Saturday, April 27, 2013

Iron Man 3 Movie Review

And off we go with Phase 2 of Marvel's film series!

Rightfully so, kicking off the series is Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Ben Kingsley as Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, James Rhodes and the Mandarin respectively.


Thanks to Groupon Malaysia, I was treated to the opening night of Iron Man 3 and was blown away by the storyline. And they say, superhero stories were becoming too predictable. Well, along came Iron Man 3.


Thursday, April 25, 2013

TT Instantaneous Brightening Cooling Mask Review

Hi, guys!

Well, hasn't the Malaysian weather gone all wonky on us and has seem to have lost its ability to make up its mind. Pretty much like our country leaders right before General Elections. Anyway, back to the weather. One minute it's raining cats and dogs and the next, blazing hot with no cloud in sight. And when it's hot, it's really supernova hot. That's Malaysia for you. Lovely food, crazy weather.

But thanks to Timeless Truth Mask and Plus Size Kitten, I have just the thing to combat the blazing hot days in the form of TT Mask's Instantaneous Brightening Cooling Mask.

Courtey of TT Mask and Plus Size Kitten of the Butterfly Project.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Genting YNOT Graffiti Finale Event

Thanks to Resort World Genting and Nuffnang, I was given the opportunity to attend the finale of RWGenting's YNOT Graffiti Art event with about 30 other bloggers and their plus ones. After dropping off our luggage at First World hotel's lobby and collecting our blogger passes, we headed to the theme park.

Blogger pass = free access to theme park
Along the way, we saw the vibrant colourful graffiti art works, some complete and others still in progress with their artists still hard at work. Of course, we could not resist taking pictures of the art works and with them. Some of us even got to try our hand at graffiti spraying!

Colourful works of art

Noob at work.
YNot by RWGenting celebrates what was formerly viewed as illegal or part of the 'underground' scene such as graffiti art, BMX and hip hop dance. All of these elements were openly displayed and performed for everyone throughout the event. Emceeing and entertaining us at the event with their sarcastic and deadpanned humour were Dennis Yin and Chris Ooi of Elecoldxhot dance crew.


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Fraser's Hill in Two Days



A recent visit to Fraser's Hill to hike Pine Tree Hill with my bootcamp friends became an overnight trip for me because it has been ages since I visited Fraser's Hill. That and I desperately wanted to escape the KL heat then.
Map of Fraser's.
I booked a studio apartment with Puncak Inn through Agoda a few days before the trip because it was super cheap at only RM120 a night for three people. Upon check-in, we were directed to Silver Park Apartments which was about a 3 minutes drive from the iconic Fraser's clock tower. Our top-floor apartment was there and although it could do with a fresh coat of paint and carpeting, the single room apartment was a comfortable home for a night.

Silver Park apartment.
We had hiked Pine Tree Hill and Twin Peaks prior to checking in and were in dire need for a good hot shower. You can read about the mentally-taxing hike here. Besides Pine Tree Hill, there are seven other trails around and about Fraser's that cater to various fitness levels. I plan to strike off those trails on my next visit.


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Iron Man 3: My Way

I am so excited that Iron Man 3 is finally coming out at the end of this month! It has been a ridiculously long year since the Avengers and finally Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) will be gracing our screens once more!


As the first movie to kick off Marvel's Phase Two movies, Iron Man 3 will have Stark facing off again the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who destroys Stark's personal life and Iron Man suits. Left with only his instincts and brain, Stark must find those responsible for the attack while discovering the answers to the question "does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?"

This is going to be an exciting movie based on the many trailer releases as we will get to witness many designs of the Iron Man suits in action including the Hulk Buster and Iron Patriot. Most interestingly is that Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) too will be doning on the Iron Man armour. Whether it is Stark's or her own remains to be unanswered.

Pepper as Iron Man
Did you know that in the comics, Tony designed a suit specifically for Pepper called 'Rescue'? (Because roses and cars are too mainstream presents for Stark). An aptly named suit if you ask me.


Awesomeness overload!
Tony also designed a suit for good old Spidey with cool mechanical arms. It would be epic to see this suit in the movie but then we would all pass out from 'Iron Man/Spiderman awesomeness' overdose and miss the whole movie.

Iron Spider Armour.
Now if I were best buds with Tony Stark, I would have him customize my very own Iron Man suit with inspiration from Strike Freedom from the Gundam Seed anime series. In addition to the iconic Iron Man repulsor blasters for flight and firepower, my armour suit will be equipped with several detachable remote controlled shooters that can engage various targets from multiple angles and directions. When not in used, the shooters will form wings on the back of the suit for additional flight speed.


Detachable remote controlled shooters.

It will also come with a lightsaber for close-quarter combat and additional guns mounted to the back and to the hips for more ammo.

My Iron Man armour will be made from the same vibranium material as Captain America's shield as it is light and can absorb blows and direct hits whilst protecting me. I will also include a special beam-deflecting coating (made from millions of mirrors) to the armour that automatically deflect beam-based/laser attacks and return it to my assailant. Let's see them try to sneak up on me from behind now!

 And of course, JARVIS. What is an Iron Man suit without reliable JARVIS?


The result should look something like this in red and gold to live up to Tony Stark's penance for flashiness and I shall call it.......wait for it.....

NOKIA!

As it will be as indestructable as the handphone brand it is named after.

Well, ir might be just me and my imagination running wild but this would definitely be Iron Man my way.

Iron Man hits the big screens on 26 April 2013. But until then, enjoy the trailer:

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Bag of Love's Unboxing Tea Party at Delectable Su

If you like beauty products and sweet desserts, then you are in for a treat, literally!


The latest beauty box with a twist, Bag of Love will be holding an Unboxing Tea Party in collaboration with Delectable Su and The Butterfly Project.

Debut bag of Bag of Love.
It will be an afternoon of great fun and pampering as bloggers get to indulge in Delectable Su's yummy treats while ripping open trying out beauty products thanks to Box of Love.

I hope I get to attend this party because:
1) I have yet to review any beauty boxes or bags and this would be a good start.
2) I have never been to Paradigm Mall (I know right....Lame...)
3) I want to support the founder of Box of Love and friend, Mi Mi Teh in her new business venture.

I met Mi Mi when I first started working in the magazine and she was so nice, down to earth and friendly that it instantly put me to ease on my first day of work. As the beauty writer for not one but two of Malaysia's top women magazines, Mi Mi does know her stuff and I am glad she decided to make use of her experience and love for beauty products to step out on her own.

So cute!
For more information on Bag of Love, click here and remember to like them here and follow them here.

*Pictures sourced from Bag of Love and The Butterfly Project.




Sunday, April 7, 2013

Pine Tree Hill Hike, Fraser's

It has been a year of hikes for me. In February I had Bukit Tabur nicknamed after me by my bootcamp friends and had obtained a Datukship from Gunung Datuk. While I have yet to strike off Mount Kinabalu, Gunung Angsi and Gunung Nuang from my bucket list of places to hike, I am pleased to say I can do so for One Pine Tree Hill of Fraser's Hill.


Leading the way
The morning we set out for Fraser's Hill was a quiet Sunday and the start of the March school holidays, something all of us conveniently forgotten. Our little convoy of four cars travelled through Rawang and Kuala Kubu Baru, took to the winding roads heading up to Fraser's and we reached the town center by 8am. After the two hours' drive, we made a quick toilet stop because once inside the forest, the only toilet available is amidst the foliage off the trail.


And away we go!
We reached the entrance of Pine Tree around 830am and set off without hesitation. I think our main motivation was to finish this as quick as possible so that we could later indulge in the famous scones from the Ye Old Smokehouse. Although...even at the start of the trail, we lost half the group as they were taking memorabilia pictures at the entrance. Half of that group turned back after the first kilometer or so and here's why.

Into the wild.
Pine Tree Hill is the most challenging trail Fraser's has to offer out of its eight jungle trails. At a moderate pace, it takes about eight hours to reach the peak and back. While its distance comes up to 5.5 kilometer to its peak, its trail goes up and down and along hills and at times, the pathway becomes muddy and riddled with fallen branches and trees. At some parts, there are concrete and wooden stairs which I dreaded because it meant I would have to encounter them again on the way back. After all, what goes up (and down), must go down (and up).



Nature's bridge
Now I have heard tales of leeches on Pine Tree Hill. We were fortunate that no one in our group got bitten although we were armed to the teeth with salt packets stolen taken from McDonalds.


A rare red lollipop tree was spotted.

Almost there.
Throughout the hike there are signs indicating the distance left to go. We would stop at this signs to catch a breather and to refuel ourselves with homemade brownies and powerbars. The cooling climate, keeping an even pace and taking frequent but short breaks really helped our group in tackling the trails.
 
Rocks and ropes - easy pea-sy

The last slope was particularly tricky as ropes were required for us to pull ourselves up. After approximately ten minutes of scrambling up ropes and roots, we reached the Pine Tree peak at 1045am.

Standing at 1456 meters


Pine Tree Hill Peak
There we rested for 10 minutes, snacking and taking pictures to commemorate the achievement before deciding that since we were ahead of schedule, why not try for Twin Peak!

Twin Peak view
The hike to the neighbouring peak took us about half an hour and it was no less easier than the earlier trail. In fact, it was harder with thicker bushes and foliage in the way due to the lack of hikers passing through. But the view at Twin Peak was stunning. We could see the massive mountain range ahead of us with specks of approaching rain clouds. After 5 minutes of resting and phototaking, we departed Twin Peaks at and by 12pm, were back at Pine Tree Hill.

Group photo at Twin Peak.
Aware that rain clouds were closing in fast, we forgo rest and started heading back and that was when the trail seemingly got harder. Even through we were going back the same way we came, everything was in reverse now. As I mentioned earlier, up was down and worst still, down was up.

And back down we go...
I will be honest. It was mentally-taxing because at this point, our group had split into smaller groups of two or three people moving at different paces. I was somewhere in the middle and at some point midway, was on my own. The trail was near-impossible to get lost on but my brain pretty shut down during the two and a half hour hike back  and let my feet do the walking. Rain fell and I was soaked thoroughly before it stopped. It was refreshing though and gave me an extra boost to keep moving.

Of course, the constant inner chants of 'scones, scones, scones' helped too.

Stairs, why you no end!
Then came the stairs. At each upward stairway (to hell), I made the mistake of thinking the entrance was just at the top only to find more trail. Thank goodness I had my mp3 to keep me moving and my camera to entertain myself with.
 
Morning glory .


I reached the entrance at 215pm and although exhausted and soaked, was quite pleased with the pace I had and that I actually completed Pine Tree Hill! The last of our group emerged at 230pm and altogether we had taken about 6 hours!

We did it!
While that should have bought us more time to feast on scones, the weather had other ideas and gave us another downpour. As it often gets misty after a rain, the group decided to head back to Kuala Lumpur before the visibility on the roads down dropped. I, on the other hand, had decided to make the most of this trip (since I don't have work the next day) by staying overnight with my sister and a friend but more on that in another post.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to capture a group photo at the entrance or have our celebratory scones together. Oh, well. I am very certain that this won't be my last trip to Fraser's although I can't say if I could be tackling Pine Tree Hill anytime soon.

Maybe it's time to start ticking off the other seven Fraser's trails from my list.

Tips for Pine Tree Hill
1. Bring lots of water and isotonic drinks.
2. Bring food that gives you quick energy burst.
3. Bring your camera.
4. Mental preparation is encouraged because this 6-8 hours hike is no walk in the park.
5. Watch your foot and your head.
6. First time hikers should go with someone experienced.
7. Inform someone where you're headed and provide them with an estimate finish time.
8. Plan your pace and stick to your estimated times of arrival. If you're off schedule, just turn back.
9. Shoes, shoes, shoes.
10. Go with a group of friends with similar fitness levels as you.

For more pictures, check out my Facebook album here.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

WeChat Launch Party @ Neverland

I chat, you chat, we all can chat. That's WeChat!

Sorry, no, that is not its tagline but with so many interesting functions like sending a voice message, Shake and Look Around, WeChat is definitely 'the new way to connect' for everyone.

To celebrate its ever growing popularity, WeChat threw a massive party at Neverland Kuala Lumpur on 2 April 2013 which saw a huge turnout of bloggers and media members braving the rain and KL traffic to reach the club.

The fun started at the entrance where a photo backdrop was set up where you can take pictures with the adorable WeChat plushie and the WeChat girls. There was also a photobooth Puripuka-style which everyone just loved because the photo was printed out on the spot and we have an instant memory of the awesome night ahead.



Puripuka Photobooth
The party kicked off with an energetic dance performance followed up the entrance of the night's emcee, Rudy. Mr. Poshu Yeung, Vice President of Tencent International Business took to the stage to deliver his speech before officially announcing the launch of WeChat's commercial starring WeChat's ambassadors, Lisa Surihani and Shaheizy Sam.


Poshu Yeung, Vice President of Tencent International Business


A series of local acts soon got the crowd hyped as the guests mingled and feasted upon the buffet line, free flow of beer and plenty of cupcakes.

Vivian Chua
Henley Hii
Awi Rafael
Thoughout the evening, the host played several games with the unsuspecting victims sporting participants in the audience. DJ SykoGroove took over with his sick beats to which the dancers from the performance earlier freestyle-danced to.

Quiz time!
DJ SykoGroove

Freestyling the night away
The event wrapped with a lucky draw and one lucky soul went home with a brand new ipad. I am sure he'll download WeChat onto it as soon as possible.



About WeChat
Taking text messaging applications to a whole new level, WeChat allows you to send voice, video, photo and text messages through individual or group chats with everyone within and outside of Malaysia. You can also use it to stalk find fellow WeChat users in the area. It can be downloaded free of charge onto iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian and Blackberry devices.



What to know more about WeChat? Then click over to WeChat's website here and get it on your phone asap!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Pet Project Malaysia 2013

Pet Project 2013 came and went just like that. I really wished it was a monthly event but I think all the volunteers, the organising commitee and founder Sabrina Saw will be dead tired on their feet if it were. You cannot imagine the amount of planning and preparation that went into pulling off this massive event all in the name of animal welfare and for that, I applaud the entire Pet Project team and the teachers and students of The British International School of KL. Well done, guys!


Only two years old, the event that brought together animal welfare and fitness was held on the 23 March 2013 at the British International School of KL and saw an estimate of over 1200 attendees by noon to participate in an array of fitness-oriented activities and workshop as well as to purchase food and items for a good cause. All proceeds raised in this event were donated to several animal welfare organizations and shelters.

Peace for Cupcakes


Take me home!
 SPCA and Malaysian Independent Animal Rescue (MIAR) held an adoption drive where several of their shelter puppies and kittens were adopted on the spot. Yay! While it was great having the younger ones taken into new homes and families, it was still heartbreaking to see the older animals still stuck in their cages with their pitiful gaze looking out for the person to whom they can devote all their love to.

Are you my new friend?
I am the owner of four beautiful and unique mix-breed dogs and xx number of cats (all adopted from the shelter and streets) and no word can describe how much joy and laughter they bring me everyday. They are the reason why I strongly stand for 'Adopt, Don't buy!'

The day's currency
 While I may not be able to adopt those up for adoption at Pet Project, I hope the little contribution I made by purchasing the coupons helped. Coupons were used on that day to buy entry into their assortment of workshops ranging from golf to basketball to yoga and finally to dance.

Be Urban Wellness booth
For those concerned about injuries or their individual fitness performance, Urban Wellness had a booth there where you get an expert to teach you on how to warm up properly and which part of your body to focus on to improve amongst other areas of expertise. They have a very impressive state of the art spa and treatment center in Clearwater, Damansara Heights which I highly recommend checking out. Trust me, I've seen the place and it made my jaw hit the ground. More info on Urban Wellness here.

Performance by the Chiqaz
Now, there was one event I was looking forward to and that was the Dance Masterclass with Tony Stone, choreographer for the King of Pop, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Chris Brown to name a few. I have an undying passion of dance and to learn from the great man himself was really something I looked forward to for months. A huge supporter of animal welfare and everything charitable, Tony Stone held the class pro bono just like the previous year and we only had to pay RM30 (15 coupons) to take part in his class.

Coupon Burger!
 Mindful of the big group of participants this year, Tony conducted the class in an easy and fun manner that allowed everyone to pick up the moves with no problem. It didn't matter if you were a kid or an adult, klutzy or coordinated. What was important was that we all tried. His energy was infectious, his friendliness inviting. The supposedly one hour session became an hour and a half and we were burnt exhausted when it ended. I wonder how much calory I lost doing the routine repeatedly.

Tony Stone and I.
 To wrap up Pet Project 2013, I camwhored with Tony, something that amazed even the great man. To quote my friend and fellow blogger, Senri of Journey of the Little Biscuit, "Self-shot is more "heng" because asking other people to take was too mainstream."

Once again, hats off to the Pet Project team for pulling off this event and thank you for allowing me to help out in the only way I know how, through my blog. I hope to work with you guys again next year!

For more pictures, drop by my Facebook page here.

If you missed this event and want to find out more about animal welfare, just click on my 'Animals matter to me' page.

TTFN!