Month: June 2010

Beerfest Asia 2010

20th June 2010 (Sunday) marks the day that I attended Beerfest Asia 2010. I wanted to get tickets for 19th June 2010 (Saturday) so that I can hang around later but it was already sold out. The event was held at Marina Promenade (F1 tracks behind Singapore Flyer).

Beerfest Asia 2010 is starting at 6pm and there was already a queue waiting to go in at around 5.50pm. This is the second year that Beerfest Asia is running and offer the opportunities to sample over 250 kinds of beers!

Collected my “1-Day OCBC Exclusive” tickets which I paid in-advance with OCBC credit card for S$12 each.

The “1-Day OCBC Exclusive” ticket comes with 2 redeemable beer. I had initially thought that we can choose the 2 beers that we wanted but at the entrance, we were given a redeemed beer each and another beer token (black) to redeem the other beer of choice in the event. The redeemed beer didn’t come with any label as it must have peeled off while in the ice bath. I had a peek at other attendees’ bottle and it’s actually “Super Bock“. My partner finds it up to her liking!

Sol beer, imported bottled beer from Mexico.

Jaz Beer and Starker from Malaysia. Starker won the gold at Asia Beer Awards for wheat beer category. Wheat beer is my top favorite and I didn’t managed to try Starker… 🙁

Wheat Beer (Source)
Gold: Starker Aromatic Wheat Beer, Starker Brewery, Napex
Silver: Brewerkz Wheat Beer, Brewerkz, Brewerkz
Bronze: Pump Room Wheat Beer, The Pump Room

Dead Frog Brewery from Cananda and Storm Brewery from Indonesia. Had a chat with the folks at Storm Brewery and he mentioned that the crowd on Saturday night was packed to the brim! Hmmm..I’m glad that I came on a Sunday… self consolation… hahaha

Sabeco from Vietnam which carries Beer 333, Saigon Export and Saigon Special. I had lots of them during my trip to Vietnam!

Brewerkz Restaurant & Microbrewery – winner of “Outstanding South East Asian Microbrewery Award”. (Source)

6 Drunk Men – featuring Fosters, Pure Blonde, Red Rock Lager, Victoria Bitter, Magners Cider, etc.

Singha beer from Thailand.

Since the event was held at the F1 tracks behind Singapore Flyer.. there is a showcase of a few F1 cars as well.

Beerlao from Laos. The banner mentioned “Asia Best Beer” (Voted by Times Magazine). Must find opportunity to try this beer!

B.I.D carries various beers – James Boags (Australia), Konig (Germany), Warsteiner (Germany), Samuel Adams (USA), etc.

Went to change for S$30 worth of Beerfest chips. Paid by OCBC card and got 5% off so I paid only S$28.50.

Food and snacks are available at Beerfest Asia 2010!

Sausage platter at S$14.

Outdoor sitting area for dining while you watch World Cup matches at the screen.

North Taiwan Brewery have some interesting concoction – Honeydew Melon Fruit Beer and Li Chee Fruit Beer.

König Pilsener from Germany.

Storm Beer, brewed in Bali. I would love to try the rest of the range (especially Storm Brewing Iron Stout) when I am in Bali next month. 🙂

Trying our Storm Golden Ale (brewed in Bali). I love it!

Golden Ale (Source)
Gold: Archipelago Summer Ale, Archipelago Brewery, Archipelago Brewery, Singapore
Silver: Storm Golden Ale, Storm Brewing, Storm Brewing
Bronze: Brewerkz Golden Ale, Brewerkz, Brewerkz, Singapore

Sky is getting darker but the crowd is still starting to pour in.

Live entertainment at Beerfest Asia 2010. Enjoy fantastic live music while you drink beers!

Moving out to enjoy the cool breeze…

Redeemed a Brewerk Golden Ale from Singapore.

Carlton Pure Blonde, good for ladies who are more weight conscious as it’s low carbohydrate. The beer ambassador mentioned to me that 6 bottles of Pure Blonde is equivalent to a slice of bread. Wow!

Low Carbohydrate Lager (Source)
Gold: No Winner
Silver: No Winner
Bronze: Carlton Pure Blonde, Carlton & United Breweries Ltd, 6 Drunk Men

I left around 9pm to go for dinner but the event actually goes on till 12 midnight. Look at the amount of people still enjoying themselves!

Anyway, Beerfest Asia 2010 is a really great event for beer lovers to have the opportunity to sample different brew and concoction of beer under one roof. It’s also a good event to arrange for a get-together session with friends and enjoy beer! I will be sure to attend the next year’s Beerfest Asia 2010!

Kuala Lumpur

A Day in Kuala Lumpur 1

Early morning around 7plus, I was woken up by some commotion at the lobby, think might be some guests checking out. Then, I tried to get back to bed but wasn’t able to so decided to wake up and have breakfast before checking emails and do some work. Above photo shows the complimentary breakfast at 41berangan – there is coffee, tea, milk, bread (jam & butter), etc.

After burying myself in the notebook for a couple of hours, it’s time for lunch. As it was raining cats and dogs, I wore the slippers (with permission) provided by 41berangan to go out. Oh, 41berangan also provided umbrellas too!

I went to Lot 10 Hutong to have lunch, this foodcourt apparently features the best food of Kuala Lumpur and there are plenty of choices!

Walk several times around the whole premises and finally settled for Soong Kee Beef Noodles. There is so much more that I like to try but there is a limitation to my intake. 🙁

Soong Kee Beef Noodles Set at RM 7.90.

After the lunch, I took a short stroll to Pavilion Mall.

Interior of Pavilion Mall. Amazed by the grandeur!

Restoran Island Bistro at Pavilion Mall – seems like a wonderful place to relax and have some drinks…

Spazzio at Pavilion Mall – various food and drinks are available.

A myriad view of escalators in Pavilion Mall.

Walking around in Pavilion Mall, it was relatively quiet for a Saturday afternoon…

So this is where the crowd is… having their lunch at Food Republic.

I have taken my lunch so only had a hot coffee from Toastbox.

Passing by a house while on the way back to 41berangan to check out.

After checking out from 41berangan, I walk to Plaza Low Yat to cut through. Not sure whether it’s the faster way towards Pasarakyat Bus Terminal but this is the way that I took when I reached so I am just retracing the route.

Reached Berjaya Times Square and saw that there is singing competition to be held in the evening. Some of the contestants are practicing their songs and I must say that they are very good!

Theme Park at Berjaya Times Square.

Interior of Berjaya Times Square – huge shopping center with over 1,000 shops!

Took a slow walk to Pasarakyat Bus Terminal for my coach back to Singapore.

Located Transtar Express and went to check-in. I had a coffee and some wafer biscuits in the lounge while waiting for the coach to be ready for boarding. There are also stalls around selling various items.

Food court at Pasarakyat Bus Terminal – only a few stalls is operational.

Boarded the coach and went to my seat at the upper deck.

Yeah, the LCD at my seat is working. Oh, I am using the ear phone from my iPhone instead of the ones supplied for easy switching between movies and songs (iPhone). Hehe.

Stop at Yong Peng for a short break. The time is about 645pm.

Transtar did not provide any mineral water for the return trip so I bought a small bottle to hydrate myself.

The Transtar Express Premium bus that I am taking.

The rest of the journey went on smoothly and it was a nice trip to Kuala Lumpur though a bit rush… but anyway I still had the opportunity to roam around and check out some stuffs so it wasn’t that bad. I am quite sure that there will be more trips to Kuala Lumpur in the future. I am anticipating it as there are a few food that I wanted to try! 🙂

Tags 41berangan, berjaya times square, bukit bintang, food republic, kuala lumpur, lot 10 hutong, low yat plaza, Malaysia, pasarakyat bus terminal, pavilion mall, restoran island bistro, singapore, soong kee beef noodles, spazzio, theme park, toastbox, transtar travel, yong peng

Kuala Lumpur

A Day in Kuala Lumpur

A recent business requirement brings me to Kuala Lumpur (KL) , Malaysia. This time round I will be taking the coach up north instead of driving as it will give me time to catch up on some reading as well as work. The journey on the coach is definitely longer then self-drive and it’s usually takes approximately 5 to 6 hours with one stop in-between. I have booked online for premium coach from Transtar Travel and it cost a total of S$54.59.

Singapore to KL (Pasarakyat Bus Terminal) – S$32.96 (includes 3% admin charge)
KL (Pasarakyat Bus Terminal) to Singapore – S$21.63 (includes 3% admin charge)

Above photo shows the waiting lounge at Transtar Travel. There are free coffee, tea, snacks available for consumption too.

Interior of coach – it is relatively clean and comfortable. The seats come with a massage function, which I truly appreciate.

Each seat also comes with a LCD screen where you can watch TV programmes or movies but the screen for my allocated seat is spoilt! By the way, there is also a 3-pin plug power source located near the bottom of the seat, this is especially useful if you are working on your notebook or just entertaining yourself on PSP, iPhone, Nintendo, etc. Each of the traveler are given a bottle of mineral water too!

Lucky Garden rest stop at Yong Peng – is one of the popular rest stop for interstate buses. There are many variety of food available for selection too!

Towards the end, there is a provision shop selling various kinds of Malaysia snacks and products. This is a heaven for those who loves to munch on snacks while traveling on the coach!

Walk around and I decided to have a Ramly Burger for breakfast.

Ramly Chicken Burger RM5. The chicken patty is wrapped up by the egg. 🙂

Finally reach KL (Pasarakyat Bus Terminal) and decided to talk a short stroll to Bukit Bintang area.

Walking towards Berjaya Times Square.

Krispy Kreme at Berjaya Times Sqaure. Remembered that Krispy Kreme is extremely popular in Japan and had super-long queues!

Lunch at Marrybrown (Berjaya Times Sqaure) – Lucky plate with Orange Juice at RM10.40.

The interior of Marrybrown at Berjaya Times Sqaure – clean and have various kind of seating available. Love the over-hanging cocoon seat!

After the lunch, it’s time to perk up with a Starbucks Mocha at RM11.75.

Went to Etude House to check out some items for my partner.

After my business meeting, I headed over to Bukit Bintang area. Passing through Low Yat Plaza, which is a shopping centre that specialize in electronics and IT products, much like our Sim Lim Square in Singapore.

Lot 10, another shopping center that serves middle-upper tier products.

Reached my accommodation for the night, 41Berangan, which is located at 41 Jalan Berangan. It is near to the famous street food (Jalan Alor), shopping malls (Jalan Bukit Bintang), night life and restaurants (Changkat Bukit Bintang). Trying out for the first time. 🙂

Free usage of the computer and internet access at the lobby area. You can also request for the WIFI password from the staff for free in-room access from your notebook or mobile!

Waiting area of the lobby.

Standard room (twin) – 2 single beds with shared bathroom. I booked this online at RM 100 (which includes RM20 surcharge per room for weekend) and also includes a simple continental breakfast. Room is rather small but still good enough for me. For those interested, please note that there is no TV in the room and you have to use the common bathroom. It is also on the first level and next to the check-in counter.

At a corner, you have an area where you can hang your clothes. You can ask for towels if they are not in the room.

Common wash basin area.

One of the common bathrooms, comes with shampoo and body foam.

Court yard area – There is 2 rooms here that is made from containers. The container rooms comes with 1 double bed with attached bathroom (deluxe).

Dining area – you can also watch TV programs or DVD movies here too!

A shop which is beside 41Berangan, you can get food, drinks or snacks here. The outside sitting seems like a great place to chill out!

Passing by Radius International Hotel.

Checking out Healy Mac’s Irish Bar and Restaurant at Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Reggae Bar at Changkat Bukit Bintang. Looks like a nice place to party!

Havanna at Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Hotel Rae – one of my accommodation consideration.

YY38 Hotel – another of my accommodation consideration. Think I will try either Hotel Rae or YY38 for my next trip to KL.

Temporary rubbish dump in-between Jalan Alor and Jalan Bukit Bintang? I have seen this scene since many years ago and the rubbish are still around…

Federal Hotel – used to stay here whenever I travel to Kuala Lumpur.

Passing by Restoran Dragon View. Is the food here any good?

Famous food street – Jakan Alor.

Many food stalls available at Jalan Alor. It’s also a popular place for tourist too!

A mobile kitchen selling Lok Lok (food on wooden skewers and cooked by dipping in a hot satay gravy).

Met up with a friend and headed off to Pavilion Mall to have some beers. Checking out La Bodega at Pavilion Mall.

Decided to hang at Weissbrau German Bistro & Bar and we had Hoegarden, Erdinger and Franziskaner. Nice place to chill!

Back to hotel and was feeling hungry so went to the coffee shop at the end of Jalan Berangan to order a packet of Mee Goreng at RM5. Went back to hotel and dine in the room while checking emails on the notebook. It was already 2am when I went to take a bath and then to bed. What a long day!!! 🙂

Cyprus

A Wonderful Trip in Cyprus

Post author By guest
Post date June 16, 2010
No Comments on A Wonderful Trip in Cyprus

The following is a guest post by George Christodoulou from OneTravel.com – please head on there if you are looking for travel deals.

If you’ve never visited Cyprus before, put it on your list. If you live in America the trip will be expensive, but for those who live in Europe, the flight is much shorter and the price is lower. The country is wonderful because there is a beach nearly everywhere you go and the weather is great. Being an island in the Mediterranean definitely has its advantages. During my visit, I spent an entire summer living with my grandparents a few years ago. Even though it has been a few years since my visit, I vividly remember the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the country. Please come along while I share with you some of my fondest experiences in Cyprus.

First let us stop by my grandfather’s coffee shop. There were three coffee shops in a village called Tris Elies, but his was the most popular because he was a fun loving charismatic fellow. The day consists of nothing more then drinking coffee, talking to the locals, playing backgammon, and taking naps when the mood strikes. Although this seems boring, there is not a moment during the trip when I was bored or dreaded visiting the coffee shop.

Next, let’s move on to the mountainous terrain and how amazing walking around the village was. Tris Elies was built on a mountain so the houses are sprawled on different levels with my grandfather’s house at the top. Talk about exercise, every trip out of the house was a workout. Everywhere I walked there was a view of the entire village. The scenery was breathtaking because the homes all had flowers and grape vines growing around. Each house has it’s own individual style and charm because they were build by the village people either fifty or one hundred years ago. The most beautiful sites though, are on the trails of the mountain. There are orchards all around the village with streams, stone bridges, fruit trees, and other amazing sights to feast your eyes on.

What I have described here was an amazing experience I had in Cyprus, but if you visit will your visit be the same? There is a tourist area in Cyprus that is just like any other, but Cyprus is changing. The villages are being quickly depopulated as the elderly natives pass away. The children of these people are receiving the land from their parents and turning the homes into single family hotels for visitors like yourself. Within the next ten or twenty years, Cyprus will have an amazing village experience for all people of the world so look out and have fun.

Tags Cyprus, food, greek, travel, village

Gadgets

AllKit Cigarette Mount Holder and Charger with Full Range FM Transmitter for iPhone and iPod

Post author By Ronald Tan
Post date June 9, 2010
2 Comments on AllKit Cigarette Mount Holder and Charger with Full Range FM Transmitter for iPhone and iPod

I needed a car kit to charge my iPhone 3GS while on the move so I went around searching for a car mount with charging capabilities. In the end, I found the above “AllKit Cigarette Mount Holder and Charger with Full Range FM Transmitter for iPhone and iPod” in DealExtreme.com which cost USD $16.45 (S$23). Other then it is a car mount with charging capabilities, it is also a FM transmitter for iPhone and iPod!

The box was pretty mangled up when I received it but the contents are still intact. I made the order on 8th May 2010 and received it on 20th May 2010. Oh yes, shipping is free at DealExtreme.com!

Suitable for iPhone, iPod, MP3 and all cars. For your info, the car mount is made in China.

The contents in the box – it also comes with a mini instruction slip.

Flexible clamp to keep your iPhone/iPod in place and you just need to press the button on the left to release the clamp. Both the clamps and the back are covered with rubbery material to protect your iPhone/iPod from being scratched. For all those folks who are using protective casing on iPhone/iPod, please be aware that there is a possibility that it might not fit into mount with the protective casing on. The reason being – I am using SwitchEasy Vulcan and I just barely squeezed my iPhone 3GS into the car mount with the clamp already fully opened. It’s freaking tight fit!

Top of the car mount where you can select the FM channels (on the left “QS”) and then adjust to your desired frequency (using up/down button on the right).

The audio cable connection on the left of the car mount.

For all the non-iPhone devices, you can still charge them through the standard USB output socket (on the right side).

The angle of the tilt can be adjusted from the the back of the mount.

Cigarette mount with flexible goose-pipe so it is compatible with every car in the world.

Audio cable for you to connect the car mount and iPhone/iPod together so that the car mount can act as a FM transmitter to broadcast the music from your iPhone/iPod.

Setting up in the car. First thing I tried was to see whether the charging mechanism works. It’s works fine!

You can use any FM frequency of your choice from 88.1 to 107.9 Mhz to listen to music from you iPhone/iPod.

Final setup, music streaming via FM was surprisingly good. The quality was acceptable and there wasn’t any noticeable noise or distortion present. This will be fantastic as I will be able to listen to my favorite tracks during any long driving trips up north (Malaysia).

As I do use my iPhone as a GPS, so the car mount as well as the charging is a definite must-have. The only flaw is that I have to look down from time to time to check out the route but it’s not frequent as there are voice intructions for GPS as well. It will be idle if the iPhone car mount is on eye-level.

Well, the reason I didn’t get a eye-level car mount is because most of them comes with a glass suction to stick on to the windscreen. As my windscreen is covered with solar film, it will not hold strong and long. My friends have mentioned this scenario to me countless times and most of them also comes with goose-neck pipe extending from the windscreen, it wobbles a lot when you going through some rough terrain!

Night view of the car mount.

I must say that I am pretty satisfied and it’s worth the USD $16.45. My comments is that if there is a on/off switch for the charging (off the blue LED too!), then that will be great. Also, the furnishing is not that fine and I was momentarily shocked by the car mount thickness. The car mount also wobbles a bit due to the goose-neck extension. But overall, I am a happy man and will still recommend you to buy it too!

Update: On 30th Dec 2010, I noticed that the bright blue LED is dead….but charging still works.

Tags allkit, car kit, charger, cigarette mount, dealextreme, fm trasmitter, iphone, ipod