Boss Ming

I have always found the mere notion of Russia romantic.

It might be that this is a country that for numerous decades has stood behind an iron curtain, and the images we associate with it seem “otherworldly”. Missile launchers and tanks rolling across the red square, the colourful oniony spires of St Basil’s cathedral, domineering statesmen with moustaches and cool trenchcoats … you get the idea.

I’ve promised myself this is a place I would savour. A place I would draw up a perfect plan, and spend a glorious summer in, with friends and all.

It seemed that as time passed however, I found myself pushing that dream trip to the next year, and the next, and the next.

It took my glorious team’s first champions league final in 10 years to fulfil my dream of finally seeing the Red City.

And truth be told, as my plane finally took off from Singapore bound for Moscow, I was equally excited to be finally seeing Moscow, as I was to be seeing my team play in the biggest game in club level.

These are the things I love about Moscow!

#1- Architecture

Actually, not everything you see on the TV is distorted. Red square does look like red square, the Kremlin looks like the Kremlin, and so on and so forth.

Russian architecture is truly unique. It has an eclectic mix of Western European, Central Asian, and Eastern European influences.

Religious structures as in almost every other country/city in the world represent the most iconic of the architectural landscape. In Russia, the dominant religion is Orthodox christianity, which was introduced by Vladamir of Kiev in 988.

Russian orthodox cathedrals are beautiful to say the least. Quite frankly, they represent a unique brand of architecture you are unlikely to see replicated ANYWHERE else. I really wonder what was going through the architect’s mind when he was designing St Basil’s iconic onion shaped domes. Was the dude high on onions, and looking through a kaledescope?

#2 Decadent Cuisine

Russians are the new middle easterns.

There are 34 Billionaires in Russia alone, and they are coming to a neighbourhood near you!

No wonder then, that Moscow is choc full of decadent restaurants, with the finest ingridients, and staffed by incredible chefs. With prices to boot of course!

I was very surprised at the quality of cuisine in Moscow, but the prices quite frankly scared the hell out of me. For example, a meal between 4 people, at a pizza joint, cost about 200 pounds!

That included, appetizers for 4, 4 pizzas, 1 bottle of wine, and 2 shishas! STEEEEPPPP!!!! Even by london standards!

It was a great meal though, and one recommended by my friend Daniel. The pizza was very close to the best I had tasted in Italy, the land of pizzas, so that really is saying something!

Thats not the creme de la creme though! Its just pizza after all!

Thats why Daniel brought me to the Ritz Carlton Moscow.

To Jeroboam, which is helmed by 3 star michelin star chef, Heinz Winkler.

The decor and ambience of Jeroboam is perfect, exuding elegance, european sophistication and class. And they had an acoustic guitar player entertaining us.

The food was simply glorious!

Presentation: 10/10!
Taste: 10/10!

Let the photos do the talking!

Melt in your mouth Foie Gras

Delectable and perfectly cooked Filet Mignon.

And desert of course!

The stomach was thoroughly satisfied!

#3 Russian Souvenirs/Handicrafts

Lera kindly brought me to Arbat to shop, one of the days in Moscow.

Arbat is this long street in central moscow lined with souvenir shop after souvenir shop. Think of it as something like Covent Garden in London.

I really really love Russian souvenirs. In fact I’m a souvenir buff in general lah. I have this massive compulsion, that everytime I visit a particular country, I must bring back a souvenir from it.

Generally, I don’t consider things you can eat as souvenirs. I like souvenirs that are unique to a particular country. I also like souvenirs that are handmade, and require a level of skill, and was not churned out by a factory in China. You’ll be surprised how hard it is to find these things nowadays! Everything is made in China!

It is for this reason that I love Russian souvenirs! In particular Matryoshka dolls.

“A set of matryoshkas consists of a wooden figure which can be pulled apart to reveal another figure of the same sort inside. It has, in turn, another figure inside, and so on. The number of nested figures is usually five or more. The shape is mostly cylindrical, rounded at the top for the head and tapered towards the bottom, but little else; the dolls have no hands (except those that are painted).”

These are all handmade and more importantly hand painted. The prices differ according to how intricate the painting is and how many dolls there are.

I walked in to at least 20 shops, before I picked out my doll. It was a right mix of value for money, and design.

Even though mine only had 5 pieces, it cost about $180 SGD! But it was so worth it, and I walked away satisfied.

No souvenir buff should leave Moscow without a Matryoshka doll. But they are not the only souvenirs you can buy. Check out also Russian miniature lacquer boxes. These are more art works than souvenirs really, and the good ones can go into the thousands of dollars!

#4 Russian Art and Culture

I’m sure you all know that Russian ballet is the best in the world.

The Bolshoi in Moscow and Marinsky in St Petersburg are well known as amongst the best theatres in the world, and have an illustrious and interesting history.

Unfortunately, when I was there, I did not get a chance to catch the Russian ballet.

I did however, check out Russian Artwork at the Tretyakov State Gallery.

It really is quite sad the the Singapore Art Museum has no depth in its collection. Of course it also comes down to Singapore’s short history, and our dearth of fine arts locally.

But it is also a problem of commitment or lack thereof, and a lack of funding. Alot of great museums have art pieces from overseas masters that were bought for crazy sums of money (In a different age of course).

The state tretyakov gallery is a great place to view Russian art. Be it portraits, landscapes or icon paintings.

Lera was once again the perfect hostess, asking both me and andrew (my newly found acquaintance on the plane) to remember a piece that we liked.

I think mine was called the unwilling bride, and showed a young distraught wife at her wedding with an old man. Obviously an arranged marriage. It really struck a chord in me, her sadness, mixed with a resignation to fate.

#5 Daniel and Lera

As great as moscow was, it would not have been half as enjoyable if not for my good friends Daniel and Lera.

Lera’s enthusiasm to show me all things Russian in art and culture really opened my eyes to the abundance of it.

Daniel’s equal enthusiam  to share with me the life of an affluent moscovite, really brought me to an extrodinary plane of luxury and enjoyment.

Their friendly “couply” bickering over where to bring me and what to show me, often brought out the best of results.

Truthfully, the people of Russia are still a little xenophobic, and not as friendly as other countries.

Its always great to come home to a friendly face. Thanks guys for making this a real memorable trip! And getting me to the airport in time!!!

It was a tuesday night, and I was in KL for business. As much as I had to wake up at 8am for a day full of meetings, I could not miss this match. 0-0 in the first leg, and a home match away from the champions league final. Our first in many many years.

 Timothy would later say, he knew Man U had won because of a singular shriek of joy in the middle of the night which stirred him from his slumber. My beloved team was in the final.

 My first action immediately after the whistle was blown, was to send multiple SMS’s and emails off to ANYBODY i knew who had a remote chance of getting tickets. I was only 16 when my team last won the champions league, and whilst I remember it vividly, watching a final live had always been one of my life’s biggest wishes!

I had very little sleep over the next couple of hours, and could not stop working out the scenarios in my head. How would I get tickets? How would I celebrate? What would happen if we lost?

Within days, and incessant pestering, my saviour arrived! In the form of Patricia! Luuupppp youuuuu lahhh!!!! She managed to get tickets, and hospitality tickets at that! Frankly i didnt care, I had a chance to be there, and I would take anything that came along.

These are the tickets!

So with the tickets sorted,  I applied for my visa which took 4 days, 80 dollars, and approximately 180 mins of queuing.

Next on the list was accomodation. I called a close Russian friend of mine, Daniel, and after having done some initial research, we realised the cheapest hotel rooms were approximately 2,000 SGD a night! Daniel had already offered to put me up, but I did not really want to trouble him until I had exhausted all options. The realisation that the soviets had found their capitalistic streak and were enjoying it, settled that, and I gratefully accepted Daniel’s kind offer to put me up.

 The bad news was that Patricia could not make it to Moscow due to work. She was gutted, but sadly gave up her spare ticket to me to allocate. The person I chose, or rather the person who chose me, was Scarlett! Ting a ling a ling! After having spotted my msn nick, she spoke to me with such red fervour that I knew I had found a true Man U fan or fanatic.

So champions league ticket, check! visa, check! air ticket, check! travelling companion, check! Accomodation, check! I was all seeettt!!!

We were met at the airport, had a great russian dinner with Daniel and Lera, his girlfriend, had a tour of the kremlin the next day, lunch at a swanky restaurant, and finally we were offf for the game! And not a moment too soon, because whilst I was enjoying myself, the only thought on my mind was when are we going to kick off, and get this over with!

So anyway, our coach parked, and we got off to be greeted by the impressive Luzhniki Stadium. A dated building on the outside, the age made it stand out from the newer stadiums I had seen, such as the Stade De France.

Thats bryan (a chelsea fan) on the left, and ting on my right, with the Luzhniki stadium in the background.

With hospitality tickets, we were given access to the champions league village.

This was a massive tent, with sub sections carved out for sponsors and partners of the Champions league. Sony, Heineken, Ford and other partners had individual sections. Having secured tickets from ESPN, we fell under the “Broadcast Partners” category.

This is what it looked on the inside.

Freebies, good food, great company, festive atmosphere, but you know whats the best part?

This …. ….

About an hour before the game, I was so on edge, that I decided I had had enough of the hospitality tent, and wanted to get into the stadium. So off we went. One end of the tent connected directly to the stadium itself, meaning we did not have to jostle with the crowd outside.

I had an excellent seat. More or less in the middle, directly opposite the media reps. And in the mid tier. Tribune C, Row 46, Seat 1. Whilst it was great seats, I looked across to the Man Utd stands, and admired as they flew their scarves overhead and sang with all their heart.

 A full 40 minutes before the game, and we were greeted by our first eleven out on the pitch doing their warm ups. Where were the blueeess? Nowhere in sight. I promise you, they only got out about 15 minutes before the kick off, and I think it contributed to their piss poor showing in the first half (Not that I’m complaining).

Me and scarlett, with the guys running up behind us.

I didnt take any photos during the game, as my full concentration was on it. But here is what I felt. With the first 20 mins gone by, I was on the edge of my seats. It felt like this was a tight game because I knew Chelsea was a good team and could score from a single mistake. But in all truth for ALL of the first half, Man U dominated, and there were so many missed chances, I could feel the fear in the Chelsea fans around me well up!

And then as though I had made a prophetic wish, a single mistake between our backline gifted Frank Lampard a goal in the 45th minute.

Avram Grant would later lament that we played better only for the first 30 minutes. My verdict? Absoloute bollocks from a loser. IT was a full 45 minutes of dominance, and classic containment. One mistake later, and we were made to pay the price. We should have been 3 up, and the game should have been done and dusted, but that is football. Man of the match in the first half for me? Almost certainly Paul Scholes. Somebody had commented (yes we are all experts) on the bus, that you have got to see paul scholes live to see his magical skill, and they are right. It is only when you have a perspective of the full field that you see his skill and foresight.

In the second half, a Chelsea fan, Bryan, commented behind me. “Chelsea cannot possibly play as bad as they have done.” He was right. Chelsea dominated big time, although full credit should go to the United defence. They kept it tight, and we were saved a number of times by the post. Its not that we lacked possession, in fact we had more of it, we just were not able to do much with it, and lost it in key areas. Rooney in particular had not been having a good game, and frankly was off the pace for me.

1st round to Man U, Second round to Chelsea.

I breathed a sigh of relief as we entered extra time. Why? Because whilst the Man U players were up and about on their feet, the blues were lying sprawled on the ground getting treatment from the physio. A full half an hour went by, with some incidents here and there, but I felt the perfomance was again equally matched, although if one considers every single factor, I felt we played the better game. In particular, tiredness seemed to affect the blues more than us, and there were a couple of sly tactics involved. Typical blues.

“SAME OLD CHELSEA, ALWAYS CHEATING!” were the chants that rang out in the stadium, as a blue lay on the ground presumably from exhaution, and presumed that we should stop the play.

We all know what happened next, and no doubt, the red card was well deserved. Drogba probably cost his team the game, and I am glad that they did not have him at their disposal for the penalty kick. It made me feel that much better.

SO penalties …. I took up my video camera to film the events as they occurred.

Tevez ….. 1     Ballack ….. 1

Carrick …. 1    Belletti ….. 1

As ronaldo stepped up, I had a disturbing feeling that he would miss. It was just a feeling that after such a crazy season, the odds had it that he would fuck up now and cost us. And he did. My heart sank, and I readied myself for defeat, simply because our talisman had just failed us.

Ronaldo …. 0  Lampard … 1 

Hargreaves ….. 1 A cole ….. 1

I stopped recording after Cole scored, and sat down, not able to watch any more. I did not have the courage needed to watch my team lose.

Nani ….. 1

Now it was in the hands of John Terry, the game was no longer in our hands and stood firmly in the blues’ court, more specifically Terry’s.

I did not even see the shot. I sat down, and waited for the chelsea fan next to me to jump up and down in celebration.

Cheers ERUPTED, but I looked up and the fake Drogba next to me stood still as though transfixed by what had just occurred. I JUMPED UP AND DOWN WITH THE REALISATION THAT WE WERE BACK!

It was like watching the heart monitor in an operating room, with the signal dwindling to near death status, before miraculously showing life.

Anderson …… 1    Kalou …… 1

Just as I had had an ominous feeling of doom as Ronaldo stepped up to take his penalty, with Giggs, I felt the opposite. A certain calm, that he would get the job done, and perhaps even win us the trophy.

Which he diddd!!!

Giggs ….. 1  Anelka …… 0

I SCREAMMEEEDDD MY LUNGS OUTTTT!!!!! My throat gave way under the pressure, and I jumped out of my seat hugging any man u fan in the area. I hugged everybody. I felt pure joy, and I was hyper ventilating, feeling like I wanted to cry, but no tears came out, just a pure expression of joy after having travelled to the valley of death and back again (metaphorically of course).

This was me about 3 minutes after that moment.

 We had won, and I had fulfilled one of my dreams. To watch my beloved reds, PLAY AND WIN the European Cup.

UNTED WE LOVE YOU, YES WE DO!

SPECIAL THANKS TO PATRICIA again for the tickets, and of course DANIEL AND LERA for your hospitality in Moscow. I love you guys! In a very unagay way. 2nd part soon I hope!

For those who do not know it already, I am a huuugggeeeeee Man Utd Fan!

 And my team has just won their 10th premier league title, and are champions of ENGLAND!!!!

I’m super delirious right now, as this was a race to the wire!

As a fan, I really did not like the fact that it had gone that way. And truth be told, we made it difficult for ourselves by giving up a 5 point advantage at one point, to let Chelsea go equal with us.

But it was a thrilling finish in the end, and the best team won.

 It is said, that there are 2 types of Man Utd fans.

One type are the glory seekers (who only show up when Man Utd are top or winning), and the other type are the hard core fans.

Whichever type you are, I don’t really care. A fan is a fan!

It might just be that you like them because they are successful, or you like their style of play (as I do), it does not matter, you add to that statistic of success (apparently they have 60 million fans worldwide), and I’m glad you’re on board!

Anyway, this blog post also serves as a tribute to Ryan Giggs! One of my all time favourite players, he has dedicated his life to Man Utd from his teenage years, and has appeared a club record equalling 758 times. This is his 10th premiership medal.

He epitomises the term “footballing legend”, and to all his critics out there, that crucial goal he just put in the back of the net should shut your traps!

We stand on the brink of creating history once again. This time in my era. The champions league and premiership double are within grasps, so don’t let us down!

I’ll be heading down to moscow in just 8 days, and I can’t wait!

 GLORY GLORY MAN UNITTEEDD, AND THE REDS GO MARCHING ON ON ON !!!!!

 p.s. Just how big of a Man Utd fan am I? Well, me and Ewe Tiam were trying to assess that in my recent business trip to KL. So he said, if I had to get married on a certain day, and Man U was in the final on that day, what would I do? Hahaha, at the risk of remaining a bachelor the rest of my life, only Ewe Tiam, Cherie and Samantha will know that answer.

But check out my shrine of collectables, I just photographed on my bed.

At last count, the most precious items there include

1) Signed GEORGE BEST vintage jersey
2) Signed RYANN GIGGS jersey
3) Signed CHRISTIANO RONALDO jersey
4) Signed MAN U vs ARSENAL program booklet (Alex Ferguson, Wes Brown, and Bill Foulkes)
5) Signed BOBBY CHARLTON autobiography
6) Signed ROBSON autobiography
7) Signed Nobby Stiles autobiography
ROY KEANE testimonial program and ticket stub

Yes, these are my precioussesssssssss.

 I LURPE MAN U WITH ALL MY HEART! Btw, calling out to all Nuffnangers who are MAN U FANS, please leave your contact details on my blog, I would like to start a fan club!

Ok, first things first! A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that Nuffnang Singapore was looking to hire an Advertising Accounts Executive/Manager.

Well, I’m happy to say that we’ve got our first permanant staff in Singapore!

Its been a while coming. Nuffnang Singapore is about a year old now, and most of the legwork has been done by yours truly. With costs in Singapore so high, I had decided to take the cautious approach in hiring new hands. Most of the headcount remains in Malaysia today, mainly to achieve cost efficiencies (Even though Nuffnang is as much a Singaporean company as a Malaysian one).

For example, all virtual blogger relations is handled from the KL office. So when you get a reply from the helpdesk, its either from Michelle, Yee Hou or Robb in Malaysia. The same goes for the technical team, so whenever, you’ve got a problem, it gets forwarded to our office in Penang.

The Singapore office meanwhile has always been staffed by myself and a group of dependable interns/part timers. Of course more recently, Scott the tissue man, was with us. And my favourite and long serving intern (She really isnt one anymore lah huh), Huiwen. They help me with company admin, the nitty gritty details, events, and many other things.

Anyway, I digressed! This is Singapore’s newest addition! Singapore’s “nicholas”, incidentally standing next to Nicholas! Her name is Cherie! This is she. On the right.

She’s actually been around for 2 weeks now. The first week consisted mostly of meetings and orientation in Singapore. The week just past, I brought her up to KL to meet the team, and also for training under Uncle Nicholas here on the right!

We went up on Tuesday, and returned on Saturday.

Besides following Nicholas out for meetings, familiarising herself with the team, and being grilled by me (in simulated customer meetings), the highlight of her trip must have been an coincidental attendance of the Malaysian Dreamgirl Final!

Malaysian dreamgirls for those who do not know it, is Malaysia’s first Online Reality Show. It essentially follows the rough format of America’s Top Model, but is based online entirely.

Nuffnang was sought as a collaborative partner in this project, and when Tim first broached the subject to me, I exclaimed, “Chee Ko Peh you!” I was just joking of course, and Nuffnang went on to become a media partner.

So anyhow, by sheer coincidence, our first night in KL turned out to be the Malaysian Dreamgirls Final! So off went myself, cherie, nicholas, timothy, and samantha.

The venue was 1 utama shopping centre, a HUGEEEE shopping complex. It has got to be twice the size of Vivocity or something. There, in the central atrium, stood a beautifully erected runway and platform.

It did not take long before the girls were out strutting their stuff.

Who were my 3 favourites?

In no particular order, first up is our very own Nuffnanger, Ringo. I’d met ringo last year at Nuffnang Singapore’s innaugural event in Singapore. She had come down with the rest of the team, so I felt firsthand that she would be a top contender.

My second choice would have to be this girl who sashayed out onto the runway first up. I later learned, she was mixed Malay and Chinese, and her name was Fiqa. WOOT!

And of course, Hanis, Hanis. I mean, looking at this girl, her beauty strikes you immediatly.

The finale was organised very well, from the props, stage, host, program,etc, although I felt it was a little draggy. Nonetheless, it achieved its climax when the 3 finalists were put in front of the eager audience.

It seemed a foregone conclusion that Hanis, with her horde of supporters (see below), who howled everytme she came out would win.

But all the howling did not ease her nerves as she fidgeted nervously and put her hands on her hips to steady herself for the result.

The announcement came, for 2nd runner up, and to everybody’s surprise (surely), it was Hanis!!! Credit to her, her reaction was a moderated one. I mean if it was me, I would probably be like! “WTF! KNN CCB! I demand a recount you #*(&!)(^^@*(!*^!, how could I! Me! Myself! lose!? Get your ass back stage and give me the result i deserve”

But nope, none of that sort of entertainment. She recieved her prize and move back into line before letting slip a little bit of her displeasure (it was brief, but if one paid attention, you would have noticed a little scowl). Hey, you would do it too lor! She handled it pretty well already.

It then came down to Adeline and Cindy!

And to EVERYBODY’s shock! and horror! It was Cindy! She was crowned Malaysian Dream Girl 2008!

She won herself a super large key.

Now, none of this is new to Malaysians, many of whom had followed the MDG series almost religiously. But I had to do it for the sake of my Singaporean readers.

A big hooo haaaaa promptly erupted on the Malaysian Blogoshpere. Primarily because according to her phone conversations, her father had single handedly spent TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars voting for her!

They called it vote rigging, they called it cheating, and she called it fatherly love!

To tell you the truth, I lie kinda midway. Yeah, I do kinda feel that Hanis deserved the title. She was by quite a distance the most beautiful of the girls. But then again, hey, those aren’t the rules of the game. The rules of the game dictate that if you bring in the votes, you win. And Cindy did that most effectively, several thousand times over by sweet talking her father into voting for her with his HARD EARNED money!

It was an interesting event to say the least, and I went home intrigued by the outcome and more intrigued by the bitch fest that was to take place subsequently.

Anyway, I also took home with me several souvenirs!

A door gift from the MDG finale, which interestingly was a champagne glass (with no special printing), and of course the MDG finale ticket!

Why did I bother hoarding these two items back to Singapore?

See our little logo there!

It truly makes me proud to see how many great initiatives Nuffnang has supported. From charity runs, to government initiatives, to reality tv shows, etc.

It is yet another measure of how far we’ve come, and I keep these little snippets to remind me of that.

If you have the time, check out our latest partnership! Nuffnang Singapore is the official blog community for the Singapore movie fiesta. Check it out here and here.

I finally bought Melee’s album today.

And besides, “Built to Last”, which I absoloutely love, I made another great find. It is the simplest of songs, and it is called, “She’s gonna find me here”

This song goes out to all those people who have not found their better half yet.

“She’s Gonna Find Me Here”

Now I don’t have to climb the highest mountain
And I don’t have to sail the seven seas.
Now I don’t have to push myself through desert sands
‘Cause she’s gonna find me here.

And I don’t have to put on all my best clothes
And I don’t have to put on a show.
Now I don’t have to act like a total stranger
‘Cause she’s gonna find me here.

When she finally arrives
It will be right on time.
And I’ll know that it’s real
‘Cause the light in her eyes
Will look through and show what a fool I had been
To search far and wide with my heart in my hands.

And I don’t have to worry about her
‘Cause I know she’s fine, now, on her own.
Now can put my mind on things in my own life
‘Cause shes gonna find me here.
You know that she’s gonna find me here.

And when she finally arrives
It will be right on time.
And I’ll know that it’s real
‘Cause the light in her eyes
Will look through and show what a fool I had been
To search far and wide with my heart in my hands.

Now I don’t have to cut up my heart
Into pieces so small
And give them to those who don’t care.
Now I don’t have to search for one girl
In the depths of my soul
‘Cause she’s gonna find me
‘Cause she’s gonna find me
You know she’s gonna find me here.
I don’t have to search far and wide
‘Cause she’s gonna find me here

I just recently got back from Japan, where I was, primarily for the Cherry Blossoms Season. Actually I’d been there a number of times, but thought that Estee might enjoy it, and it was her birthday, so off we went with my family for a week.

Anyway, instead of going through a chronological account of our week there (which would take an excruciatingly long time considering I’m still getting used to this Wordpress platform), Im putting together a list of the Top 5 reasons why I love the land of everything beautiful in this world.

The pictures that follow were taken by either my trusty Nikon D70S, or my Casio Exlim.

#1 DOMOKUNNN!!!!
If my sister and Estee had not been incessantly chattering about a “Chao Ta Mian Pao”(Burnt Toast), I would never have been introduced to the world of domokun.

The japanese are amongst the most creative people in the world. And their creativity led them to create a TV character (very much like barney, except we don’t want to shoot this one in the head), that supposedly 90 percent of Jap school kids can identify immediatly! Domokun resembles a burnt toast, with a mouth, eyes, arms and legs, and is the mascot for the NHK TV Station.

This is how he looks!

Call me childish, but I find this Chao Ta Mian Pao super cute! It demonstrates how a simple concept can have such a profound impact on people. Put two eyes, a mouth, two arms and two legs, on a piece of burnt toast, and you’ve got a mascot that people, young and old, endear themselves to and identify with.

It was surprisingly difficult to find domokun merchandise, so we had to trek to the NHK building itself, go through their Studio park, which was actually quite enjoyable, to get to the souvenir store!

Below are some pics of the NHK Broadcasting Centre in Shibuya, and also inside the NHK Studio Park.

Of course, we got our prize, at the end of it. I love Japanese Characters, and Domokun is now on the top of that list.

#2 Food Food and more Food!

People often say that France is the culinary centre of the world. Frankly speaking, I think these people have never been to Japan.

I mean seriously, even Japanese produce, the simplest and lowest denominator, is worlds apart from produce that originate from other countries. Try a tomato in Japan, or any of their fruits, strawberries, grapes, or hundred dollar musk melons, and you will be left in no doubt as to their superiority.

For those, who can’t see this picture, I took it at the Food Hall of Takashimaya in Shinjuku. That is 1 melon, going for 15750 Yen, or 157 USD!!!

We ate so much good food in Tokyo, I have not weighed myself yet, out of fear. I’d rather live in a state of denial.

The best meal in our entire trip. Definitely Sukiyaki! Oh my god, I swear, that beef was the best I had ever tasted in my life.

It cost a bomb too. 58USD for just 3 slices. But it was worth every single cent. The marbling on the beef was insane, and as anticipated, once it touched my lips, almost magically melted immediatly.

We also had really really good Tempura, at this great restaurant called Tsunahachi. The batter was just so well done. My photos don’t do it justice really.

We also had a sumptous French Meal (Of course japanese style!) in Hakone. Look at how delightfully colourful the appetiser is!

The asparagus, which was encrusted in a puffy pastry was so crunchy and sweet. The sauces and salad on the side complemented it well too.

Here is my luply family.

And the main course!

Hell even Japanese cooked pasta tastes sooo gooood. I might be stoned by the Italians for blasphemy, but I enjoy Japanese pasta better than the ones in Italy!

And of course I could not leave Tokyo without eating ….. …… …..

 KFCCCC!!!!!

 #3 Tokyu Hands and Kiddy Land!

Shopping in Tokyo is INSANELY FUN! I’m not the shopping type typically. I mean, it’s either Mustafa (THE BEST), Sim Lim Square, or That CD shop when I’m at home in Singapore. In Japan however, you really do find innovative, wacky products that you can’t find anywhere else. And all whilst being served with a smile and a bow.

They really make you feel like spending your money. And truthfully, the service standard there makes a singaporean painfully aware of how far we have to go in that area.

Anyway, whereas in Singapore, we’ve got Orchard Road, in Tokyo, they have at least 10 extensive shopping districts. Among some of them are, Ginza, Shinjuku, Omotesando, Harajuku, Ikebukuro, Daikan yama and Shibuya.

Now if I only had time to visit 2 shops in Tokyo for sure, it would be Tokyu Hands in Shibuya and Kiddy Land in Omotesando!

 Tokyu Hands is like the Japanese Version of Mustafa, in that they sell EVERYTHING under the sun, except that everything is organised really well, and can be found easily. The main store is in Shibuya and has at least a dozen levels, and sub levels.

I could spend a whole day in Tokyo Hands no problem! And you’ve definitely got to go there.

And the second shop! KIDDYLAND! On omotesando! I figure I’m really a Kid at heart, cause everytime I walk into a Toy Store I leave enthralled by the sights and sounds inside. I remember making my family walk halfway across London to get to Hamlys in London when I was a kid. When I got there, the assualt on my senses was phenomenal and I thought I was in heaven.

By the time I was done with these 2 stores, I had filled up the Extra bag Estee had brought along. FULL Of japanese toys and wacky stuff! My favourite of which issssss …. this one …. (check out the video, I didn’t make it).

I got a Rottwelier, since Rocky is one!

#4 Sakura and breathtaking scenery

My mum and dad make it a point to hit Tokyo EVERY year for the Sakura season. The last time I went with them was when I was back in Easter in my second year at Uni.

 Sakura season is simply beautiful, and it represents a great excuse for the japanese people to come out and paaaartayy!

 The blooming of the Sakura represents the start of spring, and perhaps the new year. The fragility of the flowers, juxtaposed against the sheer number of trees that bloom at the same time depict the majesty of nature in its truest form.

I think everybody should catch the Sakura at least once in their lifetime. It is quite a sight, and the sheer occassion that the japanese make out of it, simply adds to that.

Besides the Sakura, we were also lucky to have caught a fantastic view of Mount Fuji on the clearest of Days. After having spent a wet and cold weekend in Hakone (A mountain spring resort opposite Mount Fuji), we descended onto this beautiful scene.

#5 Home sweet home!

It’s been a while since I’ve walked so extensively.

I used to do it when I was in London, since I did not have a car. But since I’ve graduated and gotten back, its been the car EVERYWHERE.

So literally when we were in Tokyo, we walked our feets to the ground.

After a long day on the road, and our feet aching sooo much, it was always good when we saw the hint of our apartment in the distance. That cosy little warm studio.

Pure ecastasy hits as the bed enfolds me, but a comfort exists in the knowledge that not too far away, in the near distance, lies a city that never sleeps and is waiting for me to explore again.

I was a little sad as our train pulled away from Tokyo central towards Narita, but work was beckoning, and I promised to be back soon anyway.

Yup, I’ve finally moved to my own domain!

And I dunno about you, but I am really fond of the name!

In the nuffie office, the nicks of “Boss Ming” (For myself) and “Boss Stewie” (For ewe tiam) have stuck for a while now. And with ming.com and mingshen.com taken, this was a simple decision.

Thanks to Tim 2 for setting it up.

I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that Nuffnang Singapore is hiring! More specifically we are looking for an advertising accounts manager/executive.

This person will have several roles:
1) Pursue new advertiser accounts/sales
2) Maintain/Service advertiser accounts
3) Organise all activities related to advertising deals secured

Minimum Qualifications needed are as follows:

1) A level/Diploma minumum (yup thats all!)
2) Ability to communicate well in english and inspire!
3) Good organisational skills
4) Basic Microsoft Word/Excel Skills
5) Team player
6) Self motivated, optimistic and passionate
7) Knows what blogging is! (Bloggers preferred!)
8) Enjoys entrepeneurial experiences!

If you have a passion for blogging, enjoy working with dynamic, quirky, young people, and would like to join the team, do email us your CV to careers@nuffnang.com

This job is open to Singaporean citizens and residents only! Look forward to hearing from you.

2 days before I was due to drive up to KL for our first birthday bash, I recieved this package at our singapore office.

A presentttt!!!! I inspected the package. It was wrapped up rather cutely in a “Congratulations on your new baby!” wrapping paper. With my curiousity piqued, I proceeded to pick the wrapping apart carefully.

A rather “naughty” message greeted me once that was done. “Notice! The box contains “tools” which are VERY SEXY, VERY KINKY and VERY XXX rated!!! Proceed with caution, unsuitable for the young!”

It continued, “What you can find in the box:

(i) 6 Dildos
(ii) 15 Lubricant Tubes
(iii) 6 Penis Erection Rings
(iv) 40 condoms

You have been warned!”

Now I was interested!!! I ripped open the top, to find …. to my disappointment ….. …. ….

Cheesels, Marshmallows, Chupa Chups, and M&Ms.

WTF are my dildos and Penis Erection Rings!!!????

During christmas time, the Nuffnang KL office also recieved a care package (check out the video).

The Nuffies in penang and singapore felt so unloved, and of course green with envy! NOT ANY MORE!!! Now the penang Nuffies are alone in their envy and lack of love! Thank you Mr Anonymous!

Exactly one year ago, on February 27th 2007, at around 2am in the morning, 4 eager eyed young men (Me and Tim included) sat wide awake, hunched over their computer screens waiting for a site to go live. That site, was none other than Nuffnang.com, Asia’s First Blog Advertising Community. My love, my life, my precious for the past year!

It’s hard to remember the feelings that I felt that Tuesday morning, but I guess it must have been a mix of RELIEF, EXCITEMENT, TREPIDATION and JOY.

Relief that 8 months of hard work was finally bearing fruit, and all those countless sessions of planning (From business planning to website architecture to marketing), was culminating in our labour of love.

Excitement because this singular event heralded my entry into the world of entrepeneurship. People today still ask me, “Why did you start Nuffnang.com?” Well a big part of that answer lay in practicality. With graduation looming, we had a choice to make. Work for an investment bank or MNC like all my friends were doing, or take a risk, go without pay (For almost 16 months we did),invest our savings with no certainty of returns. The road less taken. Yes, the one me and tim chose, and excitement filled us not knowing what was ahead.

Trepidation. This is a feeling that often comes along with excitement. There is no way of looking ahead, and who does not fear failure? Not me, thats for sure. I feared that our website would not stand the test of time, I feared we would not have a network to sell, I feared that advertisers would not take to our idea, I feared that we would run out of money, I feared that we would let all the people around us down. So yes, there was fear.

Joy. If there is a defining moment in any person’s life. It has got to be the birth of their child. Imagine a moment,when you hold your flesh and blood in your arms, when his/her shrill cry instead of piercing your ears, touches your heart. Nuffnang.com was our child, and even if it wasn’t the best looking or the most technologically advanced at that point of time, we loved it with all our heart, and it gave us joy.

Our baby v1.0! We loved you then.

Our baby v1.5, we loved you a little more!

Our baby v2.0 MUACK MUACK MUACK MUACK MUACK our big babyyyy!!!

The question is what do i feel today? One year on.

4 main emotions. Pride, Confidence, Humility, and Gratitude.

Pride that today, we have not only achieved many things we set out to do, but have exceeded them.

For one, we had hoped for a modest 300 bloggers in 3 months (period), today, Nuffnang SG has close to 9,000 members, Nuffnang MY has 11,000 which makes us 20,000 strong! ZOMG! Give yourselves a round of applause fellow nuffnangers, you are all part of a big family!

Secondly, not only do we have a stable of advertisers, we have an INCREDIBLE stable of GREAT GREAT BRANDS. Brands like Nike, Nokia,Citibank, Nescafe, Disney Pictures, Honda, Motorola,Chipster, LG, Clearasil, Singapore Toursim Board, Health Promotion Board, Durex, Air Asia, TM Net, Digi, Walls, Hugo Boss, TGIF, Guiness,MPH, Tunes Hotel, M1, and more! Thank you to all the marketers who trusted us with their campaigns, and brands! We hope we have served you well, and will continue working hard for you all.

Today, we also have a vibrant community which have gone on many activities together. 3 major movie screenings in singapore alone last year, a talk/workshop, and great prizes/contests for all our members including I pods, Ds Lites, Handphones and more. Plus, the launch of our very own blog aggregator. INNIT! Our improvements to the website have also seen a community bias, and more enhancements will be coming up in that area, so stay tuned!

Our innaugural event. An exculsive screening of Rush Hour 3 for 250 bloggers!

“To blog or not to blog” Workshop/Talk.

Enchanted movie screening, 200 Bloggers!

One of our motorola Q9H winners! Randyyy!



Winners of our nike “This is love” contest, the lovely holly jean.

Confidence. Our positive and astronomical growth so far only gives me confidence that we have what it takes to move forward. We’ve got a solid solid base and foundation from which to grow on. And, I am excited by new partnerships that will see us grow and expand at greater pace, without compromising the qualities and values we stand for so strongly now.

These are, INTERGRITY, COMMUNITY SPIRIT, and POSITIVE INFLUENCE. For all you loyal Nuffnangers, know this. The coming months will only see the Nuffnang team working harder to maintain the incredible growth that we have experienced so far.

Humility. With our share of successes, we also had our thankfully small share of shortcomings. These experiences, taught me, tim, and the team key lessons, that we will take forward with us. These experiences have kept us humble amidst a large degree of success, and we will learn from them.

To my business partner/2nd girlfriend, Tiam. Thanks for all the great memories! Its been a ball of a time working with you, but its been a greater pleasure growing our friendship. Today, we have a mutual understanding that few of my girlfriends can surpass! This is quite gay, but its all true. We talk to each other so much on the phone, that sometimes we even call each other accidentally! Let’s see this thing through, and take on the world! We dream big! Lets roll!

To my team, Nuffnang would be nowhere without you. Huiwen, for being my dependable, favourite intern! Michelle for answering all our helpdesk enquiries so well, Lee Meng, for your loyalty and support, Tim for you know what (said too many times), Firdauz, same same. EVERYBODY lah huh …! you guys rawk! We’ve made mistakes together, we’ll go through them together, but from them, we’ll grow stronger together. You know I mean it, when I say you guys are my second family.

My family! For doing everything that a family does and more. Moral, physical, financial support! Truthfully, where would I be today, without my dad and mum? I hate to be mushy, so you know what I want to say. I’m going to make you guys proud.

Estee, for just being there.

All the blogger friends I have made. Wendy, Kenny, Dawn, Cowboy, Leslie, Janise Peggy, Jayden, Nadia, QY, Su Ann, Jolene, Gareth, Kimberly, (And anybody I’ve missed out). Its been a good year, and I look forward to better times together. Stay cool people!

KIDDIES, DUN SEE ON, Kenny Sia doing an Edison! With Mr Teddy …. (Sorry Kenny, i forgot to tell you his sexual orientation).

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And of course to all my friends! You know who you are! So I won’t mention names, you’re probably reading this blog! Thanks guys!

In song of the week.

Sucking too hard on your lollipop or love’s gonna get you down!