"Live" From Carcosa

So on Monday, we did a special broadcast of MHI from the historic and prestigious Carcosa Seri Negara. And it was my first time there actually, seeing how I never took up any of the invitations to attend PCs etc there as a member of the press.
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Of course doing the show on location meant having to get up slightly earlier than usual; in this case, 4.30am!
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We also had five special guests for the day – Datuk Yusni Hamid, Francesca Peter, Salamaiah Hassan, Tengku Zaini, and Malaysia’s own Tom Jones – who shared with us and the audience their experience singing at private and prestigious functions.
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Overall, it was a really “meriah” MHI we had. I just wish I had more time to gobble down the delicious scones…
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Shoebox Of Hope

Earlier this month, gua.com.my kicked off the "Shoebox of Hope" campaign which called upon people to donate a shoebox filled with gifts for those in need. In this case, it's for the children of Rumah Nur Salam, a community home under the Malaysian Aids Council.

And this past Thursday, we handed over the boxes to the children. More than 100 boxes were collected and I wanna say thanks to everyone who donated. :)

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The kids were absolutely lovely. Only wished everyone could see the look on their faces as we handed them the boxes one by one.

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If you do have the time, please google Rumah Nur Salam and find out how else you can help them. Thanks again.

Return To Queensland

Ah, what a wonderful 7 days we had last week in Queensland, Australia. Stayed in Gold Coast most of the time, but also made a day trip to Brisbane.

You've seen my pics in these places before, but here are a few more of the breathtaking views I managed to snap. And really, Australia is the place to go to get inspired or just to rest and relax...

Hot Topic 21/4 : Planes, Trains & Volcanic Ash

So, I'm sure you've heard about the chaos in Europe over the grounding of airplanes due to volcanic ash coming from Iceland. It became a major issue a few days back when most airports in the region had to be shutdown, espcially in the UK.

I was in Gold Coast when it happened and the news dominated the local media; not a big surprise, what with hundreds or thousands of their people stranded abroad with no way to get home.

But it was a different story when I got home on Monday. Local TV didn't have any real updates, the social media space wasn't really buzzing about it, and the papers; well, they're more interested in politics, politics and more politics.

And the thing is, we have Malaysians stranded abroad as well... And some of them happen to be my own colleagues. And from what I've heard, some of them have actually run out of funds and don't really know what to do.

So what have our relevant authorities done to lend these people a helping hand lah? Sure, they're not on government duties, but they're Malaysians, aren't they? So far, I haven't heard about them being offered accommodation or even food. Why lah? Come on, be more proactive; look for these people in need of help and do whatever you can.

Those who've experienced the pain of a cancelled flight would know how it feels to be living in an airport, even for a day. So, to whom it may concern, have a heart and do the right thing. Now.

Hello, Seoul!

So I was fortunate enough to be sent to Seoul, Korea on official duty recently. And it was quite a cool experience. Literally!

It was supposed to be Spring, but temperature was 0 degrees for most parts. Ain’t complaining though since you know how hot as hell this part of the world has been these past few months.

The trees were still barren though and the monochromatic feel of the city was something unique I thought.



Since I reached the hotel rather early, having taken the red-eye out of KL, I took the same cab which I hired from the airport to go around the city for a bit.

And my first stop was the Olympic Park! (but of course)

Yes, apart from driving me around, my cab driver was kind enough to snap my pictures for me! And for the 3-hour trip, I only had to fork out around 60k won = RM180. OK lah...

Oddly enough tho, the main Olympic Stadium was located elsewhere. But yeah, I made it a point to travel all the way there for more snaps...
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We couldn't get in tho, so this was taken thru the gates... hehe

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Then it was time to hit downtown Seoul. And the first stop was the shopping district of Dongdaemun... Wasn't given much time tho, so couldn't really pick up anything worthwhile.

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But Insadong proved to be more fruitful. It's a favourite with Japanese tourists especially and is definitely THE place to go to pick up Korean arts and crafts and souveniers...

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I stayed at the W Hotel on Walkerhill and it's absolutely fantastic. A boutique establishment, everything was simply tip top and modern and stuff...

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...Oh yeah, I did mention that the trip was for work right? So here's the proof :)
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Also tried out the subway for transportation and while I'm usually good at these things, I actually wound up at the wrong station and had to go back 19 STOPS to get to Itaewon, the touristy enclave in downtown Seoul.

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Overall, a nice trip with some pretty neat highlights. Just wished I didn't have to eat apples every single day...