Cinemas Need Makeover Too

This morning, I attended a very interesting event. It was a makeover of the cinemas! I received the invitation from Integrated Public Relations to attend the MBO Cinemas The Spring Makeover event a few days ago but I was too busy to reply them until yesterday. Luckily I managed to make it to this interesting event as it was an eye opener, or ear opener to be more exact.

The registration of guests and media members started at around 10.30 a.m.

After registration, I took a chance to visit the newly refurbished box office and the concession stand. They all contain the elements of Sarawak, i.e., wood.

The newly added feature to MBO cinemas is the cinema café, Cafecito. The idea of having a cinema café is to provide a space for the patron to relax before and after a movie. There is also a plan to add a kids' playground inside the café so that the parents can enjoy a cuppa while their children have fun at the playground.

Before we entered the media screening, we were seated at the exclusive waiting lounge of the Premier Hall while enjoying a serving of the delicious MBO popcorns. I was glad to meet up with familiar faces in the blogging scene, e.g., Irene from Sweet Surrender.

We were all ushered to the Premier Hall seats at around 11.15 a.m. for an experience of the new sound system, the Auro 3D 11.1 with the widest screen in the entire Sarawak. The sound system has three layers of speakers and we were demonstrated with this feature that enhances the movie experience. we were also shown the trailers of upcoming movies that take full advantage of this new audio system.

After the screening to the media, there was a press conference by Ms. Mariam Yazmin El-Bacha, the Operations Director of MBO Cinemas. She mentioned that what drives MBO Cinemas to provide better movie experience is the competition from other cinema operators. It is not only good services that they are happy with, it is good movie experience that they are providing. She also mentioned that the latest addition of MBO Cinemas in Sarawak will be in Miri, which is expected to be in operation in the middle of year 2017.

The media brief was followed by the official launching with a series of entertainment including the lion dance, standing comedian Joanne Kam Poh Poh and street dancing. Joanne Kam was extremely hilarious with her PG-18 jokes about the Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves and Smart Tunnel. Everybody couldn't stop laughing at while she was speaking.

A group photo at the end of a launching ceremony is somewhat mandatory. All the VIPs were posed together with the entertainers.

Every media members who was present was presented a gift pack consisting movie vouchers and fridge magnets. You will definitely see me at MBO Cinemas in the upcoming weekends for free movies!

A Sleepless Night in Shibuya

My friend invited me for a day out on my birthday two Saturdays ago (14^th June) for my birthday bash, so we went to Shibuya, the most happening place in Tokyo in terms of shopping and entertainment.

Gals and ladies alike will flock to this Shibuya 109 building to check out the latest fashion for female.

As we were not into checking out the latest fashion, we went for our first movie show in Tokyo. I would say that the English movies in Japan are always behind the trend back in Malaysia. Can you imagine that "Indiana Jones IV" was just premiered on 21^st June?! So, we had to settle for a relatively old movie "Juno". Movie tickets are not cheap in Tokyo. They cost ¥1,800 each. However, there will be a special offer of ¥1,000-ticket on every first day of the month.

After the movie, we went to the forever-crowded Starbucks at the corner of the world's busiest pedestrian crossing.

There are a few million people crossing the roads at this junction everyday! No kidding! This can be witnessed clearly from the Starbucks' second floor seats facing the crossing.

Ready! Get set! Go!

To get ourselves ready for the sleepless night, we fed ourselves with steaks during dinner time. In Japan, you eat steak with rice.

At around 11:30 p.m., we were all set to party!

The area with all the clubs and bars is where most of the love hotels are as well. What is the purpose of using the room for 90 minutes? I leave it to your imagination.

At around 2:30 a.m., we were tired and hungry. So, we went to a Chinese ramen shop and i had this chasyo ramen as supper.

Since there was no train back at these odd hours, we killed our time at a cafe bar near the train station.

There were a few European gals partying, even at a cafe bar with many passersby!

The busiest pedestrian crossing became something like in any deserted town!

When we took the Yamanote Line train to Ikebukuro Station to catch a connecting train back, we only found out that the train would only depart 40 minutes later. So, we decided to sleep in the Yamanote Line train that looped round Tokyo without a terminal station. We went round Tokyo 2 times in the train in 2 hours before catching a connecting train back for proper sleep.

It was quite an awesome experience for me on the night life in Tokyo. This is what I call a city that never sleeps!

Jacky Cheung Singing for the Echo Session

How could we let Jacky leave so early, right? We shouted and roared until he came back out again!

Jacky sings his more contemporary love song, "Wo Zhen De Shou Shang Le" (我真的受傷了, I'm Hurt Indeed).

Another karaoke favourite, "Xin Ru Dao Ge" (心如刀割, Cuts Like a Knife) followed by "Qing Shu" (情書, Love Letter).

A very relevant song for the concert, "Ta Lai Ting Wo De Yan Chang Hui" (她來聽我的演唱會, She Comes to Listen to My Concert).

A gal kept on shouting "Lei Hoeng Laan! Lei Hoeng Laan!" So Jacky was obliged to perform "Lei Hoeng Laan" (李香蘭, Li Xiang Lan).

Well, even the best thing in life comes to an end, so we sang "Zhu Fu" (祝福, Blessing) together with Jacky to mark a beautiful ending of his "The Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour 07."

We'll have to wait till next time the Heavenly King descends to Malaysia again, but nobody knows when.

Jacky Cheung Singing Songs from His Musicals

This is a special segment of the Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour in Malaysia 07 in which Jacky sang the songs from his two musicals, Snow Wolf Lake (雪狼湖) and Perhaps, Love (如果愛).

It has come to the end of the concert, the finale with the song "Perhaps, Love" (如果愛). I love this song very much!

Jacky Cheung Singing His Classic Love Ballads

After the segment of singing other stars' classics, Jacky revert back to his own classic love ballads, which was another highlight moment of his perfect concert performance.

Everybody at the concert knows the lyrics of "Mui Tin Oi Nei Do Jat Se" (每天愛你多一些, Love You Even More Everyday) by heart.

This forever popular song in any karaoke, "Wen Bie" (吻別, Kissing Goodbye), is another monumental Mandarin love ballad of Jacky. Alright, lets listen to 30,000 people singing karaoke with Jacky!

Jacky Cheung Singing Other Stars' Classics

In one of the segments of the Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour in Malaysia 07, he sang three songs of other stars' classics. I enjoyed this segment very much and would like to share them with you all here. :)

Jacky sings Wakin Chou's (周華健) "Ming Tian Wo Yao Jia Gei Ni" (明天我要嫁給你, I Will Marry You Tomorrow).

I think Jacky's performance of this Stefanie Sun's (孫燕姿) "Tian Hei Hei," or in Hokkien, "Ti Oh Oh" (天黑黑, Cloudy Day), is better than the original singer. What do you think?

This is a song by the "Prince of Love Ballads" Jeff Chang's (張信哲) "Ai Ru Chao Shui" (愛如潮水, Love is Like a Tide). Jacky has controlled the singing of this song very well. I enjoyed it very very much.

Jacky Cheung Singing Lullabies Dedicated to His Wife and Daughters

In one of the segment of the Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour in Malaysia 07, Jacky dedicated all the songs to his family members.

The monumental album in year 2004, "Life is Like a Dream" that Jacky Cheung is most proud of, consists of all songs written by himself. There are two songs in this album that he dedicated to his wife and the eldest daughter.

This one was written for his wife Lo Mei Mei (羅美薇), "Gong Nei Zi" (講你知, To Let You Know).

As for this one, it was written for his seven-year old eldest daughter Cheung Jiu Wa (張瑤華), "Jiu Jiu" (瑤瑤, Precious and Pure).

Jacky confessed that he hasn't written anything for his two-year old youngest daughter Cheung Jiu Hyun (張瑤萱), so he just dedicated this song to her which is from his 2007 Mandarin album with the same name, "Zai Ni Shen Bian" (在你身邊, By Your Side).

Jacky Cheung Singing His Cantonese Classics

These were all taken and recorded during the Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour in Malaysia 07, on the 14^th of September, 2007. The concert was really mesmerising! The stage was so well built and the lighting was just splendid.

The LCD panel at the back of the stage just blinks like the spectrum analyzer found in some equalisers of a hi-fi.

Sometimes the LCD shows the close up shot of Jacky so that the poor us at the back row of the spectator stand could have a good look at him.

Alright, enough talking, lets listen to Jacky singing his forever green "Jiu Jyun Dik Ta" (遙遠的他, She's So Far Away).

Another all time classic "Zi Soeng Jat Saang Gan Nei Zau" (祇想一生跟你走, Wishing to Follow You All My Life).

A classic fast rythm song, "Ngo Long Cyun Syut" (餓狼傳說, Legend of a Hungry Wolf).

The Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour 07 – Prelude

With the tickets for the concert in our hands, we were all ready to roar at the concert!

The whole streets of Kuala Lumpur was just filled with the concert posters.

We thought that taking a ride on LRT (Light Rail Transit) was quite crowded and slow, but to our surprise, it was a fast and not so congested ride.

We were there at the Bukit Jalil Outdoor Stadium quite early at about 7:30 p.m. So Nee bought a fluorescent stick to help cheer on Jacky Cheung.

I felt like I've gained my childhood happiness with the fluorescent stick borrowed from Nee.

The stage looks the same for the world tour concerts elsewhere. It's show time, get ready for the explosion!

Here are two video trailers of the concert opening for you to experience the ambiance. :)

Our Arrival to Meet Jacky Cheung in K.L.

I've just been back yesterday from K.L. for "The Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour 2007" and "Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2007." I was struck with a very serious flu and was eventually sleeping for the whole day and whole night yesterday. I have to take sick leave after seeing a doctor today and the doctor gave me the strongest antibiotic as she said the flu during this season is a nuisance, so better kill it off as soon as possible. I feel much better now after taking the medicine, and therefore can sit in front of my PC to write this, in the midst of my sick leave, hehe! Oh, it's 4:45 p.m. now, so my sick leave has lapsed, huh!

Well, on 13/9/2007, I, Nee and Greg flew to K.L. from Kuching on MAS. We arrived K.L. at about 2:30 p.m.

All the three stooges were so happy that we would be meeting up our idol the next day [Greg should be discounted though].

I'm very happy and excited about having two friends accompanying me to the concert!

Then another closer look at my happy face, hehe!

Luck was on our side. We were given off season rate for the hotel, yeah!

And of course, we chose the I-Room with internet access. This is the view from the hotel room.

This is the reason for the internet access. Greg was mending his "Greg & Nee on the Go" blog [not "goblok"], haha!

How can I fall behind? So I started mending my "CK Go Places" blog too.

Greg & Nee have been to a steamboat restaurant before and they told me that it is very highly recommended, so we decided to go there for dinner.

Our couple friends picked us up at the hotel at around 7:00 p.m. and up we went on the hunt of good food! Why do they have to put the word Taiwan bigger than the name of the restaurant?

Dun play play! This restaurant has got some 'feng shui' pot!

Without much delay, we started ordering food from this gorgeous captain of the restaurant. Her Mandarin accent is definitely mainland China. Then Greg teased me that I should go to China to look for one like that, haha! Thanks Greg, I will consider that seriously!

We were served with some herbal drinks, as according to the restaurant owner, that it has a body cooling effect for the heaty steamboat.

This is the double-flavour pot with spicy and non-spicy stock.

The ultra-thin sliced pork fillet for us to dip inside the hot pot.

And some of the stuff were just thrown into the hot pot for thorough cooking.

I'll leave the food review to Nee on her blog as she's better at tearing the food apart, haha! I'll update you with the Jacky Cheung's concert later.