...If you had entered the competition then you would have had the chance to win 2 tickets to the British GP at Silverstone...read on to see my experience...

What a day!? On a fantastic English summer’s day I was lucky enough to escort the winners of ‘Have You Flown AirAsia Lately?’ to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

There were 2 winners – one from Malaysia and one from the UK and they were each invited to bring along one friend.
I flew over to London Stansted on AirAsia X along with the 2 from Malaysia.

On the Friday we met up with the winner from UK, who was actually from New Zealand but had been living in London for a while. The track is quite far out of London (you have to get a train to Northampton and then a shuttle bus) but it was set up very well with lots of merchandise, food and drink stalls. In true English style many people had brought their own picnic’s, chairs and blankets and set up camp for the day. I couldn’t believe how many people were there just for the practice day - there were probably more than the total number of people at Sepang on the final race day!
Maybe it was because of the buzz around Jenson Button, or the fact that it was possibly going to be the last time the British GP would be held at Silverstone or maybe just because the English love an excuse to take advantage of sporting events and good weather; but there was a great buzz around the track.

At about noon we all met with a representative from at&t Williams where we were given a sneak peak into the pit’s of at&t Williams – what a treat!?

It was fascinating to see behind the scenes; everyone seemed to be busy working on the cars or in the offices looking at the race data. As we were leaving we even caught a glimpse of Nico outside one of the motor homes!

After that we stayed on to watch the Red Devils Parachute Display as well as the 2nd practice session. Thank fully it was a bright and sunny day so we could be outside and wondering around without being too cold.

Unfortunately I was unable to go for the final but the winners took full advantage of their 3 day pass to watch the qualifying and the finals. I hope they enjoyed the other days at the race – I’m sure the atmosphere only got better.
It was a bit of a disappointment that Button didn’t win but he is still the only one really in the running win over all…we’ll just have to see how the other races pan out. And the at&t Williams team did well with Nico finishing in 5th place and Kazuki finishing in 11th.

Make sure you keep updated with Red Alerts to enter in the next competition and I could see you in Milan or Singapore...

1/7/09..was excited about tonite prize presentation that i am about to receive from AirAsia. It was supposed to be a 'big' event for me...i even dreamt of taking pictures with my idol, Dato Tony. as one of the winner under Twitter me to Taipei contest, I was really looking forward for the event. well..it didnt turn out quite smooth that i've expected..as i left KL, and was on the middle of highway when suddenly the car stop...oh man! not now...

so i text jason (AirAsia's marketing commercial staff) that i will be late. call my bro for help.
was 'stranded' there almost an hour with my another brother and my bf..once fixed, we rushed to Lcct in the hope that we might able to catch up.

upon reaching LCCT, i called Jason, n he said the event already over. so i just collected the tix from him infront of McD..so sad...didnt manage to reach on time and worst still didnt have the opportunity to see my idol...still in denial..why?

anyway thanks AirAsia for the tix and invitation....sob sob...

Note: This blog post is the result of an email received.

What do most people associate horses with? They are representative of adjectives like majestic, strong, steady and other words that imply the same.

But tucked somewhere in the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club, are not only horses that grace the grounds with their gallops; but also horses that are gentle, and the source of inspiration for a group of disabled children.

The Riding for Disabled Association (RDA) holds their weekly 'therapy' session for the children every Thursday at 10:00am - 11:00am at the Indoor Arena of the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club. AirAsians regularly volunteer for these sessions on their off-days.

Well, in my case, I read the email sent by the Corporate Culture team, and immediately got swept off my feet by the thought of helping disabled children (I heart kids) at horse riding classes (horses are sooo handsome!). There was no further convincing needed, and asked permission from my boss (thanks boss!) to attend it.

They were lacking of volunteers the day I was there, so pardon my lack of pictures. There wasn't much time to snap & click, as everyone's hands were needed and was full for the entire session.

To avoid you from growing bored listening about horses (which I am no expert in as well) and children, here's a concise version of my prancing around last Thursday morning:

The day began at about 9.30am with 6 kids seated obediently with their parents, smiling at me as I walked in. The other volunteers welcomed me and introduced me to the gang. Much to my delight (more like surprise, actually) Kak Zuraidah, the coordinator announced, "Kids, today, Daphne's going to do the warm up with all of you!¨ So my procrastinated exercise regime finally kicked off! But hey, I got to cheer a group of kids up, so it's all good!

Once we finished, the leaders lined the horses up - all four of them: Palomina, Freckles, Kenyalang & a little white pony (which doesn't seem to have a name attached to it). Each child is assigned a horse, together with a 'leader' and a 'walker'. A few rules when working with the horses & children:

1. Always walk behind the horses. Unless you want them to give you a nice kick and land yourself in the hospital.
2. Keep your eyes on three things while being the 'walker': the horse (to avoid bumping into them), the child (just in case they get too excited and risk sliding down the saddle - which is rare), and the 'leader' (you need to encourage the child to follow the light exercises instructed)
3. Say Walk On (while squeezing the horse's body with your feet) to make it go forward, and 'Whoaaaa' (while pulling the reigns) to make it stop! Nice!
4. The more goofy you are, the more the kids love you :) So don't hold back and give it your all!

Initially, I thought it was all just a physiotherapy session, but after this first round of volunteer work, my eyes are opened to see how else this beneficial session can contribute to the children's overall wellbeing. Throughout the session, the children are encouraged to sit up straight, look straight and ride their horse proud! Some of the exercise involved stretches for the body, leg exercise, balancing to improve coordination, muscle tone, concentration, cooperation and behaviour.

I had the opportunity to guide two children - Xiang Wei & Yee Cheng. It was a great learning experience for me, as well as for them. From what I see, it does not just boost their physical abilities; it also does something deep inside them. With every completed task, you see a smile grow wider, a face glows brighter. Wow, that feeling ¡V money can't buy.

At about 11.30am, all children had a satisfied smirk on their face, having completed their tasks for the day, and the 'leaders' directed the horses back to their stables. As for me, I just had the time of my life, albeit it being a simple gesture of helping out and clearly, look forward to the next opportunity to be a part of the next session.

And hopefully, with this blog post, many more will discover the simple joy of adding value into the children's lives while having fun (plus a great workout too) Everyone can volunteer - pick a Thursday, make it there by 9.30am and have a blast, y'all!! (Coz I surely did) Say yes to taking horsie rides with children, AirAsia loves to make kids smile! :)

This post is about a boy...

Well, take a good look at him. His name is Sebenaran. He is a survivor of the tsunami and was left an orphan from the tragedy. Sebenaran comes from Batam, Indonesia and lives in an orphanage. So what does Sebenaran have to do with the AirAsia story?

In fact, everything.

Sebenaran came by for a trip to our Academy at Sepang last week and he was here on a pathway of a dream. You see, since the age of seven, the only constant in his has been the fact that Sebenaran wants nothing more than to be a pilot. AirAsia was there to say, yes, like us, Sebenaran is here to tell his story, that nothing is impossible.

In this picture, seen with Sebenaran are his caretakers who made the trip from Singapore, Janet Tan Mui Hwa and Ivan Lee Yuan.

The group were down with us in Kuala Lumpur. Now, Sebenaran has never been on a plane, in fact never left Indonesia and in one day, he's been to two countries, been in two cockpits and who knows, is one step closer to living his dreams in the skies. The social media team was there to witness and maybe be a moment in his life and his dreams. This is his story.

Batch 90 was on hand at the academy to show Sebenaran some AirAsian 'hospitality'.

Sebenaran was invited to be with us here last week to have a go at most of our childhood's dream, to actually fly a plane. Upon arriving at the LCCT, he was ushered to our academy within a stone's throw away to see for himself what reaching for the skies meant. He was slightly dazed perhaps at the first flight in his life but nevertheless excited by the entire intrigue of being here and being exposed to an opportunity to live his dreams.

Sebenaran only knows a few words of English and a thread of aviation knowledge but he has never let this be an excuse for him not being able to be a pilot. He knows that financial sense is not on his side but he does not lack faith. He knows the road is long but here he is agianst all the odds, having a peek at his dreams. Standing by his side for that short glmpse at his ambition and his determination to make it a reality, we say that we are privileged to share this moment in him living his dreams.

Sebenaran before stepping into his 'dreams'. The simulator beckons.

All smiles with Gavin Andrews, the standby engineer before takeoff, we swear that Sebenaran was never nervous. In fact, he was all the while raring to go. Sebenaran took us on a ride through rain, thunderstorm, turbulence and at the end, bursting through the sunshine. Can anyone doubt that this kid will make it one day? :)

It was an experience to remember and we were glad to be the bystander in this experience. We remember Sebenaran saying and summarising it best, "Saya takut tinggi. Tapi lain kali saya nak terbang beratus-ratus nyawa dan saya tak boleh takut. Oleh itu, saya beritahu diri sendiri bahawa saya perlu berani." (I am afraid. I am afraid of heights. But if I am to fly the lives of hundreds of passengers, I can not be afraid. Because of that, I told myself that I have to be brave.) With this conviction, AirAsia says yes, we can get there together. Now, everyone can truly fly.

Social media team signing off with lots of love for Sebenaran and Batam.

Believe the unbelievable,
Dream the impossible,
Never take no for an answer.

Xanadu Calling: Name a Plane and Get your Name on a Plane!

It all happened in March when AirAsia Blog started this competition in conjunction with the delivery of their new planes. Out of boredom I decided to give the competition a try, having gone through words with “ex” prefix, I decided to nominate, “xcellence”.

As fate would have it, AirAsia X did a tie-up with US based NFL Football team The Oakland Raiders and coincidently, their motto was, “commitment to excellence”. Hance, the name that I gave, was chosen for the new plane, an Airbus 340 was painted in a radical Oakland Raider livery, complete with football players on one side, cheerleaders on the other, and spotting an eye-patch no less!

9M-XAC is the second Airbus 340 for AirAsia X, this comes after the first Airbus 340, “xcalibur” made headlines for providing passenger better and low cost option for the KUL-STN (London) route. Now with two long-range aircraft, AirAsia X is able to provide daily flights to the city of London.

Words could not describe what I felt the day I attended the launch of AirAsia X latest plane, to have my name on a plane of a truly Malaysian born company was indeed an honour. As if that wasn’t enough, I was presented with a return ticket to any of AirAsia X’s destination. There is no guessing where I will go. LONDON here I come babe! What a wonderful experience it was!

To top things off, I had the opportunity to brush shoulders with famous celebrities and even strike a pose with the Raiderettes! Oakland Raiders official Cheerleaders! What a blast that was! To Azran Osman-Rani, it was indeed an honour to meet with you and thank you! To Fara, Daisy and Yvonne, thanks for everything! You guys rock! To AirAsia and AirAsia X, keep flying high! You are truly the pride of Malaysia and Asia!

Take care and god bless!

Love,
Kenneth Chong.