Communities in Need in the Klang Valley Turn to #AyamWithYou Community Pantries

While times are tough due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysians are pulling together to support communities with kindness and trust, giving old methods such as communal food pantries an innovative spin.

The #AyamWithYou Food Pantry initiative, by Ayam Brand™ and 13 charity homes nationwide is helping charities, empowering them to help surrounding communities that are in need.

For example in the Anjung Singgah homeless shelter in Jalan Lekiu is leading the way for surrounding communities by managing the #AyamWithYou pantry in this area.


“We were concerned for the well-being of some families here especially during Ramadan and for Raya. We don’t have much, but they had less. We have been part of the Ayam Brand™ Community Care campaign in the past. This year Ayam Brand™ again provided our organisation with two months’ supply of their products for our residents, and suggested the food pantry or gerobok rezeki as a solution for the community. They have provided a weatherproof pantry and a separate stock of products that we can bless the community with,” said Anjung Singgah Yayasan Kebajikan Negara, operations officer, Encik Amir Rudin Bin Abdul Rahman.


The weatherproof pantry is set up outside the shelter so that social distancing is observed. It is open to the public round-the-clock. Staff and residents update the community about the food pantry through community groups on social media and messaging apps, and they top up the Ayam Brand™ products daily.


“We sent out messages by WhatsApp and Facebook that the food pantry items are free for those who need, while those who want to contribute can add dry foods, snacks, stationery, cleaning products and other essential items. The residents relish the responsibility of managing the food pantry and keeping it well-stocked. They get to practice kindness and generosity,” Encik Amir Rudin said.


Response to the initiative has been overwhelming with the daily allocation of Ayam Brand™ products such as tuna, baked beans, processed peas, canned pineapples and coconut milk snapped up quickly, and other essentials being added, with strong support from the community.


“Surprises have turned up at the food pantry including fresh vegetables, dates, baby formula, diapers and Raya cookies! We can feel the #KitaJagaKita closeness. The #AyamWithYou food pantry project has made this Raya very special by building stronger bonds of kindness, trust and support in our community, allowing us to contribute actively well-being,” he added.

Through its long-running Corporate Social Responsibility programmes Ayam Brand™ has contributed more than 2 million healthy meals for charity, providing nutritious food to more than 21,800 people from 524 charity organisations and NGOs over the past 12 years.


This year the brand has supported Covid-19 front liners at Hospital Sungai Buloh, 13 charity homes, the #AyamWithYou food pantry initiative, and the Anjung Singgah Kuala Lumpur Homeless Transit centre, with plans to support more organisations and communities.


“Covid-19 drastically changed our plans for the 13th annual Ayam Brand™ Community Care Campaign, but we see the positive impact of the #AyamWithYou Food Pantry initiative. It changes the narrative for our charity home partners, from being recipients to being contributors and donors in their respective communities. The community here has embraced the food pantry concept of ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ creating a virtuous cycle that is sustaining the initiative” said Ayam Brand Malaysia’s Marketing Manager, Nathan Deverre.

Ayam Brand™ staff have helped spread the word on the food pantry so that more can benefit or contribute, and started the ball rolling by being among the first to contribute non-food items to the pantry.


“Starting with our families and friends we sent out a list of necessities for the pantry. Those who could dropped off essential items at the pantry. The community are so willing and eager to help. They have shared the location of the pantry with those in need as well. All of us can help within our means,” said an Ayam Brand™ team member who lives in the area.

The #AyamWithYou food pantry is located Anjung Singgah, Lot 28-32 Jalan Hang Lekiu, 50100 Kuala Lumpur and at Pertubuhan Kebajikan Kasih Nurul Hasanah No 1, Jalan Pimping Kanan, Ukay Heights 68000 Ampang Selangor.


Be part of the movement to receive or to give essentials.


Find out more about the #AyamWithYou food pantry initiative, visit https://www.ayambrand.com.my.

About Ayam Brand
Ayam Brand, a household name in Malaysia and Asia for 128 years, is famed for its wide range of quality and healthy canned food that are preservative free and contain no added MSG. Ayam Brand products are manufactured in state-of-the-art facilities that meet the highest international standards with worldwide-recognized certifications (HACCP, ISO 9001) and are certified ‘Halal’. Since 2013, Ayam Brand has been ranked in the Top 10 of Malaysia’s most chosen FMCG brands, according to the Kantar Worldpanel’s Brand Footprint Study.

A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AIMSMET GROUP & ICM, UK

AIMSMET GLOBAL under the AIMSMET GROUP collaborates with Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), United Kingdom launched the “Earn while you Learn” – Industry Sponsorship Program (ISP) towards Skills Apprenticeship Scheme for a Malaysia Skilled Future. The Program was endorsed by YB Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP). The Chairman of AIMSMET GROUP, Professor Dato’ Dr Jayles Yeoh, the CEO of Institute Commercial Management, Mr. Adair Ford and the CEO of AIMSMET Lifestyle Service, Ms Alice Hoang paid a courtesy visit to the Minister’s office and the endorsement was sealed by the signing of plaque by the Minister and the CEO of ICM, UK. The ultimate goal isto draw young Malaysians, regardless of their starting points, into jobs and sectors that are growing, and equip them with the right skills and experience under the right ICM program for careers in these areas.

In recent months, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad addressed that the government
will press priority on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) under the Shared
Prosperity Vision in efforts to increase the people’s employment through skilled competency.
Dr Mahathir mentioned that TVET played an important role in improving the skills of workers
and that training must be made a precedency. The Shared Prosperity Vision will encompass
the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans, spanning 10 years from 2021 to 2031. Thus, the launching
of the ISP for Skills Apprenticeship Scheme with AIMSMET LIFESTYLE SERVICE as the pioneer
is a timely program that is poised to champion the government’s vision in reducing the
unemployment rate in Malaysia and enhancing the skilled competency among the youths for
a digital economy.

The Critical Skills Monitoring Committee (CSC) identified that two of the critical jobs-lacking
in its work force are the service and sales workers. Among the reasons are lack of fluency in
English, communications skill, customer service skill and the ability to multi-task. Hence the
retail sector, mainly the Food & Beverage areas, requires immediate solutions to engage and
train local Malaysian, especially school leavers, to fill these gaps.

Since the initial introduction of the Industry Sponsorship Program in September 2017 and the
recruiting partnership with ACT Hubs Sdn Bhd in 2018, AIMSMET have over 30 industries
ranging from Food & Beverage to Digital Economy to Client Services such as Starbucks Coffee
Company, McDonald’s (Gerbang Alaf Restaurants), Marrybrown, Only World Group (OWG),

Watsons and many more sponsoring more than 80 school leavers and graduates in the ICM
programs. Through this movement, the skills, passion and contributions of every individual
will drive each organization’s next phase of human capital development towards an advanced
mastery of skills and lifelong learning.

During the meeting, YB Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail, Minister of Domestic Trade
and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), said, “In order for Malaysia to become a developed nation,
the Malaysian human capital needs to be further developed with programs such as AIMSMET’s Industry Sponsorship Program. As the government, we are committed to reduce the disparities of income for those living in the rural areas. We have applied the spirit of shared prosperity in the 2020 Budget and have prioritized sectors such as TVET and skills training. While Malaysia has made great strides in human capital development since independence, we cannot afford to sit on our laurels as we still have much to do before achieving our goal of being a knowledge economy that is competitive on a global scale.”

In conjunction with the endorsement of the “Earn while you Learn” – Industry Sponsorship
Program, a panel discussion was held on the topic, “A Paradigm Shift in Education & Training
– Skilled Apprenticeship Model”. 0ver 200 university students, educationists and industry
players were present to gain knowledge and industry insights. Among the panelists were
Dato’ ’Sri Michael Kang, President of SME Malaysia, Datuk Dr Chef Wan, Celebrity Chef, Datin
Winnie Loo, Founder of ‘A Cut Above’, Dr Janson Ang, Founder of The Giving Bank
Organization and Mr. Adair Ford, CEO of Institute of Commercial Management, UK while Prof.
Dato ’Dr Jayles Yeoh, Chairman of AIMSMET Group was the moderator.

Speech by Prof. Dato ’Dr Jayles Yeoh, Chairman of AIMSMET Group

According to Prof. Dato ’Dr Jayles Yeoh, Chairman of AIMSMET Group, “The aim of this
Industry Sponsorship Program is to bridge the gap and speed up the pace in producing
knowledge workers through the private sector. AIMSMET is ambitiously looking to
revolutionize the academic thinking by introducing real life education to ensure no misfits to
the relevant industries. With continuous support from the government and private sector,
the ambition to make Malaysia as the global leader in providing High Quality Knowledge
Worker for various industries is realized. Ultimately we hope to see positive spin off for the
economy as we are able to provide skilled knowledge workers for Foreign Direct Investments
(FDI) into the country.”

Also present at the event was Miss Tiffany Lim, Founder of ACT Hubs, who works closely with
AIMSMET to connect with Industry Partners and to recruit school leavers for the program.
Both AIMSMET & ACT presented a cheque of RM20,000 to support Yayasan Food Bank
Malaysia at the event. Present to receive the cheque was Mr. Abdul Wahab Long, CEO of Food
Bank Malaysia.

About AIMSMET Lifestyle Service
AIMSMET LIFESTYLE SERVICE is established with the aspiration to be one of the most popular
Skilled Apprenticeship Centers of the ICM, UK - the industry-based British qualification
programsthat AIMSMET Group is providing to Malaysian learnerssince itsinitialstart in 2017.
Starting with the Food & Beverage industry, branded as Vietdekat, AIMSMET LIFESTYLE
SERVICE focuses on providing real hands-on experience to complement the conventional
textbook theories in Business Studies and Hospitality Management. At AIMSMET LIFESTYLE
SERVICE, not only the learners are equipped with F&B skills but also nurtured and encouraged
to explore other potentials the students might have not seen for themselves in other related
industries so that when they complete the one-year of the Industry Sponsorship Program,
they can see a clearer future and pursue it further.

About Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), UK
Established as a charity for global outreach in 1979, the Institute of Commercial Management
(ICM) is the leading professional body for commercial and business development staff. ICM
provides a wide range of professional qualifications in business, management and related
vocational areas. Our programs are designed to address and respond to the training needs as
well as the personal development of learners, whether entering or continuing to work within
the wide and varied commercial sector. ICM exhibits best practice in responding to the
academic and vocational needs of learners by regular liaison and structured feedback
mechanisms, thereby ensuring that we stay in touch with the needs of Centers and learners.
We strive to implement rigor in the award of credit, inclusive in assessment and examination,
accuracy and efficiency in the certification of all our learners undertaking business,
management and related vocational education programs.

Juggling life of mom of two boys and blogging

It's been quite sometimes since I blog about my juggling life as a mom of two boys. Busy in and out of the home to fetch my children from school and also for tuition centers. It's not easy tasks as there's no replacement which time is consumed and immediate action needed for example. Right after school to send to tuition so in the car, he has to eat and changed before going to tuition class. How many transporter or rider would you think that will do this? I don't think there's any especially there's need to change of uniform in car.

There's need of homework guidance and teaching them on study and tough questions to answer on Sean's paperwork. Though I have paid the tuition center to let him to learn but then the tuition center given the papers to him which he is not sure of how to answer, so I need to help him out to answer and also asking him to read and think. It's no longer UPSR but PPSR examination. Chinese papers are not easy and it's even tougher for me as I am not good with Mandarin.

If there's invitation for family events or single invite to events, I would need to think twice or triple about it as I need to consider my children's first. Whether the timing and venue are suitable for me to attend or not and whether I have time for my children or not. It's not easy so most of the time, I would let go the chances.

Sometimes the venue and time are suitable for me, consider it some me time that I can get away for a while before fetching them. Well, never forget mom duties of course and also doing what I love. I am happy that some brands are willing to send me their products for review knowing that I have busy parenting schedule.  I got invited for media trip as well but I got to let it go as I need to fetch my children, both of them now in Standard 1 and Standard 6, important stage of education in Primary School. I always advice/encourage them to read more, write more and speak more in languages. It's always easy to say than doing it.

Besides blogging and social media, I have also started Youtube, you can check out my latest video. Feel free to subscribe to my video.  There's lot to learn in editing and it's a handful of challenge in life, so just doing what I enjoy til I am bored and lose interest of it. In mean time I love what I am doing and keeping it up when I have the time.

How about you?

November blues

Beautiful sunset at Amverton Cove Gold Island Resort

It's November and it's Thursday, evening and raining here. Just sharing with you last month we went for a short vacation at Amverton Cove Golf Island Resort. Feel free to read the post, as you can find not just kids activities there. There's other activities for adults and also for golfers, do visit their Facebook to find out.

Today supposed to be a media trip that I can follow to go for Lost World of Tambun but not able to make it as it's an important day today to meet with teachers on son's education. Not just today the last media invitation also been rejected as it clashed with children's report card day. Last media invitation was to Legoland Malaysia.

The 28 October Friday, was an unlucky day for me, I have got a car accident. The 4 wheels truck hit the Toyota Vios and Toyota Vios hits my car. I was on the way to fetch my youngest son from kindergarten. I didn't make it to fetch him, I called sister-in-law about this and lucky that niece was at home she can help to fetch my son. My parents in law were here too, it's also the day they went back to hometown together with niece. At the moments, my car is not repair yet, the police report is RM34 and it showed that the driver's fault is the 4 wheels truck.

Next year gonna be a busy year for me and the kids as son will be Standard Six and youngest son is Standard One in Primary School. Besides busy he is busy tuition at school, he is also tuition outside. Got to balance the life of education having entertainment and also exercise for healthy living. No doubt I got to spend time for myself too, got to see how and make arrangement for it, perhaps pampering time, etc. I didn't have a transporter for my children as it is calculate by per person the payment for a way, both ways will be different payment and not yet include the outside tuition location to send. Now you know why there's a lot of calculation to do.

Few years back I followed the media trip as my dear's working nearer to home and able to fetch sons. But he's further away now and unable to help me to fetch them if I go, there's rider available now which I can pay if there's places I need to go. But then I need to consider about the children first like there's tuition or not and the time is suitable or not. There's lot to consider as a mom, not just parenting but also lifestyle of children.

By the way, anyone has got a good car workshop in Subang Jaya to recommend? 

Heathy breakfast recipe Brands Innershine Berry Essence

Busy day for me this week, I have got no time for breakfast sometimes. But glad that I have this simple recipes to share with you. Don't forget no matter how busy we are we need to eat breakfast, breakfast is king. We can just drink the Brands just like every morning, sometimes we can use it for cooking too. I didn't want to cook anything so just make this simple breakfast.

ingredients
1 bottle Brands Innershine Berry Essence
1 cup full cream milk
3 tablespoon of granola oats (cranberry and pumpkin seeds)
Some raisins

directions
put clean bowl on table pour in milk,
put granola oats as above and raisins then 1 bottle of Brands Innershine Berry Essence 

and stir well then ready to eat.

.

SUNPLAY SKIN AQUA UV MILD GEL SPF30 PA+++

Good day to everyone, it's going to be a busy week for me. I was told that son has got school's tuition for a week. He's also having tuition outside of school. Being a mom, I am in and out of the house often and I know important of taking care of my skin.

Vehicle emissions, smoke and dust are all pollutants that we are exposed to daily. With our skin being the outermost barrier, it is damaged-prone with constant exposure to pollutants and UV. Pollutants have minute particles that are tiny enough to penetrate the skin resulting in various skin problems that include premature aging, wrinkles, pigmentation and dullness. In addition to the effects of pullutants, excessive exposure to the UV rays can worsen skin conditions and accelerate premature aging.

One way of protecting our skin from harmful pollutants and UV rays is by applying sunscreen that has an anti-pollutant function. Developed to address skin problems caused by polutants and UV rays, the Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Mild Gel SPF30 PA +++ is here to protect your skin against environmental pollution including PM2.5 particles (PM2.5 are fine particle pollutants which are potentially harmful. They cling to the skin and become lodged in the pores which could penetrate into the epidermis layers. An extended to PM2.5 can cause various health problems including inflammatory skin conditions such as rashes and itching).

The Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Mild Gel is formulated with three moisturising ingredients i.e. hyalluronic acid, amino acids and a collagen blend that functions to keep the skin moisturised and prevents it from premature aging. The Skin Aqua Mild Gel is free from fragrance, colorants, alcohol and mineral oil. It is gentle on the skin and suitable for those with sensitive skin.

I like it as I tried it and it has a super light and watery texture that makes it comfortable for everyday use. It is suitable to use both face and body, it also comes with SPF30 PA +++, offering a broad spectrum of protection against UV rays. I like this as this product is not only use on face but also on body.

We can start protecting our skin from air pollutants and UV rays today with Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Mid Gel SPF30 PA +++ 110gm which is available exclusively at all Watsons Stores nationwide at RM40. It can be a great gift ideas for loved ones too. Easy for travel use and can keep in bag or backpack It's suitable for busy lifestyle people who are always on the go.

BRAND'S Feed Your #MINDANDBODY Media Launch

FEED THE MIND AND BODY RIGHT FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE AND GENERAL WELL-BEING

“You are what you eat” is a commonly used phrase by parents and nutritionists as the food one eats has a bearing on one’s state of mental, emotional and physical health, which directly impacts your overall well-being.


Getting the fundamentals of human nutrition right can ensure that you have the mental focus and concentration for improved productivity, helps you cope with stress better, and gives your body the energy to carry you through the day’s activities.

 

However, providing our mind and body with the right nutrition is often neglected because of hectic lifestyles that determine when or what we eat, rather than what we need.


Therefore, leading health food supplement brand, BRAND’S® is reminding Malaysians to feed their mind and body to ensure that they are living life to their fullest potential by always performing at their best regardless of age.

 

“Eating right to ensure the mind and body performs at its optimum level needs to be a lifelong habit where conscious effort is made to incorporate a good diet and nutrition regardless of age whether you are a young student, working professional, busy mother or enjoying your golden years,” said consultant dietitian and founder of her own nutrition clinic Indra Balaratnam at the BRAND’S® “Feed Your Mind And Body” panel discussion today.


The nutritionist emphasized that consuming the right food, following a balanced diet and getting proper rest not only gives you energy and mental clarity but also puts you in the right emotional frame of mind to help manage stress better.

Joining Indra at the panel discussion moderated by host Adrian Seet was the multi-talented
Cheryl Lee – 988 FM radio host, actress, singer and lyricist – and top students,
18-year old Yang Chong Sheng and Lee Zhi Xuan who both sat for their SPM examinations last year.


“While I do enjoy my work and taking on new projects, sometimes when my schedule becomes too hectic, it leaves me feeling stressed and tired. I know that it is important to nourish the body so that I don’t feel fatigued and am able to keep going through the long hours,” shared Lee.




Meanwhile, students Yang and Lee acknowledged that a healthy mind and body, combined with a positive attitude lets them perform at their best on a daily basis to achieve great heights in both their studies and extra-curricular activities.


Both are recipients of the BRAND’S® SMART Achievers Awards, an annual programme that recognises the outstanding performance of students who excel in both their studies and co-curricular activities. They are part of a group of 24 students who were rewarded with cash prizes for excelling in their PT3, SPM, STPM and university examinations last year.


Neuroscientist Dr. Jack Wong Jin Lin, who is also a senior scientist at BRAND’S® Suntory International, shared the science behind the iconic green capped bottle of chicken essence and explained how it reduces physical tiredness, improves mental concentration and maintains
emotional well-being.


“Increased blood circulation and oxygen flow to the brain and body keeps mental and physical fatigue away, while reducing anxiety and stress hormone, cortisol, so that the ability to stay alert or focus is not affected,” said Dr. Jack Wong.

“BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken is a natural food supplement with no added salt and is cholesterol and fat free, making it suitable for daily consumption to help fuel the mind and body,” added Dr. Wong.


A trusted name with a heritage of over 180 years that continues to improve over time through R&D, BRAND’S® Essence Of Chicken is the only chicken essence in the market backed by over 40 international scientific papers and clinical studies. Results have shown that regular consumption improves memory by up to 15% and enhances concentration by 22%, while metabolism can be increased by up to 16%.


As part of the BRAND’S® “Feed Your Mind And Body” awareness initiative, BRAND’S® has committed to nourish the minds and bodies of Malaysians nationwide with the distribution of
100,000 bottles of BRAND’S® Essence Of Chicken.


Running from July until the end of August, the sampling team will visit high traffic locations including LRT stations, office buildings, shopping malls, universities and toll plazas.

Raya shopping where to go

 It's Friday, friends heading back to hometown/Kampung. Sean's exclassmate's friend has return to Ipoh and there's no jam this afternoon. Today been a busy morning for me, Sean has no school but he has tuition at 9am to 10.30am. So first to drop his brother at kindergarten before sending him to tuition. After picked him up for tuition then we head to Sunway Pyramid for purchase movie tickets of Transformers the last knight.

By the way, if you are still on Raya shopping you can visit the blog link, there's still time for last minute shopping, I done a blog post you can see some of the photos of the clothing by visit the blog link.

 Loving to braid my hairstyle, I have diy braided my hair. I tried a few styles and satisfied with this style.Not forgetting to care for my skin as few weeks not really having a good pamper time for my skin. Finally using the Innisfree super volcanic pore clay mask in the afternoon. Good 15 minutes of masking leaving my skin feeling good after washing away the mask.

That's not all there's mission for us for this Raya, to shop for shoes as my sandals has break. Even my dear need to shop for working shoes. Just the other day we bought sandal for Sean.

4 No-Brainer Ways to Survive Your First Year of College

No-brainer means common sense things that you really shouldn’t have to think about. However, sometimes, when life is a bit too hectic, you forget to stop and think. This article, for all college beginners, details 4 no-brainer ways to survive your first year of college.

Learn to Cook for Yourself 
Cooking for yourself is a big part of being a responsible, independent adult. To survive, you need to learn how to do for yourself, but most college students have a reputation for living off of ramen noodles and cheap microwave dinners. Crockpot meals and single pot dinners are big hits with cook-for-yourself college students. You can grab inexpensive ingredients, throw them together in a soup, chili, or stew, and eat well for a week on what you’ve made. No mess, no fuss.

Stash Cash for a Rainy Day 
College students with loans commonly get a leftover amount in a check at the end of their school year. However, instead of spending that cash on nonsense that you don’t need, stash your cash for a rainy day. Not literally, but a time when you really need it. You never know when an extra hundred bucks will come in handy. You should also look into getting a part-time job to pay for school and everyday expenses.

Refurbished or Secondhand is Best 
The allure of brand new electronics is a powerful one, but resist if you can. Instead of grabbing thousands of dollars of new high-tech gadgets, go with a refurbished Panasonic Toughbook. Or, shop secondhand for gently used electronics for your schoolwork. These tech gadgets still work perfectly, and a cosmetic scratch or two is easily covered with your favorite decals or custom stickers.

Stay Away from Obviously Bad Influences 
In some ways, your first year of college can resemble high school, with cliques and possible conflicts around every corner. However, you can survive the first year of peer pressures and ridiculous behaviors by staying away from obviously bad influences. If someone never goes to class and prefers to constantly party, that’s someone you should probably avoid. Parties are great, and it’s good to go every once in a while. But know your limits, because you have a future to think about.

The above-mentioned quartet of college survival tips are no-brainers. You should work hard, think smart, and avoid the negatives. Easy-peasy. If you ever find yourself caught up in the parties and nonchalance of cliché college life, refer to the list above and reset your mindset.

PICK ‘THE PACK THAT GROWS BACK’

speech by Brian May, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines

 Good evening everyone, it's Friday. Happy weekends to everyone, this morning I attended a meaningful event. The event held at Sunway Pyramid, Orange concourse. This is an awareness campaign that Tetra Pak® and Forest Stewardship Council®’s latest campaign urges responsible consumerism among Malaysian.This is good as we can also educate our children to pick the 'The Pack That Grows Back".

Do you know that? Over the years, the increasing demand for paper products has led to a longstanding challenge in forestry conservation. Paper is based on wood, and if managed properly, is actually a great renewable resource that has minimal impact on our climate. In order to meet that growing demand in a sustainable way, forests must be managed responsibly and consumers must be able to make informed choices about the forest products they buy.

The importance of educating Malaysian consumers about renewable packaging and the significance behind the FSC label has prompted Tetra Pak to partner with non-profit organisation, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Asia Pacific to launch the The Pack that Grows Back campaign.

Whenever you purchased a drink, do you notice the labels at the side of the packaging?

Mr. Alistair Monument, FSC Asia Pacific Regional Director, giving his opening speech at The Pack That Grows Back event at Sunway Pyramid

The FSC label provides consumers an assurance that the wood and paper products they buy come from responsible sources and have been verified to meet FSC’s strict environmental and social standards. As of 2015, 100% of the paperboard used to produce Tetra Pak cartons comes from FSC-certified and controlled sources.

“We firmly believe that being environmentally responsible is the basis of good business. Together with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, we are leading the industry in responsible sourcing and working towards 100% renewable packaging. Today, we are calling Malaysians to make responsible purchase decisions by picking the pack that grows back,” said Brian May, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines.

From left to right: Alistair Monument, FSC Asia Pacific Regional Director; Brian may, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines; and Jeffrey Fielkow, Vice President – Environment, Tetra Pak Asia, posing after the launching of the Pack That Grows Back event

The Power of a Label
According to Tetra Pak’s Environment Research Global Report 2015 spanning 6,000 consumers across 12 countries, 39% of consumers look for environmental logos when they shop. More encouragingly, the number of consumers that recognise the FSC logo has increased from 4% in 2013 to 23% in just two years.

The report also stated that 70% of brand influencers declared that environment initiatives had an impact on brand equity, while 62% stated that the FSC logo made their brands more meaningful to consumers.

“To ensure that people know they are choosing cartons which meet the rigorous standards we set to protect the forests that our paperboard comes from, we actively encourage our customers to use the FSC logo in their packaging design. The long-term ambition is to deliver all our cartons with the FSC label,” added May.

Tetra Pak and FSC with the brand owners who are encouraging the use of FSC-labeled packaging

FSC: The Gold Standard for Responsible Forestry
Since its inception in 1993, FSC has fast become the preferred standard for responsible forest management certification because of its credibility and global recognition. It was formed by businesses, environmentalists and community leaders who came together to create a voluntary, market-based approach that would improve forest practices worldwide after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio failed to produce an agreement to stop deforestation.

Operating in more than 100 markets, FSC ensures forests are responsibly managed and harvested. The FSC label enables businesses and consumers to make informed choices about the forest products they buy and creating positive social and environmental impact by engaging the market at scale. Many governments, corporations and other organisations now specify FSC-certified products in their purchasing policies. As of 2016, over 195 million hectares of forest have been FSC-certified in more than 80 countries around the world and 31,500 companies have been ‘Chain-of-Custody’ certified to allow them to use the FSC labels in the supply chain.

“The FSC logo and on-product labels have become the globally trusted mark for businesses and consumers looking for forest products that benefit people and the environment. Not only can FSC provide ongoing business value, but it also allows companies to take direct action to stop deforestation. It is a privilege to work with sustainability advocates like Tetra Pak to drive demand for responsible forestry practices and increase consumer awareness on the importance of the purchasing choices they make”, said Alistair Monument, FSC Asia Pacific Regional Director.

Students of ISKL getting creative by using used Tetra Pak cartons to make trees

 At the event, there are five activities that you can take part, it's interesting as you can learn about how a Tetra Pak carton is made, the Pack that Grows Back. 

1. Forest 
2. Tetra Pak Factory
3. Beverage Manufacturer
4. Retail Store
5. Recycling 

I have taken some photos at the event, you can view from the album, click to view it. 

1st stop with media on 1.Forest

Held at Sunway Pyramid shopping mall, the four-day event was presented in a game format wherein visitors would follow the journey of a Tetra Pak carton from its point of origin in the forest to the stores, and through to the benefits of sustainable carton recycling. Among participating brands that pack their products in Tetra Pak cartons include Ace Canning, Amoy Canning, Dutch Lady, Etika, F&N, Linaco, Marigold, Nestle, Tropicana and Yeo’s.

Students of SK Dato Onn Jaafar with their teacher identifying the FSC tree with a tick logo

 Pick the ‘Tree with a Tick’. Help Protect the World’s Forests
As of April 2016, 200 billion Tetra Pak cartons carry the FSC label in 39 countries around the world, while 100% of all its factories and market companies are FSC Chain-of-Custody certified. FSC-labelled cartons have also been made available in the Malaysian market since 2014.

“As a responsible industry player and the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company, Tetra Pak fully supports the FSC label and can provide 100% of its packaging material that is FSC-certified. To identify the FSC label on Tetra Pak cartons, look for the ‘tree with a tick’ logo,” concluded May.

If you do not have any plan on this weekend? Why not check out this meaningful event with family and friends. It's suitable for children too, let's guide them to pick 'The Pack That Grows Back'.
The Pack that Grows Back campaign runs from 10-13 November 2016 at the Orange Concourse in Sunway Pyramid shopping mall from 10.00am to 10.00pm. 
For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/tetrapakmalaysia.

ABOUT TETRA PAK
Tetra Pak is the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 170 countries around the world. With more than 23,000 employees based in over 80 countries, we believe in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business. Our motto, “PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD™," reflects our vision to make food safe and available, everywhere.
More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com

ABOUT FSC
FSC is a global, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forest management worldwide and safeguarding forests for future generations. FSC is a multi-stakeholder, membership organisation with three chambers -- environmental, economic, and social -- to ensure balance and the highest level of integrity. Together these diverse voices define best practices for forestry, the FSC Principles and Criteria - the highest standards for forest management which are environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable. FSC certification ensures that FSC labelled products come from well managed forests and verifies this all along the supply chain.
More information about FSC is available at www.fsc.org

LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort unveils LEGO NINJAGO The Ride

Thank you Gaya Travel and Legoland Malaysia for inviting me to witness the LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort unveils LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride. Every child and adult likes Lego and the latest ride is an attraction promises to be a real game-changer to theme parks around the world. This is the largest additional investment since the opening of the LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort after the launch of its Theme Park, Hotel and Water Park. Estimated at more than RM$40 million, a cutting edge technology that never before seen at any other theme park int he world, LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride is manufactured by Triotech, world leader is media based interactive attractions, and features Maestra hand gesture technology.

 LEGOLAND Parks being the first in the world to leverage cutting-edge technology, first launched the NINJAGO Ride in Billund, Denmark earlier this year, followed by California Resort in April, and now, it's bringing it to Malaysia, the first ever in Asia!

speech by Managing Director of LEGOLAND Parks Hans Aksel Pedersen

 Set to be opened to public in November this year, LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride will be housed in a brand new section of the Park called NINJAGO World.

LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride features Maestro hand gesture technology that enable guests to control the outcome of their adventure through the power hands without the use of a hand-held device. The attraction is set to be a 4D dark ride inspired by the popular LEGO line of NINJAGO toys and a related TV series. Riders play as Ninja warriors in training under the guidance of NINJAGO character Master Wu to vanquish a legion of enemies from snake tribes, ghost and skeletons to the Great Devourer.

Through the use of 3D imagery, high-tech sensors and the use of hand movements in a striking motion, up to four riders per car can act like ninja warriors blasting animated fireballs, lighting, shockwaves and ice as they travel through dojos to master their skills before heading the battle. It's exciting as riders can collect points for their training and battle efforts throughout the rides and scores are displayed when their quest is completed. Exciting as I am sure my sons will be interest to sit on these rides.

The 4D effect such as heat, smoke and win are incorporated throughout the adventure, giving guests the ultimate interactive experience. 

performance at the event.

 With the launch of this attraction being LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort's largest addition over the past four years, it continues to support the Resort's belief and commitment to ensure that guests continue to be entertained with their family with new excitements.

It's exciting as this November is set to be opened to public the LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride.

 

photo credit to Google image

Let's mark the calendar now for upcoming November, it's going to be year end school holidays I am sure you can start planning the holidays with family.

LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort is open throughout the year. Standard operating hour for the Theme Park and Water Park is from 10am to 6pm. Longer operating hours will be apply on weekends, public and school holidays.

Getting to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, it is located in Iskandar Puteri (the southern tip of Johor) and is only 10 minutes from Singapore's Tuas Second Link, 15 minutes from Johor Bharu City Centre and 20 minutes from Senai International Airport.

If you like to know more information visit www.legoland.my

Tuition centres for son

Parenting is never easy, part of it would be guiding children in education. I find that my son needs better guidance from tuition teachers as he lack of listening to me if I guide him. Next year he is Standard 4, it's getting tougher for him.

Instead of daycare tuition centre, he will be going to tuition centres instead. Hope this would help him in his studies. He is poor in Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Cina. I tried asking for tuition centres near the school, somehow they only prefer children with better grades or good grades. Yeah they told me that they will prefer to accept children who gain 60 and above in their exams. They have one class with more than 27 students. My son is poor in comprehension (karangan) for both languages of BM and Chinese.

I found two tuition centers away from home which is 5km away. One tuition center is main focus to tuition him on Chinese language that he is poor. I was told that he might need to downgrade to Standard 3 tuition if he cannot catch up in Standard 4 tuition. Well, we'll know about this when the school start as the tuition centre will need to see his process in class, to see if he can catch up or not. I understand as it's important that he needs to read more and write more in Chinese as I know it's not his favourite subject.

Many parents told me that daycare tuition centre is not good for children as they cannot learn from there. Son told me that his daycare tuition centre changes of tuition teachers several times, most teachers are SPM leavers as they are going to go college soon.

School holiday is almost over

It's still TGIF now, tomorrow is Saturday and then next day is Sunday. Sons will need go back to school and kindergarten on Monday. Exam soon and parents are the one that are nervous instead of children.

We have no plan on next school holiday. Sons wanted to go Legoland but we don't think it's the right time to go for now. We still need to save money for that and it's school holiday time the rooms are more expensive.

My friend has the vouchers for Swiss Garden Hotel, but sad to say it is suitable for just one location to use. The terms and conditions are stated cannot be used during school holiday and cannot be used on the Friday and the weekends. So this just make parents to make their children to skip their lessons? That's bad! We are not going to do that for the sake for going for a vacation with children.

Balance achieve with busy hectic weeks

How's everyone doing? Happy Friday to you, it's going to be busy weekend for me starting from today. I need to fetch my toddler home later than I have some where to go. Thanks to my dear for helping me to fetch my eldest son later to go tuition. After tuition he will needs to fetch him home.

Earlier I took a test on balancing act and find out that my answers are mostly B's.
Balanced achieved. Sure there are weeks that seem more hectic than others however you understand that you need to have time to yourself too. You have rounded up your life with a good mix of friends, family and yes, even time to read.

Yesterday son has activity after class, he chosen the robotic class because he has interest for it. Glad to know other parents in group chat for informing else I thought only next week has the class. Being parent we need to check with other parents on homework and latest news happening in school. I was told that some children fall sick again in school. Though is exam week, parents know the important of children health, they have pulled their children from the exam and submitted the medical cert leave of sick to teacher. The children can go back for the exam for replacement exam when they are feeling better.

We know importance of education but we don't want to neglect the health of our children.

Kids Gallery, the first kid's departmental store opens in One City USJ25

 Being mommy of two boys, I know it's important to find kid's departmental store that I can shop for my children. One City Properties makes its entry into retail business with the opening of Kids Gallery, the first ever departmental store catering specially to children. Occupying a shopping space of about 15,500 sq. ft. which is equivalent to 9 shop lots, the store carries a wide range of children’s merchandise from clothing to shoes, accessories, books, bags and even to bedding.

Emcee of the day together with beautiful Mai Sarah on stage giving their welcome speech.

The official launch event was co-hosted by 9 year old starlet, Mia Sara who left guests in awe with her ability to host.

Shopping with kids can be fun now because you find yourself a big kids departmental store catering especially children clothing. There's a section for baby gifts, stroller, baby's needs. Another section for children, you'll be greeted with attractive colors and designs of the store. They are interesting photo corners and 3D elements around the store for kids to have their pictures taken. The changing rooms are also fitted with selfie elements whereby children will have the opportunity to pose with pose the attire they like. You know busy parents sometime no time to shop with their children, grandparents are the one that shopping with them instead. With selfie elements, children can send their photo to their parents at work to view. 

“Kids Gallery aims to tap into the country’s growing market of aspirational yet price-conscious shoppers, by hosting a wide variety of international, local, and exclusive brands in an exciting shopping environment. We believe that the shopping experience is the new frontier for competitive differentiation,” said Mr. Sim Hai Yeun 沈海韻, Retail Director of One City Properties in his speech at the official opening of Kids Gallery.

At Kids Gallery children will be encourage to partake in the buying process. They can pay for their own merchandise as the themed cashier counters are lowered to a kid friendly level. For the convenience of nursing mothers, Kids Gallery has a fully equipped feeding and diaper changing room adjoining the restroom and the children’s play area. Mothers can now breastfeed or shop in peace knowing that their children are occupied at the play area which also has a television to entertain them with cartoons. Both the Male and Female restrooms within the store are also child friendly as the sinks, urinals and toilet bowls are all placed at a lower level.  

 Sim added, “With an investment of RM3 mil. put into setting up of the store, Kids Gallery will complement the surrounding amenities such as the office suites, office tower, business class hotel, F&B outlets, cinema, gym, karaoke and supermarket. Kids Gallery will cater to the needs of children from as young as infants up to the age of 17 years.”

 

Check out my instagram sherrygo for the lion dance perfomance

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 During the launch guests were also entertained with an energetic kids hip hop dance performance choreographed by Alam who captained the team that won the first “So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia” competition. A lion dance troupe then ushered in the good luck and prosperity at the official ribbon cutting ceremony.

I am sure you like to check out my haul on the day at Kids Gallery, yeah mommy shopping for sons. Click on the link to view.

Kids Gallery currently offer more than 30 brands that are not just popular but are affordable and of quality. For more information or store promotional updates, log on to the Facebook page for Kids Gallery https://www.facebook.com/kidsgallerydepartmentstore.

Address: Kids Gallery, Ground Floor, The Place@One City, Jalan USJ 25/1a, 47650 UEP Subang Jaya.