Estée Lauder Companies' Earth Month 2014 in conjunction with the school holidays.

When I posted some photos of the Estee Lauder Companies' Earth Month 2014 launch in Mid Valley  on my Instagram, I saw one cynical comment on people's pure understanding of campaigns to preserve the environment.

I don't think one should be cynical about whatever little bits of things each of us are doing to help  these kind of campaigns, simply because we get caught up with our hectic lifestyles and every little awareness counts. I mean, it's better than not doing anything about it, right? Even big things start with the smallest of ideas.

The MWS Readers' Choice Awards 2011

It's been too long since I updated and today's event at the My Women Stuff Readers' Choice Awards 2011 is such a good excuse to start updating again :)

I think everyone had a great time today and the organiser had planned a really small crowd to make it more cosy and personal. After all, it is the first ever beauty award done online in this country and everyone who nominated and voted for their favourite brands and products were extremely excited to know who won (and who made the cut).

our very own Paris B of My Women Stuff giving her speech. no prizes for guessing who's the star at the event, judging from all those cameras snapping away...

and I don't remember what was so funny here... i hope everyone was laughing at my statement, not at me huhu.... ;)

I think it is no surprise that the event got a good support from the readers of MWS. I'm surprised that many of those who attended actually knew the rest of those present from the names of commenters on the blog.

Sponsors were also generous. There were 10 lucky draw prizes consisting of a Clinique EDP, Clinique Moisture Surge Cream Gel, a voucher from LacePetals.com, 3 vouchers from Apronbay, a spa voucher for 2 from Poise Organic Wellness Studio, Kiehl's Hair Products and 2 very luxurious skincare/fragrance and makeup hamper from Dior. Unfortunately, I didn't win any of them and someone else won what I wanted *sigh*

But, no worries... all of us went home with goodie bags worth at least RM350 each *happiest grin*

these were products that came in different options in each goodie bag... there was another one - the Revlon nail polish that also came in 2 different shades but I gave mine away because I don't use nail polish :)

these are basically what everyone got in a goodie bag. see anything you like?

The products in the goodie bags consist of those from Kiehl's, L'oreal, Maybelline, Garnier, Vichy, Revlon, Pantene, Olay, Himalaya Herbals, Ah Yuan Soap, Esmeria Organics, Hada Labo, Estee lauder, vouchers from ApronBay, Poise Organics Wellness Studio, LacePetals.com and handmade jewellery from Sweet Contemplation Accessories based in Australia.

If you'd like to know the winning products, MWS has already published the results.

Were you there at the event?

Ana Raffali Ketika Aku Kecil Album Launch

I'm at the computer trying to do some work while my babies are still fast asleep but my arms are so tense from carrying little jj for about an hour at Ana Raffali's Ketika Aku Kecil album launch yesterday... and I thought I ought to write about the event before I forgot all about it.

The event started a little late because some members of the press were a little bit late. I was glad I took my own sweet time before coming over because I had already expected the delay. When I arrived I thought I was already late but they didn't start until another 20 minutes or so. Thus, you can imagine a nervous baby in my arms, not knowing why she wasn't able to move about and didn't know what she was waiting for.

As soon as Ana appeared, little jj became totally silent and she listened intently to Ketika Aku Kecil, which has been sorta like a lullaby to her already. And because of that, she fell asleep half way through... since I wanted to make sure she was totally asleep before I put her back into the stroller, I had to keep carrying her.

i was sweating at the back of the room because it was hot! and lugging a toddler on me made it even warmer.

This must be my first experience in an album launch. It was modest but tasteful and I was happy to see how much support Ana Raffali was getting from the media. Since this would really be the start of a totally different phase of her life, I do hope they are all good press rather than bad. I mean, I saw some really stupid points one media was trying to put through just so they have some 'juice' in their weekly weekend programme *sigh* orang baru nak start in the industry pun kena jatuhkan, is it? Menyampah pun ada tengok.

As a support to her journey in this industry, the one had already bought her Ketika Aku Kecil album although we could all get a free copy.... and since we have heard all the songs before, I felt that 6 songs in a CD were just too little to be satisfied about...

I think recently, there have been a lot of new local talents in the market and I think they are all very very talented. Ana Raffali is definitely one of them, with a distinctive positive pull of her own. You may think I am biased in my opinion since she's my SIL, but you know how honest I've been in my opinions when I write, I'd mince my words but not my honesty.

To be frank, I love her when she sings with just her guitar... nothing else but the guitar. She has such a sweet melodic voice and she makes you want to hear her soul when she sings and strums her guitar. So, when I first heard her Hujan Bunga Di Kuala Lumpur single, I felt that the accompaniment of other musical instruments did not do justice to her already beautiful voice. But, since you all have not heard her with just the guitar, I guess her songs will somehow hit you because they are all very beautifully written and I especially like her lyrics because she writes from the heart, just as how I would (of course, her writing sounds more poetic la...).

Renowned composer, Aidit Alfian, who produced her album, even said in his speech and during Q&A of the raw talent that she has compared to the rest and the rare gift she has of writing from the heart, not for a market. And since she didn't take any formal music training, her pieces are not limited to any specific rules nor references. One who only learnt to play the guitar all on her own from a 'How To Play The Guitar' guide before she started writing her own songs, definitely deserves a huge credit, don't you think?

It wasn't an easy ride for her as it took her years to get this album out. 2 years, I think. I almost thought it wouldn't happen for her. I never knew it would take so long to get an album out and Aidit didn't quite answer the question when a reporter asked why he only put in 6 songs in this first album. I know Ana has so many other good materials which she played to little jj because those songs could make her stop crying :) but I believe it is a marketing strategy and in this unstable and unpredictable local music scene, it was to be a safe investment. I think. I still think that they could do away with a hard copy because I know a lot of us wouldn't mind buying just the songs online and that would be an even safer bet but then again, Aidit, being an experienced personality would know the industry and market better.

I think Ana has got what it takes to be good in the industry if she can keep it up... let's hope that she could remain focused and not get too disturbed by the attention that she'd be pulling because it was really a different zone she's charting when I saw her yesterday. Even my little munchkin who always said he wanted to be famous like his auntie Ana suddenly told me he didn't want to be famous because it looked all too tiring and troublesome. Only those who are strong can survive, I guess. In any case, this striking beauty graduated with a first class degree in TESL... I do think that if things do not work out, she would always have her paper qualification to fall back on.

finally, a photo with Auntie Ana, although he knows darn well that he could take a photo with her any time *geesh*

So, with that, I wish her all the best of luck in this journey.

p/s: you can find out about her here, here, here and here, if you like.

snippets of her opening performance taken with an unstable hand as the other one was holding little jj ;P

Nuffnang Friso Family Day Out: Good Family Fun To Start 2010

This update is very much overdue as I've been bogged down with so many urgent jobs *excuses, excuses*

Anyway, as a follow-up to this entry that I did, I managed to get an invitation to the Nuffnang FRISO family day out in Kizsports 1 Utama last Saturday. At first, we were a little worried since little jj fell ill earlier that week and was vomitting away by Wednesday. Thank God, she recovered on time, though not fully, as she just got back some of her appetite, while her body tires easily.

early morning just before registration... little jj was still not in the best mood ;)

Her usual Saturday morning class at Kizsports were cancelled due to this event and their receptionists were surprised when they saw us with little jj hehe...

the t-shirt given was too big but daddy made it fashionable for little jj.

abang supposedly got one too but it was too small for him :D

just a fraction of the crowd of families, while Friso's representative spoke.

how do we get little jj to sit and forget the swings?? right... mommy's boobies session!!

There were so many fun-filled activities and Kizsports also promoted their classes for babies by giving a sneak 20-minute preview to all parents with toddlers. Little jj made herself at home from the start by targeting the swing first, then the ball-pool and after that, her favourite section in the playland, just like she would each Saturday.

customary swinging in style, while abang pushes the swing...

daddies and mommies letting their babies have a go at the babies' section while their other half clicks away at the shutter...

part of the sneak preview, but in a much larger crowd...

there was even a magic show!

look at the large turn out...

was able to get a shot of us both, using the auto timer :D

All these while I eagerly await the announcement of the winning entry. Though I wasn't the least bit hopeful in the beginning, I did get a little excited when I was informed that I had been shortlisted for the final selection of entries during registration early in the morning. Of course, I already could guess that Kak Ros of MomBloggersPlanet would definitely win since her entry was seriously creative and original... and am so proud to be associated with her site.

for that entry, we won a RM100 Toys 'R' Us cash voucher.

Thank you, Nuffnang, thank you, Friso!

The Grand Prize Winner.

Since it was my first real bloggers' meet, I wasn't sure how to carry myself and a little shy when I heard the mention of so many of them recognisable bloggers... but I did get to know Amira and Zuhaini, met Kak Ros for the first time, while I said hi to several other people whom I can't truly remember their URLs. Even saw Red Mummy in person for the first time and I was so impressed by the aura that she exude that day - a true 'Celebrity-blogger' persona. I must add how happy I was for that opportunity to shake hands with her ;)

The event was pretty organised; Marcus, the emcee, did a great job in getting everyone's attention; the crowd was AMAZING; and everything in the programme line-up was truly interesting for everyone. Too bad little jj slept half way through the event but it was good that she totally enjoyed herself to the max.

a special makan section for the kids. yes, it was that organised!

Marcus, doing a good job getting all our attention :)

little jj getting all excited.

getting a go at the obstacle course in the baby gym.

flat tired and surrenderred to the worrrlddd...

the one told me that for just a simple blog entry and we had all that fun and this to bring home, blogging can be one advantageous hobby.

So... I'm hoping to blog more frequent now that the entire madness of rushing for the usual annual report/fund report deadlines from my regular clients is pretty much over... and hopefully be able to make it to many more family gatherings like this.

MAS Bloggers' Cabin Crew Experience

Part of the perks of being a blogger is not only meeting my one true love (ehehh…) but I also got the chance of taking part in a half-day session of cabin crew training.

Now, which one of you ladies have never ever dreamt of being a flight stewardess when you were younger? I believe so many of us have that dream at least for one small minute… I know I did… especially those days when I was young-er (I’m still young!) when the airport was based in Subang… those cabin crew were scattered all over PJ and I would always catch a glimpse of groups of smartly-attired, uniform-clad cabin crew in their MAS vans transporting them to and from Subang Airport.

I never really re-visit that dream once my height stopped at 150cm, plus that sudden drive and belief that I would make a good (and glamorous) medical doctor ☺

Anyways, it all started with a boring and long night, anticipating the arrival of my the one to return from London when I decided to finally click on that icon on facebook. It links to the Malaysia Airlines Travel page and I decided to be one of its fans.

They had a contest running and it was pretty simple – to just complete the sentence – no slogans required and nothing additional to purchase in relation to the contest. I didn’t give it much hoot and read what others’ wrote. The contest was open only to bloggers and 10 will be picked as winners. Originality is key and I suddenly realised that there is one thing I had always wanted to learn from looking at them female flight stewardess. Thus, I wrote, “I want to attend MAS cabin crew training because I've always wanted to know how the ladies don their sanggul... it looks so simple yet I have always failed in making my hair look that smooth and professionally done :D”.

The next day, after returning home from picking up the one at the airport, I clicked on the page to show him what I had done and was surprised to note that I was picked as a winner…

So, there I was… attending the session with much hopes, although nothing much could be learnt from that half-day training in comparison to those actual months of training. What do I expect, right... it's not as if we were all getting certs :) but at least I'd know how it feels like for a cabin crew to go through the training programme.

What I instantly noticed upon arriving at the Malaysia Airlines Academy was the fact that all of us bloggers were treated like journalists… anyone in the communications industry would agree how special journalists are usually treated. And I guess, from those years of so many parties telling the corporate sector to take bloggers seriously as they are perceived as ‘new-age reporters’, Malaysia Airlines is probably one of them who has taken the first step to recognise bloggers as part of their branding, CR and media relations activity.

We were warmly greeted by a big group of people from the airline, mainly those from the Media Relations department, Training and their PR consultant. That was when I realised how serious they think of us bloggers…

Mr Gunalan led the briefing at the start of the programme and Tengku Evelyn then elaborated on the seriousness of Cabin Crew Training. After that, we were brought to a grooming class where it was already filled with attractive new recruits. My hopes to learn to do the bun the MAS-flight stewardess way dashed out the door when I realised that it isn’t as easy as one thinks. A cabin crew goes thru a 4-day grooming training when we were only allotted a good one hour for grooming and deportment.

i was impressed with the new recruits as they look so pretty.

The main highlight was letting us know how important make up is to a flight stewardess, as made perfectly clear by the external consultant as she picked out a fresh face to be transformed into a glam babe. I was afraid seeing how thick the make up was on the consultant's face but surprisingly, she did a really good job on Elena. In fact, albeit her thick make up on, she looked really good in photos.

fresh-faced Elena, before the make-over...

step-by-step explanation while the bloggers go wild with their shutters ;)

tadaaaa... see how make up could brighten up a person's already sweet face...

- all 3 pictures were taken from the Malaysia Airlines Travel page

I guess the flight stewardess all need specific type of long-wearing make-up as they need to maintain a clean, matte complexion so that they look fresh and sweet at all times despite working under cabin pressure where us ladies are always advised to wear minimal make-up to prevent from clogged pores and foundation turning cakey.

Despite not being able to learn to do the 'sanggul', I still managed to get my hair done ;P with specific instruction to only do a style that doesn’t make me look extra chubby (ahaks!).

The deportment class was even more interesting as my eyes wander the entire room… they had complete props – dining table and chairs, sofa and even a runway with mirrors all around the room.

stand-up straight, chin up, good posture... and walk.

The eye-opener would be attending their first aid class and safety training. We managed to catch those going for their refresher course, at a time when the trainer was going into specifics on a medical condition. Like, you think those flight attendants would only stand pretty and serve you meals… you are dead wrong. I was damn impressed… especially seeing them with dummy babies, trying to revive and help an infant from choking. That struck a chord in me as I couldn’t imagine what to do (*touch wood*) if that were to happen to my baby. It – was – scary.

check for breathing/source of choking/etc.

revive position, when unconscious (and after any hazardous material
already exited air way)...

blow oxygen into infant (and i can clearly hear air entering dummy lungs)...

walahhh... the infant actually coos happily when it regains consciousness ;D

As for safety training, I must say that I have a safety passport which will expire in another year… and I went for the basic first aid training and offshore safety training about 2 years ago but I hardly remember the specifics until my memory was refreshed when I saw the requirements for their safety training.

we all had a go at the slide for our mock evacuation.

i remember this formation - small circle where everyone is mighty close
to each other to keep each other warm and prevent excessive lethargy;
larger circle at the sight of an airplane flying over to attract attention. am i right?

i also remember that you should only inflate the life jacket after you've exited the plane...

- photo of formation and life jacket taken from Khairul Sufi's collection on facebook

My point is, this half-a-day opportunity made me see that the career of a cabin crew shouldn’t be taken lightly… you see them pretty, you see them only serving you meals only because nothing eventful ever appears while you fly... well, at least not on those flights I took…

A flight attendant in Malaysia Airlines not only have to look pretty (and smart), they are also equipped with very important knowledge during those emergency situations. I mean, do most of us really know what hypoglycemic means? Do you know how to treat it? More importantly, can you tell from seeing someone that he/she is showing symptoms of hypoglycemia? And how do you treat a hypoglycemic in a coma, effectively?

we gate-crashed a refresher course... and happily took photos
of the first aid session. all of them were evaluated strictly since there
is no way they could gamble away human life in the air.

- photo taken from Khairul Sufi's collection on facebook

The ladies who don the tight-fitting kebaya could also apprehend rowdy passengers, and they’re taught to handle critical situations like terrorism/hijacking. What’s more, just imagine them saving your life while being thrown at sea, in their kebaya. Haha… I know it may seem like a beautiful sight until you know what it’s like to be in the water, trying to swim to safety into the raft… I tried that in my previous safety training and trust me, in deep sea, salty water and those huge waves, it ain’t easy getting to safety… it is difficult enough doing it in those calm water of the swimming pool.

imagine having to get uncomfortably wet in tight kebayas
and thick make-up.

and swim laps... under very strict observation and instructions.

the kecil-kecil cili padi trainer with a really firm voice instructing
the trainees while i busily snapped photos non-stop for Khairul
using his camera.

In this sense, I guess you should realise that nothing’s ever easy in life… you may think a career looks simple (although this one has its perks, eh?), easy and glamorous but everything always has its pros and cons.

At the end of the session, all of us emerged with a different outlook, but the same fascination of the cabin crew in uniform :D

I would like to thank Malaysia Airlines, especially the Media Relations and Training department for having us all there and showing us true Malaysian Hospitality.

all of us capturing one of the many memorable moments on
camera... truly an experience one may never forget ;)

They have many more contests updated regularly on their page in facebook. I regretted adding them as a fan a tad late as I missed ‘the Great Escapade’ by a few minutes. Otherwise, I am confident that little jj’s ranting on our trip to London could at least get noticed… ‘she’d’ just have to add another paragraph on which Stimulus Package would be perfect for us ;P. Oh well…

But you don’t need to miss out on anything. Just click on the icon of Malaysian Airlines Travel on facebook and become a fan. They have plenty of information to share with you with regards to travel tips, food excursions and many many contests. Who knows... even if you don't obtain anything in kind from Malaysia Airlines, you could just get that rare chance to make friends with perfect strangers, like we all did..... while experiencing something one could only dream of, like we all had... aha :D

one of the many group photos on the first class cabin,
photo courtesy of William

What are you waiting for... check out the Malaysia Airlines Travel page on facebook and be a fan! You'd be sure to check out their page every once in a while for their informative and interesting updates.