♦ The All American Rejects LIVE in Malaysia | Bukit Jalil

Hey heyyy I know you guys have been waiting for this... and a promise is a promise come whatever. I'll try not to let anything affect me after the bereavement of my beloved grandfather so I guess Imma just put this up right now.

So here goesss!

It was an early start of the day on Saturday, when American punk-rock outfit 'The All American Rejects' came down to Malaysia some nights before. Jet-lagged as they were expected to be, I was surprised they were just their quirky self, all the same... Showing no signs of lethargy.

Bumped into the Sony Manager too!
:) great to see ya again

We were served lunch before the press conference and ohmy, what caught my eyes were the bread & butter pudding and the scallop & asparagus mini pie-looking things!

When the 4 lads walked into the room, they were swarmed with flashes of DSLRs and other cameras alike. Yours truly, were one of them!

Hey if I don't mobb them you wouldn't be able to relish these photos right :)

While Tyson did most of the talking, he emphasized that The All American Rejects will never let their fans down by cancelling a concert just like that.

He shared with us why their concert which was initially scheduled on the 10th Oct 09 got postponed to today. I think if you knew, ya wouldn't be that upset.

They were even sharing the microphone
Look how close they are!

Tyson had a reeeelllyyy bad injury! The docs sed that his whole leg had to be amputated should he persue the earlier tour. Now we wouldn't want that to happen to the frontliner of AAR, would we?

Digi Music Live then presented AAR an impressively framed gold framed gift and also a life-sized get well card for Tyson. So thoughtful of the organizers, no? :)

Crystal and I then proceeded to the round table session where we got to interview Nick and Tyson. Guess what's the 1st thing I asked him?

HIS TATTOOS OF COURSE
- being the body art fan that I am :)

He told us that he has 7 of them and each of it has a meaning. If I remember correctly, this was what he shared:

1. Lip tattoo which says 'MUM'
2. Back arm tattoo : a symbol to protect him against dangerous women O_O"
3. Shoulder tattoo : Electrical socket (to charge the band)
4. Chest tattoo : AAR band logo
5. Finger crease tattoo : a peace symbol
6. *Cant remember where* : heart shape (did it together with his drummer)
7. *ant remember where & can't remember what)

Fans lined up as early as evening!

Bryan and I then hungout in Dome cafe to kill time while waiting to head down to Bukit Jalil for the much anticipated DiGi Live Music - All American Rejects gig.

As usual, we had our top local bands kickstarting the event; such as Pop Shuvit, One Buck Short, Disagree and more. I liked the part where One Buck Short performed with singers from Bunkface and other bands because the former band's lead singer was hospitalized. Talk about uniting in the name of music!

FINALLY The All American Rejects hit the stage, after almost an hour of our waiting while watching a looping MTV on the big screen.

They sang songs off their previous album as well as all time chart topping tracks from their latest one 'When The World Comes Down'.

I remember headbanging really hard to some of my faves 'Swing Swing', 'It Ends Tonight', 'Dirty Lil Secret', 'Gives You Hell',

Nick was looked so suave on stage with both his acoustic and electric guitar. He's my fave member! Sorry, another Nick photo below because I fancy him like that. :)

Tyson was his usual quirky self and got really hyper putting on a Native American feathered headgear for Halloween. He mentioned that it is a norm for peeps from his origin, Oklahoma.

Dirty Lil Secret!

The boys made up pretty well to their fans with more showtime on stage. More than an hour of AAR's live performance!

Bumped into some friends who were enjoying themselves and jumping around as well!

We all had fun, I betcha! I'm sure we were really glad to catch yet another of our fave artists playing right infronta us for real!

GOOOOO AAR!

♦ Goodbye Grandpa, this is for you

Not many people in the world are worth my tears, but the gravity of your influence and wise words weighs more than no other man could.

Shot via blackberry

Here's a piece I wrote for you when you were battling it in the ICU:


"You taught me how to mop the floor
When I was a little girl of four
You made a cave for me out of blankets
And never failed to buy me little trinkets

You flew kites with me in the breeze
And told me bedtime stories whenever I please
You made sandcastles with me in our porch
I've always looked up to you as a guiding torch

You walked me to kindergarten every sunny day
And we both shared so much banter along the way
You were willing to give me the remote during a Liverpool match
The sacrifice for me to watch Disney - I didn't even have to snatch

You made History back in high school no longer an uphill task
Sharing with me Japanese invasion stories each time I ask
You spoke to me only in queen's English from which I took after
Buying me Enid Blytons' as I read and learn with laughter

You came all the way for my college graduation to my surprise
Time spent with you taught me how to be vary and wise
You tell the other relatives how proud you are of me
Your moments of pride was poignant for everyone to see

You told me not to worry and that you'll be fine
When I felt and held your hand close to mine
You feared for my safety as I drove back alone to see you
I wanted to be by your side and you never had a clue

You never once gave up neither did you complain
Nor share us any ounce of your misery and pain
You are now in the intensive care unit in deep sleep
Any idea at all how much you made me weep?

You can't make my tears stop streaming as much as I try
I'm now on my balcony looking up at the same dark sky
You are my living testimony with every stride
I marvel at the remarkable fighter you are deep inside


I love you grandpa... and I know you'll be alright.
Promise me that I'll see you when I come home soon."

And I did.

Here you are lying in your coffin beside me now, I've read this poem out to you while you lay peacefully inside.

I don't blame you at all for letting go, I know how much intense pain you endured and the struggles you braved whilst in hospital constantly hoping it will end soon.

And it did.

Kung kung, may you rest in peace and may the hands of our Lord touch you with every passing day and His angels surround you. Amen.

Shot via blackberry

Deep inside, I know I was always your favorite and I want you to know that a huge part of you will always be with me. But for now, please, I need to stop crying. It hurts so bad to lose you and the thought of how much I'm gonna miss you, frightens me.

Happier times. I miss you so much it's murderous.
T___T

♦ TM everyoneconnects launch | Sungei Wang, Bukit Bintang

Holla dear readers! You have been missed :)

Finally back from Sabah and with thanks to Mayflower Holidays and Discovery Travel Lodge, I had an amazing discovery retreat to Mother Nature and the wild! Haha well that explains why I wasn’t able to have any proper internet connection.

Anyhoos, just an itsy bitsy sneak peak, here I am atop Malaysia Airlines en route to Sabah, the Land Below the Wind in East Malaysia.

I spy the longest river in Sabah,
the Kinabatangan River!

More of my 3-day wild escapade soon! But for now, guess what’s happening next week? It’s TM’s event day where the mysterious everyoneconnects.net will be officially launched! Come this 21st November 2009, make your way to Sungei Wang main entrance, located at the ever happening Bukit Bintang.

The event will be happening all day from 8.30am – 8.30pm so do drop by! Our local young celebrities will be gracing the event as well, they are Shila, Modread, Tomok, Dafi, Mila, Akim and of course, the band behind the pop-punk ‘Through My Window’ – Bunkface! Bet you would already know 'em, I introduced them [here]

And that’s not all!

Three important figures in the music industry will be there as well. I wonder who it is ey? Well, I love all 3 of them. What a coincidence! Surprise surprise, find out who they are on the day itself :)

Lotsa things will be happening during the event. It'll be fun, you bet! And there will also be a very, I repeat, VERY SPONTANEOUS thing happening too!


So remember to get yourself there! See ya around fellas : )

And okay I promise the AAR post will be up next!
Lotsa piccies, ya wont be dissapointed
/pinky promise

♦ BRANDS Generasi Hebat Launch | Essence of Chicken

Funnily enough, I’ve always thought that the generation of this era is the ‘it’ generation of everything. Y Generation, as we are called, is the epicenter of the universe where everything is in live feed.

Call us whatever you like, but I’d like to think we’re the new and savvy generation. The ones who find it essential to broadcast our updates/info to the world, hence giving rise to the new social media like YouTube, Blogging, Facebook and Twitter. We make our own luck and stay a step ahead. Now, you no longer have to be old and balding to be a CEO… make way for the young & capable bosses of the corporate ladder!

Dontcha think so?

If it wasn’t for our being in this Generasi Hebat, (Bahasa Malaysia for ‘amazing generation’) we wouldn’t have also made so many friends all over the globe. The thrill of adventure is what keeps us going! We let nothing stand in our way.


Imma tell you that this amazing generation that I’m a part of is called Generasi Hebat and why it’s so hebat to be just like us! : )
Brands has identified 5 core traits about this generation

H.E.B.A.T
Handal (Ingenious)
Explorasi (Open Minded)
Boleh (Go Getter)
Aktif (Alert)
Tekun (Determined)

There ya go.. education goes a long way. Nice new Bahasa Malaysia words to learn for the day, courtesy of Brands!

Gone are the ways of snail mail (unless you wanna impress your granny) and smoke signals are now nothing but just a puff above our barbeque pits. Our method of communication is now through emailing, texting, IM-ing and 3G.

Why, of course I wanna be part of this generation!
The new is what we live for and we embrace it well.

I can always remember the times that mom makes it a point for me to drink my Brands Essence of Chicken when I stay up late to do revisions for PMR and SPM. It helps me to stay alert and stay awake especially while mugging for those exams!

We are ready for anything!

And guess what? Till now, I never fail to have a gulp of it when I’m staying up late when I’m swamped with piles of articles to write and photo after photo to cross-process. It means a lot to be born into this generation.

Give it another few more years, and I gather that iPods, earphones, headphones and those of such will now be biologically classified under the human anatomy. We never quit. We let nothing stand in our way. It just keeps growing, era after era! LOL. We are the reaction to every action caused.

Generasi Hebat is personified by 5 young hebat individuals who have been specially chosen to lead the campaign. The energetic Hafiz, multitalented Hou Ren, Akim & Aril from Akademi Fantasia 7 and Black, the winner of Mentor 3.

So Imma stay smart and savvy proudly in this Generasi Hebat. But hey, even if you ain’t in this generation, you can always have a gulp of Brands Chicken Essence too. Ohwell, health transcends at any age!

I attended their launch with Ringo and Jaclyn just the other day, and we watched these 5 youthful personalities as they made their public debut today with a specially created song entitled ‘Juara’

See smokin' hawt entrance summore!
It has to be HEBAT weii

Pretty cool how our kids will ask us if half-bitten apples and berries were named AFTER the Apple iMac or Blackberry smartphone. We seek answers when others question. That’s the Generasi Hebat for you! And speaking of being tech savvy,

Brands now has their own application on Facebook too –
[here!]

Oh and ya know what’s cool too? They had this bright lime green fashion accessory that came with our goodie bags. No, it’s not a shoelace neither is it a land yard – it can be ANYTHING! :) Hmm… I feel a little Bohemian today, shall we take it neon instead?

How will your amayyzeeeng minds tell you to wear it?

♦ Time for beer fellas! | Oktoberfest 2009 promotions

Oktoberfest is here again! What comes to mind when you think of Oktoberfest? Beer, of course! A celebration of joy involving some freshly brewed beer or a smooth draught.

I ain't much of a beer person, more to liquor - but should there be a stream of foamy and ice-cold beer cascading into a chilled mug in fronta me, count me in!

Courtesy of Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB), we had a little warm sharing session on this year's Oktoberfest and its general promotions all around town. Wanna know what they are? Imma tell you in a bit.

Can i haz more?

The outlet in which we sat snugly was Sanook, a Restaurant & Bar set in a very serene stretch of other thriving food outlets by the Kelana Jaya lake.They will be selling Tiger draught for RM36 per jug during Happy Hour and guess what, with purchase of 3 jugs you get one free plate of Calamari!


But hey, if ya think beer ain't enought to satiate your appetites, check out their other finger food too. There were also main courses, but it was already time for supper! So yeah, here's what we ordered

Showdown! Pepperoni Pizza
Did I hear a soft tummy growl? :P

Onion Rings!

Oktoberfest celebrations in Germany are also known as the largest public festival held yearly on Theresienwiesen in Munich, Germany, upon which gigantic tents are built accommodating some 6 million visitors each year.

Sautéed button mushrooms



Spicy sausages

As the years went by, not only did Oktoberfest become increasingly modernized as an occasion to get together with friends and family to enjoy the best beers brewed, it became a worldwide celebrated event.

Potatos in their jackets

From now till 15th November 2009, there are lotsa promotions that would make any drinker grin with joy! Time to throw a house partayyy with these Oktoberfest promotions from GAB :

FIRSTLY

At “Giant” hypermarkets, pick up a six-pack of Tiger Beer and get 30% off a six-pack of Anglia and at “Tesco” you will be able to purchase 2 six-packs of Tiger Beer for the special price of RM52.90.

SECONDLY

With purchase of any 2 big bottles of Tiger, Heineken, Guinness or Anchor Smooth, you will get RM2 off! Better still, you also have the flexibility to mix and match any 2 bottles between the 4 brews, so you can always pick your favourite.

THIRDLY

Participating F&B outlets in the Klang Valley will also be offering Happy Hour promotions like the one you’re enjoying today. Throughout the Oktoberfest season, enjoy special pricing of Tiger, Heineken, Guinness or Anchor draught beers, as well as irresistible snack combos.

Cheers for Oktoberfest parties ahead!

Oh and I felt 2 notches smarter after the sharing session! Did you know the difference between a regular can or bottle of beer and a draught beer from the keg? What about drafts and tapped beer? Or.. unpasturized beer? Lager beer? Which one is smoother?

NO GOOGLING!