Cooling off in the sea

NO holiday is complete without a boat trip, truly it would be a crime to visit Victoria State and miss out on experiencing some of Australia’s most amazing marine wildlife up close.

For sure, the best way to do this is aboard a Phillip Island seal watching cruise. We boarded the good ship Kasey Lee at Cowes Jetty in the late afternoon and quietly cruised out into the Bass Strait, the body of water that lies between Melbourne and Tasmania.

Seals fully camouflaged

The Kasey Lee is a good-sized, double hulled catamaran. The vessel, with capacity for 120 pax was under the helm of the experienced Captain John Dickie. The seal watching cruise that travels between Phillip Island and Mornington Peninsular is two hours long. Being one of the world’s deepest shipping channels, it wasn’t long before we got our first sighting of these amazing creatures and close to 5,000 of these charismatic, sleek mammals call this channel their home.

Seals under the sun

We saw hundreds of seals basking in the late afternoon sun on the appropriately named Seal Rocks, 2km off Phillip Island. This is the largest fur seal colony in Australia. They are such friendly looking creatures and not shy, judging by the way they swam out to greet us. Commentary on the boat kept everyone informed of the sights and on the historic coast as well as what creatures are to be found where in the surrounding sea and skies above.

A pod of dolphins accompanied our cruise briefly, thrilling all who were fortunate enough to catch a sighting, before they swiftly headed off
on their own underwater cruise. At certain points in the year, especially around May and June, whales can frequently be seen from these cruises as well. Myriad birdlife is also to be seen – I for one was thrilled to see an elusive Pacific Gull and a magnificent Sea Eagle.

As a gentle, family friendly excursion that combines nature, scenery and fresh air, Phillip Island’s Wildlife Coast Cruises are hard to beat.
See www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au for more information.

*Brought to you by Shyam Priah &  Tourism Victoria

Commercial Director of DSG, Foo Yoke Mun, with the new PetPet product

holding your newborn compares to no other. Love and comfort for
the baby is every mother’s priority.

The duties of motherhood become an expression of love and some of the most cherished memories of a woman’s life. However, the chores that come with caring for your baby can be relatively agonising and very tiring.

Long waking hours following middle-of-the-night-feedings, pacifying and lullaby singing are moments of magic, which can be extremely demanding, especially on new parents. Certainly, the last thing any mother would want to worry about is diapering. An essential to all new parents, Pet Pet® disposable baby diapers allows every mother to celebrate motherhood, embrace versatility and revel in the joy of diapering, empowering her to cherish every moment with her baby.

Pet Pet® disposable baby diapers effortlessly converts the diapering experience to an enjoyable mother-child bonding moment, with new features tailor-made specially for both mother and baby.

Pet Pet® now introduces its new Easy Tapes with Velcro coupled with multicolored taping guide, making it easy for moms to fasten and readjust the diaper for that perfect fit and ultimate comfort. Diapering is now much easier minus the incovenience of plastic tapes commonly found in most diapers.

Paired with improved superabsorbent ‘Magic Gel’ that retains 70% more liquid compared to the previous, it speedily locks away wetness to prevent backflow hence keeping baby’s bottom extra dry, making it easier for baby and mum. For newborn babies whose navel is still in the healing process, having the diaper rubbing against it could be very painful and may hinder the recovery process. In realising this Pet Pet has introduced ‘Navel Care’, a system that allows the unhealed navel to run its recovery course without irritating the baby. This feature is available for Pet Pet® New Born (NB) size.

The new and improved Pet Pet Disposable Baby Diapers also comes with soft waist band and standing side leak guards that provides a snug fit and helps prevent leakages at the waist and leg area. Pet Pet® disposable baby diapers are also made of 100% cloth-like breathable cover material that allows air to circulate making it easy on your baby’s skin and gives that extra dryness and comfort your baby needs without having to worry about stuffiness from prolonged usage of diapers. Pet Pet® disposable baby diapers are researched and designed with extreme care to meet both, the baby’s and the mother’s needs. Pet Pet® ensures mothers a peace of mind and their baby, a good night’s sleep.

In line with Pet Pet’s ®efforts in making motherhood a little easier, mother’s who deliver their newborn babies in a selection of private and government hospitals can look out for free Pet Pet® Newborn size disposable baby diapers which will be given away along with an information leaflet. In addition to that, Pet Pet ® aims to build more affinity with its consumers through various upcoming programmes, while looking for ways to continue making motherhood a little easier.

Impiana Group joins the league of international luxury boutique resorts in one of the world’s best holiday destination with its exclusive 4 Private Villas and 7 Suites, each with a private infinity pool and 24hr personal butler service.

Phuket sits in the Andaman Seas off the west coast of Southern Thailand about 890km from Bangkok. Located 90 minutes drive from Phuket International Airport, Impiana Private Villas Kata Noi is nestled amongst the most beautiful beach along the west coast. The intimate lobby – with its inviting leather sofas and beautifully crafted reception desk – will create an arrival experience akin to being welcomed into a grand home, instantly setting the tone for the guest’s stay.

“Impiana’s brand name is synonymous with exemplary service and standard. With this opening, we have further raised the bar in luxury where we remain much focused on providing outstanding guest experiences beyond their expectation”, said Francis Chung, Director Group Sales & Marketing of Impiana Group.

He further added “Our commitments have earned us the loyalty of guest from around the world and we look forward to applying the same brand experience to our discerning guest and travelers at our luxury boutique Private Villas”.
Every Impiana Private Villa and Suite is luxuriously designed and themed by our very own in-house interior design consultant. The interior is covered in plush details that are a mix of modern furnishing accentuated with the sophistication of the classics.

While the wood paneling and trims extends throughout the Villas and Suites, its upholstery evokes fine weave and neutral tones. Each Villa & Suite have full glass-fronted sea view living halls that open wide, flooding it with natural light and calm sea breeze. For storage, guests will find Italian inspired closets, fully fitted with walnut drawers, generous room for hanging items, and a built-in safe. Flat-screen televisions with major international channels, wired Internet and iPod docking stations afford guests the latest options in entertainment.

In-room refreshment includes a generous selection of mini-bars and private espresso machines. Bath is an unforgettable experience under the signature rain showers or designer deep-soaking tubs.

Impiana Private Villas also housed a contemporary designed fine dining restaurant, an impressive wine cellar and cigar bar that appeals to the most discerning guests and travelers.

“We are proud of being the only Private Villas in Kata Noi that has the most elegant interior designing concept which ensure that you have everything you need, and with all the privacy that you want. Our attentive, around-the-clock personal butler services are distinctive to Private Villas. Whether you enjoy being serenaded at sunset by our in house pianist or a relaxed after dinner chat in the classically inspired cigar bar, you can be sure of one thing, that at Impiana Private Villas it’s just you and the ocean” said Jeanette Kelly, Villa Manager.

Impiana Private Villas is where indulgence is an art and luxury is a philosophy.

About Impiana
Impiana Group is Asean’s leading luxury boutique and award winning 4-Star collection of hotels, resorts and spa. Today, the Group serves mid to top-tier travelers and is defining a new standard in the hospitality industry. Impiana Group promises the unique proposition of the finest luxury boutique resort, including superb architecture and interior design, privacy, individualized service and attention to detail – combined with the amenities and offerings of the world’s great luxury boutique hotels and resorts.

Over the years, the Group has achieved exponential growth in building, owning and managing its brand of hotels, resorts and spa collection focused on guest experience. It offers diverse leisure options from city hotels & spa to beach resorts & luxury boutique Private Villas that no other local hotel group in this region can match.

For more information on reservation, please contact an authorised agent or visit www.impiana.com

AXE, the No. 1 male deodorant brand in the world, is inviting all Casanovas and Femme Fatale to draw from their past seduction experiences to create and share their most original pick-up lines. Up for grabs are four iPads – worth RM 3,000 each! – to be won in addition to limited edition AXE Packs.

The AXE Wake n’ Win Contest, which kicked off on Friday, 16 July 2010, will run for four weeks. To enter, participants must first call the AXE Hotline at 010-225 3344 to set a wake-up alarm. Every day, ten callers will be shortlisted and invited to submit a pick-up line.

The caller with the best line each day will be in the running to win an iPad at the end of the week. Their pick-up lines will be posted on the AXE Malaysia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AXEmalaysia) and the Weekly Winner of the coveted iPad will be decided by public votes and AXE Malaysia.

Everyone wins with AXE, so the remaining six finalists each week will be given a limited edition AXE Pack, containing AXE deodorants and a booklet on dating and men’s grooming tips.

The AXE Wake n’ Win contest is open to all Malaysians and callers are eligible to win the four weekly iPad simply by calling in every day. Standard telco rates apply.

For more information on the AXE Wake n’ Win Contest and to view the terms and conditions, visit www.facebook.com/AXEmalaysia.

AXE is a brand for the confident male who knows what he wants and how to get it. It was first launched in Malaysia in June 2010, giving Malaysian men the confidence boost through scent to attract the opposite sex. The AXE deodorant range comes in five masculine fragrances: Click, Dark, Temptation, Pulse, Vice and Africa, now available in all major retail outlets.

Pop Shuvit donated a guitar to Hard Rock, represented by John Primmer, General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang continues to excite in-house guests, tourists and local Penangites with events and non-stop entertainment last Saturday, 24 July 2010. Two big events which are scheduled to be held here include the 4thPenang International Skimboarding Competition at the hotel’s beach front and a showcase by renowned local band, Pop Shuvit at Hard Rock Café Penang.

Organized by the Penang Skimboarding Association with the collaboration of the State Government and Penang Sports Council, Hard Rock Hotel Penang is the official venue partner for this all-day competition, from 9am till 6pm. In addition to the competition, spectators learned a more about this sport by participating in the skimboarding, paddleboard and windsurfing workshops.

“Hard Rock Hotel Penang is indeed thrilled to be part of this exhilarating sport. This sport has been gaining popularity in Malaysia and this year we see the participation of skimboarders from more than 6 different countries. It’s definitely an exciting beach sport and for Hard Rock, a young brand which promotes lifestyle and entertainment, it definitely suits our brand,” said John Primmer, General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

At the Hard Rock Cafe, local independent Rap-Rock band, Pop Shuvit performed a live showcase for a group of music lovers. Known for their adrenaline-packed live shows and eclectic blend of hip hop and rock, Pop Shuvit are being touted as Asia’s leading Hip Hop and rock band with a notable fanbase in Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

“Since we opened, Hard Rock Hotel has been the top venue for live showcases. Some of Malaysia’s top performers have performed live at Hard Rock Cafe including Faizal Tahir, Hujan, Zainal Abidin and more. We are proud to be part of the growth of the music scene in Malaysia,” said Primmer.

During this live showcase, Pop Shuvit also donated a signed guitar to Hard Rock Hotel Penang which adds to Hard Rock International’s collection of over 72,000 pieces of original memorabilia from rock stars around the world. Hard Rock Hotel Penang currently has 505 pieces of memorabilia adorning the hotel and cafe from well-known artists such as Guns N Roses, Madonna, Elvis Presley and local musicians like Zainal Abidin and Ella.

Skimboarding participants in action.

“That’s what Hard Rock is all about. As the leading entertainment hotel in Penang, we want to continue to bring more events and bands in the future. To know more about our on-going and upcoming events, do visit our Facebook page and official website. Our Facebook page has been one of our most powerful marketing tools to promote our events which currently has over 38,000 fans,” he adds.

Upcoming events at Hard Rock Hotel Penang include the National Air Guitar Finals on 8 August 2010, Summerbreak (a pool party featuring Miss Hard Rock Penang) on 21 August 2010, Pinktober (a month dedicated to the cause of breast cancer) in October 2010 and a Rock to Rock Charity Run in November 2010.

Colonial Tramcar restaurant, Melbourne

FRIENDS who had visited Melbourne had heartily recommended the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. So I was delighted when the opportunity to experience the wonderful city of Melbourne from this most peculiar yet most agreeable perspective presented itself.

It’s a brilliant idea, part Orient Express and part city tram, as it allows guests to dine in style while watching the metropolitan Melbourne glide by.
Obeying instructions, we were at the departure point, the corner of Normanby Road and Clarendon Street, 15 minutes before the tram was due to embark. And it did so right on time. Also, in keeping with the Orient Express type feel, I’m glad we dressed up. The dress-code is smart casual but going by what we saw, I’d say the emphasis was much more on smart than casual.

All aboard!

We had several dining options – a four-course lunch (1pm), a three-course early dinner (5.45pm) or a five-course late dinner (8.35pm); we went for the early dinner. Considering the chef had barely enough room to swing a shrew, the food was excellent.

After a glass of dry sparkling wine, some of our team members enjoyed starters of roasted red capsicum dip with crunchy bread while I really enjoyed my chicken and brandy pate. Since the restaurant is an old wooden tram carriage, space is at a premium but this somehow works in its favour. There’s a happy chatter, even a clamour that is energising and invigorating, …or perhaps it was just the bubbly. Onward through the entrees of a delicate ocean trout from Tasmania and artichoke soup with a street lamp-lit city peeling past.

Somehow the staff skilfully kept up with the many demands placed on them, not the least of which was keeping each diner’s glass topped up. With only four staff on board including the chef, I must truly raise my hat, or glass, to all four for they did a truly terrific job. It’s worth pointing out that, courtesy of the fourth member of staff, the tram meanders along ever so gently. The driver manoeuvres the restaurant with aplomb, there’s no lurching and no spilt wine.

Colonial Tramcar - Sweet interior.

Getting ready for a scrumptious dinner.

Our main courses arrived, a choice of chicken or beef but with all dietary requirements catered for; they looked great and tasted even better. Some interesting local cheese follows, continental style, and they are paired with a wonderful local red and then an unsurpassable sticky date pudding. There’s even a liqueur to conclude but too soon it’s time to disembark from the tram/restaurant.

It’s a glorious creation and wonderful way of spending an evening and of seeing Melbourne. See www.tramrestaurant.com.au for more information.

* This article is brought to you by Shyam Priah and Tourism Victoria

Members
Sooryun  Guitar
Hyunsong  Vocal, Guitar
Sunbin  Bass
Saron  Drum
Shaun  Keyboard, FX, DJing
http://www.myspace.com/thekoxx

History
SARON, Hyunsong and Sooryun were friends at art college. They usually played Jazz. At the end of 2008, they wanted to perform the kind of music they really liked .. They formed a band and debuted at a friend’s year-end party. And the reception was so amazing, they decided they would continue being a band.

They soon found a bassist, Sunbin, and started to make songs together. After several club gigs, they applied for a rookies contest at Grand Mint Festival and this led them to sign up with HAPPY ROBOT RECORDS which is a leading indie record label in Korea. Soon DJ Shaun joined the band and their 5-piece band was all set to go places.

Now they are among the hardest working bands in the Korean indie music scene.

Music
Although they are seasoned performers in every genre of music, they listen to and desire to play rock. They are influenced by Foals, MGMT, Justice and other English rock bands and performing on the stage is most important. Their music is based on rock and heavily influenced by UK garage and electro.

Discographjy
2010-06-15 The KOXX ?NTER (EP)
1. 531
2. ACDC
3. Over And Over
4. A Fool Moon Night
5. Freeze
6. Trouble Maker ( promotion video : http://dai.ly/a5gCfh )

This EP proves why fans and critics in Korea paid attention to The KOXX in the first place. Based on rock and electro, their tight rhythm section reveals their unique play in rhythm. Also guitar riffs and chops show how they uplift the energy of their music.

Contact  Mr. Chang LEE (Director) / tactics@mpmg.co.kr / +82-10-2070-9217
2F. Shin-Hyun Bldg. 401-1, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 121-840, Korea
Tel)82-2-322-5684 / Fax)82-2-322-0015

Golden Dragon

THE  thrilling redAMP 2010 Finals Concert and the crowning of Golden Dragon from Indonesia as ASEAN’s Best Band recently were the climactic finale to the nearly two-month long online band competition organised by AirAsiaRedTix.com and MTV Asia.

AirAsiaRedTix.com, AirAsia’s new entertainment events online ticketing subsidiary, launched the ASEAN-wide search for the region’s best independent unsigned bands on 22 May 2010. MTV Asia was AirAsiaRedTix.com’s strategic partner in this ambitious quest to seek out new and emerging talent and champion homegrown artistes.

redAMP 2010 saw participation from 2,575 bands from across all 10 Asean countries, with the most submissions coming from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. From this, over 20 bands were shortlisted for a live audition in Kuala Lumpur.

This was followed by a judging session in Bali, where 10 bands were picked by a panel of judges led by Chief Judge Roslan Aziz, a prominent music producer in Malaysia. Next, music lovers from across the region logged their votes as to whom they thought deserved to be named ASEAN’s Best Band — toting up some 737,870 votes in all over a 15-day period!

The Top 3 Bands that made the voters’ choice: Sixty-Nine from Thailand, Golden Dragon from Indonesia, and Pancake 80 from the Philippines.

But in a twist to the contest, the judges slid Malaysian band Stonebay in a “wildcard band” at the Finals Concert, adding to the already intense competition.

The four bands were assessed by a panel of five judges based on their live performances, with vocals, showmanship, songwriting, image and overall presentation contributing to their final scores. The votes that the bands had received during the two-week voting period also accounted for 30% of the final tally.

Golden Dragon tipped the scales for both the judges and the voting public, earning the band the title of redAMP 2010 ASEAN’s Best Band. In runner-up positions were Sixty-Nine (1st Runner-Up), Stonebay (2nd Runner-Up) and Pancake 80 (3rd Runner-Up).

“It was an incredibly difficult decision, as musically, all four bands are equally talented. But Golden Dragon’s dramatic performance on stage blew us away and they really deserved to win,” said Roslan.

The champion band won a RM50,000 band development package, a recording contract and distribution deal with an international recording label, and an AirAsia e-voucher worth RM10,000. Golden Dragon also went on to perform over the weekend at the roadshow for MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2010 at Sunway Pyramid Mall.

AirAsia’s move into ticketing for entertainment events with AirAsiaRedTix.com builds on the airline company’s successful foray into sports and music, and adds a new dimension to the company’s offerings while reaching a new segment of customers beyond the travel market. AirAsiaRedTix.com kicked off as the exclusive ticketing agent for Zee Avi’s homecoming gig in KL in March, followed by ticket sales for the 2010 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix race and 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix Concert.

All Four Bands

Since 2000, Left-Handed Convenience has been instrumental in creating awareness of lefthandedness in the community.  One of the purposes is to highlight the positive side of being a left-hander.  We aim to extend information and update news on lefthandedness through blogs, newsletter, etc.  In addition, we introduce the availability of lefthanded items which are specially designed for left hand use.

Activities for this year’s Left-Hander’s Day 2010 include:

• Lefty Fun Dip
• Lefty Buzz the wire
• Lefty Mini Puzzle
• Lefty Products sale – new range of scissors and a new item: Lefty blade will be displayed for sale.

Our event runs for two days, 31 July and 1 August, 2010 (Saturday & Sunday).

All are welcome to drop by any time from 10am to 10pm.

@ Community Corner, first floor, Oval, 1 Utama shopping centre, (New Wing), Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Log on www.lefthandedmalaysia.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/lefthanded shoppe   or  Events page

to follow updates on this event.

DAVID Beckham said in an interview hosted by Yahoo! last week that his ideal last game as a professional football player would be in the next World Cup final, playing for his national team England.

He also said in this dream game, he would help create one goal and score another in the last minute to make England the 2014 World Cup champions.

Beckham spoke out during a unique global event in which 600 millions of Yahoo! users around the world participated in interviewing him. The interview took place live in London and connected fans by video from 19 other countries over 90 minutes. He also shared during the interview that he had never been interested in the prospect of managing when he retires from playing professionally. “It’s not a passion of mine to be a manager of a football team,” Beckham said.

He added that while he enjoyed coaching kids, coaching a team and being a manager was not something he was keen on, now or
in future.

In total, 30 questions were asked of Beckham covering topics from football to family, his future and fame. The questions were drawn from fans on Yahoo!’s social media products, other Yahoo! products and third party partner platforms: Yahoo! Answers, Yahoo!’s World Football Facebook page and Twitter. The interview was streamed live worldwide on Yahoo! on its Sport pages and extracts from the interview can still be accessed on Yahoo! Malaysia at http://game.penaltyshootout.yahoo.com/beckham/my

The global interview involved fans from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and India. Fans from each country interacted with David Beckham through video utilising Cisco’s TelePresence high definition video suites.

Earlier this month, David Beckham signed a global sponsorship deal to serve as Yahoo!’s Global Sports Ambassador. The partnership brings together the world’s largest online media company and the world’s most iconic sports star to offer exclusive content only found on Yahoo! for Yahoo!’s coverage of the World Cup and the 2010/11 football season.

“David Beckham’s interview with fans around the world perfectly illustrates our vision of being the centre of people’s online lives,” said Myung Jo Choi, Acting Country Manager, Yahoo! Malaysia.

“Yahoo! has brought together millions of people from 19 different countries and even reached out into space to gather questions for Beckham from our various properties and products. We’re delighted to have been able to host this, the biggest opportunity for him to engage with his fans ever.”