This post is the continuation of the First day of Heineken Star Final at Krabi that was published in this blog about a week ago.

After getting back from Aonang beach the night before and having decided that there isn’t exactly anywhere to have authentic Thai food at the area, Mell and I decided to seek local food elsewhere.

Thai beef noodle, with beef balls and meat

Instead of having lunch provided by Heineken at Sheraton, we walked out of the hotel and chanced up upon this little beef noodle place just a block away to the south. With some finger pointing and my super limited Thai language, we managed to order a bowl of beef ball noodle for Mell, and another bowl of mixed beef and beef ball noodle for me.

The portion was quite small, reminding me of hawker food in Penang, but they do however, tastes rather good. The beef was tender and the beef ball had a good texture going on too. I particularly like the abundance of bean sprouts and vegetables served here. It was pretty good for brunch, and it was only 30 baht each.

happiness is when you have good breakfast to start the day

While horng and suanie were still on the island hopping trip arranged by Heineken (their accounts here, and here), Mell and I thought about heading to Krabi town. That idea was scrapped as soon as we saw that the hotel shuttle charges 400 baht per person for a round trip ride, which just doesn’t make economic sense.

And I had thought that hotel shuttles are free. Thanks Sheraton, for building your resort so far away from civilization and charge significant dollars for your shuttle services, hmph!

another nameless Tomyam place near Sheraton at Krabi, Thailand

After brunch, we spent some time walking around the hotel and chilling. We also discovered that there were computers with internet access at the business center for hotel guests, free of charge! That was when I took the opportunity to check my mails and go on twitter for a bit.

Since brunch was relatively light, we got hungry again by early evening. For the early dinner, we again went exploring at the small strips of shops outside the hotel and came to this little nameless restaurant with an old lady as the head chef.

two bowls of tomyam (prawn and chicken), and omelet

Again with my limited Thai language, I tried to order a tomyam prawn (tomyam kung) and a basil chicken dish to go with rice. After spending at least 5 minutes pointing and talking, I thought I had nailed it down.

When food came, it was two bowls of tomyam instead – tomyam prawn and tomyam chicken. Mission 50% passed. I then went to the kitchen and ordered an omelet dish so that we have some variety.

The tomyam soups were not as strong tasting as those we had at Pradiphat street in Bangkok, but they were pretty good in their own rights. We finished everything and only had to pay some 200 baht for a couple well fed and satisfied stomachs.

BBQ dinner with Heineken

At night, we gathered at the hotel for a Thai BBQ dinner that was actually pretty delicious. Highlights of Champions League games were played and we met quite a few hardcore fans in the ballroom. It was hilarious how some of the fans from Cameroon reacted when Eto’o failed to score as if it was a live game. VJ Utt from MTV Asia hosted the event with another pretty lady, but I didn’t pay much attention.

Mell and I decided to take some rest before the game and we ended up sleeping in the hotel room while Horng & Suanie danced away at the canopy with giant screen. It turned out to be a decent choice, Suan was too tired to watch the game by the time we got there, and Horng was so spent after the game he ended up not able to go to work the day after. Hahaha

Champions League Final – MU vs Barcalona

Heineken did put up a great show before and during half time of the game with their over energetic cheer leading squad flipping and jumping to the music. However, the game itself was a bit anticlimactic, MU basically went to sleep after 15 minutes. Two goals later, Mell, being an MU fan, couldn’t take it anymore and so we headed back to the room to watch it on TV instead.

We had an early breakfast at the hotel and headed to the hotel by 10 something in the morning to fly back to KL. It was a pretty enjoyable holiday in spite of the rain that fell quite heavily 60% of the time we were there.

That was 3 weeks ago, I wouldn’t mind another holiday now!

Tags:  beef-noodle,  heineken,  horng,  krabi,  mellissa,  suanie,  Thailand

Posted by KY | 17 Comments »

Sometimes last year I went to a Heineken sponsored event at TTDI Plaza. It was a bit of a last minute plan that Horng and Suan ended up joining me to form a team of 3 and participated in a flash game competition, a game that we ultimately won against the other 9 teams of players. I had previously blogged about the game here.

The prize was a 3 day/2 night trip to Krabi for the 3 of us together with some 280 winners and media guests from all over the world during the Champions League week. Mell decided to join us to the trip as well.

Heineken basically booked the whole of Sheraton

We took an Air Asia flight to Krabi last Wednesday and arrived at the destination at around 1pm, bright and sunny. Heineken had apparently booked pretty much the whole Sheraton for the event.

I had previously stayed at the very same hotel (probably the same block), the room was very nice with its lush bed tastefully done interior design overseeing the huge garden and beach. We were each given a hotel room as the winners of the competition.

KY, Mell, Horng, and Suan enjoying lunch

After checking in and got our programs all sorted out, we were treated to the buffet lunch at the hotel. I must say that the lunch was a bit lackluster and I had initially expected a lot more out of Sheraton, but well, at least the drinks was good.

It would have been a lot more awesome if we were able to go to the Duck Noodle place instead but the hotel proved to be too far (at least 45 minutes and probably 800 baht worth of taxi ride) from where the restaurant is located.

kayaking and swimming at Sheraton (pic from Suanie.net)

After dinner, we adjourned to the beach for some fun under the sun.  There were kayaking, wind surfing, beach football and a variety of other activities organized by Heineken. Mell decided that she was going to join us in kayaking while Suan was happy to be the photographer. As you can see, Mell did a great job “kayaking”, no?

We then spent some time at one of the two very nice infinity pools, it was both relaxing and tiring. A perfect start of the holiday.

Thai steamed fish, seafood tomyam, and green curry

Not wanting to risk another bad meal at the hotel, we decided to head to town for some Thai food. The taxi we managed to get was actually not exactly a proper taxi, but the lady who runs a massage place just opposite Sheraton. We negotiated with the lady to send us to Aonang town for 700 baht round trip, and we were there some 30 minutes later, it is that far.

Dinner at one of those touristy restaurants

Aonang is basically a very touristy town that is much like Batu Ferringhi in Penang. We walked for some 20 minutes and before concluded that there were no “authentic” dining place, so dinner was at a touristy restaurant by the name of Krabi Tour Thai Cusine.

We ordered seafood tomyam, green curry, vegetable, and a Thai style steamed barramundi to go with some steamed rice. The food was quite good (especially the fish), but not to the standard of those Mell and I had at Pradiphat street, Bangkok. It came to about 900 baht, a bit pricey for Krabi standard, but at least it tasted pretty good.

Thai massage is a must, look at Horng’s facial expression when he saw his masseuse

We walked along Aonang for a bit, the town is littered with shops selling a variety of art works, t-shirts, and souveniers. Suan and Horng bought an soft plastic camera underwater casing for 340 baht that turned out to be a very wise investment.

Before heading back to the hotel, we went for a Thai massage at one of the many massage parlors (for 200 baht an hour). I’ve always enjoyed Thai massage, a bit of stretching and human pretzel actions always make my body feel very relaxed and rejuvinated. Horng was a bit apprehensive of his big masseuse but she turned out to be very good at what she does. Suan, on the other hand, complained that her first massage experience did not go so well as the lady was not strong enough.

We then called our taxi and headed back to the hotel to crash, it was a pretty tiring but very enjoyable first day at Krabi.

Tags:  heineken,  horng,  hotel,  krabi,  mellissa,  suanie,  thai-fish,  Thailand

Posted by KY | 23 Comments »

When I was going to college, my only mean of transportation was my old trusted Honda EX5, and I would ride to everywhere (even from KL to Penang, but that’s another story). Most journeys are boring and monotonous, but the one stretch of road I always remember is from KL to Subang via Federal Highway, next to the GAB factory. It was the sweet smell coming out of the factory, yums!

So when I received an invitation to a blogger’s meet by Heineken at GAB’s a few weeks ago, it was almost like a “yes I’ve been wanting to do this for along time” moment.

The Tavern at GAB, why was Desmond checking out Mell’s food ?

It was actually the last event Mell I attended before she left for Melbourne, and Huai Bin was nice enough to give us a lift since my car was still in the workshop getting a much needed paint job. Thanks pal!

The three of us were greeted by the good people from GAB, and immediately we were served a glass of chilled Heineken to start the evening. This is as fresh as you can get when it comes to beer.

a well stocked buffet line

We started to attack the buffet line as the other guys starting come arrive. The number of dishes prepared was well adequate and a few dishes were actually quite tasty. The lamb was succulent, and Mell particularly loved the grilled sweet potato that went so well with the cold beer.

KY & Mell, Simon, ST, Audrey, Tim, Kenny, HB, Cindy, Tock

The other usual suspects slowly arrived at the scene. Timothy and Audrey, Gareth, Robb, Carol, Kenny, Cindy, Tock, Cynthia, Simon, and a couple other Nuffies too.

We were just chilling, have a beer each and did a lot of catch ups. I mean, we usually meet over events and parties where it is mostly too loud to talk, so a change of scenery to the quiet and exclusive bar set up at the Tavern was actually very nice.

Cindy, Audrey, and Robb in beer pouring competition, Robb failed

The gang were then challenged to play bartender for a round and see if we can pour a perfect pint. I got to say, this thing looks simple enough but I ended up with about 65% beer and 35% foam, fail.

Cindy, who hailed from the kampung in Johor did the best among us (I wonder why!) and got an almost perfect pint. Audrey, despite being slightly vertically challenged, did a whole lot better than the over confident Robb. Lesson learned, never judge a beer lady by their looks.

Win a trip to Krabi! (shhh, that’s the tropical beach)

Jasmine and Evonne then introduced us to Heineken Star Final 2009.

The Star Final 2009 is a 3 day trip to Krabi, all expenses paid, to watch the UEFA Champions League final on giant screen by the beach while gulping down Heineken with people from all over the world. I am very please to say that Suan, Horng, and I have already won our tickets at previous Heineken event.

how do you like my raft?

But of course, you have a chance to join us too by playing the game on the Star Final site, and you can do it from now until 30th April.

Basically the idea is like this: create a raft (customizable to pwetty colors!) and sail to from South Africa to Thailand. The virtual trip takes 5 days, and by the end of it the one with most points gets to win 2 tickets to Star Final 2009. You can play as many times every 5 days until the end of next month. So first if you don’t succeed, try again!

the fleet I’m in has 2 rafts so far

There are certain things in the game you can do to pick up more points. Like joining a bigger fleet, answering football related questions correctly as fast as you can (only 3 questions each time though!), or by inviting more friends and subscribing to Heineken newsletter.

I must say that the game is very well designed, the graphics are top notch and it is actually pretty fun and interactive. You can see people from other part of the world, message each other (appears as a bottle floating next to your raft), view fleet, and of course, your own raft. Everything is also customizable, very neat.

I’m still playing for fun even though I’ve already won the tickets.

LapSap (Blink and XU), DJ Goldfish, Bumblebeez,

Other than the that, Heineken will also be having a string of events led by the main showdown – “A Night in Rome” at Hap Seng Star Mercedes-Benz Auto Haus on Jalan Sultan Ismail on the 25th of April with LapSap and The Bumblebeez spinning.

There will be giant projectors, mock Roman architecture and Champions League paraphernalia, fashion shows, performances and all that jazz too. It should be pretty awesome! See you there!

Tags:  audrey,  champions league,  cindy,  heineken,  huai bin,  kenny sia,  lunch money,  mellissa,  robb,  tavern,  timothy,  tock

Posted by KY | 17 Comments »

It’s been a while since I last went on an island trip here in Malaysia (the last one was Redang in 2005!),there is a chance that can be changed pretty soon, but I will need your help! I need two guys with good hand-eye coordination skills who can work their desktop rodent in a quick and coordinated manner to be my teammates in the Heineken UEFA Champions League flash games.

For those who think of football as 22 men running around on a field, UEFA Champions League is pretty much the most prestigious club football competition in the world with top clubs from various European leagues participating in it. Past champions include MU, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and even underdogs like Porto. Last year’s final had two English clubs, Chelsea and MU pitted against each other, and I’m hoping for another strong English showing this year too.

Lest I digress, lets get on the program..

notice that “win 3 tickets” box?

For winning the games, the team of trio will get three tickets to watch the UEFA Champions League final at an “exotic tropical island”. Now I too have no idea which tropical island is the event going to be held, but that is part of the excitement isn’t it? I am pretty sure there should be plenty of proper drinks to go with the event too.

my beer truck navigation prowess

There are actually not one but three games to be played, and this requires team work with each player responsible for a different game. Team leader plays the Beer Delivery, and nominate 2 teammates to complete the Mexican Wave and Beer Slide games. Shortest combined time to complete all 3 games win! Doesn’t sound too difficult, right?

now I need you guys to continue 2nd and 3rd!

I’ve tried the first game and did a pretty decent 42-43 seconds. Now I need some teammates to complete the other two games, any takers? I’ll select the first 2 person who leaves their email address on the comment box. We can then coordinate a bit online for the games.

As for now, I’m going to practice a bit more to reduce that score too! Lets do this and get ourselves the prize already! Check out the site!

Tags:  football,  heineken,  lunch money,  uefa

Posted by KY | 18 Comments »

Ladies and gentlemen, here are the winners for Chelsea vs Malaysia tickets sponsored by Heineken! Since there are five participants altogether, we can just skip the whole voting process and I’ll award each person a ticket to the event. Congratulations!

The contest was previously posted here. I will contact you (the winner) when I found out how to collect the winning tickets. For now, please pray hard for the local players! Must support Malaysia too ok!

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Entry #1: a poem by YngLyn (the only person I know whose name doesn’t have a vowel)

Although I want to watch Chelsea for Free
I actually hope they drown in pee
Thats because I am a big Gunner frenzy
But I am malaysian, hence more greedy than Thee.

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Entry #2: photo by Tocklet

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Entry #3: A post by XimpliXity. Read it here. Very hardworking ok!

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Entry #4: Shiang with this concoction, pak leong kam!

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Entry #5: Yap Thomas with this overly long poem (kinda like his body length)

Nuffnangers are lucky lots..
Because they get to win free tickets..
To go watch the up and coming hottest game in town..
Its Malaysia VS Chelsea at Shah Alam Stadium..

Thank you everyone for reading,
This has to be the lousiest poem ever written,
But, it is all for the pleasure for winning a ticket,
Chelvea Vs Malaysia match ticket it is…

Match time is 8:45pm 29/7/08, see you guys at Shah Alam Stadium, go Malaysia!

Tags:  chelsea,  contest,  heineken,  lunch money

Posted by KY | 35 Comments »