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I was in Beijing back in November last year. It was a group wide company trip that had about 300+ staff across all 5 agencies. I got to say, this being my first time to Beijing, I didn’t know what to expect. The weather was about 11°C during the day, and as cold as 8°C during the night.

We were there for a good 6 days but unfortunately, with it being a company trip, most of the itinerary were already preplanned with a tour guide. Which meant we didn’t have much time to explore the city on our own except during the night. By then, we were all too tired to further walk with aching feet. One advice I would give to anyone going to Beijing…prepare to walk A LOT!  Of course the highlight of the trip was The Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

These are some of the places we’ve visited during the trip. It’s not in any particular order, but because I do not want this to be a super lengthy post, I would let the pictures do more of the talking.

Temple of Heaven
According to ancient Chinese legend, Earth was represented by a square and Heaven by a circle. This place has several features of the temple complex symbolize the connection of Heaven and Earth, of circles and squares. Oh and it also sits on a hill, which mean closer to the heavens.

Lama Temple
Also known as the “Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple“. I particularly like the entrance to this temple as it looks like a scene in a movie during autumn.

The entrance to the temple

Hutong
This place is actually rows and rows of bars and shops surrounding a large lake. Hutong (胡同) also apparently means “narrow road” in Mandarin. The main transportation in this area is via trishaw. We came here on our first night for drinks, and on the second time (following the tour), we went through the place on a trishaw. I got to say, I’m amazed at these trishaw riders. They are all elderly people and they can maneuver through these narrow roads at high speeds without bumping into others.

On the first night, I had this to drink…bottle told us to PARTY!

Rows of shops surrounding the lake

Pek Fui and I about go for a trishaw ride

Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City
Don’t think these 2 places need any introduction, but the Forbidden City really impressed me. I’m impressed not because of the engineering feat, but because how the Chinese think in terms of security for the Emperor. Back then when you’re riding a horse or on foot, it’s nearly impossible to get through to the main palace as there are layer after layer after layer of security walls with watch towers where they can spot someone trying to get in a mile away. Good thing for the Emperor back then, aerial warfare was non existent.

Inside the Forbidden City

With Yew Fai and See Wei

The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of The World. Again, amazed and in awe that these walls were constructed without machines and only using people power. There weren’t any use of cement either as they used glutinous rice to hold the bricks together…and it’s still standing until today!

Li Shan and I @ The Great Wall of China

Wangfujing
This is basically the area where we stayed. We only had time to walk around during the night.

Here I tasted deep fried baby scorpions for the very first time. It’s not bad really. It tasted like deep fried prawns. If you think that is bad, there are other more grossed looking food. The baby scorpion were the easiest to eat.

Starfish, seahorse and baby scorpions on a stick

Donkey penis!

Fuck…don’t want to even know what this is…

Trying out deep fried baby scorpions..

The Bird’s Nest Stadium & Water Cube
There 3 buildings are all located within the same place. The Bird Nest Stadium, Water Cube (or National Aquatics Centre)and a building shaped like a dragon (Pangu Plaza). Didn’t manage to get into any of these building (no point going in either), but did manage to get some photos taken within these architecture marvels.

Group shot in front of the Bird Nest Stadium

You know I’ve heard so much about the people in Beijing (and entire PRC for that fact) being rude to tourists and not being civilized when it comes to care for public hygiene, and I got to say they are absolutely right. Once you’re there to see their mannerism, you would think people in KL are not so bad after all. Overall, the people in Beijing were not nice, the public toilets are without doors, the food is erm…horrible (or rather bland) compared to KL, and shopping there is expensive. Apart from the weather and having the company of colleagues, Beijing for me was more of an experience and an eye opener. Would I go back there again? Well, no…not unless there is a very good reason to do so.

[Click here for more pictures of Beijing]

A couple of months back, our department went for a trip to Janda Baik…just a 45 minutes drive from the city. It’s actually just before the turn off to Genting Highlands if you use the Karak Highway. It’s surrounded by breathtaking scenery, fresh and cool air combine with lush greenery jungles.

It was a team building/get away/”get to know one another better” session with all our colleagues. We stayed in this place called Saufiville Resort, which is a villa consisting of 6 rooms. Nice enough to accommodate a group of 30 people. It also came with a private infinity pool which overlooked the mountain view. Well, with it being a team building trip, we also gotten outside help to organize some activities for us during the day.

A word of caution though. While the place promises great scenery and cooler than city temperatures, it has one drawback….BUGS! The place it’s filled with all sorts of insects and bugs as it is located in the middle of the jungle. So if you’re planning a stay there, please remember to bring insect repellent or bug spray.

Here are some pictures of the place

Courtyard surrounded by mountains

The infinity pool

Enjoying the view with a few cans of beer

We were split into smaller groups to perform some task during our team building activities…just don’t ask what the task were..

Awesome team members: Robb, Audrey, Jesrina, Lee Fen, Darren and Yoke Teng

Again did I mentioned about the insects…

Size of bug = size of lighter = SCARY!

And of course we all had fun and enjoyed the trip even more by playing poker, Xbox Kinect, Karaoke and drinking (what more?) during the night. Here are some group pictures..

And finally here we are having Banana Leaf rice after the trip :)

2 weeks ago, I was in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam for Mediaworks 2011. Now, if you don’t know what this training is about, it’s actually training on how to take on a real life pitch through strategy and presentation. It’s not exactly a “fun in the sun” kinda trip as it was sort of like a reality show situation where they split you into groups with other strangers from across the APAC region and given less than 48 hours to come out with a full presentation based on a given brief. Why I said reality show is because of the stress and the time it takes to put together a proper presentation deck with strategy to impress the client. Yes, there was a real life client there where he gave an actual pitch brief and requirements. Imagine being in Masterchef going through Pressure Tests and Mystery Box Challenges…that sort of stress.

I arrived in HCMC together with a fellow colleague Nicole around noon after our flight was delayed by nearly 1 and half hours. Event only starts at 4PM so we first checked in and proceed to look for some food. It’s the only time we will ever get to see HCMC as we both know that we won’t be going out of the hotel except on the final night.

Nicole and I at the arrival hall waiting for our transport

We were put up at the Sheraton Saigon, and I was supposed to be sharing a room with a random stranger as it was a twin sharing room. I will tell you why I said “supposed” later on. So after putting down our bags and checking in, we walked around our hotel area for a bit.

Twin sharing room

View from my balcony

A Louis Vuitton store in HCMC

Emporio Armani Cafe

Street food!

Nicole’s sad bowl of noodles for lunch

As you can tell, we’re staying at the “higher end” of HCMC where you can find designer labels. Ok, so when I went back to my hotel room, I got a shock as I found 2 ladies from China who were also attending the workshop in my room. They say they were assigned the same room as I am. There is definitely a mix up here as I don’t think they would put both guys and girls in the same room. Anyway, I went down to the reception and made a complaint. They say it was a mix up on their end and they apologized for it. They were so apologetic to the point that they offered me an upgrade to a larger room. So now, I have a really large room…all by myself! It seemed that the room mate that I was suppose to share the room with, didn’t turn up at all.

Check out the larger room…I have this all to myself for the next 3 nights! :)

After the minor drama, it was time to get into serious mode. We were assigned into groups and given briefs by the client. Each team was also assigned a mentor who are all industry leaders in their own regional market. My team consists of 2 Malaysians, 2 Singaporeans, 4 PRC nationals, and 2 from Hong Kong. Oh yea, I was also appointed the group leader by popular demand…probably because I spoke the most during the introductions.

Over the next 3 days, we were all “locked” in the hotel. First night we slept around 1 AM as most of us were tired especially we all woke up early to catch the morning flight. The second night, it was crunch time. We slogged it out till about 4AM and woke up by 730AM for breakfast and to rehearse and find tune our presentation deck before the actual pitch.

That’s me in the striped shirt briefing the team and our mentor

On the final night, there were 3 finalist being announced and they had to make the presentation to all other teams the next morning. Sadly, our team didn’t win, but we did had a really brilliant idea. The client gave good comments about our overall performance and liked our idea, we were just lacking a few minor details here and there. We all consoled ourselves by saying we finished “forth” overall. Hahaha…but seriously, I was really happy with the team despite some minor disagreements and communication problems.

Team photos

Overall, the trip was a real experience for me. I would definitely recommend this workshop for anyone in the media industry who would like to know tactics and training on how to take on a pitch. I definitely have no regrets going there and would do it all again if I have the chance to.

Chào buổi tối! That’s “Good Evening” in Vietnamese. I’m posting this from my hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as the old name goes. It’s my very first time to Vietnam, and it’s for a 4 day intensive training workshop. It’s a waste that I don’t get to go out to see more of Ho Chi Minh City, as I am literally stuck in the hotel throughout the whole workshop…like I said…intensive….call it SHIT (Special High Intensive Training).

During this workshop, I was paired with strangers from across Asia and we had group assignments and presentations to do to a panel of judges. I have time to blog now, as my team had just finished presenting after staying up till 4AM last night and waking up at 7AM this morning to finalize the presentation deck and rehearse. Well, I’m headed off to take a nap now, before me and my team mates head out for dinner and probably party!…until then..stay tuned for some photos in my next posting.

I was in Singapore last week for Ad:Tech, a digital marketing conference. The event was on Thursday and Friday, but I decided to extend it over the weekend. So as you can tell, the trip was a mixture of business and pleasure. I took the time to also meet up with my brother, cousins and aunts plus also to go shopping since it was the Great Singapore Sale happening when I’m there.

The first 2 nights, I stayed at the Carlton Hotel which is just within walking distance to Suntec Convention Centre where Ad:Tech was held. The hotel was excellent and situated in a very strategic location where SMRT (City Hall and Esplanade) stations are accessible just within walking distance.

My room @ The Carlton Hotel, Singapore

The 2 days I was there was spent attending the conference of course. But the first 2 nights were spent together with the media owners who sponsored my trip there. I tell you, they are one bunch of party animals. Or maybe because I haven’t been partying as much as I used to, so seeing how they do it 3 straight nights in a row is really something even too much for me. I joined them only on the first 2 nights where on the first night we went to a bar in Chijmes which is just across the street from our where my hotel is. Not going into details, but lets just say there was a bottle of single malt + 6-7 rounds of Jägerbomb involved.

The second night, I met up with a friend in Orchard for dinner and then went to Jolene’s “house warming” party at LeVel33 @ Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1. The concept was the World’s Highest Urban Craft-brewery with a unique dining experience complete with one of the best views of Singapore’s Marina Bay and city skyline. I must say, while the view was nice, I didn’t really enjoy the outdoor dining area as it can get a little hot and stuffy if there isn’t any breeze, especially on a warm night. Didn’t try the food though, but I heard it’s decent but rather pricey, so maybe next time.

View of Marina Bay Sands from LeVel33

After the “pre-party” drinks, I met back up with my fellow sponsors to a club called Stereo Lounge in Pan Pacific hotel. Apparently, the place is newly renovated so everything looked kinda new. It had 2 rooms with one playing R&B and the other playing House music. One thing I like about the clubs in Singapore is that all clubs are “smoke free”…meaning, you cannot smoke in the club while you’re inside, instead you either have to go outside or go to a designated smoker’s area if you want to light up. Good way to avoid breathing second hand smoke and you don’t have to worry about going back home smelling like burnt rubbish.

Alice, Shi Yin, Eileen, Jaclyn and Ivy @ Stereo Lounge

The next day, I checked out the hotel to spend the night at my brother’s place. I had an early check out from the hotel and then left my luggage at my brother’s place before meeting up with my aunts, uncle and cousins for lunch at VivoCity. It was really nice meeting up with them again. I guess I will make an attempt to visit them more since I technically have “free accommodation” each time I’m down in Singapore :)

After lunch, we shopped around VivoCity a bit before heading to Queensway Shopping Centre where it’s a shoe collector’s paradise. If you’re a shoe lover/collector, this is the place to be. It consists of rows after rows of shoe shops which also includes a few shops that carry limited edition shoes. I was actually looking for a new pair of shoe for awhile back in KL, but I thought I would check the prices and variety in Singapore since I’m there.

A limited edition shop at Queensway Shopping Centre

In the end, my brother bought me this pair as an upcoming birthday present! :) Thanks bro!

My new kicks! Puma Faas-300…endorsed by Usain Bolt, world’s fastest man!

Later on that night, we headed to NEX Serangoon to meet up my aunt for dinner who flew in from KL to spend the weekend. After dinner, my bro, sis-in-law and I decided to try our luck at the casino tables at Marina Bay Sands Casino. Well, luck wasn’t on our side that night as all 3 of us lost…and it’s even more painful to the person earning Malaysian Ringgits instead of Singaporean Dollars..oh well.

The next morning, the 3 of us went for brunch at Jones The Grocer @ Dempsey Hill. It is really something you should try on a Sunday morning. The place serves premium Australian gourmet foods as well as premium off the shelve products like roasted coffee beans, chocolates, cookies, home made sauces, just to name a few. The food was really good, but the place comes with a warning….go there early as there is always a long queue for breakfast especially on Sundays.

Coconut pancakes with mangoes topped with ice cream

Black Forest Coffee…nice but a tad too sweet

Jones’ Breakfast – meat and eggs..can’t really go wrong here

After a hearty brunch, we went over to 313@Somerset for some last minute shopping. Initially, I was suppose to meet up with Sonia, Reyhan and Yi Lane over lunch, but seeing how full I was after brunch, I just had soup while we caught up. I must say, time really flies when you’re with good company. Before you know it, we spent about 3 hours just sitting and talking. Nevertheless, it was really great seeing my ex-colleagues and drinking buddies again. Hey you guys, if you’re reading this, I will be down in Singapore more often now…so be prepared! Haha!

Reyhan, Sonia and Yi Lane

After saying our goodbyes, I headed back to my brother’s place to pack up and head to the airport for my evening flight back to KL. The trip overall was great, as it had a little something of everything…work, party, catching up with family and friends, shopping and of course relaxation to certain extend. What a great way to spend the weekend. Looking forward to another weekend like that down in Singapore for sure.