INSIGHT CRIZ

One of Penang’s premier shopping centers, 1st Avenue, has recently launched its Mobile Apps for IOS and Android users. Just download the mobile apps and be the first to receive instant updates on their latest happenings which would include quite a number of interesting contests, current promotions on the many products available at the mall and oncoming events.

For the month of June 2013, there would be 2 giveaways for the first 50 persons respectively, who had downloaded their mobile apps and present it to them as proof.

The first event would be held on 2 June 2013 at 3.00pm to claim your FREE “Marvel’s Iron Man 3” t-shirt. Please click for more information on the poster below on how to go about it.

The second event would be held on 16 June 2013 at 3.00pm to claim your FREE Starbucks “Buy 1 Free 1” voucher. Please click for more information on the poster below on how to go about it.

Most homeowners, especially those with younger kids at home, would always be on alert unnecessarily when their garden has all the potential dangerous equipments left exposed in the open. Firstly, those equipments might even wear off faster under the direct heat from the sun or the wetness from the rain. Other than being an eye sore when the equipments are left haphazardly everywhere, it might also cause injuries to the kids at home. After all, kids are kids and they are always having that curiosity when left unattended to.

The ideal way to rectify these issues would be by constructing a handy shed to keep those equipments away from the sight of adult visitors as well as kids. Your preferred shed could come in many shapes and size based on your budget with options of Vinyl Sheds, Metal Sheds, Plastic Sheds, Wood Sheds, DuraMax Sheds, Arrow Sheds, Lifetime Sheds or even Suncast Sheds.

As for me, I love to have the materials to blend in with the nature within my garden. I chose the extra wide, pre-hung lockable double doors Wood Shed. The wonderful thing about purchasing this American made product is that it would come with a 10 Year Limited Warranty. Moreover, it would be delivered to your doorstep free and without any sales tax. Everything would be pre-cut and ready for assembly just like how you would assemble your kid’s LEGO® set. You just need to refer to the accompanied manual with clear illustrations which would be easily understood by anyone without any carpentry skills. You would also be assured of long term of usage as the materials had been treated professionally to prevent fungal decay and insect infestation. Now that you have a proper storage place with the necessary security features, you can live your life more worry free.

Since its inception in 2008, H-Artistry set out with one clear goal – to deliver an unmatched, premium super-club experience through the Global Art of Mixing platform, which promises a phenomenal mix of sights, tastes and sounds at each H-Artistry party. This year, H-Artistry returns with a never-before-seen set up with the party starting as soon as revelers step into the enclave. The first of two H-Artistry events planned for 2013 will be taking over the Penang Island this 25 May 2013 at the newly refurbished SPICE (Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre) formerly known as PISA (Penang International Sports Arena).

This year’s no-frills super-club experience will be bolstered by the staple Hennessy Mixing Bars, which will serve the four trailblazers of all H-Artistry events – the signature Hennessy V.S.O.P long drinks: Hennessy Apple, Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger and Hennessy Soda.

The H-Artistry stage will see a line-up of exciting local, regional and international acts, which will treat Penang revelers to a stellar mix of music styles and genres all through the night. The opening act would be administered by one of Kuala Lumpur’s most promising indie/electronic acts – Alex Asquared (one part of Deer Society), while 3 other mains acts would be by Australian DJ, DJ Andy Murphy, who is no stranger to stages of international dance music festivals, Singapore’s DJ Nicole Chen, one of the most prominent DJ personalities in Singapore, known for her energetic and electrifying up-tempo electro-house/dirty-dutch sets and Hong Kong’s 24HERBS (???), a six piece collective of dynamic and progressive individuals, who make up one of the edgiest and most energetic hip hop groups of recent times in Chinese entertainment.

With all the effort put in to make H-Artistry a spectacular show, responsible partying is one clear message that is communicated at every H-Artistry party. Naturally, it would be a waste to forget an amazing H-Artistry experience. To avoid that, H-Artistry ensures partygoers have access to all that is necessary to maintain a great party, with safety and wellbeing as utmost priority. Responsible drinking at the event is also encouraged through several measures. A coupon system comes into play to limit the redemption of Hennessy V.S.O.P long drinks at the Hennessy Mixing Bars come midnight, while complimentary mineral water bottles are also given out throughout the night at every H-Artistry event. All these initiatives, among others, will be continued and further improved at both H-Artistry parties planned for 2013.

Access to H-Artistry is BY INVITES ONLY. Party goers will be able to obtain passes from the H-Artistry Ambassadors stationed at selected entertainment outlets by participating in the ongoing Hennessy V.S.O.P bottle promotions. Every bottle of Hennessy V.S.O.P purchased will come with two (2) invites to H-Artistry, while a purchase of two (2) bottles will come with five (5) tickets. So be sure to check out the full scheduling details on how to obtain the invites as well as updates on the upcoming H-Artistry event by visiting www.h-artistry.com.my.

Participating Outlets:
Cuvee @ Precinct 10 – Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.
Nueve @ Precinct 10 – Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.
Soho @ Precinct 10 – Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.
M2 @ Penang Times Square – B2, Entertainment City, Penang.
SOJU ROOM @ Penang Times Square – B2, Entertainment City, Penang.
ROOM @ Autocity – JuruAutocity, Jalan Perusahaan, Highway Auto-city, Perai, Penang.

2013 marked a new milestone in the technology-communication era with the collaboration between Ninetology, Tune Talk and Qualcomm. The signing of the Synergistic Strategic Alliance ceremony between Mr. Sean Ng Chee Heng (Chief Executive Officer, Ninetology Marketing Sdn Bhd), Mr. Jason Lo (Chief Executive Officer, Tune Talk) and Mr. Mantosh Malhorta (Senior Director of Business Development Country Head Philippines, Singapore & Malaysia, Qualcomm Incorporated), was held on 10 April 2013 at the Grand Dorsett Hotel, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

The hall entrance had a Lamborghini Gallardo on display with event model girls, massage chair for pleasure of guests and several personnel providing free massage services, courtesy of Relax Time. While within the hall, there were arrays of posters depicting the event’s theme. Along with the many speeches by the event organizers was a performance by the winner of Malaysia Tag-team Beatbox Battle 2011, Koujee. Also in presence was also another speaker, Mr. Goh Thih Liang, Business Development Manager, Qualcomm Incorporated.

One of the highlights of the event was the unveiling of the Ninetology’s Pearl Mini, a bold statement for the young as it boasts on its compact and sleek body frame. Spelling undisputed convenience for energetic lifestyle movements, Pearl Mini is fit for every alpha individual who longs for superb technology on the go.

The Pearl Mini will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon platform and would be packaged with Tune Talk’s prepaid service, which would include RM50 FREE Talktime (comes preloaded with SIM) and RM100 Airtime Rebate (RM10 x 10). To get this rebate, one needs only to reload RM20 or more in any denominations each month. For more information on the Tune Buddies SIM pack, visit http://www.tunetalk.com/my/services/tunebuddies. The Pearl Mini’s is available now at all Ninetology and Tune Talk retail outlets nationwide at a recommended retail price (RRP) of RM399.

Another prominent tablet on display was the newly launch Ninetology’s Outlook Pure, an evolution of mobile tablet technology which is derived from the very essence of purity in today’s era of communication. Pure defines familiarity with family bonds in experiencing love and care, progressive learning and cherishing priceless moments, that peace of mind in your family’s growth. Recommended retail price (RRP) is at RM599.

As part of its on-going Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Ninetology also presented a GOLD Cheque worth RM50,000 to Yayasan Bakti Khidmat Masyarakat Malaysia (YBKMM), Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia (RM30,000) and Pusat Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Taman Megah (PPKKCTM) (RM10,000).

Please also take note that Ninetology would be announcing its branding and marketing direction via Malaysia’s largest Basketball Tournament, Ninetology All Star 2013, organised by XBallerto, to encourage more youths to be fit and healthy. This tournament shall take place from May till November 2013. Details of this tournament can be found at www.xballer.com.

About Ninetology Marketing Sdn Bhd: Founded in August 2012, Ninetology Marketing Sdn Bhd is an ASEAN mobile device technology company; strongly driven by people’s pride and importance of being on par with global technology progression and renowned international standards. Ninetology had proven its capabilities when the brand had emerged tremendously and had earned a significant market share in Malaysia’s mobile device industry. Ninetology’s objective is to transform the way of traditional communication into the revolutionary era of smart phones. This prominent transition will assure enhancement of people quality with enhanced intelligence. Ninetology had just recently been launched in Indonesia last September and shall continue its progression to other ASEAN countries. The year 2012 witnessed Ninetology with four per cent of the market share since the brand emerged in August. The company has sold 93,000 units within the first quarter of 2013. As of February 2013, Ninetology has covered 5.2 per cent of Malaysia’s mobile device market share amongst other brands in the market. Ninetology also gained 60 per cent of whole youth share in conjunction with our support towards Pakej Komunikasi Belia by the MCMC.

About Tune Talk: Tune Talk is the fastest-growing Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in Asia, officially launching commercial services in Malaysia in 2009. Our target is to provide super low rates and exciting incentives to the market. Our prepaid service offers voice, SMS and data packages that meet the demands for a simple, value-for-money product with easy accessibility and a wide distribution reach. As a member of the Tune Group of companies, we have the advantage of providing a completely unique lifestyle service with offers by Tune Money, Tune Hotels, Tune Insurance, BIG Loyalty Programme and AirAsia. For more information, please visit www.tunetalk.com.

On 30 April 2013, Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O Hotel), Penang, has once again successfully launched the Bordeaux Rendez-vous 2013 at its Macalister Ballroom, Level 5, Victory Annexe. The RM250++ wine reception cum buffet dinner had master class wine makers from 26 labels flying all the way to Penang from respective regions in France, all together mingling with local wine lovers and media. Guests were welcomed with tidbits, cocktail and Italian Conti Neri-Prosecco Sparkling Wine.

The Conti Neri-Prosecco is a sparkling white wine from north-eastern Italy, specifically the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine regions. It is also the informal name for the grape variety used to make these wines, which is known officially as Glera. The light golden yellow sparkling wine was ideal for the occasion as it was light, clean with a lower alcohol content compared to the more expensive champagne.

There were free flows of wines available for testing and ordering at the event from 26 world class labels. Here are some of them.

You can view the price of each label here to purchase them from E&O Hotel or The Wine Shop. The prices shown here were SOLELY for the buyers on the night. Actual consumer price list would be attached here later.

In comparison to the many types of wines available on the market, the Brodeaux wine collections were for sure much more superior than most of the wines found outside France. From the 26 labels available, we started off with a few recommendations from the winemaker from Château Lagrange, Mr. Matthieu Bordes, as well as from the more seasoned wine lovers. Of course, the first bottle would be Château Lagrange-St Julien (2003-RM470/bottle) from is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. This dark ruby colored wine was slightly oaky plus acidic with an interesting evolution towards humus, blackcurrant fruit and vanilla. It was rather smooth and fruity to my liking. This wine went well with the roasted duck dish I had from the buffet line.

The next wine was the Château Corbin-St Emilion (2003-RM290/bottle). This soft but medium bodied wine had an earthly and spiced up flavors with hints of black cherry, plum and vanilla. Compared to the Château Lagrange, it was rather coarse to my liking. Coincidentally, I was having some cheesy pesto pasta with some smoked chicken ham at that time and they sure blend in quite nicely. I guessed cheesy stuff would be great with Château Corbin.

The Château Lascombes-Margaux (2001-RM590/bottle) had most of us head over heels over it. This dark ruby colored wine was rich, ripe and opulent. While oaky with a slight hint of licorice, this full bodied wine had a high concentration of ripe fruit taste such as blueberries, black cherries, vanilla with a slight bitter espresso aftertaste. To me, it was even better than the Château Lagrange with more subtle features. To bring out the complexity, you could pair it with a nice filet mignon or rib-eye or even some nice chocolate brownies and chocolate lava cakes.

Of course, we would like to try out the most expensive wine (RM1010/bottle) of them all. However, we only managed to get the second best from the Château Léoville Poyferré-St Julien (2001-RM530/bottle) collections. With an earthy, black and red fruit nose, almost similar to gamey raw cow, the wine had hints of greenish flavors with a strong tobacco bitter aftertaste. With a price range almost similar to the Château Lascombes, I would personally prefer the fullness of the Château Lascombes flavors. This wine would be quite ideal for more exotic meat such as venison.

We also tried out the Château Carbonnieux (Red)-Pessac-Léognan (2003). This medium bodied wine was tart black cherries, spices and tobacco smoky in the finish. Somehow, I felt that it needed more age for better consumption. With the somewhat young tannins with a more distinctive fruity finish, it would go well with roasted meat and fish.

We also tried out the Château Haut Bailly-Pessac-Léognan (2003-RM530/bottle) from the same appellation. Compared to the earlier wine from the same area, this earthly wine had a more herbal note and suitable to my liking. The flavors from the ripeness of the berries would be more balance through age. This wine would be suitable to pair with more robust dishes such as roasted meat, especially beef.

Lastly, we tried out the Château Beychevelle-St Julien (2003-RM800/bottle). This earthy medium bodied wine had aromas of dark berries, cassis, spices and tobacco nose. Personally, I found that it was a bit too tannic with dryness to my liking. Somehow, it lacked a bit of depth. However, it might be quite ideal to go with powerful red meat such as lamb and more.

To get into the excitement of wine and dining, we had the challenging experiences of finding which food suited the wine better. There was a wide spread of dishes served at the buffet line ranging from bread, soup, cheese, appetizers, salads, main dishes of beef, lamb, poultry, seafood and desserts to set us on our discovery quests. Let me share the pictorial menus as below:

Attended Bloggers: