Nothing is Convenient Anymore

 Update on https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/preview/2285495372779849830/3719618931095106319

After a full day of messing about with different phone, downloading loads of Apps that I will need only once in my life, lots of swearing and frustration, I finally managed to spend 8 EURO. Remember the days when you called your local cinema and just reserved tickets????

The organiser was very apologetic and I acknowledge that things may not always be easy (in China). 

Not all Whisky is Created Equally

 

Not all Whisk(e)y is created equal. I have been accustomed to Scotch and other Single Malts, blended Whisky that follows the production methods of Scotch. I also like a good Irish Whisky, cos they are little bit more punchy and robust in taste in my view. Bourbon is of course subject to a whole different regime. Thus, the taste profile is very different to what I typically savor.

Some extensive tasting of the Woodford Reserve took place the other day. Very drinkable indeed, I had it neat most of the evening. It actually works really well in an Old Fashioned. Now I need someone to gift me a bottle of Rip van Winkle for comparison please.

Nothing is Convenient Anymore!

It is 1993 and the movie you wanted to see has finally arrived in the cinema. You call the cinema. Tell them that you want to reserve tickets, giving the time and date of the show that you plan to go to. Show up at the cinema, make yourself known, pay for the reserved tickets, and enjoy the show. 

Modern tech makes all that so much more easy. NO IT DOES NOT!

Tried buying tickets this morning. Needs WeChat. which I am not using, and I am not downloading it for a one-off transaction. The App is not available in my country. Emailed these people. No response. Instagram another hot platform to communicate and not get an answer. Asked someone who uses WeChat to get the tickets. Booking platform not working. Not their first time running this event. Shouldn't be so hard. Also an event where one can expect international tourists to join. We couldn't join at the venue last year as the tickets were sold out. 

Just how hard is it to spend money these days....

Photos of Trucks

We tried it during the pandemic: get people to take pictures for our magazine. As travel wasn't easy, we thought that people have good cameras now on their phones and should be able to snap pictures. Nope. We got images that are too tight and there was no "Bleed" around the motif. Sometimes you want portrait. Other times a landscape pic is what you need. Mornings are best and if you position your motif right, the light is just stunning. We get mostly situations where we shoot the picture into the sunlight. Horror. 

Truckers not wearing PPE, the vehicle being banged up and dirty are other problems we faced. Overall, the result was usually frustrating. Admittedly, people are not professional photographers. And we know what we need. 

As a result, we now drive 8 hours to snap the photos ourselves while we do the interviews. Saves everyone the hassle and proves yet again that F2F is the way forward, not this whole online business. 

Who's?

Who's home? How to "make" Salmon Gravlax at home. This is a commercial entity serving this food. I see these signs often and I wonder if these places make their employees prepare the food at home....

Thoughts about Generators

 

I am networking a lot. I also like a good event. Whenever we gather, memories are created. Malaysia is a top destination for international acts as well as a canvas for creative local events. Being it an outdoor wedding, a gathering of food trucks or a community of truckers coming together to share joy, event facilities and landscapes in Malaysia make for the perfect venues to realise even the most creative event concept.

Conceptualising an event, organisers may find themselves in the need of support in the form of equipment that they do not own themselves. The acquisition of highly specialised tools and machinery may not be feasible for a one-off event, although the realisation of the idea may depend on such assets. This is where equipment rental companies can add value. With two decades of experience, local provider of rental equipment Contmark Sdn Bhd has been instrumental in running high-profile events. 

Firstly, an event organiser should be clear about the type and capacities of the equipment needed. Concerts for example require a lot of electrical power, supplied by mobile gen-sets. Gen-sets come in all sizes: from the ones used to power a stall at the Pasar Malam to heavy-duty machines that need to be moved with a truck-mounted crane. To set up an event, sometimes even specialist equipment like pavement breakers may be required. Contmark for instance has over 1 000 items of machinery and equipment at their disposal to deploy at an event.

The worst-case scenario would be the failure of the rented equipment. A superstar on stage suddenly being cut off and engulfed in darkness because a catastrophic failure of the power supply not only ruins the experience of the audience but can also tarnish the reputation of the event organiser. Even the prettiest outdoor wedding will not shine if there are issues with the equipment. Organisers should be confidently proposing their concepts, knowing they can depend on their partners. Therefore, those seeking to rent equipment should enquire about the service and maintenance schedules an equipment rental company is applying. Ideally, machinery is serviced regularly and fitted with the highest quality parts to keep them running without a hitch.

As with many technical items, one has to stress the point that the equipment needs to be suitable for the type of event one is planning. Taking for instance power generation, a gen-set may be required to be sound-proof in case of an outdoor event. This is something that may not be such an issue if the equipment is placed outside an event hall, where the noise emitted is not interfering with the event.

Setting up an event requires technical understanding from all suppliers involved. A simple mistake like getting the set-up sequence wrong will impact the process. As such, equipment rental companies will be required to constantly update themselves with the latest developments. Logistical expertise is part of this technical know-how and tapping int the vast experience of Contmark would allow event organisers to seamlessly orchestrate the set-up, running and dismantling of an event proper.

In the unlikely event of a technical issues, a quick response to have the event back on truck quickly is paramount. Here, Chew explains that Contmark would deploy an emergency response team that will be on site within the shortest possible time. Oftentimes, staff would be commissioned to be on-site when an event takes place in order to immediately intervene in case of a problem. However, Contmark seldom encounters such issues as they heed their own advise to keep their equipment current and serviced to meet the most demanding needs of clients.

On Top: Kuching

View from the club lounge of the Pullmann in Kuching. It may not be the most luxurious hotel in town, but it surely has the most captivating view. Kuching is also good for a weekend away. Rather walk-able, the city has a lot to offer for those on an Exploration of Spaces. 

Hopefully, we shall return next year for the Kuching Food Festival. Nom Nom Nom.