You cant believe what just happened yesterday! Well I still cant believe it. We filmed with Jaime Dempsey and the crews from History Channel, Ride 'N' Seek.It was truly an experience for me and the rest of Team Speed Master Racing and Drive.Cruise. Race.

How it all started? Well, I was uploading videos of the May Fest Drag Race into one of our Facebook page earlier that day and I've been monitoring the stats/page views when suddenly someone sent us a message asking for a contact number. Since that page was being administrated by a few of us, we asked her what it is all about. Then she said she's one of the producers for History Channel and they were looking for contains for a travel series and see if they can incorporate it into their travel series. 

At first we were skeptical but then we still contacted through Facebook and we told her that we were more then happy to provide information. After a few messages through Facebook and a little discussion with the page admins and thought even if its not genuine, we got nothing to lose. So, we gave her my number (it took quite a while for me to reply her as I don't simply give out my phone number).

Next thing I knew, she called me. After she called me and explained what show it was, I told her I'll ask the rest of the members if they're Okay with it. Well, it didn't took long before I gave a return call saying its ago. She gave me another contact number which belongs to her colleague who was already in Miri together with their production team. After that we called up a few friends see if was available the next day and who was interested to join in. 


The next day I woke up feeling all excited, washed my car and gathered with the rest of DCR/SMR crews before heading down to Lutong Airstrip. Just before we entered Lutong Airstrip, I saw the host,Jaime Dempsey and her crew. I'm going to do a brief introduction on Jaime after this.

BUBBLY blonde American biker Jaime Dempsey rides through Malaysia in Ride N’ Seek, a new travel documentary airing every Monday at 10pm on History Channel (Astro 555) and History HD (Astro 575).On her Harley, Dempsey rides through every State in the peninsula to explore both the mainstream and “off the beaten track” locations and activities.

Funny, irreverent, quirky, unpredictable and up for anything, she actively seeks out the unusual and participates in all kinds of activities she comes across.Sometimes she fails and sometimes she succeeds but she always has a great time immersing herself in the local culture.


Read more: Jaime Dempsey and Kenny Chan. - Showbiz - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/showbiz/harley-ride-through-peninsula-1.299677/jaime-dempsey-and-kenny-chan-1.299678?localLinksEnabled=false#ixzz343cyLMUz

No long after we entered Lutong Airstrip, saw a small sized lady walking towards us and I figured out that must be the lady i spoke to this morning. And yeap, that's her.. She introduced herself and not long after that, the rest of the crew joined in and started filming. We started filming around 330pm until around 6pm. You got to give this guys(and girls) a big applause. I've covered quite a number of events and the amount of work this these crew did was nothing compared to what I did. Filming under the hot sun,being away from home,holding up heavy equipment and running here and there to get the best footage while the rest of us viewers, just sit down watching the show at the comfort of our own home.

Well, IT'S A WRAP!  Never in our wildest dreams that we would be part of a TV show, let alone a show that's aired on History Channel. It was really a chance in a life time and I would like to thank them for the opportunity.

According to their producer, the show will be aired on the 25th August 2014. Catch it on Astro History Channel CH555(SD) or CH 575(HD)

Let me tell you a story about how I became a car crazy guy. I've always been into cars and how they work ever since I dropped by at mu uncle's work place where he works as a mechanic. I've always been the curios boy since I was small, I would take things apart just to figure out how they do what they did.

My curiosity has often ended up with me getting into trouble because I couldn't put them back together. When I got my first car, which was a Nissan Cefiro A31, which was given to me by my dad (he bought another car and the old one he gave to me). The car was equipped with a 2.0cc turbocharged engine with manual transmission. The car itself is a fuel guzzler and one trip from my house in Lutong to Bintang Plaza can easily drink up Rm10 worth of fuel. Being a student at that time, I didnt have much cash with me to do anything with the car. 

Because of that, after a few years driving that car, I talked to my dad and we sold of the car because i couldnt afford the maintenance of the car. After I sold of the car (that was back in 2008, I was aiming to buy a Satria GTi (every Malaysian men dream car back then), but it was too expensive and i couldnt afford it ( the Satria GTi cost roughly about RM40k second hand).

Not long after that, I came to know that Sarawak Shell Berhad was auctioning their company car. with the help of my dad, I managed to place a bid for an Proton Iswara Sedan 1.3cc for RM5k. the car was in terrible condition, the roof was rusted, 2 of the doors was having huge holes from the rust and the interior was all dirty. but what was important to me that time was, as long as the engine runs, I can make it work.The car was left at the yard for over a year before the bidding was opened for public. After that RM5K purchase, I spent another additional RM3k on fixing the rusted parts and a fresh coat of paint. From the original dark blue, I painted it silver and replaced the 13" steel rims with a set of wheels taken from the first generation of Proton Waja wheels. 

Slowly every month I started saving some money to "beautify" the car, adding bodykits, sound system, working up the interior, headlamp replacement at purchased 2nd hand seats taken out from a Mitsubishi FTO . The following year, I've ventured out with engine mods, and thanks to Google and forums, I slowly poisoned myself into modding the tiny 4G13 engine. Started off with Open Pods filter to short shifters until adjustable cam pulleys.

Sometime around year 2010, my thirst for power has reached its peak. I wanted more power but there's so little that the 1.3cc engine could do.. Again after I read a few forums and a lot of googling, I ended up with an engine swap. From a 1.3cc engine to a 1.6cc engine taken from a wira. The maximum i can go was 1.6cc as above that, I couldnt get the engine endorsed by JPJ. After the engine swap, more mods was done to the car and there's where i started doing a lot of DIYs on my car as I was modding my car on a tight budget. Alng the way i've upgraded the rims to a proper set of wheels and re-do the audio system to suit my preferences. 

The modding slowed down and after that it was more of a fixing what needed to be fixed.. Alright, im not gonna bore you more on explaining, im just going to put a slide show on what was done to the car.

Less then a month after I've installed new bodykits and resprayed the car, on May 23rd, 2012, I was involved in an accident on my way to work. I was about 5 minutes away from my office as I drove pass by a housing area, I saw a white Toyota Hilux stopping at a junction.. Seeing that, I proceed driving normally until i was about 50 meters from the junction, the Hilux just came out of the junction. I tried to avoid crashing to him, I stepped on my brakes and I swerved to the right side going into the incoming lane but it was too late. I crashed into him and basically my whole left side of the car was badly damaged. At first i was keeping my cool but when I got out of the car, I saw the damaged, my heart just broke into pieces..  

I was car-less for 6 months after the accident.. The insurance process was fast but the workshop that was appointed by the insurance company just took their sweet time fixing my car just because its an Proton Iswara what broke my already broken heart more was the way the handled my car. After calling the insurance company headquarters(I guess the claim manager said something to the workshop), they started to work on my car the next day and within one week, my car was done. Workmanship wise was terrible but all I wanted that time was to get back my car. The moment I got my car back, I didnt drove it straight home but instead to my own workshop and got it fixed there. 

After that, I tried slowly fixing it back to its original state but you know what they said, once broken, it will never be the same. More and more problems came after the accident, it spent most of its time in the workshop rather then being driven. 

So last year, I decided to get another car. Fix the Iswara and sell it off after that. So I got myself the car that I always wanted to get. Yes.. The Proton Satria Gti 1.8. An the whole modification process starts again on a new platform. Progress is slow as Im still paying for the car. In 10 months time, I'll be done with the car loan and we will see how it goes from there. Currently the Iswara is in the workshop, getting some loving before being sold off.

Well thats about my three cars. When I'm not doing my car, I'll be doing something else to my friends car. Painting rims, center console, installing foglights, bodykits and such. Over the years I've learnt a lot about cars and when you're modding a car under a strict budget, DIYs is the way to go. Its an effective way to learn new things as long as you are willing to try and believe in yourself.

Someone asked me before, "if you love cars so much, why did you took IT instead of automotive?". Well here is the story behind it. I did wanted to take up automotive after if finished high school but my parents didn't agree to it. They questioned me on my  reasons and eventually I told myself, "its okay, my parents always wanted the best for me. They know what's best for me." So yeah.. Until today, Im still doing IT as a profession and I have to thank my parents for that. I was never a "technically attached person"and  I've always enjoyed getting my hands dirty. If my parents didn't asked me to take up IT, I dont think I know anything about how much things and information I can find online. Im really grateful that my parents actually forced me to study Information Technology. With that IT knowledge, Im able to utilize it to feed more knowledge and fuel my passion for cars. Well, Im looking forward to more car projects soon, be it my own car or others. till then, cheers!

Welcome back readers, sorry for the late update as Telekom Malaysia wasn't being so nice to me for the past few weeks.
First and foremost, I would like to thank Sarawak Tourism Board and Sarawak Bloggers for giving me the opportunity once again to cover this prestigious event. Borneo Jazz Festival 2014 is my third event coverage under Sarawak Bloggers umbrella. 

Again this year I missed out on the Tree Planting Ceremony due to work commitments. The tree planting by the performers and media was held at Tenby International School which was located in Senadin, just outside Curtin University.

Later that day, At 2pm, was the Local and International Media registration at Lambir Hall, ParkCity Everly hotel where we were given the Media Kit and Media briefing. Briefing ended around 3pm and after that, we get to mingle around with other medias that we're covering that event.

Around 6pm, we were brought to the Sky Garden in Meritz Hotel for Media Cocktail reception where we get  to see the overview of Miri City.It was rather cloudy that day but it didnt stop us from enjoying the spectacular sunset. This is one of the reasons why I love Miri so much. I can never get tired of the sunsets.

The official event day started early for us Media, attending the Press Conference. This year, STB included 2 new elements to the festival, which was a dedicated slot for the DJ and an acapella group. Previously, the DJ would be playing in between or during performance break but this year, the DJ would be hitting the decks for the after party (midnight onwards).  The press conference ended around noon and we were free to do our own this until 5pm before we were brought over to Marriot for a press conference with the Minister of Tourism and a Sunset Cocktail reception.

The 1st night started off with the Chung Hua Brass Band performance playing to the tunes of oldies and modern song from different genres.  I took the chances of walking around event ground, checking out the food stalls and merchandise booth as well.

Not long after that, the 1st performer for Borneo Jazz Festival 2014, Sarawak's very own jazz singer, Diana Liu. She sang a few of her chinese numbers as well as her english ones. She started off a little low on the beat and slowly increase her beats as the night goes by. Small sized lady with a very powerful voice if i may add.

Next in line was Mario Cononge all the way from Martinique which delivers a super energetic performance and got the crowd wooing. I just love seeing the energy that he brought along during the performance and how his fingers danced on the piano. He was basically  jumping up and down from the piano seats, definately "in-the-zone" moment which is similar to guitarist opening their mouth wide open and making funny faces during their solos.

Coming back to our very own Malaysian group, the JunkOFunk. This group was one of my favourite group that night the moment they started playing. Jazz with a twist of funk (u gotta love funk). After the energetic performance by Mario Cononge, and this band playing right after that, the crowd just went from crazy to over the top.. I really felt like dropping my camera and joined the crowd dancing.

The last performance for that night was an acapella group, Vocal Sampling from Cuba. The moment they hit the stage, their first song really caught my attention. The sang Tian Mi Mi by Teresa Teng (call me old school but I love this song :P). Their performance just keeps going and their version of Hotel California really got the crowd.. Imagine that guitar solo, but in an acapella style. If  you were there, I kid you not, it was eargasmic! hits you right on the spot! This group reminds me a lot of last year's group, The Nylons. 

Day 1 didn't just end like that. Right after the main stage performance,its time DJ Roundhead to hit the decks and start rocking the crowd. Unlike previous years, this time around, the DJ was given their own slot instead of playing in between the groups.  As usual, the crowd started off quite slow and by the time I was about to leave the event grounds, the Pavilion was basically packed with people.

Day 2 started with off with press conference in the morning and after that we were free to do anything we want until the event starts. The Sarawak Bloggers Team decided to chill at Seahorse Marina 2 which was nearby the hotel grounds with other medias. Accompanied by a few drinks and some evergreen hits, we got to talk about the current issues and gossips until we didn't realize it was almost the start of the event.

Similar to Day 1, the evening kicked off with the performance by Riam Road Secondary School band, during their performance, I basically caught myself nodding and swaying left to right to their music. Accompanying that brass band was a majestic sunset over the horizon.

Back to the main course, the minute the sun was no longer visible, a group of men in their brightly colour outfit and head gear took over the main stage. It was the YK Samarinda from Indonesia! The minute he plays the "sape", im deeply mesmerized by the sound of it. But the highlight of the this group was the drummer and his solos paired up with some bass slappin by the bassis. what a way to start the evening eh?

Next up was Iriao from Georgia. Armed with their folk Georgian instruments, and amazingly powerful vocals, they rocked the crowd. Whoever said that traditional music is boring, you should come to events like this and after that, let me know how was your experience :P

When this group started performing, I was inside The Pavilion with fellow bloggers and I didn't pay much attention on what's going on stage. As I was slowly loosing focus on what my friend was saying and paying more and more attention to the sound coming from the stage, I told my friend to stop talking and said "listen to this guy. He sounds exactly like Michael Buble". That was the time I realized it was Anthony Strong from United Kingdom. I rushed out, got into the press-pit and started taking photos. If you were there, you would agree that he sound like Michael Buble. Anthony Strong has this very calm soothing voice. After his performance, its you can see the crowd starts to rush back stage and the artist booth to meet up with him up close. 

Last one up for day 2 was the Brassballet. U know what they say, save the best for the last. The name of the band says everything about them Yes, dancing and playing instruments at the same time. This band was one of the group I was looking forward to see as I myself, plays the guitar and when I'm playing, there's no way I can move around as much as these group did. Even a tiny dance could mess up my chords (pretty noob eh?). This group pretty much used up the entire space on the stage with their "Micheal Jackson" moves. As the night comes to an end, all the performers was invited to go up on stage one last time and Jezza did the closing of the Borneo Jazz 2014.

But wait?! It didn't end up just like that. As part of the new changes STB made, apart from the DJ slots for both night, there's a jamming session with the bands at Ruai Lounge so you can choose between partying hard at The Pavilion or just sit back, relax and enjoy good music with the bands at Ruai lounge I didn't stayed up long as I was pretty much tired after being at the event ground since morning. 

Before I end this post, I would like to make some "my point of view" comments on the event it self. In terms of crowd, the crowd was better then last year, the moment the event started, you can see the crowds starts to head to the stage and rocking it out. Sound system was very impressive but i still like the idea of the Live Feed cameras with booms by the stage as they have wider coverage. I was very disappointed with the lighting though. I couldn't take much pictures as the stage lighting, especially the blue,green and red is always on and it kinda spoils the picture..Especially the blue lighting. Most of the pictures, came out the performers looking like a character from the movie Avatar. Other then that, I can say this event was a really good one.. I would like to this opportunity to Sarawak Tourism Board, Sarawak Bloggers and the sponsors for making this event a successful one. I'm already looking forward for the next event, which is the Asia Music Festival.

More pictures are available in my Photo Album (Day 1 and Day 2) or you can drop by at my fellow bloggers that covered this event as well. Listed down are their blog links.

Pei Pei's Blog
LadyBird's Blog
Angelina's Blog
Abang Joe's Blog
Fabian's Blog