Welcome back readers! Its been a very long while isn't it? My apologies as I've been quite pack lately. As some of you might know, I've started with my studies with Open University earlier this year and balancing work, my lifestyle,assignments and studies at the same time is not an easy task. Due to that also, my home based garage is closed as I can no longer commit to it. 

Alright, back to the main topic! last week, on the 27th April 2017, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Pullman Miri Waterfront under Sarawak Bloggers to attend a masterclass with Chef Desmond Chia together with a few bloggers and members of the press at Pullman Private Kitchen area.

When I first arrived at Pullman Miri Waterfront that day, I didn't know what to expect. I was thinking is this like the TV shows I usually watched? Gordon Ramsey Pullman Edition? I have no clue what was about to happen. But thank goodness not long after that, some familiar faces arrived at the hotel lobby. None other than my fellow bloggers, LadyBird, Pei Pei, Judith and Elena. Not long after that, the man behind all this invitation, Abang Joe photobombed us.

We then proceed to the private kitchen are, where we were given a media kit, a hat and a apron. Chef Gabriel did a brief introduction about what was about to happen before Chef Desmond took over. Not too long after that, all the participants started to gather around the kitchen island and soon after that we started our session with the making of Xiao Loong Bao. 

p/s: i think almost all the photo used does not belong to me as i was busy making some food.. :D

After all that fun dim sum making session, we were asked to sit down while waiting for our Xiao Loong Bao to be steamed cooked and of course after that is the eating session.  Our dumpling might not look as good but it was definitely delicious and juicy.

The second lesson was on how to make hand pulled noodles. I had the honor to be asked to "pull and stretched " the noodle and i kid you not, it was hard work. Chef Desmond demonstrated on how to stretched the noodle and when i did mine, instead of bouncing up and down, mine went in circles.

According to Chef Desmond, its best to use a marble top table during the making of the noodle as the marble top table helps maintaining the ideal temperature for the noodle and it is also important to use alkaline water during the making of the dough.

Hand Pulled Noodles
Hong Kong Flour - 600gm
Ice Water - 300gm
Salt - 5gm
Alkaline Water - 50gm

Xiao Loong Bao Skin
High Protein flour - 600gm
Low Protein flour - 600gm
Ice Water - 600gm

Chicken Stock Jelly
Chicken Stock - 600gm
Agar Agar Powder - 10gm
Salt - 11gm
Chicken Seasoning - 16gm
Sugar - 12gm

Filling
Chicken meat - 600gm
Salt - 7gm
Chicken Seasoning - 11gm
Sugar - 16gm
Potato Starch - 11gm
Ginger - 10gm
Spring Onion - 10gm
Chicken Stock Jelly - 600gm

Seems like a lot of fun yah? If you are intrested to join any of the masterclass, Chef Desmond will be in Pullman Miri Waterfront for about a month. Gather your friends, give Pullman Miri Waterfront a call at  +6085323888 to secure a spot. Price will range from Rm80++/pax.

Do checkout what my fellow bloggers have to say and their experience during the masterclass

http://www.awomandiary.com/

https://elenaaradia.wordpress.com/

http://peipei87.blogspot.my/

Kuala Lumpur, 13 July 2016 – TGV Cinemas, one of Malaysia leading exhibitors and multiplex cinema operators, is offering ONE lucky MovieClub member once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the official 50th Anniversary of Star Trek Convention which will be held in Las Vegas, USA from 3-7 August 2016.
 
“The convention is the ultimate destination for every Star Trek fan. It is their chance to meet more than 100 Star Trek guest celebrities, ranging from the classic original series right up to the current ones in the rebooted Star Trek films. They also stand a chance to explore everything about Star Trek’s set designs, enjoy exclusive convention only freebies, get autographs from their favorite celebrities and most importantly, joining the rest of the fans and have fun. We have learned that tickets for the convention has fully sold out! We are immensely happy to secure one ticket exclusively for our MovieClub member,” said Celeste Koay, Head of Marketing Services of TGV Cinemas.
 
To embark on this exciting “away mission”, moviegoers must be a TGV Cinemas Movie Club member, purchase advanced tickets of the “Star Trek Beyond” movie between 14th -20th July 2016, submit their entry through the website: www.tgv.com.my and answer only one simple question.
 
The followings are the “exclusive Starfleet access” enjoyed by the winner throughout the five days:

• Complimentary return flight and accommodation for 6 nights 7 days in Las Vegas.
• A reserved seat in Main Theatre, a state-of-the-art auditorium with a fixed theatrical stage, which is the venue for major guest appearances.
• Admission into the Secondary Program Theatre, to explore the science & wonder of Star Trek.
• Special color-coded wristbands and collector’s lanyard for use throughout the convention.
• Complimentary Star Trek collectors’ lanyard credentials
• Admission to the vendor’s room to purchase exclusive Star Trek limited edition collectables & souvenirs, only available at the venue.
• Complimentary admission to the famed Saturday Night Gala Celebration, where the highlight is an orchestra performing classic & memorable music & tunes from Star Trek
• Admission to “The Promenade” and “Quark’s Bar” with complimentary craft giveaways.
• Admission to “Star Trek” signer’s area with many famed celebrities in attendance.

 
“The trip is an opportunity for us to reward and create a memorable experience for our Movie Club members for their continuous support and choosing us as their most preferred cinema,” added Koay.
 
To sign up to TGV Cinemas Movie Club or find out more about the contests, please visit www.tgv.com.my.
 
“The trip is just a few of the many surprises lined up for Movie Club members this year. So stay tuned to TGV Cinemas and sign-up to our TGV Cinemas Movie Club today if you’re not a member yet” added Koay. 
​

​About TGV Cinemas Sdn Bhd
 
TGV Cinemas Sdn Bhd (TGV Cinemas) is one of Malaysia’s biggest operators and owners of premier multiplexes. Located in major shopping centers in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Penang, Johor, Terengganu and now in Sarawak, TGV Cinemas has 32 multiplexes with 251 screens and some 42, 828 seats in its fold. TGV Cinemas commit to providing the best cinematic experience to moviegoers out there. One of the ways to enhance the cinema going experience is through its exclusive partnership with IMAX Corporation. Currently, there are four Maybank-IMAX theatres in Malaysia, namely in TGV Gurney Paragon, TGV Tebrau, TGV 1 Utama and TGV Sunway Pyramid. In addition, TGV Cinemas also introduced innovative concept dining experience like Chill*X and halls like Beanie and INDULGE, which is their luxury cinema in TGV Cinemas 1 Utama.
 
More information about the company can be found at www.tgv.com.my. You may also connect with TGV Cinemas on Facebook (www.facebook.com/tgvcinemas), Twitter (www.twitter.com/tgvcinemas) or LINE (@TGV Cinemas).
 
About TGV Cinemas MovieClub
TGV Cinemas’ MovieClub members get 2 complimentary movie passes and 1 regular popcorn combo upon enrolment to the programme and on birthday month, earn MovieMoney for every single transaction within TGV Cinemas and use for movie tickets or candy bar. Members also get exclusive discounts and invitations to movie premieres and events.

​After another good outing this year, Miri Country Music Fest is heading towards being bigger next year. The festival will be held for two days next year and this is to accommodate the request from festival goers.

​Since introducing the festival in 2014, Planet Conventions and Events Sdn Bhd had been organizing the event for one day. However, as the festival entered into it’s forth year, Miri Country Music Fest will be held for two days from February 25 to 26 next year.
 
The decision was because of the overwhelming response this year. The festival which was held on February 27 this year recorded a total of 2,740 festival goers, an increased of 30 per cent as compared to last year.  Last year’s crowd was at 2,100. Next year Planet Conventions and Events is targeting to attract more than 3,500 festival goers to the event.

​The venue will remain at Parkcity Everly Hotel Miri, which is also the official hotel and the main sponsor for the event.
 
To cater for the two days and increasing festival goers number, the organizer will also be bringing in more international bands to entertain the crowd. Among those already short listed include from USA, Australia, Germany, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. There will also be more local Malaysian bands taking the centre stage as well.
 
The festival concept also remain as in previous years, starting with the festival bazaar and followed with music workshop before the concert begin in the evening. On Sunday, the concert will begin earlier so that the finale can end earlier as well. This is in consideration for the festival goers who have to work the next day.

​Planet Conventions and Events is also planning to include more activities in the program to further enhance the festival goers’ experience at the event. This will include more stalls offering wide variety of food and beverages, arts and crafts, apparels and souvenirs and to organize competitions like burger eating contest, arm wrestling and many more.
 
There is also plan to hold a Sunday-cook-out session on the second day of the festival, to encourage more visitors especially those with young children to spend the afternoon at the festival.
 
Next year’s event will have something for everyone, be they country music fans or anyone wanting to chill out with family and friends.

Tickets to the festival are now available online at www.miricountrymusic.com and tickets are priced at RM80 for one day and RM150 for two days for adult. For children between three to 12 years old, their ticket is priced at RM40 for one day and RM70 for two days. All the tickets include one drink.
 
At the moment Planet Conventions and Events is offering the Big Bang Sale and the tickets are priced at RM55 per day and RM100 for two days for adult and RM35 and RM60 respectively for a child. The Big Bang Sale will last until September 30. After that date the ticket will be on sale at normal price.
 
The forth edition of Miri Country Music Fest is endorsed by Miri City Council and supported by Sarawak Tourism Board, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts Sarawak and Malaysia Conventiona and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). Rentak Sejuta is the online media partner.
 
For more detail on the festival, either logon to www.miricountrymusic.com, email to [email protected] or call +6 082 250400.

Great news from TGV Cinemas MovieClub!

 

TGV Cinemas, one of Malaysia’s leading exhibitor and multiplex cinema operators is celebrating the first anniversary of theTGV Cinemas MovieClub.

Since the launch, TGV Cinemas MovieClub , members from all walks of life who have enjoyed a variety of rewards such as exclusive offers, invitations to movie premieres, MovieMoney and members-only advance ticketing privileges.

 As part of the celebration, TGV Cinemas MovieClub have dedicated a commemorative montage of its member’s best moments as a gesture to thank them for their continuous support.

Members who have shared their pictures can view the video at http://tgv.com.my/promotions/promos/tgv-movieclub-anniversary-celebration


In addition to that, existing members will enjoy a variety of offers which includes the following:

·         Soft Drink at RM1 valid till 30 September 2015

·         Screening passes up for grabs from 17-30 September 2015!

·         Surprise giveaways for members on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays valid till 30 September 2015

·         Buy 1 Free 1 from Juice Works valid till 30 November 2015


As for new members, who sign-up during the anniversary month, will not only receive Welcome (two complimentary movie tickets and regular popcorn set) and Birthday Freebies (two complimentary movie tickets and regular popcorn set) but they will also receive an additional one movie pass from 17 September to 30 September 2015.

AUGUST AWESOME OFFERS

Inside Out tumbler and new popcorn flavours awaits you in TGV Cinemas

This month, TGV Cinemas is introducing a new combo set in conjunction with Disney / Pixar’s Inside Out. For only RM22.90, movie lovers can purchase a regular popcorn set and get an exclusive Inside Out tumbler. But what makes this tumbler so unique is that it’s lenticular, which means as you tilt the cup, you will get a different image! Available in all TGV Cinemas location nationwide from August 20, 2015.

But that’s not all… No movie session in TGV Cinemas would be complete without our new popcorn flavours! – Magic Masala and Aloha Coconut. 

Great news Marvel’s Fant4stic fans! TGV Cinemas has revealed an exclusive Fant4stic TGV Cinemas MovieClub Card. A must-have for card collectors, the MovieClub cards features the four key characters in the movie. Current MovieClub members can replace their current card for only RM5 whilst new members joining, will automatically get the card!

Wait… there’s more!

You can also enjoy the upcoming Marvel action movie with the latest limited edition Fant4stic 32oz tumbler! Priced at only RM22.90, customers will receive a regular popcorn and a soft drink (of your choice) in the exclusive tumbler. 

Fant4stic is a reboot of Marvel's original and longest-running superhero team which centres on the lives of four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in drastic ways. Their lives are irrevocably upended and the team must learn to work together and harness their overwhelming new abilities to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy. The film stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey and Tim Blake Nelson.

Movie opens in TGV Cinemas nationwide on August 8.

The Fant4stic TGV Cinemas MovieClub card and Tumbler Combo is available in all TGV Cinemas locations.

Hurry, while stocks last!

For more information or to get your tickets, visit www.tgv.com.my or follow TGV Cinemas on Facebook, Twitter, Instragram and LINE. 

So movie goers? what are you waiting for? Get yours today!

GALICIA, Spain - The Bidayuh traditional music band from Sarawak, Madeeh has been hand-picked to represent Malaysia at the 20th anniversary of WOMEX, the largest world music expo. The expo, taking place in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain from Wednesday, 22 – Sunday, 26 October, is represented by Sarawak Tourism Board under Malaysia Major Event stand by Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).

The Madeeh ensemble who plays Bidayuh roots music from the upper Padawan region of Sarawak, performed on a daycase Stage at the Cidade da Cultura within the exposition area. Picked as the first band to perform on the daycase stage which only opens to WOMEX delegates, Madeeh has attracted attention from many music industry professionals from around the world. Sharing the same stage with Madeeh is Paolo Angeli from Italy/Spain who performed on the same day.

 On stage, Madeeh presenting their musical instruments which are part of a centuries-old tradition of music and dance, developed in the communal life of the longhouses. The instruments are the pratuokng, a zither made from a bamboo tube, sritakng xylophone and the gaduok hand-drum. ‘Madeeh’ means cousins, relatives, brotherhood or sisterhood and the ensemble members are all related and came from the same longhouse. They are led by Arthur Borman ‘Bai Kis’ Kanying, an expert on the history of the Bidayuh people and on searching out the best bamboo for making the traditional instruments.

WOMEX 2014 is the annual international world music expo that brings together the business of world music from across all borders to interact on a global platform. Comprising of 60 acts with more than 300 artists from 25 different countries is truly a music expo like no other.

This year for the first time ever, not just one but two Malaysian artists have been hand-selected to play at WOMEX. Apart from Madeeh, the traditional Kelantaneese band ‘Geng Wak Long’ who displayed the beautiful culture and heritage of Kelantan will also be performing. Both bands have performed at the Borneo World Music Expo in Sarawak, the same platform and the music market of its kind similar to WOMEX, but held in Asia. The selection process at WOMEX is conducted each year by a jury of esteemed members from the global music community, with the utmost stringency, to put together the programme for every World Music Expo.

 According to Ben Mandelson, Founding Director of WOMEX, having the performance presence of Madeeh and Geng Wak Long this year at WOMEX reinforces the presence of Malaysian arts professionals at WOMEX over the years. “WOMEX was created with the intention of bringing the people from the world music industry together. It is one of the biggest and best places to discover music and connect with people on a global scale and I think that Malaysia has been a great addition to our expo” he added.

 Showcasing at the Malaysian stand are the renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) and Borneo Jazz promoted by Sarawak Tourism Board. For STB, the World Music Expo is one of the important platforms for band selection for next year’s festival. There are 600 exhibiting companies from 40 countries presenting their music product within 245 stands at the trade fair.

At the Malaysian stand, Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager of Malaysia Major Events says “I see world music as a medium that transcends language and culture. Malaysia offers a unique perspective in that aspect as we celebrate all races and traditions in truly spectacular environments”. According to Tony, Malaysia is a world class location for people and what Malaysia Major Events is doing at WOMEX this year is to create the opportunity for festival organisers and world music musicians to collaborate and showcase Malaysia on an international stage.

2015 will be the ‘Malaysia Year of Festivals’, the year which promises an array of events to celebrate diverse festivals unique to the country. The internationally renowned Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak has been acclaimed as one of the ‘Top 25 World Music Festivals’ for the last 5 years by Songlines, a renowned world music magazine. The festival attracts nearly 25, 000 visitors for a fusion of traditional roots to world beat. At WOMEX this year, Sarawak also proudly presents the well-recognized Borneo Jazz held in Miri, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. The 2 days event features Jazz musicians from across the globe.

The Malaysian delegation to WOMEX is led by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MoTAC). Presented at the booth are the Sarawak Tourism Board, Penang Tourism, JL Productions as well as Madeeh and Geng Wak Long. 

Were you there at the 2nd edition of Asia Music Festival? No? You have no idea what you've missed people! This was my 2nd time covering this event and here I am, sharing with you,my dear readers, my experience.

Before the actual event starts, strolled along the EastWood Valley Musical Corridor and watching the visitors getting their tattos. I was so tempted to get a tattoo but I've told myself, wait till I gain more weight and if i were to do a tattoo, it would have a meaning to me. Something that really impacted my life and it would be there as a constant reminder. (Checkout the slide show above. *pictures taken on day 1 and 2).

The evening started off with DrumCall. A group of percussionist mostly based in Kuching,Sarawak beating the beat out of their instruments. It was a slow start at first but not long after that, you can see visitors starts storming the front stage and dancing little by little following the rhythm of the drums. 

In between the band performances, the crowd was entertained by one of the best DJ's in the industry, with at least 20 years of experience, once crowned as the Malaysian DJ Champion for 3 years in a row, DJ RoundHead. From Old Skool Hip Hip to the latest hits on the decks. That kept the crowd grovin'.He even did some frestylin'. As seen on the picture above, Dj RoundHead taking the crowd to a whole new level of frestylin' emcee.

Second up on stage was Pisco from Taiwan. How did they got their name? PIano + Disco = Pisco.. What I love about this band? The the lead guitarist and bassist was a girl! The bassist, probably the cutest bassist I've ever seen,with her bob cut hair style, small sized girl-next-door look can really slap that bass. Who would have known that this Apple App Editor by day, a turn into a badas* chick at night. Not to miss the lead guitarist, if you've seen through the slide show I've made, is purely rocker chick but still cute at the same time.

The third band that was performing that night was Masia One from Singapore. The first band that played reggae which got the crowd really grovin'. I mean, how can you not move to Reggae? Honestly, based on her autobiography, I was expecting her to perform more Hip Hop based genre but I had fun listening to her as well. It shows that Masia One has really developed into a multi-genre artist.

This band was one of the bands that I looked forward see performing on the first night. Pancake80 from the Philippines and they didn't disappoint me. The vocalist was very versatile with her notes and they played my all time favorite song which was Cryin' by BonJovi. The lead vocalist plays the harmonica and guess what? Their guitarist looks like Jacoby Shaddix (PapaRoach vocalist) too. :D. 

This was the last band that was performing night. A band that was no longer a stranger in our local music scene. SalamMusik from Kuala Lumpur.

Misaluvi and Motion Family was the opening act for Day 2. Although this group doesn't sing or play any musical instrument, the energy they brought with them was definitely there. Not much I can say about this group as we, the Sarawak Bloggers was busy taking our group picture during the performance. Sorrrrrryyy.....

Next up was SoulMate all the way from India. Being the 2nd performer up for the night, bringing blues rock genre was really soothing after the energetic performance by Misaluvi & Motion Family. Tipriti, the female vocalist/guitarist is considered one of the finest female singers to have emerged from the North East India, paired with Wallang, who is considered one of the respected blues guitarist of India, you know they're gonna make your heart skips a beat with their performance. I personally fell in love with Tipriti's soulful voice. They really know their music well.

This one here, is a proof that music knows no language. Retrospect from Thailand.Although they sang mostly/if not all, in Thai language, it didn't stop the crowd from jumping around rocking to their music. I have to say that this band, was the cherry on top of the cake.

MAD August!! I love this band! Somehow they remind me a lot of one particular Hong Kong Band, Beyond. MAD August stands for Make A Difference and August was included in the band's name because the band was formed in August. They performed a few of their singles and did a cover of Nirvana's Song, Smells Like Teen Spirit.. Two of the band members got tattoo-ed earlier that day at the tattoo expo too.

The last band to perform that night was Ras Muhamad representing Indonesia. Known as the Indonesian Reggae Ambassador, Ras didnt disappoint the crowd that night. From the start of his performance till the end, you can see the dance floor was packed. Towards the end of the performance, they did an impromptu performance with Masia One and Salamusik. 

Need I say more? Let the pictures speak for themselves. 

Well, that was one of the best events I've attended so far.  Before I end this post, I would like to thank Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for the opportunity, the performers, my fellow Sarawak Bloggers, members of media from all over the world, and the volunteers who made this all possible. I kid you knot, I'm already looking forward to the next event by them.

If you wish to read more on the event coverage, below are the links of my fellow bloggers who covered the event as well.

Abang Joe
Elena Aradia
Miss Alvy
Cik Reyyana
Fabian
Pei Pei
LadyBird Eileen


Pictures?
You can find them Here
Or  if you want to see the pictures taken by the official photographer, Andy Kho, below are the links.
*Note : Please take note that all pictures, be it taken by me or anybody else, if you wish to use them, please give credits to the owner of the pictures.

Asia Music Festival Day 1 By Andy Kho
Asia MUsic Festival Day 2 By Andy Kho

MIRI – Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, the venue of Asia Music Festival will offer free shuttle bus service to the event venue on both festival days Friday 3rd October and Saturday 4th October.

 

Shuttle bus service operated by the Eastwood Valley will be made available free to shuttle festival attendees to Asia Music Festival or just to reach their golf club and hotel property located at Jalan Miri by-Pass. According to Rebecca Wong, Eastwood Valley’s Director of Marketing, shuttle bus will leave Eastwood Valley every hour from 5:00pm until 9:00pm. This bus will drop off and pick up at the Boulevard Shopping Complex (entrance next to KFC), Imperial Shopping Mall (lobby entrance of the hotel) and Bintang Mega Mall (mall main entrance, near Coffee Bean).

 

The first schedule that runs from Eastwood Valley at 5:00pm will first reach Boulevard Shopping Complex approximately around 5:15pm, then Imperial Shopping Mall around 5:30pm and Bintang Mega Mall around 5:45pm. The shuttle bus will then return to Eastwood Valley and will continue its service for 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8:00pm and 9:00pm before returning to Eastwood Valley at around 10:00pm.

 

The major purpose of this service is to provide easy access to festival goers to attend the 2 day festival and at the same time to ease traffic congestion at the venue. 

 

The festival organizer, Sarawak Tourism Board who is promoting “greening the festival” program is also encouraging festival goers to use this free shuttle service to reach the venue while reducing the carbon foot print. “Festival goers are encouraged to help and put into practice the greening effort as their small but worthy contribution to save the environment” says Dato’ Rashid Khan, CEO, Sarawak Tourism Board.

 

At the inaugural event last year, the event drew more than 3,000 people over the 2 days of the festival. The 2nd edition of Asia Music Festival this weekend will feature artists from Asian countries namely from India, Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

 

The festival will also add a DJ gig into this year’s program by featuring  Malaysian famous DJ Roundhead who will be playing an array of famous dance music at the post-festival late show on both nights which will last until 2:00am. Festival gates open at 5:00pm both Friday and Saturday.

 

Other than music, the festival will also incorporate a range of Asian food namely from Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, India, Malaysia and more. The Festival will continue to feature a tattoo exhibition which has attracted more tattoo experts this year from Indonesia and Philippines. 

 

Entry tickets to Asia Music Festival is currently on pre-sale offer at only RM25 for adults and RM10 for children/student (aged 3-18). Visit the website www.asiamusicfestival.net to purchase online. Tickets also available at Visitors Information Centre in Miri (+6 085-434180), Kuching (+6 082-423600) and Sibu (+6 084-340980). Door-sale tickets are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students.