There are, however, tons of newly taken pictures of me.

Since this is just a really skinny post, I'll let pictures do the talking for now and flesh it out in the upcoming few blog posts. I'll mostly be covering the BMTM 2016, as well as a budak's adventure in the fantastic city of  Da Nang.

The view from my hotel room at Grand Sea Hotel.

But first, pictures.

Getting to Da Nang wasn't easy. We were stuck in transit at the Ho Chi Minh International Airport for a little over 5 hours, mostly because our flight kept getting delayed. Thankfully, the company was good and the time passed by in a flash.


It was probably the first time I had spent so much time sitting around in an airport, but it's not something I would want to experience again in the near future.

On the plus side, the first meal in Da Nang; Vietnamese version of wantan mee, was absolutely delicious.


The day before the BMTM was due to start was spent wandering around the city of Da Nang and its respective sights. I've covered most of the places we visited in the previous post; Marble Mountain and Monkey Mountain,

The view from on top of Marble Mountain.

The temple gardens at Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain)

...with a few new additions to the list of places, like the Galina Mud Spa and the Han Market.

A Budak lost in the Han Market.

It was during this one day trip that we met some of the friendliest people in the world. It probably also helped that me and Chingy were the youngest ones in our group.


Because this was Vietnam, there was also a lot of coffee involved.


The one thing about this trip is that it involved a lot of official events. As this was the first time the BMTM was held in Da Nang, they spared no expense in making it as grand as possible. The Gala Dinner was amazing,



and the experience at the actual BMTM gave a lot of insights into how Da Nang was shaping itself into a legit must-go travel destination.


There were beaches involved.


And swimming in one of the nicest pools in Da Nang with a group of newly made friends from Taiwan, whose names I wish I could type out but can't because I am a banana.


Food was amazing. While it did get repetitive after all the different hotel buffets we were brought for, there is no shortage of amazing street food in Da Nang. I was fortunate to have some time off and just explore Da Nang for a few hours with Chingy and just go around jalan-jalan cari makan.

Grilled Chilli Banh Mi with Pork Floss in the making.

I was later brought around by Nhung, the friendliest volunteer guide and aspiring translator I have ever met, as she brought me to visit a different side of Da Nang, the charming local side that you can never find on tours.


The final day was to Hue, a city that laughs. Because Hue Hue Hue. I kid. The architecture and history behind the royal city of Hue is something that amazes me (and my camera).

Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue.

Like I said, this isn't all there is to my trip to Vietnam. I will be updating more posts in the coming few days. I just want to record another round of thank yous to the Da Nang Tourism Board for the amazing job they did in accommodating us in their lovely city.


It's good to be back.

Cheerios!

I am a big fan of the classic tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; a lively and buoyant exterior hiding something deeper and edgier. The idea of two totally different beings occupying the same space may not seem possible in a real life context, but that's where Huckleberry After Dark comes into play.

Located at a discreet corner of Plaza Damansara, Huckleberry Food and Fare is your typical daytime cafe, complete with the bright cakes and graceful chatter of the taitais chilling their afternoon away. But when the sun sets, this cafe gleefully rips off its cheery outer layer, transforming into something darker and edgier more suited for the night.


Huckleberry After Dark is the perfect place to spend a night of chilling with your friends. When I reached the cafe after work for the review session, I was immediately grooving along to the perfect RnB soundtrack. The cafe keeps to its name; making sure that the overall feel of the place is as laidback and soulful as you can imagine.

Because Huckleberry After Dark should be visited after it's dark out (duhh), the rumbling in your stomach will be much stronger. Thankfully, unlike most nightspots, there are actually food that don't only consist of French Fries and the occasional tapas. Inspired by Los Angeles street food, the fare at Huckleberry After Dark has something that will delight your palate, as your pair your meal with a zesty beer or two.

Like, for example, there are the appetizers; great for sharing with your friends over a beer. The House Guac, which is basically chips with the homemade guacamole, is something you should really try, because it's addictive as heck.

Red Sangria
The finest sharing drink that almost all the ladies use to bond with, the red sangria is pretty red sangria-ish. With red wine, brandy, fruits, mango, orange juice, homemade basil and mint syrup, it's time to get your girl date on with this. Guys too.


So if it's a night out with your friends, or just looking for a place with good food and good vibes, Huckleberry After Dark might just be the place for you. Give it a try, because any place with an "After Dark" tacked on the back is bound be be equal parts fun, edgy and maybe even a little bit naughty.

More information about Huckleberry After Dark @ Plaza Damansara below:


Cheerios!

Recently, I took to the Hollywood approach for ideas and writing; when you've been doing it for long enough, you either reboot it, or make a sequel. I've embraced this approach in my writing because I no longer have the time to lounge around and This is my FIFTH entry to the Papa Wong Burns series of blog posts, and I'm not afraid to say that I'm shamelessly milking my father's claim to fame. 

But then again, my psychologist has advised me to let it all out to help me cope with the emotional trauma these burns are causing me.You can actually read all four of the past epic burn compilations by my dad: here, here, here and here. 

And here's a bonus of him NOT burning me, but someone else.

Cheerios!

There are two things which give me great pleasure; elephants, (I mean, who doesn't like Dumbo with his big flappy ears?) and cocktails. I feel that adulting requires a great deal of cocktails to go through most of the time. So with the idea of a weekend spent inside dashed into a dozen little bitty pieces, I eagerly took up that invite. I also invited Bugger Seah and Ah Sou Celine, as well as my girlfriend along for the ride.


Because I'm not about to head to a bar alone. What do you think I am? Desperate?

My quest for the fabled Blue Elephant, located somewhere in Plaza Damansara, was quite futile. Note, if you're ever going to visit a speakeasy bar in the future, don't just Waze and waltz up to the place expecting to find it. Speakeasy bars are notorious for being hidden, with some of the best ones hidden so deep that it would be nigh impossible to find.

Pro tip: GOOGLE the place and look for at least the entrance before leaving your house. Like on most Malaysian roads, you can't expect to depend on the signboard for any directions.

But since I'm not a sadist who enjoys seeing people wander around aimlessly, I'll provide directions. You just have to look for Sam's restaurant at Plaza Damansara. Walk along the same shoplot until you find a staircase with a few movie posters lined alongside it.


This is the point where you waltz up the stairs...


...to find yourself at an absolutely empty studio. Seems like I got you good.

That is, until you decide to snoop around that same room. If you've watched enough Scooby Doo, you'll know what I mean. I won't spoil it for you because most of the fun is finding the entrance to Blue Elephant. Oh, I guess there is a sadistic streak inside me somehow.

Once inside, you'll be transported into a world of glitz and glamour. Imagine an Oscar after party, without the celebrities. There are tons of movie posters adorning the walls of Blue Elephant, along with a gigantic picture of sex symbol Marilyn Monroe staring seductively at you as you sip your cocktail.


Somewhere, a giant Oscar statuette looms intimidatingly, ironically, without a gianter Leonardo behind it. The setup is very comfortable, very cosy, which is probably what the owners were going for in the first place.


Mr DiCaprio may agree as well.

But the cocktails is what you should be aiming for. Each cocktail is crafted lovingly by the bartenders, who work with a smile on their face. It is the smile of a person who knows his craft well, and who knows exactly what he's doing.

Shake it.

It's a look that inspires confidence in the hearts (and tastebuds) of all those watching and waiting for a sip of the sweet nectar.

Pour it.

There are a list of cocktails you can actually go for. Because I am a responsible person and I had to drive (wink wink law enforcement people, high five!), I only had a few sips of the various cocktails that were freely flowing (coincidentally two of my favorite words together). Because I am not an expert in all things alcohol (see my point on responsible person above), I will attempt to describe each of the cocktails I managed to taste that night.


You must of course try the titular Blue Elephant, a sweet blend of Smirnoff vodka, apple and grapefruit juices with just a hint of wine, and beautifully garnished with apple and grape. This was my absolute favorite drink because of the sweet and tangy flavor, and also because it gave me enough courage to hit the dance floor and channel my inner Michael Jackson.

Blue Elephant. Picture credit to Blue Elephant Facebook page.

Goosebumps, so named for its green color which reminds people of the storybooks, may not be my favorite drink among all of the cocktails, but Bugger Seah gulped down that bad boy like the bad boy that he is.

Goosebumps. Picture credit to Blue Elephant Facebook page.

Another specialty that we got to try was Showtime. In following the theme of Hollywood, Showtime is a drink infused with lots and lots of caramel, and paired with the taste of a strong vodka, it's definitely not a drink for everyone.