Panasonic LUMIX’s Bloggers Day Out = FUN Tasks + New FRIENDS + FREE Camera

WARNING: Picture-heavy post ahead. Love me enough to let it load. I promise nice pictures and lots of sarcasm in between. =)

-----------

Remember how I told you about a photography competition I was to join – "A Day At The Mall With My Lumix G1" – and about how I ended up winning it though I was a total DSLR noobie?


(Serious. I don’t even know what "aperture" means. And what do you call that thing you turn to focus the camera? Is the lens just the glass in the front of the camera? Or is it that entire protruding thing? I don't know! -_- So fail.)

Well, pathetic noobie horror stories aside,
look how pro I look with the camera, wei.

Hahahaha.

Look only lah.

That picture was taken right after I shoved a Subway sandwich down my throat for breakfast. (Thank goodness the nice guys at Panasonic gave us breakfast wei. Or else, I tell you, I sure die halfway through the competition. -_- You'll see why later.) While the lot of us were waiting for a couple of other bloggers to come back from a shopping quickie, actually. Cos we weren't all dressed for the "occasion" – and by that I mean we weren't all dressed in clothes that wouldn't get in the way or shoes we couldn’t possibly run in.


And what were we running for? (Aside from the prize of a Panasonic LUMIX G1 DSLR, of course. Which, I won – ahem ahem.) It was for Panasonic Revolution '09 – Panasonic's largest annual event held in Malaysia. My participation in the event was minuscule compared to what was a full-on 5-day event at all four of Sunway Pyramid's concourses.

But I digress.
(Which is no surprise, no? =p)

What I liked about the dress code was that we were given white jackets to wear. The kind that reeks of sponsorship lah, duh. Haha. Panasonic LUMIX words big big. So big that blind also can see. Which, in hindsight, was a blessing cos I wouldn't have wanted to be seen running all over Sunway Pyramid like a madwoman without people knowing I’m doing it for a "greater cause." Haha. (Che-wah sound like I’m making a big sacrifice for humanity liddat. HAHA. Save the killer whales!)

But this was what totally rocked my socks off
when it came to the jacket we were given:

IS THAT COOL
OR IS THAT COOL,
I ASK YOU???

Like so freaking cool lorrr.
(I like answering myself. Deal with it.)

Thing is, I almost twisted myself into a pretzel trying to photograph the darn thing. Haha. But… totally worth it. Cos I got this amazing shot of Audrey FourFeetNine.

Classic wei.

Her face totally says, "Look at this woman lah.
My goodness, why won't she just quit snapping?
Wanna break her back and twist her neck off issit?
Enough lah, enough. Kanasai, she better stop it
before I reach over and smash her stupid OMNIA to bits."

HAHA.

(Peace, Audrey. I know you
too nice to think those thoughts wan. =p)

Mind you, throughout this time, even though I already had the Panasonic LUMIX in hand, I masih pegang syok 'tuk buat gaya only. Still don't know head or tail about DSLR photography. Haha. Sad case. And what was the first of shots I snapped when I discovered the joy of using a Panasonic Lumix G1?

CAMWHORE PICHAS!

And I did it with four beauties.

Lemmie introduce the wunnerful babes
I was pitted against in the competition:

Tzia Tzia, Karen Marie, Audrey and Shin Yee.

Lemmie tell you this: This camera is THE camwhore DSLR lah. You can actually swivel the LCD monitor around so it faces your line of sight. Know what that means? Dearies, that means zero accidentally cropped faces + the perfect angle every time! It’s simply amazing and awessumising! Tough fight with my very-amazing and very-awessumising newfound photography skills. *grin*


So what’d I have to do to win the competition? Well, basically, just take pictures with the Panasonic LUMIX G1 in an effort to compete against four famous female bloggers (yes, they’re in a whole other zone of fehmes that I haven’t even begun to sniff out yet -_-) in 15 assigned tasks. And all that’s conducted in an Amazing Race-like setting.

Sounds simple enough, right?

WRONG!

SO TIRING CAN DIE WEI!
I WASN’T MADE FOR EXERCISE AND
MY LEGS WEREN’T MADE FOR RUNNING!!!

But look what I managed. =)

NOTE: The next lot of pictures were what I submitted for the competition. They are all pictorial answers to the trivia-ish questions that we were asked. I won't be telling you all the questions (cos my memory’s pathetic that way) but where I'm able to recall what was asked, I will.


Q1a: What is the main attraction of Panasonic Revolution '09?

What you see here is a 150-inch Plasma display panel, which also happens to be the world's largest (and most impressive, I might add) display panel ever. It’s as tall or taller than I am! And I’m really, really, really tall! *grin* So terrer.


Q1b: Take a picture of yourself with it.

Grabbed the four PGs on duty to help me out with this one. They actually wanted this picture and took my blog address down for it but never ended up getting in touch. Hmmm. (Girls, if you're reading, just email tinkitalks@gmail.com and I’ll send it over to you, alrights?)

Q2a: Where is the miniature version of a famous Malaysian architectural wonder?

That's a mini Petronas Twin Towers behind the Sunway Pyramid sphinx. I personally think that this picture sucked and didn’t quite answer the question cos somehow, in my head, I thought the sphinx was more important. -_- Fail. (But still win camera. =p)

Q2b: Take a picture of yourself with it.




This picture had to be shot and re-shot so many times. So tiring, I tell you. Have to run to the tripod and then run back and squat, then run back to the tripod again. Then imagine that repeated like, I don’t know, half a dozen times??? -_-‘ Sigh. My squatting position was off at times lah but at others, pea-brained dungus kept walking by and ruining the shot. -_-


Q3a: (Sorry. Memory failed this one. Possibly something about the latest plasma and LCD line-ups.)




Q3b: Take a picture of yourself with it.




Decided to do it camwhore style cos setting up the tripod was just getting far too time-consuming. AND KIASU PEOPLE FROM PENANG NEVER WASTE TIME ON SUCH THINGS IF THEY HAVE A CHOICE! *blink blink* But haha – face red already. =p Tired like hell, okayyy. Summore in a thick jacket. Sauna kau kau in own sweat. (Luckily, I don't sweat much. Heh.)


Q4a: (Also cannot remember this question already. Something to do with the biggest sphinx at Sunway Pyramid, I think.)




I was already half dead when I ran out of the mall to get this shot. But that was nothing compared to actually dying on the way up the overhead bridge not-so-nearby to grab this second shot for Q4.


Q4b: Take a picture of yourself with it.




I pretend to smile only. Actually I just wanted to die from exhaustion and thirst. HAHA. My Marshal asked me to slow down on the way back to Sunway Pyramid. I personally don’t think that it was cos he was worried about me. Haha. The fella was sweating like a pig and probably felt like he was ready to die, too! =p


Q5: Take a picture of all three roadshow locations in Sunway Pyramid.

Main Concourse

Orange Concourse

Blue Concourse

Q6: People put food in me and blah blah blah dunno what.

Panasonic blenders that were for sale.

Q7a: Take a picture of yourself at the makeover booth.




Q7b: Style your hair with a Panasonic hair instrument and take a picture of yourself after.




Confession: I actually sorta cheated in this one. Only the front portion of my hair was curled. Haha. There were chunks at the back that I didn't bother working on. Aiyo, who cares? Cannot see in the pic wan ma. I'll just look like Medusa in Sunway Pyramid only lor. -_-'


Q8: People come to me to play with water, blah blah blah, see scenery, blah blah blah and the best view is from a place where people sit and relax with a cup of coffee.

Sunway Lagoon as seen from Starbucks (New Wing).

There were actually other shots I really liked but… it didn't quite answer the question cos Starbucks was a little more prominent than the Sunway Lagoon scenery. So I kept my choice to this boring one in the end. =(


Q9a: You can play tennis, bowling, blah blah blah with me.

Let’s whee for Wii!

BUT… it's not as simple getting through this task. Cos to complete it, we all needed to finish a VR car race. @_@ DSLR photography aside, me video game noob also. (This post isn’t doing much for my self-esteem. -_- You guys better cheer me up after.)


Q9b: Complete a VR car race and take a picture of yourself playing.

That’s me. Not too shabby lah, kan? I hit more walls

than I’d like but at least I finished the race. =)

Think it was like cops and thief liddat wan cos I was in a black car and some psycho police kept coming after me and trying to push me off the road. >( Bodoh punya polis. But on a whole… quite fun lah. Haha.


Q10: Take a picture of the most expensive camera model from Panasonic LUMIX.

Previously posted pic. Click here for original post.

It’s the camera I won! Hahaha. I know you guys have seen this pic before but… so what? The camera’s a beauty. Might as well flaunt it many, many times so you all see until jelak, no? *grin*


Q11: I contain a lot of money and everybody wants to be inside me.

You guys can't really see but I love my hair in this pic.
Haha. Look like very shiny and smooth liddat. =p

I collected RM9 in 5 seconds! They didn't give me that money, though. Bye bye McValue Meal Double Cheese Burger Plain. -_- But not too shabby lah. Second highest of the 5 of us bloggers who went in. Not to bad, right? Karen came out the richest with RM19. She caught a tenner – lucky her! I think Tzia came out with RM1. Or was it Shin Yee? Hmm. Sorry girls, I forgot di! =(


Q12: I am the coldest place here.




It wasn't easy taking this shot. In hindsight, I should have used one of the functions in the camera lah. The one with a running man. It takes really good stills of moving objects. (Show you proof through pictures later in the post.) Too bad I was too kan cheong until I didn't really bother to utilize all of the camera's functions properly. Should have probably taken some black and white shots, too. Sigh. Oh well, what’s done is done.


Q13a: Something something wild animals blah blah.

The antelopes (I think that’s what they are) outside Pyramid Hotel.

Q13b: Take a picture of yourself with it.




It was too hot and glaring for me to really open my eyes, actually. So… all this was pretty much shot in faith. HAHA. Point. Shoot. Hope for the best. So wth, right? Haha. =p


Q14: I’m blue and I’m used to transfer data.

Bluetooth picture message received from the Main Concourse.

Took me awhile to figure this one out, actually. Cos to me, "I’m blue" could only refer to colour or mood. Not a name. But that’s just me. Heh. It was actually pretty tough receiving the Bluetooth, too. I think some of them never got it and others couldn't open the picture that was attached. Damn suey. =(


Q15a: I’m red and I’m blah blah blah.

iA Man getting suited up.

Took me awhile to find this fella. Why? COS HE WASN’T IN COSTUME ALL THE TIME AND WAS ACTUALLY WALKING AROUND LOOKING LIKE A NORMAL GUY, THAT'S WHY! ROARRR! -_-''' At least I caught him in the act of dressing. Haha.

Q15b: Take a picture of yourself with it.

Haha. This one was funny. His hands were so stiff I had to put his arm on my back myself. So fail. Haha.

ANYHOO… That’s it!
All 15 tasks – DONE!

I actually didn't like a number of my pictures but… oh well. They got me through the competition so I shan’t gripe, groan or moan. What I will do, is tell you about the awesome lunch we had after the competition. Haha.


Remember how I said I was ready to die of exhaustion and thirst? Well, halfway through the competition, my body kinda gave up its screaming and baby tantrums so I didn't really feel tired or thirsty already. But as soon as the competition ended, it all came crashing back. It was insane! I just wanted to curl up on the ground and sleep till 2020. Think Audrey felt the same way. Haha.


We went to Zen Japanese Restaurant after that and were treated to anything on the set lunch menu. YUMS! Me being me, I ended up ordering what I always order at Jap restaurants – Unagi Set. -_- I'm so totally unadventurous when it comes to food it's pathetic. Shy only say I come from Penang. -_-

Before the food came, we snapped a "few" pictures
just to kill time and relish the moment.

I was so totally slouching shamelessly, man. Haha. Damn lazy. =p And Shin Yee’s missing from this pic. Dunno where the perempuan cabut to. Hmmm. But no worries. We managed to take another group picture with her, too.

And I’m still slouching. -_-

I think it's pretty obvious who's perkier in this pic, actually. (Those two on the right, if you couldn't tell.) And you know what sucks bigger time? The Perky ratio goes in opposite ways as Age!!! ROAR!!! I was probably laziest. The 17 and 18-year-olds were more semangat. Boo. Getting old sucks. =(

My curls are loosening. -_-

Nicholas was the one who snapped this pic of my hair/jacket/camera strap. He was returning me the camera when he did it. And he had an excuse for taking it summore. But I can't remember it now. Hmmm.


And in these next few pictures, you'll see the awesome powers of the anti-shake or movement thingy in the camera. That one I said looked like a running man. The girls and I realized we didn't end up using it though we had to take pictures of ice-skaters zipping by *smacks self* so we ended up being silly and trying it out at the restaurant.

Chik chak.
(That's the camera shutter sound lah, duh.)

STILL!

Chik chak.




STILL!

Chik chak.

Is it just me or does The Torturer

look like Elmo in this pic? HAHA.


SO STILLLLLL!!!

Cool, right?! Imma gonna go play with this function more when I go back to Penang. Maybe catch flying gulls in flight. NOT! The only form of shooting of birds I'd ever do would never include shutter sounds of any sort. Triggers, yes. Sounds, yes. Shutter sounds, no. Heh.


And then the food came. Was too busy eating to worry about taking any pictures so… you guys imagine my unagi lah, ya? Haha. I did snap a picture of me enjoying dessert, though. We had strawberry something and ice-cream something.

This picture shows me enjoying the ice-cream something

if you couldn’t already tell just by looking. Haha.

After lunch, a short group photography session was put together while the judges tabulated our results and decided on a winner.

Damn, I look pregnant. I hope nothing of the sort comes out in the papers. -_-

Then after the official takes were over, we indulged
in our own photography session of sorts.

Sitting on the stage waiting for the results to be announced.

Shin Yee’s missing again. -_-

Thereafter, I played with the snake I blogged about earlier for Project 365. Haha. Wait till I write about it playing with me! Rest assured, I've got pictures to prove it, too. =p

Click here for original post.

I didn’t manage a picture of me receiving the camera but I managed to get one of the group together. The dude in orange on the far left, back row was my Marshal. Quite a nice chap. Did an awesome job carrying my tripod around. *grin*

This picture was taken with my OMNIA.
Do you see the difference in quality!? It’s insane!!!
No wonder people use DSLRs!

Here’s another one of us right before lunch,
right after ridiculous amounts of running around.


The dude thinks he looks fat. -_-
What is wrong with men these days???
That’s a woman’s gripe!

Anyways… that it – my Saturday with Panasonic LUMIX and a superb bunch of female bloggers. A Saturday I probably won't forget anytime soon. =)

I know you guys have seen this picture already but…

I still think it depicts my feelings at the time best. =)
Click here for original post.

Looks like I'm all teeth and gums in this pic. So unflattering. Haha. But I guess it's forgivable considering the circumstance. What with me going from snapping pictures with a camera phone to owning the premier model from Panasonic LUMIX, the top selling camera range in Japan? (So many “top” sure means something good, right?) Of course happy lah. =)

Thanks, Panasonic LUMIX!

For the awesome Panasonic LUMIX G1
…and for the exercise. =p

[Advertorial]