Meet Emily Chew on ESPACE at Grand Merdeka Mall

Exclusive Interview with Emily Chew
Up close & personal with the creator of ESPACE in Grand Merdeka
Mall and why ESPACE will be your kid’s next favourite place to go!

Interview by Stella Matilda | Image by Hannah William Photography

Tell us a little bit about yourself. 
Born and raised in Kota Kinabalu. I come from a humble family background, and growing up in a property developer family with strong work ethic and strict discipline. I am an Australian National University (ANU) graduate with Bachelor of Commerce (Major in Accounting & Management), and a certified chartered accountant with MIA and CPA Australia accreditation. I am drawn to music, dance, arts and design at a young age. Started ballet training at the age of 5,and pursued ballet for 15 years. I further honed my entrepreneurship and creativity skills by joining my family property development company. Noticing the need for change of landscape and supporting the economy drive in the northern corridor of Kota Kinabalu, i.e. Menggatal, my family decided to start Grand Merdeka Mall and the subsequent future development on this 19 acre land.




How did the idea for ESPACE come about?
After 10 months of operation of the Grand Merdeka Mall, I had an epiphany to change the course of the mall. Thinking to myself how do we differentiate the mall from the malls in the city and our nearby competitors? We can’t just copy and paste the same format in GM Mall. There is no competitive edge for GM Mall if we just put in similar tenant mix as the malls in the region. So I have decided to put more than 50% of the net lettable area (NLA = 300,000 sq ft in total) as family recreation and entertainment outlets, 20-25% as F&B and the rest are for other tenant mix.

It was by chance that my dad and I met up with Kay Yi who then introduced Issac of Escape. We then pursue and venture into this approximately 7,000 sq ft area in the GM Mall as Entertainment Arena, that house a family karaoke centre (KMIX), ESPACE (family and group recreation space with games ranging from synthetic ice skating, archery battle, bubble soccer, soccer darts and many more, 10 lanes of conventional archery arena, and the ESCAPE that promises their newest and more challenging games in town. ESPACE is also known as “Entertainment Space”.



I love that ESPACE offers the first Ice Skating Rink in Sabah. Do you mind to tell me what give you this brilliant idea and how does it work?
It was a group effort to come out with Sabah first ever synthetic ice skating rink. It is about 3000 sq ft rink at the second floor of the mall. Due to the extremely high cost of CAPEX and maintenance cost to maintain a real ice skating rink, and yet at the same time bringing in a new, fresh and most importantly affordable ice skating arena for family, children and corporate companies to have team building activities. Hence a synthetic version came into mind. Synthetic ice skating rink is not relatively new in other parts of the world, or even west Malaysia. There are a few malls that have also installed synthetic Ice Skating, such as Sunway Velocity Mall. Our skaters will wear the normal ice skating shoes and gears to skate on the rink as per the real ice.

Why should families choose to come all the way to ESPACE in Grand Merdeka Mall?
ESPACE in Grand Merdeka Mall is a place for you and your family to spend quality time together and strengthen bonds amongst family members. The games that we offer will make family members of all ages to enjoy and to bond at an affordable price.

How can school integrate their sports activities with ESPACE?
We have also planned to integrate school extra curriculum activities with ESPACE sports/games such as providing the ice skating rink to be the official skating rink for schools. We will organised workshops for school students and also sponsored a few students from each school or institutions to be trained by qualified trainers. Workshops would also encompassed ice skating and archery sports. With these workshops, we are able to help schools to cultivate, nurture and train potential ice skating and archery athletes.

To learn more about what ESPACE is offering, kindly visit them at Grand Merdeka Mall or call 088 357 977. Special bookings are available for birthday parties, team building and many more.

The Life Changing Story of Charlie

On Your Side | Real Life Story: Often times, we hear stories of people with health-related problem and their successful journey of healing. This time, Parents Avenue brings you the life-changing story of Charlie from Kota Marudu, Sabah.

Written by Sylviannie Jreneus 
Parents Avenue Magazine Issue No.11 April to June 2018

Charlie with his parents in the ward on the day of discharge.

Charlie bin Magawa is a 9-year-old boy from Kampung Mantus, Kota Marudu. He is the fifth and the youngest child of Magawa bin Malugot, 55 and Roining binti Kulamau, 49. Charlie has two older brothers and two older sisters. The first two siblings, aged 28 and 25, are currently working with a private agricultural company in Australia. The third sibling, aged 21, is currently unemployed, whilst the fourth sibling is studying in Form One in SMK Tandek, Kota Marudu. As for Charlie, he goes to SK Tanjung Batu, Kota Marudu as a Year 3 student. With a big passion for badminton and art, Charlie leads a normal life just like every other boy at his age. But, little do we know, that Charlie was previously diagnosed with a serious health condition that, had he been left untreated, could have cost him his life.

It all started when Charlie, who was then only 5 years old, was down with fever and later begun to experience breathing difficulties. As every concerned parent would do, his parents brought him to a Kota Marudu Hospital to seek for further help. The doctor on duty did an X-ray on the little boy, which led to the first diagnosis – Charlie had heart issues. The same day that he was diagnosed, Charlie was sent into emergency and was straightaway transferred to Sabah Women and Children Hospital, Likas, Kota Kinabalu.

He received more detailed tests in Sabah Women and Children Hospital. A blood test was performed and the results came in positive that he was suffering from Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). A paediatric cardiologist from Sabah Women and Children Hospital, Likas did an X-ray on Charlie. He had found that one of Charlie’s four heart valves was infected.

After detection, Charlie was given antibiotics to fight off against his valve infection, and that treatment lasted for a year. Unfortunately, the valve was still infected, so Charlie had no other choice than to receive a monthly injection during the second year until proper treatment could be done; which is to undergo a heart surgery.

Charlie’s scar 3 months after the surgery.

Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) suffered by Charlie is a condition of permanent damage to one or more heart valves. It is caused by rheumatic fever, which is a complication of an untreated bacterial infection with Streptococcus, or “strep”. Like in Charlie’s case, it is all started when he was down with fever but at the same time, he experienced breathing difficulties. Rheumatic fever, which symptoms are shown by Charlie during the early detection, is an inflammatory disease that follows a strep infection. If it is left untreated, it can affect many tissues, especially the heart, joints, skin, or brain. The infection may cause heart damage, particularly scarring of the heart valves. This forces the heart to work harder than usual to pump blood. In some cases, the damage may resolve on its own. However, there are also cases where the damage is permanent, which eventually causes heart failure. Heart-related complications of rheumatic fever may develop months or even years after the initial strep infection.

The doctor who handled Charlie’s case in Sabah Women and Children Hospital, Likas made an effort to ease out the family’s application to get funds from Sabah Council of Social Service (SCSS) as little Charlie needed to undergo a heart surgery as soon as possible. They waited for less than a year before the application was finally approved by YB Datuk Hajjah Jainab DSP Hj Ahmad Ayid, the Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs. That was the first good news received by the family for Charlie’s case. In the meantime, Charlie still depended on the monthly injection until he turned 8.

At first, Charlie’s parents were informed about their available options on where the surgery can be performed, which was at a hospital in India, or Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital. Due to distance, going to India was not the family’s first option, so they opted for Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital as they were able to perform the heart surgery for Charlie there. That was indeed the second good news for the family.

Dr. Abu checking Charlie’s heart.

Dr. Abu Bakar, Cardiothoracic Surgeon of Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital finally handled Charlie’s case. Before surgery, Charlie’s condition worsened up until the point where he turned terribly weak. His skin turned pale, he lost a lot of weight and he was down with swollen chest. He also experienced abdominal and chest pain which made his condition even worse. He was still facing difficulties in breathing due to the worsening of his heart condition. His parents were very heartbroken to see their youngest child being in that condition and have been praying hard to be able to see Charlie’s health back on track again. The strong parents refused to give up on their son.

So the heart surgery was done and there comes the third good news and the biggest blessings for the family. Charlie’s heart surgery was a success! Thanks to all doctors who did their parts throughout his journey as a Rheumatic Heart Disease patient, from a very weak and thin little boy, Charlie is now an active boy and he gained weight as his appetite increased. His parents’ prayers have been answered. Just like typical adventurous boys of his age, he is always with his outdoor activities, especially cycling and playing badminton. The surgery done by Dr. Abu Bakar from Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital is indeed life changing. Charlie’s case is a living proof of that.

The operation cost is approximately RM60,000 to RM80,000 and was fully funded by Sabah Council of Social Service (SCSS). SCSS, or also known as Majlis Perkhidmatan Masyarakat Sabah (MPMS) is established under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner Labour and Welfare with the main purpose of assisting voluntary welfare work and it includes for health-related cases like Charlie’s. SCSS is later became the constituent partner of The National Council of Social Welfare, Malaysia alongside with the Sarawak Social Welfare Council.

Charlie with his parents at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital

As parents, Magawa and Roining were over the moon and were very thankful to be able to receive full funding from SCSS to cover Charlie’s heart surgery cost at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital. It was a blessing for the family who are desperate to see their beloved child to live a normal life again. And Charlie just did!

As a father, Magawa has a message for every family who are facing similar situation like theirs. To him, patience is the key. There must be a cure for all diseases, as long as we follow what the doctor’s advice. Doctors are specialised in their own fields and of course the suggestions made by them are the best. As for Charlie’s mother, Roining, she said that it is important for us to act fast for treatments and don’t be afraid to do the surgery because it does change our life. Like her husband, she also encourages each of us to listen to the doctor’s advice.

Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital, where Charlie’s life-changing heart surgery was performed, is a tertiary level hospital bringing Sabah a Healthcare facility of International standards that shall work towards enhancing care in the state of Sabah. It is assimilated with regionally well-established premium Gleneagles brand inculcating a facility with high quality amenities / comforts, service levels to match, infused with cutting edge technology and have a highly trained team of consultants and staffs.

Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Cardiac Centre is bolstered by prevention program, diagnosis and treatment directly to the patients, both adults and children. The cardiac team consists of Interventional Cardiologist, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Cardiac Anaesthetist, Perfusionist, Peadiatric Cardiologist & Cardiac Technicians. They have a standby cardiac catheterization laboratory that would operate for 24 hours. Thanks to the professionalism of the Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital, many lives were saved, that including Charlie’s.

On The Cover: MAYA FAITH WILLIAMS

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 
MAYA FAITH WILLIAMS

Winner of COVERSEARCH 2017 
Category D (5 to 12 years)
Images by Hannah William Photography
Venue by Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu
Issue No.10 (Jan-Mar 2018)

Hi Maya! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My full name is Maya Faith Ibraheem David Williams Chong Ai, but friends usually know me by the name Maya Faith Williams. I am 9 years old and I am currently in year 4. I have a younger sister call Tia Starr Williams and my dad is called David Williams and my mom is Nirwana Chong. My Father is from Manchester, United Kingdom and my mommy is born and bred Sabahan. I can speak Malay as well as English, I tried learning Mandarin before but I was not good at it. I love music and dancing and acting. I too have been taking ballet lessons since I was 5 years old and I am in grade three.

What is your favourite food?

I have a lot of favourite food. But mostly I like Nasi Briyani, Soto, Satay, Maggie Noodle (But my mom don’t let me eat it all the time, she said it’s bad for you), and my Popo’s Curry Chicken. I am a typical Malaysian Girl :-)

What are your hobbies?

During my free time, I love spending time and playing with my little sister Tia. I too love dancing, acting and singing. Apart from that, like every other girl my age I love watching cartoon and TV shows, my current favorite is Victorious. It’s about a teenage girl trying to get her way in into Hollywood Arts in America. Apart from that, I enjoy spending time with my cats and sneaking on playing make ups with my sister.

How did you feel when you were announced the winner at the COVERSEARCH 2017 contest?

I was very happy and excited because I did not expect that I would win. After knowing that I have won, I was so excited and I have won amazing prizes such as spending vouchers and I get to stay at Hotel Grandis too. I was also overwhelmed as I did work a little hard on my rapping performance. So I guess hard work pays off <3

Food Tasting at Dragon Palace Sabah

Food testing with members from the media and the press

South African abalone and Free Range Chicken Soup

Western Australian Rock Lobster Noodles

Golden Prawns

Sweet and Sour Fish.

Peking Duck

Western Australia Snow Crab with Salted Egg Yolk

Western Australia Snow Crab

This week the parents avenue team was fortunate enough to sample the delights at Suria Sabah’s newest Chinese Restaurant.

We started our feast with a bowl of double boiled South African abalone and free range chicken soup. The soup was flavourful with plenty of meat and fresh, tasty Abalone.

Following that we were served my favourite dish of the evening, creamy lobster noodles. The noodles had a carbonara like flavour and was paired with perfectly steamed Western Australian Rock Lobster. Absolutely Divine!

Continuing the shell fish theme, we were fortunate enough to sample the freshly flown in Western Australia Snow crab, prepared with salted egg topping. The large limbs of the crab were bursting with flavour and had the nice firm texture you would expect from such fresh seafood.

Next we sampled the large, locally sourced golden prawns. This dish was the dry butter style and was another highlight of the evening.

The last seafood dish offered was sweet and sour fish. Whilst this may be a common dish, it was well executed with wonderful flavours and fresh ingredients.

From the shore we tried the black pepper Australian beef with mixed mushrooms. This combination had a strong Umami taste which mixed well with some of the less savoury dishes we sampled and was very similar to the Golden fried mushroom dish we were also served.

Peking Duck was the next dish. It was presented with egg pancakes and traditional condiments and plum sauce, all combining to make a delicious wrap. Closing up the evening, Foshan Roast Chicken with chilli and vinegar sauce was also served, a hearty combination that would compliment any menu.

Overall the ambiance is very elegant and the service was good, but booking would be advised as the restaurant was full when we went.

About Dragon Palace Seafood: 

Dragon Palace Seafood and Dim Sum Restaurant serves authentic Cantonese style cuisines prepared by our Chefs from GuangZhou, China coupled with the spectacular view of South China Sea. We also stock array of live seafood from local Sabah and Perth, Western Australia.

Facebook: Dragon Palace Sabah

Tension Headaches. What Can You Do About It?

By Chan Yin Keen | Principal Chiropractor

One Spine Chiropractic, D27, 3rd Floor, Centre Point Sabah.

Headaches are a common malady that afflictsthe general populace. Half of us will experience headaches in a given year, while a large number of us will have a lifelong history of headaches. There are several types of headaches out there, ranging from things like migraines, tension type headaches, sinus headaches, all the way to severely debilitating cluster headaches.

Some of these headaches can be caused by complex genetic factors and can be a bit more troublesome, like migraines which come with a slew of symptoms such as throbbing pain, nausea and photosensitivity. The vast majority of headaches out there though, are tension type headaches. Tension type headaches are headaches caused by stress or tension(!) that one experiences in their daily life. Typically, removing ourselves from external stressor stimuli should suffice in reducing that headache, but in some cases it remains or we cannot exactly tear ourselves away from our primary stressor stimuli (work or school for instance).

The reason such external stimuli causes headaches is because a lot of stress and tension gets built up in our muscles. The muscles on our scalp and neck tighten up from such stress and we start getting that feeling of pressure around the head. Neck and shoulder stiffness, feeling a bit tired are also features that can crop up with tension headaches.

The buildup of tension in our muscles is the main mechanism of how we get tension headaches, but the “why” we get tension in our muscles is not limited to just the feelings of tension and stress. Poor ergonomics or working posture can also cause muscular tightness which leads to headaches. Lack of sleep prevents the body from getting enough rest and allowing muscles to relax and unwind. Feelings of anxiety or emotional stress can translate to a lot of muscular tension as sits bundled inside. A poor diet unsurprisingly, can also be a cause for headaches and muscle tension.

So how does one resolve their tension headache woes?

As briefly mentioned before, removing ourselves from noxious stimuli should relieve that tension headache immediately. If you are mentally overexerted, or say you have been sitting too long in front of your laptop, getting some rest will help your headache. To note, headaches should not be something that keeps occurring to the point of being a chronic problem. Headaches are the way your body tells you that something is not right. So if you are finding yourself having tension headaches regularly, you might want to consider a mild lifestyle change with less stress or less sitting down in front of a laptop.

Something else to think about would be picking up some form of sport or exercise. Yoga has shown to be effective for pain relief in the low back, but the slow pace and calmness inherent in yoga and meditation can help ease tension and relieve stress too. It can be a bit daunting for some who have never joined a class or considered yoga before, in which case general exercise may be more your speed. Getting your heart rate up from exercise, whether it be a jog or weights at a gym, is known to improve mood and sleep which are factors in tension headaches.

If you spend a lot of time in front of a laptop or a computer, ergonomics of how you sit and view your screen can help ease tension in and around your neck, or at the very least, not make it worse. Keeping the top of your screen at or just below eye level and about an arm’s length away will help ease the strain in your eyes. At the same time it will also ensure you’re not tilting your head back to look at the screen and shorten your posterior neck muscles, causing uncomfortable tightness in the back of your head.

To note, the position of the keyboard matters too. Too far forward, you are leaning over your desk and basically hunching. Too high up and it’s incredibly uncomfortable to type. You want to be as comfortable as possible when working in front of a computer so generally you’d want your keyboard to be at the same height as your elbows, and near enough to you that your elbows form a 90 degree angle.

Also remember to take lots of breaks. Sitting in a similar position for extended periods of time, even if incredibly comfortable, can lead to muscle fatigue. Have a bit of a stretch, a walk and some water after an hour of sitting in front of your laptop.

Speaking anecdotally, what I typically find in patients who complain of tension type headaches is a lot of muscles around the neck area with a palpable tightness to it, that when stimulated (say, pressed on) can produce localised pain to the area as well as referred pain towards the head, reenacting the headache-like pain. These localised areas of tenderness are called trigger points and are small bands of tightly constricted muscle that have in a way, forgotten to turn off and relax. Having a qualified massage therapist, chiropractor, or physiotherapist work on your muscles will provide a definite sense of relief as they will likely knead the tension out of the muscles.

That said, the hot tip here for those who are keen to do some self remedying, self massage is a definite option. The muscles just under the back of the skull, known as the suboccipital muscles are prime spots that can get a fair bit tight and give you tension headaches.

Applying pressure over the area with your fingers, or gently lying down face up, with a tennis ball just under that muscle group can give you plenty of relief. Follow it up with some neck stretches just to loosen up the neck or even a bit of heat will help. Your temples also have a muscle that is prone to being a source of pain itself. You can tell it is there by putting your fingers on your temples, clenching your teeth, and feeling it pop out at you. Giving that a bit of a rub is something you may have seen other people do, and they do for a reason. It works!

The takeaway here is that tension headaches are easy to resolve when you know where your source of stress is coming from. If in doubt, visit a medical professional who can give you their advice on what is the best course of action for your headache.


For more information about this topic, you may get in touch with Chan Yin Keen from One Spine Chiropractic at 013-8100373 or visit them at Centre Point Sabah.

Job Vacancy: Editorial Assistant

At Parents Avenue Magazine we are focused on creating the best parenting magazine, providing useful information and parenting tips for families.

The editorial team at Parents Avenue Magazine researches, creates and packages content to provide useful information, entertainment and inspirational articles to our readers in their parenthood journey. We are looking for an editorial assistant with entry-level journalism/publishing experience to join our team. 

If you are planning or have recently begun a career in editorial and are looking to gain experience in a professional and dynamic content organization, this is the opportunity for you. You'll learn the ropes with a small, friendly team, and you'll get a ton of hands-on experience with the administrative side of editorial: interview transcription, content syndication, cold-calling leads and more. 

Working Hours
Mondays to Fridays 
From 8.30am to 4.30pm
Candidate must be able to work from our office in Inanam Capital.

What You'll Learn

• How to adapt to the myriad jobs of a small editorial team
• How to research a given subject in necessary depth
• How to conduct and fact check an interview
• During your down time, how to produce a reported series of articles about a relevant topic of your choosing (subject to editor’s approval)

The Gig/Responsibilities

• Weekly upload of entire print issue to web (this is the most important)
• Email newsletter formatting
• Transcribing interviews
• Produce 2-3 original article monthly (topic of your choice with editor's approval)
• Fact-checking industry articles
• Researching industry contacts
• Photoshoot on-site assistance (depending on experience)
• Other project management
• Other administrative tasks as needed, such as completing weekly editorial reports

Training Provided

• Working one-on-one with editor on the team to learn about their field of specialty
• Training in tools used to create daily web content and print magazine

Requirements

• Must be extremely detail-oriented and willing to take on very admin-oriented tasks as the bulk of the work
• Must have own transport and willing to travel for interview features
• The ideal candidate is is self-motivated, proactive, detail-oriented, communicative, receptive to feedback, learns quickly, and never, ever misses a deadline. 
• Applications will only be reviewed if they include a cover letter and writing sample. 

Parents Avenue Magazine is East Malaysia's first locally based parenting magazine. We are currently available mainly in Sabah, then Sarawak and Labuan. With plans to further develop our online media solution, this position is crucial in the team. We are a small close knit team of graphic designer, editor, admin assistant, photographer and freelance writer who share a tight bond and believe that collaboration creates a better experience for our readers, our clients and our team. 


Kindly email to us your latest resume, cover letter and writing sample to parentsavenue@gmail.com

Meet Juanita, founder of Merci Art & Music

How did Merci Art and Music started?

Merci initially started music-teaching from a house at Taman Indah Permai back in October 2011. As the number of students grew, we decided to move to a bigger premise which led us here at Kingfisher Sulaman, Sepanggar.

What type of classes do you offer here in Merci?

We offer both music and art (painting, coloring, sketching) classes. Our most popular classes are piano and vocal. Other instruments taught are bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboard, violin and ukulele.

What is the price range be?

Our music fees start from RM50 per hour and length of class is flexible. The adult students normally opt for 30 to 60 mins per session whereas younger ones 30 mins - it depends on their levels. Most of the classes are conducted on a one-to-one basis. Free trial classes are also available by appointment.

In your point of view, why should parents have their kids learn music?

More and more studies have indicated that the learning of arts and music accelerates brain development in young children. When a child learns a musical instrument, it develops not only the auditory senses but to a certain extent the psycho motor skills. Most importantly, the child develops the discipline of learning. It’s been said that music is the language of soul but it is more than an artistic expression.

When an expectant mother sings or plays music to her unborn child, she initiates that crucial parent-child bonding. It’s unfortunate that many schools do not recognize music as an integral part of their curriculum or cannot afford to do so. Naturally, one of our goals is to make music education available to all. May I say that even adults can benefit from learning arts/ music as a worthwhile skill or a therapeutic hobby.

Can music be a career?

Yes, why not? I made it mine. My parents sent me for piano classes at age 6 but I only began to love music when I was 13. I graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) and my first job was a secretary in Singapore. Throughout the years I never stopped playing the piano and managed to complete a piano performance diploma (LTCL).

It wasn’t long afterwards that I decided to become a full-time music teacher. When I was 13, a few kids in the neighborhood requested me to teach them piano. I didn’t realized back then that that was my calling. Here I am 30 years later, still happily teaching music.

What is the minimum age to enrol for a music class here?

As of now, we accept kids age 5 and above. However, we are currently training our teachers how to teach students younger than that.

What can parents look forward to from Merci this year?

Definitely music classes for children as young as toddlers. In February I’m due to complete a course in Kodály Certificate Program - a method of teaching music which combines singing, body movements and ear training exercises. We hope to get the programme up and running by mid year. 

Another endeavor that we hope will continue to be active this year is the Voice of Merci, our children’s choir for ages 6-12. What better way to approach music learning than through singing!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merciartmusic/