Wonderful 2011 Travels

"Whoaa, you seem to travel a lot this year huh" says some friends.

"Err... well, that's cos you just know me! Every year, I actually travel quite a bit". (grins).

Yes, every year.. I do travel a fair bit. And 2011 is no different :)

While 2011 has been a very regional travel year for me (the furthest was to Taipei!)... but still, it is quite a year of fun filled travels!!

Let's take a look... 

1. Jakarta!! 

Muslim city? Err.. 

I started off 2011, counting down in this very patriotic country! Made some new Indonesian buddies, and suprised with the rather open-ess of the Islamic country. 

Owh, and I tried the cow's brain for the first time here too!

2. Singapore.. and Singapore. And Singapore!!
Family, friends & New Singapore!

I can never get enough of the island city.. usually not so much from the traveler's point but for other reasons like visiting friends & relatives (now how many wedding dinners again?).

Tho this November, I did go back for 1 sole purpose.. Christmas deco @ Orchard Road and.. the Transformer's Ride @ Universal Studio Singapore!!! (say Oooooooo!!!) :)

Back for a friend's wedding early in February.

With friends at Chinatown. 

Back for Christmas.. the Transformer's Ride @ Universal Studio!!!

3. Penang!
Getting that Tattoo!

It has been quite a while since I've gone back to Penang - a few years now! But then, this year.. I visited the island.. twice!

Again, it wasn't the touristy things that I enjoyed this time round... having visited those places many times in my other trips. Instead it was some different Penang experience.. and owh ya, getting that very first tattoo!!

4. Manila!!
Yummy pork, cool tees, getting sexified... and Christmas magic!

I visited Manila twice this year! Sounds crazy to some - or many for that matter.. who have not been here! But ok, here's the fact "Manila is quite safe lah... just go to the cool places" :)

Now on my trips here.. these are what I experience...

How many ways can you cook pork? Come to Manila, and find out! One of the many reasons I love this city is the food.. namely the pork food! It may not be spicy like how I usually like my food, but nevertheless it's just oh so yummy!

I can never get enough of their quirkiness - especially those tees from the SM departmental store! Batman, Transformers, even South Park.. they have it all! (and so do I now... well most of them haha!!).

Me showing off my dog tag! Call it (being shirtless) the Manila effect!

I wrote before on how Manila makes one feel oh-so-sexy. It's here in Manila that I feel most wanting to look good.. I call that being sexified!! I don't know if it's the media.. or is there just something else that makes me feel so whenever I'm there!

There's so much more to write bout Manila on its own.. but looking back, I also enjoyed the Christmas deco in Manila this year.. which is something I can see myself going back to Manila for!

5. Bangkok!!

Always smiling!

Yes, I always smile in this land of the smiles. Maybe cos it feels so home (apart from Manila.. and maybe Taipei).

I can go to Bangkok again & again, and still find new things to explore each time. The food. The places. It's one city I hardly blog about for the things I do here in Bangkok is relatively not that touristy at all. Yeah, 'home' it is. And always will be!

Can never get bored with the Thai food!

Quirky, cute, creative.. only in Bangkok!

6. Cherating!!

Gimme the beach!!

I love the beach. In fact, I'd love to live by the beach! But well, I don't and that makes me miss that a lot! 

So for a remedy.. I headed to the East!

Resting by the beach. With happy feet moments. Sound of the waves. Walking on the sandy beach at night. Swimming in the sea. Ahh.. that's what I did in this very very short 1 night getaway! Yes, this trip was mainly about... the beach!!

6. Taipei!!

Always so cool! (minus one hotel experience...)

The Taipei trip wasn't planned.. but was rather last minute (cos of the job change & hence the extra time off.. hehe). But well, I'm not complaining cos in the end,  this is the first time I get to visit all 3 of my favourite cities - Bangkok, Manila.. and Taipei!!!

Having been here a few times now, I'm more familiar with the city.. but still manage to find some new interesting things to do. Like going to the hot springs, or visiting the Sun Yat Sen Memorial. 

And then of course.. there is the bubble milk teas, and also watching some Taiwanese movies!

Owh, and there's always a revisit of Taipei 101 (no matter how many times I'm in Taipei, I still find it a must to visit here haha!). 

Yes, I love Taipei, minus this lil weird experience (at Wonstar Hotel Taipei).

7. Chiang Mai!!

Making Wishes!!

I finally get to throw my lantern up up in the air.. during the Loy Krathong! It has been something I've always wanted to do in Chiang Mai.. and am so happy to have finally done it this year!! Of course, up into the sky went my wishes too :)

Btw the other cool stuff.. going for the elephant ride & also seeing them paint.. and visiting the temples around Chiang Mai. 

But even the swimming in the pool at the hotel was simply - A W E S O M E! Again, blame it on my preference to Thailand.. but the water was just right!! :)

That's not all the travels for 2011 for me.. cos later today, I'll be heading off to another island.. yeap, it's beach time, people! Phuket, here I come!!! :)

Btw, again, the question to ask.. where will I go in 2012? I have made a resolution to go to Japan this year, but that did not happen. Well, let's hope that comes true for next year!

For the other places, I can see a revisit to Thailand to be very likely! Can never get enough of that place! I wonder which part of Malaysia I should travel too? :)

And while work is increasing.. I do hope that I can still travel, travel.. and travel! Hehe!

Happy Holidays, everyone! And happy traveling!!!

*Wonderful 2010 Travels
*Wonderful 2009 Travels
*Wonderful 2008 Travels

I Went For The Transformers Ride (Universal Studio)!

Christmas weekend in Singapore? Jam. Crowd. That was what was in my mind.. I've read tweets the year before of where people got stuck in the North South highway and the 2nd link for hours..

So usually going to the island (city) on such occasion would be in my wildest dreams!

But then friends wanted to go.. and so I started to find some good reason to head south.

Well.. it didn't take me long to do so.. yeah, cos the Transformers Ride just opened its doors in Universal Studio!

This logo was at the floor of the queue. Nice floor! Haha!!

That is one good enough reason I believe!!

While some friends went into Singapore earlier, me and buddy Arico flew in on Christmas eve. And just after dropping our bags... we headed to the destination... Universal Studio Singapore!!!

Im at New York!

The theme park is divided into a few segments like the Madagascar section, the Egyption section, New York section and the Faraway Land. And in each section, there are its special rides and performances.

I like the indoor ghost ride at the Egyption land, the Waterworld performance, the 4D Shrek movie and the Steven Spielbergs hurricane show.

The syiok-ness after the ride!!!

But nothing beats the Transformer Ride.. yeah not even the roller coaster rides with all it's twist and turns!!

We waited for a good 1.5 hours for the ride.. but that's one well worth wait!

The visuals are amazing, and the experience just wow-ing! We sat as one of the robots.. and was to help the Autobots!

So whacked and banged we had! Iwh and that was fun!!

One of the best parts is where we were falling from the high storey building.. think watching Spiderman jumping down the building but with the chair effects to boot!

That ride to me was enough for me to go to the Universal Studios (and for one big extend.. Singapore.. on a packed weekend!!). In fact, I'd say that if without that ride, the theme park (and the whole trip) would most probably be wayyyy less fun and exciting!!

So Transformers really 'saved' the day (and the human race)! Yay!!

Merry Merry Christmas, taken near the entrance of the theme park (@ Hollywood!)

Biolyn Day Out!

Last week, I had a rather cool (and exclusive.. ehem ehem) event.

I was allowed to invite 20 of my blogger readers and online friends to join me for a 'Biolyn Day Out - with QuaChee'!! Haha!!

The day was Sunday. The location - Biolyn's 1st Hair Spa Salon.. located at Seri Kembangan.



The salon is bigger than the usual shop lot salons, and is rather spacious. It is after all a corner shop lot! :) Apart from the space, I like it too cos it's brightly lit, utilizing the light from the side window panels.



Anyway, soon, my friends & readers came (including my other blogger khakis).. First off, the guests were given a brief introduction of Biolyn. Then, they were given some kuihs, while waiting for their turn.

In between, I had the opportunity to chit chat with some of them :)



Bit by bit we had our hair snipped, washed, blowed.. and then treated with Biolyn's hair product! Now this product is pretty cool.. as it is meant to bring back the thickness of the hair!



And even myself had my hair cut! Now this is new for me, as my hair is already short then.. but oh well.. I had to try! So my short hair only grew.. shorter! Haha!

Biolyn.. best...!!! :)

Most of my friends (if not all) had pretty good hair cuts!

There were even some cool styling for the ladies :)

In between the hair cuts and all, we had some good fun as well.. like camwhoring (haha!).

Now the verdict? For such 'royal treatment'.. at the cost of RM10 (normal price), that's one rate I'd definitely come back for!

For seriously RM10? That's like 1/3rd the price of a usual hair cut in a salon, minus the hair treatment!

But of course, I (and some of my other friends) also look forward to the day when Biolyn open a branch in PJ! :)

The guy who made my hair from short.. to shorter! Haha!!! :)

*Biolyn Health Risk Management (M) Sdn. Bhd. (formerly know as Biolyn Products (M) Sdn. Bhd.)

55-1,2,3,4, Jalan SP 2/1, Taman Serdang Perdana, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor. Tel : 03-8941 8303, 8945 6780, 8941 2664 Fax : 03-8941 7303 Email : enquiry@biolyn.com.my

#Makeadifference Christmas

Seeing the Coca Cola Christmas campaign kinda touched and inspired me.. more than one way.

It somehow gave me the inspiration that maybe I too can do something this Christmas period.. touch some lives. Make a difference.. small or big.

Now this is not something I've really done before..

My first idea was to just donate my 50+1 Malaysia books to some underprivileged kids.. since I know some school students were looking for it for their studies.

I told this to my buddies, Arico and Erika.. and they agreed to come on board. But with them too did the idea expand.. and soon, we were looking at 500 recipients receiving goody bags.

I sent out a FB message to a few closer friends bout the idea, and while some dropped off (unsubscribed to the message :( ).. but some came on board! Yay!

One other blogger friend, Merryn, even posted the idea on her networks.. and soon we were getting some messages on people wanting to chip in in donating for the goodies.



At the same time I called a few friends who own businesses to assist in providing additional goodies. So we now had snacks, the bags, books, even apples!

We went to Giant to get the goodies! How we looked for the 'good deals' given our budget was quite something!

While I was busy collecting these stuff from the sponsors, Arico called the homes for us to visit. Then, 2 nights before, we went 'shopping' with Abby to get the stationeries. Now the bag is pretty complete (awaiting the apples to be collected on the day itself).



Soon, was the day! Eunice and her friends came to help out (I'd like to call them the 'lil elves' cos they were the people behind packing all the goodies!) :) Abby and Ben came too to assist. Whew! (We needed as many hands!).

Owh for some funnnnn :)

I had estimated 3 hours but we took a total of 4 hours to complete the task. Wow!

All bags have an inspiring quote attached. No guessing whose idea is this. Hehe

In the afternoon, arrived Fufu and Erika, and while the 'lil elves' went back, the Santas and Santarinas were ready to roll! 3 cars full from bonnet to passenger seats, off we went!



But first a quick stop - to Sushi Q to collect the sushi they specially prepared for the kids!

The next few hours were spent on the road, and visiting the 7 homes around Kay El and Pea Jay (and including a pit stop break to refill too).





Each kid were given the goodie bags.. and we played some games too - yeah, they had to answer some simple questions to win the additional toys we bought!



Erika dressed well for this.. as the Santarina, and played a good host!





I must say seeing some of the kids smiles were the joy of the day! While it's no big thing, but still we hope we made a difference one way or rather (back to the reason all these started :) ).

This was already towards the end of the day.. it's interesting to see we are all quite in a jovial mood Haha!

At the end of the day, after all the tiredness, we had durians! Haha!

*Thanks to JJ Snacks, AEC Holdings, Sushi Q, all donors & friends, and all who was part of this. Yay!

Owh and to say all these are done in about a week or so.. this sure is quite something lah Haha! :)

Special Invitation: Royal Hair Treatment By Biolyn

Last week I had a blogger's meeting.. and there's some good news!

I've got invites to the new HairSpa in town.. and they are giving some Cool & Exclusive invites to readers of this blog!

First off - some background of the company. Biolyn which was established since 2002 is a healthy hair management company that have peptides and saccharides' to promote thick hair formula.

In simple layman terms - it helps for people to maintain (some grow) back that precious hair of yours! :)

Moving from just products per say, they are also opening up their very 1st hair spa here in Malaysia!

Now, this is like a normal hair salon.. but more. Apart from just hair cut & wash, there's also the hair care & scalp care treatments to pamper your hair!!

And here is where the interesting part comes about!

The 1st 20 invites get to come for free, while the next 20 will only need to pay RM10! :)

Exclusive to readers of this blog, Biolyn is offering Royal Hair Treatments (worth over RM80) to the first 20 invitees! 


This is like a get-together for readers & friends of this blog & myself, and we will all get to have our hair cut, washed, treated.. and so do our scalp get some treatment!

The event will be done this Sunday 18 December 2011 (from 2pm onwards) at their maiden outlet in Seri Kembangan.

If you are keen to pamper your hair this weekend, all you need to do is drop me an email/ contact me, and your hair will get that Royal Treatment is so deserves!!

What a cool way to end the year heh? :)

*You can email me blog@quachee.com or find me on Facebook (facebook.com/quachee) or Twitter (twitter.com/quachee).

*I actually just had a hair cut recently.. but then this is just too good to miss! Haha!!