Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mustappa bin hj Sirat, the Minister of Communications accompanied by Mubashar Khokar, the Chairman of BETTER Sdn Bhd during the official launch of BETTER at Times Square yesterday

The Minister checking out a Volkswagen at the BETTER roadshow

A new term that the community will be familiar with and that is “user-ship” as quoted by Mubashar Khokar, the Chairman of BETTER Sdn Bhd, a new company that allows rental car services and it’s touted to be the biggest in Brunei Darussalam. The guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mustappa bin hj Sirat, the Minister of Communications who gracefully launched the newly automative rental/lease service by BETTER Sdn Bhd.

Even the Minister was impressed with BETTER, commenting on its impressive business model that offers reasonable prices for customers and very convenient. He also mentioned that the leasing option will be economical savvy since the car will depreciate in value after four years (of lease). He added that the target market such as large institutions, embassies, diplomatic missions, government departments with certain disposal policies and multinational companies, will benefit from this newly offered service.

During the welcoming remarks of Mubashar, he praised the hard work of Irwan and his team (of BETTER) for making the service possible for the residents of Brunei Darussalam. He shared how BETTER has a very unique business model and it’s a very strategic expansion for BIBD Group as it’s more than just a car-leasing and rental company in Brunei Darussalam.

He did have an interesting point when he highlighted the term user-ship than ownership as the idea is to educate the public the user-ship is more practical since cars depreciate in value in a long run. At BETTER, they want to provide a better deal to their customers by providing short and long term value for customers’ individual needs with flexibility.

I also love the idea that they even have an app for BETTER which has been highly praised for its interface and user friendliness. It’s available on both Google Playstore and IOS. You can even subscribe the BETTER plan on your app and deliver the car to your doorstep within 24 hours.

The other amazing deal from BETTER is that the prices are inclusive of insurance, road tax, servicing and many more. This is totally different to that of a hire purchase model where the car owner has to still fork out for servicing, insurance and road tax to begin with.

For more information about BETTER, do visit their roadshow at Times Square until the final day Sunday 4th December 2016. So far they are a few brands that have signed up with BETTER and they are KIA, Hyundai, Toyota, BWM, Audi and Volkswagen. You can also follow BETTER on their social media platform on Facebook and instagram @better.brunei

During the launch at Times Square yesterday

The Minister having a chat with Craig Allen, the US Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam

Check out the roadshow of BETTER at Times Square until this Sunday

The Minister checking out the BETTER app and he was quite impressed

Haji Azhar Hj Ahmad, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, Dr. Hi Supry bin Hj Awang, Director of Land Transport and Irwan Lamit, the Managing Director of BIBD At-tamwil

The Minister handing out a token of appreciation to one of the first customers of BETTER

Yang Mulia Awang Mr Chang See Tang, Managing Director of Beesket Brunei Store in KBSentral handed out the the first prize to Pg Jamilah Pg Hassan

Studio Programming RTB KB Supervisor Dayang Naemah Awang handed out a consolation prize to Norashikin Ali who won a printer from Yappe

Sentral Shopping Centre has just completed its Monthly Lucky Draw for the month of November on Sunday, 27th November 2016 at 2.00 pm yesterday. With about 500 short-listed, Sentral Shopping Centre was filled with a huge crowd of hopeful winners but only 16 lucky ones were picked. The prizes range from household appliances to meal voucher to one night stay at Garden Sentral Hotel as well as a LG Brand 43 Inch LED TV for the first winner prize.

The Guest of Honor for the Grand Lucky Draw was Yang Mulia Awang Mr Chang See Tang, Managing Director of Beesket Brunei Store in KBSentral. A total of 16 prizes were given away yesterday. The event commenced with a welcoming speech by the Marketing & Events Manager, Ahmad Anwar Rosly, who proceeded to draw the first 6 winners. It was then preceded by Studio Programming RTB KB Supervisor Dayang Naemah Awang, to draw another 5 winners. Mr Chang then proceeded to draw the other 5 top lucky winners. In between the draws, quiz questions were asked to the audience and the prizes to these quizzes were Cash Vouchers from various outlets under KBSentral.

The first prize winner was won by Pg Jamilah Pg Hassan winning a LG Brand 43 Inch LED TV.

The other top three winners won themselves prizes which includes Philip Brand electrical appliances such as Blender, Coffee Maker, Rice Cooker, Toaster and a Yappe printer.

Lucky Draw coupon holders were reminded to be present at the Grand Lucky Draw presentation, along with their Identity Cards (IC) as proof of identity and their Lucky Draw coupons. Representatives were allowed, but they must bring along their own ICs, as well as the photocopy IC of the winner along with the original coupon. Sentral Grand Lucky Draw the third series will be on 8th January 2017 and the final series on 9th July 2017.

Do follow them on Facebook KB Sentral Shopping Centre and Instagram @kbsentral for all the latest updates on our upcoming event activities!

Md Al-Azim Md Ariwan winning the second prize, a night stay at Garden Sentral Hotel

Marketing & Events Manager, Ahmad Anwar Rosly handed out a consolation prize to Alya Adriana who won a 4 movie ticket at KB Times Cineplex

The November birthday celebrants during the intervals of the lucky draw. A nice gimmick from the Sentral Shopping Centre management

The Top 15 winners for the month of November

This became a popular spot after the lucky draw event. Everyone wants to be a winner 😀

More events coming this week

Something to look forward to in December 😀

Jati Transport Appreciation Day is an event specially organised to thank all Mercedes-Benz Brunei customers for placing their trust in our products and services over the past years.

At the event, our guests were treated to a widespread of international cuisine and their children enjoying an afternoon full of fun activities such as face painting, hand henna, photo booth, etc.

A special demonstration on Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive were also demonstrated at the event with the new S-Class. Our sales executives demonstrated the driver assistance system which helps the driver to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and to remain in the centre of the lane. DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot relieves the strain on the driver, especially on long journeys and in tailbacks.

A Mercedes-Benz powerbank were also given away to those who take part in the Park Pilot challenge and successfully perform the autonomous parking. The Park Pilot system can pilot the vehicle into parking spaces automatically by means of braking and steering intervention. If an automatic transmission is fitted, the speed is controlled automatically and gear changes are automatic also.

Our guests were given the opportunity to test drive a full range of Mercedes-Benz models. Images courtesy of Jati Transport and Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin.

The performers with the Ministers and the Korean Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam

Finally, I managed to catch Jinjo Crew and Coreyah last night at the Indera Samudra Ballroom at The Empire Hotel & Country Club. Thanks to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Brunei Darussalam for the special invitation.

For your info, Jinjo Crew is a top B-Boy dance group and they won numerous accolades for their successes worldwide. The other cultural modern band was called Coreyah and they performed some nice rendition last night to the delight of the crowd.

Anyway, the event last night was a precursor to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Brunei Darussalam of the completion of the newly constructed building for the Diplomatic Enclave at Jalan Kebangsaan.

This was announced by Korean Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Cho Won-myung last night and he shared that the event will lead to more cultural exchanges that would enhance understanding between the people of Korea and Brunei.

The guest of honour for last night’s event was Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awang Halbi bin Hj Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The next performance of Jinjo Crew and Coreyah will be this Saturday at Amphitheater in the evening. Expect more than 3,000 in attendance this weekend. You will surely be entertained 😀

Korean Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Cho Won-myung announced the new Diplomatic Enclave at Jalan Kebangsaan and they will move by 28th December 2016

Awesome combo with Jinjo Crew and Coreyah

The songs even have subtitles for the benefit of the audience

Jinjo Crew stole the hearts of the audience last night

Hello Cynthia and good thing you enjoyed the performances last night

Click image to see the entries for this year’s competition

There will be event organised by the Perfect Companion Group & Parvati Textiles Centre and it is touted as the biggest cat show in Brunei. The SmartHeart Purrfect Cat Competition 2016 is open for the legal residents of Brunei Darussalam and the registration has closed on the 31st October.

The screening and pre-qualifying round will take place this Friday 25th November from 9:30am to 5pm and the grand finals will take place this Friday 25th November 6pm.

Entries will be grouped and scheduled accordingly for pre-qualifying round. Each participant will be notified of their respective batch number and schedule of appearance through phone calls, text messages and email. Schedules will also be posted online (website, facebook and instagram).

Participants must be present during their scheduled screening. “No show” participants during the pre-qualifying round will not be accepted during during the competition proper. During the pre-qualifying round,  basic health screening and consultation will be given as per criteria given.

After series of basic health screening and consultation (Pre-Qualifying Round), entries will be judged for the qualifying round. Thirty (30) lucky entries will be shortlisted for the final round. The qualifiers will be announced during the formal program at 6:00pm.

Grand Finals: 25th November 6pm.
The grand assembly of entries. Each participant shall receive a door gift from Parvati and Smartheart. After the announcement of qualifiers, a group of veterinary doctors shall do the final judging. Qualifiers will be judged based on the criteria given.

Grand Prize:                  BND700.00 Cash + $300 SH Voucher
1st Runner Up:             BND300.00 Cash + $200 SH Voucher
3rd Runner Up:            BND200.00 Cash + $100 SH Voucher
4th Runner Up:            BND100.00 Cash + $100 SH Voucher
5th Runner Up:            BND100.00 Cash + $50 SH Voucher
6th Runner Up:             BND50.00 Cash + $50 SH Voucher
7th Runner Up:             BND50.00 Cash + $50 SH Voucher
8th Runner Up:             BND50.00 Cash + $50 SH Voucher
9th Runner Up:             BND50.00 Cash + $50 SH Voucher
10th Runner Up:           BND50.00 Cash + $50 SH Voucher

One of the entries. Click image to see more.

One of the entries. Click image to see more.

One of the entries. Click image to see more.

One of the entries. Click image to see more.

CALLING ALL LIFESTYLE & HEALTH ENTHUSIASTS!

You’re in for a treat! As Brunei’s FIRST & ONLY HALAL pharmaceutical manufacturer, Simpor Pharma presents our Health Awareness Weekend in conjunction with our 3rd Year Anniversary! 🎉

– Amazing bargains of quality Halal certified Health products,
– Indulge in healthy food/drinks,
– Take part in the Zumba fitness program,
– Become a blood donor to save a life
– Explore the facility where SP products are produced
– and more!

Happening at Simpor Pharma Salambigar Industrial Park on 26 to 27 November from 10am to 5pm! Bring your family and friends and don’t miss out on this journey to an absolute healthy lifestyle.

Follow us @simporpharma on Instagram and like us on Facebook to find out more! See you soon!

Simpor Pharma building located at Salambigar Industrial Park

Performing will be Jinjo Crew, a B-Boy performance and Coreyah, a Korean Folkfore Music Group.

The tickets are FREE! To claim it, all you need to do is to go to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, bring along with your Identification Card. (1 person with I.C. can claim 2 tickets) during office hours from Monday to Thursday. Call 2330250 for further information.

It’s first come, first serve. Enjoy 😀

Jinjo Crew Showcase. What you can expect this Saturday..

Jinjo Crew (B-Boy Group). Image courtesy of 0pic.co.kr

Coyerah, a Korean world music band. Image courtesy of Flushingtownhall.wordpress.com

Jinjo Crew (B-Boy Group). Image courtesy of 0pic.co.kr

It is a fabulous time for those bitten by the travelling bug. From this month until 31st December 2016, Baiduri Bank is offering great rewards and savings for customers who sign up and use their Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card for their purchases in selected destinations namely Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.

Aside from providing users with cashless convenience and PIN based security, customers who sign up for a Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card during the promotion period stand a chance to win amazing travel packages.

For every sign up, customers stand a chance to win either a 4D3N family vacation to Disneyland Hong Kong, a relaxing 3D2N getaway to Bali for 2 or an exciting 4D2N trip to shopping city Kuala Lumpur with a stopover in cultural city of Malacca. Meanwhile, 5 consolation prize winners will receive a Samsonite Aerial Spinner Luggage.

Furthermore, customers can enjoy a fabulous 5% cashback on all their transactions made on their Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card in any of the above countries. This is applicable for cumulative spending of up to BND3000 during the promotion period.

TRAVEL & GET REWARDED WITH BAIDURI UNIONPAY

The Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card requires a personalised identification number or PIN to be keyed in by the cardholder for any transactions to be approved, thus, giving cardholders a high level of protection from fraud or misuse of the card.

The Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card is accepted at over 2,000 local merchants and more than 26 million UnionPay merchants in over 150 countries and allows withdrawals at all Baiduri ATMs, and over 1.9 million ATMs worldwide.

Terms and conditions of the promotion can be viewed on Baiduri Bank website at www.baiduri.com under the Promotions section, or on the Baiduri Bank mobile app – Baiduri Deals. For more information, customers may also contact the Baiduri Call Centre at 2449666.

To be in the know of Baiduri Bank current promotions and events, the public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

We had a fun rafting at Lamapa Adventure

Photo opportunity by the waterfall

What an awesome experience!! This is my third time rafting and this is by far the best rafting experience I had at Ubud, Bali. The service was pretty good and they provided transport from our hotel. But man, the car ride was pretty long and tiring (almost one and a half hours ride). So better pee before you leave the hotel.

The raft guides were very helpful indeed. We had John who gave us pretty good tips and the best way to go smoothly and not being stuck is to listen to the guide and you will be fine. The water is very clear and you will get used to the cold river. As for the rapids, it made our rafting pretty fun 😀

The name of the rafting place is Lamapa Adventure Rafting. It’s around BND 25 which includes transportation, lunch, shower, towel and so on). You can also order photographs during your rafting experience for BND 35. The guide will also bring a dry bag and he will ask you to bring only 1) money 2) phone 3) cigarettes.

The whole rafting experience is 16 km long and it takes about 2 and a half hours. There is a mini drop of 4m near the end and it was pretty fun. So if you happened to be in Ubud, do try out rafting..

My snack during the half way point

The waterfall shot

The ladies had fun too

The 4 meter drop I was talking about

That was a good 2 sec drop 😀

The youngest in our rafting group

The poolside of COMO Uma Hotel at Ubud. Image courtesy of Comohotels.com

My villa room at COMO Uma

It has almost been a week. I’ve been in this magnificent city of Bali where magical moments happen. I haven’t posting anything on my travels just yet on my blog so why not now? Some of my social media buddies have been tied up with their recent visit to Temburong while I cover the city of Ubud in Bali.

For some who are not familiar, Ubud is more like a nature attraction for tourists in Bali. It’s not as busy as Kuta or Seminyak but I could say it’s gradually getting busy. Well, now that more tourists are heading to Ubud, that explains the increasing traffic congestion. So it’s not something that I look forward to as it took us a while to reach certain destinations within Ubud.

Last year around this time, I was in Bali for a toastmasters convention and it was such an untimely manner as there was a volcanic eruption that caused to disrupt the flights in and out of Bali. Hence I was stuck for sometime in Bali and chilling in Bali instead.

Yay!! Now I’m back again and this time we are staying at Uma by Como, Ubud. Two years ago, I was stayed at Maya Ubud and if I were to compare with Uma by Como, I prefer the service here at Uma by Como. The only set back is that the villas doesn’t have a private pool. Boohoo. The food here is great and not as expensive surprisingly. The villa rooms, however, are a different story. Rooms starts around BND 390 on booking.com but we managed to get a better deal since we have a huge group.

Now would I recommend you to stay over at COMO Uma? Definitely for the service and the rooms. Just make sure that you save yourself some $$$. Mind you the COMO Uma is slightly far from Seminyak and Kuta. This is ideal place for couples by the way and just a good getaway from the distractions and the busyness off of Bali. Oh, they also provide shuttle to Ubud Centre and also to the money changer.

The best thing about luxurious hotels in Bali are the beds. I have such great sleep for the past week or so. I could sleep all day 😀

The night version. The nets are quite useful especially with mosquitoes here and there. Not to worry as they provide many repellents around the room. I only got bitten once in my week stay.

The bath tub which I rarely used but shows how spacious the bathroom is.

This is just outside my room. A place to chill and also outdoor shower. Haven’t really used it but I do wish there is a pool

I love the touch of green around the villas.

They have many koi fish here at the COMO and they provide fish food if you feel like feeding them

This taken from the lobby area of COMO Uma

This is the strong reason I love Ubud… The greenery 😀