That Saturday night was a series of back-to-back partying for me.

After blogging about this event, I figured that I'd publish the sequel to the previous post I wrote on the Heineken Kick-Off to Ibiza party today.

I made my way to Mines Wellness Hotel KL in Seri Kembangan in anticipation for a night of good food, good drinks, good company and to watch 30 contestants battle it out to win themselves an all-expense paid trip and VIP experience to watch the screening of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Finale.

Hello from the beach!

I arrived a little after 7pm at the hotel. It was my first time at Mines Resort City! 

Aku tidak pernah berkunjung ke kawasan ini sebelum tu! Jadi, malam itu bagai penjelajahan baru untuk aku!

The registration booth

Arriving Mines Wellness Hotel lobby. Now, where's the party? 

The drinks bar

To get to the beach, I had to enter a cave-like passage way

There was so much excitement by the seaside and adrenalin was on the high!

A myriad of activities were ongoing the moment I arrived, coupled with quizzes, hunts and a mind-boggling Question & Answer session for the participants to outdo themselves for a spot in the Top-3! 30 of them has come this far to the finals, and today's challenge was the only barricade to their victory.

If you hadn't already guessed from the title yet, they be watching the UCL in VIP-style at…

No where else but the heavily celebrated party capital of the world – Ibiza, Spain

Imagine that! What I'd give to be flown VIP-style to the party central of my dreams!

With a combination of intelligence, imagination and inventiveness, three Malaysians emerged as winners.

They are: Yeoh Keng Meng, Lim Sze Hue and Joel Hoshea Munjan

Congratulations to the three of you!  You deserved it.

Beer showers anyone? 

They will be joining more than 200 Heineken fans from around the world in an ultra-luxurious VIP experience at the UCL Final viewing event in Ibiza — which will see the best of football and music culminating in one spectacular event.

Wish I could be there too! 

Have a great time in Ibiza, you guys! 

After the announcement of winners, dinner was served. 

We were treated to a generous buffet of both local and continental delights spread across long tables.

Let's eat!

I remember enjoying a delightful array of food for dinner.

From seafood spaghetti, roast lamb, & chicken to fish, noodles,crabs & ice-cream, they had it all.

There was even a satay corner where beef and chicken satay were made fresh off the grill for us!

For the sweet-tooth in all of us! My favorite was the cheesecake 

Buddies Casey, Nath and I getting our foodies on

Spotted an awesome chillout spot made of wooden crates!   How ingenious.

Needless to say, that was where I spent the rest of my night with Heineken! 

The partyheat was steadily rising as the night progressed

Hurrah! More of my buddies arrived! Don, Yuki and I 

With my gorgeous girls Zana, Karmun and Yuki

Yuki and I with our Heinekens

Boooooo!

Hailing from Penang and now residing in KL – hear us hollllaaa for Heineken!

The party was thrown on a much smaller scale this time but I had a good time partying with my mates.

And of course, indulging in several helpings of drinks, cheesecakes and satays. 

Guilty as charged! But hey, they were too good to pass… 

Went home with some limited edition merchandize as well.

Thanks for the gifts, Heineken! 

Winners Keng Meng, Sze Hue and Joel will set sail this month for the Heineken Ibiza Final and will experience the best of football and music in the world’s party and nightlife capital – Ibiza, Spain. 

Is there space left in any of your luggage to slip me in?  Genuine question. Haha!

Congratulations once again!

Have fun on your ultra-luxurious VIP experience at the UCL final screening in Ibiza 

Thank you, Heineken Malaysia and the team for a great night 

More good times ahead!

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For more updates on the UCL Finale in Ibiza with Heineken, you can:

Follow their journey on Heineken’s official Facebook page at: facebook.com/heineken

This is ridiculous! Time is certainly against me.

I've had 'The Sunday Times' weekly edition published every Sunday for exactly nine consecutive weeks now, it is beyond me how I skipped exactly a month's worth of it!

My last edition was dated 21st October, exactly four weeks ago!

It was before I jetsetted off to Cambodia for a couple of weeks and adjourned to Penang before I could even unpack! Also got into a road accident, sprained my ankle, ran a marathon and brought some lovely Australian tourists around the city.

The past month has been hectic and I apologize for not being timely with the blogposts I promised!

I've decided to revert my approach to blogging back to how I used to be. Timeliness is key. No more pending blogposts for months on end! For now, I shall be kept busy clearing off all my backlog. 

So let's see, where were we?

Dressed up for Halloween 2012 for Zouk KL's Skull Island party with my buddies

So many photos to share! Full blogpost coming soon, I promise! 

Dinner recommendation : Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant @ Sunway Pyramid

My one and ONLY favorite place for mouth-watering pork ribs! 

Packed my bags and was ready to go. I was then flown to Siem Reap, Cambodia on a fully sponsored trip by BlogFest Asia 2012. 

Cambodia Part One's blogpost is up – here! *click*

The majestic Angkor Wat by the 6AM sunrise

And the golden sunset at Phnom Bakheng hilltop

Nine days was too short! I landed back in Kuala Lumpur before I was ready to say goodbye to Cambodia.

A couple of days later, I was whisked away by Carlsberg Malaysia to their secret annual party held in Penang Island this year 

Carlsberg : Where's the Party 2012 blogpost Part One – here! *click*

Coming back to my little island, Penang, was a good way to get away from the city for a while.

It awarded me the time I wanted to spend with mother; in a familiar space

where nothing else used to matter but the comforts of home 

We're 30 years apart but hardly any visible difference, ey? 

Got to spend time with another one of my unsung heroes in life 

My maid/kakak/nanny/housekeeper/another-mother. Already 20 years working with us and counting!

What's Penang Island without it's heritage trail and food hunting?

I took part in the annual Penang Bridge International Marathon 2012 as well.

Full blogpost – here! *click*

Took a roadtrip down south to surprise godmom dearest with a private birthday lunch

at Indulgence Restaurant & Living, Ipoh's most opulent fine dining mansion 

Fully recommended for memorable functions or romantic dates!

Spent the last two days with Konzy's family who flew down all the way from Australia!

Brought them to some local food delights at NZ Garden Cafe 

I recommend this as a perfect spot to bring tourists as it overlooks our Twin Towers!

Had a lovely time with them! 

I hope they bear nothing but good memories of Kuala Lumpur city & Malaysia 

Attended the finale of Kronenbourg 1664's L'Aperitif Fashion

Celebrating the French art of pleasure at Luna Bar, on the roof top of Pacific Regency Hotel!

It was a night of cutting edge fashion, music, merriment, mingling and oh yes, more Blanc, please!

Thank you, Kronenbourg 1664, for having me 

Spent an afternoon in the city in a food review session at La Mexicana KL

Fully recommended for authentic Mexican cuisine! *Full blogpost coming soon*

AND THEN. I didn't know what hit me. I shall blame it on the weather or my idle immune system LOL.

Without any prior symptoms whatsoever, I fell sick with a very high fever the next day 

The closest thing I can get to sick-person food in Old Town restaurant

Ginger Chicken with Steamed Rice and Hot Honey Lemon juice right before taking my dosage of Paracetamol

(Thanks for the meds, Pammy! x)

Just cut up a large platter of fruits – oranges, apples & pears. Will be needing all the Vitamin C I can pump in to be well for tomorrow night's ball! 

The 'Musical Evening for the Children' fund-raising gala evening of music, food and fun is a philanthropic effort by the A Cut Above group to aid the Malaysian Childrens' Aid Society (MACAS).

The one-night-only performance will see a myriad of Malaysia's best local artistes and celebrities serenading us with their various vocal talents and respective musical instruments as well as a hair-show featuring the Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 finalists and so much more! 

I've always believed in lending my support to charity events, to the best I can. In the pursuit of success, one should always take a portion of it to give back to society. Whether it be in cash, kind or even one's own talent and skills of trade…

We all know charity begins at home… but it doesn't have to stop there 

That being said, have a wonderful & blessed seven days ahead of you, dear readers!

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Despite rocking up at countless parties, attending events after events in the city, there's always a part of me that's gleefully hoping one of them would be an epic, massive beach party.

Previously, as it has always been, I've been making my way down south to our neighbour across the causeway for their annual beach party at the end of every year.

Yes, that's the one – ZoukOut at Siloso Beach in Sentosa Island, Singapore.

But last Saturday night proved that we Malaysians won't need to leave

the country anymore to partyrock on a beach 

When I received the really creative event invitation by Carlsberg to party with them at their annual 'Where's The Party?' event, I knew for a fact that it was going to be held by the sea – on the beachside!

The invitation was in the form of a 'message in a bottle'. So creative!

Leading up to the party, I received a guide on what to bring.

Yup! That confirmed my speculations of a beach party! 

I woke up as early as 6 o' clock to pack for the weekend trip as we had to gather at the Carlsberg Brewery in Shah Alam at 8.30am, where several designated coaches would be chartering us to the mystery partyzone.

Breakfast was served at the brewery – Nasi Lemak & Teh Tarik!

Yum. Your typical Malaysian breakfast, I know 

We adjourned a little after 9 o' clock!

The bus ride was a lengthy one but we guests were well entertained by our bus emcee, Carl.

He made us laugh with his humour, snide jokes and sarcasm! 

I was in my own world curled up with a good novel & my favorite playlist

while theboyf played Angry Birds throughout the ride

The secret destination felt like a faraway distance and the journey, a never-ending one.

We were on the road for 5 hours now. The surroundings were beginning to be a wee bit familiar to me. 

We were given a bento box for lunch on the go!

A delicious hotdog, sausages, fruits, smoked salmon, veggies, potatoes and… CHOCOLATE 

At one point, I could see the Penang Bridge in the distance. That's it! 

This year's Carlsberg 'Where's The Party' is going to be held in Penang Island… but the question is, where exactly?

We alighted at Queensbay seaside to sign our names on the guestlist

Initially, I thought we were going to be partying at this beach but there was no stage set-up in sight.

"Scratch that, it can't be here then!", I said to myself with much perplexity.

Before I knew it, we were on the move again.

Being a Penangite, I thought I knew where we were going and smugly told theboyf that the party would most probably be held in Batu Fehringgi's long stretch of beaches.

But as soon as the coach took a different route, my totally lost my bearings. We were taken on a long, winding ride on a new highway on a hilly area I've never driven on before.

Escorted by the police force and road marshalls en route to the secret partyzone. Coolbeans! 

Looking out the window, all I could see was cliffs, narrow bridges, the Indian Ocean, plunging ravines, the sun setting in the horizon, lush greenery, mountainous terrains, jungles, waterfalls, rural villages… you get the picture.

This puzzled me even further.

Dear Carlsberg, Where's the Party?

No, really… WHERE'S THE PARTY???? 

I soon realized that it was all part of the plan. Their plot to confuse us, get us racking our brains thinking, giving us so much suspense and anticipation living up to its theme – 'Where's The Party?'. 

Good job! That calls for a Carlsberg *clink*

In the end, I was right. We were going to Batu Fehringgi after all but via a road not taken by many LOL. 

We *finally* arrived Bayview Beach Resort Penang

This was taken in the transparent, bubble elevator going up to my room 

As soon as I stepped in, I felt right at home.

My Deluxe Side Seaview room was spacious, comfy, had an enormous King-sized bed, a balcony, a giant bathroom (with a bath!), comfy couches, a flat-screen television, high-speed internet and so much more!

To sum it all up, it was beautiful had everything I needed. Thanks, Carlsberg! 

Here are some photos of my room before I made a mess of it LOL

#1

#2

#3

#4

I soon noticed a little something lying in my room. 

It bore the words – 

"Dear Bold One,

You've made it to Carlsberg Where's The Party. 

Gear yourself up with the items in this party pack

and rock on to Asia's most epic party!"

I opened it with much enthusiasm (Come on, who doesn't like surprise presents?) and I found many party essentials which could come in handy during the beachparty! 

If my memory hasn't failed me, it had a map/layout sheet of the partyzone, a Pestle and Mortar 'Where's the Party?' t-shirt, funky hipster glasses and a pair of flip-flops.

Yay! This made me a very happy girl 

I've always wanted a pair of Fipper flip-flops but never got round to buying one

Time to get ready and hit the beach for Carlsberg's 'Where's the Party?'

Whoops. I think I over-packed. Heh.

We put our beachparty gear on and left the hotel with the Carlsberg shuttle-van

The party was held at Hard Rock Hotel's beachside.

Finally, after an entire day's worth of travelling (almost!) it was now time to muster what's left of our energy and turn up our party dial for Malaysia's most epic tri-nation beachparty by Carlsberg!

Watch this space for Part 2 *wink*

Stay tuned! 

When I think of barbeques, I think of beachside barbeque parties/gatherings that has been a frequent activity between my buddies and I.

But ever since I set foot in Australia, I began to realize that the barbeque lunches or dinners had a vast difference
 

It revolves around so much meat and well.. meat.

Back in Malaysia, we'd barbeque almost everything and anything.

I'm very familiar with, and personally love having fish balls, prawn balls, cheeseballs, sausages, crab meat sticks, chicken wings, marshmellows, prawn balls, jacket potatoes, capsicums, nuggets, squids with my barbeques.

But over here, it's all about ONIONS, THICK MEATY SAUSAGES, STEAK and BEEF PATTIES.

Plus, their barbeque pits are different too.

It's not like the usual chicken wired ones we have in Malaysia, but rather a slab of metal griller thingy.

With some 6 barbeques I've been to in Australia so far, it has always been the same oily, meaty thing.

Probably it's because that's their usual Australian way of barbeque-ing that I need getting used to.

Yes I was hungry so anything goes 🙂

Here' their routine – Light up the charcoal, oil up the barbeque pit, fry the onions till they're golden brown, barbeque the beef patties and sausages till they're all greasy-fied and ready to be eaten with bread and a choice of mayo, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce or mustard

And here's ours – Light up the charcoal (or dig a deep, wide hole in the sand with bricks and chicken wire if it's a beach BBQ), poke a combination of our fave pieces through a skewer, butter them up, chitchat while rotating our skewers and waiting for it to be ready

For unknown reasons, my Aussie mates have suddenly taken a shine on Malaysia after all my sharing of stories and lifestyle I have back at home and are planning a trip up at the end of the year! Yay!

I really can't wait to show them our Malaysian style of barbeque parties... something like the beach barbeque party I had in 2008.

That was 3 years ago, just so you know. 

Some random piccies from the barbeque party 🙂

Two of my housies, Elizabeth and Narelle 🙂

It was in the middle of summer, so only God knows why it was SO COLD almost every day

Anyhoozers, it's a good reason for a hot, sizzling barbeque evening! 🙂

I could kill for a barbeque with my friends back in the beaches of Penang Island, Malaysia anytime.

I miss our kind of barbeque heaps!!!!