Selberan's Ideal Diamond 10th Anniversary and unveiling of The Leia Collection

On 22 October 2015, I was invited to Malaysia's premier jeweler Selberan's Ideal Diamond 10th Anniversary celebration and the unveiling of their Leia Collection which was designed specially for the 10th Anniversary.

DJ Ira doing her thang whilst looking cool in an Eggie Azman original

The event was held at Selberan's Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Boutique. It was kept simple with free flow of drinks and canapes whilst DJ Ira put us all in to party mode. While awaiting the highlight of the event, a fashion and jewelry show, guests were encouraged to try on anything they liked that was on display.

A guest tries on a necklace of her choice

I was too busy snapping pictures and observing people to try on anything but a RM1,000,000 tiara =P 

An expensive tiara makes you feel like a princess or a rockstar or both

Whilst mingling I managed to say hi to the designer for the outfits that would complement the jewelry, Eggie Azman. According to Selberan, the reason they chose to collaborate with Eggie Azman was her knack for modern designs with an avant garde twist. Eggie Azman's brand DNA goes hand in hand with Selebran's brand where traditional design masterfully meet contemporary style.

Eggie Azman & Themodelmom

The following pictures are Themodelmom's picks from the jewelry show. Honestly, one must go to their boutique and check out the entire collection as there will be something to suit each taste.

Hana earing 

Right Hand: white & yellow gold Frida bracelet & Achive ring. Left Hand: Frida ring

Chantum pendant, earing & dimension ring

Inara Pendant, Achive Raya earing & ring

Elin earing & ring

Close up of Chantum earing

Rococo necklace with sapphire 

Close up of 3D Chantum ring & Chantum pendant

Onda bracelet & Onda ring with Selberan Supreme Diamond

Malaysian Supermodel Amber Chia and Themodelmom

The models with Chen Tien Yue, Executive Director of Royal Selangor & Eggie Azman

Here is a preview of the Leia Collection:

This daring and unrivaled Leia series is inspired by sculptural forms expressed in a variety of rings, pendants & earrings which show off sparkling, ideal cut diamonds in designs that are audacious and sophisticated.

The Leia solitaire ring is a dazzling masterpiece, set with a scintillating Selberan Diamond atop of a sculptural design. The Leia diamond rings are created with a love of bold and striking forms in mind, resulting in a jewel that leaves an impression on those who set their eyes upon it.

The Leia solitaire rings come in two versions – one is a more refined and delicate interpretation, while the other version is an assertive expression of the design.  Both have detailing on the shoulders which refer to one another in this family of jewels.

The elongated almond shape - striking in its length and accented by solitaire diamonds, make for elegant earrings. With their exaggerated size, these jewels are a call for attention.  Likewise, the Leia pendants are pieces that have a delightful balance of glamour and fun.

The diamonds in the pendant or earrings can be customised to sizes of one’s choice – either with petite & beautiful Selberan Diamonds to catch the light and sparkle, or dazzling carats that go as large as you dare.

The sensational and unabashed Leia series in 18k white gold is now available in all Selberan boutiques in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Suria KLCC, The Gardens Mid Valley City as well as the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Setapak where the administration offices are based.

Celebrity Fitness - 20th Club Launch with 20 Celebrities doing a 20 min Workout

3 November 2015, Celebrity Fitness proudly opened it's 20th club in Malaysia and this time in Quill City Mall. What better way to celebrate the opening then to invite 20 celebrities and media and challenge them in a 20 minute Celebrity Fast Fit workout?!

I need to tone up. My goal is Victoria Secret Model body hehe

I was very excited to get invited and at the same time a bit nervous. Nervous because I wasn't sure if I will make it through the challenge but I gave myself a pep talk and told my self that I'm gonna win it! Yes, I am!

Killer motivation

I set out early as hadn't been to this mall before. It was actually pretty easy to get to and located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's business district. I suppose it is very convenient for those who want to work out before and after office. There are also 'ladies parking' bays with guards constantly walking about, so although I reached early it did feel safe.

PT Area - Set Up and ready for the Fast Fit Challenge to begin

Once I reached the centre which is located on the 4th floor, I had to chill out for a bit while I waited for the others to arrive. I silently wished in my heart they would give me a prize for being early =p

I was then handed a white t-shirt with the hashtag #everydayIgetBETTER which somehow made me feel better already. As I sat there waiting eagerly, I watched the trainers setting up the Fast Fit stations for the challenge that included Dynamax Ball Burpee, the Kettlebell Swing, the classic RMT Squat among others.

Hooi Mei Sim on Bosu Lateral Plyo Jump

Once everyone arrived the highly qualified and experienced abang sado instructors and personal trainers were at hand to guide us. We got to try out, practice and ask questions about Fast Fit. I learned that Fast Fit is a full-body functional training workout that improves stamina, muscle strength and helps to tone. That means it makes sure you use every function that your body was designed to do. Meaning as a human you were designed to more that just walk or do jumping jacks right? So through this training you will work every muscle in your body.

Frederick Lee doing the RMT Squat

We then gathered back for the official launch by Celebrity Fitness Vice President, Ryan Cheal. “Celebrity Fitness constantly works to improve our quality of services, in line with our philosophy #everydayIgetBETTER,” said Ryan. “This year, we had the founder of ViPR, Michol Dalcourt and  MMA champion, Martjin de Jong visit us to share their fitness knowledge and expertise with our Celebrity Fitness trainers. November is also a month with much to rejoice as we are celebrating the 11^th anniversary of Celebrity Fitness’s first club in Malaysia at 1 Utama on 11 November as well as the anniversaries of three other clubs, Celebrity Fitness, Nu Sentral, Celebrity Fitness, Wangsa Walk and Celebrity Fitness, Endah Parade.”

The humble and friendly Amaris on ViPR Ice Skater

We were divided to 2 groups for the challenge and took turns to have a go at the stations. Before that we did a group warm up session. One of the trainers by the name of Ratnam gave me a very good analogy about warming up before a workout. He described the body like pasta, "cooked pasta is very flexible whilst uncooked pasta easily snaps," he said while holding out his hand in two fists and mimicking pasta snapping.

Vinodh and Yours Truly doing the Kettlebell Swing

Fast Fit is actually quite fun, especially if you have a short attention span and despise doing the same action over and over again for a long time. Through the Fast Fit workout, your body continues to burn fat even the day after! So running on the treadmill for hours on end is quite a waste of time if your goal is weight loss.

Themodelmom doing the Dynamax Ball Burpee. Honestly the reason why the instructor is doing it with me is because he was motivating me to do it as I really sucked at it haha

The challenge that was judged based on form, technique and performance was won by Hansen Lee who is no noob to fitness (he even has his own workout TV show) and blogger Elana Khong who really stood out among the girls and was better then some of the guys too! 

Hansen Lee, Challenge Winner - Male

Selfie with Female Challenge Winner - Elana Khong

If you are interested to try out this workout or get Celebrity treatment checkout the centre in Quill City Mall or log on to www.celebrityfitness.com or http://facebook.com/CelebrityFitnessMalaysia.

Since we all shed sweat and tears and completed the challenge, we are all winners! Yeay!

Ten Years Resturant - The Best Street Foods in Malaysia under One Roof

Ten Years Restaurant at Sri Petaling

Recently, I visited a restaurant named Ten Years. Ten Years is a family oriented restaurant that sells Top Rated Malaysian Hawker Food all in one place. You practically can't miss the Ten Years Restaurant on the street it is set up on in Sri Petaling. It is a corner lot shop with black walls and the name and logo stand out boldly in white.

Stylized street seating 

Retro styled seating - Suryanh found his comfy spot during the launch

My first question was "Why the name Ten Years? ". Apparently it is sometimes all in the name. You see.. usually a decade defines a sort of lifestyle which includes food, past times, trends, music, movies. For example, when we flashback to the 90's, 80's, 70's and so on we always get a certain sense of nostalgia. According to it's founders, Ten Years was created with the dream to preserve the Malaysian food culture by passing it on to the next generations.

Malaysia's best all in one table

They actually combed the whole of Malaysia in search of the best street food. Only the very best were chosen to be included in Ten Years' menu. The selection criteria includes loooooooooong queues and sold out food, historic figures popular in their states, endorsed by media or popular on social media. How it works is, the original recipe owners sell the recipe and initially coach the team to prepare their dishes. Kak Yati, recipe owner for Nasi Lemak 223 even adds a more personal touch by delivering her sambal straight to the restaurant!

Nasi Lemak 223 - if sweet spicy sambal is your thing you should definitely try this!

Nancy Kitchen Nyonya Laksa - the prawns were very succulent

Other dishes to tickle your taste buds and share with the family include Nasi Dagang Kak Pah from Terengganu, Prawn Mee Jalan Chong Fatt Sze from Penang, Shun Fa Restaurant Chicken Rice from Kuala Lumpur, Tiger Char Kuey Teow from Penang, Nancy Kitchen Nyonya Laksa from Melaka, Nasi Kuning Tawau from (you guessed it) Sabah, Rojak Kepong Baru from (yes, you guessed it again) Kepong. The best part is (or worse part for some), it is all Pork Free! That said, it is a suitable place to hold small business meetings.

Shun Fa Chicken Rice - Suryanh & mom's favourite! We recommend this!

Tiger Char Kuey Teow - Not bad for Pork/Lard Free

 Prawn Mee Jalan Chong Fatt Sze - this picture says it all

Nasi Kuning Tawau - the rice is not so starchy so you won't feel too stretched 

Rojak Kepong Baru - more on the salty side, not so spicy

The CEO Victor Bong has always had a passion for food and had this idea of bringing all the best street food in Malaysia under one roof. He traveled up, down, left and right to personally invite the Original Recipe owners to embark on this journey with him. He would wait in the shops till closing time just to speak to the owner. He was turned down many times but he would try and try again and finally got his team. His main worry was that many of the recipe owner's did not have someone to hand down their legacy to. Their children (if any) were chasing their own dreams. Being a foodie, Mr. Bong wanted to ensure that the generations that follow will always be able to taste these Top Rated cuisines. He adds that Ten Years is open to partnering with hawkers, or restaurant owners owning signature Malaysian recipes, to safeguard their recipes for future generations, as well as developing a financial model for a passive income, while franchise owners are supported by Ten Years’ strong marketing, branding and operation infrastructure.

Mr. Bong and Chef Arthur Lim with the Original Recipe Owners during the launch

I was also lucky enough to speak to their Executive Chef, Arthur Lim. I was wondering how they manage the kitchen with so many Top Rated foods and still maintain quality with so many people handling it. He agrees that it is not an easy task. Do you know why the street stall food tends to taste better? It is always the same guy making the same dish with the same ingredients continuously for years! Chef Arthur says the biggest challenge is trying to maintain the taste of the dishes while utilizing the same ingredients across a few dishes. If you think about it,it's really not business worthy to stock up different rice, different prawns etc. though he maintains that they do their best to preserve the original taste of their offerings.

Chef Arthur Lim, me and Mr. Bong

They have big plans! For the near future this includes 40 outlets by 2017 and in the not so far away future 500 restaurants all across Malaysia so even if you are sitting in Sabah and feel like having some Rojak from Kepong you just have to step in to a Ten Years Restaurant. Ten Years Restaurant aims to serve Malaysian street food to the world by expanding in other ASEAN countries and open 200 outlets in China alone.

Me and my date during the launch

My first visit was with my 3 year old son and this is what he liked:
1. The deco from various eras - he was very fascinated with the vinyl records and biscuits from our childhood. Unfortunately the biscuits were just for display.
2. The pot used as a door handle in the unisex toilet and the make up studio kind of mirror they had in there.
3. The different seating options. He finally settled for the comfy sofa type.

Me and my friend on a more relaxed day

Facilities:
1. Free WiFi
2. Projector & TV available on request
3. Ample parking surrounding the restaurant
4. Unisex toilet

Private Room that can be used for dining, parties or meetings

FYI, don't expect to go paying street food prices for obvious reasons (atmosphere, over head costs, pork free, your travel cost - it's like your favorite food has traveled to you!)

Check out the food yourself or make a reservation for private events:

Address: No 1, Jalan Radin Bagus 6, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 9054 9688

Website: www.tenyears.com.my

Ten Years - side view 

*Ten Years Restaurant
Ten Years Restaurant is wholly owned by Horsemen Group Sdn Bhd, and is established with the
vision of preserving Malaysian food recipes for the future generation. The new gastronomic
enterprise gathers the most famous cuisines from across cultures, states and traditions, and rebrands
them to cater to modern and diverse tastes. The restaurant also aspires to bring these iconic street
flavours onto the global stage