Month: November 2011

Ipoh Road Trip 2011: Pun Chun, Ritz Garden Hotel

After Tanjung Malim, we stopped by Bidor for duck noodles at Pun Chun. As usual, it was packed with people. I’m not a big fan of Pun Chun duck noodles and in fact, I think the duck noodles at Sun Hing Loong, SS2 is much better.


We had some wu kok (yam dumpling). Quite nice.

We stayed in a hotel by the name Ritz Garden Hotel in Ipoh. Although the name sounds grand, the place isn’t. We found cigarette ash next to our bed -_-


However, our room has a nice view and the TV channels were ample.

Ritz Garden Hotel has a cafe by the name Ritz Recipe and a restaurant by the name Goldtown.


Think Ritz Carlton, Secret Recipe and Oldtown.

It also has a very small pond, gym (with an instructor), massage parlour, karaoke outlet and a fengtau bar. Apparently, you can see many “dragon ladies” around the bar.

We had a short rest before driving to Kuala Sepetang for dinner. Poor WK and Elaine waited for hours to check into their room cause it was not ready.

It was RM150 a night for us. When I arrived home, I realised that the reception erroneously keyed in the wrong room number during my check out! Aiyoh!

Purina One – Picture of Health Contest – Part III

Remember the Purina One contest I posted earlier? The results are out! Check out the press release below.

Kuala Lumpur, 8 November 2011 – Purina PetCare Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“Purina” or the “Company”) awarded prized pooch – Bie Bie – a Border Collie with the first prize in the Picture of Health Contest finale last week. Teh Kean Hock, owner of the obedient black and white furry took home RM10,000 cash and one year supply of PURINA ONE® products.

“Before I changed Bie Bie’s diet to PURINA ONE®, we were in between a few dog food brands. But now [after observing the significant improvements], we will stick to PURINA ONE®,” commented Teh after Bie Bie was announced the first prize winner. The proud owner intends to spend the prize money on Bie Bie’s future training needs.

The other two contenders were Bailey, a Beagle and Dong Dong, a Jack Russell. Bailey won the second prize while Dong Dong came in third. Second and third prize winners won RM5,000 and RM2,000 cash respectively and six months supply of PURINA ONE® products. The three finalists were judged based on five visible criteria: body condition, clear eyes, healthy skin and coat, teeth and gum health, and overall relationship between the owner and the canine.

A few familiar faces from the entertainment industry were spotted at the afternoon tea with their furry friends. Angel Wong Chui Ling, the newly appointed brand ambassador for PURINA ONE® was at the event with Fatty – a mix breed of an Irish Setter and a Bull Terrier. Amber Chia, a celebrity model, attended the afternoon tea with her Golden Retriever, Poodle and Bichon Frise. David Yee, the new host of Life Inspired TV (Li TV) channel, with Tyson, a Golden Retriever in tow. Joey G, a celebrity DJ, had his hands full with Leon, a Cocker Spaniel while Alison J Victor, former radio DJ at Red FM, looked lovely with her adorable Toy Poodle, Pom Pom.

Tim Wilson, Country Business Manager in Purina addressed the crowd with Westie, a West Highland White Terrier. “Having dogs in our family is great in so many ways. People who share their lives with pets, particularly dogs, are less stressed. There is always somebody who will listen and rarely disagrees. They [our pets] provide a common focus in the family and many people tell me they believe this strengthens their family bonds.”

Angel Wong, a Hong Kong born but Malaysia based female artiste, regards Fatty as her granddaughter, an offspring from her two dogs – Lulu (a Bull Terrier) and Wallace (an Irish Setter). In her message to all dog owners, Angel remarked that, “We can have a lot of things in life. Our doggies have only us. So do give them the best.”

The Picture of Health Contest aimed to encourage dog owners to feed their dog with PURINA ONE® and observe improvements in its six signs of health: body condition (its ideal size); digestion system; skin, coat and eyes; immune system; dental health; bone and joint health. Since then, many dog owners took up the challenge and sent in their dogs’ pictures for the contest.

In the 10-week competition period, Purina received over 200 pictures of good looking and healthy pet pooches who changed their diet to PURINA ONE®. In addition to the Top 3 winners, twenty consolation prize winners have also received RM500 cash and PURINA ONE® products worth RM160 each.

First launched in Malaysia in 2007, PURINA ONE® is scientifically developed by pet nutritionists and vets. Available in four new formulas – Healthy Puppy Formula, Chicken & Rice, Lamb & Rice and Healthy Weight Management Formula, PURINA ONE® provides specific nutrition needs to dogs in different life stages. The crunchy kibbles contain unique blend of real meat, wholesome grains and antioxidants.

Strongbow Baby Tonga!

[Advertorial]

While going through my old blog pots, I found my old Sailing Adventure entries. It was back in 2008 and me and a few media people were invited to sail on a boat around Pulau Langkawi.

Before sailing, we were put in a very nice hotel with awesome food.

We sailed around Pulau Langkawi on a small boat. We had a small band playing and even a masseur!


Lunch was massive.

Halfway through the journey, we stopped by some islands and launched some kayaks to the islands. We passed through some tunnel before ending in a cove.


Then we experience the “sea Jacuzzi”. Salty Jacuzzi is more like it.

Overall a good experience! Would love to go sailing on the seas again!

Speaking about sailing, the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR), a challenging offshore sailing race organised every year by the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, has just started. It consists of three overnight passage races, some 240 miles in total, plus three days of harbour racing in Penang and Langkawi.


One of the yachts, Baby Tonga — a Beneteau 53f5 owned by Antony Hastings — is returning this year to the RMSIR.

Strongbow has been the official beverage enjoyed by Baby Tonga’s crews in RMSIR. It is drunk prior to races and Strongbow is the perfect beverage for sailors on the go, and its refreshing crispness takes away the attention from the intensity of the heat.

My Sailing Adventure trip was actually a media trip. It was fully paid for and it was a chance of a lifetime to be on such trip. I wouldn’t be able to afford such trip on my own!

Anyway, Strongbow is now running a contest on its Facebook page in association with the sponsorship. You may win a cruise on Baby Tonga with your friends by taking part in this mini game!


The game


Move the boat round with your keyboard. My boat got stuck. FUUUUUUUUUUUUU


Once you are done, you need to answer some trivia questions.


The results. I FAILED!

I must say this game is not easy!! It’s hard to control the boat!

To check out the game, go to http://www.facebook.com/strongbow.my?sk=app_180828955338936

Ipoh Road Trip 2011: Yik Mun @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

During the Raya break, my hengtais, me and our respective partners made a trip down to Ipoh for a one night trip. It’s been a while since our last trip which was Tioman Island. This time round, the adventure was no where near our Tioman Island adventure. If you may recall, my hengtais and I took a 8 hours boat ride to Tioman Island using a fisherman’s boat.

This trip, like any other trips, was all about eating. Our first stop was Yik Mun, a restaurant famous for its halal paos (steamed buns). It was established in 1926. I recall when I was a kid, my Dad brought me here for breakfast whenever we head back to his hometown in Bidor.

So anyway, my friends and I ordered their kaya, chicken and beef and Chicken chop. I only tried their kaya pao and I find it mediocre. There wasn’t much kaya fillings. The pao near my house is much better :p


However, their chicken chop is good. It comes with thick gravy, fresh tomatoes and mash potatoes. This is probably the highlight for me.

The only complaint that I have about this place is their bill. We were charged for paos that did not arrive and also additional paos. Fortunately, KF spotted this error and the cashier made adjustment to our bill. Those who eat here should remember how many paos they have eaten. I wonder if it’s a method for them to make extra money – since 1926. XD

Map

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Address:
3, Jalan Besar, Tanjung Malim
Perak, 35900, Malaysia
Tel: 05-4596380

Samsung Galaxy Note – Part II

[Advertorial]

Samsung Galaxy Note was launched in Malaysia on 11 November 2011.

If you’re still thinking on whether to get one, check out the videos of their features below.


S PEN EXPERIENCE- http://bit.ly/Note-SPen


Portability – http://bit.ly/tolFIs


S-Planner – http://bit.ly/spm3uR


S – Memo – http://bit.ly/rsP915


Polaris office – http://bit.ly/udX8g4


Social Hub and reader – http://bit.ly/sTHYpz

Now, what are you waiting for?

Samsung Galaxy Note

[Advertorial]

If you’re having a headache on what Smartphone to buy, well, your headache has just increased. Samsung has just unveiled their new phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note. The look of the phone is quite similar with Samsung Galaxy SII but it has more/upgraded features.

The size of the Galaxy Note’s screen is 5.3″ – larger than Samsung Galaxy SII. It also comes with HD Super AMOLED – which gives better graphics and view. You can check out the video below on what HD Super AMOLED means.

My current phone is starting to lag due to the Apps that I loaded on my phone. These Apps are starting to clog up my system. The new Galaxy Note’s 1.4Gz Dual Core should be able to solve this.

One great difference about this phone is the stylus – which they call the S Pen.

Steve Jobs rubbished the use of stylus but Samsung went against his view and put one anyway. It seems great on video as it gives users precision.

With the S Pen, you can write on the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note’s embedded software will recognise the text and turn it into digital text. Would love to try this function when I write my notes while at work. Retyping the whole thing takes up a lot of my time (and my juniors’ time too!)

It is currently not officially available in Malaysia yet but some people have got their hands and posted the following unboxing videos *envy*:


Android Authority Lengthy techie explanation


Review by Winnie. Rarely you find a girl reviewing a phone. Good for girls to watch as they can look the phone at a girl’s point of view.


Review by Sham Hardy dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

Other videos
Unboxing by Amanz – http://bit.ly/umlcDb
Samsung GALAXY Note fits by Donovan – http://bit.ly/vu8qGO

Would love to have a test phone and review it on how good it is for work! Just like how I wrote my piece on “All Lawyers should have an iPad!“. This article stayed as one of the top posts on LoyarBurok for more than a month!

You can check out other notable features of the Galaxy Note in the video below.

Rock Climbing @ Putrajaya Challenge Park, Putrajaya

In a galaxy far, far away from Kuala Lumpur lies a rock climbing gym by the name Challenger Park. My usual climbing buddies had to fly a spaceship to reach this gym. It was so damn bloody far!

But the trip was well worth it. I’ve been wanting to climb here since its open. The entrance fee is cheap, only RM6. The walls are great. They have bouldering walls and climbing walls for lead climbing. Each of these walls are divided into beginner, intermediate and expert walls.


Expert Lead Wall


(L) Intermediate lead wall and (R) Intermediate and Expert bouldering walls


At the background, Beginner’s Bouldering Wall

The walls are quite similar with the walls at Camp 5 climbing gym. I heard this gym is build by the same people who built Camp 5.

My friends and I tried the expert bouldering wall. Large part of it was reclining and very high. So high that I don’t dare to climb all the way to the top -_-

The expert routes are also extremely tough. I can’t even finish one -_-

This place is also unregulated unlike Camp 5. In Camp 5, there are many rules one must follow. But here, it’s cowboy town. You can scream all you like and climb in whatever manner you want. It’s basically a lower class version of Camp 5. AWESOME!!!

Unfortunately, the quality of their shoes is poor. Their shoes have big holes on the front tip – probably due to overuse. I wouldn’t recommend beginners to climb here. Intermediate level climbers (with their own gears) are welcome.

Map

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Nissan Livina X-Gear

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Nissan had an event at Sunway Pyramid over the weekend. I made a trip down to check out the event.


View from the top!


It was quite interesting. They had a rock climbing wall and skateboard ramp. Some of my old climbing friends were running the wall and teaching newbies climbing. They set up an event company just to organize outdoor activities.

The route on the basic wall was quite simple. Many people were climbing the wall – including kids! And for kids that are not so active, they can opt for the picture colouring section.

I cant imagine how it would be like if my kids were into climbing. My friend’s son love climbing and he climbs everything in sight. My friend has to rescue his son from places high up all the time.


As for the skateboard ramp, anyone can take up classes there. Skates, helmets and pads all provided. There were some skater boys showing off their skills. I can’t skate for nuts hence I skipped it. Further, my knees are not doing so well. The peril of hitting the big 3-0.

There are two highlights of this event namely the Nissan X-Gear and iOS App. AL is thinking of getting the Nissan X-Gear. The interior is spacious – perfect when we have children. There were many helpful people around the cars to guide and brief us on the specs of the car. One of them was kind enough to introduce other Nissan cars.

The trunk is very spacious too. It can fit me with a lot of space left.


Trying to get in… (took this picture while no one is looking..)


This 1.6cc 5 seater cost RM82,800.00.

There were a few ladies promoting the Nissan X-Gear iOS App. They were handling out little code like this.

AL scanned the code with her iPhone4 and viola! we were directed to iTunes to download the X-Gear App.

The special thing about this App is that is utilizes augmented reality. If you’ve not been following augmented reality, it’s basically a function where the app will run a program when it is facing a certain surface. In this X-Gear App, a game will run when an Apple device (eg iPhone4 iPad2) faces the X-Gear logo.

AL downloaded the App and a lady showed us how to use it. She faced the camera on a marker and a cute driving game suddenly appeared. You can download a copy of the marker at http://www.nissan.com.my/xgear/ar/marker.pdf

In this game, you will be in the simulated city. You need to drive your brand new X-Gear and pick up as many passengers as you can. Drop them off at the NISSAN Showroom to redeem your points. No, you can’t knock the passengers down and kill them.

You have 180 seconds to pick up and drop off as many passengers as you can. If you pick up more VIP & VVIP Passengers, you will earn more points. Also, collect time capsules to give yourself more time! Each time capsule gives you an extra 10 seconds.

If you do well, you stand a chance to win an iPod Shuffle, or even an iPad 2. For every 1000 points collected, you gain one (1) entry. Therefore, the more you play, the higher your chances of winning. Closing date is 15 Dec 2011.

This App also comes with a Garage which gives you a 360-degree view of Nissan X Gear. It allows you to change the colors of the cars, and explore its cool and innovative features. Black looks awesome!

You can download the Apps here:-
iOS (iPhone/iPad/iTouch)
Android

For more info, please visit http://www.nissan.com.my