Cleffairy's Blog, page 92

Selangor International Indigenous Art Festival 2016

The Selangor International Indigenous Art Festival 2016 (SIIAF) was back for the second time at Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam, Selangor with a presentation of tribal dances, culture and a mission to accomplish.

Organised by Tourism Selangor and Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), with collaboration from Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), this year’s theme ‘Back to the roots, #Landrightsnow!’ is in conjunction with the worldwide Land Rights Now campaign.

The Selangor International Indigenous Art Festival is aimed at bringing awareness to the public on the culture and heritage of the Indigenous people, as well as giving the indigenous tribes across Malaysia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam, a platform to promote their culture and heritage tourism in culturally-rich Selangor. By promoting the culture and creating awareness of the indigenous people, it not only helps to attract tourists to the state, but also helps the indigenous people economically.

Some of the highlights for this year includes -appearances and cultural performances by 21 domestic indigenous tribes, exhibitions and food tasting of traditional food of Peninsular and East Malaysia and the unveiling of the newest traditional home of the MahMeri tribe.

In many countries, indigenous tribes continue to remain a mystery, unknown to the larger population. In our quest to become developed and progressive nation, we should not forget these communities and Tourism Selangor is doing it right to literally get back to the roots.

Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih Kuala Lumpur Fights for Stateless Children’s Education Rights

Who would have thought that there are plenty of children in Malaysia being denied education rights because they come from complicated family backgrounds? While I am aware of the issue where there are plenty of Malaysians did not receive formal education because they have no birth certificate or legal identification to enable them for registrations in school, I was not exactly aware of how huge the numbers are until I visited Sekolah Jalinan Bimbingan Kasih Kuala Lumpur during a CSR Program organized by Wonderland Primary Sdn Bhd.

As part of their corporate social responsibility program, Wonderland Primary Sdn Bhd has organized a day with the students here along with their celebrity spokesperson and ambassador, Miss Reen Rahim.

In conjunction of the festive season, the children are entertained by plenty of buskers performance and also given goodies as well as duit raya as a token of love and appreciation. There’s also clown appearance and fun game activities for the children.

According to the Sekolah Jalinan Bimbingan Kasih Kuala Lumpur’s principal, the school accepts stateless children and children who came from problematic background or children who never had the opportunity to attend formal education before. While the school still cannot cater to children with special needs with similar background and problems due to lack manpower and volunteers with knowledge for handling special needs children, they do hope to be able to be able to do so in the future.

While we cannot do much about the politics and bureaucracy behind why stateless children are being denied entrance into schools, I believe that  education is basic children’s rights and they should not be denied that regardless of their backgrounds. I hope Sekolah Jalinan Bimbingan Kasih Kuala Lumpur will continuously be given the support to fight for the children’s rights to education.

Knowing the Perfect Time for Real Estate

When it comes time for you to look into making a purchase, there are always reasons that you should be looking to buy and reasons that you should be cautious of the market. As simple as that may sound, people will get caught up in the market and will oftentimes just want to put their money into a home due to momentum, and their general worry of being caught up in massive market increases across the real estate spectrum. While you may want to avoid any sort of waiting because it could seem like the prices of homes are just going up and the good homes are being sold, pay attention to the following because there are times to buy and there are also times to hold off and wait.

Do Buy Special Circumstances with Motivated Sellers

There are times and circumstances when the party who is selling a parcel or property knows they aren’t asking top dollar, but they still want to sell anyways. This could be due to a death or divorce. It could also be due to a job transfer or even a job loss. When people are looking to make a clean break and they don’t want to (or don’t have time) to doddle, then according to Divorce Net, they will take much less than the actual price. And, while these sorts of things might seem terrible to act upon, you also have to think about it from the other point of view.

If the individual who is selling absolutely needs to sell, then if they put a piece of real estate up on the market for a given price you shouldn’t feel bad about buying what they are willingly selling. In fact, if you choose not to buy out of feeling sympathy for their situation, you may be preventing them from getting rid of the stress and could put them in a worse off situation. There are always times when people choose to sell low, and if you can find a property that is absolutely undervalued for one reason or another then you can definitely grab a deal and make up some equity at the same time.

Don’t Buy During Peak Season

Sometimes people will get ready to put their house on the market and then they will want to sell right during the peak season. This might be good because if everyone else knows that houses are on the market and will sell fast then you may just get a quick offer. However, you also need to be aware of the fact that if you turn around and try to buy during the peak season, you could wind up falling into the same trap and buying a house that is extremely overvalued or overpriced because you didn’t wait. The key is to do a thorough search for real estate with PropertyGuru Malaysia so you can find the right property at the right price. Sometimes it takes time and you might see a parcel you were interested in get scooped up. However, it’s better to let someone else overpay than to do it yourself.

Do Buy with Off Season

The converse of the previous point is that as long as you have the opportunity to buy all of the time, then when the perfect time comes along you should buy.  According to Business Insider, the best time of the year to buy a home is in October, and that is because too many people will be desperate. They will have been in the same buying mode all summer, and now that the winter is right around the corner they will wind up wanting to unload it for a very favorable price. If you simply prepare for the off-season of selling and then strike when the market is cold, you can command your own price in many cases.

Don’t Buy When Market Prices Are Spiking

If you think that real estate starts to climb to an all-time high, you may also o want to pump the brakes and wait a while to make sure nothing silly is right around the corner. As silly as it sounds, you don’t want to jump into a market when there is a potential bubble in the housing market. You need to honestly consider the prices and ask yourself if they are too high. At that point you should be able to tell if you are buying just based on the idea that prices are going up, or if you are buying for a good deal.

When you think about buying real estate and other properties, there is no such thing as a perfect home or a perfect deal. However, if you consider the specifics that surround any real estate transaction you could wind up getting a tremendous property at a tremendous price, so long as you pay attention to when and how you are buying. The circumstances matter and can affect everything.

Remarkable Children Set to Change The World Through Music

So, I was given an opportunity to enjoy a charity concert by ChildAid Asia in KLPac not quite long ago. ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur: A World to Imagine 2016 is a fundraising concert featuring collaborative performances by child talents from ASEAN countries mainly from Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.

ChildAid Asia is an organization that believe in children, regardless their background or disability. Their mission is to develop a sense of confidence and purpose in life among these children and encourage them to stand in the eyes of the world brimming with hope and dignity through art and music. It is really a great organization with noble missions.

I’ll be honest with you. Initially, I was a bit reluctant to write about the concert. Why? The concert made me feel too much. It was overwhelming and way too close to home and at some point during the concert especially when a young blind and autistic boy conjure his magic with the piano during the ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur 2016 concert,my eyes grew watery. I felt angry, sad, touched and happy all at the same time. The feeling was indescribable. It’s not bad. Just too overwhelming to be penned down.

You see, I have a special need son in his tweens. He is autistic, socially impaired and dyslexic. On top of that, he also have sensory processing disorder to add in the whole package. Raising him is not only challenging but quite a hell on Earth, especially when he was much younger. My husband and I were accused of so many things, including child negligence and child abuse due to his regular stimming episodes and constant meltdown. Like most parents with special need children, charity concerts that features talented special need performers like in ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur 2016 concert is too close to home. To me, there’s too much emotions involved when I was watching the concert. Fair enough to say, I did not get much help and understanding, be it from friends and family members or the society at large. Support was practically nonexistent. I was mostly on my own in helping him being accepted in the society. It was just hell and still hell at times.

Malaysians in general are still not really aware what autism is all about and what it entails. Children like my son are often misunderstood and parents like us are often shunned in many ways. Children such as mine are stigmatized. They are interpreted as either misbehaving or spoiled rotten by their parents.

During my son’s younger years, especially when he just started attending kindergarten, I was told that my son should be locked up or chained up. I was advised to stop sending him to school as he was non verbal and not able to communicate the way children his age does, and at some point, I did pulled him out for a little while. The stress was too much for me to handle and I wanted to think of the best solution I should take for my son’s education and future.

Seeing how children, especially special need ones are not only respected but celebrated for being different in ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur 2016 concert in KLPac recently just moved me to the point that I broke into tears. It was tears of gladness. There’s hope for children like my son after all. Even if my son has no talent in the field of art and music, at least there’s hope for other children like him, and I am grateful for that.

I won’t talk much about the ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur 2016 concert. I’m sure there’s loads of reports about it around by social media influencers and also by mainstream media. I want to talk about how the children who performed during the concert inspire people like me and my son and the rest of the world. Here’s sharing with you some shots taken after the concert.

It was raining cats and dogs just right after the concert and the children who performed on stage for ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur: A World to Imagine 2016 decided to entertain everyone while waiting for the rain to subside.

13-year old Michael Anthony Kwok from Indonesia, born blind and autistic but a prodigy in piano, being guided to the piano by Yumi Chung.

Micheal Anthony Kwok, working his magic and making me wish that time would just stop, even for just little moment. Being able to hear him play the piano at such a close distance, is not only breathtaking, but inspirational as well. He made me think that children with special need and multiple disability are not a liability or a nuisance. They just need an unprejudiced chance to shine.

The young talents indulging us with an exclusive after concert performance at KLPac. The entire performance was about 45 minutes and unlike the concert that’s carefully planned and orchestrated, this one’s much more fun as we get to dance, sing along and get up close and personal with the young talents. Singing along to Michael Anthony Kwok’s piano rendition of various Disney movies soundtrack, from left, Gabri Panlilio, Cristi Madrid, Zoe Hong and Yumi Chung. Their performance were cheerful, unrestricted and simply mesmerizing. Michael Anthony Kwok also played some familiar classical number, receiving thundering applause from excited audiences present.

Up close and personal with Micheal Anthony Kwok. Looking on is Yumi Chung, a talented young songstress who also performed during the concert.

Despite of being different, Micheal Anthony Kwok is a very cheerful and affectionate child.

Yumi Chung, Micheal Anthony Kwok and Gabri Panlilio, obliging me for for a photography session.

On the right, the very friendly and approachable Cristi Madrid, another young and beautiful singing sensation for ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur: A World to Imagine 2016.

These children may be just children and celebrities in their own rights, but they are no ordinary child star. They are children with a mission. They are making a difference in other people’s life, especially the underprivileged children from all over the world whether directly or indirectly. Their noble efforts is certainly admirable.

Click HERE to find out more about ChildAid movement and how you can play your part like these children and make a difference in people’s lives too. And if you are residing in Malaysia, follow their Facebook page HERE for more regional infos and updates.

Innergie Reimagines Charging For Smart Travelers

Without a doubt, mobile devices have become part of the very fabric of modern life, but ensuring that these mobile devices – be it a smartphone, tablet or laptop – are constantly up-and-running can be quite a challenge.

Innergy Malaysia

Innergie by Delta, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions – sets about to address this inconvenience with its ‘smart crossover charging solution,’ which reimagines charging in the way we know it.

‘Traveling companion’ has taken on a whole new meaning for frequent travelers, as smart mobile devices are now considered to be the most vital companion and the most crucial item travelers carry with them wherever they go.

Making its entry into Malaysia, the innovative charging solution is a portable charging set that enables individuals to charge all their mobile devices with ease and live an on-the-go lifestyle, knowing that they are powered and connected at all times, consisting of three products – PowerGear ICE 65 (travel adapter), WizardTip (attachable super-speed USB charging connector), and LifeHub Plus (a charging hub).

PowerGear ICE 65 (travel adapter) and  WizardTip (attachable super-speed USB charging connector).The PowerGear ICE 65 is a universal laptop adapter with interchangeable plugs that can tap into the electrical power grid of over 150 countries – ideal for the world traveler who requires maximum mobility. Additionally, the WizardTip can be attached onto the PowerGear ICE 65, creating an instant USB port to charge a mobile device.

LifeHub Plus (a charging hub). LifeHub Plus offers an ingenious approach to charging multiple devices. With built-in smart chips, it can detect the type of devices attached and adjust power from its three 2.4A USB ports accordingly.

Introduction to Innergy Products: Charging Reimagined

                                

Derrick Ho, the Director of Innergie SEA, explained that the smart crossover product idea breaks the limitation and is built for expanded capabilities which can meet mobile life, making people’s lives smarter and easier wherever they travel.

The entry of these products in the Malaysian market reflects Innergie’s commitment to raising the bar in power solutions in the local consumer IT market, and emerging at the forefront of the mobile technology industry in this region.

To celebrate the exciting launch of these three new products for the Malaysian market, Innergie is offering the trio together as a special “Traveler’s Power Pack”, with limited quantities where buyers can purchase the PowerGear ICE 65 (single UK plug) with WizardTip and LifeHub Plus at 20% discount for RM325.60 (UP RM407.00), or purchase the PowerGear ICE 65 (single UK plug) and get a free WizardTip (worth RM39.00) for only RM209.00. The ‘Traveler’s Power Pack’ is available on LAZADA (www.lazada.com.my) and all participating retailer’s outlets.

All three products come with a generous original-manufacturer warranty, environment-friendly GreenSense power conservation technology and InnerShield power protection safety designs.

For more information on participating retailers, please contact Innergie distributors, Afforda Notebook Solution SB (03-8070 8315) and Convergent Distribution (M) SB (03-2144 1881). To find out more about Innergie and Innergie-branded power products, visit www.myinnergie.com.

Celebrate Beauty with Althea

Written by: Guest writer Comot &Tutty

Edited by: Cleffairy

Photographer: Cleffairy

Assisted by: Hanny Abdullah&Hazirah Shah

Disclaimer: No furkids or humans were harmed in the making of this article. To avoid unnecessary clawing and chewing by the furkids, please don’t do this at home.

Heyya, come closer. Don’t be scared. I don’t bite…much. I usually just chew on things but mum will always stop me in time before things gets very nasty. My mum’s away on a short vacation and I’m in charge of the blog today. I have something to tell you.

My mum’s a nasty shophaholic and she’s done it again. Take a look. She just made a shopping haul in Althea and here’s part of her loot. According to her…these babies are from Korea and they arrived within 5 working days upon ordering. Not bad, huh? Considering that Korea is miles away from Malaysia and you got to fly over to reach there and all that.

Let’s take a sniff…in case mum bought us some treats. We can always dig in before she comes home and re-wrap the this stuff and pretends nothing happens.

How disappointing.

There’s no treats. Only some stuff that according to mum and I quote, “the things that will make me look like a hotbabe and a sexy bombshell”.

Oh well, at least there’s a party hat and a balloon for us to play with and if we feel like it, we can make it go BooM and KapoW and terrorize mum when she refuse to pay any attention to us.

Anyway, I cought mum stashing away a yummy birthday cake in the fridge. She said, it’s for Althea’s 1st birthday. Sorry. We can’t help ourselves and ate it. Don’t be mad at us, I’m sure there’s plenty of cakes at Althea.

I heard they are throwing a huge partayyyyyy in conjunction of the first Althea’s Birthday Celebration from 20th – 31st July, 2016.

Althea is giving away limited edition birthday box + DIY party kit for orders placed on 20th July 2016 onwards and will also be free full size beauty products goodies that will help you look like a hotbabe and a sexy bombshells for first 1,500 shoppers, while stock last.

And if you pick 3 Top Sellers 100% rebate will be credited into your account.

And there’s more. Greet Althea a happy birthday on instagram with the hashtag #altheaturns1 and stand a chance to win amazing prizes such as Macbook Air, Ipad Air 2, iPhone 6S, Galaxy S6 Edge, Canon EOS M10 Selfie Camera, Althea credits and beauty hampers from Althea. Prizes total worth KRW10,000,000 to be won. The contest starts from 20th July – 15th August, 2016, so whatcha waiting for? Insta away, babes!

Mum’s back. I got to sign off and hide before she finds out that we ate the cake she baked and turns into a banshee. Adios, people. See ya again next time.

Malaysia Tourism Council Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Malaysia Tourism Council celebrated it’s 30th anniversary in a splendid dinner affair last Saturday at Dewan Perdana Felda,Kuala Lumpur.

Attended by people from the tourism industry and major travel agencies from both Malaysia and overseas, it was an event of networking and fellowship.

Malaysia Tourism Council revealed their long term plans on further eleviating Malaysia in international level as well as their official travel magazine, Santai Travel during their 30th Anniversary Dinner.

In line of their effort to support domestic travel, guests were also given a glimpse of what some states will have to offer for the Visit Malaysia year 2017 and #DekatJe campaign, mainly Perak, Johor and Terengganu.

The ‘Ulek Mayang’ dance being performed during the Malaysia Tourism Council 30th Anniversary Dinner. The dance originates from Terengganu and is said to have ritualistic element where the dance is actually performed to summon the spirit of seven mystical princess to heal a sick person.

Ulek Mayang Dance Performance

Watch the video. Eerily real and I actually got goosebumps when I recorded the video.

Sabai Sabai

It’s no secret that I am officially a Thai Lakorn addict and when the all time favourite Siamese hit ‘Sabai, Sabai’ being performed during Malaysia Tourism Council’s 30th Anniversary Dinner, I can’t help but sing along.

Needless to say, as a family friendly tourism activist, my family and I were all hyped up during the dinner as we get to meet likeminded people with the same visions and goals, and we sure hope that in tourism, we unite.

Up Close and Personal with Dato’ Sri Gavin Tee: Anyone Can Be a Property Millionaire

If there is one thing that I hate most on weekend is being mundane. I hate to stay at home and do nothing. It made me feel like I’m wasting a great amount of time when I could have gone out exploring and see the world. I was about to blow off my head last weekend as I happen to have nothing planned last Saturday. But lucky for me, amidst my irritation, I was presented with an opportunity to meet up with one of the country’s most prominent real estate personality, Dato’ Sri Gavin Tee, who happens to be holding a brief meeting session with social media influencers in order to introduce his upcoming reality TV show, “Anyone Can Be a Property Millionaire”.

Dato’ Sri Gavin Tee giving an introduction on his upcoming reality TV show, “Anyone Can Be A Property Millionaire”.

Believing that owning a home and being rich is everyone’s rights, Dato’ Sri Gavin says the aim of the reality TV show is to search for 8 participants for “Anyone Can Be a Property Millionaire” where he will personally be coaching the participants into making their first 1million via property investment.

And so, I made the most out of my boring Saturday with Dato’ Seri Gavin Tee who is talking about investing in property. And guess what, he’s looking for participants for “Anyone can be a Property Millionaire” Reality TV Show where he will be personally coaching the participants on being a property millionaire.

Exclusive Interview with Dato Seri Gavin Tee

Watch my video interview with Dato’ Sri Gavin Tee where he explain what’s the reality TV show is all about.

Expected to be broadcasted in the 2nd quarter of 2017, the show’s creator and host, Dato’ Sri Gavin Tee said he is inviting everyone (Chinese-speaking for the 1st season) to apply to participate.

Shortlisted participants will then go through a selection process where factors such as how they express themselves, financial ability, assessment tests results, and a simple self-introduction,will be taken into consideration.

The search for the 8 Property Millionaire Stars will kick off with Tee’s talk on “Anyone Can be a Property Millionaire” on July 24th (Sunday) at 2pm to be held at the Grand Ballroom, The Garden Hotel, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur.

To participate, you may purchase a ticket at only RM50 where you can attend Dato’ Sri Gavin Tee’s talk and meet him in person on 24th July (1-5pm) at the Gardens Hotel, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur.

Online Ticket: www.propertymillionaire.com.my/talk724

Alternatively, interested participants and sponsors may log in to www.propertymillionaire.com.my/talk724 or contact 03-22888588 / yeeting@swhengtee.com.my (Yee Ting).

But if you can’t manage to purchase the ticket, it’s all right. I’m giving away a pair of tickets worth RM100 to five lucky readers who comment here. So, what are you waiting for? Comment away. Who knows you might be the next property millionaire.

Cruise into Romantic Horizon with Dream Cruises

If there is one thing that you must try at least once in a lifetime is going on a cruise.

Just last week, we were given a glimpse of what it is like to be on broad on a cruise liner during the announcement of Genting Dream’s latest romantic and dreamy package, their ‘ Dream Cruises Honeymoon Package’.

Dream Cruises, the first-ever Asian luxury cruise line, announced the maiden cruise itinerary for Genting Dream along with their impressively romantic and intimate package catered especially for lovebirds and honeymooners, during their hi-tea session with Tourism Selangor and the members of the media abroad their sister liner, Star Cruise Gemini.

VIP guests present: Tourism EXCO of Selangor, Datuk Seri Mirza DG of Tourism Malaysia, YB Elizabeth Wong and Datuk Rashidi of Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

In the white uniform, the captain of the ship.

Dream Cruises offers inspirational luxury, which is Asian at heart and international in spirit. Genting Dream is designed to meet the large and ever growing demand for inspired vacation experiences from discerning guests across China and the Asia region. Complementing their Honeymoon package, Genting Dream in Southeast Asia will be featuring appealing, warmer destinations, designed to give you the privacy and intimacy you desire, plus the opportunity to socialise and meet others if you so choose.

You may choose to embark on an unforgettable 2, 5 or 7 night trip exploring the rich culture and beautiful tropical surroundings of Vietnam and Sanya or spoil yourselves rotten in world-class shopping in Hong Kong and explore sites rich with history and impressive architecture in the Pearl River Delta.

Genting Dream will accommodate some 3,400 guests, attended by 2,000 crew members, forming the highest crew to guest ratio in Asia-based cruising. Experience the ultimate luxury in ‘Dream Mansion’, a ‘ship-within-a-ship’ with two floors of lavish suites featuring European-style butler service. Accommodation aboard Genting Dream reflects both scale and choice for guests with 70 per cent of staterooms offering private balconies and 100 connecting rooms catering to extended families and larger groups.

More than 35 restaurant and bar concepts onboard offer a wide array of regional cuisines from across Asia, along with a wide range of international dining experiences. Innovative entertainment and leisure lifestyle venues include one of the world’s largest Asian reflexology spas at sea, thrilling live shows, duty-free retail and a wide range of recreation options including a variety of pools with six water slides, a stunning 610-metre wraparound promenade, two submersibles, thrilling ropes course and rock climbing wall. Enriching onboard activities including wine tasting, engaging lifestyle experts, guest speakers and immersive workshops will enhance perspectives, unlock new talents and fulfil guests’ dreams.

For more information on Dream Cruise packages and their ongoing promotion, hop over HERE.

We have yet to have the opportunity to be onboard of the Genting Dream, but here’s giving you a little glimpse on how it is like on their sister liner, the Star Cruise Gemini.

On the deck of Star Cruise Gemini

Guest swimming in the pool onboard of Star Cruise Gemini.

The pool, guests all time favourite lurk.

A guest spotted enjoying the view from the deck of Star Cruise Gemini.

Unlike other means of transportation during travel, cruising on a ship will without a doubt opens your eyes to new horizons as you experience travel from a new perspective. You will be able to learn about multiple countries and cultures in a fresh and exciting way, both on board and on shore, so by all means, do check out the packages offered by Star Cruise liners in this site HERE.

 

Family Friendly Eco Adventure with Treks in Resorts World Genting: Herping

Once upon a time, not so long ago when I was just a little girl, a frog hid itself in the depth of my school shoe. I didn’t know that the creature was hiding in there and come morning when I was preparing to go to school, I unsuspectingly placed my foot into the shoe only to feel that it felt as if there was something soft and squishy stuffed inside. Thinking that my kid sister must have stuffed tissue papers inside again, I dug in to throw the offending object out only to find a frog pitifully looking and croaking back at me. I was so shocked and was so disgusted with my unexpected finding that I dropped the poor frog down. The frog jumped around in the house, creating chaos in the usually mundane morning.

Needless to say, I was terribly traumatized. What more I encountered a snake slithering at home on the same day later after the morning encounter with the frog. It was both on the same day and I have never been a fan of slimy creatures since. I don’t care if my kid sister thinks that they are cute and adorable, but I hate reptilians and I hate amphibians. To me they are just a slimy and a disgusting creature. Loathing these creatures, I avoid them like a plague and I would never go near them if I could help it.

Unfortunately for me, as a member of the media, my assignments sometimes involves those slimy and slithering little guys. I was sent to the zoo once back in 2010 for an event with Brady Barr and I practically cried in front of everyone just because I was so terrified of the harmless Albino Python they were showcasing.

I never bothered to attempt to overcome my fear towards frogs and snakes, but there was a herping session during my most recent trip to Resorts World Genting with Treks Enterprise. Herping is a term used for searching for amphibians and reptiles at night. READ: Frogs, snakes and lizards are involved. Herping is definitely not for the faint hearted and definitely not for me, but I decided to try to overcome my fear and try it regardless. I thought, if my son is not afraid and is eager for it, then why should I? I’m his mother. I’m supposed to be the brave one and a heroine he can look up to.

Our herping session was led by Steven Goh, the President of The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). Our location; The vicinity of Awana Longhouse, Resorts World Genting. With his expertise, he shared interesting knowledge about nature and wildlife with us, particularly lizards, snakes and frogs and thanks to his lengthy explanation about those creatures I so fear of, they don’t seems to be so scary anymore. After listening to his stories about frogs and snakes, I felt that they are just misunderstood and not dangerous unless they are provoked.

It was a successful herping session.

We managed to catch a glimpse of a few kinds of frogs.

Tiny frog spotted

Another tiny frog sitting on leaves

I wonder if this one will turn into a prince if someone kissed him?

Steven shared with us something interesting about frogs which is their mating process. When Frogs mate, the male frog tends to clasp the female underneath in an embrace called amplexus. The male frog literally climbs on her back, reaches his arms around her “waist”, either just in front of the hind legs, just behind the front legs, or even around the head. The amplexus embrace can last several days. According to Steven, while in the amplexus position, the male frog fertilizes the eggs as they get are laid. Frogs tend to lay eggs single eggs in masses, whereas toads usually lay eggs in long chains. Some frogs leave after this point, but others stick around to watch over the little ones. Some have very unusual ways of caring for their young. Rather romantic, don’t you think? I’m a sucker for romantic things like this.

That night we also managed to get a close encounter with a Siamese Viper.

Yes. It is poisonous. But it was handled correctly and everyone had fun photographing the handsome snake.

One for the album.

My phobia of snakes and frogs may not be cured in just one night. I think I am still afraid of them. I might need more herping therapy before I feel like touching them willingly, but it’s a start, no?

If you are looking for some slimy adventure, you might want to consider herping. Treks Enterprise is offering all sort of guided walks and eco-related programmes and herping is just one of them.

For more information on other programmes offered by Treks, go to Treks’s website and Facebook page or please call 03-27181118 or logon to www.rwgenting.com