Nice surprise

Since jacss came out tops in the First Stage (involving poll votes) of the ‘Who-R-U?’ bento fun contest/challenge, it was decided that she’d be rewarded with a little something. Afterall, she led the First Stage with a whopping 118 votes!! Truly you have a lot of super star supporters :)

She totally got me off-guard as I never expected to receive something in return from her.

So thank you jacss, it was indeed unexpected and a lovely surprise. *kamsiah but paiseh leh!!*

Ps. MP loved the strawberry biscuit and happily declared that he will eat it all by himself – much to his disappointment, I rationed him to 2 a day!! He kept asking ‘But WHY?’ ha ha ha...erm, because mummy says so????

We have 'THE WINNER'

Just to recap the events again.

Up to the end of the First Stage involving poll voting, only by a few votes - 3 to be exact - jacss came from behind and emerged as the leader of the First Stage!

Nail biting and frustrating as it may be, the organizer then threw in a 'mysterious twist' involving L-U-C-K. *thankfully all contestants received this announcement with amazing decorum and patience!!! Not too sure about the annon votes and supporters though - ha ha*

After deducting here and adding there and here *scratch heads and a couple mugs of coffee*, the FINAL RESULT as declared by the organizer is......*imagine drum rolling*

*drums STILL rolling and rolling*

The first name picked by Master Prince.

Opting for a short cut, here is what Master Prince picked out of the bag in descending order......

To be transparent, I am releasing the overall score with the 3 top points shaded lightly *There are probably many ways to calculate but this is how the organizer has finally decided to do this.*

AND SO.........on behalf of the organizer..........

CONGRATULATIONS to Sharon aka 3lilangels. With amazing L-U-C-K on your side, you *big applause* are the winner of the 'Who-R-U? Bento contest/challenge'!! The organizer will be touch with you shortly :)

Your lovely bento entry was this.

Some SPECIAL COMMENDATION....

The organizer wishes to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all contestants who participated so sportingly. Hope everyone had fun, got to know more about your fellow bento-ers or made new bento friends, got inspired and will continue to post and keep up with your bento packing!!

I also want to say again WELL DONE to jacss who lead the First Stage (based on number of votes received) with this wonderful bento post.

Also thanks to Pat for some tips and advice on setting up the poll vote.

And with that, this bento fun event is now concluded.

Some green packages will be on their way to both of you!! :)

Once again thanks to everyone for participating or contributing in your own special way! *phew, hosting can be exhausting – life can now get back to some normality, ha ha*

Happy bento-ing everyone.

Some sneak peaks

Printed names of contestant - all ready, waiting patiently to be folded and then picked by Master Prince.


The ‘Midas’ lucky hands....wishing all contestants good luck. Btw, MP was just so excited and thrilled to play a role in this FUN bento event.


Clip of the grumpy OJ ‘Official Judge’ – better not mess with him ok!! Ha ha



And who will be the WINNER????? Check back later after lunch at 2pm (Malaysian time) today for the FINAL results.

Poll Vote Results

Polls has closed and I am sure everyone is curious and wondering what is the final tally for the First Stage of the poll vote.

HERE IT IS......

I am excited and hope everyone is too - darn, that 'one click rule' was a real pain wasn't it..... ha ha ha :)

Some personal observations - what happened in the last few hours?

3lilangels was slow from the starting blocks (must be the weekend warm up) and then WOAH......her supporters really pushed her up front leading the pack on the 3rd day. They pretty much kept her in the forefront.

Noticed a pretty 'close fight' between bentofun and 3lilangels, with the latter edging slightly. Lolz

I'm not sure about what everyone else was thinking/expecting but after lunch today, I pretty much thought 3lilangels was a sure win. *would have probably lost a big dinner had I placed my bets then, ha ha*

BUT.......I stand corrected.

Talk about unpredictability!!!!!

Congrats to Jacss for being the leader of the First Stage for the MOST VOTES!!! You edged out and ended very strongly right at the end!!! Wow, impressive supporters indeed!!!

*pats on back to EVERYONE* Well done indeed.

Next stage of the bento fun event - Don't hate me

As you recall, there are 2 parts to this bento fun event.

The First Stage involves a public poll vote which has now closed.

The 2nd & Final Stage involves a so-called ‘mysterious twist’.

So what's the ‘TWIST’???

Let’s just say that things may turn around even when you think you are down in the poll-dumps!! In fact there could still be a CHANCE that you (contestant) could walk away the WINNER.

The QUESTION here is - Are you (contestant) feeling LUCKY???

What does fate or destiny have in stored for you (contestant)???

*trying to build some suspense here* Lolz

This final stage only requires you (contestant, reader or voter) to sit back, relax and wait patiently.

All that is involved is literally some dumb L-U-C-K!

Just to make it meaningful, this final stage will account for 50% of your overall total score.

Rules are simple.

The organizer will print out the names of the contestants on a piece of paper, fold them and get Master Prince to pick them out at random, one at a time from an opaque bag/box. DH will be the ‘official judge’ to ensure that this process is conducted in a fair, orderly and proper manner, all in accordance with the highest and strictest regard to the ‘International Standards for Bento Integrity Code of Conduct’.

The most points will be awarded to the first name picked and so it continues, with the lowest score awarded to the last name out of the bag.

I know that I could probably use Random.Org - but where is the fun in that right? ;)

I hope this adds a little UNPREDICTABLE SPIN to the whole contest. Lolz….watching too much reality tv and game shows right?

Leader of the First Stage - hope you are not too disappointed with this twist/turn of events. BUT if luck is on your side, there is still a chance that you could walk away the OUTRIGHT WINNER!!! *still, trying to build up some suspense here....hope its working, Lolz*

Stay tuned and the WINNER will be announced at 2pm (Malaysian time) on Thursday 23 April 2009.

Have you VOTED? (Last day)

LAST DAY to cast your vote for the 'Who-R-U?' bento contest/challenge.

We have 11 contestants in total, all anxiously waiting for your vote!! So don't keep them waiting ya! ;)

Steps are very simple - READ here 1st then VOTE here.

GO VOTE 4 your fav bento

This is the First Stage of a two part BENTO FUN event.

Read here FIRST, decided……then cast your vote for your favourite bento entry below.

ONE ‘click’ vote ruling - its simple.

Yes I know all the bentos are wonderful, beautiful and great looking, but just one click.
Yes I am aware of the difficult decision ahead, but just one click.
Opps, you made a mistake? Aiyo….too bad, just one click.
Can’t decide?? Suggest closing eyes and randomly select a number, just one click.
Changed your mind? Sorry, no refund, return or exchange, revoting accepted, just one click.
You know and support all of them? Tough to be in your shoes, but just one click.
Don’t know what to do? Just select and click a number for a bento box which you like best, just one click. Avoid multiple clicking as that may just hang/freeze everything!!
Tempted with multiple clicking??? Quick switch to a different site, just one click.
Still pondering on 'beating the system', sigh.....obviously you didn't understand the rules properly. Re-read the above again, just one click will do.

Got the message????? If so….go vote NOW.

Updated - Poll vote has now closed.

Polls closes at 5pm (Malaysian time) on Wednesday, 22 April 2009.

Further information and announcements of the 2nd & Final Stage will be made at 8pm (Malaysian time) on Wednesday, 22nd April 2009.

Till then…..happy voting.

Contest Round-Up

We have a many SPORTING entrants and am truly glad that they all openly shared some part of themselves – all creatively and beautifully prepared in a bento box. I am certain that I am not alone in saying that everyone enjoyed reading and getting to know more about them.

Also happy to notice and read with great interest the support received from others. Hopefully this will lead to more bento-ers and provide inspiration to others where needed!

For contestants, readers, voters, supporters and all those interested…..here is what you’ve been waiting…..the round-up of the wonderful and creative bento entries received, listed alphabetically. Good luck everyone, you all did well and should be proud of your bentos.


Contestant #1 – bakingobsession (impulsivebaker) @ Jackie from Malaysia

Bento contents: onigri rice, sausages, steamed Japanese sweet potato, kamaboko, half a hard boiled egg, broccoli, meat patties, cherry tomatoes and snow peas.

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is impulsive baker?

A lady who practically ‘lives’ in jeans (owns at least 25 different pairs) and goes around in ‘floppers’. Sometimes feels she looks like an ‘Aunty or tomboy’ but being comfortable is utmost important to her! The only MUST HAVE ‘never-leave-home-without- it’ bit of make-up is lipstick.
Likes to potter around the garden and proud owner of a pair of adorable rabbits.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Jeans (made of kamaboko), rabbits (made of kamaboko), slippers (made of crabstick), garden flowers (made of carrots and sweet peas) and self (made of onigri, nori and crabstick).

Contestant #2 – bentoconcept @ Diana from France

Bento contents: rice, smoked sausage, cheese, cucumber and tomato, asparagus and grilled tuna.


Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is bentoconcept?

Hails from Holland (symbolic of wooden clogs shoes, old houses made of red bricks and tulips). It was in the ‘City of Love’ aka France (symbolic of Eiffel tower, ‘froggie’ and heart), she met and was swept off her feet by a ‘dashing’ prince charming. Like a fairytale, she happily married her prince charming and have a beautiful baby daughter (teenager now).
Loves flowers, food and blogging.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Clogs and walls (made of smoked cheese), tulips (made of cucumber and tomato), Eiffel tower (made of cheese and nori), prince frog (made of cucumber, cheese and nori), baby (radish, cheese and nori), notebook (cheese and nori) and flowers (asparagus and tomato).

To read more (in French), click here or here.

Contestant #3 – bentofun (angeleyes) @ Alice from Malaysia

Bento contents: anchovies fried rice, pan fried oyster sauce chicken wings, broccoli and cherry tomatoes.

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is angeleyes?

A multi-tasking and multi-talented mother, wife and entrepreneur. Currently expecting her second child.
She turned her passion and hobby of baking cakes to a business, selling various wonderful and delectable cakes and cupcakes. An avid blogger, managing at least 4 different websites!!

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Cupcakes (made of strawberry, aburaage (Japanese tofu pouch) and nori) and self (made of fish cake (face), carrot (collar and earrings), lunch sheets (blouse and apron), crabstick and nori (hair and bow)).

To read more, click here.

Contestant #4 – bentomeal @ Arlene from Malaysia

Bento contents: white and brown rice, braised chicken with bean curd, fried bitter gourd with egg, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot and chocolates.

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is bentomeal?

Works in the office by day (usually on phone) and after that, plays a doting wife to her dear husband. Together they own a fluffy dog.
Has a diverse range of hobbies ranging from crocheting, gardening to playing piano. Gifted with ‘green thumbs’, her special interest lies in cultivating miniature cactus and mini-cucumbers.
The ‘dark sweet’ side of her is that she is simply adores chocolates!!

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Piano (made of cheese and nori), flowers and garden (tomato, lunch sheets and cucumber), wok (made of carrot and nori), yellow shoe (made of cheese, fried egg and nori), self & ‘family members’ (made of carrot, cheese, yam and nori).

To read more, click here.

Contestant #5 – bentonbento (bento tigress) @ Joyce from California, USA

Bento contents: egg fried rice, hard boiled eggs, nori, frankfurters, carrot, pasta (garden creatures), chunky bolognaise sauce, broccoli and grapes.

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is bento tigress?

Ferocious as her name may sound and born in the year of the Tiger, this ‘tigress’ is actually a tabby cat in disguise. Behind the exterior lies a ‘tender-hearted’ person who loves all things adorable, fluffy and fuzzy!
Her favourite vegetable is broccoli and she adores flowers.
Loves to give and/or receive hugs. Also enjoys music, nature and Italian food.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Tiger face (made of rice (face), hard boiled eggs (eyes & mouth), frankfurters (ears), carrot (nose) and nori), heart-fuzzy hugs (made of sausage, food picks and nori) and love for nature, music & Italian food (made of garden creatures shaped pasta, sauce and nori).

To read more, click here.

Contestant #6 – bentopet @ Pat from Malaysia

Bento contents: Assorted sushi - (a) 'Tiger face' sushi made up of egg soboro, ground black sesame seeds, simmered kampyo, nori, gamaboko, French bean and Japanese sushi rice), (b) skewered kimchi roll, spring onions with tuna mayo roll and (c) bunga kantan (aka torch ginger flower) veggie roll, cherry tomatoes and wasabi & soya sauce (in the container).

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is bentopet?

Born in the year of the Tiger. She has an outgoing, ‘free and easy’ personality.
Enjoys Japanese food and bento-ing. With great skill and patience, she has a natural knack for making sushi.
Adventurous when it comes to tasting and also experimenting new food and recipes.
Love fruits and vegetables.
Kept ‘young-at-heart’ and on her toes with her 3 precious and chatty girls.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Tiger sushi (see above for more detailed description) and ‘baby cubs’ (made of cherry tomato, nori and 'Kundang' a Thai sweet-sour fruit).

To read more, click here.





Contestant #7 – jacss @ Jaclyn from Malaysia

Bento contents: onigri, prawn sambal/chilli, stir fried seafood (squid and prawns cooked with dried chillies and onions), Japanese fish cake, carrots, endamame, fairy cupcake, watermelon, cherry tomatoes, cheese, chocolates and sweets.


Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is jacss?

She has a colour personality and feels passionately for things.
A truly ‘pedas’ woman, she enjoys her food ‘HOT & SPICY’ and simply can’t get by any meals without those SUPER ‘KENG’ spicy chilli padi-s! Her favourite local food is nasi lemak.
Knows how to look after and pamper herself.
A good dessert is her epitome of a perfect end to a satisfying meal! No coincidence that she also enjoys baking.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Her twin boys (onigri), spicy sambal & seafood, LV bag (made of Japanese fish cake and cheese), ladybird (made of cherry tomatoes and nori) and sweet treats (cupcakes, chocolates and sweets).

To read more, click here or the new here.

Contestant #8 – Kel’s place @ Kelly from Malaysia

Bento contents: kok chai (savoury kuih stuffed with shredded turnips, dried prawn, etc.), braised mushrooms (with oyster and soya sauce), pork chop, sliced potatoes, fried egg, endamame and cherry tomatoes.


Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is Kel?

She is a SAHM and her life surrounds her ‘baby’ girl who happens to be born on Xmas day!! Being a very ‘good girl’ for a whole year, she was thrilled when she was bestowed with the best present of all from ‘Santa’……an adorable baby girl’!
Enjoys ‘keeping fit’ by attending yoga classes.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Baby (made of kok chai), Xmas tree (made of endamame and cherry tomato) and self (made of fried egg and mushroom for hair).

To read more, click here.





Contestant #9 – shoppingmum @ Amy from Bangkok, Thailand

Bento contents: fried pork in dark soya sauce, some green veggie, cherry tomatoes, salmon fillet, red hom mali rice, sweet potatoes and seafood tofu.


Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is shoppingmum?

She is a shopping queen, see the “I Love (the pink heart) 2 Shop” on three shopping bags”. Her current shopping record is 8 hours, with 2 short tea breaks!! She reckons she could have gone on longer but for a tiny but crucial technical hitch....running out of cash!
‘Wavy details’ on blouse represents her love to crochet and knit.
Sometimes wears flowery hair accessories while on vacation and loves the beach (except if it is too sunny!).

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Shopping bags (made on seafood tofu), knitting and flower accessory (made of kamaboko) and self/dress (made of cheese, kamaboko and nori).

To read more, click here.

Contestant #10 – susanyuen @ Susan from Honolulu, Hawaii

Bento contents: rice, fried chicken, veggies (cucumber, cherry tomato and carrots) and fruits (strawberries and grapes).

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is susanyuen?

She loves to cook and must be pretty good at it too since she was previously working as a sous chef at 2 different restaurants before becoming a full time SAHM to 2 beautiful kids.
She lives in the beautiful island of Hawaii which boasts blue skies, hibiscus flowers (Hawaii’s state flower) and plenty of lush ‘swaying’ palm trees.
One of her favourite food is fried chicken.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Palm tree (made of kamaboko and bologna), hibiscus (made of kamaboko), Hawaii background (made of rice, cheese clouds and fish sausage birds) and self/chef outfit (made of cheese, nori and bologna).

To read more, click here.

Contestant #11 – 3lilangels @ Sharon from Malaysia

Bento contents: nasi lemak & sambal, inari sushi with ebbiko and seaweed, kimchi, asparagus, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, carrots, pine nuts, sesame seed dressing (for salad), fun pasta shapes (flower & figures).

Additional description (paraphrased by the organizer):
So WHO is 3lilangels?

Mother to 3 lovely angels - 2 girls and a boy.
An avid pasta collector (in her stash, she currently owns about 20 different packets). BUT not just any normal type, she gets crazy-keen on those unique and cute shaped pasta which are hard to get locally.
In terms of hair-style, she reckons that she's been sporting the same fringe hair-do (to 'cover her wide forehead', so she explains) since her younger teen years.
Favourite local food is nasi lemak. Also enjoys Japanese and Korean food and watching Korean drama shows.

Main ‘symbols’ in the bento box – Self (made of onigri nasi lemak and nori), various fun pasta shapes and kids (made of nori, fishcake (for faces, arms and wings), crabstick (girls dresses) and lunch sheet (boy’s shirt)).

To read more, click here.

That's all our contestants for the FUN bento event - 'Who-R-U?' bento contest/challenge. Hope you enjoyed the 'round-up'.

A poll will/has been created so GO VOTE for your FAVOURITE BENTO posted here.

Closed

Last Call (reminder)....

ONE MORE day before the FUN bento event closes.

Click here for more information.

Please note that the contest will close at 5pm (Malaysian time) on Friday 17th April 2009. TAKE NOTE of the new time. Reason for it is to give the organizer time for some administration processing and coordination, etc. (Besides its a Friday evening, I'm sure all of you have better things to do ya?!)

Finally, just to clarify and amplify - the bento must be made/prepared by the contestant (i.e. you didn't flick the bento credit from someone else who prepared the bento submitted). While 'home-cooked' food is of course highly encouraged as it is healthier, using some 'outsourced' food or commercially bought/processed food like cheese, sausage, kamaboko, etc. is perfectly acceptable.

For the contestants who have already submitted their entries, PLEASE DO NOT WORRY ok, your bento entry is fine :)

REMEMBER this is suppose to be a FUN bento event.

so.....HAPPY BENTO-ING!

Some FUN Announcement

Its all about GIVING BACK and basically......to encourage bento enthusiast and packers.

In my bento journey, I've had a lot of fun learning, getting know and receiving support (virtually of course but all adds up) and drawing inspirations from bento bloggers.

As a 'mom' bento packer, my main focus is to ensure that my rather picky son (MP) eats healthy and well-balanced food (well that is what I aim anyway). I also hope (someday) he realizes the time, love, effort and thought in packing each bento box for him.

So, to mark my 200th bento post in this humble blog, I wish to 'give back' by giving away a prize and what better and fun way (me thinks) than to host a contest. Its my first time hosting a virtual contest (so let's play nice ya ;) ha ha).

For days, I’ve been toying with a simple idea or concept in anticipation.

Actually, the first time I thought about it, I instantly liked it but was a little concern that readers may find it difficult (well I really hope not). I’m not even sure whether its been done before but was aiming for something different. Apparently as I was typing this, I noticed that it has been done before so please refer here for some fab ideas.

Ok enough ranting, the theme of the bento contest/challenge is “Who are YOU?”. This means the bento must be something about YOU (bento-er) and could even include a ‘self-portrait’. Well it is up to YOU to decipher/interpret what the challenge means to you.

So why this particular theme? Well simply because I am interested to know a little more about you (the bento-er) especially those who pack for yourself or others enjoyment. So please pack a bento for yourself and reveal or tell more about YOU in your bento.

I do hope that you (reader) will consider this contest/challenge interesting. Just in case you are contemplating but still not quite convinced, don’t hold back. To assist or give some ideas, I will include in my next post some possible ideas, just as a hint or flavour and basically get things moving.

Remember the bento is about YOU. So please don't be shy, ok!!

Closing dateline is 17 April 2009 at 5 pm (Standard time zone - UTC/GMT +8 hours).

Up for grabs is THIS international prize give away (hope its good enough to entice some entries; sad as it may sound, it was the only 'interesting' thing I could get my hands on from the shops and hence all my KLKK)…. Lolz.

The winning LOOT....

*Limited edition food set/ware by Thermos - great for packing 'warm' lunches. When I say 'limited edition', I mean it was the last available set on the shelf.

Comprises:

1 x 250ml Stainless heat insulated jar (microwave safe without lid)
2 x 190ml containers (microwave safe without lid)
1 x lunch bag

but WAIT, there is MORE.....

Accessories from the BAA HQ (bento addict anonymous) namely the 100yen shop!!

Included are 2 *limited edition items.

Comprises:

1 x *limited edition Pooh Bear container with a belt
1 x Pooh Bear bag
1 x *limited edition pink rabbit scissors
1 x heart puncher
1 x pack of cute food pick
1 x cute vegetable food divider
2 x food cup holder
4 x sauce bottles
assorted coloured food picks

****** ******

This contest is open to all bento-ers even novices. Only qualifier is that the organizer will not guarantee if the prize gets lost, stolen, damaged, confiscated or seized for any reasons whilst being on transit to the winner. With best intentions I really hope you (winner) receives it in one piece and safely.

Some contest ‘House Rules’:

1. Must be a blogger or have your own website. If you don't have one, its pretty easy to get one going. For network reasons: to say 'hello' to existing fellow bento packers and meet or 'welcome' new ones.


2. Create a bento based on the above theme/challenge.


3. Take a photo of your bento. Please ensure that the picture submitted (made by you) is clear and sufficiently large – at least 400 pixels in width or height. I’m NO computer whiz and will not be assisting anyone to resize or make it clearer, etc. If unsure, best to send me a big and clear picture rather than a small one.


4. Email your entry to javasips [at] gmail [dot] com. Your bento picture must reach me by the closing deadline together with the following details:
   
   Name
   Country
   Brief description of bento contents (in English language please)
   Time taken to complete your bento (time is not a judging criteria, just curious how long you normally spend time fixing your bentos)
   Url/website link
   Email contact – Don’t worry, will not be revealing this information.


5. Bento must be made/created by the contestant within the contest period. Be fair, make sure that the bento is made/prepared by you.


6. Only one entry per person is allowed.


7. Optional, you may link your blog/web pages back to this post and include the contest participation icon (see above).


8. The winner will be contacted by email and I will also post it in this blog. If for some bizarre and unknown reason I am unable to establish contact with the winner or the prize remains unclaimed for a period of 30 days commencing from the date of the winning announcement, the winner of the 'first leg' will automatically be entitled to claim the prize.


9. Decisions made by the organizer is final. No appeals will be entertained.


10. Finally, the organizer reserve all rights to vito, refuse or disqualify any entry for any reason including modifying any contest rules and conditions from time to time.
    

Once the contest is closed, a poll will be created for voting which will be opened for 5 days. But WAIT, just to add some suspense….there will be a ‘mysterious twist’ added to the judging rules which will only be revealed at the end of the 5 days voting period (first stage of the contest). Ha ha…think I’ve been watching too much reality TV already! Lolz.

Looking forward to receiving your entry.

I do hope you (reader) will participate and join in the bento-ing FUN!

PS. for those who are interested but unfamiliar or unsure what a bento is, let Biggie explain it all to you!