DailyLifestyles OnlineMag issue#3 [2008-06] by Wee Khai KUAH

online magazine issue

3 www.DailyLifestyles.com

travels - sydney food - rawang tilapia fish

motoring - afos

www.DailyLifestyles.com forum. studio. magazine

the team

what is dailylifestyles.com ?

Introduction

introduction

our team

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Publisher

Tommy tommy.yap@dailylifestyles.com

Khong fk.khong@dailylifestyles.com

Senior Photographer

Editor

Alan Lim alan.lim@dailylifestyles.com

Chief Editorial

Kim kim.choo@dailylifestyles.com

Khai wkhai.kuah@dailylifestyles.com John Ling john.ling@dailylifestyles.com

Chief Photographer

Jason Wong jason.wong@dailylifestyles.com

Art Director

the goal of providing a chill-out place for today's urban professionals to kick back and relax, and share their passions & hobbies with other like-minded people. It is our hope that everyone of you contribute and in return, foster and gain invaluable friendship and networks as well as further indulge more on what you love doing.

For a start, the founding members are passionate about a few things in life -

good food, great places, even greater people, not to mention great sense of humour and having a good time. We are about fun. We are about Lifestyles - your lifestyles. We hope to add value to your lives, as much as you add value to ours - by sharing with everyone here your passions in life, and what drives you.

editor’s note

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For advertising

marketing@dailylifestyles.com

For feedback

feedback@dailylifestyles.com

online magazine team

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Welcome to yet another issue of DailyLifestyles.com Online Magazine. April was a hectic month and I would first like to apologize for our lack of quality control in our last issue. May was another busy month for us, and we had our hands full for most part of the month. Even so, we are pleased to present to you another issue This month’s travel brings us to the land down under – to Sydney, home to the iconic Sydney Opera House, and also home to the 2000 Olympic Games. We also highlight Singapore this month as the Half Price Singapore Surprise is on.

Publisher

Editor

panda aka Tommy

cheekyboy aka Khai

Chief Editorial kamkuey aka John

We also travelled for food this month – just 30minutes north of KL we found deliciously sweet Tilapia Fish. In other food, we had the pleasure of sampling the offerings of Amuleto, a wine and tapas restaurant newly opened in Mid Valley Megamall. For activities this month, we featured an in-house night photoshoot session at Merdeka Square. We do hope that more people will join us in these activities in future.

After having written about the Chevrolet Aveo last month, we felt that it would only be fair to give our national car a mention, and this month we take a look at the new Proton Saga.

Chief Photographer

IT Engineer

Senior Photographer

jasonw aka Jason

khong20 aka Khong

alan aka Alan Lim

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DailyLifestyles.com is created with

IT Engineer

DailyLifestyles Online Magazine is published monthly by DailyLifestyles.com and is available for free in electronic format. Permission hereby is granted to send, re-send, forward, distribute, reproduce the magazine in its entirety. Permission is, however, not granted to rent, sell, hired out, make profit from, or otherwise be transmitted in an altered condition without the written consent of the publisher. While every reasonable care has been taken to ensure accuracy of the information provided herein, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions or for actions carried out based on what you have read here. Opinions expressed here are solely the writers own and are not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. Advertisers and/or their representatives shall indemnify the Publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach, copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competitive trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy. Copyright © 2008 DailyLifestyles.com. All Rights Reserved.

This month’s issue also see us covering AFOS 2008 – a motorsports festival not to be missed!. And in conjunction with that, we went behind the scenes and discovered for ourselves if the CEO of Motorsport Asia shares the same passion as us when it comes to food and travel. Enjoy your read! And as always, do drop by our forum to share in your daily lifestyles experiences.

7 Art Director kim aka Kim

cheers, wkhai @ cheekyboy

publisher’s note

Wow… another 744 hours gone in the month of May. That was quick! While we were scrambling to complete our May’s issue 2, a blink of an eye and we were back to finishing off this month’s issue.

Glossary ‘bak kut teh’

Hokkien word literally meaning “meat bone tea”. ‘bak kut’ is actually the ribs. And in this Chinese dish, it is always pork ribs. In reality, ‘bak kut teh' consists of pork ribs and other parts such as lean meat, rump, tail, and ofals boiled in a herbal soup. Traditionally this concoction is boiled and served in claypots. A variation of ‘bak kut teh' found in Malaysia is ‘chi kut teh’, the same recipe cooked with chicken instead of pork to cater to or adhere to certain halal outlets.

contents

‘ketupat’

sticky rice wrapped in pandan leaf. Usually served with ‘satay’.

‘Ramli burgers’

a local Malaysian burger stall franchise.

‘satay’

a Malay version of kebabs. Usually comes in chicken, beef or mutton. The usual offerings come with peanut sauce and side dish of raw onions, cucumber and ‘ketupat’, although these days ‘ketupat’ is optional.

‘wai sek’

Cantonese word meaning “love to eat”. In certain context it can also mean “greedy”

‘yeng’

Cantonese word meaning “stylish”.

the Giant Panda’s statement

Contents

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My apologies to all Mothers out there, “Happy Belated Mother’s Day” We were so engrossed with the online magazine deadline that we have forgotten to wish. I hereby extend my offer of 20% discount for any of our portfolio shoot in our studio including fathers as well. We were caught off guard when our Creative Director resigned from our team in a sudden, but it is business as usual for the whole team. Everyone had their mouth full or plate full this month as more exciting topics come into the online magazine. Any readers tried my delicious chicken-lettuce recipe? Hope it tasted delicious. “Happy Father’s Day” I’m sure we’ll all be celebrating this big day with fun and laughter. The best present to give any father – family love…. June is also the month of our King’s Birthday. “Daulat Tuanku”

As we bring more and more content to the magazine, we were deluged with heaps of photos to sort, filet, shortlist and select, and this particular quote keeps coming to mind: Ugliness does not sell. - Raymond Loewy (1893-1986) Panda goes on eating trip again… Do join us for Travels in the month of July as we embark on a journey to the land of smiles – Hatyai, Thailand.

Giant Panda munching bamboo, Tommy@Pan8a

travels - sydney food - rawang tilapia fish food - amuleto outdoor photography car review - proton saga motoring - afos personality interview - david (afos ceo) personality interview - michelle gadgets & toys - asus eee pc

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6 12 14 16 22 24 26 28 30

travel

07 There Is No Place Like This is my first trip to Sydney. Come to think of it, this my very first trip to Australia, the land down under. My flight took 8 hours from KLIA to Sydney International Airport. There’s no jetlag as it is only a 2 hour difference (GMT +10 hours). I had a list of destinations and places to visit as well as must-do things when I was in Sydney. Sydney Tower, which is just around the corner from my hotel, The Sheraton on the Park, is the tallest structure in Sydney and you can see the entire Sydney city from the ‘skywalk’. The transparent platform gives you a flying sensation. It is quite an experience. Alternatively you may choose to dine at the restaurant which also offers one of the best views of Sydney. Also within walking distance of my hotel is Hyde Park where I enjoyed my afternoon under the sunlight and fresh air while taking a light stroll, blending myself with the locals. The Australian Museum is another place to visit while you are here in Sydney. I was lucky as they had a Dinosaur exhibition where they had a comprehensive collection of skeletons. Darling Habour is another must-visit place where there are lots to do and eat. You can also shop there at Habourside Shopping Centre. As for food, we only have so much stomach space so we went to the highly recommended “I’m Angus” steakhouse where I had a generous serving of spare-ribs, charbroiled steak and seafood palate whilst enjoying the beautiful night view of the habour.

Sydney We opted to be very touristy the following day and took the Sydney Explorer Bus Tour. The bus will take you to a total of 46 most famous attractions. You can hop on and off the buses all day long. The bus tour is one of the great ways to explore Sydney. We headed down to China Town next. Here you can find restaurants serving all kinds of ethnic cuisines from Japanese to Korean, Vietnamese to Thai and Malaysian. You can find anything from fine dining to food courts all over the place and you will feel like eating all the time while you are there.

Besides dining, China Town Sydney is also a great place for shopping. For souvenirs, head on to Paddy’s Markets, one of the most recognizable landmarks which you should not miss. You have not been to Sydney unless you visit Sydney Habour Bridge and the iconic Sydney Opera House which is the most beautiful architecture in Sydney.

travel

08 Sydney

There Is No Place Like

Next on my list of top places to visit is the Featherdale Wildlife Park where you get to get up close and personal with the native

kangaroos and koala bears. Just have with you a cup of grass

and the roos (slang for Kangaroos) will hop up to you. I had fun with the koala bears.

Like me, they are asleep most of the time, but the trained park assistant will bring a koala bear to you for some photo opportunities. Besides these two, the zoo also houses over 200 species of native birds. In fact, the park holds one of the largest collections of birds.

Last but not least, my final destination in Sydney is the Sydney Fish Market. One month before my departure, my friends and relatives have been hounding me not to miss out on this market. And miss it I did not! It is a place for both trade market for retailers as well as for public where you can get the freshest seafood in Sydney.

I tried the grilled cheese lobster and a dozen of the freshest oysters Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had. They both ooze freshness. On top of that, the seafood platter is a very good starter or a dish to share as you get a lot of seafood in one plate from lobster to salmon to scallops and octopus.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Sydney. The seafood was incredible and the weather is a welcome change.

books & reading

Book Description 500 tips make digital SLR photography easy for all photographers * 450 images plus jargon-free text lets photographers learn painlessly * Ideas for beginners and beyond--all in bite-sized chunks * Makes digital SLR photography fun and approachable Here’s the definitive companion for photographers who want to get the best out of their digital SLRs--and themselves. This accessible, colorful blend of step-by-step tutorials, quick fixes, and bullet-point tips offers the perfect antidote to dry, boring technical manuals. Everything from the digital workflow to advanced manipulation techniques, filters, special effects, and output options is presented in bite-sized chunks, accompanied by illuminating illustrations. And no jargon! A comprehensive bible of the digital SLR, 500 Digital SLR Photography Hints, Tips, and Techniques allows photographers everywhere to take great pictures and get professional results.

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Book Description 500 Digital Hints, Tips, and Techniques is the essential tool for entry-level and improving digital photographers. An irresistible blend of step-by-step tutorials, quick fixes, and bullet point tips, this book can be used as a springboard into digital photography, or as a quick-reference, trouble-shooting ally.

Concise and user-friendly, the book covers the five essential aspects of digital photography: digital image capture, scanning existing images, basic image processing (crop, color, contrast, etc.), advanced manipulation techniques (such as montage, changing skies, retouching), and outputting (printing, emailing, and uploading to websites).

Effectively illustrated by screen grabs, digital photos, and digitized shots, this is the most efficient how-to manual on the subject to date.

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Book Description • Hundreds and hundreds of practical tips and useful shortcuts • Comprehensive guide to hardware and software • Great for family historians or budding filmmakers For anyone who’s ever wondered what that little button does, 500 Digital Video Hints, Tips, and Techniques provides short, jargon-free, ultra-accessible answers. It’s the complete guide to getting professional-quality results from a digital movie camera, whether the budding videographer is capturing a family reunion or his or her first digital feature. This colorful blend of step-by-step tutorials, quick fixes, and bullet-point lists is the perfect antidote to boring, useless technical manuals—and it’s packed with buying guides, dos and don’ts, professional tips, troubleshooting advice, even how to share work with family and friends. Got a digital video camera? Get 500 Digital Video Hints, Tips, and Techniques and learn what it can do.

Book Description

Accomplished photographers share their secrets for using digital technology as a tool for artistic expression. Worobiec and Spence take readers through each step in the process, starting with image capture methods utilizing compact cameras, video surveillance equipment, and flatbed scanners. Detailed instructions guide photographers through the full spectrum of digital image manipulation techniques, including filtering, solarisation, layering, masking, and texturing. Illustrated with screen grabs that track the creation of the authors' work from individual elements to completed images, this invaluable handbook also gives equal attention to aesthetic considerations, and encourages readers to follow their own artistic inclinations. .......................................................................................................................

The Essential Lighting Guide Accomplished photographers share their secrets for using digital technology as a tool for artistic expression. Worobiec and Spence take readers through each step in the process, starting with image capture methods utilizing compact cameras, video surveillance equipment, and flatbed scanners. Detailed instructions guide photographers through the full spectrum of digital image manipulation techniques, including filtering, solarisation, layering, masking, and texturing. Illustrated with screen grabs that track the creation of the authors' work from individual elements to completed images, this invaluable handbook also gives equal attention to aesthetic considerations, and encourages readers to follow their own artistic inclinations. .......................................................................................................................

Photography – The Complete Guide to Taking Photographs This all inclusive guide to lighting for photographers is organized thematically by types of lighting and lighting technique, with practical and inspirational illustrations from popular subjects such as portraits, landscape, travel and animal photography. Technical information covered includes: methods of metering lighting and achieving correct exposure; the importance of reflectors; use of natural daylight; use of artificial light; and creative techniques to push the photographic results beyond “just a snapshot”. The book also includes a detasiled guide to studio lighting equipment. .......................................................................................................................

Mastering Your Digital SLR This book is your expert guide to better photography with your digital SLR, from lenses, composition, focus, aperture and speed to tips on image editing and archiving your work

For

special discounts log on to : www.dailylifestyles.com/books

food outing

Rawang Tilapia Fish Fresh water fishes are not the favourite to steam, however, we got wind of a delicious steamed ginger Tilapia in the northern town of Rawang. So a group of ‘wai-sek’ people (meaning us) decided to take a 45 minute drive up to Rawang one fine Sunday evening.

It was pouring as we left our rendezvous point, and we made slow progress towards Rawang. However, as the quiet town of Rawang drew closer, the rumblings of our tummies grew louder in anticipation. A couple of turns after the toll plaza, we arrived at the restaurant, a modest shop lot with a lot to offer. Do not be fooled by the signboard which says ‘Bak Kut Teh’, this restaurant serves up a mean steamed ginger fish and other claypot dishes. There were 15 of us so we needed two standard dinner tables. We also ordered quite a bit of dishes, among them include ‘Bak Kut Teh’, claypot Duck-Feet, Ginger Chicken, Spicy Pig Stomach Soup and of course, Steamed Ginger Tilapia Fish. Accompanying those mouth-watering dishes are bowls of yam-rice. And they go very well indeed. As we stuffed ourselves with the food and washed them all down with Chinese tea, we enjoyed each other’s company and had great laughter teasing and poking fun at each other. After a good meal, we adjourned to the nearby rest stop on the way back to have some ice cream. If our tummies could take it, we could have enjoyed a round of ‘satay’. But we’ll save that for our upcoming food trips.

Chai Chai Bak Kut Teh No. 33, Jln BJ 1,Taman Perindustrian Belmas Johan, 48000, Rawang Selangor. Tel : 012 -221 7251

016 - 3092521

food outing

Amuleto :

A Charming Place to be

These days, you can even find western cuisine being served at food stalls and food courts alike. Some even specialize in western food offerings like chicken chop, lamb and even steak. But head on to Amuleto located at Mid Valley just next to Maybank for wonderful steak as well as tapas plus wine. Ask for a pairing of your chosen dish with accompanying wine and enjoy a tasty meal.

Amuleto is the second western food restaurant by Crystal Jade which is synonymous with quality Chinese cuisine. The first was opened in Indonesia. Crystal Jade first established itself in Singapore in 1991, with a mission to provide superior service and quality cuisines and prides itself in offering a total dining experience through delectable dishes, excellent service and comfortable ambience.

We were invited to sample some of the fine offerings by the newly opened Amuleto Restaurant in Mid Valley. I am not much of a wine person, and by the end of dinner at Amuleto, I was hooked. Probably because I did not drink it correctly before. The ambience is fresh and airy with bright fruity themed table tops. They also have booths as well as a private function area where you and your buddies may enjoy couple rounds of drinks and wine while cheering on your favourite football team on a big screen.

Back to the food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we were served with 8 course meal which included thai style papaya salad, rosti with mushrooms, vegetarian mutton to a delicious wagyu steak. And to end, a sweet toothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream of chocolate fondue. They had a wine connoisseur to pair wines with the food. I must say, I had never enjoyed wine as much as I did that night. Oh, I must also mention that their fruit punch is really something else. It was refreshing and definitely thirst quenching. Check out their set lunch which starts from

RM13.80++.

Amuleto by Crystal Jade Lot G(E)-015, Mid Valley Mega Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : (03) 2287 4128 Fax : (03) 2287 2199

activities

Most of us city folks seldom get to go outdoors. Most of the time, we would either be indoors or even when outdoors, we are in our cars. So we took the opportunity to organize an outdoor portraiture shoot, and to make it even more interesting, we had it at night.

Why at night? Wouldn’t it be more interesting? But in all seriousness, it is a challenge to shoot portraiture at night, for me at least. Plus, I would rather stand under the bright moon light than to swelter under our scorching hot sun.

The Great Outdoors!! So a group of us made our way to Dataran Merdeka. It was one of the many parts of the city which I seldom or almost never visit. It was actually my first time at Dataran Merdeka on foot. Shy, yes, but that’s the reality – a lot of us KL folks miss out a lot of the city life. While waiting for one of us who travelled from down south to KL just to shoot with us, we started off a little by breaking the ice amongst ourselves and the models alike. Actually I was a little disappointed as the court house building was only partially lit and my attempts to capture the building in all its beauty were a waste of effort. We did, however, continue with the model shoots. Both Cynthia and Catherina were wonderful models to work with. They were both friendly and obliging. Thank you two for putting up with us. Seriously, we are not escapees from a mental hospital.

Out of the sudden, we were bathed with bright lights which enveloped us. The ambient went from dull to sparkly! I turned around and the once dimly lit building is now aglow in all its splendor as all its decorative lights were switched on. We continued shooting with various techniques, angles and lighting setup until the clock struck 11pm. We packed up and adjourned to a nearby stall for supper. Keep an eye out for future events, outings or photoshoots. We have more to come!

2-1, Jalan 27/70A. Desa Sri Hartamas. 50480, Kuala Lumpur w: http://www.DailyLifestyles.com/studio e: studio@DailyLifestyles.com

FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Studio Rental (minimum 2hrs) RM90/hr

Model Photoshoot Sessions 2hrs shoot, up to 3hrs studio time min 3 participants to start max 5 participants per session RM150 per participant

DailyLifeStyles Studio opened its doors today at the heart of Desa Sri Hartamas with ample parking right at its door steps. Right after the ribbon cutting, the drums sounded and brought to life the twin golden lions. Guests were then entertained by the lions’ antics, often teasing the guests, much to the delights of the young ones who were present. DailyLifeStyles Studio then held an open house where photography forums members were invited to test drive the studio. The response was overwhelming and the guests who tested the studio were very happy.

Opens Besides studio rental, DailyLifeStyles Studio offers various services which include commercial and wedding photography as well as photography classes which caters for various levels of photography skills. Also available are organized all-in-one photoshoots where photographers need not worry about anything else except turning up with the cameras. For more information about the studio and services offered, please contact the studio at :

DailyLifeStyles Studio 2-1, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur Tel : +60-12-382 7733 Web : http://www.dailylifestyles.com/studio Email : studio@dailylifestyles.com

Photography Classes beginners to advance level min 5 participants to start (coming soon)

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Babies | Children | Family Portraits | Graduation Photos (coming soon) SIDE ORDERS additional touched up images on CD RM49.99 (per set of 5 images) photo album (4’”x 6” matt prints) RM79.99

PORTFOLIO PHOTOSHOOTS Express Portfolio Photoshoot Package Standard Portfolio Photoshoot Package own makeup, hairdo and costume own hairdo and costume | makeup x1 style up to 1hr studio time up to 3hrs studio time 5 images, no touch-ups | images on CD 20 images with touch-ups | images on CD album included RM119.99 RM499.99 Basic Portfolio Photoshoot Package own makeup, hairdo and costume up to 2hrs studio time 10 images with touch-ups | images on CD RM249.99

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car review

Singapore

Half Price Surprise!!

With the school holidays looming around the corner, parents, couples and singles alike are definitely busy planning for their mid-year holidays. What better place to be than Singapore as they return with the Half Price Singapore Surprise (HPSS) with more attractions and experiences for everyone. HPSS was introduced some time last year and was very well received by Malaysians. HPSS is a value for money promotion with savings of more than 50% on regular admission tickets to Singapore’s top participating attractions. This year the number of participating attractions have increased to more than 16 and among some of the incredible sights include the Night Safari, Singapore Zoo, Captain Explore DUKw Tour, GX5 Extreme Swing, HiPPOtours, Science Centre Singapore and many more.

For more information, you may contact Singapore Tourism Board at the following numbers:

Kuala Lumpur : 60 (3) 2142 7133 Johor Bahru : 60 (7) 222 3222

“The HPSS is exclusive for Malaysians and is a great time to enjoy Singapore’s many attractions. As the edutainment and entertainment landscape continues to expand, we hope that Singapore will be every parent’s preferred holiday destination, where adults and kids alike enjoy, learn and discover about nature, science and society” said Mr. Chang Chee Pey, Regional Director, ASEAN (Mainland) from Singapore Tourism Board in the recent Press Conference held in Forest Lodge, Singapore Zoo. Taking place from the 23 May to 30 June 2008, all you have to do is to present your passport and a valid embarkation card at participating attractions to enjoy the discount. Jetstar is also offering more than 3,000 free seats during this period. Also, the Orchard Parade Hotel and Elizabeth Hotel are offering ‘buy 1 night, get second night free’ deals. The Great Singapore Sale is also on during this period from 23 May 2008 until 20 July 2008 and will see discounts up to 70%.

car review

A car is a mode of transport to bring me from point A to point B. The question is how it gets me there â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether in style or how fast. As someone with quite a lot of financial responsibilities, I decided to go for a budget car. So I went through several options before settling for the new Proton Saga. The choice was quite clear. First of all, the Proton Saga is a sedan, offering more boot space. And it was one of the cheapest new cars around. Getting a used car was a hassle for me, and used cars usually come with hidden cost of repairs or replacing parts.

So out I went to the Proton showroom and booked myself a brand new Proton Saga automatic. I did not need all the bells and whistles which came with the higher end models, so I stuck to the base range. However, city driving with a manual gearbox is not something I would like to endure, so I got the automatic. Two months later, I was taking in the brand new car smell of my brand new Proton Saga.

First impression was that it was quite a comfortable car for its price range, and it was spacious. The car is not too big, so parking and handling is a breeze. It is also not too small to the extent that I am not able to dump my bulky camera gear and tripod into the boot. Inside, the seat is obviously fabric and it is rather comfortable. The single disc CD player is also another welcomed item as I can enjoy my favourite CDs on the way to work.

A New Saga begins Dashboard is low and the view outside is unobstructed. I love the big side mirrors and it covers a lot, leaving not much of blind spots. Unfortunately, the model I choose does not come with reverse sensor, so I had to be extra careful when backing up. What is really surprising to me was the interior ambience, it is much quieter than I expected. My rear passengers also complimented the comfort, even during long journeys.

Fuel consumption was a little bit higher than expected. Apparently other owners also complain about the consumption. On average, I manage 360km on a single tank of about RM60. Power wise, although a little underpowered for my liking, it was sufficient for me to zip around town. Just do not expect rubber burning performance. In a nutshell, I am very satisfied with my Saga. Built and interior quality surpassed my expectations and it is definitely a worthy purchase.

motoring

It was an honour to be invited to cover the Asian Festival Of Speed or better known as AFOS. Organised by Motorsport Asia, AFOS is recognized regionally and internationally as the premier Asian motorsports event which features touring car races, Formula V6 Asia, Posche Carrera Cup Asia series and many more. AFOS is also synonymous with motorsports development in Asia and is at the cutting edge of future regional expansion.

Thundering Asian Festival of

Speed Anticipation was building up as we neared the track and hit a menacing height as we took the last turn into the parking as we got a whiff of the thundering cars blazing down the straight. The smell of burnt rubber and heated oil was in the air as we walked towards the paddock.

AFOS is not only about speed and cars going round the track at menacing speed, it is also about the passion for cars. Many from car clubs of all sorts turned up and lined their cars all along the mall leading towards the main grandstand. From standard everyday rides to souped up versions all the way to sports cars as well as rare rides seldom seen in public. The girls from Project Race Queen came along and adorned the cars, much to the delight of photographers as well as camera phone users alike. The race itself saw various categories. They range from everyday cars like the Honda Civic, Honda Integra and Proton Gen2 and Satria Neo to exotic cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis to open wheeled cars similar to Formula One cars. It was very exciting to see the race up close and personal. Previously I was only able to sit at the grand stand. The excitement of the cars racing pass you on the track is very different from the excitement at the grandstand. AFOS is a must go, must watch, must participate event with lots to enjoy – from screaming cars to exotic cars parked outside to balloons, ‘Ramli burgers’ and plenty of car club members.

personality - david

The man

behind AFOS

David Sonenscher As we were covering AFOS this month, we thought it would be great if we get more in-depth with the man behind Motorsport Asia. David is a man with a wealth of experience in all aspects of motor sport as a driver, team manager and now series organiser and promoter.

When it comes to travelling, David is no stranger to airport waiting lounges and hotel rooms. His work brings him all over the world every other week, and he spends about one third of his days in a year in hotel rooms. With that in mind, I was quite interested to know which is his most unforgettable destination or favourite city.

British citizen by birth, David is of German and Italian descent, with his father hailing from Germany, who met and married his Italian mother once upon a time. With the race ending on Sunday, I caught up with David on Wednesday afternoon, in between his Singapore trip on Tuesday and his London trip on Thursday. A very busy man indeed… and one who is well travelled!

David was actually stumped for awhile – with so many destinations flashing through his memory, he finally managed to pin down a few places which left deeper impressions than most. Top on his list was Florence, Italy – a special place close to his heart, not only because it’s his grandmother’s birth place, but also because it was one of the few trips which was not work related. With museums to explore, architecture to admire and a 5 day boat trip down the coast to Croatia taking in the scenery and just relaxing, it was undoubtedly one of his more unforgettable trips.

Another top destination on David’s list is Paris, for its atmosphere and architecture. Another part of France he reminisced about is his ski trip to Courchevel in the Savoie region of the French Alps and part of the Les Trois Vallees (The Three Valleys), the largest linked ski area in the world, where you can ski from the first valley in the morning and finish at the third valley in the evening. Other destinations on his unforgettable list are New York City, Seoul, Bali, and Jerusalem. When asked about his type of vacation for a weekend getaway, it depends on his mood, but for a much needed family holiday, it will almost definitely have to be a beach holiday. Perhaps we can interest him in joining us in our Mataking Island trip this September?! And David being always on the go, 4 to 5 days away is his maximum, otherwise he will start feeling restless.

When it comes to food, David is no stranger to local fare, not to mention the ubiquitous mamak food, having been in Malaysia for 14years. He also revealed that he has a sweet tooth – gummy bears and diet coke being his “happy food”. For a good dining experience (not just the food but taking into consideration the service, ambience etc), notable mentions are Cava and Sugimoto. David is also passionate about food, and finds cooking to be therapeutic. He signature dish would be his roast chicken and he also cooks a mean pasta, topped with his mother’s Southern Italian spaghetti sauce, of course! Well, it was an enjoyable chat with David, and we’re just wondering when we would have the chance to sample his roast chicken dinner.

personality - michelle

My first encounter with Michelle was at an online forum. So when we first met in person, I did not know who she was until she introduced herself as her forum nick. Quite shy that time. But it was ok, Michelle is a bubbly girl who can blend into any group and strike up a happy conversation.

Michelle is splits her time between modeling as well as freelance designing Below the Line Designs. Do not worry, I do not know what is that either. Michelle explains that is for posters, calendars, name cards, logos, packaging and such. Besides that she helps her boyfriend (yes boys, she is taken) run his shop. Michelles also wishes to travel the world but is not able to for the moment due to time and resources. In the mean time, she has been to Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzen. Having been to these three places, she still prefers Malaysia as she feels more comfortable here. On her list of dream destination is Japan. She find Japan’s culture to be very fascinating and she is also intrigued by their advanced technologies. She also likes beach holidays as well as scenic destinations as she loves taking photos of beautiful scenes. Although Michelle loves all kinds of food, she prefers Chinese food as there are more varieties.

Currently she drives a cute little Kia Picanto but next on her list is a Peugeot 207 as she likes the ‘yeng’ looks of the car and the glamour that comes standard with the car. And it must be white. Besides that, a BMW 330Ci Cabriolet would do nicely. So there we have it, Michelle who is bubbly and a very nice person to chat with.

Whenever she has the time, she goes window shopping to keep herself up to date in terms of current fashion and season ‘in’ thing. And when she is feeling like staying in, she curls up at home with a fashion magazine or watches Korean dramas. Michelle is also a movie freak and often catches a movie or two a week and loves horror movies.

Michelle

Sweety Pie

gadgets

31 A Whole New Mobile Experience The Asus Eee PC is such an easy to use UMPC (ultra mobile PC) that there is no technical manual in the package. It is usable straight out of the box. They key feature is not only the high mobility, but also the ease of maintenance. No worries about moving parts as it utilizes a Solid State Disk (SSD) which is also energy saving and creates no noise. The best thing is, it is shock proof, much like your flash drive. Connectivity wise, the Asus Eee PC comes ready with WiFi 802.11b/g to enable you to sit at Starbucks and have everyone staring at you with your UMPC, green with envy with their bulky laptops. The Asus Eee PC also comes with an email client as well as document software. So while you are downloading your emails, you can work on that romantic letter to your Ms. Valentine. And to get more inspiration, you may choose to listen to Michael Buble crooning via the built in multimedia features and high definition audio stereo speakers. I find that the 4GB SSD is insufficient, especially when half of that is taken up by system files and other application. But not to worry, I had an additional 8GB of storage in the form of an SD card which is almost a permanent resident in the built-in SD card reader. You may also choose to expand using portable hard drives connected to the Asus Eee PC via one of its two high-speed USB port. The Asus Eee PC come with a 4 cell battery that will last you for about 2.8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3.5 hours of use. It is a fantastic tool for people that love the outdoor, traveling and also always on the go. However, I find the keyboard to be a little tiny for my fat fingers, but it is still very much better than replying an email using predictive text input on a small screen. The Asus Eee PC weighs in at a mere 1kg, less than that tin of Milo you had to lug 3km to the nearest bus stop.

letters to the editor

Dear Editor, I do find this current issue layout is much much better then your 1st edition with more pictures to see and are more colourful. Great work there as articles in there is really interesting and enjoyable. Siew Mei, via email “Thank you. And yes, we still have much to improve on, so look out for better and more enjoyable read in future!” -Ed Dear Editor, Congratulation on the 2nd issue of your Dailylifestyles Online Magazine. I see much improvements to this issue but then maybe take notes of the typo errors. Other then that Great pictures, Great design and Great work! Alex, via email

C O

“Yes, we’re sorry for all the typos and grammar errors in our April issue. It was just as painful to us when reading back and noticing all the jarring errors! My apologies for shoddy proof-reading.” -Ed Dear Editor, I think this online magazine I has committed a great crime. What crime you may say? The crime of tempting us with great food pictures. Last issue after was unbearable but then this months is even worst Haha. By the way how did you guys take picture that is so tempting? All come down to 1 word.... Great work guys, will look forward for the next issue. Candy Lim, via email “Haha, we hope you’ll be tempted to join us on our many food trips in future! As for the great pictures, join us to find out how By the way, did you know that our DailyLifestyles studio also offers photography classes and introduction for newbies?” -Ed Dear Editor, The magazine is very enjoyable especially on the travel part as I love traveling. Wish I could take such great picture like you guys. The only rant that I got is the there is too little pages cause as I was enjoying reading, it all ended. Maybe you could include more topics and article. Wendy, via email “You could take great pictures too! As for the number of pages, bear with us for a few more months as we grow the contents section by section. Coming up next month we’ll be adding a fashion section.” -Ed Thanks to all for your feedbacks. We appreviate them and I would love to hear from you guys. Please keep your letters coming. Email us at feedback@dailylifestyles.com.