January 12, 2012

Nuffnang Blog Awards 2011 ²

by alvinyang • Nuffnang Blog Awards 2011

Late Update – I knew it was way to late to update about the Nuffnang blog awards which held during last year.

First of all before I start with anything, I would like to give some introduction about Nuffnang.Nuffnang is an online blog advertising community, claiming 118,817 bloggers spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia.Nuffnang was launched in February 2007 by Timothy Tiah and Cheo Ming . Nuffnang’s online platform allows advertisers to serve graphic and video based advertisements onto more than 100,000 blogs. Nuffnang.com has offices in 4 different countries: Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Melbourne since November 2008.

I started to join Nuffnang in 2007 which was during the time I started to create my own blog and actually I’ve missed one of the Nuffnang event at Gurney Plaza back in year 2007, if I’m not mistaken.

In year 2009, My friend, Nickchan invited me to follow him to the first ever Asia Pacific Blog Award which was organised by Nuffnang in Singapore and we flew all the way to Singapore to attend the award in the evening and we also joined their day trip which lasted us 3 day 2 night.It was an overwhelming and enjoyable experience.Since then, I started to be more interested to blog more.Read my post here

In year 2011, which was last year, I was invited by Nuffnang to attend the second Asia Pacific Blog Awards which was held at Kuala Lumpur,Putrajaya Marriott Hotel.I would say I was quite lucky to be choosen as one of the invited guest to attend the awards.I was so on top of the world when I received an eamail from Nuffnang about the invitation to the Blog Awards.This year they kinda make this event only for bloggers.

So, I decided to go to Kuala Lumpur to attend the blog awards by coach myself.It was actually my first time travelling alone and I was actually quite excited yet nervous.I stayed a night at my uncle’s house just to attend this event,that sounds crazy right?I embarked at my uncle’s house around noon and I took a nap after that.

I don’t usually cam-whore in front of the mirror as I feel kinda girlish to do that, but somehow that day,I do have the mood to cam-whore.Weird!Maybe I was too excited to go for the event.

I asked the taxi driver about the duration from my aunt house to the Marriott hotel and he told me is around 20 minutes.We did talk alot in the car and before going down from the car I saw the metered price was around Rm15 and i thought it was quite a reasonable price.It was around 6 at that time as the event starts at 6.30 which started from the invitation.I confidently walked in with my suit to the hotel lobby and the first thing came in my mind was where is the hotel.I was confused because the direction which I walked towards was to the Pavillion mall.At last,I asked the security guard at there and he directed me the way to the lobby.Without any hesitation,I walked in the lift and press B1 which was the ballroom floor.I saw outside the ballroom there was not a single person and i knew normally there will be lots of people gathered at outside for the cocktail session.During that time, i know something wrong some way,I walk towards to receptionist asking does the hotel have kinda blog awards event and he told me there was no such event as i mentioned to him.

After a few seconds, something relates that to my mind and I started to realised that were two Marriott in Kuala Lumpur and the one im going to was the Marriott hotel in Putrajaya.Luckily, I remained calm and ask the receptionist to call a cab for me.I’ve no choice but to take the hotel cab to reach the event in time and I’ve expected to payIt was a long journey through to reach at Marriott hotel in Putrajaya. I didn’t know the Marriott is so near the the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.I paid around 80 bucks for the cab.

I was not late for the events, I reached at the Marriott Hotel about 7 and the excitement started I saw so many people out there.They were so well dress with their dresses and at the same time I was quite nervous as I’m alone.I was searching for bloggers that I know,but I saw none of them.Next,I was searching for the registration booth but I saw none of them too.I was walking around with a panicking mood.Finally,I saw the door was opened which was the door of the corridor of the ballroom.

Beatiful lobby of Marriott Hotel.

There were approximately 500 over bloggers.I saw so many foreigner faces.The registration booth have different country representative.I saw country like Hong Kong, China and Thailand and Finally I glance through my country Malaysia.

One of the Nuffie asked me to have the photos at the board there.

I didn’t smile properly! Shit.

At first, I was so alone there.I saw there were so many groups laughing and chit-chatting out there and I was like alone walking here and there.I knew I gotta approach people rather than waiting people to approach me and I not a well-know people too.The first one who came to approach me was the Penangites.

She is JolynGoh We met from the first Blog awards in Singapore.We actually met at the Singapore flyers.

The first person i’ve approached was Vvens. She was kinda shock when i called her.She knows me but I was like called her out of sudden and her reaction was funny.

I strongly believe that if you dare to make your first move the rest of the time you will used to a particular thing.Why i have this kind of saying is cause’ if let say i stood there all night long I wouldn’t be meeting so many people out there.

I went to approach the Hong Kong’s Blogger and they were so friendly.We did really talked a blot and introduce ourselves.

This is Kenshin. He told me that he blog about the stuff like news of japan and korea.

This is the famous guy of the expertise of the photography.He was the Winner of the Best photography blog.

His website is www.photoblog.hk

Have a group photo with the Hong Kong blogger.

I met Childhood101 there.

She is one of the Australian Blog finalist too.

This was how the ballroom looks like when i first walked in.The stage was so nice which was specially design i supposed.

It was my second time walking on the red carpet.

Number 44 which was my table’s number.I mat several new friends around my table that night.We really talked a lot and one of them was actually from Penang.I felt a little homely knowing a friend who was actually from Penang too.

I brought just a Sony nexus instead of my DSLR cause I afraid it was too bulky to walk around, the image quality not good.

The event started off with the speech of Tim and Ming.

The food served at around 8.45 with the appetizer.

Mediterranean Seafood Terrine with Wasabi Tobiko Dressing on Crispy Lettuce

Puree of Split Soup with Herd Twist

Pistachio Crumbed Baked Chicken Supreme with Thyme Gravy
served with lasagna potatoes & garden green vegetables

Tiramisu in Chocalate Cup with strawberry & Vanilla sauce

I would say the food was just normal.The chicken for the main course was not that good though.

Here it is, the complete list of winners for Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011.I would like to congrats the blog winner.

Best Photography Blog – Photoblog.hk
Best Geek Blog – Geekout.ph
Best Food Blog – LadyIronChef.com
Best Fashion Blog – Cheeserland.com
Most Original Blog Design – EatShowandTell.com
Best Parenting Blog – Childhood101.com
Best Travel Blog – JustWandering.org
Best Entertainment Blog – Beautifulnara.com
Best Lifestyle Blog – Jenniepperson.com
Hidden Gem – Googlygooeys.com
Best Micro Blog – KennySia.com
Most Influential blog – XiaXue.sg
Region’s Best blog – XiaXue.sg

They were the finalist of all the categories of blog.

After the dinner I got to meet some of the blogger out there.

She is Hannah. I kinda commented on her blog before that. Surprisingly,She can recognized me and she came right to me and called my name.

This is Ginny who sat next to me on that night.Nice meeting her.

She is Jess.Another girl sat beside me too which is the side.I was surrounded with two girls that night at my table.She is kinda tall.

The nuffnang co-founder, Tim boss.I feel so fortunate to have the chance to have a photograph with him.He was so busy that night.

Actually, I wanted to take a cab to go home cause some of them told me that I was underage to go in to the zouk club as Nuffnang have the free pass for us for the after party at there.

Since there was a free shuttle to the Zouk, so why not taking the shuttle to Kuala Lumpur and give a gamble if i can enter the club either.

One my way to the Zouk Club an Australian girl sat beside me and in awhile we started to have so much to talk.Her name is Mingh who is a half vietnamese and half Australian. She was one of the member of EatShowandTell.com. Food lover can check it out at the blog.

This is my free pass to the Zouk Club.I managed to sneak in to the club with the free pass.They didn’t even ask for my identification card or do I look rather mature I wonder.

The free pass entitled us to redeem two free glasses of beer.

We have our own private lounge which was cater for Nuffnanger only.

I met Jamie at that night which introduced by one of my friend, Jolyn Goh.She was very outgoing and quite a friendly person.She brought me to the dance floor to feel the atmosphere as it was my first time entered this club.

Oh this is blur shot, the camera doesn’t want me to have a photo with her.Anyway she came from China, one of the blog finalist.

Before going home, I managed to a photo with sixseal.We met at the first blog award in Singapore in the Flyer up there.Luckily He can still remember me or else it will be very awkward.

I forgotten his name anyway.Oh, I’ve bad memory.