Given that tourism plays a big part in a nation's economy, it's no surprise that hotels all over Malaysia are constantly working to up their game and give travellers the best experience possible during their stay here, with great service and knowledge of their state.
A few weeks ago I got to meet with this year's Sabah Hospitality Ambassadors, chosen by the Sabah/Labuan chapter of Malaysia's Association of Hotels (MAH) during the 40th anniversary celebration at Le Meridien Hotel. They told me the objective of this competition is to select an industry employee who would present a positive image of tourism in Sabah - a warm and friendly personality who is not only passionate, but also committed to their career as a hotelier!
The winner, in this case Ms. Zetty Raudhah Crehan of Sutera Harbour Resorts, will represent Sabah for the MAH National Employee of the Year award, co-represent MAH Sabah at official Ministry of Tourism functions, and be a spokesperson at career inspiration and guidance talks held by MAH Sabah Chapter member hotels. It wasn't an easy task, winning the award; a total of 11 participants were judged on their personal appearance, presentation, personality, intelligence, and communication skills.
Zetty definitely has the experience and the charisma to represent Sabah. Starting out as a flight attendant with Malaysia Airlines, Zetty regaled stories of her adventures in the sky, and subsequently on sea when she was Cruise Director for luxury cruise ship SY Lili Marleen! Deciding it was time to return to solid ground, Zetty now heads Pacific Club at The Pacific Sutera, and I can personally confirm that hospitality is definitely her forte! Her favourite part of Sabah? Tuaran, because it's not too far from the city, yet offers beautiful beaches, gorgeous wetlands, and amazing food!
1st and 2nd runners-up Haeruddin bin Nordin and Mohd Fauzi bin Latip, from Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan and Gayana Eco Resort respectively, also make their passion known, especially when talking about their workplace: Haeruddin names two of his managers at Starwood Hotels and Resorts as his mentors and inspiration, while Fauzi has definitely made his rounds to gain experience in various hotels around Malaysia, since 2001! When asked where their favourtie place in Sabah was, Haeruddin says the cultural experience of the Sabahan cowboys in Kota Belud has his heart; Fauzi, spending most of his time on the sunny Pulau Gaya, where Gayana Eco Resort is situated, loves taking trips up to Kundasang to cool off!
I hope this yearly award will inspire those in the hospitality line to give their ultimate best, not only to be in the running to win next year's honour of being Sabah Hospitality Ambassador, but also to carry the name of our state's tourism above and beyond what we have achieved so far. Sabah is such a beautiful state, and those in the Tourism and Hospitality industry are front-liners to showcase our Sabahan pride!
Congratulations guys! =)
Til next time,
Calista xx
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| The Awards Ceremony |
The winner, in this case Ms. Zetty Raudhah Crehan of Sutera Harbour Resorts, will represent Sabah for the MAH National Employee of the Year award, co-represent MAH Sabah at official Ministry of Tourism functions, and be a spokesperson at career inspiration and guidance talks held by MAH Sabah Chapter member hotels. It wasn't an easy task, winning the award; a total of 11 participants were judged on their personal appearance, presentation, personality, intelligence, and communication skills.
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| L-R: Fauzy, Zetty and Haeruddin |
1st and 2nd runners-up Haeruddin bin Nordin and Mohd Fauzi bin Latip, from Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan and Gayana Eco Resort respectively, also make their passion known, especially when talking about their workplace: Haeruddin names two of his managers at Starwood Hotels and Resorts as his mentors and inspiration, while Fauzi has definitely made his rounds to gain experience in various hotels around Malaysia, since 2001! When asked where their favourtie place in Sabah was, Haeruddin says the cultural experience of the Sabahan cowboys in Kota Belud has his heart; Fauzi, spending most of his time on the sunny Pulau Gaya, where Gayana Eco Resort is situated, loves taking trips up to Kundasang to cool off!
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| Me with the top 3 Sabahan Hospitality Ambassadors! |
Congratulations guys! =)
Til next time,
Calista xx
Guess who just got back from KL!
... and yes I realise it hasnt been a month since I last left haha, but how could I resist coming down for a week when Air Asia was gracious enough to fly me down for the RED HOT party, and the new Tune Hotel's pyjama party? =D
Gotta thank the fabulous Ashman for literally creating a miracle and scouring every available option to get me a seat on 4 days of sold-out flights from KK - KL! (The website showed sold out flights from 28th - 31st May, probably because it was Kaamatan weekend) I was on the last physical seat too: 31F lol!
I got to spend a few hours with my brother before meeting Yukiko for the Air Asia Red Hot Taylor Swift Live in Malaysia Party at Sultan Lounge, Mandarin Oriental on the 30th. Was feeling a bit sad that I was missing out on the Kaamatan madness, but also excited for the week ahead, as I'm having an extended slumber party with Yuki - she invited me to crash at her place for my whole trip, and even bought a new bed for the guest room just for me!
We arrived late due to horrific traffic in KL, as did quite a few others I believe, including Bruneian food blogger Thanis Lim, whom you might remember from KK, his second home! =P Was great catching up in a different city for once, and he even brought me a homemade matcha waffle! *yum~*
Air Asia is the official sponsor for Taylor Swift's South East Asia leg of her RED tour, hence the Red Hot party in anticipation of Taylor's first Malaysian concert. Backstage passes were the main lucky draw prize, but as you can probably guess, I didnt win the coveted tickets (gutted I dont have tickets to her show - I can't believe it's happening NOW and I'm here typing! T.T)
Even so, I did have fun chatting with new and familiar faces throughout the night, and even got to suck at charades with Yuki, Don and Zana over drinks and Luk-Luk before going home! No prizes for guessing we woke up late the next morning...
Yuki's husband Nate had bought us yummy nasi lemak and soy milk for breakfast, and Yuki stared at me in disbelief for about 10 seconds when I told her I'd never tried soy milk before. I havent! I dont like milk, so I just generally don't pick soy milk up. Hahaha.. It was pretty good though!
I drove Yuki's Hyundai Tucson (Yuki, please remember your car model hahaha) up to KLIA 2, where the new Tune Hotel is situated.
We were impressed by the ample parking space right outside the hotel, while the fact that it's within walking distance from KLIA 2, and equipped with ramps and luggage trolleys, is definitely convenient for travellers.
It was both mine and Yuki's first time staying in one of the Tune Hotels, and we were pleasantly surprised with the comfort of the room! We spent a bit of time trying to decide what to wear for the pyjama party; hey, I dont wear pyjamas to bed! (Not ones I'd wanna be seen in public in anyway haha)
Also finally got to meet Sarawakian comic blogger Jian Goh aka Akiraceo, and Sabahan comic blogger Kendy in person (check out his blog on the 6th of June for a special feature on yours truly!) I could've sworn I took a photo with you Kendy.. Is it in your camera..? =P
... And I thought this was gonna be a short update. Oh well!
Til next time,
Calista xx
... and yes I realise it hasnt been a month since I last left haha, but how could I resist coming down for a week when Air Asia was gracious enough to fly me down for the RED HOT party, and the new Tune Hotel's pyjama party? =D
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| A quick snap with Ashman before leaving the Sultan Lounge |
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| Heaps of kisses for Yukiko!! |
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| Rocking out with Taylor! |
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| Taylor Swift inside and out on a special Air Asia Airbus A320! Why is she so pretty~ |
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| Look at all these lucky b*tches! Argh! (Yes, that is jealousy in my voice lol) |
Yuki's husband Nate had bought us yummy nasi lemak and soy milk for breakfast, and Yuki stared at me in disbelief for about 10 seconds when I told her I'd never tried soy milk before. I havent! I dont like milk, so I just generally don't pick soy milk up. Hahaha.. It was pretty good though!
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| A snap in Yuki's car before checking in - that's Thanis' matcha waffle in between us! |
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| Exterior and part of Tune Hotel KLIA 2's parking lot |
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| Love the facilities inside the hotel itself! Check in, keep updated with arrival/departure times, or just lounge in the.. spacious lounge! Bottom right pic is the courtyard area where the pyjama party was held. |
KLIA 2 is the new home of Malaysia's low-cost carriers,
Air Asia having moved there in early June.
The rumours are true: KLIA 2 is pretty huge.
From landing to parking, it took about 10 minutes of taxiing down the runway,
and walking through the arrival hall took about 20 mins before I reached baggage reclaim.
I planned to reach the airport early when I flew back to KK,
just in case I got lost/underestimated walking time from check-in to the departure gate etc.
Good news is that the KLIA Express now runs to KLIA 2 as well,
with no extra charge - still a flat rate of RM35 one way.
Thanis did a pretty good job of KLIA2 For Dummies, you can check out his post HERE!
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| Interior of the rooms |
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| I loved that everyone followed the theme! Except for.. Ana! I know you dont wear that for bed! Hahaha.. |
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| Giant Jenga! Hahaha.. I wasnt the one who made it fall, cz obviously I couldnt play after level 1 =/ |
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| Goodnight everyone! |
Calista xx
As we enter mid-year, I have to say May was a good month for me; it may very well be my favourite month for the first half of 2014! This was boosted by the fact that (if my Korn-referenced blog title hasnt given it away yet) I got to collaborate with Adidas Neo Malaysia for a blog shopping spree!
Armed with a RM1000 gift voucher, I marched into the 1 Borneo outlet, determined to walk out triumphantly with items that were not your everyday Calista - I mean, what better opportunity to change up my style right? Having gone in for a sneak peek a couple of weeks before the actual trip, I knew Adidas Neo was the lifestyle division of Adidas, so I wasn't expecting your normal sports bras/running shoes.
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| Adidas Neo, 1 Borneo Hypermall Photo credits Hayden Chan |
I had a great time going through racks of bold prints and bright colours, trying on so many different pairs of shoes, and having a laugh with the staff! Everyone is so friendly and helpful, and what could make a shopping spree more fun? Shopping with a friend of course! Ana must have been bored stiff while I umm'd and ahh'd over which pieces would make the cut, but she heroically stood by me while taking some awesome photos of my indecisiveness! =P
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| The sleeveless pink jackets, or the sheer-sleeved floral? |
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| Ready for anything! |
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| Bright red sneakers, or black with a dash of hot pink? HMMM... |
*Hint: My initial determination faltered a little; I guess one can't change one's style overnight! Lol
Til next time,
Calista xx
I think
most girls would agree that makeup is a way of life for many of us, whether
putting on a little lipstick for a day at work, winging out that liner for a
night out, or just experimenting with different looks.
Like
fashion, makeup trends come and go; which colours are in this season? Which
particular shade? Matte, or shimmer? The list goes on. One thing is for certain
though: 2014 is all about wearable makeup that gives you a healthy glow.
For
Lunasol’s 15th Anniversary, Kanebo introduced the Lunasol Sand
Spring 2014 Collection; a selection of nude, gold and natural shades, intent on
creating a fresh look that’s simple to create, and easy to take from day to
night.
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| With Vicky after my makeover |
In
conjunction with the anniversary celebration, I was invited to the Kanebo
counter in Metrojaya, Suria Sabah for a makeover with the new makeup line.
Vicky, KK’s very own Kanebo beauty consultant, told me that all Kanebo makeup
artists are trained to finish a look within 45mins, compared to some makeup
counters I’ve been to which take over an hour! =D
Arriving
with a bare face, Vicky wiped my face over briefly before applying makeup base.
The Lunasol Modeling Beige Skin contains SPF 30 PA++, so no extra sunblock is
required – extra points! Makeup base smoothes out uneven skin tones and fine
lines, and leaves the skin hydrated and glowing. I actually think its pretty ok
to even use on its own for a light & casual day out!
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| Clockwise: Lunasol Skin Modeling Liquid Foundation; Apply foundation to the inner parts of face and slowly blend outwards; Pat on loose powder then brush over with a flat brush; Lunasol Skin Contrast Face Powder |
The Skin
Modeling Liquid Foundation was the next step to make sure I had the perfect
skin before the rest of the colours were added on, followed by a light dusting
of loose powder– the painting can only be as good as the canvas right? =P
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| Clockwise: Eye makeup complete! Application of eyeshadow; Liquid Eyeliner; Line those water lines! Lenghty lashes. |
Vicky
successfully found my hiding cheekbones and highlighted them with Lunasol Sand
Natural Cheeks in EX 02 (Natural Orange). This blusher looks so pretty!
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| All the products that were used to complete my look! |
And voila! My finished look! Polished yet
light enough to continue lunch and shopping with my mom! =D
Want a
makeover? Drop by any Kanebo counter for a complimentary consultation by one of the
Kanebo professional beauty consultants!
Til next
time,
Calista
xx
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