product launch – Page 8

The Saga continues!

August 8, 2011 by HB

lunch-catchup

I was out for lunch with Ringo when the discussion turned to cars. I drive a conventional automatic so there’s a distinctive effect it makes when it shifts gear. You can hear the loss of power when it up-shifts followed by a drop in the RPM before it revs up again. It’s the bane of most automatic cars.

proton saga flx cvt

There’s a new feature called CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) which allows gear shifting without the classic loss of engine power in traditional auto cars. We headed to the nearest Proton Edar to check out their new Saga FLX. It uses a belt instead of fixed gears so you can have smooth step-less gear shifts. In a nutshell, that’s what CVT is about.

cheesie

It not just provides you with a smoother drive but gives you better fuel economy and reduces wear and tear on your engine.

CVT

I reckon it’s the best feature in the Saga FLX 1.3 CVT. I’m quite impressed by it. Here’s a graph showing how it works for people who likes things like that.

SAT

In addition to this new CVT technology, there’s also a switch labeled SAT beside the gear. The Saga FLX provides you with the best of both worlds – pressing the switch activates the simulation of a 6 speed Standard Automatic Transmission (complete with the stepped transmission).

I don’t know why you would want to use SAT when you have CVT but I guess it’s a nice feature to have. Car purists and those who like the conventional auto transmission shifting can switch back to it by activating SAT.

clarion

There’s also a Clarion audio system with USB, MP3 and auxiliary ports in the center console. It’s a good sound system and the Saga FLX 1.3 Executive model also has audio controls on the steering wheel. It’s not new, but still one of the best ideas for cars since sliced bread. Having the audio controls at the tips of your fingers allows you to keep your eyes on the road instead of fumbling around with the audio system.

driving saga

The Saga FLX has doors that opens wider too. It’s very convenient if you want to load stuff in your car. Proton Ride & Handling features provides you with a comfortable and safe drive with all the interior space you need for everything from a road trip to a short drive to the local hypermarket. There are cup holders for every passenger and as a veteran of road trips, I can tell you that this and the increased cabin space will make you enjoy your trip so much more. 🙂

The improved structural integrity, reverse sensors, side mirrors with LED indicators, ABS, EBD and dual SRS airbags rounds up all the safety features. Anyway, if you’ve been living in a cave, ABS stands for Anti-lock Braking System and just like what you’ll expect, it prevents the brakes from locking (and thus skidding your car out of control) when you have to make an emergency hard brake. EBD or Electronic Brake-force Distribution further enhances your safety by maximizing stopping power and stability by adjusting the force applied to the brakes on each wheel. It makes for a shorter stopping distance too!

elegant brown

I also called ahead to ask if they have the new Elegant Brown color for the Saga FLX coz I wanted to see what it looks like in real life. It’s a nice shade that earns it the “elegant” in “Elegant Brown” and there are a lot of style changes to the car too.

proton saga flx rear

Check out the new front headlights and rear combination lights! It has been spruced up to look modern and stylistic.

dash

The interior of the car looks great too – the dashboard is sweet and the center console is a color they call Tempest Grey. I don’t care what it’s called so long as it looks awesome. Heh.

saga flx cvt

Oh, and while we were there, one of the guys at Proton Edar commented that Ringo’s hair matches the color of the Saga FLX. She was standing beside one of the promotional banners at that time and I thought it was really funny. They’re a friendly bunch, the people at Proton Edar in SEA Park. 🙂

drive

The newly launched Proton Saga FLX 1.3L starts from RM 38,598 (RM 41,598 for the CVT version). There are lots of user-friendly compartments in the car so expect an abundance of storage space for all your sunglasses, tags and other stuff. You just can’t get a car with all these performance, safety and practical features at this price point. It’s affordable – truly a car for the people. The Saga FLX is perfect for an active urban (or rural for that matter) lifestyle. Take it for a spin at your nearest PROTON showroom or head over to www.epicsaga.com.my to understand more about the Saga FLX!

Castrol Football Crazy’s Longest Pass. Pass it on and be on TV!

May 6, 2011 by HB

I just went to the ESPN Star Sports launch of Castrol Football Crazy’s Longest Pass campaign in Malaysia yesterday. It was awesome! I got to talk to the legendary Steve McMahon – he’s the former England international and ex-Liverpool player extraordinaire.

Someone mentioned that Steve looks really tough and rough but he’s really a nice guy. Heh! I tend to agree – he’s a very affable fellow, with years of experience in playing real football behind him. We all had a wonderful time chatting with him.

Steve has an amazing record with 200+ matches under his belt, and he’s scored 50 goals altogether. He shared some really interesting insights about the Malaysian football scene in general how it can be better.

Anyway, back to the launch, it was at Bangsar Shopping Center and I saw Mark Ng (Marketing Director for Castrol Malaysia and Singapore) when I walked into the concourse. I’ve met him a number of times in the past and he’s really friendly despite his position. Awesome guy, it’s always a pleasure to bump into him. 🙂

There were two girls donned in the red and green colors of Castrol at the photo wall and we took a photo with them…or rather, we were ushered towards the wall to take a photo with them.

La Bodega had a couple of tables reserved for the event so while we were waiting for it to start, we got a couple of healthy shakes inside. That’s Jestina and Mimi in the background, looking through the menu and deciding what to order. I thought it was a rather artistic shot. *self praise

ESPN’s Castrol Football Crazy’s Longest Pass launch started with the hosts of the program (Adam, Patricia and Jason) introducing Steve McMahon and a local guy who can do AMAZING things with a football. He was on stage, basically dancing to a song with his football.

His control is impeccable – the football was on his neck and he somehow got it between his legs in a rapid twisting motion.

You’ve got to see it to believe it. I hear he’s the best freestylist in Malaysia.

The other thing that really impressed me was the neat trick they pulled off with Jason. Adam and Patricia were on stage, trying to find the missing Jason (word was he went to the toilet) when the TV came on.

It turns out that Jason wasn’t anywhere in bsc at all. It was a pre-recorded feed which syncs perfectly with the other two Castrol Football Crazy hosts. The banter went on and Jason kicked a ball from the TV (remember he’s not actually in bsc), which appeared on stage and Adam and Pat took the ball from there.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for nifty launch gimmicks.

…and that is what ESPN’s Castrol Football Crazy Longest Pass is all about! It involves all of us (yes, including YOU way at the back) making the longest pass in Asia. Just record a scene of you kicking a football to someone else off-screen and upload it!

The best videos will then be chosen and edited to make a seamless football pass throughout Asia! Imagine your kick going to someone in the Philippines and then to Japan etc etc – you’ll get the drift. I watched the promo commercial and it’s set to be an amazing campaign!

The ESPN people recorded us making football passes on stage and I had to do several takes coz I kept wanting to do something fancy but failed. T_T

I’ll be getting the video after they’re done with post-production and I’ll upload it for you all to see what it’s like. It was a lot of fun to be part of the Castrol Football Crazy’s Longest Pass campaign!

In the meantime, why don’t you record a video of you doing the same, upload it and send it to cfclongestpass@espnstar.com with your full name and country details? Just use anything – even a phone cam would do, and if your entry is good enough, you’ll be featured on TV across ESPN Star Sports’ network as well as on the Castrol Football Crazy Facebook page. 🙂

You’ll basically be in a video featuring a never-ending football pass throughout Asia! Find out more and be a part of this campaign by surfing over to the Castrol Football Crazy Facebook page.

Look ma! I’m on TV! 😀

A touch to remember

April 21, 2011 by HB

aquaria

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.

tupperware

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.

ee ling

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.

snacks

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).

old skool

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. 😉

transfer

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. 😉

karen

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.

feeding

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.

samsung

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.

cell

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!

cheesie

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.

instructions

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.

onion rings

…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!

fresh

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. 🙂

storage

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.

food

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! 🙂

contest

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!

call

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. 😉

enjoy rings

The number you’re looking for is 012 783 0790. Head on over to Tupperware’s Facebook page for more information on the contest!

The aftermath

April 1, 2011 by HB

I’ve always washed my hair like this:

wrong

I believe kung fu experts call this the Tiger Claw stance. smirk

It doesn’t do much in the way of getting your scalp clean. It’s just that I’ve tutored under a false master (namely, me) and no one ever bothered to tell me that it’s the wrong way to shampoo your hair. You’re basically using your fingernails to quickly rake through your hair, making as much foam as possible before moving on.

correct

I am now using the correct method – employing only the very tips of my fingers (kinda like playing a guitar) to methodically cover the entire scalp.

I think the switch from using soap to proper shampoo on my hair did a world of good too. 😉

It’s strange how quickly one can break a bad habit and adopt new methods.

It is done.

svenson review

I have gone through all 10 sessions, showing up every Tuesday and Thursday at Svenson for hair loss prevention treatments.

I have used their shampoo and conditioner twice a day with correct washing techniques.

It’s now time to evaluate how the Svenson treatments go.

scan

You might remember this photo from the first time I went to Svenson to get my scalp checked.

final-magnifying

This is what I look like now. I’m told it’s the real color of my scalp – pink. I’ve finally gotten through the gunk from years of abuse and the pores have started to open up again.

final steaming

The best part is that I can wear black clothing without having to consciously brush away annoying dandruff from my shoulders (and completely missing my back) every hour or so. Heh! My dandruff is gone and my oily scalp is under control. It only takes one brushing hand through my hair to realize that – it no longer comes off greasy and smelling of a weird odor but clean, as it should be.

final massage

I’ll be completely honest, I sometimes forget to shampoo and I STILL have a clean scalp when the magnifier is used. I’m sometimes half tempted to apologize first before going under the magnifier but I decided to let it go and see what it shows. It’s quite amazing, the Svenson treatments is pretty forgiving of lapses like this – the disciplined treatment schedule ensures that my scalp remains clean. 😀

treatments done

It really works. Despite my initial skepticism over such treatments, I kept going for the treatment sessions and I come to proclaim that Svenson delivers on its promises. Naturally, the dead zones (where my pores have closed completely) is still hairless, but the bits they could save is regenerating healthy hair – not the thin, sickly hair of before but strong, thick strands of hair follicle.

hairstyle

I would seriously recommend it to people who are balding or exhibiting the signs of balding – itchy scalp, oily scalp, dandruff and the sort. I’m a happy customer and Svenson has outlets throughout Malaysia so you might want to seek help or at least an initial assessment if you’re having the same problems.

dna

I also noticed a banner at their MidValley outlet one day and asked about it. It is of interest to me since I have genetic male pattern baldness too – both my grandparents (maternal and paternal), uncles and father started balding early. Svenson launched their new DNA Genetic Hair Loss Test recently and you can still get the introductory price of RM 120 if you’re curious as to whether you have a predisposition towards baldness.

mousse

You know the old adage. Prevention is better than cure. This is very true when it comes to hair coz as I said, the part where the hair follicles have completely closed up cannot be salvaged. Svenson can do wonders even if you have genetic factors towards baldness so perhaps you’ll want to drop by one of their outlets to take it.

…and there’s always the chance to win a hair treatment package if you’re too attached to your wallet to part with any of the notes. 😉 You can get a FREE hair assessment just by participating so there’s a good reason to participate in the Save My Hair contest.

thanks

Trust me, you won’t regret it. I’m would like to thank Chiou Mei and all of the Svenson MidValley team (Mary, Mun, Connie, Michelle, May and the rest – sorry if I left anyone out) for the great service and for putting up with me. It’s a really nice place where you can read the latest magazines while chilling out and getting your hair treatments and you never feel pressured to leave after that.

may

They’ll even help you style your hair if you want too – a very convenient offer that I took advantage of when I schedule my appointments before an event. Truly, service with a smile (and more). 🙂

chillax

You can read my initial contact here and join the Save My Hair contest where every participant will win at least one hair assessment here.

I am balding!

March 15, 2011 by HB

balding me

I have come to expect it but I never realized the extent of the damage until I was shown the crater sized bald patch on the dome of my head. I can’t exactly see the top of my skull myself so I’ve always assumed it was of little significance, until I started getting more and more comments about it. -_-

steamer

This is compounded by the fact that I’m a typical male – using soap for everything. Yes, I use soap to wash my hair too. I don’t have shampoo or other hair care products coz I’m lazy to go through the laborious steps in the shower.

direct

I had all the signs – dandruff, oily scalp and visible balding. I am balding from the top and front so I figured there’s nothing much I can do anyway. In fact, I think I’ve come to accept that I’m balding and would go for hair implants when it shows too much.

However, I was galvanized into action when I heard the balding process CAN be reversible, if treated early.

massage hand

I have to admit, I have my doubts about baldness prevention treatments due to the plethora of offerings out there claiming to be able to give you a robust mane of hair – the fountain of youth for follicles, if you will.

svenson

I was introduced to Svenson (which started out in London) and decided to give their hair treatments a go, to see how well it performs. I reckon I didn’t have anything to lose anyway (no pun intended) so I made an appointment and headed over to their center opposite Boulevard Hotel in MidValley.

magnify

Mary was the consultant that I encountered during my first visit there. I was impressed that she gave me all the facts and made no extravagant claims or promises. She did a scan of my scalp using this magnifier which enlarges everything to 200x magnification.

My scalp really looks horrible – it’s clogged with sediments and the new hair follicles are getting thinner and thinner – a sure sign of unhealthy hair and impending baldness.

before
Before

She was very straight with me – she told me the treatments can save the hair that’s still alive and healthy but they’re not miracle workers.

balding

The bits where the follicles have totally closed off is un-salvagable. I really appreciate the honesty of Svenson – they don’t make ridiculous promises they can’t keep, unlike other hair treatments I’ve heard about.

svenson products

The first session involved an intensive therapy to get my hair back in order.

shampoo

The nice lady attending to me first shampooed me twice before applying conditioner.

steaming

My head was put under a steamer to open up the hair follicles.

pen

I was then treated with cooling saline solution – this was done via a pen like contraption ejecting a fine stream of mist.

This procedure is to wash away and clean the gunk off my scalp.

serum

Svenson then applied their serum using the OxyDH machine after all the washing for better absorption. The precision of the pen allows them to go through my hair and scalp inch by inch.

corrective fluid

Corrective fluid was then applied using a brush without washing off the serum…

…and massaged into the open and inviting hair follicles.

massage

A machine vibrator (get your mind out of the gutter) is then used to massage in all the goods. You’re supposed to leave the treatment in for 8 hours before washing.

shampoo conditioner

I was given shampoo and conditioner by Svenson (which costs RM 80 each) to use in an effort to salvage what’s left of my hair and return it to it’s former crowning glory. 😀

after
After

There was a post-treatment scan and the difference, as they say, is crystal clear. You can’t even see my scalp from the scan before the procedure and now you can see the natural pink scalp vividly like a raunchy cabaret show. 😉

svenson after

I am pretty impressed with what I’ve seen so far. I am scheduled for 10 treatment sessions and I’ll write a review about it when I’m done with it to see how it goes in the end. It’s all about constant maintenance though, as Mary reminds me, so I’ll have to do my part in shampooing twice a day and applying conditioner properly as well.

oxydh

The treatment sessions takes an hour each and there’s consultation before that so it doesn’t take up a lot of time but it’ll require commitment. I’m going twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ll be honest with you guys – I am worried about going bald despite the stanch don’t-give-a-shit attitude that I exude.

I think it does subconsciously affect my self confidence since I’ve long thought about hair implants when I started balding started during my university days. I’m glad to report that there is a way to stop baldness but you’ll have to go before it’s too late.

treatment

…and with that, I have a bit of good news to share. Svenson is having a Save My Hair contest on their Facebook page – drop by and see if you can if can win the full hair care treatment prize. There are 10 to be given out and if you’re ever curious about the state of your hair, just join their Facebook page and vote for one of the contestants to get a complimentary hair and scalp analysis.

I’ve always distrusted “Before” and “After” photos coz they tend to be Photoshopped and/or taken with bad angles/lighting/dressing. However, considering the fact that you all know my Photoshop skillz is practically nonexistent – I present to you:

before-after

Word.

Everyone needs protection

October 11, 2010 by HB

trend micro event

Protection is very important if you like to mess around.

trend micro launch

I’m talking about a different kind of protection though. I went to the Trend Micro TITANIUM Internet Security 2011 launch a while ago and got the lowdown on how it works. I’m no stranger to technology, I graduated in Computer Science (don’t ask me why I’m in my current line now – long story) and the product had some very interesting features.

Before I go into the details, lemme just go through the awesome start of the event! The lights were dimmed and this dance troupe came on stage to perform a routine involving a lot of fabric waving.

launch

The official launch kicked off after that and Trend Micro came on stage to explain how their TITANIUM suite works.

speach

It’s actually very interesting for two major reasons:

1. It doesn’t require the virus/malware/Trojan horse signature files to be downloaded – it’s stopped at their server level using cloud computing – a good thing considering there’s 1.5 threats per second
2. It takes up very little processing power – gone are the days when you have to disable your anti-virus before playing games

Also, it has a very nifty feature for all you Edison Chen wannabes – it securely deletes files according to US government standards. Useful, eh? 😉

first dish

Lunch was served after that and it was a good spread which includes everything from starters…

soup

…to soup

fish

…and the quintessential fish!

prawns

I was stuffed by the time the prawns came.

umbrella

There was no shortage of entertainment either – besides the lucky draw, there was a game where random items ranging from 4D stubs to a strand of hair was required and I am proud to report that our table won! We all got a Trend Micro umbrella which was rather useful the day after when I went to a client’s place and it was raining cats and dogs.

The dance troupe also went on stage periodically to do choreographed numbers.

The funniest game of the launch has gotta be this Girls vs Guys contest where they attempted to stack up the boxes of Trend Micro TITANIUM to the maximum possible height. The guys looks like they were winning but in the end the girls copied their technique with more finesse – they turned the box vertically instead of horizontally to achieve a greater height.

stacking game

There was a lucky draw at the end where you get to win a smartphone too but alas, I was not one of the lucky ones.

dance

However, it was an awesome event and Trend Micro was kind enough to furnish us with mooncakes, a jacket and a 3 license copy of Trend Micro TITANIUM Maximum Security when we went back.

I’ve tried out the product on my personal notebook and while I don’t need the parental controls (heck, at my age I’m supposed to be a parent) but the data theft prevention and web threat preventions works very well. I can even play Starcraft II (my current personal benchmark) while it’s scanning in the background.

trend micro girls

It’s amazing how security software has grown by leaps and bounds since the last time I’ve bothered to install one. I think the best feature of Trend Micro TITANIUM Maximum Security for me is their validation of WiFi hotspots since I use my computer at all sorts of places.

You can’t go wrong if you shield your (USB) dong(gle).

I’m not an ordinary egg!

June 5, 2010 by HB

nest egg

Nest egg

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? I think that question is best left for philosophers to ponder upon. More importantly, what do you think of the pun in my caption?

creme brule

Alright, the pun wouldn’t make sense until later in the post. I attended the SaFegg Healthy Living Talkshow last week where the concept of pasteurized eggs was introduced to us. It wasn’t a drab and dull event where you struggle to stay awake and wish you had a toothpick to prop your eyelids up, but a rather educational one. The lavish spread in Hilton’s ballroom prepared using the very same eggs is icing on top of the cake.

ballroom

The glistening silverware almost had me shielding my eyes. :p

I have seen these eggs in Cold Storage before and I even use it to cook. The first thing that came into mind when I first saw these eggs is that it’s very atas eggs. I love the packaging and each individual egg has a use-by date printed on it. I was amazed. I didn’t know much about it though until a couple of weeks later when I went to this event.

registration

SaFeggs is the first and only pasteurized egg in Malaysia and the technology behind it is from Korea. These eggs are carefully selected, checked for hairline cracks and coated with a protective layer of mineral oil before pasteurization to keep it fresh for longer.

safegg talk

As Professor Gulam Rasul from USM puts it, the pasteurization process kills bacteria, which is the main cause of salmonella and e-coli poisoning. Pasteurization is not a new process – it has been used for ages in milk, but not eggs. The term is derived from a certain man who discovered that he could kill most bacteria by heating liquids in 1862.

Louis_Pasteur

You have this bearded fellow (heard it’s all the rage back then) to thank for it. Mr. Louis Pasteur. Or Monsieur Pasteur since he’s French. Heh!

Anyway, back to the SaFegg Healthy Living Talkshow, I found out that a normal egg has a transparent egg white while a bacteria-free egg looks opaque! The special packaging it comes in also increases the shelf life of Safegg for up to 60 days.

pasturized egg

It is safe enough to even consume raw for all of you body building enthusiasts out there who cracks 20 eggs into a protein shake and chugs it before hitting the gym and bench pressing 200 kgs.

talking heads

The Korean representative also cracked a joke (pardon the pun) about his next egg project. I was the only one who chuckled though, which makes me wonder if I was the only who got it. It certainly won’t pass FDA regulations if anyone thought he was serious.

ordinary egg

The eggs in the green packaging also contains DHA which helps your brain (very useful for me, considering the devastation I have done to my cerebral cortex in my hedonistic lifestyle ;)), heart and eyes.

safegg

It’s a little bit more expensive than regular eggs but consider it as an investment towards your health. That’s where the pun in the caption comes in. Geddit? 😉

After the talk, we were ushered into the grand ballroom. I think I can speak for everyone when I say I didn’t expect such a fine dining experience when the agenda lists “Refreshments”. This is a far cry from what I would call refreshments – there are dedicated stations where you can order eggs in any style you want – poached, sunny side up, scrambled, soft boiled, and the list goes on.

omelet

You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

eating egg

The buffet lineup was also rather impressive, with lamb and fresh salmon on the menu.

food

However, the thing that really resonates with me is their desserts – creme brulee being my favorite. They also have a lot of cakes on offer (this is why Malaysians consume an respectable 305 eggs per person per year – a lot of food contains eggs) but I was content with attempting to finish all their eggnog.

desserts

This may be the best eggnog I’ve ever had. In case you didn’t know, eggnog is usually a Christmas drink so I was pleasantly surprised to see it here. It’s made with Safeggs like all the food and drinks during lunch. Oh, and it also contains brandy and rum. I had quite a few of these.

eggnog

I think it was at that point that I decided I could never have the patience to eat a soft boiled egg properly and decided to throw decorum out of the window and just slurp it from the egg holder.

soft boiled egg

We got a goodie bag with cartons of SaFeggs, an egg holder and an automatic soft boiled egg maker. Nifty. I love soft boiled eggs and have at one point in my life consumed 32 eggs (no joke) in a single sitting mixed with lots of pepper and soy sauce.

Egg-cellent!

slurping egg

Not an ordinary egg? Yup, egg-actly. 🙂