I LOVE KL

Sorry Melbourne but I think KL will be my new shopping destiation, flights are cheaper, shopping and food is cheaper and shopping is different, so many cool shops here. I love tangs Dept store too, totally rocks over Myers and DJ.

I feel like I’ve been here longer than a week, we have done so much stuff and now I can walk the streets like a local, don’t even need the map. OK so what have we done, or should that be what haven’t we done:
Sunday – arrived late arvo, dumped our bags went to Pavillion food hall for late lunch, early night.
Monday – Buffet breakfast in hotel rocks! (Staying at awesome Prince Hotel!!!). Took monorail to Tourist office. Gals went shopping and I went on hop on hop off bus, just to do something chilling and in air cond. Was good, but lots of traffic! I got off at the Petronas Towers for a few photos and a walk through the shops. Ended up being adventurous and using my map and walking back to hotel, without getting lost A shame can’t go up the towers, closed til Xmas for maintennance, next time! Met gals on level 10 for a swim, pool is lovely. Cocktails all roound. Dinner was at a place recommended to Carol and the food was awesome, Hakka! Chinese like food, ended up being $16 a head and there were 8 dishes which we shared, food was delicious!
Tuesday – Buffet to start the day. Susan, Pat, Sarah and myself went on a City Tour today in a mini van, with others, was a fun day. A few rain showers here and there but otherwise a great tour, our tour guide was lovely. We went to the National Palace, a Chinese temple, National Monument, Independece Square, Batik craft place and then the Twin Towers where it decided to bucket down! Great 3 hour trip. In arvo we had lunch at Shaghai teaplace had a few dumplings and some yummy tea. Sarah and I went for a wander through “Pav” and that was my first introduction to TANGS Didn’t buy anything but knew I’d be coming back! We ended up doing our own little walking tour and walked the whole of Bintang Walk to the end checking out the place. We are so close walking wise to all major shopping plazas – great thing! Came home and freshened up. I went to Happy Hour alone and wrote in my journal, very relaxing. In evening we took a taxi to CHinaTown and did the markets. Met back in Susan’s room to talk about our ChinaTown experiences
Wed – Buffet. Today was Sarah and Michelle’s Shopping Adventure – we walked to Times Square, massive 10 level shopping plaza. Started at top and worked our way down, even contains a theme park inside, but we didn’t go there. Bought some bargains. Had a great day, must have walked about 8 kms I reckon. In arvo we all met in the Bar Lounge and celebrated Carol’s birthday. How cool is the hotel, they gave her a small choc cake. Susan had bought some cheese cake tartlets – so good. Were supposed to be having tea, but Sarah and I had already ordered 2 Moscow Mules – mmmmm, went down a treat after our shopping trip. So it was cocktails all round! Did some more chilling. Susan and pat went for a maasage. In the evening all but Carol took taxi to Sky Bar at trader’s Hotel. One of the places I had wanteds to go. The view was amazing, but the customer service was beyond a joke. I don’t think we were “posh” enough for them. But was good to see. We had free cocktails, but not sure if they actually contained any booze, but the food snacks we had did the trick Another awesome day and night in KL
Thursday – Buffett. Today i was having a day to myself, as were a few of the the others. I went to “Pav”, 1st stop my fav jewellery shop Accessorize, bought 2 pieces there and then went to TANGS, spent at elast an hour in there. Came out with a skirt for work, but most importantly a WICKED cocktail dress for my wedding reception. In my fav colour of course, it is eprfect exactly what I wanted!!! Can’t wait to wear it Walked around more in Pav, bought a couple of tops. Dropped shopping off and then took monorail to Hard Rock cafe where I met Pat and Susan. Susan has never been to HR, so pat and I had to take her there. We had the best time, had a little snack each, I got my signature disck of chicken wings we all had a cocktail, the girls in a keepsake glass. I bought a t-shirt, my usual purchase, cheapest HR clothing ever Took monorail back to hotel, chilled out!!!! Had a quick swim before I went off for my awesome hawaiin massage, which included a foot spa, full body scrub, hot stones and oil on your back, legs and then an awesome massage, 2 hour session for $80, in the hotel! Bargain man!. Just what I needed! Dinner was across the road at this awesome traditional Malay place, buffet with traditional dancers, then Bailey’s night cap in Pat’s room – perfect!
Friday – Up early, buffet, Susan and I took taxi to the gardens area. Spent 3 amazing hours in the Bird park, the world’s largest bird aviary, where the birds roam free, well most birds. Some are naughty and try and escape, like this cute hornbill we met. But it was so awesome, we got some gerat pics. I nearly collided with a flying falmingo, it just came out of nowhere, it was hilarions. Susan said that would have been a great photo! We had a great time here. Getting hotter as time progressed. had a quick walk through the orchid garden and then over to the butterfly park. So hard to take pics of butterflys! We were dripping by this time and thought rain is coming! As we got in taxi it bucketed down, we had planned the morning’s events so well. taxi ride home was so nice and cool! Best morning. Got back to hotel, chilled, went for a swim, the pool was so very warm, just perfect! Showered and then Sarah and I went to Happy Hour for last time. Others went to Times Square for dinner. Sarah and I had fun chatting over our drinks, it was a really good chill out session. The rain thankfully had stopped so we walked to Pav and had yummy dinner at Island Resourt, a place attached to Tangs, hahahaha. Food was great and I had a mojito too, my 1st on this trip. Baileys night cap at our place as we had the best view of the Twin Towers. Today we had the King and his family at the hotel so we had security everywhere, plus the King’s 2 blue and white rolls royces – we feel very high and mighty sharing our hotel with his family packed ready for last shopping tomorrow.
Sat – Im writing this on our last day, was awake so early, off to our alst buffet, lots of lasts today, but I’m sure I’ll be back in KL one day soon, want to bring Rod back here, he would love it, maybe not the shopping, but lots of other things. I’ve had the best week with the ladies, its been the best reward present after our amazing conference!

Day 3

Wednesday 14th September
What a day, massive welcome opening ceremony, awesome dancers for the official “Welcome to Coutnry”, then Russell Woolf presented and he was just so funny, he told us about the weather for the next week, had us in stitches. Susan, our Convenor, did a gerat opening speech too. Then Rachel Green opened with a great keynote. All the food was great, awesome scones and jam/cream for morning tea, went down well. Lots of great speakers, lots of networking, chatting to new people, such a massive full on day, but everyone had the best time. Took lots of photos, was very busy. Am very tired now, hence the lack of detail. The IFG sessions went really well. Headed down to happy hour for a little while, where more networking was happening. We were all practising our new info from Rachel’s sessions, meeting at least 10 new people. Rod came in to meet me and we stopped by the girls room and had nibbles before going out for Japanese. Just quickly blogging and then heading up to my room. My feet are so sore! Great day of program, so good to see everyone enjoying something that I have worked on for so long, seeing the Program working is just amazing. Am so proud and happy with this Program, we have the BEST speakers ever! Just amazing!

Day 2

Tuesday 13th September 2011
Woke up at 5.30am, again, managed to go back to sleep, but had a bad dream about the IFG sessions, I’m sure they will all work out ok… Just too  much thinking while I’m supposed to be sleeping!!! Woke again at 7.30am, had breakfast and a cup of tea and got ready for our Special Libraries tour. Met down in the foyer, did a bit of internet and then waited for the delgates to arrive. We had a group of 16. Took a bus to the busport and walked to the first library, Dept of Attorrney and General, massive library and lots of staff and awesome views out to the Swan River.  From there took delegates down King Street past all the expensive shops, got on a CAT bus out to RPH Library, that was a great tour! They have their own ghost. We didn’t get to meet her, but we were told stories about when she visits library clients in the basement of the library. Great tour. After that back on the CAT bus to the fantaastic ABC Library, that was a great tour too – 3 great Special Library tours, everyone had a fun day. Some stayed on to have lunch in the East Perth area and the rest of us took the bus back to the Perth area. I had lunch at Jaws, love that place and then went back to my hotel for some much needed chill out time. Tomorrow is going to be a massive day! Got my registration satchel at 4pm, chilled some more before heading to Welcome Drinks. Susan did a great welcome speech, Rob the magician was fantastic, everyone loved him!!! He did some very cool tricks, which I am still wondering how the hell did he do that! He was a hit! Food was fantastic, plus a few wines. Had a small meal for 1st timers dinner, blogged and then went to bed. Tired, but an awesome day, looking forward to the start of the offical Program, please let everything go as planned!

Day 1

Monday 12th September 2011
I’ve finally had the best sleep in a long time, got my 8 hours,only took 2 weeks to get there. The sun is shining. And Aussie Sam Stosur has won the US Open final again Serena Williams, what a fantastic way to start the conference week! Go Sammy! This morning will chill out, buy some goodies for the week and then head into the Pan Pacific around noon. My mum is dropping me off and we’re doing lunch at the Coffe Club directly across the road from Pan Pac…… More later…..

It’s 9pm, what a day, and it’s only day 1. Mum and I had lunch at the Coffee Club, very nice and good value for money. I then showed her around the conference floor before she left. Jo and Suzanne did gifts – swans to bottles with me. We were so efficient it only took just over an hour to do all of that as well get everything sorted for the industry focus group sessions. Had a relax for half an hour, sorted stuff out before heading back to the Hamersley room to do the satchel filling, we had a line going, made us all dizzy filling the satchels with all the required sponsorship, etc. We have a fantastic Banquet Manager, such a lovely guy. Actually all the staff at the Pan Pac are lovely and so helpful and so nice, we are so very lucky! Our BM, brought in alcoholic drinks and food for us while we did the satchel filling at no charge. We were introduced quickly to Sue Hutley so that was nice. Susan did a small talk just to tell us whats happening over the week and then we headed out to dinner. Who would think Perth would be so busy on a Monday night! We were supposed to eat at the Irish pub across the road but that was booked out. So we walked up the Grosvenor, only a block away and had a yummy dinner there. Half the delegates were eating there, 3 big tables, so some networking started already. Had a nice meal, and back to hotel by 9pm. I am so tired already, by the end of the week I’m going to need to sleep for a week! Library tours are tomorrow! Hope the sun stays out for them. I’m off to bed now so very tired.

2 sleeps

Aghhhhhh – the nervous excitement adrenaline is seriously kicking in now. I normally need 8-9 hours a sleep a night to survive, but currently only sleeping for 6 hrs! Not sure where the other 3 hrs have gone. I’m getting that sick feeling too, I know it’s all going to be so good, but just excited/nervous/tingly feeling,must be what wakes me too early. Rod left for Melb yesterday which means I have the house to myself for the weekend. Has turned out quite good really, have time to pack and re-pack and finalise things. Had a relaxation massage yesterday, then an early dinner of nachos. A couple of glasses of wine, some yummy chocolate and 3 DVDs Rod wouldn’t wanna watch. Today going to Mum’s to watch WCE vs Collingwood, I just hope its a good match and not a one sided affair.