RedRibbon Days

Just for Laughs....

2012-02-07T15:08:00.000+11:00

Happy Holidays to all Malaysians as we celebrate the long weekend!

Love is in the air !

2012-02-07T14:52:00.004+11:00

It's that time of the year again! Valentine's Day is just around the corner - and all lovebirds are frantically finding things to do on this "special" day. For many, it could be just be well another day of the year - a day where the florist doubled up the price of roses, restaurants doubled up the price of some so called "romantic menu" and of course, prices of chocolates could also be a tad bit more expensive on this day. Yes, for many vendors who sell tangible goods/products, most naturally, prices will go up (after all, it's their only way of making their products a bit more "unique" on V-Day).

What is Valentine's Day to you? To me, Valentine's Day is not about a day to give flowers, chocolates, teddy bears or cards. To me, Valentine's Day is the day you should spare up to be with your loved ones - and by this, it could well be your other half, your best friend, dad, mum or that someone that you know will appreciate your time. Valentine's Day is not just for lovebirds. Everyone can celebrate Valentine's Day! Most of us are too busy in our daily schedule and hectic lifestyle to really take time to cherish the people around us. We just take for granted that these people will always be around us. (Guilty as charged) There are people that I know that simply reckons that Valentine's Day is just another "gimmick day" pulled out from the calendar for people to make money. So to appease their partners, most of them will just simply order a bouquet of roses to be delivered to the office/home and perhaps coupled it with a box of chocolates and a I Love You very much message. Period. Really ? Is Valentine's Day all about just that?

At RedRibbon Days, we beg to differ. What if Valentine's Day is created by someone who believes that life is too short to take things for granted and is for people to take that one day off to spend some quality time with your loved ones? Okay, so Valentine's Day this year (2012) falls on a Tuesday - it would be a working day for many. And to take a day off on that day would be quite impossible - but who says Valentine's day can't be celebrated on any other day? It could well be the weekend before or the weekend after.

So, what are your plans for this Valentine's Day? Are you going to do the ordinary or are you going to take the initiative and take time off and spend time together with your loved ones ? Not sure if you know what to do ? How about spending the morning trekking in the jungle, lunch by the waterfall and have a relaxing massage at the comfort of your home ? If you are looking for something more, why not take time and get away from the city for a couple of days? On this note, we would like to wish everyone out there a Happy Valentine's Day - and remember that Valentine's Day is more than just flowers and chocolates. It is about spending time together, doing things which are fun and memorable.

A very heart-warming start to 2012

2012-01-06T15:37:00.003+11:00

2012 is finally here. 2011 has been a great year for us and we were absolutely blessed and thankful for the very fruitful and amazing year. 2011 came and went like the blink of an eye. Kicking start 2012, we took on a customer request and customised a birthday day-out for a very special lady. In conjunction with her 60th birthday, her family decided to do something different this year. New year, new experiences, right ? So after heaps of email and sms exchanges, the big day finally arrived, and we were all eager anticipating the outcome of the day-out. Will the birthday girl be thrilled and surprised with what we had stored for her? Like all our other Flight & Flying/ Outdoor experiences, weather plays such a crucial role in determining the outcome of such a day-out. We were praying hard for clear blue skies. No rain, no haze. These two nasty things is cruel enough to shatter all plans and dreams. So they are definitely not welcome on the morning of 2nd January 2012. We arrived at SkyPark bright and early to welcome the birthday girl. Around 8.45am, the chauffeured Bentley arrived and the birthday girl and her husband stepped out - smiling from ear to ear. We greeted them both, extended our well wishes and ushered them into the waiting area. Since our pilot was still on air when we called him, we decided to grab a bite - so we sat down together with the couple, ordered something light from McDonalds and eagerly asking the birthday girl, if she has any clue to what was going on. Lesley by the name, a lovely lady that always have this very lovely smile as she speaks. She spoke with excitement and we knew then it's going to be a good day.

So here's the itinerary of what Lesley did for the 60th birthday :-

Pick up at home by her very own personal chauffeur in a Bentley
City Sky Tour with her husband and son (we were told that Lesley loves taking pictures, so it would be such a great experience for her to get snapshots of KL city from the view above)
Her best friend will be on standby at McDonalds to greet her after her flying experience
Proceed to a pampering session of massage with pedicure and manicure with bestie
While the afternoon away with our very sophisticated English Afternoon Tea at Carcosa Seri Negara
Check in to KL's very own hidden gem - Villa Samadhi
Dinner with family

All in all, the day went beautifully, and we heaved a sigh of relief when we received a sms from her lovely daughter, confirming that Lesley truly enjoyed her special birthday day out and was on cloud nine, having all her dreams fulfilled in a day!
Here's some pictures taken on Lesley's birthday day out. Thanks Lesley for giving us permission to share these pictures :)

And in Lesley's very own words, her thoughts on the special day out :-

"Good Morning Sherin & Ming Ne,

Thank you so much for coming out so early on a public holiday to make sure that my special day got off to a good start. I had the most wonderful day and I really appreciate the organisation and care that you and my family put in to make it so great. I think what makes it even better is that a experience shared is a thousand times better even if it is with only one other person, so the enjoyment of our flight was magnified by having my hubby and son along for the ride. We all enjoyed ourselves hugely and our pilot Andreas was hilarious.

The spa could not have been better. It was an excellent choice and my friend Emily and I really felt pampered and gorgeous as we enjoyed our tea at Carcosa. I'm not sure if you also arranged the stay at Villa Samadhi, but that rounded off a perfect day finished with dinner with the whole family. Our driver Izzat in that beautiful and smmoooth Bentley, was the perfect gentleman, claiming that he didn't really know where we were going, but the car knew the way. :-)

I would definitely recommend Red Ribbon Days to my friends and all the establishments get 10 out of 10 as well.

I will include a couple of photos for you. Please feel free to use them if they are suitable.

Thank you so much.

Lesley

ready,camera, action!

2011-09-25T18:00:00.000+10:00

Couple weeks ago, we were told by our corporate client that they need us to come up with a presentation in lieu with their upcoming campaign. Our Corporate Team of course, is more than ready to take on any presentation request. However, upon further discussion with the client, it turned out that this is NOT going to be one of those normal corporate-ish presentation. It has to be engaging, fun and of course, tells a story.

So as per normal practice, the team put on their best thinking cap, and started penning down the ideas. And in less than 30 minutes, we had an idea. We are going to do a video presentation. Yup! That's right. A office-made video. The cast ? Everyone at RedRibbon Days.

Number of retake : 2
Number of actor/actresses: 4

The video : http://www.youtube.com/user/RRDExperiences#p/a/u/0/X6EDyfUjGAw

just another day in the office...

2011-09-25T17:37:00.003+10:00

Rewind : June 2010 - World Environment Day I was going through my handphone earlier today and noticed that I have so many great images that I felt compelled to blog about and share it here. So, here's a few pictures of the team working hand in hand in lieu with our client's World Environment Day campaign. Quite frankly speaking, this was done quite in a haste as we were all so busy with the main event itself. In order to cut down cost for our client, and of course, to save the environment, we decided to use recycle cardboards and magazines to create signs/messages for World Environment Day. These "message boards" will be carried by our local celebs during the "shout-out" at Lot 10 and Fahrenheit.

Pretty amazing isn't it?

Spa At Home

2011-09-19T17:20:00.001+10:00

I'm a very home person and hate to go out on weekends. Weekends to me are best spent at home - and not getting stuck in traffic jams. Quick simply, I'm just too lazy to get out from the house comes weekend. Yet, I also love spa and massages. More often than not, I tend not to indulge in any spa/massage because I'm lazy to leave the house. So when this supplier came onboard, I was thrilled!

I now can enjoy a relaxing, pampering massage session at the comfort of my own home ! I don't have to worry about going out, finding parking and getting stuck in crowded places. All I need to do is find my perfect spot to do the massage, put on my favourite Rose essence and put on my spa relaxation CD. How awesome is that?

Mix, knead and bake!

2011-08-02T16:59:00.017+10:00

It's August already - and before we know it we will be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali, Christmas and Chinese New Year! With so many festivities lined up for the next upcoming months, and if you are looking to save some money (on cookies, and other treats) why not gather 4 other friends and family and learn how to bake your very own cakes, cookies, bread, macaroons and dessert?

From bread baking classes to chocolate making, we have a range of exciting classes lined up for you!

Bake Your Very Own Home Made Dry Cakes

Bake Your Own Pastries & Eat Them Too!

Bake Your Own Wedding Cake!

Bread ! Bread! Bread !

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

Sweet Indulgences - Do It Yourself!

Discover Choux Pastry & Make Them

Make Your Own Exquisite Macaroons

Who Stole The Cookie from The Cookie Jar?

The Most Flexible Voucher

2011-07-30T13:11:00.003+10:00

RedRibbon Days® Range Voucher

RedRibbon Days® Experience Voucher
Here at RedRibbon Days®, we are quite proud to declare to everyone that our voucher is the most flexible gift voucher in Malaysia! Yes, you read us right. To those who are new to what we are doing, RedRibbon Days® is an online gifting company specialising in packaging up experiences as gifts. And these experiences can be purchased in the form of vouchers - and presented to the recipient as gift. We have two types of vouchers namely the RedRibbon Day® Experience Voucher and the RedRibbon Days® Range Voucher.

The difference between the two is, the latter works like "cash", and the former a specific experience the buyer choose for the recipient. It is ideal to get an Experience Voucher when you know exactly what the recipient likes or wants. And if you are unsure of what the recipient really likes, it will be a safe bet to give them a Range Voucher (so, it's pretty much like giving your friend 'cash' instead of a physical gift - and the good thing is you can be sure that the 'cash' will be used to do something pampering, indulging or fun, rather than it being compromised into bills). How many of us have received 'cash' or 'red packets' as birthday gift and only to use it to pay bills ? More often than not, we will not use the money to pamper or indulge ourselves.

So if you give someone a Range Voucher, you can be assured that they will have no choice but to treat themselves to something nice, wonderful and amazing. The best part of all, they can even share the experiences with their family or loved ones – hence you are also giving them the ‘time’ for bonding and love.

Back to the flexibility of our vouchers – so why do you rant about the flexibility of our voucher, and how flexible are we really?

If you don’t like what you get, you can exchange it

Yup, if someone gave you a “brazilian wax” experience, and you are not a fan of “brazilian wax” then you can exchange the experience to another experience that you really like.

You can extend the validity of the voucher

If you ever received a RedRibbon Days® voucher and totally forgotten about it, fret not – as you can always extend the validity of your voucher

You can top up the value of your voucher

Say you received a Range Voucher and would like to redeem for an experience that you truly like but the value of the voucher is insufficient for the redemption. Simply give us a call, or drop us an email and do a top up for the balance – and you will be on your way to enjoy your dream experience!

It’s transferable

For those who are feeling a bit generous you might want to transfer the voucher to someone special. Yes !! We can do that too – as long as your voucher has never been activated. We can even reissue you with a new e-voucher so you can present it to the new recipient! You can even opt for a new repackaging ( additional cost applies, of course)

Validity of 6 months

Unlike some vouchers in the market that has only 2 or 3 months of validity, RedRibbon Days® vouchers are valid for 6 months! This means, the recipient will never need to use it in a rush – they would have the time to decide carefully on what they really want. The best part of this is we are constantly adding new experiences (on a weekly basis), so the recipient will definitely be spoilt for choice.

Use it in parts

Say you received a Range Voucher valued at RM500 – and you have few experiences that you want to redeem for (and they are not a lump sum of RM500). You can use the value of your range voucher in parts to redeem for each experience – and you have 6 months to redeem these experiences in parts. So if you would like to use it on an experience worth RM50, we will credit the balance of RM450 in your account. And you can use the balance of RM450 on other experiences of your choice.

And if you received an Experience Voucher and you do not like the chosen experience, we can dilute the experience into credits so you can redeem it for other experiences that you like – and yes, you can also use these credits in parts!

So, don’t you think we are really the most flexible voucher in town?

Pilot for a Day with Sanjeev Palar

2011-06-30T12:30:00.018+10:00

For Sanjeev Palar, this was one experience he has signed up for without knowing what he was getting into. It was Saturday morning, sun was shining brightly and the crew headed down to Subang to greet Sanjeev. We had our usual McD for breakfast - and eagerly awaits the arrival of Sanjeev. It was our first time meeting Sanjeev - many of us have watched him on TV, commentating for ESPN and yes, F1.

It wasn't difficult to for us to spot Sanjeev or for Sanjeev to spot us as we were all donned in our famous red t-shirt, and Sanjeev was already smiling cheek to cheek when he walked towards us. We quickly introduced ourselves, ask a few questions and quickly became acquainted. Sanjeev was warm, funny and friendly.

Sanjeev was given a tour of the hangar, introduced to the plane that he will be flying - the 4 seater Cessna.

Captain Adli commenced briefing, and Sanjeev was very attentive, asking questions at every opportunity. The briefing lasted about 10 minutes - and shortly after, we got the green light to board the flight and ready for take off. Ming Ne and Reza joined in the ride - and eagerly put on their seat belt ; face beaming with excitement. Sanjeev was seated next to the pilot - and he will be given the opportunity to manoeuvre the plane once the plane is in the safety zone.

The plane took off once they receive clearance from the control tower - and the weather was holding up beautifully; not too sunny, and no signs of rain/thunderstorm. This is definitely one experience that is always affected by weather conditions. When it gets a bit hazy, or cloudy - control tower will cancel all flights and the flight experience will be affected.

The plane took off and within minutes, it was up on the sky flying beautifully making its way towards Port Klang.

The whole experience lasted about 35 - 40 minutes, and it varies from each flight. On some days, heavy traffic on the airways would cause delays to the experience ; as well as weather conditions. When the plane landed back in the hangar, we excited ran to the plane to interview Sanjeev on his experience.

Excitement and the adrenalin rush that was going through Sanjeev was written across his face. He was beaming with such excitement as he reiterate his experience to us. And the expression on his face tells it all.

Watch Sanjeev doing this experience :-

Sanjeev Palar wrote about his experience on The Star Newspaper : Flying high - by Sanjeev Palar

Live Chat .... on our website !

2011-06-23T00:33:00.002+10:00

A bit of a laggard...but I guess, we all improve as time goes by. So when one of our team member proposed a 'live chat' function in our website - we thought it was a fantastic idea. We implemented it right away. We are hoping that this new feature will encourage people to interact with us more, ask us questions about our experiences, our services and etc.

Yes, we do get calls from customers that had to literally whisper on the phone when they enquire about something. We reckon it must be hard for them to pose certain question or they have eavesdropping colleagues or bosses!

So, the next time you on our website - and you have a question or two, simply click on the "Live Chat" button on the left panel of the website (every experience page will have this icon otherwise, you can locate this in our "Contact Us" page. Click on it, enter your username, email and question ! And voila - our Pleasure Team Consultants will revert to you in a snap!! Simple, see the word "ONLINE" means we are working, and "OFFLINE" means we are either not on our workstation, eating, having fun or it's a public holiday / weekend :)

Chat soon!

Down memory lane .... 19th June 2008

2011-06-22T18:50:00.009+10:00

To commemorate our 3rd birthday, we decided to walk down memory lane and write a post about our launch - the birth of RedRibbon Days on 19th June 2008 (and because we just realised we never actually blogged about our launch before!)

RedRibbon Days was founded by Sherin Wong back in 2007. The first business plan was penned down on October 2007 - and the company was registered in 2007. After many months of sleepless night, sweat and hard work - RedRibbon Days came live on 19th June 2008.

The date 19th June was picked by our very own Feng Shui master - who insisted that the number 19th is an auspicious number and 4pm would be the ideal time for the launch to start. It rained on that very day; but as the chinese believes - rain means wealth. So we took it as a very good sign for the business. And three years later, it was proven.

Officiating the launch was Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. The launch was a cosy event catered for 150 guests - vendors, corporate clients, business partners and journalist from various media company was invited to witness this momentous event.

Three years has passed since our launch, but we are very grateful for everything that passed our way. We know the days ahead will continue to challenge us - filling us with even more exciting and wonderful experiences!

We are indeed very blessed to have come such a long way - from an idea conceived while in bed in Australia to what we are today. Our team has also grown - and we will continue to grow. To everyone who believe is us and never doubted us - a big thank you and we will continue to bring wonderful experiences to everyone.

We are 3 !!!

2011-06-17T12:06:00.006+10:00

We are turning 3 (this 19th June 2011)! It's the time of the year again - where we spend the day eating, eating, eating be merry and drink ! Yes, fun its what we are all about - and we are looking forward to many more years of blessings and prosperity. We have definitely come a long way from where we first started.

We have so many people to thank for this - our suppliers who joined us from day one; and who never stop believing in us and continuously giving RedRibbon Days customer a wonderful experience the minute they stepped into their establishment. To our wonderful customers, both returning, new and future - we wouldn't have come so far without your support as well. Your constant feedback and appraisal has helped us to grow and improve - hence pushing RedRibbon Days to be the best experience gift provider in the market.

To our wonderful team of people in RedRibbon Days, you guys have been the pillar of support for the company and without you all, this wouldn't be possible as well !! So keep staying positive, committed and believe in what you do - and together we will grow and grow (and I'm not referring to body diameter)

Last but not least, let's have a great time today - have fun, enjoy the good food, drinks and company !

Hip hip Hooray !!!

World Environment Day - 5th June 2011

2011-06-01T13:10:00.004+10:00

This 5th June, the world will be celebrating World Environment Day. We are very fortunate and thrilled when we secured the tender to organise and execute the entire event for a corporate client! We had a mere one month to work on - from pre-event leading up to the big day. It was THE event of the year for every here at RedRibbon Days.

The pre-event see us coming up with the initiative to create awareness of carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc. Carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent. Global warming is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases - and 72% of these gases is carbon dioxide(CO2). Carbon dioxide emissions therefore is the cause of global warming.

Hence, our pre-event themed "Reduce Your Carbon Footprint - Experience it Locally" sees us working hand in hand with many local celebrities. We believe the involvement of this group of influential people in our community will make the message clearer and louder. Each celebrity was given a list of experiences they would most want to experience at some point of their life. Given the choice of being able to do it locally, they are contributing to the environment - by not taking a flight out of Malaysia, hence reduction on carbon footprint!

As we all live in a very developed era, it is impossible for us to go back to our primitive ways of living - without electricity, without transportation, etc. While it is not possible to stop using these modern advances, what we can do is to the apt about it- that is to do what we can to save the environment and be smart about our lifestyle choices in order to reduce our carbon footprint.

Some of you may be thinking, how can doing these experiences be a reduction on carbon footprint? Not doing it altogether will reduce carbon emission! We are not trying to tell people to put an end to life experiences in the name of saving the environment. Do we stop driving cars though we know it is a big contributor to carbon dioxide? Do we all stop using electricity just because we want to save the environment! Saving the environment can be done in smaller parts; and the effort of everyone doing it together will create a holistic impact for the environment.

Imagine this, someone who has always wanted to fly a plane - and planned that someday he/she will fly to Perth to do this experience. Then his/her carbon footprints will include taking a plane to Perth (from Malaysia) to do the experience, and of course as well as the "experience" of doing the flight experience as well. But if he/she chose to do this experience locally, without the need to travel overseas, then the only carbon footprint he/she is emitting is the carbon dioxide from doing the flight experience itself !

Here's a calculation to the above :-

Taking a flight from KL - Perth = 0.75 mt of CO2
So by not taking a flight out of Malaysia to Perth to do this experience, he/she will be saving 0.75 mT of CO2.

So, doing your part to save the environment can still be fun and it doesn't call an end to everything fun and exciting in life.

The pre-event initiative definitely was a hit amongst our celebrities and personalities. All of them enjoyed their chosen experience from Making your own macarons, tandem paragliding, pilot for a day to discovering archery and shooting. Celebrities involved in this initiative includes Daphne Iking, Elaine Daly, Lina Teoh, Niki Cheong, Carmen Soo, Jojo Struys, Amber Chia, Dato' Yasmin Yusuff, Hansen Lee, Freda Liu, Dennis Lau and Sanjeev Palar. Together, they have all saved 87, 509 kg of CO2 (87.509 mT of CO2) - just by choosing to do these experiences locally and not travelling out of Malaysia.

For pictures of each celebrity doing the experience, visit our facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/redribbondays

To reduce our carbon footprint further, we have chartered two buses to ferry all participants and celebrities to Taman Botani for the tree-planting event on 5th June itself. A garden almost forsaken despite being under the care of proper authority - we decided to reconstruct the garden - bringing life, greens and a sense of belonging to the garden. The garden, a part of Taman Hiasan, is 5000sq ft in size, and filled with dying plants and weeds making the view of the garden unpleasant. After weeks spent on toiling the ground, replacing dying plants with new ones and beautifying the landscape, the garden will be ready for the public come 5th June once our participants all come hand in hand to plant the remaining plants. A total of 150 plants are ready to be planted - to bring the garden to a completion.

Not only that, our celebrities will also be leaving their handprints on the special plot of cement prepared once all the 150 plants are being planted. To commemorate 5th June, there will also be a time capsule, where wishes will be made and sealed only to be open a decade later.

To end the event, come see us at Lot 10 and Fahrenheit for The Shout Out! Meet your favorite local celebrities and there will be lots of freebies to hand out as well! Help spread the word and save our Mother Earth.

More coverage on this after 5th June.

For updates, follow us on twitter @redribbon_days and facebook.com/redribbondays

The Mantra of RedRibbon Days

2011-04-29T11:09:00.010+10:00

It's already end of April and before we know it, we will be celebrating Mother's Day, Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas and then its time for New Year again! Time flies whether we like it or not. We can't stop it and certainly can't turn it back. So why not put every single second, minute, hour, days and years that we have to live it to the fullest and happily? With RedRibbon Days, you certainly can. Especially if you are part of the family!

Over the last two months, we have 3 new additions to the family. Welcome Reza, Aisyah and Nora! We hope you are well settled by now, and have already grasp and embrace the way we eat, breathe, talk, laugh and of course, work here.

So to our newcomers, here's a quick summary of how we like and do things at RedRibbon Days:-

1. We like to have fun (who doesn't) - We like to do things together, tease and of course, share silly things. (e.g. I'm sure everyone in the office knows about the room with "XXX contents" & single black bra strap story)

2. LOL - laughter is the best medicine. So if you see the need to LOL please do so. Don't bottled up those feelings.

3. We simply love our food. We try to make it a point to have our weekly Friday lunch together. Everyone will take turn to bring food or we will order in. As they say, a happy stomach is a happy person! True dat !! (and today is Friday, and we will be having KFC for our Friday Feast! yumm)

4. After all the fun and eating, our 4th mantra is to "think outside the box". Work smart and not work hard. We prefer an employee that clocked in a quality 5 hours than 8 hours of doing nothing, but surfing the net. In whatever you do, always try to think differently. We like that. We love ideas, and we love new suggestions (hence the challenge "Pleasure Team" vs "Corporate Team")

5. Never belittle yourself. You may think your suggestion or idea is small and nothing worth mentioning - you never know. It may be the brightest bulb for us!

6. The tradition of "Mandi Bunga". Yes, if things smells a bit fishy, the bosses will adhere to this practice. The rule : 7 kind of different flowers. You can easily go to any flower shop and tell them its for shower or mandi bunga, and they will know what to do. It's inexpensive, and gives you a peace of mind that things will all be well right after the shower. Even if you are not superstitious, it's still nice to soak in a bath tub filled with flower petals, no?

7. After all the hype about "The Secret" who is still oblivious to the one secret of think positive. Being part of the RedRibbon Days family, we like all our people to be optimistic, positive and always be positive. Never think a job assigned to you is too hard or too insignificant. You never know!! So, before you hit that send button to a prospect supplier or pick up that call to talk to a corporate client, please think of the positive side of things - and how much bonus you will be getting end of the year!

We will add in new mantra from time to time, but 7 should suffice for now. After all, the most important mantra is on Point 7.

Have a good Friday everyone and it's time to end the week with one hell of a productive Friday!

Bernam River Airfield Experience

2011-04-26T20:25:00.007+10:00

It never crossed my mind that I will ever be sitting in a 4 seater airplane. I never knew that all these small airplanes exist in Malaysia and most importantly, I never really thought I will get the a chance to experience it until I joined RedRibbon Days (RRD).
Theing was asking me the other day whether I will be free on the coming Saturday, I have no idea why she asked me that, and she told me our new provider of this experience is giving her a complimentary experience! The experience will be carried out at Subang Sky Park and this time, Theing will be the co-pilot, which means she will get the chance to help manoeuvre the plane up in the air. It is a 4 seater plane, as such, she invited me to come along and experience it since I’m new in RRD, and I never had any RRD experience before.

I was seriously excited about the invitation, but within a minute, I was frightened! Ever since I had an extreme theme park ride some time ago, my heart couldn’t handle too much pressure. I always felt as if it will jump out from where it belongs, whenever I ride on any extreme rides. I’m scared of height, and I do not feel safe if I stay in a small space especially in an aircraft! But, I kept telling myself not to chicken out last minute, and there’s nothing to be scared of - as everything in under the watchful eyes of a professional and certified pilot. Plus, this is a golden opportunity for me - as what the Chinese always say, I should cherish it. I didn’t discuss this with my family, knowing them only too well, my parents will freak out and most probably they will ask me not to go. I told my sister and she was okay with it - so I went ahead with it.

On the day, I reached quite early, around 8ish, and i wandered around the airport, taking pictures while waiting for Theing to arrive. Theing reached about 9ish, so we headed down to McD breakfast. I had Sausage McMuffin with Egg! Woot woot! It ihas always been my favourite food despite the fattening facts! But doesn’t matter, having it once in a while is a bliss! ♥
While we were half way enjoying our breakfast, our pilot, Andreas arrived. My first thought was “Wow! He’s a really tall white guy!” Hehehe! So he joined us and gave us a little pre-flight lesson prior to the actual flight. He gave us some basic knowledge of how an aircraft can actually lift and fly scientifically. His explanation was vivid and interesting ! I was impressed! Well, maybe I fussed about it a little, but hey I never had these flying experiences before, so yea…I guess it was okay for me to react in such a way! =D
Prior to the flight, we had an airport tour sitting on an open air “safari truck”. The truck belonged to our pilot, Andreas. The truck was insanely cool, and wildly painted in black and white zebra prints! We were considered lucky on the day; we had had the chance to see a numbers of aircrafts, helicopters and private jets! Especially on some really old ones (even before I was born) but still functioning till today! Sounds amazing isn’t it?
Apart from that, we also check out the Fire Department. There we were amazed by the gigantic powerful trucks that are only available in the airport or maybe some other places, but definitely not on the main roads we used to drive pass every day.
Before the flight, we did a little inspection and checking on the aircraft. This is a compulsory and necessary step before we take off on the flight.

The real excitement began when the 4 seater plane slowly took off and flew towards the clear blue sky! The feeling was totally different from sitting inside a huge aircraft; it was fun, exciting - just like a movie scene! What freaked me out was the vertiginous height! Since I was the only passenger and I had to distract myself from feeling woozy, I kept taking pictures non-stop. Throughout the flight, Andreas pointed to us every check-out point; we spotted Menara Maybank, Menara TM, KL Tower, Petronas Twin Tower and Batu Caves! Definitely a breathtaking city view up in the air! Out of sudden, Andreas said something. He said: “we are going to have some coffee!” At first, Theing and I were thinking of “Are we going to drink our coffee in the airplane and up in the air?” How is that possible! Then, Theing told me that we were going to fly over to Bernam River Airfield, and we are actually going to take our little breakfast break over there.

After 30 minutes of flight, we landed at Bernam River Airfield; it was a green, breezy and cosy big field with unlimited amount of fresh air! Guaranteed a wonderful short break from the hustle and bustle city! We “parked” the plane under a tree, and walked around the field. Then we noticed a gas and stove, and some cooking equipments. Andreas is personally going to cook us our breakfast. That explains why he has a storage box filled with bread, eggs, seasoning, coffee and dishes inside! He even brought his own traditional Chinese silver kettle to boil water for our coffee! How cute! We also noticed there was a portable swimming pool where visitors can swim and play with beach ball. But please do bring over your own swimsuits, swimming equipments, clothes for change, toiletries, and any other things that you think that are necessary.

After a quick tour around the airfield, we tucked into our delicious spread of breakfast – scramble eggs, wholemeal bread and coffee served freshly on the table! It tasted really yummy even though I was stuffed with McD! We were chit chatting while eating our breakfast, and it reminded me of the days when I was young and daydreamed about getting up close and personal with a real pilot like in a drama or movie; especially when these movies depict pilots as being oh-so-tall and handsome. Never did I imagine that I would spend a day out with an actual pilot – like in those movies! I never expected that a silly thought of mine would have come true one day! It’s quite an awesome feeling to experience something that you never thought you would ever experience!

After the relaxing breakfast session, we went to check out Bernam River behind the airfield. There was a river surrounded by trees and bushes, which was not deep and probably not very suitable for fishing, however the overall scene was relaxing and tranquil. We also met Howard, a friendly dog with yellow-ish fur. He must be pretty lonely considering that there are no people around the area. But that’s the beauty of this place, especially if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle and just want a quiet serene place to relax.

We spent about 1 and half hour at Bernam River Airfield. While we were heading back to Subang Sky Park, Andreas was pointing out every check out point as how he did during the flight to Bernam. Apparently, RAWANG is one of the important check-out points! Hahaha! I’m proud of it since it’s my hometown! The return flight to Subang Sky Park was quite a daunting experience for someone who is afraid of flights!

Theing, our co-pilot of the day, helped manoeuvre the plane by holding the controller, and all of a sudden, the plane descended and ascended very abruptly! I let out a small scream and was pretty frightened as my mind was all blank! OMG!!! OMG!!! OMG!!! The feeling was indescribable and it was definitely a climactic moment of the day!

Despite the small scare, overall, the experience was fun, thrilling, adrenaline pumping, adventurous! Most importantly, this was the most awesome and extreme experience that I have ever had! Many many thanks to RedRibbon Days for providing such a wonderful flying experience! =D

Before I end the post, here are some amazing pictures that I would like to share with all of you! :)

For more information on this experience, please visit our website.

Article contributed by Penny

Dog Trainer for a Day

2011-04-03T10:33:00.008+10:00

One thing about the RedRibboners that I truly respect about is that, we really try our best to go all out in ensuring to help fulfil our customers’ wishes however way we can. This is the type of culture that I saw and learnt, being in the Pleasure Team and this was what I tried my best to do for this particular enquiry that I was handling.

You see, we do a lot of customized experience packages based on each customer’s request. I was handling this enquiry where this girlfriend would like to do something special and different for her boyfriend, Kevin (not his real name). She wanted an experience that allows him to spend time with dogs and learn a thing or two about dog training as he has always wanted to get one but never got the chance to due to several reasons.

And so this is where the search began! After searching for countless training/obedience schools for dogs, I finally found one that was open to the idea of teaching our client about dogs and just letting him spend time with those furry fellas.
After finalizing everything, thus the “Dog Trainer for a Day” experience was born in the RRD family! Kevin’s gf seemed happy about it and eventually gave it to him. Couple of months later, Kevin decides to redeem it and go for the experience! As I truly wanted everything to go smoothly on his experience day, I decided to personally see the experience for myself too!

For this experience, you will simply get to spend time with dogs, interact with them and best part, you will learn how to handle and train dogs – all in a simple, basic environment. So nothing fancy. It is a training school after all, and not a pets spa. You will not only get to watch and learn how the experts do it, but you get to try it as well!

After Kevin arrived the centre, Carlos, the trainer brought out a friendly dog out and introduced the two to one another first. It was a Labrador. And it was soooooo cute and handsome! But boy was he quite a handful.

The first thing which Carlos taught was one of the most basic but very important things of all, which is ‘walking the dog’. You see, I’ve never had a pet dog before so I never thought walking a dog would be quite difficult! One of the things Carlos mentioned was that “You have to walk the dog, not the dog walk you!” Have you ever watched those movies where dog starts running hyperly in front and the poor owner holds on to the leash for dear life, struggling to keep up with the dog? Haha! That’s the vision I had in my head immediately when he said ‘dog walk you’!

Next, Carlos also taught Kevin basic commands like sit, stay, down and heel. At first Kevin struggled to handle the dog for a bit, but after a few rounds, he could handle him like a pro. I was so impressed! The trick is to always ensure the dog doesn’t get distracted, then you and your dog will be walking the street like buddies!

After that, Carlos surprised all of us including me, by letting Kevin try handling a different breed of dog. A bigger dog this time – it’s a German Sherperd.

I was scared actually when he took it out, simply because it was HUGE. And I was afraid it’ll pounce at me and bite my head off or something. Well, it did kinda jump right at me, but in a playful way. It was simply just like the cute Labrador before, it was just plain playful and hungry actually. Haha! So with this, Carlos also let Kevin get used to handling it and applying all he had learnt earlier and also taught him to feed and reward it with sausages. And boy did this furry fella really had a good time eating those sausages!

As the experience was about to end, Carlos got excited and surprised us again with another dog! This time with what I thought was even SCARIER. It was still a German Sheperd, but a German Sheperd which is trained to be a “Guard Dog”. Bluntly said, they are trained to attack. Immediately when he told us that, the chicken in me quickly told my legs to run and stand in one corner. Hahaha. But to my surprise (again), this dog was the best and easiest to handle of them all. Simply because it is already trained. Carlos even told us, he has even trained this dog to have an on and off button. On and off button to what you may ask? Well, a button to attack! Carlos, demonstrated this by using me and poor Lawrence, our intern who was also there with me, as the victims (Thanks Carlos!). What he did was, Carlos pointed to me and Lawrence and told the dog which he was holding that we were enemies, and immediately the dog started barking at us with mad scary eyes. After that, Carlos told the dog “Okay, okay, I was just joking. They’re friends, they’re good people, they’re our friends...” And immediately, as if a button has been switched off, the dog stopped barking and calmed down. Cool hey?

Overall, Carlos did a great job teaching Kevin the basic ropes in handling dogs and we hope Kevin had a great time too. Here was his feedback to us:

“Hi Theing,
Overall, i had a great time. I didn't expect to see you and your colleague there, so that was a pleasant suprise as i feel that it shows good customer service. To have personnel over there to personally oversee the experience shows that your company really cares about the client's experience, as is this follow-up email. Thank you for contributing to the experience and also thanks for helping me snap some pictures. Keep up the good work :)”

So if you know anyone who’s always loved dogs but never had the chance or time to take care of one at home, how about giving them this gift? Or if you know of a friend who has a dog just like the movie Marley & Me? We have dog training packages coming right up! So stay tune peeps!

Article contributed by : Ng Huay Theing

Want a taste of Mexico but you can't afford to fly there?

2011-03-22T12:08:00.004+11:00

Why go so far when we can have the taste of authentic Tex-Mex cuisine right here in our own backyard?

Frontera Sol of Mexico, which literally means, 'Frontier Soul of Mexico', is the perfect place where you can get seriously authentic Tex-Mex cuisine. Familiar Mexican food like nachos, enchiladas, chilli con carne, burritos are aplenty in the menu. Not to mention lip-smacking items like BBQ Beef Ribs, Country Fried Steak & Chimichanga are also available here. Frontera is also famous for their burgers like the Chilli Cheese Burger and the Frontera Burger!

For the benefit of those who have no idea of what I'm talking about, let me break it down for you as what all these goodies are.

Nachos are basically individual tortilla chip covered with melted cheese and a slice of marinated jalapeno pepper on top with some sour cream, lettuce and tomato at the centre. Kinda similar to the ones that we can get a good 'ol American Chilli’s but somehow they seem more authentic here. Nachos are normally taken as an appetizer. Enchilada is a corn or flour tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chilli pepper sauce. Usually stuffed with your choice of either chicken or beef and served with Mexican rice & re-fried beans. The chilli con carne here comes with no beans, plenty of beef and the flavour of jalapeno, onion, and garlic all mixed together. A definite must have for an all-round Mexican meal. Burritos are also similar to enchiladas; a tortilla wrapped around shredded chicken or beef, and served with Mexican rice and re-fried beans. The Chimichanga sounds complicated but it's just a deep-fried version of the Burrito!

The BBQ Beef Ribs, Country Fried Steak & Chilli Cheese Burger are as what they say they are. The former is low roasted mesquite, smoked beef ribs, basted with Frontera’s homemade Habanero BBQ sauce, served with mash potato and sautéed vegetable of onions and corn. The Country Fried Steak is literally steak fried with a coating of flour. That said, the meat is tender and paired well with homemade cream sauce. The mash potatoes, a side dish, come with bits of potato skin. The Chilli Cheese Burger may sound unassuming but the patty was thick, juicy and beefy, and the chilli con carne topping added more flavour and texture to it.

I had the chance of sampling the chicken burrito. I have to say that it was quite a wholesome & definitely filling meal. The tortilla wasn’t too thick and the ingredients were definitely bursting with flavour. My meal came with nachos chips as this was the lunch meal. The nachos were served with the customary salsa ad a creamy cheesy dip which was absolutely yummers! Now, this lunch version is supposed to be the ‘light’ version but boy was I stuffed. The dinner version, the original version, comes with Mexican rice & re-fried beans. Bet I wouldn’t have been able to move if I had that!

Now, a Mexican meal is not complete without the customary margaritas & tequila shots! Frontera boasts a fully-stocked bar where their margaritas are made with premium tequilas including Don Julio and Patron (made with 100% agave plant). They taste great, but may be a tad too strong for some. I didn’t get to sample the alcohol as I did have to go back to the office after lunch. (Sob! Sob!)

So, why wait? Head on down to Frontera, Sol of Mexico, Jaya One for an authentic Tex-Mex meal surrounded by various Mexican memorabilia like the sombrero as part of the culture-rich decor and the occasional live music!

Try this experience yourself or buy this experience as a gift!

Article contributed by : Shiva B.

Winner of Finders Keepers : March 14th 2011

2011-03-15T18:42:00.002+11:00

Yesterday, we released our Finders Keepers game in our Facebook Fan Page and within minutes, the prize was spotted and claimed ! Congratulations to Annette Lee (who also happens to be one of our loyal customers over these years). Thank you Annette for your support and we truly hope you will like and enjoy the experience!

The winning prize ? It was a a RedRibbon Days Aromatic Tea Session for Two . A truly unique tea experience suitable for a couple, friends, mother and daughter or father and son!

And here's a thank you note from our winner, Annette via our @RedRibbon_Days twitter.

Finders Keepers

2011-03-14T15:00:00.005+11:00

It's been quite a while since we had a competition for our Facebook Fans ! And we all know that we have to give something special to our fans for being our fans :) So here you go! Our Finders Keepers game!

Rules of the games? Simple !! Simply find the one and only experience in our website - an experience will be released every fortnight on a Monday and priced at RM0.00. Add the RM 0.00 experience into your shopping cart, select "email delivery" as the option for delivery (so you won't incur any additional cost) and if you are the lucky first - the experience will be emailed to you within minutes - so you can start using it!

Yes, it's that simple! So what you waiting for? Join our Facebook fan page now and go find ! find ! find!

Doing out bit in lieu with International Women's Day

2011-03-10T15:05:00.006+11:00

This year International Women's Day turns 100 and in conjunction with this celebration, we are going to support a charity event where the proceeds goes to WAO (Women's Aid Organisation). We are after all a very female-oriented corporation !

It will be a night of entertainment as the show will kick start in cabaret mode in Velvet underground with local celebrities like Joanne Kam, Lina Teoh & Carmen Soo ! We are also sponsoring a RedRibbon Days Purple Range Voucher worth RM1,500 for this cause. So come and join in the fun (Friday, 11th March 2011) as we continue to party the night away at Zouk.

This is truly one party worth going for !

The most flexible voucher in Malaysia

2011-02-27T20:16:00.005+11:00

I daresay RedRibbon Days vouchers are simply the most flexible voucher in the whole of Malaysia ! Where else can you find a voucher that will definitely thrill, delight, pamper and excite?

When one of our corporate client came to us last week in regards to some "vouchers" that they have in mind to reward their staff - they told us the story of how the vouchers (they used previously) were left unused and not liked by many. And they spent thousand of good dollars in these vouchers. The recipients are restricted to whatever they are given(i.e. Dining or spa at a specific venue) and they can't exchange it for anything else.

When we introduce our client our RedRibbon Days Experience and Range Vouchers, they immediately took a liking to the whole flexibility of it. If they were to buy an experience voucher (with a specific experience), the recipient still have the flexibility to change to another experience if they do not like the given experience. As for our RedRibbon Days Range Vouchers - recipients are given a voucher with denomination value - and they too can choose to redeem for anything they like from our RedRibbon Days website. From over thousands of experiences to choose from, there is definitely something that will tickle their fancy!

Best part of all? The recipient can even top up to redeem other experience(s) that they really want, transfer, exchange and even extend the validity of the voucher.

Imagine you have 100s employees with different lifestyle, likes and taste - it would be a breeze to reward them with a "gift" they finally like and have use for.

Last but not least, we can even personalised your company logo and message on the voucher to make it a little bit more special.

facebook competition

2011-02-26T20:23:00.003+11:00

Yes...we know it has been quite a while since we had a Facebook Fan Page competition. Truth is, we just can't seem to find the right type of competition for our fans! And quite frankly speaking, we have seen so many facebook competition which are just too repetitive (same old, same old *yawn* yawn*).

We have allocated some prizes to give away - but still figuring out the mechanics of the competition ! So to all our RedRibbon Days facebook fans - hang in there, and we will very quickly run a competition or some sort of games for the upcoming months!

Or, if you have any ideas feel free to write in to info@redribbondays.com.my or let us know here (comments).

Thanks !

facelift

2011-02-26T19:49:00.002+11:00

It's Saturday, and we decided to revamp the look of our blog. After all, we have been using that old design for a while now, and a change now and then is good, right? So, we decided to go on something simple - no prints, no bright colors.

Do you like the new look of our blogspot? Let us know !

we are hiring !

2011-02-21T19:21:00.007+11:00

We are expanding !! If you are seeking for employment in a fun, vibrant environment, send in your application today! We are always on the lookout for people with calibre - so if you think you have what it takes to be part of our team, send in your resume to careers@redribbondays.com.my

POSITION 1: Corporate Account Executive

Responsibilities:
Reporting and supporting the Chief Corporate Officer, your role as Account Executive will be to sell a range of our products to existing and new client accounts. You will be required to maintain and grow revenue from your current client base by cross and up-selling new products and extending the product range.

To be considered for this role you will have:
* Experience in a sales role managing existing accounts and driving revenue growth.
* Ideally you will have experience from within similar industry
* The ability to deal with a variety of industries and cold calling
* Have strong relationship management skills and the ability to network both internally and externally.
* This role brings together all aspects of Account Management and requires an individual that is a highly analytical thinker, extremely well organised, well developed administration skills, and most importantly someone who communicates exceptionally well with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements:
* Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, Professional Degree, any field.
* Required skill(s): excellent written and spoken English; ability to multitask; meticulous; Advanced level of MS Office skills
* Required language(s): English
* At least 1 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
* Applicants must be willing to work in Damansara Heights.
* Preferably Senior Executives specializing in Sales - Corporate or equivalent.
* 2 Full-Time positions available

Availability : March 2011
Career progression will see you moving into an Account Manager position or similar role within 2 years.

POSITION 2: Personal Assistant / Marketing Co-ordinator

Your responsibilities will include:

*Manage a team of Pleasure Team Consultants
*Manage KPI, timesheet and performance evaluation
*Building familiarity and relationships with their clients and suppliers
*Assist and report to 2 busy directors as and when it is required
*Assist in driving the business forward through online and social media channels with a focus on being innovative and broadening our customer base
*Secretarial and administrative duties
*Diary management and day planning
*Meeting coordination, minutes and preparation of reports and agendas
*General administration – filing, reports, maintain office supplies & stationery

Requirements:

*Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, Professional Degree, any field.
*Required skill(s):
-Advanced Microsoft Office skills (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) ;
-Outstanding organisation;
-Time management and problem solving skills gained in a high volume environment with competing demands;
-Demonstrated service delivery and support experience at an executive level;
-Superior communication, facilitation and negotiation skills with both internal and external clients while maintaining the highest level of personal and professional integrity;
-Proven team player with strong working relationships with existing teams;
-The ability to take initiative and communicate in a confident and friendly manner
*At least 2 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
*Applicants must be willing to work in Damansara Heights.
*Preferably Senior Executives specializing in Secretarial/Executive & Personal Assistant or equivalent.
*Full-Time positions available

Availability : March 2011

Should you need more information please contact Alexandria on 03- 2093 5973. Note that only those applicants deemed to have met our clients criteria will be contacted for interview.

Find out more about RedRibbon Days, join our fan page http://www.facebook.com/redribbondays or visit our website at www.redribbondays.com.my. Tweet to us @redribbon_days if you have any other questions !

@ Tawau, Sabah

2011-02-16T20:39:00.014+11:00

It was one of the biggest event of the year for us at RedRibbon Days. A corporate annual dinner for 600 pax in lieu with their 25th Anniversary. We were called in to raise the bar for the event, as it has been rather dull for the last 24 years. So, we eagerly took on the challenge - not knowing how much work it entails. The initial meeting with the committee was 'cold'. We get few disapproving eyes (some gave us the "can you handle it or not" look). A lot of brainstorming meetings was carried out - Sherin and Ming Ne had to fly to Sabah for the meetings (once a month, 4 months before the event). Quite frankly speaking, a lot of issues could be sorted easily via emails or phone calls. Nevertheless, the time spent on travelling proved its worth at the day of the event. We worked well with the hotel (event venue), the sound and lighting man, the florist and etc. They too, do not reply to emails promptly, and prefer to meet face to face.

The event was themed "Glitz 'n' Glam". Lots of black, silver and sparkles of course! A glamorous event as such, cannot do without a glamorous MC. Hence, we engaged Daphne Iking as our MC for the event. Working with Daphne was a breeze. She's quick to react, collected and simply a professional MC.

A month prior to the event was chaotic. There was backdrop to be designed, invitation cards to be sent out, ballroom decoration, scripts, entertainment and etc. We do not like to call ourself as event management company - we like to tell people we do bespoke events. Saying so, we bring to your event, a whole new level of excitement and experience. And of course, we have worked with few event management company - and boy, aren't they exorbitant! Our very own RedRibbon Days launch was in fact handled by and external event management company, and trust me - we actually paid so much that it could well cater for a wedding for 100 pax in a hotel ballroom; top it with celebrity MC, entertainment, full bloomed red roses, deco and etc etc.
Hmm... simply not worth it. So, we try to work with our client's budget and yet, making sure that they are getting for what they paid for. An event / experience that they will never forget and the talk of many for months to come.

Apparently, Tawau is famous for its wide variety of seafood. So we jumped into the opportunity to savour the local delights at one of the most famous seafood restaurant, Kam Ling. We had siput tarik, ikan ayam (?), praying mantis prawns, and heaps more! The verdict ? It was uber-delicious. The siput tarik was effortlessly cooked (no spice - just blanched in hot water, I suppose?) yet tasted divine!

RedRibbon Days girls with Daphne Iking

Nik sucking "siput tarik"

Siput Tarik

Kam Ling Restaurant
After a sucking in a mountain pile high of siput tarik, we head back to the hotel for more work. It was only around 10.30pm when we ended dinner, and we were feeling exhausted already! Anyways, we slogged through the night and finally call it quits at approximately 1am. The exhaustion was taking a toll on all of us. Tomorrow is the big day.

There was more to do the next day. Final ballroom set up, rehearsals, sound and lighting checks and adjustment, and the endless amount of last minute changes almost made me lose my cool. By 4pm, everything was coming along nicely; the ballroom was transformed from a bare, dull ballroom to a very glitz and glamorous ballroom.

The transformation of an empty, bare ballroom :-

to Glitz 'n' Glam :-

All in all, the event was so successful (we dare to say so), because the next day and following weeks, there was coverage on the event on all major newspaper in Sabah! It was such a satisfying moment for us all. Our client was extremely pleased with our service and few quoted to us, that this is their best annual dinner in the past 25 years! What an honour and glorifying moment for all of us.

The RedRibbon Days Team and Daphne Iking after the event
The girls were almost paralysed by the end of the night - from the long hours of standing, and of course, in the name of beauty, their killer heels. Nik's leg was badly blistered and it was still branded on her legs till today. Dinner for us all that night was at 11pm. We were famished, exhausted but deeply satisfied with the results.

That night, we all slept like a log and checked out from Tawau, Sabah the next morning. Tawau has been very kind to us, and we would love to be back someday. This time, it will be for something bigger and better.

Love is in the air!

2011-01-16T14:35:00.009+11:00

We are 16 days into 2011 - and as quickly we usher in the new year, we are now marching into the festivities of the year as well. Lined up will be CNY, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and before we know it - it's Christmas again! Time flies - and as we go into each new year, we all added another 1 to our current age as well. Time and tide awaits for no man - so why not spent your time and life to the fullest and experience new things ; be it a new restaurant, a new adventure or even a new style of massage!

Valentine's Day is less than a month away - and I am sure all the lovebirds out there are in the midst of thinking of what to do this year with their loved ones. For couples who have seen many Valentine's Day together, maybe their way of celebration will be more domesticated and subtle - while those who are new in the relationship, they are probably thinking of all the fiery ways to celebrate their union.

We are known to some of our customers as "cupids" - on this day, while there are many lucky couples who gets to celebrate this day together, there are also many couples who won't be. They are separated by thousands of miles and different time zones. For the latter couple, we are always here to help bring you two closer on this special occasion. This reminds me back to one customer who specifically requested for us to deliver the gift to the recipient, along with 28 red helium balloons to signify each year of her birthday and to capture her expression and message when receiving the gift. It was sweet. For Valentine's Day this year, we are hoping to see more of such request for couples who are in LDR ( long distance relationship).

And another customer (who is also in a LDR) actually requested for a full- day customised experiences so that her partner can celebrate Valentine's Day with her best friend! They started the day with their very own personal chauffeur - chauffeuring them to all the locations for their packaged experiences. From breakfast, adventure rides, lunch to a full session of pampering massage ! Awww, how sweet is that ?

So who says Valentine's Day is all about red roses and chocolates? It can definitely be more exciting and unique compared to what it used to be! RedRibbon Days have over 1000 amazing experiences all across Malaysia - and we have just the right experience for the right kind of couple!

Here's our recommendations:-

For the adventurous ones

ATV Offroad Adventure to Lubuk Embun Waterfall
Outdoor Rock Climbing for Two
Tandem Paramotor Adventure
Glide Away !

For those who loves to be pampered:

Mandara Massage
Sensual Ylang Ylang Couple Spa
Ultimate Chocolate Body Spa Indulgence for Couple
Urban Retreat for Two

For those who loves to eat

Imperial Vietnamese Cuisine for Two
Carcosa Seri Negara Dining Experience for Two
Contemporary French Cuisine for Two
A Bona Fide Dining Experience for Two
Romantic City Dinner for Two
Macaroons & Tea for Two

For the domesticated love birds

A Chocoholic Fix for Two
Full Indulgence Spa Manicure & Pedicure At Home
His & Hers Gift Box
At Home Massage

The list could go on and on and on .. .so let's just end here. For more ideas, visit www.redribbondays.com.my or email us at info@redribbondays.com.my for customised packages.

Here's wishing all the love birds out there, a very Happy Valentine's Day and may your love for each other grow fonder and stronger by the day; further tighten with many unforgettable memories and experiences!

xmas @RedRibbon Days

2011-01-01T19:38:00.021+11:00

Gasp! Has it been that long since we lost blogged? Geez...well, as the saying goes, time flies when you are in good times :)

This year, we finally get to have our very own first Xmas tree! Our office was too cramped for another box let alone a Xmas tree last year. So when we get the green light from our office grinch (@mingne) to have a Xmas tree, Sherin & Nik beamed with joy!! Ho ho Ho !!

We blasted Xmas songs, gathered around the tree and started hanging lovely ornaments around the tree. Everyone was in a festive mood. Next came the yearly tradition of Kris Kringle (KK). This year, we decided to do something different - as opposed to the traditional "physical gift" we as an "experience gift company" decided to exchange "experience gifts" instead ! It is definitely more fun compared to giving each other tangible gifts (which I'm not even sure if we all really use what that was exchanged last year!)

So Penny, our new addition to the team was appointed to be the KK master. When we announced "the gift" for KK, the excitement spread like wild fire. Ming Ne got really excited as she was pretty adamant on getting "a maid for a week experience" from her KK partner.

Here's the chart :-

Everyone had to think of an "experience" for their KK partner - and I had to say some of the "experiences" were pretty amazing! (i.e. Aston Martin ride, Bentley ride, Bah Kut Teh experience, Indian rice experience, ice skating, personal chakra (ohmmm)...etc)
Some experiences were immediately redeemed on the very night of our annual xmas party!

We even had to personalise the gift to mimic our very own RedRibbon Days experience voucher! Here's one from Sherin to Theing :-

Theing in a chauffeured Bentley !

Lawrence getting his Aston Martin ride!

This year instead of the normal, serious sit down dinner, we decided to do something fun. And hence we proceeded to Red Box for a buffet + karaoke session! The spread was marvellous - everyone attacked the buffet counter the minute they arrived. Fresh oysters, mussels, sushi, hot watercress soup, fried noodles, mini burgers, salad and the list goes on and on...

What an experience for everyone at RedRibbon Days ! We have really great singers, first-timers and old-timers. The latter of course would be Sherin, Nik and Ming Ne - their choices of songs ? Hmm..pretty old (think Total eclipse of the heart, greatest love of all). And we have two newbies (Lawrence & Penny) who are such hard-core fans of Linkin' Park and a chinese medley which goes on and one for like 10 minutes! Yes! 10 minutes non-stop of chinese songs!! And we also have "karaoke virgin" - uh huh...first time ever in karaoke - our very own Ms. Shiva. Since she's losing her "karaoke virginity" to us, what better song for Shiva to sing but "Like A Virgin"!

Huh ? Can't find the song la...

Totally into it - the 10 minute medley

And we definitely have a star in the making- Theing who can sing incredibly well. Those voice certainly gave us goose bumps. Next time you need a Karaoke kaki - don't invite Theing as she will most definitely outshine you. But if you are yearning to listen to some Alicia Keys, go bring her along and hear those voice!

In conjunction with our annual dinner, we had our very first AWA Award (Always At Work Award). This award is founded in 2010 when the management was doing staff appraisals and came to realise that there is actually someone that never had a sickie in her whole year of work! Yup ! You read us right. No sickie, no MC for one whole year. This person definitely deserve a pat in the back and some form of recognition. And what better way to recognise a staff but with awards as such and a RedRibbon Days Range Voucher! And the award goes to ..(*drumroll, pls).... Theing ala Ms. Alicia Keys. Kudos and keep up the good work!!

To end this blog, here's some pics taken on the night... enjoy !

Nik high on 'something'

Ming Ne: Bieber gives you wings

CSR: Giving it back to the community

2010-10-20T13:32:00.006+11:00

4th September 2010 - The team at RedRibbon Days eagerly anticipated this day. It was our first CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative - and the team had come together, to pull it together. For this first initiative, we have decided to do our bit by giving the experience of a lifetime to the orphans. First we had to decide on which orphanage to chose from and what experiences to offer. These orphans are not as fortunate as us, and some of them has never even left the orphanage upon stepping in. So we decided to give them an experience that will thrill, amazed and inspire them. We thought of ATV rides, orbing ride, high ropes adventure - but finally we settled down for a City Sky Tour !

So we immediately chose 2 orphanage and release a competition. We received many good entries, but finally pinned down 4 lucky recipients. 2 of them were from Sunbeam and another 2 from RACTAR. The former 2, Michael and Elizabeth, aged 13 and 14 respectively. And the latter 2, Nuratiqah and Maisarah, both 17. On 4th September, we head down to the orphanage and were greeted by 4 beaming, excited kids. They were all nervous, excited as they never go near a plane before - let alone sit on one. The closest they get to see a plane is high up on the sky. So when the moment came for the 4 recipients to go up on the plane - and get a city view from thousand feet above; the feeling was momentous and the smiles and expressions on their face tells it all.

Here's some pics taken on the memorable day:-

Seeing them so happy and excited made us realise how fortunate and how important it is for the community to reach out to them and render as much assistance as we can. We spoke to the owner of RACTAR and he expressed how grateful he is to this initiative and giving the less privileged kids these experiences really will make a difference to their life - as they will grow up remembering the experience for the rest of their life.

With this, we endeavour to spread the concept of giving experiences as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on top of the current contribution that has been given. To kick start this initiative, we have made the difference by giving the experience of a City Sky Tour to 4 less privileged kids ; there are so many others out there - and we simply can't do it alone. For more information on how to give an experience to the less privileged, email us at csr (a) redribbondays.com.my or simply call us at 03-2093 5073.

We were very lucky to be featured on the newspaper that weekend; and here's a scanned copy of the newspaper.

all in the name of love...

2010-10-02T18:04:00.004+10:00

31st August 2010 marks the 53rd anniversary of Malaysia's independence. To commemorate this day, we came up with a competition in lieu with the launch of a new experience ; the Bungy Jump. We released a competition for our Facebook fan page asking interested fans to submit their entry; telling us why they deserve to win the experience. Many good answers were received, and unfortunately, as much as we would like to offer the experience to everyone, we simply can't. As such, only three best answers were chosen and a date/time was quickly arranged for the experience.

Rueben, Wei and Donna was the three lucky winners of the competition and quickly, a date and time was arranged for them to carry out the experience. All three answered very well ; all in the name of patriotism and love for Malaysia.

Happy Merdeka Day Malaysia and this is for you !

Happy Birthday, Ms. Chicken aka Nik !!

2010-08-13T18:28:00.004+10:00

It's 6pm and Nik has just left the office. We quickly gather all the items we have (from the previous birthday events) and put on our thinking hats on how to decorate Nik's room for her birthday celebration tomorrow. Rummaging through the box of stuff, we seriously do not have a lot of items in red. We do have a lot of gold and green. As such, we decided to recycle the decoration items and put it to good use. Everyone was gleefully excited by now - we put up the "happy birthday banners" - one on the wall and another across the glass of the room. We even hung up this green and yellow, dangling shiny looking thing on her door - hmm... doesn't really look like a birthday celebration is in place. It looks like we are ushering Hari Raya early!!

Anyways, it is always fun doing stuff like that especially after a long, hard day of work. Seeing everyone coming together to do this is always heart-warming. We even quickly made a "crown" and "sash" that Nik has to wear the whole day of her birthday ! It was certainly hilarious when her "crown" was labelled "HARI JADI AYAM" - translation to english is "DAY MADE CHICKEN" ! Her sash was obviously something related to "chicken/ayam" so we though "BIRD-DAY GIRL" would be complete her look!

It was exciting ... We simply can't wait to see her reaction tomorrow when she comes in to work....

Here's a very Happy Birthday to our lovely Nik !! Have a great one and let's hope you enjoy and love the surprises we have in store for you !!!

Our new office

2010-08-02T17:44:00.004+10:00

We finally moved out from our tiny, cosy little office after being there for over a year plus. It was in fact a bit too cosy as everyone was sitting so close to each other that no conversation (whether with clients, suppliers or even personal calls) were left un-eavesdropped.

After a month of hectic planning and meetings with the contractors, ceilings and walls were torn down to make way for new partitioning and a complete new look. The color scheme for the new office was quickly decided - not hard at all, considering that the theme of RedRibbon Days has always been red, white and black. So yes, our new office is themed along these 3 main colors.

Some pics of our "new office" during renovation:-

The whole renovation was tedious - from liaising with contractors to workstations designer ; the whole month was spent on deciding on carpet colour, space for each room, glass types, workstations designs and colors and the list just go on and on and one.... (well, not like we have to be personally involved in the renovation, but its the constant calls and emails flying from all contractors and decision makers that makes the whole process - tedious and at times, annoying).

The renovation went on for over a month (our poor neighbour has to put up with the noise, the rat-tat-tat of drills and the unbearable paint smell) and finally on 22nd July 2010, our dream office came alive. The once dull and grey space is now transformed into a spacious, bright space of red and white. Moving from a small office that once fits up to only 5 people, we are now moving into a new office that can cater for more than 20 people !

My heart dropped when I saw the new, renovated office. It was perfect - exactly the way RedRibbon Days is supposed to be. It was absolutely gorgeous - with lots of natural lighting, space and best of all, plenty of space for our new team :)

We even have our own meeting room, lounge area, pantry, packaging room and a break-out room. The latter is a room where we can release our work stress playing WII Fit, and even a power nap if necessary. We even have board games like cluedo and taboo for our next staff gathering/party.

Everyone was gleefully excited when the actual moving day arrived. Workspace is now spacious, everyone has their own privacy and we literally have an office that we are all proud and excited to work in ! What's next ? We need to have a PARRRTTEEEYY !!

Happy Birthday, Shiva !!!

2010-07-12T10:45:00.003+10:00

Happy Birthday Shiva !!! Yup ! It's another birthday at RedRibbon Days !! Our lovely Pleasure Team Consultant Ms Shivaranjani is celebrating her 21st birthday (ahem!) today ! On behalf of everyone at RedRibbon Days, here's a BIRTHDAY SONG for this lovely day !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU
Happy birthday to Shiva,
Happy birthday to you !!! Hip Hip Hooray !!! Hip hip Hooray !! Hip hip Hooray !!

Have a great one and we wish you all the best, stay pretty always, and we are glad you are part of our RedRibbon Days' family !!

XOXO

duck rice, tiramisu, champagne and an Italian feast !

2010-07-07T14:49:00.004+10:00

What better way to celebrate our 2nd year anniversary but with duck rice, tiramisu cake, champagne and a scrumptious spread of Italian food ! This year, we did not forget about RedRibbon Days' birthday - we remembered it since one month ago, and it was indeed a day to be remembered.

The day kicked off beautifully, and spirit was high in the office. Everyone was excited, anticipating on what the day holds for everyone ! It was indeed a RedRibbon Day as everyone was wearing our official uniform - our favourite red shirt :)
The celebration started off with our all time favourite "duck rice" which was exceptionally good. (i'm salivating, and my stomach is growling just thinking of those delicious, crispy skin!). Rumour has it that this 'duck rice' is our symbol of good fortune, luck and wealth...So yes, we happily helped ourselves to 1 1/2 duck - and the sour soup that came along with it, was just splendid ! ( okay, enough of the duck.)

Next for dessert, we have a huge tiramisu cake and a bottle of our all time favourite PINK Champagne! Since we did not pop one on our 1st anniversary, we just had to pop one and drink it even though it was only hmm 2pm ! We all sang the birthday song, our directors and team took photos and many many wishes were being made. The cake was decadent ! Yummy and by now, I'm so full I could barely move! Thank god for the champagne to burp it all out ! *BUUURP**

On such a joyous occasion, needless to say, the mood to work is relatively low - because everyone wants to continue celebrating !! So by 6pm, we all rocked down to our favourite Italian restaurant in Bangsar. There we continue to feast and drink until we are all literally so full that we can't walk ! We had a 'tutti-fruitti' salad which was amazingly good, vongole pasta, pizza and the list just go on and on....

Half devoured Vongole pasta...soooo yummmy

That night we finished 3 1/2 bottles of red wine, with great company of everyone at RedRibbon Days !

Happy birthday RedRibbon Days and we look forward to the 3rd, 4th, 5th.... 10th, 20th and forever !

the best feedback of the year ... so far ..

2010-04-13T11:53:00.008+10:00

Yesterday, 12th April 2010 - the team at RedRibbon Days, once again brought pleasure, happiness, mixed emotions (bittersweet) and most important of all - a memory that they will both remember for the rest of their life, to a very sweet couple.

Image blurred to protect privacy of our customer

The planning stage was tedious; with many emails communication going to and forth between the buyer and our team. It was deliberately planned and successfully executed. The recipient was thrilled, shocked and blissfully happy. A total of 24 balloons and an experience was delivered to the recipient at her working place ( we had to fit in 28 helium balloons - which was quite a task). Since it would be almost impossible for the recipient to fit in all 24 balloons in her car, she then made a wish (with a hint of 'monalisa' smile) and released a handful of the balloons up to the air - oh what a moment ! Our girls on site; was smitten and gasp with plenty of "awww and waaa"...

It was indeed a bittersweet experience ; sweet because of their love and affection of each other, and bitter because of their long distance relationship. All in all, it was one day filled with all kinds of emotions for our girls ; we were excited and thrilled about the plan, happy and deeply touched to see how happy and emotional the recipient was, and yet a part of us feel a bit mellow that they are separated from each other - 4000 miles apart.

And here's a poetic feedback from our customer:-

Dear Nik,

I've received a call from (name undisclosed) herself. Thank you and the RR crew for making this come true.
Well... After so much you guys have done, I couldn't say "No" to at least share the moment of joy that you've brought for the both of us.

The truth is...

Being 3000km away from home, it is not the easiest of task to keep in touch.
The distance was restricting me from expressing my feelings, limiting one's way of love ...
The distance, the career path I've chosen, the separate responsibility we each burden ourselves with, and the separation...makes life this moment... really heavy.

12th of April, the official birthday of the story of my life. It was this memorable day that
the complication begin, where happy memories sprouts...
I wouldn't miss it for the world. But career dictates that I were to remain put in a land very distant from hers.

This is not an advertisement... but words of the heart... that I am truly grateful for Red Ribbon Days. I'm simply grateful because they were there. Weeks of correspondence, planning and brainstorming, made her felt my very presence and a birthday that would go into her story-to-tell-my-kids in the future.

Through the video RR has provided me, it allows me to share the moment, only at a different place of a different time. A digital documentation of her every expression, her every gesture and her every words... It's not difficult to tell how she was moved by all our efforts... a call came immediately after the surprise.

It was a complicated feeling. Feeling the sorrow from the distance ... and the sheer joy from the elaborated surprise... She was particular interested in our planning process though. The long trail of correspondence I had with Nik from RR, the well devised plan on how to trick the recipient to receive the gifts without causing too much commotion. Nik was particularly patient with me... and helpful in every way.

Due to my heavy workload... I could stay long on the phone with her...
She then text me... to express a magnitude of joy and gratefulness... and to tell me that she misses me...It was bittersweet.

The truth is...I miss her too.

Thank you Nik and RR... for bringing a part of me to her... and delivering a part of her... to me.

Awwww... and how sweet is that ?

Who is serving you today?

2010-03-30T12:54:00.004+11:00

We believe that every time when you liaised with one of our RedRibbon Days' Pleasure Team Consultant, you are intrigued to find out who you are writing or talking to. So, we have decided to publish the faces of our 2 lovely Pleasure Team Consultants ; Shiva & Theing. Yes, they are the two girls who attended to your queries, handles your bookings and cancellations and many more...

So the next time you receive a call or email from Theing or Shiva, you know who are you speaking to : )

Experience Gifts Across Malaysia

2010-03-04T15:06:00.015+11:00

Everybody deserves the chance to experience a RedRibbon Day. Prior to this, most of our experience gifts are confined within Klang Valley - making it almost impossible for our recipients who dwells outside of Klang Valley to experience the excitement and thrills of receiving a RedRibbon Days gift!

Now, we have spread our wings (slightly wider than before) and we are proud to offer unique, exciting and memorable experiences as gifts across both East & West Malaysia. Slowly but surely, we endeavour to bring you more experiences for you to share with your loved ones.

From exciting mangrove and limestone rides in Langkawi to indulging English Afternoon Tea in the Hill - there is definitely something to suit everyone.

To kick start 2010, we have added over 30 new experience across Malaysia and here's our top picks :-

Borneo Highlands Kayaking and Orang Utan Visit for Two

Romantic Candle Light Dinner In The Hills

National Park Jungle Adventure - 3D/2N for Two

Herbal Ball Compress

Dolphins Spotting Kayaking Adventure

Dine At Ye Olde English House on Penang Hill

Countryside Hill Tour Overnight Getaway for 4

Countryside Biking in Langkawi

Surf's Up - Surfing Lessons for Beginners

Wild Adventure In The Jungle for Two - 3D/2N

Romantic Hills Getaway for Two

Resort At Sea Overnight Stay for Two

Rainforest After Dark Nature Walk for Two

Fish Spa Top To Toe

Joyeux anniversaire, Shen Ri Kuai Le - @Ming Ne

2010-03-04T09:23:00.006+11:00

Another March baby under our RedRibbon Days roof ! And this time 29 years ago, a chubby, cute baby was born - Happy Birthday Ming Ne!

Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You ! Happy Birthday to Ming NE !!!! Happy Birthday to YOOOUUUUUU!! Hip hip HOORAY! Hip hip HOORAY ! HIP HIP HOORAY !!! Joyeux anniversaire ; Shen Ri Kuai Le Ming Ne (Happy Birthday in French & Mandarin) : )

RedRibbon Days would like to take this opportunity to wish you the very best for everything you do, stay looking young and may you soar and soar with wonderful achievements !

Happy Birthday, Theing !

2010-03-03T10:54:00.001+11:00

It's March 3rd and 23 years ago, a cute little baby was born. We are very proud and fortunate to have Theing in our RedRibbon Days team, and since its her first year with us, here's a birthday song to the birthday girl !!

Happy Birthday to You ! Happy Birthday to You ! Happy Birthday to Huay Theing ! Happy Birthday to You !! Hip HIp - Hoooray ! Hip Hip Hoooray ! HIP hip Hooray !!!

RedRibbon Days would like to wish Theing a very Happy Birthday, one filled with many happy returns and happy experiences. Have a great one, Theing! xx - The Team @ RedRibbon Days

Experiences as gifts = Memories As Gifts

2010-03-02T11:18:00.000+11:00

Your best friend's birthday is just around the corner, mother's day is fast approaching or perhaps it is time of the year again to celebrate that special day with your partner. Get creative this year and start giving experiences as gifts. Most of us are accustomed to receive tangible items (i.e. photo frames, albums, ties, wallets, money clips, vase etc) as gifts. But these gifts do wear out, go out of style, ended up in the storeroom - unused or worse, you may even recycle it and re-gift it to another person for another occasion.

Giving an experience as a gift for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversary, mother's & father's day, valentine's day, weddings, baby showers and engagements gives the recipient the memories of a lifetime.

So why not try and give your boyfriend/husband a flying experience that he will never forget ? Flying is exhilarating and fun. Let him fly the plane and realise his childhood dream of being a pilot and see him live out his dream. For those daredevils out there, why not give them an adrenalin-pumping experience? Push them down the plane and see them sky-dive for the first time. It will definitely be something that he or she will talk about for many years to come. Let them experience gliding across the sky with paragliding and microlight experience - and he or she will never ever forget the wonderful experience.

For those who loves outdoor adventures and appreciate nature, give them the experience of jungle trekking and camping. Your adventurous friends will get to experience the wonders of mother nature while trekking deep into the jungle, learn how to use compass, discover new flora and faunas and most important of all learn survival tips such as starting their own camp fire and cooking food with bamboos and banana leaves.

For those who simply loves to pamper themselves with luxurious massages and spa, there are a huge range of selection to choose from. We have massage and spa experiences from every continents of the world - from traditional thai massage, chinese, javanese to japanese. And for those who love to experiment with new cuisine, we have gastronomical experiences that you can choose from. Be it Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Croatian, Lebanese or Thai - the selection is endless and bound to excite any food connoisseur.

For mother-to-be and new baby, it is not always about the hampers and hampers. Give a bonding experience to both mother and baby, and let them experience something together for the first time as mother and child. For expecting mothers, they ought to be pampered and loved, so why not give them an experience that tells them so ?

As the saying goes, life is the sum of all our experiences - so start giving experiences as gifts or we like to call it, memories as gifts.

More than just an online gifting company

2010-02-25T16:22:00.000+11:00

For customers that have used our customised / tailored services before, they would know that we are more than an online company offering gifting services. We are more than a website that sits embedded in a URL in the World Wide Web. For those who never use our services before - you are probably wondering what makes us different and what makes us special ?

You may only come to our website when you want to buy a gift for a friend or family. After all, the whole concept of RedRibbon Days is about gifting, no? We are still very dedicated to gifting - but we are also seen to many as their personal concierge that help you and your family/friends/partner to plan out a fabulous outing or romantic rendezvous. We hate to say no or turn down any request for a special day experience. As such, we are proud to say, we have planned out many exciting, memorable and unique experience day for many. These includes a day filled with experiences and new things to do for the birthday girl/boy, anniversary, family day out, hens/bucks night, proposal and even corporate team bonding events.

We had had the honour of helping many couples in their marriage - no, we are not wedding planners ! We merely help them plan and execute a unique, proposal idea. It is always very exciting when we have requests as such. Gone were the days where marriage proposals involves the mere gesture of knee-bending, a ring and a question. We are thrilled when customers come to us and ask us for the most outlandish and out-of-the-world proposal ideas! No doubt its nerve-wrecking (waiting for the customer to call us and update us on the result), it is absolutely delightful when customers called us and said "She said YES!".

And we even had the opportunity to revive fading relationships as well. Some relationships went stale - as a result of being together for too long and work- related stress. So we played the cupid role, set up some nice, lovely surprises and voila!

And not to forget those birthdays and anniversary gifts that you have totally forgotten about ! What do you do when you are stuck at work and have absolutely no time to drive to the mall and look for "the" perfect gift ? We have played the role of saviour to many. Some customers was away from their loved ones for work and they will call us to plan out something nice for their partner (while they are away) and it is absolutely delightful to them when they knew that their partner will not be alone and doing nothing on that special day. And for some, we even had quite an earful when they told us how their partner will kill them (not literally, obviously!) for not remembering that special day (i.e. wedding anniversary, valentine's day, birthday and etc). So we also act like a "delivery pizza boy" and zapped the gift pack to the recipient within the next two hour or so - or just in time to put things right and make as if, the partner remembered after all !

So we are more than an online gifting company - we like to call ourselves "Experience Day Planner", "Cupid" and why not "Pleasure Delivery Team"? The next time when you are looking for something exciting, adventurous, pampering or indulging to do either alone, with your friends, partner or family - do think of us. We are more than an online gifting company.

Valentine's Day & Chinese New Year is over - what's next ?

2010-02-17T14:23:00.000+11:00

The lion dance has entertained us all and lovers had spent their Valentine's Day - indulging in good food and treats. While celebrating all these occasions, we tend to neglect our waistline - devouring all kind of delicacies served during the many dinners over Chinese New Year!

What better way to burn off those calories but with some outdoor activities for the remaining month of February? Burning off calories doesn't just mean going into gym and doing monotonous exercise regime day in, day out. Besides, how many of us are that discipline to adhere to the strict regime of putting on the trainers, run on the treadmill, do push up and and pumps - or to even lift weights!

So for most of us in RedRibbon Days, we prefer to take the other route to a healthier lifestyle. We are such thrill and fun seeker that even exercising need to be fun and exciting for us! The team has specially picked out our top 5 favourite work-out experience for this month.

Beginner Indoor Golf Lesson with a PGA Pro

Outdoor Rock Climbing

High Ropes Big Thrill Adventure

Windsurfing Lesson for Group of 10

Learn Wake-boarding - Beginner's Course

Our favourite experience revived!

2010-02-17T12:23:00.000+11:00

It's official ! Our all-time favourite Carcosa is back in business. Here's the press release inaugurating their reopening:-

“Award-winning luxury boutique heritage mansion, Carcosa Seri Negara, is set to reopen on February 1, 2010 under the direct management of the Peremba Group, as a Saujana Hotels & Resorts property.

Set within four hectares of lush manicured lawns overlooking Lake Gardens, this colonial mansion is an oasis of tranquility right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Once the official residence of the Federated Malay States’ first Resident General, the national landmark has played host to numerous heads of states including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
With Hotel Manager, Mrs Caroline Filtzinger-Win Lwin, at the helm, the mansion retains all its charm, complemented by graceful Malaysian hospitality. Rediscover colonial living in any of the mansion’s exquisite Victorian-style suites with garden views, attended by a personalised butler. Larger suites boast generous terraces, some with private dining rooms.
Returning to The Drawing Room, Carcosa Seri Negara’s trademark English afternoon tea is sure to delight loyal patrons. For more intimate dining, The Verandah Restaurant at Seri Negara mansion showcases fresh seasonal produces prepared in a fusion of Asian and European flavours.

The mansion also offers business and conferencing facilities, WiFi throughout and access to nearby golf courses.
Commenting on the mansion’s reopening, Managing Director, Mr Franz Zeller said, “We are indeed delighted for the opportunity to operate this iconic landmark mansion, and to reintroduce this unique Malaysian heritage to the world. With Mrs Caroline Filtzinger-Win Lwin, leading the team, guests can look forward to the experience of timeless colonial charm and fine hospitality for memories to last a lifetime”.

About Saujana Hotels & Resorts

Saujana Hotels & Resorts (SHR) is a new entrant in the high end luxury hospitality business. Based in Malaysia, SHR was established to provide specialized management services to hotel owners; defining the fine art of hospitality towards providing guests with a truly memorable experience.
Besides Carcosa Seri Negara, SHR commences operations of The Club at The Saujana, a 105-room luxury boutique resort and The Saujana, a 5-star 210-room hotel both in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with effect from March 1, 2010. In 2009, The Club at The Saujana was named on Condé Nast Traveler’s annual ‘Hot List’ as one of the best hotels in the world.”

And needless to say, this means we will all be having more english tea in this exquisite hotel !

We think outside the "gift" box...

2010-02-03T10:42:00.000+11:00

This Valentine’s Day what would you be giving your loved ones?

A box of chocolates ? (*YAWN) Ties & wallets? (*YAWN**YAWN)

Gone were those days when Valentine's Day gift is about flowers, chocolates, hampers, teddy bears, mugs, photo frames (or any of the above). They are acceptable and can-do when perhaps you are still in your high school and when you are still wearing those pinafores and double pony tails ! As we grew older and sink into the age of maturity, the above gifts are simply - cliche, boring and tasteless (every pun intended).

Valentine's Day symbolises the union / love of two people - and a day as such should be celebrated with excitement, thrill, adrenalin pumping activities, gastronomical indulgences, pampering and mind-blowing experiences. Hence, we've created Valentine's Day gift packages that meet all the criteria mentioned above! RedRibbon Days offers you over hundreds of perfect gifts to give to a woman, man or to experience it together as a couple.

And here's our top picks to commemorate this special day :-

Tandem Paragliding for Two

Paintball Challenge - "Valentine's Day Massacre"

Cook up some love this Valentine's Day - Discovering Cooking for Two

Love is about taking plunge together .. - Skydiving

Realise his dreams ... - Pilot for a Day

Massage Cruise & Sweet Indulgence Box for Two

Record Your Very Own Couple Song

Have the same interest ... - Wake-boarding lessons

Say 'Je Taime' with this gastronomical experience - Contemporary French Cuisine for Two

Enjoy a pampering, relaxing and indulging chocolate massage together

RedRibbon Days - Company Annual Dinner

2010-02-01T14:10:00.000+11:00

We had our very first KL office annual dinner on 8th January 2010 at EEST Restaurant at The Westin, KL. The ambience was perfect for a cosy, relaxing gathering of bosses and staffs.

The food could be better - but all in all, it was a gathering much needed for everyone to know everyone better. We had kris kringle - and gifts were exchanged between each other without us knowing who the giver is. The dinner lasted for a good 3 hours - filled with champagne, food, games and laughter.

Sherin had slight discomfort after consuming the entrees (can't determine if that is the cause of the discomfort - but she persevere through and stayed on till the end.

Our Annual Dinner

2009-12-09T16:44:00.000+11:00

Yohoo! It's the time of the year when we get to put down our hair - sip a lot of bubbly, indulge in a lot of good food and party in style like a VIP ! It is not like we don't normally have fun - but when it comes to company annual dinner- the experience is just different. It is the day in the year when we are allowed to have extra fun, extra booze, extra crazy and have extra fun!

This year our annual dinner will be held slightly later in January 2010 and we will be dining and boozing at The Westin KL ! Yeeehhhaaaa !!!

We will experience a sumptuous 4-course meal, enriched with authentic flavours specially selected from a myriad of Pan Asian cultures. Each of the 4 courses features authentic Asian flavours, influenced by the best food, culture and values from the heart of Asia. The best part of this ? We will surrounded by an extensive range of Old & New World Wines, sake and other exotic spirits!

So bring on the tequilas !!! :)

Top 10 Christmas Favorites

2009-11-11T11:45:00.000+11:00

Ho ! Ho ! Ho ! Good ole jolly Christmas is here again. At RedRibbon Days, festive season as such always delight us tremendously. It is after all a season of gifting, love, and yes, lots of parties and indulgences. Every year, we get request from our customers to come up with a list of gift ideas for their love ones. This year is no exception - the request came knocking early since end of October ! Some came to us with exactly a whole list in mind - and requested for these "experiences" to be packaged in our beautiful gift pack and yes, a Santa Clause to deliver these gifts. You read it right - our delivery team will be donning on Santa Clause outfit and deliver these gifts to the doorsteps of the lucky recipients. Ho ! Ho ! Ho ! (Our delivery team is certainly going to need lots and lots of anti-perspiring deodorant under these extreme heat!)

Nevertheless, we are very excited and have been rather giggly about it. The thought of delivering gifts don in "costume" never fails to excite us. Previously it was nurses, army, dracula and witches in brooms - and for Christmas, the good old Santa.

As by popular demand, we now present to you our Top 10 Christmas Favorites :-

A French Affair on Christmas Eve

Customise Your Own Dress

Pilot For A Day

Personalised Coffee Table Photobook(10 pages)

Body Massage

KL Sky Tour for Two

RM200 Shoe-a-holic Gift Voucher

Chocolate Rendezvous for Two

Easy Peasy Cupcake 101

Wet Sphereing Ride for Two

We have experiences that are suitable for kids, new born, mother-to-be, couples, individuals, grandparents and even for groups to enjoy together.

The team at RedRibbon Days take this opportunity to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year !!

Signed, Sealed & Delivered

2009-11-09T21:10:00.000+11:00

On 24th September 2009, The Star released a two-full spread feature page about RedRibbon Days. The team at RedRibbon Days was ecstatic when the reporter that did the article called us and informed us of the good news! At 7.45am, Nik head straight to the newspaper vendor at Bangsar and grab 2 copies of The Star Newspaper.

We turned, flipped and found it ! Titled at "Signed, Sealed & Delivered" the article was articulately written and filled with many attractive images. Here's the story for those of you who missed the press release.
-extracted from The Star Newspaper, 24th September 2009

Looking for a gift that's truly special? RedRibbon may have something in store for you.

HERE'S the idea: a physical gift, a tangible present, is nice to have, but as we all know, nothing lasts forever. But an experience, a memory, is something a person can carry with them all their lives.

Timothy Tiah wanted to give his girlfriend something really special on her birthday. He knew a nicely-wrapped gift just wouldn't be enough. He came across a company named RedRibbon Days, called them and set up an arrangement. The surprised girlfriend found herself in a shoe store in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, except that the store had been closed especially for her, so that she could shop and enjoy champagne with Tiah, and made to feel like a princess for a day.

Then there was Charlene Wong, who wanted to do something special for her father Henry's birthday. Since she was in the United States and couldn't be home for the occasion, she called RedRibbon Days and arranged for her parents to have high tea at Carcosa Seri Negara. It all worked like a charm, and the senior Wong had a pleasant surprise when the RedRibbon staff turned up at his doorstep to deliver the special gift complete with red balloons.

Don't beat yourself up for not knowing that such a company exists in Malaysia. RedRibbon Days is still pretty new, having been created only in 2007 and launched in the middle of last year. But they've been giving a lot of people happy memories ever since.

It all started when RedRibbon Days founder and "chief experience officer" Sherin Wong was working in the corporate sector in Australia and found herself constantly sending cliched and obvious gifts to her mother on special occasions.

"It was always about hampers and flowers!" said Wong. "Imagine me having to send flowers to my mother for Mother's Day and flowers again for her birthday and flowers yet again for Christmas! The novelty wasn't there, and even my mum implored me to stop sending her flowers!"

Worst of all, she bought a hamper for her mother through a renowned online gifts company, and found that the bird's nest delicacy in the hamper was fake.

Upon her return to Malaysia, Wong began work on setting up an online gifts business. She consciously avoided providing tangible gifts after what her own experience had taught her. By sheer luck, she stumbled upon a concept in Britain where people could buy experiences as gifts.

"I believe the concept of experiential gifting is unique, different and most important of all, convenient and hassle-free for Malaysians dwelling overseas," said Wong. "We have so many Malaysians living and working around the world, with their family and friends back in Malaysia."

She called up her friend, Nik Hidayati Nik Ramli, with whom she was always talking business ideas. Nik Hidayati had been back and working in Malaysia a good few years before Wong decided to come home. They brainstormed over latte.

"When I mentioned the idea of RedRibbon Days to her, she was immediately sold to the idea and decided to quit her full-time job to do this with me," said Wong.

Thus RedRibbon Days was born, and when the business started growing, they brought in a third partner, Tan Ming Nu.

RedRibbon Days was officially inaugurated on June 19 last year. The name was chosen because Wong used to receive gifts that were wrapped and tied with a red ribbon, thus she always associates "red ribbon" with gifts and happy things.

There are literally hundreds of experiences from which to choose, so it's easy to get bleary-eyed from checking out the website (www.redribbondays.com.my) or the brochure booklet. Prices range from something like RM30 for a Dry Sphereing Ride For Two (rolling around in an inflatable 3m-diameter ball) to RM16,100 for a Private Luxury Yacht Charter. There's literally something for everyone – individuals, couples, families, kids.

Some of the more interesting experiences include a helicopter ride across Kuala Lumpur (RM2,000), Personal Chef Private Dining For Eight (RM2,600), Tandem Paramotor Adventure (RM800), Total Make-Over (RM700), Easy Peasy Cupcakes 101 (RM85), Pregnancy Photography (RM600), and Kids' Cooking And Baking (RM85).

"Customers can also personalise their chosen experience, based on their preference," said Nik Hidayati. "If they'd like to add champagne, flowers or chocolates, we can do that."

"To date, we have over 500 members in our database and over 1,000 people who have experienced a RedRibbon Day," said Wong. "So far, the response has been very positive. We have buyers from all around the world – China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Britain, the United States and Singapore."

She said Malaysians are taking to this concept relatively well. They've had much return business. Her personal target is to have 10% of Malaysians experience a RedRibbon Day.

"We've had many customers who told us how convenient it was for them to choose an experience, buy it online and have the experience delivered to the recipient on the preferred date and time," said Wong.

The album cover for Nik Hannani's Rock Star For A Day experience.

Rock star for a day

Nik Hannani Nik Ramli's Rock Star For A Day experience turned out more surprises than anyone had expected. Not even the RedRibbon staff anticipated what would happen.Nik Hannani, or Nikki, 16, promptly arrived at Purple Houz in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, in the late afternoon, with her very own entourage in tow – four of her schoolmates and friends. The first thing on the itinerary was a make-up session with Becky Wong of Starlight Concepts. You see, the Rock Star For A Day experience comes with not just a professional recording session but also a photoshoot for the album cover that will be used on the CD.

After the album cover shoot with photographer Olivia Oon was over, it was off to the recording rooms upstairs. Prior to the actual recording, preparations turned into an impromptu jam session for Nikki, who had brought along her own acoustic guitar, and her entourage, with production engineer Collin Chin accompanying her on electric guitar. There was a moment of slight pressure (which rock star doesn't face such moments?) when another production engineer Harvinder "Harvey" Singh came into the room and asked for Nikki's song list. She had a hard time choosing the songs to record. In the end, her entourage helped her to settle for a medley of songs by Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Then it was off to the recording proper, and armed with her guitar, Nikki launched into her medley. Nice first take, but a guitar string was slightly out of tune. That was quickly fixed, and it was off into second take, as Nikki grew more confident and comfortable despite a slight cold. Then asked what she would like to try next, Nikki chose an unplugged version of The Jackson 5's I Want You Back. It was at that moment that a surprise celebrity guest, Malaysian Idol runner-up Dina, came in to listen to Nikki. Here, it should be noted that a celebrity guest is not part of the RedRibbon Rock Star experience package. Dina's appearance was completely unexpected and a bonus for Nikki who got some pointers from Dina on breathing techniques and phrasing. Moral of the story? You never know who might turn up at a recording studio.

"It was everything I imagined it to be," Nikki said after it was all over. "It was fascinating. I didn't know anything about being in a recording studio, so everything surprised me."

Time to fly: Captain Anselm Francis of the Subang Jaya Flying Club taking Khairil M. Bahar through the pre-flight check of the aircraft, a Cessna 150.

Pilot for a day

Not since 1783, when the first human beings left the safety of the ground in a hot-air balloon in Paris, France, had human imagination about flying been so fired up.In Khairil M. Bahar's case, it was the prospect of getting to handle the controls of a plane without ever attending flying school.It was a nice day for flying. Khairil, musician and filmmaker, was ready and raring to head for the wild blue yonder, visibly excited. Never mind that the sun was scorchingly hot, or that Captain Anselm Francis of the Subang Flying Club in Selangor informed us that crosswinds were becoming a common occurrence. The clear blue skies dappled with cotton-white clouds were so inviting.

Khairil, well-known for his independent film Ciplak some years ago and who is now directing TV shows, had opted for the Pilot For A Day experience. All one had to do was turn up at Terminal 3 of the Subang Jaya Airport, and the professional pilot of the day, in this case Captain Francis, would take care of everything. After a pre-flight check of the aircraft, a Cessna 150, the captain explained the functions of all the various exterior parts of the aircraft, and Khairil had the chance to ask questions about everything he'd ever wanted to know about a plane.

Then it was time to fly.

The first surprise for our pilot for a day? The cockpit turned out to be a squeeze-space, with both pilot and "co-pilot" barely having any space to move.

Some minutes later, the Cessna sped along the runway, and lifted off into the big sky. The second surprise was the take-off. It was nothing like what Khairil had experienced on commercial flights. He said the feeling was like "getting into a car with a driver who's drunk." The plane literally swung left and right upon take-off, but settled into a smooth ride after that. The plane flew a circuit for about 45 minutes, and during the short flight, Khairil got to fly the plane himself, all under the observation and guidance of Captain Francis, of course.

When the plane finally landed, Khairil stepped out of it with an even wider smile on his face.

"We flew past the Shah Alam stadium," he said. "Looking at everything from so high up, with everything so tiny below you, you just forget about all the stress in your life. Stress? What stress?" he laughed.

Razzle dazzle: Personal assistant Christine Loo is transformed into a Model For A Day by the RedRibbon experience.

Model for a day

Anyone who's seen an episode of America's Next Top Model or Janice Dickinson's Modelling Agency knows modelling isn't all about easy glamour. It's really hard work, and tough mentally and physically for those who choose this career.

Christine Loo, 32, isn't a professional model and has no modelling experience whatsoever but she was interested enough to try being a Model For A Day. The experience started at 10.30am, and Loo was there at Real Pixel Studio, in Petaling Jaya, promptly, getting cosy in no time, settling into the chair in front of the mirror for her make-up session.

But if you think modelling is a breezy affair – come in, sit down, get make-up done, and then pose – you're in for a rude shock. Loo spent a good 45 minutes to an hour just doing nothing but letting Becky Wong of Starlight Concepts do her hair and make-up. But of course, one can always strike up an interesting conversation with the make-up artist, and that's what Loo did, while the rest of us ... erm, went to an early lunch.

Wong's make-up and her years of experience transformed Loo's already good looks into something stunning.

"It was fun to have a different look," said Loo later. "I felt like a star after that."

Then it was time to get on the tiny "stage" in the studio and pose under the direction and instruction of photographer C.Y. Wong, who has photographed celebrities for entertainment and fashion magazines.Loo discovered it was not easy to pose. What you see done effortlessly by models in magazines are sometimes awkward and difficult stances and positions, but look good in photos.And then came the inevitable – facial muscle cramps. Even smiling too much can be punishing.

"Trying to smile for more than 10 shots wasn't a field trip as it almost gave me lock jaw," Loo laughed.

But the results were worth all the trouble. The photos were gorgeous, sleek and stylish. Loo admitted that after the experience, she now knows that modelling isn't as easy as it seems.

"Posing for the camera is nothing like learning your ABCs," she said. "You have to angle and position yourself to portray different types of looks. I had to move around a lot and strike different poses. And I completely ran out of poses after a few clicks." She said she was glad to have taken up the challenge, and now looks at models with more respect.

RedRibbon Days can be contacted via 03-2093 5973, fax: 03-2093 5943, or e-mail:
info@redribbondays.com.my.

Can't Buy Me Happiness

2009-02-17T14:49:00.000+11:00

I normally flip through the newspaper with not much interest for political news or scandals - it is our (RedRibbon Days team) habit to look through the newspaper for new interesting ideas,news on us, and perhaps, if we are lucky enough - we will spot one or two articles of great interest.

On February 15th, The Star under the section of Quick Study(Fit4Life) released an article with the headline "Can't Buy Me Happiness". A catchy topic that soon caught my interest and I read on.

The article started off like this :-

"Money is an emotional issue, especially during economic hard times. Social scientists have always warned that once a person's needs are met, money doesn't buy happiness. .. Ryan Howell, an assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, found that buying experiences - such as vacations, going to the theater or renting a sailboat - give people more happiness than buying material things. The study, of 154 people ages 19 to 50, showed that experience increase happiness because they are often social in nature." - extracted from The Star, QuickStudy

I couldn't agree further with Ryan on this. After all, this is what RedRibbon Days is truly about. We are about experiences, gifting and creating memorable days! The concept of gifting previously has always been about chocolates, hampers, flowers and photo frames.

Gifting is an extension of one - and we should always express some thoughts when giving a gift rather than looking around our house / office for anything which could be re-gift. The experience of receiving a gift that is beautifully wrapped up and delivered to the recipient's door is amazing. What heighten the experience of receiving a gift is when a recipient received an experience in an envelope/box! An experience can be something relaxing and pampering like a day spa, or something more adventurous like Sphereing Rides.

Mr. Howell also went on to say that experiences tend to make people feel more alive. "People report a sense of feeling invigorated or inspired. Experiences may also yield more happiness because people are left with positive memories, a sort of return on their investment.

Many of our RedRibbon Days experiences are uniquely selected and packaged in way that could achieve what Mr. Howell mentioned above. We have a full day pampering treatment for those who needs to feel invigorated and we have creative classes to inspire people.

Mr. Howell also mentioned in his article that it is not material things don't bring any happiness. It's just that they don't bring as much.

Once again, I can't stress enough on how true that is. Yes, material things do bring some sort of happiness to me(and most people), but the satisfaction from the end of receiving a material thing is just not enough good enough. I certainly don't feel inspired from receiving another candle holder and most definately not invigorated from a chocolate hamper.

We create our own "Days"

2009-02-05T14:19:00.001+11:00

In average, our life consist of 27,610 days. But how many of these days are spent truly memorable and amazingly? Yes, we celebrate few traditional-passed-down occasions such as Valentine's, Mother's Day, Father's Day to name a few. What happen to those other people in our life that is truly, perhaps, worth a thank you at least?

I could think of half a dozen people that I must thank in my life (apart from those mentioned above).My nana, for instance. She see me grow up, she is after all my mother's mother and I probably inherited some of her blood, if not wealth. So, yes, a day to thank our Nana is in order. I've always wanted to thank my Nanny too - the sweet lady who brought me up. She's the one that make sure I sleep enough, eat well(even though, not hygienically) and yes, always bring me along to the night market, morning market and her many mahjong sessions.

I also have to thank my friends - so a Friends Day is also a must. Well, saying so, there are ovbviously many types of friends. There are friends who look down on you when you did badly in school( I must say, to thank them is definately a must - after all, they are those that motivated me to work hard and be successful), friends who only are friends with you when they are drunkity, drunk drunk ( the next time when they see you down the road, sober - they can't even bother to smile when your eyes met. Hmm...should I even thank them? Well, at least they kept me entertained when I was drunk myself). And I must stay, a few true friends who went through thick and thin with me.

What about a "Me Day"? We always send gifts to our family, friends and our partner(s) when it is their birthday or when they are getting married. Some of us(in saying so, I include yours truly) don't even get a birthday gift on our birthdays! So, I say, we must have a "Me Day" whereby it is dedicated to your very own self. A day to do nothing but pamper and treat yourself to something nice, comforting, and relaxing that complements your lifestyle and taste. It is a day to stop thinking of pleasing other people, making sure they are happy, and yes, a me me me day!!!! Call it selfish and self centered? Nope.

Mother & Daughter Bonding Day - many of us (again, guilty as charged)often neglected our beloved mother when we are busy with our worklife, lovelife, personal life. We only say thank you to our mother's (really) twice a year - Birthday and Mother's Day. Well, and if you are lucky, on that very year, 3 times - the third will be on your wedding day. So, as I'm saying this, I'm actually purchasing a Mother & Bonding experience and booking my mum and I in for a pampering session of spa, pedicure and manicure this weekend.

Hmm...Ah yes, how can I forget to thank our customers who have continuously and relentless supporting us since our birth? So, a "RedRibbon Days Customer Day" is definately a must. So, to all RedRibbon Days - thank you for your support and please continue to support us!

We are on Facebook!

2009-02-05T14:01:00.000+11:00

We are excited and thrilled! Finally, we have our very own Gift Application in our RedRibbon Days group in FaceBook. Join us at RedRibbon Days Group in Facebook and we promise to keep you updated with our new release, promotion and yes, coming shortly, we will even have something to keep you entertain for at least 60 seconds.

Check out our gift application on Facebook and start sending a RedRibbon Day e-Gift to your friends in facebook anytime of the day!

Log on to facebook and join our group now !

farewell 2008 and hello 2009

2009-02-05T13:51:00.000+11:00

2008 came and left. It has been a year filled with many challenges expecially for a fledging company like RedRibbon Days. In a blink of an eye, we have turned 1 year old since our company was first registered. Today, we have over 1000 over people who had had a RedRibbon Day and this year, we promise to do even better.

Life at RedRibbon Days.

Finding the perfect candidate - is like looking for a needle in a haystack

2008-07-07T21:15:00.000+10:00

RedRibbon Days is growing. We need to find a new team member to help out with the increasing workload so we put up an advertisement in Jobstreet.com last week. The response was amazing. We received many applications - but sad to say, none of them met our criteria. First, it was mentioned in the ad that applicants should submit their application addressing the SELECTION CRITERIA in detail. None of them actually adhered to that. Perhaps, they do not understand what is selection criteria?

Secondly - I think they really need some proper guidance when it comes to job application. So many don'ts were being done and so many do's were being ignored. Well, I for one, am very particular when it comes to job application. Well, can't blame me really, after all, I was in that industry for almost 3 years ! I am used to writing hundreds of resume, cover letters and selection criteria in a day ! Amongst some of the terrible mistakes the applicants made in their applications:-

Unprofessional email address (i.e. wannabebabe@gmail.com)
No cover letter was enclosed
No proper format in resume
No mention of achievements in resume
The ad clearly states apply to "a particular person - with name given" - but ALL the application are NOT directed to the particular someone at all! What is the point of the advertiser putting a name on the advertisement then?
No call to enquire. The applicants could easily google us and find our contact number on the internet to inquire more about the position or at least check on the status of their application. Nope. I did not receive a single phone call from the applicants.
No address of selection criteria though its was specifically mentioned in the ad they HAVE to

I'm appalled. At this rate, I doubt I'll ever find a suitable candidate. Where is our new RedRibboner? (Hmmm.. how nice it would be if I could duplicate myself or Nik?)

So many things to do so little time!

2008-06-26T21:15:00.000+10:00

Ok.. my apologies for the delay in posting up anything since March (OMG!) Things have been really hectic in RedRibbon Days. We were frantically trying to rush everything for the BIG day - the launch on 19th June - which was, I'm proud to say - very well done. In fact, I don't think there's anything much to complain (of course, there's always something for me to find fault at if I want to). To my ardent readers, please bear with me for a while - and I promise to get back to blogging with exciting pictures on the launch!

Till then - it's chow time.

Daylesford and a menu of small tastes

2008-03-21T17:21:00.000+11:00

My trip to Melbourne this time was indeed an eventful one. I made it to all the places that were on my itinerary and of course, wine and dine throughout the whole trip. Food connoisseur I'm not - but I sure am a slave to delectable good food. And yes, also a sucker for alcohol. Without some good wine - any food would be tasteless to me.

My taste bud are salivating while recalling on this particular wine and food degustation that I had in Lake House in Daylesford. Before whetting your appetite with images of the food I had - a walk through of Daylesford and the journey there. Daylesford is a very tiny town tucked quietly away from the hustle and bustle of the city, 72 minutes ride away from Melbourne city. The journey had always been one filled with many conversations about life, work, ambitions and of course - a little day dreaming of my becoming of a multi millionaire by 32. The view along the way was spectacular. Unlike in Malaysia, all you see along the stretch of highway are unsightly and unkempt forest and rest stop. I , in particular take the 72 minutes to do some soul searching.

Ain't these postboxes cute ? Yes - they are still stuck in the past. But I absolutely love them. So old-school.

Daylesford town.

Entering the little town of Daylesford, you will come across old-school shops and signs. For those curios, Daylesford is well-known for its mineral spring and spa. In fact, it is one of Victoria best Spa Retreat. This time round I did not stay in Shizuka Ryokan - a Japanese "Ryokan" style retreat that contains 7 smaller size "ryokan". Very peaceful - and very japanese. What more can I say ?

Dinner on my first night in Daylesford was in Lake House. Lake House has received many good reviews and raves from many food critics. I'm constantly returning for another dose of their Lavender ice-cream (which unfortunately - they only serve it during winter). The menu on that day was divine. If that day was my last supper - that would be it.

For their summer menu - it consist of 9 small tastes with matching wine. To whet our appetite, the chef teased us with a dish called "Amuse Bouche". It is very savory - and the matching French bubbly was an excellent match.

It was a great light start to something gastronomic. Next up, we have a dish called "Citrus and Vodka cured salmon and kingfish with bloody mary jelly". Exquisite taste and something out of the norm. Without saying, the wine matched to it was an excellent choice.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I shall let the images blow you away. Go ahead and drool at them.

Warning : Not suitable for those on a detox or diet program. You will be left hungry.

Crisp crumbed poached organic egg, warm salad of sweet peppers, artichokes olives and capers

Smoked salmon eel and shallot confit in pancetta, warm salad of roast baby beets, horseradish cream

Confit of ocean trout, squid ink risotto, citrus vinaigrette

Seared scallops, roasted master stock braised free range pork, Asian slaw

Assiette of duck – dumpling in consommé, parfait with port jelly, roast duck breast and sausage, lentils

Champagne semifreddo, berry sorbet and fresh berries

Coffee and sweet indulgence (cigarettes not included )

What better way to end a meal if not a cuppa with some sweet indulgences and few puffs of menthol lights.

For the mere price of AUD$190 (RM 570) per person, I definitely think it makes every penny worth. I had never tasted food so divine – with such perfectly matched wines. Two thumbs up for Lake House and I definitely give it a 5 star.

Coming back to Malaysia, I'm now in the hunt for fine dining restaurants that have food and wine degustation. With a stroke of luck, I've found one. Lack of another stroke of luck, their food and wine degustation were completely booked out for the season ! Dang ! I'm determined to get myself a seat for their upcoming one. To my delight, they even have complimentary wine tasting twice a week. That is rare in Malaysia. Being accustomed to the lifestyle in Australia where wineries are at vast,wine tasting are so common that it is part of their daily business. Their cellar doors are open 9am-6pm, 7 days a week.

Well, I'm at least glad we have found a supplier that has wine tasting, wine and food matching. At least, I have a free drinking ground now for the drinking devil in me.

Sky Diving at 6000 Feet

2008-02-26T13:09:00.000+11:00

First and foremost, a BIG thank you to Mr.Zainal who was very generous to let us try out the sky diving simulator for free! The experience was awesome and should I say mind-blowing. I am not the adventurous type so I thought perhaps the experience should be tried out by Nik & Nunu. However, Mr. Zainal was very persistent in convincing us 3 to try it. Before I knew it, I was already adorned in the sky diving gear. We were petrified. Scared and wondering if we REALLY should do it.

Before the dive:-

Don't we all look like pro in the gear?

Once done, we were led into the briefing room where a short briefing was conducted by the instructor. We were shown the right way to sky dive, the hand signs and what to do in case of emergency. It was short but it felt like eternity. By now , our hands were cold and sweaty. Sweaty not because we were hot, but scared and nervous.

The briefing ended in 5 minutes and we were once again ushered into the simulator room. My legs felt heavy, wobbly and it is refusing to walk. The walk there seems endless, coupled with fear. I kept telling myself, "This is not going to be so bad. It's only going to take 2 minutes.I'm sure I can trust the instructor". No. The self consolation didn't help one bit. By now, I could see Nik and Nunu paralysed with fear. Nunu was the first to go. Instructor picked her to go first and me and Nik were slightly relieved.

Watching Nunu spinning and turning wasn't exactly comforting. Still, it was very brave of her to be the first to do it. Within minutes, Nunu came out, smiling. Though still a little bit petrified, she was smiling with excitement. "It wasn't that bad after all!" she yelled against the loud roaring sound of the simulator. Before we could get her to tell us more, the instructor picked Nik and seemingly pushing Nik into the simulator. It was funny.

Nik did hers and within minutes, she was done. It was now my turn. I wanted to back out. Since Nik and Nunu already did it, surely there's no need for me to experience it. They can share their experiences. I tried telling the instructor that I'm scared and doubt I can do it, but its too late. Nik and Nunu who had their turn was now pushing me to get in there. With only few seconds left before I jumped into the simulator, I kept repeating the hand signs to the instructor. I told him to get me out immediately once I signaled him the thumb down sign. He nodded and smiled. I knew he wasn't listening. He knew that the experience is not dangerous and he would be able to get me out of there in case of real emergency.

I took a deep breath and took the plunge. Strong gush of air were blowing underneath me and I could feel myself flying! Yes..I was flying and it felt right. I did well, I would say, considering I was able to stay afloat for couple good seconds before I frantically try to do the thumb down sign. The instructor pulled me out and I scrambled for the floor. My knees were now wobbly and weak from the less than a minute dive. I felt heavy again. Nik and Nunu was laughing at my antics. The laughter did not last long. The instructor pulled Nik in for the second round. Holy Shit! Just when we thought its over. The second time round, Nik went in willingly. She was beginning to enjoy it. So, without much coercing, she plunged it. I admired her guts.

Just when we thought we can do it again for the second time, the instructor begin spinning Nik around in the simulator. Oh my god! It's horrifying. Nik was spinning up and up ! We could not see her from where we were. Once again, fear overcame me and my knees were now wobbly again. I could not believe what I was seeing. I'm so not doing it! Within seconds, Nik was pulled down, this time we could see her doing the thumb sign over and over again. She came out of the simulator, yelling and laughing hysterically. She was scared shitless! Nevertheless, she likes it - so she claimed.

It was Nunu's turn. She told the instructor .."No Spinning!". But we knew it was pointless. Nunu dived in and like Nik, she was soon spinning upward. I was thinking to myself "I'm so dead."

Nunu came out after a minute or so, gasping for her breath, which was probably now spent from yelling. She came out out the simulator, on her knees, begging to be let out.

It was now my turn. I told myself, Die - die - la. My plea to not spin to the instructor was once again turned into deaf ears. He was smiling and telling me not to worry. Heck it. I plunged and relaxed. I think I'm starting to like this light- headed feeling. I was not thinking of anything, no worries, just float. It was a really good feeling. The feeling did not last for long. I saw the instructor coming at me, and he gave me a light nudge and I started spinning upwards like the rest. I could not remember how long I was spinning, but it felt like eternity. I quickly do the thumbs down sign and was slowly pulled down.

I wanted to get out - yet part of me still wanted to continue flying. I like the feeling of not having to think of anything. I knew if I don't get out of there, the instructor would probably spin me again. I was let out and all of us were laughing non stop. We cheered ourself for being so brave and adventurous. Mr.Zainal was grinning from ear to ear when we saw him again. He witnessed the whole spectacle and was probably thinking how funny and hilarious we were. Greeted by Mr.Zainal, we posed for a picture with the instructor and quickly went up to change.

It was certainly a very good experience. As part of the experience, we were given certificates for our participation and a CD. We thanked Mr. Zainal and our instructor for the experience. It was certainly worth doing it.For some, it may be an experience of a lifetime. For me, I might do it again. Who knows?

Link to our Sky Diving video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8yRnRRgW4I

Sometimes we get lazy too...

2008-02-22T13:31:00.000+11:00

Greetings for the land down-under. Alas! I'm back in Melbourne!! Been thinking about it so much and now that I'm finally here, I actually miss Malaysia. Funny.

The last one month has been rather hectic for us. My apologies for the delay in penning down our thoughts on our latest experience (Sky Diving Simulator) with Genting Highland. I know I promised it will be there for your reading pleasure soon, but we do have our lazy moments too... And yes, the last one month( the last time we blogged was sometime in Jan 24th) had been rather hectic for us. Fueled further by many lazy moments,certain things such as blogging just had to be deferred.

In my last blogging, I promised to blog about our Sky Diving Experience - ( DAMN! I really got to stop procrastinating!). My apologies for the delay and I promise(yet again) I will blog about it soon. Truth is, we have been swarmed with so many experiences invitation from our suppliers that we just have no time to blog about them yet! Next up, we will have a session of Yoga, White Water Rafting(exciting), jewelery beading, slingshots and more !!

Yes..I'll also definitely blog about my whole month stay in Melbourne...the food, the drinks, the partying life & many of my drunken moments.

About RedRibbon Days

2008-01-22T15:02:00.000+11:00

RedRibbon Days is an online gift retailer of experiences in Malaysia. We deliver packaged experiences to individuals, couples, family, groups and we offer corporate solutions. We aim to bring a piece of magic into everyone’s life, to change and revolutionise the concept of traditional gifting. With more than 500 RedRibbon Days experiences in our range, we are passionate about delivering pleasure and the effect we have on people’s lives.

Mission Statement
· We are passionate about delivering unforgettable experiences for you and the ones you love.
· We focus on delivering quality experiences to you without accommodating on our professionalism.
· We only work with first class partners.
· We are constantly innovating, creating and looking for new experiences to add to our current list of exciting experiences.

Why “Experiences” as Gifts?

How many days of our lives are truly memorable and spent amazingly? Many of us have received gifts that we have totally no use for, and in turn, many of us will either recycle the gifts or be a re-gifter. When a gift becomes re-gifted, it has lost all its meaning and purpose. Gifting is not about the gift – it’s about the intention behind the gifts that really matters. RedRibbon Days wants all recipients of our gifts to feel special, loved and the giver, the capacity to give the recipient a wonderful time. We want to create amazing days to fulfil people’s dreams, delight others, to motivate, jubilate and to thank.

Many of us never say “thank you” enough in our lifetime. Some of us only thank our parents once or twice in a year – birthdays and Father/Mother’s Day. Why not thank these special people in our life spontaneously without having to wait for an occasion? We do not need an occasion to thank someone. We can thank a friend for always being there for us when we need them, thank a lover for always being such a good lover, thank our parents for bearing us and supporting us all the way no matter who we are ! “Experiences” gifts are intangible yet memorable. We carry memories with us throughout the rest of our lives. Memories last forever, and a person is defined by the sum of their experiences and not their belongings.

The Founder

The team at RedRibbon Days are fanatical about giving people pleasure. RedRibbon Days was set up in 2007, and we aim to pioneer the concept of giving unforgettable experiences as gifts. Our experiences range from those that make everyday life a little bit more pleasurable to experiences that are genuinely experienced once in a lifetime. Founder and CEO (Chief Experiences Officer) of RedRibbon Days, Sherin Wong is ardent about giving people a good time, and pleasure. A graduate from The University of Melbourne and backed with 5 years of good quality Australia working experience, she’s more than ready to change the concept of gifting in Malaysia. Frustrated by the lack of bona fide and adequate online retailer in Malaysia while she’s abroad, she has then decided to do something about it, hence the birth of RedRibbon Days. RedRibbon Days is greatly inspired by similar working concepts in UK and Australia. “RedRibbon Days will make a difference. She exists to solve problems and the inadequacy of gifting in Malaysia.”

The Team at RedRibbon Days

No business will survive without its people. RedRibbon Days is very fortunate to have Nik on board as one of the directors. Nik – the Executive Experiences Director of RedRibbon Days believes that the time is now right for RedRibbon Days to enter the market. With the lack of innovative gift ideas in Malaysia, RedRibbon Days will prove itself as a pioneer in the online retail market. Given her extensive working experience in large corporations in Malaysia since her graduation from The University of Melbourne, she knows the locals well.

The latest addition to the RedRibbon Days team is Ming Nu, a graduate from Monash University, Australia, contributed her skills to a large and well-known international advertising firm in Malaysia since. A young, trendy and hip lass seeking more challenge and exposure to the working world, she break out from her comfort zone and joined RedRibbon Days, ready to contribute her skills and grow with RedRibbon Days.

And yes, who can forget the lovely little Modjo? He’s the source of inspiration and joy to the team. Constantly seeking attention, dragging rubbish out of the rubbish bin, he’s definitely a must have to the team.

With such a unique blend of knowledge and skills, RedRibbon Days are well set for the challenges ahead, and they are ready to paint the town red.

The birth of RedRibbon Days

2008-01-18T21:31:00.001+11:00

Note: I've never blog before in my life of 29 years and since this is the first blog, please ignore all mistakes and slangs. I promise to do better next time.

RedRibbon Days - alas ! my so called "pet-project" has become a reality. RRD( a term we used in the office) also known as RedRibbon Days was officially registered sometime in October 2007. Nik, my partying and partner-in-crime had the courage to quit her job and give RRD the opportunity to be born. Here's to Nik - "Thank you for trusting me."
Back then, I have the ideas but I do not have a partner. Who else but Nik, I wonder? I casually chat to her about the concept - and much to my delight, she was as receptive towards the idea as I was. Trust me, I've seen many giving me the "WTF-are-you-talking-about"expression when I raised the concept of RRD.

Cut to the chase, a week after Raya holidays, we started work. We worked from home, with the companionship of Modjo - my cute, mischievous 4 month old then miniature schnauzer. Such a delight to have him around. Yes, things does get a little bit monotonous when you are working on the same rectangle table, facing each other, 9 - 6, day in day out. We need some other form of entertainment.

We started penning our thoughts and ideas down sometime in October 2007 and seriously dedicated ourselves to work in November 2007. Looking back, it has been a rather eventful 7 months. We started with nothing and now everything is slowly coming into place. RRD is slowly developing. It has been a long way for RRD and I know the upcoming few months are going to be more exacting. I'm already flat-chat now !!

One day, while driving to meet a supplier, I casually asked Nik. "Hey, do you realise we are actually doing a business together"? "Do you know how many times we have been talking about setting up our own business?". We have been talking about it since uni days over our favourite skinny lattes in Superman's coffee shop, and happy hour over Rump Steak in Krome. Apallingly, everything seems so surreal. Hmm.. and I wonder how many skinny lattes, cosmopolitan and rump steak did we devour over those empty talks? And this time round, no skinny lattes, cosmopolitan or rump steak were required. We just did it.

Don't ask me how it feels to be running your own business. Simply, RRD is still in its infant stage. With babies, you need to pay extra care to them when they are still newborn. You get panicky when they have fever or can't stop crying. Likewise, RRD is an infant on its own that needs our constant attention.

Well, like it or not, RedRibbon Days is about to make a statement and we will be ready to present RedRibbon Days to the world by end of February 2008.

a spicy experience with Rohani Jelani

2008-01-17T19:50:00.000+11:00

Among one of the many experiences that we sell is a cooking experience with Rohani Jelani. For those who have never heard of her prior to this, take note. She's our very own Malaysia's "Jamie Oliver". We met Rohani for the very first time 2 weeks ago. We were fortunate enough to be given a complimentary cooking class with Rohani to try out the experience first hand.

The journey to Rohani's place took us about 20 minutes. It was actually not that far from where we were, but we kinda got lost along the way. We were lost for about 10 minutes, I suppose ? Anyways, the journey there was a little intimidating. Being a city girl in heart, I would never step near any kampung area. We arrived safely at Rohani's and I would say the journey to her place wasn't really that exciting. Rohani's house was safely tucked at the end of the road, on top of a mountain. Suprisingly, there is nothing "kampung" about Rohani or her house at all. In fact, the ambience exudes certain warmth and it is overall - quite welcoming.

We were warmly greeted by this lovely scent of pandan. Ah ! Such comforting smell. Rohani was a very charming lady. Friendly, charismatic and above all, a real professional when it comes to cooking. She introduced us to the other students and we chatted briefly. The class was small enough to make you feel comfortable and it was an ease fitting in the environment. We were served tea and banana muffin whilst waiting for the arrival of other students. I was sold! The muffin was awesome! It has such rich texture, soft and the sweet scent and taste of banana becomes better and better after each bite.

The class commenced shortly after a brief introduction to the recipe of the day and we were assigned the dishes to cook. Myself and Nik worked as a pair. We will be cooking Asam Pedas, Curry Fish Head(Indian Style) and Chicken Rendang.We took about 2 1/2 hours to complete the 3 dishes and just 30 minutes to devour all the food. It was a good experience, I must say - though I'm so used to cooking that I can slice onions without looking at the chopping board! (over-exaggerating). Rohani made it easier by preparing all the ingredients, peeling off the skins of shallots and onions, cleaned and chopped the fishes and poultry. So, there was no mess, really. Her kitchen was airy, spacious- leaving you enough space to move around.

The cooking part was fun. Being the "kiasu - scared to lose" one, we decided to cook two dishes at one go. So, yes, we were frantically frying sambal from wok to wok. As a result, one of our dishes (the Assam Pedas) did not turn out as good as it was supposed to be. According to Rohani, I didn't stir or "tumis" it long enough to bring out the full aroma of the sambal. Well, can't blame me, really. I'm spoilt by the variety of instant sambal available nowadays!

Curry Rendang & Assam Pedas

Ah yes....did I mention there were altogether 6 of us? Anyways, imagine the scent of 9 different dishes(all curry based) cooked in the same kitchen at the same time. The smell was overpowering. It certainly aroused my stomach. Our third dish was whipped up in 20 minutes. Curry Fish Head( Indian Style). It was rather easy to cook - except by now, I'm getting a little bit tired and thirsty. Perhaps, Rohani should serve us another cup of the refreshing ginger honey drink?

Lunch was served around 1ish and we were all famished by that time. Dining table was set up adequately, and the dining and kitchen area were heavily consumed by the aromatic smell of curries. Dishes were slowly being poured out and tastefully garnished.

Overall, I think we did a fantastic job. The food was yummy(though it wasn't "tumis" long enough-something Rohani stressed often enough), the color was vibrant, and the smell - orgasmic. Here's a toast to what we cooked!

Curry Fish Head Assam Pedas
Chicken Rendang
Me & Nik posing with the dishes we cooked.

Overall, the experience was awesome. We met some new friends that day and 6 new dishes. Best part is we get to eat what we cooked. Yumm! Till the next experience... stay tune!

P/S: Please don't ask me to cook for you. :p

Our next experience ..... Sky Diving Simulator...