Author: admin

ADV: Do You Know UNIQLO?

When I think Japanese fashion, a few things immediately come to mind.

Cute girls in kawaii short skirts…

Harajuku teenagers in outrageous cosplay outfits…

A man in a cow suit talking on his handphone…

Oh wait.

Okay, maybe not the last one.

One thing I know for sure about Japanese fashion is that it’s always unique, always attention-grabbing, and also always very very expensive.

When I was in Japan early last year, one of the things I enjoyed most was visiting the boutiques there. Not only are their store displays creative, I like it that their shop assistants go an extra mile to make you feel welcome. These Japanese girls have the chirpiness of a canary. Everytime someone walks in, they are greeted a "HELLO WELCOME!" and a smile that never seems to fade.

Heck, some of the bigger stores even hire a “greeter” whose full-time job is nothing but to smile and bow at customers as soon as they walk in.

Being a sucker for good service, normally I would flip out my credit card immediately when someone do that to me. The problem is… the cheapest T-shirt in a typical Shibuya boutique costs at least RM300! It’s way more than the amount I’m willing to spend on a simple piece of fabric.

After all that window-shopping in Tokyo, I finally stumbled across is one boutique store that offers everything chic and stylish, yet easy on the wallet.

They are called UNIQLO – one of the largest clothing retailer in Japan. It’s my favourite store in Japan – think Topshop stuff at Cotton On prices.

I stocked up on a whole bunch of T-shirts and fleece. My favourite stuff in their store is their video game inspired UTs – creatively packaged inside a cylindrical jar!

I totally bought it. And they aren’t too expensive either. Only RM30!

“Tonight the stars. Tomorrow the Moon.” That’s some kick-ass philosophy to live by.

“A T-shirt is more than just a T-shirt. It’s an expression of who you are. Where you’ve been. What you love. That’s the UT philosophy.”

Deep, very deep.

The point of this whole story is this.

I haven’t been back to KL city for nearly 2 months. When I finally returned to KL again last weekend, I was shocked to see that KL Plaza has received a complete make-over and is now called Farenheit 88.

Then I received an even bigger shock.

UNIQLO is coming to Malaysia this 4th November.

I just about died from fashion orgasm.

UNIQLO’s selection of fleece wear.

Don’t think you’ll be wearing a lot of that in hot and humid Malaysian weather.

P1000530-1

A sneak peek inside what goes on behind the doors. I already saw a pair of khaki pants I wanna buy, and it’s only RM49.90!

A quick search online yielded some interesting prizes they have in conjunction with their grand opening.

The first 500 kiasu customers who queue on on their opening day will get 1 in 100 chance of winning an all-expense paid holiday to Tokyo, Japan.

For those who are a little bit less kiasu, there are online games on both their Facebook page and www.go-uniqlo.com you can play to also win a free trip to Tokyo, Japan.

There Go Uniqlo website was particularly an interesting one. The website asked for my location. So I input my Kuching address and the website showed me a “clothing trail” all the way from Kuching to Farenheit 88 in KL.

Gee, thanks!

Trust me, if I could swim across the South China Sea, I would!

But hey, a free RM20 UNIQLO voucher ain’t that bad.

So now the khaki pants I wanted is only RM29.90! If that ain’t a bargain I don’t know what is!

ADV: Oktobeer!

HOLY 1 LITRE OF TIGER BEER!

Look at the size of that mug! Whoever did a “bottoms up” on that beer right there must be a happy man sleeping on the pub floor right now.

As if we couldn’t find enough reasons to drink beer after New Year, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Arthur’s Day, we have now resorted to importing St Patrick’s Day from Ireland and Oktoberfest from Germany.

-oktoberfest

And that 1 litre Tiger beer mug is just one of the reasons Malaysians are celebrating Oktoberfest. For the whole entire month in October, the country’s most popular beer brands have all bandied together to celebrate the world’s greatest beer festival.

We’re talking street parties and happy hours all month long for Tiger, Heineken, Guinness, Kilkenny, Strongbow and Paulaner at selected pubs across Malaysia!

Spend over RM200 on grub at like Sid’s, Laundry or Souled Out, they’ll even throw you a bucket of Tiger Beer on the house. That’s German hospitality for ya!

The Oktoberfest celebration isn’t just confined to pubs.

People can go to your typical neighbourhood supermarket, buy a 12-can pack of Tiger, and they’ll give you this funky oversized mug hat for free.

Heck, people can even go to your typical neighbourhood Chinese kopitiam, buy 2 bottles of Tiger, Guinness or Heineken, and get RM2 off.

Kopitiam uncles also can celebrate Oktoberfest!

To get the most out of the German festival, you must go to one of those Oktoberfest parties held at some of the most popular drinking holes in the country.

Here are the dates of the parties.

Hang on. Where is Kuching on that list? 🙁

They’ve got 3 pubs in Klang Valley, 1 in Penang and 1 in Kota Kinabalu doing the ‘Fest but Kuching is no where to be seen. Come on Kuching pubs, you guys gotta up your game!

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For those who live in Kota Kinabalu, be sure to check out Waterfront this coming Saturday for the final Oktobestfest celebrations in the country.

Because seriously, where else can you spend RM50 on a litre of Tiger beer AND get to bring the mug back?

I once spent RM50 on a girl and didn’t even manage to bring her back. 🙁

ADV: The Apple iPhone 4 Review

You know you’re doing something right when people start bashing you mercilessly even before you’re officially released onto the market.

Way before Maxis brought the iPhone 4 onto the market, fanboys from the Blackberry and Android camps are drawing swords against iPhone supporters.

Blackberry fans say the iPhone is meant for kids and Blackberry is for business users. Android supporters claim their handsets can do much more at a much cheaper price.

But at the end of the day, only Maxis can still draw soooo much crowd that they had to hire a Grand freaking Ballroom at Gardens and put 60 registration desks in there just to handle the launch day sales.

Just like Shakira’s hips, these photos don’t lie.

People were queuing up even at 11pm on a Thursday night just to get the Apple iPhone 4. And I was one of them.

So I am a proud owner of an Apple iPhone 4.

Am I aware that the iPhone 4 can only do video calls on Wi-Fi? Yes. It frustrates me too when I want to show it off to my friends and I can’t.

Do I know that iPhone 4 is facing "Antenna-gate" controversy? Of course. Like Steve Jobs say, it happens to every smartphone out there.

Ultimately, all these pale in comparison with one plain and simple fact:

The Apple iPhone 4 just works.

Everything works right out the box, without needing to download this, install that and read up "How-To" guides online. If it can’t do a certain thing, then there will be an App for it. If there is no App for it, then you know it cannot be done.

Simple as that.

The first thing that struck me was how crisp and sharp the display is. Apple crammed so much pixels into such a small space to create what they call the Retina Display. Reading stuff off the screen is almost the same as reading text off magazines or newspapers. After looking at the iPhone 4, it is difficult to go back to regular LCD screen again.

The crispness extends beyond just the screen.

Everything about the iPhone 4 – the speakers, the buttons, the camera – is newer, sharper, crisper, harder.

Check out this photo I took using my iPhone 4.

I placed a layer of protective sticker over the back of the phone, but there’s no need for it. The phone is harder and more scratch-resistant than the previous iPhones, as well as other major smartphones out there on the market.

The iPhone 4’s FaceTime, or video-calling, is the best implementation I’ve seen on a phone EVER.

Video-calling is nothing new. It’s a 5-year-old technology that never really took off because the video and call signal on previous generations of phone is so bad.

But FaceTime on the iPhone 4 is smooth and clear it’s almost like talking on Skype. The difference is that I don’t have to lug around my laptop while doing so.

And I’m loving it. I toyed with the idea of going for an Android phone.

Although web-browsing and GPS is a lot faster, it just isn’t user-friendly enough to make me wanna buy it.

Sure, it is cheap.  But buying an Android for a phone is like buying a Linux for a PC. It can do a lot of stuff but the steep learning curve just isn’t worth it.

Compared to the Android, the iPhone 4 is just heaps easier to use.

I’m not say that it’s the be all end all.

The Apple iPhone 4 may not be the perfect phone out there, but no one can deny that it’s damn well near the top.

Steve Jobs didn’t just go about making a phone. It’s the experience altogether.

For someone like me who use my phone not just for calling, but for e-mailing, web-browsing on 3G, reading, travelling, gaming, running, taking photos, watching videos, listening to music and heaps of other stuff – it’s just a brilliant device.

I actually missed doing those stuff when I switched over to Blackberry, and now I’m discovering the joy all over again
.

The Apple iPhone 4 16GB costs RM1,690 on a 12-month contract with Maxis.

I say it’s worth getting it. The antenna issue is overrated. I have used the iPhone 4 for 2 weeks now and never have I experienced dropped calls just because of the way I hold it.

Maybe I have super hands those Americans don’t have.

But if you are still super worried, you can always hold your iPhone 4 this way.

 

 

 

Confirm won’t get signal drop.

ADV: Apple iPhone 4, Now In Malaysia

Earlier this year in June, Apple released the much hyped and talked-about iPhone 4.

And just like Apple’s previous iPhone launches, it caused an absolute worldwide frenzy.

Thousands and thousands of Apple fanatics queued up early outside Apple stores, just to be among the firsts to own the latest incarnation of Steve Jobs’ creation.

From London to New York.

Shanghai to Tokyo.

Sydney to Singapore.

The hype of the iPhone 4 still lives!

The saddest thing is – those of us living in Malaysia had to wait in agony while the rest of the world gets to savour the delicious offering from Apple.

It brought back painful memories of 2007 when the original iPhone was launched, yet none of the telcos in Malaysia managed to bring it over.

It reminded us of a one-sided love affair. We love Apple but Apple don’t love us back.

Those among us who couldn’t wait had already purchased parallel imports.

Many business-savvy gray-market phone shops are more than happy to sell you their iPhone 4s if you’re willing to shell out to RM3,000 for something that has no warranty.

I’m not gonna lie. I tried getting mine from official stores in Hong Kong and Singapore. And I tell you what it is like.

It was like trying to get a meeting with President Obama – virtually impossible.

All their iPhone 4 are sold out. Heck, even the locals who pre-ordered online did not manage to get them.

I was almost losing all hope, resigning to my fate that it is probably better to get one of those iPhone 4 copycats.

That is, until I received this official invitation from Maxis on THE LAUNCH OF iPHONE 4!

At the stroke of midnight on the 24 September, Maxis once again became the FIRST telco to bring the new Apple iPhone 4 into Malaysia.

So what do I do? I booked the first flight out from Kuching to KL.

The scene at The Gardens Midvalley reminded me of the photos I saw from iPhone 4 launches around the world.

Hundreds and hundreds of people queuing up right outside the entrance into the ballroom. Some came as early as 7pm to book their spots. I could not even see the end of it because more and more people just added up from behind.

It was just as chaotic inside the Grand Ballroom as it was outside. There was a buzz of activity as Maxis staff manning over SIXTY registration desks were on standby to distribute the iPhone 4s and swipe your credit cards.

Even then, my sources tell me that people are still getting their iPhones as late as 6am!

The first Maxis iPhone 4 customer was this girl called Nina. She had the honour of receiving the gadget directly from the CEO of Maxis.

She also became the poster girl for Maxis after being photographed by over 280 media in attendance covering this event.

At the jam-packed press conference after the launch, the CEO of Maxis announced how they are once again the first to launch the microSIM, as well as the first to launch the iPhone in Malaysia.

While he acknowledged there was another telco also launching the phone, the CEO didn’t think it really matters. Compared to his competitor, Maxis not only has more flexible contract plans, they have a much faster and wider 3G coverage as well.

Best of all, the iPhone 4 by Maxis is cheaper than iPhone 3GS by almost RM300!

Meanwhile, I discovered the green-coloured background lights outside the building made me look like The Incredible Hulk.

And this is The Incredible Aud.

Audrey, who has been using a China knock-off iPhone 3 is finally upgrading to
a genuine Apple iPhone 4!

I was lucky I did not have to queue up with the rest of the crowd till 6am.

Maxis arranged a VIP Party at G-six nightclub, and there’s a separate registration desk just for the VIPs, complete with free flow and a violinist in a sexy white gown playing on the bartop.

With my credit card in one hand, my application form in the other, and my disappointment at not being able to get the iPhone 4 overseas all behind me now, I finally managed to get my hands on the brand new Apple iPhone 4!

How was it?

After using the phone for almost a week, I’m proud to say that it is the best full-featured smart phone ever. Even better than the Blackberry Torch, even better than HTC Android phones. A full review will be coming up.

Thank goodness Maxis brought the iPhone 4 to Malaysia. If it didn’t, I would have bought a similar model I saw at Low Yat Plaza.

The Air Phone No.4!

Ivan and Hilda from The Amazing Race Asia

Once in a while, you know someone in your life who went from ordinary to extra-ordinary.

38-year-old Ivan Evetovics is a University researcher. He is also a freelance instructor at my fitness centre, teaching Parkour every Wednesday at 7:30pm.

Parkour is French for "the art of moving". It is a type of physical activity that involves the participants climbing, landing and jumping over obstacles in the most efficient and graceful manner. In his 1 hour class, Ivan coaches participants to improve agility and react quickly.

We are proud to have him teaching for us because we are the only gym in Kuching where people can learn Parkour in a safe and controlled environment.

But one day, Ivan called in to say he wanted to take a whole month off. According to him, he wanted to return to his home-country of Hungary for a holiday. My Group Exercise Coordinator and I went into panic mode. There’s already a shortage of quality instructors in Kuching, and we’d be struggling to fill up the void left in his timeslot.

When Ivan returned after a month, naturally I went to him and asked, "Hey Ivan, how was your holiday?"

He winked and cheekily replied, "It was good… I think you’re gonna like it."

"Huh? Whaddya mean I’m gonna like it?"

Fast forward to 24th August 2010.

I was in Singapore to attend the press conference of the original AXN production, The Amazing Race Asia Season 4. As I descended from the lifts of the new Marina Bay Sands hotel, who did I bump into?

Ivan Evetovics and his wife, Tengku Hilda – the first couple from my small town of Kuching, Sarawak to ever compete in the Amazing Race Asia.

It was the most unusual and indescribable feeling.

In Kuching, our relationship is that of an employer and employee. Suddenly, we are seeing each other as blogger and media personality. Instead of me speaking to him about his class, I was sitting down for an interview with him and his wife about their experience in the race of a lifetime.

I spoke to the executive producer Michael McKay, the host Allan Wu and the other contestants in the race. All of them have nothing but good things to say about Ivan and Hilda.

The race was dominated by big media personalities from big cities around Asia

Among them, an ex-strip club manager from the Philippines

Testosterone-filled alpha males from India and the Philippines.

Two dating actors from Hong Kong.

And a model/musician team from Singapore.

Even against such formidable opponents who must have tons of TV experiences before, Ivan and Hilda, who never participated in any reality shows before this, left a big impression on the show.

I sat down for an interview with them.

Kenny: So, physical preparation going into the race?

Hilda: Oh no, not me. I don’t have any preparation. I didn’t know I was even going to make it into the race. If I knew, I would have gone back to the gym and drop 10 kilos.

Ivan: You know Kenny, for me, I’m always ready mannnn. I was born ready. I do my judo, my jiujitsu, my Parkour and keep in shape.

Kenny: Was it a spur of the moment decision that you guys join?

Hilda: No, we didn’t even want to join the race. Our daughter was the biggest reason why we joined. We didn’t even know about the auditions until our daughter told us about it. If you had seen in one of our earlier photoshoots, our face was like this. *shows pouty lips*

Ivan: It was Saturday afternoon, and I had jiujitsu training, so I was like, "Yo let’s get this thing over and done with, I want to go back to training!"

Hilda: I don’t even watch Amazing Race. We were in The Spring and my daughter was like, "Ma! You see there’s lots of people talking there? Allan Wu is there!" And I was like, "Who the heck is Allan Wu? Who is Vanessa and Pamela Chong?"

Kenny: What did they ask you to do during the auditions?

Ivan: They asked us to fill out the form and make 2 videos. But we did the live auditions at The Spring, so we just improvise.

Kenny: I think that’s what they wanted.

Ivan: I think one of the reasons we were chosen was because we were just ourselves. That’s what I
would advise would-be participants to do. Don’t over-think the questions. Just be yourself.

Kenny: Hilda, do you find yourself overly-reliant on Ivan?

Hilda: Yes… *nods sheepishly*

Ivan: But that’s how our relationship is. We don’t mind helping each other. There are things she is good at, there are things I am good at. But this race is difficult, so I have to do quite a lot of physical stuff. I enjoy it.

Hilda: I am good at crying!

Kenny: Does any of the jiujitsu or the Parkour help you in any way?

Ivan: Of course, overall physical conditioning is very helpful. Also, in terms of mental preparation – there is so much pressure and you have to keep on going and going. In fact, Parkour is all about minimum effort and  maximum efficiency. And that principle fits very well into the race.

Kenny: What would you say to people who want to be a finalist and really want to excel in the Amazing Race?

Ivan: First thing is, don’t panic, stay calm and use your mind. In the end, the race is all about making the right decisions. To me, that’s the most important thing because everything is all about rushing, rushing, rushing. You make the stupidest mistakes because you are rushing. If you can stay calm that’s the key to doing well.

Kenny: Lastly, what do you want to say to the members back at Level Up Fitness?

Ivan:

The Amazing Race Asia screens every Thursday 9pm on AXN, and Episode 1 is also online at http://www.axn-asia.com/tara!

ADV: A Day At Empire Shopping Gallery

Had some time to kill before I head to the airport, so I went to my hangout spot in Subang Jaya.

Despite it being a weekend, I had appointments with people and stuff to do before I return to Kuching.

First order of the day – BREAKFAST.

10:15AM Italiannies is running a 2-course meal promotion for RM27.90.

I ordered a minestrone soup and a shrimp linguine. The soup was okay, but man – that pasta was stunningly delicious!

The tomato paste married so well with the chunks of succulent shrimp. My mouth salivates just thinking about it.

I wished I had someone to share the meal with. The portions at Italiannies are huge by default. Halfway through and I’m already stuffed.

 

11:15AM – Outside the restaurant, the Ed Hardy store caught my eye.

More specifically, it was the “OMG SALE” signs that caught my eye.

I like the tees from Ed Hardy, but I don’t think I have enough charisma to pull off such flowery designs. I think I’m just more of a plain ol’ collared-shirt guy.

 

11:30AM – I signed up for a short-term membership with Fitness First Platinum.

Although I own a fitness centre in Kuching, I travel around the world regularly. I guess a fitness membership would come in handy. My platinum membership costs RM225 per month and allows me to use any of their gyms locally and abroad.

Fitness First is a fitness chain I’ve always admired. They are more expensive than their competitors, but they do run a service-oriented business and have branches all over the world.

Their Platinum branch on the 8th floor of Empire Shopping Gallery is truly a spectacle.

Heck, it even comes with a swimming pool overlooking Subang Jaya.

 

11:45AM – Realised I forgot to bring my workout attire, so I made a quick trip to adidas downstairs to purchase a new top.

It’s a huge store. I had no problem choosing what I wanted immediately.

 

1:30PM – After my workout and shower, I went down to loiter around the shops while waiting for my appointment.

Bought a classic polo tee from Tang’s.

The stuff at the Tang’s outlet here is priced quite affordably. It’s not like their store in Pavilion where the cheapest shirt would be like 200 bucks.

Made a mental note to pick up a pair of Havaianas before my next beach holiday.

 

2:00PM – Had lunch at Lam Mee Ya.

Delicious!

 

2:15PM – Diana and Mike from Kuching dropped by to say hi.

We wanted to drink, so we had our Happy Hour at Chilli’s.

Yes, alcohol at 2pm on a Saturday. A wise man once told me, “it’s never too early to drink beer.”

That wise man happens to work for Guinness.

 

3:30PM – Bought a Dr Brandt skin care kit from Ken’s Apothecary for a bargain RM99.

Dr Brandt hasn’t been very well known here, but it’s the hot stuff in Hollywood. Ken’s Apothecary is the only store that carries their range of products.

Oh, and the manager of the outlet reads this blog. Hello!

 

3:45PM – Chuckled to myself at this T-shirt.

You should never apologise for being sexy ok?

 

4:00PM – Not sure if it’s just me, but there seems to be a something happening almost everyday at the concourse of Empire.

I must have witnessed at least 2 fashion shows during the time I was there. Good entertainment, even when I don’t understand anything about fashion.

 

4:05PM – Spotted this great looking “coffee and cake” place outside Jaya Grocer.

I love it so much!

It’s called Whisk, and their concept reminds me of the cramped but cozy coffee bars in Melbourne CBD – back to b
asics, serving nothing but hot espresso and warm service.

When I got there, the seats were all full! I was so sad that I had to eat elsewhere.

 

4:15PM – Met up for my appointment with Ang Shao Ting and his girlfriend at an Malaysian-Western fusion restaurant called Serai.

Shao Ting is from Media Contacts – a digital media agency I started dealings with.

Since I started blogging, I met hundreds of media and PR agencies. Unfortunately, only a handful understood the intricacies of working with me. Shao Ting is one of the rare ones who do and I appreciate him for making my life easier.

Serai is a Western-Malaysian fusion restaurant. If you go there, I highly recommend you their Nasi Kerabu.

IMG01993-20100911-1427

Don’t worry about the blue-coloured rice. That’s just the way it is. The proper way to eat this is to first mix all those ingredients around the plate a la Chinese New Year "lau seng" style, then put a spoonful of the mixture into your mouth.

You’ll be in heaven. When you come down, remember to send me a thank you note.

Finished the meal off with a Berry Pavlova.

The crust of the cake is so fluffy it melts in my mouth. So sinful, but so good.

 

5:45PM – Talked so much with Shao Ting I was late for my facial appointment with 128 Fauborg.

When I came in, the lady at the counter asked me to fill up a form. There’s a section that asked me for my race and religion.

I was not exactly sure what my race and religion has anything to do with getting a facial, so I wrote down the only logical thing to write.

 

6:45PM – I’m not vain, I just couldn’t resist their promotion – 2 facials for only RM50. I redeemed it using the vouchers I received at the grand opening of Empire Shopping Gallery.

Woke up feeling so much more pampered and refreshed.

7:00PM – Took a cab to KLIA for my flight home.

Satisfied with the fact that I spent a productive Saturday shopping, eating, drinking, talking, working, working out – all at the same place!

Dr Goh Yau Hong, Mount Elizabeth Hospital

No matter how many times I experienced it, the rock star in me never gets tired of seeing my name on a placard.

7 months after my initial consultation, I finally found time to peel myself away from my business to travel to Singapore again.

My purpose was to visit my ENT Specialist, Dr Goh Yau Hong of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

I made my doctor’s appointment through ParkwayHealth in Kuching, and they actually arranged somebody to wait for me at the airport terminal. Next thing I know, I was riding an electric buggy through immigration into a waiting limousine.

Dammit, I didn’t even had time to stop for duty free.

I forgot to let ParkwayHealth know I was only there for my snoring treatment. The hospital provide this service for the critically ill, which I obviously was not. But hey, the buggy service is provided free of charge so why not make use of it right? 😀

The arranged transport took me all the way to Mount Elizabeth, located in the vicinity of Orchard Road. As soon as I arrived the hospital, a concierge helped me with my luggage (as if I were staying in a hotel) and I was directed to the Admissions counter.

This is where I would be staying for the night.

Unfortunately, disaster struck.

Apparently, all the standard wards were booked out!

It must have been the high season to get sick in Singapore, but the hospital ran out of single room for me to sleep in.

Lucky for me – they promptly upgraded me to an Executive Ward at no extra cost.

I later found out that I was in same floor where royalty usually stays when they come for treatment. Tried my luck to wonder around, but don’t seem to see any Sultan or princess.

Hospitals are not my favourite place to stay overnight. But I gotta say, the room I was staying at Mount Elizabeth Hospital feels more like a hotel than a hospital.

They got everything from flat screen TV, minibar and in-room WiFi internet. On top of that, they even serve food that does not classify as the stereotypical hospital food good food – like keropok and cheesecake.

But enough about the hotel hospital room.

The reason I had to stay overnight at the hospital was because I was instructed to go through a Sleep Test.

The test is to measure whether or not I suffer from a condition called “Obstuctive Sleep Apnea Syndrome” – a side-effect of which is my very loud snoring.

Apnea is more a condition more serious than just a simple snoring.

Apnea is when I completely STOP BREATHING during my sleep. In mild cases, all it means is that I will wake up groggy and tired. But the worst case scenario is that I might get heart attack, stroke or in extreme cases – death during sleep.

How tragic would I be if I were to die not because of something fun, but due to lack of oxygen during my sleep.

Initially, I was adamant that I did not have sleep apnea. From what I know, it occurs mostly in older and heavily obese males. I thought I was neither, but I was just being delusional.

Dr Goh insisted that I must do the test before he could treat me. Being a good boy, I had to go along with it.

When the results finally came out, I was in for a rude awakening.

It was measured that during my sleep, I STOPPED BREATHING COMPLETELY on average – 17 times an hour. Overall, I was taking in only 78% of the oxygen I was supposed to breathe in.

It was not just loud snoring I am suffering from. Clinically, I am diagnosed as having MODERATE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.

That is some startling statistic to look at.

Dr Goh was as blunt and as straightforward as he could be. He advised me that there are two things I could do to lift me out of this nightmare that has been haunting me both physically and socially since young.

First, I must make make an effort to reduce my weight. Doing so will free up my vocal chords when I sleep.

Second, he’ll perform turbinate reduction. By removing the flesh blocking my nose, I will be able to breathe in a lot more oxygen during my sleep.

I went ahead with the procedure. The thing only lasted 15 minutes and was no more painful than a dental surgery.

There was bleeding for 3 weeks after that, but that’s normal because flesh that was microwaved, cooked and fell off.

But after the whole thing was over, I took the first deep breathe through my nose – and it felt… refreshing!

It’s as if for the past 28 years, I had been living with a blocked nose. When I’m suddenly able to breathe in more air than normal, and that II no longer have to open my mouth to breathe… suddenly it felt different.

The gush of fresh oxygen going through my nose and into my lungs was reassuring. I breathed like I never breathed before. And it felt real good.

That was only one part of my snoring treatment sorted out. The other part – the more difficult part – was the issue with my weight.

I am overweight. I had initially lost a huge amount of weight since my last marathon training.

But since then I had been travelling every weekend, working through day and night. Unknowingly I was transformed back into a blimp. I was so much into running my fitness centre that I wasn’t even participating in it myself.

But one good thing about my new nasal passage – now that I can breathe in more oxygen – my stamina has gone up by heaps.

I’m so much more alert in my daily activity now. Gone were the days where I’d run out of breath from climbing up and down the staircase.

I haven’t stopped snoring completely yet because my excess weight is still there. Obviously, I still have a long way to go.

But my ultimate goal was to become like this other one of Dr Goh Yau Hong’s patient.

This is Mr Brown. He saw Dr Goh and got so motivated that he lost 16kg in four months, through nothing but diet, exercise and hard work.

He no longer snores now when he sleeps.

Finding A Cure For Snoring

I inherited a lot of qualities from my late father.

Ofs all the things I got from him, I also inherited his snoring.

It’s a Sia family thing. Every single person in my family snore when they sleep. It’s something we’re born with, and it’s something our partners have to live with.

My mother practically lived with it throughout her marriage with my father. After a while, she just got used to it.

For me, things are a little bit more difficult.

My ex used to pinch my nose whenever I snore. If it got worse, I’ll get a whack on the arm. I could never get a good night’s rest with her.

But it’s not just with girls. I travel frequently, and sometimes I share rooms with friends. They would be all cool with me at first, until the following morning.

The first thing they said to me when they wake up is not “Good morning!”, but “KENNY LAST NIGHT YOU SNORED SO LOUD AH!”

Hearing stuff like that hurt my feelings. Then again, I also realised it’s selfish of me to disturb other people’s sleep.

But it’s not like I can help it! If I can find a way to stop snoring, of course I would.

The problem is, I just about tried every solution there and nothing helped. Tablets, nasal sprays, tapes that cover my mouth when I sleep, tapes than open up my nose when I sleep, oxygen machines. You named it, I’ve done it.

Nothing works. In the end, I decided to seek professional help.

I went to see a doctor.

The first doctor I saw was an Ear Nose & Throat ENT Specialist at Sarawak General Hospital. I don’t know how to say this diplomatically, but it was possibly the biggest waste of time I ever had.

Firstly, just to see the doctor, I had to get a recommendation letter from my GP. Next, I need to make an appointment with the receptionist and put on a waiting list for 1 month before I can actually see him.

That’s okay – it’s a government hospital after all.

One month later, when I turned up for my appointment, I was asked to enter into a crowded waiting area. There, I waited for ONE HOUR for my turn – even when I had an appointment booked a month in advance.

When I finally got to see my doctor, he was clearly looking overworked and exasperated. After telling him my problems, the first thing he did was stick a camera through my nose – all the way down my throat.

It was really as disgusting as it sounds. I could smell the lingering odour of KY Jelly after he took the device out.

The doctor saw nothing wrong with my breathing passage. He asked me again what I wanted to do. I said I want to cure my snoring.

His response? Go for surgery.

“Would surgery cure my snoring completely?” I asked.

“Not necessarily… There’s still a risk you would be snoring after surgery.”

Obviously I wasn’t ready for something so risky, expensive and invasive. Some more there’s no guarantee of me curing my snoring problem. So I asked if there’s anything else he could do.

All I got was a very confused doctor looking at me quizzically.

I was rushed out as soon as I rushed in. In the end, I decided to forget about seeking a Kuching doctor for help.

I did some research of my own on how to cure my snoring, and came across a new cure for snoring of called “The Pillar Procedure”.

It works by inserting plastic implants into the back of your throat to stop it from vibrating. In Asia, one of the doctors who pioneered this procedure is Dr Goh Yau Hong from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, in Singapore.

It might sound like a ridiculous idea to fly to Singapore to see a doctor. Thing is, I really wanted to end my snoring once and for all – without invasive surgery if possible.

Earlier this year (after some arrangements with ParkwayHealth’s PR team) I made the decision.

I made the trip to Mount Elizabeth Hospital for my initial consultation with Dr Goh.

It was the best decision I have ever made. Believe it or not, seeing Dr Goh in Singapore was 1000 times easier than than making an appointment to see the ENT doctor at the General Hospital in Kuching.

Mou
nt Elizabeth Hospital is under the Parkway Health Group, Singapore. In Kuching (and other cities like JB, KK and KL), they got a Patient Assistance Centre that handles patient enquiries, appointments, doctor bookings and trip arrangements for their hospitals.

The hospital is widely regarded as the best private hospital in the region. Many people from outside Singapore, including our Sultans, travel here to seek treatment for critical illnesses like cancer, heart, vascular and brain tumour diseases.

Having somebody do the logistics for them locally makes it very convenient for the patients. And their Kuching office provides this service at no extra charge.

Anyway, I arrived for my appointment that morning. After waiting not more than 10 minutes, I was called in to see Dr Goh.

All I can say, it was completely unlike my experience at Sarawak General Hospital.

Unlike my previous experience where I was rushed in and out because the doctor had no time for me, Dr Goh was amazingly patient and considerate.

So patient that he didn’t even administer me any treatment during my first visit!

Instead Dr Goh examined my nose and palate to determine what exactly causes my snoring.

In the end, he said to me three things.

First, although I came to see him for the Pillar Procedure, it would not cure my snoring. The procedure works if my throat muscles were too relaxed, but I don’t have that problem. My throat is strong! 😀

The reason I snore was because I wasn’t breathing through my nose. I’m born in such a way that my nose was always blocked. All my life I had been breathing mostly through my mouth – and that is what causes my snoring.

Second, my snoring could indicate a more serious health problem called sleep apnea. It is when I completely stop breathing during my sleep – risky because it would cause a lot of health problems if not treated early.

And then there’s the weight issue.

This was me and Dr Goh, circa January this year.

I was weighing in close to 90kg, grossly overweight no thanks to my over-indulgence over the New Year. Dr Goh was blunt – if I want to stop snoring, I need to lose some weight.

He asked to come back to Singapore again.

I have to do a “Sleep Test” to determine if I have sleep apnea. Inreturn he promised to make my nose breathe better.

How?

By using a procedure called “Turbinate Reduction”, Dr Goh will COOK the piece of flesh that has been blocking my nose all my life.

Literally, he’s gonna microwave my nose!

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