sixthseal.com

For whom the bell tolls

2010-10-31T12:26:56Z

I am going to start a new religion tentatively named "For Whom The Bell Tolls".

Doctrine
We believe in the mortality of the human body and in accordance to that, our "communion" is to ring a huge ass bell 66 times to symbolize the average life span of a person.

The Bell (TM)
This bell shall not exceed 5,000 meters in diameter (although larger bells will be considered on a case to case basis and will likely be approved with a wink).
Said bell must have the acoustic capacity to wake everyone up within a minimum radius of 2 kms.

Our Creed
We believe in one true God. Monotheistic religions generally are tax exempt so I'm going to explain this exceedingly difficult to understand (but not as complex as 3-in-1 Father, Son, Holy Spirit, inseparable) concept.

Our one true God is called Substances.
There are many manifestations of substances e.g. ethanol (alcohol), MDMA, benzodiazepines, (insert your favorite).

This Man (or God) of Substance, as it is, is to be worshipped at exactly 3 am in the morning since it's after party hours and you'll have to go to bed after.

Every practitioner of For Whom The Bell Tolls is expected to reflect on what they did that day and how they could have helped themselves or their fellow man better.

Example:
I could have drank more so I won't be dead sober now
I could have helped my friends be in a more cheery mood if we had more hydroponics

Upon said reflection, you're expected to ring the bell 66 times, waking everyone up before showering (optional) and passing out.

We do not believe in donations. We do not believe in calls to prayers. We do not believe in evangelism.

However, we strongly believe that all true adepts in our religion should purchase their own bell to the specifications above.

Banh cuon in Hanoi

2010-10-28T01:35:59Z

Banh cuon is a term used to describe rice flour rolls in Vietnam. I was wondering along the streets of Hanoi when I decided to pop into a street stall to try one of their offering. I don't quite remember where this was as I was just walking along and taking in the culture but it was really good.

The Northern part of Vietnam (including Hanoi) has a slightly different varient of Banh cuon. It's a "rolled cake" which contains pork, shrimp herbs and rice vermicelli wrapped in rice paper.

You can see them prepare it fresh right in front of you!

This version also has a healthy sprinkling of pork floss on top and it's served with a dipping sauce which has lime, sugar and fish sauce called Nuoc cham.

It costs VND 15,000 for a plate (about RM 2.40) for a plate of four rolls and unsweetened iced tea is on the house.

I love the yin and yang concept of Vietnamese cuisine - they always have raw vegetables and herbs to complement the dish.

The dipping sauce is something awesome too. I ate it without the dipping sauce first but with the nuoc cham it makes it all the more better. Street food FTW in Vietnam!

sixthseal.com is migrating!

2010-10-27T00:11:47Z

I'll be migrating the site to WordPress at the end of this month. I've stayed with Movable Type for a long time coz it was the first CMS that came out specifically for blogging. I had a HTML manually updated blog before this coz I started in 2002.

However, MT has a higher server load and a lot of security vulnerabilities. The dry run on castitas.com (no it's not the old castitas :p) seems to be working well without any broken links so I'm going to just go ahead and do it instead of waiting for a design.

I'm sure a lot of you have experienced problems with commenting and load time and I apologize for that. This will be fixed during the migration to WordPress.

Anyway, in unrelated technical news...

Sponsored Post:

The new Peugeot 207 looks mighty interesting. It has a lot of features that is usually the domain of high end cars which you have to pay through the nose for. The 207 has auto wipers and auto headlights as standard with climate control (no more old fashioned air conditioning dials). It also has a USB port and Bluetooth for your music needs. The Bluetooth can even pair with your phone to answer calls!

Peugeot is not a huge name in Malaysia but the car looks damn awesome in this video clip. There's the sporty styling, dynamic looks and excellent suspension. Check out how they drift. I reckon they have pretty comfortable seats as well since I've been to a drifting class before and it's not as easy as it looks. There are 2 airbags and Tiptronic shift where you can opt for manual control over the auto car when you want a more exhilarating experience.

All this in a sub 100k car - it even has front and back fog lights! The new 1.6 liter Peugeot 207 - a Peugeot for everyone!

Microdermal implants - my third nipple

2010-10-24T01:46:43Z

Microdermal implants uses surgical grade titanium to anchor an interchangeable stud under your skin. It's done by creating a "pocket" under your skin and it's a lot easier to heal than the previous surface bar piercing that I have. I shall do a quick n00b drawing to show how it works.

Basically, it needs to be anchored towards something, in this case, my ribcage. There is a long titanium anchor that goes up and a shorter one that goes down. The first time you do it, it's best to have a flat stud so it won't rub too much against your clothes.

It's a lot easier to get piercings in high school and university coz you don't have to give considerations about work. However, now that I'm working, piercings (except for the usual orthodox ones) have to be concealable under office attire.

Michelle calls it my third nipple.

Fresh says it looks like someone just hammered a nail in my heart but it's actually straight in the middle of my body. Frankie of Zoo Body Piercing measured it so it would be right in the center of my body.

The procedure is fairly simple - a small gauge needle (which is a large needle - the higher the gauge, the thinner it is) is used to make 4 incisions under your skin. The top part of the anchor is pushed in followed by the bottom part.

I didn't find it painful but then again your mileage may vary since everyone has different pain thresholds. I actually like pain so it was quite enjoyable for me.

Microdermal implants takes only 3 months to heal and costs RM 250. You have to really take care of it during the first few days though. However, my approach towards body modification is always LITHA (Leave It The Hell Alone) and it usually works for me.

Thanks to bff Lainey for the recommendation! Zoo Body Piercing also does branding - my next project! =D

Pizza Hut Extreme Cheesy 6 Pizza

2010-10-21T23:42:19Z

Cheese - milk's leap towards immortality - Clifton Fadiman

A lot of people consider cheese to be an American invention due to the mass proliferation of heavily proceeded cheddar cheese slices. Others think cheese is of French origin coz they produce a lot of gourmet cheeses. However, the truth is cheese was discovered much longer than that. Think BC. Cheese was probably first made way before 2,000 BC.

I love cheese. I used to be able to whip up a quick breakfast in minutes...with cheese of course. However, I just don't have the time to cook right now so I jumped at the chance when Pizza Hut invited me to taste their new Extreme Cheesy 6 Pizza at Pusat Bandar Damansara last Friday. I love how they always come out with new pizzas - I was at their Fish King Pizza launch a couple of months back too.

The Extreme Cheesy 6 as exactly six types of cheeses in their pizza. It goes well with my blog URL.

The cheeses in question are:

Cheddar
Classic delicate taste
Mozzarella
Creamy and soft
Parmesan
Flavorful and savory
Monterey Jack
Zesty and nutty
Provolone
Full-bodied and slightly tart
Romano
Hearty taste

We watched the TVC after a short talk by Mr Law, the GM of Marketing.

The Extreme Cheesy 6 Pizza can be ordered just like that (with cheese) or with your favorite topping. You can choose from Cheesy Hawaiian, Cheesy Pepperoni or Cheesy Chicken but my favorite was the pure cheese pizza.

I tried all four variants, which considerably tested my stomach capacity. They each have their own strengths; it's just what type of topping you prefer.

Pizza Hut was too generous with their food - side orders of chicken wings...

...and pasta

...magically appeared and by the end of the session, I was totally stuffed, in a good way. =D

The Extreme Cheesy 6 Pizza retails for RM 21 (Regular) and RM 28.90 (Large). Toppings are available for RM 2 (Regular) and RM 3 (Large).

Sara Khoo! <3

She eats with a fork and spoon, which totally violates the dining etiquette of eating pizza. It's heresy! Pizza is meant to be eaten with your hands!

There's also a contest for all you bloggers out there. The Extreme Cheesy 6 Pizza Contest runs until 16 November and is open to all Nuffnang bloggers. Just write a creative and interesting post with the theme "Why You Love Pizza Hut's 6 Cheese Extreme Pizza" and take lots of photos with the pizzas. You'll also need to name all the cheeses (refer to above ;)) and end the blog post with "I'm crazy about Cheeeeeese!".

There's exactly 6 (six, enam, liu) e's in that last line. The top 5 winners get RM 2,000 cash which is pretty good so it might be time to get cracking. :)

As usual, the hospitality from Pizza Hut was awesome! We all got thumb drives, notebooks and a voucher to dine with 6 (how apt) people for free! Thanks to Mr Low Kang Moon and Nor Aziani Azizan for having us! :)

It was a cheesy-licious dinner!

You're like the village bicycle

2010-10-19T12:29:28Z

...everyone gets a ride.

Okay let's celebrate the middle of the week by coming up with lame jokes! What's your favorite?

The Social Network (Facebook movie) ticket giveaway!

2010-10-17T08:57:28Z

You don't get to 500 million enemies without making a few friends.

I this.

I can't wait to catch this movie. The Social Network is now the #1 grossing movie in Hollywood and it's all about Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. As with most people, I started out with Friendster and switched to Facebook. Despite the fact that this movie is based on a book in which no Facebook staff is consulted, including Zuckerberg, it still intrigues me.

I still remember the early days of Facebook - they had really awful banner ads in black and white that goes something like "Find Your Friends" but for the Google Images of me I can't find it now. Nevermind! This is about The Social Network:

I don't care if it hurts. I wanna have control. I wanna perfect body. I wanna perfect soul. I want you to notice when I'm not around.

The Social Network screening details:

Date: 1 Nov (Mon)
Time: 9 pm
Venue: GSC Mid Valley
Ticket collection: 8 pm till 9 pm

I'll keep this short and simple. I've got 19 tickets to give away so if you want one just comment and say:

I Like This!
(insert why you want to watch The Social Network)

The ticket collection will be handled by Nuffnang so please ensure that your email address when you comment is accurate so I can email you and get your full name. Please state if you want a +1 so I can allocate two tickets for you.

I love Mark Zuckerberg's take on the unauthorized movie - We build products that 500 million people see. If 5 million people see a movie, it doesn't really matter that much.

FUIYOH! That's confidence for you.

Don't hate the playa, hate the game

2010-10-15T07:13:23Z

I like to think of myself as a bit of a playa with the number of notches on my belt for my various conquests. It has come to the point that I can't even remember how many people of the fairer sex I've done the horizontal boogie with.

However, one very special girl totally eluded me. This is Jestina and I'm not going after her for shits and giggles, I meant for it to be a meaningful relationship, which would hopefully culminate in holy matrimony. It took me over a year of effort, which ultimately proved to be futile.

I remember taking half day leave in my previous company just because she mentioned she was craving for a green tea latte. I went all the way down from SS6 to Berjaya Times Square to get her one from Starbucks. I didn't have GPS back then so I took the LRT so I wouldn't get lost and end up handing her cold latte. >.<

I think the problem with me is that I have approached the entire enterprise the wrong way from the start. I am used to playa moves and for this one I went the romantic route, which didn't work very well. I have a very high batting average a.k.a. success rate when I'm in playa mode but I didn't want to play her. Thus, I might have come across as too desperate.

BTW, in case you didn't know, girls can smell desperation from a mile (or two) away. (!!!)

Anyway, still being friends, I decided to give it the good ol' college try for one last time. We went out for lunch and dinner and hung out together. The last date was the most memorable one coz we were just sitting on the floor in MPH side by side, reading this huge dual volume compilation of creative advertisements and laughing and sharing together.

That was a very nice memory that I'll keep forever.

Jestina is a very nice girl. She tries to make time for me even though I kinda knew deep inside that she wasn't interested in me romantically. I just had a heart to heart with her after our date last weekend and she told me that she can't see me as anything except a friend.

It took a lot of time and part of me was glad that she told me the truth at last.

I was out drinking last night and one of my friends asked me a question that was so obvious it would be the size of the Great Pyramids of Giza if I was not blinded by love:

Has she ever initiated conversation with you?

The answer is no! I have always been the one to call, text and MSN her. I knew it, and I willfully ignored it. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. >.<

Playa FAIL!

Thus, it's time to move on and get my playa' mojo back. Can't be moping around when you're in the prime of your life.

Incidentally, there's a sexy party going on at Movida in Sunway Giza called Playa'. It's on the 20th October and starts from 10 pm - 12 am. I reckon this would be the best time to socialize with the opposite sex over cocktails. There will be 4 different signature Encore cocktails at the event.

You can also create your very own cocktail with their Mixologists and experience how to shake, stir, mix and pour a proper cocktail. Join the Encore Facebook page to get the latest about their parties.

I have 20 drink vouchers to give out so if you want them, just drop a comment and say "I'm a player for life and I'm going to Playa'" and the first 10 will get a pair each.

Make sure all of you who commented turn up to cheer me up.

Dun be a FKK queen like Jestina. :p

Golden Palm Tree Resort, Sepang

2010-10-13T01:18:04Z

Golden Palm Tree Resort is located in Sepang and consists ENTIRELY of water villas. This 5 star resort is a great alternative instead of Port Dickson since the drive is a bit shorter. To be honest I was a bit dubious about this when I drove down with Lainey bff.

I had expected an empty resort...

...but the place was PACKED with tourists, both local and international. We stayed in the Travelers Palm Villa and this is what the room looks like:

The double twin bed is Michelle's doing.

One interesting aspect about Golden Palm Tree Resort is that the place is exactly shaped like the fronds of a palm tree with the water chalets fanning out into the sea.

It's a long walk from the reception to the dining area but fear not - there are heaps of buggies which you can hail down and hitch a ride from.

They all have interesting names too.

We arrived there slightly after lunch so we grabbed some tea.

There is a Club Med style package where all F&B is free so you can eat all you want without worrying about having to pay extra.

The one thing about Golden Palm Tree that completely trumps Club Med is that liquor is free too!

Gin and tonic? Vodka on the rocks? Neat rum? No worries, it's included in the price! =D

Anyway, we chilled in our room for a while before heading out to the mangrove tour.

It has an awesome balcony...

...and a shower that I really liked coz you can sing while you soap yourself for all and sunder to see!

You can also jump from the balcony but I seriously do not recommend it. Do it at your own risk. ;)

The infinity pool! *refrains from saying "To infinity and beyond!"

Back to the mangrove tour, this is different from the mangrove tour I've been to in Langkawi - they have different species of mangrove over here.

I'm on a boat!

Doing our part! *proud

We're planting mangrove seeds for it to grow.

Next on the itinerary was The Search for the Holy Ketam. I was one of the few to step off the boat and into the nearly knee high deep (at times) mud.

There are yellow crabs...

...and a very interesting crab with a immense left claw.

It took a while but we finally managed to find ourselves one of them. w00t!

It was back to the resort after that for dinner and an awesome show by the talents at Golden Palm Tree Resort.

It's called GPT's Got Talent and it's an awesome and interactive night entertainment program. YMMV though, they have different events running at different times.

Me and bff Lainey kept on supporting the good ones but alas, it wasn't enough.

We had a lot of fun though and met a lot of different people.

The latest way to take a group photo is via video.

Okay la, I set it to the wrong settings. :p

I particularly liked this photo. Heh!

We then adjourned back to our hotel where Nicholas and Lainey sealed the deal. *stamps I WAS THERE

I had problems with the Internet at around 1 am in the morning and two of their IT staff came over to fix it. At 1 fucking AM!!! (deserves more than 3 exclaimation marks to be honest)

Now this is what I call excellent service.

The next day...wah damn hard to wake up lor, Lainey was up and I took my time and had a couple of swigs neat from the Absolut Raspberry I brought up before I could properly wake up.

Lainey wakes up like this.

I wake up like this. T_T I could only drink a beer and eat a banana FML.

The eco friendly water sports were not running that day due to the lack of wind so we ended up...

...touring the place instead!

There was a massage session scheduled for us after that at escapade spa. I love massages and I opted for full strength as did Lainey bff.

It is a very relaxing environment and puts you at ease and takes all your stress away.

We got into the couples room and it started with a foot rub before the actual massage.

Here is Lainey semi nude. Lainey sez: WA who's that hottie wei! I was wearing nothing but boxers too.

It was in this totally chill place where the masseuse worked her magic and I completely dozed off after she did my back and moved to my front.

It was an awesome massage though. First class treatment. It can't get any better than this.

*contented smiles

It was a steamboat lunch after that before lazing around the resort and packing our bags to get back home. I had a huge backpack which I lug around when I travel. Lainey bff travels lighter than me! We really didn't want to leave. It was such a chill place that we had a discussion about taking leave the next day and just chilling here for one more day.

I love Golden Palm Tree Resort - you can't ask for more in this 5 star getaway just an hours' drive from the city. I thoroughly enjoyed myself there. The drive back was quite sad though coz Lainey bff pasaut in the car and I missed the short weekend in Golden Palms. :(

It definitely warrants a return trip back if you want to chill and get away from the stress and hustle and bustle of the city.

Get more information at the Golden Palm Tree Resort official website. I <3 it.

Everyone needs protection

2010-10-11T01:16:41Z

Protection is very important if you like to mess around.

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.

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

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? ;)

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

...to soup

...and the quintessential fish!

I was stuffed by the time the prawns came.

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.

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.

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.

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).

My experience with the iPhone 4

2010-10-08T10:50:30Z

I'll give you a bit of history about myself. I'm an early adopter - my first PDA was a Palm m505 back in 2001 and I've used Pocket PCs, Blackberry and Windows Mobile smartphone but never one with an Apple OS.

I was determined to let the iPhone 4 be my first induction into the world of Apple and all that it has to offer so during the Maxis iPhone 4 launch, I got one and tested it out.

The iPhone 4 uses a microSIM, which is a bit of a hassle considering I have two Maxis devices. I switched to a microSIM for the review and used a microSIM adapter but in the long run I think I'll get another SIM from Maxis.

I saw someone getting his Hotlink SIM card cut into a microSIM at the Maxis Center. You can probably do it yourself but Maxis has the proper tool to get it down to size.

That's one option if you don't want to go for a microSIM swap.

The first thing I did when I got everything up and running is to download iTunes and do an upgrade to iOS 4.1. It has a whole host of features ranging from a new HDR photography setting to video uploads straight to YouTube. I was surprised at the ease of a core upgrade - it's just a click away. This review is done using an iPhone 4 running iOS 4.1.

Anyway, I have heard much about the HD video recording and camera capabilities of the iPhone 4 and it didn't let me down. You can tap the screen to focus when taking photos and videos.

Here's a video taken using the iPhone 4:

I like the crisp video recording and the easy to use camera (which boasts 5 MP with LED flash). It's also easy to use and great for the times when you don't want to lug out another digicam. All the photos in this post are taken using the iPhone 4 except for screengrabs and the ones which features the iPhone 4 in it (obviously).

There is also a geotagging feature which is very nifty for us but I imagine it's not something members of Al-Qaeda would appreciate very much.

You can opt to turn it off though.

The iPhone 4 also has Retina Display which truly showcases the high resolution 3.5" screen. It's not just anti-aliasing but a true testimony to the rich and crisp display. You can zoom in to photos, games and eBooks and everything will still look awesome!

I don't need it that much considering I'm not lacking in eyesight but it's a useful feature to have when someone sends you a photo in an email with a high resolution photo of their friend and you want to...er, take a closer look, shall we say, at her features. ;)

The other feature I really liked which is lacking in all the other smartphones I've used is the auto WiFi detect feature.

The application that impressed me the most is FaceTime. I would even go so far as to call it the "killer app" of the iPhone 4. You know how the Blackberry has BBM? Well, this is like a souped up BBM that goes way beyond text and into the realm of real time video calls!

FaceTime only requires WiFi to work so you won't have to go on roaming when you're out of the country (unlike BBM). If you're travelling and you have a work related call or just want to show your friends the place you're at, use FaceTime! It's free!

The iPhone 4 has two cameras like most video call enabled smartphones. However, what differentiates FaceTime is that you can instantly switch from the front camera to the back one with a tap of the screen to show the person you're calling where you are. It sounds like a no brainer but it totally blew me away!

I'm a newbie to the iPhone as I mentioned and what (pleasantly) surprised me is the ease of which you can purchase applications and books. There is no need to muck around and sync stuff or manually enter your payment details. Your credit card details are stored securely via iTunes and you can just tap and purchase on your iPhone 4!

I know this sounds kinda jakun but hey, it's my first iPhone okay! :p

It is also rather dangerous for me since I'm quite the impulsive shopper. I just tap and buy and the next thing I know I've got more apps than I need and a morbid fear of my credit card statement.

However, most of the essential applications are free so just grab those and you'll be ready to go! Twitter, Facebook, foursquare, Messenger and more is just a quick download away so you'll be able to communicate with your friends whenever, wherever.

I like how some of the applications have more features on the iPhone 4 compared to other smartphones.

YouTube works very well on the iPhone 4 due to the high resolution screen and I didn't have any of the so called antenna issues while making calls so it's all good to me!

I love the games they have on the iPhone 4 too! =D

It is a device that looks good (hey, it's an important factor for some people). The sleek and slim design is aesthetically pleasing and you'll be tempted to put your iPhone 4 on the table just to get admiring stares from people. *

* Not recommended in KL due to our sizable community of snatch thieves

The iPhone 4 is the epitome of Apple's philosophy - a user friendly phone that packs a lot of technological features bundled into a sleek and sexy device. I've been using it since I got it at the Maxis launch and I'm lovin' it! :)

Oktoberfest in Malaysia

2010-10-06T08:06:56Z

O' zapft is!

The legendary festival in Munich, which is a celebration of the amber fluid in Bavaria, Germany is originally not about beer at all. The first Oktoberfest was a sombre (I think la, I wasn't there since I wasn't born yet) affair to commemorate the union of two royalty whose names are now relegated to the annals of Wikipedia (and historians).

However, it soon grew to become the beer festival we all know and love today! =D

Oktoberfest was relatively obscure except to the ones who had more exposure but in recent years it has come to Malaysia and in a big way too!

It is not just about beer (although that is a main and important part of Oktoberfest) but the celebration of life! It has been a custom that Oktoberfest starts with a 12 gun salute and the tapping of the first beer keg to be presented to the Mayor.

Oktoberfest is all about entertainment, beer and more beer and I'm glad to see that happen in Malaysia now (so I don't have to travel all the way to Germany to experience it).

I went to Souled Out for the first Oktoberfest celebration by GAB in Malaysia and it is a celebration that I'm proud to be part of - faithful to the Oktoberfest experience in Munich.

The best thing about Oktoberfest in Malaysia is that they have Paulaner! =D

If you've been hiding under a rock for the past 6 years, Paulaner is the #1 German wheat beer in Malaysia and it's all imported in all the way from...MUNICH!

Yes, the birthplace of Oktoberfest! It's also one of the official beers of Oktoberfest.

I've had Paulaner a number of times during Oktoberfest and the best part about it is the taste. If you're a beer connoisseur, you'll appreciate this brew - it's not meant for the mainstream drinkers, but the more premium and discerning consumers.

The Oktoberfest event that I went to also had Munich inspired food which is always a good thing. Gotta line your stomach lest you become a bierleichen. There were sausages, pretzels and German food on offer - perfect to recreate the Oktoberfest experience.

I'm glad I managed to drink a real Munich produced beer during Oktoberfest in Malaysia.

Paulaner is an ale so if you're a common Joe lager drinking person, it's an acquired taste. I love ales since I've been studying abroad since I was 15 so I can appreciate a good one. Beer aficionados take note, Paulaner is going to be the next big thing!

That's the highest accolade I give to a beer. :)

Image makeover!

2010-10-06T01:11:55Z

Hello, I'm Chuck Bass!

I've gotten a lot of comments about that outfit - some said Korean singer, but I prefer Ee Ping's comment that said I look like Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. Heh!

There was a makeover session at Tang's the previous weekend courtesy of Ana Consultancy. I've met up with Ana and Catherine before this at Starbucks and I was enlightened by their approach towards image consultancy.

I've always been a soap kinda guy but from that first meet, Ana and Catherine measured me, told me what shape I am (trapezoid, if you're curious) and what I want to achieve. I was told that I can pull off both warm and cold colors but I prefer warm colors. It was quite interesting and educational.

The makeover session at TANGS had outfits preselected for us based on what we want. I want to look more professional at work, that was my only goal so my outfits were tailored to that effect. I look young for my age (29 going to 30) but I have no problems with that - it just means I'll age gracefully.

Anyway, a bunch of us met up at TANGS at the unholy hour of 9:40 am on a Sunday and played dress up to see what looks good on us.

This is Iza! I like her outfits, they look really good on her.

This is the obligatory BEFORE photo. I came with work pants, a cotton shirt (which Ana said will bulk me up), dress socks and shoes. Of course, the Ah Beng t-shirt ruined the effect, but still. ;)

This is Jamie Liew! (who is 10 years younger than me)

We adjourned for lunch after that - we were all starving. There is a cafe right inside TANGS where we got our food.

Notice some familiar faces? ;)

Anyway, after that we went back and chose a variety of other outfits.

Here's a photo I took with vain pot Michelle. I also have other interesting photos of her.

I can't do a bow tie so Catherine did it for me. Michelle did my ties. FML, I suck at all this.

Ana Consultancy brought in some hairstylists after that and this is me getting my hair done. If you know me in real life, you'll know that I have a perpetual bad hair day. I found the trick to doing my hair - apparently for hair wax, you need to rub it in between your fingers and then style. I've been doing it wrong the entire time!

Here's the after photo!

Unwrapping the "present" - Jamie.

Doing the Mijel Pose (TM).

I had a lot of fun at TANGS that day and Ana taught me quite a bit of things about image. You know all about the 3 second first impression rule. I'm going to do something about it during important meetings and dates with Jestina.

If you're interested in image consultancy, feel free to hit Ana Consultancy for more information!

I also did a video interview about the experience. I'll post it up when I get the link! :)

Chuck Bass signing off.

xoxo

Oh wait that's not right. I should be smoking a joint or something.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

2010-10-03T05:48:46Z

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is one of the places you must go to when you're in Hanoi, Vietnam. The show costs VND 60,000 (about RM 10) and it lasts about 45 minutes but it's well worth it. It might sound like a commercialized show to catch and it probably is, but it also gives you a dose of culture.

Water puppet performances started back in the days when Hanoi had periodic floods during the monsoon season. The preamble to the show states that the farmers started this as entertainment during those times and thus, most of the themes reflect life as peasants - agriculture, fishing, and the odd folk tales thrown in.

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre show can be pretty packed so I bought my tickets a day earlier so I can get good seats. Photos and videos are allowed - they use an honor system where you declare and pay to use your camera but no one bothered (which won't be surprising considering most are backpackers) so I didn't either.

I also met this solo traveller from Australia who told me she managed to get a room for USD 7 not far from the theatre. It comes with toothpaste and soap to boot, something I paid triple for but I can't remember the name of the hotel for the life of me.

Anyway, Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre starts with a classic orchestra playing traditional instruments at the side. These people also double as the narrator and singers during the show.

The puppets that they use ranges from huge two foot boats to small balls but it was so well choreographed that you'll be surprised that it can be done from behind a bamboo veil.

Agriculture skit

Funny fishing puppetry

Harvest Festival. A story about a student returning after graduation with themes of filial gratitude.

Legend of the Restored Sword is a myth about King Le Loi who triumphed over the Ming invaders with a magic sword and him returning it back to a giant golden turtle.

Master of Puppets!

They manipulate the puppets from behind and this is their encore!

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is pretty interesting - you can see most of the footage here but it's well worth a visit for the ambiance.

iHave iPhone 4

2010-10-01T01:40:57Z

Yes, I was one of the people who went for the much anticipated iPhone 4 when Maxis launched it at Gardens, Midvalley.

I arrived there at about 10:30 pm on Thursday 23rd September and there was already a huge queue of people waiting to be the first in Malaysia to get their grubby paws on the iPhone 4. (The video is actually a tour of the inside before the crowd shots)

The iPhone 4 is due to be released at the stroke of midnight so all the Apple fans were there in droves!

I was there early so I could go around and check out the scene. There is an area inside where the features of the iPhone 4 is displayed and explained.

iBooks! I would so totally love this since I read a lot.

Check out the Maxis cupcakes!

The Maxis iPhone 4 launch had no shortage of entertainment - I really liked this violinist who played at the lounge.

I'm revealing my age here, but I love this song! It's Rednex's Cotton Eye Joe.

There were also food and drinks galore. I love this lamb kebab they had. It tasted delicious with the dip that went with it.

We were hanging out at the lounge until the press conference was slated to start.

The end (of waiting) is nigh! w00t!

The Maxis people launched the iPhone 4 right on the stroke of midnight and we went to the rooftop to catch the official launch.

I managed to get my iPhone 4 at about 2 am. I hear some people had to wait till 4 am and wore their next day office attire to get it.

iPhone 4. I haz it! I got the micro SIM last weekend and the initial impressions I have of the phone is very positive. I'm lovin' it. Full review coming up soon!

It feels good to be the first in Malaysia to get my hands on it.

The only downside to it is that I have to beat back all my friends who want to buy it off me. :(

Get it yourself la can! Go to Maxis, they have stock. I want the iPhone 4 to complete my collection of smart phones!