Archive for April, 2015
Age of Ultron
Our podcast review with my co-host Del Goh on Avengers: Age of Ultron on 4Dx experience at Paragon Cineplex. Click play to listen to our review.
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Forgive me
Now previously known as Sixth Sense has been taken over by Sheraton and the villas have been renamed as Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas
The service is still excellent especially when we were checking in
Good morning, readers!!! If you have been following my on instagram, you would probably know where I am right now. Yes, I have been away for quite some time now and I’m still here at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas, Hua Hin, Thailand. I was here exactly 5 years ago at the same place but it was under Evason Sixth Sense. Now half of the hotel area (the villa side) has been taken over by Sheraton (under Starwood). There were some minor changes but the most thing I truly missed is the personalised butler that we use to have. I recalled I was requesting for an iron and iron board. The lady butler came to our villa with the items but she did an extra more which was ironing my clothes on the spot *lol* Now that’s what I call service. Since the new management, we don’t enjoy that privilege anymore.
The villas are awesome as always and I highly recommend to friends who simply want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Thailand. This is my third trip to Hua Hin and it’s about a 3 hour ride from Bangkok too. I love the quietness and it’s a place where I could just relax my mind and think less about unnecessary things such as work and even my blog *lol*
We are quite fortunate to have a very good rate for our villas and it costs us USD 350 per night. Our room is a two story villa and my bed is located at the living room area while my buddies are sleeping upstairs. We have a mini private pool as well and a small jacquzzi. The wifi is pretty fast as well. It’s as fast as 18-19 megs. Awesome but it can lagged especially at night time. I would have to say that the wifi is way better than the dongle mifi I rented (BND 85 for a week) and it’s only 3 megs at best.
So peeps, I won’t be blogging for a while now.. Maybe I will back in two days’ time. I’m gonna enjoy the last few days here in Hua Hin.
Our two story villa 😀
Swimming at our private pool
We can rent bikes from the villas and cycle around the area to explore. Very convenient.
Night time at Sheraton Pranburi Villas
Hanging out with my buddies
Sarina is having a blast this trip. Full of joy and laughter.
My friends’ villa
Trying out the Sixth Sense Spa next door with my buddies
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It’s a new day
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Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few.
Irwan Bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBD At-Tamwil Berhad (center) during the press conference of second BIBD At-Tamwil University Cup. Image courtesy of Norliha Din of The Brunei Times.
A press conference was hold by BIBD At-Tamwil and Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) to announce the second inter-university football tournament at BIBD At-Tamwil lecture room in Gadong last weekend. It’s good to know the tournament is back because it was such a big hit with great attendance (even better than the local league organised by NFABD). The last tournament was two years ago where UBD was crowned the champions.
Now there will be more interesting as there will be 10 universities and higher learning institutions such as ITB, University Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (Unissa), the Seri Begawan Religious Teaching College University (KUPUSB), Politeknik Brunei, Cosmopolitan College of Commerce & Technology, International Graduate Studies (IGS) College, Micronet International College, Laksamana College of Business (LCB) and also an invitation to Curtin University from Miri, Sarawak.
The second BIBD At-Tamwil University Cup is supported by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth Culture and Sports and Ministry of Home Affairs and sanctioned by National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD). Present during the press conference and the draw was Irwan Bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBD At-Tamwil Berhad.
The tournament and the opening ceremony will kick off on 17th of May at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium and the tournament will run until 13th of June. Expect the other matches to be played at Berakas Sports Complex and Royal Brunei Recreation Club (RBRC) football field.
Members of the public are invited to watch the event as entrance is free and stand a chance to win amazing prizes throughout the match. Let’s hope for another big turnout in the matches and I’m pleased that the BIBD At-Tamwil University Cup is back!! You can follow their Facebook Page or instagram @attamwil_universitycup for updates.
Representatives from institution during the press conference. Image courtesy of Norliha Din of The Brunei Times.
The draw for the second BIBD At-Tamwil University Cup. Image courtesy of Norliha Din of The Brunei Times.
Who’s playing who.
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The ladies that joined in last year’s tournament. Will they be back? Let’s hope for more female participants.
With just less than a week to the start of the Baiduri Masters Golf Tournament, the organisers have indicated that the 20th edition is going to be special to golfers. The first 300 golfers who sign up and pay to play on the first weekend from 1st to 3rd May 2015 will receive exclusive golf memorabilia. The organisers are also planning to stage an exciting tournament for this 20th edition with the introduction of the team event.
The rules of the team event are simple and straightforward. The team event is open to all amateur golfers in a team of four. Team members can play at separate times and may enter as many times as possible to improve their chances of winning with the best 3 scores counting towards the tournament. More details can be obtained from the RBA Golf Club notice board on such things as hole-in-one, novelty prizes during play as a team.
The team event fee is B$120 with an additional B$25 per player and teams will enjoy a 10% discount on the registration fee of B$120 on their second and subsequent rounds.
As in previous years, the Baiduri Masters will be held over two weekends at the RBA Golf Club, Berakas and played on format System 36 (Stroke Play) and the challenge trophy will be decided on gross. The Baiduri Masters tournament is divided into 4 divisions – Men’s, Group, Ladies and Junior. The Men’s division will be further divided into Men’s Gross, Men’s Nett and Senior Golfers Nett.
More press releases for the 20th edition of the tournament are forthcoming.
For the hole-in-one on offer this year, players will have a chance to win the Porsche Panamera for Hole 2; the Mini One for Hole 5; and the all new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer for Hole 14 or B$20,000 cash each for Hole 12 and Hole 16 respectively.
For more details, the public can log onto the website www.baiduri.com or call 244 9666 from 7:00am to midnight any day, including holidays.
Prize for Hole No.2 for Hole-in-One
Prize for Hole No.5 for Hole-in-One
Prize for Hole No.14 for Hole-in-One
Ready to swing for charity?
Minister of Home Affairs, Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awang Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awang Othman launching the Singapore Food Festival
Jaya Ratnam,the Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei
Launching the food festival was the Minister of Home Affairs, Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awang Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awang Othman as the guest of honour.
Also present was the Deputy Minister of Finance, Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Dato Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awang Halbi Hj Md Yussof, the Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei, Jaya Ratnam and Deputy Permanent Secretary (Investment) of Ministry of Finance Hj Abu Bakar Hj Ibrahim as his capacity as the Acting RBC Chairman.
In his opening remarks, RBC’s Acting General Manager, Pg Hj Abd Rahman Pg Hj Mat Salleh said that the festival has always received an overwhelming response from the public and that it is a great achievement for RBC.
Available daily during the period until May 5, the festival promises to deliver delicious authentic Singaporean cuisine and hawker classics such as Singapore Rojak Buah, Old Bibik’s Beef Rendang, Singapore Laksa Lemak, Singapore Chili Crabs, Geylang Grilled Whole Stingray, Iche Cabin Chicken Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice and many more.
Royal Brunei Catering (RBC) even specially brought in two chefs, Chef Chee Kwan Kit and Chef Ramlah Khadar Bacha, from Grand Hyatt Singapore to showcase their signature dishes as well as exchange knowledge with RBC’s own chefs.
During the festival, customers can enjoy these authentic dishes during lunch ala carte, except on Fridays, or dinner buffet. Lunch will be served from 11.30am until 2.30pm while dinner starts at 7pm until 10pm. The dinner buffet is priced at $34.90 per adult and $16.90 for children aged six to 12 years old.
Customers who leave their name and contact number on the dining receipt will be entered into a lucky draw where they can win prizes such as return air tickets to Singapore, complimentary accommodation at Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore and many more.
Baiduri Bank Infinite and Platinum card holders can enjoy a 20 per cent discount, while Gold, Classic and Debit card holders can enjoy a 15 per cent discount on their bill. Of course those that hold an RBC Dining Privilege Card will be entitled for a 10 per cent discount.
For more information, contact 2331853 or 2339207.
KFC Brunei is bringing you the new KFC Butter Garlic Crunch Chicken and KFC Butter Garlic Burger – featuring a flavourful match of fragrant garlic with the creamy taste of butter.
“We strive to constantly provide innovative taste offerings to excite the taste buds of our customers. This new product is a blend of both butter and garlic, two flavours that go so well together and exude an aromatic appetizing taste!” said Del Goh, Vice President, KFC Brunei.
“At KFC, we truly understand the needs of our consumers and strive to provide them with great value for money products. With this in mind, we are offering a value treats combo that comprises of 1 piece Chicken with Rice Plate and a carbonated drink from as low as B$4.00. We are confident that by offering such products at a reasonable price, we’ll be able to drive more customers to our stores”, he added.
With the tagline “A match made in heaven”, the KFC Butter Garlic Crunch is KFC’s succulent chicken marinated in unique herbs and spices as well as a perfect blend of soft creamy butter which is then fried to perfection and sprinkled with a dash of special flavoured garlic powder, resulting in a marriage of flavours that is totally out of this world.
Burger lovers on the other hand can indulge in the KFC Butter Garlic Burger, featuring a crunchy chicken fillet marinated in the same heavenly taste and packed between a warm sesame seed bun, lettuce, creamy mayo and sliced cheese priced at B$4.90 for a la carte.
The guest of honour, Datin Hjh Rosnah, cutting the ribbon to mark the launching of Brunei Wedding Festival last weekend. Image taken by Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.
Datin Hjh Rosnah conversing with local well known photographer Aiman Besar. Image courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.
According to Songket Wedding Facebook, the Brunei Wedding Festival #BWF2015 was a huge success. The wedding fair was organised by Songket Wedding with the collaboration of Ifdhaal Event Management and Zilla Boutique which was joined by over 100 vendors. The event took place at ICC and it was launched by Datin Hjh Rosnah Pehin Dato Indera Sugara Dato Seri Laila Jasa Hj Johari, spouse of the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
The participating vendors from various countries – Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are showcasing their products and services and visitors can look forward to deals on packages as well as discounts from the well-known wedding vendors.
So peeps. Do wait for the next #BWF2016 next year as it is the biggest one-stop centre for the latest wedding trends in Brunei Darussalam.
Image courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.
The official car sponsor – Volkswagen from Maju Motors. Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
White Room Studio. Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
Image courtesy of Songket Wedding.
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9 more days
The highlights of Warriors FC vs DPMM FC
Brunei DPMM FC continued their unbeaten run in the 2015 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League on Friday evening after defeating Warriors FC 3-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Two early goals from Rafael Ramazotti set the Wasps on the way to victory before Paulo Sergio netted a penalty to wrap it up despite a spirited comeback from Warriors FC in the second-half, which saw Nicolas Velez pull a goal back.
This means Brunei DPMM FC are still undefeated but still lie in 3rd place with two games in hand. It was a pity that Joe Gamble was sent off for an off-the-ball incident late in the game.
Brunei DPMM FC: Wardun Yussof, Aminuddin Zakwan, Brian McLean, Boris Raspudic, Sairol Sahari (C), Helmi Zambin (Yura Indera Putra 61’), Joseph Gamble, Hendra Azam (Rosmin Kamis 79’), Azwan Ali, Paulo Sergio, Rafael Ramazotti
Warriors FC: Daniel Ong, Nur Asyidiq Sukarto (Fazli Jaffar 90+2’), Daniel Bennett (C), Marin Vidosevic, Irwan Shah, Thomas Beattie (Hafiz Rahim 46’), Kevin McCann, Emmeric Ong (Shi Jiayi 67’), Miroslav Pejic, Nicolas Velez, Fazrul Nawaz.
DPMM FC squad vs Warriors FC last night. Image courtesy of Amirul Asyraf of S•League
Warriors FC coming out of the stands. Image courtesy of Alson Ong of S•League.
Rafael Ramazotti in top form. Image courtesy of Amirul Asyraf of S•League
Sergio scored the final goal for DPMM FC from the penalty spot. Image courtesy of Amirul Asyraf of S•League.
SOYC2015 was organised by Rev-Yo Club (Sabah Yoyo Club lead by Paul Peter, Micku Michelle & Timothy) and it was the first ever professional yoyo competition held in Sabah. The competition attracted 20 participants aged between 16 to 29 from Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur.
The contest was divided into 2 categories, where contestants would be judged on technical skills and performance, namely Single handed (1A) category & Y-category (Mixture of double-looping(2A), double-handed (3A), off-strings(4A), counterweight(5A)). There was also competition for record holder for Long Sleeper (longest spinning yoyo), Eli Hop Challenge (Most Eli-hop in 30 seconds) and Blindfold 1A Challenge. Images courtesy of Yo-Splinter Club (Brunei).
Group photos of the winners
1A Winners
Y-Category winners
Team Brunei
Single Handed (1A):
1st – Ridzwan Ngataman (Sarawak)
2nd – Muhammad Khairsyah (Brunei)
3rd – Muhammad Shaifuddin (Terengganu)
Y-category :
1st- Ryan Han (Sarawak)
2nd – Azim Jameel (Brunei)
3rd – Wesley Lim (Sarawak)
Long Sleeper Record – Adi Raihan (Brunei)
Eli Hop Challenge – Muhammad Khairsyah (Brunei)
Blindfold 1A Challenge – Muhammad Khairsyah (Brunei)
BIBD Ar-Rahnu yesterday hosted members of the Muslimah Jemaah from the Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque in Sengkurong, who were greeted by BIBD’s Head of Ar-Rahnu, Hjh Rosminah Binti Hj Abd Wahid.
The purpose of the visit was to better understand the benefits of BIBD’s micro- credit facilities for SMEs offered by BIBD Ar-Rahnu, and to also gain better knowledge of Islamic banking products. The visit also included a tour around the BIBD Ar-Rahnu premises.
BIBD AR-Rahnu provides quick Shariah-based pawn-broking using gold items and precious stones as collateral for short-term financing of up to twelve months. The financing is also useful for those who don’t qualify for conventional financing, such as those without fixed income.
The financing can also be used for obtaining capital to start up short-term businesses like setting up food stalls during major national events such as the birthday celebrations of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the National Day celebrations, and the Ramadhan stalls.
BIBD Ar-Rahnu yesterday hosted members of the Muslimah Jemaah from the Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque in Sengkurong, who were greeted by BIBD’s Head of Ar-Rahnu, Hjh Rosminah Binti Hj Abd Wahid
BIBD Ar-Rahnu also provides Zakat calculations for gold assets along with gold cleaning services as additional benefits to its customers. Recently BIBD Ar- Rahnu has also lowered its storage fees to help support the ambitions of its customers.
In 2013, BIBD Ar-Rahnu also won the “Social Service Award” at the Asia-Pacific Enterprise Leadership Awards (APELA) held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The award recognises and honours the achievements of enterprise leaders by bringing together some of Asia-Pacific’s best leadership examples in the areas of sustainable development, corporate responsibility, and corporate social responsibility. Text and image courtesy of BIBD.
I still missed the premiere of The Avengers: Age of Ultron and I still haven’t watch the movie since it’s not out in Hua Hin, Thailand just yet. It is slated to be released next week. So I have to wait for the release in Thailand since I will be here for another week. I just love the IMAX experience in Siam Paragon, Thailand. Way better than Shaw Theaters, Singapore.
However, it was a successful event where fan boys and girls of Marvel caught the marathon of The Avengers at Times Cineplex (Times Square, Empire, Tutong and KB). There are also selling The Avengers: Age of Ultron merchandise at all the outlets. I’m still eyeing for the t-shirt as well as the popcorn metal bucket.
What’s the rating so far? I would say that judging from my peers on IG, the reviews are slightly in 7s and above. The scores in rotten tomatoes is currently at 80% from 71 reviews as compared to Marvel’s The Avengers which hit 92% from 311 reviews. So it seems that it won’t top the 92% mark in RT if the number of reviews hit over 300. Give and take, it will reach in the high 70% by the end of the month. You can check out my friend Tiffany’s review here.
You can get merchandise of Avengers: Age of Ultron at Times Cineplex
Dressing as Thor
Dressing as Hawkeye
The marathon viewers of The Avengers last Wednesday
Food Extravaganza & Trading 2015 Season 1 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium
A great turnout last Tuesday
A total of 128 volunteers managed to collect 2,062 kilogrammes (kg) of waste at the Tungku Beach in a cleaning campaign organised by the Beach Bunch to mark Earth Day last Wednesday.
Speaking to The Brunei Times, Beach Bunch President Rizan Latif said it was the group’s first clean-up this year, held in commemoration of the Earth Day.
He said that Tungku Beach was chosen as the location because it represents “the debilitating condition between human and nature that now creates chaos”.
“Beaches like the Tungku Beach is being used daily and we want to raise public awareness to ensure that the beach is always kept clean,” said Rizan.
He added that it was a positive event as “128 people came and were committed to say no to a dirty beach”.
He said with the recent revamp of Serasa beach, beach visitors and business owners have moved to Tungku beach, resulting to large number of visitors on weekends and their litter.
“Beach Bunch wants to create a better image of Tungku beach as well as to educate visitors for a more pleasant environment,” he said.
“It’s more like contributing back to the community and it’s a stand to tell that for Beach Bunch, littering is not the way to go and we must be responsible,” he continued.
When asked why the bad habit is still practised by irresponsible beach goers, Rizan said it’s because people have this ‘someone will clean it up’ mindset.
“Some people may see that the place is already dirty, so [they] might as well just litter. Others may want to be responsible but there are no allocated trash bins around the site so they litter. But the worst is the “someone else will clean it up” mindset that some people have,” he said.
Representing Mashhor group
Representing The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Representing Takaful Brunei
Representing SCB
Rizan added that while changing the mindsets of these irresponsible individuals is difficult, it is not impossible as various steps have been taken to create awareness about the effects of littering.
“We’ve held a couple of awareness sessions at schools and carried out a series of beach cleaning campaign so people can take part and be more aware,” he said.
Various schools, colleges and private companies came to support the clean-up, including International School Brunei (ISB), Politeknik Brunei, Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Yayasan Secondary School, Mashhor Group Sdn Bhd, Takaful Brunei Darussalam and Standard Chartered Bank. Text courtesy of Izzati Jalil of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of The Beach Bunch.
Representing ISB
Representing Yayasan School
2 tonnes of rubbish
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The Chandelier
Guest of honour Datin Paduka Hajah Suriyah Binti Haji Umar, Permanent Secretary (Administration and Finance), Ministry of Defence (center, sitting down) in the group photo at Media In-Service Centre (MiSC) yesterday.
The 2015 Girls in ICT Day event organised by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) was held at the Media In-Service Centre (MiSC). The theme for Girls in ICT for 2015 is “Girls and Women and Innovation”. The audience was made up of Government CIOs, ICT industry representatives and students.
The Guest of Honour was Datin Paduka Hajah Suriyah Binti Haji Umar, Permanent Secretary (Administration and Finance), Ministry of Defence. The event was attended by Senior Government officers and female students from various educations institutions.
In the welcoming remarks by Assistant Chief Executive Corporate Communications, International & Legal of AITI, Tina Lim Keasberry highlighted the need to raise awareness in girls and young women about career possibilities in ICT and encourage them to consider a future in technology. Today’s world of ICT is more human oriented and requires the communication skills that girls and young women bring to the table. By nurturing an interest in ICT early on, we open the door wider to ICT study at the secondary and post-secondary levels and, ultimately, greater workforce participation by women.
Guest of honour delivering her speech
Tina Lim Keasberry, Assistant Chief Executive Corporate Communications, International & Legal of AITI, giving her opening remarks
Dk Siti Nor Bazilah Binti Pg Zulkipli, Asia Pacific ICT Awards 2013 winner for her mobile app call Autisay
Najwa binti Hj Majid, Senior Legal Counsel from Universiti Brunei Darussalam, moderating the session
A sharing session took place by Dk Siti Nor Bazilah Pg Zulkifli one of the team members who created Autisay. AutiSay is a mobile application created as a tool to assist children with autism to communicate with their parents, therapists and care givers. Dk Bazilah shared the journey that she and her team had to go through to develop the application which won at the Asia Pacific ICT Awards in 2013 and shared her thoughts on the benefits that girls and young women can gain by choosing the ICT as a career.
This was then followed with a panel discussion moderated by Najwa binti Hj Majid, Senior Legal Counsel from Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Panelists were Ikmalina Hakimah Hj Mohamad Yunos from Itsybytes, Siti Zurainah bte Zainalabidin from eGovernment National Centre, Hjh NurZurina Hj Assim Headmistress from Panaga School and Dk Siti Nor Bazilah Binti Pg Zulkipli, Asia Pacific ICT Awards 2013 winner. After the panel discussion, an open floor discussion centered on the theme of“Girls and Women and Innovation” between the students and the panelists took place.
Following the discussion, tokens of appreciation were then given to the speakers and the panelists of the day.
The attendees also had the opportunity to tour the MiSC centre and learn more of the many facilities that are provided.
In conjunction with Girls in ICT Day 2015, AITI will also be organizing a CodeUp Women on 8 May 2015 which will include discussions on the current situation for female programmers in Brunei Darussalam, the challenges, obstacles and opportunities followed by a hands on practical session on mobile apps.
The Girls in ICT Day event is an initiative backed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICT. The event is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of April. This year marked the third year that Girls in ICT Day is celebrated in Brunei Darussalam. Text and images courtesy of AITI.
A token of appreciation to the guest of honour
Lin Cheng-yi, president of the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) being accused of match fixing for the first match between Chinese Taipei and Brunei Darussalam where Brunei won 1-0. Image courtesy of Chinese Taipei Football Association.
Such a sad news to hear this that there was a match fixing involving Chinese Taipei and Brunei Darussalam. The alleged match was the first round of the Asian qualifiers of 2018 World Cup when Brunei beat Chinese Taipei 1-0 at their home turf. It was reported that Lin Cheng-yi, president of the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA), has been accused of match fixing and he profited USD 1.29 million for that victory.
He instructed the Chinese Taipei’s head coach Chen Kuei-jen to leave out one of the top players, Turkish-born Chu En-le, who is now a naturalized Taiwanese citizen as reported in Next Magazine.
Chen has denied all the allegations and claimed that he didn’t give any instructions to keep Chu En-Le, their top player, out of the first match. The incident is still under investigation and let’s see where this will go from.
Playing under the name Chinese Taipei, the Taiwan team will meet Japan, South Korea and China in the second round of qualifiers that starts June 11, as they vie for a place in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Chinese Taipei’s head coach Chen Kuei-jen (center) during the press conference in Brunei Darussalam
The night when Brunei Darussalam made history when they beat 1-0 against Chinese Taipei in the first round of Asian qualifiers of the 2018 World Cup.
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Eighty Five
Check out our latest review of Furious 7 featuring Rano and his co-host Del Goh on The Popcorn Panel
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Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few.
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You will be given these sunnies as well as part of the registration. Cool!!
Recently I posted that Brunei is a kingdom of expected runs. Only lately, a new run has been announced and that is the Run with Colours. I’ve seen this gimmick before and I was wondering if it will ever make it to Brunei. Waalaaa, it now has and the bad thing is I won’t be in the country for this event.
The Brunei Youth Council (MBB) is set to welcome all runners with a burst of colours at its charity run scheduled to be held on June 7 at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Berakas.
The event’s ‘Run with Colours’ concept is to pelt its participants with vibrant coloured powder at certain checkpoints throughout the route. Also known as the ‘Happiest 5K on the Planet’, the idea originated from the original Color Run that was held in the United States in 2012.
As stated in the press release, the run aims not only to encourage generosity by participating in a charity event but also to encourage Bruneians to emulate liveliness and harmony in a healthy way by spreading positivity through colours.
“We want it to be as exciting as possible since it’s the first of its kind in Brunei,” said Khairunnisa Ash’ari, Head of International Relations of MBB.
On top of that, some members from the organisation will be participating in the colour run by throwing blue-coloured powder unto the runners who pass by at a certain checkpoint during the run.
“The reason is because blue is the colour for autism; so students from Society for the Management of Autism Related Issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER) will be throwing the powder,” said Tiah Teck Cherng, an intern from Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
There is no age limit in this charity run. Each registered runner is entitled to a T-shirt, a pair of exclusive ‘Run with Colour’ sunglasses, a bib as well as a finisher’s medal! Kit collection can be made from June 4 from 4pm to 8pm until June 8 from 8am to 12pm at the Indoor Stadium.
There will be two routes available; the 3km and the 5km routes. Registration fees are $30 and $35 respectively.
Payment for registration will be from May 11 until May 13 from 4pm until 10pm at the Indoor Stadium as well. All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the Brunei Youth Council as well as to SMARTER.
It was mentioned that the water truck will be deployed to clear any colour residue on the path and road of the mini fun run. So the public won’t be shocked to see a colourful road after the event. The management also advice to bring extra clothes and towel. A wet tissue or towel would also helped the participants in a way to clean off any colour paste on your skin. There will be more details on this event.
For more information, please email runwithcolours@gmail.com or check out the event’s Instagram @runwithcolours. To sign up for the run please log onto www.heroes.com.bn and click the events icon to register. Source: Michelle Tan of The Brunei Times.
Group photo of the Brunei Youth Council and a representative from SMARTER Brunei
Tiah Teck Cherng, the organising chair of the Run with Colours event
Khairunnisa Ash’ari, Head of International Relations of Brunei Youth Council and Aaron Goh of Amrtrix Enterprise
Michelle interviewing the organisers
The ingredients and hair paste for the scalp treatment at Scalp Trichocare Hairspa. All the ingredients used natural and contain no preservatives.
Winnie checking her scalp before the treatment
The responses have been favourable. Those who have tried the services at Scalp Trichocare Hairspa will be impressed what they can offer as well as the service they provided. It’s not just a place to get pampered (for head massages) but it’s a great treatment for your scalps whether be it sensitive, oily or dry. My last visit was a few weeks ago as I tried a new system they offered for my sensitive scalp. I always enjoy the experience because I’m a sucker for head pampering.
So what’s special about the System B? It replaces chemical hair dye to avoid cancerous chemical infusion into the scalp. Its post therapy color on hair comes from the nature of the herbs itself. It has more benefits as it improves grey hair, hair loss, post natal hair loss, dandruff, sensitive, bald patches scalp and promotes hair growth. In combination of the TCM ampoules, system B therapy provides essential nutrients for scalp to have beautiful hair. It is freshly prepared without any preservatives.
What I enjoy about their service is that they will accommodate to your needs and consult you without any obligation. They focus more on the best optimum therapy for every customer. I know I should have visit their premise more on a regular basis since hair treatment requires multiple visits consistently to see a more favourable result. The growth also depends on the individuals. Some will have results in a short span of time while some might take a while. In most cases, the results can be seen as early as 2 weeks. Do check out some of the testimonials here.
The ingredients used
The paste being applied on the hair.
Another useful treatment from Scalp Trichocare Hairspa is the restoring of your black hair. As we age, some will tend to show signs of grey/white hair. I know I have little signs of that already. With the service they provide, they have seen customers growing new born black hair sprouting after treatment.
Now if you ask me what challenges the customers always face in this situation, it’s mostly self-esteem and confidence or the lack of it. Of course, with a positive attitude, it helps. This is where Scalp Trichocare Hairspa comes in and create that formula to transform your hair that will give your more confidence. Discipline and consistency are important as well for hair treatment. Hence, it’s important to keep your schedule intact if you want to achieve results.
Scalp Trichocare Hairspa is located at Gadong Central, Unit C35, 2nd Floor Block C, same building as The Boxx, Mr. Bakers Cafeteria and Sushi Tei but at the far end. I know parking can be a troublesome but it’s worth the effort especially if you are going for a hairspa.
After the hair paste being applied, your hair will be steamed for 20 minutes or so.
Hair being rinsed
Have you ever been to Sorriso Restaurant and Pizzeria? My favourite dish has always been the Rosini Veal but last week we were treated to a special promotion by Sorriso. The latest promotion is called “Symphony of Italian Regions” and it’s a collaboration with invited Italian chef, Claudio Cucchiarelli and Chef Salvatore Pio Giuseppe Intigila.
You can now enjoy the five-course meal and did you know Sorriso has been around for four years? This promotion marks the 4th anniversary of the eatery. The promotion will last for three weeks if I’m not mistaken. You can call 223 3030 for reservation.
Chef Salvatore Pio Giuseppe Intigila and special invited guest Italian chef, Claudio Cucchiarelli with members of local media and bloggers
The chefs briefing the guests on the menu
The perfect combo?
The menu
Scallops form Amalfi with Italian lentils
Tuscany style crab soup with fish quenelles
Lamb rack filled with blue cheese paste, served with cream of sweet & sour almonds
Professional gamers Goodfellas trying out the HyperX Cloud II gaming headset
Netcom Computer House announced the launch of the HyperX Cloud II gaming headset while teaming up with five professional gamers who were invited to preview the product.
Five professional gamers from team Goodfellas were on hand to test drive the headset, and reported that the Cloud II got a huge thumbs up for the amazing sound and great comfort.
HyperX is a division of Kingston Technology, the independent world leader in memory products. The headset features a newly designed USB sound card audio control box featuring 7.1 virtual surround sound with independent audio and microphone audio control. It is also 3.5mm compatible for PS4 and Xbox One as well as for smartphones and tablets.
Certified by TeamSpeak and Skype optimised, HyperX Cloud II provides clearer voice quality, game sounds and reduced background noise. To provide maximum comfort for long hours of gaming, the ear cups and headband are 100 per cent memory foam. Priced at $199 each, the newly launched gaming headset is backed by a one-year warranty and legendary HyperX reliability and is available at all branches of Netcom in Brunei in red, gun metal, and pink, which is a limited edition colour that will be available soon.
The purchase of each headset comes with a free Kingston Redhead Pencil Holder.
For more information, contact Netcom at 2231563, 2231564 or visit its Facebook Page and Instagram at ‘Netcombrunei’.
The headset from HyperX Cloud II. Now available at Netcom Computer House.
Goodfellas with representatives from Netcom Computer House
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Panda eyes
Trying out different Chinese tea at Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop located at Gadong Central
Many selections to choose from at Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop
Yunnan Dianhong tea at Tea Fu. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.
A few years ago, I had an outing with my friend in Penang and we had a great conversation by the beach and he brought along a travel tea pot where we had endless drinking of Chinese tea in small portions. Without realizing, I actually drank more than usual because the conversation with my friend Tungie was great and the Chinese tea complimented well with the setting.
Fast forward to this year, I was impressed that Brunei has a Chinese tea shop which located at Gadong Central. It is called the Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop. They sell the authentic Chinese tea sachets and not only that but also assorted accessories and ornaments that are made from Chinese tea. For your info, they are imported from China and Chinese Taipei.
What I like about Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop is that you are able to taste the samples from the wide variety of Chinese tea and depends on what you really want to benefit from drinking Chinese. Apparently different Chinese teas have different functions and it does cater to the needs of the individuals.
Hence the customers can sit down at a dedicated table behind the shop and you can sit down and mingle with the managers or the staff at Tea-Fu who can guide you on what suits you.
You can try out their premium Chinese teas such as Dianhong Tea. So what’s the difference? Well, the large leafed version give a much premium taste. The black tea is fermented with lychee, rose and longan, and has a sweet, gentle aroma with a mellow taste. It’s handmade to give it its distinctive curled spiral shape, which preserves the shape and integrity of the bud, and preserves the fragrance while also delivering excellent taste. This particular tea comes from the Yuanna province of China. The price might be expensive with a price tag of BND 138. You can also have a lower grade version of the same quantity for only BND 45. The price depends on the quantity of teas and brands as well. There is even some price tagged at BND 10.
You can visit Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop at No.37, Ground Floor at Gadong Central (same row with Sushi Tei and Mr. Baker’s Bakeshop) and you can also call 242 8979 for more details.
Brewing tea to get that authentic taste
Tea is ready to be served
The art of pouring tea
A short interview
RA: Is drinking tea culture something new in Brunei?
Tea Fu Teashop: Drinking tea is not a new thing in Brunei. However, the original and traditional teas are still not common in Brunei. What you see normally that served at restaurants are the common types but we serve and sell a more authentic Chinese tea.
RA: Will there be any education or programmes on Chinese tea?
Tea Fu Teashop: Yes. We will be bringing professional tea maker from overseas to create a tea making course for local Bruneians. We might even have collaboration with some local schools to make it more interesting.
RA: Does making Chinese tea use specific techniques? For instance, time and pouring of tea and also the temperature.
Tea Fu Teashop: Yes indeed. It has many techniques to make different kinds of tea. For instance, you have to use 95 degree boiled water while for black tea just 85 degree. So the variance in temperature will make a distinctive taste.
RA: Explain to me some of benefits of Chinese.
Tea Fu Teashop: Drinking tea is a very healthy lifestyle. It can lower ur blood pressure, etc. The White Tea reduces risks of cancer, blood pressure, cholesterol level and cardiovascular diseases and strengthens our bones and teeth as well as our immunity. The Green Tea reduces cardiovascular disease, cancer and you will have lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as reducing the risk of diabetes. The good thing about the Green Tea is that it helps to burn fats and boost your metabolic rate. As for the Black Tea, it reduces cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Drinking lots of Green Tea will give you healthier skin and hair and good immunity
RA: Who are your target customers?
Tea Fu Teashop: Actually all are our target market.
Before the tea is being brewed
This is actually made of tea. Interesting and it’s for sale too
Located at No.37 Floor Floor at Gadong Central.
Yang Mulia Awang Mohd Riza Bin Dato Paduka Haji Yunos, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications officiating the re-opening of BIBD Airport e-Branch
Guest of honour with the management of BIBD
Keyword here is convenience. BIBD has become more innovative as a bank and continues to provide excellence service to its customers. Recently, BIBD re-opened their BIBD Airport e-Branch, its latest in its fleet of branches to adapt the bank’s “Bruneian at Heart” signature image. The spacious new BIBD e-Branch will be operational 24 hours a day and is located at the Departure Hall on the first floor of the Brunei International Airport. They also have a bigger presence among the other ATMs at the Brunei International Airport.
The reopening of the BIBD e-Branch was officiated by Yang Mulia Awang Mohd Riza Bin Dato Paduka Haji Yunos, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, at a ceremony attended by BIBD senior personnel along with officers and staff. The ceremony started with the recital of the Al-Fatihah along with prayers to bless the new e-branch, which was followed by a plaque signing and a short tour.
The e-Branch houses two ATMs, two CDMs and one CQM to provide speedy and seamless banking transactions. The machines present are aimed to provide hassle-free and instant banking to cater to the needs of BIBD customers.
The Airport e-Branch is one of two BIBD e-Branches which include the Sengkurong e-Branch. These e-Branches are part of BIBD’s banking network, the largest in Brunei Darussalam, which includes fifteen branches, fifty-five ATMS, seventeen CDMs and eleven CQMs placed in strategic locations across the country. The BIBD branch network also includes three branches at Kiulap, The Mall Gadong and Giant Rimba, that are open on Sundays to provide added convenience to its customers.
To further complement BIBD’s branch network, BIBD also has a dedicated 24-7 Contact Centre along with having a wide range of its services available over its e-banking channel through its BIBD Online website and BIBD Mobile applications to provide instant banking available anywhere, anytime.
The launching of the new e-branch follows in the footsteps of BIBD’s “Bruneian at Heart” image that highlights uniquely Bruneian values that signify the Brunei and Islamic visual canvas. The upgrading of BIBD’s entire branch network is in line with the strategic efforts embarked by BIBD on its transformation journey.
The emphasis on being “Bruneian at Heart” brings out BIBD’s commitment to the Bruneian aspirations and values, as well as its roots in Bruneian and Islamic values.
For more information on any BIBD products, services, offers and promotions, please follow the BIBD Instagram account at BIBDBRUNEI; Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181 or visit the nearest BIBD Branch. You can also get the latest information regarding BIBD offers and promotions under the “What’s New” feature within the BIBD Mobile application on your mobile phone.
Javed Ahmad, Managing Director of BIBD
Token of appreciation
The ATMs at the Airport branch
Group photo
Alice Chan of Concepts Computer, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, Victor Nga, Brother brand, Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager and Farezah Azalea, Head of Customer Service, Brother International Malaysia
Exchanging of documents
The Brother brand is known for their printers, faxes and evening industrial sewing. Last weekend, Brother International Malaysia, a leading brand in quality printing and imaging technology has licensed OnTime Service Network to become its authorised service centre in Brunei after a lengthy period of training and re-training of Concepts Computer staff.
I didn’t know that Brother has a big presence in Malaysia, accounting to 70% of the Brother Group’s net sales dealing with printing and solution businesses. Now with a certified presence of Brother in Brunei (thanks to Concepts Computer), the product and services of Brother have officially started and expect more presence of Brother in Brunei as well as they will give confidence and trust to future potential corporate companies on the Brother brand.
Flying to Brunei to sign the business partnership were Victor Nga, Brother brand, Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager and Farezah Azalea, Head of Customer Service, Brother International Malaysia. They signed the agreement with Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Alice Chan of Concepts Computer.
Victor Nga was de delighted with this new partnership with OnTime Service Network, a company with amazing history, determination and commitment in servicing our products in Brunei. He believed that through this partnership, customers will have closer attention and assistance for any Brother products purchased. This also aligns to our motto ‘At your side’ which tells our customers that they are our priority and we enable them to reach us conveniently.
Concepts Computer also have renovated the OnTime service centre as they are also handling other brands and to accommodate Brother as their new partners. With the newly trained staff, Concepts Computer is confident that they will provide a better service to the customers of Brother especially after-sale service.
You can also contact OnTime Service Network on 2233556 or 2233559.
Handing of certificates to Concept Computers and the trained staff
Group photo with Concepts Computer and Brother International Malaysia
The service centre also includes the Brother brand
Datin Sakdiah binti Haji Mohd Noor, Sales & Marketing Manager of Jerudong Park Country Club (3rd from left) with the representatives from JPCC hosting the media team for a game of Laser Tag. Thank you 😀
I haven’t been to Jerudong Park Playground for a very long time. I know I owe my friend a visit to the playground. Soon, soon, okay? 😀 Anyway, I’m still amazed how the old playground has been transformed by phases and this is for the benefit of our locals. The public used to complain by comparing the good old days when things were FREE as compared to now. That mentality has slowly shifted and the people of Brunei are beginning to appreciate the value that the management of Jerudong Park Playground are creating by revamping the whole amusement park at Jerudong Park.
Now we can experience newer rides and fun activities with families and friends. According to the management, during the school holidays, they had an amazing record crowd and this is an indication that Jerudong Park Playground is heading in the right direction. At the moment, the whole project of revamping the playground is not near completion as there are other areas that have been left untouched. The management has a proper timeline to execute the future developments/phases of the park and they want to consistently maintain the newer rides and operations for a better customer experience.
This is also the same reason why the Park operations hours are limited. As you can see from the poster below, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are closed for maintenance purposes. Well, enough of the information about the Park. I’m here to share my view of the latest game provided by JPCC Playground and that is the “Laser Tag”. This is prtty fun game because I remember playing this as a kid back in the UK. So recently we had a battle, compromising of the media team and JPCC’s Sales & Marketing Team. I can’t remember who won but I had zero kills as I was concentrating more on taking videos for my IG *lol*
Hosted us the game was Datin Sakdiah binti Haji Mohd Noor, Sales & Marketing Manager of Jerudong Park Country Club and she was pleased with the new addition game to JPCC Playground – it’s a family game that doesn’t require physical bullets. She also shared that the ticket entry to the Playground is also inclusive of the Laser Tag game.
So peeps. What are you waiting for? Get your family and friends and try out Laser Tag with a maximum player of 12 and outscore your opponents as a team. What’s great now is that JPPC Playground is that they are extending their School Holiday Specials until the 29th April 2015. Now with a Family Package of 5, two adults and three kids is only BND 30, if for entry for kids and senior citizen, it’s BND 5 and a ticket of adult is BND 10. For children below 2 years old, the entry is FREE. Awesome deals!!
For more updates, you can visit their website and even book tickets online or also follow them on instagram @jerudongpark
The guns used for Laser Tag
Some briefing before the Laser Tag game. Rule number one – Do Not Swear 😀
I was the green team and I got shot by the red team (laser) numerous times because I was simply taking videos and not playing
Another laser game is The Time Portal which is a Lazer Maze.
This is the scores that you have to beat using time. How fast can you disable the laser inside the laser maze?
It’s not easy especially on Expert Level. There are four levels of difficulty.
We had some Charcoal burger at the Water Park. Try the sunrise burger 😀
One of the main attractions of the JPCC Playground – The Waterpark
The extended promotion by JPCC until 29th April 2015
Last week, BIBD handed over five pairs of air tickets to Melbourne for the final winners of its monthly “Swipe to Fly” winners at the BIBD Kiulap Branch. Present to hand over the prizes was BIBD’s Head of Marketing, Ben Lin.
Winning has never been easier as there were no hassles of filling entry forms to qualify for the promotion, making that dream holiday one step easier and closer. BIBD customers needed to only spend a minimum of B$30 on a single receipt using either their BIBD cards or BIBD eTunai service and at any retail or online outlet. BIBD customers were also rewarded with an additional lucky draw entries for accumulating a monthly minimum spending of B$1,000 using the mentioned services.
The handing over event marks the end of the four-month promotion which also saw prizes of air tickets to Ho Chi Minh, Bali and Dubai for a dream holiday. Despite the end of the “Swipe to Fly”, there are also other on-going BIBD promotions such as the BIBD Card Privileges with Agoda. The promotion allows BIBD cardholders, including the BIBD Virtual Mastercard, to enjoy a discount of up to seven percent when you book your hotel stay with Agoda.com. This promotion is valid until the 30th April 2015, and is available at www.agoda.com/bibd.
The winners flying to Melbourne as part of the monthly “Swipe to Fly”
On top of that, BIBD is also running its “Let’s Go Mobile” promotion through the BIBD Mobile app, where lucky draw winners stand a chance to win either an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or Apple watch every month, until the 30th of July 2015. To be eligible for this promotion, BIBD Mobile users need only top up their utility bills, make purchases with BIBD eTunai or BIBD Virtual Prepaid MasterCard, or transfer funds using the BIBD Mobile application.
For more information on any BIBD products, services and promotions, please follow the BIBD Instagram account at @BIBDBRUNEI; Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181 or visit the nearest BIBD Branch. Also, don’t forget to download the popular BIBD Mobile App to get the latest BIBD offers and promotions under “What’s New” feature.
Sadly I won’t be able to catch Avengers: Age of Ultron until next week. This is because I will be flying off this Wednesday to Bangkok and surprisingly, they are not showing it there until 30th April. So I will be at least a week behind and I hope this won’t affect my podcast review of blockbuster movie. Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia will be running their releases on Thursday midnight (23rd April 2015). Times Cineplex has run a special movie marathon for comic and Avengers fans where you can get to watch both first and the second Avengers (one marathon show only) from 9pm Wednesday 22nd April.
Marathon ticket includes two Avengers movies, one Avengers popcorn bucket and one Avengers tumbler and you can get refill (once) after the first movie for both popcorn and drinks. Good deal I must say for BND 40. The popcorn buckets are sold separately and also other Avengers movie merchandise.
These are only available at Times Cineplex but the ticketing for the marathon is not available online. You will have to purchase the tickets physically at Times Cineplex (Times Square, Empire, Tutong and KB). Congratulations to the winner of my IG competition @shemustbenia who won herself two tickets of the Avengers Marathon package 😀
The Avengers Marathon by Times Cineplex
The number of merchandises for Avengers at Times Cineplex
Avengers movie merchandise t-shirt. I love the packaging for this.
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The Hashtag era
Joon Man and Sophia Siu with their photo booth for the attendees
Allen Ang drawing some cartoons
I attended the UBD Street Shutters event last weekend and the event was part of the assessment for UBD students taking a final year course for Communication and the Creative Arts. It was held at Muti-Purpose Hall at UBD. As a guest, I was kinda expecting more from event itself because I’m into photography but there were a few missed opportunities such as the lacking of framed photography and even large scale photos. Instead there were only compilations of 5R photos that didn’t manage to grab my attention to an extent. Overall, it was still a great effort from the students. Last year was still better, in my opinion, with the Film Festival UBD and that had a little more impact.
UBD Street Shutters also had lucky draws for the delight of the attendees. The prizes were flight tickets to Thailand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, sponsored by AIA BR – Kelvin Pong. There was also a photo competition organised by Interhouse Company (Canon) where first place Rahim Jamil received a Canon DSLR EOS 1200D, lens kit, Canon parcel and 8GB card. The two day event concluded last Sunday.
Dean Kassim showcasing his portfolio
Pranika Lama with her work
Ikhwan Salleh’s photography
Posing the camera at the lucky draw booth
Guest of honour was Programme Leader of Communication and the Creative Arts Associate Professor Shui (6th L) as well as representatives from Canon Interhouse John Tiang (5th L), and AIA BR – Kelvin Pong, Kevin Onn (7th R) with the winners for both contests during the closing ceremony. Image Courtesy of Jekizan Ching
Image Courtesy of Jekizan Ching
Ak Fauzi sharing his stories of his photography
Under water casing for Bahzi’s camera.
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APEC CBET (Cross Border E-Commerce Training) eLearning program is a knowledge sharing and entrepreneurship fostering platform, designed for global SMEs to receive the most professional and most practical cross border e-commerce related knowledge and sights, as well as entrepreneurship guidance on a wide range of startup concepts on this new global value chain.
As the explosive growth of e-commerce, a new global value chain is forming to revolutionize traditional business, and empower global SMEs with opportunities to access international markets and build global brands, like never before. CBET workshop is initiated and implemented by APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), designed to convey industry knowledge and insights, enable global SMEs to capture these golden opportunities, transform and upgrade their business to a whole new level.
To meet the demand of global SMEs, CBET eLearning program is initiated by ABAC China in 2014, with joint support from multiple APEC economies. APEC CBET eLearning will focus on two core concepts – “Cross Border e-Commerce” and “Entrepreneurship”, to serve as a mobile platform to exchange ideas and experience, convey knowledge and insights, and foster entrepreneurship through its online incubator.
A variety of formats will be adopted to offer a wide spectrum of contents in the most engaging manner, from ecosystem introduction to major components illustration, from Internet thinking to industry best practices, from mind-sets sharing to skill-sets training, APEC CBET eLearning will cover a wide range of topics from different angles and perspectives, to provide the most professional, most practical industry knowledge, and build the most influential online community on e-commerce to encourage entrepreneurship and incubate innovative business solutions across APEC economies.
Partners of APEC CBET eLearning will not only join the honor of empowering SMEs with most advanced business models to access international markets, but also branding itself to APEC economic leaders, ministers, senior officials, and local SME business owners, associations, and other related organizations. It is not only a socially valuable program to join, but also an economically beneficial program to participate.
You can click here to find more information.
Chairman of Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (Progresif), Hj Abu Bakar Hj Ibrahim, handing out certificates to a staff of PCSB for completing a nine-day training course while Paul Hyde, CEO of Progresif looks on. Image courtesy of Ridhwan Kamarulzaman of The Brunei Times.
Last year, b•mobile almost pull the plug and there were doubts among the staff with rumours circulating that the company will ceased its establishment. In comes Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd and they turned things around and renaming b•mobile communications to Progresif Cellular while retaining the existing customers of b•mobile. It’s never an easy road to rise from a challenge and further they are up against a 20 year old establishment, their direct competitor DST.
Progresif Cellular have been investing their time in training their staff, improving the network infrastructure and even hiring suitable candidates to be part of the Progresif team. They have come up with great marketing campaign such as offering free calls from 8pm to 12am or even introducing FREE Sim Card for new subscribers. These gimmicks have paid off handsomely as according to the article from The Brunei Times that Progresif Cellular have new 8,000 subscribers. One of the reasons is due to the company’s willingness to waive the BND 25 fee for new registration. This information was disclosed by PSCB’s Chief Marketing Officer Devin Edwards and their approach paid off, hitting the “more price-sensitive customer segment”.
PCSB have also upped their network a few nights ago on certain areas. This shows that baby steps of being progressive will slowly pay dividends especially towards PCSB’s customers. Patience is the key and it’s good to see how the new management has turned the company around and restoring confidence slowly.
I have yet to subscribe for PCSB but then again, I don’t know if I want to carry two phones with me. Anyway, great good, PCSB. I’m already anticipating more progressive things to come from PCSB.
One of the reasons why Progresif have a high spike of new subscribers. This free calls also valid to other networks until 1st May 2015. Click image to enter Progresif’s Facebook Page.
The leading brand for water tanks in Brunei – LSL
If you go around many local household, there’s one brand that sticks to your mind when you see a water tank and that has the label “LSL”. Yes, we always take everything for granted when it comes to water supply but we forgot how important the water tanks are as well. The LSL water tanks have been around for decades and for me, if I was to trust a strong brand, it will be no other than LSL. I even paid a visit to their industrial area at Tanah Jambu and everything is fabricated from there. What’s great about LSL tanks are that they are stainless steel water tank.
Now do you know that not all water tanks that you see are top notch in terms of quality. You may come across different brands but we simply just assume that as long as it can store and pump water, it’s good enough for the household. Well, one thing for sure, you will never know if the type of tanks you used can be corrosive or even leakage. There are some cases also that fungus or algae might develop and this might not make water consumption drinkable or safe. With the LSL brand, you needn’t worry about all these issues as they have all the attributes to prevent these from happening.
I’m sharing you this story is because I became aware how much difference in quality even in water tanks and LSL stands at the top of the chain in terms of quality. Furthermore, the LSL water tanks have been around for 25 years. You can check out their Facebook page which is pretty active and or you can contact 2393200 or email us at metal@lsl.net. Do visit their showroom and factory at Salambigar industry area.
Click image to enter Facebook page of LSL.
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Moments with Plus+
Receiving the grand prize on behalf of Syukri Zulkipli was his sister, Ishan Nazurah, who received it from Vincent Goh, Managing Director of Interhouse Company
One of the prizes was a Canon EOS 700D
It was tough time once again for the judges as they had to screen down the photos of the “Moments with Plus+” contest to 9 finalists out of over 300 photos. This morning was the presentation for the Top 10 finalists and this competition was initiated by Plus+ Magazine and supported by Interhouse Company, sole distributor of Canon products. The judges were Vincent Goh of Interhouse Company, Azhani Abu Daniel of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and myself.
The winner of the IG contest was Syukri Zulkipli and the grand prize consisted of a Canon EOS 700D sponsored by Interhouse Company and a return ticket to Bali (sponsored by RB), a one month membership at Fitness Zone, 1 year magazine subscription with Plus+ Magazine and Nails & Wax Vouchers. The judges felt that the winning photo best encapsulated the spirit and creativity and it was also came with the Earth Hour theme. I thought the level of technicality was pretty high and the winning photo does give that emotional response to the viewers. Well done, Syukri.
The “Moments with Plus+” Contest was sponsored by Interhouse Company, Royal Brunei Airlines, Aewon Garment and Embroidery, Fitness Zone, LoL Media, EzyPrinting and Nails & Wax.
Here the list of the Top 9 winners.
Grand prize – Syukri Zulkipli
Runner up – Azmey bin Hj Othman
2nd Runner up – Cryil Steward Teo
4th place – Leya Koh Wan Mei
5th place – Sonia Budiman
6th place – Sylvia Ling
7th place – Chung Ming Ru
8th place – Yong Kem Sin
9th place – Azlan bin Ibrahim
Azmey Hj Othman receiving his prize
Cyrll Steward Teo receiving his prize
4th place winner was Leya Koh Wan Mei and receiving it was her mother as Leya is currently studying in Brisbane
6th place winner was Sylvia Ling who took the photo for @jclgoh
7th place was Chung Ming Ru
9th place was Azlan bin Ibrahim
Simon Keller, Editor of Plus+ Magazine
Group photo with the winners
Emcee for the day
The judges and facilitator last weekend
Judging time
The winning photo taken by Syukri with his sister Ihsan in the photo
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RP had me in stitches
My lunch today at Thien Thien at Kiulap branch
Finally all of us can dine at Thien Thien without any doubts
Yay!! After decades of existence, Thien Thien Restaurant (known for their Chicken Rice), has finally obtained the Halal Certificate under the Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order, 2005. I spoke to the owner earlier during lunch today and he was very appreciative that the Halal Certificate has helped his business to flourish at his Kiulap establishment.
Thien Thien Kiulap has been around for 12 years and the manager said that his branch has broken record sales in the past week or so ever. He shared it was a hardworking process to get the certificate and now with the Halal certificate, it has brought new confidence to the patrons. Judging from the responses from my instagram, Thien Thien Kiulap is bound to be a greater hit among the locals.
Check out our latest review of Furious 7 featuring Rano and his co-host Del Goh on The Popcorn Panel
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Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few.
Three shows in Singapore last week
I never had a chance to meet him in person.
Late post: Wowwwieeee!!! It’s hard to do a review of the comedic Russell Peters. This is the second time I caught him live in Singapore. The first one being in Singapore back in 2012 for his “Notorious” show and this time it’s called “Almost Famous”. I was the only one from the @bruhahahcomedy group that attended the Singapore show. Well, it was hosted during the weeknight so it will be hard for many to fly to Singapore and catch him live.
Was he funny as hell? Of course, the benchmark of Russell Peters is still his “Outsource” gig many, many years ago and it’s never easy to steal that particular thunder of “Be a Real Man” or “Somebody is gonna get hurt real bad”. I saw them tag lines being sold as merchandise at Suntec Convention Centre where his gig is being held. So to answer the question, yes, he was funny that night but wasn’t on his prime as he was before. I have to admit that his Notorious gig two years ago was below par and I was disappointed leaving the Singapore Indoor Stadium that night.
Fast forward to “Almost Famous”, it’s worth the trip actually. Half of his materials were spontaneous as he picked on a couple of victims at the front row. Perhaps the notable one was the two underage kids below their teen years who happened to be catching the show. Peters made the audience laugh in stitches but I kinda feel sorry for the two young boys were made fun of and maybe, just maybe, his father may have regretted bringing his son along.
It was the first time I also heard Peters talked about toilet humour and I thought that was hilarious. He shared his experiences calling an IT consultant and touched a lot on Indian cultures as well.
The security was pretty tight that it was really hard to play with your gadget especially your smartphones. They won’t even give you the chance to play or text or do anything with your phone. I saw a few people from the audience being told off by the muscular built securities and they would shine their flashlights to embarrass him or her before he or she would put away the smartphone. This is to prevent the attendees to take the opportunity to steal a photo or record a video or an audio. I thought that’s a very good rule and also kinda make the audience feel very present during Peters’ show.
Overall, it was a very entertaining evening though I came alone #sioksendiri and I don’t mind another Russell Peters show in the near future. Oh, I also love how @djspinbad played some cool video mixes to warm up the crowd. Verdict: 8/10.
It was a sold out crowd on the 7th of April and my ticket cost SGD 160
Impressed with DJ Spinbad spinning before the show
A very responsive crowd that night
If you are into comedy and also wanting to support our local talents, check out @bruhahacomedy latest gig this coming Saturday at Seameo Voctech
A group of ten athletes from the Busiido Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Club are currently training hard at the Jerudong Park Medical Centre Fitness Centre (JPMC) prior to their competition that will be held in Manila.
The athletes led by Ahmad Faez Anuar will be competing at the Pan Asian Jiu-Jitsu International Open, which will take place in Manila on the 15th to 17th May. The tournament is one of the most prestigious BJJ tournaments in Asia.
‘We are proud to support our local athletes who will be competing at the Pan Asia Jiu-Jitsu International Open in Manila. As part of our commitment to inspire an active lifestyle for all and encourage our athletes to compete in the International arena, we will be providing them with the usage of the JPMC Fitness Centre for their training needs. We hope that this will greatly benefit the athletes throughout their rigorous training period. We wish them the very best and hope that they will make the country proud’, said Tony Han-Gym Supervisor of the JPMC Fitness Centre.
‘On behalf of Busiido BJJ, we would like to extend our utmost appreciation and gratitude towards the JPMC fitness centre for being supportive towards the growth and success of brazilian jiu jitsu. By providing us with access to use the fitness facilities such as the cardio machines, weights, pool and sauna, training and preparation for competitions has just got easier and more exciting. All these aspects are imperative to get competition ready. What makes jpmc so perfect is that we get all these utilities in one vicinity’, said Ahmad Faez.
‘Also, we are grateful and blessed that an established body being JPMC has offered the opportunity for a young and growing club like us to develop even further. As multiple competitions are all lined throughout the years to come, we do hope we can maintain such relationships’, he added.
Tony Han, Gym Supervisor at JPMC Fitness Centre with Ahmad Faez Anuar of Busiido Mixed Martial Arts Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club
Ahmad Faez is a purple-belt holder with six years’ experience in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and has won multiple titles at the Pan Asian Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Bangkok Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open and Sabah Headhunters Brazilian Jiu-jitsu champion.
Busiido Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Club was established in early 2012 and is affiliated with one of the largest international BJJ organisations in the world, Checkmat from Brazil.
The club and has been successful in winning medals for the Sultanate at the regional and international level, and their latest victory was in Sabah, at the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Headhunters Challenge where the team brought home 10 gold, seven silver and 15 bronze medals from the Dec 13-14 championship.
JPMC Fitness Centre is the leading edge of the health and fitness market, promoting wellbeing as a way of life. It is designed to accommodate everyone, irrespective of age or fitness level and is committed to meeting individual needs.
A wide range of gym facilities are available at the Fitness Centre including the extensive range of fitness equipment, Milon Circuit, 25 metre swimming pool, Health and fitness testing, Personal training and tailored fitness programmes, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna suites.
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