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Does this look like you’ve died and gone to heaven?

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nz milford sound

I went to New Zealand last year and traveled around the place. New Zealand is beautiful during summer. I reckon summer is the best time to visit NZ – having lived there, I know how unforgiving the cold winters can be and the reduced amount of daylight is a bit of a turnoff.

mitre peak

Summer on the other hand has plenty of sunlight and warmth to go and do the things you love. The pointed Mitre Peak shown above is probably one of the most famous sights at Milford Sound.

milford sound

Milford Sound is a fjord that is probably NZ’s most popular tourist destination. The vista is truly breathtaking and the tips of the mountains are topped with permafrost…even in summer. Rudyard Kipling is said to have called it “the Eighth Wonder of the World”.

nz rotorua

Rotorua is one of my favorite places in New Zealand. I fell in love with it the first time I was there – about 17 years ago. The smell of sulfur that assaults your nostrils as soon as you get there is off-putting to some…but to me it smells like VACATION! 😀

rotorua

(which it was)

fox glacier

Glaciers in summer?

glacial hike

Yes! It is in fact the only time you can do a glacier hike. Summer is the best time to hit Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier and walk about the place.

Franz Josef Glacier

It’s about 1-2 hours and an amazing experience for those who’s doing it for the first time. Imagine cooling off the summer heat with a nice visit to the glaciers. You can experience extreme hot and cold weathers – hell, almost four seasons, in just one trip. 🙂

milford

New Zealand is one of the those places that has something for everyone:

auckland quay

I can go out and hit the exclusive clubs at Auckland Quay with my friends and end the night by eating a sausage roll to soak up the excess beer…and wake up the next day to go bungee jumping.

quaint cafe

My sister can sit and have a long lunch at one of the quaint cafes.

lake tekapo

My mom can take a leisurely stroll along Lake Tekapo.

church good shepard

My dad can soak up history by visiting the Church of the Good Shepard.

yj house

New Zealand is such an awesome place that you won’t be able to glean even the surface of what it has to offer in a single trip. I’ve did my high school in Christchurch and I’m lucky enough to have a sister who lives in Auckland so I can crash at her house, eat her food and drive her car for free visit her to enhance family ties.

permafrost

However, it’s really not that expensive to visit New Zealand. The flights are very affordable with AirAsiaX. I also recommend staying at backpacker places and renting a car to drive around. Your license is valid in New Zealand. Begin your journey by surfing over to Pure Joy Summer 2011 where you can discover all the wonderful places you want to go.

nz rotorua pool

Fancy a dip in the Champagne Pool? smirk

What is wrong with this photo?

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temple street

I got this t-shirt at Temple Street in Hong Kong. It’s a tourist trap of epic proportions but hey, I reckon you’ve gotta go there at least once. There are fortune tellers and stalls selling all sorts of merchandise, including a Hong Kong statement tee.

…but that’s not what I wanted talk about.

t1 typhoon hong kong

Look at this photo. Scrutinize it. Think of it as one of those Where’s Waldo images. What is wrong with the picture?

…..

………

………….

I’m still standing.

Okay, okay, I know, I’m totally hearing the groans all the way over here. That’s really cheesy even by my standards. smirk

There was a typhoon (same thing as a hurricane) warning that went from a T1 tropical cyclone advisory to T3 in a couple of hours. I was concerned my flight wouldn’t even take off.

t3 typhoon

Anyway, it did, and I managed to came back from Hong Kong in one piece. I was there for a vacation and it is interesting to note that this particular typhoon went up to T8 (which is very strong – all schools and offices are closed) just after I flew back to KL.

However, I was quite surprised that the warnings are made over the radio and using paper signs at all MTR stops. Granted, a lot of people use public transport in Hong Kong but I would have thought that digital would be the way to go.

I’ve recently heard about an email service called myemail. It dubs itself as an email service for every Malaysian, but that’s not all it does. I mean, there are heaps of email providers out there like Gmail so what makes this so special?

ebilling

Well, the major feature I think would be the killer app for this email service is eBilling. This is made possible by the fact that your myemail address is tied to you, as a citizen of Malaysia. It would have information about you to simplify your life – push email billing for one.

I have to admit, I am notoriously tardy when it comes to paying bills. Myemail would help remedy this by pushing the bill to me as a secure email attachment and allowing me to pay it there and then. It doesn’t just work on PCs, but on all your smartphones and tablets so you can literally do this while you’re out and about.

myemail security

Myemail will also have user authentication, encryption and tracking features to make sure that security is covered. You can opt to be billed from every single service that you use by customizing it on myemail – stuff ranging from your broadband subscription to your PDRM summons.

Myemail is partnering up with PDRM, DBKL, JPJ and EPF and it’s free for all Malaysian citizens so sign up now at myemail.my.

jpn

All this can only be done after authenticating yourself using your fingerprint matched to your MyKad at any of the Tricubes authorized centers so it’s a secure communication channel for government services.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an organization wanting integration with Microsoft Office Web Application or an individual looking to get things done fast, there’s something for everyone and you’ll get to save some trees while you’re at it!

myemail

Myemail uses your name as your email address so you can use it on your resumes and such. You know why you haven’t been getting callbacks? It’s coz of that prettygal4ever@yahoo.com and devil666@gmail.com crap that you’ve been putting on it. Human Resource Managers throw resumes like that away. Seriously.

Get with the program and register a proper email address at myemail. It’s based on variations of your real name. 🙂

pdrm

Hey, when this takes off, I bet you’ll be the first one to know via push email on your smartphone in the unlikely event there’s a typhoon in our country. 😉

Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine

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curry

Well, most of you know that I love my meat. I don’t really like vegetarian food…or so I thought. I went to Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine in Jaya One recently to meet up with Jamie (more on that later) and check out their vegetarian offerings.

kechara oasis

Kechara Oasis is one of the high end vegetarian eating establishments in town – they take great pride in serving fresh and different styles of the usual vegetarian fare.

kechara oasis jaya one

It was pretty packed when I arrived there for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised to see their menu – they offer vegetarian fare from all around the world.

tibeten butter tea

I started with Tibetan Butter Tea. This comes in a flask and is slightly salty. However, I really loved the creamy mouth-feel and strong brewed tea that this concoction presents – the salty accent just highlights and complements the buttery goodness.

tingmo

Tingmo is the Tibetan version of the Chinese man tau (steamed bun). It comes with a side of curry that goes very well with the neutral taste of the man tau. The Tingmos are also good for mopping up the gravies of the main dishes.

momos

The deep fried Momos is a must-order item when you go to Kechara Oasis – it’s a unique Tibetan twist of the Japanese Gyoza dumplings and comes filled with potatoes, vegetables, herbs and cheese. It tastes lovely when dipped into chilli oil. I didn’t even realize there wasn’t any meat inside.

vegetarian

We also had two different types of curries. I particularly enjoyed the Vietnamese Curry Chicken – it has Seitan drumsticks with a cornucopia of vegetables and potatoes. The Seitan drumsticks tastes remarkably similar to meat – the texture is spot on.

kung po

The Kung Po Hedgehog Mushroom comes with a smattering of cashew nuts on top and comes highly recommended from me. It’s a very spicy dish of mushrooms, green peppers and carrots stir fried in Kung Po sauce. I’m a big fan of spicy dishes and this one did not disappoint – it finished my bowl of brown rice with the sauce alone.

mushrooms

If you prefer something less spicy, the Thai Butter Hedgehog Mushroom is one of Kechara Oasis’s more popular offerings. The way they cook the hedgehog mushrooms makes it taste like battered pieces of meat. The sprinkling of sesame seeds adds to the flavor and I loved the buttery taste of the dish.

pasta

However, the most remarkable dish is a fusion vegetarian pasta dish that tastes like nothing I’ve ever had. It’s made with spaghetti with thick green curry gravy and it’s the subtle touches like the sunflower seeds on top that adds a lot of texture and dimension to the pasta. I’ll definitely come back to this again. Delicious and creamy, it’s one of the best fusion dishes I’ve ever had – and it’s vegetarian to boot!

jamie

Anyway, I was at Kechara Oasis to meet Jamie, who is rather active in Kechara. She has published a book about her life as a rather spoiled kid and I’ve always been curious about how someone like her would end up as one of Rinpoche’s liaisons in Malaysia.

david

I met her though David (who has also written an autobiography) and what drew me to these people is that they’re people like me who somehow managed to give up their previous life of hedonism and become who they are today. It all comes down to Rinpoche’s teachings and although I haven’t had a chance to meet him, he’s this cool dude from the US who’s spreading the word of Buddhism through good deeds.

Rimpoche

I’m sure you’ve heard of Kechara, especially their efforts in Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK). I’m going to volunteer and help out – it’s a good cause to spend a few Saturdays on. However, it’s David and Jamie that got me reading Rinpoche’s blog – especially the bits about Animals & Vegetarianism.

kechara jamie

I’m sure a lot of you know how badly animals are treated, but since you get your chicken from the supermarket, it’s not a very visceral reminder of the industry. It’s not easy being a vegetarian – I’ve heard personal anecdotes from David and Jamie on how they each achieved it.

call me paris

I think Jamie puts it best when she said that it’s a struggle at the beginning but after a while you just get used to it when you think about the mistreatment of animals that happens in the industry. I’m not sure I can do it but it does give you food for thought (pun intended).

rice

Rinpoche’s blog explains it very well in Animals & Vegetarianism. He’s the only blogger I know who’s been ordained by the Dalai Lama and writes about a lot of different things that you wouldn’t expect – everything from Food & Recipes to Current Affairs & News.

You can never be too rich, to thin, or too cheesy

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pizza hut ultimate cheesy pizza 7

Haha! Well, at least that’s what I believe. 😉 I was invited to the Pizza Hut Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza launch a couple of days back. I’m a huge fan of cheese and I didn’t want to pass up the chance of checking out the Ultimate Cheesy 7 before everyone else so I arrived super early.

pepperoni

The Ultimate Cheesy Pizza 7 is made with seven (obviously) different cheeses. I tried the Extreme Cheesy 6 last year, which contains:

  • Romano
  • Monterey Jack
  • Parmesan
  • Provolone
  • Mozzarella
  • Cheddar

…and the 7th cheese debuting this year is:

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Philadelphia Cream Cheese!

Yes, this is the stuff you make cheesecakes from! I love this stuff – I remember making cheesecakes using Philadelphia Cream Cheese as a kid with my mom. I can eat this stuff straight from the tub.

Ultimate Cheesy Pizza 7

Well, I thought Pizza Hut was just going to add in the Philadelphia Cream Cheese as another topping, but they surprised me by rolling it into balls and putting one on each slice! OMG it’s cheese heaven! smirk

cheese balls

I was ecstatic when they brought out the wonderful Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza. I couldn’t wait to taste the balls! Wait, that sounded a bit salah. I mean, I couldn’t wait to eat the cheese balls!

me

The pizza is superb – all the cheeses comes together nicely and you get a mouthful of creamy Philadelphia Cream Cheese when you bite into the ball. I loved it!

Okay, that’s not much better but you get what I mean.

can you handle it

The Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls really adds another dimension to the previous incarnation. Kudos to Pizza Hut for making the 7th cheese into a ball instead of just incorporating it inside. Delicious stuff!

food

Well, since it was Pizza Hut, we also got a lot of sides and drinks to go with the dinner. 😀

pizzas

However, the highlight of the meal is hands down the Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza. It also comes in Cheesy Chicken, Cheesy Pepperoni and Cheesy Hawaiian Chicken if you want to add a bit of protein to your pizza but I highly recommend you eat the regular, original one first.

crust

The Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza comes in a special thin and crunchy crust that is dusted with pepper, garlic and other goodies. The Italian Garlic Herb sprinkle on the crust makes this pizza perfection!

Take a look at the TVC! The people in there spread the cheese on the pizza slices before eating but that’s not the only way you can enjoy it. There are multiple ways of eating the Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls on top of the pizza – some people:

bite

Bite into it. This gives you a mouthful of cheesy goodness that’s indescribably good. Mmm…

spread

Spread it out. I notice this is what the people in the TVC do and the advantages of this is that you get a nice, even spread of Philadelphia Cream Cheese on top. However, I don’t believe in eating pizzas with knifes and forks. I’m strictly a hands-on person.

leaning tower pizza

Stack it up! Okay, this is very hard to do unless you’re willing to fight your friends for their Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls. However, I was lucky enough to sit at a table where some people didn’t want the cheese balls so I took theirs. I’m telling you, this is a bit of pure heaven.

Can you handle it? Vivy took that video – I was there, stacking it up and watching it topple over each time and mumbled – This is like the leaning tower of…

cheesie

PIZZA! – we both finished. I laughed and looked over coz me and Cheesie said it together. Great minds think alike. 😉 The Leaning Tower of Pizza. Geddit? smirk

group

It was a great dinner – I haven’t had so much food, fun and laughter in a long time. Pizza Hut is more than just a place for eating pizzas. It has that relaxed, casual ambiance that gives you the perfect opportunity to catch up and bond with the people that matters to you while eating great food.

vivy

Good friends, great food. Thanks for the dinner Pizza Hut. 🙂

handle it

I love the Ultimate Cheesy Pizza 7 – check it out from just RM 23.90 for a regular pizza. You can only get this at Pizza Hut – it’s the ultimate dream for every cheese lover! Find out more at Pizza Hut’s website or like the Pizza Hut Facebook page to be the first to know everything…like the Ultimate Cheesy SMS Contest!

SMS Contest Prizes:
– Grand Prize x 1 winner : RM100,000 prize money
– First Prize x 5 winners : One (1) unit Panasonic Viera TH-L42U30K 40” LCD TV each.
– Second Prize x 10 winners : One (1) unit Apple iPad 2 each.
– Consolation Prize x 20 winners : Pizza Hut vouchers worth RM500 each.

Head on over to the nearest Pizza Hut outlet to find out how you can participate! 🙂

stack

…and see if you’re either a devourer or a spreader with the Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls. Just do what feels right to you – it’s delicious either way!

Oktoberfest!

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oktoberfest

Yes, it’s that time of the year again! It’s like Christmas for adults. It’s…Oktoberfest!

Okay, maybe that sounded a bit anti-climactic considering it’s the title, but still, it’s great beer, good food, awesome fun – what else do you need to have a blast? It’s a celebration of the amber fluid that unites! 🙂

oktoberfest girls

Malaysia throws a damned good Oktoberfest bash every year! I make it a point to join in the celebrations each time, soaking up the food, fellowship, and of course, the suds.

oktoberfest group

There are events going on all over Malaysia. Check out the listings here. Here’s just a couple of them.

Camberwell Club (Bukit Damansara)
17 October

Jarrod & Rawlins (Bukit Damansara)
D’ Fortune Club (Dataran Menteri)
18 October

Laundry (Curve)
Lava Restaurant & Bar (Kota Kinabalu)
19 October

QE II (Penang)
Oktoberfest Special (Changkat Bukit Bintang)
20 October

Golden Sands Resort (Penang)
The King’s Arms (Kuching)
21 October

Cold Storage (Gurney Plaza)
Terminal One (Kuching)
Havana Café (Kuching)
22 October

Ming Cafe (Miri)
23 October

Deutches Gasthaus 5 (Bandar Manjalara, Kepong)
Mewah Club (Klang)
24 October

Switch (Kota Damansara)
Neptune Club (Petaling Jaya)
25 October

Odeon Club (Kepong Baru)
27 October

Regalia Ritz (Sibu)
KGK Annex Club (Kota Kinabalu)
28 October

KK Waterfront (Kota Kinabalu)
29 October

There also will be a Bavarian style Oompah band playing. The video above shows the celebrations during Oktoberfest last year, this time Die Dorf Fest Kapelle will be performing for the night!

oktoberfest 1 liter mug

The HUGE 1 Liter Oktoberfest Mug that everyone wants will be making a return as well – this time with special Oktoberfest 2011 embossing. I remember collecting all the limited bar editions and the generic ones last year – I still have it! 🙂

paulaner oktoberfest bier

I am also truly excited about sampling the exclusive Oktoberfest beers like Hopf Ice (and others like Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier and 111 Zwickl). Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier is a special brew for Oktoberfest that weighs in at a slightly higher 6% alcohol and I’ve been hearing lots of good things about it.

Enjoy happy hour all night long for any of these draught beers:

  • Tiger Beer
  • Guinness
  • Heineken
  • Kilkenny
  • Strongbow
  • Paulaner

kilkenny

It’s all on draft, at happy hour prices, all night long! 😀

penang

However, one thing that I’m doing a wee bit out of the norm this year is to head up to Penang to party! w00t!

Why Penang, you ask?

guinness

Why not? I love the place, it’s the food capital of Malaysia! I can head out for a nice plate of char kueh tiaw (with extra blood cockles, and oh, a duck egg on top) to soak up the nights’ drinking before going for another round the next day!

qeii

I’ll be drinking by the beach in our very own Pearl of the Orient in a next week! I’m celebrating Oktoberfest at QEII (20th Oct) and Golden Sands Resort at Batu Feringgi Beach (21st Oct). Come and join the Oktoberfest celebrations at various places around the country! Check the Oktoberfest FB page for the full listing.

paulaner

I can’t wait to try the exclusive Oktoberfest beers! Oktoberfest in Malaysia has come a long, long way and you’ll feel like you’re in Munich with all the beer, German expatriates and the oompah band playing in the background.

oompah

Where will you be celebrating Oktoberfest this year? 🙂

Live for today, deal with it tomorrow!

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coin toss

I just got a pair of adidas Originals jeans right before I was about to fly back to Sibu for the Mid Autumn Festival and an epiphany just came to me – I’ll wear the jeans during the entire 5D/4N stay in Sibu.

The fact that I haven’t packed no doubt contributed to this decision. smirk

adidas originals denims

This pair of denims is a low crotch and slim leg selection from the adidas Originals Collection and is very aptly called the Mad Cab Skinny Fit jeans. It looks like a crazed genius designer cut apart two pairs of jeans and stitched them back together in segments, much like a caterpillar.

design

The effect comes off as extremely hip (no pun intended) – it has that edgy, urban look that I don’t have in my entire denim attire.

airport

Well, I’ve been told that I’ve been losing weight…in fact, almost EVERYONE who sees me says I’m skinnier right about now. Allow me to let you in on a little secret. I was just afraid that I won’t fit into the jeans so I started to eat less. I asked for a size 30 and to the best of my memory I haven’t worn a size 30 since college. Heh.

crash

Okay, I’m kidding, I didn’t go on a crash diet or anything, in fact, I don’t know why I’ve lost weight. Like Cindy says, perhaps the most apt word is that I “ter-lose weight”. That’s Manglish (and a newly coined word to boot) for losing weight without realizing it.

mad cab skinny fit

I know I can fit into a size 30 so thus begin my chronicles. I’m sure you don’t want to see me in various camwhore poses so I’ll focus on the jeans instead. 😉

mad cab fit

Mine comes in black and is very distinctive – there are little details all around the jeans that I really like.

plane

It’s very comfortable too. I didn’t sleep before my flight coz I had to finish everything before I came back to my hometown so I took a two hour nap on the plane. The ground staff that attended to me was kind enough to reserve the entire aisle for me. The conversation went a little like this:

Check-in counter: Would you like a window seat or an aisle seat, sir?
Me: Can I have both so I can sleep on the plane?
Check-in counter: Sure.

Trust me, I am just as surprised as you are. She put me in the middle seat and blocked off both seats at the side so I can recline completely on the Boeing. Bliss.

pool

You just can’t go wrong with a pair of jeans. I’ve worn it out to casual lunches and nights out and I’ve gotten interested comments about the unique design of the Mad Cab Fit.

mad cap fit design

Someone actually asked me where I got it when I was out for drinks. Heh.

lunch

Well, another great “feature” of the black pair of denims is that if you accidentally drop some food on it, you’ll just need to brush it off…

oops

…and it’s as good as new.

no stain

You won’t even see a stain. 🙂

me

I went EVERYWHERE wearing this. I also got my hair cut, washed and colored (it was an impromptu decision) and I think my old t-shirt from my university days living on campus in Melbourne sums it up.

live for today

Live for today, deal with it tomorrow – Roberts Hall 2000

adidas originals

That’s the spirit of the adidas Originals line of denims and this Mad Cab Fit is becoming a fast favorite of mine already. It’s comfortable and cool, which are two words you don’t usually see in the same sentence.

trick shot

…and yes, I really sunk this trick shot. 🙂

Making big decisions in life – from someone who learned the hard way

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me

I have written a rather lengthy post about my life. Most of you have heard that I’ve been through rehab. Some of you know that I’ve been to jail before. Not many of you know the whole story.

It’s one about how a young and innocent kid started experimenting with drugs out of curiosity and how it quickly snowballed from recreational use into a vast methamphetamine and opiate addiction that nearly killed me and brought me to depths of depravation I never have thought I was capable of.

They say curiosity killed the cat…

…but satisfaction brought it back!

I’m not really sure that statement is true. It certainly rolls off the tongue nicely, but with the sacrifices I’ve made and the state of my health as it stands today – it bears to navel gaze and ask myself – “Was it all really worth it?”

I guess that’s a question only I can answer.

It’s an unfortunate situation which I always say is essentially a “victimless crime” and drugs should be legalized but when you think about it and the havoc it wrecks on your family and loved ones…

…can you really say that it’s a victimless crime?

I don’t mean from a legalistic standpoint, but rather a moral one.

Pull up a chair coz here’s the entire story about how I thought I was too intelligent to be addicted. This is a story of an arrogant youth who played with fire, thinking that he’s the exception…not knowing that the road to hell is paved with people who thought the exact same thing.

It’s also a tale of redemption and most of all holding true to your core values, like loving my family, who has bailed me out so many times I couldn’t keep count. Here’s to my mom and dad for believing in their son, even after so many overdose hospitalizations, arrests, and rehabilitation centers.

I love you guys.

r u ready

My article was published in Prudential’s R U Ready Facebook page in its entirety. R U Ready is a forum for adults to share your experiences, advice and tips about life. Go Like the page and surf on over to read the whole story, straight from the horse’s mouth.

Win 10 exclusive invites to the star-studded Club Neverland launch!

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lab4

Who doesn’t like to let their hair down during the weekends and party the stress of the work week away? I consider myself somewhat of a nightlife connoisseur. I started going to raves in 1996 when I was studying in New Zealand. I went on to be a regular at clubs and doofs (outdoor raves) when I was in university in Melbourne.

rave

I guess you can say that I am a child of the PLUR movement. #hipster

lan kwai fong

I have clubbed in Korea, Hong Kong and even in Sri Lanka. I just came back from Lan Kwai Fong a few days ago and thought to myself, wouldn’t it be awesome to have been one of the people there when it first started?

Wouldn’t you love to be the one of the first, exclusive few to attend the pre-launch of a club?

You’ll practically have bragging rights for all eternity!

Club Neverland is going to be the biggest thing to hit the KL entertainment scene since…well, since sliced bread. Heh.

The name itself evokes good feelings. The story of Peter Pan sets the scene – he brings some good stuff of stripper from https://www.malestrippers.com.au/sydney/ in the club which brings the more spark in the enjoyment.

Well, I’m glad to report that the place isn’t mythical anymore – at least, not the club. Neverland aims to be the cornerstone of Kuala Lumpur’s nightlife scene and it’ll have interactive live performances set in a hip and stylish environment.

Club Neverland can easily fit 900 people in a sitting capacity and it has an on-site car park with bays for 500 cars. You won’t have to worry about parking in the heart of KL again!

Venue: Club Neverland
Event: Exclusive Pre-Launch
Address: 1, Jalan Kia Peng
Date: 7th October 2011

Remember this video that I did?

How would you like to be the FIRST to experience this new clubbing destination? You’ll get to causally mention:

Yeah, I was at the pre-launch before Neverland even opened to the public.

Won’t you love to see your friends’ faces when Club Neverland becomes the place to be in KL?

Imagine being at this historical event before everyone else gets a chance to party at the latest club in town! I have only have 10 exclusive invites to give away and I hear there will be celebrities and personalities attending the pre-launch.

Trust me, you’ll want to be there.

Calling all party people!

Just head on over and click Like on Club Neverland’s Facebook and answer this question to win:

What is your idea of a fabulous Friday night out?

Tell me in the comments below and I’ll pick 10 lucky winners to attend the pre-launch. You’ll get to bring a friend and your friend can bring another friend so each winner will have passes for three (3) people, including themselves!

This contest ends at 8 pm on the 2nd of October. Please ensure that your email address is correct so I can get in touch with you. Nuffnang will contact you after that so you can collect your tickets – each ticket comes with a free drink!

Come and join us in this star-studded pre-launch party for Club Neverland and be forever young for a night! 🙂

Driving at the actual Sepang International Circuit!

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sic race track experience

Yes! I can strike another one off the bucket list! I’ve actually driven on the Sepang International Circuit – one of the official F1 race tracks around the world! w00t!

model

I was at the Volkswagen Das Auto event held to herald in the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup 2011 at SIC and got to experience this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Heh!

vw

I was there pretty early – the event was very well organized – there’s even parking near the paddock and a shuttle to ferry you there so you don’t have to walk.

driving experience

After a quick registration, I signed up to test drive the Volkswagen Polo GTI.

polo gti

I got the 9:45 am slot so I grabbed a quick breakfast of hot noodle soup and coffee before testing out the car.

testing

This is a real world 7.7 km circuit around SIC comprising of various conditions you’ll expect in your daily commute.

I was quite impressed with the car – it handled the straights very well as you can see in the video above. The traffic was pretty light at that hour so the kind folks at Volkswagen let me drive through it twice. This isn’t the actual track (more about that later) – there was a lot of stuff to do that day.

racing sims

…like this driving simulator located throughout. It’s customized so you can see the new Volkswagen Polo in the simulator.

I also went for the Volkswagen Driving Experience – which is basically a safety course. Obstacle avoidance, emergency braking, stuff like that. It was a lot of fun though and I was so glad I got there early coz the spots were all quickly taken up till 4:30 pm.

polo models

The highlight of the event was the launch of the Volkswagen Polo GTI. The car is a beauty!

gti

All the meals were provided that day. I guess they don’t call it a VIP experience for nothing. Heh.

lunch

Catering was done from Pan Pacific so the food was pretty good.

scirocco r

There’s also a Volkswagen Scirocco R car inside – this is the actual car used in the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup 2011.

scirocco r cup

Here’s another angle of the car. I don’t think this highly tuned and spec-ed up car is road legal but won’t it be a blast to drive it? 😀

girls

Anyway, the event that everyone has been hoping for with two fingers crossed came up after lunch – the lucky draw to drive an actual Volkswagen car ON the Sepang International Circuit! The names were announced and there was a mad rush to the monitors see if we were one of the lucky ones.

lucky draw

FUCKYEAH.JPG

I think I’m going to have a stroke. *pounds chest

twitter

My name was on it! I am going to drive on an actual F1 circuit. There are people who would kill for this. I know, you all hate me. 😉

on track

I suited up in safety gear and went into the car. There were Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Scirocco up for grabs and as I headed to mine, I suddenly thought – how am I going to film the experience?

safety gear

I mean, this is an experience of a lifetime, I’ve gotta get it on film! Thus, I randomly scanned the crowd of people who weren’t as lucky and picked one at random.

celine

Say hello to Celine! She’s from Penang and has agreed to be a passenger in return for filming the Sepang International Circuit drive.

race

I actually filmed the entire experience (or rather, Celine did) but I had the radio on at the beginning – it was Eminem feat. Dr Dre – I Need a Doctor and I forgot to turn it off so I couldn’t upload most of the drive around SIC.

I can tell you though, it was hair-raising. I pushed the Volkswagen to its limits, hitting 220km/h on the straights and doing corners at 180 km/h. I have to say, the latter is not to be attempted by anyone less than a professional.

sic track

I nearly skidded out of control three times and it’s a testament to Volkswagen’s ride and handling which corrected my amateur mistakes. I think I might have frightened Celine though, heck, I frightened myself at the power of the car and the experience of driving at high speeds on an actual racing track.

Thank you for the experience of a lifetime, Volkswagen. I’ll never forget it. 🙂

Good luck in the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup 2011 season!

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