Twinkle Lights London’s Not So Bright

M. Ismail is one of NewsFlashMedia’s team members. Since late October 2011 she has been living in London and will soon be continuing her vacation to France. She shares with us some of her less boring and tedious experiences while abroad.

THE Christmas lights displays in London aren’t as grand as I had imagined them to be. They pale in comparison to Singapore’s. To be honest, even Malaysia’s Christmas décor are way better.

The Christmas lights at Molton Street.

Since arriving in UK in late October, I’d been spending the weekends in Central London shopping as well as trying to catch the Christmas lights. Sadly, there wasn’t much to shout about although you can see some Christmas lights on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Molton Street.

Nearing Christmas, Oxford Street turned into a mini funland for the children.

I didn’t even bother shooting because the weather was just too cold and I preferred tucking both my hands in my pockets. When you are right smack there on Oxford Street where people are just busy shopping it isn’t such a brilliant idea to shoot. You almost always get knocked into. You don’t really tumble over but it is annoying when people just keep bumping into you.

Fancy checking this one out?

Well, London may not be among the 10 cities reputed to have the world’s best Christmas lights but that’s fine with me. I have often wondered when people will realize the amount of wastage in money and energy when they light up almost an entire city during the festive season. Surely there are better ways to spend all that money!

Crazy Christmas shopping at Hamleys.

Christmas appears way quieter here than back home in Malaysia. The idiot box doesn’t play a lot of Christmas-y tunes like in Malaysia. And there are no fireworks in the area I live. But I guess the bars were full last night.

Well, Merry Christmas everyone. And this will be the last festive celebration for the year. Six more days to the New Year and then comes the first festive celebration again – in February. Ready?

The Joy of Christmas

Whimsical Christmas Tree card is by Tinneketin while the rest of the decor used are from clker.com

Wishing all our friends near and far a very Merry Christmas!!! If there is one gift that we can easily share the world over, across nations and thousands of miles apart from each other is the gift of love. Ours come in abundance.

May LOVE follow you wherever you go :)

My Man, Rene

MY man Chris Rene has left X-Factor USA in third place tonight (viewing at 8pm London, Dec 24), just minutes after a teary footage of him overwhelmed by the well-wishes from family members and friends. Hundreds gathered at The Catalyst in his hometown Santa Cruz in a show of support of the young ‘homie’.

(Inset, left) is Renee onstage on the final countdown day.

Put aside his ‘drug taking’ history and sob-sob life story. I love this man firstly for his voice, the style in which he sings and his most humble character. No, I don’t like everything about him, especially the way he moves – you know, the slight bounce, the hand movements, tipping of his hat and all. These are all ‘influences’. But when you talk about character and behavior – Chris Rene has all that I like in an artiste. So shame on you Astro the young snob, perasan (vain) lil’ boy who thinks he is larger than life by not wanting to perform when he was voted out!

(From top, Renee in various moods) Renee overwhelmed by emotions, in anguish waiting for the result and sharing one good moment with his mentor L.A. Reid.

Rene winning third place wasn’t a surprise as it was very clear as to who the sure winner was on the night. But somewhere deep inside I wished either Rene or Josh Krajcik could have toppled Melanie Amaro. She has heck of a voice and stage presence but help me God when she opens her mouth to express her feelings.

Josh Krajcik came second, much to Nicole's delight.

There were several other contestants whom I think could do wonders to the entertainment industry but were voted out at such an early stage of the competition. Krajcik is the kind of artiste and voice I would love to listen to over and over again but Nicole has done such a tremendous job on him that she completely wiped out his natural singing abilities. Mid-way through the competition Krajcik sounded more like a commercial female act disguised in a man’s clothes! Leave him alone Nicole! He would have better chance if he was under the mentoring of L.A. Reid or even Simon Cowell.
Another act that I just adore, not for the talent but the look, is Rachel Crow, the chubby 13-year-old who wants her own bathroom. I think it’s true like one of the judges had said in one of the show’s segment – there could be a Rachel Crow doll soon. I will buy for my collector friend…

Both Simon and Amaro looking all jitters.

The face of a winner, swarmed by overexcited relatives. Hello...this is supposed to be an Amaro moment ok?

For the next season of X Factor USA, can someone tell both Paula and Nicole (especially) to suck it in when they sit on the judges’ panel? Stop whimpering about not being able to make decisions. That’s the very freaking reason you are there in the first place!

The judges celebrate!

Qar's Stay at Great Grandma's

QAR left Nek Yong’s home in the early evening today to stay with his Great Grandmother whose house is about an hour’s drive out of Kuala Lumpur. Nek Yong has to be at work but that doesn’t mean Qar didn’t have his usual morning bath with Nek Yong. The only difference with today’s bath is that his mother bathed him instead. Nek Yong sat quietly by my daughter’s side and taught her how to bathe Qar.

Sleeping ...

My grandson will be away right until Eid, which is just a few days away. And Nek Yong will join him on Sunday afternoon as Great Grandmother wants new curtains for the hall. It’s a last minute shopping again for Nek Yong but having done this for the past years for my mom, it doesn’t upset Nek Yong anymore.

Sleeping some more..

At this very moment Nek Yong is still in the office, alone, waiting for the breaking of fast hour. It is much easier to just break fast in the office and then go home because the after-office traffic is really bad in the area where Nek Yong works. By the time Nek Yong finish her mug of hot coffee and a small bowl of fried rice, the traffic would have subsided.

PEACE sign from Qar?

Nek Yong has to go now Qar. Will write more in the next few days as I know there will be lots of things to write about with Eid festivities taking place.

Thinking of you, Qar and missing my cute grandson already.

With loving care – Nek Yong

Sunday Shopping With Qar

NEK YONG’s mornings for now are specifically for Qar. I bathe and sun him before I leave for work and at the same time look after Qar’s mum, my eldest daughter.

Perhaps this week things will more or less go back to normal. Qar is getting easier to handle as he is growing up very fast and doesn’t look as fragile as the newborn that he was. Of course it’s been just past a week but in Nek Yong’s eyes, Qar is a ‘big boy’ already. He peed on Nek Yong twice while I towel-dried him after his morning bath. A few days ago, he pooped on his dad when he was cleaning him. Dad gave a loud scream when he was caught by surprise. Nek Yong thinks he has a lot more to learn about child-minding ;)

Dashing?

My daughter is regaining her health as well except for a few bumps and bruises. She is stronger after the delivery and is able to move about independently, thanks to the medication her gran made for her.

As promised to Qar on Saturday evening, the family took Qar to the nearby mall to shop for his Hari Raya clothes on Sunday morning. Not that Qar showed any emotions but the entire family thought he was extremely happy. You know how it is with grandmas and aunts. Their doting of their precious ones goes beyond logic.

There you go, fast asleep.

Nek Yong dressed Qar in his Sunday best – a smart-looking Onesies that an aunt gave to him as a birthday gift (Onesies is a shirt that snaps under the diaper to stay on). But before we could take one step out the door, Qar was asleep. So much for shopping.

With loving care - Nek Yong

My Cute Sleepy Head

BABY Qar is fast asleep, along with the rest of the household except for Nek Yong. At the time of writing this, the time is 2:58 on Sunday morning.

Like every doting grandmother, Nek Yong does a quick check on Qar every hour or so, just in case his little cotton blanket got tangled in his face. Qar wriggles and stretches a lot and when he does his entire small frame gets all twisted and contorted and red. He makes the cutest sound ever when he does his little stretch. It is so adorable that it melts Nek Yong’s heart every time.

Twist and turn and wriggle and stretch but never awake - that's Qar for you.

Qar’s mum and dad are in the bedroom with him but they are fast asleep, trying to recover as much as possible from the maddening event of August 13. So Nek Yong plays Nanny to make sure both parents and child are in good care.

Yesterday, Qar got his very own passport and Nek Yong accompanied him and his parents to the nearby Immigration Office. Nicely wrapped in a bundle, Qar slept through everything, even when Nek Yong placed him in front of the photographer’s camera to get a passport sized photo of him.

At 5pm yesterday, when Nek Yong gave him his bath, his umbilical cord stump finally fell off. It was a big relief for Nek Yong as it was quite unnerving seeing it dangled around Qar’s navel every day. It was especially tough ‘handling’ it during bath time and sterilising it.

Sometimes when Qar ‘yelped’, Nek Yong got worried just in case he was in pain. Of course he wasn’t in pain because the umbilical cord doesn’t have pain-sensitive nerve fibres, according to medical advice. Many of us however think it does.

Perhaps when Nek Yong has the time, I will write a little about this in my post, just to reassure my daughter as she has not been able to Google much of late.

Just slightly a week old, Qar, fast asleep.

Qar has just passed a week old and is already looking like a big boy. He is beginning to smile a lot too. Nek Yong can’t get enough of looking at Qar and cuddling and giving him small kisses on those rosy cheeks of his. My two daughters have a good laugh whenever they see me doing these. They make fun of me, purposely thinking aloud as to where my tough, disciplinarian qualities have gone to since Qar arrived.

Well, laugh all you like, daughters. Tomorrow, I’m taking Qar shopping for his Hari Raya (Eid)’s clothes. So there …

                                                                                               With loving care – Nek Yong

Qar's 2nd Day With Nek Yong

SLEEP eluded me the night after Qar's birth (Aug 13, 2011).

It was way past 3am on Sunday that I got to bed, sorting out things at home so I could be by my daughter’s and my grandson’s side again the next day.

That same Sunday, Nek Yong woke up at half past eight to the sound of an SMS bleeping on my hand phone. It was my daughter who just gave birth asking me to bring along a few more of Qar’s nappies, mittens and booties when next we visit.

By 11am my younger daughter and I were already heading for the hospital in her tiny twin-cam Kelisa, which runs like a blizzard. Before you knew it, we were at the hospital. Talk about safe driving in a matchbox.

The rules are very strict at the hospital – no visitors before visiting hours. Even grandmothers do not have privileges. But we were prepared to sit on the hot slabs outdoor again because the waiting area feels like a freezer with the air-conditioning turned down so low.

Nek Yong decided to take a chance. I walked up to the security guard at the entrance to my daughter’s ward and asked if I could go up to see my grandson. If looks could butcher one alive, the guard’s would. But somehow I managed to get in although it was only 15 minutes to Visitors’ Hours. Who cares? It’s nice to know as a ‘gran’ I do have privileges, given or forced.

I managed to snap some photos of Qar using my hand phone since the nurses watch over anyone who lugs in a camera outfit any bigger.

Qar giving Nek Yong the one-eye pirate look.

These are precious photos – Qar’s second day in this world. Nek Yong promise he will grow up a happy child.

With loving care – Nek Yong

My First Grandson, Grandchild - Qar

NEK YONG officially became a granny at exactly 11.40pm last night. My first grandson was born after I had spent two hours sitting on the stone slabs by the entrance of the delivery ward of Putrajaya Hospital.

Clad in faded blue jeans, a simple white T and a black leather jacket, Nek Yong felt jubilant as I cradled my grandson in my arms. He still had traces of blood around his shoulders, wrapped in the hospital’s blue blanket, wide eyed and perhaps wondering who the grinning woman cradling him was. I didn’t care if my first grandson thinks I’m an alien lost on Planet Earth. I was just happy he finally arrived...after 14 hours and 10 minutes to be exact.

Qar (pronounced ‘Khorr’) is adorable. His eyes were wide opened despite only being born less than an hour before resting in my arms. Nek Yong heard his wail right across the labour room to the waiting area right out to the main entrance. That’s my grandson Qar - my first grandchild.

Qar...Nek Yong has to go to bed now. While your mother wrapped you in her arms, Nek Yong was travelling back to our home in Kuala Lumpur. In the next few days you will come home with us and sleep in the baby crib that Nek Yong has prepared for you.

There will be more stories of our adventures in the next few days and weeks and months and years but for now Nek Yong has to sleep so I can see you at the hospital again this afternoon.

As I walked to the car-park at the hospital I was already thinking about taking Qar shopping. Nek Yong will get some new clothes and Qar will get some books.

Life – it’s very sweet at the moment.


With loving care - Nek Yong

Short Take 12

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by caseaplace (caseaplace)

You Speak Malay, No?

I SPENT half of last Saturday in a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle. It has been ages since I went there. Due to its declining popularity as KL’s top shopping mall I thought I might as well have my deserving hair wash at one of the little hair salons scattered in the area. Where my office is a simple hair wash for a long-haired female would cost nothing less than RM28 perhaps.

However, enjoying a hair wash doesn’t come cheap in KL, no matter the popularity of the building the studio is in. Everywhere I went the charge was at least RM30+ so I considered myself fortunate to find one that offered service at only RM24. That is a fair price for a hair scrub and scrunge-dry service, right?

Images: Parlour by Moini & Hair by doug26

So I took a seat and a young Chinese hairstylist came over. He had a full head of dyed hair with a fringe that was almost hiding his eyes. The only time I saw his squeaky little eyes was when he lifted his head a little to ask me a question.

If looks can kill his would and no, not because he is drop-dead gorgeous or a hunk but because he is just SO angry. I swear that if I had a tape measure with me and measured his pout it could have easily reached a mile! Why is he so ANGRY?

His entire mannerisms baffled me. There was no “hello”, “how are you”, “how can I help you”...nothing! Just silence and a pouty face! After placing some hand towels around my shoulders, he reached towards a bottle I had placed on the mirror stand and pressed on the lid so the contents of the bottle came gushing onto his palm. I let out a seriously surprised + annoyed exclamation. And he shot at me with a “SHAMPOO???” No duhhh! That was my mousse! What in the world is wrong with him? He didn’t ask what was in the bottle and then got angry when he realised he had mousse all over his hand when it was shampoo he wanted. Did I tell him I brought my own shampoo? Noooo...

I felt my ears went red with anger. I couldn’t believe what was happening and so I just stared at him as he shampooed my hair. Suddenly he decided to speak. He asked me in English if I’d like to blow dry my hair and roll them up. I said no, just scrunge-dry using the diffuser. But he couldn’t understand that I didn’t want my hair rolled and straightened out. Then he got mad again. And he repeated his question and I gave him the same answer. He gave me an annoyed look and just as I was about to swear profanities, his colleague told him what to do.

Image from clker.com

At this point I was thinking of knocking him senseless with my heavy leather handbag, or the bottle of mousse or even the hairdryer. When suddenly he said, “Are you Chinese?” I checked my skin – dark brown. My eyes – very Malay eyes, complete with double eyelid. My hair – wavy and dry and big (how many Chinese girls have big, wavy hair?).

I am a typical Malay with Indonesian, Dutch, Thai and Arab lineage and he asked if I was Chinese.

Strangely when I told him I am Malay his behaviour took a 180-degree turn. And then he asked if I can speak Malay. Can I speak Malay? Why? Do I sound like I’ve been eating too much French Fries when I speaketh English?

When he found out I am Malay, speaks Malay, all his anti-social-ness disappeared into thin air. Suddenly he was all chatty. He asked if I’ve ever been to the mall before. He wanted to know my age. And if I were to ever need a treatment to consider him. Before I knew it he was revealing more about himself. How he has to handle more than 20 customers in a day on weekends, most of whom are his regulars. Then he said, “I’ve not even had a bite to eat since the studio opened this morning. I’m so hungry I can barely talk.”

My conclusion of his behaviour is: he thought I was a snobbish Chinese girl who refused to speak in my native tongue to a native boy! And my replies to him in English had annoyed him because he isn’t conversant in English and prefers to talk in Malay.

Goodness young man! Say so la! I can talk Melayu anytime. With the way he was all dressed up and his brunette mop of hair and swagger I thought he was more Western than Western itself! Adoi... Talk about assumptions.

Short Take 11

 

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by c-louise (c-louise)

Crazy but GOOD!

IT’S been a crazy month of May for NFM. Out of 31 days we only managed to post twice and that is really sad for us who have been trying to write every day for the rest of our lives ? However, it goes to show that not everything we plan in life will happen exactly as how we want them to be. This gives us the strength to believe that out of some weaknesses there is a hint of strength.

And talking about strength, all of us would like to thank our friends as well as readers who continue supporting us despite our MIA act the past few weeks. While friends who know of our site either sent messages to us on FB or SMS us on our mobiles, those who visit the sites from land afar continue providing our site a steady stream of visitors. What can we say but thank you?

Screaming Eye's - BIGDODADDY bigdodaddy

We did not plan on neglecting our site but some of us, at the last minute, were offered to partake in some big projects, which require 110% attention. And since the project has an urgent ring to it, we decided some things have to be sacrificed, although only for a while as we sort out a few things, whip people into shape and then take a breather and divide our attention between the project as well as our site. So hang on and don’t give up on us yet.

Despite our “disappearance”, a lot of good things have happened while we went “missing”. We’re hoping it stays that way all through the year as we believe 2012 will be a challenging year for many reasons.

We attended very few events the past 29 days and cancelled several lunch dates but made things up by trying out several food outlets and cafes in the Mont Kiara Solaris area. We promise we will run those very soon :0

And we promise Ms Sanity’s works will be up and running again as soon as she returns to homeland. The Daily Bitch has gone into early retirement and says he will post as soon as he gets sick of chilling out. Nek Yong is busy making preparations for the arrival of her grandchild. And the rest of the contributors are either busy baking or eating.

Let’s hope we will again gather in this “room” to share our story like when we first started. Till then, take care.

Short Take 10

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by Biewoef (biewoef)

I'm Blessed

IT is only the second day of May and already we’ve been plagued by several setbacks. But being the hardcore that we are giving up is the last thing on our mind.

Our posts have gone MIA for several days now due to a virus attack on our system. We are fixing the problem and our techies are hard at work so we hope none of our regular readers have given up on us?

URGHHH!!! You ugly mean virus!!!

 Clipart: Worm - UTRESCU (utrescu)

It’s been a good rest for many in Malaysia due to the long “weekend”. Labour’s Day was on a Sunday, which makes Monday automatically a free-from-work day.

The shopping centres were jam-packed and that observation was merely at the neighbourhood malls. Wonder what it had been in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur itself?

Well, there are a lot of sales going on already and some branded boutiques are giving away impressive discounts. My credit card company has been sending me flyers, encouraging me to spend, spend, and spend! And no, I’m not tempted simply because the country’s annual grand sale is just around the corner. So my gang and I plan to splurge then.

Staying happy, that's life's No. 1 rule.

 Clipart:Happy - ZINDYI (zindyi)

At this very moment we are experiencing rain. Gorgeous, cool evening after a terribly hot, hot, summer-ish day. Not that we have summer really. But the weather is changing so much, thanks to our own carelessness in protecting the environment!

Malaysia’s Monsoon season is between November and March and the dry season is between May and September. But look what’s happening today. It’s May and it’s pouring cats and dogs. April was a very wet month as well.

Besides the virus attack and a very hard fall I experienced in the toilet of my home two days ago that left bruises on my torso, everything else is reasonably going good (pray hard).

I bumped into a long-time friend in the mall today as I was making my way to my fitness class. She had her two kids with her. “Factory closed down already,” she said when I commented she already has a pair. The elder kid hugged and kissed me. That was really sweet and to think she doesn’t even know who I am as we’ve only met once, when she was less than a year old.

The funny bit about the meet was what my friend’s mother said: “She is always working. Always in front of the computer, writing. She might as well go for a full time job”.

I think my answer of “that’s what life is these days, aunty” didn’t go down well with her. She looked quite sullen after that. Maybe I should have lied and scolded my friend so the mother is happier that someone’s on her side? Hmm…have to think about that.

Every day I plan to achieve something, no matter how small.

Clipart: Alpiniste - ZINDYI (zindyi)

Oh. And I also “met” this “loony” character – a craft shop owner who dragged me into a conversation as I was browsing her merchandise and watching her make a scrap album for a customer.
I can’t believe my ears when she went on and on complaining about a difficult customer to me. While I can understand her frustration I think it is highly unprofessional for her to criticize her customer and to a total stranger too. At the end of the day she is running a business and no matter how wrong her customers are they will always be “right”.

I walked out of her shop as she continued complaining. I refused to be a part of it. I am determined to bury all negative vibes out of my life.

Note: We’ve been asked several times why our posts mix “we” and “I” all the time. Because we are sloppy writers ? No, actually when we say “we” that refers to NewsFlashMedia and the team. When we say “I” it refers to any of the team member who is writing the post ;)

SanTerri Cakes Like No Other

I LOVE cakes but I’m fussy over the choice. Unlike a majority of Malaysians, I do not like my cakes loaded with sugar especially when it’s a creamed cake with an assortment of toppings, which I prefer to finish rather than place aside because they are too sweet to stomach.

If Malaysians are just learning to reduce their intake of sugar in this 21^st Century, I have been practising the less-sugar-is-better discipline way, way before the rest.

When the cupcake trend stormed Malaysia, I did not fall head over heals on them because I did not find one recipe that has the correct amount of sugar in both cake mixture as well as the butter icing.

Carrot Cake With Walnuts to go with Café Mezzo Mezzo.

When you enjoy a piece of cake, you want to savour every bite, every mouthful. If you can take continuous bites off a piece of cake without cringing at the sweetness then you have found the desired cake. I have found mine and not just in one type of cake but many. The place – SanTerri Cottage.

The SanTerri Cottage I frequent is the one in Bangsar Village II in Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur although there are several SanTerri Cottage outlets throughout the Klang Valley.

I have not been to most of them as the one in BVII is very convenient for me whenever my craving for tea-time-with-coffee-and-cake builds up.

SanTerri has a big selection of cakes on top of their other items like sandwiches and pastas. But I go there strictly for its cakes. I’ve tried some of them but have to keep returning to make sure I taste most of them as I’m very sure they will agree with my tastebud. My favourite, which I buy for my yearly birthday celebration is the Opera.

Every year it's the same cake for me - Opera from SanTerri Cottage.

I wouldn’t say a slice of cake is too highly priced here as several other cafes and restaurants adopt almost the same pricing if not higher.

The difference between SanTerri’s cakes and prices is that even IF you were to be charged more than the outlet’s RM6.50 for a piece of Carrot Cake With Walnut for example it would still be worth it because the cakes are delicious.

When I eat cakes I take coffee with them and its regular brew, which I called Flat White, is named Café Mezzo Mezzo, also at RM6.50 for a reasonable sized cup. SanTerri serves Illy coffee.

And do you know that Illy coffee is served in 140 countries in five continents in over 50,000 public venues? According to its official website http://www.illy.com/ more than six million cups of its espresso coffee is served throughout the world every single day.

I may not be a coffee expert but I love coffee and what’s in an Illy coffee for me? A rich coffee that’s full of flavour and a beautiful aroma. Team that with a SanTerri cake and it’s bliss for the rest of the day.

SANTERRI COTTAGE

Bangsar Village II

Upper Ground Floor – K2

Lot 43872.73.74 Bangsar Baru

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Short Take 9

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by Bizior (bizior)

Short Take 8

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by that_guy_A (http://www.sxc.hu/profile/that_guy_A)

Eco-friendly With Sloggi

Note from The Team: This is the third part of NFM’s post on Sloggi’s Love World 2011 collection. It got a bit delayed due to some unforeseen circumstances. Enjoy it nevertheless.

SLOGGI is a lingerie and undergarment company so what was it doing taking a group of media and several KL bloggers into the Tekala Recreational Forest in Hulu Langat recently?

If you were not there and heard or read about this trip you’d think it strange that Sloggi chose to hire a huge tour coach to bring these people into a jungle for a simple launch. Why didn’t they just host the event at some chic location in the city centre like they always do?

The answer is education! The world needs to be educated on the importance of protecting the environment. And since Sloggi’s Love World 2011 collection is eco-friendly it makes this launch concept very relevant.

The Herbal patch near the entrance of Tekala Recreational Forest.

Evelyn Foo, Triumph’s Head of Brand Management made it very clear that there wasn’t going to be any catwalk to showcase Sloggi’s Love World 2011.

Instead Evelyn talked about how we can help our forest, the environment, Earth by using eco-friendly undergarments. Sloggi’s Love World 2011 collection is made from Sensitive®Fabric, which is manufactured using eco-friendly processes.

Using eco-friendly undergarments however is only part of the learning process in appreciating our forests especially since they play an enormous role in determining our future environment. A short tour of the forest can bring us closer to its habitats, wildlife and eco-systems. The launch at the forest is in collaboration with local environmental NGO, TrEES (Treat Every Environment Special) as well as the State Forestry Department. As a team, they help conserve and protect Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor including the forest park’s habitats, wildlife and eco-systems.

Representatives fromTrEES, Selangor State Forestry Department and Sloggi.

Sloggi Malaysia’s collaboration with TrEES and SFD echoes the efforts made by Sloggi on the global front, where it has teamed up with SensitivEcoSystem® Project to partner with World Land Trust™.

SensitivEcoSystem® Project is the Italian manufacturer of Sensitive®Fabric while World Land Trust™ is a non-profit organisation that protects remote regions between Brazil, Paraguay and North East Argentina. Their aim is to save the threatened rainforest in the Yaboti Biosphere, home to unusual plants and animal species, which are at risk of extinction. With every one meter of sensitive®Fabric used in the Love World Collection, one sq meter of the rainforest in the Yaboti Bisosphere will be saved.

There's still a nice, cool, clean stream in the park.

“We have very few forests left,” Evelyn said. “And so we need to protect them so that the new generation can still enjoy what we have today,” she added.

Evelyn touched a little about Sloggi’s eco-friendly collection, started in 2009 highlighting Sloggi’s every day organic cotton wear. In 2010 Sloggi came out with a collection made from plastic bottles. And in 2011 it included three eco-friendly items out of the four in the collection.

“Our eco collection provides 100% comfort and it is safe on skin,” she said.

A worthy donation for a great cause.

Sloggi also pledged a donation of RM25,000 from profit sales of its Love World collection to TrEES. This fund will be used for the development of a new interactive digital programme that supports activities for youth under TrEES’ Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor (TWNS) environmental protection initiative called Communities for Conservation. The aim of the programme is to ensure TWNS remains protected so it can continue providing information of the park to the future generation who are our effective agents of change.

Perhaps by being in the forest and learning a thing or two about its habitats it will make us realise how every bit of contribution in whatever form can help protect the environment in the long run to benefit the new generations.

Short Take 7

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by that_guy_A (that_guy_A)

Short Take 6

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by Spekulator (hapekla)

Life's Little Mysteries

LIFE can spring a lot of surprises. Most times the unexpected happens when you least expects it. I guess that explains why a lot of people, like me, do not like surprises. But when it is a good surprise, it is most welcomed!

Today I bumped into someone I have liaised with so many times before in the past 20 years but have never had the chance to meet in person. It was only when she handed me her cards that I realised my most recent phone conversations with her was about six months ago.

The warmth of a friend is akin to that you enjoy within the comforts of your home.

Image: Breakfast by HAPEKLA (hapekla)

Whenever I bumped into past acquaintances the way I did today, it makes me wonder if the world is actually smaller than we think it is. And how, one way or the other, people we have lost contact with can suddenly spring back into our life.

Just two days ago I met up with a girlfriend who I’ve not seen or communicated regularly with for about two years now. And as we enjoyed glass after glass of hot Barley drink we shared stories of our life that had been put on hold due to either distance or work demands.

But one thing remains consistent with these two friends. None of the warmth they exude in the past is lost, despite the years, which reflects what another close friend of mine often say: a true friend isn’t about constantly being in touch but being able to have a great time whenever we meet once in a blue moon.

Short Take 5

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by VIXS (Vixs)

Short Take 4

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by satty4u (satty4u)

Michael Kors Here To Stay

MICHAEL KORS is all set to make its presence felt in Malaysia and Singapore when it opens its first free-standing store in both countries in August this year.

In Malaysia, the 3,500 sq ft duplex will be housed in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. It will carry ready-to-wear and accessories including fragrance from Michael Kors, KORS Michael Kors and MICHAEL Michael Kors.

In Singapore the Michael Kors store is scheduled to open in Scotts Square, which is one of the most prominent shopping destinations in downtown Singapore.

Ashvin Valiram, Executive Director of Valiram Group expressed the group’s excitement with the two openings.  He said “the demand for luxury goods is growing in Southeast Asia and the region desires a new luxury brand that is glamorous and chic”.

Valiram is already making plans to open several more Michael Kors stores over the next five years.

Michael Kors, Inc announced the licensing agreement with Valiram Group on April 14 this year in New York.

Short Take 3

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by Gokoroko (gokoroko)

Sloggi Goes to the Forest

RIGHT at this moment I’m feeling that the biggest struggle in my life is getting up early in the morning.

After enjoying five years working from my home office and waking up the next day at any hour I choose to, I have turned myself into a totally night owl. I sleep very late and I wake up late.

Sloggi team slogging it out.

But today, all that “habit” had to be shelved. I was going into the forest and if there’s one thing I can’t say no to it’s the forest.

And I’m glad I dragged myself out of bed this morning because I enjoyed every second of today - being under the sun, under the canopy of trees and their beautiful foliage and listening to the sounds of the riang-riang (cicada) and the many other insects and inhabitants of the forest that one can identify only if silence is observed while in the forest.
 

Haji Mangsor doing his bit as well during the tree-planting activity.

I would say Sloggi’s launch of its Love World campaign held at Tekala Recreational Forest in Hulu Langat, which I wrote about last night, was successful. Talking to the PR person I had the idea that she was initially nervous about hosting the event in the forest, despite the accuracy in the choice due to the theme and concept of the campaign.

Most of the media reps it seems do not want to attend due to the distance of the venue. An hour and a half of travelling out of KL is far? And it’s such a cool awareness event too. So give me a break all you ignorant couch potatoes.

This isn't the first time I've planted a tree and it's still fun.

I don’t know about the rest who came but I learnt a lot within that few hours as the personnel from the State Forestry Department, AG Shaffie AG Ahmadni and Haji Mangsor Mohd Yusoff fed us with a lot of information as they took us on a 30-minute trek into the forest.

At the end of the day’s programme the planned “launch gambit” was the planting of 10 young trees. And guess who were the ones planting the trees? Take a guess until I post more of Sloggi’s event tomorrow ;)