Earlier tonight I spent some time cleaning up a track which James wrote, arranged and produced for me. We experimented on something entirely different from what I’ve ever done in the past so it was quite refreshing. Exploring new territories, but enjoying every single bit of it. *grin*

Yep, mum definitely had this at the back of her mind when I was still in her womb. Well maybe not EXACTLY like that. *laugh*

As dad reminisced and narrated the days when mum was pregnant with me, I finally learnt to appreciate the luxury of being able to enjoy the food I’m blessed with now. According to dad, he couldn’t afford to take mum out to eat the crabs she craved for during her pregnancy, but they eventually managed to buy 1 crab from the market which mum cooked and enjoyed by herself.

Today, each time I am blessed with a seafood meal with crabs, I think about that story dad shared and thank God for His provision in our lives. Somehow, with that sort of awareness and appreciation, regardless of whether it tasted great or not, no meal ever failed to satisfy. And that, always puts the smile on my face.

Since Sunday, THIS has been my staple diet. Lunch AND dinner. *sheepish-grin*

But how can you possibly blame me?

To me, being in Kota Kinabalu means 1 thing and only 1 thing when it comes to meals – SEAFOOD!!!!! *panda-dance* And my home for that here is Sri Mutiara. *big-grin*

Gosh, I can’t believe I’m still smiling cheek-to-cheek typing this.

Yummy! Mummy I got love in my tummy!!! *panda-dance*

Top up a great and economical seafood meal like this with Sri Mutiara’s signature coconut pudding and you’re set for the night! Sinfully fantabulous!! *grin*

Now marry the Diavel with AMG (which I’m a fan of! *grin*), and you’ll get the perfect synthesis of 2 extraordinary brands with a shared passion for exceptional achievement, unique design and conscientious attention to detail.

I have never been a fan of 2-wheels but I believe that has changed after meeting this handsome and oh-so-muscular piece of art.

Matt black carbon fibre bodywork, AMG’s signature five twin-spoke wheel styling, carbon fibre lateral radiator grilles with aluminium trims, AMG-styled sports exhaust system with engraved end caps and AMG horizontally ribbed seat upholstered in Alcantara leather… love at first sight! Haha.

Thanks to the team at Naza and Mediabond PR, I had the honour of hosting this exclusive event in… red and white! *grin* Graced by some of society’s most elite guests, the event was indeed a star-studded one (with the special edition Diavel being the biggest star, of course).

Dato SM Zulkifli SM Amin, Group Chief Operating Officer from the Naza Group Of Companies delivered a very passionate speech…

…and Kai Schlickum, VICE PRESIDENT of Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia summed it up with all the right words to lead to the most anticipated segment of the evening.

The Ducati Diavel AMG!

By the end of the evening, all 5 units were completely sold. Kudos to Naza!

All pictures courtesy of my Superwoman, Mechell Lee

…and these…

…and throw them into one of these…

You do the math. I must say that the producers of MyEG XtraTime totally deserve a gold medal for being so innovative. Seriously. *laugh*

Thank goodness I love my job, not to mention YOU so much (and I reckon hot mama Sazzy and gorgeous babe Diana do too) as to go such lengths to strip of all dignity and bare it all in the ring (or rugby field for that matter) for your personal amusement. So enjoy it while you can and make sure you watch all the repeats! Haha.

Jokes aside, I have to admit that the day spent at Merican Muay Thai with the Pros was indeed a rather therapeutic one, y’know, stress-relieving in many ways. All the frustrations of life – gone, in just the few hours at my attempt to emulate a “nak muay”. *laugh*

One of the fastest growing sports in the world, Muay Thai is interestingly more commonly known as “The Science of the Eight Limbs”, because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight “points of contact”, as opposed to “two points” (fists) in boxing and “four points” (hands and feet) used in other more regulated combat sports, such as kickboxing, boxing, and savate.

Ladies, I’d definitely recommend this as a sport to pick up, not just for fitness but also for self defense (to a certain extent, provided you commit to mastering the techniques) and stress therapy. And if you want to take it a step further and train competitively (yes women can compete too!), the centre is more than equip to help you out with that too. Ask Dzianti about it and I believe she’ll gladly guide you through with the best advice from a female perspective. She is one ironwoman!

According to Wiki, “in Thailand, Muay Thai being the national sport evolved from the older Muay Boran (ancient boxing), an unarmed combat method which would have been used by Siamese soldiers after losing their weapons in battle. Some believe that the ancient Siamese military created Muay Boran from the weapon-based art, Krabi Krabong (closely related to Silat) but others contend that both systems were developed at the same time.”

I definitely learnt something new today, hope you had fun with today’s chapter of “Bring It, They Made Me Do It” on ESPN’s MyEGXtraTime (Channel 812), just as much as we did. *smile*

Repeats will be aired today (Saturday) at the following times – 1.30am, 7am and 11am.

And if you need to get in touch with the team at Merican Muay Thai, here are their contact details:

3-2 BLOCK A (same row as CIMB Bank)

JALAN SOLARIS

SOLARIS MONT KIARA

50480 KUALA LUMPUR

DZIANTI MERICAN 012-3300280

I had a blast with you guys today despite the fact that I could only “read” you while you, on the other hand could see and hear me. No fair!!! Meantime, I enjoyed my very first “lor-mee-sua” meal which was…rather unique, yet somewhat yummy at that. Haha. I’m a “mee-sua” fan anyways so I guess that made all the difference in terms of meal appreciation, if there was such a thing.

Anyhoo, thanks for making time for me. I’m already looking forward to our next lil’ date in October, but till then, don’t forget to let us know who you’d like to see as a guest for the next session ya! Finally, here’s to Ren @ “The-walking-jukebox” and Mechell @ “Superwoman” for facilitating the fun-filled session. *group-hug*

p/s: So sorry, the video quality is so poor this time. Was using the iPhone and the lighting at the venue wasn’t too great so we had to make do with…THIS. Nevertheless, thanks for watching and thanks again for tuning in! Luv ya!

I had the privilege of spending some time with the very shy yet totally sweet Fiona Ho from The Daily Chilli earlier today over an interview for the portal. Despite her reservation with the camera, we managed to get her to say a few words, so here’s a very lucky shot on the Vlog for you! Gentlemen, meet Fiona

Meantime, with my meals on-the-go today I managed to sneak a plate of petai, all to myself. You could probably smell me from a mile away now… *laugh* Bucuk!!!!! Tapi sedap! *panda-dance*

But you know what? Interestingly enough, I just read that petai actually contains 4 times more protein, 3 times more phosphorus, 5 times more Vitamin A + Iron and 2 times more vitamins and minerals than apples.  PLUS, it helps with Anaemia, Blood Pressure, Constipation, Hypertension, Heartburn and even the prevention of Stroke! Not bad for smelly beans ay?!

Just FYI for first time petai eaters – it has a sharp odor because it contains certain amino acids that can give effect (in smell) up to 2 days after eating. Can you imagine how bad petai farts would smell?!!! Hahaha. Beware!!!

Anyhoo, I’ve said everything I wanted to say in this video, so just click on PLAY and watch! Meantime, gonna try and get some shuteye before I start the day again in another few hours. La la laaaaaa~ Meantime, have a brilliant day ahead and BIG hugs from this sleepy panda. Luv ya. Mwah!!!!!!!

p/s: If you’re having a tough week then always remember that

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. Brian Tracy

Smile!!

I was treated to a good start to the day (not to mention a really early morning *laugh*) TODAY, on the live set of MHI at Sri Pentas. Courtesy of multi-talented producer Nazrul, I found myself on the highest rated morning show with a team of well-spoken people. The theme: HARI RAYA!

For those who sacrificed their sleep-in to wake up early on a holiday just to tune in with us this morning, here’s a BIG thank you hug for you. *panda-hug* I am simply amazed at the level of commitment and discipline of the program hosts in diligently bringing us ON-TIME daily entertainment in the very early hours of the morning. Not easy. So hats off to these extraordinary guys! *salute*

And as always, here’s a Vlog of the ummmm….best part of most production assignments. Hahaha. Have a great weekend! Mwah!!!!

Picture from www.globalsurveyors.com.au

On the night of August 30, 1957, crowds gathered at the Royal Selangor ClubPadang in Kuala Lumpur to witness the handover of power from the British. Prime Minister-designate Tunku Abdul Rahman arrived at 11:58 pm and joined members of the Alliance Party‘s youth divisions in observing two minutes of darkness.^[2] On the stroke of midnight, the lights were switched back on, and the Union Flag in the square was lowered.^[3] The new Flag of Malaya was raised as the national anthem Negaraku was played. This was followed by seven chants of ‘Merdeka’ by the crowd.^[2][3] Tunku Abdul Rahman gave a speech hailing the ceremony as “greatest moment in the life of the Malayan people”.^[2]

Tunku Abdul Rahman announcing the independence of Malaya from the British on August 31, 1957 at the Merdeka Stadium. On the morning of Saturday, August 31, 1957, the festivities moved to the newly-completed Merdeka Stadium. More than 20,000 people witnessed the ceremony, which began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance included rulers of the Malay states, foreign dignitaries, members of the federal cabinet and citizens.^[4]The Queen‘s representative, the Duke of Gloucester presented Tunku Abdul Rahman with the instrument of independence.^[4] Tunku then proceeded to read the Proclamation of Independence, which culminated in the chanting of ‘Merdeka’ seven times with the crowd joining in. The ceremony continued with the raising of the National Flag of Malaya accompanied by the national anthem being played and a 21-gun salute, followed by an azan call and a thanksgiving prayer in honor of this great occasion.

[Quoted from www.wikipedia.org]

Picture from wealthythoughtleader.com

Today, Malaysia is an Independent Country thanks to the efforts of our forefathers. The fought for something they believed in and did not give in to the circumstances. They kept their eyes on the dream of independence and did not allow fear, doubt and the corresponding challenges to cloud their faith in the achievement of the ultimate goal.

It’s always easier to be like the rest, but winners always go the extra mile and do what others fail to do – persevere through the toughest of times. And remember, the closer you are to achieving your dream, the tougher it gets. But that is merely a sign that your goal is just an arms reach away. Don’t give up. Stand up for your dream and keep fighting! Have a great week guys. God bless!

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

-Dale carnegie