Combined Concert by SJIIM and Selangor Symphony Youth Orchestra

Combined Concert by SJIIM and Selangor Symphony Youth Orchestra
Date: 2nd April (Saturday) 
Time: 4:30pm - 5:30pm.

We are delighted to invite you to attend a unique orchestral concert experience as St. Joseph's Institution International School Malaysia (SJIIM) combine with members of the Selangor Symphony Youth Orchestra under conductor Eugene Pook.

This concert is the culmination of a 4-day workshop to inspire SJIIM students with engaging ensemble activities which focus on ensemble playing techniques. All participants will have been coached by members of Selangor Symphony Orchestra as well as CCA coaches of the SJIIM in a series of rehearsals and sectionals.

Concert programme includes Always With Me (from Spirited Away), Canon in D, The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Impossible, You Raise Me Up, The Final Countdown, and many more!

Tickets can be reserved through the following link and RM40 will be collected at the door to be donated to purchasing musical instruments for RPX Boys Home. (RM20 concession (age below 16, under 18 with student ID, 60+). 
www.eventbrite.com/sjiim-and-selangor-symphony-youth-orchestra-tickets

My First Craft in 2020 - DIY Minnie Headband

So I have an event last Saturday, with the theme being "Mickey and Minnie". The theme was probably picked in conjunction with the Year of Rat this year. 🐭

Having never been to Disneyland before (one fine day I would be there!), I didn't have the Mickey or Minnie ears where you can get one at Disneyland. 

So for the past 2 weeks or so I searched Lazada to see if I were able to get one online. Well, most merchants offer delivery between 10-14 days but the event was less than 2 weeks away then! I certainly do not want to take the risk of late delivery. 

Sea Breeze Resort Sihanoukville - the Gem of Otres Beach 1

joohm-reap soo-a !

(it means 'hello' in Khmer language 😃)

I am just back yesterday from another trip to Cambodia with hb; this time to Sihanoukville. Many years ago, I heard that Sihanoukville was akin to Maldives paradise in South East Asia; however due to the many on-going constructions of multi-storey hotels in the city (time as per my trip), I am not so sure! I might talk more about this in next post but for now, I would love to just talk about the hotel that we stayed in; because I am so happy with this hotel and am so glad that I picked this hotel 😃

• Strategic location right across the beach
• Efficient and helpful reception
• Clean and comfortable room with complete amenities
• Delicious dinner and yummy breakfast
• Great pool and sunbathing

The Location – right across the beach at Otres Beach 1

After booking my flight ticket about a month ago, the next thing I did was to search for a lodging to stay in. Because Sihanoukville has a few beaches and each beach offers different characteristics, first I had to decide which beach I wanted to stay at. I finally decided to stay at Otres Beach 1 as the purpose of this trip was to just relax and laze around and thus I didn't want to surround myself with all the hustle-bustle of the busier beach.

Then the next thing was, to pick a hotel at Otres Beach 1 and gosh I took many, many days to finally settle on Sea Breeze Resort, after considering the location and price, and the pictures online and reviews from other guests. I was able to book a standard bungalow at USD103.66 for a 2-night stay, via the Agoda booking site. I admit I had some worries too because there were not so good reviews from some guests too but I thought, since both of us are not fussy generally, so it would work out great for us hopefully...and yes it was!!!!

Sea Breeze Resort is located just near the junction to Otres Beach 1 and boasts a total of 22 elegant and comfortable bungalows with free WiFi access throughout the property. It took about 30 minutes travel time (about 10km) from the Sihanouk International Airport to reach the resort by taxi (USD20). Had the road condition is better (because there are so many constructions going-on at the whole city), I think it would take less than 30 minutes to reach.

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra: Music from Anime

I was totally couldn't wait for yesterday night 😃😃😃

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) is presenting a concert; Music from Anime, that features the wonderful music from the most popular works from three iconic Japanese anime composers; Takashi Miki, Joe Hisaishi and Hiroshi Miyagawa; that span from 25 May to 27 May 2018, for 3 timing shows.

Source: MPO Facebook Page

Joe Hisaishi is no stranger to Studio Ghibli fans worldwide. Known for his musical versatility that fuses Japanese classical, Western classical, experimental electronic and minimalist, Joe Hisaishi has composed many of the Studio Ghibli animation soundtracks, including those from "Princess Mononoke", "My Neighbor Totoro", and the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away".

Having grown up with masterpiece films from Studio Ghibli and also been listening to the "Studio Ghibli 25 years Concert" conducted by Joe Hisaishi for countless of times on DVD and YouTube (omg you should totally listen to this concert! It is the most amazing and wonderful concert that I can listen to over and over again), I just couldn't let go the opportunity to listen to live orchestra music from Studio Ghibli! 🎶🎷🎹🎺🎻

Source: MPO Facebook Page

The fact that I only knew about this concert 3 days ago despite the tickets have been selling since last year has kind of made me feel upset and aggrieved. It was almost sold out for all sessions and left only some 'Premium' seats and limited number of 'A Reserve' seats. Luckily though, I was able to get an 'A Reserve' seat for the 25 May show, at concession rate for being a MAS Enrich member (15% discount!) 😅

Travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Driving A Car

Two years ago when my little brother had to travel to Singapore for a business and a few of us grabbed the chance to visit the country for fun, we decided to drive instead since driving would be more economical than flying for a group of 5. Having no experience of driving to the Little Red Dot (well, we travelled by road to Singapore before but that was like 30 years ago lol), we did a few internet searches and asked here and there of what we should know beforehand; yet nothing beats our personal experience. It's actually not as daunting as we thought; instead it was easier than what we have anticipated :D

Recently, we drove to Singapore again and my memory kinds of refreshed again of the 'process' to drive Singapore from Kuala Lumpur, which took about 4-hour journey. I think it's good to share my experience with all and hope it's a good guide to first-timer!

WHAT TO PREPARE BEFORE DRIVING INTO SINGAPORE?

Well-maintained Car

I definitely do not want my car to break down in the middle of highway or in Singapore; I'm sure you are too! So ensure your car is in roadworthy condition by sending your car to workshop for check and service, days before your departure day.

Touch n' Go with Sufficient Credit

Wherever you are travelling from West Malaysia, ensure your TnG has sufficient credit to pay the tolls (i.e. PLUS Highway) to reach Singapore AND back to your home location when you leave Singapore.

It's no fun to queue long at the top-up booth which would be wasting a lot of time. Not only the PLUS highway, there's also a short expressway within JB - Lebuhraya EDL that charges toll fee.