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High-Fashion heats up the coolof Cameron Highlands resort

Phuket’s Villa
Tassana
A Slice of heaven & Home

The Butler Did it

Experience the exclusive
service of The Ritz-Carlton,
Kuala Lumpur

Undersea
Odyssey

Diving On Pulau Tenggol:
Tanjong jara resort’s
Best-Kept secret

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26Undersea Odyssey
Forget its elegant Malay charm, quiet
simplicity and luxurious reputation,
the world-renowned Tanjong Jara
Resort’s best-kept secret could
very well be Pulau Tenggol, a diving
haven with an abundance of some ofnature’s most beautiful coral life andmarine creatures.

FEATURES
20 A Slice of Heavenand Home

Every once in a while, it is thedestination that counts. In this case, it’sa holiday destination, it’s on the islandof Phuket and it’s called Villa Tassana.

34 The Butler Did It
And at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur,with its exclusive all-room butler
service, you can certainly expect so.

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39 Time Travellers
Travel and time are luxuries for theprivileged few. At the recent watch fair
Baselworld 2008 in Switzerland, someof the world’s leading watch brands
exhibited collections that truly are amust for those with wanderlust.

52 Past and Present
YTL Life takes a stroll down memorylane as we speak to Madam Leong Siu
Ying, one of the daughters of the former
owner of what is today The Majestic
Malacca, and discovers new stories
about old, old places.

YTL
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HAUTE HIGHLAND?@>?$=8J?@FE?<8KJLGK?<:FFC
F=:8D<IFE?@>?C8E;JI<JFIK

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cover

Photography Gerry Chin
Styling Weechee
Hair Jack Choong
Makeup Jessie Chong
Models wear dresses from Karl
Lagerfeld, from Designer Bridal
Room; Shot on location at Cameron
Highlands Resort

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58-99
STYLE

58 Haute in theHighlands

Attitude and altitude: high-fashion
heats up the cool hills of Cameron
Highlands Resort.

74 The Art of Modern

LuxuryLeading fashion house Louis Vuitton
is showing the way forward in today’s
luxury lifestyle boom by going back to
its roots: Travel.

80 Radar to Wear
Fashion this fall revolves aroundenveloping the body in chic
configurations of fabrics.
004

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84 Gender Blender
So who’s wearing the pants thesedays? Sartorial androgyny is still
stomping down the runways in thenaughty Noughties.

88 Rest in Piece
Clothes may make the man (andwoman) but accessories add thefinishing touch.

90 Satisfy your Sole
Drawing on ancient traditions,
Asianel provides an oasis ofhealing and rejuvenation throughthe feet.

92 The Beauty of Food
Edible spa therapies? Food that does
wonders not just on the palate, but on
the body too.

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REGULARS
08
10
12
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Glory Box
Editor’s Note
The Buzz
YTL Hotels
Viva La Diva!

106 Design &Architecture
The city of Vilnius, Lithuania willsoon celebrate art and culture in
Zaha Hadid’s latest masterpiece
design for the Guggenheim
Hermitage Museum; plus confectioninspired chairs, fancy leather trunks
and a case of beautiful recycling.

114

108 Food
Meet Chef Judith, YTL Hotels
executive Pastry Chef, plus... awaken
your appetite, prep your palate and get
ready for some good living at Starhill
Gallery’s Midsummer Nights Feast.

114 Art & Culture

102100-117

Contrasting the classicism of fine art
with the contemporariness of pop
culture, there’s organized chaos in
the work of fine artist Dave White;
Bobby Chinn’s first ever Vietnamese
cookbook; the final season of The
Wire on DVD; the Rainforest Festival inSarawak plus all the good stuff goingon in KLPac and all around Kuala
Lumpur in the next few months.

LIFESTYLE
100 Motoring
Puzzle over the new Mercedes R280.
An absolutely brilliant machine, butwhat kind of car is it?

102 Technology
It isn’t only charity that begins at
home. These days, high-technology
is fast taking over every aspect of
our lives inside our homes… plus ahost of strange, inventive and utterly
necessary digital tools you have to
get your hands on.

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L I F EYTLTManagement
Chief Executive Officer Datin Azliza Ahmad Tajuddin
General Manager Loo Kit Choong

Editorial & Art
Managing Editor Aster Lim
Editor Eugene Ng
Sub Editor Yung Ro Han	creative director eireen ooi
	art director ng geok mei
	graphic designer penny chew
chief photographer leon bin yee
Sales
Sales Manager Chee Eng Saan
Account Managers JoJo Wong, Joyce Lee
Production
	Production Manager Gilbert Ho
	Production executive nisha ann
	traffic executive azahari hj. hussain
Contributors
Aziz Abdul Draim, Boey Ping Ping, Choen Lee, Choo Ai Ling, Ellfian Abdul Rahim,
Helen Oon, Jack Choong, Jessie Chong, Jimmy Khoo, Johnny McGeorge,
Loo Kit Choong, Matt Armitage, Stephanie Tan, Zhuan Ni
PUBLISHED BY
YTL Hotels
11th Floor, Yeoh Tiong Lay Plaza, 55, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
PRODUCED BY
Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd (Company No. 7408-K)
Lot 7, Jalan Bersatu 13/4, Section 13
46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: +603 7952 7000 Fax: +603 7960 0151
E-mail: ytllife@bluinc.com.my
COLOUR SEPARATION BYMediaLux Sdn Bhd
No. 38-3, Jalan PJU 5/11, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya , Selangor, Malaysia
PRINTED BY
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Lot 9, Jln 51A/243,
46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of YTL Corporation. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in YTL LIFE are the writers’ and not necessarily endorsed
by YTL Corporation and/or Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd. They are not responsible or liable in any way for the content in any of the advertisements, articles, photographs or illustrations contained inthis publication. Editorial enquiries and enquiries concerning advertising and circulation should be addressed to Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd. YTL Corporation and Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd accept no
responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations and any other such materials. The Editorial Team reserves the right to edit and/or re-write all materials according to the needsof the publication upon usage. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by suficient return postage.

editor’s note

Luxury is evolving tobecome based more on
experiences than onmaterial possessions,and the sophisticatedconsumer seeks anincreasing array of
unique sensations
and pleasures.
Human relations
lie at the heart ofsuch luxury and arepart of delivering
differentiated andauthentic experiences.
In this issue of YTLLife, we explore thehuman aspect ofluxury, and delve into
the software behind some of the luxury
experiences within the YTL collection.

world through the lens of our resident diveinstructor at Tanjong Jara Resort.
There is a conversation with Chef Judith
Sakata, the Executive Pastry Chef behindthe exquisite desserts and pastries at YTL
Hotels. She shares with us her experiences
as a pastry chef from producing one-ofa-kind creations fit for a King’s birthday
to tips on how to tell a good pastry shopfrom one that is more ordinary. We alsopresent you with Midsummer Nights Feast
at Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, a first of
its kind gourmet festival combining culinary
talents from YTL’s master chefs and visitingcelebrity chefs with the theatrics of The
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre.
We hope you will enjoy discovering thehidden textures behind some of theexperiences within the YTL luxury lifestyle,as much as we have enjoyed sharing themwith you.

PHOTO Jimmy Khoo PORTRAIT LEON

We take you behind the scenes of the world
famous butler service at The Ritz-Carlton,
Kuala Lumpur, and reveal some of thesecrets to the art of anticipation in theworld of hospitality. We embark on a journeyback in time when we speak to the former
owner of The Majestic Hotel in Malacca,and discover the rich history and heritagethat has been preserved in this first YTLClassic Hotel. We discover a rich underwater

Service with a smile:
The Human touch

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the buzz | ytl news

Arabian Delights The world
renowned Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia’s
Straits of Malacca has traversed oceans andcrossed continents with the recent unveiling of
Pangkor Laut Luxury Resort, Residence & Spa
Village, a multi-module resort property being
developed off the coast of Dubai’s luxurious
Jumeirah coastline. To be built on the equally
exclusive The World – a development of 300
man-made islands that form the map of theworld – the 7-star establishment will compriseof luxury residences, a deluxe hotel as well as
dining, retail and leisure facilities including thefive-star Spa Village brand spread out over a
1,600,000 square foot island. Pangkor Laut
Luxury Resort, Residence & Spa Village wasofficially launched on May 13 at The Westin
Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina,
where 300 potential investors and media
members enjoyed an evening of champagne
and caviar.

Green
Giant YTL
Corporation
flexed its green
credentials once
again when theylaunched YTL
Climate Change
Week 2008 in
April this year. The
week-long event
began on April
29 at the Kuala
Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) with a freepublic screening of The 11th Hour, a provoking andinspirational documentary produced and narrated by
Leonardo DiCaprio and which addresses and proposes
solutions for this very issue. Other highlights included
a business conference on ‘Energy Security and Climate
Change in the 21st Century’ and the launch of thebook WASTEnomics: Turning Waste Liabilities into
Assets’. At the same time, YTL Corp also announced
the acquisition of Malaysian-based Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) developer, SV Carbon, now known as
YTL-SV Carbon Sdn Bhd, a pioneer in energy and CDM
consulting as well as renewable energy technology,
and which marks the birth of the corporation’senvironmental division. In April too, YTL’s UK-based
Wessex Water was honoured with The Queen’s Award
for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category,a coveted commercial prize in recognition of its allencompassing green approach to work.
012

Oh, For the Louvre of Art Tan Sri (Dr.)
Francis Yeoh, Managing Director of YTL Corp, demonstrated
his generosity and love for art at a recent live auction at
the Louvre in Paris. Under the auspices of the American
Friends of the Louvre, which was founded by the Musee duLouvre in 2002 to strengthen ties between the Louvre andits American public, five generous art patrons offered to host
guests at fabulous houses and castles in exotic destinations
all over the world. This included Kip Forbes’ Château deBalleroy in Normandy, David Copperfield’s private retreat
at Musha Cay in the Bahamas and a specially-conceived
package by Yeoh which includes luxurious experiences
aboard the Eastern and Orient Express train and his private
island Pangkor Laut Resort. Yeoh is the South East Asian
Chairman of International Friends of the Louvre. His exclusive‘private house party’ package raised US$250,000. Iconic 80s
band Duran Duran performed a “hits only” concert on an
evening which culminated with the auction held under theiconic I. M. Pei pyramid.
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the buzz | ytl news

Welcoming Incognito
at the JW Marriott

Celine Dion at thepress conferenceat The Ritz-Carlton,
Kuala Lumpur

John Legend at
The Ritz-Carlton,
Kuala Lumpur

Incubus arriving at
the JW Marriott

George Clinton being
greeted by JW Marriott
General Manager Mr.
Christian BockI Spy So where do celebrities and superstars stay at when they come to KL? If photographic evidence is incontrovertible
in court, then we have proof than the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur and JW Marriot are choice destinations. During the
Malaysian GP in March and the corresponding Sunburst Music Festival 2008, George Clinton, Incognito, Incubus andChe’nelle all stayed at JW Marriott while John Legend stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. In April, The Ritz-Carlton,
Kuala Lumpur, was the official hotel of Celine Dion during the KL leg of her ‘Taking Chances World Tour 2008’. Can you say,
“May I please have your autograph?”014

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the buzz | events

Royal
Welcome

Chinn UpOn March 19, celebrity chef Bobby Chinn took centrestage
at Starhill Gallery’s Feast Village. The ebullient chef withhis eponymous fusion restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, andhis own TV show (‘World Café Asia’ which airs on Discovery
Travel and Living) conducted a Master Cooking Class at
Starhill Gallery to showcase his talent and recipes from his
new Vietnamese cookbook ‘Wild Wild East’.
Taking a cue from the name of the book, the evening saw
Bobby, along with YTL Group Executive Chef Kevin Cape,host dinner at a fully-booked Shook! in the Feast Village at
Starhill Gallery. Top of the list was Guest of Honour Dato’
Yeoh Soo Min, Executive Director of YTL, the woman who
had earlier officiated the book launch. Other VIPs included
Ms. Ruth Yeoh, YBhg Dato’ Nordiana Zainal Shah and a hostof ambassadors from the embassies of Australia, Japan,
Ireland and Sweden.

(L-R) Ambasaador of Sweden Her Excellency Helena
Sangeland & husband, Mr Patrick Orhammar with YBhg. Tan
Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay & Miss Ruth Yeoh Pei Cheen

All enjoyed a casual evening with a touch of rock ‘n’ rolland an array of fine dishes and wine: Crab Salad Nom
Cua and Seafood Ceviche with Mangosteen Qoi Hai San
paired with Goldridge Estate Sauvignon Marlborough New
Zealand 2006, Blackened Black Cod on Braised Banana
Blossoms complemented by a Goldridge Estate Pinot Noir
Marlborough New Zealand 2005 before ending on thesweetest of notes with a Crème Brûlée and, of course,
Vietnamese Coffee.

On April 6, YTL Corporation founder Tan Sri Dato’ Seri
(Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay and his wife Puan Sri Datin Seri Kai
Yong Yeoh hosted a private welcome dinner at the Carlton
Conference Centre for two royal guests staying at the
five-star The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. Held in honour
of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Honorary
Chairman of the World Scouts Foundation, and Her Majesty
Queen Silvia during a private visit to Malaysia, the majestic
dinner was also attended by other dignitaries and VIPs
including Ambasaador of Sweden Her Excellency Helena
Sangeland & husband, Mr Patrick Orhammar (Chairman of
the World Scouts Foundation), Mr Lars Kolind and wife Dr.
Vibeke Riemer, Dato’ Yeoh Seok Hong & Datin Kathleen Yeoh,
and Miss Ruth Yeoh, daughter of YTL Corporation GroupManaging Director Tan Sri Dr. Francis Yeoh.

(L-R) Dr Vibeke Riemer, Mr Lars Kolind, Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min, Tan Sri Dato’
Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay, Puan Sri Dato’ Seri Kai Yong Yeoh, Her Majesty
Queen Silvia, His Majesty King Carl, Dato’ Yeoh Seok Hong & Datin
Kathleen Yeoh

Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf (centre) & Queen Silvia of Sweden with YBhg.
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay

His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf (left) presenting a souvenir to YBhg. Tan
Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay witness by Mr. Lars Kolind

Crème Brûlée

Blackened Black Cod

016

Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min
flipping through the Wild
Wild East cookbook

Chairman of World Scouts Foundation, Mr. Lars Kolind & wife, Dr Vibeke
Riemer with Dato’ Yeoh Seok Hong & wife, Datin Kathleen Yeoh

Chef Kevin Cape, Bobby & Chef Wai

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(L-R) Miss Kimberly Hiu, Miss Lily Hiu, Puan Sri Sherina Aris, Puan Sri Datin Seri Kai
Yong Yeoh, Miss Jenny Hiu and Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min

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An Evening
of Dreams

Of Heritageand Horology

Saudi Arabian luxury house Yeslam was launched in May atan intimate and elegant soiree at its flagship Asian boutiqueat Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. Curtains of organza,
glittering crystals, white lilies and a specially created nonalcoholic cocktail fittingly named The Yeslam Dream greeted
guests, a mix of high society and members of the media.
They were the privileged first few to have the opportunity tofeast their eyes on Yeslam’s array of fine leather accessories,
watches and even to sample the signature Yeslam Dream
perfume, the evening’s door gift.

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Watchmaking heritage, five-star luxury and high society came together when
Longines, the famous Swiss winged hourglass watch brand held a soiree tocelebrate its 175 years of watchmaking. Held at the elegant boutique hotel The
Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, and in collaboration with high-end rag Malaysia
Tatler, the gala event saw his Excellency Dr. Urs Stemmler, Swiss Ambassador to
Malaysia, and Mr. Claude Jaunin, Longines Regional Sale Manager Asia Pacific,
in attendance. On showcase were the exquisite timepieces from the Longines
Heritage Collection of the Watchmaking Tradition Line, which embodies theexpertise and essence of the brand.

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T

he quest for the perfectholiday destination isa task that seems almost
impossible to quantify. Just
what makes that destination,or holiday, perfect? Thinkback to all the holidays, thoseprecious holiday momentsthat you somehow just seemto remember while looking out the bay window at
the rain trees on those nostalgic rainy afternoons.

People cherish holiday memories for many varied
reasons. It could be because it was a joyous family
gathering after years of absence; or a trip abroadwhere you fell in love; a country that you’ve waited
years to visit; an extremely fun holiday with agroup of friends, in fact, the most fun you’ve had inyears; or a funny incident that happened. Whatever
the reason, holidays are when timeless memories
are often made.
Just 15 minutes away from Phuket’s international
airport on the north-west coastline of this gorgeousisland – blessedly undeveloped and as far away fromthe clichéd tourist trappings – there is a little known
but amazing holiday destination (so amazing it isthat it’s almost a sin that it’s so little known) with all
the potential to create these sort of exclusive andintimate moments.

In fairness though, this ‘destination’ is really justa villa. Fair enough, it’s not just a villa, because it
is quite immaculate. For starters, besides being far
from the madding Phuket crowd, it is set amidst
a lush tropical forest and sits atop a rugged cliff
overlooking the Andaman Sea. At first sight, youwill know that this is a slice of heaven. Welcome toVilla Tassana.
In fact, you can almost always at least glimpse
the Andaman Sea from practically every part ofthe villa, but for the most you get breathtaking
panoramic views, a beautiful emerald green sea
shimmering in the sun, its waves lapping up private
beaches or crashing against craggy rocks. You’reloath to take your eyes off it.
Exclusive Luxuries It isn’t hard to imagine
just what type of holiday you could possibly haveat Villa Tassana. The Villa has three very large
bedrooms (each at least 65m 2 in total size): themaster bedroom upstairs and two others downstairs– each elegantly appointed Thai-style with a kingsize bed, day bed, desk and an en suite bathroom022

the size of a small unchartered Thai island thatcomes with a massive walk-in closet. The rooms
are also equipped with standard hotel amenities
like air-conditioning, safety deposit box, colour TV
and satellite programmes, IDD telephone, internet
connection in one of the downstairs bedrooms
and all basic toiletries. They are luxurious andutilitarian at once.
On top of that, this spacious 2,800m 2 doublestorey detached building has a separate living anddining pavilion, a 15m swimming pool, anotherdining area poolside and giant lounge sofas, deck
chairs and two upstairs balconies overlooking thatmagnificent view. At all times, there is a definite
feeling of wide open spaces, not least while looking
out to the Andaman. This is what a private villashould be like.
What makes Villa Tassana unique and so elusively
desirable is that it is the only one of seven similar
villas within this particular guarded compound thatis available for rent to the public all year round.
The other six – belonging to an Englishwoman who
uses her villa for her yearly three-month holiday
on the island, two Singaporeans, two Canadians
and an Australian – are mainly used privately by its
respective owners.
Villa Tassana, or Villa 5 as it is less romanticallyknown, is owned by the managing director of
Malaysia’s YTL Corporation, Tan Sri Dr. Francis
Yeoh, and falls under the management of YTL
Hotels, known for their excellent brand of luxury
spa resorts such as Pangkor Laut, Spa Village
Resort Tembok, Bali, The Majestic Malacca, Tanjong
Jara and Cameron Highlands Resort.
Besides getting full run of the villa itself, all guests
will also be attended to by a personal chef, andan attendant who will address all your everyday
housekeeping needs like the laundry, the dailycleaning of the villa, the serving of meals andeven the turning down of the beds in the evenings
five-star hotel-style. A third lady, who oversees
the maintenance of the entire grounds, will also
coordinate all other aspects of your tenancy, or
any other requests you might have.
Home is Where the Good Food is Belonging
to the same exclusive collection of YTL Luxury
Escapes as the Estates at Pangkor Laut, Villa Tassanatranslates into a sort of casual luxury: modern
sophistication married with a heart-warming doseof homeliness and that famous Thai hospitality. A
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A rear view ofthe luxurious
Villa Tassana

Set amidst a lush tropical forest atop arugged cliff overlooking the andamansea, Villa tassana is a slice of heaven
request at the start of our stay for the chef to cook
“only food that you will cook for family at home”
resulted in the mouth-watering appearance of homecooked Thai specialties from the well-equipped villa
kitchen for the rest of our stay.
Green curry, a really delicious version of 'otak-otak'(a rich, creamy steamed fish dish with spices andcoconut), a to-die-for tom yam soup, sweet chilli
fried fish and even a special request for a Thai
kerabu with deep fried fish stomach were provided,much to our delight. The level of service andattention you recieve here is unparallelled.
We didn’t have enough time to test the extent of
the chef’s skill in other culinary areas, but if you
are the sort who likes to go local while on holiday,
then Villa Tassana’s authentic version of homestyle
Thai cuisine will beat hands down most of the otherfood you will eat at randomly picked restaurants.
Be warned though, if you want to sample themain dinner courses, watch out for the pre-dinner“snacks”, which include scrumptious fare like deep
fried shrimp won ton and Thai spring rolls and are
TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ I NE

The stylish pool

The masterbedroomserved in more than ample amounts that you caneasily overeat and spoil your appetite.
When I was a young boy, my favourite holidays were
the ones where my parents would book a couple ofseaside bungalows, and we would then travel withmy mum’s sister’s family and a few of my parent’s
friends and their families, and we would spend
a week there, the children playing on the beachThe giant masterbedroom bathroom
is quite a sight tobehold and fit for king

The living room at
Villa Tassana

end spa treatments, while Villa Tassana does
not feature the renowned Spa Village brand, thenext door Trisara Hotel’s spa centre is exclusively
accessible to Villa Tassana guests. Trisara Spa uses
only organic products and offers an extensive rangeof services (see sidebar) that can be enjoyed in theprivacy of the Villa or at one of the spa’s treatment
rooms. Guests can also enjoy the gym, tennis courts
and the yacht and diving facilities at Trisara.

what Villa Tassana has to offer are young highflying executives looking to get away from it all
for a while with their other halves and some of
their other friends or simply for an extra-special
occasion. The best way to make full use of this sortof exclusive private luxury is to bring lots of bottles
of wines (or any other choice alcoholic beverages),a few good books and the patience and willingness
to quiet things down for a bit. It is an amazing way

Its natural beauty and unpretentious
version of 5-star luxury is enough torealise that vision of a perfect holiday024

to escape the everyday stresses of reality and toready yourself for a return to the rigours of thereal world.

Villa Tassana reminded me of those wonderfulholidays of years gone by. Ones where families truly
got to spend some quality time together instead ofbeing forced to go shopping for hours on end or
trudge from one tourist site to another as they tickdown their must-see list. This is the sort of holiday
that is getting harder to come by these days.

There are some activities guests can enjoy at Villa
Tassana. While it doesn’t have its own private beach,the white sands of Naithon Beach, Andaman White
Beach and Hin Kaw Beach are a mere 5-minutes
away and transportation can be arranged. Evena walk around the villa’s compound, verdant withtropical trees and shrubbery, alive with the soundof frogs and other wildlife, is a rare treat. Think
quiet reflective solitary moments and you're well inthe ballpark.

Another set of holidaymakers that would love

And continuing its close association with high-But all these are just the icing on the cake of Villa
Tassana. Its natural beauty, unpretentious versionof 5-star service and luxury, and the opportunity
for a spot of splendid isolation is more than enoughto realise that vision of a perfect holiday.

trisara PHOTO WWW.TRISARA.Com

and swimming in the sea, the adults either lazingaround doing nothing, going fishing or playing agame of cards. We would have a barbeque on oneof the nights; there would be lots of laughter andthe kids would always be really, really sad when thevacation would come to an end.

And further down the road, golf nuts who cannot
be away from the greens for too long can go fora round at the exclusive Blue Canyon golf club, a
15-minute drive from the resort with another two
championship courses a further five-minutes away.
So there's plenty to do.

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Ultimately though, any holiday, whether withfriends of family, is always what you make out ofit, but it is almost a certainty that you will be really,
really sad to leave Villa Tassana.

Villa Tassana is located at 60 Moo 6 Srisunthorn
Road, Choengthalay, Thalang, Phuket, 83110
Thailand. For bookings and enquiries, call +603-2783
1000 or email travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ I NE

More views of theAndaman025

Undersea

Odyssey

Forget its elegant Malay
charm, quiet simplicity andluxurious reputation, theworld-renowned Tanjong Jara
Resort’s best-kept secret could
very well be Pulau Tenggol, adiving haven with an abundanceof nature's most beautiful
Coral Life and Marine creatures
by Loo Kit Choong

all photos courtesy of YTL Hotels

The secret is indeed out. If there is one place inPeninsula Malaysia where you can go diving in style,it has to be the East Coast. But not just anywherein the East Coast; it has to be at the Tanjong Jara
Resort, a five-star luxury resort facing the South
China Sea and located a mere 8km from the small
town of Dungun.
Tanjong Jara Resort’s reputation certainly precedes
itself. It is named after the golden sandy beach itlies upon and is embraced by the blue-green watersof the South China Sea. It houses a world class spa
specialising in the traditional art of Malay healing,
and it is an altogether charming yet decidedly
modern and sophisticated resort influenced designwise by the typical Malay kampong house.
But you can now add underwater diving to that listof highlights and whether you’re a beginner or an
experienced diver looking for new and interesting
dive sites, this is the place to do it.
Just off the coast of the resort, around 45-minutesby speed boat, lies one of Terengganu’s lesser-

known islands, Pulau Tenggol. Made up of a clusterof several islands, the main island itself forms part of
the Terengganu Marine Park. But don’t be fooled by
Pulau Tenggol’s comparatively compact size. At 50
hectares, it is still a serene underwater haven that ishome to spectacular dive sites that will mesmerise
even the most seasoned of divers with its coral
formations and abundance of underwater life.
Here is where you dive in style. When guests stay at
the Tanjong Jara Resort, all trips to Pulau Tenggol
are guided by its in-house expert dive instructor, the,err, flamboyantly named Richard Smith. An affable
Englishman with an infectious laugh and a deep love
for diving, all resort guests will get the benefit of his
insider experience and intimate knowledge of thevarious Tenggol dive sites.
After two years off the diving scene, I was really glad
when Richard took me through the safety drills ofmask-clearing, air supply retrieval, and then, literally,to the deep end of the pool to practice the safety
stop and the emergency ascend. He then proceededwith the biggest dos and don’ts, a revision whichincluded a short lesson in buoyancy. And you
should know, Richard is a patient coach who nevercompromises on the safety of his guests.
After two hours of practice, he deemed me readyto get back to the seas. But this would have to wait
until the next day and I spent the evening eagerly
anticipating the magic of Tenggol I had heard somuch about.
To The Edge and back The next morning, after
a hearty breakfast at the resort’s Di Atas Sungai
restaurant (which means ‘Atop the River’ and which,by the way, serves up a most delicious nasi dagang
with flavourful fish curry), we set off for our firststop, Tokong Timor (East Temple). Surveying the site
and noticing a group of 10 divers already down inthe depths of the blue, Richard decides to move on
to dive spot number two, the ominously named The
Edge. Always one to emphasise the quality of thedive, he has made this snap decision on the basisthat there is no need to jostle for space when you
are in a place as vast as the ocean.

One member of our dive party, a Portuguese by thename of Bella Legatheaux who has dived the world
over from Cuba to the Dominican Republic, theMaldives and even The Great Barrier Reef, excitedly
took photos of the nudibranch and later told us she
had never seen anything like it before. We continued
to see many colourful Christmas Tree worms and apuffer fish along the way.
I was more excited by a friendly Hawksbill turtle thatwas grazing on the corals oblivious to our presence.
Schools of Fusiliers and Jacks populated the waters,with an occasional stingray or inquisitive clown fish
peeking up from corals as we swam by. There truly
is a lot to see at the Grace.
A little Suckerfish (Remora) became my unexpecteddive buddy at this site. They are welcome
companions to many larger creatures like sharks
and rays and even divers. They stick around to clean
up leftovers from their hosts’ mouths, an aquatic
dental floss, if you so will, but I don't remember mylegs having had dinner yet.

I Might be a relative diving novice but[Pulau Tenggol] is by far the best in termsof the diverstiy and richness of species

Nudi beach Tenggol is particularly blessed with anendless variety of nudibranch – a miniature sea slugthat lives on the corals. They are mostly as large as
the tip of your pinkie but what they lack in stature
they make up for with flair: vivid, vibrant colours in
the most gorgeous of combinations – greens withorange, dark blues with pinks and purples. Becauseof their size, it takes a trained eye to spot them andit is Richard who points out two to three of thesestunning little creatures at our second and mostamazing dive spot, the aptly named Amazing Grace.
028

The blue Temple After a simple lunch of
sandwiches and fruit on the idyllic Tenggol island
beach, we returned to Tokong Timor, pinpointed
by a dull rock outcrop populated by seagulls andour final dive spot of the day. Here, we were privy
to even more underwater beauty as we were given
the chance to view in full glory the coral walls thatformed a dazzling mass of olive greens, mauves,neon greens, and blues while giant boulders loomed
amongst an abundance of sea life.
Tokong Timor is exhilarating. I was particularly
fascinated by a group of fishes completely occupiedin frenzied feeding, attacking the corals like they
hadn’t eaten in days! Then I found myself trying to
hug the gently sloping rock fringe, and trying not tostray too far away from the rest of the group. It was
the perfect drift dive for me.
In between dives, Richard shared with us his
knowledge about the species that swam throughthis part of the world as they migrate from one sea
to another. According to him, the magnificent whale
sharks and graceful manta rays can be sighted in
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all photos ytl hotels

The Edge is a good 30 metre descent to the bottomof the ocean. Once down there, you are immersed ina surreal underwater kingdom of pliable pastel corals
and curious sea creatures. The sheer abundanceof live corals and the flurry of fishes swimming all
around you will make you wish your tank never runsout of air. I may be a relative novice in terms of thenumber of places dived, but this is by far the best
dive spot in terms of the diversity and richness of
species. A personal highlight of this particular divemust be the huge Humphead Parrot Fish I spottedgoing about its everyday business.

Above and below:
Pulau Tenggol isfilled with stunningand colourful coraland marine life

Divers with a
Hawksbill Turtle

Clown fish

Nudibranch

Emperor Angelfish

Damselfish

A school ofParrotfish

all photos ytl hotels

all photos courtesy of ytl hotels

Boring Clam???
Christmas tree worms

these waters in March, April, September and Octoberdue to the plentiful plankton during this time. The
plus point about diving in Tenggol is how its marine
animals are not afraid of divers, and so don’t hide or
dart away when they see a group of divers clad inblack coming their way.
As Richard puts it “There are fewer divers here so
the marine animals aren’t afraid of strange black
two legged creatures and because, those who choseto dive here are extremely mindful of the marine life
and are strictly passive spectators, marine life isn’t
afraid to thrive here.”
I was tired out by the end of the third dive butcontented and happy. We made our way back to theresort to be greeted by what’s known as Sucimurni
Kampung Lifestyle held every Saturday, where little
huts are set up serving local delicacies like apom
balik, keropok lekor and cucur udang. And besides
this excellent spread of local snacks, the other thing
about staying at Tanjong Jara is that you don’t haveto worry about trudging up the beach with the heavytank on your back. You just jump off the boat.

Tanjong Jara Resort's Nelayan Pool

Those who dive here are extremely
mindful and are strictly passive spectators,
so marine life isn't afraid to thrive

The dive centre at
Tanjong Jara Resort
Pulau Tenggol's
idyllic beach

Fortified by a short nap, I made my way to theresort’s Nelayan Restaurant to wrap up this perfect
day with drinks and an absolutely delicious seafooddinner. While I indulged in a wicked chocolate caketopped with creamy vanilla ice-cream for dessert, I
pondered how the spectacular marine life at Pulau
Tenggol and Tanjong Jara Resort had engaged all
my senses today: sight, sound, touch, and after thatmeal, smell and taste as well. There must be someirony in that.

Tanjong Jara Resort's diveinstructor Richard (L) sharing
dive stories with a guest

Dive packages and a host of other activities are available
at Tanjong Jara Resort; for more info, call +603-2783
1000 or email travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my; or visit
www.tanjongjararesort.com

all photos loo kit choong

A turtle
tale to tell
the folks
back home

all photos loo kit choong; turtle Photo YTL Hotels

5 minutes with Richard Smith

THE YTL LU XURY M AG AZ INE

Having 'accidentally' ended up in Tanjong Jara Resort as its resident diveinstructor, Richard Smith has since racked up more than 2000 dives under his
belt. He describes this dive site as "world class diving from a world class resort"but, more importantly, shares three very important tips on how to always dive safe:
1. Pick a reputable operator. Safety must always come first so any dive operator
that does not insist on seeing your diver's certification (either PADI or NUAI)
before they take you out of a dive, well, let's just say there's something fishy goingon then.
2. Check the dive centre's equipment. They must all be in good condition andwell-maintained.
3. Ask the operator how many divers they take out at one go. There should be
no more than 5 divers so that attention to each dive member is not compromised
especially in terms of safety and in pointing out interesting sea life.

033

the
ButlerDid ItAnd at the Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur,with its exclusive all-room butler
service, you can certainly expect so
by Matt Armitage

photography Jimmy KhooThe truth is, travelling can be acomplicated affair. Whether forbusiness or pleasure, it is often
a complex exercise: having to
make reservations, find out
if you might need additional
inoculations, apply for visas,book flights then pack. Then
there are the check-in, security
and immigration procedures at the airport andwaiting for your luggage on that carousel. Finally,
you’ll need to check-in to your hotel.
If you are on a business trip – and there are many
men and women who do so today – that’s a lot ofthings to do, and that’s even before that presentation
at this afternoon’s very important meeting.
Those in the know, those who have travelledextensively and stayed in many different places,
those who have endured permanent residency incountless countries, will tell you that often, thebest level of service one can experience is more
anticipatory than when purely delivered on demand.
The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, is one such placethat lives by this notion, where service is by intuition,
second nature. A 10-year old boutique property inthe heart of Kuala Lumpur, the hotel boasts 251
guest rooms among which are 114 luxury suites, butmore importantly, it is the city’s first all-room butler
service boutique hotel. In a decade, it has built itself

the perfect opportunity to glean backgroundinformation on the guest that will help them to makeyour stay that much more pleasant and personal.
A cold towel, fresh juice and fruit platter also await
you and, procedure complete, the butler will thenstart to unpack your suitcase for you, that is, unless
you prefer otherwise. Some people are, of course,knickers-shy.
Your needs attended to, the butler then retires. But
at the push of a button on the phone, he or she will
come running to refill, remove, rearrange, or justabout do anything that begins with ‘re’ you may beable to think up. Freshly squeezed juices, tea andcoffee are all available on a free-flow basis at thepress of a button.

Upon arrival, yourpersonal butler will
greet you at the lobby
and escort you straight
to your room where thecheck-in formalities will
be conductedBeyond unpacking, what the butler does from thenon is really up to you. Their role is to be as obtrusive
as you require, and as they are dedicated only toyou, they really are at your beck and call. Shining
shoes, pressing clothes, serving refreshments if
you need to hold an impromptu in-room meetingwith colleagues or clients – it really is all about yourindividual needs.

Surprisingly, though, it’s what’s outside the hotel
where this service really comes into its own. Youmight be tempted to press the call button every
few minutes for the first couple of hours but there
really is a limit to what you can think up for a valet
to do. Unless you’re booked for a long stay there areprobably only so many suits and dresses to press
and hang, only so many shoes to clean.

For the traveller (whether business or pleasure) withno immediate pressing engagements on the agenda,
all the books will tell you that a good soak in the tub
often does the trick in dissolving the tension of theday, especially if your butler has drawn it for you

So, it’s in an organisational capacity that your butler
really shines. Hotel concierges have long been theeyes and ears of a city, but there’s a limit to theamount of personal attention they can lavish on you.
Your butler, on the other hand, is solely concernedwith you and as a result their recommendations fordinner, lunch or places of interest should be a closer
reflection of your personality.

The butler's role is to be as unobtrusive
as possible, but as they are dedicated only
to you, they are at your beck and callSo, in anticipation that most travellers – particularly
long-distance ones – will be tired when they reachthe hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel offers the luxuryof an in-room check-in as part of that butler service.
Upon arrival, you will be met by a dedicated personal
butler assigned to you for the duration of your stay,
and who will direct you straight to your room fromthe hotel lobby without you having to stand at thecheck-in counter while muttering under your breaththat all hotels really should have bar stools at suchplaces. No more spooling through pockets and bags
to find passports and credit cards.
This bar-stool negating, no more spooling service
also has the advantage of giving the butler
036

filled with essential oils, added a mountain of foam
on top, and left you a glass of cognac or champagne
and maybe even a freshly prepared cigar on the sideof the tub.

And their knowledge of the city and the surrounding
countryside means they can easily put together trips
and tours that really suit you. Put simply, your butler
is a city-insider who will fast-track you around town.

It’s easy to feel pampered here and unlike most otherhotel rooms, you may not be itching to get out of
this one. Take into consideration a list of amenities
that includes High Definition flat screen TVs, DVDplayers, iPod docks in all rooms in addition to a slew
of international awards for its spa, restaurants andservice levels and you can understand how this canbe your indoor kingdom. Or alternatively, you canplug straight into the complimentary broadband at
the workstation and download the logjam of emailthat has accumulated while you crank up the tunes
on the Altec Lansing desktop music player.

Very importantly, 30% of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel'sbutlers are female, a reflection of the growing
number of female business travellers. Again, it’s asimple thing but important to the comfort of female
guests: a reassuring presence in the hotel room
and an uncomplaining same-sex companion at yourside when you may need it. But then it’s always thesimple things that make all the difference.

THE YT L LU XU RY M AGAZ I NE

24HRS bag Yeslam

a reputation for its unparalleled level of service.

Not that there’s anything wrong with staying inand ordering room service. As well as the 24-hour
kitchen, guests are also able to order from seven-

THE YTL LU XU RY M AGA Z I NE

time Five Star Diamond Award-winning Chinese
restaurant Li Yen, one of the city’s finest. When thebutler brings in the food and sets up the dining tablecomplete with flowers, it transforms a modest choiceof French onion soup and wagyu beef into somethingthat feels like a real occasion.. Quite marvellous.
Of course, there are some things about The
R i tz- Ca r l to n , Ku a l a Lu m p u r, t h a t ca n’ t b eexperienced in the room – like the well-appointed
24-hour gym and pool at the Health Club with
its TV-equipped relaxation booths, or the awardwinning Spa Village Kuala Lumpur, with its private
treatment cabanas and separate lap pool, set in arooftop tropical garden.

The butler service
includes the unpackingof your luggage

037

Time
Travellers
The hotel'sbutler service isaccentuated withfine touches like thisHere’s how the butler did it
Subject: Sue
Years of Service: 1 year

The butlers are
given daily briefing
sessions to ensurethat service quality isalways maintained

One essential experience is Afternoon Tea at
The Lobby Lounge. As you sink into the vintage
leather of the plush sofas you notice that the room
is dominated by a large Russian-style samovar,
indicating that these folks take their tea seriously.
And with over 40 varieties to choose from, it’s a tea
aficionado’s paradise, with unexpected concoctions
like Grannies Garden, Strawberries with Yoghurt
and the whiskey-infused Irish Malt to try out.
And that’s before you get to the food. The scones
are freshly baked and deliciously flaky, accompanied
by bitter orange marmalade and raspberry jam;
the biscuits are covered in chocolate lavender,
and then there are the sandwiches, pastries andfancies. It’s a tall order, and it’s perfectly possiblethat it will have you fleeing back to the safety ofyour room to escape into that butler-drawn bath.
Pure decadence. Which is what The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel butler service is all about.
038

So what’s the job all about? Service. In fact,
that’s what attracted me to this job. As butlers, weneed to know how everything at the hotel works
and we are given hands-on experience in every
department during our training. We might be oncall 24-hours a day, but as butlers, we get to engage
more with the guests as people and you can reallylearn something about their culture.
What makes a good butler? A lot of what
we do is about anticipation. You have to be proactive. Some of the guests may not have used
a butler service so you need to explain to themeverything you can do for them, and just to go
ahead and do it when they are unsure. You haveto be detail-oriented and able to communicate
precise information to your guests. Our role is toimprove the quality of your stay and raise it above
the ordinary.
What kind of traveller benefits most fromthis service? A lot of our guests are businesstravellers, and because they are usually short-term,
we take on almost a personal assistant role to them.
We try and do all the little things that make lifeeasier for them so they feel more at home.
What do you love about your job? The
challenges and the rewards. With a lot of guests
you don’t share a common language so you have towork very hard to meet their needs. Fortunately,
we have Arabic, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin
speaking liaison officers on staff, and I work very
closely with them to make sure the guests are
happy and that we can communicate.

Travel and time are luxuries for the privileged
few. Only artisans at the top of the horologicalhierarchy have the expertise to marry the two.
At the recent watch fair Baselworld 2008 in
Switzerland, some of the world’s leading watch
brands exhibited collections that truly are amust for those with wanderlust.
compiled by Ooi Ying Nee ; all watches featured are available @ Starhill Gallery, KL

THE YT L LU XU RY M AGAZ I NE

THE YTL LU XU RY M AGA Z I NE

039

RichardMille

RM 020 Tourbillon Pocket Watch
Predecessor to the modern day wristwatch, thepocket watch has become a horological convention,
unleashing the timekeeper from the constraints ofthe public clock tower or the homebound standing
clock. Revisiting that Golden Age of a personal
timekeeper, Richard Mille brings a thoroughly
modern and improved interpretation of a classic.
The RM 020 is the first pocket watch to make useof a non-metallic, carbon nanofiber baseplate. A
material originally utilised in US Air force jets, it
can withstand varying mechanical, physical andchemical conditions and temperature. Adhering to atime-honoured tradition, this timepiece features the
tourbillion escapement driven by a double winding
barrel, first invented in the 19th century for the
pocket format timepiece. Its technical innovation
notwithstanding, the RM 020 is aestheticallypleasing with all versions having a central titanium
caseband and a choice of both front and back bezels
in either 18 carat red gold, white gold or titanium.

www.richardmille.com

Villemont
Les Heures du Monde You, the sojourner
who lays his head in a different city every night,
wake up to the timepiece that tells time on a 12-hourscale day or night in 24 different cities be it Hong
Kong, Dubai, Tokyo or Moscow. This complex watch
is unexpectedly user-friendly: effortlessly switch
between time zones and the date and daylight savings
will automatically correspond. This timepiece isn’t
just a testament of Villemont’s technical innovation.
Limited to 88 pieces, the latest and the first Villemont
timepiece to sport in-house self-winding, mechanicalmovements encapsulated in an 18 carat gold case andpresented on a brown or olive green alligator strap.

www.villemont.ch

Mühle-Glashütte

Terranaut I Chronograph You don’t have to be in

the forward fuselage of an airplane to know what a cockpit looks like.
Its sleek, functional luminescent dials juxtaposed against a saturnine
face, the Chronograph was designed to resemble an aircraft cockpit
instrument. But the watch’s modern aesthetic is simply a bonus. The
satinised steel casing houses unique complications of woodpecker
regulation and rotating elements developed by Mühle, ensuring each
Chronograph functions with a pilot’s precision. www.muehle-glashuette.de040

THE Y TL LU XU RY M AGAZ INE

041

YeslamBvlgari

Diagono Phases de Lune Cultivate
an affinity for celestial travel with this 18-carat pinkgold model with its exclusive display of moon phases
and retrograde date and day display. Accoutred with
Bvlgari’s in-house automatic winding movement,
the BVL 347 caliber, the watch powers an oscillating
disc that displays the waxing and waning of themoon as well as its eight phases. Fastidious in highquality workmanship and technical sophistication,
the timepiece’s complication comprises of 347 handfinished and assembled components that are visible
through a transparent backcase. With only 350 pieces
available in the world, each timepiece is assigned anumber that is engraved on the side of the oversized
42 mm case in brushed and polished 18 carat pink gold.

Diagono Calibro 303 Realised tocelebrate the 20th anniversary of Diagono,
the Calibro 303 comprises 75 different
elements and is thefruit of unsurpassed
attention to design.
Made unique by
a new, signature
bezel with a flat,
white gold
profile, thishandmade,
self-winding
chronographhas anespeciallythin profile that
renders the watch
urbane instead ofunwieldy. A creationthat requires 3,520
man hours and use of
10 different materials,
it is equipped with Bvlgari’s BVL 303 caliber
movement, and has exactly 303 componentsthat make up the complication. True to its
characteristics of a sports watch, every pieceis tested for water resistance to a depth of
100 meters. www.bulgari.com

The Aviator You needn’t clock any flight time to
be a high flyer. Precision timing and chronograph are
no longer the only complication required on an aviation
watch. Yeslam has developed a timepiece for and by amodern day pilot that is up to par with the advent ofgreater flight technology. The Aviator gives true airspeed
for any altitude and indicates airspeed with just one
turn of the bezel. Designed by a pilot with over 3,500
hours of accumulated flight time on Learjet and Cessna
business jets, the Aviator is an invention that synthesises
innovation and design. With a dial adorned in beautifully
engraved fan blades and an overall look simulating a
jet engine, bound by dark leather, this timepiece is an
unparalleled objet d’art.

centuries-old Arabic geometric motifs in either enamelor finely hand-engraved white gold dials. The Arabesquecollection is certainly a masterpiece that combines thetried and true heritage of two worlds.

Arabesque Yeslam’s haute horlogerie contains
excellent surprises for the ardent enthusiast. This
timepiece exudes watchmaking mastery in Swissprovenance with its Flying Automatic
Tourbillon and complementary GMT Grande Date counter.
Each oversized watch case is embellished with stylised

Master Eight Days Perpetual SQ Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates
its 175-year legacy as the renowned watchmaking virtuoso by giving the patrons ofSalon International de Haute Horlogerie a sneak peek at its special edition legendary
Master Control watches. The most universally appealing of the lot is the 18-carat pinkgold Master Eight Days Perpetual SQ that is the only perpetual calendar watch tooffer an 8-day power reserve. Celebrated for their innovative complications that haveachieved numerous patents, Jaeger-LeCoultre gave this timepiece a skeletised
movement inspired by the principle of the planisphere. An imaginary latitudinaland longitudinal map emblazoned with celestial motifs make up the movement of
Jaeger’s pièce de résistance. www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

www.bulgari.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Reverso Squadra Hometime Black
Equestrianism is the transcontinental art of horse riding and theorigin of the Reverso collection. The Squadra is a new addition
to the line of 500 reversible watches that is emblematic of the horseback sport
Polo. But it also embodies the intelligibility of an ideal travel watch thanks to
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s patented, exclusive Hometime/Travel time system. On one
red, openworked hand, the watch provides a reference for the time at one’s home;
its other gold-plated hands display real time. Rectangular apertures at 9 and 3
o’clock serve respectively as am/pm indicators and travel time display. Driven by themechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 977 movement within its stainless steel case,the watch is stable and protected from distortion even upon impact. Readily available
in stainless steel or limited to 500 pieces in pink gold. www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

042

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THE Y TL LU XU RY M AGA Z INE

043

Van Cleef & Arpels

Omega
The Seamaster James Bond 007
Collector’s Piece Another Seamasterthat commands attention, this wrist is an homage
to the brand’s longstanding association with thedebonair spy. A new addition to the Omega family,
the stunning diver’s watch is back — in black —and gleaming with elegance. This watch features
a self-winding movement fitted with Omega’s
friction-reducing, Co-Axial escapement that
ensures long term accuracy. Engineered with apolished, lacquered dial with black gold plated andillumining markers, this piece is made even moredazzling with its quintessential red “007” logo.

Secret
Duo Let neither

www.omegawatches.com

Midnight in Paris Never will you miss the city ofCountdown 0 - Seamaster
XXIX Limited Edition Be oneof the rare few to wear world history on
your wrist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games. Omega will release 88 remarkable
Seamaster XXIX watches that will only
be available at the Games beginningon Aug 8, 2008. The polished 18-caratyellow gold emblazoned with an ivory
dial is inspired by its predecessor
the Seamaster XVI produced
to commemorate the Melbourne
Olympics in 1956. This sports masteryalso celebrates Omega’s 25th anniversary
as Official Timekeeper in 1957. Never
one to honour fanfare at the expense of
excellence, the heart of this watch ticks
with the OMEGA Calibre 2403, a chronometerwith its proprietary 21st century Co-Axial
technology. www.omegawatches.com
046

Constellation “OMEGA
160 Years” Gents’ Find yourplace in this stellar Constellation with aglamourous new timepiece. A virtuous
icon, this 18-carat gold timepiece’s bezel
is trimmed with 40 diamonds. Available
in red or yellow gold and bi-colour goldand stainless steel editioins, each modelfeatures a striking skeletised caseback
engraved with the words “160 years,”
which marks the Omega’s anniversary
in watchmaking. The Constellation“OMEGA 160 Years” Gents’ is the firstwatch in the Constellation 95’ family tobe driven by the exclusive self-winding
OMEGA Calibre 2500 also featuring
the revolutionary Co-Axial escapement.

www.omegawatches.com
THE Y TL LU XU RY M AGAZ INE

love’s midnight sky again with Van Cleef & Arpel’s timepiece.
This watch, which comes with a pink or white gold case,has a dial adorned with a map of stars. Replicated on an
aventurine glass dial accented with hand-painted gold stars,
the watch has a rotating disk that imperceptibly turns 365
days a year to unveil whichever portion of the constellation
as seen in the Parisian sky. Its caseback is equipped with acalendar that allows its wearer to choose his own view ofthe stars. www.vancleef-arpels.com

time nor travel tear
ethereal lovers apart. A
wrist-sized 18-carat goldcase set with princess
cut diamonds, the Secret
Duo conceals two secretdrawers and their dials are made to tell the timein two zones. Functional yet romantically ornate,
the timepiece is a fusion of the brand’s taste
for sophisticated mechanisms and its jewellery
making tradition. Inspired by the brand’s Atlantide
Parisian-influence jewellery collection, the Secret
Duo in white gold boasts a Caresse d’Eole Fairy
motif set with round and baguette cut diamonds
against a blue lacquer dial while the pink gold
variety adorns an Amphirite seahorse décor ona black lacquer case. Complementary to eachcase design, whimsical matching “charms” areattached to the crowns of the secret drawers.

www.vancleef-arpels.com

Lady Arpels Jouret Nuit The designers of
this Lady Arpels must havebeen inspired by poet Ralph
Waldo Emerson’s lyrical verse —“Though we travel the world overto find the beautiful, we mustcarry it with us or we find it not.”Hidden in its dainty white goldcase lies a poetic complication;
the Jour et Nuit has a disk thatturns round the clock to unveil
a yellow sapphire-studded gold sun or a round diamond and white gold moon on its aventurine glass sky. Though thissatin-strapped watch may never see the sea floor, it is waterproof up to three atmospheres. www.vancleef-arpels.com

THE Y TL LU XU RY M AGA Z INE

047

Roger Dubuis

Kingsquare Roger Dubuis has procured reverence in the worldof watchmaking by producing pieces not only flamboyant in design but
also in technical mastery. Its men’s Kingsquare collection is a testament to this,characterised by a complex yet sporty 40mm case design. Showcasing a distinctive
landscape of three horizontal facets, the sapphire crystal is not merely functional,
but also a feature of the aesthetic. Available in 18K white gold, rose gold or
titanium, all pieces include sapphire crystal casebacks exposing the signature
Manufacture movements. Exclusively mechanical, each Roger Dubuis movement
has earned the prestigious Geneva Seal, an accolade symbolising the very best in
Genevois watchmaking. The Kingsquare men’s collection comes in three versions,with one featuring a flying tourbillon and another, a skeletonised dial. The ladies
collection, including a flying tourbillon option, is available in two versions oftitanium, white gold or rose gold. Housed in a 33mm casing, the face is adorned
with 8 half-pearls and further accented with rose gold, rhodium, black rhodium
or white gold. A distinct floral design dial surrounds a central guilloché zone. An
exclusive model – limited to 28-pieces in white or rose gold – features a skeletonised dial
and an intriguing lattice of openworked hearts. The tourbillon carriage is also decorated with ruby hearts and a second
hand shaped to resemble Cupid’s arrow. www.rogerdubuis.com

Montblanc
Profile Lady
Elegance
Diamonds If diamonds
are a girls’ best friend, thenthe Profile Lady Elegancewill be a much covetedcompanion. An exemplary
specimen of high-carat
jewellery watchmaking,impeccable stone-cutting
and impossibly intricate
calculations define the
43 facets of the perfect‘Montblanc Star’ centrepiece.
Along with the unique
0.1088 carat Montblanccut solitaire, the piece
shimmers with 482 flawless
Wesselton diamonds of a
total 1.82 carats, undulating
across the mother-of-pearl
dial and on to the 18 carat
white gold case and strap.
With a further MontblancDiamond of 0.055 carats tolight up the winding crown,
this elegant slice of ice isthe perfect piece for any
discerning diamond lover.

050

Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher
Chronograph A panegyric to the innovationof modern time-keeping, Montblanc’s Monopusher pays
homage to the genius of Sir Nicolas Rieussec. Rieussec
is the name synonymous with the 1821 innovation coineda “time writer” i.e. the “chronograph”, derived from theGreek “chronos” for “time” and “graphein” for “writing.”
This rose-gold piece also houses Montblanc’s first in-house
movement – the Montblanc
Manufacture Calibre MB
R100 (manual wind) – to be
admired in detail throughthe sapphire crystal
case back. Featuring aclassic column wheelwith vertical clutch,
the innovative twinbarrel movement
generates a
power reserve of
72 hours. Bridges
and plates arerhodium plated andthe piece is water
resistant to 30 meters.
Available in 950
platinum, 18 carat whiteor yellow gold or red gold.

Longines

Master Collection
Retrograde

A tribute to the synthesis
between its technical andaesthetic heritage,
the Longines’
Master Collection
RetrogradeCollection is asober and elegant
interpretationof its horologicaltradition. The
RetrogradeCollection is uniquein that it offers
functions like day, date,seconds and a second timezone on a 24-hour scale ina movement with automatic
rewinding, and where thehands indicating these various
functions instantly fly back totheir starting positions when they’ve reached the end of
their travel, tracing out a graceful ballet of movement.
Another distinguishing feature of this collection is theblue hands. The Retrograde model is housed in a stainlesssteel case with a transparent sapphire crystal case backand is available in 41mm or 44mm diameter sizes in either
steel bracelet or alligator-skin strap in black or darkbrown and triple folding clasp. www.longines.com

The rusted steel T-oxy III
Chronograph Typical of Romain

Jerome’s tactical mastery, the brand unveiled theChronograph as part of its collection of watches
made with rusted steel parts from the Titanic andauthentic steel from the Harland & Wolff shipyardin Belfast, where the vessel was constructed nearlya century ago. Aside from its oxidised steel bezel,
the watch’s small chronograph counter design
takes after those of steam engines — the hands
are inspired by the anchor of the Titanic and theunbalance takes the shape of apiece from the wheelhouse— and its refined finishes
echo the greatest
naval achievementof the Belle
Époque.
Limited toonly 2012
pieces, thewatches areavailable invariations ofblack, with
texture andhues obtainedby vaporisingcharcoal dust fromthe wreck itself.

Watch This Space
Perpetually fascinated with the phenomenon of time, the German Watch Museum Glashütte– Nicolas G Hayek foundation, brings to life the fine art of watchmaking in an exhibitioncommemorating the history of Glashütte, the origins of the German watchmaking industry
and achievements in Horology.
Inaugurated in May to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the German School of
Watchmaking, the unique museum guards the rich cultural heritage of the town, while
promoting the craft, education and science of watchmaking.
Established in the fully renovated building of the former School is a horological glossaryof more than 400 unique Glashütte pocket watches, wristwatches and pendulum clocks
from different periods. Along with marine chronometers and escapement models, historicalcertificates and patents, tools and workbenches as well as astronomical models andmetronomes are all displayed in a very artful fashion in the 1000m2 exhibition space.
Wander through the exhibition and you’ll find quarters dedicated to the celebrities andfounding fathers who made Glashütte an important centre of fine German watchmaking andwatchmaker training, such as Ferdinand Adolph Lange, Julius Assmann, Adolf Schneider
and Moritz Großmann.
As a modern and experience-oriented “time world”, the museum should not only appeal towatch enthusiasts but also to laymen, families and young people.

www.montblanc.com

THE Y TL LU XU RY M AGAZ INE

Romain Jerome

THE Y TL LU XU RY M AGA Z INE

051

&

Past
Present
YTL Life takes
a stroll down
memory lane
as we speak to
Madam Leong Siu
Ying, daughterof the FORMER
owner of what
is today The
Majestic Malacca,and discovers
new stories aboutold, old places
by Boey Ping Ping

portraits by leon; all others ytl hotels

188, Jalan
Bunga Raya,
Malacca, as it
stands today

A Leong family
portrait taken
outside 188, Jalan
Bunga Raya,
Malacca; Madam
Leong is absent

054

THE YTL LU XU RY M AG A Z INE

THE YTL LU XU RY M AG AZ INE

055

A deluxe room at The
Majestic Malacca

Madam
Leong andher family

Madam Leongand herhusband

A New Lease of Lifebelonging to a room which waslater converted into a library wereused to take the place of the broken
tiles. Zaidan says, “It was a tedious
process as we had to remove each tile
one by one. They had to be manuallychiseled very, very carefully because
they were quite fragile.”

I remember running around the wholehouse. this was my playground. I would
climb to the rooftops to play

056

THE YTL LU XU RY M AG A Z INE“We had no choice but to redo thefloorboards as they were prettymuch rotten. Also, the floorboards
had started sinking in some places,
creating an undulating effect. The
rest of the work was simple, forinstance, replacing the old window
shutters and giving the signage a
new coat of paint.”
Restoration work for Majestic
Hotel started in late 2006 when
Gsd Architect was commissioned
to rebuild the hotel to its original
condition while conserving theearly architecture. Zaidan Tahir, thearchitect and designer in charge ofthe project, says, “We were controlled
by the museum department whichmeant conserving the original floor
tiles and moving an entire staircase
from the outside back inside thehouse. There was no blueprint and

THE YTL LU XU RY M AG AZ INE

we had to go back to the site anddraw everything from scratch.”
Luckily, most of the house remained
intact. As none of the roof tiles
needed replacing, all that was
required was to clean the mildew anddust off each tile, to return it to its
original colour.
A quarter of the original floor tiles
were broken and since there was
no way to find replacements, tiles

The other major change was the
addition of a 10-storey building
which was once the servants’quarters. “It was a bit of a challenge
as the space was tight so instead of
having a middle and side corridors,
we only had a single loaded corridor
facing the hospital,” explains Zaidan.
However painstaking the process
was, the final result is a shining
testament to Malacca’s storied past.
And future.

057

Haute in theHighlands
Attitude and altitude: high-fashion arrives
at the Cameron Highlands Resort, where
the beauty of colonial elegance, tea
plantations and rose gardens may make you
dizzy with delight
photography Gerry Chin / Grey Spaces

Silk crepon halter vertical seamed gown Karl Lagerfeld,from Designer Bridal Roomstyling Weechee

Cotton poplin shirt dress with post-it dickey andmineral belt Fendi

Post-it organza dress Fendi

Charmeuse silk cocoon gown Michael Ong

Silk faile sheath and silk draped dress Khoon Hooi

Swarovski accented bustier puff gown Michael Ong

Embroidered tulle mist shift dresses Bernard ChandranCharmeuse silk cocoon gown Michael Ong

Printed gazar dress Dior

Printed mousseline bustier dress
Dior; cashmere cardigan Givenchy

hair Jack Choong
makeup JESSiE CHONG
models Lia & emily, faces Models Management

Printed canvas bootie sneakers
Alexander McQueen for Puma, from Venue

shot entirely on location at Cameron Highlands Resort & BOH TEAPLANTATIONS; special thanks ROBERTSON'S ROSE GARDEN
all clothes (except michael ong, bernard chandran, designer bridal room) available at
Starhill Gallery, KL

TheArt ofModernLuxuryThrough its Core Values
campaign, leading fashion
house Louis Vuitton is
showing the way forward
in today’s luxury lifestyleboom by going back to its
Roots: Travel
photo louis vuitton

by Ooi Ying Nee076

T HE Y T L LUXURY MAGA ZINETHE Y TL LUXURY MAGAZ INE

077

Fabrizio Plessi's 'Luxury
is Slow' installation

The flagship LV store
in KL's Starhill Gallery

Transitory moments
If luxury and art are both expressions of emotion and passion – as Louis
Vuitton's chairman and CEO Yves Carcelle proclaims – then this luxury
fashion house has indeed been busy blurring those lines.

photos louis vuitton

Bag by Stephen Sprouse

078

T HE Y T L LUXURY MAGA ZINE

Lv starhill gallery photo choen lee; sidebar photos louis vuitton

Monogramouflage
boots by Murakami

At the new landmark Louis Vuitton Maison Central Hong Kong, “AnArtificial Rock”, a glistening modern steel sculpture designed by artist
Zhan Wang that is strangely reminiscent of the mercurial, intelligent
liquid metal in the 90s movie Terminator 2, is the centerpiece of the
Maison’s main gallery
When Louis Vuitton reopened its Canton Road Maison, its largest
outside of Paris, it incorporated a bookstore and art gallery to house anddisplay photography related publications and exhibits. And the first to
exhibit his work is Hong Kong’s Hollywood actor Chow Yun Fatt, who,
although better known for his ability on screen, has also proven to be abudding maverick behind the camera, judging by his “Moving Pictures”
exhibit.
His black and white photos, whether a self-portrait or of a flower or a
grand sky, are a tribute to the beauty around him and a reflection of his
journey thus far.
Chow’s exhibit is a rustic, almost cinematic reel of “vacation photos” of his physical journey from Paris, where heattended the opening of the Champs-Elysées Maison, to his working travels in China and the Bahamas before endingin Hong Kong, in time for the inauguration of the Canton Road Maison where his exhibit remained until June 15.

THE Y TL LUXURY MAGAZ INE

079

style | runway

radar

to Wear

Fashion this fall revolves around enveloping the body inchic configurations of fabrics. Colours are more muted andtextures are chosen to feel delicious against the skin so thatthe changing of seasons need not be at the expense of style

Amazing Grace
Asprey continues its reinvention as a slick, quietly purring
vehicle for modern British luxe with Hakan Rosenius’ newcollection inspired by the female characters of Hitchcock movies.
The elegant, detached and understated sexiness of Hitchcock’s
femme fatale was updated with an edgier feel and is expressedin sombre hues of charcoal grey, deep lilac and pale pink withdefined and structured tailoring. Pieces contrast volume withbody conscious elements while textures are deliciously tactile,
encompassing bouclé, tweed, chiffon, leather and Mongolian lamb.

by Choo Ai Ling

A Fine Romance
Making her debut as

Valentino’s successor,
Alessandra Facchinetti’s prefall collection remains faithful
to the fashion house’s ladylike
sensibilities with touches ofher flair for proportion play,fabric manipulation, andcouture-like embellishments.
Softly gathered bell sleeves
are a recurring feature andbalance out the rigorous
tailoring of shirts, jackets andcoats. High necked blouses on
the other hand look romantic
instead of severe, courtesyof the diaphanous, sweetly
patterned material.

Key accessory:
Every Hitchcockian
heroine needs asmart handbag andthis grey polishedalligator 167 bagis meticulously
detailed with apalladium-plated
rod handle andlined in lambskin.

Key accessory: Unapologeticallyfeminine, this black python clutch
adorned with an oversized bow will makean easy transition from day to night.

080

TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ IN E

081

Key
accessory:
The classic
men’s Richelieu
is glammed up
with heels andgold metallic
leather as anoffbeat look for
day or night.

The odd couple

Hippy Chic

Juxtaposition was the key theme to Marc Jacobs’ pre-fallRock chick deluxe with heavy references to Russian folklore bestsums up Frida Giannini’s richly realised Fall/ Winter collection

collection for Louis Vuitton which played withmasculine-feminine, rich-poor, sportswear and military
influences in a sophisticated, soigné way. Colours like grey,taupe and khaki are decidedly urban although splashesof colour enliven the most sober ensembles. Sleek andsubtle tailoring is evident in the suits, jackets and dresses
with just enough draping to keep things interesting.
Jacobs also takes the floral trend into fall with a charming
cocktail dress in floaty, sheer chiffon.

for Gucci. Billowy-sleeved embroidered peasant blouses,
tapestry coats, short chiffon print dresses with flippy skirts, and aplethora of cropped ribbon and stud-embellished vests and coatsin shearling and Mongolian lamb stopped short of costume whenitemised into separates. With this highly decorative and opulently
textured collection, Gucci wholeheartedly embraces maximalism.

Key accessory:
Dangerously high andheavily studded with gold
buttons, this sexy boot has
just enough embellishment
to get noticed.

Easy does it
Relaxed casuals make a return to Louis
Vuitton pre-fall men’s collection
although staples like cargo pants, jeans
and sports jackets are given a luxurious
twist. Cashmere, superfine micro-fibers andcorduroy offer supreme comfort without
sacrificing function and, although the colour
palette does not veer far from neutrals,
the startling petrol blue jacket is perfectfor making a statement without saying too
much. For occasions which demand a dinnerjacket, Marc Jacobs makes a concession
with two quirky interpretations: a coatwith a removable mink fur collar and one in
unexpected canvas.
Key accessory:
Subverting thethrowaway appeal of
the high top sneaker,
LV offers an ultra highmaintenance version inbeige suede.

Gypsy Kings
It was apparent that Frida Giannini was listening togypsy punk band Gogol Bordello while she was designing

Gucci’s Fall men’s collection from the tousle-haired,kohl-lined models stalking the runway. Folkish prints, lowslung pants, and scarves and chains dangling with coinsand charms were the order of the day, although themilitary inspired jackets are the kind of pieces which willtranscend seasonal trends.

Key accessory:
Updating the
Gucci signaturemonogram with asuitably regal crest,
this document bag
is eminently stylish
without being OTT.

style | retail

rest
inPiece

Clothes may make the man (andwoman) but accessories add theChoo Ai Ling
finishing touchcompiled by

Luster for Life To celebrate the opening of Louis Vuitton’s Hong
Kong Canton Road Maison, the island republic’s favourite entertainment has
been immortalised into Dragon Tiles of Mahjong. The three tile charms with
the Chinese characters for Red, Green and White denote auspicious luck andfortune and are made in 18K gold and are engraved with the LV monogram on
the back. Limited to only 88 pieces, they can be purchased individually or as a set of threewhen you pop over to gawk at the Canton Road Maison, the largest in Asia Pacific. Louis
Vuitton @ Indulge Floor, Starhill Gallery; +603-2141 8790

The missing links
For the ultimate in luxury,
what could be more decadent than dunhill’s
Limited Edition Diamond cufflinks? A tastefulcombination of sterling silver and nonconflict diamonds, they come in the classic
Alfred Dunhill Coin design or geometric Eightconfiguration. These glittering accessories
would not look out of place at a formal eventor could be just the ticket if you’re feeling like a
bit of bling. They also make wonderful gifts as theycome presented in an opulent lacquered box. dunhill

Princessof Persia@ Adorn Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2141 9340

Will you Maggie
me? Casting its staid English

Excess all areas A non-conformist and true
original, the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser plays
muse to Montblanc’s latest Limited Edition range of writing
instruments. As imaginative, colourful and extravagant as thelate artist, the fountain-pen is made of solid yellow gold andhas a slightly twisted hexagonal shape which corresponds
to Hundertwasser’s flowing forms. Body and cap are richly
decorated with blue lacquer inlays, matt patterns and coloured
stones while the number of pens pays homage to the artist’s
name: 100/100. One hundred richly decorated fountain-pens,created for admirers and collectors searching for something
extraordinary. Montblanc @ Cortina Watch Espace Boutique,
Adorn Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2142 1171 / 1161
088

image aside, Mulberry enlivens
its iconic Maggie range withbold injections of colour. Rich
raspberry, gorgeous green
and winter white pop in highgloss leather or, for ultra
decadence, there’s a bronzesnakeskin option. For the party
girl, envelope clutches arealso included which feature
new hardware to enhanceand toughen up an otherwise
polished look. Mulberry @Inspired by the beauty and mystiqueof Scheherazade, Boucheron’scollection by the same name celebrates
the legendary storyteller of the
One Thousand and One Nights. Like
Scheherazade who beguiled the Persian
King into sparing her life and making
her his queen, the collection captures
the opulence of the Oriental woman
and, like her stories, are woven to create
an elaborate tapestry. All pieces areassembled by multiple hinged links inwhite and pink gold adorned with a mixof multicolored stones. Truly a collection
fit for a queen. Boucheron @ Indulge

Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2143 2669
The Glitterati Although sunglasses may often
be used to disguise oneself, that doesn’t mean thatglamour should be sacrificed. Go undercover in style with
Yeslam’s sunglasses which have been encrusted withrhinestones. Sprinkled judiciously on the rim of the lenses
and/or the arms of the eyewear, these chic shades comein a variety of styles like aviator, wraparound or angular
to best suit the facial shape of its wearer. Yeslam @ Indulge

Indulge Floor, Starhill Gallery,+603-2144 8001
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AG A Z IN E

Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2143 4366
TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ IN E

089

So who’s wearing the pants these days? In a fashion world
hell-bent on constantly breaking all the rules, sartorial
androgyny is still stomping down the runways in thenaughty Noughties Stephanie Tan

Marlene Dietrich: The
start of a revolutions androgyny chic

byTwiggy:Epitomising 60dietrich & twiggy photos getty images

style | trends

Gender Blender

THE Y T L LU XU RY M AG A Z INE

085

style | trends

advertorial

Haute Hedonism
Middle Eastern luxury arrives in the Far East in the shape of Yeslam, a brand whichshowcases the perfect marriage between East and West

Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

086

Proenza Photo getty images; Annie Hall photo corbis; nina ricci & YSL photos ips

A/W 08 androgyny(clockwise from centre):
Proenza Schouler, Nina
Ricci and YSLFor the last decade or so, the Middle East has begun to exert
more and more of an influence in more and more aspects of ourgeneral lives. This year the luxury lifestyle market has joined theranks of tourism and cuisine and welcomes a high-end Saudi
Arabian brand to our retail landscape.

the age-old refinement of the East and exposed to the more
modern European state-of-the-art expertise, Yeslam the man andthe brand have successfully married the pair and created aunique and desirable point of view: the best of Eastern artistry
and the best of Western quality.

Driven by the ideology ‘The Art of Discreet Hedonism’, the new
Yeslam boutique in Starhill Gallery is its first in South-East Asia,
having already established posts in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam,
Mekkah and Geneva. Meaning ‘to bless’ in Arabic, Yeslam wasfounded a mere two and a half years ago by owner Yeslam bin
Ladin and offers a range of premium luxury goods from the finest
leather goods to accessories such as sunglasses, cufflinks, silk
scarves, perfumes and even precious timepieces.

From creating more perfumes including the classic Passion andDream, Yeslam then focused his energy onto another of his
passions – watches – and together with two expert watchmakers
in his own workshop dedicated to watch-making have sought tocreate the finest timepieces in accordance with the grand watchmaking traditions.

There is nothing discreet, though, about Yeslam’s meteoric rise in
the world of luxury goods. During his student days in Lebanon,
he vowed he would one day create perfumes – a big love of
his since childhood – and it is through this very thing that his
eponymous brand was born. The fragrances Yeslam For Him
and Yeslam For Her launched the ship in 2005 and today has,
metaphorically of course, docked at Kuala Lumpur.
The entire range of Yeslam products all stem from thephilosophical and aesthetic instincts of its founder. Inspired by
THE Y T L LU XU RY M AG A Z INE

The brand has since expanded into leather goods and fashion
accessories, but Yeslam’s destiny still remains to continue in his
pursuit of horology perfection. In testimony to that, Yeslam will
release The Aviator, the very first watch ever that can be used inflight calculations of True Airspeed (TAS) for a virtually unlimited
amount of combinations of flight levels and indicated airspeed.
A revolutionary creation and a statement that Yeslam has truly
taken flight.
Yeslam @ Indulge Floor, Starhill Gallery, KL, +603-2143 4366;
www.yeslam.ch087

style | retail

rest
inPiece

Clothes may make the man (andwoman) but accessories add theChoo Ai Ling
finishing touchcompiled by

Luster for Life To celebrate the opening of Louis Vuitton’s Hong
Kong Canton Road Maison, the island republic’s favourite entertainment has
been immortalised into Dragon Tiles of Mahjong. The three tile charms with
the Chinese characters for Red, Green and White denote auspicious luck andfortune and are made in 18K gold and are engraved with the LV monogram on
the back. Limited to only 88 pieces, they can be purchased individually or as a set of threewhen you pop over to gawk at the Canton Road Maison, the largest in Asia Pacific. Louis
Vuitton @ Indulge Floor, Starhill Gallery; +603-2141 8790

The missing links
For the ultimate in luxury,
what could be more decadent than dunhill’s
Limited Edition Diamond cufflinks? A tastefulcombination of sterling silver and nonconflict diamonds, they come in the classic
Alfred Dunhill Coin design or geometric Eightconfiguration. These glittering accessories
would not look out of place at a formal eventor could be just the ticket if you’re feeling like a
bit of bling. They also make wonderful gifts as theycome presented in an opulent lacquered box. dunhill

Princessof Persia@ Adorn Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2141 9340

Will you Maggie
me? Casting its staid English

Excess all areas A non-conformist and true
original, the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser plays
muse to Montblanc’s latest Limited Edition range of writing
instruments. As imaginative, colourful and extravagant as thelate artist, the fountain-pen is made of solid yellow gold andhas a slightly twisted hexagonal shape which corresponds
to Hundertwasser’s flowing forms. Body and cap are richly
decorated with blue lacquer inlays, matt patterns and coloured
stones while the number of pens pays homage to the artist’s
name: 100/100. One hundred richly decorated fountain-pens,created for admirers and collectors searching for something
extraordinary. Montblanc @ Cortina Watch Espace Boutique,
Adorn Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2142 1171 / 1161
088

image aside, Mulberry enlivens
its iconic Maggie range withbold injections of colour. Rich
raspberry, gorgeous green
and winter white pop in highgloss leather or, for ultra
decadence, there’s a bronzesnakeskin option. For the party
girl, envelope clutches arealso included which feature
new hardware to enhanceand toughen up an otherwise
polished look. Mulberry @Inspired by the beauty and mystiqueof Scheherazade, Boucheron’scollection by the same name celebrates
the legendary storyteller of the
One Thousand and One Nights. Like
Scheherazade who beguiled the Persian
King into sparing her life and making
her his queen, the collection captures
the opulence of the Oriental woman
and, like her stories, are woven to create
an elaborate tapestry. All pieces areassembled by multiple hinged links inwhite and pink gold adorned with a mixof multicolored stones. Truly a collection
fit for a queen. Boucheron @ Indulge

Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2143 2669
The Glitterati Although sunglasses may often
be used to disguise oneself, that doesn’t mean thatglamour should be sacrificed. Go undercover in style with
Yeslam’s sunglasses which have been encrusted withrhinestones. Sprinkled judiciously on the rim of the lenses
and/or the arms of the eyewear, these chic shades comein a variety of styles like aviator, wraparound or angular
to best suit the facial shape of its wearer. Yeslam @ Indulge

Indulge Floor, Starhill Gallery,+603-2144 8001
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AG A Z IN E

Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2143 4366
TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ IN E

089

beautystyle& grooming
watches

Grape Expectations The Anggur Indrani is a lavish body treatment
which employs succulent grapes to create a decadent, 2-hour-long beautifying
ritual. A skin-smoothing scrub is made from crushed grape seeds to exfoliate
and bring life back to tired, lacklustre skin. Clusters of tiny precious grapes aresmashed and applied all over the body which is then cocooned in banana leaves
to draw out impurities and soften skin. The grand finale: long, sensuous massage
strokes with aromatic grapeseed oil soothe tired muscles and nourish the skin.
@ Spa Indrani, S27, Pamper Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2782 3868
Truth and Nail Not
your run-of-the-mill nail spa,
NailClinique transforms ordinary
services into extraordinary
experiences with the ultimate
manicure and pedicuretreatments performed in aluxurious setting with stylish
décor. NailClinique offers thelatest technology in nail service,employs professionally trained
nail technicians, indulges
your every whim and fancy
and creates experiences thatexceed your expectations.
From time-tested therapies
to modern treatments, you’ll
find everything you need torevive the skin, guard against
premature aging and create
beautifully manicured nails. @Satisfy
yourSoleDrawing on ancient traditions, Asianel provides

an oasis of healing and rejuvenation throughthe feetby Boey Ping Ping

Foot reflexology is the curative art of applying appropriatepressure to the reflexes of the feet to stimulate subtle
energies that bring relief to areas of the body where tension
exists. The benefits of reflexology are manifold: fromaiding blood circulation and energy flow to relieving stress,
soothing tired feet and bodies, and improving the body’s
overall immune system.
Asianel Reflexology Spa is one such place which takes you ona journey to gain insight on how a foot massage technique
can restore the body’s energy flow and promote its naturalability to heal. But only at Asianel do you truly enjoy aholistic approach to reflexology, where acupressure blendswith aromatherapy and luxurious spa offerings to stimulate
all five senses – sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
090

NailClinique, S18, Pamper Floor,
Starhill Gallery +603-2142 8018

Here, the foot reflexologists are trained in the Rwo Shurmethod which combines thumb-sliding and firm pressuretechniques in a pain-free manner that yields tremendous
results. All this is done as you lie back in your suede,chiropractic approved massage chair, while enjoying thetranquillity and privacy of your own spa pavilion.
Asianel personalises its foot spa therapies to meet yourneeds, offering ‘Healing’ or ‘Rejuvenation’. While the healingmenu provides relief to familiar health problems andsymptomatic conditions, the rejuvenation menu celebrates
your inherent love to be pampered with all things luxurious.
New from the rejuvenation menu, ‘Sole Power’ begins with arefreshing, vanilla-scented foot wash followed by a soothing,lavender, sea salt foot bath. The 90-minute spa ritualcontinues with a hand, neck, shoulder and hand massage
and creamy yoghurt foot mask before the tension in yourfeet are rubbed away during a reflexology treatment.

Asianel Reflexology Spa @ S17, Pamper Floor, Starhill Gallery,+603-2142 1397
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AG A Z INE

Made for Men Beaubelle MEN

grape & teeth Photos corbis; nails photo getty images

Today, contemporary health and well-being practitioners are
more and more inclined to combine these age-old therapies
with more Western-style treatments. The result? Indulgent
spa therapies that offer the best of both these worlds.

The journey begins with a spa therapy – delicious milk baths,
botanic scrubs and a cool yoghurt or warm mud foot mask
– to relax your feet and mind. A head, neck, shoulder andhands massage continues the sojourn. When all tension isreleased, the nimble fingers of Asianel’s experts start towork their magic on your feet.

Caviar Photo corbis“Where congestion exists, disease will result,” ascirculation is life while stagnation is death. In the worldof traditional medicine, this is a belief that has been held
firm for centuries, and time and time again, ancient healing
methods have demonstrated their ability to decipher
anomalies and find solutions to illnesses that even the mostadvanced science cannot resolve.

further simplifies grooming for men
into three effortless steps with these
Swiss-made products: Freshen, an
oxygenating skin cleanser, Smoothen, askin-calming shaving gel, and Pamper, adual-function soothing aftershave-cummoisturiser. Beaubelle MEN employs aholistic approach to skincare with pureessential oils that awaken the senses
and oxygen-enhancing ingredients thatmaximise skin’s oxygen intake. Madefrom the highest quality and naturalessences of plants, each product offers
active elements that enhances skin’s
natural glow. @ Beaubelle Body CareDay Spa, S15, Pamper Floor, Starhill
Gallery +603-2148 4898

TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ INE

TOTAL WELLBEING LivingWell Studio was born out of the belief
that living full and healthy life ought to be accessible to all who seek it.
People should derive pleasure from their existence by enjoying the best ofwhat life has to offer, including a range of specialised integrated healthcare
services to enhance their personal wellbeing and quality of life. LivingWell
Studio gives you access to the expertise of a team of professional andinternationally trained doctors skilled in cosmetic dentistry. From teeth
whitening to resin bonding, porcelain and veneers, crown, bridges and stateof-the-art CEREC 3D ceramic restorations, this integrated healthcare centre
provides the perfect setting for restoring and revitalising the spirit, mind andhealth. @ Pamper Floor, Starhill Gallery, +603-2141 4828
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the Darling
Bud Roselle Flower
Palate Edible flowers have beenback in vogue for a few years already.
The Roselle may not be the mostpopular choice of floral ingredient inthis part of the world, but in Senegal,
the Roselle gives distinction to a fish
and rice dish called 'Thieboudienne’. It
can be drunk as tea, used as flavouring
and on occasion, processed into sweet
pickle, jelly and jam. In Malaysia, theRoselle flower is known as asam paya
or asam susur.

Body & Beauty The Roselle
is a type of hibiscus and has been in
used in folk medicine as a diuretic,
mild laxative and in treatments for
cardiac and nerve diseases. The
plant's greatest boast is how it assists
in forming collagen and in absorbing
vitamins, thus improving skin texture.
Its high vitamin C content also aids
anti-aging.

T h e Ro s e l l e B o d y Tr e a t m e n t i s
exclusively available at the Spa Village
Tanjong Jara (+609-845 1100)

theBeautyof Food
The Spa Village
family of luxury
spas prides itself
on more than theuse of indigenous
products in its
range of exclusive
spa treatments.
In many instances,these beauty
therapies include
the use of foods
that do wonders
not just on thepalate but on the
body too
photography Choen Lee

text & styling Choo Ai Ling

Fruit for Thought
Papaya & Calamansi

Palate Papayas are best eaten raw but also delicious in salads, curries
and stews. It is rich in an enzyme called ‘papain’ useful for tenderizing
meat and other proteins. Calamansi, on the other hand, is rarely eatenraw (although amazing as an ice cold drink) but its zest and juice are
popular additions in Thai, Malay and Nyonya cuisines. Interestingly, agenerous squeeze of calamansi juice over a cold papaya is a food match
made in heaven.
Body & Beauty Papayas are used to remedy digestive problem
and as a topical application for cuts, rashes, stings and burns but is mostvalued for its healing and skin-softening properties. The calamansi’s highacidic content is used in beauty treatments to lighten the skin.

Experience the Papaya Gentle Body Scrub treatment at Spa Village Kuala
Lumpur (+603-2782 9090) which combines the use of both these fruits in this
2,000 year old Far East treatment.

Shiok therapy

Hard-boiled Eggs and Cucumbers

Oxidize Rusty tile from the ME·LE collection Guocera

Palate Hard-boiled eggs are often found in
sandwiches, salads or (as in Malay cuisine), friedthen cooked in a sambal or a curry. Cucumbers areeaten in salads, as soup and pickled. They may beconsidered as more of a companion rather thanmain ingredient but they are certainly among theworld’s healthiest foods. Hard-boiled eggs and sliced
cucumbers are classic components in the iconic
Malaysian dish nasi lemak.

cramping and swelling and drawing out excess heatfrom the body.

The Egg Rolling Body Therapy and Cucumber Aloe
Wrap are part of the signature Shiok Shiok Sejuk
Experience (Cooling) at the Spa Village Malacca(+606-289 8000), an all-body spa package comprisingfour different therapies.

BodY & Beauty Cucumber has long been
prized in the world of beauty for its cooling,
hydrating benefits and to improve complexion andto sooth swollen eyes and sunburn. Hard-boiled
eggs rolled on the body as massage tools have theability to settle hyperactivity, calm the mind, aid in
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Coco Loco

Coconut And Coconut Cream
Palate The basis of the cuisines of South-East Asia
would collapse all at once if there were no such thing
as the humble coconut. Used in shredded, liquid, milk
and cream form, it is a vital and versatile ingredient incurries, sauces, desserts and even as a drink, best when
the coconut is still young.
Body & Beauty Coconut oil is thought to haveanti-aging properties and has proven beneficial to somewhen applied on the face. It is rich in lauric acid which
is known to be anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal.
Indians have traditionally, for thousand of years, beenusing coconut oil to condition the hair and to maintain its
lustre and colour.

Pa m p e r y o u r s e l f w i t h t h e C o c o n u t C r e m è
H a i r Tr e a t m e n t a t S p a Vi l l a g e Pa n g k o r L a u t(+605-699 1100)

Unity in Trinity

Palate There’s nothing quite like a glass of reallycreamy fresh milk. Milk is also processed into avariety of delicious products like cheese, ice cream,yoghurt, butter and cream. Ginger is one of the mostpopular spices and is a vital addition in all types of
cuisines the world over and makes an exotic cup of
tea too. The bark of the cinnamon tree is widely used
as a spice to flavour meat dishes, curries, stews,
desserts, candies, tea and even liqueurs.
Body & Beauty In beauty circles, milk is aluxuriant treatment when it is added to bath water
as it softens and nourishes the skin. Ginger is used
to aid with water retention while cinnamon calms
the mind.
The Empehan (Milk Scrub) and Meodak (Boreh Body
Scrub utilising ginger and cinnamon) are part of thesignature Penganten Melukat treatment at the Spa
Village Resort Tembok, Bali (+603-2783 1000)

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Leather Carbon tile from the ME·LE collection Guocera

Milk, Cinnamon and Ginger

Berries the
Hatchet
Strawberries

Palate Wh o d o e s n ’ t l i k e
strawberries? They are beautiful tolook at and at their best are simply
delicious eaten on their own or with adollop of cream. They are always nicein desserts – meringue, cheesecake,ice cream – and curiously, are also
said to be extraordinary eaten insandwich form… with a dash of
pepper no less!
BodY & Beauty The Romans
believed strawberries brought
relief from depression, infections
and fevers, as well as ailmentsof the kidneys, liver and blood.
Strawberries contain Vitamins C,
B5, B6 and K as well as folic acid,potassium, riboflavin, copperand amega-3 fatty acids. Whencrushed and pureed, the paste isused for softening the skin and tocool inflammation.
Enjoy the Fresh Strawberry Escapadeat Spa Village Cameron Highlands(+605-491 1100)
www.spavillage.com

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motoringwith a reach/rake adjustable steering column togive the driver a perfect seating position. Just
remember to read the owner’s manual before any
cross-country adventures because trying to figureout such trivialities as how to shut off the rearwiper can be a bit of a chore in the dark (not tomention dangerous!) halfway through a 600km
jaunt, especially when the instrument panel isreminiscent of that in a jetliner’s cockpit!
Measuring 5157mm from nose to tail, the body of
the R-Class is akin to a luxury saloon in size but
is considerably more spacious inside. This is due
primarily to the sophisticated vehicle concept anda dimensional design that has been ingeniously
planned right down to the finest detail.
Each of the vehicle’s passengers can sit back andrelax in comfortable individual seats which offer
the added luxury of armrests in the second row.
The list of optional extras includes a centre console
between the individual seats in the second row withextra stowage compartments along with large cup
holders for holding both cups and bottles upright.

R for
Remarkable

So just what is the new Mercedes R-Class? Never mind that it
defies easy categorisation, take a spin in one and you’ll soon
be rolling your R’s in pure delight by Ellfian Abdul Rahim
The new Mercedes R-Class has a little bit of an
identity crisis. What is it? An SUV? An Estate? MPV?
Or is it a crossover hybrid that defies definition?
Whatever it is, whatever you think it is, or whatever
you want it to be, it isn’t a far stretch to say that,quite incredibly, Mercedes has managed to makethe world’s most schizophrenic car yet.
But if schizophrenia were a psychological disease
that even remotely resembled the all-new Mercedes
R280, then it is a condition that many wouldn’t
mind having. Here is a car that offers generous
hauling ability for six or seven and is blessed witha very lively and usable poke from a refined V6,
3-litre engine that puts out a very healthy 228bhp.
This happy combination means that the R-Class isa pleasant, relaxing way to eat away the miles. And
mind you, this is just the base model for the series!
Unlike the rest of the range, the R280 comes only inrear-wheel drive. But unless you’re planning a spotof impromptu off-road trail-blazing, you’ll barely
notice the lack of all-wheel drive ability offered on
its bigger engine class-mates, but it doesn’t help toallay the sense that the R-Class doesn’t know what
100

it wants to be. All the same though, this is one setof wheels that handles all its pretences seriously
and switches roles with sublime grace and ease.
Aiming to muscle in on the sales of similarly
flavoured competitors like the Audi Q7, Merc
has placed an extra seat into the R’s second row,
turning it into a regular seven-seater in one fell
swoop. Only it’s not quite that simple. The R280 sitson a slightly shorter wheelbase, with just one rowof three seats in the back. So you get a whacking
great boot to stash all of your baggage, althoughrear passenger legroom is less generous than the
R’s still-hefty footprint would suggest.
Equipment and specification levels are also
generous. Each model has automatic headlights
and windscreen wipers, parameter speed-sensitive
power-assisted steering, automatic climate control
and 19” alloys with five spokes and 255/50 R
19 tyres. This all combines to give driver andpassengers pleasant motoring experiences in thelong or short haul.
Electric adjustment of the front seats is coupled
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Those keen on sports and recreational activities
looking for a versatile car that can adapt to allmanner of tasks quickly and easily are also cateredfor by the new R-Class: the four seats in the rearfold flat individually, allowing the load capacity to
be expanded to as much as 2,385 litres, a figure
which clearly eclipses the load space offered evenby most station wagons. Loading and unloading isparticularly straightforward, courtesy of the levelload floor measuring over 2.20 metres in lengthand the generously proportioned tailgate.
Quite apart from making travelling in the grandsports tourer an extremely comfortable experience,the very latest innovations from Mercedes also
make it an extremely safe one too. PRE-SAFE®,
the multi-award-winning anticipatory protection
system (available as an option), detects criticalhandling situations and immediately springs into
action to prepare occupants and vehicle alike for
an imminent collision.
Precautions include pulling the driver’s and front
passenger’s seatbelts taut, moving the electricallyadjustable front passenger seat with memory
function to the optimum position and automaticallyclosing the sliding sunroof. These measures improve
the seating position of the vehicle’s occupants prior
to impact, thereby enhancing the restraining effectof the seatbelts and airbags.
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Six airbags are fitted as standard, and ISOFIX childseat mounting points with top tethers are fitted to
all rear seats. The front passenger seat includes
the Mercedes-Benz automatic child seat sensor,
which deactivates airbags when an appropriate
transponder-equipped baby seat is used. Remotecentral locking and tyre pressure loss warning
system are also standard. All this is alarmed andimmobilised, and numerous cubby holes andstorage areas in the cabin help keep valuables awayfrom prying eyes.
But the biggest joy about the R class is reserved
for the driver. All engine models are partnered as
standard by the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatictransmission, which itself comes with a noteworthy
new feature in the form of the DIRECT SELECT
wand on the dash to aid gear selection.
This electronic transmission control system has
allowed Mercedes engineers to dispense with theconventional automatic selector lever in the centre
console and to replace it instead with a lever on
the steering column. Additional gearshift buttons
on the steering wheel enable drivers to manually
pre-select the seven forwards gears, just like ina Formula One racing car. This allows the power
reserves of the six-cylinder engine to be harnessedto optimum effect in any driving situation.
The firm footing of a beautifully designed chassis,
the electronically controlled 4ETS traction system
and ESP team up to offer top-notch driving safetyand keep the R-Class safely on course, even invery bad road conditions. These systems are allpart of the vehicle’s standard specification, as is
the AIRMATIC all-round air suspension. This isinterlinked with the ADS Adaptive Damping System,
offering motorists the facility of raising the body by
up to 50mm when driving along rough roads. At highspeeds above 120km/h, the body is automaticallylowered by 20mm to reduce wind resistance.
So, the R-Class is a car that wants to be a MPV.
It wants to be both practical and sporty by riding
high for comfort and low to the ground to hug the
curves. It offers all manner of creature comforts yet
is fully prepared for any eventuality with a brace of
cutting edge safety tech. Finally, it’s blessed withunconventional and very contemporary good looks.
At the end of the day, though, the Mercedes R280 is
not so much a car that doesn’t know what it wants
to be; remarkably, it’s more like an over achieverthat tries to be the best at anything it does.
101technology

on inside that’s really changing lives. Like the Bea’s, a retired
British couple who are attempting to live with zero carbon
emissions on the remote Scottish island of Unst. Aided bywinds that regularly gust in excess of 150kmh and a location
so far north that the sun never sets in midsummer, they are
ideally placed for this wind- and solar-powered experiment.
Yet the interior of their off-the-peg frame-house has morein common with the likes of Bill Gates super-mansion than
you might imagine. Their light comes from that darling of
the designers, the LED, which uses a fraction of the powerof standard incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Under-floor
heating is powered by a pump that draws warmth from theair and rainwater is harvested for non-potable uses.
Not that smart living is all about ecology, but with oil prices on
a seemingly upward trend, more and more people are puttingenergy efficient devices to work in our homes. High pressure
steam is reducing water consumption in washing machines,
microbe resisting refrigerators switch to low energy modes
when the doors haven’t been opened for some time, or at amore basic level, there’s the ultra-efficient Eco kettle which
can boil the water for a single cup of tea in 35 seconds.

equipped robot, to motion detection systems that send out
text messages as they simultaneously contact your home
security service, we can now spend our time watching ourhome on TV from anywhere in the world.
But for most of us, the most visible introduction of smart
technology is in our entertainment systems. From Sharp’s
theatre-like 108-inch plasma screens to wireless systems
from Bose and Phillips that allow you to set up and stream
different music and movie content to multiple sources
throughout your home. With the addition of outdoor wirelessspeakers like those from Acoustic Research, you can evenlink the pool and the barbeque pit to your sound source.
Apple’s new super-light MacBook Air notebooks havejettisoned the cumbersome disks and drives, relying insteadon streamed media content from a central core, and easy
portability throughout the home. But if it’s space you’rerunning short of, you can follow the trend of many Londoners
who are burrowing below their properties to create moreliving space: like the basement playroom and fitness room
whose mesh floor can be triggered by remote control torecede and reveal a heated lap pool below. Now that’s reallysmart living.

Electrically charged privacy glass has transformed many a
glass-fronted high rise from public freak show into minimalist
paradise. And many of us now watch our fridges – like the
Whirlpool CentralPark Connection – intently, thanks to LCD
TVs embedded in the door. In fact, with remote security
systems ranging from WowWee’s Rovio, a wifi and camera-

Shelf Life

The smart money for the future will be on smart houses being
the way forward. even today, a host of smart technologies forthe home is already opening new doors Matt Armitage
byOnly recently, techno houses like Bill Gates’ reputed US$30m
Washington State mansion were the stuff of science fiction,with their computer controlled cores, voice activated lighting
and water and waste recycling systems. But spurred by aworldwide housing boom and TV channels creaking with102

home makeover programming, so-called smart technology isfinally starting to make its appearance in the more modest
arena of the suburban cul-de-sac.
More than that, smart housing will become the suburban
cul-de-sac if manufacturers like flat-pack giant Ikea get theirway. Selling more than 800 units of their easy assemble
BoKlok (it means ‘live smart’ in Swedish) timber homes in
Sweden a year, it’s an intelligent return to the ideals of thepre-fabricated movement of the 1950s that had its apogeein the environmentally friendly geodesic domes designed
by Buckminster Fuller, built from aluminum recycled fromdecommissioned World War II planes.
But while modular flat-packs like BoKlok may be an answer
to the world’s social housing needs, it’s the tech that’s going
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AGAZ I NE

Eco kettle:
Hot water
for the rest

The Whirlpool
CentralPark: TV iscool again

Photo corbis

Today’s urban tech-warrior rarely ventures
outside his front door without a full complement ofsmart phone, laptop, media player, digital camera and in any
more of the dozens of gadgets that have become so crucial
to his daily life. But his home is likely to be the same bog
standard bricks and mortar set-up that people have been
living in for generations, its only concessions to technology
being the HD home theatre system in the living room, amicrowave for the evening ready meal and the thermostat
that controls the heating and air-conditioning.

Macbook Air: Air
today, everywhere
tomorrow

Way to Glow You want to
reduce your eco-footprint and more
importantly avoid the horrible stopstart traffic that gives you tennis elbow
and distemper? Try the Puma Bike,
also known as the Glow Rider, fromits Urban Mobility range. Unlike mostfolding cycles, its styling is more rugged
mountain than unicycle, and its almost
full-size wheels and disc brakes ensure
a smooth ride and quick-stopping
power. And at 15 kilos it packs small andlight enough for most urban transportsystems. Plus, it has a killer app: forget
lights, this bike glows in the dark.
http://um.puma.com

Your bath is ready The industrial revolution might havebrought us iPods and production sports cars but, by and large, it put paid
to the legions of household staff that used to hang around ‘below stairs’. In
those days, a valet would have your bath drawn for you and the only thing
you had to do was disrobe. These days you have to do it all yourself, and you
always have to wait half an hour for the water heater to crank into life. Unless
you have Unique Automation’s Bath-o-Matic, that is. Connected to the Net
you can tell your bath how much water to pour, how hot and what bubbly bathto add and, what with its integral heater, it will circulate the water and keep itat the right temperature until you say otherwise. www.bath-o-matic.com

Dance the Roomba Robot-dogs
and dancing androids are all very well, butwhat do they really do for you? If we want to
get all Asimov about it, robots should be there
to serve us, our unthinking mechanical slaves.
This is something that the human creators at
iRobot understand, and it’s why their Roomba
570 performs that most essential and unsexyof tasks: vacuuming. Using its inbuilt sensors,
the disc shaped Roomba will roam your homesucking up dust and never complaining about
its lungs or lumbago. www.irobot.com
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Paper for Kindling Admittedly,at over two thousand years, it’s had agood run; but let’s face it, paper has been
screaming for an overhaul for ages. And
while computers take care of our writingneeds, there’s still a big gap in the market
to replace those irritating, tree-felling books
and magazines. Enter Amazon’s amazing
Kindle: at under 300 grams it’s lighter thana paperback, and it connects wirelessly with
Amazon’s Kindle bookstore, allowing you to
download any of more than 100,000 titles
direct to the machine. Plus, its flicker-freeelectronic paper display won’t tire your eyes
like traditional LCDs and consumes so little
power it’ll only need charging every couple
of weeks. www.amazon.com
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Espresso yourself There are two kinds of coffee
machine: the kind with more buttons than the flight deckof a Jumbo Jet that eventually reward you with a gourmet
standard cup of hot java, or the kind of one touch, easy-to-use
machines that dispense over-boiled nonsense that tastes likethe vending machine at work. Taking some of the complexity
out of the process is the Francis Francis! X1 pump coffee
maker. Styled after a 1950s diner, the X1 comes in a variety
of Formica colours and has flip switches and a temperaturegauge that simply scream old fashioned values. Tastes nice,too. www.francisfrancisuk.com
105

design & architecture

Open and Shut Cases French brand – Pinel & Pinel – ischoosing to redefine luxury by reinterpreting the leather trunk frommere storage box to a beautifully clever space-saving solution for yourevery need. The Visio Trunk is a portable home cinema that comes witha Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 6-26 LCD and DVD player while the Soprano
Trunk is fitted with the BeoSound 3000 with BeoLab 3 speakers andenough drawer space for 480 CDs. The Bike Trunk carries a folding
bicycle by Brompton (you can even choose which bike model you want)
and the Picnic Trunk for Krug champagne is wrapped in brown colt
leather with red interiors with drawers that carry every picnic essentialfrom Thermos bottle and picnic stools to silverware and truffle slicer.
The door forms a table too. Finally, we have the iTrunk, delivered to you
with an iMac G5, JBL sound system and Canon mobile printer. Each trunk(except the Picnic trunk) comes in 51 choices of leather dressing, with nopretentious monogram in sight. www.pineletpinel.com

Art for
Art’s Sake

The city of Vilnius, Lithuania, will soon celebrate art andculture in Zaha Hadid’s latest masterpiece design for the
Guggenheim Hermitage Museum
by Abdul Aziz Draim

photographs courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects

It is a smooth structure that seems to have simply
emerged from a blob of liquid steel. Or could it perhaps be analien formation made from metal that has willed itself to life?
This liquid metal pushes forwards and outwards, bestowing
its body with scales, texture and sinuous dorsal fins before
it freezes and just ceases to grow. And in its mature state, it
becomes a polished biomorphic entity, striking in its beautyand purpose.
This will be the new Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, locatedin the city of Vilnius in Lithuania, and it will be a masterpieceof architecture that is futuristic, organic, imaginative andpoetic all at once.
Conceptualised by the brilliant architect Zaha Hadid, thedesign for this eventual museum and cultural centre inthis emerging European city was actually the subject of
a competitive bid between Zaha Hadid Architects, Studio
Daniel Libeskind and Studio Fuksas. Her win was announced
last April by a six-member jury that included LithuanianPrime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas, Hermitage Director
Mikhail Piotrovsky and Guggenheim Director Thomas Krens.
“I am delighted to be working in Vilnius on the Museum& Cultural Centre,” Hadid shares. “The city will be theEuropean Capital of Culture in 2009 and has a long history
106of art patronage. With such an interest in the arts, Vilnius
will continue to develop as a cultural centre where theconnection between culture and public life is critical. This
museum will be a place where you can experiment with theidea of galleries, spatial complexity and movement.”
Spatial complexity and movement have been a hallmark
of Hadid’s work thus far. For the Guggenheim Hermitage
Museum, there is a suggestion of velocity and fluidity and in
spite of its metallic allusion, there is a sense of lightness as
the building appears to hover above its site defying gravity.
And yet, despite these complexities, it doesn’t scream forattention. Instead, it enigmatically whispers its existence.

Box-Office Success Australian-basedskin and hair care brand Aesop proves that thesimple act of recycling can go a very long way. The
brand’s latest outlet in Flinders Lane, Melbourne,boasts an interior predominantly made up ofindustrial grade cardboard boxes. Stacked andlined or flattened and sliced to create visuallystunning walls and display shelves, these boxes
inject an organic and contemporary feel into thestore, proving that inexpensive alternative building
materials can produce the most expressive ofinteriors. The brainchild of interior architects
Rodney Eggleston and Anne-Laure Cavigneaux ofaward-winning March Studios, this look was meant
to be temporary before a more permanent interior
scheme was implemented. But due to overwhelming
response from clients and visitors alike, the boxes
will take pride of place in the store a little while
longer than planned. Here’s to thinking outside of
the box. www.archstudio.com.au; www.aesop.net.au

Cream of the Crop Designer Tokujin Yoshioka clearly
has a love for pastries. Following the success of his ‘Pane’ chair –Italian for ‘bread’ and a reference to the baking process the chair
undergoes to give it its shape – Tokujin brings forth the ‘Panna’chair, the latest member of his series of innovative furniture.
‘Panna’ is Italian for ‘cream’, and like its namesake the cushy seater
resembles a giant cake embellished with rows and rows of pipedicing. Designed in collaboration with Italian furniture house Moroso,‘Panna’ made its global premiere through a series of installationsin Milan and New York late last year. Like its predecessor, ‘Panna’expresses the designer’s respect for fibres, using quilted industrial
fabric to suggest how a series of free cells can create strength innumbers. This design manifesto was practised in his installations as
well; he created fantasy landscapes in Milan using 3 million drinking
straws while in New York, he used approximately 30,000 sheets oftissue paper. www.tokujin.com; www.moroso.it

Futuristic buildings may be commonplace these days but
Hadid’s architectural language always seems to find a newvoice reflecting the innovative design trajectory that she
advocates, one that finds its inspiration in the latest digital
design technology and fabrication methods.
But whether it is a language, a modernist sculpture or
the embodiment of a poetic vision, Vilnius will soon havean architectural gem that will become the heartbeat of its
cultural renaissance.

www.zaha-hadid.com
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dining

Sweet
Smell of
SuccesstheSome things in life don’tcome easy, but for Chef
Judith, YTL Hotels’ Executive
Pastry Chef, she’d rather
they come sweet
by Eugene Ng

portrait by Choen Lee

TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ I N E

109Judith’s
spectaculargolf bag cakecreation

You Need Gumption to be a pastry chef.
And a love for the work you do. trust me,
the kitchen is not a glamorous job

Faberge eggs cakes presented to
the Agong for Raya 2007

5 Questions with Chef Judith
What is your culinary
philosophy? Never serve
someone something you
yourself wouldn’t eat. In orderto know your product, youhave to be in it so you have to
eat and know everything that
goes into it. I think my staff
has an inside joke about Chef
Judith and her tasting spoon.

All cake photos and afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton YTL Hotels

What would you say
makes a great pastry
chef? Gumption andstamina. Only a small percentage of people are born withtalent. To be honest, I consider myself a better manager ofpeople. Oh and patience and a love for the work you do
because trust me, the kitchen is not a glamorous job.

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T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AG A Z I N E

What sort of jokes do pastry chefs make? The joke is
we never have an off day. Ha ha.
Tell us an inside secret as a pastry chef. Whenever I go
to a pastry shop, there are two things I will try to see what level
the shop is at: the cheese and chocolate desserts. Some chefs
might say they are the easiest ingredients to work with but tome, they are actually the hardest to bring out all the flavours.
Sometimes the simpler the recipe the harder it is to perfect.
Is it true that all pastry chefs would like to be‘real’ chefs? Let’s just put it this way: I’d rather be peelingstrawberries than onions!

TH E Y TL LU XU RY M AG AZ I N E

111

dining

A Time to

Feast

Starhill Gallery’s 10-day Midsummer Nights Feast festival will
ytl hotels
celebrate food, arts and the good life eugene Ngbyall photos

There are so many different
elements that can constitute justwhat ‘the good life’ is. However,there are two things that willcertainly fit into that definition
and the best thing about food andculture is that you don’t reallyhave to be extremely wealthy to
indulge in them.
For 10 days, Starhill Gallery will hosta festival that celebrates these two
exciting aspects of human social
activity at the ‘Midsummer Nights
Feast’, a name, quite obviously,
inspired by Shakespeare’s famous
16th century rom-com.
Described as a “fantastical journey
i nto a wo r l d of i m a g i n a t i o n ,enchanting culinary experiences,and magical encounterswith theatrical performances”,
Midsummer Nights Feast will bestaged as a theatrical festival
featuring gourmet cuisines byguest master chefs invited fromaround the world, and speciallycreated art performances by the
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts
Centre (KLPac).
Among the epicurean highlights
for the event will be a Gourmet
Festival that will see the Feast
Village at Starhill Gallerytransformed into a gourmand’sparadise featuring an array of
cuisines – from Mediterranean
to Middle Eastern, Italian, Thai,
Korean, Japanese, Chinese andcloser to home, Malaysian andNyonya cuisines.
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THE YTL LU XU RY M AG A Z I NE

Look out for celebrity guest chefs such as Bobby Chinn
and Aussie master chef Stephen Mercer who will bothcreate menus and conduct chef classes. Other chefs fromvarious Feast Village restaurants including Enak KL, Gonbei,
Fisherman’s Cove, Jogoya, Shook!, My Thai and Vansh-KL
will also hold cooking classes.
The festival will also mark a momentous YTL Corporation
milestone with the launch of the YTL Fresh Food Programme,
inspired by the corporation’s Group Managing Director
YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Francis Yeoh CBE who declares, “thegoodness of fresh foods is the single most fundamental
enjoyment of the good life!”
Complementing this celebration of good food and good wine
will be a range of theatrical performances mastermindedby local theatre doyens YBhg Dato Faridah Merican and
Joe Hasham. Guests can enjoy exciting shows by the KLPac
Sinfonietta String Ensemble, a Midsummer Nights Ballet,
Broadway Hits, Stompers Children’s Musical Activity andeven a murder mystery sketch aboard the luxurious Eastern& Oriental Express, which is also globally renowned for its
culinary excellence.
The climax of this 10-day extravaganza will be the “Grand
Harvest Night”, an evening of exotic Spanish Flamenco,
Middle Eastern belly dancing, Western Country music,
traditional Chinese er hu music and Malay dances, echoing
the unique cultural and culinary diversity represented at
Feast Village.

Midsummer Nights Feast will be held at Starhill Gallery, KL. For
more info, +603-2782 3882; www.starhillgallery.com
THE YTL LU XU RY M AG AZ I NE

113

arts & culture

personalities? When you see them in the flesh it’squite a moving experience. As I mentioned before it’s about
emotion. Each Superhero has been taken from a specificimage in a comic book: I’ve zoomed in and taken them out
with no text; it’s just rage, love, surprise, anger, insanity. The
tricky part is taking something that’s instantly recognisable
and adding that chaos element.
Is the way you approach the works themselves
chaotic? For every painting there’s a very accurate but
spontaneous under-drawing. With the Superheroes that’sa three-day thing. With the kicks, because they’re smaller,that’s a couple of hours sort of experience. But once thepaint is mixed, once I’ve got all of the colours that I need, it’sa battle until it’s done and it never stops.
Why did you choose such a traditional medium
like oils rather than a more street approach?
I’m a fine art painter through and through, have been for
20 years. Some of the things I find most interesting – a

Chaos Theory

BOOKs

Fine artist Dave White’s brand of art is rooted in
the classicism of fine art but draws influence
from contemporary pop culture providing bothcontrast and organised chaos in his work

Wild, Wild East: Recipes &Stories from Vietnam
Bobby Chinn
Conran Octopus (2007)

all stories vvby Matt Armitage

As a fine artist, Liverpool’s Dave White is slightly unusual.
With his tattoos and skater-boy attire, and an interest insneakers that borders on the obsessive, White looks more
like an in-your-face graffitist than a celebrated expressionist.
Certainly his subject matter is pop, if not downright street,and White is an enthusiastic proponent of street style’s
collaboration culture, working closely with brands like Nikeand Adidas on custom designs of their footwear, as well as
artistic interpretations like his large form 2007 oil painting
piece ‘Aircraft Carrier’ that featured a carrier steaming as
if to battle, its warplanes replaced with Nike’s Air Force One
series shoes.
In KL for a recent sneaker-themed demonstration, YTLLife quizzed the artist on his motivations and why his
latest exhibition, Superheroes, has him painting 10-foot tallcharacters from action comics.
Your subject matter includes sneakers andcars, even bunnies and superheroes. Is therea serious message at play here? Absolutely, there
always is. I’m a humorous man, I suppose [laughs]. It’s [about]capturing the essence of all human emotion, especially in114

the portraits. Once you’re confronted with a six-foot Hulk,
there’s the whole rage element to it.
So is it fair to call you a pop artist? I think that’s
a fair comment in the sense that some of the works havebeen iconic objects in themselves. But when people see thework in the flesh it’s much more about expressionism, it’smuch more about the actual paint. For the Superheroes, forexample, the starting point is a flat comic. When you see oneof the images from 30 feet away it just looks like a flat comic
but when you get up to it it’s three inches thick in oil paintand has nothing to do with the original source.
In what way? It’s the chance element of the way the
paint forms and splats, it’s taking something that’s perfectto a certain extent and breaking it down. Along that journey
there are all kinds of textures and surfaces and violent
applications and subtle applications of the paint that add tothe final image.
On the subject of Superheroes, with thatexhibition you’re essentially reinterpretingcharacters that already exist as drawings.
What are you adding to those characters or
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AGAZ I NE

East meets West Bobby Chinn is
unstoppable these days. Ever since hisshow World Café Asia premiered on thelifestyle TV channel Discovery Travel &Living, his fame has skyrocketed acrossthis region, his name today a household
one. Fast-talking, wise-cracking, cocky
and confident, he exemplifies all thecharacteristics that chefs are thought
to possess: singular, unexpected andreally interesting.
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AGA Z I NE

Ferrari F50, a Coke bottle – they’re beautifully aesthetic
things to look at but they’ve been designed for a purpose;
their functionality is really important. So, to immortalise
something that is very much an object of today – in a pop
sense – and to use media that is very traditional like oil paints
is a great contrast. Things in the colour and the texture, theway the paint flows, the way the colour develops, it becomesits own entity. It looks like that thing but [at the same time]it’s so far removed from what it is.
Finally, you staged a major exhibition at the2004 Liverpool Biennial, what do you think thisyear’s Capital of Culture status will bring toLiverpool? I hope it shakes off the unfortunate reputationthat Liverpool and Scousers have. The whole investment,
the opportunities that are arising – I hope that the local
people benefit as well as the business and the commercethat comes in as a result of it. Once that part’s over for theyear, I hope Liverpool continues to develop.
www.davewhite.me.uk

The Bobby Chinn express train reaches
another milestone with the releaseof his first cookbook ‘Wild Wild East:
Recipes & Stories from Vietnam’,described on the back of the book’s
cover as “A true culinary adventure told
by Hanoi’s enfant terrible, Bobby Chinn.”
Hanoi, of course, is the Asian city where
Bobby has honed his craft and built
his reputation as a chef over the last
decade or so. His eponymous restaurant
located on a prime lakeside spot in busy
Hanoi is reputed to be the first Western
fusion restaurant in the city.
Wild Wild East is no ordinary cookbook.
And at the end of every chapter ofrecipes, Bobby regales the reader witha no-holds barred retelling of stories
culled from his years in Hanoi. By
comparison, his writing style isn’t as
razor sharp or as acerbic and punchy
as that of Anthony Bourdain, his fellow
celebrity chef-at-large (and who writes
the foreword here), but his blow-by-blow
accounts of eating dog meat and a neardisaster with gazpacho and gasoline are
exciting reads and, surprisingly, aren’t
deterrents to building up an appetite.
There are plenty of recipes to try out.
From street food to sauces, seafood

to salads, they range from classic
Vietnamese to Bobby’s own culinary
creations. Don’t be afraid of the chunky
text; wade through the numerous
stories that accompanies the recipes
and you’ll soon discover they are
relatively easy to follow. And like his
persona, and perhaps owing to the briefspell he spent working as a stand-up
comic, the recipes are also pepperedwith silly asides: for example, the recipefor BC’s Grilled Chicken Wings “serves 1
Hungry American or 4 Vietnamese”.
Special mention has to go to thep h o to g ra p hy a n d d e s i g n of t h e
cookbook. Enticing food photos areinterspersed with vibrant scenes of
Hanoi life and its people (all by Jason
Lowe) and the grainy matt paper
effortlessly exudes an overall feel ofold-fashioned nostalgia and warmth.
Wild Wild East, though, isn’t a historical
recounting and retelling of one of theworld’s most complex cuisines. In many
ways, it is the way forward, the new way
on how so many of us view food thesedays. Where in a shrinking world, there
are no more culinary absolutes but
a global fusion of tastes, flavours andpersonal experiences. - Eugene Ng
115

Film / VideoOn the Wire
Not since the days ofStar Trek and Cagney& Lacey has a TV
show inspired such
blind loyalty in its
audience. A cop showin name, The Wire has
never quite sharedt h e s ky- sc ra p i n g
ratings of other HBO
shows like The Sopranos, but its shiny
eyed adherents loudly claim it to be thefinest TV series ever written.
Taking its name from the wiretaps usedby police to gather information onorganised crime, the show’s five seasons
have followed a group of detectives inthe depressed and deprived inner cityof Baltimore, using the show as a cover
to explore the institutional corruption

and social problems that plague manyof our urban centres.
Devised and scripted by former crime
reporter David Simon and Ed Norton,a former detective, the show avoids
taking a moralistic tone. In fact, many of
the series’ most sympathetic characters
are its most amoral: Bodie the street
corner kingpin, Chris the quiet assassin
and Omar the stick-up artist all haveyou rooting for the bad guy. Its most
honourable character, Bubbles, is a lifelong heroin addict and police informant.
It’s in these murky waters that charactersfind damnation and redemption: like thehead-cracking Carver whose attempts
to steal drug money go comically wrong
and who slowly transforms into an
officer bent on the redemption of theyoung men and boys who sell crack

Listings
Portraits of Paradox

on street corners. Or Prezbylewski, abrutally inept street officer and codecracking genius who finally finds a nichein Baltimore’s resource-starved publicteaching system.
Into this mix floats a mysterious
criminal known as The Greek, politicians
who fund their law and order pledging
campaigns with drug profits, a dollhouse furniture making detective anda plot so dense and intricate that it’s
far easier to follow on DVD. And above
them all lie the machinations of thepoliticians and bureaucrats to whom
the crime blighting taxpayers’ lives ismerely statistics, money and power.

The fifth and final season of The Wire isreleased on HBO Home Video DVD in
August. All seasons are available throughretailers and Amazon.com.

The first solo show by Malaysian fineartist Yau Bee Ling sees the Klangborn oil painter tackle the superficialityof human relationships through themedium of her instantly recognisable
layering of her vibrantly coloured
canvases in a show entitled Portraitsof Paradox. Tackling communicationand claustrophobia, the works havea surface innocence that belies thedeeper issues of unresolved deceit
and jealous rage. July 14 to August 5 @Twist Sculptor Multhalib Musa isrightly known as one of Malaysia’s
leading contemporary artists, andmany of his ‘fluid metal sculptures’can be seen at landmark buildings
throughout Malaysia. ‘Twists’ sees
the sculptor delving further into his
exploration of energy and drama,
creating a series of pieces that castmetal as an almost viscous, pliable
form that allows the artist to
experiment with light as one mightwith liquid. June 23-July 10 @ Wei-

Wei-Ling Gallery, +603-2260 1106/07;
www.weiling-gallery.com

Ling Gallery, +603-2260 1106/07;
www.weiling-gallery.com

At KLPac
Drum Slice s III Following

Music
Singing in the Rain For the
past 11 years, Malaysia has been host to
one of the most formidable events on
the world music calendar. While events
like WOMAD tour the globe and steal theheadlines, few festivals can match thepower of actually holding their event in
the rainforest itself. From a handful ofpeople sitting around under the stars,
the Rainforest World Music Festival, heldin the shade of Mount Satubong in the
Malaysian Borneo state of Sarawak, has
become a three-day shebang drawing
up to 30,000 partygoers from aroundthe world.
And though world music may havesomething of a middle-aged beards andsandals image, the average attendee of
RWMF is anything but old and worthy, as
evidenced by the thousands of sweaty
people fuelled by the local arak leaping
up and down in the steaming heat. At
previous events we’ve spotted Canadian116

roots artists Genticorum getting vocal
tips from members of Mongolian throat
singers Egschiglen, leading Madagascan
musician and cultural ambassador
Kilema making it his personal mission
to introduce himself to as many of thefestival attendees as possible and amember of Scottish fiddle punks the
Peatbogs Faeries spending much of histime wandering the site in a bush hat
and heavy boots while clutching a bagof bananas. It’s that kind of a weekend.
This year’s festival features a line upthat includes the warm island groovesof Trinidad’s Sheldon Blackman andthe Love Circle, who fuse calypso withreggae, jazz and hip hop, Poland’s
Beltaine with their energetic mix of
middle European freak folk (think Gogol
Bordello) and the soulful duo Yakande
from Gambia. Then there’s the visualcomedy of the UK’s New Rope String
Band and the hypnotic, percussive guitar
frenzy of the Congo’s acclaimed Kasaï
Masaï. Greece’s Ross Daly Quartet brings
together European, Middle Eastern
instruments in a unique exploration ofworld sounds. Not to mention one of
the highlights of the three-day RWMF:
an explosive performance from Japan’s
Hiroshi Motofuji, acknowledged as thecountry’s best taiko drummer.
And that’s without mentioning theworkshops and impromptu jams andperformances that make roaming the
14-acre festival site with its longhouses,
tree huts and lakeside cafés an
unrivalled pleasure.
From July 11-13 at the Sarawak Cultural Village,
Santubong, Sarawak; www.rainforestmusic-

borneo.com
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AGAZ I NE

the overwhelming success of Drum
Slices I and II, Hands return withanother not-to-be-missed show withmore spectacularly choreographed
pieces of Chinese drum and percussion
music by the Hands Percussion Team.
Featuring power-packed performancesby young drummers aged between
4 and 18 years, the previous Drum
Slices concerts have won three 2006
BOH Cameronian Arts Awards (BestGroup Performance, Best Production
Values and Best Original Compositionfor ‘Emotions’). A night of music andmovement as Hands deliver a delicious
variety of sight, sound and sensation!

July 4-6 @ Pentas 1
H S B C C l a ss i c s P i a n oFestival ‘08 The HSBC Classics
Piano Festival 2008 promises a varied
programme of performances, lecture
recitals, masterclasses, exhibitions
and, of course, the HSBC Classics
Piano Competition. Featuring local andinternational, young and establishedartistes, the HSBC Classics Piano
Festival looks set to move classicalm u s i c d eve l o p m e n t i n M a l a ys i aforward. Designed to continue raising
T H E Y T L LU XU RY M AGA Z I NE

the barfo r yo u n g
pianists,
July will
see thecontestants
compete in
the semifinal andfinal legs ofthe competition. July 7 to 13 @ Pentas 1,

Pentas 2 & IndiChine
The All-American Boys
Chorus The All-American Boys
Chorus has performed to standing
ovations all over the world. The
C h o r u s ’s m o s t r e c e n t o v e r s e a s
concert tour, extending nearly amonth during summer 2005, saw
them performing in Singapore,

Korea, China and Japan. Factor
in 40 previous concert tours tovarious provinces of Canada andthe U.S., and it’s clear that membersof The All-American Boys Chorus
are true musical ambassadors. July

18-20 @ Pentas 1
The Edge Directed by KLPac’s
Director-in-Residence and chief
facilitator of T4YP (Theatre For
Young People), Chris Ling, The
Edge is a new musical by Nick Chooabout six characters whose lives
are inextricably entwined with thatof a man who has just committed
suicide. The six question theirinvolvement, if any, in the running
up to the man’s suicide, and what
they may have done to prevent it.
A workshop performance in KLPac’s
IndiCine, The Edge promises a fresh
new work with fresh new talents.

July 23-27 @ IndiChine
KLPac @ Sentul Park, Jln Strachan(off Jln Ipoh), +603-4047 9000
(Box Office) or +603-2094 9400
(The Actors Studio @ Bangsar
S h o p p i n g C e n t r e ) ; more info at
www.klpac.com
117

ytl Hotels | The Estates at Pangkor
Lautytl Hotels | Pangkor Laut Resort

Voted the world’s best resort, multiple
award-winning Pangkor Laut Resort
promises the privileged visitor
an experience of exclusivity andelegance. Its home is the private
island of Pangkor Laut, blessedwith pristine beaches bathed in thewaters of the Straits of Malacca.
The accommodation is luxuriously
appointed and the resort boasts
unparalleled hospitality and attention
to detail. On the gastronomic front,
guests can enjoy a wide range of
cuisine, whether dining at the new
Feast Village at Fisherman’s Coveor by the sea. Add the tropicalsun, luxurious surroundings andthe services of the Resort’s worldrenowned Spa Village – which
combines the healing arts of India,
China and Malaysia – and it is
no wonder that this is the choice
holiday destination for internationalcelebrities and the most discerningof holidaymakers. Tel: +603-2783
1000; www.pangkorlautresort.com

Intimate Experiences
Enjoy leisurely sunset excursions thatprovide the perfect setting for a romantic
evening. Cruise around the island on
board the Resort’s large traditional‘tongkang’-style teakwood boat which
will anchor at Emerald Bay where you
will witness one of the world’s mostbeautiful sunsets. From there the Captainwill sail off to a quiet cove where you’ll
be served a delicious four-course dinner
at a table set only for you.

In a small secluded cove near
Pangkor Laut Resort rest the eight
wonders that make up The Estates.
Each of these individually crafted
enclaves is reminiscent of the
traditional South-East Asian way ofliving of days gone by, when an‘estate’ was made up of a number of
special purpose buildings scatteredamidst gardens of astounding beauty.
Comprising either two, three orfour bedrooms, each Estate offersa private infinity-edge pool, as well
as discreet living, dining, bathing
and sleeping pavilions in various
adaptations of Malay architectural
traditions. There is also a private
vehicle and driver assigned to each
Estate should guests decide to leave
the seclusion of their villa to dine in
one of the Resort’s restaurants or togo for a treatment at the Spa Village.
The Estates is truly the perfect luxury
hideaway. Tel: +603-2783 1000;
www.pangkorlautresort.com/estates/

Emerald Bay
A centrepiece of the Resort is themagnificent Emerald Bay, consideredby many independent international
travel consultants as one of the mostbeautiful beaches in the world. Herethe beach is kept as pristine andnatural as possible. This intimate
bay remains as it has been foreons, providing the perfect place
for swimming, sunbathing or simply
spending time together.

Rainforest Revelations
There are three jungle treks through therainforest that are accompanied by ourexperienced resident naturalist. The
walks are free of charge and offer afascinating insight into the spectacularvirgin rainforest that is estimated to beover 2 million years old. Some of theinteresting wildlife you may spot on theisland includes crab-eating macaquemonkeys, tropical monitor lizards andyellow pied hornbills.

Privileged Tranquillity
Reflecting a South-East Asian aesthetic,
each villa at the Estates offers complete
privacy to its privileged guests and iscrafted to provide refined eleganceand luxurious comfort. Polished tropical
hardwood floors are accented by
textured fabrics that add warmth to theelegant bedrooms with their podium
beds; bathrooms and vanity areas are
wonderfully spacious, and crafted withfine attention to detail.

Integrated into the Environment
Each and every individual Estate is aunique experience - tailored to blend
comfortably and stylishly into its naturalenvironment. In fact, the entire Resort
was built with integration in mind,
so that it not only blends in with theenvironment, but actually becomespart of it. A variety of wildlife roam
the area so don’t be surprised to findyourself dining with a peacock or
waking up to the call of monkeys.

Sterling Service
Every Estate is assigned an EstateManager, at least two dedicatedattendants and a Chef, all of whom
will aid in unobtrusively addressing
and coordinating every aspect of each
guest’s tenancy. During meal times,
guests can give specific instructions, orbe as adventurous as they want, as all
our chefs’ culinary skills span a wide
range of both local Asian specialties
and Western cuisine.

ytl Hotels | Tanjong Jara Resort

ytl Hotels | Cameron Highlands Resort

An evocation of the elegance andgrandeur of 17th century Malay
palaces, Tanjong Jara Resort is the
only luxury resort that sits along
Malaysia’s beautiful East Coast
beaches. Built on a 17-hectaresite that blends in with its natural
surroundings, the 99-room Resort isan embodiment of the gentle Malay
arts of service and hospitality. Witha philosophy based on the conceptof ‘Sucimurni’ (which emphasises
purity of spirit, health and wellbeing), Tanjong Jara is the perfectplace to escape and rejuvenate. The
Resort offers four different luxurious
accommodation options, eachcommanding stunning views of theSouth China Sea and appointed
in a fashion fit for a Malay king.
Tanjong Jara is surrounded bysleepy fishing villages, shadedby coconut palms, alongside ameandering river teeming withwildlife – providing guests with anauthentic taste of the region’s spirit
and culture. Tel: +603-2783 1000;
www.tanjungjararesort.com

The World’s Most Innovative Spa
The Spa Village Tanjong Jara wasrecently awarded ‘The World’s Most
Innovative Spa’ by UK’s Tatler Spa
Awards, a testament to the uniquenature of the Malay healing culture
found only on the east coast of
Malaysia. Ancient Malay healing
traditions are honoured through thesignature Asam Roselle, ‘Panglima –Warrior Massage’ and ‘Syurga Tujuh– Seven Steps to Heaven’ treatments.

Set amidst tea plantations and rolling
hills, this tranquil boutique hideaway
promises visitors all the splendour,romance and nostalgia of Cameron
Highlands’ grand colonial heritage.
Cameron Highlands is Malaysia’s
largest hill resort and is the only placein this tropical country where you canfind tea plantations and strawberries,
while enjoying a temperate climate.
Largely unchanged since its colonial
heyday, this ‘little corner of Englandin Asia’ is still dotted with Tudorstyle cottages and is a place wherescones and afternoon tea will notseem out of place. The Resort itself
is representative of all this: withtall French doors, timber-beamed
ceilings, plantation shutters and evena fireplace adding old-world charmto the surroundings. It also houses
a Spa Village as well as an 18hole golf course and 56 luxuriously
appointed rooms and suites which
weave in the wondrous colours andtextures of Jim Thompson’s famed
Asian silks. Tel: +603-2783 1000;
www.cameronhighlandsresort.com

Diving off a secluded Island
Just off the Resort, approximately
45 minutes by speedboat is Tenggol
Island which is part of the fabulous
Terengganu Marine Park. Famed for
its untouched coral gardens and rare
species of marine life, it has over 20
dive spots for both the beginner andexperienced diver. The Resort alsooffers its guests the chance to gain their
PADI Open Water Diver licence whileon holiday.

A Unique Cooking School
Culture is an integral part of the Tanjong
Jara Resort experience, and one unique
way in which this manifests itself isthrough its cooking school. Guests
can enjoy cooking lessons which will
introduce them to the culinary arts of the
Malay, Chinese and Indian residents of
the Malaysian archipelago. Malaysian
cuisine is an adventure of flavours andthe master chefs at the Resort bring theexperience alive for guests.

The Spa Village
Today, Cameron Highlands is stillhome to many tea plantations, being
Malaysia’s largest tea-producing
region. The treatments at the Cameron
Highlands Spa Village feature healing
therapies based on produce from thesurrounding jungles and ancient tea
rituals. This authentic blending of culture
and product, along with the tranquil
ambience of the lush highlands, makes it
a unique and therapeutic healing retreat.

High on Golf
The Resort sits alongside the only
18-hole golf course in the area. The
well-manicured course comprises
luxuriant green fairways with welldeveloped trees, fine sand bunkers,
tricky greens and forgiving rough. At
5,000 feet above sea level, it has been
carved with precision out of the foliage
and forests of the area. Tree-covered
mountains also provide a spectacular
backdrop to this stunning course.

Taking Tea
The Resort takes its tea-time very
seriously and the Jim Thompson Tea
Room is a cosy retreat and the perfect
spot for this time-honoured English
tradition. Savour finger sandwiches,
light-as-air pastries and home baked
scones as well as fresh Cameronstrawberries. For a local twist, try thescones with exotic local fruit like banana
or mango. Complementing this spread isa wide selection of quality Cameron teas.

ytl Hotels |Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali

ytl Hotels | The Majestic Malacca

The key to every YTL Luxury Spa
Resort is the marriage of luxurious
accommodation and sterling service
with beauty, tranquility and a senseof sanctuary. The Spa Village
Resort Tembok Bali is all that andmore. Inspired by the Spa Village
Pangkor Laut, this latest jewel in
YTL Hotel’s crown embraces thesame healing ethos of celebrating
local culture, honouring the ancienthealing traditions of the region andinfusing each visit with the essenceof the surrounding location. Set in alandscape of great natural beauty,
this 31-room luxury spa resort offers
guests the best of Balinese massage,
wellness and spirituality therapies
which seek to restore not just the
body and mind, but also to replenish
the spirit through a range of carefullydesigned programmes. The seclusionof the resort also offers guests theopportunity to get away from thestresses of the world and rejuvenate
within a place tailor-made for thatvery purpose. Tel: +603-2783 1000;
www.tembokbali.com

Following the Path
Each guest is invited to select a Discovery
Path based on an analysis of their needs– choosing from Balance, Creativity or
Vigour – with each offering a combined
range of tailored treatments and activities
designed to restore equilibrium to bodies
and spirits. Those who wish to improvetheir personal skills in the art of Balinese
massage can join the Spa Village
Academy and undergo private training
with a group of skilled therapists.

The Majestic Malacca is the first
luxury hotel and spa in the historic cityof Malacca. Faithfully restored andlovingly refurbished by YTL Hotels, the54-room Majestic Malacca resonateswith historical significance even while
it has been thoroughly updated tocater to the needs of today’s upmarket
traveller. Architecture, décor anddining all reflect the legacy of thisancient city’s history, and take guests
on a luxurious journey into the past.
The Majestic Malacca also houses
the newest Spa Village which offers
luxury-spa seekers such delights as thewarm-energy treatment of Malaccan
palm sugar and honey scrub and a hotnutmeg and rice rolling body massage.
An icon of Malacca’s past has now
become something to be desired in thepresent. Tel: +603-2142 8000; www.
majesticmalacca.com

Meditate upon the Stars
Unique to Tembok Bali is the Starlight
Gazing experience, where youcan enjoy the hypnotic pleasureof stargazing while floating on
the Resort’s infinity pool. You do
this listening to Ultra Meditation
music, designed to induce the brain
into a synchronized theta stateof consciousness, found to aid in
expanding and enhancing memory
and learning capabilities.

Cuisine Designed to Rejuvenate
Seafood is drawn daily from thelocal ocean, fruit purchased fromlocal farmers, and only the freshestof ingredients are used in every dish.
With captivating views of the Bali Sea,
set just above the slate-hued beach,the open air Wantilan restaurant offers
ever-changing flavourful regional andinternational cuisine. And organic
products, as available, are the first
choice ingredients.

The Peranakan Spa
The award-winning Spa Village opens
its sixth wellness centre in The Majestic
Malacca. Adhering to the brand’s
philosophy of honouring the healing
traditions of the local region, the Spa
Village Malacca is the world’s only
spa to base its therapies on the healing
heritage of the Baba-Nyonya culture
and offers treatments which uses a local
specialty gula melaka, also known aspalm sugar.

Dining Sensations
Malaysia is a country that is world
renowned for the diversity and depthof its culinary options. And nowherein the country is this more evident thanthe multicultural mix that is Malacca –the unique merging of cultures in thishistoric city has resulted in a novel
marriage of cuisines, both Chineseand Malay, known as Nyonya food
– which is truly a feast for both thesenses and the palette.

A Haven of History
In this small town that was once
occupied by the world’s major colonial
powers of the Portuguese, Dutchand English, The Majestic Hotel rests
peacefully on the banks of the Malacca
River. Reflections of this historic trading
port resonate within the intimacy andluxury of this beautiful hotel, designed toprovide experiences that are anchoredin the past, but woven together withevery modern convenience.

ytl Hotels | Spa Village

ytl Hotels | Eastern & Oriental Express

YTL’s multiple award-winning Spa
Village brand has developed aninternational reputation within
the luxury spa market and grownfrom strength to strength over theyears. Besides the original Spa
Village Pangkor Laut, there are
now five other Spa Villages – Spa
Village Kuala Lumpur, Spa Village
Tanjong Jara, Spa Village Cameron
Highlands and Spa Village Resort
Tembok Bali and the Spa Village
Malacca. What’s unique about all
the Spa Villages is that each draws
inspiration from the healing culturesof its particular region and blends
traditional therapeutic remedies witha modern methodology. Whether in
Pangkor Laut, Kuala Lumpur or Bali,
the Spa Village is a sophisticatedand rejuvenating experience, notjust because of the quality of its
services but simply because the Spa
Village is more than just a place: it’sa philosophy. Tel: +603-2783 1000;
www.spavillage.com

Spa Village
Pangkor LautPaying homage to thethree major culturesof Malaysia, ancient
Chinese, Malay andIndian treatments
drawing from thecountry’s abundance of
natural resources havegenerated international
acclaim and accolades.

Spa Village
CameronHighlands
A unique haven forrelaxation wheretea is the foundationof the experience.
Located in the cool
upper reaches of the
Malaysian Highlands
amidst dense jungles
and rolling tea hills.

The Eastern and Oriental Express isn’t
just a train service. It’s an expressionof the heart. A confirmation of
the indomitable spirit of humanendeavour. A priceless pilgrimage –into the heart and soul of Southeast
Asia. Where nostalgia reigns andtimelessness begins. On what isregarded perhaps as the most exotic
train journey in the world, the routeand its stops have been designed togive passengers maximum comfort
and convenience, with the entire
journey crafted to provide theluxurious experience of a lifetime.
At its maximum length, The Eastern& Oriental Express is a quarter ofa mile long and has 22 carriages.
Inside it is a haven of comfort, styleand luxury. Tel: +65-6392 3500;
www.orient-express.com

Spa Village
Tanjong Jara
The new Spa Village
Tanjong Jara is a
sanctuary of wellbeing anchored in
the ancient Malay
way of life. It featuresunique restorative
treatments handed
down by authentic
Malay healers.

Spa Village
Kuala Lumpur
With treatments
anchored in thecultural diversity andrich healing heritageof the region, KL’s
most stylish urban
retreat combines
ancient practices witha host of the mostblissful spa therapies.

Spa Village
Malacca
The newest addition to
the Spa Village family,
it is also the only spa
in the world to baseits treatments on the
Peranakan culture,
which is native to
Malacca and is a crossbetween Malay andChinese traditions.

The Perfect Vantage Point
The air-conditioned carriages are perfectvantage points from which to tour theregion. The Restaurant Cars, Saloon Car
and Bar Car are located in the centreof the train while the Observation Car
with its open deck area is located at thevery end. It is an ideal spot for watching
South-East Asia go by as you trundle
along the train’s magnificent route,passing through several Malaysian statesand South Thailand.

Stately Accommodation
The interior walls of the compartments
are panelled with cherry wood andelm burr, with decorative marquetry
friezes and intricate design inlays.
The delicate embroidery work on
the pelmets was done in Malaysia,
and the bespoke carpets hand-tuftedin Thailand. While guests dine atnight, the steward transforms thecompartment from a living room to a
magical bedroom.

The Finest Cuisine
Chefs on board the E&O Express areinternationally renowned for their ability
to create a tantalising variety of Easternand European dishes, using the finest
fresh seasonal ingredients. The service
is also top of the line and equals theworld’s finest restaurants. Each morning,a breakfast of freshly baked croissants,
coffee or tea, juice and fruit is delivered
to your compartment to be enjoyed inluxurious privacy.

ytl Hotels | JW Marriott Hotelat Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur

ytl Hotels | The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel at Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur

The JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur
was designed with the businesstraveller in mind. Located in thecity’s business district, this five-stardeluxe hotel is the ultimate venue
for meetings and functions. Facilities
include 47 flexible meeting room
options (including a grand ballroom)
within the property, the adjoining
Starhill Conference Centre and the
newly built Carlton ConferenceCentre at The Residences at The
Ritz-Carlton, KL, all of which areconnected via link-bridge. There isalso a Business Centre providing
a full range of business services.
Rooms feature ample workspace,a plush high-back executive chair,broadband connection and otherstandard communication services(two-line speaker phone, fax modem,
voicemail). Tel: +603-2715 9000;
www.marriott.com

Starhill Gallery
Today’s truly outstanding cities blend architecture and design,
art and fashion, music and culture with a state of mind. And
Starhill Gallery, integrated with the hotel, is an effortlessly
elegant and cosmopolitan environment that reflects theessence and spirit of Kuala Lumpur and its people. Delivering“A Gallery of Rich Experiences”, seven luxurious floors offer
quality and exclusivity crafted for those who seek experiencesout of the ordinary. Here, the world’s premier retailers present
a palette of unique personalised shopping experiences, making
it easy to combine business and pleasure at the JW Marriott.

Based on the philosophy that
great service should never merely
be reactive and compliant but
anticipatory and spontaneous,
The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur is
Malaysia’s only 5-star luxury boutique
hotel offering a full personal butler
service. Its location in the heart ofthe city’s prestigious Golden Triangle
district makes for easy access to thetrendy Bukit Bintang area: Starhill
Gallery, one of the city’s premier
shopping centres, is linked to thehotel via an enclosed sky bridge.
With 365 elegantly appointed
guestrooms (including 110 suites and1 penthouse), 24 meeting rooms,
three exceptional restaurants and anaward-winning ‘tropical’ Spa Village,
The Ritz-Carlton is regarded as one of
the city’s finest business hotels wherecombining business and pleasure is
as effortless as the masterly service
it provides. Tel: +603-2142 8000;
www.ritzcarlton.com

Feast Village
On the lowest level of Starhill Gallery, guests can enjoy aunique dining experience at the Feast Village, where 13
restaurants are brought together to create a multi-ethnic
culinary experience like no other in the world. Design draws
from nature here; walls are asymmetrical and serve not toseparate, but rather provide peaceful enclaves where people
feel at rest. Rice paper from Japan combines with slate andikat from Indonesia, granite from China, silk from Thailand,
and timber from Myanmar to create an essence of Asia. The
Feast Village is truly one-of-a-kind.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences
An entire all-suite wing makes up the second tower of the
Ritz-Carlton complex. Sumptuous two and three bedroom suites
designed and decorated to the finest international standards
offer guests a unique standard of accommodation. Each suite
includes a dining room and lounge area as well as a gourmetstyle kitchen where guests can self-cater or use the private
catering services provided by Starhill Gallery’s Feast Village.
Guests may choose to have the Complex’s Executive Chef
prepare a private dining experience – and every suite comeswith its own private butler. It’s a home away from home.

The Carlton Conference Centre
A 30,000 square foot, 25 meeting room, three-level facility
connected to the hotel at levels 1 and 2. This classicallydesigned, yet state-of-the-art facility allows The Ritz-Carlton, KL,to host events from 10 to 400 guests. The Conference Center
also connects via enclosed sky bridge to the upscale Starhill
Gallery, a KL city landmark featuring some of the world’s most
exclusive brands and dining experiences. Guests can alsochoose to hold functions in the Meeting Suite, the Member’sLounge or at the adjacent Pool Deck, which is perfect for
unwinding after an intense day’s meeting.

viva la diva

Rock and
Roll Sheikh
Our resident jetsetter does Dubai
by Lady Cristal Champers

St Tropez, Monaco, Bahamas, Barbados. Been there, done
that, have the designer T-shirts. The new playground for therich and famous is now Dubai. The Millionaires’ Wives (MW)or Gold Diggers (GD) are bored with yesterday’s paradises
and London, New York and Paris are so passé, darling. Today,romantic deserts with shimmering sand and Arab sheikhs in
splendid white robes riding on Arabian stallions like a mirageamong the rippling dunes is the place to go to flex theirhusband’s credit cards and top up that tan.
Lady Prunella and I were invited by our friend Estelle tostay at her palatial home in Dubai, a home so large that she
doesn’t even know where her kitchen is since everything isbrought to her by her servants. She has bagged herself an
Arab billionaire whom she nicknamed “Sheikh Rock and Roll”.
The story goes that when she was first introduced to him in a
London nightclub, amid the cacophony of rock music, she had
shrieked, “Oh cool! Let’s shake, rock and roll.”

wife is a fairytale come true, think again. It is a life in perpetualmotion of jet-setting in private planes, plastic surgery, botox
and having to be seen in all the right places with the rightpeople. It is also a contrasting life of material security but
emotional insecurity, with the constant fear of being traded infor a younger more beautiful thing a fearful reality.
Pru has heard rumours that her husband is eyeing a gorgeousyoung Russian model, young enough to be their daughter.
Her husband is notoriously well-known for his groping hands,
hence his nickname ‘The Octopus’. Pru feels threatened
but not beaten. When the going gets tough, the tough goes
shopping. Pru has bought half of Dubai and even picks up an
Italian toyboy modelling at one of the fashion shows in themall. Seething with anger at her husband, she thinks two canplay the game. She invites her newfound toyboy to spend a
few days in her holiday villa in Marbella but he says he will
join her only if he can bring his boyfriend along! Poor dear,
that’s the story of her life: right place, wrong man.

Rumour also has it that when an Indian tycoon once asked
her if she had been to the Taj Mahal, she’d replied “Yes, manytimes. The chicken masala there is very nice.” So ok, there
is an Indian restaurant by that name in London. Then atanother high society soiree, a Russian Countess, into eastern
mysticism enquired if she was also into Feng Shui. Estelle
declared, “I tried it once but I am not keen on all that raw fish
and that green hot stuff.” Ahh, bless.
Thankfully though, what she lacks in brains, Estelle makes
up for with her beauty and a great body, albeit surgicallyenhanced. Her tastes are very nouveau riche though as she
blings herself from head to toe with diamonds and she has apenchant for very revealing outfits, just the way her ‘Arabianknight’ likes it. She has been mistaken for a high class hooker
many a time.

128

Illustration EDWARD MAK

In reality, Dubai is a city on steroids developing at breakneck
speed. It is one big building site. But you don’t get the smell of
the sea or the sand; instead, there is only the whiff of moneyin the air. One of Estelle’s favourite haunts is the Burj Al
Arab, that seven-star luxury hotel in the shape of a sailingship. It houses a shopping mall laden with designer
goods; almost like an upscale Aladdin’s cave where
Estelle and the army of visiting MWs can be foundrepeating the phrase “Charge it!” over and overagain. But if you think that being a millionaire’s
THE YT L LU XU RY MAGA Z I NE