I am a person who probably has too many hobbies, and one of which that has been along with me for a long time (but never really got started) was model building.
As a young kid I used to drool at model kits at shopping malls but never did have the wallet to afford them. Those scale model sports cars, bikes, tanks, fighter jets, and of course, battle ships too.
model ship brought from Vietnam – the Napoleon
The closest I got to realizing this hobby was this model ship that I got from Vietnam many years ago while traveling there for work. It was the Napoléon, a 90 gun ship of the line of the French Navy launched in 1850.
The model is hung from the ceiling right next to the book case, and while looking pretty cool from afar, it really lacks detail and is a cheap ready-made model ship that wouldn’t impress anyone who look at it closer than 5 feet away. The accuracy of this particular model is yet another issue that we shouldn’t bring up.
HSM Victory with stunning details
And then I was introduced to DeAgostini’s HMS Victory available at www.buildthevictory.com.my.
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy that was launched in 1765 and most famous as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The battle ship is in fact preserved until today at Portsmouth, England.
HMS Victory is preserved at Portsmouth, England, from google map
Anyway, back to the model ship.
You can now build your very own 1:86 detailed scale model of this famous battleship right at home. The model comes with wooden hull pieces, metal cannon, all the sails and rigging, and even crews and Admiral Nelson at the helm.
How do you get this? By subscribing to the magazine. (yep, surprised me too)
the first issue, with DVD, sand papper, glue, and first set of kits
Every weekly issue of the magazine comes with different pieces of the model along with the instruction to build them. Some issues even comes with other free gifts as well.
I was fortunate enough to be given the first issue to check it out and I gotta say I was quite impressed. The issue comes with 4 pieces of laser cut wood that makes up part of the hull, glue, and parts that makes up a canon, together with the magazine with instructions and a DVD.
look at the size of the canon, made of wood and metal (yet to paint tho)
I followed the instructions and tried to assemble the tiny little canon that’s actually made of metal. While it wasn’t easy to handle, it actually wasn’t very difficult either. The result was a canon that’s barely half the size of an AA battery. I’ll have to actually paint it first before glueing them together for the complete assembly to look perfect, but I can do it!
If you subscribe to the magazine, there are 4 other free gifts you’ll get as well
the next issue
magazine binder
magnifying glass with holder
model tool kit
I think the neat thing about building model with the magazine subscription method is that when you do this week by week, the task doesn’t seem insurmountable. A model ship comprises over a thousand part does take a while to get finished, but since you don’t need to get everything all at one go it is definitely much easier to handle.
A side benefit is that if you accidentally mess up or lost certain parts, you can just purchase that particular issue and not having to re-purchase the entire set.
The HMS Victory comes in 120 issues and you can subscribe at www.buildthevictory.com.my. Do check it out!
If you went to astro.com.my lately you’d have noticed something different.
The top banner right under the navigation bar is now scroll-able to the right, and give it a try, scroll it right and keep going on, and on, and on, and on….
this image is 600 pixels, the whole banner is 61,500 pixels long
It is in fact, the currently the World’s Longest Online Banner record holder, and this is made possible in conjunction with Astro On-The-Go’s “Where do YOU want Astro On-The-Go contest” that encourages users to submit a photo of them in the most creative locations enjoying Astro On-The-Go.
The contest ran from July to August and I wrote about it in this previous entry, very cool to finally see the end product of it. The banner actually tripled the previous record set by BMW.
And remember the Astro On-The-Go Human-iPad showcase that we got to sample in that same pool party a few months ago? Astro put on this compilation of the videos captured while the campaign was showcased at various popular locations in Klang Valley.
The video has achieved more than 260,000 views in a month. Check out the video here.
Did you know that this is in fact Asia’s first ever Human-iPad theatre, I just think the effect is really cool.
For those of you who hasn’t checked out Astro On-The-Go yet, it is now available in more devices. You can watch some of your favorite shows, including Hollywood blockbusters – The Avengers, Cabin in the woods, The Proposal, and local favourites – Ombak Rindu, Adam dan Hawa..etc. and even Korean dramas.
And by the way, I wanna congratulate the winners – Soo Siew Kuan, Ahmad Faizal bin Hashim, Tan Siang Leng, Ng Pui Hai, Fariza Ilyani binti Mustaffa, and Khairul Faizal bin Jamaludalin. They walked away with iPads & Astro On-The-Go merchandises.
The folks that brought you the first taste of Croation food in Malaysia with Dubrovnik at Mont Kiara (closed this year) is now operating one of the new outfits at the recently revamped Life Centre – Amadeus Bistro and Wine Bar.
Update: this place is permanently closed
Amadeus at Life Centre, check out the wine dispenser
With Mozart playing at the back ground and the tastefully decorated interior, the bistro gives diner a feel of European dining experience, complete by the lovely proprietor – Dina Djumic. The illusion is perfect other than when Dina starts speaking in Malaysian …
Anyway, lets get on to the food. We were invited for the grand opening of Amadeus as well as a food review session a week after to sample some of their unique dishes, hosted by the super friendly Dina.
We started out the night by sharing a few appetizers.
The Spring River’s Duck Terrine(RM 24) was a unique introduction to Amadeus’ food. Duck meat emulsified with fat and pressed together with a few other ingredients almost like pate but much coarser in texture. A little sourish and savory at the same time, a dish that takes a little getting used to but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.
Ahmed’s Mediterranean Bruschetta (RM 16) is something a lot more familiar to the Malaysian taste buds.Grilled capsicum, onions and aubergine topped with melted fetta cheese. The accompanying dips made it complete.
Fresh Mussel Rockafella (RM 22) is prepared by baking half shell mussels with garlic parsley and bread crumbs. The dish comes with a bit of salad to clean your palette too.
Then there’s Gustav’s Cured Norwegian Salmon (RM 26), cured with citrus and vodka, then wrapped around a chunk of dill cream cheese. The side of salad with vodka and citrus dressing was almost like a cross between Thai and Russian, I’m not sure if I liked it, but the salmon was excellent.
Highlander’s Wild Portabella Soup and Manhattan Seafood Chowder
We sampled the Highlander’s Wild Portabella Soup (RMM 16) as well as the Manhattan Seafood Chowder (RM 16). Both were thick, creamy, and full of flavor. The side of baguette toast made them even better.
The mushroom soup was easily one of the bests I’ve had, on par with the one at Favola. Seafood chowder held up on its own as well, it could probably use a bit more seafood chunks, but at RM 16 a pop you can’t really ask for more.
Carlos’ Secret Lamb Rack, Schmikel’s Duck Confit
Our first couple of main dishes were Carlos’ Secret Lamb Rack and Schmikel’s Duck Confit.
The lamb sat on top of a generous portion of smashed potato that looked equally as good as it tasted. They didn’t over cooked the meat either, retaining the juice that makes lamb rack such a delicious dish, we practically chew it down to the bones.
Duck confit though, was pretty average to me. It failed to impress and I thought the meat was just slightly too dry for my liking. The risotto accompanying the duck makes it a full meal.
Zoran’s Homestyle Beef Goulash (RM 32) was one of my favorite dishes of the night. Tender stew beef with full flavor “sauce” seasoned with paprika and other spices, serves with the same excellent smashed potato too. It was awesome, fittingly the national dish of Hungary.
The pastas served at Amadeus were pretty decent as well, we tried their seafood pasta and another spaghetti dish with a big chunk of perfectly seared salmon on top. These were pretty good pastas for those who prefers the more familiar tastes.
Red Velvet Cake, Yellow Lemon Cheesecakes , baked by Dina herself
Desserts at Amadeus are baked by Dina herself. We tried her Red Velvet Cake, Yellow Lemon Cheesecakes, and Sachertorte.These were some of the most delicious cakes, and I suspect mainly due to the fact that they are freshly baked on location everyday. Don’t miss them if you have any stomach spaces left.
As the name suggest, Amadeus Bistro & Wine bar has a full bar and serves cocktails as well as a good selection of wine. They also have a handy wine dispenser that allows easy tasting and ordering of wine by glasses. I took the opportunity to have a couple glasses of Riesling to go with dinner.
some of the foods during the launch of Amadeus Bistro & Wine Bar
We had a great time at Amadeus with excellent food and even better company. I believe this place will be a success, the menu and prices are right, and it is a pretty good location especially for office execs looking for a good dinner & happy hour to some time during rush hours. That being said, it is also a place you should check out over the weekends if you’re looking for that bit of Eastern European flair.
I’m sure we’ll return.
Address: Amadeus Bistro & Wine Bar Life Centre, No.20 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur GPS: 3.15378, 101.70870 Tel: 03-2162 2788
I guess I must be one of the last person to have ventured into the second most exciting food court in the country – Food Village at Publika, Dutamas – the newest non-halal food court apart from my favorite of all time, Lot 10’s Hutong.
A couple weekends ago I found myself at Publika and hungry, and after mentally crossing out most hipster restaurants in the building, we decided to check out the food court. A place that I’ve heard good things from quite a few friends and colleagues alike.
BM Yam Rice at Food Village, Publika – pretty good crowd there
But what caught my attention was this stall that goes by the name of BM Yam Rice. I actually have two ex-gfs from BM (both are married now, thanks for asking), but never did hear about this BM Yam Rice place (maybe that was the problem)…
two sets – yam rice with mixed pork soup and pork knuckle
Horng and I ordered two set lunches – mixed pork soup, and the pork knuckle set. Both are priced at RM 9.90 and comes with yam rice, a side of braised egg with tofu, and the main dish.
The mixed pork soup turned out to be a beauty, plenty of pork belly slices, pork tripe, intestine, couple of pork balls, and even my favorite – coagulated pork blood. The soup had a slight sourish taste which goes well with yam rice, and I love the fact that they loaded the soup with Chinese parsley too.
pork slices, innards, and even pork blood, yums!
The pork knuckle with soya sauce (a version of tau eu bak) was not too shabby either. Though you don’t get the variety as you would with mixed pork soup, the pork knuckle was tender and tasted rather good especially when you pair it with the chili paste that accompanies the dish. It’s not quite as awesome as proper sambal but I’m not complaining.
I think I’ll have to try their other dishes at BM Yam Rice stall the next time I find myself at Publika.
Address: BM Yam Rice
Food Village
UG1, Publika Shopping Gallery, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur GPS: 3.170961, 101.665721
Unofficially, football must be one of the most played games in Malaysia. I remember one of the first Pendidikan Jasmani classes back in primary school where we started out with stretchings and some light exercises, then were given a football to be played with some make shift goal posts (usually with some water bottles).
Fast forward a couple decades later, I’m still playing football on a weekly basis (futsal mostly though). The only thing that’s changed from those primary school time is my age, and that we have “proper” goal posts now.
This is where MILO Cans come in and asks an interesting question – why not go crazy and design your own goalposts?
MILO Cans goalpost at kelana jaya SS 5 – twisted football!
To me, this is how you bring back the fun and back to football, with MILO Cans Twisted Football.
OK, so what is this wacky looking thing looming over the “traditional” goalpost and how do you use it?
Well, that would be the twisted goalpost design by you, and if players score a goal in between the traditional goalpost and the green twisted goalpost, the team gets two points instead of the usual one point. That makes the game a lot more interesting isn’t it? Higher risk, higher rewards. 😀
KY’s MILO Cans goalpost design – supposed to be a burger & drinks, hehe
So what’s in it for you and how do you participate?
Head over to MILO Cans Twisted Football facebook app page and you too can design your own custom goalpost simply by using a drag and drop interface provided. From 1st Oct to 11th Nov 2012, there will be three weekly winners who will walk away with Branded Wi-Fi 32GB tablet each. That’s 3 winners per week.
Details:
Go to the “SUBMIT ENTRIES” page.
Using your mouse and the shapes provided, create the craziest goalpost you can think of for Twisted Football. Impress our judges with your ideas.
Ensure your design fulfils these judging requirements: relevancy, competency, creativity, practicality and originality.
Give your goalpost a witty name. It can be in English or Bahasa Malaysia.
Submit your entry.
Furthermore, at the end of week 6, the 18 weekly winners will be in the running to win 2 grand prizes of RM 5,000 cash each, and the goalposts will be made a reality. Imagine how cool is that to have your very own Twisted Football goalpost in real life? You’ll at least make a few friends jealous, I’m sure.
Grand Prize details:
Firstly, be on our shortlist of 18 Weekly Winners.
As a finalist, get your friends to vote for you. Don’t be shy. The more votes you get, the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize of RM5,000 cash.
Keep your fingers crossed!
I know if my entry wins, I’ll get my kakis to go over there and play a few games of football for sure, it’ll be glorious!
some of the entries submitted by users, think you can do better?
Lastly, even if your designs don’t make it, there’s also five voter incentive prizes to be won as well, and each winner will walk away with Branded Wi-Fi 32GB Tablet too:
Go to the “VIEW ENTRIES” page during the voting period (19 Nov – 9 Dec 2012).
VOTE for your favourite goalpost.
Key in the Proof-of-Purchase (POP) Code* on your can of MILO Can to receive 5 chances at voting.
Answer 2 simple questions.
Fill in a one-time registration form.
Stay updated! We’ll inform you by email if you are one of our 5 happy winners** of a branded tablet.
So what are you waiting for? Head over to www.fb.com/MiloCans to participate! You can also check out the location of the current goalposts and test it out yourself as well. I went to the one at Kelana Jaya and it sure looks like a challenge to score that 2 points.
Now let me head over to the Twisted Football app and win me some tablets 😀
