DiGi 4G LTE in KKcity : Got Already Bah!

"My current internet speed is way too fast."

 Said no one ever. 

DiGi Telecommunications (DiGi) has now launched 4G LTE services in Kota Kinabalu, enabling Sabahans to now enjoy a quality, high-speed and consistent internet experience with its brand-new network. 

*yay!* 

DiGi’s 4G LTE launch officiated by Y.Bhg Datuk Bruno Vun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology.

From L-R : Christian Thrane - DiGi’s Chief Marketing Officer, En. K Juslly -Director of SKMM Sabah and FT Labuan, Y.Bhg Datuk Bruno Vun- Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology,  Loh Keh Jiat -DiGi’s Chief Sales Officer, Prasanna Rao - DiGi’s Acting Head of Sabah Region. 

 DiGi CEO, Lars Norling also joined the launching event via live video call showcasing the consistent speed of 4G LTE.

Loh Keh Jiat, DiGi’s Chief Sales Officer said, “We are excited to bring 4G LTE services to a key market like Sabah, which has among the highest data users on our network. Our customers now enjoy a consistent internet experience of a minimum 1Mbps, 80% of the time on our brand-new network. 

The introduction of 4G LTE will strengthen this experience with more capacity and faster speeds. Customers will see the difference in faster HD video and music streaming, downloading apps and sharing on social media will almost be instant, and there is a difference when you connect your laptop with your smartphone hotspot.

“True to our mission to deliver Internet For All, we want as many people to enjoy what 4G LTE has to offer. Today, we are introducing a wide-range of LTE plans paired with the latest suite of LTE-enabled devices, both big and small screens, to fit different customer usage patterns.” 

DiGi’s Chief Marketing Officer Christian Thrane, Chief Sales Officer Loh Keh Jiat and staff visiting customers in conjunction with the launch.

The company plans to complete its LTE rollout for the year by strengthening its network in East Malaysia. By year-end, DiGi’s LTE population coverage in Kota Kinabalu will reach 84%, and will expand to Tawau and Labuan in Sabah, and Kuching and Miri in Sarawak.

“We will continue to progressively grow our LTE footprint in Sabah and nationwide, focusing on areas where we see a strong demand for LTE services and availability of devices, and where we can make a real difference,” said Loh.

Bloggers who attended the Official Launch of DiGi's 4G LTE in Suria Sabah

Seems like the future is already here, people! 

Enjoy DiGi's ever affordable phone and data packages, now with uber fast connection!  I mean, seriously, who else but DiGi can offer you a smart phone with LTE capabilities for less than RM200?! un-friggin-believable! 

Imagine never having to press pause for a Youtube video to load before watching it! 

TRIED AD TESTED! : it took less than 8 seconds for a full HD video of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off to completely download and buffer! 

I'm planning to get myself a new phone with LTE capabilities so i can video call my little sister in India and my best friend in Hong Kong without having any lagging response! 

For more information on DiGi’s 4G LTE offerings, please visit: www.digi.com.my.

Carlsberg Diamond Idol 2014

Carlsberg Diamond Idol 2014 (CDI) returns on its 4th edition this year, and will be looking to unearth more talented singers from Sabah and Sarawak. 

The popular talent search competition in East Malaysia 

proudly brought to you by Carlsberg – the most preferred beer brand in Malaysia.

According to Gary Tan, Carlsberg Malaysia Sales Director, CDI has generated lots of buzz since it started in 2011. The singing competition was aimed at discovering new talents and providing these budding young singers a platform to be heard and perform before a panel of internationally renowned professional judges. Taking an example on CDI 2012 champion, Esther Thian, she won the Astro Star Quest singing competition in 2013 and went on to compete in Million Star singing competition in Taiwan.

“We are once again proud to be presenting this and to use this as a platform to be closer to our consumers.” He added.

With Carlberg Brand Manager Kian Mei, blogger Dewina, me and Hayden! 

All photo credits to Tom - the author of www.rungitom.com

Carlsberg Diamond Idol 2014 launching was made at Kick Bistro & Fun Pub, Kota Kinabalu on July 23, 2014. CANT WAIT FOR THE AUDITIONS! :D 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS! 

This year the cash prizes for the competition are valued at more than RM30,000, including a cash prize of RM12,000 for the Grand Finale champion. There will be four auditions, to be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Miri and Kuching.

Participants are to perform two songs, either in English, Bahasa Melayu or any Chinese dialect. Only 12 participants from each audition will advance to compete at the respective area final.

The Top 3 of each area will advance for the Grand Finale , they will attend the Diamond Idol Camp at Kota Kinabalu for three days, where they will be involved in team building activities, dance lessons, practice sessions for theme songs as well as video shooting.

Professor Dr. Fred Chin will be leading the camp as motivational trainer, whilst Skyler Liew will be their dance instructor. The camp was first introduced in CDI 2012 with the aim of grooming and boosting confidence of the grand finalists through a series of workshops, and had received very good feedback.

Special panel of judges will be coming for the Grand Finale, comprising of singer/songwriter, Zchen, a local artiste who has gained fame in Taiwan and Hong Kong; Marsha Milan Londoh, the third runner-up of Akademi Fantasia Season 3, as well as singer/songwriter and music producer, Jonathan Tse.

Good luck! 

For more information
visit www.carlsbergdiamondidol.com.my 

or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CarlsbergDiamondIdol

Chibi-sized by Kendy! - Sabah's Comic Artist!

Happy Kaamatan! 

Hope you guys had loads of tapai and yummy yummy traditional foods (omg i love HINAVA!) 

So anyway, what is a more fun and easy way to tell others 

about the wonderful place we live in - Sabah?

How about doing it artsy fartsy style? 

Meet Kendy, the famous comic blogger (his real name is Kendrick) goes all out to feature Sabahan bloggers in his HELLO SABAH MONTH campaign which will run from 13th May 2014 - 15th June 2014. Awesome possum! 

Of course, not only bloggers will be featured! 

 Introducing a few (new?) places to travel,

 local foods to try and a lot about the diverse cultures that are co-existing harmoniously in Sabah!

Who is Kendy?

Well, he is comic blogger from Sabah! (Sipitang, to be exact)

Here is a funny story about how he started all this comic blogging thingy :

" It all began with a bunch doodle arts that I drew about myself and Natsuko (The Japanese doll). Normally I drew and gave it to my friends for fun. Seriously, I was never very good with expressing through spoken words. One day, I wanted to prepare a tiny surprise for the girl I like. Then I gathered the drawings and transform a normal diary blog to a comic blog just to impress her.

Sadly, I failed....but what happened to the comic blog I just created? Somehow it turns out to be interesting, a few of my friends started to like and share it at Facebook and Twitter! And I never stop drawing web comics since then....

It was actually my very first webcomic blog, a simple gift for the girl I like suddenly became a lot more than I had expected.....

Well, that's all for my crappy, boring story....it's time for some serious business! 

Hope you will love my comics! - Kendy "

Looks like me or not?
I swear i look almost Japanese here!
And i say, i look alot skinnier! hehe

You can read more about the feature and interview here! 

http://kendylife.blogspot.com/2014/06/Hello-Sabah-Month-Charlotte.html

So, be sure to check out his comics at #Kendylife!

You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and many more! 

Good news for Android users, you can download an app called Kendylife! 

Coral Flyer Now in Sabah!

Adrenaline junkies 

and all who love the good (and new) things in life! 

What's the latest attraction in 3 most famous islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu?

In case you aren't local, this 3 islands are mainly- Pulau Manukan, Pulau Sapi and Pulau Mamutik

Spanking new, guaranteed to excite and be the talk of your friends for days is 

the Coral Flyer , the world's longest island to island zipline! 

if you love figures, thats 250 meters of screaming fun!

The pro photographer on site took this pic minutes before he himself went on the ride!
Photo by the Borneo Frog 

Enjoy the breath-taking view of the lush jungles, white sandy beaches 

and crystal clear sea dotted with corals and fishes below as you zip down the super long zipline! 

Safety is ensured with professionally trained staff 

and a very strict (rightly so) boss who personally overlooks the operations everyday! 

Fellow blogger Hayden is prepped by professionals with top notch safety harnesses and helmet.
Photo credits to meitzeu.com 

Just for your information 

I'm a ...coward 

when it comes to activities that require me to risk my life or to jump off a certain height. In fact, I'm scared of almost everything a normal human may be afraid of. I'm scared of the dark, clowns, flying cockroaches(omg, especially that!) , con men, robbers, weird sounds at night, or... "Did i lock my car door? What if there is a man hiding in the boot? maybe they planted a bug in my car and they are gonna trail me home?!" 

Yes, I'm that much of a coward. 

But thank God nothing triggered my panic attacks at the Coral Zipline! 

My point is, i'm such a coward but i can still complete this Coral Zipline experience in one piece, so there is really NO excuse for any young or old to miss out on the fun of this amazing ride!

Friendly Sabahans calmed my nerves as i asked silly questions, the professionals double checked my harnesses and helmet making me feel really safe, chit chatted with me for a few minutes , and to my surprise, after chanting OMG for about a minute, i was able to walk off the platform that was perched on top of a cliff overlooking the beautiful sea unto my Coral Flyer experience! 

See the fatty on the left, yeah thats me but i was smiling and enjoying the view.
My partner Adele (blogger of meitzeu.com) was giggling the whole time. LOL

I'm not gonna lie. I was terrified 

but I knew sooner or later, i just had to do it. 

So, i distracted myself with the view and voluntarily walked off the platform. N

ow i understand why the others couldn't stop gushing about this! That few seconds of feeling absolutely weightless as you launch unto the zipline! 

EXHILARATING!

Photo credit to fellow blogger on site Beverly Tam 

Seconds later, i'm over the fear of falling over a cliff to my doom. 

I was enjoying myself!

Swinging my legs, showing off in my beach dress, enjoying the blue blue sea, 

and just thinking to myself : 

"I LOVE SABAH! So so beautiful! No where else i'd rather live!"   

Best part of the zipline is when I have crossed the sea between two islands and approaching the end. 

Dude, have you studied physics?

 I'm quite heavy, pretty sure by the time i was approaching the end of the zipline, 

I must have been travelling at about 60kmph?! 

Terrified at that thought, i started screaming towards the end of the zipline! 

But no worries, they had some kinda braking system to slow you down and eventually you can stop completely. So no worries on smacking on the other end in your pretty face!  *evil smirk* 

Adele and I at the end platform as the boys zip in with huge SMILES on their faces! 

A few pictures at the end platform, i took a short walk back through the jungle and found myself back on the relaxing beach of Pulau Sapi. Now where is my man for an afternoon swim and smooch? 

More pictures with lots of details, check out my facebook photo album! 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154158485210526.1073741830.704020525&type=1&l=df834dad42

Open daily 10am - 4pm, current price is RM50 per pax

More info at their Official Facebook Page : Coral Flyer FB Page 

Coral Flyer Official Website :  www.coralflyer.com 

Want a relaxing day out in the sun? Do it like how the celebrities do!
Hop on a private speed boat to super luxurious 5-Star Bunga Raya Resort!
All the info you need : Island Day Trip Fit For The Stars

Must Visit Places in Kelantan!

Pasar Siti Khadijah

Travel back in time when people still go to the market for their daily groceries in rickety trishaws, make kuih muih from scratch without preservatives and have time for intricate handicrafts for the entertainment of the entire family.

Wat Maisuwankhiri , aka. Dragon Boat Temple

Experience and witness the genuinely heartwarming nature of the Kelantan people 

as they live harmoniously with each other and those of different ethnics. 

Kelantan has been linked to ancient history documents from China, Khmer Empire, Sri Vijaya , Majapahit and Siam. And being direct neighbors to Thailand, the Kelantan people have absorbed the many Thai customs and traditions that help to make the state's culture distinct from those of other states of Malaysia. 

Have you met a local from Kelantan before? 

Listen carefully to their accent or dialect, its almost musical!

How do i know all this?

A million thank you's
 to
Air Asia and Tourism Malaysia Kelantan 

for inviting me to be a part of the inaugural flight to Kota Bharu!

Now let me show you what I have experienced in this truly unique destination.
Ready? :)

The first thing i did was to sit in a TRISHAW! I love the fact that almost all the trishaws are personally decorated by their owners and most of the trishaw drivers have been operating for more than 20 years!
I definitely felt safe and it was so FUN! Its like riding in a Tuk-tuk in Thailand or an Auto in India!

I swear I'm a really simple person, I was so happy sitting in the trishaw!
Definitely better than sightseeing from a car or a bus, in a trishaw i can view the town at a slower pace.

Okay, straight to the important part!




PLACES TO VISIT IN KOTA BHARU, KELANTAN
No stress for us checking out the Kota Bharu Tourism Zone via trishaw
as most of it is situated closely together.

Kota Bharu is like a history buff's treasure island! So,so much to discover!

The War Museum

An excellent place to learn about the World War 2 and its impact on Kelantan. Featuring collections of documents, pictures and military paraphernalia from the Japanese Occupation. 

Opening Hours : 8.30am - 4.45pm (Closed on Friday)

Admission Fee : RM1.00 (Malaysians) ; RM2.00 (non-Malaysians)

Islamic Museum

Once well known as Serambi Mekah or Veranda to Mecca , it now displays a small collection of photographs and artifacts relating to the history of Islam in the state.

Opening Hours : 8.30am - 4.45pm (Closed on Friday)

Admission Fee : RM1.00 (Malaysians) ; RM2.00 (non-Malaysians)

Museum of Royal Traditions and Customs/ Istana Jahar 

Be enthralled by the gradeur of the Royal Malay customs and traditions with their collection of royal engagements, weddings, births and other ceremonial occasions. 

Opening Hours : 8.30am - 4.45pm (Closed on Friday)

Admission Fee : RM1.00 (Malaysians) ; RM2.00 (non-Malaysians)

Craft Village and Museum 

Great place to begin or end your tour of Kota Bharu. Browse endless unique handicrafts ad souvenirs or eve watch cultural performances! Admission to the Craft Village is free, but not the entry to the museum. 

Opening Hours : 8.30am - 4.45pm (Closed on Friday)

Admission Fee : RM1.00 (Malaysians) ; RM2.00 (non-Malaysians)

Dragon Boat Temple
 also known as Wat Maisuwankhiri

Feeling so at peace immediately after stepping out of the bus and seeing this grand temple.
Look at the detailed sculptures, intricate designs and vibrantly colored!
Another interesting part of this temple is located behind the main building where a monk that is covered in gold is located. I didn't take a picture of it out of respect though, but it is good to visit and pay your respects there :)

Address: Kg. Bukit Tanah, 16200 Tumpat, Kelantan


Masjid Beijing

A mosque or a building from China? Its both!
This Beijing-inspired mosque was built not long ago and to symbolize the
tolerance between religions of the state! Way to go, Kelantan! *respect*

Address : Rantau Panjang, Kelantan




Cultural Centre
 ( Dikir Barat Show )

Pop over to the Cultural Centre to witness the real life performances by the Kelantan traditional artists.
As they sing and dance enthusiastically and passionately, you cant help but clap along or be mesmerized at their colorful costumes!

Location : Gelanggang Seni, Kota Bharu, Kelantan



Wayang Kulit Pak Daim, Tumpat

               

One of my favourite places that we visited - the Shadow play! Or locally known as Wayang Kulit !
Here, you can sign up for classes where the last few talented artisans teach you the real way of making these puppets used for the wayang kulit. A dying local art that i hope will somehow be preserved for our future generations to enjoy. During a wayang kulit performance, the master storyteller or 'Tok Dalang' conducts the show from behind the screen by reciting the tale with appropriate sounds and movements.

Address : Simpang 3 Morak, Kampung Paloh, Wakaf Bharu, 16040 Tumpat Kelantan
Tel : 6017-9778929
 http://www.wayangpakdain.com/



Kampung Laut 
( Serunding Cottage Industry )

I was hungry the entire time i was here. They spend hours cooking meat (fish, chicken and beef)
and then grinding it when its dry till it resembles meat floss.
Fragrant and oh-so-yummy meat floss/serunding is made here.
Check out their huge kuali for cooking and the machine that grindsand pull the meat slowly till it is floss.

Getting there is kinda tricky but, all the locals will help you get a boat to cross the river to Kampung Laut where a long row of houses are dedicated to the making of these yummy delicacy!

Location : Kampung Laut 


KB Permai Silverware

Kelantan is jam-packed with local art talents! Every single silver item here is handmade!
Behind their showroom is their workshop where you can custom order your silverwares and accessories.
Reasonably priced too!

Address : 5406-B & C Jalan Sultanah Zainab, Kota Bharu, Kelantan Darul Naim, 15050
Contact : +6097485661



Min House Camp

Owned and operated by a family, Min House Camp boasts more than just organic honey but also, FIREFLY SIGHTSEEING!

Brave it out by going at night unto their floating riverhouse as shown above, and into their motorboat
where they will take you along the eerie darkness of the river
and ....OMG! CHRISTMAS TREES!

 The riverbank is dusted with fairy lights! Nature's very own Christmas decoration!
Unfortunately, we all weren't able to capture the beauty on camera but, see it for yourself and you will realize that nothing is more beautiful than it being seen in real life instead of digital pictures.

Contact : Kak Yah 013 9225 440
http://www.minhomestay.com/


Che Minah Songket

  
The traditionally renowned songket and weaving company in Kelantan sells Songket, Batik and local handicrafts. Although famous and very much in-demand, they maintain their reasonable prices and was awarded Fair Price Shop Awards by the Ministry Of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affair.

So, go ballistic with shopping here with their value for money products, or you can go downstairs where really traditional songkets are slowly made by these elderly women. Proud of their skills that have been passed down for generations, these ladies showed off their weaving skills with their trusty wooden frame that suspends hundreds of cotton and silk threads for them to weave or hook!

Facebook : Cik Minah Songket & Batik 
Contact :  09-748 1616



Wau Maker 

One of the last few Master wau-makers, Pak Shafie has more than 30 years expertise. With utmost focus and precision, he carves pieces of colorful paper according to various designs, chooses only the best pieces of bamboo to make the frame of the giant kite. A process which can go on for months, Pak Shafie ensures each Wau is a work of art from the heart - a work of heart.

I'm so grateful that i was able to witness this dying art, I hope this inspires anyone
to not only witness it like me but if you are blessed with more time, learn this work of heart.

Location :  Kg Badang

More important information about Kelantan :-
Where to Stay?  and  What to eat?  

Find it all in my previous post! Click HERE : Experiencing Kelantan with Airasia