Daily Schedule

Morning Rise and Shine - eggs, swiss mushrooms and crispy bacon
the organic free range egg yolk was really staring at me :P
I'm not really a breakfast person, I know I know...chill people...I know that breakfast is the MOST IMPORTANT meal but....but....but...

sigh...
I'm not a breakfast person full stop. But I HAD to eat because it will be my only meal till 12 hours later. So I HAD to force food down my throat but the thing is I'm not trying to produce foie gras outta my liver.

sometimes I have Asian breakfast like instant noodle with lots of beans sprout *at the bottom* with cilantro at the top....wuahahaha I managed to buy beans sprout from the gourmet supermarket...yes beans sprout in Switzerland.

A cuppa of fresh kiwi fruit juice, cappucino, my fried eggs sprinkled with Japanese seaweed sprinkles to give my egg some savoury umami-ness...It's meant for rice but then on eggs was so so so yummy. Finally I needed some fiber so a single yellow plum

and sometimes when I needed more fiber, I'll prepare a large bowl of salad to go with my breakfast of more crispy bacon and eggs again sprinkled with umami japanese seaweed.

Preparing breakfast was easy and fast. I can't really cook so I'll just dump watever that I can find in the fridge, wat I FEEL like eating for the day and begin cooking...:P It takes about 10 minutes to prepare some edible breakfast....but EATING it was a major task...it took my 30 mins to down me breakfast.

SEE I told ya I'm not a breakfast person, it's so difficult to shove food down my throat. BUT I HAD TO EAT. 

and finally washing them was pretty easy peasy....just dump everything into the dishwasher after some brief rinsing and scrubbing. Then off I go to prepare for work.

Walking to work was again easy peasy....like 5 minutes? But I took 20 minutes or was it 30 minutes or longer??? BAHAHAHAHA. Coz there's too many pitstops. I'll tell u why in the next few pics.

First of all, it's such a feast to my eyes to have all these darlings greeting me GOOD MORNING MONKEY. PLEASE BUY US!!!!

All the beautiful pearls in outstanding size, lustre and color. A few months ago, I couldn't bring myself to purchase that gold pearl earrings at Mikimoto. Now that these are cheaper bcoz it's a trade show, perhaps I should.

My eyes were seeing double....it's actually the dual layer of security glasses
I rubbed my eyes again....60.06 carats huh? hmmmm in Fancy Intense Yellow...it's Ok lar bcoz it's not that yellow but 60 carats!!!!

Then there's my favourite and most expensive of the yellow diamonds - the FVY classification Fancy Vivid Yellow. Don't they make ur heart skips??? Mine almost popped outta my chest.

oh why hello there Beautiful.....I'll never be able to afford you but looking at you everyday every morning on my way to work somehow brighten up my day so so so much. Very MUCH!!!

So that's why I took 30 minutes to get to work...but I'll usually arrive by 8.30am and another busy day has started.....back to back non-stop. There's no weekends here. >.<

Bcoz I'm so in love with Yellow Diamonds, dearie Reezal decided to impress me with his custom made canary yellow suit. It only take a fashionista like him to carry this so well :)))

oh well no pics of me working, coz too busy, mind was so focussed, passion for work was so deep. I don't know how long can I do this afterall it was my 7th trade shows.  Each and every year, I'll say this will be my LAST....my last trade show...it will be MY LAST. And each year I came back -_-" 

Veal Sausage on a bed of sauerkraut - my one and only lunch throughout those 2 weeks. It was on the day before the trade show begins. Before the mad crazy period.

Thank you so much to media friends and friends of the industry who hand-carried lunches to my booth for me :)))) U guys are the sweetest. :)))) If any of you decided to lose some weight, this would be a great job for u. *wink*

This was me on the last working day....so eppy...looking up into the sky for the first time. Yeah coz I don't see daylight...every day once I'm done with work, the sun has already set and it's dark outside.

There's alwiz lights at the end of the tunnel isn't it? Hahahahaha...I call this square with a huge hole in the middle...the cupola of Horology Church.
Hallelujah my work are done!!! I don't have to see u anymore, at least for another 11.5 more months to go.

Foie Gras mousse with figs
I had my dinner everyday....outside...entertaining.....
sometimes it's good food...sometimes not so but most of the time it's really good.....I've been having a lot of hits and misses throughout the years and have bookmarked some restaurants and banned a few

and I've been to a few honest italian trattoria which served pretty authentic home-cooked italiano cuisine. Just simple fresh produce cooked by mom and pop

On certain nites, when I am not entertaining, Chris da Boss would insist that I go to his apartment for dinner with a few other guests. When u have home cooked food, u can't decline an invitation but jumped at it....hahahahaha

and his speciality is chinese - Toufu with minced pork

Monkey: "where the hell u got this piece of awesome toufu? Looking neat there."
Chris da Boss: "Asia Market!!!"
On another nite, he cooked Bak Kut Teh *Smacks forehead*
Monkey: "U made this Yu Tiao?????"
Chris da Boss: "Asia Market!!!!"

oh gawd...u can practically get everything these days around the world including Fried Yu Tiao!!!!

Stir Fried Kangkung with belacan.

Monkey: "Don't tell me u bought these kangkung at Asia Market!!!!"
Chris da Boss: "Yes!!! Asia Market!!!"

it must have cost a bomb but surprising not.....only CHF 1.50 = RM 5.80 per bunch
I think RM 5.80 for kangkung in Switzerland isn't expensive at all considering everything is so exp like a piece of sausage is already CHF 8.50 = RM 32.30

Chris da Boss: "Our dearie government asked us to eat kangkung, so I'm promoting it even in Switzerland"
-_-"

Prawns stir fried with lotsa garlic and dried chilis

Steamed chicken in chinese tong guai and wolfberries and red dates
Wow this dinner is tooooo much!!!! It's a luxury to have all these here in Switzerland!!!

When it's not dinner with clientele, the press/media/jourmalist or the bosses or chinese meal at Chris da Boss...it's more work-related dinners.. Here we were recee-ing a venue for future event. It's so beautiful and classic.

The Marketing Team were bz snapping pics as Owner of the place explained wat Hermes did here at their last event. The painting was original and this place is a few hundred years old. We couldn't helped it but Walt-ed around this room like Queens.

 the crazy mad loud fun Gals of the marketing team

I usually went home half sober...coz for there's another mad crazy busy day in a few hours. I gotta wake up at 6.00am again...for the routine repeats itself....cook breakfast, shove food down throat, go to work, work WORK WORK work, dinner and entertainment, drinks and parties and sleep~~~~~~

Can't afford to partay too late into the nite. I'm no longer 18 nor 22 years old. Very soon I am gonna hit 18 + 22. Hahahahaha. Right???

Dinner with Media Friends

 

The once a year affair saw us gathered together in a tiny lil city called Basel. Home of Roger Federer and nope we were not there for any tournaments but for the world's largest watch and jewelry fair.

Basel is notable for its art museums and theaters *which I never seem to find time to visit*
Switzerland's oldest univeristy is oso situated here. Not to mention all the big pharmaceutical companies are based here in Basel such as Roche

Monkey usually take time off to take dearie media friends out for dinner and drinks. It's alwiz comforting to be with someone that you know at a foreign place.

Because it ain't a holiday, there wasn't any SLR to snap any nice pics...all were compiled from various models of mobile phones from various people.

I was so eppy that all of them made it for the dinner and still managed to smile jovially. But most of all everyone had a lot a lot of fun

despite having jet lag....hahahaha poor Kenneth. Browsing through the pics, there was a missing someone...Princess Sophea.....

Group shot and we were still looking pretty sober with a mural of a man peek-a-boo-ing at the back. Princess Sophea was so tired here, he almost slept on the table.

All of us took the ever reliable convenient and fast tram to the restaurant and Rubin gave me a horror look
Rubin: "U should have prepared a limo for Princess Sophea. She ain't gonna take the tram."
Monkey -_-"
yeah my bad...next year I'll prepare a limo just for Princess Sophea kay?

guess we were the loudest table in that restaurant. Food was really good too :)
Princess Sophea: "My dear Rakyats!!! thank you so much for a wonderful nite...Beta is very happy tonite."
-_- yeah I had the loudest and funniest and most FUN ppl in my life ever. I am sure other markets were so envious of me. Kekekekeke.

Anyway it's really good to be back to Malaysia :))))

Monkey is away......in Moo-Moo-Land

This will be my 8th Baselworld trade show....the world's largest watch and jewelry fair....I am very very sure this year I won't see fei poh...and don't intend to bump into any royalties and politicians there...sigh...

and I don't want to explain so much about the missing plane to all my colleagues from around the world. Everyone has been goin through a lot especially the family members and friends....pleaseeeeee respect them.....

It's my first day out of 2 weeks here and I am already wishing that I'm back in Malaysia. Every year I said it will be my last it will be my last bcoz I m quitting.......and year after year I've returned. Maybe this is it!!!! this WILL be my last year :)))))

we'll see how it goes...
so might as well enjoy my 2 weeks here and say hi to all the black and white moo-moo cows.

if you would like to find out more about this humongous fair with lots of blings and amazing new creation in timepieces...log on here:
http://www.baselworld.com/en-US.aspx

Monkey is away........Switzerland.....

Disclaimer: All pics on this posting were taken from the world wide web

*sarang labah-labah sedunia*
coz I dun really have time to snap pics at all...
this is the time of the year where the cantonese phrase is often use
*wanna sh*t oso no time!!!!*



Monkey is away for a few weeks for the LARGEST WATCH & JEWELRY FAIR on EARTH
yes on earth...it's that BIG


consisting of 45,000 exhibitors *exhibitors alone...haven't include guests, media, buyers, watch collectors, celebrities etc*
from about 45 different countries
covering a total area of 160,000 sq metre
crazy~~~~~

this will be my 5th Baselworld
*wow it's been that long huh?*
really an honor to be here, though there's a lot of down time with so many issues
but over the years, I've learnt to suffer it through and focus on more positive things instead
and I am glad things alwiz turned out to be better than the previous years
well at least I'll try to make it better, in many aspects......

Baselworld was first incepted in 1917 under a different name
however this year it will be history coz it will be the very last year, the layout plan will remain like this
from next year onwards, all brands will be re-shuffled, the place will undergo a huge renovation that will take almost a year.
well hopefully by next year I'll still be with this company
never say never :))))

every morning during the fair, u'll see bunch of "penguins" dashing to the exhibition halls
all huge 6 exhibition halls
*our KL convention centre is nothing ok*


why penguins? hahaha coz everyone will be dressed in their black long coats
since the weather is still cold roughly around 5 degrees
walking unisonly in silence with a ciggie on one hand and a cup of coffee on the other
else they'll be pulling a luggage bag
it's a very common sight
*the luggage bit*
to store all your important documents for the 10 brands 10 meetings that u are having for the day, yes only for that day.

this will also be the time where all the brands will showcase their "weapon/invention" of the year
it is very stressful for me esp when the media was telling wat they saw at the other brands
it's like a competition of who can out-do who :P
and it's usually based on first impression


so for Marketeer like me...I really have to SELL the ideas/brand/product to the press and media on the very first sight
since there's more than 400 brands, u really have to SELL in order for them to WRITE about u
but I really lurve it :))))

some brands flew in their watchmakers for the exhibition
gone are the days, where watchmakers looked like santa claus
plump, heavy, with white hair


watchmaking is a very respected profession in the world
u need to undergo a minimum of 4 years programme
skills to be acquired 
passion at heart
and a technical know-how
plus, it's a lifelong career so everyone is dead serious about it

while some brands will fly in the latest technology in today's world
just to showcase their products in a different way
we have seen these type of technology at the fair before u see them on TV
:P
from 3D to cascading tiles presentation to hologram and intelligent lights with sensor
I look fwd to see wat's NEW this year :))))

while a few brands will fly in MEAN MACHINES like this Lamborghini
only if they have collaboration with a particular automobile
we have seen ferraris and Bugatti to vintage cars


Celebrities usually come and go as well
we have seen faces of Leonardo Dicaprio to Paris Hilton
not to mention politicians and royal family of Malaysia
*that DAMN USD 25 mil = RM 75 mil RING was first unveiled here in Baselworld 2011*


I still remembered last year, I taught my CEO how to "menjunjung duli" to HRH
he asked: "Can't I just shake his hands?"
>.<


however the single most event that I look forward to during this fair is meeting all my colleagues from around the world esp the Swiss Team :)))))


and bcoz Monkey will be away for weeks....
I'll prepare some schedule postings for you ppl to read
:))))


the only thing I hope won't happen again is this *click to read*
by if it does....I'll know wat to do.....look for my other Swiss colleague = Boon Boon who can speak all the Asian languages...well maybe except Arab *never know if he picked up a NEW language*


wish me luck for this fair :))))

Vault Magazine

Vault Magazine was launched in Spring 2011

the front cover of its first edition with a beautiful maroon red Vintage Mercedes tells it all

it's a magazine for very discerning ppl with exquisite things in LIFE

*Life is so so so short......so alwiz go for the best!!!!*

They did cover Baselworld 2011, the world largest watch fair

*the one Monkey attended year after year*

which not many publication can do by the month of May

so can u imagine the frantic deadlines in the world of Publication

well, not many ppl understand it until they are innit!!!!

everything is alwiz in a hurry...

esp when most magazines made me proof read the advertorials, descriptions of the product, colors and quality for the advertisement that we put in.

"When do I need to revert back to u?" says Monkey

the Editor on the other line: "We need them by TODAY"

when received a call to request product for a photoshoot

"when is the photoshoot?" asked Monkey

Stylist :"It's in 2 days time at this xxxxx at yyyy time."

yeah and we need to fly in the product to meet every important shoots...

to us every single publication is very important

and so after 5 years, Monkey kinda get used to working to their hours and deadlines

Vault's second issue

by the way it's a bi-monthly publication

Vault was incepted in Philippines and by far I cannot imagine any other magazines in Malaysia that came close to them

except those few publications in Singapore

the quality of its photography

well a pic speaks a thousand words don't they?

and most of all its content

the layout were tastefully done with well dissected section

from Luxury in Life to Men's fashion *oh it's a magazine targeted at men*

Watches and Jewelry

Automobiles

Travel

Gourmet Food and Fine Wines

but most of all Experiences and heritage for all of the above

the originality and craftmanship

sometimes readers wanna know about the experience of living such life

and also as a reference for those purveyors who are leading it

so bout 1.5 months, Monkey had a lovely surprise upon opening her inbox

an enquiry and request to use materials fr the blog

so here it goes :)))))

the famous Chateau Vougeot was on a FULL PAGE
freaking full page!!!!!

and more materials from our winery visit in France last year
photographer was of coz none other than our dearie Terry JS


wow we didn't expect 2 full freaking pages
it was followed by more write-up on the intricacy of fine wine making in Burgundy


wat a rare opportunity and experience to contribute to an international publication
:))))))))))))))))


Thank you Meds if u r reading this :)))
u just made our October!!!!! hahahahaha
nope...I think it was more than that :)))))


so this has prompted JS to be more determined in his photography
I guess in Life if u do things with passion, the results are truly amazing
just like drinking wines....u can't force urself to enjoy the type of wines that u dun like coz u won't appreciate it


:))))))
truly looking fwd to our trip 
and learning new things as we roam the Earth together
:))))))


Enjoy your Tuesday folks!!!

Look of the day - Day 1

well the only time u can wear leather gloves boots without looking like an idiot

definitely not in KL

*gawd the weather is so HOT i couldn't sleep well at nite*

I lurve my top :D that I got another one in black

kekekekekekekekekekeke

pic stolen fr my Taiwanese colleague
who took this with her iphone :D

it was the pre-basel meeting at Hilton hotel
with "delegates" from all over the world
kekekekekekekke
anyhow the best time to catchup with everyone coz we were still sober and fresh
before the fair starts :P

well stay tune for Look of Day 2

I am Back :-))

Hey peeps,


This monkey is back home in Malaysia,
so more reading materials for u all......


Switzerland has been.....errrr one word...
WARM!!!!


the day we arrived, it was 4 degrees and I was skipping happily on the street
and the next thing....the weather was creeping higher and faster than the stock market
T_T


by the time I left Switzerland,
it was 22 degrees!!!!!!
M.A.D.


No sight-seeing this round, coz remember....it was for work????
the most important part which I've enjoyed thoroughly was meeting up with the Swiss team
and also the worldwide team
the regional medias, press and buyers


how funny the beautiful ladies at the my concierge tend to pass every single guests who are fr Asia to me.....just bcoz I m multi lingual
could be fr China, Taiwan....well my mandarin can barely survive
Hongkie...well this was not a prob
sometimes Korean....just bcoz I can speak one word....only a word...KAMSAHAMIDA
Japanese....well I can do greetings in japanese :P
Thai....err I can only do 2 phrases in Thai
Indonesian...ahem this I can handle coz I speak a lot of malay. anyway this is under my market & surveillance
Indian...well this is under my care so no complaints
Singapore/Msia are also under my care


well the rest I can't really understand were guests fr:
Dubai......errrrr....well....do I say assalamualaikum to u?
middle east...I m so gonna kill the person who takes care of this market coz 80% of the middle eastern guests were directed to me and not this person.


Ladies at concierge: "CHERRY!!! I need your help coz they don't speak a word of anglais, sil vous plait??"
"non, non, non......wat makes u think i can speak their language??? GAH!!!!"


well this monkey spoke Italiano to order drinks for her guests bcoz the bartender is italian,
the security cum bouncer at the entrance was also an italian
french to her swiss colleagues
cantonese to her hongkie colleague
super broken can die mandarin to her taiwanese colleague
at the end of the day, I dunno wat am I speaking at all
*faints*


think I soooo have to attend mandarin classes that's for sure
it's a very important language huh


the other part I enjoyed was meeting the regional medias
it's really weird to catchup at a different place
at an unfamiliar territory 
dining at new places and we dun even know wat to eat looking at its German menu
*oh yes I CANNOT speak a word of German at all!!!! except "JA" which means yes

one thing for sure, we managed Swiss cheese fondue and the excellent German veal sausage
:))))))))))

Will post more about my 3rd Baselworld in Switzerland