I Love Stickygram!

Are you a fan of Instagram. Are you an #Instagrammer or #Iger? Are you an #Igaddict (like me)? Do you #Instadaily?

If you are and know the above terms, you might wanna know more bout Stickygram.

For its a tool/ platform where you can convert the beautiful Instagram photos you took into lovely little magnets.

In fact, I myself have done so earlier this year turning some of my most liked Instagram photos to magnets!

I must say that It was quite a nice experience, and you can say I was pretty excited throughout the process!

First off, was to select 9 of the best pictures that I wanted.. as that's how the template works - it comes in sets of 9.

Of course that didn't come easy. Well, the reason - I Instagram that much and 9 out of hundreds of Instapics is a tough choice. I eventually bought 3 sets of stickygrams (ie 27 lil magnets in total!).

The whole process is smooth - selection of pics, payment & keying in shipping address.

After doing all those, the only thing left was to wait for them magnets!!

And like a small boy waiting eagerly for Christmas to come, I was waiting in anticipation of my pre-ordered magnets! It's probably one of the letters that I've been waiting for a rather long time!

The magnets arrived in less than 2 weeks, and again made me excited! It's like getting a gift from Santa! Haha!

The magnets are cool - well after all, it comes with the pics I took! So that's really personalized.

I've kept most of the magnets but also given some away to families and friends - just as gifts.

And lets just say, our fridges & whiteboards are now a lil cooler! ;)

*I have the Stickygram promo code which you can use FRIEND30R9 for $2 off your order :) Happy Stickygram-ing!!

Sunglasses And Me!

Sunglasses. I never thought I'd wear them. Really.

When I was younger, I have been thought to always be simple. And that sunglasses were more of an accessory that people wore to get attention. 

So away from glasses I stayed. Through high school up to uni days. 

Even after that, though some friends told me to wear them, but I hardly used them. Didn't quite see the need then I guess since I've been so comfortable without. 

But then, I won a pair of sunglasses in the Men's Health Competition I joined (which I was the finalist btw hehe)... and was given a pair of sunglasses. And then too, I got back to KL and have been getting lots of sunlight cos I do drive around quite a lot. So, I used those sunglasses that I got. 

And thereafter, the story somewhat changed. I need them when I go out - to avoid being blinded by the bright sunlight. I notice the difference - pretty contrasting actually, with & without. 

And so the sunglasses is usually one of the first thing I take out and use after I start the car. 

Having been comfortable with them, I have gotten another pair of sunglasses, which I love even more. Why? Well, cos it looks cool. 

Now I know I'm gonna contradict my old school of thoughts.. but hey, I'm all grown up now, and a lil bit of style won't hurt!

In fact, I believe that with the right pair - it can go with any type of clothes. Just check the pics below. It doesn't matter if I wear work clothes, a semi casual jacket or with just a polo tee, the sunglasses helps to add style!

So you can say, that now, I'm pretty open to wearing sunglasses. In fact, I don't mind going sunglasses shopping.

Stay tuned to see more of my sunglasses collection! :D

My Bali Trip Itinerary

I'm proud to have completed documenting about my trip in Bali. It has been one of my more thorough write ups of my travels so far :)

To make things easier, I am compiling all the travel tips resources here. 

I hope that this guide will come in handy for those who want to plan their trip, based on a rough guide - my rough guide. To note: I believe that this will be definitely more helpful to those like me, who likes a lil more leisure-ly trip :)

Kecak dance, Uluwatu

Let's start with Things To Do And Places To Visit. First off, the most recommended on my list to visit is the Uluwatu Temple. Here, one will get to witness the Kecak dance amidst a beautiful sunset, with the ocean behind. Honestly, this view is priceless - especially if you come from the city.

Breathtaking view at Tanah Lot

Another popular sunset spot is Tanah Lot, with also breathtaking ocean views. If you are here, and are open minded, I do suggest to get blessed by the holy water. 

Kuta beach sunset

For beach lovers (and I know many who come to Bali are).. well, the must visit spot is definitely the busy Kuta Beach. The long beach with its white sands is not to be missed. And if you are lucky, you may get a chance to release the baby turtles into the sea!

Ubud Palace

Sacred Monkey Forest

For those into culture (and lifestyle), then Ubud is the place to be. It has a fair bit of boutique shops and restaurants. It's also here that the Ubud Palace and Sacred Monkey Forest is located. 

I rented a bike in Bali!!

Going around Bali? Rent a motorbike  if you are daring enough! Maybe take a ride up to Uluwatu. It will be a worthwhile trip! But I don't suggest all times on the bike - not if you plan to travel the island as the traffic can be heavy. Taxis or tour vehicles are recommended for those. 

Spicy chicken from Ayam Bertutu Khas Gilimanuk

Lia Cafe Jimbaran.. fresh seafood!

On Bali good food - there's plenty. For local food, there's the popular Ibu Oka Babi Guling, which food critic Anthony Bourdain highly recommends. Those who love spicy - the Ayam Bertutu Khas Gilimanuk is not to be missed. Seafood wise, it has got to be Lia Cafe Jimbaran, which serves good seafood at decent prices. 

Roasted chicken owh so good at Go Fast

Pork ribs at Nuri's

Happy Falafel

For international food, I'd go with my favourite Go Fast Roasted Chicken - serving one of the best roasted chickens, I ever had! Nuri's Pork Ribs is also a must try for succulent & yummy ribs. Happy Falafel serves good falafel which is pita bread with meatballs and vegetables. 

Hotels & Accomodation.

Grand Mega Resort

Radiant Hotel & Spa

If you are like me and am staying for a good few days or more, well, why not hotel hop? After all Bali boasts of a fair amount of hotels & resorts, and you can experience more. For me, I stayed at the boutique resort Radiant Hotel & Spa and also the more classy Grand Mega Resort. Both to me are worth staying. Just check the prices & offers - for like me, I got them at a bargain price.

Language wise - most tourist establishments speak decent English. But of course, knowing Bahasa Indonesia (or the Malay language) will help lots!

There you have my Bali travel guide & tips. If you do use this guide, do let me know how your trip went. In any case, have fun and happy holidays!

*Owh yea, do not forget to take a photo with the paddy fields while you are there! :)

Ubud Palace (Puri Saren)

Ubud to me is a must visit when in Bali. It has good food and known as the culture centre for the island.

And though I've been here before in my previous trips, I'm back here again. And again to the Ubud Palace (aka Puri Saren).

This time however, I visited this place in the day. The place is nice, and like most places in Bali.. it provide good photo opportunities without being overly grand.

I enjoyed the walk around the palace compound and also managed to peep the live ongoing of a gathering (which I believe are the royalties in action).

What I miss though is the daily night performances which I've seen the last time. If you have the time, and can spare your evening here, then don't miss that.

For the palace walls provide a very nice backdrop.

Owh btw the palace is only walking distance Ibu Oka famous 'babi guling' so if you come to Ubud for that, then do stop by the palace :)

*Apparently one can stay in the palace, (like a hotel) but I don't find any direct info of that around.

Middle Eastern Food In Bali: Happy Falafel

Why would I have Mediterranean food in Bali? Well, lets say Bali has a good variety of food. And I have a good like for variety.

So, there I am at Happy Falafel at Seminyak.

The restaurant is simple, and from the outside actually looks pretty welcoming, though a lil quiet.

The thing that I like it most here is the salad bar that they have. It comes with a wide variety of stuff - a lil similar to Subway, but probably more varied.

Foodwise, I like the meatballs recommended, served in pita bread and the mix of vegetables of my choice.

The meatballs were crunchy and yummy. And the variety of vegetables were good. I also like the part that we pick the vegetables ourselves  from the salad bar- meaning we control the amount ourselves.

The other dish I ordered - the salad. That came from the kitchen, and falls in the 'above average' zone.


Well if you are in Seminyak, this might be a worthwhile try :)


*Address: Jalan Caplak Tanduk, Seminyak – Bali

Bali Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana)

Are you a fan of monkeys? Well, if you are then you'll be in for a treat when you visit the Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Bali.

For me, on the other hand.. an not much a fan of the monkeys. But still I enjoyed this place - more so for its greens being surrounded with huge trees and a stream as well.

Tickets to the entrance. 

Btw back to the monkeys.. I bought some bananas at the entrance. And these monkeys were rather 'aggressive', or at least more aggressive than the ones I know.

There are loads of bananas up for sale at the entrance. Get them if you wanna experience some monkey business!

For before I know it, they were coming to the other tourists and sort of grabbing their bananas. Not wanting that, I gave mine quickly away - so they need not grab but be given!

Thought this monkey looked all good for a shot. Quite a pose eh on the rock!

Baby monkey, papa monkey, mummy monkey.. all can be found here! Personally, I find the baby monkeys more adorable (and less daring) haha!

Overall, the place is nice and chilling. It's not big but there are some worth while photo taking pictures as tourists.

Quite a view right :)

The stream is peaceful

A place to visit, if you have some spare time while in Ubud area.

*The monkeys within the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal are commonly called long-tailed macaques (scientific name is Macaca fascicuiaris).

*The Sacred Monkey Forest is the location of Padangtegal's Pura Dalem.

*The Sacred Monkey Forest apparently has 115 separate species of trees.

Some of these trees are considered holy and are used in various Balinese spiritual practices. Examples include the Majegan, which is used exclusively for the building of shrines; or the Berigin, whose leaves are used in cremation ceremonies.

KL's Best Hokkien Mee - Aik Yuen (Behind Tawakal Hospital) (?)

I am on the search for KL's best hokkien mee. I have a few favourite in my hand, but still decided to ask my friends on which hokkien mee they think is best.



And the one name that came up is the Aik Yuen Hokkien Mee located at Setapak, and with the Tawakal Hospital being the landmark.

The location is not that difficult to find, being just a lil off Bulatan Pahang.



And so there I was. At one of those restaurants that 'conquer' the streets, with its tables and chairs. Personally I prefer this arrangement as its less hot than sitting inside.



I ordered the stir fried pork belly with garlic as starters. It was a unique dish for me, as I've never had such before.



And the other dish I ordered was non other than what I came for - the hokkien mee! I was actually looking forward to it.



It looked good.. but I was a lil disappointed for I like my Hokkien mee dry, which this wasn't.

And the pork lard wasn't that much either, which is not good cos hokkien mee needs this - lots!



Owh and the chilli.. a lil to runny, and thin. Again, not the usual style I like.

But saying all these, it ain't bad. It's actually still ok. The crowd is there to prove it.

But for me, this probably ain't on top of my list. You can still try this if you are a foodie, and rate it for yourself.


*Restoran Aik Yuen aka "the one behind Tawakal Hospital"
Jalan Sarikei
Off Jalan Pahang Barat
Setapak
53000 Kuala Lumpur

We Did The Wanted - Glad You Came Parody!!

Last month, we were on the grass.. dancing around. Very Bollywood, you can say.

But it's not for a Bollywood movie.. instead, it's me & Arico from Superboyz.tv once again doing a video!

This time round, it's an online parody for Boh Tea Malaysia.. and their Ummph Music Video campaign!



Ok, here's some behind the scenes. We discussed the video over 2 meetings. This time round, we have learnt our 'lesson'. So we map out each scene. Then we also listed the items we needed - from equipments to other props like the hat above and the cardboard you'll see in the video!

We also contacted the casts to get involved in this online parody. That took a bit of liasing with a list of talents. But well Arico is the pro here, so that got covered.



But anyway, the day came. We prayed for it not to rain. And it didn't, minus a short drizzle. We met up  early btw. Well to wake up 6 plus is early to me. Haha!

So, dance we did (according to the script ehem.. ehem!). We danced for a good half day. And the rest of the day was video editing.

And the result? Well.. let's hope The Wanted and their managers (and recording companies) will be er... Glad that We Came! Haha!!

Pay It Forward - Blackmores' 80 Deeds Campaign

One of my favourite movies which leaves a very lasting impact on me is Pay It Forward. I thought that the idea of simply lending a helping hand to another without accepting anything in return is simply meaningful. 

We do not need to give expensive stuff.. in fact we don't even need to give anything at all, for paying it forward can really just be a deed. And this act may seem all simple, but we never know how much it may matter to the recipients.

So when I got to know about Blackmores' 80 Deeds Campaign, it made me smile. 

This award winning lifestyle brand is celebrating their 80th Anniversary, by encouraging Malaysians from all walks of life to extend a kind deed to another Malaysian or furry animal.

This could be a family member, a friend, a colleague, a relative, even a frenemy.. well basically just about anyone! :)

This is in line with their concept of encouraging people to do good deeds to lead healthier and happier lives. Turning 80 celebrates their success in helping others through the years by providing quality healthcare products and information to the public. In fact, they are today known for their high quality vitamins and dietary supplements for a holistic approach to healthcare.

The good news is that there are also prizes for our acts.. with the Grand Prize being a 2 day/1 night stay at Avillion Port Dickson, and 8 other good deeds will receive a hamper worth RM800 each.

Now we know the prizes are only incentives as honestly it's what we do from the heart that counts. But if it does help & encourage us further, why not right? :) In fact, it will be nice seeing such initiative take off and grow the community!! 

*By definition, “good deeds are spontaneous acts of kindness, accommodation, generosity, benevolence, charity, assistance, sympathy or aid, all performed with the simple intention of being helpful with no expectation of compensation.

*To kick start this 80 Deeds Campaign, Blackmores led the way by doing the first deed. They are donating RM 80,000 worth of Blackmores supplements which have been pledged to old folks and underprivileged homes in the Klang Valley and Selangor. The team from Blackmores also hosted a 80^th Anniversary celebration party with the children from Rumah Shelter and the old folks from Rumah Charis, during which this 80 Deeds Campaign was officially launched. Yay! :)

*To participate in the campaign, just send an email by 4th December 2012 to 80years80deeds@blackmores.com.my. 

Submit your full name, email, mobile number and a short description of your random deed of kindness in your submission! :)

Must See In Bali: Tanah Lot!

In my recent Bali trip, I did visit a few must see places in Bali. High on the list is Tanah Lot!

I arrived a lil early - in the mid afternoon, and this is probably not the best time to visit the place (best time is apparently during the sunset).

Anyway, I arrived.. and passed by rows of souvenir shops. But unlike some other tourists who complain on the touts, or even when comparing with my previous experiences in other parts of Bali.. the sellers were not pushy.

Me at one of the departmental souvenir stores before visiting Tanah Lot

There were both small shops and also the larger departmental like stores.. which has nearly about every Bali souvenirs.



Then comes the breathtaking wide-view Tanah Lot, surrounded by the sea.





The views were okay.. probably as mentioned it wasn't sunset when I visited it. Otherwise, I'm sure it will be much more grand and postcard like! But still at that hour, it was stunning enough.

I got blessed at Tanah Lot!

But,what made me happy here is that I got blessed.. with the holy water, and then had a thumb of rice put on my forehead. That was a new experience for me.. and truly is very Balinese.

*Tanah Lot is approximately 30-45 minutes from Kuta.



*There's also a 'holy snake' at Tanah Lot, which one could touch & 'pet'.

*The temple is on the rock but wasn't accessible when I visited it.