Jimmy Buffet at the Long Bar in Singapore

TPG hosted an amazing party party featuring the fabled Jimmy "Cheeseburger in Paradise" Buffett. The party raised funds for local charities and was held at the historic Long Bar in the iconic Raffles Hotel.

Buffett and his band played for about 100 of the region's top business leaders including many members of the BBA posse'. Ernie had the good luck to be in Singapore on Friday night and had the honor to represent BBA in the mosh pit!

Mr. Buffett had never played in Singapore before and the Long Bar was a fitting venue for the evening. The King of Key West rocked SQ with his all time favorites including Margaritaville, Changes in Latitudes, Son of Sailor and wrapped up with a raucous version of Fins! And then he joined the guests for the party. An amazing night in the Lion City!

Cham Island

Vietnam's central coast is booming -- in terms of both investment and tourism. The focal point of new investment has been Danang. It's leadership, the Danang People's Committee has been ranked by academics as one of the business friendly provinces (Vietnam has 64 provinces).

Danang is also home to an enormous strand of beautiful beach front property. Many of the world's best luxury hotels are looking at developing sites there. BBA is looking at these opportunities for its clients, and Ha and Ernie spent some time there in January (with respective spouses) including a trip to Cham Island -- a beautiful treasure that is just a 20 minute boat ride off the coast.

Also nearby is the World Heritage site, the ancient city of Hoi An.

The Merger - VN-Canada in Blockbuster Merger!

WEDDING IN HANOI – Ha & Alex

On a spectacularly crisp day in Hanoi, with the beautiful red leaves of the ancient sua trees glimmering under the clear blue sky, BBA’s own Nguyen Viet Ha wed Canada’s Alexander Legendre. Ernie and Sam hurried to Hanoi after the New Year to witness the ceremony and then joined the newly-weds for their honeymoon in Hoi An.

Ha was a stunning, wearing traditional Vietnamese wedding dresses – one red, to greet the gleeful throng of guests that ranged from octogenarian uncles to exuberant nephews and nieces and a cross section of Hanoi’s most interesting and charming denizens – and one white, for the ceremony, speeches, cutting of the cake and zither riff.

The ceremony took place on January 6, a date divined by the keenest of the Ba Dinh District’s astrologers. The event was the other half of the Montreal part of the wedding that took place in November. Ha and Alex are now official!

Between them, Ha and Alex speak six or seven languages, hold half a dozen degrees and harbor two of the meanest top-hand forehands that international tennis has ever witnessed. Their children will not only be beautiful and smart, but they are sure to be curious, worldly and aces on the courts.

Love was in the air in Hanoi, and the crimson leaves of Hanoi glowed all day – no doubt honoring their maple leaf counterparts in Montreal. A good omen for a fantastic couple!