Of Fast Cars and Ham-On-Bread... Tuesday, September 22, 2009
I 'm back from the jungle! Its amazing how simple things like not sharing your bed with an assortment of insects can be so refreshing after 4 days in the middle of the Amazon.
But thats another story for another blog entry. For now, here's what happened at Quattro, KL, when Mika Hakkinen was in town.
Last Saturday, Quattro opened its doors for Mika Hakkinen, during the launch of the JOhnnie Walker "Join The Pact" Campaign, where people were encouraged to leave a digital signature stating that they wouldn't get inebriated and drive drunk. Of course, at an event sponsored by Johnnie Walker, there's bound to be some form of alcoholic beverage served to the attendees.
In this case, we can call it Liquor Haven. Attendees filing into the club, waiting for a chance to catch a glimpse of Mika. (or maybe to down a couple of rounds first) Zach leaving his John Hancock, with many cameramen around. This dude was very helpful, and made sure we had enough ham-on-bread to go around. Don't you wish you had one of these at home? Or better yet, many of these? The Nuffies - Conrad, Zach, Robb, Nicholas, and Justina. This is what Mika Hakkinen looks like. He also looks like this. Left: Didn't catch the name. Right: Cassandra! Quattro's Marketing Manager. Cassandra managed to give Mika a bear hug. Probably one of the few women in Malaysia who can claim that they did that. Kimberly and Shaolin Tiger. Justina and Nicholas! Conrad, Robb, and my grinning self. Zach, cheerful as always. This was the JTP Supercar that Mika used the next day to ferry several people around the Sepang racetrack. This is the guy who would beat you to a pulp if you touched the car. Its so shiny, its like a mirror. A very, very, expensive mirror. I bumped into Wai Ken and Flora there! Justina also signed the pact. Ironically, none of us had designated drivers. The models that stood next to the car. They're wearing costumes somewhat similar to that of the Johnnie Walker Walking Man logo. Mika left pretty soon after he arrived, and we only managed to catch a brief glimpse of him, as he gave his press conference. After his departure, the club moved into full swing and opened its doors to the rest of the eager public.
The entrance to the 4-Season Club.
My thanks goes to the good people at Nuffnang, for the invites.
Here's to a greater awareness of the folly of drunk driving.
Coming up: Of Random Insects and 4 Days in the Middle of Nowhere...
Posted at 09:06 pm by IsaacCheah
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Of Buying Coffee for the French Spiderman... Sunday, September 13, 2009
It was on a Thursday evening when a colleague of mine casually asked, "Eh, Cheah, come earlier to work tomorrow. We're going to meet the French Spiderman." Apparently, the said colleague had always admired the exploits of the French daredevil, even before his recent stunt over at our Menara Kembar barely a month ago. Having seen his plight after being caught, he contacted the guy to express his gratitude, and to ask for a chat over a cup of coffee, (with recompense).
Photo from TheStar Nation: Sep 2 2009.
Read about his climb here!
Being the opportunist I am, I agreed, and packed a camera along.
Having been featured on the headlines of the dailies only a few days earlier, it was no wonder that when he arrived at Dome, KLCC, where JT and I were waiting, a curious crowd of onlookers began to hover around the edges.
Speaking to the man who climbed to the top of the Twin Towers with his bare hands.
Alain Roberts was rather down to earth about the whole business, and was possesed of a self-deprecating demeanour. We spoke of how he started, his inspirations, and of the crevices in which he dug his fingers in to make the climb had become smaller over the years.
After the informal coffee session, I picked up the tab, and we went back to work.
Many thanks to JT, for the invitation.
Its not every day that one gets to buy coffee for the French Spiderman.
A very interesting Friday morning, indeed.
Posted at 04:50 pm by IsaacCheah
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Of Plastic Bags and Not Using Them.. Wednesday, September 09, 2009
O n a rather sudden whim, Sue and I dropped by Noble Banquet, KL, to attend the No Plastic Baazar. For me, it was an occasion to snap photos, and for her, to see animals that were (supposedly) up for adoption. With that in mind, we eagerly alighted from the Green Wira, and ambled into the building. The confined area of the banquet hall wasn't exactly what Sue had in mind (she was expecting tents and large, colourful canopies in an open field), and the only animals we saw were stuffed ones. Nonetheless, she happily dived into the nearest pile of clothes, while I wandered off to blind innocent passer-bys with my flash.
The Grand Entrance. The closest thing to animals that we could spot... An incredibly huge sign... ...and yet Sue managed to defy it by her second purchase. There were plenty of knick-knacks on display. Lamps that I probably wouldn't use at home.
Since the event had an environmental theme, shoppers were encouraged to either buy a canvas bag, or lug a whole load of clothes around. Since Sue and I were rather kiamsiap (stingy) we decided to forgo the canvas bag, and use the two hands that God gave us, to carry our purchases. A few branded items went on auction, and the response was rather encouraging (of course, if the item was being sold by models, there'd be more incentive to raise your hand to bid)
A bag being auctioned off by models Deborah Henry and Hannah Lo. Xandria Ooi setting up her stall... ...and gracefully allowing the stalwart photographer to snap photos of it. The models, again.  In lieu of the environmental theme, behold! an environmentally friendly car. Very creative advertising. Somehow, I ended up in the picture too.(Photo also stolen from Tongue in Chic) Sue, posing prettily with a shawl.  The infamous rubber chicken. Sue and I @ No Plastic Bag Bazaar.
Despite there being no animals to adopt and no colourful tents and canopies under the bright morning sun, it was still an interesting outing.
Not a bad way to celebrate Merdeka Day.
Coming up: Of Buying Coffee for the French Spiderman...
Posted at 10:52 pm by IsaacCheah
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Sunday, September 06, 2009
At some point in our lives, we would have wanted to go fast. No, I don't mean abstaining from food, but rather, zip about in some sort of souped-up vehicle, leaving smoke and dust behind your trail. Can you seriously claim that, after watching Fast and Furious, you didn't wish you had that sort of firepower underneath your hood, (and for the guys, the skimpily clad girls that seem to always hang around cars)?
The epitome of speed. Look at those blurry tracks.
Of course, the adrenaline rush that one gets from speed can be found in many various forms, i.e. rollercoasters, skydiving, and our local KTM trains. Somehow, however, these things can't beat the actual experience of burning rubber with your hands behind the steering wheel. And of course, many of us succumb to the temptation of flooring the pedal when our KL city streets are slightly less busy, weaving in and out of traffic.
Sadly enough, for me, burning rubber poses a slightly difficult problem. Don't get me wrong, I love my white Kancil, but at 660cc's, it IS rather... slow.
Nonetheless, its not the speed at which we drive that makes us dangerous, rather, its the carelessness and irresponsibility behind the wheel that causes so many fatalities on the road. Drunk driving is an extremely serious matter, and uncurbed, can lead to a whole lot of grief and waste.
Thats why, racing titan Mika Hakinnen is all out to put a stop to this. Hop on over to the Johnnie Walker website, and sign the pact with Mika to drive responsibly. Of course, you'd have to stick to it, and at the same time, let your friends know about this initiative to create awareness regarding drunk driving. Here are some of the methods I've considered taking to spread the word;
Nothing beats placing ads on billboards along high-traffic areas.
The French Spiderman
I could ask The French Spiderman if he'd mind placing a "Join the Pact Ad" alongside that Malaysian flag at very top of the Twin Towers, the next time he's hanging around there.
Well, it'd be pretty hard to do all (or any) of the above, so I guess I'll just start off by being the designated driver during drinking bouts, and send the less-than-sober friends back home in my trusty 660cc Kancil.
And force them to Join the Pact the very next morning.
Head on over to Sunway Pyramid on the 12th of September for the launch of Join the Pact, and the JTP Supercar demo!
Oh, and don't forget to sign the pact too.
* NOTE TO READERS: The demo in Sunway Pyramid is on the 12th (Sat), and NOT the 13th, as previously stated in my post. A thousand apologies for any confusion caused. Thank you!
Posted at 11:24 pm by IsaacCheah
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Of Merdeka! and Quick Countdowns... Tuesday, September 01, 2009
After an impromptu yumcha session with Sue at Centrepoint (where we bumped into college friends and experienced one of those "Its a Small World after All" moments, I scooted over to Mist Club, Bangsar, for Nuffnang's Merdeka Countdown. Pulling into the carpark, I killed the engine alongside Choong Hoe and Pei Wen, who had earlier called to ask where Jalan Riong was. Ambling over to the club, the usual, mandatory sight greeted us at the entrance.
Nuffies Registration Table. A must at all Nuffnang events.
Quickly moving in, there were notably very little people in the building. Putting it down to the early hour, I moved about the front, snapping away (and walking straight into people's camera focus')
The music didn't take long to start.
Richard J. in the limelight.
Since it was a Nuffnang event, I had thought to see more bloggers lining the sides. Strangely enough, the club was devoid of the usual familiar faces. I did, however, bump into several like-minded kaki's there.
 Diese, lady-like at the table.
The repertoire of artists switched, and when the next duo, Aisya and Missosixnine clambered onto the stage, I had another one of those "Its a Small World After All" moments for the second time, that night.
Yes, that is Yasmine, from SKSJ. And Aisya, from the 2-part hip hop band. For those SKSJ-ians, yes, Yasmin now goes by the moniker Missosixnine, and has her own fan page on Facebook. Pretty strange to call her Pn. Azizah's daughter, now.
As the night progressed, the music grew louder and louder. The crowd, however, didn't really seem to move much, and was pretty contented to stand at the tables, and sip on their drinks.
Maybe its the H1N1, or the cold weather, but somehow, the night was rather....subdued (note to Li Ping: at this point, you would have wandered off to find supper outside). Somehow, the Merdeka countdown (which everyone only realized a minute before the clock struck midnight), was quick, and lacked aplomb. After a speedy countdown and scattered clapping of hands, the crowd more or less dwindled down.
Well, many thanks to Nuffnang, and a very Happy Merdeka to all of you Malaysians!
Happy 52nd Birthday, Malaysia. May your nasi lemak always have santan.
For more photos, click here to view the Facebook album.
Posted at 11:50 pm by IsaacCheah
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Of Sprinkling Water and Teabags.. Saturday, August 29, 2009
N ot too long ago, on a quiet Sunday morning, my baby niece went for her baptism. Now, Christine is only about 5 months old (approx.), but yes, she is old enough to be baptised, and no, she wasn't dipped into the water like a teabag.
Here's my niece. She doesn't have a Facebook account yet, but if she did, she might use this picture. Here's the pastor that conducted the baptism ceremony, Pastor Sivin Kit. The church isn't really that dark, its just the camera setting.
Some candles. With baby in background. Claire and Alpha will never be far, with camera in hand. Photo of myself and Chin Hor, stolen from Minishorts.net. Thanks!
The baby getting water sprinkled on her head.
After the relatively short ceremony, the baby decides to stick her tongue out at people.
Phil Baker, grinning at the little one.
Happy Parents! John and Su Shen (and Christine)
A rather happy event, with many smiles and laughter all around.
I wonder when Christine will get her Facebook account.
Posted at 09:48 pm by IsaacCheah
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