A quick note to inform those who took part in the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Contest that we've sent out the invites by e-mail. Do check your inbox and if you receive an invitation, let us know if you'll be attending.
Once again, the screening starts at 9.30pm, Monday, Nov 10 at Cathay Cineplex Damansara (Hall 10). Note that tickets are numbered, and we're allowing you to choose your seats, so make like the early bird, and get the best wor, er, seats available.
Remember the computer animated feature Madagascar? The one with the lion, the zebra, the hippo and Ross from TV's Friends?
Well, the filmmakers made a follow-up to the movie, and we've lined up a special screening of this very sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, just so we and our you and your friends could watch it for free.
OK, sure. The first instalment wasn't exactly awarded with the Critic's Choice Award or anything, but it wasn't Shark Tale either. It had its moments, especially when the action focused on the tough-guy penguins and to a lesser extent, the lemurs.
What? You don't remember the penguins? This clip should jog your memory:
Heh. They're a riotous bunch, aren't they? Well, get reacquainted with the tuxedoed foursome by winning invites to our special screening.
Speaking of getting acquainted, here's an event set up for those of you who want to expand your social circle just a little further. It's called Love Classifieds, and is organised by our sister company, Red FM.
The folks over at the radio station were kind enough to allocate some seats to the monthly gathering for AMBP members, so take this chance and go make new (or who knows, lifelong) friends.
It's a chance to meet and mingle with members of the opposite sex, in an environment that's fun and flirt-friendly.
Oh, and don't let the 'L' word scare you. This could easily be renamed into Friends Classifieds or Business Contacts Classifieds, or some such.
To get invited, answer a simple question on our Contest/Event pageand wait for us to call you. It's gonna happen on 29 Nov 2008 (Saturday), at The Apartment, KLCC.
Websites (including blogs) went pink during the month of October to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you did the same, good on ya!
If you didn't, it's not too late.
Do so today, and you might just end up as the proud owner of a Sony Ericsson w580i (pic below), thanks to the folks over at Wijaya International Medical Centre (WIMC) who’s organising the contest offering the cool feature-packed mobile phone as its main prize.
All you need to do is make the necessary changes on your blog, fill in the Entry Form and email it to pinkoctober@wbms.com.my. The contest, which offers five other surprise consolation prizes, closes on Nov 7, 2008.
Do bear in mind that the primary purpose of this web event isn't just to give your blog a more feminine hue. The hope is, that in addition to turning your blog pink, you'll read up on Breast Cancer, write about it, and share what you've learned through your blog.
You'll be on the right footing if you spread the word on an event organised by WIMC called It's Best to Test Carnival, a day that’ll be as fun as it is educational.
Event Details:
Time:8.30am - 2.00pm
Date:Nov 9, 2008
Venue:
Wijaya International Medical Centre
No 1, Jalan 215, Section 51
Off Jalan Templer
46050, Petaling Jaya
Selangor D.E
Agenda:
8:30am : Arrival of guests
9:00am-9:30am : Launch by VIP/ Speeches
9:30am -10:00am : Coloring Competition / Tour Press Conference
9:30am – 10:30am : Doctor's Forum
10:30am – 10:45am : Press Conference/ Press Hands On
10:45am – 11:30am : BSE Education
11:30am – 12:15am : Pole Dance Class
12:15am – 1:00pm : Latin Dance Showcase
1:00pm – 1:30pm : Announcement of competition winners - Essay and Blog
1:30pm – 2:00pm : Lucky draw and closing
Note: Bloggers who register themselves at the event will receive a door gift.
It's been a while since we last held a Music CD Giveaway so here's one for the High School Musical fan(atic)s out there. Oh but first: did you know that Zac Efron - who plays Troy Bolton in the popular series – turned 21 on Oct 18?
If you did, then all I can say is...wow!. That's scary. And of course, that you MUST then enter this contest.
We have 10 copies of the soundtrack to High School Musical 3: Senior Year to give away, but to get your hands on one you’ll have to do the usual:
1) Answer this question: What's the name of the character played by Zac Efron in the High School Musical movie/TV series?
2) Post up this pic:
3) Write anything that comes to your mind about High School Musical.
...all on your blog. Then send the link to that particular blog post as a comment here. Ten best entries take home the CDs.
You've got until Nov 17 to complete the above tasks. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
Calling all crazy people! The folks behind the Malaysian Nanowrimo is gathering soon. Soon as in this Saturday, Nov 1, 2008.
If you don't have a clue of what I'm talking about, then feel free to clickety-click to learn more about this gregarious creature called Nanowrimo.
Done?
OK. Now that we've established that this is one for the crazies, the next question would naturally be, are you mentally unsound too? Or would you like to go bonkers in 30 days? If you answered yes to either or both of the above, then read on...
Details of the 2008 Malaysian Nanowrimo Kickoff meetup are as follows:
Date: Nov 1, 2008 (Saturday) Time: 10.30am onwards Venue: Starbucks, The Gardens, Mid Valley
The first 15 to arrive will be in the running to win a book. All attendees are required to bring a sense of humour, two doses of fun, and loads of bulls*** to get them started.
It's been rather quiet around here, but that's because work has been a sod, and...yeah, work has been a sod.
Anyways, while you could hear a pin drop around these parts, a lot of noisy hammering and tinkering and pulling-of-hair sort of action have taken place, have been taking place and will probably take place again, which probably explains why my hair has decided to take a leaf from today's world economy book and is in steady recession.
In point form, what has happened, is happening, and is going to happen is, we:
The most hair-loss inducing of the projects that we worked on this year has got to be the launch of the revamped AllMalaysia.info travel and info website, the ceremony of which was captured on video and summarised to a rather economical 1 minute 52 sec clip by our wonderfully supportive multimedia team:
There were some technical problems (can't log in for some reason), which were compounded by the running about, trying to get things ready before scheduled deadlines and such. But most, if not all has been sorted out (except for the running about, which will never cease) and hopefully behind us, now that I could miraculously log in to post updates. ;-)
Plenty has gone on since, and while I seemingly haven't given much of it any attention (especially if this space is anything to go by), trust me when I say that a lot of work - writing, designing, planning, organising - has gone into improving our portals/services, particularly on AllMalaysia.info.
With that in mind, take note: this will be a long post.
AllMalaysia.info will sport a new look with added features come Aug 31, 2008. We're most excited about the all-new Travel Tool, powered by Mayflower.
This excellent addition will allow you, as a user, to make bookings for hotels, flights, transfers, and even full holiday packages. For the time being, bookings are limited to destinations within Malaysia, but we're looking at outbound travel as well, so that's one for the future.
The Travel Tool will complement the larger Travel Planner which includes your Travel Profile, an improved version of your MyStar Profile. With it, you'll be able to:
- Keep a record of your booking status - Bookmark relevant stories (within the profile itself) for easy access - Make notes/plans - E-mail bookings/stories i.e travel plans to your friends and family - Print said stories, notes etc
Note that we're starting on a clean slate so expect the site to be a tad bare in the beginning. But it'll improve (content-wise, especially) as the months progress. Need I tell you to check the site out on Merdeka Day?
Before I write about the above, I would like to say a big thank you to all those who replied to our 'Wanted' ad for a Fashion Blogger. The position has been filled by Phat Mama whose jottings can now be found at CloveTWO's Trendsetter Blog.
Moving on: We're now looking for some 30-odd travel buffs and other restless types to fill in the position of AMBP Travel Ambassador.
As an AMBP Travel Ambassador you'll be sent to all-expense paid trips (maybe with a small allowance), from time to time, and all you need to do is well, write about your experience. Simple as that. There won't be any other remuneration/salary as such, but hey, we're going to send you on holidays! Isn't that enticement enough?
Each of our travel ambassadors will be assigned to specific regions, as follows:
1) Central Region: Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan 2) Northern Region: Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak 3) Southern Region: Johor Baharu, Malacca 4) East Coast Region: Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu 5) Sabah: Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan 6) Sarawak: Kuching, Mulu, Miri
If you're interested, send an e-mail to (in spam-friendly format) ambp AT allmalaysia DOT info, with 'AMBP Travel Ambassadors' as the subject line, and tell us why you'll make a great travel ambassador for us.
Also, do provide us with the following info...
Name: Address (Where you're residing at the moment): Contact No: Blog: Preferred Region(s):
...and you're set.
Note that if you do make the cut as one of our travel ambassadors (especially those within the Klang Valley) you will be required to attend the official launch of our revamped AllMalaysia.info website on Saturday, Sept 6, 2008 (tentative) at Menara Star. To dangle the carrot, we'll be giving out the first few holiday packages at the launch, so keep yourself free for that day, yah?
Update: The official launch date has been postponed to Sept 27 due to some legal complications.
For those of you who have written in to show your interest in taking up the role an AMBP Travel Ambassador, note that we'll be making calls on Sept 24 and 25 to confirm that you've been chosen. You'll be required to attend the launch if you've been shortlisted.
For those interested, but have yet to write in, please do so before Sep 24.
To commemorate the soon-to-be-relaunched AllMalaysia.info, we've set up a simple contest called Malaysia: Reviewed! to allow you to play the travel writer. The contest is open to all MyStar members, which effectively means, as an AMBP member, you're eligible.
All you need to do is send in the URL to a blog post, written this year, about your Malaysian holiday experience, and you may end up with a hotel stay. Post your entries at the link above, and hurry, cos it's gonna end soon.
Oh, and if you're interested to become one of our travel ambassadors, this will be a fantastic opportunity for you to show us how good a travel writer you are.
One of our bloggers QuaChee (his blog: http://www.quachee.blogspot.com/), being the true patriot that he is, has published a book called 50+1 Malaysia, in conjunction with Malaysia's 51st Independence Day. The book is a wonderful synopsis of what makes Malaysia, well Malaysia.
It's divided into seven sections (Food, Places, Things To Do etc), and keeping to its theme of '50+1', each of these sections list 51 items that are uniquely Malaysian. For instance, under the section 50+1 Truly Malaysian, you'll find entries for Malaysian colloquial expressions (aiyo, syiok and boss); Malaysian textile and fashion (kebaya, songket batik), as well as Malaysian wildlife (tapir, Sarawak hornbill, orang utan).
To learn more about the book you can head on over to its 'official' website, the malaysia page.
To support QuaChee's admirable endeavour (as you should, being a fellow Malaysian blogger and all), we're giving away 25 copies of the book.
Here are the steps you have to take to win a copy of 50+1 Malaysia:
1) Write a paragraph (keep it short and simple), about your love for Malaysia, by using the following 5 + 1 words (Five compulsory + one of your choice):
Compulsory Words: Malaysia, 50+1, Merdeka, alamak, mamak
And choose at least one of these: badminton, aiyo, orang utan, ah long, ang pow, 4D, beca, Malaysia Boleh!, nasi lemak, batik, Angkasawan, Lee Chong Wei, Michelle Yeoh, Mawi, KLCC, durian
The world has started spinning again for footie fans, and this is especifially true for English Premier League (EPL) fans whose lives are now once again complete now that the 2008-09 season has begun.
Good thing too, for I would have gone completely bonkers if I had to continue reading the garbage that comes out during silly season (Henry to ManU??!! ROTFLOL)
But let's not go into that for world order has been restored. And what's more, The Star Online has created a blog space especially for ourselves you footie fans. It's called FootBlog, and it's a designated corner for you to rant and rave about anything and everything to do with the beautiful game.
AMBP will be looking at organising events for Gooners EPL fans, so watch out for that on this space. In the meantime, go write about Samir Nasri's awesome debut at FootBlog. ;-)
We're into our fourth CD Giveaway now, and boy-oh-boy, am I excited about this one.
Y'see, I'm a fan of this edition's featured artist Duffy, and I would strongly recommend you become one too. Heh. Well, maybe this track Warwick Avenue from her debut album Rockferry would covert you, if you aren't already a fan.
Now, isn't she just great? The talented 23-year old Welsh singer has drawn comparisons with Dusty Springfield, and that in itself should say something. A whole lot of somethings, in fact.
But before I start rambling on, I'll just direct you to her Wikipedia entry, y'know, to avoid accusations of hard selling and all.
Anyways, the contest. Universal Music has provided us with 10 copies of Rockferry to give away, and they've even thrown in two each of Duffy tank tops and tote bags for the top three entries.
To get your hands on one of the 10 copies we have, you'll have to demonstrate your best impression of Duffy. There are several ways you can do this; here are your options:
1) Rewrite the lyrics to either Warwick Avenue or Mercy and make it as fun(ny) or witty or sad or crazy as you can. You don't have to rewrite the whole song. One verse and the chorus would do. Post it on your blog.
OR
2) Put on a blonde wig, and strike your best Duffy pose for a pic. Then post the photo on your blog.
OR
3) Sing a verse of your favourite Duffy song, record it, and post either the video or audio of the rendition on your blog.
OR
4) Imagine that you're Duffy. Now blog about the experience that prompted you to write the song Warwick Avenue.
Once you're done send the link as a comment here. You've got until Sep 7. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
each of which will be preceded by a short talk by Shamshahrin Shamsudin, a professional photographer whose works have appeared in both local and foreign newspapers/magazines such as The Star, The International Herald Tribune, TIME, Asiaweek and the Far Eastern Economic Review.
The workshops and trips are held in conjunction with the Sunway Memories Photography Contest, a 3-month competition offering total prizes worth over RM140,000.
In view of that, after each talk/workshop, bloggers will be given free passes to explore the Sunway holiday destination in question, to take as many photos as they like, which they must submit as entries to the above contest.
The Sunway Lagoon day-trip will take place on Sep 26, while the all-expense paid 2D/1N excursion to Sunway Lost World of Tambun is happening on Oct 10 & 11.
We're looking at 40 bloggers for the Sunway Lagoon trip, and another 30 for the Tambun stay, for a total of 70 bloggers. For further details, and to book your place for the workships/trips simply head on over to our contest page, which will be up either this Friday or next Monday.
I'll update this section of this post with the link as soon as it's up, so come back, yah?
For the winners of our Dream a little Dreamz Contest who have yet to collect their passes, please be reminded that the Genting - City of Entertainment showcase will end its run on Aug 31. So do come pay us a visit very soon if you don't want to miss out on it.
I must be honest and say that the response to this contest has been somewhat disappointing. As a result, we still have extra passes that we don't want to see go to waste. So, I'm offering them up to ALL AMBP members - if you intend to watch the show for free, and able to collect the passes from Menara Star before Tuesday, 26 Aug, give me a call at oh one nine 2184 307.
I'm back with another music CD giveaway, and this time around the artist we're featuring will actually be in town (or on a hill, as the case will be) to participate in one of the biggest events in the annual music calendar in Asia, the MTV Asia Awards!
If you don't already know, this year's edition will take place in Genting - City of Entertainment, and among the names that have booked their flights to Malaysia include Jared Leto (who'll play host), the Pussycat Dolls (who'll open the show), Panic at the Disco, Click Five, and our featured artist OneRepublic.
The boys from Colorado have been nominated in two categories - Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and Best Hookup (together with Timbaland) - and you get a chance to win a copy of the very album that brought them here, Dreaming Out Loud.
But first, here's a clip that you can stop and stare at for a couple of minutes:
Okay, now you can stop staring, and pay attention. ;-)
To get your hands on one of the 10 copies of Dreaming Out Loud that we have in our possession (thanks to Universal Music) you will have to do the following:
1) Answer this question: Name the title of the OneRepublic song in the clip above.
2) Post up this pic:
3) Write about OneRepublic
...all on your blog. Then send the link to that particular blog post as a comment here. 10 best entries take home the CDs.
You've got until July 22 to complete the above tasks. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
We've got pictures of people baking!
We do. Only thing is, you don't actually see people baking baking in the pictures, 'cos as both you and I know, when there's this little thing called a camera around, people tend to drop everything, just so they could er, stop and stare and smile at the person holding it.
Anyways, the pictures are that of our Baking Workshop, the one we co-organised with CloveTWO.com, which was held at the Malaysian Institute of Baking (MIB) on Jul 5, 2008. We're hoping to run similar events in the near future, so take a gander at the gallery, to give you an idea of what to expect if you plan to join us next time.
As for the baking exploits of the lucky AMBP members who got invited to the workshop, click-click onto their respective blogs:
Oh, and there's one other gallery album you should look through too; it's pictures of what took place at our Smashin' Gathering on June 14, 2008.
Wanted: Fashion & Beauty Blog Writers!
Yep, this is a 'job' vacancy ad. And as the title clearly states, we're on the look out for a fashion and beauty blogger. The candidate must of course meet certain criteria. He or she :
must be passionate about fashion and beauty, with excellent knowledge of the latest trends, particularly of that in Malaysia.
should have a flair for writing women's fashion and beauty pieces.
will be required to post at least two blog entries per week.
ought to be able to spice up boring press releases, to turn them into interesting blog entries without fabricating facts and figures.
Naturally, your services will be remunerated accordingly.
If you're interested, and feel that you fit the bill, write to us at ambp at allmalaysia.info and tell us exactly why. We'll be waiting.
Had some problems contacting the fifth and final winner for the Bake Rattle and Role Contest (wrong contact info, ineligibility, not free to bake, etc), but the cookie crumbled, so to say, rather neatly in place in the end. Here then, is the final list of those who managed to win a place in the free baking workshop to be conducted by Dr. Baker, the CEO of the Malaysian Institute of Baking (MIB):
Congrats, and hope you enjoy the class tomorrow which btw, starts at 9.00am sharp. Please don't be late. I'll be there as well, and probably get my hands dirty too. Below is a map to MIB.
Finally, something unrelated, other than the fact that it's also a contest - a teaser for fans of American pop rock band OneRepublic. The boys will be in town for the 2008 MTV Asia Awards, so to commemorate their arrival here on our shores, we'll be giving away 10 copies of their debut album Dreaming Out Loud.
Find out how you can win a copy either in tomorrow's post, or more likely on Monday, depending on whether I would survive tomorrow's exertions, y'know, after all the kneading, breading and baking. Sigh, the things I do for you guys. ;-)
Good Thursday, all. Firstly, an apology. I realise I've been neglecting this space here of late, but trust me on this, I had a valid reason, and it's actually (if you look at it from a certain angle) a good thing for you. What the lack of updates here mean to you is that things are moving (or we are attempting to move things) behind the scenes.
Well, behind the scenes for you. I'm in the scene(s), fighting tooth and nail with bureaucracy, as well as a s..l..o..w server, and pulling my hair out figuring out how to find the funds to get some of the more ambitious projects we've planned earlier this year off the ground. Nevertheless, it's a good thing for you. ;-)
To make up for my recent absence here, this will be a long post.
It may contain some good stuff, a list of names of contest winners, a few contest announcements (one organised by Seagate, the other by us, naturally) and some drivel, but all in all, a long post.
Will you spare time to do good?
First up, a straight-up question. Will you lend a helping hand if we ran more community service projects? The sort of projects where you don't get anything in return other than a warm feeling inside because you've made a difference in someone else's life? Will you make the effort to get up on a Sunday morning, at a God-forsaken hour, just to travel a distance, to make some less fortunate kid's day?
Now, would you?
See, a while back, I called a friend of mine VJ (thanks, mate!), who's an active member of the Rotary Club, to ask him if the group would be interested in running a joint project with the AMBP.
VJ, being the helpful soul that he has always been, decided to get me in touch with Kavita, the President of the Rotaract Club of Kuala Lumpur (RCKL).
Recently Kavita wrote to me (e-mail below), asking me if AMBP members would be interested in taking part in one of RCKL's main community service projects. My answer: I'm interested, and I hope the members are, but I would have to find out from the members themselves. Hence, this post.
So, do let me know if you're psyched by this. Leave a comment (a simple 'yes!' would do). Thanks.
Hancock: A Different Kind of Superhero Contest Winners
Phew! It wasn't easy, scouring through the contest entries looking for the two best entries for the Hancock: A Different Kind of Superhero Contest; there were a number of genuinely funny, original, creative entries.
After much deliberation, the judges have decided to give the Sony Ericsson's to *drum roll* bloggers linkinpark822002 and isaaccheah, for their gut-busting entries Hancock: A True Story, and The Malaysian Superhero, respectively. (Instant classic: "Saya Cicakman. Siapa lu, hero asing?")
Congrats, guys.
WINNERS LIST
2 x Super Super Duper Prize
Sony Ericsson W660i (worth RM 750 each)
Limited Edition Hancock Name Card Holder (RM 120 each)
Kudos to all the winners! And thanks for participating.
More winners: Evangelion Cool Caption Contest
Another list of winners, this time for those who took part in the Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Caption Contest, all of whom win in-season double passes to watch this awesome anime.
Extra good news for the winners: since there weren't enough takers for the 50 double passes, we're giving these folks two (2) doubles passes each, which means everyone gets to take three other friends to watch the movie! Note that we will only do this if you request for it. Again, congrats, thanks and congrathanks.
The good folks over at Citrine One have alerted us of a competition Seagate is organising, one that may be of interest to you - bloggers - particularly those who have an eye for a good video/photo shot.
The 'Precious Memories' Competiton, which starts today is open to resident journalists, photo-journalists and professional bloggers, and all you need to do is upload an image or a vid clip at the competition microsite, one that captures a memory that stands out in your life, a precious memory.
Winners will be determined by popular vote and will receive either a Seagate or Maxtor hard drive and a cash bonus. The winning entries for Malaysia will then move on to the next stage - the Seagate Precious Memories regional competition - for a chance at winning even more great prizes. Heck, even voters get to win some cool stuff.
OK-OK, I'm almost done. Just want to remind those who took part in the Mariah Carey contest to look in their e-mail inbox - you know, just in case you managed to win something.
Also, for those who took part in the Bake Rattle and Role Contest - watch out for the winners list first thing tomorrow. We'll also buzz you to confirm your attendance, so get your handphones charged and ready.
After the energy-sapping Smashin' Gathering (more on the event tomorrow), I decided to take a short break, but I'm back, and I've got a factory-sealed message (y'know, to preserve freshness) that will be of interest to baking enthusiasts.
Along with our dearest sisters from CloveTWO, and friends from the Malaysian Institute of Baking (MIB), we are serving up a treat unlike any we've offered before. I'm talking about a free baking workshop!
The session will be conducted by the MIB's CEO Don Yong aka Dr Baker, and under his expert guidance, five lucky AMBP members (and a friend each) will learn how to make:
Sweet buns (with red bean, tuna and hot dog fillings)
Moist chocolate cake
Chocolate fudge &
Chocolate chip walnut cookies
The complete itinerary:
Bakin' with Dr Baker
Date:
July 5 (Saturday)
Venue:
Malaysian Institute of Baking, 11 Jalan 52/B, New Town, 46200 Petaling Jaya
Time:
9am - 1pm
Agenda:
8.30am
Registration
9.00am
Briefing on the recipes and a little theory on baking
10.00am
Baking session with Dr Baker
12.30pm
Q&A session & group photography (souvenirs to be presented to participants)
1.00pm
End
Now, class is in session - here's what you have to do to make the grade:
Step 2: On the same blog entry, tell us why we should pick you to attend the free baking workshop. Be as funny, as dramatic or as crazy as you want. We love crazy people. Note that entries will be judged based on originality, creative expression and entertainment value.
Step 3: Send the link to your blog entry as a 'Comment' here, on this Editor's Note post (Bake, rattle and roll). You've got until July 3.
Mornin' all. Busy day, so here's a quick post for the Evangelion fans out there.
We've got 50 in-season double passes for Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone to give away, and all you have to do to win one is caption an image from the movie. Details can be found on our Contest page.
You don't have to make funny faces...
...or put on awful costumes.
...or poke your eye out
...to win this one. In fact, it's so darn easy, you might as well give it a shot.
OK, that was awfully cheesy, but hey, I really gotta run so don't mind me; just join the contest.
Update: Contest deadline has been extended to July 4, 2008
