The Suzuki Ignis with the Hikarii bodykit with the sales team of Boustead Sdn Bhd (Suzuki) at The Mall today

Check out the Suzuki Hikarii Roadshow at The Mall. Happening today and tomorrow, Sunday 24th September. So far it has been a good hit among the crowd. Their roadshow has been overwhelming since morning.

The Suzuki models that are being showcased are the Suzuki Swift GLX/GL and Suzuki Ignis. Now they are fitted with a bodykit called “Hikarii”. Both the models were launched a few months ago and now for interested customers, you can enjoy the additional bodykit on these models and yes, they are JPD approved.

There will be games and mascot appearances hosted by McDonald’s at the Mall Atrium to support the Suzuki Hikarii Roadshow. And who knows you might be the lucky ones when you get a FREE McCafe voucher for every prospect who checks out the Suzuki models.

On Sunday, there will be a colouring contest, also hosted by McDonald’s.

So do drop by The Mall to check out the Suzuki Hikarii Roadshow and tomorrow is the final day.

A nice finish for the Suzuki Ignis

The Suzuki GLX with Hikarii bodykit

McDonald’s running activities for the children

The appointed agent for the Suzuki Hikarii bodykit

Sales team with the McDonald’s mascot

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hajah Nurul Amal Munjiatul Athirah, Junior Producer at Origin Film, Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT)and the Secretary of the Brunei Tourism Board, Siti Kamaluddin, co-founder of Origin Films and Din Kamaluddin, co-founder and producer of Origin Films during the press conference of Brunei Film Blitz at Progresif Headquarter

Wanna win cash prize for showcasing your talent? There are two categories – The Open Category for BND 5,000 and the 48 Hour Film Blitz for BND 10,000. The respective winners will also walked away with a camera.

This was announced by Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT)and the Secretary of the Brunei Tourism Board and Siti Kamaluddin, the founder of Origin Artistic Management at Progresif Headquarters last weekend.

The event known as Brunei Film Blitz will be finale for the Brunei December Festival 2017 and it will be held on 29th to 31st December 2017. The three day event includes a screening of shortlisted films, master classes with industry professionals, a 48-hour Film Blitz and an awards night.

So let’s go in-depth with the categories: the open category is where film makers can submit their films of any genre (fiction, documentary or animation). It must be shot in Brunei Darussalam and the entry can be of length below 12 minutes duration inclusive of titles and credits. You can send in your older clips but short films made before 2016 will not be accepted. You can send in as many short films as possible. Of course, the more the merrier. The first prize will be BND 5,000 prize and a camera.

As for the 48-hour Film Blitz, it’s new of its kind film competition. The challenge comes when the participants were only given 48 hours to create a short movie. The other catch is that the participants will be given a “secret ingredient” that has to be included in their films. The grand winner of this category will win BND 10,000 and a camera.

The interesting thing is that both categories are open to all walks of life – meaning it’s open to Bruneians, Permanent Residents and everyone, and I mean, everyone, be it tourist. The condition is simple. Just make sure the videos/films are shot in Brunei Darussalam to be eligible. This also means all film makers in Brunei can partake in this contest. Don’t be shy 😀

On Friday 29th September, Origin will host a workshop with industry professionals. For your info, the juries for the competition will be international film makers and sponsors.

Wardi was very excited that this event will help to spur the creativity among the locals and at the same time, showcasing what Brunei Darussalam has to offer. He also hopes tourists will join in the contest. Siti Kamaluddin wants the entries to be creative and open, unearthing their talents in film making in Brunei context. So you can even talk about things like ambuyat, durian, kampung ayer, simply anything.

Registration is already open and you can download the form here and then submit to Origin Artistic Management, Unit 7 BT Complex, Jalan Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa BE2513, Brunei Darussalam.

You can also follow @bruneifilmblitz on instagram for updates.

Team Mardi and Amy working around the clock during the rehearsal of Shrek the Musical at JIS Arts Centre Theatre

Relentless Entertainment Brunei will be holding their fifth (5th ) musical production, ‘Shrek’ The Musical this weekend.

The musical will take place for two (2) days – Saturday, 16th September (7.30pm Premier Show) and Sunday, 17th September (1.30pm Matinee show and 7.30pm evening show) at the Jerudong International School (JIS) Arts Centre Theatre.

Tickets are priced at $25 & $35 (Based on seating zones) and are available for purchase at Relentless Studios (B21, 2nd Floor, Gadong Central), R&C Café (UBD Library), The Coffeebean & Tea Leaf Times Square, Supa Save Mata Mata & Supa Save Seria outlets as well as YippyTune Music School (B19, 2nd Floor Gadong Central).

Tickets will also be available at the door during the performance but do contact please contact 8243222 / 7186225 if they still have seats.

Rano’s thoughts: I’ve seen quite a few musicals produced by Relentless Entertainment and my favourite has been Belle. The production value also have improved over the years and the JIS Arts Centre Theatre is always a great venue for a musical play.

I paid a visit during their rehearsal recently and the team has been really hard as always to make this a success. The team have been practising for at least three months and during the rehearsal, they looked solid.

The costumes looked awesome and even the props!! Do watch out for the giant dragon on stage.

Princess Fiona and Shrek

Team Lord Farquaad

Lord Farquaad and the gingerbread man

At the dragon’s liar

The fairy tale creature

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Alice Chan, Financial Controller of Concepts Computer with Darren Ng, Channel Manager for D-Link

It was a beneficial for the resellers of D-Link products, one of the largest producers of networking solutions in the region, as there was a training session organised by Concepts Computer, their local distributor.

The resellers were given training on the D-Link products by Darren Ng, Channel Manager for D-Link and this will allow the resellers more knowledge to assist potential customers in Brunei.

D-Link has multiple products such as wireless routers, repeaters, powerless, IP cameras and SMB solutions.

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer, said, “With training provided by D-Link for Brunei partners for free, Concepts hope that their products will be better serve potential customers in Brunei. Hopefully, with the affordable networking solutions D-Link provide, and the free training provided to partners, D-Link can make a better impact in the Brunei market.”

Also present were Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Alice Chan, Financial Controller of Concepts Computer.

For more information on D-Link products, please call 223 3351, 223 3552 or 223 3553 or visit their Facebook Page or instagram @conceptscomputer_bn

Resellers applying the materials given by Darren Ng

Darren Ng sharing knowledge of wifi routers

FREE PREVIEW:
[Presentation Skills for Youth – September Intake]
[Limited to 20 Seats]
Academic excellence is futile if we are unable to articulate our ideas and opinions to the world.
To parents who wish to empower their children (14-20yrs old) with the ability to achieve success by communicating effectively, find out how by attending this free preview.
Book a seat by texting +673 8777818 or log on to www.articulation.co to find out more.

How can the youth benefit from this workshop? Straight As and degrees that used to guarantee scholarships and a job offer are now a minimum requirement. With increasing competition, year by year, how do you ensure that you shine the brightest among all the other stars?

To stand out among your peers, you must complement your academic excellence with your ability to communicate.

Get ahead by learning how to clearly think logically, present cohesively, construct arguments intelligently and express your unique opinions in educational settings and beyond. Excel in your class presentations, oratory contests or scholarship and entrance interviews. It’s never too early to start learning effective communication.

At Articulation, we believe youth have the unlimited potential to achieve boundless successes in the future. Let us equip you today with the knowledge and confidence to communicate your ideas to the world, tomorrow.

Stuart Lee with the young executives recently in September

About Stuart Lee.

Stuart Lee is a trainer and award-winning speaker. For the past 15 years, he has trained over hundreds of speakers to communicate effectively and also mentored many international speech champions. He has the ability to identify, nurture and fulfil the potential of individuals through a unique blend of unconventional methods and real life experience.

In 2013, Stuart became the lead trainer of Rhymin & Partners conducting over hundreds of training. He has trained more than a thousand participants from government ministries, multi-national companies, local corporations, companies and SMEs in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

Before he was a trainer, Stuart started his career at 23 as a lecturer teaching public speaking for IELTS students. Since then, he has also been in various corporate communication positions for 10 years across the media, advertisement, ICT and construction industries in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

Throughout his career, Stuart has been involved in numerous speaking engagements as a speaker, emcee, judge, coach, and moderator.

In 2014, Stuart was privileged to be the first ever TEDxspeaker in Brunei at the TEDxGadong. Moving in full circle, he recently became the trainer of the latest batch of TEDxGadong speakers. Among others, he also trained the Brunei Info-Communication Technology Awards (BICTA) participants, UBD debate team, RTB DJs and the TAIB Entrepreneurs Program.

Occasionally, he has also moderated regional and international events such as the ASEAN Summit, AMBD workshop, National Environment Conference and for local NGO’s such as SCOT’s, Beach Bunch and ASEAN Youth Conference. He has also judged speaking contests such as the UBD/BSP Green Debate, IET’s Present Around the World competition, iCentre’s IGNITE Entrepreneurship Challenge and TAIB Entrepreneurs Program Finals among others.

Shaun Hoon, the founder of Inspire magazine, will be sharing a compilation of the most powerful stories and lessons learned from the publications

Inspire will be launching the first of the 8 Masterclass Series starting Monday, 18th September, for the next 4 weeks. The organizer will be kicking off with the title on “The Art of Selling” by sharing about why the top sales professionals succeed, and interesting observations such as the similarities and differences between selling a pair of $100 shoes and a $1 million oversea property from personal experience.

The Masterclass Series will be conducted by Shaun Hoon, the founder of Inspire magazine, who will be sharing a compilation of the most powerful stories and lessons learned from the publications. According to Shaun, this is an initiative to help counter the wary mindset faced by business owners today, who are going through the current economic challenges. Shaun noted: “We can either sit there and whine about the situation, or come together to remove the scarcity mindset through education and collective thinking.”

What makes these Masterclasses unique is that unlike academic studies, they do not engage in discussing theories or hypotheticals. “Each Masterclass is guided by powerful stories of success and failures, for students to gain from the strategies that worked and learn through the lessons from prior mistakes, to level up their game.” According to Shaun.

“It is my objective to conduct these Masterclasses in a small, intimate setting to create the perfect conditions to help attendees to broaden and foster a growth mindset through two ways interactions, whilst being supported by likeminded people that will encourage and make each other accountable for succeeding.” He further added.

These Masterclasses are for the people whom the organizer describes as “the students of life”, those who want to find purpose and give meaning to their work, change the world for the better and those who are serious about lifting their games.

What attendees are expected to Learn from these Masterclasses include:

• How to be a masterful communicator.
• How successful people think and function.
• How to create business opportunities out of nothing.
• The life skills required to overcome any adversity.
• How to discover your value, and life purpose and how you can make a difference.

According to Shaun, what makes these Masterclasses valuable are not just the lessons from his own experiences, but some of the sharing of the most powerful stories and strategies used by the most successful people whom he interviewed in Brunei and around the world for Inspire magazine. Some of them includes: Robert Kiyosaki, Fan Bingbing, Marshall Goldsmith, Shila Amzah, Dato Timothy Ong and Wu Chun.

The organiser will be giving out 5 complimentary slots for each session to students and individuals who are financially strapped. You can download the full details about the Masterclasses at www.YesInspire.com/training. There are limited seats on each section and you can contact 717 4286 or email shaun@catalyst.com.bn for bookings or details.

Sabre Travel Network (Brunei) Sdn Bhd hosted the Brunei Travel Fair 2017 last month at the Banquet Hall, International Convention Centre and yesterday was the prizes presentation to honour the winners of the lucky draw campaign that took place during that weekend.

So how did it fare? Pretty good in fact. It attracted more than 13,500 visitors to the travel fair and the bookings received increased by 24% from last year’s. That’s pretty encouraging number considering the economic climate of Brunei Darussalam.

Irene Soon, General Manager of Sabre Travel Network (Brunei), appreciated all the partners and supporters involved in making the travel fair another success.

The prize presentation ceremony took place at Emperor’s Court and it was attended by Sabre Travel Network (Brunei), Baiduri Bank, Royal Brunei Airlines and travel agencies. The prizes were sponsored by Sabre Travel Network (Brunei), Baiduri Bank, Royal Brunei Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

The winners.

Malaysia Airlines sponsored returned tickets and the winners were Dk Majeedah Pg Hj Jeludin, a return flight ticket to Penang via Kuala Lumpur and Muna Atiqah Abdul Nadir, a return flight ticket to Langkawi via Kuala Lumpur.

Royal Brunei Airlines sponsored air tickets and Royal Skies Points and the winners were Lim Shar Lun, winning two return flight tickets to any Royal Brunei Airlines long haul destination, Mohd Saiffuddin Mohd Yusop, winning two return flight tickets to any Royal Brunei Airlines short haul destination annd Hj Shahri Hj Zainal, winning 50,000 Royal Skies points.

As for the Sabre Travel Network winners, they were Mahani Md Yussof (GoPro Hero 5), Norhayati Malai Abdullah (Matrix HD TV), Ms Chong Nyan Mee (Philips TV) and Malinee Bumrungkit (Mayer Healthy Fryer).

For the Fidget Spinner Competition organised by Royal Brunei Airlines, the winners were Md Shahirul Azuan Md Effendi for Category A and Wan Farhan Hj Ibrahim for Category B. Both of them won a return flight ticket to any Royal Brunei Airlines short haul destination.

For the Travel Agent category, all the destinations – Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and London belonged to two travel consultants from Pan Bright Travel for their top selling destinations during the travel fair.

For the top Travel Agents award, Freme Travel Services came first while Pan Bright Travel Service came second and Darussalam Holdings finished third.

Check out the new Audi A5

Check out the new Audi A5

The new generation of the A5 is athletic, sporty, elegant and intelligent. Its design goes hand in hand with sophisticated aerodynamics. Under the skin, the A5 impresses with an all-new chassis, powerful engine, as well as innovative infotainment features and driver assistance systems.

Design and body
The new Audi A5 range sports a fresh, modern and honed look. It is nevertheless true to its DNA with the sporty and elegant character being passed down to the new generation. An example is the now three-dimensional shoulder line in the form of a wave, already prominent in the preceding model. The precise, sweeping line with pronounced bulges over the wheel arches emphasizes all four wheels – a hint at the quattro all-wheel drive, which is standard for Brunei models.

The balanced proportions with a long engine hood, the stretched wheelbase and short overhangs underscore the sportiness of the new A5 Coupé. The sculpted Singleframe grill is significantly flatter and wider than in the previous model. The standard LED rear lights and Matrix LED headlights with dynamic turn signals make high-end technology visible even after dark.

The Audi A5 range is significantly more efficient than its predecessor. This is due in large part to a reduction in weight as well as sophisticated aerodynamics. The engineers were able to trim the curb weight by up to 60 kilograms (132.3 lb). The body is the lightest in the competitive field thanks to an intelligent mix of materials and lightweight design. With a Cd value of 0.25, the A5 Coupé is the front runner in its segment when it comes to aerodynamics.

Interior
The interior benefits from the increased dimensions and longer wheelbase. The luggage compartment offers a volume of 465 liters (16.4 cu ft), 10 liters (0.4 cu ft) more than with the previous model. For the 4-door Sportback model its 480 liters (17.0 cu ft).

Space for driver and passengers is more generous. The ambient lighting with 30 selectable colours creates a fitting mood for the interior. The new A5 Coupé is also at the head of its class in aeroacoustics.

Drive system
The new Audi A5 Coupé and Sportback for Brunei will launch with a new 185 kW (252 hp) TFSI engine. Compared with the previous model, they offer up to 17 percent more performance while consuming as much as 22 percent less fuel.

A seven-speed S tronic is used with the four-cylinder engine together with quattro all-wheel drive as a standard feature.

Suspension
The entirely newly developed chassis in the Audi A5 offers the driver optimal comfort and a simultaneously high level of agility. The A5 thus handles narrow, winding mountain roads and long trips on the freeway with equal aplomb. Audi offers a suspension with damper control as standard. It is integrated into the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, so that the driver can set the basic characteristics in several stages.

The electromechanical power steering is also a new development from Audi. It adapts to the vehicle’s current speed and provides highly precise road feedback.

Infotainment and Audi connect
The new A5 range for Brunei is now available for the first time with the Audi virtual cockpit, a 12.3-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1,440 x 540 pixels. Together with the MMI navigation plus including an 8.3-inch monitor on the center console, it forms the central information unit. The focal point of the MMI terminal is the round rotary/push-button control. Its surface is home to the touch-sensitive touchpad.
The whole MMI control logic is similar to that of a smartphone, including the intelligent free-text search function. The new voice control system can recognize input made using everyday language, such as: “I want to call Peter”.

With the Audi smartphone interface, Apple Car Play and Android Auto bring the familiar smartphone environment into the car, if desired. For especially discerning hi-fi fans, the Bang & Olufsen Sound System with its innovative 3D sound is available as standard.

Audi A5 Sportback
The 4-door Sportback version has grown significantly inside. Its interior length has gained 17 millimetres (0.7 in), the shoulder room for driver and front passenger up to 11 millimetres (0.4 in) and the rear knee room 24 millimetres (0.9 in).

With 480 liters (17.0 cu ft) of luggage capacity, the A5 Sportback rates among the best in its class.

The body of the new Audi A5 Sportback is the lightest in the segment. An intelligent mix of materials makes it 15 kilograms (33.1 lb) lighter than that of the predecessor. The overall weight of the new generation has fallen by as much as 85 kilograms (187.4 lb) to just 1,470 kilograms (3,240.8 lb), excluding the driver.

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Abdul Mun’im bin Pengiran Anak Haji Tahiruddin, the Managing Director of The Coffee Bean® Brunei with His Excellency Craig Allen, the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam at the relaunch of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Centrepoint

With invited guests to witness the 16th anniversary of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

The Coffee Bean® celebrates their 16th Anniversary of brewing in Brunei with the renovation of their first outlet that opened in 2001 located at the Centrepoint Hotel. The new concept embraces the Southern California roots of where the American coffee franchise was born.

The new Californian look and layout engages customers with their surroundings by offering easier interactions with baristas and community message walls for patrons to localize. Frederick Milin, Brand Manager of PAR Food & Beverages Sdn. Bhd. shares, “It’s important for us to evolve and change with our customer’s needs. Based on the feedback of our regular customers, the present look is a fresher and lighter theme paying tribute to the Californian lifestyle element while the layout has increased customer seating and provides a better area for large groups that frequent our Centrepoint outlet.”

The official reopening was officiated by guest of honour Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Abdul Mun’im bin Pengiran Anak Haji Tahiruddin, the Managing Director of The Coffee Bean® Brunei with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Also present was His Excellency Craig Allen, the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam. The ceremony began with the recitation of Doa selamat followed by welcoming remarks and was followed by a cheque presentation to three charitable organizations by public donations and contributions from The Coffee Bean®. The three organizations were namely Centre for Children with Special Needs, SMARTER Brunei and Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam with a total amount of $6,000.

The event also marked the launching of new merchandise namely the 16th Anniversary T-Shirt and the Ice Blended 16th Anniversary T-Shirt retailed at $23.00 each including the addition of two new permanent Ice Blended drinks – Berry’d Treasure, a blend of berry juice and vanilla and the ever popular Cookies & Cream which now comes in Mocha or Vanilla flavoured.

To find out more news or promotions follow The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® on Instagram at @coffeebean_brunei and like them on facebook at facebook.com/thecoffeebeanbrunei.

Guest of honour with his welcoming remarks

Handing over of donations to three charitable foundations in Brunei Darussalam

The new facelift inside Gadong outlet

Now they have an upper area. Cool 😀

Are you ready for the Audi quattro Cup Brunei Charity Golf Tournament 2017?

After a successful 7th edition last year, TCY Motors as the sole Audi dealer/importer is once again organizing its annual CSR activity the Audi quattro Cup Brunei Charity Golf Tournament 2017 from 29th September to 1st October at the Royal Brunei Golf and Country Club, Jerudong.

Since its launch in 2010, the Audi quattro Cup Brunei has donated over $100,000.00 to various local charities and NGOs. For this year’s event, golfers’ entry fees will be donated towards the National Welfare Body Fund under the Community Development Department JAPEM. All golfers are welcomed to participate.

Attractive ‘Hole-in-One’ prizes also await participating golfers: a Victory and Royal Enfield motorcycle, an Audi A4 Sedan and Audi Q3 SUV. Not bad at all 😀

A lucky draw will also be held for all participating golfers during the trophy presentation.

The tournament format is Greensome Stableford (best ball).

The World Final in Mexico with more than 47 countries participating will be held from December 1st until 5th, the winners of all national Audi quattro Cup qualifiers will meet at the Quivira Golf Club Los Cabos to compete for the final victory.

Forms are now available at the Audi Kiarong showroom. For more information, call 2442333 ext16 during office hours.