STEAM Toys

Have you heard of STEAM toys? No I am not talking about toys that give out steam. I am also not talking about STEAM that website that sells video games that you can download online. Basically steam stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics and these days to get their children a head start in school or in life, many parents these days are buying STEAM toys for their children to play with at a young age. Simply put, the advantages of playing with STEAM toys will help your child pick up skills that will give them an edge in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.

To give you an example of a STEAM toy check out the new LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential Set. LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential is the cross-curricular STEAM solution which engages students in hands-on investigation of STEAM concepts while contributing to literacy, math, and social-emotional development. There is plenty of content and material for teachers to conduct their STEAM lessons with the children. If you are a parent you can do it on your own too! Do also check out the standards-aligned learning units as well as the everyday themes, and relatable Minifigures with different personalities. For me I am just happy to be able to touch and play some LEGO with my children!

That said let us not forget STEAM education itself which uses STEAM toys and also trains students to take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. You might want to check out this student care centre at aljunied that uses LEGO to make learning fun for everyone. They are even offering free trial lessons and are one of the best student care centres offering enrichment programs.

In my next few posts I will review more STEAM toys stay tuned!

Why I love Japan Food

Hey there folks, 

It has been such a long time since I blogged. Well Nuffnang has once again got me out blogging again because they got a real treat for bloggers. And since I have been out of action for such a long while, pls do not blame me if you think my post is not up to mark!

Anyways I was supposed to be talking about Japan culture and especially their food. I have always loved Japan, in fact it seems that many girls just love Japan. Kawaii des!!! Did you know that the Japanese were the creators of Transformers? Japan is very strong in comics and anime and there are so many of them which I simply love. For example I like Hunter x Hunter. There is also Maid Sama as well as the Get Backers. While J Pop is now not as strong as K Pop, there is still Ayumi who is a big crowd favourtite.

Anyway the most important and loved part of Japan is definitely FOOD! Yes talk about ramen, sushi and all kinds of weird Japanese stuff. But seriously we are all quite tired of this routine Jap food. Want to know what is new and interesting? Check out Kentucky Fried Chicken battle of the WINGS!!! Im defintely choosing the Japanese-inspired tangy yet savoury Umadare (and what the heck does that word mean? Scratch headddd)

BATTLE OF THE KFC WINGS

Freshly breaded in-store with a special batter, these juicy wings are cooked to crispy perfection and coated in your choice of two bold flavours – choose between the Japanese-inspired tangy yet savoury Umadare and the Korean-inspired sweet and spicy Yang Yeum. Who will be crowned king of the wings? You decide.

A Day of Fun at the Alive Museum

Hello folks!

It has been a long time since I blogged. Well just yesterday I was fortunate to be invited by omy blog club to visit the Alive Museum at Suntec City. Thank you people at omy! They are one of the coolest and fun(nest) people on this planet, I'm sure! 

Introduction

Anyway before I go into details, more on this Alive Museum. The Alive Museum is Korea's first and original 3D entertainment attraction. Alive Museum first started in Korea as Trick Art Museum in Seong-eup, Jeju Island, and changed its name to “Alive Museum” in 2012. Since then, there are 15 branches of Alive Museum globally, making it the largest chain of 3D interactive illusionary art museum in the world. Outside South Korea, Alive Museum is also in Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, China and now (from June 2014), in Singapore. There are currently over 80 masterpieces in Singapore, of which 9 are locally themed and unique to our country.

Just to provide you with some layman understanding of this Museum, this is not a real Museum per se but a place where "art" is displayed to allow interaction with participants. Most people would be most familiar with 2D art or painting / pictures which are drawn in such a way that when taken with the human participant from a certain angle, it feels like they person exists together with the art piece. I will illustrate this with some pictures later. Besides such "trick art", there is also "digital art" where they use screens and videos as interactive art pieces, "object art" read 3D installations that let you pose and touch with, and finally "experimental art" - think there was one exhibit on this the Camera Obscura - there was a queue so I didnt bother with that.

Tickets and Prices

Category	Definition	Rate (S$)
Adult	13 yrs and above, including Senior Citizens	$25
Child	3 – 12 yrs	$20
Child	Below 3 yrs	FOC
Family Package	2 Adults + 1 Child	$60, every additional child at $10 (up to 3 child)

Opening Hours

Opens daily from 10am to 10pm (last admission at 9pm). Approximate Duration of Visit: 1.5 hours

Location

Suntec City Mall #03-372 (between Towers 3 & 4) Singapore 038983

PLEASE NOTE: Opening times may vary due to private events. Please check this page for notices of early closure before your visit.

Review

Overall, I think it was a great and enjoyable experience. The exhibits were really cool and fun. Well at the beginning some of the exhibits were kinda boring but as you progress you get to see more interesting stuff and as you interact with more and more art pieces it gets better too. The only problem was some people who were holding up the queue. These are the people who have to take pictures with every art piece. I guess taking photographs is "free" these days, you don't need to pay for film anymore. And with more digital natives around, these people keep on retaking to get their best picture to upload to their social media accounts or blogs. Well I was glad that after skipping a few stations and leaving these people behind, the visit got more pleasant too! Note to the Museum staff, you might want to have more "bouncers" within the Museum to do some crowd control.

Let me just share some nice pics here:

This is by far my favourite exhibit and the pic which turned out the best. You see Zhong Kui or some Zhang Yu look alike bashing through the door but Mr Pumpkin Head (that's me) stealthily crouching at the top corner of the room. How did I do that? Well you have to go to the museum to find out!

Take a look at these three Van Gogh paintings above. They are from the same painting but taken from different angles. Do you notice that the eyes seem to be looking at you no matter which angle you are taking the photo from? A clue to why this happens is this is an object art. If you cant get it, time to visit the Museum.

Another kind of exhibit challenges your visual senses. You can try this out at home and see if it works but you probably have to put the picture in full screen size to get a better effect. Oh yes along the way you see these red boxes with instructions on how best to get the effect that is intended. There are also markings on the floor to tell you where to take that photograph. Trickery is only successful when you follow instructions!

Conclusion

Well I did take many pictures but Im not the kind of blogger who shows everything. You can probably google and see each and every single exhibit online but that would ruin the fun wont it? Like I said earlier, the visit has been enjoyable and if you really got some time on your hands, why not come over to the Alive Museum? By the way, do also check out the below promotion while it lasts!!!

Promotion

---

To redeem, simply “Like” us on our Facebook and purchase a full-priced ticket.
Meal includes:

• Choice of a Fish’N Crisp or Chick’N Crisp burger
• 1 small fries
• 1 small coke
• Worth $7.85!

Hurry, offer ends 30 September 2014!

Burger King, newly opened at Suntec, is conveniently located beside Alive Museum Singapore at level 3, between Towers 3 and 4.

*Terms and conditions:

• Offer valid from 21 June to 30 September 2014. While stocks last.
• Present original Alive Museum Singapore ticket prior to ordering.
• Limited to one redemption per adult or child ticket at Burger King Suntec City only.
• Not applicable with other promotions, discounts and offers.
• Alive Museum Singapore and Burger King reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions without prior notice.
• Other terms and conditions apply.
• Photos for illustration purpose only.

Unwrap good times with the KFC Bandito Pockett

Hey everyone! I know it has been a long time since I last wrote it. It has been a crazy and long journey for me. Sometimes days go by without something to blog about. But hey what got me started blogging again is actually to introduce something that has gotten me up and running these days....

Anyways has life been treating u good recently? If you ask me I just go posted into this new department thats pretty crap. And thats not all. You meet new people new colleagues and new bosses. Some are good and some are bad. They always say life is not fair. Then you are also stuck with a lousy pay and also poor benefits. Going to work you need to squeeze in with the rest of the crowd and worse of all public transport is becoming unreliable and they even intend to raise prices. 

Sounds bad huh? Well things can get worse....I sure would want to wrap up my whole life you know so that we need not deal with all this unhappiness anymore

BUT WAIT why give up on life when there is good food to live for!

Unwrap good times with KFC Bandito Pockett!!

KFC Bandito Pockett packed with so many tasty ingredients, 100% chicken fillet marinated in signature hot & crispy flavor, served on a bed of fresh lettuce, with salsa and mayonnaise, all wrapped in a toasted tortilla. It is every KFC fan’s favourite wrap! Try it now to enjoy a good time!

 

 

Unwrap good times with the KFC Bandito Pockett!!!

Catch Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Do you what has been keeping me excited recently? Well if you are a Marvel's fan, just watched Iron Man 3 as well (and also got stuck to that catchy Blue Da Ba Dee by Eiffel 65), been crazy about Avengers, bought their DVD and also kept on watching the final post credits scene involving shawarma....then you must be a super Marvel' fan like me!

Let us also not forget there was another ending scene in Avengers which has bearing on my blog post today. Shall I do a short recap: We see the leader of the Chitauri alien force explaining the failure of their attack on Earth (led by Loki) to a mysterious alien, who turns and smiles at the idea of dealing with The Avengers would be “courting death itself.” This alien is none other than Thanos and most likely to be the villain for this year’s Thor 2. 

So to go deeper into the story, Loki and Thor return to Asgard in the Thor sequel and because of this ultimate bad ass, Loki and Thor have to work together to stop Thanos from getting the Infinity Gauntlet (what is it about these people and all their dwarf type tools!). So is Thor 2 what this Avengers trailer has promised? Let us have a quick look at the trailer first

Unfortunately the trailer does not seem to give much away does it? But it has such a ominous score that simply draws you into the story - telling you that YOU JUST HAVE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE! Thats all out, the way things are looking at right now, I seriously feel that this movie would be a bigger hit compared to both Iron Man 3 (which disappointed by the way) as well as The Avengers.

So what else excites me to catch this movie?

1) Check out Loki. He likes like an old man (ah pek in local speak) in the movie, but there is a growing group of supporters who seem to prefer Loki to Thor. Who needs the 'Hem'some brothers when you got Tom Hiddleston. Hes not the typical run of the mill kind of guy, but he oozes that kind of special charm that will sure get your hearts fluttering...do believe me just check out this pic...

Well ok I cheated a bit by taking that photo from 10 Sexiest Photos of Tom Hiddleston: For Those Who Prefer Thor's Younger Brother http://hotinkreviews.blogspot.sg/2012/06/10-sexiest-photos-of-tom-hiddleston-for.html trust me on this Loki will soon be the next big star

2) For the guys do not be disappointed because the second reason that excites me to catch this movie is none other than...wait for it....Natalie Portman! She is almost the same age as me and she is such a super hottie. I know you guys are still sore that she married ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied and even gave birth to a son (Aleph Portman-Millepied). The couple plan to relocate to Paris when Millepied's new job starts in fall 2014 and Portman has also indicated that she would like to become a French citizen when they move. So why should we catch Thor 2? Because we love to see Natalie Portman and secondly we never know when she may decide to be a full time housewife and stop acting.

“If you had Thor’s Mjölner for a day, what would you do with it?”

Well lets first ask ourselves what Thor's hammer can do. Other than thinking that I may have a major problem even lifting it without yet wielding it, it sure is a good accessory to have if you are planning to join the opposition (local joke here). Nevertheless, I think what our country needs is not only more underground space but also a better transport system so I say lets take the hammer out and get to digging and building (sorry more local jokes!).

Before I sign off, I really have to say that this is seriously a show worth watching. The ratings and box office sales are going to hit the roof and I can only say if you cant watch it early, better late than never....heres signing off....

Catch Marvel’s Thor 2: The Dark World

"Catch Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World” in Singapore cinemas this 31 October 2013! For more updates, like the Official Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World Singapore Facebook Page, and subscribe to the Official Marvel Singapore YouTube Channel!”

Catch Disney’s Planes Flying into Cinemas on 5 Sep 2013

Disney’s Planes

If you love Disney's Cars and adored Steve Mcqueen and his band of zany cars who help him race, then I am sure “Disney’s Planes” will be a hit for you. It is time that we move away from F1 fever and look at racing in the skys! First of all why not catch the trailer to whet your appetite a bit!

If you are curious about the movie, let me just reveal some of the plot without releasing any spoliers. Disney's Planes features Dusty, a good-natured, fast-flying crop duster who dreams of competing in the most exciting round-the-world air race in history. However there is just one big obstacle in his way – Dusty is afraid of heights! Well after you read this, you might realise that this storyline is slightly similar to Cars and also reminiscent of the recent animation movie Turbo. Just what is with everyone and racing recently? 

Well anyways Dusty has a bunch of his good friends who help him out and what is a movie without a badie! Enter defending champion Ripslinger who resorts to any means possible to make sure that Dusty does not win. Good friends who help you out as well as a strong competitor sounds like a similar plot to me again! Anyway you may wish to note as well that this movie almost became a straight to DVD release!

Anyways I will leave the ending for you to guess but right now I would want to promote the Disney’s “Say It With Planes” contest – http://bit.ly/SayItWithPlanes. Please do check it out, participants stand to win Planes movie passes & exclusive premiums. I just tried it out actually, You just need to type out a message and Disney's Planes will help you send that message to your friend ala with those plane clouds...So it is very easy to take part in this contest and I especially like the kid's planes t shirt hope I can win that and make a kid happy!

At this point I would also want to blog about someone who has inspired me to pursue my dream. I know it is a cliche here to highlight my mum, who has always been there for me and guiding me all the way offering me advice and who never ever doubted the decisions I have made. I know it is not Mother's day again, but thank you mum because without you I would never have achieved my dreams....

Well enough of that and remember to....Catch “Disney’s Planes” in Singapore cinemas this 5 September 2013! For more updates, like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow @disneystudiosSGand subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!”

Cant wait to catch The Lone Ranger!

Latest movie from Disney: The Lone Ranger

If you are craving for some Jerry Bruckheimer since those days of Pirates of the Caribbean, then you should probably know that you need not wait much longer, because coming up soon is The Lone Ranger, the latest movie from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films! This is an American action adventure western comedy directed by Gore Verbinski, and based on the American Old West character serials of the same name. The film stars Armie Hammer in the title role and Johnny Depp as Tonto and is set to release July 3, 2013.

The show is about a Native American, Tonto (who is portrayed by Johnny Depp), who recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (portrayed by Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice. The two unlikely heroes end up learning to work together and fight against greed and corruption. Sounds like a simple plot? Well I would not want to give too much away and ruin the movie experience. Why not check out the trailer below to get a glimpse of our heroes in action:

what excites me to catch “The Lone Ranger”

I think the trailer looks pretty exciting and cool and it is great to see Johnny Depp in another "out of the ordinary" character. I have been a great fan of Johnny Depp movies and who can forget his first ever break-out performance as Edward Scissorhands, followed by Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy? Other notable roles included Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd and even the Mad Hatter. Only someone like Johnny Depp can be eccentric enough to play such roles. The Lone Ranger will be another test for him and if I am catching this movie, I guess I am only doing so to watch Johnny Depp in yet another action movie.

So if you are a big fan of Johnny Depp like me, you have just go to catch this movie. Catch Disney’s “The Lone Ranger” in Singapore cinemas this 4 July 2013! For more updates, like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!”

Catch Disney’s “The Lone Ranger”

Catch Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University”

Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University”

Hey there folks! It's me the mad blogger. Been so busy that I have not been writing much lately. However whenever there are good movies out there, the Mad Blogger would sure be the first one to blog about it! Well ok that is a big fat lie but at least I will blog about it sooner or later. Without further ado, let me introduce “Monsters University” from Disney•Pixar!

I know you all would groan and say its back to school again, but hey Monsters University can only be fun! If you all recall the first Monsters movie Monsters Inc (if I recall that movie was so long ago and I couldnt wait for a sequel) it was a movie about two monsters, Sulley and Mike who need to go around scaring kids so that they can collect screams to power their home city. After having some problems, they ended up entertaining kids and using their laughs to power their city instead. 

You may be surprised by instead of being a sequel, “Monsters University”is more of a prequel set about 5 years before Monsters Inc happened. Check out the cool trailer below:

what excites me to catch Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University”

Well if it is a prequel, people who are fans of Boo (if you remember its the cute little girl who could not be scared) would be kind of disappointed because she would most likely not be born yet. But hey I am still looking forward to watching Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” because it is going to another quality production from none other than Disney Pixar and who doesn't love a cool animation that will bring tons of laughter and job. Best of all, you get to relive those university days, this time with a bunch of wacky out of this world monsters. Not to mention all the cool degrees you can get in monsterlogy! Everybody, it is back to scaring again so bring out all your ugly scary faces! Oh and if you have a chance to go to Tokyo, remember to catch the Monsters Ride there because it is a ton of fun!

Catch Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University”in Singapore cinemas this 20 June 2013! For more updates, like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!”

 Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University”

Iron Man 3

Yes another big bang movie has come to our shores. It is none other than Iron Man 3! Are you sick and tired already? If you ask me honestly I am but I guess there is some incentive to me if I write and blog about the movie here so I will just give this movie my usual two cents worth. Oh wait, I have not watched this movie, but I may be watching it because someone is pestering me to watch it, but hey, lets not talk too much in circles and go straight for the meat.

I am not going to reveal too much about the Plot here, but if you recall Iron Man 2 left us off with Iron Man defeating the bad guy known as Vanko and he also gets to meet Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. That was followed by the Avengers movie, where we saw Iron Man battle evil with the other goody two shoes. Well in Iron Man 3, we will see Tony Stark aka Iron Man save the world again (again I am going to stress I am not going to reveal too much of the plot and neither will I go read up on it simply because I have yet to watch the movie!)

Anyways why not start by watching the trailer to whet your appetite :)

If you ask me who my favourite Iron Man 3 character is (wait is this a trick question?), well it is none other than Iron Man himself. Well I was almost going to choose Pepper Potts but I guess that would be because she is a she and pretty. Haha, anyways I think we need a superhero, and Iron Man is someone who has some sort of a disability yet he uses science and his money to create an iron suit so that he can battle evil. Since most of the super heros have superpowers, Iron Man stands out because his superpowers can actually happen (who knows we might have REAL iron mans in the future).

So here comes my tagline....

Catch Marvel’s Iron Man 3 in cinemas April 26! You can also follow the Official Marvel's Iron Man 3 Singapore Facebook Page and subscribe to Marvel Singapore YouTube Channel!”

Disney’s “OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL”

Recently I heard that Disney just bought over Lucasfilm. With such renewed power in the entertainment industry, it is no wonder that Disney will soon conquer and take over the world (ok I am just kidding here). Anyway I am here talking about Disney because of their new film titled “OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL”.

Oz the Great and Powerful is an upcoming 2013 American fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi. Needless to say most people can guess that this film is inspired by the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But this seems to be a beautiful and wonderful adaptation of the book and also stars gorgeous Hollywood actors and actresses such as James Franco as Oscar Diggs, who is none other than the Wizard of Oz as well as the sexy Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz. 

So what is this movie all about? Basically, Oscar Diggs is a small-time circus magician who is transported to the  Land of Oz where he thinks he has found fame and fortune beyond what he has imagined. However he bumps into the witches Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. I shall not reveal too much of the plot here but it is about how Oscar finds himself and makes himself to be a powerful magician to save Oz.

Before I start rambling off too much let us first enjoy a short trailer clip of this wonderful movie: 

If you ask me what excites me in Disney’s “OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL” I have a feeling that it is the kind of movie that I would enjoy: a beautiful cast, an enchanting tale as well as mystery and magic. Seriously this is the kind of flick I cant wait to watch, and hopefully I do get to catch it before everyone does! 

So....

Catch Disney’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL in Singapore cinemas this 7 March 2013,  like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!

Disney’s “OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL”

Take Cyclone at Resorts World Genting

Hey there everybody!

I know most of you have been to Universal Studios Singapore and were crazy enough to ride battlestar galatica! Want more? Well head up to Resorts World Genting for the craziest classic roller coaster ride – CYCLONE! Yup, it’s back in business to get everyone thrilled.

Visit Resorts World Genting website for more details! Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas at Resorts World Genting

Hey Folks!

Christmas and New Year’s Eve is coming real soon but have you made any plans yet? If not, why don’t you join in the cool celebrations happening at Genting? There are lots of Christmas and countdown specials at various F&B outlets for you choose from.

Just check out this link to Resorts World Genting and see where you can eat watch rejoice and party!

Catch Wreck-It Ralph at Cinemas near you!

Wreck-It Ralph 

Once again, Disney has done it again by producing a great 3D computer animated adventure film that will drive kids nut and keep the family occupied and laughing! The story is about an arcade game villain who rebels against his role of a villain and dreams of becoming a hero. You guessed it right, Wreck-It Ralph is supposed to be the bad guy who is smashing things up, in comparison to the good guy in his game, Fix-It Felix. Guess he wants to give up this career of smashing things. Anyways, he travels between games in the arcade, and ultimately must eliminate a dire threat that could affect the entire arcade, which incidentally turned out to be something he started. 

Check out the video of this latest movie here

Anways looking at this cool trailer and movie, my favourite game character is still Wreck-It Ralph. I wonder why Disney did not name it Wreck-It Willy though haha (since it is Fix-It Felix). Anyways, I think it sucks if you are a good person but you are forced to be a villain. It was great of Ralph to have his own dreams and not just give in to fate. I have always been a fan of Disney movies and of course cool animations hence I am definitely excited to catch Disney’s WRECK-IT RALPH!

Catch Disney’s WRECK-IT RALPH in Singapore cinemas this 20 December 2012 and like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!

Ice Cream Buffet

Hey do you crave ice cream?

Check out the Ice Cream Buffet happening at Coffee Terrace, Maxims Genting, from NOW to 1 January 2013.

For more details go to http://www.rwgenting.com.sg/en/fb/buffet/cterrace/promo.htm

Genting's Late Night Shopping

Resorts World Genting Late Night Shopping

Did I hear it correctly? Yup it is the S word not the four letter word (ok maybe it can be spelt with four letters) but what I am trying to say is shopping. Yeah the dreaded S word that maybe all girls love and not all guys like. Well if you want to do some shopping, have I got the place for you to do it!

Ever heard of Resorts World Genting? Well there is this shopping mall called First World Plaza there and just because it is Christmas soon and Santa Claus is coming to town, all the shops in First World Plaza will be open from 10am to 1am, between 9 November to 31 December! The First World Plaza has got to be the coolest, if not highest shopping destination in Malaysia. There are more than 60 Retail and 70 F&B outlets plus attractions for all ages! So yes boys and girls, not only can you shop but dine too. If you want to have a look at the shops that First World Plaza has to offer, do check out the link!

At First World Plaza, you can enjoy over 500,000 sq feet of entertainment and shopping galore; from the newest designer clothes and accessories, to exciting indoor theme park rides and yummy gastronomic delights that will keep you coming back for more! So don't miss this opportunity - take time off to pamper yourself, or simply entertain friends and family to some good food, great entertainment and excellent experiences.

With all the songs, shows and performance, it is never be a dull moment at First World Plaza! And let's not forget Genting Theme Park's very own adorable mascots who will be delighting the crowds too!

If you are into Carlo Rino, you are in luck too because there is a pre-sale going on. So hurry everyone come on down to Resorts World Genting First World Plaze now!

Once again click on this link to check out First World Plaza I assure you that you wont be disappointed!

My Trip to Bintan Lagoon Resort

My Trip to Bintan Lagoon Resort

It has been a crazy recent weekend for me. So crazy that this write-up deserves to be decent. I had actually received a phone call from Nuffnang (check out the icon on the top left of my blog) on Thursday 4 Oct asking if I was interested to go for a 2 day 1 night trip to Bintan. I would be departing on Friday 5 Oct. It did take me some time to sort out my schedule. The trip would be fully sponsored but I would have to write a review of the resort (which was Bintan Lagoon Resort) in return for this free trip. The food and drinks were sponsored and participants could also take part in some of the activities free of charge on the morning of the second day. All in all it was a fantastic experience. I can only say that I will write an unbiased review of the resort but also do some advertising for the companies that have come up with this program.

The main players of the trip include Journeyful, Mozaic Hotels & Resorts and Bintan Lagoon Resort. Journeyful is actually a integrator and they have put together a social networking platform together with the resort booking system, ferry booking system as well as travel agencies contact. Then there is Mozaic Hotels & Resorts which is a hospitality management company that does all the sales and marketing for Bintan Lagoon Resort. Other than Bintan Lagoon Resort, MHR also manages Bann Yin Dee Boutique Resort in Phuket, Thailand. In addition, they have also launched its own ferry service; Mozaic Ferry Lines. Not only does the ferry get to dock at the door step of the resort, guests are given private access to the resort’s dedicated immigration counter, cutting down on a lot of waiting time.

Now on to my review proper. First of all, I decided to break my review into a few posts. That way, I can pen my thoughts into smaller chunks and into separate posts:

Day One: Arrival and Tour of Resort

Dinner on Golf Course and Sky Lantern Release

Free and Easy Day 2 and End of Trip

It has been a fantastic trip. The bonuses that came with the trip made it even sweeter. Of course once again I have to thank Nuffnang as well as Journeyful and Mozaic Hotels & Resorts for this excellent organised trip. Till next time!

Day One: Arrival and Tour of Resort

Day One: Arrival and Tour of Resort

Arrival at the resort

The good thing about going to Bintan Lagoon Resort was that the ferry really brought us to the doorstep of the resort. This really saved us some travelling time. Our passports were taken away from us in advance for immigration clearance, which was pretty impressive. But an area for improvement would be for departure immigration clearance. One thing was that we had to get our passports back from the concierge and if there were other people queuing up then you would probably have to wait a long time to get it back. And who knows if they will make a mistake and your passport ends up with someone else? If you ask me, if you want to give special treatment you give it all the way. Oh and another thing, the electricity got cut off at immigration when we arrived. Pretty interesting; wonder why they even have this immigration counter!

Nevertheless enough about my grouses with immigration. Time for some happy pics. Guess who received upon arrival? No other than Sponge bob and (is that) Donald Duck?

After clearing immigration, we were whisked to the resort. While most of the participants took a shuttle bus, I had the chance to be whisked in a golf buggy. You have to pay rental to actually take a ride in one of these. Then we came to the Resort lobby and we were given a warm towel together with a welcome drink: a glass of refreshing home made lemonade...

My Room at Bintan Lagoon Resort

We then proceeded to our rooms. It sure wasn’t too shabby. The room was big enough for more than 2 persons and there was a balcony too. A pity this would only be a one night stay. While the room was facing the sea, from our room we couldn’t really see the ocean. Anyways I still think the room was pretty good enough for me.

Press Conference

After resting in the room for a while, we then made our way to the press conference by bus. This is actually the first time I am attending such a press conference. It was difficult hearing the boss speak and I did not really catch his words. I did enjoy the food though.

Tour of Resort

After the press conference we had a tour of the Resort and visited several areas. Did you also know that there are landed houses in the Resort itself that is open for sale? They are not cheap though. I guess if you really have no better thing to do with your money and you are crazy about golf and maybe Bintan, you can buy one of the houses there. Also take note of the Leisure Centre here as well as the Sports Activity centre. At Bintan Lagoon Resort, some of the things you can indulge in includes biking (they have single bikes, tandem bikes and even electric bikes – works somewhat like an electric scooter), ATVs or All Terrain Vehicles, then there is also archery, laser quest, video games like Wii, PS3 and XBOX360, waterball (you get to run around in a giant ball which floats on the water), bungee bounce, paint ball (I did not get to see the bungee bounce or paintball war zone though). Then there were the more popular water sports like the banana boat ride, flying fish ride as well as snorkelling. For those who prefer to relax, you can always get a beach massage.

Dinner on Golf Course and Sky Lantern Release

Dinner on Golf Course and Sky Lantern Release

Dinner

After the tour of the resort, we were once again whisked away and this time to a golf course whereby pretty tables have been set up. It so so looks like an outdoor wedding if you ask me. And i quite like the blue colour. We waited a long time for dinner to start. Apparently the food was not ready. On the other hand, some food which was already ready was just sitting there and the flies were tackling them with glee. Fortunately, some folks started sitting down at the tables and very soon after that dinner started.

Sky Lantern Release

I would say that the highlight for today was what came next. This was the release of sky lanterns at the beach. Sky lanterns come from a popular Thai festivity and are an emblem of blessing and hope. Releasing them is akin to bringing forth good luck. I sure hope that is true because I got to release a few (shhh dont tell anyone about this because I burnt up one or two lanterns too!) Jokes aside it really does take some skill to release one of these lanterns. First of all you have got to make sure that the lantern does not have any existing holes. Because how it works is that there is a piece of solid fuel, yes those kind which you use for camping, hexamine if I am not wrong, which you attach to the base of the lantern by inserting it through a metal wire. You then have to set this piece of hexamine on fire, being very careful not to burn any part of the lantern (which I have failed to do so for some lanterns) and then hold on to the lantern for a while so that the hexamine can really start to combust. And once it combusts, a whole lot of hot air is released and that is when the lantern would start to fly!

It actually costs $10++ per lantern so I think I was burning more money than lanterns but of course it was free of charge for the participants. Anyways this was a pretty simple activity yet to me it is quite a unique experience so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you thought the night ended there and then, you are wrong. There was even a post dinner party and drinks at Silk (the name of the bar at Bintan Lagoon Resort). I did pay a visit to the bar, just to have a look see, but I didn’t stay for the party. Hope those who went had a good time!

Second Morning Breakfast

After a good night’s rest, it was time for the second day’s activity of the trip. This is when you get to enjoy any of the free listed activities (I have highlighted these activities earlier in my other post). Before embarking on this fantastic quest, I had a buffet breakfast at the restaurant called Kopi-O. Nothing special there though. Just your normal breakfast and I was also saving some space for lunch, because surprise surprise lunch is going to be free too and you get to check out any of the F&B establishments in Bintan Lagoon Resort. The suspense was killing me because at that point of time I still did not know which restaurant to go to.

Free and Easy Day 2 and End of Trip

Free and Easy Day 2 and End of Trip

Well anyways, it was time for the free and easy leg of my trip I scouted out the Resort and made a note of the things I wanted to try out. Getting a massage was top of my list. It was quite a worthwhile massage as it lasted for quite a bit and my body did get a relaxing fix. I do not remember ever having a massage before, and the part when the masseur tugs and pulls on your fingers and toes is pretty scary if you ask me. Well I did survive the massage in the end. Other than the massage, I also had some time to go on the ATV ride. It was really fun and you get to splash in the mud (not myself but the ATV does gets splashed in the mud a bit and your legs will usually end up a little dirty). I also wanted to try out the banana boat ride and the flying fish. Unfortunately I was not able to find enough people to perform the deed (a minimum of 2 persons are required for the flying fish and a minimum of 3 persons for the banana boat ride) before the weather turned a little bit bad.

Anyways, I still had a great time nonetheless. Next was lunch. Because of the weather, my lunch options were narrowed. Of course you can always choose to venture some place far, but then the obvious choice was to have lunch at the resort itself. There were a few options, one of which was Kopi-O where I had my breakfast. Then there was also this Japanese restaurant. The choice was obvious. And I got a bigger (or should I say biggest) shock in my wife when we could order anything in the menu and it would be on the house...that is absolutely crazy and till today I still cant really believe it. Well needless to say I ate like a king. It was a very sinful meal. I would say that the actual prices were exaggerated a bit and on the high side, the food was slightly above average but could be better. But given that the food was free I am not complaining!

After lunch guess we had to leave the island. So sad! Wish the programme was much much longer like maybe a week haha so everyone can just laze and eat at Bintan! Well at least we had a late check out. There was a short kershuffle when the Bintan Lagoon Resort staff asked me to pay for the ATV saying that it was not included as a complimentary activity. I brought it across to them that their staff had actually said that it was complimentary. He left to do some checks, and later returned to inform that I was free to go.

With that I left Bintan with a smile and happy heart :)

How to be a Brave Heroine - Catch Disney Pixar's Brave!

Hey there everyone! It has been a while since I last blogged on my blogger. This time I am going to do a partial review of the upcoming Disney Pixar animation known as Brave! How to do a full review when I have not watched the movie right? Anyway I have super good vibes about this movie - as with all Disney Pixar movies. This includes the Toy Story series, Up (remember the Uncle with the balloons on his house), Monsters Inc (heard there is some Monsters University sequel coming up), The Incredibles, Finding Nemo as well as WALL-E, my favourite outer space animation flick. Oh and in this post of mine I am also going to talk about the greatest Heroine in my life (definitely not talking about heroin here and not referring to Princess Merida) and why do I think she is the greatest.

First of all, why not we all sit down relax and have a look at the exciting trailer from Disney Pixar's latest blockbuster movie Brave!

So what exactly is this movie about? Set in the medieval times, people who love princes and princesses or even castles or robin hood will simply love this movie. Set in Scotland, the story starts off with King Fergus of Clan DunBroch as well as his young daughter Princess Merida. As her parents planned to get her married off, things get a bit out of hand. While the young sons come to compete for Merida's hand, Merida has a falling out with her mother. Her mother burns her bow, a favourite gift from her father and she flees into the woods, only to be given an evil spell by a witch to change her mother into a bear.Unknown to her, this is a permanent change and the story resolves around how Merida tries to break this spell, with some twists and turns as even more people turn into bears! Of course being an animation, the story ends with a happy ending, and both mother and daughter rejoice, not with some tears and pain tho!

Right here, I also wish to dedicate my blog post to the greatest heroine of my life. Who else than my mother, of course! Like in the story Brave where Merida has a falling out with her mother, and eventually regrets what she has done and knows how important her mum is to her, I too have had clashes with my mum. But we all know mum knows best and always has our interests at heart. Furthermore, my mum has toiled and never rested a single day to bring me up and also to cook the very best and nutritious food for me and my brother too! So mum, I know it is not Mother's day but this blog is for you. Even if the movie Brave does not talk about a mother, I would still have written about my mother being my greatest heroine. Needless to say, my mother has been the bravest in whatever situation, and I guess we should all thank our mothers for being there for us.

Well now let us just hope that the movie will be as good as my mum! Catch Disney • Pixar’s BRAVE in cinemas this 8 August 2012 and like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow the @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!”