Running of the bulls

Tuesday 24 & Wed 25 Nov 09

We are in Pamplona! Famous for San Fermines, the running of the bull event that is held from 7-14 July every year. Events starts with some grand fireworks at 8am on 7th July from the city hall. Six bulls are then released from the paddock and thousands of crazy people will run ahead of them. Few people die every year because of this but the people still keep on coming.

I really wanted to walk the route so we took a little walk after dinner to the start of the route right through to the bull ring. The route’s about >800m or so and the run only lasts for 2-3 minutes. Awesome! Could almost feel the excitement of the reenactment. They even had a countdown to the next San Fermines right to the last second.

The town hall - where the party starts

The bull's route and the countdown to the next San Fermines

The final destination - the bull ring

What I was a bit upset about was the lack of souvenir shops in Pamplona. Maybe it was the streets I chose to walk down on but I couldn’t find a single shop to buy my fridge magnet! That and the lack of time as well. Was so disappointed not to find one that the ICEX lady from Pamplona offered to send me one by post. Thank god for that or I’ll be really pissed.

That's Hemmingway's cafe bottom right

The hotel we stayed in, Hotel Palacio de Guendulain, was really lovely. It was an old palace from the 17th century that was recently converted into a 5 star hotel. It was only 2 months old when we stayed there. Classic medieval deco. Precious. They even had the Count’s old carriage and some antique cars on display.

Hotel Palacio de Guendalain

One thing about our Spanish hosts are they know how to treat us well. Brought us to a fancy restaurant again on the first night called La Nuez, direct translation meaning the walnut. Lovely food. I preferred this meal to Mugaritz (they’ll kill me for this I know) but that’s just simple me. I like my food to look like what it’s supposed to be.

Restaurante La Nuez

They brought us to a nice fancy tapas bar the next night. Tapas bars are not supposed to be a sit down affair but this one was because they were heading in that direction. Restaurant was called Roncesvalles and the owner Miguel Sanchez, spent a good whole night layaning us. Young (29 years old!) & good looking but unfortunately married.

Roncesvalles, vinos y pintxos

Oh, didn’t make it to MNG either cause it was closed by the time I got there. But bought a pair of boots from Zara and explored their huge Cortes de Ingles, a huge 8 storey shopping complex.

Visit to an anchovy factory

Tuesday 24 Nov 09

Went to visit Yurrita E Hijos, an anchovy factory in Mutriku, 45 mins west of San Sebastian. The owner, Juan J Yurrita was there to show us around. Lovely guy. 5th generation of family who has been in the fishing industry since 1867.

Was a damn interesting visit. They cure the anchovies in salt for more than a year before they pack it! And it's all sorted and packed by hand to ensure the best quality. All female workers as it's a tradition. Men go out to fish, women work in the factory.

Yurrita (bottom right) at his anchovy factory

Went another half hour to the harbour town of Guetaria. Nice fishing town where seafood is the game of the day. Took pics with Xabier of ICEX San Sebastian and Loli Moreno of ICEX Madrid as Xabier will be leaving us after stuffing us at Kaia Restaurante, a seafood restaurant overlooking the harbour. Good food but it was just too much! Insisted on walking around the city to walk off the food before we headed to Pamplona.

Guetaria, a nice harbour town

Ate too much at Kaia Restaurante

Gastronomika Festival

Monday 23 Nov 2009

It's the first day of San Sebastian Gastronomika Festival where all the professional famous chefs of the world, wine & gourmet producers gather to showcase their products in one of the best gourmet gatherings in the world. San Sebastian is considered the gastronomy capital of the world because it has the most number of michelin star restaurants per square feet in the world.

The congress is just one big food fest. There's wine tasting, cider, champagne, top quality jamones, ice-cream, sushis, cheese - all the rich gourmet food available for you to just go up & pick whatever you fancy. There are talks by famous chefs too. I was a bit sick from all the wine last night so i only managed a white & a cava. So sad.. i said no to wine.

Gourmet feast

Snuck out in the afternoon to walk more of the city by myself. Did a crazy climb all the way up to the top of Mount Uggul but the view wasn't that great. Workout was good though.

Exploring the city again

Went to Mugaritz Restaurant at night, a gastronomic experience in itself. It's a 2 star Michelin rest. Really fancy shit. Met the chef too who rarely visits. He's the one trying to stab his staff in the back. Cheeky guy.

Mugaritz Restaurante

We has a 12 course meal with 5 diff wines. Meal lasted 5 hours!! It was 2am by the time we finished. They had weird shit like potatoes baked in clay which looked like stones, dehydrated then smoked watermelons that looked like raw beef and loin of duck which looked & tasted like beef. Too fancy for my liking but it's an experience la.. damage was like Euro150++ per person. Sheesh. Tq Spanish embassy.

Fancy food that played with your senses

Off to Spain!

Sat 21 & Sun 22 Nov 09

So excited to be heading to Spain! Going on the invitation by the Spanish embassy as they want to promote more Spanish products to Malaysia. Flew us business class on Lufthansa all the way but was a damn long flight. KL - (stop in Bangkok) - Frankfurt - Munich - Bilbao. But as it was business class, sleep was good and no jet lag whatsoever.

Business class seats, Frankfurt airport & the dodgy plane from Munich - Bilboa

Met up with the rest of the media. 2 from singapore, 2 from Jakarta & 2 from Malaysia. All girls!! haha Didn't stay long in Bilbao as we were whisked off straight to San Sebastian, a seaside town famous for its beach in the north of Spain. Weather here is absolutely lovely!! Bout 17c or so. Sunny too. Stayed at the Hotel Londres y de Ingaterra, the best hotel in town. Love their classic lift right next to my room.

Hotel Londres y de Inglaterra

We had the whole day free so we walked around the town a bit. Lovely city with beautiful waves. Lots of surfing and people were actually bathing there! Too cold to even think of stripping down to a bikini. Waves are crazy!

San Sebastian in the day & night

Awesome waves

Walking the city

Went to the tapas bar later on in the night and stuffed ourselves silly at 3 bars. Concept is simple. Enter a tapas bar, choose whatever you want to eat, tell the guy how many you ate & pay. Wonder y we don't have it here. Oh yea, the kiasus would most likely eat 5 and say they had 3. Loads of ham too. Ended up at a bar for some drinks at the end of the night.

Tapas bars & drinks

Doomsday in 2012?

Tuesday 10 November 2009

I was one of the lucky few that got to see the premier of 2012, 4 days before the world-wide release on Friday (13 Nov). Thanks to Tyng from Hot Magazine. Usually these movie premiers are quite empty but that hall in Cineleisure was packed! Was a hassle to go in too as we had to deposit our cameras outside before we were even allowed in.

We've seen the billboard advertisements, we've heard the warnings. 2012 was a doomsday prophecy that the world will come to an end on 21 December 2012, coinciding with the end of the Mayan calendar.

Yea, we were warned

The movie is directed by Roland Emmerich, the same guy who brought us Independance Day and The Day After Tomorrow, so you kinda know what to expect - loads of explosions, destruction, awesome CGIs and basically, a whole load of action.

Critics might disagree but I will have to say that I enjoyed the movie very much. The plot is not new - end of days is coming, govn conspiracy to cover it up from the people, a nobody tries to save his family and triumphs against all odds - but the delivery was entertaining nonetheless. I was gripping my seat for the entire 158 minutes of the movie.

Loads of awesome destruction scenes

What I liked the most was how they focused on relationships between familes - a father and his son, a mother and her child - instead of those stupid love scenes they always HAVE to put (well they did eventually towards the end but thank god it was a minor irrelevance). The most touching one was of the father calmly saying goodbye to his family as the giant tsunami heads towards them in India.

And I absolutely LOVE John Cusack. There's something about his geekiness that's SO attractive.

John Cusack in 2012

Well, go watch the movie this Friday and let me know what you think.

My first online TV hosting!

Saturday 7 November 2009

OMG I'm on tv!! hahaha remember that homestay thing I went to for a week? Well, I was actually supposed to cover it as a writer but they sent a videographer without a host and I ended up becoming the host!

Quite nerve wrecking at first as I've never been in front of the camera before. Really consious and I kept forgetting what I wanted to say. Think the nervousness rubbed off and I spoke like a train of the rails LOL!

Well, it's finally uploaded online. Watch it here & have a good laugh on me :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67iPFbJKlDg

Cheers.

In an Absolut world...

Thursday 5 November 2009

Currency will be replaced with acts of kindness.. That's the global campaign Absolut launched quite a while back. It's a clever campaign, where they get to your softer side by saying fuck currency, human kindness & contact is the way to go.

Scenes of people paying groceries with hugs at the supermarket, buying movie tickets with kisses instead of cash and tipping the streetside violinist with embraces and not cold change is just a few examples of how material possessions can be obtained. Hmm.. what should I give in exchange for a bungalow & a Mini in the driveway?

Here's the 60 second commercial in youtube :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSmh3Kcreoo

Absolut is having a month long promo throughout the clubs in KL where they treat their loyal customers to freeflow every now and then. Thought it would be a good girls night out since one of us needed some cheering up. First time we colleagues are going out too anyway.

Here we are at 21, Changkat. Louisa, Alycia & me

They had a really short fashion show by Catbit (?) too

Absolut Love flowers..

We got bored after that and joined Yasmin & Louisa at the Japanese restaurant a few doors down. Here we are mucking around.. Oh, do check out the gents toilet in this Jap rest. Great view of booty calls ;)

Mucking about : Alycia, Louisa & Yasmin