai”!

I got to know David about 13 years ago and we have become very good friends. David is also known as the Brunei Wildman. Before you start conjuring images of an abominable jungle man in your mind, let me assure you that David is actually a nice fun-loving guy and also an MBA graduate.

The Brunei Wildman dressed in Iban warrior costume

David has a passion for primitive arts, handicrafts and antique and has a big collection of such items. He has an in-depth knowledge of Iban customs and cultures and is thus able to explain to you the story or significance behind these arts and handicrafts. Though he does not have any retail outlet, he is one person whom a lot of people will look for when they want to buy handicrafts or antiques in Brunei.

Celebrities who had purchased handicrafts and antiques from him when they visited Brunei includes actress Brooke Shields, tennis star Andre Agassi, Chelsea Clinton and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.  Don’t believe me? See the photos below.

The Brunei Wildman With Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi

The Brunei Wildman with Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill & Hillary Clinton

The Brunei Wildman with Madeleine Albright

Want to know more about the Dayaks? Contact the Brunei Wildman.  Looking for antiques? Contact the Brunei Wildman. Want an eco-tourism tour when you visit Brunei? Contact the Brunei Wildman. He is sure to make your trip to Brunei a very memorable one. David (aka the Brunei Wildman) can be reached at bruneiwildman@yahoo.com.

I have been planning to make  a trip to Brunei for quite a while now but last minute circumstances forced me to postpone my trip on two previous occasions. This morning I decided to just make the trip so my wife, my younger son Les and I left Miri for Brunei at about 8.45 am this morning.

It has been quite a few months since my last visit to Brunei. Arriving at the Malaysian side of the Sg Tujoh border, I was surprised to see the many new shophouses under construction. A lot of the existing shophouses there seem to be “white elephants”. Maybe the new shops will boost the economic activity at the border once completed. I would not be surprised to see restaurants, pubs and so-called “foot reflexology and spas” commencing operations there. These “foot reflexology and spas” are all over the places in Miri and have given rise to a lot of complaints especially from housewives whose husbands seem to be coming home late nowadays. The population of “dragon ladies” or ladies from China have shot up quite a lot in tandem with the mushrooming “foot reflexology and spas”.

We went through the Malaysian immigration and custom checkpoints without much delay but it was a different story on the Brunei side of the border. We got through the Brunei immigration checkpoint quite promptly but getting through the Brunei custom checkpoint was a test of your driving guts. They had three immigration checkpoints open but only one custom checkpoint was open. So cars from the three immigration checkpoints all converged on one custom checkpoint. You need a bit of driving guts to manoeuvre your way into the  queue. From my past experience, I was able to get my car to the checkpoint quite quickly. I was asked to fill a vehicle registration form so I had to park my car and fill the form. I guess that slowed down our journey a bit.

Cars from three immigration checkpoints converging on a single custom checkpoint

We arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan at about 10.30 am. We went to Hua Ho Supermarket in Yayasan Complex where I bought some chocolates for my ex-colleagues in Teck Guan Plaza. I went alone to the fifth floor of Teck Guan Plaza intending to give my ex-colleagues there a surprise. But instead I was in for a surprise! The boss had given them the day off today. Luckily my previous assistant Marissa was doing overtime and we had a good chat for over half an hour.

Teck Guan Plaza where I worked for 10 years in one of the offices on the top floor

After leaving Teck Guan Plaza, I went to the waterfront to take some photos of Kampong Ayer (Water Village) where people live in houses built on stilts above the river. This is one of the major tourist attractions of Brunei.

Kampong Ayer

Water taxis with the awter village and a royal palace in the distant background

A woman boarding a water taxi to go to Kampong Ayer

Proceeding on to Yayasan Complex to meet up with my family, I took some photos of Yayasan Complex and the famous Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque. The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is one of the most spectacular mosques in Asia Pacific and is one of the major tourist attraction. The mosque is constructed on an artificial lagoon near the banks of the Brunei River. There is a marble bridge connecting the mosque to a ceremonial ship-shaped structure. The main dome of the mosque is covered in pure gold! The weather was very hot and I was sweating profusely on my forehead when I finally met up with my family.

Yayasan Complex with the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in the background

Another view of Yayasan Complex and the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

The famous Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

Another view of the mosque

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and the ceremonial ship

We went to Teo Poi Hoon Restaurant in Kiulap for lunch. We opted for the set lunch for three consisting of sweet corn soup, fried broccoli, salad prawn and butter chicken plus  iced “cincau” (grass jelly) for dessert. This set lunch was very reasonably priced at B$38……we enjoyed the food.

Sweet corn soup...nice!

Brocolli fried with carrots and mushrooms

Salad prawn with papaya and winter melon.....yummy!

Butter chicken.....a bit too sweet but still not bad.

We popped in to the nearby Hua Ho Supermarket to continue shopping……ended up buying quite a bit of foodstuff and tidbits including a cheese cake and a kahlua cake.

On our way to the Gadong SupaSave, we stopped at NBT to take photos of their impressive Christmas decor. NBT Brunei has always put up very creative Christmas decor every year. And I must add that I have not seen such nice Christmas decor in Sarawak.

At Gadong SupaSave, we bought some foodstuffs and tidbits again before popping in to the Sin You Me  Restaurant to have a drink and to wait for my friend Ken. After chatting with Ken for half an hour or so, we began our journey back to Miri. We left Bandar Seri Begawan at about 4.30pm and arrived home in Miri at about 6.00pm. Because it was  a day trip and partly due to the hot weather, we were real tired on reaching home.

Buah dabai is native to Sarawak and Brunei. The skin of the oblong-shape fruits are white in colour when immature, turning blue-black when ripe. The flesh inside is white or yellow and covers a single large three angled seed. The skin is edible but some people don’t like to eat the skin so they just suck out the flesh and throw away the skin. It is good to eat the skin as it contains fibres. But don’t be alarmed if you happen to see black traces in your faeces……they are the skin of the dabai, haha!

The fruits cannot be eaten straight from the trees. They have to be  soaked in hot water (about 55 degree Celcius) until they soften (Never use boiling hot water as that would make the fruits taste weird). Then either sprinkled with a little salt or soy sauce plus sugar and shake lightly.

The kernel or nut inside the seed is also edible. You need a chopper to hack the seed into half and then just use a toothpick to pry out the kernel. Be careful when you are hacking the seeds…they may fly off like missiles! If these “missiles” hit someone’s eye or a glass window, it can cause damages, so be warned!