So the night was Halloween and just like every year without fail, I would dress up as something from your worst nightmare; the type that you would expect to crawl out from your old, black & white butchered television.
Hey, actually that’s a great idea. I’ve never dressed up as Ju-On before. I should try one day when my hair gets long again.
Here’s a flashback on Halloween 2013, Halloween 2012, Halloween 2011!
This year round, I decided to go as a zombie Playboy Bunny.
BOO!
But let’s talk about the day first, before we descend into the night.
My colleagues and I celebrated a mini Halloween celebration in the office!
Lunchtime!
Trick or treat candies, Halloween cake and I went to work as an alien.
But by night, all hallows were released and I transformed into a.. wait for it…
ZOMBIE PLAYBOY BUNNY!
Creepy?
Final shot before I head out the door
Kon and I. He went as the Joker! I’ve always thought he pulls the Joker off really well!
We headed to Changkat Bukit Bintang for some bar hopping and Halloween pub crawling!
Went to so many bars till I don’t even remember which bars we went to, by the end of the night.
The Joker and the Zombie Playboy Bunny waiting for the rest of our mates
Grace as the sailor girl, Shahada as the naughty nurse and I
Take two!
Bob as a gremlin monster and I
Chris as a zombie and Charmaine as.. I don’t recall what she said she was.
Take two!
Lydia as the devil and I.
Shahzul as a weird creepy ape LOL
Creepy indeed. His dripping boogers and cross eyed face was enough to creep me out LOL
Chris as a Spartan King (nice bod, eh) and Samantha as the Catwoman
Anita as the devil and I!
Iranian buddies as a myriad of things!
Lemme see… Count Dracula, Wonderwoman and a pirate.
Taking a break after the party mayhem and the roll of photos.
And before I could catch a breath to rest, there were other Halloween folks on the street which wanted to take photos with us!
Of course I relented! I wanted photos with them too 😀 Amazing how crazy costumes bring party people together, eh.
In the middle of the busy street with a wizard and another Count Dracula
We were so busy taking photos that we almost got run over by a drunk driver LOL
And this uhhmm… I don’t know what he was.
But since he took a photo with me, I figured I should take one too. Cool make up, right?
With a werewolf and a… horse. LOL. So hilarious!
More friendly Iranian people who asked for photos!
They’re such a fun bunch!
At one of the bars we ended up that night.
I was so out of it that I’m really sorry I don’t recall which bar this is.
The DJs were shooting the party to the skies!
Suddenly, I was called up to the stage – which was as high as a bar-top table.
Whuuuuttttt was going on? Apparently, there was a ‘Best Dressed Halloween’ contest ongoing. Wowza!
Coolbeans. Haven’t danced on podium/bar-top since what, I was 19?
Mooove it, mooovve it!
Amongst 5 females and 5 males, I was selected as a finalist.
The other girls’ costumes rocked! I was having too much fun to a point that I couldn’t care less if I won or not. I didn’t even know what the prize was!
Since well… track record shows that Lady Luck has never been on my side as I never win in anything I participate in anyway LOL.
SUDDENLY MY NAME WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE BEST DRESSED HALLOWEEN FEMALE.
I won a bottle of Absolute Vodka!
Wow. Okay… winning the night came as a very pleasant surprise but – WOW! AWESOME!
This made me realize something absurd. Whenever I’m all out to win something or aim to win anything at all, I don’t. But when I don’t bother putting my heart and soul into winning or when I least expect it, I win. Oh, the irony.
With the rest of the finalists!
Why I do I look like such a dreary, dead zombie here?
Maybe it’s because it was 4AM and I was fully aware I had to wake up for a conference at 8AM.
I reckon I’d trudge into the meeting room the next morning looking like a real zombie LOL.
Best Dressed Female and Best Dressed Male!
He won a bottle of Jack Daniels. Hey, I want JD instead LOL.
That marked my Halloween 2013, another kick-as Halloween party! Wonder what I’ll become next year?
With my current addiction to The Big Bang Theory, maybe I’ll go as a severed Doppler Effect. Haha!
Imagine not having to brace the massive night rush by fellow entertainment-thirsty people with an equal affinity for good parties. Imagine how you could finally avoid that nasty gridlock instead of being ‘just another car’ stuck in ‘yet another weekend traffic to the city.’
Ergo, wouldn’t it be smarter to go against the traffic flow and actually mean it when you say, “Give me 10 minutes”? Well guess what fellow partygoers and socialites?
You can actually arrive in 10 minutes now.
But of course, I’m speaking for the vast majority who live in the suburbs instead of right smack in the city centre. For the rest of you who live in KL city and its vicinity. it’s your turn to come to us now. Heh. heh. heh.
I was invited to attend a sneak preview media launch party last Saturday at The Roof and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed.
Thanks for this photo, Isaac!
Allow me to introduce The Roof – the latest edition in the glamorous dining and entertainment circuit.
Located right in the heart of Bandar Utama at 1 First Avenue, The Roof is a premium integrated dining and entertainment hub which offers its patrons a wholesome, ultimate experience, which I will further illustrate.
That’s me at the Hard Hat Tour.
Why Hard Hat Tour, you ask? This was because The Roof was still under renovation and construction so all guests were advised to wear a safety helmet lest a brick falls on your head.
With over 50,000 square feet of dining, entertainment and event space, The Roof houses five distinct outlets designed to cater to a broad spectrum of customers with each outlet promising a unique and classy experience.
Let’s start with… the first room the moment you enter: SCORE
Score is the ultimate sports bar for the sports enthusiasts. Featuring major sporting events and live telecasts, Score is your home away from home where fun and relaxation are entwined into one.
Brimming with adrenalin to create the camaraderie spirit, it is a place to score where pool competitions and dart tournaments are a regular feat.
At the entrance of SCORE
By the bar!
Perfect retreat after work, Score offers attractive beer deals and delectable finger food.
Draft beer for me please! (ignore the cocktail; that was the first drink I saw lying alone at the bar)
Loving the interior decor there too. The walls are made to look like sports locker rooms!
And the floor is made to look like a race track. Love it!
Ahh memories. This reminds me of my sprinting and distance running days as an athlete in high school.
I rarely go to sports bars, but when I do, it’s definitely gonna be SCORE!
I’m liking the whole open-space and ‘grassy’ concept; definitely very relaxing and casual.
Placed strategically adjacent to SCORE is: PLAY
Play is a designer super club and the only premium dance club in Petaling Jaya. With a patio view of the city, Play is designed to escape the everyday stress (of the city and its traffic jams LOL) and the place to indulge in glitz and glamour with thematic interior design, impressive stage and state of the art staging, audio and visual.
Also serving premium spirits with daily promotions, it promises to entice partygoers with a complete clubbing experience.
The highlight of the outlet is the regular appearance of top-notch local and international DJs as well as live acts.
Heck, they already have Lil John (USA) and DJ Tenashar (SG) booked for November.
I didn’t get to explore PLAY’s interior as it was still undergoing extensive construction. I know I have the Hard Hat on me but I wouldn’t fancy walking amongst scaffoldings, steel bars, bricks and cement. So understandably, PLAY was off-limits that night.
Oh the suspense!
Moving forward a little bit towards the right is the very sophisticated: MALT & LEAF
Malt and whiskey is for the cigar aficionado and discerning single malt enthusiast wanting to relish in a fine cigar and delectable glass of whiskey under the stars.
Housing an extensive and the finest collection of quality malts and cigars from around the world, this is a classy place for patrons who enjoy the finer things in life.
Sorry for the airbourne specks of dust you see in this picture
As its name suggests, Malt and Leaf is equipped with a walk-in glass cigar cabinet with a well curated selection of some of the finest cigars and single malt whiskeys around the world.
I could see it was designed with a stylish ambiance!
Giving their Cuban cigar a try. Yum!
Admiring the sunset view. The walls aren’t very complete yet either!
Just some more sunset photos for now as Malt & Leaf isn’t 100% finished yet!
We now move on to the very classy dining room: Signature
Signature is a trendy and premium gastro-lounge where award-winning signature cocktails are concocted and a great selection of international premium beverages are served. It is a contemporary dining room section for the avant garde who wish to be tantalized by a plethora of Asian and international fusion cuisine.
Just like PLAY, Signature was off limits and all I could see inside were glassware, furniture still wrapped up with care and… construction workers hard at work.
The menu is specially crafted for patrons who love to indulge in a unique gastronomic dining experience.
I will be featuring and reviewing their food very soon! Can’t wait to introduce them to you.
Once I finished touring the four rooms, an after-party awaited tonight’s guests in: Stratosphere
For cosmopolitans, this is the place to be as they bask in the open air drinking in the serenity from Stratosphere and experience the elevation of the ordinary.
Designed with an opulent rooftop bar offering a magnificent birds’s eye view of its surroundings and beyond, it is a perfect option to indulge in exquisite drinks and mouth-watering canapes. Ideal setting for the affluent, sophisticated trendsetters, I must say.
Just before I adjourned UP UP UP to Stratosphere
There were two modes of going up:
The transparent elevator
Or the semi-spiral staircase. I chose the latter. The night view was so pretty!
We have arrived!
Welcome to Stratosphere!
I took an instant liking to those gigantic neon balls!
The fluorescent bar
Love how it glows in the dark
Free-flow of champagne and drinks for the night!
Such an extensive helipad area too!
I can forsee perfect garden parties taking place here!
We loved Stratosphere! It isn’t every night you get to party sans the confines of
a roof or a congested/stuffy environment. It was spacious and, very literally, like a breath of fresh air.
Stratosphere boasts large comfy garden seating as well!
I really wasn’t kidding when I said it was comfy
Yup, not kidding at all.
Apart from the buzz of the party, I was actually very enthralled by the scenery in the near horizon.
Check out the amazing sunset and light traces.
So gorgeous. At least, when you’re feeling drunk or dizzy, you can always admire the view.
Possibly a great conversation starter with say, that cute guy or girl standing there too ,hey? 😉
Couldn’t help but to take a photo with the view and the giant pink ball!
The night continued with more drinks and mingling with the buddies
Jude and I
Partycrew for the night! 😀
We happened to be sitting next to the canape preparation table so you can imagine how lucky we were heheheh.
Lydia and I!
Alicia and I!
Rosalyn and I!
The fireworks display was brilliant too! Too bad I missed it.
But yes, there you have it and Stratosphere wrapped up my night very well.
With Asia’s first and only luxury bar nestled on top of an infinity grassed helipad, it provides an unprecedented panoramic 360-degree view of the city and greater Klang Valley – offering socialites and partygoers like us a breathtaking and spectacular city skyline at night as they chill and relax.
After touring the entire place, looks like it IS really all in one! I can dine here with an unobstructed view of the skyline, watch live telecasts over a match or two, taste amazing drinks over cigars, party it up and watch the stars from the rooftop. Five unique experiences in ONE destination.
Are you on the list?
If you are not already on the exclusive guest list of the launch of the largest premium fine dining and entertainment hub of 2013 in Malaysia, this is your chance to sign up.
The very magnificent The Roof will open to the public on the 1st November 2013.
It’s going to be….
LEGENNNNN….
wait for it…
….
…DAAAAARY!
To get an invite to the premier launch of The Roof, check out their Facebook page and try your hand at getting on the list and your exclusive invitation.
Finally! After all the urgent commitments to other more important posts, I can finally continue where I left off from my birthday series. Ladies and gents, today’s post will be Part 4 of my birthday celebrations.
I did mention that I did not want to throw a huge smashin’ birthday party again like I do every year as it somehow always ends up an imperative that I get drop dead drunk.
However, The Pool KL so graciously decided to sponsor me a smaller party at their premises and even gave me a bottle of Smirnoff vodka to enjoy with my guests.
How could I refuse such a sweet gesture?
Thus, I found myself making invitations to give my closest friends outside my social media circle.
Only because if I were to include buddies from my industry, I would take up the entire venue!
So with all my guests RSVPing (despite the last minute invitation, sorry!) the plans for my small, cosy birthday party was ready to rumble! Let’s just hope it goes regardless of the number of pax – it’s the company that matters after all, not the quantity!
We arrived in style at and waited for the rest of our buddies.
The Pool KL was looking really pretty that night!
Couldn’t help but to take photos with the bar, the pool and the pretty lights while waiting!
Not too long after, my guests started to arrive one by one.
Cue the party photos!
Yay! Larry, my first guest arrived!
Gradually, more and more of them began trickling in. Second and third to arrive was Jeffro and Hisham!
Cheers!
Then my girlies Pam and Ning arrived! 😀
Not long after, my long-time buddies Anis and Sharlyn walked in!
Wheeeee reunion photo! We go back all the way to 2007
Sarah made it despite having troubles with the cab driver. Mwah!
The more the merrier!
Smile!
Apart from The Pool KL’s bottle of vodka, we also got ourselves more drinks!
All of us at the table!
Before we knew it, we were treated to a “first class” full frontral view of a pyro act!
From fire-twirling, fire-eating, fire-breathing, fire-juggling and so much more.
What a daredevil act of bravery! I’ve always been intrigued by fire.
But little did I know that I would be picked by the folks of The Pool KL to join the stuntman for a fire performance.
As frightened as I was, I gave it a go. Performing with fire on my birthday? Heck, why not? Bucket list checked!
I recalled my similar experience fire-twirling back in Australia so I decided that I shouldn’t be as frightened anymore. Mustering all the courage I had in me, I then braved myself to lick the flames and to also do a little bit of fire-twirling – sorry, I was a tad rusty! It has been a couple of years after all.
Here’s a short video footage of my playing with fire in front of everybody!
I must admit, it was rather daunting but I hope I pulled it off alright.
Video credits: Jeff Ong
Thanks so much for the video Jeffro! x
After the fiery act, we continued partying!
I began to pour more rounds of neat vodka for my buddies.
Straight from the bottle!
(P/S: Damn I know I look quite cock-eyed here but alas, it’s the only picture I have of this!)
Pretty sure finishing this would be no problem, right guys? 😉
Bottoms up!
Selfie! Damn my huge fat face seems to take up almost half this photo.
Sarah love and I! xo
Big smiles to friendship and beyond!
Another one for the road!
Thank you so much, everyone for taking the time to come all the way here to celebrate my birthday with me over a couple of drinks, chit-chatting and music! Your company really meant a lot. Thanks for the lovely birthday presents as well!
Last but not least, thank you The Pool KL for hosting me a great night and a great birthday experience.
Later into the night, we found ourselves moving on to Zouk for an after-party as I was given a 10 pax guestlist to fill in. Yay! So much for not wanting to party hard huh…
To be continued! 😉
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[highlight style=”yellow” ]For more information on The Pool KL or to make your reservations:[/highlight]
I have no idea how I managed to wake up relatively early this morning after last night’s wicked party!
Emma Hewitt / Jessicat / Sean Tyas
More about the party later, as I will also be including a video of the night into my coverage too, on top of the blog post write-up. For now, let’s talk about the interview I had with them, shall we?
Last night, I had the chance to sit down with Emma Hewitt and Sean Tyas for an interview just before the party began. They were very friendly, down-to-earth, and such nice people to talk to and to actually have a conversation with!
You ready? I am. Let’s start with Emma Hewitt.
Managed a quick chat with her. Loved her very sweet demeanour and aura of gracefulness.
25 year old Australian songbird, born Emma Louise Hewitt, is currently residing in Los Angeles, USA. She is a singer-songwriter, and started her foray into music as the lead singer of her own (now no longer active) rock band ‘Missing Hours’. Now popularly known as the princess of trance she is now a full-time trance vocalist and has collaborated with EDM giants to produce chart-topping billboard staples, from the likes of Marcus Schossow, Armin Van Buuren, Dash Berlin and Cosmic Gate just to name a few.
She was bubbly, had a good sense of humour and was very amicable throughout our interview.
Below is the ten-question interview piece I had with Emma. Enjoy!
[highlight style=”yellow” ]1. Welcome to our island, Penang. It’s a pleasure to have you here. How is your trip so far?[/highlight]
Hi! How are you going? Last night was amazing in KL, it was fantastic! The crowd was just really, really great. There was a lot of energy in the room. A lot of people in there were a great fun crowd, really lovely and friendly people. And tonight, in Penang, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with Penang! I think tonight is going to be a really fun party.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]2. Being your first time here, how do you personally find Penang?[/highlight]
I’ve heard you guys in Penang have the best food and can party really hard! So now, I’ve seen the food, and it was some of the most fantastic food I’ve ever tasted… and now I have to see the party crowd. So excited!
[highlight style=”yellow” ]3. I’m sure everybody is excited to see you too! You’re a very talented songwriter and a singer. How do you usually get inspiration for your music? Any specific procedures in your songwriting?[/highlight]
I’m always inspired by life itself. If there was something that happened to me in the past, or to my friends and family, I write about it. To me, writing songs, it has to be personal and something that I’m really feeling at the time. So usually my song writing draws from my own experience. My brother, who is a guitarist, and I used to write songs together in a rock band using the guitar; we play and write, and see what works acoustically. And now with dance music, we write the same way.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]4. A rock band! That’s a really cool start. So, have you fully transitioned from rock to trance now?[/highlight]
Yeah I did! And to be honest, my songs are still kind of the same but they just have trance beats instead of rock. We write them in the same way, they’re all very personal songs. But to me, trance music has allowed me to write in a much more emotional and personal way. I think people are more open to hearing something personal in trance music.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]5. You’ve collaborated with huge names like Dash Berlin, Gareth Emery and Armin Van Buuren. Who are you looking forward to collaborate with next?[/highlight]
I’ve got a few collaborations in the pipeline, but they’re not set in stone yet so I can’t talk about them until they’re definitely happening. But there are about four or five that I’m really excited about! Most of them are trance but some of them are pushing towards a slightly different style. I wanna do some darker kind of vocals and go back to the rock roots with those stuff, and also poppy kind of vocals and deep choruses. So I’m looking forward to work with those DJs on those new styles as well as the trance ones.
Editor’s note: Mid-way through the interview, I noticed her looking at my left collarbone. She then told me she loved my tattoo and asked me what it is. I mentioned that it was a quote by Shakespeare and read it out to her (I know you guys are waiting for my blog post on this collarbone tattoo, sorry for the delay! Will blog about that soon!) She then said it was a really beautiful quote and how she loved tattoos, which led me to my next question…
[highlight style=”yellow” ]6. How about you, Emma? Do you have any tattoos yourself? How many?[/highlight]
Oh I have a few too! She then revealed a half-sleeve on her left inner forearm, and also pointed out to her right hip and some on her foot. Once you start, you can’t stop!
[highlight style=”yellow” ]7. I totally agree. Tattoos always carry a significant meaning, and so do songs, in fact! Which of your tracks meant the most to you? [/highlight]
All my songs carry memories and meaning to me, I don’t have a specific favourite but I would say that the Chris Lake track was very special to me, because it was the first. And also ‘Waiting’ with Dash Berlin, because that exposed me to a lot of people and opened the doors for me in this genre of music, which I’m really grateful for.
Editor’s note: This Chris Lake track she was referring to is the 2009 release by Chris Lake featuring Emma Hewitt – Carry Me Away. Do take a listen! It is a lovely one.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]8. Yeah, ‘Waiting’ is one of my personal favourites too. That, if I remember, won Best Euro Track at the Electronic Dance Music Awards in 2010 too, how did you feel about that?[/highlight]
Yes, yes it did! That was really nice! It was really cool that it was recognized and how people took notice of that song. Really an honour.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]9. Out of all the trance anthems of all time, what is your favourite trance track of the year?[/highlight]
Hmmm… I’m not too sure if it was released this year, because I’ve lost track of time as I have been travelling so much… but I would say, Concrete Angel was a really great track and one of the best songs. Really, really huge for quite some time! Editor’s note: Gareth Emery – Concrete Angel was released in 2012 under his record label Garuda.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]10. What is the craziest thing or the most memorable thing a fan has done for you?[/highlight]
*giggles* There’s been some crazy ones, and there are some lovely ones as well. I’ve received beautiful gifts that they’ve made. There was a man who is getting my face tattooed on his leg and is in the process of doing it at the moment. I was flattered but kind of worried how my face would look as a tattoo; I hope it wouldn’t look too scary! I felt bad for him, and was like, “Oh no, don’t do that!” *laughs* Another fan recently got my signature tattooed on his back and sent us a picture. It was amazing, such a heart-warming experience. I actually teared up when I saw the picture.
Before we concluded the interview, I managed to ask Emma to record a personal message to all her Penang trance fans.
Hope you enjoyed the interview and getting to know Emma a little bit better.
Moving on…
Sean Tyas is a 34 year old American-born DJ and EDM producer (particularly trance) who is currently residing in Switzerland. He is well known for is internet radio show, Tytanium Sessions and regularly receives airtime on Armin Van Buuren’s ‘A State of Trance’ , Tiesto’s ‘Club Life’ and Above and Beyond’s ‘Trance Around the World’.
He was very jovial, laid back, extremely cheerful and approachable. So let’s hear what he has to say, shall we?
‘
Below is a quick 5 minute interview I managed to do with him. Enjoy!
[highlight style=”yellow” ]1. Welcome to our lovely island, Penang. Is this your first time travelling with Emma Hewitt?[/highlight]
This is my first time in Penang, but not my first time time in Malaysia, though. I’ve been here three times! I’ve done a few shows and performed with Emma before but yes, this is the first time we’re doing a two-gig performance tour like this. I hope you guys will enjoy it.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]2. What would you say; best describes your personal style, in terms of music?[/highlight]
I play usually very high energy trance and usually that comes with a high tempo also. But I’ve been interested in other styles, like drum and bass. I try to integrate the harder sounds of drum and bass into trance music lately.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]3. I’m a huge fan of D&B music too. Any personal favorites or must-listens that you’d like to recommend from your own discography?[/highlight]
From my own stuff, most requested tune that people seem to really enjoy is my remix of Paul Webster featuring Angelic Amanda called ‘Time’. Other than that, as far as reworks go, I’ve done this rework of a track by Breaking Benjamin & Carl B called ‘Diary of Jane’, and that definitely seems to be a crowd favorite.
[highlight style=”yellow” ]4.I’ve heard the Breaking Benjamin rework! Loved it. Will we be expecting to listen to it from you tonight, then?[/highlight]
It depends! All those are fast tunes like 138-140 bpm. Tonight I’m gonna try to keep it melodic, keep it relatively easier pace just to make sure everybody can really dance tonight *chuckles* 140 is really fast, you know!
[highlight style=”yellow” ]5. But that would be the main drive of the track! We Malaysians really know how to party hard![/highlight]
Yeah, that’s right. You can’t really have a low energy tune at 140 bpm. So, yeah okay that’s great then! We’ll see how it goes tonight! If it’s hard enough, I’ll play it!
[highlight style=”yellow” ]6. The pressure is on! What would you be expecting from your fans from Malaysia, in terms of crowd response?[/highlight]
For Malaysians, it’s always very enthusiastic fans who know the tracks. So they would usually sing along and dance, with a very high level of energy and enthusiasm. Really cool!
Before we ended the interview, I also managed to ask him to record a message to his Penang trance fans out there. Just for you!
And that’s a wrap!
It was an honour to speak to you both and personally ask you those questions exclusively! Hope to see you live in concert again some time soon.
So there you have it. Up close and personal with Emma Hewitt and Sean Tyas. Special thanks to event organizers SOHO Group, KC and Friends as well as Titanium Event Management for tonight’s special arrangement.
In the meantime, dearest readers and trance fans, stay tuned to the full blog post coverage + video on the gig!
For days and weeks leading up to this year’s Carlsberg ‘Where’s the Party?’, I must say I was pretty excited.
They did a terrific job in hyping the party up! I too, shared the buzz and my excitement with everyone.
Goodies at my doorstep as early as a month before the party! A Nixon LED-silicone watch, a Carlsberg flashdrive
and six bottles of Carlsberg in a bag full of glowsticks, streamers and shiny tinsels!
The very week before the party, I received my invitation.
The bag contained earplugs, a neck travel-cushion, an eye-mask and a couple of Carlsberg bottles.
Granted, my enthusiasm grew as the days passed, but I was half wondering how exactly they were going to throw a “bigger and bolder” one this year, as last year’s epic tri-nation beach party certainly raised the bar to an apex!
Remember the teaser post I wrote for Carlsberg – Where’s the Party?
That being said, Carlsberg and team would most definitely have big plans to up their ante this year, in line with their claims of “Malaysia’s most epic party”, right?
Wrong.
Unfortunately, ‘Where’s the Party?’ 2013 was, to many, nothing compared to last year’s mind-blowing instalment.
Don’t get me wrong.
This year’s ”Where’s the Party?’ 2013 certainly had its strengths, but not nearly enough to outweigh what it lacked.
Being an avid partygoer with a strong thirst for good celebrations, allow me to share my experience and elaborate my observations with an objective point of view.
Adhering to the time stated in the invitation, my partycrew and I adjourned to Serdang in the mid-afternoon.
Oh the suspense! I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for us at ‘Where’s the Party?’ 2013.
Where will we be taken to this year? Where will the location be this time round?
Arriving at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) where we are to be transited to the party showgrounds.
Our transit bus.
So excited! Where will they be taking us?
The transit bus dropped us off at the registration area which was a mere 5 minute drive.
Arriving the grounds with my partycrew.
Up to this point, I predicted that this year’s Carlsberg ‘Where’s the Party? 2013 might most probably boast an aviation theme or incorporate in-flight characteristics to the party. Its tell-tale signs led me up to this assumption.
Goodie bags with neck travel-pillows, earplugs and eye-masks.
Chartering a transit bus bearing an airplane icon.
Hearing the familiar airport jingle
A welcome announcement by a female disembodied voice.
What else could it be?
Upon seeing the cabin crew/air stewardess uniform on the usherettes,
I knew for certain that I had predicted this year’s theme correctly.
Then again, why wasn’t it held close to the airport if we were to be travelling somewhere (like we did last year)?
Hmmm.. maybe we aren’t going to be travelling anywhere this year then.
Konzy and I after receiving our “flight tickets”.
BestiePam and I about to enter the party showgrounds.
And we were off!
Soon, it was confirmed that Carlsberg ‘Where’s the Party? 2013’ was all happening at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS). No, MAEPS wasn’t only the first location to assemble.
It was THE LOCATION – the very answer to Where’s the Party?
Though the location was no where as impressive as its predecessors, Golden Palm Tree Resort in Gold Coast Sepang (2011) and Hard Rock Hotel in Penang (2012), I was certain (and hopeful!) that this year’s party would be just as fun as the one held in Carlsberg Brewery in Shah Alam (2011).
After all, it doesn’t necessarily need to be in a resort hotel to ensure a good party in motion.
Good job in keeping the suspense on the high this entire time!
I was amazed when I saw the the giant signboard and entrance; very akin to the typical ones you see at airports!
WELL DONE
What’s even cooler, they had makeshift metal detector booths set up with “airport officials”
stationed to “scan” our bodies for any metal or weaponry before “boarding” our ‘flight”.
It’s the little things and effort paid attention to in enhancing a theme of a party, that makes me happy.
I loved how they utilized every opportunity to heighten our party experience from the beginning – a sign of a great night ahead I hope?
Cabin crew offering us cans of Carlsberg
The elevated DJ booth, resembling an airplane
Yup, the entire party was full-on, every bit of an aviation theme.
My partycrew and I walked to the first thing we saw – the games station.
Shot before playing.
This game was fairly interesting!
It was an action-memory game and we were supposed to imitate the airport runway security too.
Evidently I was having fun jumping LOL.
Final showdown between me and bestiePam as everyone else got kicked out LOL
Us players on the “airport runway”!
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to play all the other games such as Loud Ludo, No-Sigh Flight, Turbalance and Safety Slide as I was asked to leave the game zone and head to the press conference which was to begin soon.
Ushered into the “departure hall” for the Press Conference.
Inside, I figured another reason why Carlsberg adopted the aviation theme.
It’s probably because winners will stand a chance to win themselves an opportunity to fly to Europe for the global ‘Where’s the Party?’ 2013 where Axwell will be performing. Hence the whole emphasis on a flight experience.
Isn’t that cool?
There was an enormous Antonov airplane inside the vicinity of the rave zone
I heard you could actually climb up and sit inside the cockpit to check it out! Dang, wish I’d known earlier!
But at the very least, I managed to get a picture with the propellers!
That still counts as something, doesn’t it?
The Managing Directors of Carlsberg Malaysia & Carlsberg Singapore making their grand entrance!
They kicked off the press conference in full swing
Mr. Henrik Anderson giving us, the media a warm welcome
Up till this point, I was still in high spirits. How can I not? I’m sure you can tell from the video above.
The amazing set-up, the whole ‘jet-set’ theme, the games – it was basically the entire initial excitement of the party that got me hungry for more of this year’s instalment!
….. until the line-up was announced.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not putting these fellas down; all I’m saying is that most media around me, including myself, was a little puzzled as to why this year’s line up was a far cry from last year’s eclectic entertainment.
During the interview session, a few from the media had also asked what was the reason behind the choice of this year’s line-up, being very different from last year’s.
However Carlsberg did an excellent job in presenting the line-up to us in airport shuttles!
First of the lot, popular local stand-up comedian, Douglas Lim
I was thrilled to have him as part of the line-up!
Local DJ Eva T
Eva T giving a short speech
Local DJ Funkzu
Offbeat rappers and singers, Nine Lives
3AM in the Valley, Big Skrptz from Australia and Joel Turner
MC Derrick and DJ Inquisitive
DJs Class and Ming Ming
German DJ Miss Nine
These girls got all the men wolf-whistling!
Korean ‘K-Pop’ girl band, Sweety.
And finally… headliners Swedish Dub House duo Cazzette
Tonight’s entertainment.
The view of the stage from afar
Funnyman Douglas Lim took the stage and cracked his usual arsenal of rib-tickling jokes up his sleeve!
Best part was when he sang his own rendition expressing his hatred for K-Pop
of popular Cantopop song, Beyond’s Hoi Fut Tin Hung.
It was my second time listening to that song now. I freakin’ love it!
Being Cantonese myself, and also despising the K-Pop craze, I could totally relate to his song!
For K-Poppers, don’t take offence, it’s just satire.
Nine Lives on stage
They performed a good deal of classic rock and pop
My partycrew and I only stayed ’til mid of Nine Lives’ performance, before we headed out for a breath of fresh air, games and for a much anticipated massage.
To our disappointment, by the time we got out at 9PM, all the games’ booths and also the massage booth was already shut.
What on earth? We were barely in there for an hour and once we came out, it was a shame that all the fun, games and massages were over. I remembered back in 2011, the games and massages went on all night!
The iDarts booth was the only games booth that was open.
We had fun playing this, at least!
The view of the stage from the crowd
It was well designed, it boasted a strong audio system, stage lighting, with both laser and pyro effects but ummm… the LED balloon container could do with a little more creativity as it looked like a giant corncob defying gravity, dangling in the middle of nowhere.
Rather out of place, no?
For their fourth time hosting Carlsberg ‘Where’s the Party?’ series of parties, MCs of the night
Patricia Knudsen and Joey G were looking very fine in their pilot uniforms.
The ‘jet-set’ theme was kept alive throughout the party. After seeing the ushers dressed as air stewards
and air stewardesses, it was only natural to expect the hosts to be donning aviation uniforms as well!
DJ Eva T on the decks
She was good, as usual, but most of us were wondering why the DJ booth was
errected in a way that her back was facing the majority of the crowd
When we adjourned from the Press Conference, we were told that there was a free flow of food served.
But as we made our way to the food section, we could hear varying complaints of “OMG the food sucks” rather audibly from the crowd. We ignored the tell-tale signs, and instead, decided to try it out and judge it for ourselves – to our utter dismay.
This year’s meal : pre-packeted food.
As glad as we were to chomp down something (gotten really hungry after a long day!), we were appalled when we saw and tasted this year’s preparation of the food.
In the past three instalments of ‘Where’s the Party?’, a sumptous buffet spread of delectable local and international cuisines, various courses, comprising the sweet and savoury, appetizers, mains, soups, desserts and what’s more, with chefs present to cook our meals right before our eyes. I’m not even joking; it was that elaborate!
In comparison to those dinners which were marvellously catered, this year’s dinner was a huge letdown.
In plastic pre-packed packets of tasteless and very bland Nasi Lemak, Bee Hoon, Nuggets, Burger and Satays.
We deliberately tried out ALL the food on the table but none even came close. Who are the caterers???
The only thing decently edible were the satays – the only ones which vanished each time the refills came.
At least we had lots and lots of Carlsberg to go around to make up for it.
One of the main redemptions of this party was that the number of guests doubled from last years ‘Where’s the Party?’.
I bumped into heaps and heaps of my buddies! T’was great to see them and catch up. Cue the pictures!
Unfortunately, like many others who left, we did not stay for the hoardes of free lok-lok steamboat trucks when the party was officially over.
But that was a fantastic surprise for those who stayed till the very end, no doubt!
My biggest regret is that my partycrew and I probably did not stay long enough to feel the heat of the party which seemed to pick up quickly after 11pm (I was there since 5pm!). Neither did I manage to catch Cazette, which I was so keen on raving to!
I might not be feeling as live wired nor into the night as I was very, very much hoping to be.
I wouldn’t say it was a horrendous nor bad party, it just didn’t live up to the high expectations we had for this year (especially after setting such high standards in the previous years) and underdelivered its claims.
Leaving as early as 10pm with mixed feelings about this years party
We had to queue up, as many others were also waiting for the shuttle bus to leave the premises
I’ve looked forward to Carlsberg Where’s the Party? 2013 for months on end and was pretty geared up for an epic night. Thus, It was no surprise when I was pretty disappointed as to why I didn’t quite enjoy myself as much as I thought I would.
I guess I really wasn’t feeling it tonight.
But we all made sure we adhered to Carlsberg’s responsible drinking and safe driving advocacy.
So to answer the question posed – YES, we did have a designated driver He is right in front of me!
In a nutshell, I must say that in comparison to the previous three Carlsberg Where’s the Party?’ versions that I have attended, this year’s party is by far the worse of the lot. From track record, I jolly well know that Carlsberg and its crew do posess monstrous capabilities to throw us kick-ass parties!
Better up your game!
Despite this year’s disapointment, I do look forward to next year’s Carlsberg ‘Where’s the Party?’ and what it has in store for us!
Check out the previous ‘Where’s the Party?’ event i’ve been to last year.
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