Lai See | Singapore Airlines and the strawberry ice cream

We've been sent an intriguing account of an exchange that occurred on a recent Singapore Airlines flight. Our informant was travelling economy class together with his wife on a packed flight to Singapore. After serving the main meal, a steward came around with a tray piled high with Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Our reader's wife was offered strawberry, which she doesn't particularly like, and asked the steward if he had either chocolate or vanilla. This elicited a response that the airline's cabin services division might like to reflect on. "Sorry, madam," the steward said before continuing in all seriousness. "But no chocolate or vanilla, as everyone always asks for it as they don't like strawberry, so now we only offer strawberry." It seems hard to believe but we're assured this is what he said. Strange logic but it kept the couple amused for the rest of the trip.

The bosses at Mandarin Oriental are patting themselves on the back after completing a deal that gives them ownership of a tasty piece of real estate in an expensive part of Paris. The hotel group has bought the freehold of the building, which houses the Mandarin Oriental Paris, along with two prime street-front retail units from Societe Fonciere Lyonnaise for €290 million (HK$3.03 billion). The deal was partly funded by new five-year, €150 million debt facilities, with the balance from the group's cash reserves, the company said. "This transaction has provided our group with a rare opportunity to own a prime piece of real estate in a key gateway city, which is an important destination for our luxury brand," group chief executive Edouard Ettedgui said. The hotel is located on the prestigious Rue St Honore, within walking distance of the city's famous cultural attractions and world-class retail areas.