I read something in a book about practical jokes when I was a kid. I didn’t know it at the time but it was actually a psychology experiment. Basically what the book tells you to do is to stand in the middle of a crowded place and start looking up – at nothing in particular. It goes on to postulate that people would either pass by and take furtive glances at what you’re looking at or plain stop and stare with you.
It’s universal and also called “rubbernecking”. You’re basically inciting curiosity just by actively participating in something.
Anyway, the reason I suddenly remember that good ol’ book of mine was coz I was at Sunway Pyramid with Bonnie last weekend. There was this installation with boards, a dune of molded sand and a letterbox with a background vista. It was an ambient structure and no one even paused to glance at it…
…until we started to fool around and camwhore with it. It’s quite interesting to see how people stop, gape and start to want to participate. It went from a stone cold installation when we first got there to a hot one where we even had to queue to take more shots with it. Funny how it just takes one to get the ball rolling eh?
This is an AirAsiaX Perth contest where you take a photo with the installation in the most creative way possible to stand a chance to win a trip to Perth for two. The theme at Sunway Pyramid is sandboarding in Kalbarri and there is a picture of two girls in a default pose, which most people (that came after us) emulated. I reckon we could do much better (or at least Bonnie could, with her flexibility).
1. De facto pose
2. Cheesy dual camwhore
3. My #fail handstand. Sorry AirAsiaX, I nearly destroyed your structure when I fell down. 😉
4. Bonnie does a headstand – she’s into capoeira which comes in very handy for this. I, on the other hand, is very good in looking nonchalant. Heh.
5. Our piece de resistance! This is the one I’m going to submit. Bonnie is doing the Escorpio (Scorpion in Brazilian Portuguese) in the foreground to enhance the ambient installation – she is in fact, a prop in this pose. She’s the scorpion in the sand dunes in Kalbarri, Perth while I am dusting imaginary sand off my flip flops while sitting on a sand board.
There are installations in 1 Utama, Pavilion KL and Sunway Pyramid and all you need to do is to pose with the installation and email it to get a chance to win a trip for two to Perth. If you have terrible bearings, the first thing you should do is to approach the information counter and have them point you in the right direction. If you’re not comfortable with posing in public spaces, hey, be like Nike and Just Do It. I guarantee you there will be people looking and wanting a piece of the action once you get started.
Who did you think took our pictures? Random strangers posing with the structure who helped us with our photos once they were done.
I think our submission is pretty good. I really hope we win this contest. I swear, we spent almost an hour there doing various poses. We even came in the appropriate attire. I didn’t destroy the structure from a bad fall and Bonnie emerged intact without having to put on a neck brace. 😉
Try and beat our awesome poses by going to one of the installations. Check out the Perth contest post on the AirAsia blog for more details! We really want to win the contest but we’re confident our submission will be a pretty formidable one anyway. #winning
I just came back from a trip to Kuantan where I got to swim in the blue seas and get some planking photos done. Heh!
You’ve all heard of the phenomenon that started in Australia and swept worldwide…unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few months, that is. It really only hit mainstream news when someone died while planking on a balcony.
I’ve seen some crazy stunts by plankers on the Planking Facebook page which started it all. What is planking? In a nutshell, all you do is lie face down with your hands by your side at the most ridiculous places. It’s just as simple as that.
I did the heated swimming pool rail at the resort (or at least tried to). This is a totally failed planking attempt since it’s really hard to balance on a wet and slippery 10 cm rail and perform a perfect plank.
The good: I was cheered on by a bunch of people vacationing there and chilling in the pool. Plus, since it is the Hyatt Grand Regency Resort, none of the staff wanted to be the one to stop a paying guest at a 5 star hotel. Heh!
The bad: I have bruises everywhere and my family jewels hurt like nobody’s business. Why? Think about it. It’s a 45 degree railing. You’re planking on a steep downward incline, trying to get the perfect form. It’s wet. When you lose your grip (what grip?), guess which part of your anatomy hits the rail before you slide into the pool or fall on the side? Yes, ouch indeed. -_-
I also did the notorious balcony planking photo there. We were at the 4th floor so it wasn’t very high up and the rail was relatively large enough to do it without an excessive chance of you falling down and ending in the ER. It’s not the perfect form but it’s close enough without being too dangerous. Also, if you look, there is a safety awning which would probably hold my weight if I fell down the wrong side of the building.
I have to say though, planking is a very idiotic meme that has swept the net for reasons unknown. It’s dangerous and it’s stupid. I suggest you do something better with your time…like playing the Funbots Dance Facebook app!
It’s also another Facebook activity so there’s that in common. Heh! It’s basically a game by Munchy’s to celebrate their 20th anniversary. They’ve been around since 1991 and this year, in the spirit of the Share the Fun campaign, four Funbots have been created – Michael Oven, DJ Mixer, ChopChop, and BeatBox. Witty!
There’s a real life parallel to this – the Funbot characters will begin their physical journey from 19th May, starting at the Munchy’s factory in Batu Pahat and ending in 1 Utama Oval Concourse where there will be a grand celebration from 1-5th June. Mark your calendars now coz fun and games await! Come and join the celebrations! 🙂
In the meantime, stay out of trouble and play the Funbots Dance app on Munchy’s Facebook page. It’s strangely addictive and you get to win prizes including a Macbook Pro, iPad 2 and other Apple products instead of a trip to the hospital. 😉
You can also track the progress of the Funbots journey to 1 Utama on the page. Come and beat my score now! w00t!
What makes people evil? What is evil? Does “evil” merely mean “different” e.g. beyond the norms of what society (which obviously means the majority) expects a person to behave? Or do you think there is a gene that causes pure evil to manifest?
One of my favorite phrases is the one that go “True evil is defined by the antipathy of the common man to society’s ills”.
Well, I’m not about to go into a religious or philosophical debate but I’ve always been fascinated by the Italian/Sicilian Mafia in the glory days. They were villains, but somehow, gentlemanly villains. They were suave, dressed well and offers you…well, offers you can’t refuse. 😉
The omerta (code of silence) is a fascinating thing, sociologically speaking – it worked until the Mafia started to get into the narcotics trade which carries a far heavier sentence. I reckon the RICO act was the death of organized crime as it is.
I just came back from Australia where I went to the renowned Casino Beef Week 2011 in Casino, New South Wales. Casino as in the small rural Australian town, not the place where people wager hard earned money on. Anyway, the theme for this year was simply “Italian” and a lot of the residents came out dressed like Mafiosi.
I reckon the Mafia is the gold standard in villainy – a lot of people aspire to be like them (at least the ones who are still in their teens anyway ;)) but you have to hand it to them – it is an impressive organization.
However, there are much cooler villains – like the ones in DC comics. I have to say my favorite has gotta be Joker from Batman Begins. Who would have thought “Why so serious?” would become a catchphrase for ages and psychopathic (or at least sociopathic) behavior has become the embodiment of cool?
Who is your favorite super villain?
I’m asking coz there’s an awesome party coming up and you will get to dress as your favorite super villain!
Details:
Encore is back the themed event Super Villains where you get to test out 4 new signature cocktails (Captain Jack, Juggernaut, Lady Luck & Red Sonja) priced at RM 17 each (or two for RM 30). There will be only 100 of these to be served during the night.
You can also mix you own cocktails and after 11 pm, there will be 4 hot dancers to spice up the night. Super Villains will be the theme of the night so expect dressed your favorite villains to make an appearance serving you.
HORECA throws great parties; I’ve always attended all their events. In the spirit of the subject of villainy, let’s hear your thoughts on the Scared Pose Look (TM) that we thought up while we were down under.
Who do you think has the best scared pose? It’s the same set and setting, at an apartment we were staying at in Byron Bay:
Model #1: Ringo
Model #2: Alycia
Choose one and tell me why you think they have the most scared pose and I’ll give 2 free drink vouchers each for the 5 most creative comments. Just comment before 4 pm on 1st June!
I also have extra drink vouchers so if you bump into me there, tell me to buy you one of their signature cocktails…that is, if I haven’t already used it myself. 😉 Come and have a blast with us this 1st of June. I’ve just got one question for you…
My first car was a second hand vehicle I picked up during my university years in Melbourne, Australia. The cars are cheap over there, especially used cars, and it’s served me well during my time there. I was rather sad to see it go.
However, it does make me wonder – if I were in Malaysia at that time, what car would I choose as my first car?
Well, if I used the same selection criteria, it would have to be economical, fuel efficient and yet look awesome. I can really only see one possible selection here.
Did you know that the Myvi is the bestselling car in Malaysia for 4 years running? I can see why it’s so popular – it’s priced cheaper than most other cars in the market and unlike other Malaysian made cars, this one actually looks great!
The Myvi is a result of a collaboration between Perodua with Toyota and Daihatsu and even Richard Hammond (of Top Gear fame) praised the Perodua Myvi. I know a lot of people who owned Myvi’s as their first car – some of them still drive them. It is a rather neat car and the size and engine makes it very practical for use in Malaysia with our traffic congestion and parking problems.
On another related matter (you’ll see), the song Marry You by Bruno Mars has been stuck in my head for ages. I saw the glee version of it first and I didn’t know who the original artists were. I was a bit appalled when I found out it was Bruno Mars coz I don’t listen to pop music so I decided this would be my secret guilty pleasure. 😉
I’ve always liked how the cast of glee can break into song and dance at the drop of a hat and pull it off so well. I can’t sing to save my life. People PAY me to stay out of their karaokes. 😉
Okay, I’m exaggerating there but you get the point. I’m basically tone deaf but I like to sing anyway. I love singing in the shower, when I work, and I occasionally also inflict my horrible singing upon all and sundry. This is one of those times.
I made a video with my own version of Marry You – I totally butchered the lyrics, of course. It’s meant to be a bit of a parody, like the fun and quirky Singaporean “remakes” of popular songs back in the ’90s, and most importantly, leave a happy vibe. Don’t let my singing put you off, check out the video that I made:
This video is for The Perodua Auditions in conjunction with the launch of the Perodua Facebook page. They’re running a contest where you can win RM 10,000 by making a video and sharing it with your friends. The video can be about anything – sing, dance, act, jump, scream or just show why you’re Perodua’s biggest fan and upload it. Don’t forget to include the line “Perodua, lagi best” as part of your video – it’s the only requirement. 🙂
Feel free to submit as many videos as you want as this contest does not require proof of purchase or anything ridiculous like that to enter. You can get a better chance at winning the RM 10,000 grand prize if by sharing it with your friends and getting them to vote for you. There will be also 5 consolation prizes of an iPad 2!
Well, not this one, this is the custom engraved iPad 2 that I just got, but a new iPad 2.
Like the new Perodua Facebook page now and start uploading your videos and sharing them in The Perodua Auditions to be a winner! RM 10,000 and iPad 2’s are up for grabs, so it’s nothing to sneeze at, and it’s just so easy to join. 🙂
The United States Declaration of Independence has an oft quoted line – Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. It’s misunderstood by a lot of people. Your happiness is not guaranteed…the sentence is supposed to give you the basic unalienable human rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (emphasis mine).
What is happiness? Well, it depends on the individual but it is your right to seek your own happiness. To me, happiness is a state of mind where you’re content with everything in your life.
Happiness is something money cannot buy. A lot of people are unhappy about their financial situation but I believe that’s an unnecessary worry. The Chinese has a proverb that goes “Money is something that you can always earn back when you lose it”. There’s another phrase that goes “There will be water if God wills it” but that comes from the less reputable and more modern Dark Tower series of books by Stephen King. 😉
Happiness is a state of mind that I always try to strive for. I’m happy when I’m doing the things I like such as travelling. It enriches me and makes me a more understanding and better person when I meet new people and learn about new cultures. I’m even happier when I’m spending quality time with loved ones – friends, family, my girlfriend.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the rat race and forget about the simple things in life that lifts your mood:
Finding a parking space as soon as you enter a full car park
The smell of freshly cut grass
Laughing at corny jokes
Having a baby smile at you
A fellow commuter stopping to let you drive out of a particularly busy exit
Waking up and realizing it’s the weekend so you can sleep in
Watching a sweet TVC that makes you smile
These are all little things which makes yout day just that little bit brighter. It has a cumulative effect and happiness is highly contagious – it’s like laughter. It’s meant to be shared. 🙂
I watched the Cadbury TVC and repeated it twice coz it was just so sweet. I found it adorable – the simple sweet joy (pun not intended) that permeates the entire commercial. It has all the elements done right – the humor, the camaraderie of neighborhood love, and a dash of romance.
I took it upon myself to make a video similar to that. I was in Miri, Sarawak at that time to help my girlfriend move her stuff to KL. We spent a weekend in the Marriott Resort and Spa in Miri. It’s located right on the beach by the South China Sea and we booked a chalet facing the pool and sea.
You just need to open the sliding glass door to get out. There’s a balcony which is less than 10 meters from the pool – it’s almost like having a pool right at your doorstep!
I thought up the idea of having a series of unfortunate events much like the original TVC. The entire video was shot over a period of 2 days. I didn’t have a professional videographer so I had to think of how to get the scenes right.
I also wanted a “happy” vibe so everything is shot in daylight – it’s bright and sunny with no indoor scenes except the initial phone call. I’ll go through the more interesting bits to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the video. 🙂
The splash
The first mishap you see (the one where I exit the house just to get splashed by a wayward neighbor’s dirty mop water) is done using a tripod. The one holding the bucket is…*drumroll*…Jeanie herself. The bucket was too heavy for her and we had to do two takes. I ended up changing coz the first splash totally failed – she went into the scene, propelled by the momentum and weight of the bucket of water.
We filled it with less water in the second take. I didn’t want to use up the rapidly dwindling backpack of attire I brought along. 😡
The car not being able to start
You’ll see the same car in the next scene so I did an extreme close up so you won’t see the make, model or color of the car. 🙂
The accident scene
This one wasn’t too hard to do. It only required the two of us to pull it off. I filmed Jeanie driving towards me. I told her to put her foot on the gas and not worry about hitting me.
After that part was filmed, I passed the camera to her and she filmed me being caught like a deer in the headlights as the car (apparently) came barreling down on me.
The next scene was me twitching on the car bonnet after being “hit”. It took some video transitions to make it look comically realistic (without actually hitting me with the car).
It was originally longer but I thought the bit where I ended up wandering about dazed after being hit was a little too much so I cut it from the editing board. You can watch the full original scene here:
I spent a lot of time editing the videos – it’s a good learning process but it took me the better part of 3 days of almost continuous tweaking to get the timing and synchronization right. I’m a newbie in video production, thus the learning curve.
The sea
This is one of the scenes that I took out of the video as I thought it won’t contribute much to it. The beach walk also had to be sped up 4x so it won’t drag on.
The underwater scene
This is a bit of a retrofit. It was meant to be all fluff – a cool video taken underwater. I have a waterproof digicam and I figured it would be nifty to take a video underwater. I knew it won’t make much sense since I appear with my shirt on in the next scene…until I saw someone being escorted out by security.
The Marriott has a strict policy – only guests are allowed to use the resort facilities and The Proverbial Light Bulb (TM) came on. It shall be the scene where I evade the guards!
I put that in the caption (used the Confucius angle), and the rest, as they say, is history.
The end scene
After all those trials and tribulations, we finally shot the last scene beside the pool. There’s this comfy sofa and we enlisted the help of a kind lady from France who was more than obliged to help us film this scene. The inter-cuts you see at the end is filmed by us – I did her and she did me.
The chocolate
I swear this was the hardest part of the video – we went to several different shops in Miri but none of them had Cadbury Dairy Milk. They have others – the ones with nuts, Old Gold, and others…but not the original. It took us 2 hours before we stumbled upon a shop that sells it. I bought 5 x 75 gram bars.
I then realized that it was the old packaging when I chanced upon a shop with the new packaging. I bought more of it and re-shot some of the scenes again. I have a lot of chocolate now but I love Cadbury Dairy Milk so it’s all good. 😀
We actually did share it – there were a couple of kids running around in the resort and I passed them several bars. I thought their parents would balk – candy from strangers and all that, but they thanked us for it and one even bought us drinks from the poolside bar.
The kids loved it. One of them came up to me and she showed me her toy – a launcher she was playing with beside the pool that launches a baby dinosaur up into the air by pumping air into the tube. That was the highlight of doing the video – sharing the Cadbury chocolate and seeing the little ones enjoying it by the pool during their holiday. 🙂
I passed by the newly relocated KFC at KLCC with Jeanie a few days ago. I haven’t eaten for 24 hours prior to this (we were down with a bug) and was quite keen to get started. I noticed they have a new promotion going on – the KFC O.R. Chicken Chop with mushroom gravy.
The latest version!
I remember having KFC’s O.R. Chicken Chop back in 2006 so I was keen to check out the new and improved version. We both ordered it and this seems to be a whole different incarnation. The platter of the good stuff came with a chicken chop, some potato wedges, sweet corn kernels and mushroom sauce served on the side.
This is KFC’s ’06 varient – you can tell by the smaller photo – that was the standard size in my blog back then. 🙂
Chicken chop is a uniquely Malaysian dish – created by Hainanese cooks back when the British ruled the lands. However, it has become a standard feature in a lot of places now. KFC’s variant is slightly better – it’s also de-boned so you can eat the entire drumstick (chicken chop is always made with a drumstick) but it’s battered and fried in the tradition of KFC’s Original Recipe.
The KFC O.R. Chicken Chop (circa 2011) is very crispy on the outside and retains the tender chicken juices on the inside. The have also improved on the mushroom sauce this time around. I like how it’s served on the side so you can decide how much you want on your chicken chop.
However, the best part about the KFC O.R. Chicken Chop is the addition of sweet corn kernels. I love sweet corn and this provides a whole new dimension to the dish – there’s a sweet component when you shovel some of the corn into your mouth and it goes very well with the chicken chop – a very nice touch!
The KFC O.R. Chicken Chop with mushroom gravy combo retails for RM 9.90 with all of the above and a drink of Mountain Dew. It was so good we finished everything except for the potato wedges (my stomach has shrunk during the 24 hours without food).
The KFC O.R. Chicken Chop with mushroom gravy is a wonderful option when you pass by a KFC outlet the next time. It’s quite different from their 2006 incarnation and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…
I remember my first trip to New Zealand – my entire family went with another family for our first landing (one of the prerequisites to get a Permanent Residency). We arrived at Christchurch and rented a caravan large enough for our family of 4 and their family of 4 and did nothing except go to prospective high schools to prepare for our education there two years later.
The first few days were a drag – we went to several schools before deciding on either Burnside or Riccarton high school. Next was the search for a home stay since we were minors and my dad finally settled for one right behind Riccarton High School (which was the one we ended up going to).
The rest of the time however was marvelous – we spent a couple of days in Christchurch, swung down to Dunedin (primarily to prepare me and my sister for medical school – she made it, I didn’t), met with the steepest road in the entire world before heading to the North Island.
We pretty much toured the entire NZ in 3 weeks just by driving. My favorite place would be Rotorua – the air smells like sulfur and everything is more expensive than other towns but I loved the mud baths and our motel even had its own private spa!
I was also an adventure fiend back then and went for this precarious ride called the luge (and got teased mercilessly by the other family’s twin sisters for pronouncing it loo-gee) where I nearly shit my pants by intentionally steering down “Advanced” instead of “Beginner” and careening down the side of a hill with sheer cliffs and nothing but centrifugal force to avoid you from tipping over.
I got out all wobbly legged and was properly chastised for heading down the Advanced route when I’m not supposed to.
I also went bungee jumping – AJ Hackett originated from New Zealand, but to be honest, the luge experience scared me more than the bungee jump coz I was supposed to steer but I didn’t know how to.
Fast forward two years and I found myself studying in Christchurch. My parents decided on RHS primarily coz it had a low ratio of Asian students compared to Burnside. They are firm believers of fitting in and immersing yourself into another culture, which I guess rubbed off on me during my travels.
I joined the drama club (best thing that happened to me) and had a leading role in the end-of-year school play Peer Gynt. I also got kicked out of school for disciplinary issues but we shall not be discussing that today. 😉
The year that I spent in Christchurch was a lot of fun. The temperature drops down to the negatives in winter and despite being only 15 years old, I was very active in the rave scene. I can be seen at Ministry most weekends, which is where most of the good raves are found. I love eating fish and chips loaded with ketchup during the colder days of the year and explored every nook and cranny of the city (as much as a 15 year old who hung out with uni students who could drive did).
Christchurch is a beautiful city and although I’ve been to Auckland late last year to see my mom, sister and niece, I still prefer Christchurch to Auckland. It’s like how I love Melbourne but can’t get into the groove of Sydney.
It’s a perfect place with quiet spots like Church Corner with its quaint dairies (a grocery store of sorts where you can get hot food and drinks) and yet with a vibrant night life, if you know where to look. You can even hang out in the city square where there is a huge ass chessboard with equally gigantic pieces.
Christchurch is also great as a base to REALLY travel around New Zealand. Just rent a car and explore the South Island before hooking back up north.
It’s been ages since I’ve been back to Christchurch and I’ll really love to see how much it has changed (and perhaps see my old principal, whom I had a lot of run-ins with and show him I didn’t turn out to be a total delinquent after all ;)) so it was great news when I heard that AirAsia X is now flying to Christchurch from an amazing RM 499 one way!
Man, you gotta give AirAsia X kudos, they’re adding more and more destinations exponentially – it really makes travel much easier at a great value!
You can also get the chance to win an awesome 7D/6N holiday in New Zealand courtesy of AirAsiaX by participating in the Faces Go Places contest on their Facebook page. Just upload a photo of your face to their Facebook application, which has a variety of activities you can match an expression to. Add a caption and share it with your friends to get votes. It’s that easy!
This is my maniacally excited face. Heh! The Faces Go Places contest is where it’s at. Come on then, give us your best shot mate! 😉
I went to the launch of the Tupperware One Touch Airtight Challenge a couple of days back. It was held in Aquaria, KLCC. I was there quite early and Joanna spotted me from the registration counter. I was interested in what Tupperware was unveiling since I heard it was going to be something unusual.
I met Christine and Ee Ling inside the cordoned off area. I was talking to Ee Ling (Senior Manager of Marketing Communications & Corporate Affairs) about the Tupperware brand. Somewhere during the conversation, it was mentioned that they have added new colors to the containers to counter the “aunty” image of Tupperware.
I was surprised – that is news to me! I’ve been living with Tupperware for ages – lunch boxes and water containers when I was in primary school – it has always been a premium brand to me. Heck, I was telling my girlfriend that I’ll be attending a Tupperware event and her first reaction was to get all excited and ask if they’ll be giving away Tupperware containers as door gifts.
I told her I didn’t know, maybe, maybe not. It turns out that Tupperware WAS indeed kind enough to give us some. I’m sure that’s going to make my girlfriend very happy. Heh!
You know, back in the days way before man roamed the Earth (and people and to walk 3,000 miles to go to school – one way) people used a lot of interesting but ultimately slap dish ways of maintaining freshness. I call this period of darkness BT (Before Tupperware).
One of the common things that my grandma’s generation does is to use a serviette (or a piece of newspaper) to “seal” a container tighter – this container usually being a cream cracker aluminium tin. They were big fans of recycling and reusing stuff back then. 😉
It’s all well and good but it doesn’t work very well – the mee sua (longevity noodles) that was given to me for my birthday started going a bit off. It won’t keep very long, unless it’s in a REAL airtight container, not something an old Martha Stewart playing MacGyver thought up several generations ago for making a semi air tight container. 😉
Anyway, back to the Tupperware One Touch Airtight Challenge launch, have you ever wondered why the snacks you put inside Tupperware never goes stale? It’s airtight! In fact it’s so airtight they’re putting a Samsung Galaxy Tab inside it and submerging the Tupperware in a glass aquarium!
Karen of Tupperware went down in SCUBA gear for the launch of the Airtight One Touch Challenge. She was accompanied by two other divers who were feeding food to the fish in the huge tank in Aquaria, KLCC.
The Tupperware One Touch container she’s carrying in this video has a Samsung Galaxy Tab inside it! It’s switched on and fully functional. It’s meant to show the air tight capabilities of the Tupperware One Touch container.
There was a banner unfurled underwater and turtles slowly gliding past us – it really was a grand launch. 🙂
We were brought on a tour around Aquaria, KLCC and reached another area of the aquarium where there will be a permanent fixture of a Samsung Galaxy Tablet inside a Tupperware One Touch container. The unique thing about this is the placement of the container – it’s inside an aquarium in DEEPFOREST.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is fully functional – I tried calling it from my cell phone and it rang with my number on it! It’s going to be there for about two months and it’s there for a reason. More about that later!
Tea was served after the launch and we headed back with goodies galore from Tupperware. We received a box of One Touch airtight containers and I’ve already put it into good use!
I bought some of my favorite cookies – this one is replacing Tim Tams as my favorite due to its slightly more complex coconut flavor. It’s two biscuits sandwiching a chocolate center. Arnott’s Kingston biscuits, which I hated when I was going through university in Melbourne but have grown to love now.
The problem with buying cookies is that I can’t finish them in one sitting (but chips is another matter) and if you just put it in the fridge, it goes a bit off and absorbs the other smells in your refrigerator. 😡
It’s just not meant to be stored that way…which is why the packages have “Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place” printed on it. Now that I have the Tupperware One Touch containers, I can indulge without having to worry about finishing the entire pack or risk it going bad.
This allows me to make great discoveries like this Italian delight. Forno Bonomi Savoiardi Ladyfingers is awesome! It tastes great when you dunk it into hot coffee – the entire biscuit rapidly absorbs the liquid like a sponge. You can even make a no-bake tiramisu with the biscuits when you’re bored of eating it.
I also included my current favorite brand of chocolate chip cookies (from the US of course). This is Pepperidge Farm Sausalito Milk Chocolate Macadamia with whole macadamia nuts in a chocolate chip cookie. It’s not cloyingly sweet…in fact it’s rather bland (in a good way) compared to most choc chip cookies – you can taste the subtle flavors – definitely a product for adults.
…and my current favorite snack – Burger King’s onion rings! It’s also made in the USA and it’s quite expensive at RM 9. However it tastes REALLY good and somewhat like the real onion rings from BK. Of course, onion rings from BK would be cheaper but it won’t be as crunchy as this!
I have the gene that causes me to eat a whole bag of chips so putting this into a Tupperware container makes the excuse “Oh it’s going to go stale if I don’t finish it so I might as well eat the whole bag” moot. 🙂
I like how the One Touch containers are stack-able too – it really saves space – the snacks and cookies go into one cupboard and the noodles go into another.
I’m loving it!
Do you want to win your own Tupperware hampers and Samsung Galaxy Tabs? Just type <TupperwareAirtight>space<Your Name> and send to 012 783 0790. It’s a regular cell phone number, not one of those short codes where you have to pay though your nose to text. I like the consideration given – you only pay the regular SMS charges that your cell provider charges! 🙂
Every 100th SMS received will get a Tupperware hamper full of products worth RM 50 and a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab! There are three (3) Samsung Galaxy Tabs to be won. The contest ends on the 31st May 2011 and you can actually see it happen in real life if you head down to Aquaria, KLCC!
Just go to the DEEPFOREST section and look for the aquarium with the Tupperware One Touch container with the Samsung Galaxy Tab inside. It’s fun to text and see your SMS appear. 😉
The number you’re looking for is 012 783 0790. Head on over to Tupperware’s Facebook page for more information on the contest!
It was a hot and lazy Sunday afternoon – my girlfriend just came over to work in KL the night before and we stayed up late to unpack. By the time we hit the sack it was already dawn. We slept in and the clock blinked 2:00 PM when we woke up. I was famished!
The problem with finding food at 3 pm in the afternoon (after showering and all) is that a lot of places are closed for lunch, and dinner hasn’t started yet. It’s the period of limbo between the two main meals of the day when most places just hunker down to weather out the heat.
I decided to bring her to Island Cafe in SS2. It’s one of those HK style restaurants which offers everything from lamb chops to fried noodles and peanut butter toast in between. It’s open at odd hours, it’s near to my place and they serve beer. In my books, that makes it a great place. 🙂
Nothing beats a cold bottle of beer on a hot afternoon to go with your lunch.
I ordered my usual – Pumpkin Cheese Baked Rice with Pork (RM 16.90). I love this dish coz it’s slightly different from the regular run-of-the-mill cheese baked rice other places offer – it’s baked and served in an actual pumpkin.
I love pumpkin – it’s an acquired taste, I hear, coz a lot of people don’t like it. It’s sweet and the Pumpkin Cheese Baked Rice is made in such a way that the sweetness of the pumpkin is infused into the rice. It’s topped with two pork chops and melted cheese. You can even eat the pumpkin flesh if you dig into it with a spoon – the “bowl” is a real pumpkin.
I noticed that Island Cafe has Kilkenny in bottles. I didn’t know they serve Kilkenny over here! I usually drink Kilkenny draft from pubs. I thought it would be nice to get a bottle to go with my lunch, considering the heat.
Jeanie had the Bamboo Rice (RM 15.90) which is basically fried rice served in a bamboo container with chicken wings on the side. However, it tastes surprisingly good with Kilkenny. I like experimenting food pairings with beer. It’s more common with wine but the more flavorful beers like Kilkenny goes well with certain dishes too!
Jeanie also had a glass of the Irish beer with her rice. She thought it was rather unusual but novel to drink Kilkenny outside of a bar. She loves Kilkenny too but like me, her experience is limited to bars. I just found out that it was only recently that Kilkenny produced bottles for sale in certain modern food courts, cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars that does not already serve Kilkenny Draught.
I think it’s great! The taste is pretty similar (although Kilkenny on tap tastes a bit smoother) and it’s nice to have the option of ordering an ale instead of the usual lagers while out eating local food.
I reckon it beats the hell out of the Mango Snow Ice (RM 8.50+) Jeanie had for dessert. I’ll prefer another bottle of Kilkenny as dessert. 😉
There’s nothing better than an icy cold, sweating bottle of Kilkenny in your hand while eating a long lunch during weekends. It’s good to see it come out of the pubs and into modern food courts, cafes and restaurants so that I can drink it when I crave for local food. 🙂
I attended a dinner hosted by Singapore Tourism Board a couple of days ago at Delucca, One Residency. The dinner was held to unveil the new YourSingapore.com site on the digital front with a blogger engagement program. It just so happens that I’m one of the two bloggers going on an all expenses paid trip to Singapore! 🙂
The restaurant was decked out with banners displaying the different facets of Singapore. That’s the lovely Kristine over there – in hindsight, it was a bad idea to stand next to her in my color clashing outfit. 😉 I just got back to KL and most of my wardrobe is still at the laundry. Heh!
Fresh here was the one who pointed out that my shirt and jeans color combination makes her want to stab her own eyes out with a hot poker. Okay, she didn’t exactly say those words but that was the gist of it. Easy to say when you have a color matching outfit to the romance themed banner. :p
I love the themed banners in the restaurant displaying the different facets of Singapore. There was a bit of mingling around and then we all settled down for dinner.
Delucca is an Italian restaurant with a simple but superb starter of bread drizzled with olive oil and oregano.
I’m an avid traveller and I love to go for everything from long trips to Europe to short sojourns a few hours drive away from KL. It’s a passion that my family has imbued in me – we have a tradition of going on at least one family vacation a year.
I first visited Singapore when I was 7 years old. I can’t remember the details of it but I remember it as a very safe place. It still is – I was there 8 months ago, and I had no worries at all walking down the street at 3 am in the morning. I don’t believe there’s any other city in the world where you can do that without fear of being mugged or worse.
Well, Singapore has changed a lot since then. It’s a constantly changing city – that’s part of the appeal – they manage to preserve their heritage while moving forward and modernizing the city. It’s the perfect tourist destination. It was when I went on all those annual family trips and it still is. I just turned 30 and I’ll continue the family tradition with my own when the time comes. 🙂
Back to the dinner, there was a lot of good food and wine. I particularly liked the Panzanella Gamberetto – it’s a Tuscan bread salad with poached fresh water prawns, cherry tomatoes, shallots, olives and balsamic dressing. The prawns were succulent!
It was a great start to the launch of the new website. Gerald, the Area Director of Singapore Tourism Board took the stage and went through YourSingapore.com – their new site which allows you to see country specific promotions, upcoming events and festivals and even an intuitive travel planner where you can organize your own itinerary.
They also have a Facebook page where you can see the latest offers and promotions. It’s a great platform for interacting with the Singapore Tourism Board staff and other like minded travellers. There are discussions about everything Singapore and the Facebook page nicely complements the YourSingapore.com website by providing a sense of community.
I was filming the speech when I heard that I was one of the bloggers who will be going to Singapore based on the itinerary that I made earlier this week. w00t!
I’ll be going to see The Lion King musical at Marina Bay Sands! This is the first South-East Asian premiere and tickets were given out during the dinner along with shopping vouchers during a contest. I’ve seen the cast perform at West End when I went to London earlier this year and it’ll be great to see the Singapore production. I hear the cast is sourced from London too!
Another highlight would be Voyage de la Vie, the theatrical rock circus by Mark Fisher at Resorts World Sentosa. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this and I can’t wait to see it for myself.
I also put Universal Studios Singapore into my itinerary – it’s a place that I’ll love to visit. I’m a huge fan of Battlestar Galactica (it’s an intelligent science fiction series – kinda like Star Trek for mature audiences who can understand the nuances of politics) and there a new ride based on the show. It’s dubbed a “duelling roller coaster” with two simultaneous rides going around and with near collisions mere centimeters apart! I’m excited already. Heh!
My itinerary is a mixture of culture, adventure, nature and pleasure so I named it such. You can view it here or plan your very own itinerary. It’s really user friendly and everything Singapore has to offer is categorized with excerpts so you can just drag and drop to plan your trip there.
I also added some island hopping action (did you know you can see dolphins in Singapore?), a bit of nightlife (you haven’t been to Singapore until you’ve sipped the original Singapore Sling in Long Bar at Raffles Hotel), and a pampering session at a spa.
The best thing about YourSingapore.com (besides the nifty itinerary planner, which caters for everything from travel to health care tourism) is the country specific deals. There is a lot of promotions going on and you can choose whatever floats your boat.
There’s one in particular that caught my eye – the Ultimate Fun at Universal Studios Singapore, Resorts World Singapore package which starts from 1st April to 31st July 2011. You can choose to stay from a variety of hotels – including Hard Rock Hotel Singapore and 2 x 1 day adult passes into Universal Studios Singapore. You’ll also get Resorts World Sentosa Singapore gift vouchers worth S$25 and other offers. Choose from a 2D/1N or 3D/2N stay and the prices starts from just S$488 for two!
I think that’s a really great deal.
It was a great dinner and everyone went home with something even if they didn’t win the prizes in the contest. Thanks Singapore Tourism Board!
YourSingapore.com allows you to see Singapore YOUR WAY. You can create your own itinerary or choose one of their suggested itineraries and customize it. It’s one of the best official tourism websites I’ve ever seen. Hop on over and check it out for yourself.
#winning 
