Headed over to the Lot 10 rooftop for the Define ‘Two Amazing Worlds. One Exclusive Party’ event on Thursday, 31 May 2012. The event was split into two (2) different rooms – Teeq and Rootz. Each room had a different concept and decor and since I didn’t have dinner I dragged everyone over to Teeq first as they were serving some delicious canapes.

The sexy Julie Woon was the MC in Teeq

Poova and her little jazz band provided the entertainment. She has a really powerful voice! Awesome choice!

Little blue shots were served through the ice-carving which served to chill it. I think it was blue Curacao and vodka with some fruit juice/ cordial.

MHB’s Sarah with a ‘white angel’ in Teeq, we later discovered that there were ‘dark angels’ in Rootz!

So after filling my stomach with some food (I really can’t drink on an empty stomach) we headed into Rootz. Lapsap was spinning while some dancers were in a cool translucent box

June and Ashley

MHB’s Julia back from Finland for a holiday with Louise

Jen and her friend

Jolene, Amanda, Ying, MHB’s Samantha and her friend

It was a pretty good multi-concept party and socialite Raj Aria even won himself an iPod Touch through the lucky draw!

More photos on the Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers

Earlier this afternoon something interesting on my Facebook newsfeed caught my attention – Paradigm Mall.

Paradigm Mall? The one in Kelana Jaya with the catchy radio ads? I have been planning to go visit it (what’s with us Malaysians and shopping malls anyway) ever since my friend Pearl checked-in during her visit on the official opening day.

Was it a review on a new outlet perhaps? An interesting shop? Bubble tea outlet there maybe?

Well this is what I read on Leonard Chua’s Facebook…

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“Hey Freddie, sure! You know MAGIC wor! However expensive also we can afford!!…”

Woah!!! Are you kidding me? This is pretty shocking! How can a mall (or brand for that matter) answer in that unprofessional and sarcastic manner?

Hello? Have you heard of customer service and public relations before?

Ok so ‘Freddie’ might be a troll working/ employed by a competitor mall but in no universe would I ever expect the mall/ brand to reply in such a manner!

FYI if you don’t know what a ‘troll’ is here is the definition by Wikipedia:

In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. The noun troll may refer to the provocative message itself, as in: “That was an excellent troll you posted.”

Of course this sparked printscreens/ screen-captures and of 12.30am today Leonard’s printscreen had generated 1,600+ ‘shares’ on Facebook and while threads about it had hundreds of not too pleasant remarks about Paradigm Mall’s unexpected response!

Btw in case you were wondering, the original thread is here – https://www.facebook.com/ParadigmMall/posts/340083932729355?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment

After a couple of hours of the thread making it’s way around cyberspace Paradigm Mall’s Centre Manager Carrie Kon made a short apology for the incident in the same but it was a case of too little too late as incensed netizens were already spreading it like wildfire.

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Then an hour or two after Carrie’s apology there was this statement by the GM of WCT Land which is the developer and owner of the mall.

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You can find the GM’s statement here – https://www.facebook.com/ParadigmMall/posts/341646812573067?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply

A lot of brands will try to spend the most minimal amount on online/ social media marketing (or even worse – trying to get free publicity) as they don’t realise its importance. Well I hope this incident will go to show that social media marketing is important and brands should invest in quality managers and quality online media.

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To digress from the original topic, there was another incident at a mall – this time at The Curve. Quite a scary one too! A girl got kidnapped while in the basement of the mall however fortunately she managed to escape.

This was reminiscent of the Canny Ong rape and murder case that took place in BSC. This was also not the first incident at The Curve as back in 2005 the owner of a children’s apparel boutique in The Curve got raped and murdered right in her shop and till today the perpetrator has not been caught.

Here is the personal account of the victim Chin Xin Ci – https://www.facebook.com/notes/chin-xin-ci/30-hours-ago-i-escaped-from-being-kidnapped/10150980821959859

We live in dangerous times. Please be aware of your surroundings and don’t play with your phone while you’re walking around in public as it will distract your attention from would be dangers.

Instagram, What’s App, BBM, Twitter, Facebook, etc. etc. can wait. Safety is paramount.

If you’re walking to your vehicle and you feel uneasy do head back into the mall and request that a security guard escort you to your car.

Don’t rely on anyone to help you. You must help yourself first by staying vigilant at all times! Do remind your family members, girlfriends and indeed everyone to be careful when out and about.

To guys out there, if you notice someone in distress don’t just stand there and watch! Do act and intervene if possible or at the very least calls the police. You just might save a life!

Here’s a video of someone who just stood and watched a snatch theft in progress.

Remember the Hennessy New VSOP Bottle Launch Press Conference that I attend? Well if you don’t you can read about it here – http://timchew.net/2012/05/25/hennessy-vsop-new-bottle-launch/

Well after the press conference I went home for some much needed sleep before returning to Double Tree that night for the PARTY! This time with me were more than a dozen Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers members.

A beautiful welcome as usual – this was going to be a great night!

The customary photo at the photo wall with 11 of the MHB girls who were there…waiting for the rest to arrive

Celebs in da house – Josiah Mizukami with MHB and Red FM’s Linora and her boyfriend

MHB’s Wilee and Ashley

Chris Bangle doing his demonstration (again). Ok I admit that I didn’t really pay much attention to this as I witnessed it during the press conference in the morning so I hung out at the bar and had a few drinks

And the new bottle is launched (again for me hehehe!)

We were in the ‘White Room’ for the launch

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Then it was time to head into the ‘Black Room’ which was like a mini Hennessy Artistry!

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Some lovely Hennessy ambassadors lead the way to the ‘Black Room’

It was like a really posh mini Hennessy Artistry!

The hot DJ Eva T on the decks!

Interactive games on the touch screens kept guests occupied

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But the coolest activity of the whole event had to be the ‘glam cam’. Take a look:

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360 degree photo! As you can imagine, the girls went nuts about this! Lol

MHB had our own table. Think everyone wanted to take home the cushions though.

Sexy Alexandra with MHB’s Lee Yvonne

Jenni Foh, Evonne Teah and Jenvine

L’oreal Mok and Weena Marcus with their friend

Group pic with Olivier Paultes and Chris Bangle

Jane and Wilee with Chris Bangle

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More info on Hennessy VSOP at https://www.facebook.com/HennessyMalaysia

More photos on the Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers

Photo credits: Hennessy Malaysia and author’s own

Headed over to Solaris Dutamas with Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers to try out some Yugoslavian food. Now I have never really tried Yugoslavian food so I was quite curious.

Lavinier Coffee is located on the floor between PappaRich and Old Town White Coffee and can be seen from the main road. There are nice chairs and sofas outside for those of you who prefer al-fresco dining or want to smoke

The inside is warmly lit and has a cozy ambiance about it

Emma, Johanna, Chammaine, Louise, Sarah and Elaine

Comfy dining tables

For you coffee and tea lovers

And a bar for those who need something stronger

An ice-cold beer for me to start off the night!

While Chammaine preferred the iced-chocolate

Johanna went for a vanilla ice-blended

Sarah with her Cosmopolitan

Someone’s fresh fruit juice – a healthy choice!

Sandy is one of the few girls I know who can drink Guinness Foreign Extra Stout!

The girls didn’t want to have coffee at night in case they couldn’t sleep so I tried this. It was strong and flavourful while the foam was delicate. I shall return for more coffee the next time I’m in Publika.

Pita bread with 4 types of dips – hummus, ajvar, eggplant, and tzatziki

Maze Dips – RM18.00 – plated dips (hummus, ajvar, eggplant, tzatziki) served with hot pita bread

Or if you prefer have them individually:

Hummus – RM6.00 – chick peas, tahini, lemon and garlic

If you’re familiar with Middle Eastern food then you would know that this is one of the more popular dishes from the region

Ajvar – RM8.00 – roast paprika, peppers, baked eggplant, garlic, olive oil

For those who like more spice! I liked this one.

Eggplant Dip – RM6.00 – roasted eggplant, garlic, olive oil

Slightly rich dip with the flavours blended well together

Tzatziki – RM7.00 – the main ingredients are plain yoghurt, cucumber and garlic

Light and refreshing!

Greek Chicken Salad – RM25.00 – romaine lettuce, cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onions, fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh squeezed lemon, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and grilled chicken on top. Healthy stuff and the absence of a heavy cream based dressing made this a good healthy starter.

Napoli – RM29.00 – polenta cooked in water and extra virgin olive oil with onions and Philadelphia cheese, topped with beef meatballs and paradise sauce with Mediterranean spices. Some of the girls had trouble with this one but I’ve seen this on the Asian Food Channel/ Discovery Travel & Living so often that I knew what to expect.

Cevapi Sarajevo (lamb) – RM22.00 – 7 pieces of tender kebab, with ajvar hot dip in-between Sarajevo bread and served with french fries and house salad. The meat was well seasoned and pretty tender! It will get really messy if you try to eat with your hands though.

Cevapi Sarajevo (chicken) – RM22.00 – same as the above but with chicken kebab instead of lamb

Burek – RM12.00 – a traditional Bosnian pie with minced beef, onion and special spices making up the filling. Not bad. Good as a snack.

Greek pizza with a whole sardine on top – RM42.99 – kalamata olives, fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, extra virgin olive oil, oregano and mozzarella cheese. No your usual pizza and there’s even a whole sardine on top! You can opt to not have the sardine and the pizza will only be RM26.99

Sparkling wine to finish off the meal. Apparently if you’re celebrating your birthday there and spend a certain amount you will get one free. I do suggest though that you call ahead to confirm this.

Happy and satisfied faces…must be from the wine hahaha!

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Lavinier Coffee & Bistro has more than 70 food items alone on their menu but I was adamant that during our first visit we try the Yugoslavian and Eastern European food. They do have Western style food as well for those of you who aren’t so adventurous. I suggest ordering a dish that you would normally eat and one that is totally new to you.

They also have a huge array of drinks ranging from specialty coffees, teas, and fruit juices to beers (Carlsberg is on tap, the rest are bottled), liquors, wines and cocktails. Pretty impressive for an establishment of it’s size.

More photos on the Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers

Lavinier Coffee & Bistro is located at:

A4, Ug 1-1,Solaris Dutamas,

No 1, Jalan Dutamas,

50480 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia

More info at https://www.facebook.com/Lavinier2U

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Headed over to Sunway Resort & Spa for the 2012 BrandLaurette awards night together with MHB’s Chelsea. This is the 2nd brand awards that I’ve been invited to this year and I’m thankful for the opportunity to meet and mingle with captains of industry. After all it is by learning from the best that you can become the best.

How are the winners selected?

Well the winners of The BrandLaureate Awards 2011‐2012 were selected based on a set of selection criteria which focused on brand performance, brand strategy, integrated brand communications and brand culture.

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What a beautiful reception – Moon and her colleague.

MHB’s Chelsea with the previous years’ awards during the reception. There’s a different design for each year.

Spotted some familiar faces there – Estelle and Shermayne

The very first event I attended when I first joined the media back in 2008 was a Carlsberg Gold launch so this brought back some fond memories!

Dr. KK Johan, President of The BrandLaurette started off the night with a welcome speech

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 “There is no room for imperfection in brands. It has got to be perfect. Perfection is consumers’ expectations and consumers’ right. We must address imperfection before it addresses us. We must aspire for perfection and perfection be our brand culture and value,” said Dr KK Johan,President of The BrandLaureate i his welcome speech.

Johan went on to add, “Imagine if you are a brain surgeon, you cannot afford not to be a perfectionist. Imagine if you are a musician or singer and you carry the wrong note or tune, you will not have a perfect delivery?”

Johan reiterated that brand perfect brands have three important Qs which are:

IQ – the brand is intelligent, functional and relevant. It meets the needs of the consumers.

EQ – the brand creates strong emotion and engages the consumer

AQ – the brand has the right attitude, has a pleasant personality which attracts the consumer.

How many brands do you know that have all three (3) of those attributes?

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Then it was time for the awards to be given out

Dato’ Jimmy Choo looks on with approval

Amber Chia won an award too! She’s actually a master of branding and she’s come a long way since I met her when she was freelance modelling 10 years ago.

York Spenser, Marketing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia beaming while receiving the award for Carlsberg

Towards the later part of the evening we were vowed by some impressive vocals from a very young talent!

In the Corporate Branding category, Avon, SAP Malaysia, Maxis, Hyundai Sime Darby, Carl Zeiss, Selangor Dredging and Public Mutual took home awards while among the winners of the Product Branding category were Dunlopillo, Oreo, Starbucks, Samsonite, Symantec and Knife.

Some notable winners of the most admired brands category were Omega, DHL, Amway, Prudential Assurance and Panasonic.

Mitsubishi Corporation, Cahya Mata Sarawak and Naim Holdings won The BrandLaureate Conglomerate Awards, reserved for organisations that have diversified their businesses into various industries.

A new category, The BrandLaureate Online Tech Awards was initiated to recognise successful brands in the online and e‐commerce categories. Groupon Malaysia, Unifi, PYOTravel, Maybank 2u and Lowyat.net forum were the inaugural recipients.

Apart from the Corporate & Product Branding Awards categories, three (3) very deserving Malaysians were honoured with The BrandLaureate Brand Personalities Awards.

YBhg Tan Sri Azman Hashim,the Founder and Chairman of AmBank was conferred The BrandLaureate Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Man of the Year while YBhg Tan Sri P.G.Lim, Malaysia first pioneer woman lawyer and former diplomat was conferred The BrandLaureate – Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Woman of the Year Award 2011‐2012.

General Tan Sri Mohammad Hashim Ali, the former Chief of Defence Forces and the man behind the successful staging of the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Commonwealth Games was conferred The BrandLaureate Brand Personality Awards.

Proper branding is important if you wish to be successful!

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Photo credits: The BrandLaurette Malaysia and author’s own

Dragged myself out of bed (was out drinking tequila the night before) and somehow managed to drive down to Double Tree in KL city for the launch of the new Hennessy VSOP bottle on 18 May 2012.

Not many brands can get me out of bed to attend an event. Good thing this was Hennessy.

Here’s a little info on their VSOP:

The legend of Hennessy V.S.O.P. began on 7 October 1817, when the future King George IV of England asked the great French cognac House to supply him with a special cognac described in the records with the words “Very Superior Old Pale” (now we know what VSOP stands for).

I remember sometime back I asked one of the Hennessy ambassadors what was the most difficult part about making Hennessy and he told me that it was making sure that every batch of Hennessy had the same consistent flavours (the cognac’s personality has gone unchanged for nearly two centuries) as the grape harvest may differ from year to year.

This is achieved under the stewardship of Hennessy’s cellar master, the Tasting Committee hands down the secrets of selection, ageing and blending, as can be seen in the use, for maturation, of oak barrels that have lost part of their tannin, so as to avoid giving the eau de vie excessively woody notes while providing an elegant expression.

There are only 8 Tasting Committee members in the world. I know a few friends of mine who would give one of their hands to be in this select committee (right Michael and Deep?).

Don’t challenge Chris Bangle to Draw Something!

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Christopher Edward “Chris” Bangle is an American automobile designer known for best for his work as Chief of Design for BMW Group, where he was responsible for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce cars from 1992 to 2006. Remember the unorthodox ‘Bangle’s bump’ on the 2002 BMW 7-series? Yup that’s the work of Chris Bangle.

During the Bangle era, BMW overtook Mercedes as the global leader in premium car sales. Chris Bangle is also the creator of the emblematic M6, Z4 and the famous GINA Visionary Model concept car, his last project in the world of automobile design before leaving the car industry altogether to focus on his own design-related endeavours under his own firm called Chris Bangle Associates based in Turin, Italy.

The Hennessy V.S.O.P new carafe is his first masterpiece outside the automobile industry. For Hennessy V.S.O.P., Chris had to first identify the cognac’s personality by delving into its history. He visited the Hennessy HQ in Cognac, France to understand the road travelled by these eaux de vie, from the first cluster of grapes to their maturation in oak barrels to the final product.

He gave us a ‘live’ demonstration of the new design changes on his iPad.

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After the demonstration the new bottle was launched!

Beautiful and elegant aren’t they?

The box that the bottle comes in has also benefited from this renewal as seen in this awesome shot by photographer Adam Savitch

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Here’s what Chris Bangle did to the current Hennessy VSOP bottle:

He accentuated the curves on the sides of the bottle, thereby reinforcing its silhouette’s dynamics, then he lengthened its neck and straightened its shoulders, stretching it vertically (the practical impact of this is that bartenders have a longer neck to grip when pouring). Inspired by the Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle created in 1954, Chris Bangle chose to confirm this upward movement with an enriched base resembling a pedestal to distinguish the whole with opulence while maintaining its stability.

With a carefully designed optical effect, the front of the bottle evokes a pyramid perspective, suggesting an upward vanishing point to draw the eye toward the top of the bottle, where Chris Bangle has chosen to engrave the legendary arm and axe of the Hennessy family into the glass itself (I actually have a cool bronze lapel pin of this!). The symbolic Hennessy V.S.O.P. oval label is in dark grey ennobled with golden embossing a few millimetres from this.

Security Features

Don’t know if you’re buying the real stuff? Don’t worry cause Hennessy has beefed up by developing new anti-counterfeiting techniques for the Hennessy V.S.O.P bottle: a laser stamp for the 35-cl, 70-cl and 3-litre bottles and a hologram of inimitable complexity (now with horizontal lines forming a grape cluster) seal the cap, ensuring product integrity.

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Olivier Paultes – Member of the Tasting Committee, Head of Distilleries , Maison Hennessy led us through a food pairing session!

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In September 2011, after a successful 24-year tenure as cellar master at the family-owned estate producer Cognac Frapin, Olivier was invited to take up a newly created role as member of the tasting committee and “head of distilleries and communication of eau-de-vie know-how” at the heart of the world’s biggest cognac house, Hennessy – the region’s most important producer and exporter.

So what exactly does Olivier do?

Olivier Paultes explains: “I am in charge of the Hennessy distillation and contacts with all the big distilleries who work for Hennessy, as well as overseeing the blending. Previously I had to look after all the elements of producing and bottling cognac, from labels and corks, to marketing as well.

“So today I am very happy, because I can focus on my true passion, working at the heart of the cognac elaboration process: handling the complexities of the eaux-de-vie and the distillation.”

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Hennessy VSOP to go with my lunch! Awesome!

Scallops cooked in 3 different styles

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Each dish was prepared with specially selected ingredients to highlight specific characteristics/ flavours of the Hennessy VSOP.

Pairing 1 – Scallops cooked in 3 styles:

Raw Marinated Scallops – Purity – here you get the full on taste of the cognac

Seared Scallops with Grilled Almonds – Toasty – the almonds brought out the nutty flavours of the cognac. I like this one a lot!

Scallops Lightly Seared with Sea Salt – Velvety – the cognac is so smooth as it slides down your throat

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Wagyu beef!!!

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Pairing 2

Wagyu Beef Tournedos with Candied Ginger and Pan-Fried Shiitake Mushrooms – Strength & Delicacy – the cognac is not a ‘p*ssy’ drink however it is also exquisite and refined at the same time!

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Chicken in Hennessy sauce!

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Pairing 3

Slow Cooked Chicken – Roundness, Mellowness & Harmony. Juicy tender chicken on a bed of vege and covered in creamy Hennessy sauce! This dish serves to highlight that the cognac is well-balanced, mellow and has flavours that work well together. I think I practically cleaned up all the sauce in this dish. I must get the recipe for it!

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A pic with the beauties (yes cognac and the girls)

For Hennessy, the blend of design aesthetics and ergonomics with an unending quest for quality and security is integral. Here’s a look at how the bottle has evolved from the 50′s.

V.S.O.P. embodies those values. Because that is how the future is made: by designing legends.

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Btw for you collectors out there, better get a current bottle to keep as the new bottle will be replacing it very soon.

So this concluded the morning session. I headed home for some much needed sleep before the Hennessy VSOP new bottle launch party that same night. Stay tuned for part 2…

For more information head to the Hennessy Malaysia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HennessyMalaysia

Photo credits: Hennessy Malaysia and author’s own

It’s back! MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2012 is set to return to the Surf Beach @ Sunway Lagoon on 14 July with a line-up featuring Justin Bieber, multi-award winning Korean pop sensations Jay Park and Kara, and our very own singer-songwriter pop princess Mizz Nina.

Kara! Kara means “sweet melody” in Greek

Park Gyu Ri, Han Seung Yeon, Goo Ha Ra, Nicole Jung and Kang Ji Young.

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Yes I admit – I’m a fan of Korean girl groups! Which guy doesn’t like a bunch of hot Korean girls singing and dancing?

Here’s some info on Kara:

Kara, which means “sweet melody” in Greek, is made up of female members Park Gyu Ri, Han Seung Yeon, Goo Ha Ra, Nicole Jung and Kang Ji Young. Combining Euro dance pop, electronic dance and alternative rock, Kara made their debut in March 2007 with the release of their first album The First Blooming. In 2008, they released two mini-albums and three singles – “Rock U,” “Pretty Girl” and “Honey,” which became a No. 1 hit on the M.Net M! Countdown and won the Mutizen award.

They returned with their second full studio album, Revolution, in July 2009. Lead single “Wanna” was an instant chart topper and the second single from the album, “Mister,” was an even bigger success with its memorable dance choreography (nicknamed the “butt dance”) that caught on with the public. Upon releasing their third mini-album, Lupin, in 2010, Kara went on to win their first No. 1 awards on M! Countdown and KBS Music Bank respectively.

In the same year, the band made their debut in Japan with a Japanese version of their Korean hit, “Mister.” The single exceeded expectations, debuting at No. 5 on the Oricon daily and weekly charts. They were also the first non-Japanese girl group in 29 years to chart in the Oricon Top 10 with a debut single. Achieving their biggest feat yet, their latest hit Japanese single “Jet Coaster Love,” released on 6 April 2011, peaked at No. 1 on the Oricon Daily and Weekly Charts, selling 123,000 copies in its opening week.

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Jay Park

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U.S. born and bred Korean-American singer song-writer, dancer and actor Park Jaebeom, otherwise better known as Jay Park, was the charismatic leader of South Korean K-Pop boyband 2PM. With his boyish good looks, explosive dance moves and ability to both sing and rap, Jay Park has been highly touted as the next breakout star in the U.S. market. He kick-started his solo career when he surprised fans by posting a cover of B.o.B’s and Bruno Mars’ “Nothin’ On You” in March 2010. The post went viral online, garnering over 5 million views – 1.5 million in the first 24 hours. The song was eventually released as a single, charted at No. 1 on the Korean charts and won Best Web Video at the Mashable Awards.

In April 2011, Jay Park released his first mini album, Take a Deeper Look, which sold 50,000 copies within 5 days of release.  His first full-length album, New Breed, released in February 2012 was also a major tour-de-force on the charts, with a debut at No. 4 on the Billboard World Album Charts and No. 16 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart. His first solo concert that was held on 3 March 2012 at the Olympic Hall of Seoul Olympic Park sold out in a record 10 minutes. This May, Jay Park is headlining the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2012 (APAHM) tour in the U.S.A. with stops in Washington DC, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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Justin Bieber

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With worldwide album sales in excess of 15 million units, over 43 million Facebook followers and more than 22 million Twitter followers, Justin Bieber is a global phenomenon in today’s pop culture and the social media scene. The 18-year-old Canadian comes from humble beginnings by posting homemade videos online before being discovered by his manager Scooter Braun. After being signed by LA Reid to Island Def Jam under the Universal Music Group, Justin Bieber released his debut album, My World 2.0, in 2010 which saw hit singles “Baby,” “One Time,” “Somebody To Love” and “One Less Lonely Girl” hitting the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Aside from his musical achievements, Justin Bieber also had a successful concert-movie “Never Say Never” that was released internationally and out-grossed Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” at the box office in 2011. To date, Justin Bieber has won various awards such as Artist of The Year, Breakthrough Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Male and Album at the 2010 American Music Awards, Best Push Act and Best Male at the 2010 MTV EMA and Best Male Video for “U Smile” at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2012, Justin Bieber brought home a Billboard Music Award for Social Artist of the Year.

After making it to the June cover of Forbes magazine, Justin Bieber is currently preparing to release his highly anticipated studio album titled Believe. “Boyfriend,” the first advance single off the album, set a record for its No. 1 debut on iTunes in 32 countries. The clip generated over 8 million views in its first 24 hours of release, and has garnered over 44 million views to date. Believe is scheduled for release on 19 June 2012.

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This is my fav Justin Bieber photo – him getting shot in CSI hahahaha!

Mizz Nina needs absolutely no introduction

Better go early for this year’s show. The show 2 years ago was packed!

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Stand a chance to win passes to the show on http://worldstage.mtvasia.com starting 25 May 2012.

MTV Asia is arranging to give away passes as instant wins to participants through multiple game sessions every day. For participants who did not get an instant win, they can still have a chance to win passes by submitting via the website, a write-up in 250 characters or less, on why they should attend MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2012.

Residents of Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and The Philippines will have the opportunity to win a paid trip to attend MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2012.

Online contest starts 25 May and ends 30 June 2012. Contest T&Cs will be available on the website.

MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2012 will be produced into a 2-hour TV show premiering on MTV SEA channel on Saturday 28 July 2012, 2:30pm (Malaysian time).

Nasim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of the Peugeot brand in Malaysia, launched the highly-anticipated all-new Peugeot 408 the replacement model for the 407. This replacement model is claimed to set the bar for performance, space, elegance and safety, in Malaysia’s C-segment market.

“The all-new 408 is ideal for young professionals with families who are looking for a car that offers space, performance and elegance,” said SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group Executive Chairman of the Naza Group of Companies at the launching of the all-new 408 at the new Peugeot Blue Box Glenmarie.

At the front, the all-new 408 features Peugeot’s trademark feline headlights, thin chrome strips on the radiator grille, and sculptured lines on the bonnet that flow naturally into the wide, slopping windscreen giving it a sleek and refined look.

Inside, the all-new 408 offers the largest cabin space in its class. Its long 2,710 mm wheelbase, its width measuring 1,815 mm and its height at 1,525 mm provides ample leg room, elbow room and head room respectively.

The all-new 408 features automatic dual-zone air-conditioning system with rear air-conditioning vents, World In Peugeot Sound with six speakers with CD/ MP3 playback capability, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, instrument panel LCD, tilt and telescopic steering and one-touch power windows with anti-pinch for all four windows.  The 408’s boot offers 562-litres of space which should fit a couple of golf bags.

Other key features of the 408 Turbo include premium leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel with aluminium inserts, auto-dimming rear view mirror and a rear armrest with two cup holders.

Both variants feature cruise control with a speed limiter, 17-inch alloy wheels, “Follow Me Home” functionality for the headlamps, sensor-activated headlights and wipers and automatic retractable side mirrors.

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POWERPLANT & TRANSMISSION

The all-new 408 is available in two variants: a 408 Turbo and a 408 2.0. The 408 Turbo features a four-cylinder 1.6-litre twin scroll turbo high pressure engine with direct injection that pumps out 163 hp and 240 Nm of torque making it the most powerful C-segment sedan in the market. The Peugeot 308 also uses this engine however as the 408 is heavier than the 308 I expect the performance to be slightly less.

Fitted with a six-speed auto adaptive transmission with Triptronic and a sport mode, the 408 Turbo has the capability of accelerating from 0-100 kph 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 215 kph.

The 408 2.0 is powered by a four-cylinder 2-litre engine that produces 145 hp and 200 Nm of torque fitted with an auto adaptive gearbox with Triptronic and a sport mode.

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SUSPENSION

Suspension wise the 408 is fitted with independent MacPherson-type struts and antiroll bar for the front suspension while at the rear, the suspension comprises of a deformable U-shaped cross member and an integrated antiroll bar to provide good vibration control and well-controlled body movement.

An important point to note – the suspension settings for the 408 Turbo have been tuned for a sportier ride while the 408 2.0’s suspension offers more comfort.

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SAFETY

In terms of safety, both variants feature two smart airbags, ABS, EBD and EBA, among others. The car has also been designed with a double-impact force dissipation channel to provide maximum passenger compartment protection. The 408 Turbo also comes with driver and front passenger side airbags, front and rear curtain airbags, electronic stability programme (ESP) and anti-skid regulation (ASR).

The 408 is manufactured at Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) in Gurun, Kedah and will also be exported to regional markets in the coming months.

The 408 will come with a five-year warranty with unlimited mileage together with Nasim’s existing lifetime 24-hours Peugeot Assistance service and its exclusive Peugeot Privilege membership to provide the best ownership experience for its customers.

The all-new 408 was launched at the new Peugeot Blue Box Glenmarie which is scheduled to commence operations in June. Built at a cost of RM15 million, the 82,000 square foot facility will be Nasim’s flagship outlet in the country and will house the largest Peugeot service centre in the country with a capability of servicing 66 cars a day.

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PRICE

The on-the-road price of the 408 Turbo is RM125,888 while the on-the-road price of the 408 2.0 is RM109,888.

More info at www.peugeot.com.my

Photo credits: Peugeot Malaysia and author’s own

This week was a really fun week for me. Loads of events…

Soft Launch of The Stage at Avenue K on 16 May 2012.

Louise and MHB’s Naomi at the newest club in KL!

The cute Kronenbourg 1664 girls

MHB’s Chloe with her friend Charlie

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Jose Cuervo Reloaded Party at The Pool, Jalan Ampang on 17 May 2012.

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Jose Cuervo girls

Spotted 2 hot female celeb friends of mine!

Elaine and Sindee enjoying themselves playing the games

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Hennessy VSOP – New Bottle Launch at Double Tree on 18 May 2012.

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At the press conference in the morning

With my MHB girls during the party that night

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Johnnie Walker – Project Black Inspiration at Zouk Club KL on 19 May 2012.

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Elaine with Hannah Tan

MHB’s Lee Yvonne

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Think I’ll take a break from drinking for a while.

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Look out for the full posts coming soon!

Photos from all the events are at https://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers

Headed down to KL on 16 May 2012 for the soft launch of The Stage at Avenue K (opposite KLCC). The Stage has two (2) levels and has a live band concept which is fast catching on in Kuala Lumpur.

Interestingly enough this is the first (big) club I know that is both a MHD (Johnnie Walker, Hennessy, Smirnoff, Moet Chandon, etc. etc.) and Carlsberg (Asahi, Kronenbourg 1664, Hoegaarden, etc. etc.) outlet.

Louise and MHB’s Naomi at the photowall

The view from the upper deck as shot by MHB’s official photographer Andy Kho

Live band and live dance performances too!

Met the tall and hot Fancy who came down from Penang

While Andy was busy outside…

MHB’s Chloe and her friend Charlie were there too

Cleo Bachelor winner Josiah Mizukami was there too and yes I did introduce him to my girl friends

Rean and Rebecca

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The Stage is an interesting addition to the growing ‘live band’ concept clubs in Kuala Lumpur.

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The Stage is located at

Avenue K, 156, Jalan Ampang

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 50450

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Phone Reservation & Contact +6016 339 8013 or +6016 601 5830

Email: contact@thestage.my

Website: http://www.thestage.my

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestage.my

Photo credits: Andy Kho (andykho.com) and author’s own