Christmas 2011 Celebration

The Christmas celebration hit the office on Friday afternoon. We had a simple eat in. Lunch menu includes sandwiches and macaroni with bolognaise sauce. But the star of the day was the roasted whole turkey from Beacon Point. We took a M size turkey (weighs around 3.5kg) with traditional chestnut and onions stuffing. It comes with cranberry jam, turkey sauce and some baked potatoes at a price tag of RM268. (Delivery not included and you need to bear with the snobbishness of Beacon Point proprietor) Yes, he gave me the F**ked Up look and tone when I enquire more when placing my booking. He don't seem to be bothered with my business since there are not many places which are famous for roast turkey during Christmas. Yes, perhaps he has the rights to have the "don't give a damn attitude"

Next, its present exchange time! Me got a Watson brand body shampoo from it~

My colleagues and their presents. Oh yes, the theme was WHITE, that's why the white shirts and dress~

The guys of Old Town White Coffee.... but we seems like promoting Starbucks. LOL.

The ladies of Old Town White Coffee.

On the next day, I kick started Christmas Eve with  a countdown event with the church INFUSE youth group. 

The youth room was well decorated and most of the decor includes improvisation of the halls decor of our Christmas event in PGS Hall on the 16th Dec.

Things took a kick start with the Chilli Challenge. You will get to see how far people are willing to go for a handphone and an mp3 player. 

First round being chilli sauce, second round using sambal belacan and third and final round unvealing fresh whole red chillies. We underestimated the participants by only preparing items enough for 3 rounds but there were more than half of the participants still in the game after the 3 challenges.

We have to raise the stakes by increasing the number of red chilies to be chewed and kept in the mouth unswallowed. Participants were asked to bear with it until the last man (or woman) standing walks away with the prize. 

Well, look at the torture people are willing to go through for that Samsung Corby handphone! Well, some of them gave up at this stage. Hehe... I think this is nothing compared to all the gross stuffs in the FEAR FACTOR challenge during this year Overcomers Conference like everybody grinding watermelon juice using your mouth and passing around for each other to have a share or pass-the-frog game using your mouth!!! But the prize this year was a Mac Book Air!!! But stuffing live frogs inside your mouth? That's a great sacrifice and hurdle to overcome before getting your hands on the RM3k+ grand prize.

Down to 3 finalist, we had to think of something to determine the winner. The showdown came to a speed challenge and girls won the first prize and third prize respectively (RM50 cash was allocated last minute since there were 3 outstanding finalists). Well, I think Marx "lepas water" (give chance) by finishing second cause he wanted the ipod shuffle, since he already has a good handphone.

Next, the INFUSE band rocked the house with some upbeat, modernized carols. Pas Matt followed with a short and meaningful Christmas message before we proceeded to our dinner/supper of Satay!!!!

The night toned down a little after the satay with some acapella songs, including Marianne and Darren's rendition of The Prayer. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, the music started to get louder with the Green Girls Band and Joel entertained us with a Green Day punk rock infused version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" before INFUSE Band took an encore with a rock version of "Angels We Have Heard On High".

Not many presents this year, besides family, there is only ONE present which I got from a friend. Very nicely wrapped. Not disclosing what's inside. But its the thoughts that count. =)

Got a pair of good Adidas shoes for mom. Not for sports purpose but mainly for the casual ladylike walking shoes. Since I already got a pair of shoes for dad last Christmas, I could not figure out what to get for him this year, I thought a bottle of Yomeishu will do the trick.

And I got a new wallet and a new contour pillow from them. Seriously they have been asking me what do I want as pressies. Well, at least I can identify these are my needs that I will be using them. Do I look like I'm a spoilt brat who will "extort" an iPad from them? Hehe... At least I pampered myself with a WHITE Christmas gift in the form of a new smartphone, Galaxy S+

 All in all, Christmas 2011 was indeed a blast compared to the year before. It was on a Sunday and I was worship leading that morning. And I unleashed a pigging out spree on Christmas eve dinner, all 3 meals on Christmas Day itself. Had breakfast and dinner in 2 different churches and a buffet lunch in my friend's open house. Heheheeee...

Until then, for the remaining days of 2011, its reflection time again and for some, setting some resolutions for the new year. Well, by the time I'm finished with this post, it should be time wishing you a great and COLOURFUL (like this photo) year ahead! =D

My WHITE Christmas. =D

I finally succumbed to peer pressure and got myself a smart phone. Well, I always wanted a phone which has wifi at least and with a slightly bigger screen. Initially I was contemplating to get the Wave 3 or Galaxy W as both were new models and priced at RM999 respectively. Wave 3 has a 4 inch SUPER AMOLED screen but runs on Bada OS. It has a classy unibody metal body. Galaxy W on the other hand duns on Android OS but with a 3.7inch TFT LCD screen with some "plasticky" was awkwardly designed.

 

 While I was checking out these 2 phones, I came across Galaxy S+ in WHITE! It caught me by surprise and I could not believe my eyes as the newspaper advertisement only promotes the SII, Note and Ace in WHITE. =D

Samsung Galaxy S+ (GT-I9001) has the best of both worlds of the Wave 3 and Galaxy W. It has a crisp clear display of 4" SUPER AMOLED (400X800 16 mil colours) and runs on ANDROID Gingerbread. And as a perfect finish, it is available in full WHITE. Performance wise, Galaxy S Plus is not laggy so far thanks to its processor clocking at 1.4Ghz Scorpion, an upgrade from its predecessor Galaxy S (GT-I9000) which clocks at 1.0Ghz Cortex A8. Besides that, S+ has an improved chipset (Snapdragon by Qualcomm) replacing its predecessor with a Samsung Hummingbird chipset. The S+ holds a larger battery capacity at 1650mAh, meaning longer standby time. Well, the only area which it lost out to its predecessor is the internal storage of 8GB compared to the previous 16GB. But 8GB proves to be quite sufficient if you do not plan to download the whole Android Market inside your phone. Furthermore, I was given a free 8GB external SD card in the package.

The S+ has the same dimensions with its predecessor, weighing less than 120g with a thickness slightly above 9mm. It has an autofocus 5MP camera which satisfy my basic needs of snapping pics on the go if I did not bring my digital camera along. Video recording at 720p proves to be quite sufficient too. The slight drawback would be there is no LED flash for the camera considering its an identical to the Galaxy S model which was a 2010 model. (FYI, S+ was released in mid 2011, but the WHITE set only available the week before Christmas) There is a VGA camera in front for video calls..... and to cure the urge to camwhore. =p

The "menu" and "back" button are well lit when touched. Despite it being in white, the lights were clear enough even if its not taken in the dark like the picture above. And yes, that's my current crush Shen Jia Yi as the wallpaper. =)

The Samsung Galaxy S+ is currently priced at RM1399. I got this price from a official Samsung dealer shop which offers a 2 year warranty. Those Ah Bengs in their make shift stalls can easily offer you RM1299 BUT with just a 1 year warranty. Since I've invested so much on the phone, why not go for the additional warranty as well? Furthermore, you might not know those Ah Beng shops will tamper your accessories or batteries by giving you fake ones. For the peace of mind, RM1399 comes with an 8GB card, assured original set with matching white earphones, charger, USB cable, free screen protector and software installation. I pampered myself and continued to be a loyal Samsung handphone user. =)

another bestie got married... o.O

 You know its time to beef up your savings and do a checklist on yourself that time is not always on your side when you noticed and witnessed friends walking down the aisle one by one. I have a few friends had their weddings and ROM this year. And some are into getting their own house. As I look into my bank account, I see the need for some savings as  this day would come soon... or rather, get a partner first. o.O

The latest to the addition is my course mate Wei Theng, who had her ROM on 10.10.10 but the traditional ceremony and wedding dinner towards the last month in 2011. The dinner was held in Hee Lai Ton Restaurant with an estimation of 60+ tables.

 Food in Hee Lai Ton tastes just slightly above average this time compared to Keem & Eric's wedding dinner on my birthday last year. Perhaps I have been dining in Mun Choong for 3 times in the span of 2 months. Well, the banquet hall seems grand (not much inferior compared to Tropicana Tai Thoong) but Mun Choong is undoubtedly the best option for your money if you really want GOOD and TASTY and well presented food in your wedding banquet.

 Only few of us who are "STUCK" in Ipoh made it for the wedding. Outstation friends are just too lazy to drop by. But looking back, that was one heck of a week. Christmas performances, rehearsal, 2 wedding dinners back to back with a wedding reception in church the morning after the Night Of Carols event. Gosh.... That's the tight schedule excluding events which I have to pass due to clashing with the weddings, like my company sports carnival in KL and my ex-factory's year end appreciation dinner.

The next morning I have to wake up early for the "fetch the bride" (jip san leung) ceremony. Yup, due to some pantang thingie and some auspicious date, this event was slot the day AFTER the wedding dinner.

Dress code was supposedly to be "pinkish purple" but I had trouble getting a decent purple shirt for myself. Giordano's designs are too "mass produced" as you can easily bump into a stranger wearing the same shirt as you on the streets. (Remember the "ME" series few years back?) Well, the search came to an end with me making a maiden purchase in G2000, a shop which a person with fresh grad earnings like me wouldn't dare to step in to make purchases.

*NEWS FLASH* The "ginger icon" series has finally reached the shores of Malaysia. My friend got this for me during her trip in Hong Kong's Giordano few months back. This marks the end of the period if being exclusive and unique =p

The best man(s) dress code - in pink tees and white pants. Gearing up to make a dash and take up the challenges we have in store for them before the groom is allowed to enter and meet the bride.

It was a fair game, 11 in pink versus 11 in purple. This is the lineup of the bridesmaids. So who do you think emerged victorious on that day? ^^

MeRRy chRistmAs

Chose this song for this morning I as led worship..... only to know that....

This is the Mandarin version. Another good friend of mine was singing this during the evening service in her church. Great mind thinks alike, don't we? =)

A simple post to wish my readers a BLESSED CHRISTMAS! more post to follow up soon since tomorrow is still a holiday.... =)

Ayam Penyet de Garden Ipoh

Finally, I found the opportunity to dine with some friends in Ayam Penyet De Garden Ipoh. Most of my friends, including my parents, are not fan of Malay/Indian food. Hence, it took me a huge delay to try it after its opening almost a year ago? AP is currently having some good lunch sets from RM9.50 which includes a drink. Ok, let's see what Indonesian food got to offer....

Kick started the meal with Gado-gado (RM4.50) which is abit similar to Indian Rojak. You get crackers, julliened cucumber, beansprouts and hard boiled eggs in a thick and rich peanut sauce. The degree of spiciness was not even mild, even a kid could handle this dish. Good for sharing but nothing spectacular to shout about as I still prefer the local Indian rojak.

This is their signature dish which the shop is named after. Ayam Penyet (or Flattened Chicken). The chicken is not deboned but you get a whole full drumstick (with the thigh) fried to get a crisp and dry exterior but maintaining a slightly succulent interior. Unlike the usual Ayam Goreng Berempah you find in your fave mamak shop in your neighbourhood, the flesh is not fried till very dry. Tastewise, it is mildly marinaded and not as flavourful as I would expect. The crispy flakes from the batter is supposed to be be "bumbu" izit? But it paled in flavour compared to the health hazardous bits of batter from your typical mamak Ayam Goreng Berempah. One set of this cost RM9.50. Ala carte comes at RM7.50 without the iced tea and the rice. YES, you would have to fork out another RM1.20 for the white rice if you go ala carte.

 There are other sets available.... My colleague had the Udang Penyet (RM9.90/set) Thank goodness the prawns were not flattened! Haha... Besides white rice, a portion comes with sides of kangkung, shredded cabbage, cucumber slices, fried tau kua (dried beancurd), tempe (fried preserved soya bean) and a dollop of a killer sambal. The sambal is tongue and lip numbing.... The cucumber slices and iced tea do not seem to be doing their part in dousing the red alert flame!

If you prefer something with gravy, try out their Rendang, available in chicken or beef. I'm not sure whether all portions will be served the drumstick part of the chicken, as all 3 plates of our orders received the drumstick portion. If you fancy some greens, try out the Sayur Masak Lemak (not my cup of tea due to the coconut milk). Come try AP! Well, after Burger King closed down (and Boston reduced their operation area to half their usual size), who knows who will be next in the guilotine list. This is Ipoh after all. Its tough to sustain for a above averagely priced F&B outlet. Merry Christmas everyone~

My Malaysian Christmas - Perak Combined Church Celebration 2011

This is a brief review on the Perak "My Malaysian Christmas" celebration which took place in Perak Girl's School Hall last Sunday night. It's an event participated by different churches in Perak, comprising different ethnic groups by under one umbrella, which is the body of Christ. Credits given to CT Ang Photography for the crisp clear snapshots of the night. I was having a tough time to handpick a few photos for a writeup here. You can search him up on Facebook for the full album of this event.

Christmas is a time to promote the spirit of giving. Well, you can say that I'm a skeptic but the only time politicians go into the spirit of giving is when elections are drawing near. I was somewhere at the backstage or loitering around but I knew its some land titles for Christian cemeteries presented by some local authorities or councillors I think. Nevertheless, we thank the state government for sponsoring this event as a platform for us to evangelize and to spread the meaning of Christmas.

 

Event started at 8pm sharp, or maybe earlier. I was there about 8 something, as my slot was on the second half of the night. The hall is said to be able to accommodate around 1500 people. And it was quite full when I arrived.

Event kick started with some cultural dances from different ethnic group. Well, 1Malaysia ma, what do you expect?  =p

Our Indians brothers giving an energetic dance. Perak was literally shaken, SERIOUSLY!

Well, even representatives from Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar took part. This shows that foreign workers ministry is growing since they have been a part of our community. I'm sure they found sheer joy to have a Christmas celebration away from home....

Another cultural dance.... Well, the story of Christmas revolving the birth and life of Jesus Christ was presented in BM by the Orang Asli group. The sketch was backed by powerful vocals from the children and adult choir, belting familiar tunes like You Raised Me Up, Silent Night, I Will Follow Him and You Are My Hiding Place.

The children in........ 1Malaysia costumes (again)

The choir...

A wide angle shot of the whole choir group.

Not forgetting those working behind the scenes. The orchestra. If I'm not mistaken, this is NOT the full piece orchestra which made its debut earlier in January in Stadium Indera Mulia for "last year's Christmas celebration"

The musicians which provided a more "upbeat kick"

The finale - flag bearers. The army of Christ marching on, making a stand in present society. Well, If you noticed, my writings on elaborating the photos are suddenly getting shorter. This is because I try not to "politicize" this event.

Well, I missed the sermon session shared by the President of NECF, Dr Eu if I'm not mistaken. I heard he gave a powerful message and was bold to speak his mind. Hopefully those people "up there" gets the message of integrity and see where we stand in working towards a better nation and country, in terms of governance and policy. oooppsss... politics. my lips are sealed now...

Having said that, why not go for a more independent event, a so called privately organized event by FGA Ipoh? If you missed out the Christmas Celebration on the 11th Dec, we will be having another one on Friday 16th Dec night. You will be hearing from Pastor Kenneth Chin on the meaning of Christmas. Trust me, he is an energetic and lively speaker and you will wanna hear from him more compared to a politicians speech on racial harmony and acts of fishing for votes.

Hence why not make a date this Friday. Well, good things don't come free, but at a small fee of RM10 onwards. Yup, tickets are still available in FGA Office and Perak Society Of Performing Arts. The event lineup will be fully in English. Get serenaded by the Genesis Orchestra, playing in full orchestra formation. You will be entertained with lively praise and worship, witness the powerful vocals of the choir and also live performances from top notch singers which have performed in many musicals production, namely Marianne Poh and Shirley Lee who sung in FGA's ARISE album. Juwita Suwito will be performing too and will duet with my friend, a handsome lecturer from UTAR by the name of Darren.

And, you will witness the months of preparation of the dance team. Yours truly have spent weekends and weekends of practices, sacrificing the liberty to be away from town to have a shopping and eating spree in KL. Well, for His Kingdom purpose and His glory, it's worth it! =)

Yup, this is the dance team which performed on the 11th Dec and we will be on stage again on 16th Dec to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. So mark on your calendar and get your tickets (I heard they will set up a booth on that night itself for walk-ins, but perhaps RM30 and RM50 tickets only available for walk ins). Hope to see you there! =)

This is the sneak preview of the event flow:

Evening Programme

Venue : Dewan Leong Wan Chin (Perak Girls' School)

Time : 8.00pm - 10.30pm

8.00pm - Opening Prayer (Pastor Ong)

8.10pm - Star wars theme/Joy to the World/Gloria/Hark the Herald (Instrumental)

8.20pm - Oh Holy Night (Acapella) The Picasso's

8.24pm - Breath of Heaven (Ms Shirley)

8.28pm - Away in a Manger (Instrumental Violin Solo)

8.32pm - Come all ye Faithful (Jeremy Guitar Solo) Band

8.37pm - MC introduces choir and conductor

8.38pm - Choir (Medley)

8.41pm - Choir (Silent Night)

8.45pm - Dance

9.00pm - Interval (15 mins)

9.15pm - Pie Yesu (Ms Marianne Poh)

9.19pm - Noel (Ms Juwita)

9.23pm - Believe in Him (Ms Juwita Suwito)

9.27pm - The prayer (Mr Darren Wee and Ms Juwita Suwito)

9.31pm - Sharing and altar call (Ps Kenneth Chin)

10.15pm - Closing/We wish you a Merry Christmas (Mr Kelvin Ooi)

For enquiries, please contact: 05-5472994

www.fgaipoh.weebly.com

Tickets are also available at

Perak Society of Performing Arts

No.28, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Tel: 05-5487814