GRADUAN INSPIRING GREATER ASPIRATIONS IN EAST MALAYSIA

What would you get when you bring some of Malaysia's leading corporations and top talents together with exhilarating activities? A stimulating day of networking and talent matching, of course! That is exactly what is in store this March at the GRADUAN ASPIRE BORNEO CAREER FAIR, to be held in Kuching, Sarawak for the second year running. 

GRADUAN® ASPIRE: 5 years on

A highly anticipated career and networking fair, GRADUAN ASPIRE was first conducted in Kuala Lumpur in 2011, and has since been receiving enthusiastic response from talents and industry leaders alike, attracting thousands of visitors to its booths annually. There, job seekers as well as those wishing to pursue their post-graduate studies have the opportunity to meet, interact and glean first-hand information from renowned corporations and institutions in their chosen fields. More than that, talents are also given greater industry exposure and a chance to impress prospective employers with their skills set through the many exciting programmes held throughout the fair. 

Recognising the potential to unearth and inspire even more talents, GRADUAN ASPIRE extended its reach to East Malaysia last year. Its debut in Kuching saw more than 5,000 talents learning more of the opportunities available to them, whilst some of the country's leading corporations including Nestle, Shell, Alliance Bank, Maybank and PETRONAS were able to source for the most promising talents in Sarawak to join their organisations. The inaugural GRADUAN career fair in Kuching was also highlighted by an Inter-varsity Battle that presented participants with a challenge to globally market Sarawak's unique foods and products.

Bigger and bolder

This year, the GRADUAN ASPIRE BORNEO CAREER FAIR returns to Malaysia's Cat City with an extended list of participating exhibitors and partner institutions; featuring 30 prominent corporations including ASTRO, CIMB, Maybank, Shell, Sarawak Energy & NAIM along with partnership with 13 renowned education establishments such as Sunway College, Swinburne University of Technology, UNIMAS and UiTM Sarawak. 

The fair will also once again incorporate the sensational Inter-varsity Battle where five short-listed teams compete on centre stage, this time to present a winning pitch to promote Sarawak tourism on an international scale. Other highlights of the 2015 GRADUAN career fair include an exclusive talk by an industry leader on making the right choices for a successful future, as well as a lucky draw to win exciting prizes such as a GoPro camera and iPod shuffle. 

Save the date

With offers of unparalleled access to some of Malaysia's biggest corporations and institutions as well as exhilarating activities to boot, the GRADUAN ASPIRE BORNEO 2015 is surely one of the most engaging career fairs ever to take place on Malaysia's Eastern shore. It is an occasion not to be missed, most especially for talents wanting to stand head and shoulders above the rest!

Organised by GRADUAN, the GRADUAN ASPIRE BORNEO 2015 will be opened to the public on 14th March 2015, from 10am to 5pm at the Pullman Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak.

For more information or to register for Malaysia’s premier career and postgraduate fair, log on to graduan.com/aspire 

List of participating exhibitors:

AEON, ASTRO, AXIATA, BANK RAKYAT, BIOTECH CORPORATION, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO, CIMB, DRB HICOM, ECO WORLD, HGST, INTEL, LAFARGE, MAYBANK, NAIM, PRESS METAL, PRUDENTIAL, PUBLIC BANK, SECURITIES COMMISION MALAYSIA, SARAWAK ENERGY, SHELL, TAYLOR’S EDUCATION GROUP, TEACH FOR MALAYSIA, TELEKOM MALAYSIA.

Fake or Original Ray-Ban?

 Ray-Ban New Wayfarer Classsic (RB2132)

Other than shoes, I also love eyewear. I've been wearing the same Calvin Klein sunglass with polarised lenses for many years. Just for a change, I recently purchased an original Ray-Ban New Wayfarer Classic. I'm a fan of Wayfarer glasses. However, it took me a very long period of time to educate myself how to differentiate between an original piece and a counterfeit Ray-Ban. As we all know there are plenty of fake Ray-Ban out there sold for a much cheaper price. It's unbelievably identical from the packaging to the finished product. If you look carefully, indeed there are some noticeable differences. 

1. The Retail Box - The original box is not glossy but feels and looks 'matte'. Besides, there's a label or barcode at the side which you can use the smartphone to scan and check if the information is relevant and matched the Wayfarer. 

2. The Carry Case - The most obvious difference about the carry case is the button, it should be engraved with the word Ray-Ban. The fake ones don't have that and the cases usually come in brown colour for Wayfarer. The Ray-Ban logo is always written in gold font. Apart from that, the case should have a premium feel to it and hard on the front. 

3. The Manufacturer's Information Note and Cleaning Cloth - The information note is printed clearly on glossy quality paper. The manufacturer's address should be at the very bottom of the paper, not in the middle. The back of the note is supposed to have entirely black background, the counterfeit one will have white background at the bottom half. Besides, the cleaning cloth should feature the red Ray-Ban logo which also includes the registered circled trademark 'R'. 

4. The Gold Sticker and Left Lens Etching - There should be a glossy gold sticker on the lens and it uses static to stick. The fake one has a matte gold sticker. The original sticker words are clear and sharp. Also notice the silver beads at the sides are in small size and oval. If you look close enough, the left lens has a small etching 'RB' which is subtle and soft.

5. The Temple Arms - The temple arms curved inwards if viewed from on top. The fake ones are straight, it makes your sunglass slips off easily. Normally Ray-Ban sunglasses have metal built inside the temple arms to reinforce the sturdiness. 

6. The Badge - It should be attached into the arms and not glued. The words are shiny and small. 

7. The Temple Arms Information - Do check the model information printed on both arms. If you don't see any model number, "MADE IN ITALY" and "CE", then you're certainly getting a knock-off Wayfarer. The number 52-18 shows the size of your sunglass. 52 means 52cm lens while 18 means 18cm arms. 3N is to indicate the category of filter. 3 means high while N means it's a normal filter. The words should be printed nicely and clear. 

8. The Hinges - Hinges at the corners should be made of good-quality metal construction. They are cleanly bolted to the glasses, not glued. Besides, the hinges feel tight when you try to fold or unfold them. 

Nevertheless, bear in mind just because your Ray-Ban doesn't have certain indicators as I've mentioned above it doesn't mean yours is the counterfeit sunglass. When you are getting one, it should feel authentic and you can tell from the build quality. It shouldn't feel or look cheap. Be extra careful when you shop online for a pair of Ray-Ban sunglass. The best is to visit an optical shop and inspect the sunglass yourself before buying. I've seen online sellers offer online shoppers the replicas of Ray-Ban. You should know the fact that none of the original Ray-Ban sunglass is sold for as low as RM150. I hope this sharing helps to guide you in purchasing a Ray-Ban sunglass. 

TOMS Original Canvas Classic

I may not be the most stylish person to walk down the street, but that doesn't mean I'm not into fashion. I have a hidden obsession like everybody else too, I really love shoes ever since my childhood. I love to observe what people wear on their feet. I don't have that many shoes like most ladies as I'm very choosy, especially regarding comfort and style. Having torn meniscus in the right knee and torn ACL in the left one definitely will influence the way I pick my shoes. Comfort, design, quality and price always come into mind before I make any decision to purchase a pair of shoes. Flat shoes is always the best option.

I've been following TOMS Instagram since I knew about its existence. Each time we buy a pair of TOMS, we are actually giving another pair to a child in need. The idea came about when an American traveller Blake Mycoskie became friends with children who had no shoes to wear in an Argentinian village. That was how he started the company TOMS, to help these children to protect their precious little feet. It's good to know that we can give back to the world by getting a pair of TOMS. So, for my first pair I bought the Original Canvas Classic Navy as I love simplicity and blue colour. The shoes come with stickers and shoe bag. TOMS has just opened its first store in Malaysia back in 2014. I hope it will reach our shore soon!