3-March_2013 by AirAsia Berhad

AIRASIA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

St. Patrick’s Day

GREENING THE EARTH Chiang Rai, Thailand

Depth of Devotion

THAIPUSAM IN MALAYSIA

Revival

Arts

of the

Cambodia

MONOCHROMATIC MARVELS

Eat! Eat! Eat!

FEEDING FRENZY IN TAIPEI SMUGGLING ME IS SOOO 2012! IT’S 2013, PEEPS. READ ME ONLINE. www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

3 0 2013

CHECK-IN Contents March 2013

NAVIGATOR

Cambodia’s Cultural Revival

Chiang Rai, Thailand

BLOSSOMING OF THE ART

BIG EAT IN TAIPEI Feasting in Taiwan

DEPTH OF DEVOTION Thaipusam in Malaysia

PERILOUSLY DARK, PASSIONATELY WHITE

100

GREEN IN THE FACE St. Patrick’s Day

108

PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE A Lifetime of Flying

114

TRAVEL LOG The Climb of My Life!

68 100 122

STYLE FILE 118 OFF THE RACK Make a Bold Statement

BOARDING CALL

122 VANITY FARE

06 CAPTAIN’S ADDRESS

126 JETSETTER

Work Hard, Play Hard

08 INBOX The Buzz from our Guests

12 RED FORT News from AirAsia

160 MY AIRASIA

Spring Fling

Kavin Jay & Rizal Van Geyzel

IN FLIGHT 132 PLANE FUN Puzzles & Games

134 PICTURE PERFECT Photos Taken by AirAsia Guests

Paddy Boy Ha Ha Ha!

136 GET COMFY

FLIGHT PLAN

Joy of Flying

20 SPOTLIGHT

138 ROUTE MAP

26 HOT DATES

146 DESTINATIONS

30 ASEAN COMPASS

158

PORT OF CALL

Stuff you’d Love to Know

March Events to Keep a Lookout for

156 AIRASIA SALES OFFICES & STATIONS

Wide Eyed Wanderlust

158 TOUCHDOWN

34 QUICK BITES

Perth, Australia

Flavours of the World

38 PAGE TURNER Tragic Tomes

42 MONEY MAKER Respite in Retirement

44 PRESCRIPTION Will Against ill

46 SCORE BOARD Warming Up for Good

50 HYPER TECH Promise of a Better Future

54 SLEEP INNS Pleasures of Penang

62 HIT LIST Top of the List

130 KIDS SPACE Greening the Earth

62 118

PUBLISHER GROUP HEAD, BRAND & ANCILLARY INCOME MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR WRITERS PHOTOJOURNALIST EDITORIAL ASSISTANT GRAPHIC DESIGNER CONTRIBUTORS ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun

AIRASIA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

Al-Ishsal Ishak R. Rajendra Kan Seak Hong Beverly Rodrigues Chitra S Adam Lee Fazlina Bee Binti Abdul Rashid Fadillah Kamarudin Captain Lim Khoy Hing, Cheng Yik Hoong, Eﬁ Hamzah, Ira de Reuver, Magda Biskup, Pete King, Shantini Suntharajah Spencer Lee (AirAsia Berhad) spencerlee@airasia.com Indran Balavishnu (Malaysia) indran.balavishnu@pharpartnerships.com

Happy H Chinese New Year

Senthuran Mohan (Malaysia) sen.mohan@pharpartnerships.com Mairianne Reardon (Singapore, UK and International Markets) m.reardon@pharpartnerships.com Paragorn Petchnaree (Thailand) paragorn.p@pharpartnerships.com Vikhram Radhakishnan (Indonesia) vikhram.r@pharpartnerships.com

SMUGGLING ME IS SOOO 2012! IT’S 2013, PEEPS. READ ME ONLINE. www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

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ON THE COVER Musicians from the Han Dynasty by Zhang Ziqi Cover image: Corbis

Marully Gultom (Indonesia) marully.gultom@pharpartnerships.com Frances Barsana (Philippines) frances.barsana@pharpartnerships.com Tel: +6 03-7966 8655 (Phar Partnerships Malaysia) E-mail: sales-T360@airasia.com Travel 3Sixty° wishes to thank Lovatts Crosswords & Puzzles, MPH, Pansing Marketing, Advantage Quest Publications, Panographs Publishing EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES PUBLISHED BY

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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD Last month, we celebrated Thai AirAsia’s ninth anniversary along with the arrival of our first Airbus A320 aircraft installed with sharklet wing tips. As we step into our 10th year of operations, it still amazes me how far we’ve come from Day 1. Looking back, on February 4, 2004, Thai AirAsia’s inaugural flight took off from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Hat Yai. At that time, we only had two old planes in our fleet, serviced by a very hardworking and loyal staff, many of whom are still with us 6

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today. Our hopes were pinned on our brave guests and a huge dream to make ﬂying affordable for everyone. Today, that vision has come true, as we continue to grow, expand and improve at rapid speed. Going into our 10th year, our resolution is to continue doing our best to serve our guests. Last year, Thai AirAsia went through a total expansion of nine new routes, a stock debut of Asia Aviation (AAV) into the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and, a big

move back to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport in early October – Yes! We literally moved 22 airplanes in eight hours from one airport to another, and our first flight took off the next day as scheduled, on the dot! If 2012 was defined by change and expansion, 2013 will be a year of razorsharp focus in strengthening what we have built in the past nine years in Thailand. As always, our priority is to ensure that the AirAsia Experience will be an easy, hassle-free, and positive experience for everyone. Relocating to Don Mueang International Airport is making that goal an easier one to achieve – with more Self Check-in kiosks, reduced waiting time, and shorter distances to travel from the Check-in counters to Departure Gates. As we receive more brand-new aircraft this year, we’ll also be increasing flight frequencies to our popular routes to ensure that guests have more travel options and the freedom to hop on a plane whenever they wish. What we are learning on a daily basis is that low, affordable airfares translate to so much more than just getting from point A to point B. For many, it is being able to visit their dream destinations, while for others, it could mean starting or growing a business opportunity, maintaining a longdistance relationship, being able to take their children on vacations or, being able to transport a loved one to better medical facilities when necessary. Among many other reasons, these meaningful purposes behind affordable travel inspire and motivate us every day. I’d like to thank our loyal guests and hard-working AllStars for being a part of this success. Tassapon Bijleveld CEO, Thai AirAsia

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LETTER OF THE MONTH!

LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS: Winter apparels worth RM947 by Universal Traveller

What I like about Travel 3Sixty° is that the magazine is always packed with honest and educational reading material. The January 2013 issue upped the ante even further with the Slam on Scams article. You were fearless in educating your readers on travelling to certain places. Being a frequent traveller myself, I found that article extremely useful. You lifted the veil and exposed the many scams that can befall travellers, showing people like me how to take precautionary measures in ensuring a pleasant vacation in foreign countries. From now on, that article will be a good guide for me and my friends when we travel. ~ Mui Theng, via email

I particularly liked Dato’ Kamarudin’s wisdom in Captain’s Address (January 2013). His parting words: “Don’t forget to slow down once a while” resonated deeply with me. I travel extensively with AirAsia to many Asean countries in the course of my work. Despite my busy schedule and lifestyle, I always remember to slow down and appreciate the little blessings in life. I also thank God for my accomplishments and even the obstacles that I experienced along the journey. When I do ﬁnd the time, I take my loved ones to a seaside resort or a forested area, so that they too can learn and appreciate the beauty of nature. These are the best experiences one can ever have and thank you Dato’ for reminding us to do just that from time to time. ~ John Lee, Rawang

On a recent ﬂight to Penang from Kota Kinabalu, I had the opportunity to read Travel 3Sixty° and thoroughly enjoyed the contents. As an aviation enthusiast, Pilot’s Perspective by Capt. Lim Khoy Hing has always been the most interesting part of the magazine for me! A friend introduced me to this section of the magazine and I now follow it regularly in the Travel 3Sixty° website. It was great reading the article titled Mother Nature’s Mood Swings (December 2012), where Capt Lim talked about how the airline industry prepares for unpredictable weather patterns. It is really cool to have a pilot share his experiences in an in-ﬂight magazine every month! Thumbs up Travel 3Sixty°! ~ Alvin Lu, via email

2ND & 3RD LETTER WIN: RM100 voucher each by Luggage Empire *T&C apply.

HERE’S THE BUZZ ON AIRASIA’S SOCIAL MEDIA Last month I flew 3 times with AirAsia. As always, the service (seat reservation, meals) was very good and the flights were always on time. So, next time when I return to Southeast Asia, I’ll will be flying AA again. Andre Colson

My family of four has been travelling all over Asia for nearly 4 months. We chose Kuala Lumpur as our hub city because of the great flights on AirAsia. We’ve visited 6 countries and have taken 15 flights with AirAsia so far. Every flight has been on time and the experience has been extremely smooth. Even the meals were rather tasty. Thanks for making our adventure possible. Shane Bazer

This is how @AirAsia & @tonyfernandes keep impressing me. They sell fresh coconut water onboard! No airline would do this :p @rdayansyah

Flew with @AirAsia to Siem Reap and it was awesome! Love the cookies by Silent Teddies... so yummy! @aisyaibrahim

We’ve finally landed in Tokyo! A special thx to @AirAsia X for making our dream honeymoon come true! @AzzumieAxworld

Just contacted AirAsia Call Centre and the staff explained my queries patiently and in great detail. Thank you AirAsia! ErBi

AirAsia’s livery is so colourful and I’m very impressed by its low cost, on-time performance, smart good looking crew and smooth flight experience. GaoJiao

The AirAsia inflight meal was delicious and the price was pretty reasonable to buy it onboard too. Annlang

Like what you read in Travel 3Sixty°? Share your thoughts with us in English! To show you how much we appreciate your feedback, we’ll give the best letter of the month winter apparels worth RM947 by Universal Traveller and the other two letters will receive a RM100 gift voucher each from Luggage Empire. Email your feedback to travel3sixty@airasia.com. Travel 3Sixty° reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length, and only letters regarding articles published in Travel 3Sixty° will stand to win a prize.

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WORRY-FREE, FUSS-FREE

AirAsia has made air travel affordable, thus enabling guests to visit and explore cities and countries with its ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’ motto. Paying attention to the tips and pointers listed on this page will ensure guests truly benefit from the facilities and services offered by AirAsia.

EMERGENCY EXIT

SKYBUS SERVICES AT LCC TERMINAL

Guests on board AirAsia and AirAsia X ﬂights may choose to pre-book where they sit in the aircraft. However, if they wish to sit in the emergency exit row, there are a few criteria that they have to meet ﬁrst:

Getting to and from the LCC Terminal is fast and easy with the Skybus. With daily non-stop bus service to the LCCT, KL Sentral and 1Utama Shopping Centre, guests can expect their journeys to start and end on a pleasant note each time they take the Skybus.

ONLINE MEALS

For safety reasons, the cabin crew reserves the right to assign a new seat on board if guests do not comply with the above requirements.

PASSENGER DRUNKENNESS As a reminder, for reasons pertaining security and safety of AirAsia guests, crew and property, passengers who are under the influence of alcohol or exhibit signs of being intoxicated will not be allowed to travel onboard any AirAsia and AirAsia X flights. AirAsia reserves the right to refuse carriage and can bar passengers from checking-in without having to refund the paid fare if there are sufficient signs that confirm a passenger’s drunken state.

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IMAGE: INMAGINE

X Guest is physically and mentally tally ﬁt to assist crew in an emergency. X Guest is capable of understanding nding printed/spoken emergency instructions. ructions. X Guest is 15 years old and above. bove. X Guest is not in any stage of pregnancy. X Guest is not travelling with infants. nfants. X Guest has not purchased an extra seat.

Let’s talk value! Enjoy 15% off when you pre-book Uncle Chin’s Chicken Rice, Bukhara Chicken Biryani and many other delicious offerings online. The best thing is, you will be guaranteed a meal and served ﬁrst during the ﬂight. Pre-book now and make sure you get to enjoy your delicious meals on board!

SKYBUS TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED: X On board AirAsia ﬂights. X Online while purchasing AirAsia tickets, a minimum of 24 hours prior to ﬂight departure at a discounted rate. X Over the counter at LCC Terminal (arrival hall), KL Sentral and 1 Utama Shopping Centre or at the kerbside beside the bus stand.

TICKET PRICES: X LCCT -> KL Sentral: MYR9 X KL Sentral -> LCCT: MYR10 (Children: MYR4) X LCCT -> 1 Utama: MYR15 X 1 Utama -> LCCT: MYR15 (Children: MYR7)

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN In late January, AirAsia finalised its strategic five year review. Having grown from a two-aircraft operation to become the largest low cost carrier in Asia, and one of the most profitable too with a fleet of 118 aircraft, strategy is everything! While maintaining discipline in maximising revenue, capital and human resource, increasing passengers carried, and keeping cost down, AirAsia will focus on core markets in Thailand and Indonesia. Already, the airline has seen its first listing in Thailand, and Indonesia will follow suit this year. AirAsia will also focus on developing its entities in Philippines and Japan, and continue to explore opportunities in India. An order for 475 aircraft has been placed, with 114 already delivered; this large order will easily meet capacity needs in the future as the airline looks to the Asean region, China and India where the population is over 3.2 billion! With new ancillary offerings and initiatives, the airline hopes to surpass the current ancillary passenger expenditure of RM41 per person.

MIGHTY MANAGEMENT On January 10, AirAsia was named ‘Best managed company overall in Malaysia’ and ‘Best managed company in Asia – Airlines/Aviation’ by leading international magazine, Euromoney. Factoring in management accessibility, accounting transparency and corporate governance procedures, results were based on feedback from 130 of the leading equity analysts at the largest investment banks and research houses in the Asia Paciﬁc region.

“We are very proud of the acknowledgement that Euromoney has given us. This is a conscious effort by the management to ensure the company is committed in ensuring investors and stakeholders confidence are maintained through transparency and good governance.” ~ Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO

RED HOT BLOOD TRAVEL 3SIXTY° WINS AGAIN! In January 2013, Travel 3Sixty° magazine once again received regional recognition when the article Rockets for Life written by Beverly Rodrigues, and published in the June 2012 issue was awarded ‘Best ASEAN Travel Article’ at the 26th ASEANTA Awards for Excellence. The award presentation was held at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Vientiane, Lao PDR. This is the second consecutive win for the magazine; last year, Beverly Rodrigues’ article Follow the Star won the same award at the 25th edition of the event. ASEANTA (ASEAN Tourism Association) is a non-proﬁt tourism association that plays a crucial role in shaping tourism development growth and policies in the ASEAN region. It comprises both public and private tourism sector organisations from ASEAN. The article can be read online at www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

Beverly Rodrigues

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On January 30 and 31, AirAsia AllStars participated in a blood donation drive at the LCC Terminal in Kuala Lumpur. The drive was done in collaboration with the national blood centre. The airline has been organising annual blood donation drives since 2008. This year, 119 AllStars donated blood.

AirAsia AllStars at the blood donation drive.

MORE MAKASSAR IN MARCH Tana Toraja

In March, AirAsia Indonesia boosts frequencies on the Kuala Lumpur – Makassar route to seven ﬂights a week. To celebrate, AirAsia launched promotional all-in fares from as low as MYR179 one-way from Kuala Lumpur to Makassar. Book your seat to Makassar via www.airasia.com and AirAsia’s new and improved mobile apps, which are available at Apple’s App Store for iPhone, Google’s Play Store for Android phones and at mobile.airasia.com for WAP enabled phones.

MAKASSAR HIGHLIGHTS X It is said that you can catch sunrise and sunset from the beautiful Losari Beach. X History buffs will love Fort Rotterdam, a Dutch fort constructed in the 1670s.

Trans Studio

X Located in the central highlands of South Sulawesi, Tana Toraja, the ‘Land of The Heavenly Kings’ offers an exotic cultural escape.

X A great spot for the family, Trans Studio is Indonesia’s ﬁrst indoor theme park and one of the biggest in Asia. X Savour local specialties like pisang epe (baked banana with sugarcane and coconut sauce), mie titi (fried noodles) and tahu campur (beancurd dish).

“We believe the additional frequencies will further strengthen the already strong economic and trade ties between Indonesia and Malaysia. Besides catering to business travellers, our new flights will also cater to tourists, especially since Makassar is well-known for its scrumptious culinary delights and its many attractions.” ~ Dharmadi, AirAsia Indonesia President Director

Losari Beach

JETTING OFF TO JEDDAH

SUPPORTING TENNIS During the AirAsia Tennis Doubles Open 2013 held at the CV Tennis Club, Bangkok in January, national tennis players Nicha Lertpitaksinchai and Piengtarn Plipuech took top place in the women’s division. On behalf of AirAsia, Santisuk Klongchaiya, Thai AirAsia Director of Commercial was on hand to reward the champs with a cash prize of THB15,000 and free ﬂights.

Santisuk Klongchaiya with national tennis players, Piengtarn Plipuech and Nicha Lertpitaksinchai.

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(Third from left): Aireen Omar, Malaysia AirAsia CEO; Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia X Cofounder and Director; Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, AirAsia X Chairman and Azran Osman-Rani, AirAsia X CEO.

Performing the Haj and Umrah has never been easier! On February 16, AirAsia X launched its newest destination: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the gateway to Makkah. Beginning with three ﬂights a week between Kuala Lumpur and this city in Saudi Arabia, AirAsia X will introduce additional ﬂights from May 1 onwards with frequency adjustments based on seasonality.

“With Jeddah being the gateway to the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah, we are delighted that our services will provide affordable travel for our Muslim guests in Malaysia and throughout the region to perform the holy pilgrimage of Haj and Umrah. Similarly, guests from Saudi Arabia will have the opportunity to travel across our extensive network in Southeast Asia and beyond.” ~ Azran Osman-Rani, AirAsia X CEO

NURTURING UNDERGRADS

NOBLE UNDERTAKING

Launch of the ‘Bhikkhuni in Two Lands’ project during Children’s Day in Bangkok.

(Second from left): YM Raja Ridzwa Raja Abdul Aziz, Manipal Education Malaysia’s Chief Corporate Officer; Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, Manipal Education Malaysia’s Managing Director and CEO; Aireen Omar, Malaysia AirAsia CEO; and Al-Ishsal Ishak, AirAsia Group Head of Brand & Ancillary Income with AirAsia flight attendants.

In January, AirAsia inked a deal with Manipal International University (MIU) to develop human capital and boost talent and competencies in Malaysia. This alliance will see AirAsia providing consultation on syllabus development aimed at enhancing relevant competencies and soft skills to better equip undergraduates for potential employment with AirAsia. There are also plans for Internship and Graduate Employment programmes where MIU will conduct employee training programmes at AirAsia. MIU currently offers Bachelor Degree programmes in Engineering, Business and Biotechnology. The collaboration was sealed by Aireen Omar, Malaysia AirAsia CEO and Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, Manipal Education Malaysia’s Managing Director and CEO.

“We are proud to announce our partnership with Manipal International University, in a quest towards the development of human capital and enriching of human talent and skills in Malaysia. As an airline with phenomenal growth, the need for industry-ready graduates in AirAsia will be tremendous to fi ll in the void and reinforce our expansion plans. We believe that this partnership will not only benefit Malaysia, but also Asean where opportunities are present. We are focusing on regional growth with the aim to expand our market base to 600 million people and bring Asean closer to other parts of the world.” ~ Aireen Omar, Malaysia AirAsia CEO

Thai AirAsia has collaborated with Sathien Dhammasathan and its Bhikkhuni College on the ‘Bhikkhuni in Two Lands’ project, which seeks to send young girls to study and be ordained in India once they’ve completed their theology studies in Thailand. Thai AirAsia has sponsored 150 ﬂight tickets to Kolkata, India to aid in travel arrangements for this project, which involves pilgrimages to Lord Buddha’s birth place, the venue of His ﬁrst sermon, as well as the site of His eventual enlightenment.

“Joining hands with Sathien Dhammasathan to organise the Bhikkhuni project has brought us more merit than any of our previous Children’s Day activities. AirAsia takes pride in being a part of the creation of knowledge for the future.” ~ Santisuk Klongchaiya, Thai AirAsia Director of Commercial

BRAND AMBASSADORS On January 25, Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO was named ‘Malaysian Brand Ambassador’ alongside action ﬁlm star Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh at the Malaysia Night event held in conjunction with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Attending the event, which served to highlight Malaysia’s success stories and showcase the country’s potential, was the Honourable Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

NEW LEGAL HEAD In January, Philippines AirAsia welcomed its newly-appointed Head of Legal, Atty. Josephine Joy Caneba. Caneba was previously with Feria Law Ofﬁces where she was appointed counsel for Philippines AirAsia, seeing the airline through the inception of its joint venture discussions, the entire process of the airline’s incorporation with the SEC, the application and processing of its AOC and CPCN at the Civil Aeronautics Board and CAAP, as well as all contracts and legal matters. 18

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Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes with Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh.

3 SPOTLIGHT 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

THE BEST IN MUSIC, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT BROUGHT TO YOU BY AIRASIA REDTIX. Get your tickets at AirAsiaRedTix.com

DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS PRINCESSES & HEROES MARCH 14-17 Watch Prince Eric break Ursula’s spell to reclaim his true love Ariel, explore a whole new world with Aladdin and Jasmine and, cheer on Prince Philip as he races against time to rescue Princess Aurora. Disney on Ice Presents Princesses & Heroes is an ice-skating spectacular that brings to life scenes from Disney classics like The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin and, showcases a bevy of Disney princesses including Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Rapunzel and Tiana. Marvel at the acrobatics and be enthralled by Disney magic at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

2013 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIA GRAND PRIX MARCH 22-24 The grid heats up again as 11 F1 teams go head-to-head for racing glory at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the exhilarating world-class racing action.

FEI YU CHING LIVE IN GENTING 2013 MARCH 15 & 17 Let Taiwanese singersongwriter Fei Yu Ching known for hits such as Yijian Mei and Good Night Song enchant you with his musical prowess. The entertainer who won the Best Mandarin Album at the 7th Golden Melody Awards will perform live at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands.

COMPILED BY: CHITRA S

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL ASIA 2013

MARCH 15 & 16 Expect big names at the Future Music Festival 2013 this month. PSY, Rita Ora, The Prodigy, Fun, Bloc Party, Temper Trap and Rudimental are just some of the acts expected at the two-day festival at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. FMFA 2013 also features ‘A State of Trance 600: The Expedition World Tour’ - a special treat for fans of trance music and Armin Van Buuren.

Be our fan on Facebook.com/RedTix, follow us on Twitter.com/RedTix and purchase your tickets for the abovementioned events at AirAsiaRedTix.com TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

HARD-ROCKIN’ HAZLINA Being an avid fan of Travel 3Sixty° on Facebook has it perks! Hazlina Hassan from Kuala Lumpur recently won herself a pair of ﬂight tickets to Penang and a 3D/2N stay at Hard Rock Hotel Penang when she participated in our Hard Rockin’ in Penang Facebook contest, which required contestants to tell us in a creative way, why they love Penang. She won the judges’ hearts with her catchy video presentation titled I Love Penang, sung to the tune of the classic rock hit Knocking on Heaven’s Door. You too can be a winner like Hazlina. Follow us on Facebook and keep a lookout for fun activities and great giveaways coming your way! www.fb.com/travel3sixty

DISCOVER CHINA Let’s go to China! This is an amazing country brimming with history, hallowed traditions, stunning natural scenery and ultra modern cities! From avant-garde attractions in metropolis Shanghai to the ancient city of Xi’an where the terracotta army still stands, and from the playful pandas of Chengdu to fabulous shopping in Hong Kong, China offers exciting places to visit, fun activities and mouth-watering cuisine! It’s time to explore this extraordinary country with its rich history and futuristic aspirations! Find out more with AirAsia’s brand new Discover China Travel Guide. Download it for FREE on your laptop, smartphone or tablet at www.airasia.com/discoverchina GETTING THERE AirAsia and AirAsia X ﬂy to various cities in China. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

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SPIRITED PERFORMANCE When a writer working on an occult novel holds a séance, the ghost of his ﬁrst wife is inadvertently summoned, causing mayhem in his household. The laugh-a-minute Noel Coward classic Blithe Spirit is revived this month in a staging by the Bangkok Community Theatre. Watch it at The British Club in Bangkok from March 14-16 and March 21-23, 2013. Tickets for the show, which include dinner, cost THB1,200 per person. www.bct-th.org

EAT AND DRINK AUSSIE STYLE Eat Drink Perth returns with an even bigger celebration of the city’s vibrant and multi-ethnic culinary culture featuring a smorgasbord of events throughout March. From food tours to cooking classes, wine and cheese tastings to hawker markets, the food festival showcases the best of the city’s food and wine scene. Highlights include Yum Cha in the Park and the Twilight Hawkers Market at Forrest Place, which offers visitors the chance to sample mouth-watering cuisine from all over the world. www.eatdrinkperth.showmeperth.com.au

WINNING COVER! Last year, former AirAsia Regional Commercial Director and newly appointed AirAsia Expedia CEO, Kathleen Tan, ran a poll on her Weibo (Chinese microblogging site) page, asking fans to choose their favourite Travel 3Sixty° cover for 2012. It was a close race but the July cover featuring a cheeky little boy eager to go on holiday was voted #1 with 29.7% followers selecting it as their favourite. Here are the top three covers choices!

#1 July issue cover

29.7% VOTES

#2 October issue cover

29.2% VOTES MUSIC UP NORTH The Chiang Mai International Music Festival takes to the stage once again, bringing together local and international acts in a musical spectacular at the city’s historic Three Kings Monument. The festival features a blend of traditional and contemporary music with acts that include an Indonesian angklung ensemble, Indian folk dance and a multi-national percussion group. The festival runs from March 8-10, 2013 in Chiang Mai. www.chiangmaifest.com

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#3 June issue cover

22.2% VOTES

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MARCH 2013 MALAYSIA

THAILAND

PENANG WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013

SANTANA: THE SENTIENT TOUR

MAR 30 & 3112 international bands including Mu

MAR 6 Legendary

from Portugal, Alp Bora Quartet from Turkey and Saharadja from Indonesia, bring the varied sounds of world music to the Quarry Park, Penang Botanic Gardens with workshops and nightly concerts.

guitarist Carlos Santana known for his unique blend of Afro-Latin-blues-rock, joins forces with celebrated Thai folk/ rock band, Carabao at Bangkok’s Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. www.thaiticketmajor.com

www.ticketxpress.com.my

Kimi Djabate from Guinea - Bissau

SINGAPORE

RUSSELL PETERS’ NOTORIOUS WORLD TOUR MAR 25 The Canadian funnyman who popularised the punchline “Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad” performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

COMPILED BY: BEVERLY RODRIGUES

www.sistic.com.sg

AUSTRALIA

2013 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MAR 14 – 17 Can Sebastian Vettel defend his title, or will Lewis Hamilton take the lead? Find out at Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit when this adrenaline-pumping event roars into town. www.grandprix.com.au

AUSTRALIA

SCULPTURE BY THE SEA – COTTESLOE MAR 8 – 25 Perth’s largest free outdoor art exhibition returns to Cottesloe Beach with over 70 installations from Australian and international artists, set against the Indian Ocean. www.sculpturebythesea.com IMAGE: VIVIANE DALLES

Ron Gomboc’s Migrating Spirits

HONG KONG

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY MAR 15 - 17 Dancing to Tchaikovsky’s magniﬁcent score, The Hong Kong Ballet’s

Johannes Pannekoek’s Convolution

SINGAPORE MAR 8 – 17 This festival brings you 10 days of non-stop concerts with artists like Esperanza Spalding, Acid House Kings and Grizzly Bear serving up nuevo tango, straight-up jazz, fusion-funk, alternative rock, ska, R&B, folk-rock, afro-pop, electronica and other genres at the Esplanade’s performing spaces. www.mosaicmusicfestival.com

Esperanza Spalding

The Non-Thinker

IMAGE: WATANABE OSAMU

JAPAN

AIDA MAKOTO: MONUMENT FOR NOTHING MAR 1 – 31 Catch the last month of Aida Makoto’s fabulous mixed media exhibition, which draws on traditional artworks and modes of expression while projecting modern Japanese society. www.mori.art.museum

IMAGE: CARLOS PERICAS

MOSAIC MUSIC FEST 2013

IMAGE: KAREN CASTLE

star ballerina, Jin Yao, and Stuttgart Ballet’s principal dancer, Friedemann Vogel, bring to life Charles Perrault’s fairytale about a beautiful princess who falls into an enchanted sleep at Hong Kong’s Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium. www.urbtix.hk

PHILIPPINES

MALASIMBO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2013 MAR 1 – 3 This

international music and arts festival at the foot of Mt. Malasimbo in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, features an eco-cultural programme that includes an organic market and boat parties!

ww.malasimbofestival.com

ELSEWHERE… • MALAYSIA 2013 Formula 1

Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix MAR 22 – 24 www.sepangcircuit. com.my • THAILAND Back to School

with Sum41 MAR 6 www.thaiticketmajor.com • INDONESIA Bloc Party MAR 20 www.ismayalive.com • SINGAPORE Deep Purple Live

in Singapore MAR 12 www.sistic.com.sg • AUSTRALIA Melbourne Food

and Wine Festival MAR 1-17 www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au • HONG KONG Hong Kong Arts

Festival MAR 1 – 23 www.hk.artsfestival.org

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

WIDE EYED WANDERLUST From giant pandas and snowboarding in the tropics to a jade and crystal building — discovering new places, cities and cultures are some of the best things you’ll experience on your travels around the world.

WHEN IN VIETNAM As a business or leisure traveller in Vietnam, here are simple tips on how to win the hearts of the locals.

BOTH HANDS If you need

IMAGE: ADAM LEE

to hand out a business card or receive one from your local counterpart, do so with both hands. The Vietnamese view this as a sign of respect and it will certainly help you create a great impression at business meetings.

HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY HOLIDAY

WORDS: SHANTINI SUNTHARAJAH

QUESTION: What’s one of the worst things that can happen during a much-anticipated holiday? ANSWER: Falling ill! Some illnesses simply cannot be avoided but for the most part, smart planning and precautionary measures can go a long way toward keeping you protected. Here’s how:

X Resist the temptation to overeat unhealthy, rich foods. If you just can’t say ‘No’ to sugary sweets or fatty main courses, ﬁll up by snacking on fruits and vegetables between meals. X Remember to pack health supplements you routinely take as well as extras you might need based on the location of your destination (check with your doctor on this). TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

X Make it a point to get as much sleep as you can leading up to the trip, and during your holiday too. X Drink plenty of water. It’s easy to forget to rehydrate when you are busy exploring an exciting new city. A simple solution? Carry a water bottle with you at all times, set an alarm on your watch or smartphone that goes off every 30 minutes and make sure you take several gulps of H20.

SMALL TALK If you’re networking for business, always start the conversation with small talk. Ask about the person’s family and even delve a little more into topics such as hobbies or favourite foods, then only gradually divert to business matters. Vietnamese are wary of those who dive straight into business matters without a preliminary warm up chat.

MASTERPIECE IN HUZHOU

ELDERS FIRST Always remember to respect the oldest person in a social group. The ‘golden generation’ is generally given the right of way in Vietnamese society and treated with utmost respect. If you are dining with a Vietnamese family, wait for the eldest to begin eating before you start on your meal.

HANDS OFF Never, ever touch a Vietnamese person on the head. This is considered an insult not just to the person you’re touching but to his ancestors as well! In Vietnam, the head is a very sacred part of the anatomy, as it is believed that the human spirit resides there. According to local belief, if a person is beheaded, his spirit is doomed to roam restlessly and forever. GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies to Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City from various destinations. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

Designed by renowned architect, Ma Yansong, the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort is a true masterpiece with an unusual, ring-shaped exterior and interiors adorned with luxury crystals and jades. The Sheraton Huzhou is a 101.2 metres high skyscraper that stands gracefully on the south bank of Taihu Lake in Huzhou City in Zhejiang Province. In addition to 321 luxuriously appointed guestrooms and villas, the resort offers the top-notch Shine Spa for Sheraton. www.starwoodhotels.com

FESTIVALS OF THE WORLD: KERALA, INDIA If you enjoy planning your holidays around local festivals, then you should deﬁnitely book a trip to Kochi. Located in Kerala, India, the locals celebrate their festivals in grand style, making these events a wonderful way to understand and appreciate the local Malayalee culture.

Panda bear

ONAM celebrates the harvest season and usually takes place around September or October. This festival marks a time of rest and merriment after the hard labour in the fields, with celebrations lasting upto 10 days! The whole city comes alive as local residents decorate their homes with garlands of flowers and women dress up in new garments and exquisite ornaments. You’ll also be treated to a myriad of dance performances and sports activities. VISHU is celebrated to usher in the New Year and takes place in mid-April. The celebration is marked by many rituals and intricate customs. It is believed that Vishu welcomes a year of financial abundance and well-being for everyone in the city. A special ritual at Vishu is vishukanni, where the family’s matriarch prepares a tray laden with auspicious items like rice grains, flowers and gold, to be placed at the family altar. On the morning of Vishu, family members wake up and head straight to the altar with eyes closed. When they open their eyes, the first thing they see will be this auspicious tray of goodies that signifies loads of prosperity and good luck in the coming 365 days.

COCHIN CARNIVAL normally celebrated in the last 10 days of the year, dates back to colonial times. The Portuguese, who once ruled Kochi, greeted the New Year with dazzling celebrations and this tradition has been passed down through the ages. The carnival sees the ancient Kochi Fort highlighted in eye-popping splendour. There are also various beach games and events to watch including amazing ﬁreworks displays. www.keralatourism.org GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies daily to Kochi, Kerala from Kuala Lumpur. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

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Sichuan opera

CHECK OUT CHENGDU Located in Sichuan Province, Chengdu is a picturesque city that’s bound to appeal to culture-vultures and animal lovers, with its beautiful architecture, historical sites and cute giant pandas!

CHENGDU PANDA BREEDING & RESEARCH CENTRE A safe haven for the endangered giant panda, the Chengdu Panda Breeding & Research Centre is a must-visit spot when you’re in town. Located about 10kms north of the city, the centre is located on a hill and surrounded by lush, natural and manmade landscapes, carefully modiﬁed for the comfort and care of the pandas. www.panda.org

SICHUAN OPERA Sichuan Opera is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera, which perfectly captures the customs, folk music and traditional dances of Sichuan province, as well as neighbouring provinces like Chongqing and Hunan. The opera generally features melodic singing, rich percussion and unique skills such as shadow play, marionettes and even ﬁre spitting!

JINSHA EXCAVATION SITE & MUSEUM This archeological find was discovered in 2001, proving that there was a thriving civilization that existed in the area over 3,500 years ago. The site covers a number of burial pits, each filled with a priceless, unique collection of jade, gold, ivory figurines and other fascinating artifacts.

DU FU THATCHED COTTAGE MUSEUM The Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum was the residence of the 8th century, Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu, when he took refuge in Chengdu during a war. Located by the BlossomBathing Brook, it is an elegant space and a veritable shrine to Chinese literary culture. Surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens, highlights for visitors include the Avenue of Poems and the Flowery Path. Du Fu was reportedly inspired to write more than 200 poems while living there. GETTING THERE AirAsia X ﬂies ﬁve times a week to Chengdu from Kuala Lumpur. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

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FLAVOURS OF THE WORLD

From Japanese fine dining in Singapore to a Cambodian dish popular in Vietnam, food does unite the world!

MELBOURNE FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

IMAGE: DANIEL MAHON

The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, having started back in 1993 with a modest programme of just 12 events by Peter Clemenger. This year, the event sees the inclusion of over 200 events in the city’s labyrinthine network of restaurants and laneways for 17 days. Kicking off on the first day of March with the iconic ‘Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Lunch’, the festival continues until March 17 with many celebrations that include Put Victoria on Your Table: Cellar Door and Artisan Market, Langham Melbourne Masterclass and, Regional Closing Weekend: 20 Regional World’s Longest Lunches. www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

JUAN VALDEZ COFFEE BEANS Named after Colombia’s long time coffee icon, Juan Valdez® Coffee beans are now available in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Juan Valdez is 100% Colombian coffee with a 60-year pedigree in the coffee industry, representing more than 500,000 coffee growers in Colombia. Available at many coffee parlours in both cities, the brew is extracted from premium 100 percent Arabica beans chosen for their bean size, aroma and quality.

KI-SHO COMES TO SINGAPORE

IGA Worlds Longest Lunch

Tucked away in a lush corner along Scotts Road, Ki-sho is a quiet, two-storey establishment that has just enriched Singapore culinary scene. Showcasing a repertoire of Japan’s ﬁnest Kyoto cuisine and set in a peaceful garden, the architecture of the restaurant and Chef Hamamoto’s culinary creations hark back to the glory of the Meiji period. With a selection of three Omakase set menus, patrons can enjoy the dining experience at a 10-seater pine timber sushi bar, or request a private entertainment room on the upper level. Ki-sho also features a sake room with over 50 labels of traditional and seasonal sake on display, specially imported from Japan to complement the ever-changing menu designed by Chef Hamamoto.

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Greenhouse by Joost

Gala dinner

IMAGE: DANIEL MAHON

IMAGE: AMANDA FORDYCE

WORDS: WILSON NG

www.scotts29.com

CHEAP & TASTY IN HK Fancy dining in a Michelin One-Starred Dim Sum restaurant in Hong Kong without spending a bomb? Try Tim Ho Wan at Kwong Wa Mongkok, located minutes from Mongkok MTR station, Ladies Market and Fa Yuen Sports Shoe street. Spot this outlet easily with the long queue waiting to get in. But get there early. Waiting time can take more than two hours! Must-try here include the famous char siew pao, (baked instead of steamed) and cheong fun (rice rolls) with barbequed pork. Other sure winners are the steamed shrimp dumpling and the Portuguese sauce beancurd rolls. Prices start from USD2 for a plate of dim sum, similar to what you’d pay at a street stall. Tim Ho Wan is at 2-8 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon and its new branch is at Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall).

NUM BANH CHOC Originally from Cambodia and now gaining a foothold in South Vietnam as well, num banh choc is a fish and rice noodle soup dish. A popular breakfast meal in Cambodia, the dish is flavoured with prahok, a fermented fish paste that is common in Cambodian cuisine. The meal is a delicious and satisfying way to start the day. The coconut milk-based broth is light and tasty while the addition of fresh rice noodles, sliced banana blossom flower, cucumber and cabbage, topped off with prahok makes it a complete meal. Slivers of fish meat, fish head and innards provide the protein.

SAMSUNG OMNIPRO Samsung recently unveiled the Samsung OmniPro convection microwave oven (CP1395EST), which boasts the OmniSense™ technology. This technology detects weight and humidity levels of food to automatically calculate and adjust the cooking mode and time settings, ensuring that meals are cooked to perfection. Additionally, the Samsung OmniPro’s multi-function capacity to cook, roast, bake, grill and steam enables users to prepare delicious and healthy meals every time. www.samsung.com

HASH MADE YUMMY Skip that boring hash browns you make for breakfast and have a blast experimenting with this new snack from SIMPLOT. Made from US potatoes free from colouring, ﬂavouring and preservatives, these morsels can be deep-fried and toasted as well. So versatile is the popcorn potato, it easily lends itself as a party ﬁnger food. Try this simple recipe or make your own topping!

POPCORN POTATO WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE 6 tablespoon cooking oil 2 big onions, ﬁnely chopped 400g minced meat 575g Bolognese pasta sauce Salt and sugar to taste 1 500g-pack SIMPLOT Popcorn Hash Brown

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Heat oil in a pan and sauté onions until soft. Add in meat and cook until it is browned. Add pasta sauce and cook till mixture thickens. Season to taste. Fry SIMPLOT Popcorn Hash Brown as per instruction on the packaging. Serve together with Bolognese sauce.

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TRAGIC TOMES

Tired of predictable, happy endings? This month, we commemorate the Ides of March – the name of the 15th day in the Roman calendar, on which Julius Caesar was assassinated – and take a look at famous literary tragedies.

LITERARY TRAGEDIES In 44BC, the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, one of the world’s greatest military commanders, was stabbed 23 times by Liberators who feared the fall of the Senate. The assassination, which took place in the Roman Senate, involved some 60 conspirators including Caesar’s good friend, Marcus Junius Brutus. Caesar’s dramatic death was immortalised in Shakespeare’s tragedy titled Julius Caesar. In Act 3, ignoring his wife’s premonitions and the warnings of a soothsayer “Beware the Ides of March”, Caesar meets his bloody end. When Brutus plunges the dagger into Caesar, the dictator utters the now famous Latin line “Et tu, Brute?” meaning “You too, Brutus?” Unable to endure such treachery, Caesar concludes “Then fall, Caesar.” Today, the quote is used commonly to symbolise great betrayal. The dramatic composition of tragedy dictates the predestined downfall of a great person through a ﬂaw of character or conﬂict with an overpowering force. Some of Shakespeare’s many tragedies that

follow this formula are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. But long before Shakespeare imagined his tragedies, the works of Greek tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were already being performed in Athens. Aeschylus is often called the father of tragedy; his famous trilogy Oresteia, chronicles the curse on the House of Atreus. Other tragedies include Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus in which a man sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge and, John Webster’s The Duchess of Malﬁ where a duchess marries a poor steward against the wishes of her brothers, triggering a disastrous chain of events. Another important work is Intrigue and Love, a bourgeois tragedy by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller in which court politics spiral into a doomed Romeo and Juliet-like affair. This form of tragedy emerged in 18th century Europe, and is thought to be a product of the Enlightenment, and the advancement of bourgeois ideals.

WORDS: BEVERLY RODRIGUES

TEARS & TORMENT

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne – During WWII, a little German boy dons a pair of striped pyjamas and crawls under a fence to join his friend, a Polish Jew, on an adventure in Auschwitz. TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

TESS OF THE D’UBERVILLES by Thomas Hardy – Upon confessing a shameful past, Tess is abandoned by her husband and eventually becomes the mistress of the very man who brought about her ruin years before.

THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by Jeffrey Eugenides – A group of middle-aged men try to piece together the story behind the suicides of the ﬁve Lisbon sisters they were infatuated with in their youth.

A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving – Learning the date of his death at a very young age, and believing himself to be an instrument of God, Owen Meany prepares for his destiny.

CHRONICLE OF A DEATH FORETOLD by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – When Angela Vicario tells her brothers that Santiago Nasar has deﬂowered her, they plot his murder as the whole town waits and watches.

BOO – LITTLE DOG IN THE BIG CITY J.H. Lee & Gretchen Le Maistre You’ll be itching to pinch Boo, the cute and cuddly canine protagonist, with every ﬂip of the page. A great gift for pet lovers!

THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON Adam Johnson Johnson imagines the lives of the citizenry in Kim Jong Il’s propaganda-fuelled North Korea with empathy and humour, weaving a riveting political thriller that captures the love, fear, despair and bravery of the people.

THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY Rachel Joyce When an old, sick friend writes to say goodbye, Harold Fry stirs from his mundane life and embarks on a 600-mile journey to see her, believing that as long as he walks, she will live. On the way, he meets fascinating people READ who each awaken within him OF THE MONTH! a renewed sense of promise.

THE TOOLS Phil Stutz & Barry Michels Discover ﬁve life-changing techniques to help you tackle troubles and negativity, and ﬁnd courage, inspiration, success and happiness.

CITADEL

IMAGES: ADAM LEE

Kate Mosse

In the ﬁnal book of the Languedoc trilogy, a band of resistance ﬁghters codenamed ‘Citadelle’ struggle under Nazi occupation, as a darker, older battle is waged in the shadows. TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

EXPLORING SEVEN WONDERS

Author of children’s and young-adult fiction, Peter Lerangis, talks about his latest Seven Wonders series for ages eight to 12.

HARVARD BIOCHEMISTRY GRADUATE TURNED WRITER I always wanted to write. As a grade-schooler, I hid spiral notebooks inside my math textbook and wrote science ﬁction stories in class while my teacher thought I was solving problems. In college, I grew scared I’d never make a living out of writing, so I followed my roommates into biochemistry. I thought that would interest me in being a doctor. It didn’t.

WRITING REGIME I work every day, ﬁve to seven days a week, after a run in Central Park and an embarrassingly massive breakfast. Sometimes large parts of my day are eaten up by errands, emails, and phone calls. Other days are full of feverish writing. Toward the end of a book, I can write practically non-stop through the night and not even notice the time passing.

SECRET TO WRITING FOR YOUNG READERS Loving the work, and never losing a piece of your own childhood self. Most of us children’s book writers are secretly arrested at an earlier age, but in a good way.

INSPIRED BY THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD I ﬁnd them so utterly mysterious – not only the structures themselves, but the question of why they were considered to be so wondrous. Why those seven and not so many other marvellous structures, like the Parthenon? I ﬁgured there had to be some deep, dark mystery that would shock the world. So I found it!

BROADWAY SPIN I was in a Broadway musical called They’re Playing Our Song long ago, shortly after the invention of the wheel. I also spent eight years i doing d Broadway shows in regional and summer theatres th – everything from West Side Story to Fiddler on the Roof. I would love to see Seven Fid Wonders Wo adapted for stage. Maybe I could play Professor Pro Bhegad, or the grifﬁn!

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RESPITE IN RETIREMENT IMAGE: INMAGINE

Even with a pension plan, experiencing financial freedom can be challenging in today’s economy, what with inflation, increased cost of living and economic downturns. Fortunately, if you start preparing early, old age may not be so bleak after all.

READY FOR RETIREMENT

Source: www.forbes.com; www.goodhousekeeping.com

Firstly, have a plan. Consider your health situation, besides the daily expenses you may incur in old age, and certain health matters you may be predisposed to. This requires you to alter your savings and spending habits for a secure and comfortable life in your twilight years. Out With: “I’ll never have to work again.” In With: “Retirement means I’ll work less, but do more of the things I enjoy.” Why: It’s proven that part-time work in retirement is beneﬁcial for overall health. It keeps your mind alert, sense of purpose intact and your physical mobility in better condition.

Out With: “I’d have fully paid for my home by the time I retire.” In With: “I may still have a mortgage to repay, but I’ll also have a healthy retirement fund.” Why: Owning a home is like owning one big stock, which means owning a home is actually not a guaranteed retirement asset. The best way to be ready is to have ample cash in an emergency fund. Out With: “So long as I’m putting enough in my little nest, I’ll be OK.” In With: “Where I invest counts as much as the amount of money I save.” Why: Cash value ﬂuctuates against global markets. If you have $100,000 saved up today, its value in 20 years may drop to $20,000

by the time you retire. There are no guarantees on returns in savings per se. So to keep your money and its value relevant, you have to keep on investing – wisely. Out With: “I’ll do whatever it takes to get my children through college.” In With: “I need to take care of my retirement, or else I’ll have to depend on my children in my old age.” Why: Your retirement savings should always take precedence over your children’s education. If they do well in school, they are eligible for loans and scholarships. The best help we can offer our children is by not burdening them ﬁnancially in the future.

hours of video are uploaded daily on YouTube worldwide. www.creotivo.com, 2012

134 billion USD was Cargill’s total revenue in 2012, a company that deals with food and tobacco out of the US, which tops the Forbes 20 Largest Companies of 2012. www.forbes.com

STAFF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES WORDS: EFI HAFIZAH HAMZAH

Managing staff is serious business. The ﬁrst order of business is to listen, respect, accept and trust. These lead to better understanding and productivity.

BE CONSISTENT Consistency minimises misunderstandings. Say what you mean and mean what you say. When your instructions are not confusing, it’s easier to follow through on the tasks required. PRIORITISE BASED ON IMPORTANCE You don’t have to resolve every difference that exists. Most times, it’s best to leave it TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

be when the issues themselves don’t create conﬂict, and especially when they lend to greater dynamics, creativity and innovation. Consider the situation and ask yourself: Is it because you need to be right, or is it important to right the situation? RESPECT Disagreement and disrespect are two different things. While opinions may differ, there is never a need to shame a person. Respect is at the core in building any meaningful relationship and much needed to support high performing teams. Respecting difference in opinions while maintaining productivity is a concept that needs to be mastered by all managers. Extracted from How to Lead Those Who Don’t Want to Follow by Matt Myatt, www.forbes.com

4.9

billion people of our 7 billion world population own a mobile phone, yet only about 4.2 billion people have access to a toothbrush. www.pbs.org

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WILL AGAINST ILL

IMAGE: INMAGINE

According to doctors, allergies are a direct reflection of the condition of a person’s immune system. If it’s compromised, the body reacts adversely to even usually harmless substances like pollen and dust.

% of Internet users worldwide look for health information online; 52% of them look for medical and health information on their smartphones. (Source: pewinternet.org, 2010-2012)

21.9 % of people are healthier when they are on vegetarian or on low-carb diets than the rest who ‘eat everything’.

530 ASSUAGING ALLERGIES

WORDS: EFI HAFIZAH HAMZAH

The general symptoms of allergies include sneezing, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, difﬁculty in breathing, itchy eyes, hives and rashes. While food and medication allergies are serious, where avoidance is the only option, general allergies can be kept at bay. Here are some tips: USE HOT WATER FOR LAUNDRY Wash your bed linens weekly in hot water of at least 55°C to kill dust mites. The bugs favour clothes and carpeting, but most happily settle in beds. If you can’t wash with hot water yourself, consider sending them to the laundrette. source: www.natlallergy.com TAKE BUTTERBUR SUPPLEMENTS According to Swiss researchers, one tablet of the herb Butterbur three times a day works just as well as popular antihistamines at alleviating allergy symptoms without causing drowsiness.

Be sure to check with your doctor ﬁrst because herbal supplements may interfere with other medications. source: www.healthline.com

USE AIR FILTER Having an air ﬁlter to purify the air in the home can bring relief from dust, mold and pet dander. The HEPA (high energy particulate arresting) models have proven efﬁcient in removing up to 99% of airborne particles without producing harmful by-products. source: today.msnbc.msn.com

DEHUMIDIFIER When humidity levels are high, it turns into the perfect environment for mold and bacteria growth. Investing in a dehumidiﬁer keeps the condition in check and may deter cockroaches. A study revealed that humidity levels of lower than 50% marked a drop in dust mite infestation, lowering the presence of allergens as well.

(Source: globalhealth. kff.org)

% of women who drink 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day are less likely to suffer from heart disease compared to those who don’t drink coffee at all. (Source: www. medicalnewstoday.com)

source: www.prevention.com

EGGSpert ADVICE Eggs are actually higher in protein than chicken. It is nature’s health capsule containing iodine, omega 3, zinc, Vitamin D, folate, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin A. If you’re worried about cholesterol, it’s in the yolk. Vi As a guide, the yolk in one large egg approximately contains 200 to 250 mg of cholesterol, roughly the amount of cholesterol a healthy person should have in his daily diet. Keeping your cholesterol in check requires cutting back on foods that are high in cho saturated and trans fats, not just avoiding eggs. 44

million USD was China’s total spending on fighting AIDS and related health issues in 2011, which has quadrupled from USD124 million in 2007.

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FULL FACTOR It takes up to 20 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach that you’ve eaten enough and that you’re full. Take time and savour your food, so you don’t overeat, and give it at least 10 minutes before you take a second serving. Chances are you won’t finish your seconds and will be healthier for it in the long run. Source: www.medicinenet.com

NOTE: ALWAYS CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE YOU EMBARK ON ANY ALTERNATIVE THERAPY OR EXERCISE REGIME.

(Source: data. massivehealth.com

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FREE OF INJURY

Adequate warm up is the best way to get a good workout. No point hitting the heavy machinery in the gym when your muscles are all in a tight, unyielding knot.

IMAGE: INMAGINE

WARMING UP FOR GOOD

Committing yourself to a workout routine at the gym or participating in a sport is only half the battle for a healthier you. The real value in putting your body to work comes from proper warm-ups and stretches, because these loosen and relax your muscles, improve your motion range and lower lactic acid build-up. Here’s what you ought to do before starting on your workout or a game: X Brisk-walk or slow-jog for five minutes. This increases blood flow and temperature to the muscles, which makes the collagen fibres more elastic. X Do the exercises you did in PE (physical education) class in school: Neck rolls, arm circles, hip rotation, hamstring stretches etc. X Start with basic yoga stretches and poses such as the half moon pose, forward low lunges, waist rotation, child pose and cat stretch. X However, you need to adopt proper techniques in warm-ups too because poor technique may put you at a higher risk of injury. And never, ever rush through warm-ups. The 50-kg dumbbells can wait. Source: Orthopaedic surgeon William Levine, MD, Director of Sports Medicine at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York City

WORDS: EFI HAFIZAH HAMZAH

QUIRKY SPORTS CONTEST

MUD OLYMPICS Held annually since 1978 on the muddy banks of the Elbe River in Brunsbüttel near Hamburg, Germany, the Wattolympiade (or Mud Olympics) includes soccer, handball, the mud-eel race and the longdistance rubber boot toss – all done in the name of charity for the Schleswig-Holstein Cancer Society.

OIL WRESTLING One of the oldest oil wrestling competitions is held in Kirkpinar, Turkey, every June. It’s part of a festival that dates back to 1357, marking an Ottoman war victory. It’s a slippery game where opponents slather themselves in olive oil and then make a go at their opponents. Trying to grab, let alone pin the opponent down becomes a real test of strength and strategy.

THE GREAT HUON APPLE RACE Held every October in Tasmania, Australia, this race involves setting apples aﬂoat 300 metres down the Huon River from the bridge at Huonville. Started by the Rotary Club of Huon Valley, the owner of the ﬁrst apple to cross the line wins. The apples cost AUD3 each, all of which goes to charity.

THE DUNNY DERBY Dunny is an Australian outback term for outhouse toilet. This event is held in Winton, Queensland, every alternate year in September. The Dunny Derby involves one person sitting on the ‘throne’ while another pulls the dunny along on wheels.

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second barrier in the women’s 100-metre race was broken by Stella Walsh at the LA 1932 Olympics. Walsh was killed in a robbery in 1980, and the autopsy revealed that she had male genitalia! Source: sportzfun.com

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thousand condoms were made available to competitors during the London 2012 Olympics. Source: London 2012/LOCOG; BBC Media Centre.

AIRASIA WORLD OF SPORTS ONE-ON-ONE WITH QPR’S FABIO DA SILVA AirAsia: You left Brazil at a very young age to move to England. How did the move affect you? Fabio: It was very difficult to leave my family. Of course, England is also very different from my own country; it is cold! Football too is very different here. AirAsia: Was it difficult for you to learn English? Fabio: I was taught English in school but never spoke the language in Brazil. It was only when I moved to England that I started to speak English. Only in this football season am I speaking English confidently. Furthermore, I am a shy person, which makes it hard for me to give media interviews in English. But I am getting better by the day. AirAsia: How has it been being away from your brother Rafael?

Fabio: It is hard because we have always been together. It is difficult, but in a good way because the separation helps us mature in our sport. AirAsia: Growing up, who was your biggest influence? Fabio: That would be my mom and my dad. My mom helped me a lot to grow off the pitch. On the pitch, my dad and my older brother taught me a lot of things. AirAsia: What is your favourite pre-match meal? Fabio: Pasta, always pasta! AirAsia: Who do you think is the stand-out, best player in QPR at the moment? Fabio: Ha.. ha.., I can’t answer this! There are a lot of great players in QPR.

ENGINEERED FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE

WORDS: CHENG YIK HOONG

HPE Clothing (Human Performance Engineering) is a new, high performance sport and yoga wear brand that combines advanced fabric technology, smart tailoring and stylish design to withstand the rigours of intensive training, whilst still providing optimal comfort and enhancing performance. The range features FRESHFIT® fabric, which acts as a moisture-management system for rapid wicking controlling ﬂuid loss as you train, helping to maintain levels of hydration. The fabric is also embedded with antimicrobial silver particles, to effectively resist bacterial build up, which can have a signiﬁcant impact on immune function. This range consists of compression tops, leggings, shorts and windbreaker jacket. The yoga/leisurewear range features vests, funky yoga pants and hoodies. Available at www.hpe-shop.com and

www.airasiamegastore.com

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Designed and developed by Human Performance specialist Nick Harris, HPE is one of the official performance partners with Formula 1™ team Caterham F1. The compression tops and the Weekend outfit worn by AirAsia Flight Attendants were also designed by HPE Clothing.

3 HYPER TECH 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

PROMISE OF A BETTER FUTURE Today’s technology not only helps fight counterfeiting and racketeering, it also promises a better future for patients with disabilities by employing technical wizardry to engage the mind to perform tasks.

DOGGIE PEDOMETER Fujitsu’s dog pedometer, the Wandant, can be embedded in a dog’s collar, and uses motion-tracking to measure and record steps, body motion and temperature changes. It collects data and converts it to a graph on a website for the dog owner to analyse and monitor the dog’s health. www.fujitsu.com

KEYBOARD CREDIT CARD FIGHTING FAKES WITH IBM At present, CDs have 3D holograms pasted on them to identify fakes, but IBM is planning to introduce nanorods and nano patterned ﬂuorescent polystyrene spheres to arrest the bootleg problem. The spheres send out red, green and blue light, arranged in random pattern, making it almost impossible for counterfeiters to clone. An optical microscope is all it takes to reveal if a product is real or a fake.

MasterCard has created a unique credit card mainly for customers who do online banking. The card has a built-in keyboard and a LCD, which doesn’t require a separate security device to create a one-time password. Following the initial launch in January 2013, roll out for the rest of the world is expected soon. www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20250441

www.research.ibm.com

WORDS: PETE KING

HAIL THE HTML5

If you run a blog or a website, you still have a year left before the current web language HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), together with its standard programmes like Java and Flash, becomes obsolete. The standards-setting Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) has been testing the future language of the web, HTML5, and this new ‘language’ is expected to become the ofﬁcial web standard by 2014. www.w3.org TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

MIND OVER MATTER Professor of Neurobiology at University of Pittsburgh, Andrew Schwart, is offering hope to the disabled with his latest invention. The professor and his team implanted two, 96-channel, intra-cortical microelectrodes in the motor cortex (the part of the brain that controls the limbs) of a 52-year-old quadriplegic woman, which resulted in the patient moving her robotic arm by just willing it, using her mind. www.upmc.com

TIMELY TIPS

CHOOSING A TABLET

With tablets flooding the market, here are some pointers to help you choose the right one. • What are you using it for? Checking emails, reading eBooks, watching videos, listening to music, or for school, work or personal use? • Which operating system? Android, iOS, BlackBerry or Windows 8? If it’s mainly for work, Windows 8 is excellent. BlackBerry offers good security, while Android or iOS is great for entertainment for the huge list of apps they offer. • WiFi only or with cellular connection like 3 or 4G? If you’re always on the go, opt for cellular connection. • Battery life: The iPad has the longest, up to 10 hours. • Storage: 16, 32 or 64GB? If 16GB, check if it can be expanded using external memory cards. • Cameras function: If you don’t intend to take lots of pictures, a front camera is sufficient. Also check the resolution: Up to 5MP is acceptable. • Display Size: 7, 8.9 or 10 inches? • Display quality: Normal or HD? For smaller tablets, HD is not a must. • Test if the touch screen responds quickly to touch. • Budget: How much are you willing to spend based on needs, storage space and display size?

SUPER SLIM HYBRID DRIVE At just 4.98 millimetres in size, the new hybrid A-Drive created by Singapore’s Data Storage Institute has enough space to accommodate 1 terabyte of data, with 32 gigabytes in the SSD drive. The battery too lasts longer, as the gadget reduces power consumption by up to 70 percent. www.dsi.a-star.edu.sg

PLANET OF THE APPS

MUST-HAVE, MUST-OWN A quick roundup of the latest gadgets and thingamajigs in the market.

PHILIPS HUE CONNECTED BULBS With these LED bulbs, users no longer need to ﬂip switches to turn on lights. Instead, the bulbs can be turned On or Off using the iPhone or iPad, including adjusting brightness, hue and even colours. The starter pack comes with three bulbs. http://store.apple.com

FREE ENGINEERSCALC This programme has four calculator applications for basic mathematics and other advanced arithmetic required in engineering studies and technical design. Apart from basic unit conversion, it also calculates inertia of shapes, unit density of a material and, other trigonometric and calculus functions.

G-SHOCK GB6900AA The Bluetooth G-Shock wristwatch vibrates or beeps with incoming emails or calls on your iPhone, including during lack of signal to the iPhone. It can also automatically update time and date from the iPhone, and even help you locate a misplaced iPhone. http://world.g-shock.com

OS: iOS, BlackBerry & Android Price: Free

CONCISE ENGLISH DICTIONARY & THESAURUS 2013 HD With over 591,700 entries, 4.9 million words and 134,000 pronunciation guides, this handy dictionary offers common words and their deﬁnitions, biographical and geographical data, and technical and scientiﬁc terms. It also comes with a thesaurus that provides word links and sample sentences. Users can edit history and bookmark pages, while having a little fun by shaking the device to learn random words. OS: iOS Price: USD0.99

KINGSTON WI-DRIVE Fret not if your smartphone, eReader or tablet runs out of storage. With storage space of up to 128GB, this wireless external storage drive stores and shares ﬁles to up to three people when connected to the WiFi. You don’t even need to install any programme, as your devices’ Internet browser automatically accesses the ﬁles. www.kingston.com

MYHOMEWORK Students can use this homework app to keep track of classes, homework, tests and assignments. Users can schedule them by time, block and period, with reminders of approaching due dates. An optional myHomework account lets users sync the app with their iPhones, iPads, Android, Kindle Fire, the Windows 8 apps, and even Facebook. OS: iOS & Android Price: Free

GOOGLE NEXUS 4 Google’s new Android smartphone comes with a Voice Search function that is as good if not better than iPhone’s Siri. The 8MP camera not only shoots video in HD, it also takes Photo Sphere images that enable you to catch the tiniest detail. www.google.com/nexus/4/

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3 SLEEP INNS 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

PLEASURES OF PENANG Penang has undergone a massive transformation and in recent years, tourists have begun to flock to the original ‘Pearl of the Orient’ in droves. To match the influx of visitors, the selection of hotels and accommodations range from beautifully restored heritage properties to elegant beachside offerings.

WORDS: R. RAJENDRA

SINGULARLY SPECIAL

The idea of a lone pine tree may sound forlorn but fret not as there is nothing depressing about this property on Ferringhi Beach in Penang. Though the Lone Pine hotel’s tagline is ‘Yesterday’s Charm, Today’s Hotel’, you are welcomed into a sunny and salubrious surrounding that has artfully transferred ‘yesterday’s charm’ onto a present-day environment, ensuring guests experience the same laidback vibe that used to be Penang’s trademark in the past. The property’s history extends all the way to 1948 when a solitary bungalow along the beach was acquired by some Chinese entrepreneurs who wanted to turn it into a family-run hotel. With just 10 rooms, all of which still stand to date, the owners named the hotel ‘Lone Pine’ after seeing... you guessed it... a single pine tree. Actually it was a casuarina tree and although the original tree is long gone, the property is well shaded by tall casuarinas that provide shade and serenade guests with a gentle rustling of needles. That’s not all! Tied to the tree trunks are TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

hammocks that will induce the deepest of sleep. Buoyed by the gentle breeze, lounging in the hammock listening to the crashing of the waves and the mysterious whisperings of the casuarinas is perhaps the best experience you’ll take from your stay at Lone Pine. I know I did. The style of the resort is a clever mix of 70s retro and contemporary chic. An airy and open-concept lobby split into two sections greets guests at the main entrance. Here, the idea of pared down functionality echoes the design style that was popular in the 60s and 70s. To the left, a simple reception with a big lithograph of an aerial shot of the resort from the late 40s, shows a lone bungalow sandwiched between the sea and a gravel road, while on the right, the glass building houses the swanky batubar on the ground floor and Matsu, the resort’s Japanese restaurant. The stark beauty of the resort immediately reminded me of old government buildings with their wide staircases (elevators were a luxury then!), covered walkways, shutter windows and wall ventilation holes that are a distinctly 60’s and 70’s architectural feature. But don’t be swayed into thinking this is an old, decaying structure as the buildings are strong and sturdy, reflecting the craftsmanship of the past. Step into the rooms and that’s when you see how the resort’s old and new meld beautifully together, albeit in a funky manner. I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle retro theme with its funky geometrical patterns on the bed right up to the bathroom’s black and white mosaic walls and floor. It was a lovely way to revisit the past while being ensconced in the luxury of modern times. The Deluxe room I checked into even had a little plunge pool in the balcony

SEASON OF RENEWAL One of Thailand’s most popular festivals, Songkran, marks the beginning of the country’s New Year and summer season. It is also about renewal and the cleansing off negative energies. With Songkran fast approaching this year (April 13 to 15, 2013), join in the festivities and get soaked from head to toe while enjoying one of Thailand’s most fun-filled festivals! Choose from over 150,000 hotels and more than 400 airlines, including AirAsia, to find a holiday package that’s right for you to enjoy the world’s biggest water fight! Here are two hotels recommended by Expedia that will see you right smack in the middle of the action.

CENTARA KHUM PHAYA RESORT & SPA, CHIANG MAI

Experience a typically traditional Songkran by heading over to Chiang Mai where the festivities begin with a grand opening ceremony including a colourful procession around the city. Stay at the Centara Khum Phaya Resort & Spa, which offers a traditional Lanna-style resort right in the heart of Chiang Mai. Unwind after Songkran at the SPA Cenvaree, which offers a range of treatments to rejuvenate the mind and body.

that overlooked the resort’s garden and the sea. But if possible, opt to stay in the Premier or the Premier Garden rooms as both types open out directly to the garden. The garden at Lone Pine is a favourite spot for weddings, as not only is it well shaded by the swaying casuarinas, in the evenings it catches the setting sun’s rays with almost calculated precision. Flanking the garden is the resort’s gloriously green coloured saltwater pool that amplifies the lushness of the place. If you spend daytime worshipping the sun under the white umbrellas, at night, the pool reflects the soft amber glow of the resort’s lights, turning the whole place into a romantic retreat. That evening, as I dined in the Bungalow – the original owner’s private residence, which has been converted into an all-day dining outlet – joyful memories of me visiting Penang in the mid 70s came flooding back. For many, Lone Pine has the same effect. From returning guests who exclaim with joy how the resort has retained its former glory to celebrants who’ve attended elegant soirées, wedding dinners and birthday parties there, Lone Pine continues to charm everyone who walks through its doors with its elegant past carefully nurtured to soothe the soul of any modern-day traveller.

THE SIAM HERITAGE BOUTIQUE SUITES, BANGKOK

Situated near Silom, one of the busiest areas during Songkran, the Siam Heritage is an elegant boutique hotel on Surawong Road. With 73 beautifully furnished rooms that include suites and serviced apartments, the Siam Heritage Boutique Suites Bangkok makes for an ideal place for travellers visiting bustling Bangkok during Songkran.

LONE PINE HOTEL 97 Batu Ferringhi, Penang

www.expedia.com.sg TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

PARK AND PLAY

WORDS: R. RAJENDRA

The picture I posted on Facebook of the view from the room balcony of this hotel elicited responses that ranged from awe and envy to downright disbelief. “You sure you are not in Phuket or Bali?” asked one friend. Another was pissed off. He wished I’d fall off the balcony. The Park Royal can be considered one of the oldest hotels along the Batu Ferringhi stretch. Having undergone massive refurbishing in recent years, I hardly recognised the hotel when I arrived on a sunny Friday. I walked into a lobby that was an expansive space that allowed the sea breeze to circulate freely, while the occasional shrieks of children tumbling into the pool broke the silence. The adults, I noticed, were busy paying homage to the sun under the coconut palms. The hotel was very familyfriendly, I thought to myself as I toured the grounds.

The rooms category at ParkRoyal Penang is pretty extensive but rest assured you’ll ﬁnd one that meets your requirements for a relaxing stay. Do opt for those facing the beach, as the balconies frame the beach with a profusion of fuchsia bougainvilleas. Your eyes actually hurt from the searingly beautiful azure of the ocean, the green of the vegetation and the scarlet of the ﬂowers. The rooms are well-appointed in warm contemporary tones and complement the seaside vibe perfectly. If you can actually tear yourself from the deck chairs around the pool, the balcony is the perfect place to lose yourself while watching gentle waves race to the shore and crash in a spray of foam. Amenities are aplenty at the resort, and parents are likely to rejoice at learning about Koko-Nut Kid’s Club that takes the tykes off their hands and TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

keeps them occupied for hours on end with various activities. But if the kids insist on tagging along to the pool, a waterslide and a paddle pool will keep them submerged in the water till it is time to get out at 11.00pm! Yes folks! The ParkRoyal Penang pool is perhaps the longest to stay open while most other hotels demand you get out by 7.00pm latest. Strange but sea, sand and sun can make you hungry even if you haven’t moved a single ﬁnger the entire duration of your stay. And hunger pangs were clawing at me just after a few hours of inhaling the salty air. I headed to Uncle Zack by the Beach, a beachfront F&B outlet that not only serves great food but also gives you a vantage viewing spot of the toned and sexy bodies lounging by the pool, but that’s only if you can tear your eyes away from the large (no... humongous!) servings at this outlet. Sandwiches, pizzas, tapas and other a la carte offerings here are so large, you’ll be struggling to ﬁnish. I had a plate of Moroccan lamb sausages and

I swear the sausages were coming out of my ears by the time I had ﬁnished half the portion! But come evening, the mood moves from ‘struggling’ to ‘sensual pleasures’ when the resort hosts beachside dining under the skies, with a host of local and international dishes. This was Penang after all, renowned for its superior hawker fare but I dare say the char kway teow (stir-fried ﬂat rice noodles) served here was on par, nay, even better than the ones I had elsewhere on the island. Other F&B outlets include Tamarind Brasserie, Cool Bananas Poolside Cafe, Sunset Bar and Javana Lounge that serves up great cocktails and live music. End your daily activities here by visiting the award-winning St. Gregory spa that will transport you to unchartered territories of calm and relaxation. But if you don’t have the luxury of time, the bath amenities in the rooms are all from the bespoke label. So, soak up the island vibe while soaking in a tub of warm water scented with St Gregory’s toiletries!

PARKROYAL PENANG RESORT Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang

HOTEL SENTRAL GEORGETOWN Hotel Sentral Georgetown is strategically located in the centre of George Town, which was recently made a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The bustling city is an exciting place, famous for its historical sites and cultural attractions, not to mention dining options that are often described as the best in Malaysia! Close to many of the aforementioned attractions is the 3-Star Hotel Sentral Georgetown that’s within walking distance to major shopping complexes such as Times Square, 1st Avenue Shopping Mall, Komtar and the city’s world famous hawker stall areas. With 137 rooms that are furnished with modern amenities, guests are assured of a comfortable stay when in Penang. Services here include free WiFi and Astro cable TV, 24-hour front desk, luggage storage and laundry services. The hotel’s restaurant offers local and Western dishes, with room service available around the clock.

HOTEL SENTRAL GEORGETOWN

12, Lorong Kinta, George Town, Penang

BAYVIEW HOTEL GEORGETOWN, PENANG This 16-storey, city hotel is located near the commercial hub of the city with hawker food courts, restaurants, shopping malls, entertainment centres and historic and cultural landmarks of Penang. With 333 tastefully decorated rooms and newly upgraded suites, the hotel offers various room categories such as Standard, Superior, Deluxe, Grand Deluxe Room, Family and Junior Suite, while the Premier Floor offers Premier Deluxe, Premier Grand Deluxe and Premier Suite. All rooms are spacious and come equipped with modern amenities such as coffee & tea making facilities, electronic key card door system, electronic safe box, ﬂat screen television (Superior Room onwards), and free WiFi. The Premier Floor is very popular among business travellers who seek a venue that is suitable for work, relaxation, and for meetings and in entertaining clients. For dining options, there are four F&B outlets including the renowned Revolving Restaurant, which serves sumptuous buffet dinner spreads featuring local and international cuisines. Situated at the rooftop level, this restaurant is a landmark of Penang and it offers diners beautiful views of Georgetown, Komtar (Penang’s tallest building) and the Penang Bridge (Malaysia’s longest bridge). The other outlets are the Kopi Tiam Coffee House, Waka Japanese Restaurant and the hotel’s Lobby Lounge.

BAYVIEW HOTEL GEORGETOWN PENANG

25-A, Farquhar Street, 10200 Penang

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WORDS: R. RAJENDRA

HALLOWED TRADITIONS

The Eastern & Oriental is one of those properties that’s so resplendent with history, heritage and architecture, it’s almost a travesty to call it a hotel. Calling it an ‘institution’ would be the best way to describe this grand dame, which survived wars and economic downturns throughout the years, reopening in 2001 after a major refurbishment exercise.

and pictures of the Sarkies Brother who built the property in 1884 and subsequently consecrated the building as a hotel in 1885. Although refurbished extensively, the hotel has gone to great lengths to retain original fittings and furnishings, including round electric switches with metallic flip buttons. My room was furnished with a huge two-poster bed in sumptuous linens and, a traditional armoire-style wardrobe. Perhaps the most exciting feature was the bath that had separate His and Hers vanity areas with scalloped washbasins. A humongous bathtub with old-style bathroom fittings completed this little private sanctuary. Upon opening the windows, I was presented with a delightful view of the hotel’s seafront lawn and swimming pool. More interesting was the existence of the oldest Java olive (kelupang) tree in Penang, planted on the grounds in 1885.

Having played host to British administrators, wealthy plantation owners and local elite during the colonial period, the E&O has also welcomed luminaries such as Noel Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham, amongst others into its fold. This was the ultimate venue of choice for weddings, dinners and gatherings for the island’s wellheeled set, being the only hotel with more than 100 rooms, baths with hot and cold running water, individual telephones and a seafront lawn that was considered the longest at 842 feet! No surprise why the E&O was called the ‘The Premier Hotel East of the Suez’ in 1927. It was with hushed reverence that I stepped into the hallowed corridors of this regal building. The doorman wearing a planter’s hat and dressed in khakis set the tone for my visit, as I was ushered into the lobby that features the grand dome a piece of construction so precise in its acoustics, even whispering underneath it would have everyone hearing your conversation! While maintaining an air of colonial elegance courtesy of the dark polished wood ﬁnishing and plush chesterﬁeld furniture, the interior was a much welcomed respite from the hot island sun outside. At every turn, reminders of the hotel’s glorious past was evident – the original elevator that serviced the Heritage Wing, weathered pictures of botanical study

If history continues to thrive in the hotel’s garden, even more nostalgia can be had in the F&B outlets. Sarkies, located in the adjacent Victory Annexe building, is an indoor and al fresco coffeehouse that offers buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sarkies Corner, on the other hand, is a muchpatronised colonial coffeeshop that offers local and international fare. The E&O’s jewel in the crown is the award-winning 1885 restaurant that serves classic and contemporary dishes for the discerning palate, matched with the ﬁnest wines and tipples. For a real slice of colonial Malaya, you simply cannot go wrong with Farquhar’s Bar, an English-style bar that’s perfect for drinks and pub grub. The hotel currently offers 100 all-suite rooms but with the opening of the Victory Annexe in mid March, an addition of 122 sea view suites will complete the original vision of the Sarkies Brothers, bringing to a full circle the hotel’s legacy and illustrious history.

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EASTERN & ORIENTAL 10 Lebuh Farquhar, Penang

3 HIT LIST 0 2013

www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

TOP OF THE LIST

WORDS: EFI HAFIZAH HAMZAH

Every city, every town you visit is bound to have a selection of must-sees, must dos. But often, travellers are forced to pick and choose due to time constraints. Here is our list of places you simply cannot miss when visiting these cities.

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AYURVEDA IN KOCHI Kochi, previously known as Cochin, is a culturally and spiritually diverse city where Hindus, Christians, Muslims and people of the Jewish faith live harmoniously. Kochi is also the go-to place for one of India’s greatest gifts to alternative medicine: Ayurveda, which has been commercially practised in India for over 500 years with a history that dates back as far as 3,000 BC. There are many Ayurvedic centres to choose from with qualified herbal specialists and therapists readily available. If you are unsure which to go to, do a quick research on the Internet or enquire with your hotel concierge about popular centres and price range. Treatment usually begins with a consultation where your general issues are taken into consideration. From there, you’ll be prescribed specific treatments that can be a one-off or lasting over several days. These treatments are generally 100 percent natural and you’ll come out feeling lighter, fresher and invigorated. AVN Arogya Ayurvedic centre in Ravipuram offers a list of extensive tried and tested treatments (www.avnarogya.in/kochi) or visit www.ayurveda.in/ayurveda-cochin for a list of clinics in Kochi. GETTING THERE AirAsia flies daily to Kochi from Kuala Lumpur. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

What was formerly known as Emmeiji Market up until the end of the Meiji era and is now called the Kuromon Ichiba Market located in the Nipponbashi district, remains one of the greatest attractions in Osaka for over 170 years. This market is well organised and covers an area of about 600 square metres, with shops selling fresh produce, cooked food, herbs, spices, clothes and arts and crafts. With over 200 shops, this market is also where professional chefs and restaurant owners get their daily fresh produce. But expect to also see discerning housewives coming here to stock up on their groceries. You may not be looking to buy a kilogramme of horseradish here but make it a point to buy the freshest, pre-packed sushi and sashimi. Also, exploring the market will always reveal hidden gems and opportunities to meet friendly locals. www.kuromon.com GETTING THERE AirAsia X ﬂies to Osaka from Kuala Lumpur. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

IMAGE: CORBIS

THE MAGICAL MARKET IN OSAKA, JAPAN

TEMPLE OF LITERATURE IN HANOI, VIETNAM When visiting Hanoi, include Van Mieu, or better known as the Temple of Literature, in your must-see checklist. Founded in 1070 as a Confucian temple, this building is located in the south of the Thang Long Citadel, overlooking the central part of Hanoi. Quoc Tu Giam, or the Imperial Academy (Vietnam’s first university), was established within the walls of this temple in 1070, teaching Mandarin and medical sciences. The university was operational for over 700 years and between 1076 and 1779, some 2,313 doctors graduated. However, in 1802, the Nguyen monarchs founded the Hue capital and established a new imperial academy; Quoc Tu Giam lost its prominence and eventually became a school of the Hoai Duc district. The Temple of Literature remains a sacred sanctuary and a monument to the culture and history of Vietnam. It is known as the Confucian Temple mainly because of its design, mimicking the temple in Qufu of Shandong, China, where Confucius was born. The temple covers an area of 54,000 square metres with five beautiful courtyards and the serene Literature Lake. www.vietnam-beauty.com GETTING THERE AirAsia flies to Hanoi from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

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HOT AND SPICY IN LOMBOK Lombok may not be as popular as its neighbour, Bali, but that may actually be a good reason for travellers to visit this island. The food, accommodation and shopping are way cheaper, and the beaches here are far more pristine, as they are less crowded with commercial outﬁts. While it’s a diver’s haven, guests and foodies must sample the island’s savoury fried chilli paste dish called sambal. Besides the fact that the word lombok means ‘chilli’ in the local language, the naga jolokia chillies found here are native only to Lombok. They are pounded with garlic and shrimp paste and served with rice and other dishes like ayam taliwang (grilled wild chicken) and sayur nangka (jackfruit curry). www.lombokindonesia.org GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies to Lombok from Kuala Lumpur. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

Ignore the sniggers you might get when you exclaim you had the best massage in the world in Bangkok simply because the best massage is in Bangkok: Temple massage! Having a temple massage offers stress and pain relief and absolute relaxation. The temple most renowned for such treatments is Wat Po Temple in Phra Nakhon district. The temple is actually the first public university in Thailand, teaching religion, science and literature through murals and sculptures. It opened the first school for traditional medicine and massage in Thailand in 1962, where the open-air hall outside the temple was used to teach Thai massage. The Thais take massage very seriously and it is part of their lifestyle to maintain health. The Thai massage is a type of massage that employs assisted stretching techniques where you may be put in yoga-like poses for certain stretches. The aim is to relieve tension in the body while working on the meridian (central nerve) lines along the body. An hour of Wat Po Thai massage will cost around between USD13 for a basic massage to USD17 for an herbal Thai massage. www.watpomassage.com GETTING THERE AirAsia flies to Don Mueng Int. Airport, Bangkok from various destinations. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

IMAGE: INMAGINE

TEMPLE MASSAGE IN BANGKOK

HAWKER FOOD IN KUALA LUMPUR AND PENANG, MALAYSIA

IMAGE: INMAGINE

The hawker fare in Penang and Kuala Lumpur is mind blowing! And cheap too! A full-on spread can cost as little as USD10 and you’ll be bursting at your seams! There are so many dishes to sample in both cities. In Kuala Lumpur, head to Jalan Alor hawker centre (Chinese food), Petaling Street hawker stalls (Chinese and some Indian food) and Kampung Baru hawker stalls (Malay food). In Penang, hawker stalls are everywhere but a must-visit spot is the Gurney Drive hawker centre (also called Glutton Square for obvious reasons!). Everything from rice with dishes to dim sum, prathas (unleavened bread), rojak (vegetable salad with spicy peanut sauce in the Indian version, and fruit salad served with a sweet and spicy shrimp paste in the Chinese version), satay, soups and noodles, grilled ﬁsh, baked or steamed cockles, fried rice... the list is endless and you will want to sample everything! It’s like you have died and gone to foodie heaven. www.foodtourmalaysia.com, www.penangculinarytour.com

IMAGE: INMAGINE

GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies to Penang and Kuala Lumpur from various destinations. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

MUST-DO, MUST SEE ELSEWHERE

Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts Bukchon Village, Seoul

Perth, Australia – Visit the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in Northbridge Hong Kong – Sample halal dim sum at Islamic Centre Canteen in Wanchai Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Shop at the Psar Thmei (Central Market) in the heart of the city Vientiane, Laos – Have coffee and sandwiches at the ParadIce Cafe in Centre Culturel et de Coopération Linguistique in Th Lan Xang Yangon, Myanmar – Watch the sunset from Sakura Tower in Yangon’s central business district Seoul, South Korea – Visit the quaint, traditional Bukchon Village in Jongno-gu Colombo, Sri Lanka – Shop for semiprecious stones in Galle Fort Beijing, China – Watch the Beijing Opera at Li Yuan Theatre in Yongan Lu

HISTORY & CULTURE IN BALI INDONESIA To understand the Balinese version of Hinduism, a trip to Besakih Temple is almost compulsory. Located along the slopes of Mount Agung in the town of Besakih (‘salvation’ in Javanese language), Pura Besakih dates back to the 14th century. The Balinese regard this temple as highly sacred considering the fact that when Mount Agung erupted in March 1963, killing over 1,700 people, the temple did not suffer any damage all; the lava stopped mere metres from the temple. Comprising 22 temples in six levels, the Pura Besakih complex was built within the natural terrain with terraces and stairs ascending through courtyards and gateways that eventually lead to the highest spire called the Pura Penataran Agung – symbolising closeness to the gods at 1,031 metres above sea level. The temple was constructed in worship of Lord Siva and archaeologists believe that it possibly took many centuries to build because of its megalithic structures and pyramidal terraces. Depending on weather conditions and the time of year, Pura Besakih may welcome you in subdued gloom or bright and sunny surroundings. However, locals believe that how you see the temple reﬂects the visitor’s state of mind and existence. www.uluwatu.org/pura-besakih.shtml GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies to Bali from various destinations. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

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3 FEATURE • Cambodia 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

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Blossoming

Arts

of the

Cambodia’s rich performing arts are brought to life on stage through Plae Pakaa, a show that highlights the country’s artistic heritage. WORDS: CHITRA S PHOTOGRAPHY: ADAM LEE

In an upstairs classroom of a Phnom Penh primary school, dance class is in session. I hear the students ﬁrst – a chorus of bare feet hitting the cement floor in unison to beats drummed up by their teacher on his skor dai (traditional Khmer drum) – before seeing them. It’s 8.00am on a Sunday morning and these children are learning the basics of Cambodian dance. Classical Cambodian dance is notorious for its range of gestures and stances, some 4,200 to be exact! I watch in amazement as the children – a few only kindergarten-aged – exhibit a focus that belies their age, unfazed by the guests who are busy snapping photos of their every move. Run by Cambodian Living Arts, a nonproﬁt organisation whose mission is to create a sustainable environment where local arts can empower and transform individuals and communities, the class I witnessed seemed to be heading in the right direction.

RIGHT: The Children of Bassac performance opens with a dance based on the traditional blessing ceremonies of the Phnorng ethnic minority in Ratnakiri. OPPOSITE PAGE: A naga visits Pangkiya in her dreams, portending doom, in a scene from the yike performance of Mak Therng.

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Good triumphs over evil in Mak Therng â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a folk tale reinterpreted through yike; the Phloy Suoy is a harvest dance traditionally performed to invoke rain; a performer takes on the role of a Cham Muslim trader in a scene from Passage of Life; the Passage of Life troupe comprises not only actors and dancers but also a traditional orchestra; a cheeky monkey teases the golden mermaid in Sovann Machha, a dance which depicts an episode of the Reamker or Khmer version of the Indian epic Ramayana.

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Underprivileged teenagers learn the fine art of Cambodian dance every Sunday at the Sothearos Primary School; getting into costume is not an easy task, here, Hom Sreymi who plays the female lead in Mak Therng gets her kben (a three-metre long fabric fashioned into pantaloons) tied; a performer carefully applying his make-up before going on stage.

RESURRECTING THE ARTS Founded in 1998 by genocide survivor Arn Chorn-Pond, Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) aims to preserve the rich heritage of Cambodia. Only a boy during the Khmer Rouge years (1975-1979), Chorn-Pond survived by using the musical skills taught to him by fellow camp internees to play propaganda tunes for the regime’s soldiers. A harrowing time for Cambodians, the period claimed the lives of over a quarter of the country’s population and, it is said that 90 percent of those who lost their lives were artists. Chorn-Pond – the only surviving member of his family – escaped to a Thai refugee camp where he was later adopted by an American pastor. In his adopted home of Lowell, Massachusetts, where a large number of Cambodian refugees had settled, the young man built a sound studio for children – many of whom were involved in street gangs – to record their voices and learn about their roots. Eager to explore his own roots and culture, Chorn-Pond returned to Cambodia and began tracking down surviving artists. It wasn’t an easy undertaking as many of the artists had fallen into difﬁcult times, but Chorn-Pond persevered. He began by locating these artists and later, organising classes within their communities as a means of passing down the knowledge of the old masters to the younger generation.

COMING TO FRUITION All that hard work and dedication are starting to pay off and the CLA now has its own traditional performing arts show: Plae Pakaa, which literally means ‘Fruitful’ – a nod to the fruits of the organisation’s labours. Ros Rotanak, CLA’s bubbly programme manager offers some TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

insight into Plae Pakaa. “For us, Plae Pakaa expresses the idea of our work coming to fruition. It is symbolic not only of the emerging artists who are sharing the fruits of their hard work with us, but of the revival of traditional arts in Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge.” In its second season at Phnom Penh’s National Museum, Plae Pakaa presents three shows: Children of Bassac – a medley of classical and folk dances so-named in honour of its performers who hail from the city’s Bassac slums, Lakhaon Yike – a traditional opera and, Passage of Life – a fusion piece that charts traditional Cambodian ceremonies from birth to death. The most popular of the three shows – Children of Bassac – features the classical dance of the apsara or celestial nymph, as well as lesser known folk dances of Cambodia’s minority communities. “Many foreigners want to see the apsara. The dance is incorporated into the show but more importantly, we also want people to know that there is more to Cambodian performing arts than apsara alone. Yike (pronounced yee-kay), for instance, is lesser known but is believed to date back to the eighth century,” she shares with me. To learn about what goes into each performance and to better understand the CLA’s work, Ros suggests I attend its Sunday classes and that is how I end up at CLA’s Phnom Penh ofﬁce.

BASIC TRAINING Dance and music lessons are a rigorous affair that requires discipline and dedication. Every Sunday at the Sothearos Primary School, students begin their day by moving desks and chairs to the back of classrooms to make space for their lessons. Classes are free but in a city where many are still living handto-mouth, spending a day attending class is a luxury. The children come from nearby communities, many hailing from the city’s Bassac slum that was once a refuge for artists. Not everyone attending the classes goes on to perform on stage. But the children do take away with them an appreciation for the arts and culture of their homeland, and learn an art that they will be able to pass on to future generations. As I sit and watch the children, the gravity of what the CLA is trying to achieve sinks in. In front of me are a motley crew of children in T-shirts and shorts, trying their hardest to memorise moves. Every stance they take is a step in preserving a part of their heritage that would have been lost if not for organisations like the CLA.

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REACHING OUT Ieng Sithul, the artistic director of Plae Pakaa joins the class midway, watching the children’s every move with his trained eye. Thanks to the efforts of people like Ieng, these children now have a chance to improve their lives. A renowned singer, Ieng started the Association for the Training of Poor Children in 1999 to teach impoverished kids Cambodian arts. Going door-to-door in the slums, Ieng recruited kids who had talent but nowhere to go to learn the craft. A decade later, Ieng teamed up with the CLA and his troupe became known as the

Children of Bassac. “It takes a lot of dedication for them to show up for class but teaching them is what keeps people like me going. During the Khmer Rouge years, we were not allowed to sing or dance, we could only keep the arts alive in our heads. Those who survived have a responsibility to the younger generation, to pass on what we struggled to keep alive,” says Ieng. For years, Ieng’s troupe performed at private events and cultural shows but with Plae Pakaa, the troupe now has a platform to showcase their talents to a wider audience. Though Plae Pakaa is only in its second season, the Children of Bassac draws a full

BELOW: The Nesat or Fishing Dance brings to life the everyday customs of Cambodia’s fishing communities. OPPOSITE PAGE: Based on images etched on the stone walls of Angkor temples, the Apsara dance celebrates beauty and grace through precise movements and gestures.

AirAsia Foundation is a major partner of Cambodian Living Arts in the Plae Pakaa project. The Foundation supports more than 100 students in their quest to learn traditional performing arts in order to preserve Cambodia’s artistic traditions and make them sustainable. For more information, go to facebook.com/airasiafoundation

CAMBODIAN LIVING ARTS TOURS Learn about Cambodian arts from smot chanting to classical music ensembles and folk dances to large shadow puppetry by visiting classes where these arts are being revived and passed down by surviving masters to a new generation. The tours that take place in and around Phnom Penh and Siem Reap benefit the artists, performers and their communities. All guides are current or former CLA students who serve as cultural ambassadors with their intimate knowledge of Khmer arts. Prices start from USD10 per person. For details, visit www.cambodianlivingarts.org

PLAE PAKAA CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A dancer balances a drum in his mouth while performing the Chayyam Drum Dance, a popular folk dance performed during religious processions; teacher Soeur Vuthy gently guides one of his young charges during dance class; a scene from Passage of Life: A son seeks his parents’ blessing before going off to become a monk.

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Plae Pakaa is staged at the National Museum, Phnom Penh, with each show being performed twice weekly. Monday/Thursday: Children of Bassac Tuesday/Friday: Lakhaon Yike Wednesday/Saturday: Passage of Life

Book your tickets online at www.cambodianlivingarts.org

house at almost every performance. “These are poor children; by performing, they earn a living for themselves and are able to support their families too. My hope is for them to become professionals in their own right.”

IT’S YIKE! Leaving Ieng and his students, I venture down to the courtyard where a couple of teenagers are busy re-enacting a scene for the yike performance. Their teacher stands nearby, observing their gestures and listening in to make sure they’ve not missed a single line. Lakhaon Yike is a form of musical theatre believed to have originated from the ethnic Cham community of Cambodia. Yike performers have to be able to sing, dance and act, which takes years of diligent practice. For Hom Sreymi, who plays the female lead in the Plae Pakaa yike production, the art form has broadened her horizons and is a welcome respite from her daily routine. “When a friend told me about auditions for a yike class, I gave it a go not expecting to make the cut. I was overjoyed when they chose me to join the troupe and now, after three years of practice, I’m so proud we’ve made it to the stage,” says the 16-year-old who lives in a one-room shack with her mother and sister.

A CLASS ACT After watching the children practices, my curiosity is piqued and I want to see them perform on stage. Fast-forward a couple of days and I ﬁnally get my chance. Invited to watch the yike troupe performing a piece titled Mak Therng, I make my way early to the makeshift amphitheatre at the National Museum. Hom and the rest of the yike cast also arrive early, many still in their school uniforms. An assistant hands out boxes of food in the changing room – dinner for the cast – while the actors apply their own make-up and style their hair. In a frenzy of activity, the performers get ready to play their parts. Mak Therng recounts the tale of a poor couple, Mak Therng and his young wife Pangkiya. The couple is separated when the prince, besotted by Pangkiya’s beauty takes her for his wife. Distraught by the loss of Pangkiya, Mak Therng demands justice from the king and asks that his wife be returned to him. What happens next is predictable but the beauty of yike is not the story itself, but in the truly spectacular telling of the tale. Passed down from generation to generation, the story of good prevailing over evil was adapted for the stage in the 70s but yike breathes new life into it. As is the norm here, prayers are offered before the opening

ABOVE: Performers acting out a scene based on the Reamker, when Hanuman, the white monkey meets and falls in love with Sovann Machha or the golden mermaid.

scene unfolds with Mak Therng and Pangkiya taking centre stage. I almost do not recognise Hom when she steps on stage; the teenager appears transformed, reciting her lines with poise and conﬁdence. I understand now why back in dance class, so much emphasis was placed on gestures. Every move helps to tell the story and though the entire show is in Khmer, foreigners like me are able to follow the plot without referring to the English subtitles above the stage.

SUSTAINING A LEGACY Plae Pakaa signifies a maturing of sorts, especially of the young performers who have worked tirelessly, sacrificing their time and other luxuries just to keep a part of their culture alive. To paraphrase Arn Chorn-Pond’s words: “Let’s hope the world will get to know Cambodia through its rich arts and culture”. GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies to Phnom Penh daily from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Go towww.airasia.com for ﬂight details.

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3 FEATURE • Taiwan 0 2013

BIG EAT TAI PEI www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

WORDS: ELLYSE NG PHOTOGRAPHY: ADAM LEE

A hungry traveller embarks on a neverending buffet of Taiwanese delights that make for an adventure good for both the tummy and the soul.

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“Come in, come in! If it’s not delicious, you don’t have to pay!” The skin on her face was as thin as paper, but her toothy smile made her look years younger – a sign of confidence that her food was definitely not a reflection of the humble surroundings. To love Taiwan is to love its food. Standing in the basement of Shilin Night Market, amidst the pungent stench of stinky tofu and loud yells of competitive vendors, I was truly loving it. Merging traditional cultures with authentic flavours, a trip to Taipei is literally fulfilling. Beyond Taipei 101 and bustling night markets, the city is bursting with international flavours and authentic Taiwanese food. Armed with guts of steel and an insatiable appetite, this hungry traveller set out with a determined list of food to devour, restaurants to visit and food stalls to systematically assault.

STINKY START Taiwan’s night markets are legendary, but a true foodie knows that the main reason to visit Shilin Night Market is for its famous food scene. In this food centre, a plethora of culinary delights vie for your palate’s attention, with signature local offerings seductively tempting you to come taste and rejoice in this brightly lit basement. Recalling my editor ’s instructions (nay, instructed!) to sample the infamous stinky tofu, I gallantly ordered a double portion. When the plate

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: The organic market at Good Cho’s; one of the many avant-garde cafés in Taipei; the infamous stinky tofu; the beef noodle is so famous in the city, there are festivals in its honour. PRECEDING PAGE, LEFT: The epitome of a great Taiwanese breakfast – the delicious combination of yu tiao and soy milk. PRECEDING PAGE, RIGHT: See the world in monochromatic wonder at Somebody Café.

was plonked in front of me, I bravely took a tentative bite of the harmless looking morsel. Lo and behold, the acrid smell filled my nostrils and my gag reflex kicked into high gear. For a split second, I wanted to spit the tofu out, hoping it would turn into a dangerous projectile and splatter on the cook’s face who dared put me through this ordeal. But, mind you, decorum prevailed as I was well educated in the genteel aspects of table etiquette. With an unflinching smile, I timidly pushed the remaining portion to my friend who seemed to have no qualms eating something that tasted and smelled like a wet and stinky sock. Definitely not my cup of tea, I protested. Despite my attempts at drowning the lingering aftertaste with bucketsful of flavoured bubble tea, I couldn’t get rid of the taste and my mouth smelt like... a sewer. But most importantly, I consoled myself; I had given it a shot and lived to tell. Mercifully, the other local dishes were utterly delightful! Shilin Night Market proved to be a mecca of delectable offerings. Just about every imaginable street food is available here, from deep-fried crabs to Taiwanese sausages, and even the strange-looking Frog Eggs (青蛙下蛋) drink, which are actually dark tapioca balls with the most unpleasant name ever. Instead, Shilin is where you’ll find the local populace hanging out. One never, ever goes to bed hungry in this street in Taipei.

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BREAKFAST BONANZA My guide and friend, Xiao Ling, shook me awake. It was barely 7.00am. “Quick, it’s time for breakfast”. I drowsily put on some mismatched clothing and dragged my feet out of the hotel. Sitting at a small eatery 10 minutes later, I stared at the bowl of soy milk and crisp Chinese crullers sitting nonchalantly on top. The simplicity of the meal was absurd for such a rude awakening so early in the morning. “It’s called yu tiao”, Xiao Ling exclaimed enthusiastically at the long piece of fried dough, before attacking it with gusto. Mimicking her, I dipped the tip of the yu tiao into the warm milk and took a huge bite. The explosion of soft dough and crispy shell soaking up the rich milk was a strange but nonetheless delicious experience. I turned and gave Xiao Ling a knowing look, as if to say: “Now I know why you risked your life and limb dragging sleepy me out so early in the morning.” I later learnt that the yu tiao / soy milk combo is a common sight in many East Asian countries, but the Taiwanese have taken it up a notch with a lightly salted, crisp yu tiao that’s served with the creamiest soy milk I’ve ever tasted. I also sampled fan tuan, a plain rice roll – too plain for my taste – and dan bing rou song (rice rolls stuffed with chicken ﬂoss and egg).

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: The unassuming but amazingly tasty lu rou fan; deep fried crabs; the homely setting at Good Cho’s promises a cosy night in with great food and ambience; the bustling culinary excitement at Shillin Food Basement; organic offerings come in little jars for the health conscious; breakfast of champions – dan bing rou song; much ado about bagels in Taipei.

MEAT & GREET Braised pork rice or, as the locals call it lu rou fan, is the pride of Taiwan. Many have travelled far to taste this humble dish that truly defines the Taiwanese’s flair for complex but delicious flavours. I crossed the ample grounds of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall towards Roosevelt Road, where Jin Feng Eatery is said to be lu rou fan ‘heaven’. Delicately flavoured slices of pork rested on a mound of white rice, the aroma of spices enticing my palate and urging me to take a bite of the meat enveloped in an a layer of wobbly fat. This is what makes the pork truly magical: The gorgeously rich and translucent layer of fat. If you’ve ever wondered what ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ feels like, this was it! I ate the bowl of rice and meat with religious reverence, for food so tasty needs to be honoured and appreciated. Patrons at the eatery who filled every possible nook and cranny shared my sentiments, all lost in this ‘spiritual’ experience. Needless to say, the more popular a dish, the more copycats you’ll find. In Taipei, you’ll find countless eateries offering lu rou fan, each with their own claim to fame with others simply jumping on the bandwagon, hoping that discerning taste buds would buy into the deceit. Recommendations from locals is the best way to go, or simply Google for public praise, or scorn.

CHIC TAIPEI At night, Taipei’s chic and fashionable persona awakes from its daily slumber. As I visited the 80

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streets teeming with trendsetters who seemed to have stepped out of the pages of Vogue, I soon discovered another swanky side to this enigmatic city: Taipei is café culture central! As I café-hopped around town, I realised that the café circuit is more about the experience than the menu offerings. Consisting of the usual suspects – light bites, desserts, and drinks that range from artisan coffee to imported tea – the food was hardly a gourmet paradise but upon entering each unique premise, I soon forgot the mediocre menu choices and lapped up the effort in presentation, ambience and personalized décor of each establishment. Often the decor and ambiance of these cafés deserve awards for creativity in producing a mood so desirable, you don’t mind spending a bomb on a measly cup of coffee just to enjoy the swanky vibe. One such premise was Somebody Café (http:// blog.yam.com/creative26), just minutes from the Taipei Railway Station. The two-toned interior screamed chic and the intimate setting was warm and inviting. A private booth sat nicely in one corner, with monochromatic umbrellas hung upside down adorning sections of the ceiling. Vintage paintings and arty mirrors in the same colour scheme covered the walls. My cup of Caramel Macchiato lasted three long hours here, as I drank in the decadent mod interior.

BELOW: Cream cheese, garlic, vinegar pork, bacon, chicken ranch – every type of bagel topping under the sun (well, almost!) is available at Good Cho’s.

BEEFY OBSESSION It is a sin to visit World Beef Noodle Capital and not scarf down a bowl of the dish. The heady aroma ﬁlled the streets and disrupted my plans to shop around Civic Boulevard. My initial idea of purchasing of a pair of stilettos to appease my inner shopaholic was swiftly replaced by a sumptuous bowl of piping hot beef noodles. The gravy’s consistency was just right, complementing the thick noodles perfectly, while the generous chunks of tender beef made me feel like I had gotten my money’s worth. This was comfort in a bowl. You know a dish is a national obsession when it has its own festival. The annual Taipei International Beef Noodle Soup Festival takes place every year end, where beef noodle specialists from all over Taiwan gather to compete for the title of the best beef noodle soup-maker in the country. From clear to spicy broths, to even the most expensive bowls of beef noodle soup in the world, simply turn up for a moo-ving experience.

GOOD TIMES BENEATH THE 101 It was a rainy night. The alley we were walking through was dark and narrow. I admit I was a little afraid. This time, an acquaintance had taken over playing the tour guide and insisted I visit what she claimed to be “the pulse of Taipei’s underground scene”. In Xinyi district beneath the Taipei 101, was where I ﬁrst met Good Cho’s (www. streetvoice.com/goodchos) and it was love at ﬁrst scent. 82

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The unassuming cement structure was grey and dreary from the outside, but inside, however, was a different story altogether. Good Cho’s was my ﬁrst visit to a bagel bakery. The aroma of freshly baked goodies ﬁlled my nostrils as I walked through the art gallery foyer and organic market, arriving at a colourful café. If the smell didn’t offer a clue, the long queue at the counter certainly did. My Asian senses went overboard (long queues equal great food) and I succumbed to temptation, ordering a lip smacking pork bacon bagel, which was further accented by the joy of eating it amidst the vintage décor put together by the artistic minds behind Good Cho’s. Outside, Simple Market is a weekend outdoor market where you can buy local designs and products, or listen to music from live performers.

HEAVIER AND HAPPIER There are cities and there are cities, but there is no city that eats like Taipei. Come for a visit, talk to a local, and eat like it is going out of fashion! Food is at the tip of their tongues and it is a passion that burns with such intensity, you see it in their eyes. A week here translates to a month’s worth of staring at my weighing scale back home in dismay. But no regrets, for I’ve tasted, loved and shared Taipei’s greatest gift to the world – its culinary delights. GETTING THERE AirAsia X ﬂies to Taipei from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Clark (Manila). Go to www.airasia.com for details.

3 FEATURE â&#x20AC;˘ Malaysia 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

Depth

Devo

Celebrated on a grand scale in Malaysia and other countries with sizeable Tamil speaking communities, Thaipusam showcases religious fervour. Above that, devotees elevate the concept of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mind-over-matterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to lofty heights where pain and fear become meaningless in the face of devotion. WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: MAGDA BISKUP

The young Hindu man whose back was being pierced with large hooks seemed not to feel any pain. His face was like a mask. The only sign of his emotions were the drops of sweat pooling on his forehead. A skilful swami grabbed the skin on the man’s back and put another hook through it. The years of practice have taught him how to go around the veins, preventing bleeding and making the whole spectacle even more fascinating to watch. He then attached a long rope to each hook, which he put around the man’s waist. With a strong move he tugged the ropes

ORIGINS OF THAIPUSAM The festival of Thaipusam commemorates Lord Muruga, a principal deity in the Hindu pantheon, slaying the asura (demon) Soorapadman. Hindu mythology chronicles the demon terrorising heaven and earth with his equally nasty brothers Simhamukha and Tarakasura. In fear, the gods begged Lord Shiva to put a stop to this reign of terror. Lord Shiva’s consort, Goddess Parvathy bestowed Muruga an all powerful lance (vel) and with it, Muruga defeated the demon, restoring peace and harmony to earth and heaven. Thaipusam, which falls in the Hindu month of Thai (mid January to mid February), is celebrated on the day the star Pusam (comprising three stars known as Theta-Cancri, GammaCancri and Eta-Cancri in modern astronomy) presides in the sky.

SIGNIFICANTLY SOUTH INDIAN

ABOVE: Two young devotees on their way to Nattukotai Chettiar temple with their backs pierced. LEFT: A young man having his cheeks pierced with a miniature vel (holy lance). OPPOSITE PAGE: Coconuts are smashed along the way to the temple as the chariot approaches. PRECEDING PAGE: A man waiting for his offering to be collected and placed next to Lord Muruga’s statue in the chariot.

In India, the worship of Muruga or Skanda is generally limited to the southern states and particularly pervasive in Tamil Nadu. As most of the Indians in Malaysia and Singapore were originally from this state, the worship of this deity, who is often called the General of the Divine Army, is often their main socio-cultural link to their motherland. Outside India, amongst Tamil speaking South Indians, this festival and the deity are held in great reverence in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and South Africa. Amongst these countries, the biggest Thaipusam celebrations, bigger even than in India, is celebrated in Malaysia in Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island.

BLESSED OFFERINGS

to ensure the entire construction was strong enough. The skin on the man’s back immediately stretched. Moments later the devotee started his 5-km long journey to Nattukotai Chettiar temple. There were similar scenes happening all around me, and I watched them with bewilderment and fascination, moving from group to group and observing young men getting ready for their kavadi and the pilgrimage. I was in the middle of preparation for the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Georgetown, Penang.

The celebrations had started early the morning before. The streets of Georgetown seemed to be still asleep, but the random groups of Hindu families dressed in their best clothes indicated that something was happening. I turned a corner and suddenly saw a huge, colourful crowd ﬁlling the street by the Sri Mariamman Temple in Penang’s Little India. The crowd was focused on a huge silver chariot parked in front of the temple. A few men wearing identical blue shirts and white veshti (traditional men’s garment) were standing on the chariot, preparing a spot to place the ornately decorated statue of Lord Muruga. Once the statue was installed in the chariot and the prerequisite

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prayers performed, the crowd stepped aside and two bulls harnessed to the chariot started the 10-km journey to Nattukotai Chettiar Temple near Penang Botanic Gardens. After travelling for just a few moments the chariot stopped and people carrying small trays ﬁlled with offerings moved towards it to offer their gifts to Muruga. The trays were placed around the statue, while the chief priest lit camphor ﬂames and offered prayers before returning the trays to the devotees. The chariot then moved again just to stop again a few metres further down the road. Another group of devotees brought even more trays of offerings to be blessed by their favourite deity. This process was to be repeated over and over until the chariot reached the temple.

PREPARING FOR PENANCE The next day, I was up by 4.00am. I quickly dressed and set out to a small temple, about four kilometres away. I wasn’t sure of its exact location but decided to follow the crowd who seemed to know exactly where to go. It was still dark, but the small open space next to the temple was already ﬁlled with small groups of people. I joined them and suddenly, entered an amazing spectacle. A number of young men

KAVADIS AND COCONUTS At the head of the procession I noticed a group of men carrying wooden constructions on their backs. It was a kavadi, a physical burden. The kavadi is a penance and a thanksgiving rolled into one. I learnt from the devotees there that the kavadi is a devotional act of carrying a burden laden with milk, honey and fruits to be offered to Muruga. However, I was also told to expect some truly amazing kavadis on Thaipusam day itself where devotees undergo ABOVE: Colourful crowd of people at severe penance, pierce their the festival. bodies with sharp instruments RIGHT: Men and carry very heavy kavadis. I performing kavadi attam, a ritual dance. was even more intrigued at this OPPOSITE PAGE: A spectacular example of human devotee caring a large kavadi decorated with devotion and dedication. peacock feathers. Along the chariot’s route, I noticed large piles of coconuts placed every few hundred metres. Not only Hindus were building the coconuts into neat piles, a few piles were manned by local Chinese too, who’ve come to offer gratitude for the blessings received from Muruga. As soon as the coconut pile minders spotted the chariot, they started grabbing the husked coconut and smashed them on the ground. The juice and the pieces of shell went flying in the air, as more and more coconuts hit the ground. Soon, the tar road was covered in a carpet of shell, coconut meat, husk and coconut water. The wheels of the chariot crossed over the coconut carpet, pulverising the debris underneath. “It is all about getting to the white flesh inside the coconut”, said a man standing beside me. “The hard shell represents man’s ego: Hard and stubborn. The white flesh is clean, pure and untainted. It symbolises the human soul. That should be everyone’s goal, to shed the ego and reveal the pure soul.” 88

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were undergoing an extraordinary feat, having sharp objects pierce their bodies before large kavadis decorated with peacock feathers, tinsel and statues of Hindu gods. The kavadi bearers displayed no signs of pain and neither were there any signs of blood. In their trance-like state, the devotees seemed totally oblivious to what was happening and neither did their physical bodies respond to normal sensory perception like pain and fear.

The atmosphere there was electrifying with musicians playing rhythmic beats on their drums and Indian trumpets, increasing the tempo as each devotee had his cheek or tongue pierced. This, paired with the heady aroma of incense and chanting of “Vel, Vel!” added to the excitement and soon, the men and women were all ready to walk the ﬁnal mile to the main temple bearing their offerings. I found out that it takes a lot preparation before one is allowed to carry a kavadi or have metal skewers pierce one’s body. Leading up to the festival, devotees who have taken vows to carry the kavadi, undergo a very austere form of penance for a mandala (48 days), dining on meagre vegetarian meals and foregoing any form of creature comfort, even sleeping on the ﬂoor on a thin mat. This strict undertaking prepares them to focus on their devotion and forego all forms of worldly pleasures, enabling them to slip into trance quickly for the piercing and carrying of the kavadi.

and the weight of the burden they were carrying. I saw a few young boys caring pots of milk on their heads. They looked young and innocent, but the seriousness on their faces indicated that this pilgrimage was very important to them. As I reached the temple, I merged with the colourful crowd ﬁlling the temple area and I watched the celebrations with fascination. Those two days were some of the most amazing I have ever experienced. GETTING THERE AirAsia ﬂies to Penang from various destinations. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

CARRYING THE BURDEN The variety of kavadi at the temple took me by surprise. The simplest and most popular one was a thin skewer put through the tongue, which silenced the devotee, enabling him to shut out the world. Larger skewers were used to pierce the cheeks. Then of course, there were the hooks put through the devotees back and attached with small pots filled with milk. Apart from the skewers and metal instruments, a number of devotees carried simple wooden structure decorated with lively images of Lord Muruga. I was told that this was the most basic offering, enabling anyone to offer their gratitude to the deity, as long as their hearts and intentions were pure.

CONCLUDING AT THE HILL I spent a few more hours watching this fascinating spectacle. Soon, darkness gave way to light and the place filled up with huge crowds, both devotees and spectators. I decided it was time to head to Nattukotai Chettiar temple, which was the ﬁnal destination. I joined a man caring huge kavadi. The construction was spectacular and it looked incredibly heavy. I could see that each step was a struggle for the man, as the weight of the kavadi was weighing him down, pushing him to the sides. Every few hundred metres, he’d stop for kavadi attam, a ritual dance performed by kavadi bearers. The day was hot, making the 5-km journey even more difﬁcult for those carrying their burden. But they moved forward, despite the heat 90

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Outside South India, Thaipusam is celebrated in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on a grand scale. The festival falls around late January and early February annualy. Check with local tourism organisations for exact dates.

ABOVE: Women and children dressed in traditional attire carrying offerings to the temple.

3 FEATURE • Thailand 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

PERILOUSLY

DARK WHITE PASSIONATELY

Northern Thailand’s Lanna heritage, art and architecture are traditionally depicted in a spicy colour palette. However, portraying their unique interpretations of heaven and hell, two of Chiang Rai’s famous artistic sons have dramatically flipped the switch to mono. WORDS: CAROL WEST PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT MUIR

Dragging a metal chain leash, a large black dog paced the pathway between two low-slung, glass and steel art galleries. In the stillness of mid-afternoon, the eerie sight and metallic sound were strangely disturbing. Robert and I had just arrived at The Black House, or Baan Si Dum, 10 kilometres north of Chiang Rai. Glancing around nervously, I wondered if the dog’s sudden appearance had been stage-managed. This feeling didn’t dissipate when viewing the gallery’s black, white and crimson paintings that depict the destructive energy of mythological, ﬂesh-tearing creatures that emanate from the darkly creative imagination of Thailand’s treasured national artist Thawan Duchanee.

BLACK & WHITE Both the Black House and the White Temple located two kilometres to the south of the former, run counterpoint to what I was anticipating when drawing up my temple itinerary in Chiang Rai. The ﬁrst capital of the ancient Lanna kingdom founded by King Mengrai in the mid-13th century, Chiang Rai is Thailand’s oldest city in a province separated from Burma and Laos by mighty mountains and fast ﬂowing rivers. Set in the heart of the fabled Golden Triangle, it’s a region richly endowed with ancient culture and ethnic diversity. At Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Saen, we watched machetewielding men scale perilous heights, hacking the unrelenting foliage away from the ancient chedi. Chiang Saen’s largest and oldest, it’s the perfect embodiment of Lanna artistry.

PRECEDING PAGE (LEFT): Skuills, antlers, beaks and feathers add a surreal touch to the Black House. PRECEDING PAGE (RIGHT): Thai mythology takes flight at the White Temple. RIGHT: The simplicity of a bronze bell set against the complex design of the White Temple.

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LEFT: Terracotta roofs retain the traditional Thai architectural element to the Black House.

Such decorative touches are obliquely expressed at the Black House where artist, architect and philosopher, Thawan Duchanee, has moodily re-invented aspects of Thai Buddhist architecture. Sunlight shoots daggers of light across the Assembly Hall’s immense black interior that’s supported by sturdy teak pillars. Python skins span tables roughly hewn and polished from enormous trees while ancient root systems are fashioned into seats. Described as a mystical masterpiece or, macabre and repetitive, the operatically scaled décor incorporates enormous horned chairs, animal skulls, vast shell collections, ancient weaponry and animal furs. This taxidermic excess suggested ‘Hall of the Mountain King’ rather than the Buddhist ‘Middle Way’.

DARKENED DAYS Animal skins lay sprawled at entry doors, the vertebrae of a pachyderm was neatly assembled beneath another Thai teak house where cabinets were ﬁlled with arrows, daggers, knives, swords and spears – the paraphernalia of death. In another house, feathers and beaks fanned into exotic displays and enormous, black-horned chairs were arranged around a table accessorised with tortoise place settings and pots of un-plucked birds, a sumptuous pagan setting for a marauding Vikings’ dinner party, I surmised. TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

RIGHT: Fearsome door guardians welcome visitors to the Black House.

Looking for an escape from the dark interiors, skulls and serrated teeth, I strolled through the garden past artfully arranged, free-form granite sculptures and grazing horses towards three pure white domes. A circlet of chairs, immense black crocodile skins and rings of giant conch shells were the recurrent themes here accompanied by the dank, musty smell of pagan ritual. I swore I smelt it vividly or perhaps it was just my imagination working overtime, having been assaulted by the dark and disturbing displays. While some visitors bemoan the lack of descriptive panels at the Baan Si Dum, I for one, thought it increased the sense of intrigue and ampliﬁed the surreal vision embodied in Duchanee’s dark interpretations.

COLOUR OF LIGHT While signage to the Black House is minimal, it’s impossible to avoid Chalermchai Kositpipat’s dazzling Buddhist and Hindu White Temple. To some, the crystal temple is an overblown vision, a theme park dedicated to heaven and hell. But to the celebrated artist and teacher, Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple, is a symbol of Lord Buddha’s purity and the artist’s personal vision of heavenly joy. Kositpipat’s spiky white architecture resembled carved blocks of snow overlaid with ice crystals that displayed an unerring eye for detail. Even the shoals of Japanese koi ﬁsh in the surrounding moat were albino.

Designed to be viewed by moonlight, during the day the reflected dazzle of this plaster confection embedded with mirror mosaics sparkled with an eye-watering intensity that left me groping for my sunglasses. A life-like statue of revered local monk, the late Prakoo Sawai, greets visitors to this unfinished masterwork of more than 60 buildings, bell towers and sculptures that began in 1997. Like Barcelona’s celebrated architect Antoni Gaudi who began his unfinished masterpiece La Sagrada Familia in 1882, Kositpipat doesn’t plan to conclude the project during his lifetime but will leave the task to more than 60 acolytes and suggests a possible end date of 2070. Chalermchai Kositpipat emerged in the late 1970s as a leader of the neo-traditional Thai art scene crossing genres by employing allegory, as well as cartoon-like figures. Adjacent to the White Temple, the Hall of Masterworks displays a comprehensive sweep of his paintings, finely detailed images that highlight in minutiae the cycle of life, as he seeks to challenge and create new forms of Thai culture and Theravada Buddhism.

HEAVEN & HELL The White Temple is an extension of his provocative art style and provides an immense three-dimensional ‘canvas’ where his ongoing fascination with heaven and hell is explored. Mirrored mythical beasts guard the bridge to the White Temple where a writhing ‘sea’ of 500 hands claws the air, trapped in a ﬂoating torment of hell. Called The Beauty of Anguish, it is the one dark spot amongst a recurring theme of love and happiness here. The entrance to the assembly hall is graced with a skull rather than a Buddha image and the wall friezes interweave pop culture references LEFT: Mirror mosaic adorn figures that guard the entrance to the White Temple.

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WAT RONG KHUN Ban Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, approx 10 kms southwest of Chiang Rai OPEN: 8.00am to 6.00pm Entry is free www.tourismchiangrai.com

BAN SI DUM Moo 13, Tambong Nang Lae, Ban Dhu, Chiang Rai OPEN: 9.00am to 5.00pm Entry is free www.thawan-duchanee.com

RIGHT: Gilded doorway and horned animal skull mark the entrance to the Black House. RIGHT, BELOW: Chalermchai Khositpipat’s White Temple is a symphony to purity.

and global issues with lyrical Thai imagery continuing a political and social commentary that first aired in Kositpipat’s work in 2009. The artist provides no answers, instead leaving visitors to draw their own conclusions from what they see, observe and absorb. Strolling across the verdant parkland, I chanced upon a white, mirror-encrusted, concrete banner symbolising victory and, bell towers and sculptures awaiting decorative finishing touches that will eventually reach them. To Chalermchai Kositpipat, mirror mosaics signify wisdom and I reflected that in the final analysis, appreciation of art and architecture comes down to personal taste. What appeals to one may appall another but by taking a monochromatic approach to Thailand’s gilded extravagance and richly hued imagery, these largescale, long-term projects are sure to provoke, shock and encourage both locals and visitors to think a-new about spiritual symbolism. GETTING THERE AirAsia flies daily to Chiang Rai from Don Mueang Int. Airport Bangkok. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

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gre en

3 FEATURE 0 2013

www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

IN THE

FACE!

No doubt tranquil but rugged landscape and the colour green come to mind when talk turns to Ireland. However, the ‘Emerald Isle’ is also known for something less serene: The spirited, annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17! Discover more about this cheerful holiday as we delve into the surprisingly sedate history, dearly held traditions and colourful customs of this much-loved Irish celebration. WORDS: SHANTINI SUNTHARAJAH

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

IMAGE: INMAGINE

his way back to Britain where he experienced another revelation. This time, he dreamed of an angel telling him to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary. After many years of training and religious study, Patrick became a priest and did just what the angel told him to do in his dream. He presumably spent the rest of his days preaching about Christianity and converting the Irish who were followers of a nature-based pagan religion at that time.

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

TRADITIONS & SYMBOLS

ABOVE: Even the beer turns green during St. Patrick’s Day. BELOW: Children wearing hats in the colour of Ireland’s flag in Birmingham, UK.

St. Patrick is Ireland’s patron saint and the day that is celebrated in his honour also marks the anniversary of his death. Despite the fact that he is a well-known figure in Christianity, the details of St. Patrick’s life seem to have been lost in time. The few documents that do reveal anything about him read like an incredible tale of drama and intrigue, complete with a prison escape and celestial visions. Although he is now irrevocably tied to Ireland, St. Patrick was actually born in Britain at the end of the 4th century. The story goes that when he was 16, Patrick was kidnapped and transported from Britain to Ireland by a group of Irish raiders who attacked his family estate. Lonely and terriﬁed, Patrick sought comfort in prayer, becoming a devout Christian. The young man spent six, long years in captivity. In his writings, he describes a voice – which he believes to be the voice of God – that instructed him to leave Ireland. The experience gave him the courage to escape and walk more than 320 kms to the Irish coast before ﬁnding

OPPOSITE PAGE: Dressing up in colourful costumes has become part of St. Patrick’s day parade in Dublin, Ireland. PRECEDING PAGE: Woman applying face paint to boy at St Patrick’s Day. parade, Picadilly.

IMAGE: CORBIS

THE PATRON SAINT OF IRELAND

There is a whole list of traditions and symbols associated with St. Patrick’s Day, which make it one of the most unique – and fun – festivals in the world. Perhaps the oldest is the Shamrock. Essentially a three-leaved clover, the Shamrock is a national, Irish emblem and legend has it that St. Patrick used it to describe the meaning of the Holy Trinity. He explained that just as the Shamrock is one leaf with three parts, God too is one entity with three entities – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Another popular and rather amusing symbol connected to St. Patrick’s Day is the legendary leprechaun. The word leprechaun is derived from the old Irish word lobaircin, which translates to ‘smallbodied fellow’. The ancient Celtics of Ireland believed leprechauns were extremely cranky, small, old-looking men who each owned a hidden pot of gold. Originally, St. Patrick’s Day had nothing to do with leprechauns but when Walt Disney released a ﬁlm about a cheerful, little Irish leprechaun in the late 1950s, Americans began associating the mythical creature with all things Irish, including St. Patrick’s Day. If you were asked to represent St. Patrick’s Day with a colour, green comes to mind but there was a time

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when it was blue that symbolised this Irish holiday. Things changed in the 19th century when green came to signify Ireland, with the shade showcasing the gorgeous landscapes all year long; Ireland is also known as the land of ‘40 Shades of Green’. Wearing green is considered a tribute to Ireland and is believed to bring good luck on St. Patrick’s Day. When it comes to traditional meals, cabbage and bacon are to St. Patrick’s’ Day what turkey is to Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, Irish immigrants in New York City began to replace bacon with corned beef. They learned this little money-saving trick from their Jewish neighbours. Now corned beef is commonly eaten as part of a St. Patrick’s Day meal, even in Ireland.

There was a time when St. Patrick’s Day was less about fun and more about religious fervour. For centuries, the Irish marked the occasion by visiting churches in the morning for religious reflection. Up until the 1970s, pubs remained closed on the day. Festivities took a spirited turn in the mid-90s when the Irish government decided to use St. Patrick’s Day to promote the country and celebrate all things Irish. The now enormously popular St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin was introduced in 1996 and every year, millions of visitors throng the event, which features concerts, fireworks and outdoor performances. Over the years, the party vibe infected millions all over the world. These days everyone – including non-Christians and non-Irish – get swept up by the celebratory spirit. In the US, it is said that the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world took place in 1762, when

IMAGE: INMAGINE

ST. PADDY AROUND THE WORLD

ABOVE: Irish bacon and cabbage. BELOW: Step dancers performing at a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

IMAGE: CORBIS

OPPOSITE PAGE: St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in New Zealand.

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Irish soldiers who were serving in the English military, marched through the streets of New York. These days, the city’s parades involve thousands of participants with millions of people lining up to watch the procession. In Chicago, festivities take an unusual turn. The Chicago River is dyed green every year, a tradition that began in 1962. In Florence, Italy, St. Patrick’s Day means it’s time for the Festa Irlandese, a 10-day event that focuses on Irish food and drink. The city erects a massive tent where thousands of participants flock to sample the Italian version of Irish favourites such as beef in stout. Down Under, Australians turn the whole of March into party season with a full calendar of luncheons, balls, race days, golf tournaments and concerts mainly featuring Irish themes. In the country where St. Patrick was born, celebrations revolve around Manchester city, which hosts a magniﬁcent Irish Festival with festive green lights adorning the city’s Town Hall. Over in Southeast Asia, Guinness Stout, the Irish original, is a hugely popular beer among pub regulars

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

IRELAND’S UNFORGETTABLE ICONS Steeped in folklore and legends, blanketed by soft carpets of green and dotted with dramatic landscapes, Ireland is a fantastic holiday destination for just about everyone. Here’s a compilation of some of the Emerald Isle’s best and most beloved icons and hotspots.

RIVERDANCE This is a fairly recent Irish step-dancing phenomenon that entered global consciousness during a 1994 interval performance of the Eurovision Song Contest. The dance is renowned for its extremely rapid leg movements while the arms and torso are kept mostly stationary. More than just moving to the beat of the music, Riverdance celebrates the Irish culture and tells the story of Irish immigration to the US.

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY This is a World Heritage Site and undeniably among the top sights in Ireland. The Causeway’s basalt rock formations are about 55,000,000 years old and exhibit highly regular shapes – a rarity in nature. The rocks seem to stretch across to Scotland, and according to Irish lore, a giant called Finn MacCool put together this stunning sight so he could use it as a private bridge to cross the sea.

IMAGE: CORBIS

BLARNEY CASTLE

ABOVE: Workers dyeing green the Chicago River in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. OPPOSITE PAGE: The mythical leprechaun is said to own a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

in Malaysia and Singapore. St. Patrick’s Day is a great excuse to guzzle down pints and pints of the dark brew with none of the guilt. Revelers dressed in green can be found soaking up the party atmosphere in pubs across the country and celebrations take on a high-shine with the annual black-tie ball organised by the St. Patrick’s Society in the state of Selangor, Malaysia, believed to be the largest annual Irish ball in the world outside the USA. There’s no denying that St. Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s biggest and most beloved holiday. It is a one-of-a-kind celebration rooted in religious passion but which has grown to encompass spirited parties, unique customs and colourful carnivals around the world. So it doesn’t matter if you’re in San Francisco or Singapore – you’re guaranteed to have a good time on St. Patrick’s Day!

In a land of castles, Blarney is one of the oldest and most historic. Arguably the most famous tourist attraction in Ireland, Blarney Castle in Count Cook was once home to Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster. Three castles were built on the same site and the last one, which was constructed in 1446, still stands today. The world famous Blarney Stone, is embedded in the walls near the top of the castle. Legend has it that the Blarney Stone has the magical power to bequeath the gift of eloquence. You just have to kiss it while being held upside down by the ankles, a common practice in the past! Fortunately, visitors are now allowed to smooch the stone with their feet firmly on the ground.

IRISH CELEBS There are a number of A-list celebrities who hail from Ireland. Iconic rock star and humanitarian Bono, front man of the legendary band U2, is a native of Ireland. So is Oscar winner Liam Neeson who has wowed movie fans with memorable roles in films like Schindler’s List, Star Wars and Taken. Other hunky Irish actors include Colin Farrell and dashing ex James Bond star Pierce Brosnan.

GUINNESS STOUT Irishman Arthur Guinness is the founder of Guinness Stout, one of the most popular beers in the world and renowned for its distinctive burnt flavour that comes from the use of roasted barley. Undeniably one of the most successful beer brands in history, Guinness was first made in a small brewery just outside Dublin in the 1750s and is recognised as the unofficial beer of Ireland. Although great as mood enhancers, beers are not known for their health benefits but studies have shown that moderate amounts of Guinness are actually good for the heart as it contains antioxidants!

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3 PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

A LIFETIME

OF FLYING A poor carpenter’s son who grew up to become a long-serving pilot talks about his colourful experiences as an aviator. That’s AirAsia’s own Captain Lim Khoy Hing! Read about his journey as a pilot thus far in this issue of Travel 3Sixty°.

legs were too short to control the rudders effectively. As a result, he was sent home to become a ground air trafﬁc controller, while I was fortunate enough to get over my motion sickness. I received my ‘wings’ and graduated as a pilot in 1968.

HIGH UP IN THE SKY

IMAGES: ADAM LEE

45 YEARS IN THE MAKING

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I started learning how to fly about 45 years ago with the Royal Air Force in the UK. Plucked from a poor family after passing my pilot selection assessment, my first overseas flight was on a four-propeller British Eagle Britannia plane from Singapore to London with stops at Colombo, Bahrain and Rome. It was simply amazing. Unfortunately, when I started my pilot training on the Chipmunk plane, I was afflicted by motion TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

(air) sickness because of the demanding nature of military aviation. My colleague also suffered the same. His afﬂiction was more chronic and the doctors tried hard to cure him with ground-based desensitisation procedures. This is where trainees are gradually exposed to increasing levels of provocative motion on a rotation chair so that their sensitivity to such movement becomes progressively reduced. Sad to say, it didn’t work on my colleague. Not only was he affected by motion sickness, it was also discovered that his

From then on, I flew many types of planes. I progressed from flying the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneers to the super modern third generation Boeing 777 and the Airbus A320/330/340. How unbelievable is that! As a poor school boy, I enjoyed helping my father with his carpentry work, and I used to marvel at planes that flew over my attap (palmthatched roof) house. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps and become a carpenter. My wise mother decided otherwise and enrolled me into an English medium school that opened doors for me to eventually

become a pilot. I am perpetually grateful to my late mother for what I have achieved today. There were many ups and downs in my life journey as a pilot. You would be surprised to learn that I graduated as a qualiﬁed pilot well before I even had my driving licence. I somehow felt that I was never a ‘born pilot’ and so, I had to struggle and persevere through some stages of my career. Relying on the adage ‘Dare to fail’, I believe that through hard work, I was able to overcome all the obstacles in front of me. It is for this reason that I have a soft spot for aspiring aviators. Wanting to give back to society at large, I made use of my website www.askcaptainlim.com, which I had developed, to help guide, inspire and educate aspirants to succeed in becoming pilots.

LESSONS ABOUT FLYING Flying has taught me many lessons. As pilots, we are trained to handle and plan ahead for all unforeseen circumstances. For instance, pilots are always prepared to handle

Capt. Lim and crew waiting to depart from the hotel to the airport at Incheon, Seoul.

engine failures during takeoff and go-arounds at every landing. Despite always being wellprepared for any possible engine failures during take-off, I have never in my lifetime of flying (25,500 flight hours!) experienced real engine failure except during the numerous Check Flights in a simulator. That is also the reason why I keep reiterating why flying is many, many times safer than driving. Preparing for an engine failure at takeoff was precisely what Captain Sully did when he saved the lives of 155 people on his flight out of LaGuardia

(Left to Right) Capt. Sahari, Capt. Lim, Senior Flight Officer Chang and Senior Flight Officer Shara Azlin at Kuala Lumpur LCC Terminal after arriving from London in early 2012.

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Airport in New York on January 15, 2009. In fact, he had two engine failures as a result of a collision with a flock of birds at 3,000 feet – a more difficult emergency than just one engine failure. Every Airbus pilot knows that one of the golden rules of flying is ‘Fly, Navigate and Communicate’. So, when faced with such an emergency, Capt. Sully had about three minutes to apply the principles of the rule and glided the A320 plane safely onto the river. With regards to go-around, I have experienced a few in the course of my flying. Of course the

most memorable one was the aborted landing I performed at the Perth International Airport, Australia (see Exciting & Unusual – October 2012, Travel 3Sixty°). In this article, I related feedback from a guest who said “It was better to be late than to be DEAD on time” after ﬁnding out the reason for the go-around was bad weather, which forced the ﬂight to be diverted to Adelaide. Another reader wrote, “After reading the article, I will never complain about delays

Capt. Lim and crew waiting to take over the flight at New Delhi International Airport.

or, landings being aborted ever again because now I know that there is always a reason why pilots make such decisions.” I feel happy, knowing that I have contributed in making air travellers more aware and knowledgeable about what pilots do and the decisions we make in ensuring passenger safety.

DECISION MAKING What I didn’t reveal in that article with regards to the aborted landing was the tremendous cost and ensuing inconvenience as a result of my action. An

Capt. Lim receiving a farewell gift from his crew on arrival in Kuala Lumpur.

aircraft commander is trained to make wise decisions and to trust his judgement, especially if the situation poses danger to the passengers and aircraft. My decision cost the company expenses in transporting about 250 passengers for four additional hours (diversion to Adelaide and return to Perth) but the main concern was ensuring safety for all concerned. My passengers were further inconvenienced after the diversion when on the return leg, one of the engines of the Boeing 777 suffered a fuel leak. The plane was grounded and they had to be transferred to other ﬂights.

THE BACKUP PLAN The second lesson I learnt about flying was always to have a backup plan in life. Flying is a very unique job so much so that when a pilot is medically grounded and can no longer fly, he or she becomes quite ‘lost’ in the world out there. Whilst some pilots take up MBA or other part time degrees as ‘Plan B’, I took up Law as an external student with London University, going on to pass my LLB with Honours in 1992. I then went on to complete the Malaysian Certificate of Legal

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Practice (equivalent to the Bar Finals Exams). However, I never practised law as I love flying very much. But, on the flipside, I have a standby profession to fall back on in case the need arises. When I retired from Malaysia Airlines flying the Boeing 777 at the age of 60, AirAsia offered me another five years of flying the Airbus A320/A330/A340. The legal age limit for flying internationally is 65 years and that was when I stopped flying. However, I still continue to contribute to the aviation world as a simulator flight instructor and as a columnist for Travel 3Sixty°.

A FAIRLY WINDING ROAD I decided to share my life journey thus far as a result of the many requests I have received to write on the highs and lows of my experience as a pilot. My journey as an aviator right up to the day I hung up my uniform in March 2012, can be best described as a fairly winding road and a thoroughly fulﬁlling experience. However, I know I still have lots to offer my readers and aspiring pilots, especially through this magazine and my website. Even though writing was never my forte, I am very happy that I‘ve been able to share some of

my experiences and stories with readers who are not familiar with the aviation industry. Writing for my website started some 12 years ago when I started to learn how to develop websites for fun, with help and encouragement from my daughter. Since then, I have been writing articles to assist aspiring aviators, answer questions from fearful ﬂyers, and educate the public about technical topics on ﬂying by making them simpler to understand.

THE FUTURE For now, I‘ll continue writing for AirAsia’s inﬂight magazine. A book covering all previous articles will hopefully be published soon too. Aside from being an aspiring author, I am enjoying my ‘retirement’ from active ﬂying by spending precious time with my grandchildren. My life as a commercial pilot was certainly stimulating, interesting and exciting, but that’s nothing compared to the joy of being with my family.

Capt. Lim with SFO Shara Azlin inside an Airbus 340 cockpit en route to London.

Captain Lim Khoy Hing is a former AirAsia Airbus A320 and AirAsia X A330/A340 pilot who also used to fly the Boeing 777. He has logged a total of more than 25,500 flying hours and is now a Simulator Flight Instructor with Air Asia X. In his spare time, he shares his opinion on aviation issues with others. For more air travel and aviation stories, check out his website, ‘Just About Flying’ at www.askcaptainlim.com.

3 TRAVEL LOG 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

A rock formation on the summit that resembles ‘two thumbs up’ or donkeys ears.

THE CLIMB OF MY LIFE!

Louise Molyneux and her band of merry climbers take on Mount Kinabalu in Sabah and return with the promise of wanting to do it all over again! Ever since I moved to Kuala Lumpur three years ago, I have wanted to climb Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. Finally the opportunity arose and I boarded an AirAsia flight to Kota Kinabalu with nine other friends and an equal measure of excitement and trepidation. As ever, the flight with AirAsia was comfortable and timely, delivering us to Kota Kinabalu early in the afternoon with plenty of time to make the two-hour drive up to Kinabalu Park headquarters. As we approached in heavy rain, Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, I got my first glimpse of the great mountain, with the grey rocks of the summit rising majestically from the lush green forest below, teasing us from behind the clouds. We spent the night in the park and awoke the next morning to a brilliant blue sky filled with sunshine. Weather like that never fails to lighten my step, no matter how many I needed to take. 114

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Louise Molyneux and her climber friends at the summit.

My group set off from the Timpohon Gate at 8.00am. Coming from Kuala Lumpur, the fresh air and cool temperature were a joy. I found the trail well maintained and the combination of markers at every 500 metres and regularly spaced rest huts meant that I always knew how much progress I was making. It was a six km trek to Laban Rata resthouse, where we spent half the night before making the final push for the summit. The last leg – about 1.4 kms – didn’t sound far but was, in fact, quite a challenge! Whilst there was plenty to look at – the occasional, breathtaking views across the lowlands, the forest, fellow climbers and, porters passing with gas canisters, cases of canned drinks and trays of eggs strapped to their backs – the trail did become a slog and the air got noticeably thinner. Just short of five hours after setting off, we reached Laban Rata and what a treat that was – sitting out on the terrace, above the clouds in the blinding sunshine, boots off, aching legs but with all-round exhilaration! Aside from adjusting to the altitude and soaking in the view, which got even better at sunset, there wasn’t much to do up there. But soon, at around 3.00am, it was time to depart the rest area. Setting out in the dark was the part I had been most nervous about but it was fine actually. The sky was clear and the stars spectacular; it made me realise how much artificial light pollutes the cityscape. Once we were up on the plateau, the walking became easier; the enormous slabs of granite provided good grip. As the sky began to lighten and the different peaks emerged from the darkness, I reached the

The trail up Mount Kinabalu.

last 200 metres of the ascent to Low’s Peak. It could not have been timed better. The orange rays of the rising sun filled the sky as we queued for photographs on the summit of Malaysia’s highest peak at 4,095m. The area is remarkably small and, with 147 climbers reaching the top in close succession, all eager to get their photograph, it was an exercise in patience! Descending to Laban Rata was fabulous as we could see all that had been hidden in the darkness on the way up. We were presented with endless views of Kota Kinabalu and out to sea, the rocky outcrops of the plateau and the beautiful alpine vegetation below. Enroute, we stopped at Laban Rata for a second breakfast and to pick up the gear we temporarily discarded from our packs for the final climb. There was no getting away from it but the long walk back to the gate was the hardest. It felt like the best part was now behind me. The exhilaration I felt on the summit lasted only a while and, as my knees started to ache with the force of walking down the steps, it became a mental challenge to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Almost four hours later and we finally arrived at the gate. We collected our certificates from park HQ and left the place exhausted but ecstatic over our achievement . Back home, looking at the photographs, the trip is almost dream-like. It far exceeded my expectations – the weather, the organisation, the camaraderie of a big group and the feeling of achievement. The experience will live with me forever! Would I do it again? Yes, but I’d like the same great weather. Should you do it? Absolutely! One of life’s great experiences is on your doorstep. What are you waiting for? 116

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Majestic Mount Kinabalu.

Got an interesting tale about your travels with AirAsia? Email your story (around 800 words) and images (high res min 1MB in size and clearly captioned) to us at travel3sixty@airasia.com. Published submissions will receive a 1N/2D stay at the Grand Premier Room for 2 inclusive of breakfast valued at MYR1,200++, and a RM100 voucher redeemable at any of F&B outlets at InterContinental Kuala Lumpur.Travel 3Sixty˚ reserves the right to edit the article for clarity and length or change the value of the prize to another gift of similar value. Prize voucher cannot be exchanged for cash and the Editorial’s decision is final. Entries must include name, address, e-mail address and telephone number.

WIN

a hote worth l stay over

MYR1 ,200!

INTERCONTINENTAL KUALA LUMPUR, located in the heart of Malaysia’s bustling capital, is the ideal urban retreat for discerning business and leisure travellers with a taste for style and substance. Providing guests with an impressive view of the city’s skyline just steps away from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the hotel is also within walking distance to countless other shopping and entertainment activities. With the convenience of shuttle services and a nearby LRT (Light Railway Transit) station, guests looking to dive into Kuala Lumpur’s bustling shopping options such as Central Market and Chinatown will ﬁnd the hotel’s strategic location the main draw. The 31-storey hotel has spared no expense in upgrading its facilities and services for a refreshingly luxurious feel in ensuring top-of-the-line amenities and comfortable stays for all its guests. The hotel boasts 473 elegantly designed rooms and eight meeting rooms with multifunctional capabilities along with two ballrooms. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, Fitness Centre and the Sompoton Spa. Offering guests only its best, InterContinental Kuala Lumpur is a true jewel in the heart of Malaysia. www.intercontinental-kl.com.my

3 OFF THE RACK 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

GO RETRO Flow’s Retro Beats collection pays homage to the disco era with an explosion of colour and patterns in retrostyled ensembles. Experiment with bold colours and prints and, pair funky bias-cut tops with denim leggings in yellow, pink, green and cobalt. Flow stocks sizes that range from US 8 to 18. www.yougotcurves.com

MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT

Be brave and experiment with courageous hues, quirky accessories and performance-enhancing footwear designed to make you stand out from the crowd.

STYLISH SUPERHEROES Besides offering personalised men’s accessories that make ideal gifts, Aussie label Ties ‘n’ Cuffs also stocks a range of items inspired by comic book heroes. Unleash your inner superhero in style with ties, cufﬂinks and pocket squares emblazoned with your favourite DC Comics heroes including Batman and Superman. www.tiesncuffs.com.au

ARM CANDY WORDS: CHITRA S

The Spring/Summer range from Charles & Keith evokes a garden in full bloom and offers excellent choices with structured bags and wallets awash in cotton candy colours you’ll surely love. www.charleskeith.com

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WALK TALL Don’t you just envy those Victoria’s Secret angels with their seemingly endless legs? Well, don’t lose hope if you’re vertically challenged; there are still many ways of creating the illusion of height. Simply follow our tips for petite ladies and walk tall with pride! Valentino

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING Puma BioWeb Elite is engineered for maximum comfort and stability with an innovative cage-design modeled after a spider’s web. Designed to enhance athletic performance, this lightweight running and training shoe features a web-like breathable mesh-ﬂex structure that bends with the foot when in motion. www.puma.com

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT Fun, funky and always different, Kenzo adds a sense of playfulness to its Spring/Summer line with designs featuring psychedelic forest prints and leopard spots in hues of tangerine, turquoise and mustard. Highlights include dresses with peek-aboo cutouts and trendy M-slits. www.kenzo.com

GO GRACEFUL Valentino turns on the charm with elegant designs in silk, georgette and lace juxtaposed against a palette of pretty pastels. Silhouettes are feminine and youthful, and the signature bows and rufﬂes favoured by the fashion house are pared down for a sleeker look. www.valentino.com 120

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LINES, LINES, LINES Vertical

stripes, seams and detailing will trick the eye and make you appear slimmer and taller than you really are. Chevron patterns are also great because they create shape-ﬂattering Vs that will make you look taller. Vince Camuto

ONE COLOUR WONDER

Going monochromatic may seem boring but this style suits petite women perfectly as it lengthens the silhouette. Though many stylists would advise going for an all-black ensemble, it’s OK to experiment with brighter colours. The idea is to dress in one colour from top to toe to avoid breaking up your silhouette.

Sergio Rossi

HIGH UP The quickest way to

add height is by slipping into a pair of sexy heels. But not every heel is created equal. Avoid chunky heels and shoes with ankle straps. Instead, go with pointed-toe shoes with slim heels to elongate the body.

3 VANITY FARE 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

SECRET ANGEL GIRL A sexy blend of sparkling bergamot, gardenia and musk, Victoria’s Secret Angel Gold EDP is the newest addition to the brand’s stable of sultry fragrances for women. Layer it with the VS Angel Gold Fragrance Lotion for a fruity, floral scent. www.victoriassecret.com

SPRING FLING

Celebrate the coming of spring with our fresh picks in skincare, fragrance and makeup and aim for a total makeover for a magical you.

GET ON STAGE! The Brow Deﬁning Pencil by Stage glides easily to add colour, volume and deﬁnition in one-easy stroke. The dual-ended pencil also features a precision angled brush to help groom unruly hairs into place, creating beautifully arched brows.

WORDS: CHITRA S

www.stage-cosmetics.com

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PURE BEAUTY Drawing on the beneﬁts of essential oils, plant derived exfoliants and natural moisturisers, New Zealand bodycare and lifestyle brand Linden Leaves utilises the power of nature in its products designed to nourish the skin and nurture the soul. Experience its Aromatherapy Synergy line consisting of four naturally scented combos – Absolute Dreams, In Love Again, Memories and Pick Me up. www.theskintopic.com.my

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MIRACLE OIL An elixir derived from the fruit of the Moroccan argan tree, Melvita’s Organic Argan Oil is rich in antiinﬂammatory plant sterols and essential fatty acids that help repair and protect skin’s natural barrier. The oil can also be applied on hair to tame stray tresses. www.melvita.com.my

SWEET SEDUCTION L’Oréal Paris’ limited-edition Miss Candy collection features eye shadows and lip glosses in irresistible candy-pop hues of raspberry, apricot, strawberry, caramel and marshmallow. Highlights include Miss Candy Glam Shine Swirl lip gloss in Raspberry – a delicious shade swirled with shimmering sparkles – and, the macaron-ins spired Miss Candy macaron-inspired Color Infaillible eye shadow in Sassy Marshmallow. www.lorealp www.lorealparis.com.my paris.com.my

MANLY BOOST Specially formulated for men who work and play hard, Lab Series Instant Skin Booster is a serum that employs the brand’s patented FirmaBoost and C.R.I.S technologies to combat tired-looking skin. With its two-pronged approach that promotes skin’s natural collagen formation while reducing irritation, this serum tightens and refreshes skin. www.labseries.com

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TO THE RESCUE Yadah’s Anti-Trouble line for blemish-prone skin is a gentle formulation with ingredients high in antioxidants and anti-inﬂammatory properties to unclog pores, eliminate excess sebum and reduce breakouts. The range includes the Anti-Trouble Bubble Cleanser with sage, aloe vera, rosemary and green tea and, the Anti-Trouble Spot cream, which targets pimples. www.yadahskincare.com

3 JETSETTER 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A COMEDIAN? KAVIN JAY (KJ): Yes, I have, but my parents wanted me to be an engineer so, I made them happy and got my papers. At the ripe age of 26, I ﬁnally took my late brother’s advice that it was never too late to chase my dream and, pursued stand-up comedy. My ﬁrst performance was in front of 150 of my friends. I got them together and started telling jokes. I haven’t looked back since.

CAN BEING FUNNY BE TAUGHT? RIZAL VAN GEYZEL (RV): There’s a certain kind of funny that can’t be taught and then there’s humour that can. Being naturally funny certainly helps but like any other pursuit, you have to work at it. Even if it comes naturally, it doesn’t mean you work any less at improving your routines.

HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH MATERIAL? KJ: I’m inspired mainly by the conversations I have with family and friends. I swear they say the darnest things and their conversations are a comedic goldmine. I also read the papers every day. Seriously, the daily news is FILLED with comedy!

COMPILED BY: CHITRA S

Kavin Jay

KAVIN JAY & RIZAL VAN GEYZEL Familiar faces in Malaysia’s comedy circuit, funnymen Kavin Jay and Rizal Van Geyzel are paving the way for aspiring comedians with One Mic Stand, an open mic night for emerging artists to hone their craft. Find out what makes them laugh, how they became comedians and their aspirations for stand-up comedy in Malaysia.

WAS YOUR FAMILY SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR DECISION OF WANTING TO BE A COMEDIAN? RV: I never ofﬁcially sat them down and announced what I wanted to do. I just went ahead and did it. My dad was a little discouraging at ﬁrst, but now, after watching me, he tries to dish me some jokes for the stage.

DO PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO BE FUNNY ALL THE TIME? KJ: Actually, yes. But, I’d rather keep the jokes to a minimum especially with people I don’t really know because I don’t want them to think I’m annoying. I’m a loud-mouthed, quick thinking guy and my stage persona is the ampliﬁcation of who I am in real life.

DO YOU GET NERVOUS BEFORE A PERFORMANCE? RV: I do get the nerves before shows and I think that’s just pent up energy waiting to be released. Breathing always helps. In fact, my nerves need more calming right after I get off the stage, after the rush of adrenalin from the show.

Rizal Van Geyzel

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AUDIENCES DON’T LAUGH AT YOUR JOKES? KJ: I used to panic but now I’ve learnt to own up to an unfunny gag and that usually gets a laugh. There are many occasions where the audience is completely disinterested and I just go through my material and learn what gets their attention.

WHERE DO YOU SEE STAND-UP COMEDY IN MALAYSIA IN FIVE YEARS TIME? RV: I’d like to see the audience more open to the idea of stand-up as live entertainment. We should be aiming for full house shows and, for more Malaysian comics making it big internationally.

WHAT’S THE FUTURE LIKE FOR ONE MIC STAND? KJ: Stand-up comedy is very much in its infancy in Malaysia and there are not enough comedians to go around. With One Mic Stand, there are more comedians coming out of the

Visit www.pjlivearts.my for details on ONE MIC STAND performances. woodwork and the show gives them the opportunity to shine. That was an option I didn’t have when I started out.

WHO INSPIRES YOU? RV: People who aren’t afraid to do what their heart tells them to no matter their chosen ﬁeld. People who are unafraid to pursue their dreams always inspire me.

WHO OR WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? KJ: Things that make me laugh are things that are not meant to be funny, but are. My wife makes me laugh every day, although she never intends to. For example, while driving up to a gig one day, she commented on the shrubbery covering a road sign: ‘How can they allow these things... what if the driver was blind?!’

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ASPIRING COMEDIANS? RV: Keep it real, interesting and above all, funny. Don’t steal jokes.

WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF STAND-UP COMEDY? KJ: The laughter at the end of a joke is instant gratiﬁcation. You work on a comedy piece for a while, polish and rewrite it, and when it becomes what comedians call ‘gold’, you feel a sense of accomplishment that cannot be described. There are few professions where you are rewarded with applause every time you do something right. 128

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3 KIDS SPACE 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

BOOKS ON STAGE If you enjoyed watching the amazing Life of Pi, you’d be interested to know this movie is a screen adaptation of a novel by Yann Martel by the same name. Here are some well-loved tales that have been brought to life on stage.

IMAGE: INMAGINE

HOW TO CATCH A STAR Follow the

GREENING THE EARTH March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday observed by the people of Ireland and celebrated by Irish everywhere who wear green on this day. In celebration of this festival, find out how you can become part of the Green Movement and make this world a better place.

GREEN TIPS In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, which is associated with the colour green, let’s look at how you can go green to save our planet. It may take a little practice and dedication, but the reward – a greener planet – is definitely worthwhile.

WORDS: CHITRA S

LIGHTS OFF Save

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energy by making sure all lights and electrical appliances are switched off when not in use. Being energy efﬁcient also cuts your electricity bills – something your parents will thank you for.

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TURN OFF THE TAP Save water,

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Reduce trash

one of the earth’s precious resources, by simply turning off the tap while you brush your teeth. Also, taking a shower instead of having a bath saves litres and litres of water.

that clogs up landﬁlls by reusing items that are still in good condition. Instead of throwing away plastic bottles, aluminum cans and old newspapers that you do not need, ﬁnd new uses for them or send them to the recycling collection centres.

adventures of a little boy who is fascinated by stars and, devises ways to catch one in this stage adaptation of the children’s tale How to Catch A Star by Oliver Jeffers. The heartwarming story is brought to life through live music, storytelling and puppetry in a captivating show by the UK’s Blunderbus Theatre Company. Don’t miss the performances at the Performing Arts Centre of Penang from March 6 to 10 and PJ Live Arts from March 12 to 31. www.gardnerandwife.com

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS Presented by the Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Little Company, this muchloved fairytale gets a fresh, new spin in an entertaining performance that showcases children’s theatre at its best. takes centre stage at the DBS Arts Centre, Singapore from March 8 to April 21, 2013. Go to www.sistic.com.sg for tickets.

ACE MEAL + KIDZANIA VOUCHER Good news, kids! Get a Kidzania Kuala Lumpur voucher worth MYR55 when you purchase your Ace meal onboard. The offer is for a limited time only (from March 1 to April 30, 2013) so, grab your delish Ace meals and free Kidzania vouchers while stocks last.

3 PLANE FUN 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

RIDDLES 1. What phrases are represented here? i. rodiamondugh ii. duboles, duolbes, duboels, doulebs iii. she herself 2. If 5 F on an H = 5 fingers on a hand, what do these mean? i. 3 BM ii. 8 P in the SS iii. 12 M on a J 3. Unscramble the letters of ALTO ECHO to form two common words that are opposites of each other. 4. Can you work out the relationship to ‘this man’?

QUICK QUIZ 1.

Cosmology refers to the study of what?

In which city would you ﬁnd the former prison island of Alcatraz?

According to the proverb, what does every dark cloud have?

What name is given to the third molar in humans?

The liqueur Cointreau is ﬂavoured with which fruit?

What is the most common blood group?

Is a kiang an animal, vegetable or mineral?

What is the national symbol of Canada?

Teriyaki and tempura are associated with the cuisine of which country?

Brothers and sisters have I none, but this man’s son is my father’s son. 5. Which word can precede all of these? Runner, Age, Man, Bench

SUDOKU

10. What was the tallest man-made structure in the world for approximately 4,000 years?

PLAY ON WORDS 2

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: • Each of the nine vertical columns • Each of the nine horizontal rows • Each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes Remember no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

• QUICK QUIZ 1 The universe 2 San Francisco 3 A silver lining 4 Wisdom tooth 5 Orange 6 O group 7 Animal (Tibetan ass) 8 Maple leaf 9 Japan 10 The Great Pyramid of Giza • RIDDLES 1 i.diamond in the rough ii.mixed doubles iii.she’s beside herself. 2 i.3 blind mice ii.8 planets in the solar system iii.12 members on a jury 3 heat cool 4 ‘This man’ is my father 5 Front • PLAY ON WORDS 1 Mind Games 2 In no time 3 Spotlight 4 Wolf in sheep’s clothing

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PUZZLES ARE COURTESY OF LOVATTS CROSSWORDS & PUZZLES

3 PICTURE PERFECT 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

PIX OF THE MONTH

Just snapped a cool picture? Send it to travel3sixty@ airasia.com with Snapshot in the subject line.

SECOND PRIZE WINS A 3D/2N stay in a Deluxe City View Room at The Westin Kuala Lumpur inclusive of buffet breakfast for two at The Living Room worth MYR2,175!

WINNER

Magic moment on Inlay Lake, Myanmar. Roselyne de Mézerac, Bangkok

BEST PICTURE WINS

A 3D/2N stay in the newly rejuvenated Superior Room at The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa inclusive of buffet breakfast for two in Seasonal Tastes worth MYR3,100! Nestled amongst 104 acres of lush tropical gardens, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa recently unveiled a refreshed look for its guestrooms. The rooms’ refreshing décor welcomes you to relax and rejuvenate in your very own private heaven. The resort has also incorporated high-end technology in the rooms, allowing guests to stay connected with wireless high speed Internet access and an ultramodern hospitality port that’s compatible with most current gadgets. These rejuvenated rooms also create a sense of calm and comfort with an array of wellness amenities by Westin. The room features a king-size or two double Westin Heavenly Beds® with sumptuous pillow-top mattress, billowy down blanket, and soft pillows – a combination so divine, you’ll never want to get out of bed. The spacious bathroom comes equipped with the refreshing Heavenly Rain Shower and the Signature White Tea by Westin™ bath amenities, adding heavenly bliss to your bathing routine.

THE WESTIN LANGKAWI RESORT & SPA

Jalan Pantai Dato’ Syed Omar, 07000 Langkawi, Malaysia www.westinlangkawi.com

The Westin Kuala Lumpur is located in the heart of pulsating Jalan Bukit Bintang and has exactly what you’re looking for in a holiday – shopping, entertainment and local attractions right at your doorstep! Sleep well in the world-renowned Heavenly® Bed, available in all guest rooms and Executive Residences. For business travellers, the luxurious Executive Club lounge is the perfect venue for meetings, socialising or just unwinding after a hard day of work. For dining options, the hotel offers great signature restaurants: Authentic Chinese at Five Sen5es, fun Italian dining at Prego or Latin American cuisine at Qba. Guests can also get ﬁt at the 24-hour, WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, or chill out at the outdoor swimming pool. For families travelling with children, the Westin Kids’ Club offers well supervised care and fun for children aged 4 - 12. All in all, The Westin Kuala Lumpur provides a stay that leaves you feeling on top of the world!

THE WESTIN KUALA LUMPUR

RUNNER-UP

199 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur www.thewestinkualalumpur.com

Balinese bathing in the sacred water of Pura Tirta Empul, Bali. Sinsee Ho, Selangor, Malaysia

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Readers may submit images that are 300dpi and 1MB in size (minimum half A4 paper size) • Each entry must include name, address, phone number and caption • Readers must own the rights to the picture submitted • Judges’ decision is final • Entries are automatically disqualified if they do not meet our criteria. • Winner will be notified via e-mail when the prize is ready to be sent out. • Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash.

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3 GET COMFY 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

Joy of flying

Whether on a short or long-haul journey, flying can be a pleasant experience if you are well-prepared. Here are some steps to ensure you have a safe, smooth and comfortable flight.

h2o To The rescue

shoulDer lifTs

Knee lifTs

fooT pumps

Gently lift your right shoulder and lower the left one simultaneously. Repeat the movement five times by alternating both shoulders.

Lift knee up toward your chest and hold the position for 10 seconds. Gently lower knee and repeat with the other leg. Repeat the exercise as desired.

Keeping both heels on the floor, point feet upwards as high as you can. Return feet to earlier position. Then, lift heels while keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. Repeat the exercise as desired.

Keep yourself hydrated during your flight. Airplane cabins are extremely dry and dehydration can occur easily. Drink lots of water and continue drinking water once you reach your destination. Try to minimise consumption of alcohol or caffeine onboard; both are diuretics, which can further dehydrate.

beaT The lag

compiled by: chiTra s illustrations: Tim lai

To counter the effects of jetlag, get as much sleep as possible when flying west to east. When flying in the reverse direction, try and stay awake as much as you can. The AirAsia Comfort Kit comes complete with eye shade, neck pillow and blanket to help you sleep. If you need to stay awake, the neck pillow allows you to get comfy while reading a book or listening to music.

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Deep Vein Thrombosis

To preVenT DVT

DVT can occur when a blood clot forms in the large veins of the legs or arms, partially or completely blocking blood circulation. Sitting still and moving very little during long flights may lead to the occurrence of DVT. If you are flying long-distance, ensure you perform in-flight exercises such as those listed here as a precaution against developing DVT. When possible and permissible, stretch your legs and walk along the aisle. Be aware of early symptoms such as pain or swelling in the legs, which can happen even after you disembark. Seek medical treatment immediately if this occurs.

Anti-DVT socks are on sale on board all AirAsia and AirAsia X flights. Also called compression socks, they help blood circulation. The socks come in Small (USA 3-6/Europe 35-39), Medium (USA 6-9/Europe 39-43) and Large (USA 9-12/Europe 43-47).

travel 3sixty˚

popping ears Changes in air pressure or altitude cause our ears to ‘pop’ and sometimes ache during take-offs and landings. For a comfortable flying experience, suck on sweets or mimic the act of chewing and swallowing if you do not have any with you. This will relieve the discomfort and help stabilise the pressure in the ear canals. Pacifiers will work just as well for toddlers and, if you have a cold, use a nasal decongestant to clear your nasal passage and alleviate the ache.

3 Route Map • AirAsia Malaysia 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

SAUDISAUDI ARABIA ARABIA INDIAINDIA

Jeddah Jeddah

ChennaiChennai Bangalore Bangalore Tiruchirappalli Tiruchirappalli Kochi Kochi

airasia malaysia DomesTic rouTes Langkawi

Alor Setar

Penang

Kota Kinabalu

Kota Bharu Kuala Terengganu

Labuan

MALAYSIA

Miri

Kuala Lumpur

Bintulu Sibu Johor Bahru

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Sandakan

Kuching

Tawau

Beijing Beijing Seoul Seoul

SOUTH SOUTH KOREA KOREA JAPAN JAPAN

Tokyo Tokyo Osaka Osaka

Chengdu Chengdu

NEPALNEPAL

Shanghai Shanghai Hangzhou Hangzhou

CHINACHINA

Kathmandu Kathmandu

KolkataKolkata

Taipei Taipei KunmingKunming Guilin Guilin Guangzhou Guangzhou TAIWAN TAIWAN NanningNanning Shenzhen Shenzhen Macau Macau Hong Kong Hong Kong Hanoi Hanoi

MYANMAR MYANMAR LAOSLAOS

Chiang Chiang Mai Mai Vientiane Vientiane Yangon Yangon THAILAND THAILAND Da NangDa Nang

sKyTrax WorlD’s besT loW-cosT airline 2009, 2010, 2011& 2012

Clark (Manila) Clark (Manila)

Siem Reap BangkokBangkok Siem Reap

CAMBODIA CAMBODIA VIETNAM VIETNAM

Phnom Phnom Penh Penh Ho Chi Minh Ho ChiCity Minh City

PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES

Krabi Krabi Phuket Phuket Hat Yai Hat Yai Langkawi Langkawi Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu Banda Banda PenangPenang Aceh Aceh BRUNEI BRUNEI MALAYSIA MALAYSIA Kuala Kuala Medan Medan Miri Miri LumpurLumpur Johor Bahru Johor Bahru Kuching Kuching Pekanbaru Pekanbaru SINGAPORE SINGAPORE PadangPadang Balikpapan Balikpapan

PACIFIC PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN

Palembang Palembang

INDONESIA INDONESIA Makassar Makassar JakartaJakarta Semarang Semarang Bandung Bandung Surabaya Surabaya Solo Solo Yogyakarta Yogyakarta LombokLombok Bali Bali

INDIAN INDIAN OCEAN OCEAN

AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA

airasia hubs in malaysia Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kota Kinabalu International Airport Penang International Airport Johor Bahru International Airport Kuching International Airport AirAsia Malaysia Route AirAsia X Route

Gold Coast Gold Coast Perth Perth Sydney Sydney

SOUTHERN SOUTHERN OCEAN OCEAN

Melbourne Melbourne

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3 Route Map • AirAsia Thailand 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

Xi’an

CHINA Chongqing

INDIA

Kolkata

MYANMAR

Wuhan

Guangzhou Macau

Mandalay

Shenzhen Hong Kong

Hanoi Chiang Rai Chiang Mai Yangon

Udon Thani Nakhon Phanom

THAILAND Bangkok

Chennai

Ubon Ratchathani

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Phnom Penh Ho Chi Minh City Surat Thani Nakhon Si Thammarat Krabi Phuket Trang Hat Yai Narathiwat Penang Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE

INDIAN OCEAN

INDONESIA Jakarta

Surabaya Bali

airasia hubs in ThailanD Don Mueang Int. Airport, Bangkok Phuket Int. Airport Chiang Mai Int. Airport International Route Domestic Route

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3 Route Map • AirAsia Indonesia 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

PACIFIC OCEAN

THAILAND Bangkok

VIETNAM Ho Chi Minh City Phuket Banda Aceh Medan

Kota Kinabalu

Penang Kuala Lumpur

Johor Bharu Pekanbaru

MALAYSIA SINGAPORE

Padang

Balikpapan

Palembang

INDONESIA Jakarta Semarang Bandung Surabaya Yogyakarta Solo Bali

Makassar

INDIAN OCEAN

AUSTRALIA

airasia hubs in inDonesia Soekarno Hatta Int. Airport, Jakarta Ngurah Rai Int. Airport, Bali Husein Sastranegara Int. Airport, Bandung Juanda Int. Airport, Surabaya Polonia Int. Airport, Medan International Route Domestic Route

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Perth

3 ROuTE Map 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

Sapporo

JAPAN Seoul

SOUTH KOREA Busan

Osaka

Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo

Fukuoka

Okinawa

ROuTE Map AirAsia Japan International Route Domestic Route

Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA

CHINA

Taipei

ROuTE Map AirAsia Philippines

TAIWAN

Hong Kong

Clark International Airport International Route Domestic Route

Clark (Manila)

Kalibo

PHILIPPINES Davao Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA SINGAPORE

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lccT, Kuala lumpur

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur skyline

Malaysia

Kuching, saraWaK Indigenous woman

QuicK facTs

• Capital city of Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia • Kuching means ‘cat’ in the local language • Around 980 kms from Kuala Lumpur by air • Home to the longest river in Malaysia – the Rajang River (563 kms) that originates from the interiors of Borneo • The local ethnic groups are made up of Dayak and many other smaller tribes • Kuching has fantastic museums that showcase its historical and tribal past along the Waterfront area. Sultan Abdul Samad Building

AirAsia flies to various from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu, Johor Bahru, Penang and Singapore.

KoTa Kinabalu, sabah

Malaysia

Mt. Kinabalu

QuicK facTs • Capital of Malaysia • Popularly known as KL • Home to the Petronas Twin Towers • Local currency is Ringgit (MYR) • English is widely spoken with Bahasa Malaysia being the official language • Mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese ethnic groups • Food paradise for cheap and delicious meals especially hawker fare • Climate is hot and humid with temperatures around 32° Celcius on average. AirAsia flies to various destinations from Kuala Lumpur. Refer to route map on page 142 for more info.

penang

Malaysia

Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang

QuicK facTs • Capital city of Sabah in East Malaysia on Borneo island • Popularly known as KK • Around 1623 kms from Kuala Lumpur by air • Local indigenous people include the Kadazandusun people apart from local Malay, Chinese and other ethnic groups • Jumping off point to many of Sabah’s attractions such as Mount Kinabalu, Sipadan Island and Danum Valley • Tuanku Abdul Rahman marine park is located just opposite the city in the South China Sea. AirAsia flies from KK to from Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Miri, Tawau, Sandakan, Johor Bahru, Penang, Singapore, Jakarta, Taipei, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Johor bahru, Johor Legoland in Johor Bahru.

146

Malaysia

QuicK facTs

QuicK facTs • Penang island is located up north on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia • Around 369 kms from KL • Popularly known as ‘Pearl of the Orient’ • Its capital, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage City • Great beaches along Feringgi and Tanjung Bungah • Also known as the food paradise of Malaysia for cheap and delicious eats.

• Gateway to the south part of Peninsula Malaysia with easy access to Singapore via the Causeway • around 368 kms from KL • Lots of city shopping with Legoland slated to open in late 2012 • Danga Bay in the city area is filled with lifestyle and leisure attractions • Nearby beaches on the east coast such as Desaru are good for surfing and seaside activities.

AirAsia flies from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Johor Bahru, Bangkok, Medan, Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya.

AirAsia flies from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Penang, Surabaya and Bangkok.

travel 3sixty˚

Thailand

bangKoK

clarK (manila)

Reclining Buddha statue in Bangkok.

QuicK facTs • Capital city of Thailand • Locally know as ‘Krung Thep’ • Shopping paradise with hundreds of malls and streets markets • Local currency is baht (THB) • Great dining, clubbing and shopping options at Sukhumvit and Silom streets • Chatuchak Weekend market 18 kms outside the city is a must visit for a great shopping experience • Take a riverboat ride down the Chao Phraya River • Travel in the city is easy with the BTS and MRT • Thai food is cheap and delicious in Bangkok! AirAsia flies to various destinations from Bangkok. Refer to route map on page 144 for more info.

Thailand

phuKeT Stunning islands in Phuket.

Phillipines

Manila Cathedral

QuicK facTs • About the size of Singapore, Clark is located in the Philippines’ Luzon island • Clark is one of the fastest growing commercial centres in Philippines and is well connected by air and road to many parts of the country • AirAsia Philippines connects to Davao, Kalibo and Puerto Princesa from Clark’s Diosdado Macapagal International Airport • Visit The Salakot, a structure that resembles a farmer’s hat, symbolising Philippine sovereignty • Go for horse rides at El Kabayo Riding Stables • Nayong Pilipino is a theme park that showcases replicas of Ifugao and Muslim houses, Aeta village and other attractions • Puning Hot Springs has 13 hot springs for your swimming pleasure • There are many army base attractions as Clark used to be an American army air base. AirAsia flies from Clark (Manila) to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei. AirAsia Philippines flies to Kalibo and Davao from Clark.

QuicK facTs

• Island paradise on the south-western part of Thailand • Sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and sunny tropical climate makes the island the perfect beach destination • Many beaches on Phuket are literally deserted • Patong Beach is the most popular but Karon, Bang Tao, Kamala, Kata and Surin are good alternatives • The Andaman Sea off Phuket can be rough, so pay attention to warnings.

ToKyo

Japan

AirAsia flies from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Hong Kong and Jakarta.

Thailand

chiang mai

148

QuicK facTs

• The second largest city up north in Thailand • Popularly known as the ‘Rose of the North’ • Climate is cool and very pleasant • Local culture is called ‘Lanna’ and is unique to the northern region of Thailand • The ‘Walking Market’ on Sundays in the Walled City is a wonderful market to explore and buy local goods • ‘Khantoke’ meals are popular in this city • City is very popular for spas and wellness centres.

QuicK facTs • Megalopolis of over 13mil people • Local currency is Yen ( ¥ ) • Home to the world’s largest fish market – Tsukiji Fish Market • Temperatures average 27.5° C in summer and 6° C in winter • Has the most extensive urban railway network in the world • Tokyo has around 88,000 restaurants and more Michelin stars than any other city in the world. • Vending machines all over the city offer everything from soups to umbrellas.• Check out the hip crowd at Harajuku’s Takeshita-Dori.

AirAsia flies from Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ubon Ratchathani, Phuket, Hat Yai and Macau.

AirAsia X flies from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia Japan flies to Fukuoka, Okinawa, Sapporo, Seoul and Busan from Tokyo.

Mulberry paper parasols

travel 3sixty˚

Mt. Fuji on Honshu Island.

JaKarTa

Indonesia

Jakarta skyline

meDan Traditional custom of Nias island.

Indonesia

QuicK facTs

• The fourth largest city in Indonesia, Medan is located on the east coast of Sumatra Island • The city is a lively place and the jumping off point to Lake Toba and Bukit Tinggi – 2 of Sumatra’s natural attractions • Nias and Mentawai Islands are accessible from Medan and are great surfing spots • ‘kek lapis’ or layered cake is a very popular food item from Medan. AirAsia flies from Medan to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Surabaya, Pekanbaru, Banda Aceh and Bandung.

QuicK facTs • The capital city of Jakarta is a huge metropolis with a population of around 10 million people • Local currency is Rupiah (IDR) • Stay in the city centre to avoid the notorious Jakarta traffic • Shopping and leisure activities abound at Kuningan and Kemang area • Great shopping is available at Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia • Visit historical sites and museums at Kota Tua • Ancol is a water theme park north of the city • Pulau Seribu is another attraction with literally untouched islands just 45 kms away from Jakarta.

surabaya

Indonesia

Bullrace in Surabaya.

AirAsia flies to various destinations from Jakarta. Refer to route map on page 146 for more info.

bali

Indonesia

Island of the Gods

QuicK facTs • Dubbed the ‘City of Heroes’ for the role the people of Surabaya played in the struggle for independence • Surabaya means ‘shark and crocodile’, derived from a legend about a battle between a shark and crocodile • It is the second largest city in Indonesia • Mount Bromo is a stunning volcanic mountain and a place for many ritual practices AirAsia flies from Surabaya to Kuala Lumpur, Medan, Bandung, Semarang, Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Penang and Bangkok.

banDung

Indonesia

temples and shrines on the island • Bali is predominantly Hindu while the rest of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim • Bali is famous for its beautiful beaches and highland retreats • Kuta is famous for its beach culture • Seminyak and Legian are hip leisure activity enclaves with great dining, clubbing and hotel options • Go further inland to Ubud for cooler climate or to less visited areas like Padang Padang for great surfing opportunities • You may spot dolphins at Lovina • Make sure you visit Tanah Lot and Mount Besakih temples to experience the spiritual side of Bali.

QuicK facTs • Located in West Java, Bandung is the third largest city in Indonesia and about 146 kms from Jakarta • Bandung is known as the Paris of Java • Bandung is famous for its shopping with numerous factory outlets all around the city • Enjoy the distinctively Dutch colonial architecture here • Visit the areas with volcanic activity such as the Tangkuban Perahu area • The mountainous landscape offers a cool and wet climate, enabling some of the best tea and coffee to be grown in Bandung.

AirAsia flies from Bali to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung and Perth.

AirAsia flies from Bandung to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Medan, Pekanbaru, Surabaya and Bali.

Tangkuban Perahu crater

QuicK facTs • Known as the ‘Island of Gods’ for the numerous

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3 salEs OFFiCEs & sTaTiOns 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

brunei Darussalam BAnDAR SeRI BeGAwAn Unit No.110 Ground Floor, Bangunan Kambang Pasang, Jln Gadong BSB, BE4119 Brunei Darussalam

camboDia PHnOM PenH Phnom Penh Airport Office, 17 Mezzanine Floor of Arrival Domestic Terminal, Phnom Penh Airport, Phnom Penh 179, Street Sisowath, Sangkat Phsar Kandal 1, Khan Daun Penh, 12204 Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.

china MACAU Office 20, Mezzanine Level Passenger Terminal, Macau International Airport Taipa, Macau GUAnG DOnG Century Holiday International Travel Service (Shenzhen) Co.Ltd., XY-10 Junting Hotel, 3085 Eastern Road, Luo Hu, Shenzhen Century Holiday International Travel Service (Guang Zhou) Co Ltd., First Floor, No 8 Zhong Shan 3 Road, Guang Zhou Zhuhai Sun Star International Travel Agency Co Ltd., 1151, South of Yingbin Road, Zhuhai BeIJInG Century Holiday International Travel Service (Beijing) Co Ltd.,No 163A Floor Of Yi No 6, Chaowai Street Of Chao Yang District Beijing China, 100022 Beijing

JAKARTA Terminal 3, Departure Hall Airlines Offices, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Cengkareng Jl. Boulevard Raya, Blok LA 4, No. 10 Kelapa Gading, Jakarta Utara Komp Rukan Dharmawangsa, Jl. Dharmawangsa VI No.43, Jakarta Selatan Sarinah Plaza Jl. Mh Thamrin, No. 11 (LG level) Jakarta Pusat MAKASSAR Departure Terminal, Sultan Hasanuddin, International Airport, Makassar, South Sulawesi Mall Panakukang, Carrefour Panakukang, 3rd Floor, Jl. Adyaksa Baru No.1, Makassar, South Sulawesi MAnADO Sam Ratulangi International Airport Jalan A.A. Maramis, Manado 95374

Bandara I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Terminal Keberangkatan International Bali 80361 Jl. Legian Kaja no. 455 Kuta, Bali BAnDUnG Ruangan Nombor 34 Bandara Husein Sastranegara Jalan Pajajaran No 156 Bandung Jawa Barat Lobby Grand Serela Hotel Jl. L.L. R.E Martadinata (Riau) No 56 Telp. (022) 426 1636

Langkawi International Airport 07100 Padang Mat Sirat, Langkawi No. 68-B Ground Floor, Jalan Ibrahim, 08000 Sungai Petani, Kedah Darul Aman KUALA LUMPUR Lot 4, Level 2, Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, 50470

Garuda Plaza Hotel, Jl. Sisingamangaraja, No.18 Medan-20213

KeLAnTAn

PADAnG Minangkabau International Airport, Padang, West Sumatra PALeMBAnG Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport Palembang, South Sumatra PeKAnBARU Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport, Jalan Perhubungan Udara Simpang Tiga, Pekanbaru, Sumatra

SURABAYA Lobby International Terminal Juanda International Airport Jalan Raya Juanda Surabaya Jawa Timur Grand Circle Tunjungan Plaza 3 Lantai 1, (Lobby Condominium Regency), Jln. Basuki Rahmat 8-12, Surabaya YOGYAKARTA Adisutjipto International Airport Jln. Solo km.9, Yogyakarta, 55282

Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra, 16100 Pengkalan Chepa Kota Bharu 3183G, Jalan Sultan Ibrahim (Opp. KB Mall), 15050 Kota Bharu. PeRAK Tune Hotel, No.2, Ground Floor, The Host, Jalan Veerasamy, 30000 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan. TeRenGGAnU Level 1, Terminal Building, Sultan Mahmud Airport, 21300 Kuala Terengganu LABUAn Level 1, Labuan Airport Terminal 87008 Wilayah Persekutuan MeLAKA No 32, Jalan Melaka Raya 23, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka PenAnG Penang International Airport 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang Ground Floor, Kim Mansion 332, Chulia Street, 10200 Penang No 723 L-G, Jln Sungai Dua 11700 Pulau Pinang

Melia Purosani Hotel, Jl Suryotomo No.31, Yogyakarta

A-G-07, Jalan Todak 4, Sunway Business Park, 13700 Seberang Perai Penang.

malaysia

SABAH

JOHOR

Lot 1 & 2, 1st Floor, Terminal Building, Sandakan Airport, 90719 Sandakan

Tune Hotels.com Danga Bay, Lot PTB 22819, Jalan Skudai, Mukim Bandar, 80200 Johor Bahru

You can now fly flat for less with

Melbourne Gold Coast Perth

Lot 20, Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Halim, 06200 Kepala Batas, Alor Star

No 71 Jalan Metro Perdana Barat 1 Taman Usahawan Kepong 52100 Kuala Lumpur

Adi Soemarmo International Airport, Solo, Central Java

DenPASAR, BALI

KeDAH

Bandara PoloniaTerminal Keberangkatan Internasional, Medan 20157 Sumatra

Century Holiday International Travel (ChengDu) CO.LTD, No. 172 Binjang East Road, Jinjang District, Chengdu

Bandara Sultan Iskandar Muda, Blang Bintang, Aceh

No 7, Jalan Bestari 1/5, Taman Nusa Bestari, 79100, Bandar Nusajaya, Johor.

MeDAn

SOLO

BAnDA ACeH

No. 26 Jalan Meriam, 84000 Muar, Johor

Lot G027B, Ground Floor, Podium Block, Plaza Berjaya,12 Jalan Imbi,55100 Kuala Lumpur

CHenGDU

inDonesia

GL 13 Senai International Airport 81250 Johor Bahru

Sydney Seoul Taipei

FL4, 1st Floor, Tawau Airport Building, Jalan Apas-Balung, 91100 Tawau TB228, Lot 5, Ground Floor, Istana Monaco, Jalan Bunga, Fajar Complex 91000 Tawau Lot G24, Ground Floor, Wisma Sabah, Jln. Tun Razak, 88000, Kota Kinabalu Ground Floor, Terminal 2 Kota Kinabalu Int. Airport, Old Airport Road,Tanjung Aru 88100, Kota Kinabalu Lot G67, Ground Floor, Oneplace Mall, Putatan, 88200 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah SARAwAK GL02, Ground Floor, Bintulu Airport, 97000 Bintulu Ground Floor, Miri Airport, 98000 Miri Lot 946, Jalan Parry, 98000 Miri Departure Level, Kuching International Airport, 93756 Kuching Wisma Ho Ho Lim, 291 Sub Lot 4,Ground Floor, Jalan Abell, 93100 Kuching . GFLO1, Departure Area, Ground Floor, Sibu Airport, 96000 Sibu Ground Floor, No. 36 Jalan Keranji, 96000 Sibu Grd Flr, Lot 4034, Jln Tun Ahmad Zaidi, Parkcity Commercial Sq, Phase 5, 97000 Bintulu SL11 Ground Floor, Lot 2541 Lee Ling Heights Phase 2, Mile 6.5 Jalan Penrissen, P.O. Box 2044, 93250 Kuching Lot 6813, Ground Floor Synergy Square, (Matang Jaya Commercial Centre), Jalan Matang Jaya, 93050 Kuching SeLAnGOR Ground Floor, Terminal 3, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport 47200 Subang, Selangor Jalan KLIA S3, Southern Support Zone, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, 64000 Sepang, Selangor Lot-35 Mydin Mall USJ 1 B-G-3A, IOI Boulevard, Jalan Kenari 5, Bandar Puchong Jaya 47170 Puchong Selangor Lot S141, 2nd Floor, Plaza Metro Kajang, Section 7, Jalan Tun Abdul Aziz, 43000 Kajang No 1, Jln PJS 3/48, Taman Sri Manja, 46000 Petaling Jaya No 10, Jalan Bandar Rawang 11, Bandar Baru Rawang, 48000 Rawang, Selangor.

to these following destinations:

Chengdu Hangzhou Beijing

Osaka Tokyo Kathmandu

No 2, Jalan Dagang SB 4/2, Taman Sungai Besi Indah, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

ThailanD

myanmar

127 Tanao Road, Phra Nakorn, Bangkok 10200

YAnGOn

Suvarnabhumi International Airport Room A1-062 Ground Floor, Concourse A, Bangna-Trad Road, Racha Teva, Bang Pli, Samutprakarn 10540

Yangon International Airport Office Unit# 01-L, Parkroyal Yangon, Myanmar

philippines

Tesco Lotus - Hat Yai, 1st Floor, 1142, Kanchanawit Road, Hat Yai, Songkla, 90115

BAnGKOK

Tesco Lotus – Bangkapi, 2nd Floor, 3109 Ladpro Road, Bangkapi, Bangkok, 10240

CLARK Diosdado Macapagal International Airport Clark Civil Aviation Complex Clark Freeport Zone, Philippines 2023 MAnILA Wintrex Travel Corporation, Unit 108 SM City North Edsa – The Block SM City Complex, North Edsa, Pag-Asa 1, Quezon City, Manila Wintrex Travel Corporation, Unit 126 South Parking Building, SM Mall of Asia Complex, J.W Diokno Boulevard, Pasay City DAvAO 4th Level, Gaisano Mall of Davao, J.P Laurel Avenue, Bajada Davao City, Philippines.

singapore Row: 13 & 14, Departure level 2 Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1, Singapore

COLOMBO Setmil Aviation (Pvt) Ltd., Ground Floor, Setmil Maritime Centre, 256, Srimath Ramanathan Mawatha, Colombo 15, Sri Lanka

133 Moo 5 Petchkasem Road, Tambol Nuakrong, Amphur Nuakrong, Krabi 81130 nARATHIwAT Narathiwat Airport 330 Moo 5 , Tambol Kok-Kian, Amphur Muang, Narathiwat 96000 PHUKeT

Tesco Lotus – Rama1, 3rd Floor, 831 Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok,10330

Phuket International Airport 312, 3rd Floor, Tumbol Maikao, Amphur Thalang, Phuket 83110

Tesco Lotus – Rangsit, 2nd Floor, 392/4, Moo2, Phaholyothin Road, Thanyaburi, Pathumthani, 12130

Unit 9, Laflora Patong Area, No. 39, 39/1, Thaveewong Rd., Patong, Kratoo, Phuket

Tesco Lotus - Sukhumvit 50, 1st floor, 1710, Sukhumvit Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110

Tesco Lotus – Phuket, 2nd Floor, 104, Chalermprakiat Road, Rasada Sub District, Muang District, Phuket, 83000

Tesco Lotus - Lad Prao, 2nd Floor, 1190, Phahonyothin Road, Jompol, Jatujak, Bangkok, 1090 CHIAnG MAI Chiangmai International Airport 60, 1st Floor, Tambol Sutep, Amphur Muang, Chiang Mai 50200 416 Thaphae Road, Chiang Mai Tesco Lotus - Chiang Mai Kamtieng, 2nd Floor, 19, Kamtieng Road, Patan Sub District, Muang District, Chiang Mai, 50340 CHIAnG RAI

sri lanKa

KRABI

E M O C D E B TO US H T I W

SURAT THAnI Surat Thani International Airport 73 Moo 3 Tambol Huatuey, Amphur Punpin, Suratthani UBOn RATCHATHAnI Ubon Ratchathani Airport 297 Ubon Ratchathani Airport, Thepyotee Road, Amphur Nai Muang, Ubon Ratchathani 34000 UDOn THAnI Udon Thani International Airport 224 Moo 1, Tambol Makkhang, Amphur Muang, Udon Thani 41000

Chiang Rai International Airport 2305/2 404 Moo 10, Tambol Bandu, Amphur Muang, Chiang Rai 57100

VieTnam

HAT YAI

HAnOI

Hat Yai International Airport 125 Hadyai International Airport, Moo 3 Klongla, Klonghoikong, Songkhla 90115

Lobby A,3rd floor, Noi Bai International Airport. HO CHI MInH Room # 1.4.19,Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Call Centre numbers ausTralia

1300 760 330

malaysia

china

+86 20 2281 7666

inDia

1860 500 8000

philippines

inDonesia

+62 21 2927 0999

singpore

Japan

0120 963 516

hong Kong

+852 3112 3222

macau

0800912

Experience our you fly with • Comfortable ﬂatbed seat • Free ﬂight change without penalty • Free 25kg baggage allowance • Pillow and duvet to be used onboard

600 85 8888 (AirAsia X Premium Line) chargeable at RM1.95 per minute

+63 2 588 9999 +65 6307 7688 (AirAsia X Premium Line)

souTh Korea

00798 1420 69940

TaiWan

008 0185 3031

ThailanD

+66 2 515 9999

and enjoy these benefits when • Complimentary meal and drink • Priority boarding & baggage retrieval • Dedicated check-in counter • Personal universal power port

9 9 7

ALL-IN

E FNAE R WAY O

FROM

3 TOUCHDOWN 0 2013 IMAGE: ADAM LEE

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PERTH, AUSTRALIA

The capital of the vast state of Western Australia, Perth is a vibrant, picturesque city and a sunny gateway to fabulous adventures. Located by the Swan River, Perth offers easy access to life’s greatest pleasures – gorgeous beaches, natural bushland and delightful wineries – all within a mere 30 minutes’ drive from the city. The capital receives an average of 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, earning it the reputation for being Australia’s sunniest city.

left England, the Swan Bells are rung daily.

MUST SEE/DO

FREMANTLE – Freo is a vibrant port city at the mouth of the Swan River, just 20 minutes from Perth. It offers heritage buildings, lovely beaches, fresh seafood and great shopping. The Freo Markets from Friday to Sunday are a deﬁnite must-do!

TWO FEET & A HEARTBEAT CITY TOUR – Explore Perth with a multi-award winning walking tour company that prides itself on unveiling the city in a fun and informative way. Take the Small Bar Tour to discover cool little nooks that have recently popped up, or the Perth Urban Adventure that showcases local hotspots in the heart of the city. www.twofeet.com.au SWAN BELL TOWER – One of the few sets of royal bells and the only ones known to have

Kings Park Botanic Gardens

www.swanbells.com.au

KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN – Overlooking the city and the Swan River, the over 400-hectare park boasts sculpted gardens, virgin bushland, and more than 12,000 species of wildﬂowers. www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kingspark

ROTTNEST – Just 18kms off Western Australia, near Freo, ‘Rotto’ is a popular holiday destination that offers amazing snorkeling and diving opportunities. During the summer months, diving for western rock lobster is a favourite pastime.

Fremantle

Inner city, Perth

EAT/DRINK THE CONSERVATORY – Perth’s first rooftop bar and barbeque on Murray Street offers an atmospheric venue with panoramic city views, and an extensive list of premium beers, wines and bubbly to complement your meaty meal. www.theconservatory.net.au

LITTLE CREATURES BREWERY – Born of a love for hoppy beers, this brewery along Freo’s waterfront is famous for the Little Creatures Pale Ale, its first beer ever crafted over a decade ago! www.littlecreatures.com.au SWAN VALLEY – WA’s oldest wine region just 25 minutes from the city, offers ﬁne wineries, breweries, cafes, coffee roasters, olive groves and cheese farms. Margaret River, located 277kms south of Perth, is also a region famous for its wines and gourmet products. GINO’S – A Freo institution, this is the place to go to for delicious Italian fare, and some of the best coffee Australia has to offer. www.ginoscafe.com.au

SLEEP MANTRA ON HAY 201, Hay Street, Perth WORDS: BEVERLY RODRIGUES

NOVOTEL PERTH LANGLEY 221, Adelaide Terrace, Perth

158

PARMELIA HILTON PERTH 14 Mill Street, Perth For more hotel options, visit www.airasiago.com GETTING THERE AirAsia X ﬂies direct to Perth, Australia from Kuala Lumpur and Bali, Indonesia. Go to www.airasia.com for details.

TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

3 MY AIRASIA 0 2013 www.airasia.com/travel3sixty

PADDY BOY HA HA HA! Celebrating a much-loved feast day on March 17, AirAsia AllStars with Irish ancestry talk about St. Patrick’s Day traditions. GARY DONOVAN, TECHNICALL SERVICES ENGINEER, MALAYSIA AIRASIA

PATRICK FENNELL, HEAD, OPERATIONS CONTROL, OPERAT MALAYSIA AIRASIA MALAYS “I’m “I’ from Limerick, in the Mid-West of the country. M St. S Patrick’s Day usually involves a St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Due to the time of year, it invariably rains but it doesn’t stop anyone from having fun! The person who the day is in honour of isn’t from Ireland at all but spent I part of his life there, first p ass a sslave and then later as a missionar missionary.”

“I’m from Tipperary, also o known as ‘the Premier County’, especially to people who’re o’re not from there! We celebrate brate St Paddy’s day by watching ing the parade. You see green en everywhere; even food and drinks are green! Green is our national colour and we wear it to show our pride. In Kuala Lumpur, we go to the annual Irish Ball where the Irish community getss together for traditional Irish rish dancing and music and plenty of Guinness!”

DEREK JOSEPH IRWIN, CO-PILOT, MALAYSIA AIRASIA “I come from Dublin. If I’m not spending the day in a bar with friends and several pints of Guinness, I may be required to surrender my Irish passport! I live in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and if I have the day off, I enjoy the festivities at the Shamrock bar. This year, if I’m flying, it’ll be easy to recognise me; I’ll be the one wearing green socks!”

SHELAGH MARY MACFARLANE, COUNSELLOR, MALAYSIA AIRA AIRASIA “My grandfather is from Dublin and my name is Irish, even the growing up in spelling! When I was grow always wear Vancouver, Canada, I’d alw green, and exchange cards cards, just like on Valentine’s Day. St Paddy’s Day was originally a religious celebration for the death of St. Patrick, but now it’s celebrated all over the world as a cel celebration of life, joy, and fun.

SEAMUS MORIARTY, GROUP HEAD OFF REVENUE, AIRASIA “I’m I’m from Killaloe in County Clare. are. On St. Patrick’s Day, people wear green en and a sprig of shamrock. mrock. Ireland Irela is sports mad, with the most popular games op mes being Gaelic football and hurling. ng. Gaelic football is a cross between een rugby and soccer, and is played d throughout Asia. Hurling is similar to field hockey but a bit crazier as players can catch the ball, hit it out of their hands with sticks and even hit it whilst in the air! On St. Patrick’s weekend, there’s always a six-nation rugby game. e. This year, Ireland takes on Italy.. Expect a party atmosphere!” 160

TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚

CARROLL, HEAD, ROUTE REVENUE, PAUL CAR MALAYSIA AIRASIA “I’m from Togher in County Louth, often referred to as ‘The L Wee County’. St. Patricks Day W usually commences with a u hearty breakfast followed by mass, then a parade, which includes Irish dancers, Celtic music and a celebration of all things Irish. Green is o one of the main colours of o tthe Irish flag, and is linked tto Catholicism in Ireland. St Patrick’s Day is not a holiday in P Malaysia, so after work, the Irish M diaspora will usually be found di dancing in the streets outside da KL’s many Irish bars.”