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Get exclusive tickets to Arthur’s Day right here on sixthseal.com!

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I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, saying ayo, gotta let go
I wanna celebrate and live my life, saying ayo, baby let’s go!

guinness girl

You know about Arthur’s Day right? Of course you do. In case you’ve been hiding in a pit for the past few years (people do that all the time, just ask Mr. Hussein ;)) let me give you the lowdown. Arthur’s Day is a celebration of 250 years of the world’s favorite stout! Hailing from Dublin, Guinness is a brand that has survived a ¼ of a millennium while still remaining a favorite of drinkers all over the world!

arthurs day

History lesson time! Arthur’s Day first started in 2009 when they launched the 250th anniversary of Guinness – I was one of the fortunate few to be in attendance. The event kick-started with an out-of-this-world (literally) contest.

In more relatable terms, Arthur’s Day is also the biggest concert in KL for two years running! 🙂

arthurs day 2009

Arthur’s Day 2009

I also did a video with Cindy that I’m rather proud of for Arthur’s Day 2010.

I fondly remember all the friends I got to know over a couple of pints when I went to the first Arthur’s Day concert in 2009.

Arthur’s Day has been synonymous with triple A list stars coming to Malaysia – in 2009 it was the Black Eyed Peas, Sean Kingston headlined last year and true to its history of getting the best artists to come, TAIO CRUZ will be performing this year!

taio cruz

It is truly an experience money can’t buy. The chanting fans, the super-charged atmosphere, the epic party-cum-concert with artists you usually just hear on the radio, the merry tinkle of Guinness pints (well, they use plastic cups to comply with regulations but you catch my drift).

arthurs day 09

Well, this year, Arthur’s Day is going to be different – you can’t BUY the tickets – it’s NOT FOR SALE. The only way you can get in this year is by snagging one of the exclusive tickets and I’m pleased to announce that I have a few pairs to give away (no worries, you won’t be going alone, bring along a friend).

I’m going to give away five (5) PAIRS of tickets to Arthur’s Day, and I won’t make you jump through hoops to get it. These are not mere tickets, but exclusive invites – an experience, if you will.

cruz

Arthur’s Day 2011
Date: 23rd September 2011
Time: 6 pm till late
Location: Speed City, KL

These exclusive tickets are very much in demand, so please make sure you can attend k? I will select 5 winners based on how funny/crazy/fun/interesting/cool your photos are and get back to you so enter your correct email address too! Remember, each of the 5 winners get a PAIR of elusive invites each so you can bring your +1. 🙂

Just upload a picture of yourself on Twitter or post a photo on Facebook wearing the outfit you’re going to wear to Arthur’s Day and comment here with the permalink.

Yup, just right here on this blog post.

Example photo:

arthurs day 2011

I’m sure you can do better.

It’s time to paaarrttyyy! TO ARTHUR! 😀

Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011

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vw das auto

I just came back from the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 and I am suitably impressed. Volkswagen sure knows how to come up with amazing events. I got to experience driving on the actual Sepang International Circuit last week and this time they have an incredible launch gimmick that you have to see for yourself. It’s epic!

vw girl

Anyway, I went there quite early and strolled around the reception area at Stadium Bukit Jalil before the dome experience started.

driving sim

They have driving simulators scattered around so you’ll have no shortage of entertainment.

snacks

You would not want for food or drink either as there are people going around with trays of intriguing hors d’oeuvres.

food

I had more than a couple since I haven’t had breakfast. Heh.

ipad

There are also Volkswagen Ambassadors walking around with iPads to take your photo – this will be uploaded to dasautoshow.com.my so you can download, tag or share the pictures.

driving2

The dome experience is hands down the HIGHLIGHT (no pun intended) of the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011. You are ushered into a complete spherical dome to see the new offerings of VW and what the future has to offer.

dome

It’s a 30 minute experience that blew me away.

electric scooter

Petra Schreiber, the Marketing Director of Volkswagen Group Malaysia came on stage riding a futuristic electric scooter. This. Is. The. Future.

ramp

The show then started with the latest yet-to-be-released Volkswagen cars been driven right INTO the dome and around it. It rates way up there as one of the coolest launch gimmicks I’ve ever seen. Check out the video – it’s mind-blowing! 🙂

The dome is a complete 360 projection screen so it’s pretty amazing to be bombarded (in a good way) by interactive images everywhere you look. It’s like 3D, wait, 4D, or maybe 5D coz you can smell the exhaust of the cars. It’s the future, yo. 😉

cars

The dome is structurally made with a loop around it so a convoy of cars can drive around it. There are ramps leading up and down too so the cars can get on the stage for a closer look before being driven away again…

ella

…and just when you thought things have ended, a bunch of kids came on stage singing Reach by Gloria Estefan.

…and when you thought that was it, someone stood up on the third row and joined in – it’s Ella! She’s a Malaysian artist, I didn’t see her at the show until she joined in the song. I managed to capture that on video. Sweet.

elaine daly

I also got a photo with Elaine Daly – she was the MC during the event.

vw beetle

This is perhaps the most photographed car during the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 – The 21st Century Beetle.

beetle interior

It’s a classic and it comes in red. It’ll come to Malaysian shores soon, and I bet the demand would be huge for this.

convertible

We literally had to be chased out of the dome coz we were taking so many photos with the VW Beetle. 🙂

golf

The dome experience does not end there – the entire portfolio of existing Volkswagen cars is on display outside.

golf gti

Golf GTI

eos

I love the Eos convertible. Imagine driving this baby around town.

prassat

However, one of the more interesting things revealed in the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 is that there will be 3 models that will be manufactured in Malaysia! This includes the Passat – and I think localization is a great idea, it’ll drive costs down and make the cars more affordable to the general public.

driving

I went in the morning so the domes are not lit – I heard that the lighting makes the dome much more surreal at night so drop by this weekend if you can. The Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 is at Stadium Bukit Jalil and will be going on from 10-11th September. Head on over for a peek at Volkswagen’s new offerings!

Win a trip to the 2011 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix!

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f1 night race

You know the one right? It’s the only F1 GP in the entire world with a night race. I reckon it was an ingenious twist to the F1 format when it first came out – it stands out from all the others and makes Singapore one of the places to be if you’re an F1 fan!

f1 singapore

The actual race will start on the 25th of September with a total of 61 laps, making it a 309.316 km drive. Well, the F1 Grand Prix is of course the highlight of the event but I wonder if you know how they live in Singapore? 😉

sharika

The 2011 Grand Prix Season Singapore lasts from 16-25th of September and is set with parties, fashion shows and performances throughout the season. It comes at a reputed entertainment lineup bill of SGD 5,000,000. That’s slightly over RM 12 million!

shaggy

This mostly goes toward their Live Louder than Life theme this year with a focus on music performances and dance parties. If you remember last year’s theme, it was “It’s Gonna Get Loud” and this year’s will expand on that by giving F1 racing enthusiasts the experience of a lifetime by introducing them to the exciting and glamorous Singapore nightlife!

singapura

That’s right, no one goes to just the race itself. From experience in the F1 races in Melbourne and Sepang, there’s loads of events going on at the time to cater to the fans during the lulls in the action on track.

linkin park

Singapore is one of the most glamorous places to party in Asia – I believe they’re at the #1 spot or close to it according to this clubbing report I read. They’ve got an outstanding lineup of international artists this year – Chemical Brothers, Linkin Park and Shakira is just the tip of the triple A list entertainers coming in.

Here are highlights of the few parties that I think is going to be a blast:

Amber Lounge & Amber Lounge Fashion Singapore
Date: 24 to 25 September 2011
Venue: Temasek Reflection (Water wall behind Millenia Walk)

This is an annual VIP party with F1 drivers and stunning models gracing the club with a fashion show set to beats of international Djs from London to St Tropez.

chem bros

Avalon
Date: 16 to 25 September 2011
Venue: Marina Bay Sands, South Crystal Pavilion

The Chemical Brothers are going to spin here! It’s headlined by The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 and also features Benny Banassi (!!!), Massive Attack and Boy George. The entire list is too long to well, list here, but it’s hard to argue with the Chem Bros playing Dig Your Own Hole while you soak in the panoramic views of Marina Bay…it’s Avalon, the hottest club in Singapore!

Red Hot Racing Weekend @ St James Power Station
Date: 23 to 25 September 2011
Venue: St James Power Station

DJ Angie Vu Ha – Asia’s first supermodel DJ will be spinning there on the 23rd of September. You can also race on the F1 simulators and stand a chance to win exclusive Ferrari merchandize. Need I say more? 🙂

Bollywood

Worldwide Festival
Date: 16 to 18 September 2011
Venue: Zouk & Velvet Underground (16 September), Avalon (17 September), Tanjong Beach Club (18 September)

Yes, it’s BACK! The Worldwide Festival returns with artists which includes Kyoto Jazz Massive, Floating Points, Mala, Gilles Peterson, Shuya Oniko and more! It’s 3 days of partying in indoor and outdoor venues. This is going to be awesome, there’s nothing quite like a beach party.

performers

Anyway, if you’re a fan of both F1 and partying (it seems like there is a high correlation between the two) you can gear up to the actual event by participating in the Grand Prix PartyBlaster contest. You can hear sample tracks from the top DJ’s who will be performing at the Grand Prix Season Singapore parties and share them.

The best part is when you share a new track with your Facebook or Twitter friends, you’ll unlock a new one!

check

No, I’m just using a US-based proxy. Excellent job in detecting and allowing me to select the correct country though – it’s the little things that matter.

grand prix partyblaster

The best thing about this application is that you get to win a FREE trip for two to Singapore, inclusive of race tickets, airfare, 4D3N accommodation and access to selected clubs and parties all weekend, if you’re the “loudest” (most number of posts shared) user.

twirling

…and hey, even if you don’t win, you’ll have a blast (pun intended) listening to the A list DJ’s. Turn on, tune in, drop out, at YourSingapore.com!

LEGOLAND Malaysia, Johor Premium Outlets and more!

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us

Johor! It has always seemed like a state to stop by to eat and refuel before heading down to Singapore. It never seemed to hold much interest for me, despite having a nice waterfront. I went on a trip to ISKANDAR MALAYSIA last week and was surprised to see that there’s a lot of interesting developments going on.

legoland malaysia

…like the first LEGOLAND in South East Asia!

legoland site

Well, it’s not finished yet, ETA would be next year but here’s the spot where it’ll be at.

imic

However, there’s an interactive showcase called Iskandar Malaysia Information Center (IMIC) at Danga Bay Convention Center where you can see what LEGOLAND and other ISKANDAR MALAYSIA developments would look like.

danga bay convention center

The place is deceptively fun!

lego

You can discover your inner child (everyone has one) by playing with the LEGO bricks available there and build something interesting.

golf simulator

Play virtual golf.

motion sim

Sit in a motion simulator.

wii

Get some Wii Boxing!

kiosk

See your mug on a variety of virtual backdrops. You can save it to a USB port attached to the kiosk or post it to your Facebook account. Nifty.

virtual

Kids won’t be left out too, with interactive learning touch screen programs.

ramsar boat

There’s even a large rocking boat that will bring you to Tanjung Piai, Ramsar, one of the largest wetlands in the world…virtually, that is.

lontong kering

We were famished by the time we landed and the people at ISKANDAR MALAYSIA brought us to all the authentic Johor food places. We were whisked away as soon as we landed to one of the authentic stalls in JB for some lontong kering. This is at Warong Saga – it’s one of those places that you need a local to bring you to. You’ll be hard pressed to find it yourself. 🙂

mee rebus tulang gearbox

We also had some really awesome mee rebus tulang gearbox for lunch. You just have to try this if you’re ever in Johor. They have the best tulang gearbox I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. You’re given a short straw to suck out all the bone marrow too!

highway

ISKANDAR MALAYSIA is also changing the landscape of Johor in more practical ways. They’re building a lot of highways and roads to ease traffic congestion and ensure a more optimal route throughout the city. I’m quite impressed at the number of highways they are building in a such a short amount of time.

marina

The marina is also another captivating place. We went there for a nice, cold glass of iced lemon tea to cool down and walked around the area.

yatch prices

The marina is meant to dock leisure yachts and ships and there’s also a place to get your very own sailing craft…if you have the cash that is.

iskandar malaysia

The marina is set to be a hotbed of activity – there are plans to turn it into a vibrant community with lots of condominiums.

imperia puteri harbour

This is the showroom of IMPERIA Puteri Harbor by the marina, the highest condominium in Johor – it’s already sold out and the waiting list is 200+ people strong so there’s a looooong wait for an opening.

chillax

It’s a nice place though – every unit will have a balcony with a sea view and it seems like the perfect place for a holiday home.

showhouse

There is also vast tracts of lands being turned into gated communities and high end houses in East Ledang. I’ve been to some of the show houses at Melody Park and it’s AMAZING.

east ledang

Just look at this and tell me you don’t wish you live here.

bedroom

There’s lot of different variations and themes too – modern, English, classic, whichever way you want you interior décor to be like, you’ll find it no trouble to get there.

educity

EduCity @ ISKANDAR MALAYSIA is home to several renowned Ivy League universities which has set up their campuses there.

newcastle university

The beauty about this place is that the universities only have ONE faculty there – the best of the best e.g. Newcastle University has a medical faculty for all those interested in going into that field.

kate middleton

There’s also Marlborough College which Kate Middleton graduated from. Yes, that’s the Duchess of Cambridge’s alma mater. I’m so going if they manage to get her to come and officially open this college for them. smirk

johor premium outlet

ISKANDAR MALAYSIA aims to turn Johor into a destination in its own right instead of just a transit point for people going to Singapore and I think they’ve done a really good job. There’s just something for everyone and one of the much anticipated openings is the Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) which is a HUGE retail space for designer labels.

The interesting bit about JPO is that they’re making plans to have sales at certain times e.g. Coach having 50% off at 3 pm on Thursday. I can imagine the amount of people queuing up or even camping way ahead of time for this!

prisma

ISKANDAR MALAYSIA is also doing a lot of CSR initiatives like their PRISMA housing areas – it’s for married couples earning below RM 3,000 and it doesn’t look like any of the low cost housing areas I’ve been too. These are comfortable apartments with great facilities. There are also 1,500 units for OKUs with specially designed living areas to cater to them. Yes, the photo above is an ACTUAL SHOT of the place.

iskandar malaysia public housing

It looks way better than my apartment…ISKANDAR MALAYSIA sure knows how to do things right. I mean, look at the picture above! Does that look like a low cost public housing unit to you? I’ll love to live in that place but I’m not eligible. 😡

stairs

They also have a pilot project going for green buildings which aims to provide self sustaining units with solar power, water recycling and other technology.

living area

Looking at what ISKANDAR MALAYSIA has done to Johor in just a few years, I have very high hopes for the state. Invest. Work. Live. Play. is their mantra. Education, health, entertainment, infrastructure, they’ve got it all covered.

fun

Personally, I’m waiting for LEGOLAND to open so I can go for the awesome rides that’s going to be there. I’m a huge fan of amusement parks. 🙂

The Saga continues!

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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!

Fire your boss

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me

My first job was as a programmer in an agency. I just graduated from Australia and started working in KL barely a month after that. Anyway, not six months after, I was introduced to some people in Kuching who wanted to start up a company. I went, listened to what they were about to do, chipped in with a couple of my own ideas and believed so much I was one of the five shareholders in the company.

It was the best job ever.

Well, since I was one of the shareholders in the start up as well, it wasn’t merely a job but rather a joined entrepreneur endeavor.

mayor

I was a System Engineer (at least that was my original title) but we were doing a lot of R&D. It was just me and the CTO coming up with all sorts of weird stuff (some groundbreaking and some totally useless). Heh. ¼ of my time was spent doing presentations to clients, ¼ out on the field and the rest in the office tinkering with stuff and doing decks.

alex

It was a lot of fun and I worked in that company for close to four years before I cashed out all my shares.

station

The best part is believing in what you’re doing and being a part of a start up. I haven’t worked in the technology line since but I fondly remember those days. It was the mixture of entrepreneur spirit and coming up with innovative ideas that made those days so heady.

I’ve always wanted to be involved in another start up and if you’re a budding entrepreneur too there’s a perfect chance coming up!

Make The Pitch is a reality TV show where you pitch (thus the name) your idea to a panel of investors. If they like your idea and think it’s sound, they’ll personally invest in it and help you achieve your dreams!

blowing cake with weather monitoring

You’ll need to be 18 years and above and it’s open to anyone (even if you don’t have a company – just a solid idea will do). The best thing of all is that there’s no age cap so old farts like me can still enter. 😉 There’s no limit to the number of winners and if you find that you’re strapped for time and don’t have a detailed proposal, you can attend the auditions with a brief outline of your idea and you’ll still get a chance.

The confirmed panel of judges hail from RHB, MDeC, MyEG and Cradle (yes, the investment fund for technology).

Want to make it big? Fire your boss, start coming out with a winning idea and impress the judges at the auditions. Get more information about the show and find out where the auditions will be held at the MyEG Make The Pitch site.

Wanderlust

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wanderlust

I travel around quite a bit. I tend to season my vacations with a healthy sprinkling of adventure since I’m a huge adrenaline junkie. I’ve gone bungee jumping, skydiving, snowboarding, and cliff jumping in various parts of the world and I pronounce it GOOD. 🙂

However, it’s not just the things that raises your heart rate that appeals to me – I love immersing myself in culture and experiencing new things. That is adventure to me as well – novelty seeking and wanderlust.

underground

I often find myself planning for the next trip as soon as I come back. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be off somewhere when you’re reading this.

Hell, I’m going on a road trip tomorrow and another one this weekend so chances are I’ll not be at home. The wanderlust is never sated in me. 😀

stonehenge

I update a lot while I’m away as well (much to the chagrin of my wallet) – anything from the usual social media suspects to sending an MMS of Stonehenge to my bff. Yes, I actually did that.

You know how data roaming can be a bit tricky at times?

adventure

I’ve got a question for you:

1. You’re in Australia using your postpaid line to stay connected on Twitter, Facebook and your blog
2. There is a 3 hour time difference and you’re flying off early tomorrow
3. When do you deactivate it?

I’ve always wondered – do you get charged for another day when the clock strikes 12 midnight in Malaysia or Australia local time?

It’s a Cinderella conundrum and something I plan to find out once and for all with Hotlink’s Prepaid Data Roaming. They’re the first in Malaysia to offer international data roaming while you’re on work or vacation somewhere else in the world. They’ve got 150 countries covered and counting!

script

I reckon it’ll be very useful while traveling. You know how much I love doing that.

Hotlink is running a contest called Bloggers without Borders where bloggers are divided into three categories – Food, Adventure and Fashion and we’ll get the chance to go to Manila, Bali and Bangkok respectively.

However, we have to earn that privilege and here’s where you come in. 🙂

Vote for me and suggest an activity you would like me to do. I’ll be heading down to Bali so there’s a lot of water sports going on there.

Here’s my video. I had a lot of fun doing it – enlisted the help of a random stranger who wanted to borrow my phone coz he forgot to bring his, behind-the-scenes stuff, driving with no hands (don’t try this at home) and other shenanigans.

haircut

I even got a haircut before making that video. 😉

I’ll be constantly updating and will be in touch if I get chosen to go to Bali so vote for me! I promise you, I’ll be game to do anything. Heh! There isn’t much I wouldn’t do actually.

Want me to jump of a plane without a chute and do a tandem harness in midair? Just ask me to. (Really, please, I would love to do this)

Want me to jump off a cliff? Yes, sir! (or ma’am)

Trust me, if you vote for me, you’ll get the chance to ask me to do stuff and see me tweet, Facebook and blog using Hotlink’s Prepaid Data Roaming JUST FOR YOU. No one else will be as fun and adventurous as me so you might as well get your friends to vote for me as well. 😉

You can vote for me here. 😀

gold coast

SixthSeal.com – delivering entertaining media since 2002. smirk

Shotgun

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I remember back when I was studying in Christchurch, NZ it became something of a trend to call “shotgun” if you want the front seat beside the driver. I know, it sounds silly but we were all 15 back then (with some older kids) and 15 is the age when you can get your driver’s permit over there.

Anyway, there are RULES to calling shotgun – you can’t do it, say, as soon as you exit a car. I can’t remember all of them but basically a valid shotgun call is when everyone is heading off and you’re actually in the car park.

amsterdam central station

Well, it was during those high school years that I first started taking KLM for Singapore – New Zealand flights. I had to to spend the night in Changi when I came back coz it was cheaper to transit in Singapore than KL.

flower market

I have been to a lot of places since then including two sojourns to Europe earlier this year. The last Europe trip I went on was basically a backpacking trip, from London all the way to Latvia and Georgia. The only place (besides London) that I visited twice in a row was Amsterdam. I love the city and all it has to offer! 🙂

Well, KLM is the national airlines of the Dutch and they’re having this awesome contest where you can win a trip for two to Jakarta. The mechanism is pretty simple – it somehow reminded me of my adolescent shotgun anecdote.

amsterdam canal

I swear this has gotta be the best contest ever. It’s not a popularity contest so everyone gets an equal chance. It’s more like a lottery!

(except with WAY better odds)

klm facebook

Basically, you have to Like the KLM Malaysia Facebook page and wait for the game to start. Once it begins, you’ll be able to see 1-3 planes. Each plane has 400 seats and ONE of those seats is the winning ticket. The Golden Ticket if you will…

…and if you happen to be lucky enough to tag that particular seat, well, you’ll be like Charlie and off to the destination you’ll go, courtesy of KLM. You’ll get to bring along a friend as well!

Now who’s gonna turn down a trip for two – especially if there’s a myriad of destinations to choose from. It’s as easy as it comes, kinda like playing Bingo, except again with better odds. 😉

Like the KLM Malaysia Facebook page now and get a chance to win flights for two!

nutcracker

I really expect a frenzy of activity when they start this coz the mechanics is simple, fair and the odds of winning are really high. 😀

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!

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orang utan

Heh! I’ve always wanted to title a blog post like that. In this case, there is at least some semblance of logical justification for it. I was in Singapore a few weeks ago and one of the things that we did was have breakfast with orang utans. There were also pythons for you to hold, it was a great start to the morning, truth to be told.

python

However, the highlights of my trip there were mostly towards the arts and theater scene that Singapore has to offer. I bugged Kristine to organize my itinerary around this show by Yukichi Matsumoto which I have been itching to catch. It showed at the Singapore Arts Festival 2011 and this is the first time the Ishinha theater group has done a performance outside of Japan.

entrance

Ishinha has very high standards for their stages and choreography. They build the set and props themselves and they’re quite partial about how it turns out. It was one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen. It’s held outdoors and I love the passion they put into their work – “This is a rain or shine event”.

rain shine

I expected this to be a niche show but I was surprised to see the packed. There were two Japanese men seated to my right and a bunch of Caucasians on holiday on my left. The seats are stadium type wooden boards – no frills but we managed to sit very comfortably by NOT sitting on the seats itself but on the one below you and using your seat as a backrest.

seating

I can’t credit myself for that though – the bunch of Caucasian ladies started sliding down and I thought that looked like a mighty fine position to be sitting in. You’re not disturbing anyone and your chiropractor would thank you for it. It’s all about the back support. Thus, I slid down as well and the woman grinned at me and said “It’s much more comfortable this way, eh?”

Yes, it is ma’am. Yes indeed. 🙂

programme

When A Grey Taiwanese Cow Stretched is a 120 minute performance with no intervals. You have to come in before it starts or the doors close. That’s the way to go about it. No disturbances from late arrivals.

I was actually very surprised by the performance. I expected it to be good but it just went and blew my mind.

ishinha

The stage structure is built in front of a city landscape which is integral to the story as a juxtaposition. When A Grey Taiwanese Cow Stretched explores a lot of themes from migrants, to the war and occupation of Japanese troops and how it affects their people. It’s all in Japanese and there’s subtitles to the side but what I really enjoyed was they way it was performed.

In lieu of dialogue, they use a form of rap to communicate. Known as Jan Jan Opera language, it’s a kind of Osakan street rap – it goes from a rapid staccato to a slow, ponderous chant. It’s quite unique and a very effective way to get the narrative across.

when a grey taiwanese cow stretched

It’s a very intense performance, especially if you have good seats (Thanks Kristine!). Don’t be surprised to see a troop of performers staring you down and intensely shouting about the pain they feel. One particular bit of dialogue that I found very well executed and poignant is:

You had affairs!
South American women.
With big bottoms!
Did you notice their breasts?
Shangri-la.
Paradise, isn’t it? *sarcastic

I just wish I had enough money leftover to buy the soundtrack, it’s definitely worth it.

artscience museum

I also visited the ArtScience Museum for Salvador Dali’s work. The museum is shaped like a lotus (though some say it looks like a baseball mitt, including myself) and it’s actually quite vast inside.

I don’t think captions would do the great man’s work justice so I’m just going to post up the photos:

dali

melting clock

statue

The other thing that I really enjoyed was The Lion King at Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

pride rock

I’ve seen the West End production but the Singapore one was even better. The acoustics and the seating arrangements beats the one in Lyceum Theater near Convent Garden.

It’s just progress – the Marina Bay Sands theater is just more modern.

I also loved how they localized The Lion King Musical with a sprinkling of Mandarin and references to the Merlion. Don’t expect them to break into a refrain of “The (Mer)lion sleeps tonight” but there’s enough little touches that differentiates it and it’s an awesome performance by a new cast assembled from around the world.

pumba

Now, why don’t we get all this stuff in Malaysia? Oh well, at least I can visit Singapore instead of flying all the way to London next time I want to see a good theater performance.

lion king cast

Oh, by the way these are some of the upcoming performances in Singapore:

Cirque Éloize iD – Now until 26 June 2011
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite Live -29 June 2011
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber – 7 to 17 July 2011
Korean Music Wave 2011 – 15 July 2011
Paramore Live in Concert – 21 Aug 2011

If you’re interested in all that Singapore has to offer, hop on over to YourSingapore.com where there’s something for everyone!

Creative camwhoring 101

by

rubbernecking

I read something in a book about practical jokes when I was a kid. I didn’t know it at the time but it was actually a psychology experiment. Basically what the book tells you to do is to stand in the middle of a crowded place and start looking up – at nothing in particular. It goes on to postulate that people would either pass by and take furtive glances at what you’re looking at or plain stop and stare with you.

It’s universal and also called “rubbernecking”. You’re basically inciting curiosity just by actively participating in something.

sandboarding

Anyway, the reason I suddenly remember that good ol’ book of mine was coz I was at Sunway Pyramid with Bonnie last weekend. There was this installation with boards, a dune of molded sand and a letterbox with a background vista. It was an ambient structure and no one even paused to glance at it…

classic

…until we started to fool around and camwhore with it. It’s quite interesting to see how people stop, gape and start to want to participate. It went from a stone cold installation when we first got there to a hot one where we even had to queue to take more shots with it. Funny how it just takes one to get the ball rolling eh?

kids

This is an AirAsiaX Perth contest where you take a photo with the installation in the most creative way possible to stand a chance to win a trip to Perth for two. The theme at Sunway Pyramid is sandboarding in Kalbarri and there is a picture of two girls in a default pose, which most people (that came after us) emulated. I reckon we could do much better (or at least Bonnie could, with her flexibility).

boarding

1. De facto pose

default

2. Cheesy dual camwhore

headstand

3. My #fail handstand. Sorry AirAsiaX, I nearly destroyed your structure when I fell down. 😉

us

4. Bonnie does a headstand – she’s into capoeira which comes in very handy for this. I, on the other hand, is very good in looking nonchalant. Heh.

scorpion

5. Our piece de resistance! This is the one I’m going to submit. Bonnie is doing the Escorpio (Scorpion in Brazilian Portuguese) in the foreground to enhance the ambient installation – she is in fact, a prop in this pose. She’s the scorpion in the sand dunes in Kalbarri, Perth while I am dusting imaginary sand off my flip flops while sitting on a sand board.

There are installations in 1 Utama, Pavilion KL and Sunway Pyramid and all you need to do is to pose with the installation and email it to get a chance to win a trip for two to Perth. If you have terrible bearings, the first thing you should do is to approach the information counter and have them point you in the right direction. If you’re not comfortable with posing in public spaces, hey, be like Nike and Just Do It. I guarantee you there will be people looking and wanting a piece of the action once you get started.

people

Who did you think took our pictures? Random strangers posing with the structure who helped us with our photos once they were done. smirk

sandboard

I think our submission is pretty good. I really hope we win this contest. I swear, we spent almost an hour there doing various poses. We even came in the appropriate attire. I didn’t destroy the structure from a bad fall and Bonnie emerged intact without having to put on a neck brace. 😉

Try and beat our awesome poses by going to one of the installations. Check out the Perth contest post on the AirAsia blog for more details! We really want to win the contest but we’re confident our submission will be a pretty formidable one anyway. action #winning

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