Moving to KL Postponed

Originally, I had planned to move to KL alone towards the end of this month. But looks like that plan has to be postponed to a later time i.e. early May.

I’ve been working around the clock to prepare the Mega Red Packet event and as I’ve been working on this for the past 6 months with my partners Vince Tan and Stephen Luc, we are only days away from the big day and I have to see to it that the online event becomes a success.

I look forward to making the event a smashing success and I am quite excited about this. It’s the first time I’m doing an online event this huge and at a product price point never this high before.

After this, I have plans to re-enroll into college and continue pursuit of my travel goals to visit at least 4 more countries this year. While I’ve already got my own car (with the Myvi being given to my mom), I need time to hunt for a new place to stay in KL and start over.

SIDENOTE: If you have been emailing me but received slow response from me lately, this is what’s been taking up my time now. 🙂 I apologize for that! Will get back to the rest of matters when I’m finally done with the Mega Red Packet launch.

Business and Leisure in Penang

It’s been 3 years since I last visited Penang.

I had been invited to speak at the Global Internet Summit and this was going to be the first time GIS is presented in Penang. I had prepared my presentation a few days before the big day and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous at all; this was also going to be my first speaking engagement as a main speaker.

And to top that, I was also going to be the first speaker to climb the stage to kick start the event!


At Senai Airport

One day before the big day, I caught a flight to Penang and checked into the Evergreen Laurel Hotel at Persiaran Gurney. While I was looking forward to having more fun and going around Penang, the presentation occupied my mind most of the time. Couldn’t wait for it to end.


Inside the 5-star Evergreen Laurel Hotel - sea view!

Walking outside the hotel at Persiaran Gurney

Thankfully, the Success Resources team had arrived earlier and since I was going to be the first main speaker to start the event – I wouldn’t have the luxury of observing and learning from other speakers before my turn – I rehearsed my presentation in the empty room. I rarely spoke in front of large crowds and I had to learn almost everything I could from “Great Public Speaking in 10 Days”… in 2 days.


Rehearsing in front of the empty room

My biggest worry was whether I would exceed my allotted time of 1.5 hours. So I spent whatever available time I can rehearsing my presentation (though I paid little attention to the details in the final 15 minutes i.e. selling).

Other speakers arrived shortly and I met up with them for dinner to get acquainted, especially Benjamin Teo and Andy Hun since I’ve not met them before.

We ate at Gurney Drive and yep, Penang is well known for its food! Here’s Andy Hun (right) and Feebie, Benjamin Teo’s girlfriend. Andy’s from Johor Bahru, to my surprise (just when I thought I’m the Sultan of Johor).

I don’t have a profiled picture of Feebie but she looks really, really familiar. I was certain I saw someone who looked like her back in Sydney (and maybe true since she and Ben Teo came from Sydney!)… and she looked like an ex-classmate of mine.

“Common face,” said Ben.


Feebie (Ben Teo’s gf) and Andy Hun

Oh yeah, here’s Alvin Phang too. His first time in Penang. Since I won 2nd place in his Atoming Blogging 3.0 contest, should’ve asked him to hand me my prizes while in person. 😛


Alvin Phang

Of course, Benjamin Teo himself. He may speak in a monotone voice but hey, he’s THE social media expert. He was from Malaysia (surprise, surprise) and then moved to Australia at an early age. He’s got like… what? 36,000 followers on Twitter? Follow him on Twitter: @upicks


Benjamin Teo - the social media expert

And of course, here’s the star and the hero himself. What’s this blog without THE MAN? 😉


Edmund Loh

Global Internet Summit


View from the stage

The long awaited 1.5 hours of presentation finally came… and go! 🙂

I think I did pretty well for a first timer, considering many of the audience didn’t quite believe this was my first time speaking on stage, my fear of exceeding the 1.5 hours of given time was un-found (I finished on time), and I sold some of my back-end programs too at an acceptable ratio for a crowd that I heard was hard to please.

To add to that, my hairstyle was at its best. 😛 I can’t think of anything I’ve goofed up badly and I must say I did well. 🙂

I haven’t got the photos of me speaking on stage so when I get them I’ll post them here. But I want to show you the photos of some of the people I’ve met at the GIS.


With Kelly Lai

with Tiong Wei

with Low Kok Seng

with Soo Cheng Guan

with Alvin Ooi

with Dawn Tan

with Anna Tan

UPDATED 16th April

Thanks to Jaz Lai and Edmund Toh for the pics! Here they are…


First up on stage!

Edmund Loh on stage

At speaker’s panel

Answering in a Q&A

Answering Q&A

Okay now that the business trip is covered, let’s talk about leisure for the rest of the blog post!

Red Box Karaoke


Red Box

In no sequence, let me show what we’ve been doing when we’re not speaking for the GIS. 🙂 Hope this convinces some people that we’re totally nerds behind the comps – or that we spend the rest of our free time at the cyber cafe. lol


Jaz Lai, Edmund Toh and Khai Siung signing up at Red Box

This is the third time I’ve gone to a karaoke session and though I’m not good at singing (actually, the extreme opposite) I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I’m beginning to like it too. 🙂 Look forward to go to more of these Red Box outings next time when I’m in KL. Khai Siung is a MUST in the group, really.


“Takes me one step closer to the edge… and I’m about to break!”

I didn’t know Jaz Lai could sing, though.


Jaz Lai

And even Edmund Toh. I suspect we came from the same factory that produced us.


Edmund Toh

And hey, it’s our guest and friend from India, Alok Jain!


Alok Jain

Finally… me. 🙂


I can sing, ok?

Yes, I really can…

Kenko Fish Spa

It’s been everyday that I go to Gurney Plaza while I was in Penang but I’m most fond of the Kenko Fish Spa while I’m there.

I’ve seen people blog about their experience at the fish spa and I think it would be sad if I didn’t try it out at least once in my lifetime. Now I’m certain I would do it once in a while. 🙂


Chewing off my feet…

Jaz, Edmund, Edmund

Feeding his hands away

Let’s see if you can find our card at Kenko’s Guest Wall!

Trying to maximize my value for money by dipping both my hands into the pool and still get away with paying for only foot massage fees.


Becoming fish food

Here’s York Min whom we’ve briefly got acquainted with. I’ve also tried out the full body massage at Kenko’s the next day since the massage service at the hotel left a lot to be desired.


with York Min

Dinner and Food!

What’s Penang without all the amazing food and friends right? 🙂


Lunch at Coffee Island

Now with me inside the photo

We also had Speaker’s Dinner on the last evening of the GIS. Here’s me and Vince Tan – damn he sold many seats too many for his back-end program, well done!


Me and Vince Tan

L-R: Vince, me, Alok, Andy


Vince, Edmund, Alok, Andy

Thanks to Success Resources for helping me out with my first speaking engagement!


Me with the SR Team

Some more…

Group photo

with Yan Ang since she had been missing from the rest of the group photos!

Special credits to: Jessie, Yan Ang, Henry Chee, Henry Wong, Purple Chin (and of course, the rest of the SR team!)

Last Day – Going Around Penang

I was the last speaker to leave the island (Patric Chan doesn’t count since he’s a native here!) so I checked out Bukit Bendera and the Kek Lok Si temple.


At Bukit Bendera

Bukit Bendera

View from the top of Bukit Bendera

At the Kek Lok Si Temple

Year of the Tiger

Also caught a movie at Gurney Plaza’s GSC – Shinjuku Incident starring Jackie Chan. Even though it’s like what Jackie himself said in an interview, “1% action 99% drama” I think this is one of Jackie Chan’s best films. The premise of the show is that in the early 1990’s – based on a true incident that really happened – Jackie plays the character “Steel Head” and was one of the many of the illegal immigrants from China who settled in Shinjuku, Japan… illegally, of course.

Steel Head would go on to find that his former lover is now married with a kid to a Yakuza leader called Eguchi. From here on, Jackie went from doing odd jobs to starting multiple illegal businesses like selling fake phone cards and tampering with the jackpot machines until he seizes substantial power within the ranks of the Yakuza semi-legitimate organization and controls a pure Chinese territory for his Chinese ‘brothers’. There are a lot of heart wrenching moments when you can see how good people turn bad, and yet how some things don’t really change – and the racial issues between the Japanese and the Chinese.

I can see why this show is banned in China because of how it portrays the Chinese people. Nonetheless, I’d say put it in your “must watch” list.


Shopping for stuff the last minute!

Okay, this is it. I’m sorry if I didn’t mention some of you in my blog post and I’m still waiting for new photos to add here. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading and it’s been a pleasure to meet new people while I was in Penang! Talk soon and until the next time!

The Shopping Spree Continues

If you’ve been reading my messages on Twitter and Facebook then you’ll know it’s obvious I’ve been on a shopping spree. I’ve been spending a lot more than usual as of lately, though I could use some indulging in luxury. That’s for making up all the years of window shopping. LOL

Getting a Custom Tailored Suit

My first Internet Marketing speaking engagement as main speaker is coming up and I need a new suit. Real bad.

At the Tailor Shop

At the Tailor Shop

Because of my small built, the suit I currently have appears to be one size bigger than I am. So a week ago, I walked into the nearest tailor shop to get a suit custom made to fit my size.

The first try out to get the measurement…

The First Try Out

A week later, I returned to test out the ‘prototype’ suit. Because it is still being tested for fitting, I won’t put photos of the by-product suit here yet.

I also need to get one done for the pants. I’m done with wearing over-sized pants with legs longer than mine.

Talking to the Tailor

I want this, this and that…

So, done deal!

I hope the suit and pants will be ready in time before I fly off to Penang for the speaking engagement!

SIDENOTE: Worse comes to worst, I’ll just borrow Vince Tan’s suit. Good thing he’s coming to Penang to speak too, and our speaking schedules are different! 😛

PlayStation 3

When I got the word that Resident Evil 5 came out, I knew it was time to grab a PS3. There are many other games I want to get my hands on too later on. 🙂

It wasn’t easy finding a PS3 here though. Many of the shops at City Square have declared a sold out on this hot baby. My hunt for the PS3 ended at Tebrau Jusco. So here it is: Playstation 3 with 80GB memory.

PS3

Since my schedule’s pretty packed this month and the games are pricier than I thought, I bought one game first. Resident Evil 5, of course.

Resident Evil 5

I have finished the game in 3 days. I’ll chalk up a quick review on the game over the weekend when I’m free.

Need a New Laptop While I’m At It…

Dell

I’m comfortable working on desktop computer but it would be too inconvenient to take it with me when I move so I have to invest in a new laptop. The Acer laptop is old and too slow for my workload, and using it was frustrating for me.

With the help of some recommendations from friends, I bought a customized version of Dell XPS M1530. Though relatively a noob with laptops, I’ve heard mostly positive and favorable reviews about Dell laptops. Anyways, I’m already convinced that any laptop is perpetually better than one I have now!

This is going to be my portable work station when I move to KL.

And A Second Car? Hmm…

Yeah, a lot of my heavy expenses lately are motivated by my move to KL. And this is the biggest of them all – I need a car. VERY badly.

When I was in PJ/KL, I relied heavily on public transport. And it’s no secret that public transport in PJ/KL are horrible. This may surprise some of you, but the taxi and bus services in Johor Bahru are much, much better anytime than that of KL’s!

So yes, I need a car to go around.

I was contemplating between the Toyota Vios and the BMW E46 model. The Beemer, at first glance, appears to be a very tempting choice. I mean, who doesn’t want prestige and status?

I had to think with my head than with my ego though. For many logical reasons, getting a Toyota Vios is a smarter choice over the BMW. The Toyota Vios is fuel savvy, easier to maintain and the parts are affordable and easily replaceable.

The second hand beemer: RM100,000 for a 10 year-old car that’s expensive to maintain and consumes fuel like a German man on beer?

Hmm…

Not really wise spending on the BMW after making many considerations in spite of its high prestige value, since I also don’t foresee myself driving the same car for many years.

Plus, cars depreciate in value real easily – it’s 70% its price the moment I drive it off the parking lot – so it’s better to put more money into business and investment than on a liability that depreciates in value over the years.

So Toyota Vios it is!

Generous space in the boot - for sub woofers?

Side profile

Inside the car

The engine

Checking out the Vios

Haha, me!

Making sure the car’s in absolute good condition

Toyota Vios

Going out on a test drive

I won’t make the same financial mistake this time i.e. being in a hurry to pay up entirely for the car like I did with the Myvi! I’d rather use the money to invest plus as mentioned, I don’t foresee myself driving the same car for after another 3 to 5 years.

So yep, done deal. Getting this 3 year-old Toyota Vios. Will be mine in a week. 🙂 Letting my mom have the Myvi so she can drive around places in JB and do her shopping with ease.

UPDATE: 7th April

Custom suit and pants are done! Alright, this is exactly what I’m talking about… No more over-sized coats and pants! 🙂


Wait, a little bit of adjustments…

The complete tailor made suit and pants

Side Profile

The Back Profile

Vince, you can keep your suit. Thanks. 🙂