Nuffnang

FIFA Online 2: Football. MMO style.

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football

Football is practically the national sport of Malaysia. It’s like dengue, just more insidious. Football fever hits most red-blooded males every four years (World Cup) and we have seasonal outbreaks during the major leagues as well. Symptoms of the infection include a zombie-like appearance at work (due to lack of sleep) and the sports section of the office newspaper mysteriously disappearing.

‘Tis the season again, where football fans gather at mamaks all around Malaysia. I know coz (very) loud cheering can be heard when goals are scored by the punters favorite teams. It’s the EPL 2008/2009 season and things can get so loud and raucous that a mamak 200 meters down the road can wake you up with their boisterous celebration! If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, I say.

I’m sure a lot of gamers out there have heard of the FIFA series. I have a friend who was obsessed with the game back in high school. Of course, we didn’t have broadband back then (think 33.6 k modems) but now with the massive broadband penetration, the latest iteration of the FIFA football game franchise has gone online! 

fifa

Think of an online football MMO (!). It’s just something that hasn’t been done before. 

dvdkit

I managed to get my hands on the EA SportsTM FIFA Online 2 DVD kit before it was launched. There is a bonus code in each DVD pack that gives you a special item. The Open Beta Test (OBT) is going on now so you can also download the game client at the official site. 

medikit

There is a Bonus Game Item in the DVD kit, which can either give you LP (not the vinyl, or the Hokkien phrase – League Points, the in-game currency), Uniform Cards (which awards a mystery player to your team), or a Medical Kit (heals injured players). I got the medical kit with my code. 

tutorial

The game guides you with tutorials to familiarize yourself with the game, which would be useful for those who haven’t played a football game before. The tutorials covers the basics, attacking, defending, passing – it’s good enough for you to try your luck in a real match…preferably with a similarly ranked player so you won’t get thrashed too badly. 😉 

start

EA SportsTM FIFA Online 2 plays like a football game with RPG elements. You start out with (next to) nothing, a bottom feeder, and work your way up through the leagues. You win points by winning matches and your players “level up” throughout the matches. It’s a persistent game world so all your stats are retained the next time you log on! Nifty.

chat

The interface allows you to chat with other players on the server and arrange for matches. I’ve been talking to some of the people in the pre-game chat room and found out that a lot of them are from KL too. 

match

I started my first match with someone who also happens to live in Kelana Jaya (imagine the coincidence) and got thoroughly trashed by him. I blame multitasking for my defeat, my phone rang while I was playing and he didn’t stop attacking despite the fact that I’m AFK. :p 

mamak

The best part about EA SportsTM FIFA Online 2 is the social interaction. After my defeat, he asked if I would be interested in catching the EPL game tonight at the mamak near my place. A couple of his friends are going as well, so I’m going to drop by too and watch the game.

You can get the EA SPORTSTM FIFA Online 2 CD from 7-Eleven and Popular Bookstores starting 23rd January 2009. It’s an official licensed product of FIFA!

In conjunction with the nationwide launch, a special tournament will be held at selected Internet Cafes. Check with your friendly neighborhood cyber café to see if they’re organizing this event.

Do you think you have what it takes? There’s also the ASEAN Championships scheduled in September 2009 with real life prizes to be won, so get your player lineup ready to beat the best of the best in our part of the world!

You’ll be playing against people from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Taiwan in the ASEAN Championships and the winner of each country will be flown down to Singapore for an on-site match with a total prize bounty of USD 100,000. (!)

My only beef with EA SportsTM FIFA Online 2 is that I’m used to playing FPS games like Quake (ranked #42 in PGL too, back in the days) and my favorite line was “Death from above!”. Well, there’s no “above” on a football field so I can’t use my trademark taunt anymore. Oh well. Perhaps I shall resort to taking a football with me and dropping it on my new EA SportsTM FIFA Online 2 buddy’s head later.

Except I don’t know him IRL and he might not be amused. 😉

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans

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lycans booth

I went to the Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans premiere screening last night courtesy of the good people at Nuffnang. It was held at Cineleisure at The Curve and security was pretty tight since the movie will only be released on the 22nd of January.

lycans nuffnang

There were people in RELA uniforms (?) patrolling the cinema throughout the movie, which kinda adds to the viewing experience. Heh!

UNDERWRL_INTL_DF-01165_r

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans is actually a prequel to the first two series. It goes a lot into the history behind the vampires (OMG! They’ve been with us since eons!) and the character development of Viktor (which you’ll remember from the first Underworld). You’ll get to see Sonja (Rhona Mitra) generally kicking ass and chewing bubble gum (except bubble gum wasn’t invented yet) at that point.

lycans keychain

I managed to get an Rise of the Lycans keychain and a poster of the movie. =D

lycans-poster

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans will be in cinemas starting from the 22nd of January. I won’t spoil it for you, but don’t miss it if you’re an Underworld fan. I loved the movie! I’ve been a big fan of the franchise ever since I watched the first two back to back in Melbourne.

ruumz launch @ Mist, Bangsar Avenue

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mist bangsar

I went to Mist at Bangsar Avenue to attend the ruumz launch a couple of days ago. Mist has this really nifty tagline – Invigorate Intoxicate Impeccable. 🙂

ruumz

I have learned the advanced art of camwhoring. It is the hidden technique lost to man for many, many eons and recently rediscovered – the age-old sucking-your-cheeks-in-to-make-yourself-look-thinner stance. 😉

siao ling

I met Siao Ling, the Tuborg girl right after entering Mist. I’m not sure she appreciates being called that, but you must admit, it’s pretty catchy and easy to remember. 😉

ruumate

Be your ruummate? Can.

launch

The list of the usual suspects were there…

ginny

Got names dy. L-R: Natalie, Huai Bin, Jane, Ginny. This is the first time I met Nat and Jane.

zoe

Zoe who is hardly old enough to get into a club.

zoe cheesed

I prefer this photo. Haha! She looks so cheesed off. 😉

get in

Get in.

nuffnang

The Nuffnang people. Yee Hou is damn pro at camwhoring.

timothy

Timothy

nicholas

Nicholas

pinky

Pinky. This one got boyfriend liaw, cannot kiss. 😉

robb

Robb. Was it as good for you as it was for me? 😉

mellissa

Mellissa!

carol

Carol!

pillow

Rachel won this ruumz pillow but was kind enough to give it to me. I took it to camwhore with various people coz I like the tagline – my ruum or yours? I’m still wondering where that pillow ended up. I borrowed it to someone who never returned it. *cough* !

loved

Oh, it feels so good to be loved…

lasting

Unfortunately, the arcane art of camwhoring that I was practicing had the unintentional side effect of lasting the entire night. Oops…my bad. 😉

firdy

Firdy has mad skillz, yo. He can do the Matrix bullet dodging thing.

18sx

Things started getting a little 18SX after that with a lot of people being inebriated…so we shall stop here to avoid incriminating photos from being posted. 😉

elaine daly

I got a photo with Elaine Daly. =D

You are a You:nique snowflake

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hqnine

It was getting dark and I’ve been on the road for close to an hour. I stopped to ask for directions multiple times but I get conflicting instructions and end up driving around in circles. However, there is (neon) light at the end of the tunnel – I spotted the HQnine signage at TTDI! I was supposed to meet up with Nicholas for a couple of drinks at HQnine…it’s more comfortable than a rat-infested roadside mamak, that’s for sure.

speach

It seems that we have (inadvertently?) gate-crashed an event – it was a sneak preview at Alliance Bank’s new You:nique credit card. Except they call it the Picture Card, and with good reason too – you can put your own photo (or any other photo for that matter) on the face of the card! I don’t have any reservations against admitting my narcissistic tendencies – I can already imagine my likeness on the face of the credit card. Imagine the looks you’ll be getting when you pull out a credit card with your photo on it from your wallet! =D

younique

The card face is a tabula rasa – that’s “blank slate” for those of you who failed Latin. 😉 You get to choose what goes on top of the credit card. It’s revolutionary! You can either upload your own photo or choose a photo (except anything from goat.cx or veritas’ archives) and personalize your credit card!

We were subjected, er…I mean treated to a presentation by the good people at Alliance Bank about the features of the You:nique Picture Card. The website has a very user-friendly step-by-step process to guide you through the process of creating your very own personalized credit card.

pam

The presentation concluded with a question and answer session, with the poor people at Alliance fielding all sorts of stupid questions. My apologies, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people…with yours truly being one of them. 😉 I managed to glean quite a few details about the card that night from the barrage of questions I unleashed.

options

The amazing thing about the You:nique picture card is that you can choose the features you want!

Bargain hunter?



Choose Great Rebates – it gives you a 2% cash rebate for ALL retail purchases! Cash rebates regardless of where you shop…I can smell the demise of retail-credit card partnerships for specific store rebates. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. 😉

Strapped for cash?



Choose Great Rates – it offers a flat finance charge of 9% per annum instead of the 18% other banks are charging you right now. I think this plan is going to put a lot of loan sharks out of business – interest rates are finally dropping below the “unlicensed credit facilities” benchmark. Heh! It’s perfect for people like me, who spend more than what they earn. 😉

Love rewards?



Choose Great Rewards with its 2x (that’s DOUBLE) points reward for every retail purchase. You don’t have to wait for “promotion periods” – Alliance gives you TBP (Timeless Bonus Points) so you get twice the bang for your buck every time you swipe. It’s “promotion period” 24/7, 375 days a year with the You:nique credit card*!

* Except for leap years. It’ll be 366 days a year for leap years. Scared you with the asterisk, didn’t I? 😉

girls

It’s the first credit card in Malaysia to offer you the chance to personalize the face of the credit card. It’s also the first to allow you to CHOOSE the type of reward scheme you want! They agreed to match my credit limit, so I’m going to get one…a sixthseal.com Alliance Bank You:nique card! I already have a couple of designs in mind to customize the Picture Card.

…because just like you, I am a beautiful and You:nique snowflake. 😉

Saying it with Music Telegrams

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I’ve always had a HUGE crush on Jun-Jun Riko. Unfortunately, I missed her posting on a boyfriend vacancy so I have been bidding my time for the outpouring of my love for her. Well, it seems that great minds think alike (?) coz the feelings are reciprocal!

jjr

I didn’t even know until I sent her a random email declaring my love for her.

Flowers are getting so passé nowadays, sometimes you just gotta say it with music. Music soothes even the savage beast and all that.

send

Plus, it only costs RM 5 for a full track compared to at least RM 100 for flowers. They’re having a 50% discount now so it’s just RM 2.50 for a full track! Very easy on the wallet considering I’m quite pok kai this month. I’m doing mosaic on her number so that you all won’t be chomping at the bit to get to this delicious morsel. Pun intended. 😉

I’ve heard the DiGi commercials on Hitz FM with outrageous (in a good way) dedications…a student sending his love to his teacher and a girl breaking up with her boyfriend coz she now prefers women are two memorable ones. I LOLed while driving to the office on that one.

It seems that the more controversial the dedication is, the more likely it will be played on air. Plus, the more interesting dedications will have the honor of the DiGi Music Squad actually going over (!!!) to the recipient’s location to play the song! The band will even perform the song live! Check it out at the Radio Promo microsite.

jjr-dedicate

However, true love cannot wait (even though I’ve held it back for so long) so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I logged on to DiGi’s Music Store, chose an appropriate song and sent it to her cell phone.
 
I have known her cell phone number for ages but never did muster up the courage to call, fearing rejection.

With this nifty new method, I can easily pass it off as “Eh, I send to wrong number, sorry ya” should the recipient be less-than-receptive to my amorous advances. 😉

david

I sent the Music Telegram her way (it was David Archuleta – Crush) and she called me back and sent me photos saying that she feels the exact same way.

jjr-thanks

I’ve got a date scheduled with her on Saturday night.

Wish me luck, everyone. 😉

Opening: Professional Assassin (Please send CV and passport sized photo)

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assassin

I’ve always wanted to be a hitman ever since I was a little kid. People go through phases of wanting to be a policeman (or fireman) and progress to something more prestigious like a doctor (or lawyer) before settling on a realistic degree like computer science. Not me.

All I’ve ever wanted to be was an assassin. Not just your run of the mill assassin, mind, but a professional assassin. Utilizing various tools of the trade to deadly effect, and disappearing without a trace after the hit. Money flows into bank accounts in the Cayman Islands (or Aruba, or whichever country is in vogue for money laundering now) and you proceed to the next assignment.

However, I have a problem with hyperhidrosis. That’s a fancy medical term for excessive sweating. Thus, I gave up on my dreams coz you can’t really pull a ninja and sneak into someone’s house and patiently hide for 12 hours until he returns if you have underarm odor. You can’t be covert if your target can smell you from a mile away.

Thus, I was ecstatic when Rexona passed me a Rexona Men Absolute Survival Kit. Finally, my dreams can be realized. At last – a solution to the stumbling block of my dream career! I can finally give up my day job and become…a professional assassin.

rexona kit

I think they somehow knew what I wanted coz inside the kit was a Swiss Army knife and a (very) bright LED light. They also threw in a compass, perhaps from reading about the logistical problems I’ve been having driving around KL. Thus armed with the survival kit, I can finally go on my path of wanton destruction, carving a swath of dead bodies across the Klang Valley.

The Rexona Men Quantum provides me with 24-hour anti-perspirant protection. This is very useful, not just in the scenario outlined above, but also for those all-important client meetings. It helps me keep my cool and maintain a professional façade (while smelling fresh) during face-to-face meetings.

devious

I have met up with several potential clients. The above is not a benign bloggers meet but a covert collective discussion about “getting rid” of certain other bloggers to increase traffic and income flow. Just look at the devious expressions on our faces. I must admit, I look a little bit out of place wearing a shirt and a tie at a mamak but I am learning…

starbucks

One very positive client I met at Starbucks BB Plaza (wearing a casual Quiksilver shirt with a cigarette dangling in hand to blend in with the lala crowd at Sungai Wang – I learn fast) was with a poor girl who wants to “off” her good for nothing alcoholic boyfriend. I hear the last straw for her is the boyfriend committing the horrific crime of keeping her up late from the incessant updating of his stupid blog.

Her identity will not be revealed of course, but I have already assembled the tools of my trade:

tools of trade

You might not think a pair of scissors can do much, but remember what your mother told you about running with a pair.

Wooden chopsticks may look harmless to you, but it could poke out an eye or two.

A can opener does not look dangerous at all, but wait till I open up a can of whoopass…er, I mean Campbell’s soup and use the sharp edges against you. We’ll see what you think about can openers then, eh? :p

zohan

Even a hairdryer can do a lot of damage (as demonstrated in You Don’t Mess With The Zohan).

I bet you wouldn’t want me to drop it inside your bathtub while you’re in it. 😉

hitman

I have started to become a master of disguise, dressed like a professional for a hit inside a corporate environment (really, sometime office politics are taken to the extreme)…

berettas

…or dressed like a street kid, ready to ruin someone’s perfectly good day.

apply

I have gotten quite good at it too, taking a shower and applying Rexona Men Power before going through my wardrobe for the suitable attire for the current hit.

The last thing you will see is me shining a light in your eye and a stab to your jugular vein before you kick the bucket. With Rexona Men’s line of 24-hour anti-perspirant deodorants, I can easily hide inside your home for the entire day, just waiting for you to come back at night.

No sweat.

Rexona Absolute Extreme Contest is based on the premise of writing about your dreams. If there was no limit to what you could do, what would your life be like?

Step 1: Write a blog entry on the theme “If I had an ABSOLUTE EXTREME life”. The style, content and length of this post is entirely up to you – be crazy, be cute, be funny, be extreme.

Step 2: Following the theme, take a photo of yourself in your most extreme moment with a bottle of Rexona Men Absolute Protection deodorant and include it with your entry. Push your imagination to the limit!

Step 3: Then, drop an email to rexonaabsolute@nuffnang.com with your full name and permalink of your written blog post before 29 January 2008 and you can stand a chance to win these prizes:

EXTREME PRIZES

Grand Prize x 1: Full Day Car Drifting Course (car provided)
2nd Prize x 1: White Water Rafting Experience for 2
3rd Prize x 1: Adventure Hike at Gombak Forest Reserve for 4
Consolation prizes x 7: Rexona Men Absolute Survival Kit

The contest prizes are really interesting. I would love to snag the full day car drifting course, using the provided car of course. I don’t want to crash my own car – I need it for my next assignment.

directions

I know I’ll have a huge problem doing this in KL since the roads are so messed up I feel like killing myself. I can’t complete a scheduled hit if I can’t be there on time (or understand the instructions to get there).

deodorant

I need to put the Rexona Men Ice Cool deodorant in my car just to cope with the stress of driving here…

Excuse me, I have to be somewhere. A business dispute has spiraled out of control and I’m needed to…uncomplicated matters. 😉

Double date with Berry and Lemon

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highlands

I have been reading about Berry and Lemon’s dismal travel repertoire on their blog. I come from Sarawak so it’s something akin to heresy to hear that they haven’t been to East Malaysia before this. Thus, I took it upon myself to take them on my trip to Cameron Highlands. It’s a double date of sorts – me and my girlfriend and the two lovebirds (loveberries?).

tudor

I was browsing through Berry and Lemon’s blog and read about the Ribena with Lemon Greatest Love contest they’re running and decided to join in the fun. I figured Cameron Highlands would be the perfect place to shoot the photos for the “Most Romantic” category so I loaded my car boot with heaps of Ribena with Lemon and drove up.

contest

The Ribena with Lemon Greatest Love contest is separated into two categories – “The Greatest Lover” is judged with the most Ribena with Lemon bottles or mobile packs in a single picture while “Most Romantic” is judged with the most creative entry featuring at least one Ribena with Lemon bottle or mobile pack in the most romantic manner possible.

To increase my chances, I decided to join both. 😉

Most Romantic

romantic

This was taken at Bala’s Chalet @ Cameron Highlands where we stayed.

romantic 2

The place has a really nice garden, very Tudor style English ambiance.

1

It’s supposed to show me looking affectionately at the couple (Berry and Lemon) in the garden where we had tea and scones. My purple cardigan matches the Ribena colors too. This is the one I submitted.

2

There is also one with the four of us – the double date. =D

The Greatest Lover

don

My theme for this is The Godfather. The Don of Ribena with Lemon. Real power cannot be given. It must be taken. 😉

making

I joined both of the contests, spending a staggering amount on Ribena with Lemon bottles. I went to Giant Mall to purchase a box of Ribena with Lemon but they didn’t have any in stock so I just grabbed whatever I could off the shelves and headed over to 7-Eleven, took whatever they had and proceeded to a smaller Giant (pun not intended) and swiped all their Ribena with Lemon bottles.

The Ribena with Lemon Greatest Love Contest is open until the 20th of December, 2008. You can join both categories and submit as many photos as you want. However, you’re only entitled to win from one category. The prizes are:

 The Greatest Lover Category

lover-prizes

 The Most Romantic Category

romantic-prizes

I am interested in snagging the Dell Notebook from either category. There is a recent spate of…domestic disputes, shall we say, over the use of the only notebook in our condo. I need it to update my blog and my girlfriend wants to watch HK drama series on it.

I’m sure Berry and Lemon can understand, and for the sake of love, take our predicament into consideration when judging the entries. 😉

Join the Ribena with Lemon Greatest Love contest at ribena.com.my.

Camwhoring @ vPOST Nuffnang Singapore Christmas Bash 2008

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jihad

I am Osama bin Laden and I have managed to smuggle two grenades despite the foolish US attempts to blindfold me and tie my hands behind my back. Jihad! Death to infidels! Or something.

gang

The Malaysian Nuffnangers PJ Centerpoint gang – KY, Huai Bin, Elaine, Eiling, Suanie.

fa

The FireAngel herself.

nick

Nicholas from Nuffnang!

pinky

Pinky from Nuffnang!

yh

Yee Hou from Nuffnang!

cindy tey

OMG! Cindy Tey of MDG fame.

jolyn

Why you wanna dominate me like this Jolyn?

ginny nat

Okay, put on your scary faces Ginny and Nath, I’m taking all you down with me. Explosive duct (grenade) taped (stuck) in my mouth, and nothing’s gonna change my mind. I won’t listen…to anyone’s last words. There’s nothing left for you to say, coz soon you’ll be dead anyway. 😉

Nuffnangers head down for the vPOST Christmas Bash 2008 in Singapore!

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makan

I know, I know, I’m slow – despite getting a SIN 26 broadband connection (24 hours), I was out most of the day so I didn’t get to update. I didn’t get to sleep much too. We stopped at a rest area on the way to Singapore for lunch. The food is nothing to write home about (it’s a rest stop!)…

audrey

…and I found out that Audrey really is 4 feet 9. She makes me feel tall. 😉

molested

We checked into the Marriott at Orchard Road and some hijinks which should probably not be published happened e.g. this dubious photo of Eiling being er…molested by us…

girl girl

…and some naughty girl on girl action.

shot

(as well as the infamous 7 second shot)

no caption

I don’t even have a caption for this photo.

dressing

Sneak peak: The girls dressing up. Eiling and Natalie dropped by to change.

getting dressed

I was about to get changed. Sorry for being late (and passing out). :p

dressing up

We got all dressed up for the costume party – I was assigned the letter O so I went as Osama bin Laden (after being brought into US custody but still given a cigarette before being sent away) but I ended up being P.

More details and photos tomorrow! 🙂

Road Trip: Malaysian Nuffnangers off to Singapore!

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nuffnang office

Nuffnang Singapore is organizing an event tonight so us Malaysian bloggers were invited to the event. There’s 18 of us is this bus and we’ll be reaching Singapore for the costume party later tonight.

familiar

We’re supposed to rendezvous at the Nuffnang office in KL, where the bus will shuttle us all the way down to KL. There’s a lot of familiar faces here, most of which you’ll recognize from the blogging scene.

cindy

Tumpang glamour a bit. Cindy!

ginny

Ginny Yap, who’s sick and half asleep.

pimp

Hugh Hefner impersonation.

Here’s a video of our road trip with everyone introducing themselves. More updates coming soon. 🙂

suanie
 
Suanie and gang came the latest and all she had to say was this. 😉

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