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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah (back 2nd R), the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah (back R), the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, HRH Prince ‘Abdul ‘Azim (back C), HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik (back 2nd L) and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen (back L) witnessing YM Pg Hj Muhammad Ruzaini Pg Dr Hj Mohd Yakub (Front L) perfoming the ‘Akad Nikah’. Picture by Yusri Adanan of The Brunei Times.

The sound of royal canons, echoing throughout the capital marked the successful solemnisation of YangMulia Pg Hj Muhd Ruzaini Pg Dr Hj Mohd Yakub’s royal marriage vows during a Majlis Istiadat AkadNikah Diraja at the Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien mosque yesterday.

Majlis Istiadat Akad Nikah Diraja is a traditional ceremony where the groom reads his marriage vows in accordance with Islamic Law in the presence of male witnesses consisting of family members from both the bride and the groom.

The ceremony began with the groom’s arrival at the mosque, donning the traditional wedding attire and paraphernalia, as he was escorted inside while awaiting His Majesty’s arrival.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s presence at the Sultan Omar ‘AliSaifuddien Mosque was to witness the groom solemnise his wedding vows as part of the Malay Muslim ritual in asking for the royal bride’s hand in marriage.

The monarch was accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah, His Royal Highness Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malek and His Royal Highness ‘Abdul Mateen.

On arrival, the royal entourage was welcomed by State Mufti Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri MaharajaDato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Hj Awang Abdul Aziz Juned and Minister of Religious Affairs YangBerhormat Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abd Rahman prior to conducting their Solat Tahiyatul Masjid prayers, an obligation for Muslims upon entering a mosque.

After His Majesty and members of the royal family performed their prayers, the spotlight returned to the groom sporting a yellow royal wedding attire, as an audience of black Cara Melayu guests waited for the ceremony to begin.

It was a gloomy day indeed but lucky it didn’t rain

The respective diplomats attended the Royal Nikah function as well

There were two tents to cater the other guests from the groom side

The bearers stood from the beginning until the departure of the royal entourage

The arrival of His Majesty and the Royal Family at the SOAS Mosque. The police bikes remind me of Judge Dredd.

The Panglimas (in red) if I’m not mistaken

His Majesty upon arrival at the mosque

The bearers from the bride side

The bearers from the bride side

I don’t mind being part of this one day

Yang Berhormat Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zain Hj Serudinapproached Yang Amat Mulia Pg Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pg Anak Hj Abdul Aziz to inform His Majesty that the Majlis Istiadat Akad Nikah Diraja ceremony was ready to begin.

Carrying out the Majlis Istiadat Akad Nikah Diraja was Syariah High Court Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Hj Salim who read the solemnisation sermon and elaborated on the vows as well as the groom’s undertaking of royal union in lifelong companionship and care. The groom understood and acknowledged the vows and then projected his voice in reciting his vows for all to hear and witness.

The ceremony reached its pinnacle with the groom’s recital as it was accompanied by 17 gun salutes from six royal cannons located just outside the mosque.

The groom then recited the Lafaz Ta’liq and signed the solemnisation form witnessed by the monarch and four imam witnesses before concluding with a Doa Selamat read by the State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Datu Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Hj Abdul Aziz. With the conclusion of the ceremony and the solemnisation of the royal marriage vows, Yang Mulia Pg Hj Muhammad Ruzaini Pg Dr Hj Muhammad Yakub and Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah are now legally recognised as husband and wife according to Syariah law. Text by Amir Noor of The Brunei Times.

Yang Mulia Pg Hj Muhammad Ruzaini Pg Dr Hj Muhammad Yakub seated and facing the Royal Entourage led by His Majesty

It was full house indeed yesterday and congratulations also to my friend Zaki (pic inset) who also had a successful nikah event this morning

Adat Istiadat checking with the flow of the event to make sure everything ran smoothly and in order

For your info, if a royalty event happens during the day, then the dress code is black

Syariah High Court Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Hj Salim read the solemnisation sermon to the groom

Also in attendance were the cabinet ministers

The photographers in action

The vital part of the solemnisation where the groom recited his vows and he successfully did it one go

The groom signing the solemnisation form witnessed by His Majesty and four imam

The four imam also signed as witnesses

The prayers to bless the solemnisation

The groom getting signal or cue before standing up

The groom walked to towards His Majesty

The groom then “salam-ed” His Majesty and the rest of the Royal entourage

He “salam-ed” HRH Prince Jefri then proceeded to salam his father

His Majesty and the Crown Prince about to leave the mosque

The Royal Family who attended and witnessed the solemnisation

The departure of the Royal entourage

….. and finally the bearers made their way out

The public view the event from outside

Marking the end of the event as guests heading back to their cars

A day later, after Friday prayers this afternoon, I saw drinks being distributed away. A good move but they will need to beef up security if they want to avoid scuffles and chaos.

An industry sharing session was recently held on Wednesday, 19th September 2012, at Seri Kerna Hall, AITI Building in Anggerek Desa to launch AITI’s public consultation paper on “Domain Name Management Framework”. The industry sharing brought together officers from Government sector and industry, whereby AITI and its appointed consultants from IDA International briefed the attendees on the content of the public consultation paper which was launched on Friday, 14th September 2012 made available on the AITI website.

This is the third public consultation paper published by AITI. This first public consultation paper was regarding Proposed Unified Licencing framework launched on 18th April 2012. AITI received a total of seven (7) feedbacks from licensees and relevant stakeholders. The second public consultation paper was on telecommunication and broadcasting competition code launched on 4th June 2012. AITI have received 3 feedbacks from licensees.

The industry sharing kicked off with an opening speech by Awang Queh Ser Pheng, Deputy Chief Executive of AITI. Mr Queh highlighted that AITI is pleased to say that we have completed Phase 1 of the project in terms of information gathering and views from relevant stakeholders.

Awang Queh Ser Pheng, Deputy Chief Executive of AITI with the appointed consultants from IDA International.

Awang Queh Ser Pheng added that AITI are very keen to play a more active role in governing the registration of .bn address in order to ensure that the domains registration process and the dispute mechanism are in line with international best practices. AITI also want to see that the uptake of .bn address is on par with other country code Top Level Domains. AITI intends to follow a model based on Registry-Registrar framework, where it rely on the participation and partnership of the industry to work together in process chain of .bn domain name registration.

After the opening speech, IDA International consultants presented the details of the public consultation paper which comprises sections on the project background, proposed new Domain Name Management Framework. The industry sharing ended with a Question and Answers session.

AITI would like to urge its licensees and relevant stakeholders to submit feedbacks and comments on the public consultation paper. The paper is available for download from AITI website (www.aiti.gov.bn) since 14th September 2012. The closing date for submission of comment is 8th October 2012, 3:30pm. For any queries on the public consultation paper, please contact the following AITI officers: Norshahrul Nizam 232 3232 ext 1218 nizam.othman @aiti.gov.bn or Mohammad Norelham bin Hj Zaini 232 3232 ext 1246 norelham.zaini @aiti.gov.bn

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Rich culture and tradition continue to shower the royal wedding ceremonials at the Majlis Istiadat Berbedak Pengantin Diraja of Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Hafizah Sururul Bulqiah and Yang Mulia PgHj Muhd Ruzaini Pg Dr Hj Mohd. Yakub in the Indera Buana Throne Hall of Istana Nurul Iman yesterday evening.

Majlis Istiadat Berbedak, or Royal Powdering Ceremony, is a ceremonial function where members of the royal family and family members of the groom “bless” the royal couple by applying seven-coloured powdered paste and scented oils onto the palms of the couple.

Upon the arrival of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam at the InderaBuana Throne Hall with Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, four candles or DianEmpat were lit followed by the placing of the two-piece yellow cushion known as Kasur Namat between the Dian Empat.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah (L), the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, just after applying the paste onto the palms of HRH Princess Hjh Hafizah Sururul Bulqiah (R) during the Majlis Istiadat Berbedak Pengantin Diraja at Istana Nurul Iman. Picture: BT/Saifulizam

The ceremony began with Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zaininforming Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Hj Abdul Aziz that the Istiadat Berbedak Pengantin Diraja ceremony was set to begin. YAM Pengiran Lela Cheteria SahibunNajabah Pengiran Anak Hj Abdul Aziz then duly conveyed the message to His Majesty.

Following the consent of the monarch, the royal bride was escorted into the Throne Hall by Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Zariah and Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masnawith the wives of appointed state dignitaries.

The anticipated arrival of the royal bride was accompanied by a grand entourage made up of 40 Sinipitbearers, or spearmen, along with three Dayang-Dayang holding Payung or umbrella, Kaskol or royal betel caddy wrapped with cloth embroidered with golden thread and Kain Pendukungan.

In the entourage were also seven Pahawai Perempuan or chosen ladies bearing a Puan, a Tarian, aKabok and Panastan, a Kiap, a Chupun, a Pasigupan and a Kaskol.

On His Majesty’s approval to begin the ceremony, a Dikir Marhaban was performed to cue the start of the ceremony and prompting all attendees to stand up.

The ceremony was initiated by His Majesty placing the powdered paste and scented oil onto the palm of the bride. This was followed by Her Majesty and other members of the royal family as well as the parents of the groom.

Outside the Indera Buana Throne Hall, a 17-gun salute went off to signal the start of the ceremony.

After the royal bride’s exit from the hall, it was the groom, Pg Hj Muhd Ruzaini’s turn to take the court to begin the Istiadat Berbedak for the groom.

The groom was escorted by his younger brother, Ak Muhd Tarmizi Pg Dr Hj Mohd Yakub, along with a grand entourage into the Throne Hall.

Pg Hj Muhd Ruzaini was dressed immaculately in traditional Malay wedding attire comprising a gilded two-piece baju Melayu.

Seated on the royal wedding dais, Pg Hj Muhd Ruzaini received “blessings” from His Majesty, followed by Her Majesty with the application of the powdered paste and sprinkling of scented oil onto his palm.

The rest of the royal family followed suit in hierarchical order, with the groom’s parents having the lasthonour.

Following the Majlis Istiadat Berbedak, the royal family and invited guests proceeded to the IstiadatBerjaga-Jaga and religious-orientated performances.

The Istiadat Berjaga-Jaga is an event that calls for the finer observances of royal protocol where guests are treated to a range of traditional games and Malay poetry reading. Text by Low Leng May and Rabiatul Kamit of The Brunei Times.

bFIT audition continues today

A great turn out yesterday as 30 contestants had to go through audition where they had to go through a series of questions by the judges (from Health Promotion Centre, b•mobile and Fitness Zone). The audition took place at Health Promotion Centre. 50 more contestants will be going for the audition today. Only then the judges will select 50 contestants for the actual bFIT program.

For your info, bFIT is similar to the Biggest Loser program. For more info, you can click here. You can follow their updates on instagram @bfitchallenge 

The audition took place at Health Promotion Centre

The registrants getting ready to be screened

The screening area

Audition in progress

Setting up before the next person being interviewed

Judges posing for the camera

Mic test 1, 2, 3…..

Judges from HPC, b•mobile and Fitness Zone

One of the contestants being interviewed

A quick demo was done as well

Recharging for Magic’s 5D Mark III

This was my first coverage of the Royal Wedding and I have skipped a few actually because I was still recovering from fatigue and I had an irritating dry cough which has been itching my throat for the past two days. Anyway, back to the Royal Wedding – last night was the Royal Powdering ceremony that took place at Indera Buana Throne Hall of Istana Nurul Iman.

The Royal Powdering Ceremony lasted an hour or so for both the bride and the groom. I saw tons of familiar faces inside the hall and all I could do is gave a small wave and take photos of them *lol* Today will be the Nikah ceremony which will take place at the Masjid Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien at noon. I shall be there again for coverage.

As for now, enjoy the pictures taken from last night Royal Berbedak ceremony. The images are in chronogolical order 😀

The traditional music being played after the entrance of the Istana

Invited guests need to register themselves before entering the hall

The Royal Family entering the hall to be seated

The Adat Istiadat officials will double check on the sitting arrangements for the Royal Family members

Normally if there’s an empty seat, the chair will be removed

After the arrival of the Royal entourage, they will bring this to the front

The grand entourage was accompanied by 40 Sinipit bearers or spearmen

The guests waiting for the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Hafizah

HRH Princess Hafizah was escorted by both her aunties – Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Zariah and Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna

It was great to see smiles from the princess

Brothers hand in hand

HRH Princess Hafizah leaving the Indera Buana Throne Hall

Salute to the bearers for their efforts and being present for the ceremony

Afizan, brother to the groom, on his way to escort the groom into the hall. Afizan and I were housemates back in Brisbane in year 2000.

Smartphones were everywhere to capture the best moments

I see a few tablets too.. This shows how technological savvy we have been regardless of age.

Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini being escorted before the powder ceremony starts

The prayers after the successful powdering ceremony

The groom leaving the hall to mark the end of the Powdering ceremony

Representatives from the private sector were aplenty

It’s picture time

These are the Head of Kampungs in Brunei

Hellooooo … Fiona 😀

Hello Fina 😀

Yves Grosjean, General Manager of Total, was present too

Who knows one day I might one of my own too

Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zain

Royal family exiting the hall

The Ministers and their spouses exiting the hall

Representatives from Sunlit Advertising

Photographers and cameramen at work

My first coverage of the Royal Wedding and I had tricky time reaching there but it was all good in the end.

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There’s always a first time for everything and this will be the first time that GHK Motors will be organising a rally demo where they will be inviting a famous Japanese Rally Driver, Hiroshi Masuoka to Brunei. If you are lucky enough, you will not just see him in action on the road but also be his passenger and experience his driving skills on/off road. Now, isn’t that exciting??

4×4 car owners of Mitsubishi will also be able catch the rally superstar when he comes to Brunei next week. There’s also a possibility that all Mitsubishi owners will get a chance to ride with the Japanese ace. The event is slated for next Friday 28th September at GHK Motors showroom where a press conference will be held followed by meet-the-fan session for autograph purposes.

The event will be opened to public on Saturday and Sunday at Tanah Jambu track where you will get a chance to experience his driving skills. In order to join, you will need to register yourself at the registration counter at Tanah Jambu or you can send your interest on email marketing @ghkmotors.com or call 245 1459. Mind you the slots are limited so do register to avoid disappointment. You can also join their Facebook page for more updates.

Hiroshi (left) during one of the rallies

Hiroshi in action

The Mitsubishi 4×4

Call GHK for registration

New dates for interviews – 28th and 30 September. Looking for positions such as RM, Mortgage specialist, Personal Financial Consultant and many more at Standard Chartered (Brunei)

Psy famously known for his “horsey ride” dance when viral since July. Image by Mike Coppola.

It’s never easy to be a YouTube sensation. A few hours ago, South Korean pop star Park Jae-Sang also known as Psy hit a huge milestone where his “Gangnam Style” video hit 200 million views on YouTube and that’s with the help of topping the US iTunes chart. Amazing!!!

You can also follow him on Twitter @psy_oppa and did you know that he has already signed a contract with Justin Bieber’s management agency. For you info, Justin Bieber’s Baby video is closing in on 800 million views so it’s still far off but man, 200 million views in just a span of three months is an amazing feat.

Here you go – Oppan Brunei Style. Click image to view video.

Speaking of Gangnam, there have been tons of parodies ever since Gangnamania is still running fever hot!! I saw the Malaysian version so far and believe it or not, Brunei has also joined the bandwagon and it was pretty hilarious too to say the least. It has raked in more than 45,000 views in just a few days which is probably the biggest gainer in terms of views within a short span of time. I can’t recall the number of hits for the famous video which featured ZekZek on his apology as it was removed. Another popular video “Budi” also garnered pretty solid views but it looks like the next king of views for Brunei is “Oppan Brunei Style” video.

If you have not seen it, click here to view and there have been tons of comments praising the said video. Sometimes I do wonder if Psy can create another hilarious move to match his “horsey move” for future music videos. For now, let him enjoy his fame.

Gangnam Style topped the US iTunes chart.. Amazing!!

Batman and Bane performing Gangnam too!

Opportunities as a lecturer

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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Chancellor of UBD and HRH Prince (Dr) Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Pro-Chancellor of UBD, with the graduates during the UBD 24th Convocation last Saturday

HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday said that more research should be conducted in areas that deal with deeper understanding of social issues and public concerns.

His Majesty pointed out that research and studies must assist the nation in overcoming issues such as poverty and crimes.

In the titah at the 24th UBD Convocation, His Majesty in his capacity as the Chancellor of UniversitiBrunei Darussalam said research must be done on social issues that are “becoming more critical” to understand their causes and overcome them.

In this regard, the monarch proposed some areas of research on violation of Customs and Excise Act, Immigration Act, Drug Abuse Act, Labour Act, and smuggling of oil and rice, which His Majesty said, “seemed as if they could no longer be controlled. If there is no research, how will we know the cause? If we don’t know the cause, how could we overcome it?” His Majesty queried.

The monarch also asked: “Where are the findings? Where are the results of the research and studies that we have been hearing about for the past year?”

His Majesty also emphasised the country was in need of a database of research and information. With rapid technological advancement in teaching, learning and research, it is not impossible to deal deeper into such issues, His Majesty added.

Dwelling on the strides made by UBD, His Majesty said within a short period of a year, UBD has successfully filed 10 patents that could potentially be commercialised. However, the monarch added that this success is not a fair measure of capabilities of the students and therefore stressed the importance of research.

If you want to see the video of the event, please click the image above. Video edited by The Brunei Times.

His Majesty foresaw that the digital era will open doors to opportunities for people to seek knowledge and, in line with the nation’s vision, to build a knowledge society in Brunei.

On this note, His Majesty lauded UBD’s effort to establish the Academic Personnel Service Scheme, which he hoped would be realised before the end of the year.

The scheme, which caters to UBD’s human resource development, will serve as a catalyst for academicians to give their best contributions in producing quality teaching and research, said the monarch.

The new scheme hopefully will attract the interests of international academicians to serve and contribute to UBD’s development, His Majesty added.

While UBD’s active involvement in international meetings and regional development efforts was welcomed, His Majesty told graduates not to mistake such opportunities as reasons to take the Malay Language lightly.

“I see UBD has been involved in regional development efforts by contributing to the ASEAN Community 2015 through management programmes such as training for English teachers in ASEAN countries in cooperation with the East-West Centre from the United States,” His Majesty said.

“In this regard, I have only one advice, that is, do not make this initiative a platform to change or blur our national aspirations in empowering the Malay Language as our mother tongue and official language.”

The monarch further urged the nation’s youth to think with the vision of developed nations, and use their own language as propelling force to move forward.

“Think like a big nation would and move forward with your (own) language, not like a person without vision,” His Majesty advised. Text by Low Leng May and Rasidah of The Brunei Times.

New dates for interviews – 28th and 30 September. Looking for positions such as RM, Mortgage specialist, Personal Financial Consultant and many more at Standard Chartered (Brunei)

HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; HRH Prince Haji ‘Abdul Azim, HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen during the ‘Majlis Istiadat Membuka Gendang Jaga-Jaga’ to mark the official commencement of the season of royal festivities for the royal wedding held at Royal Ceremonial Hall of the Lapau yesterday. Picture: Rudolf Portillo of The Brunei Times

The capital echoed with the harmonious sounds of the Royal Orchestra and the royal cannon’s 21-gun salute yesterday at the Majlis Istiadat Membuka Gendang Jaga-Jaga (the Opening of Gendang Jaga-JagaCeremony), signifying the start of the royal festivity season, the royal wedding between Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Yang Mulia Pg Hj Muhammad Ruzaini Pg Dr HjMuhammad Yakub.

Present during the ceremony was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office who was accompanied by His Royal Highness PrinceHj ‘Abdul Azim, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen. The ceremony began with Yang Berhormat Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr UstazHj Mohd Zain Hj Serudin informing Yang Amat Mulia Pg Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pg Anak Hj Abdul Aziz that the ceremony was ready to proceed upon the approval of HRH the Crown Prince.

After conveying it to HRH Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and upon the delivery of His Royal Highness’ sabda giving his approval, the Majlis Istiadat Membuka Gendang Jaga-Jaga was ready to begin. Prior to the Royal Orchestra, or Nobat Diraja performance, the Ketua Juru Laki (designated court official) sought the Crown Prince’s consent to proceed towards the Patarana to bear the Nakara(drum), one of the five royal musical instruments to be played. The Nobat Diraja then began with beating of the Nakara in unison with the sounds of the Gendang Labik (small drum), Serunai (oboe), the Canang and the Gong accompanied with the firing of a 21-gun salute just outside the Lapau Building.

If you want to see the video of the event, please click the image above. Video edited by The Brunei Times.

The ceremony concluded with a Doa Selamat read by the State Mufti, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Hj Awang Abdul Aziz Juned, followed by the departure of the royal entourage to the home of the royal groom-to-be at Kg Beribi.

The Istiadat Menjunjung Kurnia Gendang Jaga-Jaga Ceremony or receiving the bestowment of theGendang Jaga-Jaga at the groom’s residence was conducted in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah.

The ceremony began with Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zain HjSerudin presenting himself before Yang Amat Mulia Pg Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pg Hj Ibnu Ba’asith to inform him that the orchestra is ready. YAM Pg Sanggamara Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pg Hj IbnuBa’asith then informed Pehin Orang Kaya Maharaja Kerna Dato Paduka Seri Hj Yaakub Pehin OrangKaya Maharaja Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Zainal that the gendang was ready, which was later conveyed to His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah.

Following a sabda by HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah to give consent for the Majlis Istiadat MembukaGendang Jaga-Jaga to commence, Pehin Dato Hj Yaakub relayed the sabda to YAM Pg SanggamaraDiraja Major General (Rtd) Pg Hj Ibnu Ba’asith. The Royal Orchestra then began playing a specific tune for the ceremony, which was interspersed for a short moment by the sounds of a 17-gun salute.

Once the music stopped, Pehin Dato Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zain informed YAM Pg Sanggamara Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pg Hj Ibnu Ba’asith that the ceremony had been carried out diligently. YAM then instructed Pehin Dato Hj Yaakub to convey the message of the completion of the ceremony to HRHPrince Hj Sufri Bolkiah where His Royal Highness assented to the closure of the ceremony. Text by Amir Noor of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of Asri Hj Abas.

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His Majesty the Sultan delivering his titah at UBD’s Convocation last Saturday

Congratulations Sean on your graduation

A group photo of ASEAN-Korea Centre delegates with AITI officials and ICT Businesses

A group of 12 delegates from the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) today visited the office of the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) in Anggerek Desa. The investment mission was headed by Mr Kyung Yun Yeom, Acting Head of Trade and Investment Division.

The investment mission visit to AITI, organised by Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) in collaboration with AKC, was to identify investment opportunities in the ICT sector and seek potential collaboration with business partners in introducing new technology.

On hand to welcome the Korean delegation was AITI’s Deputy Chief Executive of Regulatory, Industry and International, Awang Queh Ser Pheng. In his welcoming remarks, the Deputy Chief Executive stated his hope to see a fruitful outcome of this visit by not only exchanging of business contacts but also through exchange of ideas on how to make ICT products better for the consumers.

Pg Sufian of Alif Technologies presented a briefing on their SOS product

Product demonstration on one of the local-made RFID applications

The Korean delegation were then given an insight presentation by Julianah Binti Haji Ali Ahmad, Assistant Chief Executive of Industry Development Group of AITI with regards to its initiatives on promoting and developing the growth of local ICT industry. Three local businesses who are the recipients of AITI’s grant scheme, namely ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd, Alif Technologies Sdn Bhd and Indah Sejahtera Development Services Sdn Bhd (ISDS) have also conducted briefings on their respective grant products: Intelligent Clearance Identifcation (iCLID) system, Computer Automated Disptach system (SOS), and Where2Kerja.

During the visit, the Korean delegation was also given the first-hand impression on several Brunei-made ICT products that were showcased by seven local businesses.

In its continuous efforts to promote the development of local ICT industry, AITI has laid out several programs and initiatives such as Grant Scheme, Market Creation and ICT Competency program, in order to assist the local players to develop and expand their products, and build talents and capabilities in producing innovative ICT solutions. The Korean delegation ended their visit to AITI with a better understanding of Brunei’s ICT initiatives and programmes. Meanwhile, business matching and contacts were established between the ICT companies from both countries. Text and images courtesy of AITI.

These seminars are always quite popular but it doesn’t happen on a regular basis. So this is the best opportunity to get hold of the coachers which is happening this week, one in KB and one in Bandar. And for your info, registration is FREE too.

I’ve always been keen in property but I’ve never really set my intentions to it. I was reading past archives of Azea Property Investment seminars and there was one quote that will encourage those interested in property – “Property investing is a “zero sum game”.

There will be a seminar on 20th September Thursday at Seaview Hotel, KB and 21st September at Rizqun International Hotel, 2:30pm and 7:30pm. For reservation, call or sms 718 4963.

Check out the schedules for Azea Seminar

Below is a quick interview with the organiser of the seminar.

RA: Can you briefly describe why such courses/seminar is in Brunei.
Azea Property: The founder Tang Yang Po, created Azea 3 years ago in Singapore and has been expanding in Asia including Brunei, recruited 900 members in Singapore and 2,000 members in Malaysia. The main purposes of this courses/seminar in Brunei is to provide the public an opportunity to learn how the rich invest in properties.

RA: Does one must have knowledge background on properties? And what kind of properties are you referring to?
Azea Property: No, people do not need to have much knowledge background on properties as we are a coaching / educational company and provide a workshop of Strategies in Property Investments. People can apply the knowledge learnt to any kind of properties.

RA: How many seminars have they conducted in Brunei? And is it gaining popularity? How many pax normally per session? Azea Property: We have conducted about 30 seminars since 2011. Yes, In Brunei Azea has recruited almost 100 members. Normally between 10-30 pax per session. Thus seats are limited!

RA: Who are your target customers? Does it has to be those interested in properties only? And normally who are the age group?
Azea Property: Anyone can learn, we are targeting someone who wants to learn and apply these strategies in helping themselves. Probably someone in their 25’s upwards.

RA: Can you share an example on the benefits if one has the knowledge given from this course?
Azea Property: One can create passive income and can enjoy also the benefits of being a member because we will also provide investment opportunities & signals.

RA: Is there any fee involved for this seminar in Brunei?
Azea Property:No, preview seminar is free in Brunei.

For the very first time, Brunei news medias are invited to cover the prestigious event of L’Oreal; the bi-annual L’Oreal Colour Trophy Gala in Malaysia. This invitation is arranged and fully sponsored by I A Salon that includes entrance tickets, travel and accommodation of 4 Brunei media representatives. L’Oreal Malaysia is sponsoring 2 entrance tickets. It’s such a pity that I have to turn down the offer because of the upcoming Royal Wedding coverage.

I A Salon, who has the most progressive techniques and equipment in make-up and hair styling, has presented tickets of L’Oreal Colour Trophy Gala to Brunei media representatives on Wednesday (05/09/2012). Appeared at the presentation were Hjh Mariam binti Hashim, Director of I A Salon together with Cecilia Lee, the Manager and Chi Siew Lim of I A Salon.

Cecilia Lee during her trip to New York rcently

Cecilia Lee doing a quick demo

Media representatives with the directors and manager of I A Salon

The gala will take place at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on September 20. Considered being the Oscars of the hairdressing industry, 14 Malaysia finalists will compete fiercely to win this highly coveted title and recognition while 5 L’Oreal Artistic Ambassadors will present breathe taking looks on 40 models.

In addition, Brunei media will also have an exclusive interview with Mr. Andrea Stanleick, Managing Director of L’Oreal Malaysia and seminar guest speaker from Australia, Ms. Caterina DiBiase.

After the presentation, Cecilia Lee has a live demonstration on the latest make-up technique and products. Last May, Cecilia Lee flew to New York to attend the biggest make-up trade shows; the International Make-up Artists Trade Show (IMATS) and the Make-up show. From there, she brought back the newest airbrush tools; the TEMPTU and MAKEUP FOREVER that provide magnificent and innovative looks. Latest products brand from MAC, Bobbie Brown, Channel and Dior are also available for its Bruneian clienteles.

Dermalogist Beauty Therapy Serusop, using Dermalogica products is now having facial promotion from 30%-50% discount!! They have various types of facial treatment such as Classical facial, Environment Control Sensitivity facial, Vitamin C facial, Skin Brightening facial, Multivitamin facial, Anti Aging facial, Ultrasonic facial, Diamond Dermabrasion facial, Skin Lifting facial & Oxygen Rejuvenation facial.. Any enquiry please call to 2342928 or whatsapp to 8716680.

Student Advance check-in get 5KG Extra. Click to enter website

Chia Yuam Yeong of MCL Distributor Sdn Bhd (distributor for Logitech) and Vincent Pao of Concepts Computer

I’m pretty sure most of you have use Logitech products and this brand is quite well known for their mouse and keyboard. I used to own Logitech mouse way long time ago. Now you can find different range of Logitech products at Concepts Computer. Thanks to Logitech’s regional distributor, MCL Distribution Sdn Bhd, for tying with Concepts Computer to make this possible.

The Logitech mouses are pretty affordable ranging from $12 to $28 and they have a long warranty up to 3 years too. Now that’s an amazing deal.

Logitech now has released another item which is useful for iPad 2 and the new iPad owners. It is the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, a revolutionary bluetooth keyboard.

For more information, visit the nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 2233551/2/3 or 2448102/3.

The Logitech mouses

The display corner for Logitech

Mr. TigerLim kissing the product

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad 2 or the new iPad

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank at Radisson Hotel

Peter Feran, General Manager of Radisson Hotel

TelBru representatives at Radisson’s Open House

Tourism Malaysia and Abacus Brunei at Radisson’s Open House

CEO of TechOne Global during TechOne Global’s Open House

Chairman of IFB and Country Manager of Microsoft were also present during the TechOne Global’s Open House

Great company too during TechOne Global’s Open House

The entertainers during TechOne Global’s Open House

Traditional music at iCentre’s Open House

Dato Paduka Alaihuddin (left) came for iCentre’s Open House

The ladies from Brunei Economic Development Board at iCentre’s Open House

Cooking cucur at TelBru’s Open House

The theme for TelBru was green

Quite a colourful counter

We were talking of the great food at TelBru’s Open House

Mizi, Azian, Nora and Reeda at TelBru’s Open House

This is a flashback when I was in Singapore a few weeks ago. It was my first visit to Comex 2012 which is the biggest IT expo in Singapore. According to The Strait Times, Comex 2012 raked in a record $72 million in just four days *Woowww* That’s just an astonishing feat by the organisers and I only spent 0.000000012% of that sales *lol*

More than 830,000 visitors showed up during the 4 day event and they had 830 exhibitors at Comex 2012. I’m definitely coming here again and I hope it will be the same weekend as Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention too 😀

It’s not as crowded here at one of the telcos’ area

Did you know that they are only allowed to give brochures or leaflets at a specific zone area?

Hard disks and memory cards selling like hot cakes

Crazy prices but hard to choose from

Printer included (not the models)

Canon presence is massive at Comex 2012

Canon presence is massive at Comex 2012

It was all about hard selling

The hourly deals were the best attraction for the crowd

PS3 consoles selling pretty well too after great bargains

Toshiba LCD screens were pretty affordable

There were tons of Android promoters in the building

…. and in the end, I bought myself an Android box

Are you sick of Gangnam already?

I love the booth and the lay out

A great gimmick to entice new users

The Sony mascot

Promoters are everywhere

Accessories were selling dirt cheap too

I realise how they used papers and maker pens to make a statement

Phone casings are selling at ridiculously low prices

Super massive crowd at Samsung booth

It was so crowded that it was hard to clean up

Cameras were pretty popular

These guys almost made me buy one

I was checking myself

Can you imagine that both Samsung cameras were selling at an awesome price of $299?

The Casio booth were attracting the crowd

Just check out the crowd

On the way down…

Even the usher had to control the traffic slow

This guy was probably enjoying himself during the STGCC 2012

Baiduri Bank recently embarked on a project to landscape a vacant piece of land and transform it into a garden as a gift to the people of Brunei in support of the Government’s “Bandar Seri Begawan City in the Garden” green initiative. The completed garden was officially handed over to the Municipal Department in a ceremony held this morning at the same venue.

Accompanied by Baiduri Bank’s CEO, Pierre Imhof, the guest of honour, Awang Haji Ismail bin Haji Abd. Manaf, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, cut a green ribbon to signify the official opening of the garden. Prior to cutting the ribbon, Awang Haji Ismail led guests in prayers to bless the new garden.

The guest of honour then formally launched a newly erected signboard that displayed a warning on littering and the penalties that will be imposed on offenders. The visitors were then taken on a tour of the garden, led by Pierre Imhof.

The garden is on a piece of land belonging to the Government of Brunei located between the Hassanal Bolkiah Highway and Baiduri Bank’s Head Office in Kiarong. Besides furnishing a wide variety of plants, the garden also has a paved path where visitors can take walks and a gazebo complete with garden furniture. Solar-powered garden lights and trash bins have also been provided for the convenience of visitors.

Guest of Honour, YM Awang Hj Ismail cutting ribbon with Mr. Pierre Imhof, CEO Baiduri Bank

CEO having a light moment with the Guest of Honour at the gazebo

Commenting on Baiduri’s green project, Mr Pierre Imhof said, “Baiduri Bank has always actively participated in community projects, and this garden is one of them. For this garden, we have taken care to select plants that are weather sustainable and can withstand going without water a few days. This is so that we will not have to resort to constant watering thus helping conserve water. We have also chosen solar-powered garden lights in order to conserve energy.” He went on to pledged Baiduri’s commitment to continue maintaining the garden.

“The public is welcome to enjoy our garden facilities”, Mr Imhof said, adding, “but I hope that they will do their part in keeping the facilities in good order and dispose of trash in the proper manner”.

Accompanying Awang Haji Ismail were the Chairman of the Municipal Department, Pengiran Hj Abd Rahman bin PSI Pg Hj Ismail and senior officials from the Municipal Department.

Also present at today’s event was Mr. Ti Eng Hui, Deputy General Manager, Retail Banking and Branch Network; Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, Senior Manager Treasury; Veronica Chong, Senior Manager, Human Resources and Finance Division and Ms. Dorothy Newn, Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing and staff of Baiduri Bank Group.

The “Bandar Seri Begawan City in the Garden” Campaign is an initiative by the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Department with the objective to portray Bandar Seri Begawan as a green and clean city. Text and images courtesy of Baiduri Bank.

Promotion at Tasek Brasserie

Alan Inspiration

Contracts were signed recently between the Event Organiser InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB) and Event Manager Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd for the TechXpo 2012.

Signing on behalf of InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB) was its Chairman, Abdul Ghani Pg Hj Metusin, witnessed by IFB Executive Committee member, Mr Vincent Chok. Signing on behalf of Sunlit Advertising was its Executive Director, Dato Haji Danial bin Haji Hanafiah, witnessed by its Managing Director, Mr Jackson Ting. The ceremony was graced by Yang Mulia Awang Abdul Mutalib Bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohamad Yusof, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications. The ceremony took place at the Seri Kerna Hall, AITI Building in Anggerek Desa.

Supported by The Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Education and Authority For Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI), TechXpo 2012 will be held from 1st to 4th December at the International Convention Centre in Berakas. This will be the third instalment of the technology event and promises to be bigger and better than the previous expos. This year’s TechXpo is in conjunction with the APICTA Awards hosted in Brunei Darussalam.

Another highlight of the TechXpo 2012 will be the first Enterprise Business Matching (EBM) and Product Sharing Session (PSS) which will be hosted by The Asia Oceania Regional Software Park Alliance (AORSPA). Both the EBM and the PSS will be held on the 1st and 2nd December during the TechXpo 2012 in ICC. AORSPA is an alliance comprises of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Myanmar, Taiwan and Nepal. It is a one stop platform stages for the AORSPA to meet, to exchange, to cooperate and to expand business opportunities, contributing to the development of ICT industry. It will be a great opportunity for the local Bruneians to expand and explore your business network across the region. For those who are interested, you can register online at http://www.aorspaict.com/ebm-pss and closing date will be on 20th October 2012.

Executive Director, Dato Haji Danial bin Haji Hanafiah, witnessed by its Managing Director, Mr Jackson Ting and Hui Chiet in baju kurung of Sunlit Advertising :p

The invited guests at the signing ceremony

Abdul Mutalib (center) was the guest of honour with representatives from IFB, Abdul Ghani Pg Hj Metusin the Chairman of IFB and Mr Vincent Chok, IFB Executive Committee member and Sunlit Advertising’s Dato Hj Danial and Jackson Ting

Are you one of the graduates this year for UBD? It’s happening tomorrow at the Chancellor Hall which will be graced by His Majesty the Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. I shall be there for coverage and hope to see my friends who are graduating as well. Congratulations to those who will receiving their certs tomorrow and don’t forget to smile tomorrow and be featured on RA’s coverage too 😀 Good luck tomorrow.

The pictures below are taken during the full dress rehearsal of the convocation taken last Wednesday. The images are courtesy of Kitty and Neena Mahrub. Thank you ladies!!

Acer full range of products are now featured in Concepts Computer’s Acer Roadshow. Those who wish to purchase or browse for new tech stuff should drop by Concepts Computer’s Acer Roadshow at The Mall Gadong, as part of the four-day School Holiday Expo Sale. LCD monitors, projectors, and slim notebooks such as the Aspire V5 are some of the products on offer until this Sunday.

Acer Branch Manager for Brunei and Miri, Richard Soo, said, “During our four-day promotion, for any Acer brand product that is sold, the customer is entitled to a three-year warranty free-of-charge worth $108,” he said.

In other words, the promotion is only exclusive to the Acer Roadshow booth at the Mall throughout the four-day promotion period.

Richard also announced that Acer is enhancing its service to its customers in Brunei and has established a low cost service provider called On Time Service. For instance, you can send your Acer products to Concepts Computer and they will service your items as quickly as possible so you won’t have to wait for quite long.

“Before, customers had to send their Acer laptop to Miri for repairs and service, but with our local On Time Service, we can have customers’ laptops fixed within three working days” said Richard.

The branch manager said this initiative was an effort to provide better services to customers and that with efficient quality of services, customers will have great confidence in the Acer brand.

Customers should also be on the look out next month for the new Windows 8 launch, where a number of innovative Acer products will be available such as the Acer Aspire S7. Text by Anwar Rosly of The Brunei Times.

Richard Soo (center) with Vincent Pao of Concepts Computer at Acer

Interested in getting an Acer projector?

Find out more about their “On Time Service” from Acer

MASwings is offering ‘Malaysia Day Special’ promotional fares through www.maswings.com.my for its domestic routes, in conjunction with the forthcoming Malaysia Day celebrations. The two days’ advance purchase sales and ticketing period will be from 14 September to 20 September 2012, for travel from 16 September 2012 to 31 March 2013.

MASwings’s Chief Commercial Officer, Shauqi Ahmad, said “MASwings is delighted to offer these promotional fares in conjunction with Malaysia Day, as part of our initiative and commitment to celebrate this joyful and historic occasion with the travelling public especially Malaysians and in particular those in Sabah and Sarawak.”

“Being a community airline serving the people within Sabah and Sarawak, connecting them to the world through our network as well as that of our parent company Malaysia Airlines, we strive to further contribute towards national integration during Malaysia Day by allowing travelers to take advantage of the longer weekend to boost travel within the nation. At the same time, we also allow other tourists to take advantage of the special promotions and enjoy what Sabah and Sarawak have to offer.”

This was my first trip to KK via MASwings last February and it was great…. Maybe I should book my ticket again for next year 😀

During this 7 days promotion, customers will enjoy all-in one way fare from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Labuan from as low as RM95; to Bintulu, Sibu, Mulu, Tawau, and Miri from RM105; and from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching at RM115.

Also available are all-in one way fares from Miri to Bintulu, Mulu, Limbang and Labuan from as low as RM85 and to Sibu at RM95.

Those travelling from Kuching will also be enjoying all in one way fare at RM95 to Bintulu and Sibu and from as low as RM105 to Miri and Mulu.

“Customers are urged to book early to enjoy this limited Malaysia Day Special offer and avoid disappointments as seats are subject to availability.” Shauqi further added.

Sairol of DPMM FC scored one of the goals in DPMM FC 3-1 victory over Courts Young Lions

Pressure was on DPMM FC after losing points at home to Harimau Muda and Gombak recently. They turned their fortunes against Young Lions with a 3-1 victory with goals from DPMM FC captain Rosmin Kamis, Sairol Hj Sahari and Ivan Jerkovic. The coach was happy that DPMM FC was back to winning ways and now their focus will be against Tanjong Pagar United FC (23rd September) and Home United FC (29th September). The coach target is still a top 5 finish in the Singapore League and anything more than that will be a bonus.

It was good to know that Pg Salleh is back playing after coming back from injury. Azwan Salleh didn’t follow the trip as he was still nursing a knee injury. Now DPMM FC is lying on 3rd place in the Singapore League.

Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd’s another scholarship local citizen recipient left for the UK on Wednesday to pursue an undergraduate degree. NurAmal ‘Izzati @ NoramalIzzati Hj Kamsani will undertake a three-year BA (Hons) Interior Design programme at the University of Birmingham City. Upon completion of the course, Izzati will serve at Sunlit Advertising.

Sunlit Advertising’s sponsorship of Izzati allowing her to further her studies is in adherence with His Majesty Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah to enhance human resource development in Brunei Darussalam, as well as being part of the company’s corporate social responsibility. Images courtesy of Sunlit Advertising.

Izzati the scholar with Jackson Ting, the Managing Director of Sunlit Advertising before Izzati’s departure

Group photo with Izzati’s family and friends with Sunlit Advertising representatives

The first stardom was a smaller scale last year. This year it looks bigger and better because of the number of local agencies supporting the event especially with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. Talent shows in Brunei haven’t been given much of a push and I remember the days of Paspot to Fame (P2F) which was well received by the local community but then again it all boils down to support from the local agencies and it’s not easy to make one if you don’t pull the right strings.

In come Danny Tay, the Managing Director of Dreamz MKZ, who is the main behind the big project. His intention was clear – to build a whole new family entertainment and support the contestants and bringing everyone to be part of the show. He also hopes it will path a new career for the future of Brunei and increase opportunities in the field of Creative Arts.

He thanked the government agencies and sponsors and supporters namely Fitness Zone, Hui Huang Enterprise/You C1000, Kingston Creamery & Beverage (Pepsi), IA Salon, KFC, Deseo and The Faceshop.

They will be going to four districts to search for talents but I’m not sure of the venue and schedules just yet. The competition song can be in Chinese, English or Malay. The application form can be obtained from the business outlets of the event’s sponsors and also on Facebook. The registration fee is $20 for non-students and $10 for students.

The judges of the competition are Racheal Malai Ali, Mohd Sharif, a representative from Sony Music Label Company and Roy Li of Imagine Music Singapore.

All proceeds of tickets in the finals will go to DANA (The Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Orphans Fund).The cash prizes are $3,000 for the first prize, $2,000 for second prize and $1,000 for third prize. There are also other cash ‘vouchers and gifts by sponsors. The theme is ‘One Music, One Family, One Brunei’.

Danny Tay delivering his welcoming remarks

Cecilia with partners of IA Salon

Denise Chai of Deseo

Ruby of The Faceshop

Jonathan and Erwin of KFC

The sponsors and supporters of the event

Jonathan sharing a smile

Neldi and Tauffek will be the emcees during the show

…. while she was the emcee for the signing ceremony *hehe*

HSBC Spot, Send and Win. Click image to enlarge.

Screen shot of iPhone 5 from Apple.com

So finally the wait is over!!! Tim Cook and his team from Apple had unveiled what the latest iPhone 5 can offer and its uniqueness. I believe smartphones particularly has reached its cycle span in terms of design and its multi-touch screen features. How else can you top all that? Samsung has done its best, Nokia has jumped into the bandwagon of smartphones and the latest iPhone features are definitely a great upgrade as compared when 4s was introduced.

The iPhone 5 is thinner and lighter. Another difference is the height and instead of the usual 4 rows of icons, it now has 5 rows. That’s nothing to shout about but it’s good to see some changes in the layout in the iPhone 5.

The other notable difference is the connector which is now called the lighting connector and it replaces the usual 30-pin connector. But not to worry, there’s an adapter for it. The camera features is what amazes me because its able to shoot in low light mode and I always love a feature where while video recording, you can snap photos away. Well, that works for me 😀

You can check out the complete features of the new iPhone 5 by clicking here. I won’t say that I’m like super WOW but it’s definitely a better upgrade than the current 4s I’m using. I’m off to sleep and it’s already late. If you’re asking, yes, I will get the next generation iPhone for sure.. Thank you, Apple!! I won’t say the features are innovative and some features are already available on android phones anyway (then again, iPhone doesn’t release their phones until now until Android phones). Innovation is not right word for this keynote but I was surely impressed by this powerful iPhone 5.

Note: This still could be a problem for Brunei though because it used a nano-Sim standard which is 40% smaller the micro-sim card used in 4 and 4s. This is the LTE network that Apple has included in the phone line and LTE is the next wave after 3G network. Problem is that we don’t have such network here in Brunei just yet though there have been talks about it as mentioned by Idris, CEO of DST, a few months ago and also Ericsson (in Brunei) has been running some trials in Brunei using LTE network. 

Now this will be pressure for both b•mobile and DST to come up with LTE network in Brunei and yes, LTE will one day replace 3G. For your info, HTC will be giving some tough time for Apple because of the LTE features. So do expect something interesting to happen in the courtroom again *lol* As for Apple’s strong brand, this will give a push to telcos to roll out LTE features in Brunei and also regionally. Now the question is when will LTE be made available in Brunei.

Image below are taken from mashable and gdgt live updates.

Tim Cook of Apple doing what the late Steve Jobs was good at

Ok, boasting numbers about iPads

Good to see an improvement on battery life though SIII is still way better

A better camera feature and now the front camera is HD too. Cool for Facetime 😀

Ok, LTE is something new which capitalises on fast internet. It’s not available here in Brunei but I won’t be surprised if this will come out in the near future. LTE is the future anyway.

The new connector for iPhone 5 … Gone are the days of a 30-pin connector

How the new iPhone 5 looks like

Screen shot of iPhone 5 from Apple.com

Some of the features of IOS 6 and I love the 3D mapping *thumbs up*

Now with the IOS 6, you can create and share pictures with your close friends and family. Treat it like another instagram but more private.

The new type of earpiece called EarPods

Ok, this is awesome.. that Singapore is one of the countries that will have the stocks pretty early than other countries

Apple also unveiled the new iTunes look which will be ready by October

The new Nano iPod was also announced

Now the 5th Gen iPod has features of the 4s

…and it has a loop where you can put your strap

LANEIGE Brunei Darussalam officially launched its corporate and social responsibility initiative, ‘Laneige Health Campaign’, in an event underlining their concerns held at The Mall, Gadong on September 9 recently.

Themed “Beauty through Healthy Lifestyle”, the health campaign is a movement supported by the Health Promotion Centre, Ministry of Health, Korean Embassy of Brunei Darussalam, JPMC Fitness Centre and Susan’s Fitness Studio.

Highlighting the event was its Healthy Snack Making Contest which carried the concept “Korean Fusion Food” supported by the Korean Embassy in Brunei. Seven out of 34 recipes were chosen for their Korean inspired themes. The seven dishes were:Rendang Roasted Beef with Mushroom and Sesame Rice Cake, Four Flavours Kimchi Salad, Korean Vegetables Pancake, Aisah Mixed Salad, Beef Roll, Egg Pancake topped with Steamed Seafood and Vegetables and Green Papaya.

The judging criteria was based on their nutrition value, presentation, low salt, low sugar, low fat and taste. The Korean Ambassador’s wife, Madam Kyung Soo Kim was present to hand over the grand prize of Laneige products worth $400, an exquisite set of Korean traditional costume called ‘Hanbok’ and a one month free membership to JPMC Fitness Centre to winner Susan Fong Sia Sun for her rendang dish.

The idea of Korean Fusion is to encourage the creation of new healthy dishes that blends Korean dishes with the local cuisines. The aim of organising the event is to educate the public about the importance of a balanced daily diet together with a regular exercise schedule and proper daily skincare regimen.

Another reason for such an event, according to the organisers, is to follow up from LANEIGE’s Waterful Sharing Campaign aimed at providing clean water to the children in Mali, Africa, by building water tanks. Throughout the event, the organiser encouraged people to participate in fitness challenges and games by JPMC Fitness centre. Text by Ammirul Adnan of The Brunei Times.

The winners of Healthy Snack Making Contest

Grand winner – Susan, Fong sia sun – Rendang Roast Beef with Kimchi, Mushroom and sesame rice cake
1st runner up – Aiza Zorina Rivera – green papaya archar
2nd runner up – Onn Fai Tee – 4 flavors Kimchi salad

Zumba-ing during the ‘Laneige Health Campaign’

Zumba-ing during the ‘Laneige Health Campaign’

After the Zumba session

The judging began for the Healthy Snack

The finalists showcasing their own creation

The judges were pretty tough

2nd runner up – Onn Fai Tee – 4 flavors Kimchi salad

1st runner up – Aiza Zorina Rivera – green papaya archar

Susan, Fong sia sun – Rendang Roast Beef with Kimchi, Mushroom and sesame rice cake

Group photo with finalists and judges

A new shop in town that has comics and collectible figurines which opened its door last Saturday. For those interested to check it out, it’s right after Le Apple at Menglait. It was such a great turnouot last Saturday when it opened its door at 5pm. Congratulations to shop owners Khairul and Amirul on the new venture.