It was about 2 months back, during the AMBP Travel Ambassador's Launch that I met Teckiee. It was during that particular event that I first heard about Pecha Kucha. For those whose brows are crinkled trying to figure out what in heck is Pecha Kucha, its actually Japanese for Chit-Chat. Here, people prepare slides, and come up to talk about it, and they are only given about 20 seconds per slide. The topics can be about anything and everything under the sun, as you will see shortly. Don't just take my word for it, have a look at it here.
She was very interested in Pecha Kucha.
After having indicated our interest then, Teckiee recently informed us about the upcoming Pecha Kucha session that was to be held in The Apartment Downtown, KLCC. Eager to find out what it was all about, I drove over to the brightly lit towers and into The Apartment, where Teckiee was already waiting with her colleagues for the show to start. Hurley arrived slightly later, and before long, Simon appeared as well.
The First Slide.
Surprised man at the bar.
Teckiee's Tomato and Something Drink.
The event started off with a pretty short brief by the M.C. about Pecha Kucha, and without much ado, the slides began. One by one (or sometimes two), they began their stories, with aid from the slides which were mostly made up from fancy art and graphics.
Lisa and Su Sim and their mind-boggling designs.
Max Villandre, the General Manager of CodeMasters Malaysia, talking about their latest product, Grid Racer.
Joseph Foo (John, you would remember him)
Of course, with bloggers present, there'll always be an equal amount of photos of ourselves as well as the presenters.
Simon managed to catch a Codemasters T-Shirt...
...and Teckiee got a squishy stress ball.
...my RM11.40 coffee. I was talking to Philip, a French guy from the British Council who made an astute statement, "Its Malaysian management, but not Malaysian prices!". How true.
AMBP people reunited.
Hurley suggested we try a totem-pole method of taking a photo, which failed initially...
...but we achieved our objective eventually.
My favourite slide of the night was from this guy, who spoke about his life in a kampung. It was genuine, honest, and the photos which made up the presentation weren't digitally enhanced or jazzed up with fancy thingamajigs, but were impactful in its own way.
Simon likes his beer.
Penny Yuen from Ecowarrior carries a bag which she named Pokok.
A very interesting (and thankfully, not run of the mill) event. A thousand thanks to Teckiee! for taking the trouble to inform us about it. Looking forward to more in the future.
I'll always see Powerpoint in a different light now.
How Not To Suprise Your Friendly Neighbourhood Pharmacist on Her 22nd Birthday...
Friday, November 14, 2008
SooLiPing (as she is fondly called) was due to turn 22 on Wednesday, the 12th. Her bunch of high school compatriots organized a suprise candle-blowing session for her, and kindly invited me to be part of the auspicious occasion. Armed with my camera and a will to take many candid shots, I drove to the rich (and spooky) area where Yun Kei lived, the gathering point for all the surprisors (this word is highly suspect). After everyone had arrived, we jumped into our respective cars and roared to SooLiPing's place.
Timothy waits patiently.
Yun Kei and Yenli bantering.
At the traffic light; Myself, Shirlyn, Yang, and Yenli. The vague outline of Kwo Kuang's head can be seen in the back window.
Upon arrival, we encountered the nice dalmatian whose tail I tried to tickle. Petty entertainment aside, Yenli placed a call to SooLiPing's mum, who was supposed to quietly open the door for us to enter and prepare the cake to bring up to her room. The mum appeared to chase the dog around the house away, and it was all very hush-hush - until SooLiPing herself came tumbling out the front door.
Apparently the mum, being quite advanced, had taken Yenli's request to open the door one step further, and had knocked on SooLiPing's room door saying "...eh, your friends outside...".
The dalmation doesn't seem to enjoy my company.
Pow wow.
Ladies' Night.
"...eh, isn't that Li Ping at the door?.."
The suprisee (another highly suspect word) already unsurprised, we all sheepishly went in and conducted the traditional sing song and blow candle ceremony. In a space of a few minutes, she had managed to change and freshen up, and despite being dead tired, could still grin happily into the cameras that were flashing away like paparrazi.
Water Turtle.
Timothy.
The Birthday Girl and her Cake.
Li Ping & Co.
Li Ping & Tissue.
Li Ping & Co.Again.
Compulsory Group Photo.
Having taken (more than) our share of photos, I wished Ms. Soo goodnight, and went back home to sleep.
Fastforward to the same night, SooLiPing's dinner was at Dragon-H (yes, that is the typo that appeared in the sms), Sunway Pyramid. I arrived pretty late, but still managed to catch the Seafield gang digging into the last remnants of an assortment of dishes. My camera and will was still present of course, so the incessant photo-taking was rather inevitable.
A photo of the food AND the birthday girl. YJ tries to lick his elbow at the same time.
YK and SK.
They saw something interesting somewhere else.
Aww Moment.
A Tribute to Yenli: Since she mentioned that we rarely take videos of events,these days.
Alvin likes to flex his biceps after a meal at a Chinese Restaurant.
Yenli with food in her eye.
Another Aww Moment.
YJ tries to do the waltz.
For Chin Ju and Kwo Kuang who couldn't make it.
Compulsory Group Photo 2
To the birthday girl, many happy returns of the (yester)day!
Note: Dalmatians are not as tame as they appear to be in the 101 Dalmatians.
Bubble tea originated from Taiwan in the 1980's, before making its way to our local shores. Here, we see people sipping away from crazily thick straws (the only way to chomp at the black pearls that the bubble tea is named after. The pearls are made of tapioca, giving it a chewy and pliant texture.
The most recent pearl tea expedition was at Yippee Cup in SS2, reputed (supposedly) for its pearl tea (and jelly) beverages. Prior to that, the last time I consumed pearl tea was in Semenyih, when (of all people) Kohilan developed a sudden craving for the delectable drink after a dinner. That is another story in itself, which you can read here, if you're interested.
We love our bubble tea (in 2007)
Back to the present, I ordered a coffee milk tea with pearls, while Lauren staunchly stuck to her favourite condiment, jelly. Sue Ann eventually turned up as well, and also expressed her favouritism for jelly. Yenli came, and ordered ice water.
Garish neon sign.
Honeydew and Jelly.
Coffee and Pearl.
(some of) The Ladies in My Life.
Bubble Tea Drinkers.
I also recently spotted a source of home-brewed tea near my area. I guess I know where to go whenever the craving strikes.
Quite a refreshing beverage. Here's to bubble tea (and jelly too, of course)
Nuffnang/Nokia Silent Halloween - A Horror Story of Vampires, Zombies, and Milk Cartons...
Friday, November 07, 2008
The authorities had recently heard news that there was a purported gathering of sinister creatures, masquerading as bloggers, in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur, in the very heart of the city. As a man of the cloth (read: priest) I was sent to investigate, and record evidence of this event, dubbed the Nuffnang/Nokia Silent Halloween Party. Here is my account of the proceedings.
"...the light was already fading when I approached the Borneo Baruk Club, the shadows deepening and lengthening. Even as my car pulled into the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of the odd looking fellow who looked like a Chinese Dr. Evil (holding a doll), and I knew that it was definitely going to be a spooky evening. At the registration booth, the 3 Powerpuff Girls looked innocent enough, but it was the other guests that raised my hackles. There were strange creatures walking around, as well as an assortment of gruesome monsters. Having completed the registration, I walked around to grab some photographic evidence of paranormal beings (and camwhore at the same time).
KL city turns dark and mysterious as night falls...
...I knew the night would be spooky the moment I saw this.
Innocent Powerpuff Girls? Or something more sinister?
It was during the incessant photo-snapping that I saw her.
Her dark eyes met mine from across the corridor, sending little shivers up my spine. It looked like she was supposed to be a nurse, albeit, a rather slutty one, complete with a cap and stethoscope. Although we were standing rather far apart, I could sense malicious glee emanating from her every pore. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there seemed to be something rather strange about her facial complexion. Shuddering, I scurried away from her sinister stare.
The doorway to Hell (and a free flow of soft drinks)
Entering the club, I was horrified at the sheer number of macabre guests that were present. Everywhere I turned, I could see dismembered zombies, dead celebrities, and an orang utan. It was literally a scene straight from Hell (if Hell had orang utans..) and I was right smack in the middle of it. To my surprise, Hell didn't only comprise of ugly and disfigured horrors. Walking around the dimly lit club were ladies of unnatural beauty and grace. Begone, ye temptresses! I uttered to them. Alas, it was to no avail, as I succumbed to posing for photos with the stunning sirens, a deliriously happy grin on my face. So much for resisting temptation.
The night began with the creepy version of Elvis calling out for all the ghoulies to gather stageside. I shuffled along to listen to Kurt Cobain (the Chinese version) give the opening speech, followed by the introduction of Alaling and the Kaya Kok, the opening band of the night. After the band had belted out their energetic tunes, the Undead Elvis Liang began the first round of games, where selected members of the audience had to gather their own coven of specified ghoulies within a short time frame. As everyone gleefully rushed about, again, I caught the eye of the slutty nurse. Not wanting to stare too long into those strangely compelling yet frightening visage, I moved about the crowd, pausing every now and then to take a snapshot of/with the various horrors present.
As I was taking a photo with Sue, I began to have a strange feeling that the scary nurse was following me.
At this point, I had taken enough photos to compile a quick folder of the paranormal entities that wandered around the club that night. Click on the arrow to view the gallery!
The next hip hop band got the crowd to start shuffling their feet to the infectious beat, and before long, a big portion of the crowd lost their initial sluggishness. I quickly grew hungry, and went out to look at the food line, half-expecting to see messy bits of brain or whatever else zombies feasted on. I was slightly disappointed when it turned to be all-too-normal (human) fare, complete with soft drinks.
Expecting to see eyeballs? Nah, only taufoo.
Tissue paper galore. The teams had to wrap as many mummies as they could using a limited amount of time and tissue paper.
After the food, it was soon back to the games, which involved a lot of tissue paper and running about trying to pop other people's balloons. With ferocious snarls, the assorted ghouls viciously pounced on any balloon which floated nearby, tearing it to small pieces. After several minutes of mad rushing and poking, the crowd cheered loudly at the announcement of the next competition - Best Halloween Costume. In short order, the finalists were asked to parade themselves on stage, flamboyantly catching the eye of the judges. But all the clamor died down as the most anticipated ceremony of the night began - The Silent Halloween Dance.
The Silent Dance, ala Blair Witch Project - Spot Yourself!
When I first heard about the ritual, I was morbidly curious about how it would be done. The dance began, and the eerily quiet crowd of otherworldly dancers began to sway and gyrate to a tune only they could hear. Mere words cannot describe the thrilling and spooky atmosphere which permeated the dance floor, so I quickly whipped out my trusty ol' camera, and set it to record. As I weaved in and out of the mass, I spotted, from the corner of my eye, the slutty nurse slowly dancing her way towards me. Feeling goosebumps rise on my skin, I quickly backed away and retreated to a safe corner of the hall.
What did she want with me? I began to feel panicky.
For some obscure reason, the Demonic Nurse was intent on sending shivers down my spine.
The ritual involved downloading songs into a mobile device, plugging the earphones into your ears, and dancing away to music that nobody heard.
The Angel of Death performed the ritual so well that she won a phone. Congrats!
After the dance had died down, our dear Undead Elvis made his way back to the stage, and began the prize presentation ceremony. One by one, the individuals stepped up to receive their due acclaim, for the various categories in which they competed. The good people from Nokia were there to hand out the cool new XpressMusic phones and goodie bags to the winners, who were all but cackling in glee to receive them.
The winners of the Best Dressed Event were Parui Hilton and David Jones, the Skeleton Pirate.
Angels and Devils in the form of Nuffies at hand to give away prizes.
Parui Hilton, Desperate Housewive, and Slutty Nurse
I barely heard the announcements, though, as I was scrambling to get away from the intense gaze of the creepy nurse who was already up on stage to receive her prize. I tried to shake off the feelings of dread that began to creep up my spine by taking photos with the other guests, but somehow, she was never really far from my side. Wherever I turned, she was there, grinning evilly at me, and in every picture I took, she seemed to be in it as well.
Sherrymint... and the creepy Demonic nurse yet again.
I began to break out in cold sweat. The emcee called the evening to an end by thanking the good people from Nokia, and congratulating the team from Nuffnang for a job wonderfully done, but I could hardly hear any of it, hastily making my way out of the club before the ghostly nurse could get hold of me. Once outside, I could see that the fiendish ghouls were not yet done with their play, as they decided to terrorize the horrified motorists by walking back and forth along the street. Scurrying to my car, I was thankful that none of them were paying attention, lest they decided to follow me back to haunt me. As I approached my car in the silent basement parking, I glanced around to see if the nurse had followed behind. With no one in sight, I hurriedly entered the car, all the while feeling as if she was right behind me, watching with those demonic eyes.
Jenkin - On terrorizing the people of Kuala Lumpur.
Even though I couldn't see anyone in the basement parking, my priestly senses told me that something evil was lurking just around the corner.
After having sped through the quiet city streets, I finally reached home. With a sigh of relief, I carefully locked all the doors behind me, and proceeded to my laptop, to document what I saw that evening. What a night! The people at Nuffnang and Nokia had just hosted an immensely fun event without the slightest hitch! I had seen things that no sane human should have seen, and rubbed shoulders with the deadliest, most gruesome monsters one could imagine, and still lived to tell the tale!
The only disturbing and potentially fatal encounter was with that nurse, but I had managed to evade her hell-bent attempts to haunt me. Chuckling to myself as I began uploading the pictures to Facebook, I sat comfortable in the knowledge that I had nothing more to fear from that evil entity."
For a chockful of photos from this event, please click here to see the Facebook album.
The Nuffnang/Nokia Silent Halloween - A Teaser Trailer...
Sunday, November 02, 2008
It was almost 3a.m., the traditional witching hour, when I finally reached home. I was exhausted, the camera heavy in my hand, laden with pictures and footage from the bizzare event I had just left. Tired as I was, I quickly began the lengthy process of transferring the photos from the device to my computer. Eager to tell my story of the macabre and gruesome (and downright funny), I started tapping away on my keyboard...
The gateway to Hell (and free flow of soft drinks)
A rather small mummy.
Gene Simmons and Ju-On never looked scarier.
What have I gotten myself into?!?!!
Stay tuned for a complete update on Nuffnang/Nokia's Silent Halloween Party! (with pictures in full colour)
