Somersby RM10,000 Giveaway Event

Beer has never been my thing. I am not like some people who can chug it down glass after glass or bottle after bottle as though it was water. The funny thing is, my parents are beer drinkers and my sister can be called beer connoisseur (she can taste the differences in all beer brands) but me? One sip and I want to chop off my tongue. I suppose I just can't handle the taste.

 

Which is why when Somersby Apple Cider was brought to Malaysia in July 2012, I was sure I found my new best friend. The launch was held at La Bodega, Pavilion where my dance studio was invited to perform a flashmob. Three times. It was super exhausting.You can read about it at my fellow dancer's blog here. Thank goodness for the bottomless supply of apple cider after the performances.

About six months later after the launch, Somersby decided to give away RM10,000 worth of prizes to their loyal drinkers customers. After a month long 'count the apples' contest on Facebook, those who guessed the correct amount were invited to the finale event at Limoncello Bristo & Bar, KLCC.

The event was scheduled to begin at 730pm but by 7pm, early birds were seen sipping on their first pint of cold apple cider. I met up with Senri and Serge and like three weasels, started eying the prizes and plotting who to murder/bribe butter up to in order to win.
 

Prizes!
Taken from Somersby Facebook

Glasses of Somersby started to accumulate on our table as the night wore on and we were joined by Senri and Serge's friends. Bola jokes were thrown back and forth every time the waiter came by with meatballs and deep fried cheese balls. All I can say is, Serge really liked his meatballs.We were also served with canapes, pizza and panna cotta which looked like cheese with tomato sauce... but it was good!

Sorry, No pictures of our food because we were all too busy inhaling it to catch up with our drinking.

The emcee inviting Mr Yee for a speech.

Somersby's brand manager, Mr Yee gave a speech, thanking everyone present for their continuous support before proceeding to draw out the lucky draw prizes. Apart from gadgets and shopping vouchers, RM200 vouchers were also given out to those who wanted to donate to a charity of their choice.

Here are the list of winners: 

 iPhone 5

Koo Foong Luen

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Yong Carmen

Nikon D3100 

Tay Boon Seng

iPad

Shirley Tan

RM 100 Jusco Voucher

 Loo Yi Ni
Quah Ban Chuan
  Lee Huey Ying
  Lim Yee Pee
Phuah Zheng Dhong, Dylan
  Nicole Tam Nyet Yun
Ong Ying Sze
  Lee Hwee Meng, Joanne
  Pong Weng Heng
  Fu Foon Ying

RM 200 Jusco Voucher for Charity

Lionel Goh
  Evelyn Foo
Vathani Panirchellvum
Stephy Wong Kar Yen
Kang Koon Min
Joanne Gan Xiao Min
Benjamin Kang Koon Min
Jong Shu Fui
Tee Ming Hui
Jecilis Ching Khai Chien
  Tee Yih Ling
Carrie Anne Long

Congratulations! 

 As you can see, I was not one of the lucky ones so to console myself, I tried drinking enough glasses of Somersby to make up for my loss. Because Somersby only contained 4.5% alcohol, I managed to tuck in about 7 glasses before the event officially wrapped up at 10pm. First time ever a booze event concluded early...

Cool refreshing apple cider for a hot Malaysian night.
Taken from Somersby Facebook

 We were all given four bottles of Somersby each as door gifts which got Senri, Serge and I a fair amount of stares on the way home in the LRT....

With Chinese New Year around the corner, you can stock up on your Somersby from Carrefour, Giant , Aeon Jusco, BIG, Jaya Grocer, Tesco and Mercato. For more information, just drop a comment on their Facebook page here: Somersby Malaysia.

Here's to a fun night!
Taken from Somersby Facebook

Doodle my Phone Cases

Back when my dad was stationed in Bangkok, I went there so often that it felt like I should apply for dual citizenship with Thailand. I loved it there. The people, the streets, the food (oh, the food!) and of course the shopping.

And there was one thing I would always buy whenever I was there. Handphone casings for my iPhone. The designs were endless and not to mention, dirt cheap especially if you know how to bargain or plan to buy them in bulk. You can get a simple casing for only 100baht (RM10) or at most 250baht (RM25) for the more intricate designs.

Then my relationship with Bangkok came to an end when my dad ended his contract there and came back to Malaysia permanently. That meant no more cheap pretty hand phone casings for me because those found in Malaysia, original are freaking expensive!

On top of that, I just got myself an iPhone 4S and the casing that came with it was swiped by my dad for his own iPhone....which left my phone butt naked.

As luck would have it, right about the same time, my friend Senri announced her blog collaboration with Doodle Cases, a blogshop that specialises in reasonable fancy phone casings and accessories.

Living by their motto is 'Affordability and Variety. Because your gadgets need to dress up too!', I did find several (read: a lot) of eye-catching designs for my new phone. And at prices that won't break my bank account.

pic from Doodle Cases.

 As you can imagine, I went a little crazy in selecting and ordering my designs.I even forced persuaded my mom to order one for her Samsung. So I made the order via email and paid via Maybank2U. While I opted for delivery by poslaju, Doodle Cases also does COD. Now that's hassle-free!

pic from Doodle Cases.

I initially ordered four cases for myself and one for mummy dearest. But unfortunately, the Iron Man design I wanted was out of stock and they didn't know when it would be coming in. Instead of keeping quiet about it, the owner contacted me immediately to inform me. I told her I didn't mind waiting for it.

A week later, she emailed me again with an update and recommended refunding me the amount for the Iron Man case as their supplier has no idea when stocks would be in. Could be days, weeks or months. So this time, I agreed to it and within two days, the refund was made and my casings were on the way. Talk about honest efficiency.

A few days later, a package arrived for me and like a small kid, I tore it open!

And here they are! Captain America (RM32), Elegant purple with gold sides (RM22) and the Autumn Trees (RM38) are for my iPhone while the red polka dotted (RM32) is for my mom's Samsung.

Autumn trees

Purple (crack is on the outer cover not the casing)

Zombie Captain America

Cath Kidston-inspired.

The total damage would have come up to RM130 for all four plus delivery charges but thanks to Senri, I got them at a discounted price. And so can you too, by hopping over to her blog to get the special discount code. Just quote the code when making your order to get the discount. It's that simple!

So here's how to again:

Step 1: Go to Journey of the Little Biscuit blog and find the post with the code.

Step 2: Go to Doodle Cases and pick your favourite phone design(s).

Step 3: Email Doodle Cases with your order and the code.

Step 4: Make your payment and wait for your cases to arrive. 

Besides handphone casings, Doodle Cases also have accessories for your phones and iPads. 

Starbucks ear caps.

 Happy Phone-accessory/casing Shopping!!

Shills Luxurious Bulgarian Rose Skincare Launch

Roses are red (or pink), 

Violets are blue,

My skin is looking dull,

Thank goodness for Shills' Luxurious Bulgarian Rose skincare range.

Okay, there is a reason why I am not a poet but my skin has been looking dull and dry lately. In fact, just a few days before this event, my mom commented that my skin looked like....well, crap. So naturally when I got to the venue of Shills' new product launch and got a goodie bag filled with skincare goodness, I was delighted! Talk about perfect timing.

The launch of Shills Luxurious Bulgarian Rose skincare range saw the quint Gardens Lifestyle Cafe, Mid Valley transformed into a garden of pink and white roses. Guests and bloggers were dressed in line with the theme of the event which was white and/or pink.

The event opened with an energetic jive and cha cha dance performance by two young dancers from William & Luisa Dance World (I used to take dance classes under Auntie Luisa a long time ago.)

The emcee did a quick introduction of Shills before inviting beauty specialist, Ms. Eva forward for a skincare demonstration. Armed with helpful tips on making the most of the new range, Eva highlighted several products of Shills's newest Luxurious Bulgarian Rose Skincare:

• Rose Essential Hydrating Toner (RM 59 for 250ml)
• Rose Essential Firming Eye Cream (RM 118 for 20ml)
• Rose Essential Hydrating and Whitening Day Cream ( RM 99 for 50ml)
• Rose Petal Jelly Mask (RM 99 for 70ml)
• Rose Brightening Lift Jelly Eye Mask (RM 99 for 10 pairs)
• Rose Essential Whitening and Repair Night Cream (RM 99 for 50ml)
• Rose Essential 5 in 1 Deep Clarifier (RM 79 for 250ml)
• Rose Essential Cleansing Gel (RM 79 for 100ml)
• Rose Luxury Essence (RM 99 for 30ml)

The key ingredient to Shill's latest skincare series are the petals of the fragrant Bulgaria Damascus Rose that can only be found in an area surrounding Kazanlak, Bulgaria called the Valley of Roses (which sounds like a mystical place in a RPG game). In order to obtain just 1kg of rose oil, 4000 petals have to be handpicked before noon as the weather can affect the quality of the flower. No wonder this ingredient is dubbed liquid gold.

Luxurious Bulgarian Rose Skincare

Shills' Bulgarian Rose Skincare range is free of chemicals and alcohol to ensure that only the purest form of rose oil is sustained to keep your skin hydrated and rejuvenated. Ms Eva mentioned that the Rose Petal Jelly Mask can be consumed if you're really hungry curious. One of the bloggers, Cindy took her up on that claim and tried a little (very little) to see what it tasted like. The verdict: honey.

What I liked about this range is that you don't need to apply a lot to tend to your face daily. A small drop about 20 or 50 cent (the old coins) will suffice. It can be used for other things as well. For instance, after using the Rose Brightening Lift Jelly Eye mask, don't throw it away. Soak it in a cup of water and you can use it to wash your feet or just leave it in your bathroom to enjoy its rody scent.

To wrap up the launch, the emcee had a Q&A session with the audience. Several ladies returned home with additional products from the newly launched range. As for me, I was quite pleased with the Rose Essential Hydrating Toner, a Rose Essential Hydrating Skin Care set and a Black Bamboo Charcoal Mask that came in my goodie bag.

Shills' Luxurious Bulgarian Rose skincare range is available at all SaSa stores nationwide or at the Shills website.

Malaysian Dogs Deserves Better XMas gathering

Justice the dog.

As we all know, animal welfare is not on the list of our current government's priorities. Lining their pockets with the citizens' hard earned cash is.  It's quite sad really seeing the state of stray cats and dogs on our streets. Well, dogs more than felines, often suffer the blunt of animal abuse from by us, 'self-proclaimed-evolved' humans. Beaten, kicked, abandoned, poisoned, run over - the life of a stray dog (or sometimes, even people-owned dogs) is no fairy tale especially in Malaysia.

Which is why I salute the efforts of Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB). I have been a huge supporter of their rescue work for a few years now. The beauty of MDDB came in the form of its ability to unite animal lovers in the Klang to take on rescue works and to remind the public that helping animals is not the job of one person but rather an entire community's.

Why hello there, human. Now feed me!

2012 has been an eventful year for MDDB's coordinators and rescuers and to thank all those who have helped and contributed in some way, either by rescuing, donation or adopting a dog from them, MDDB recently threw its maiden Christmas partly at Alt.Space, Jaya One! The event saw humans and dogs alike coming together in the spirit of Christmas to mingle amongst ones another.

Whisks for decorations at Alt.Space

I brought my dog, Shelly which was adopted from PAWS. He never went anywhere without my other two dogs so I thought this event would be a good chance for him to mingle outside of his pack and to get used to other people. Although initially timid at the start of the evening, he eventually warmed up to his surroundings and started prancing around like the happy little bugger that he is.

Shelly: Play with me, human!

Lord Porgi, moving around without aid.

The night's entertainment.

The highlight of the event was the 2013 MDDB calendar of disabled pooches that was on sale as a way to honour their disabled dogs and pups. The gathering also served as a way to show that dogs born with a disability or is disabled due to serious injuries can also function like an ordinary dog if given the proper and dedicated treatment and most importantly, undivided love and attention. In fact, several of the calendar dogs have been adopted into loving homes which is a great encouragement to MDDB.

MDDB merchandise for sale

The calendar is shot and created by professional photographer Carolyn Chon and producer/director Ng Swee Ling and is priced at only RM20. Alongside the calender, MDDB T-shirts were also available for purchase at the party. I bought a calender for my mom and a shirt for myself.

Shelly: Can we go home now?

For information on MDDB's work or products, visit the Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better Facebook. 

By the way, dog pictures, not easy to take. Believe me, I tried snap dog pictures at this event. Keyword: tried (and failed) So appreciate the work and effort that goes into making the calendar. 

Comic Fiesta 2012 - Cosplay & Gaming Winners!

 

 

 

Comic Fiesta 2012 was not only an event by fans for fans. It also awarded the most diehard and hardcore cosplayers for their efforts and the most skilled gamers for their talents and dedication to their respective games. Prizes were given out by Mr. CF president himself, Arisa as Coffy and the respective sponsors of each categories.

 

So here it goes:

 

COSPLAY COMPETITIONS

 

Best in Hall:

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

 

Best in LOL:

Hard Gay

 

 

 

Best Group Cosplay:

Team Gintama

 

Best Solo Cosplay:

Kyary Pamyu-Pamyu

 

 

Best Performance:

Beatrice from Umineko

 

 

Best Costume:

Father Leon Garcia De Asturias from Trinity Blood

 

Best Craftmanship:

Young Xehanort's hair from Kingdom Hearts 3D

 

 

 

GAMING COMPETITIONS

 

Counter Strike: Global Offensive tournament

1st Place:

Team DC SmackDown from Philippines

 

 

2nd Place:

Team Orange Esports from Malaysia

 

 

 

Ultimate Marvel VS CAPCOM tournament:

(Sponsored by KDU, courtesy of SAMSUNG)

1st place

Aiman Azri

 

 

2nd place: Louis Tan

3rd place: Keen Fai

 

COMIC FIESTA SIDE QUEST 2012

Jonathan Tan

Won a Lifetime CF Pass!

 

 

 

 Coffy Creative Challenge

Sponsored by Saito College

Winner:

Christine Chuah

 

Finalists:

1. Watt Pei Mei

2. Choo Kah Chun

3. Loh Shiaw Shan

4. Wee Shwu Pei

 

 

 

To view the finalists' design, click here.

 

Congratulations

to the winners and participants

who took part and did their best!

 

 

Thanks to otakuclubrkidz and Nuyuin for the photos and to Jane for the complete winner list.

 

*Writer's note: My sincerest apologies as some of the winner pictures are unavailable or cannot be properly identified. The same goes if the labellings are wrong. Just let me know or send me the right picture and I'll correct them in a jiffy!

Comic Fiesta 2012 - I am hooked on bless4

To tell you the truth, I had no idea who bless4 was before Comic Fiesta 2012 (*insert gasps from otakus*)


bless4

I can explain!



Yet to be watched....

I have not watched Genesis of Aquarion or any other mecha anime since Gundam Seed/Destiny, Gundam 00 and Macross. In terms of Japanese artists and bands, I was more familiar with works of TM Revolution (Rurouni Kenshin, Gundam Seed/Destiny OST) and UVERworld (Bleach, Blood +, Gundam 00).  I still have them blasting from my playlist now and then.

My mom was once quite puzzled by my liking for Jpop music.

My mom: Why do you even like this song? You don't understand what they're saying.

Me: It's like speaking in tongues (Christians will know). You don't understand the words but you can feel its meaning in the music. It speaks to you. (yes, i really said that with a straight face)

My mom: .......

Anyway!

After starting work, my interest in anime dropped. Then I also caught the recent Oppa Gangnam style Kpop fever because we kept doing Kpop dance routines in my dance classes so my Jpop fan-girl kinda took the back seat for a while.

But when I heard that bless4 will be appearing at Comic Fiesta 2012, I was intrigued especially by the excited reactions of CF-ers. Who was this band anyway?, I wondered.



From left: Aiki, Kanasa, Akino and Akashi

An all-sibling group consisting of Akashi, Kanasa, Akino and Aiki, bless4 initially started out as part of the martial arts performing group called the Flying Dragons from Arizona. As a result of their upbringing in the United States, they are fluent in both English and Japanese. With performing experience under their belt, they ventured into singing together. Akino made her solo debut with 'Genesis of Aquarion' and 'Go Tight' for the anime, Genesis of Aquarion. It was a major plus point in my book that she collaborated with Yoko Kanno on several songs because I am a huge fan of Yoko Kanno! Wolf's Rain and Vision of Escaflowne anyone?

I had a listen to 'Genesis of Aquarion' and became quite addicted to it. It made me download the anime. I was unable to make it for their concert during CF though but from what I heard and saw on Youtube, it was a stellar performance by bless4 despite a few technical problems.

Alfred and Shaun in the corner.

During their meet and greet session on CF Day 2, I was definitely sold on how nice and down to earth they were in person. The emcees, Shaun and Alfred had given them a berth of the stage and the siblings instead invited the duo to join them in the spotlight (aw... what a way to win the hearts of your fans).

Emcees invited to stand beside bless4 by bless4.

At the request of their fans, they performed 'Genesis of Aquarion' acapella-style followed by 'Jingle Bells' with their fans singing along. Video can be viewed at this link.



Thumbs up to the Malaysian fans.

Their Q&A session was entertaining and insightful as they spoke about working closely with each other as siblings and helping Akino and Aiki pursue their solo careers. I don't know if my sisters would be that supportive of my writing career but I am sure they will be my best critics....

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Q&A with Bless4

Q: What do you think of Malaysia so far?
That's an easy question. The food is awesome, the people are awesome.

We haven't try the durian yet though but we have tried roti canai and we loved it!

(The emcees offered to take them for Bak Kut Teh for a real taste of Malaysia next time.

I seconded that)

 

Q: Why Bless? We know 4 is four people. But how about Bless?
Through our music, we receive a lot of blessings from our fans. And we want to give out our blessings to the people who have supported us in the form of our music as well.

Q: How do you guys cope with each other?

Aren't you bored seeing the same friend, same family and same people?
Aiki: Working with your siblings is a blessing but when I was a teenager, I hated them.

I couldn't have my private time. We share the same circle of friends and we seldom have the

time to go around alone. There was even once when we were on a train,

we all sat in different carriages. But after that we never sat apart.

Akino: We treat each other as friends and we share our stories with each other.

Akashi: I have something to share of us growing up together. There was this time when Aiki and Akino fought.

They were 4 and 6 then. Aiki punched Akino in the stomach and Akino got so angry, she slapped him back.

(Aforementioned siblings began re-enacting the scene)

Aiki punched her again and Akino slapped him again. This went on for a

number of times until Kanasa had to step in to stop them. As punishment, our parents

made Aiki and Akino hug and kiss each other while saying 'I love you' fifty times!

At first, they did it reluctantly then eventually they started to cry.

From then on, we never fought. Even Kanasa and I.

Kanasa: Because we didn't want to get that kind of punishment too!

(neither would my sisters and I...*shivers*)

 

Reenacting the squabble between Aiki & Akino.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Limited copies of their album was being sold at the official CF booth, Coffytiam on day 2 but I was too broke by then to afford it. I missed out on personally meeting them and getting their signatures that day!

 

That could have been me (minus the cosplay)..... T_T

(Argh! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)



 

Anyhooooo, I managed to get my hands on their latest album 'Yume Tsugumi' much later on and I currently have the album on repeat on my playlist. The song, Yume Tsugumi (Dream Weaving) is undoubtedly my favourite. Even though I can't understand Japanese 100%, that song just brings tears to my eyes everytime I listen to it. It is just so beautifully haunting. The English version is also available on the album and I am still trying to memorise the lyrics.

 

The rest of the album was terrific with a blend of rock, pop ballads and R&B in both English and Japanese. Even though Akino and Aiki are the more recognizable siblings and are often the lead vocalists, Akashi and Kanasa easily hold their own with their smooth and melodic vocals. Beside Yume Tsugumi, I also hooked on 'Around and Around', 'Agare!', 'My Sunshine', Beat Love, Genesis of Aquarion ....

 

You know what, consider me hook on bless4! I am officially a bless4 fan now! (and like any hot-blooded female, I may have a tiny tiny tiny crush on Akashi...just a tiny one!)

 

I hope to see more works from them whether in anime OST or a new album in the coming year. Because I can't get enough of their music now. And the next time, they come to Malaysia, I'll definitely be in the front row. With durian and Bak Kut Teh.

 

Oh, by the way, today (31 Dec) is also Akino's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Akino!

May 2013 be a rocking year for bless4

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

From Happy Days Ahead, a HAPPY NEW YEAR and

AWESOME 2013 AHEAD to all my readers, fellow bloggers, family and friends!