27/03/2025

LYFE THURSDAY | MAR 27, 2025

23

Events listing

Run Your Way 2025 Pop-Up Date: March 29–30 Time: 6am–12pm, 5pm–9.30pm Venue: Straits Quay Retail Marina, Penang A pop-up event by New Balance FuelCell, the Run Your Way 2025 Pop Up welcomes all runners to experience the performance of FuelCell technology. The Penang roadshow will welcome runners to experience the technology first-hand with the try-ons of the SC Elite v4 and Rebelv4. Other event highlights include a series of community-run sessions and gift redemptions. On Reciprocity Collective Curatorial Statement Exhibition Date: March 7–June 7 Time: 10am–6pm Venue: Think & Tink, Kuching Organised by Borneo Laboratory, this collective exhibition invites reflection on the ways we eat, learn, create, imagine, repair and upcycle. Featuring objects and arranged displays, the exhibition seeks to create a contemplative journey, one that encourages introspection on our relationships with food, knowledge, presence and crisis. The featured objects are products from Borneo Laboratory’s previous On Reciprocity workshops and seminars that were held from Feb 14 to 22. Party All Night Festival: A Kaya Experience Date: April 5 Time: 5pm Venue: JioSpace, Petaling Jaya Tickets: RM88–RM148 A night of live music. Set up by local band Kaya, the event will be a festival-style gig packed with high energy performances, good vibes and some of Malaysia’s best local talents. The members of Kaya are expected to perform hits off their discography, including latest singles Go It Alone and Party All Night . Local acts such as Saint Kylo and Brendan de Cruz will join them on stage. Charles Yang: Glass Violin Concerto Date: April 19 Time: 8pm Venue: Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur Tickets: RM229–RM499 The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) is presenting a debut performance of Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto. Together with Grammy Award winner Charles Yang, MPO will perform the full-scale orchestral work for the first time in the venue since its inception in 1998. The concert will also witness Austrian conductor Katharina Wincor leading the MPO in delivering this outing. Golden Years Parents’ Day Live Concert Date: May 10 Time: 6pm Venue: Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting Tickets: RM188–RM288 The Golden Years Parents’ Day Live Concert 4.0 is making a return. The live concert organised by Multimedia Group will see heartwarming performances from 15 powerhouse artistes, including Hubert Wu, Zhuang Xue Zhong, Nicole Lai, Jaspers Lai and Geraldine Gan who will serenade audiences with popular songs throughout the years.

Malaysia’s happiness edge M ALAYSIANS have a higher level of happiness than the global average and other developed countries in Asia, suggesting a positive outlook on life, according to the Ipsos Happiness Index 2025. Over three-fourths of Malaysians report feeling happy, surpassing the global average of 71%. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN o Survey reveals local optimism about future More than half of Malaysians (59%) are optimistic that life will be better, which is also higher than the global average of 53%. The sentiment remains the same where the people in India and Southeast Asia have a higher level of optimism than those in Japan and South Korea. It is important to remember well-being encompasses more than just economic growth. Mental and emotional well-being are crucial aspects of a fulfilling life. Small gestures of appreciation and kindness can make a significant difference in fostering happiness. All-you-can-read subscription to e-books, audiobooks About 77% of Malaysians reported feeling happy, surpassing the global average of 71% and ahead of Singapore (73%), Japan (60%) and South Korea (50%). Interestingly, India and the Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, show a higher level of happiness than developed nations such as Japan and South Korea. Malaysians see appreciation and family being the key sources of happiness, like the global average. This shows love and appreciation are universally valued, and family is important in people’s lives. The significance of “feeling my life has meaning” among Malaysians could reflect a greater cultural focus on purpose and contribution. About 68% of Malaysians agree their financial situation is the top reason for unhappiness. Financial stability is a universal concern for overall well-being. Malaysians are also particularly concerned about the living condition (31%) and their jobs (25%), reflecting the significant challenges they face due to their living environment and local work culture. “While Malaysians cite financial situation, housing/living conditions and job as their key concerns in life, this does not paint a complete picture of their well-being. Malaysians maintain a positive outlook on life despite these challenges,” said Ipsos Malaysia interim country director Evelyn Tan.

DIGITAL reading retailer and publisher Rakuten Kobo has launched Kobo Plus in Malaysia – the all you-can-read subscription offering book lovers unlimited access to over 2 million e-books and over 300,000 audiobooks starting from RM27. Avid readers and book lovers across Malaysia – including more than 200,000 existing Kobo members – can now access Kobo Plus via the Kobo Books app for iOS or Android and directly on Kobo e-readers to begin discovering new authors and genres. The Kobo Plus e-book and audiobook collection features a breadth of stories, including the latest bestsellers, beloved literary classics, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, sweeping romances, thought-provoking nonfiction and more. “E-books have never been more popular in Malaysia, driven by changing reading habits, increased smartphone usage and a shift towards digital content. With Kobo Plus, we are making reading more accessible and flexible than ever, giving book lovers the freedom to explore a vast and diverse catalogue without limits. Whether it is discovering new authors, diving into different genres or reading across multiple devices, Kobo Plus is designed to fit seamlessly into the way Malaysians read today – and how they will read tomorrow,” said Rakuten Kobo president and CEO Michael Tamblyn. The Kobo Plus catalogue is ever-growing, with more titles being added to the collection each month. The service has three budget-friendly subscription plans:

From left: Rakuten Kobo Asia general manager Julian Chou, Lingzi Media president and chief editor Denon Lim, Tamblyn, Rakuten Asia director Hironori Shimada and Focus Publishing chief editor Maureen Ho launching Kobo Plus. 0 Kobo Plus Read: Unlimited e-books for RM27 per month 0 Kobo Plus Listen: Unlimited audiobooks for RM27 per month 0 Kobo Plus Read and Listen: Unlimited e-books and audiobooks for RM35 per month Kobo reading app, users can easily explore new authors and series. Kobo’s portfolio of e-readers – which includes Kobo Libra Colour, Kobo Clara Colour, Kobo Clara BW, Kobo Elipsa 2E and Kobo Sage – with their innovative features such as waterproofing and ComfortLight Pro for blue light reduction, along with stylus compatibility and page-turn buttons in the higher-end models, further enhance the Kobo Plus reading experience for modern booklovers on the go. With unlimited reading for a fixed monthly fee, the Kobo Plus subscription is for avid readers who go through multiple books a month, as well as those who like to sample a few chapters before committing. With a Kobo e-reader or the free