Salmon Craze at Grazie Mauri

This month is the Salmon Month Craze at Grazie Mauri and they are having a 50% discount at Grazie Mauri. Chef Mauri came up with different styles of salmon such as Salmon Burritos, Chervice Salmon and Salmon Teriaky to name a few.

So make way your way to Grazie Mauri and enjoy the Salmon Craze. Call 244 7471 for more details.

Salmon Teriaky – Pineapple and Salmon skewers marinated in soya and honey grilled to perfection

Smoked Salmon Terrine – Cram cheese and smoked salmon gateaux Mamma Mia Buonisimo

Chef Mauri (c) hosting us last week

It’s happening today… So do come and register

The Brunei Economic Development Board (“BEDB”) is pleased to announce the launching of the LEAP (Local Enterprise Applications & Products) Grant Scheme for 2012. It is a program aimed at providing financial assistance to local SMEs, students and researchers to develop prototypes or pilot projects that have innovative technological content, commercial practicality and export potential in both ICT and non-ICT industries.

To assist those eligible to prepare their grant applications, the BEDB in collaboration with Coaching Specialist ‘Money Tree’ will be conducting a LEAP Business Plan Workshop at the iCentre on Tuesday, 11th September 2012. More information about LEAP Grant Scheme will also be available during the workshop.

Following this workshop, grant applicants approved by the LEAP Program Committee will be required to attend Financial and Intellectual Property (IP) Workshops to attain the necessary financial management skills as well as to develop an appreciation of IP and to manage it effectively for innovation and creativity to flourish.

Registrations for those participating in the Workshop will commence at 8:00am on Tuesday, 11th September 2012 and the program will commence at 8.30 am. The Workshop is a full day event with lunch provided. I think you can still register for today if you’re slightly late. Just give it a shot 😀

For details on how to participate in the Workshop, please call Diana at 2230111 ext 146 or email to leap.program@bedb.com.bn stating your name, contact details and the name of your company/ organization. There is no registration fee for Brunei SMEs.

Application form for the LEAP Grant Scheme is downloadable online at www.bedb.com.bn . The application is open from 15th August 2012 and all completed applications should be submitted no later than 3pm Monday, 8th October 2012 to:

LEAP Secretariat
The Brunei Economic Development Board
Block 2K, Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Ong Sum Ping
Bandar Seri Begawan, BA 1311
Negara Brunei Darussalam

It’s out now at LARA Corp for $799 and just mention Ranoadidas at the counter and you can get a FREE casing for SIII. All SIII users will also get FREE screen protector.

Ever heard of LARA Corp? Well, they started their business through Facebook (thelaracorp or click here) and they grew from there. They also had a small stall at Times Square previously before they eventually moved to a physical store located at The Airport Mall. The mobile shop is located next to KFC outlet.

I shall highlight the Samsung Galaxy SIII Garnet Red which is one of the rarest colour to get and LARA Corp is only bringing limited stock. As you know SIII is the fastest selling Samsung phone model and this is one reason why Samsung has a bigger market share than Apple in the market and of course, price wise SIII is a few hundreds dollar cheaper than an iPhone 4 or 4s.

Now you can get the Samsung SIII Garnet Red for $799 and comes with FREE casing and exclusive to ranoadidas readers, if you mention ranoadidas, you will get a FREE SIII casing. Good huh? So what are you waiting for? Make your way to LARA Corp at The Airport Mall tomorrow.

The new shop LARA Corp at The Airport Mall on ground floor

I’m quite impressed with the Samsung Galaxy Beam but I’m not sure if the processor is as fast as the SIII. It’s cheaper than the SIII for sure and it’s only $678 only. The great thing about this smartphone is that it’s able to project to the screen on the activities you do on the phone. The projection has an output of 15 Lumen DLP (Digital Light Projector). This comes also with a FREE screen protector and FREE Galaxy Beam Case.

I projected my website on the white surface using the Galaxy Beam.. Awesome!!!

Dermott Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines exchanging documents with Dato Jack Ting, CityNeon Displays & Constructions for the upcoming TravelMania 2012 in October (5th to 7th)

I was a bit confused at first because we are very familiar with the brand of Abacus Travel Fair which has been going for many years. This time round, yes, Abacus Travel Fair will still be around but the bigger picture will be the first ever TravelMania 2012 which is organised by Royal Brunei Airlines with the support of CityNeon Displays and Constructions (Event Manager and co-organiser) and Abacus Brunei (Event partner).

So what’s the difference between Abacus Travel Fair and TravelMania? Well, let’s just say that TravelMania 2012 is the overall big scope while Abacus Travel Fair is part of TravelMania. What to expect? A bigger fair than usual where vendors that are related to traveling will be participating during this big event. For instance, suppliers of luggages and bags will be making their presence during the fair which is something new. Another example is travel insurance and even home insurance to make sure your home is protected while you’re away.

So when is the TravelMania 2012? It’s slated for 5th to 7th October at BRIDEX Exhibition Hall. More news on that when the time is near.

Royal Brunei Airlines partnering with Abacus Brunei for TravelMania 2012

TelBru is one of the partners with Abacus Brunei during TravelMania 2012

Baiduri Bank is the official bank for TravelMania 2012

Malaysia Airlines signing with Abacus Brunei

Singapore Airlines signing with Abacus Brunei for TravelMania 2012

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik gracing the launch of BIBD mobile at The Empire Hotel this morning

The event took place this morning at The Empire Hotel and the guest of honour was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik who officiated the launch of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam mobile. This is an extended service provided by BIBD and such launch warrants a new milestone for the local bank where it makes it more convenient for BIBD customers to be updated with their banking needs in just in the palms of his/her hand.

With many people joining the bandwagon of smartphones, this is very essential to have a mobile version for BIBD Online. You don’t have to worry about logging in through your desktop computers or notebook. Just grab your iPhones, SII or SIII, HTCs and other smartphones and just type in http:/www.bibd.com.bn/m on your url and walaaa, it looks like an app interface and a simplified version of the normal official website of BIBD.

There are some great features here too where you can top up your DST Easi Prepaid mobile or purchase Electric Service top-up through the mobile version of BIBD Online. Ok, let’s not get confused that the BIBD Mobile is not an IOS or Android apps but it’s a mobile version of BIBD website to make the experience more user friendly. The IOS/Android version will be released later this year.

Congratulations BIBD on the new milestone and I’ve tried surfing it on my iPhone and it looks great 😀

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik being greeted upon his arrival this morning

Were they trying out BIBD mobile then?

BIBD mobile is the right move

Check out bibd web format on smartphones – http://www.bibd.com.bn/m

Alex Ha and Md Hanif of Silverlake Mobility Ecosystem Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) are the guys behind the creation of the mobile version. Alex hinted that the mobile apps version will be ready within this year.

The main home page of BIBD Mobile. Go try it out!!

Dermott Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines exchanging documents with Dato Jack Ting, CityNeon Displays & Constructions for the upcoming TravelMania 2012 in October (5th to 7th). More updates tomorrow!!

Hasmin Masri, Assistant Marketing Manager of Interhouse Company, was the emcee for the day

There was such a huge big crowd at Radisson Hotel

Photographers getting ready for the competition

He was awarded with a limited edition miniature of a Canon camera

…. And the competition begins…

Remember last year? The first Canon Photo Shootout Brunei? This year’s edition has been renamed to Canon Photomarathon Brunei Darussalam 2012 and it has now become an annual event organised by Interhouse Company. It was such a great turnout as they had more than 300 participants which was a huge improvement from last year’s edition.

According to Vincent Goh, he was very overwhelmed with the responses from the increasing number of participants and it opens barriers to professionals, amateurs and beginners.

Also present was Mr. Heng Ting Guan from Canon Singapore who came to give support for the event. He shared that two winners will be sent to attend a Canon Photo Clinic conducted by a professional photographer.

The competition was divided into three themes – Green, Street Scene and Lights. Hassanal Sulaiman aka Adam showed why he’s one of the best photographers as he won first prize from “street scene” theme and he also won one last year. Other winners were Azri Hj Zainal (Azizi) for “green” theme and Nizal Syahromi Wulidana for “lights” theme. All the top three winners won themselves a Canon 60D EFS 18-55mm kit.

Second places went to Awg Michael bin Ruiz, Awg Anas Afandi bin Hj Md Hussain and Awg Panji Widhiarto, who all won a Canon IXUS 500HS.

Third places were won by Awg Hj Tejuddin bin Hj Sulaiman, Awg Nasrul Hadi bin Hamdan and Awg Sapta IIudaya, who each received a Canon PIXMA MG2170 AIO printer.

Judges and the winners of the Canon Photomarathon Brunei Darussalam 2012

3rd place winner for Green theme

Hj Tejuddin bin Hj Sulaiman – 3rd place winner for Green theme and prize presented by Hj Nadi, one of the judges

2nd place winner for Green theme

1st place winner for Green theme

Azri Hj Zainal (Azizi) – 1st place winner for Green theme

3rd place winner for Street Scene theme

Nasrul Hadi bin Hamdan – 3rd place winner for Street Scene theme and prize was presented by Mr. Heng Ting Guan, Canon Singapore Pte Ltd

2nd place winner for Street Scene theme

Anas Afandi bin Hj Md Hussain – 2nd place winner for Street Scene

1st place winner for Street Scene theme

Hassanal Sulaiman aka Adam – 1st place winner for Street Scene theme

3rd place winner for Lights theme

Awg Sapta IIudaya – 3rd place winner for Lights theme and prize presented by Mr. Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company

2nd place winner for Lights theme

Panji Widhiarto – 2nd place winner for Lights theme and he bought my classic 400D from me

1st place winner for Lights theme

Nizal Syahromi Wulidana – 1st place winner for Lights theme

There is quite a strong group for Indonesian community of photographers in Brunei. Three of them made it to the top three of the competition.

The competition starts 2:30pm tomorrow (Sunday) at The Mall and I will be one of the judges

Their Majesties hosted dinner for US Secretary Hillary Clinton

Guess who was in Brunei lately? Yes, it was US Secretary Hillary Clinton who was on a quick two day visit to the Sultanate and I wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of her during her stay in Brunei. His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha hosted a dinner at the Istana Nurul Iman two nights ago in honour of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Also present were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and his wife, Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Zariah, Her Royal Highness PrincessHjh Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and YAM Pg Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pg Anak Hj Abdul Aziz and other members of the royal family. Also attending the dinner was US Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Daniel Shields.

The US Secretary of State landed here yesterday for a two-day visit, which will see the top US diplomat meet her Bruneian counterparts and visit the country’s main university. The visit to Brunei Darussalam is part of Clinton’s six-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific, which will culminate with the American official attending a summit meeting of leaders from 21 Pacific Rim nations in Russia, according to various media reports.

She is now in Vladivostok, Russia, for the APEC Russia 2012. Images courtesy of Muiz Matdani.

Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan (MSPSBS) will be organizing the MS Family Carnival 2012. The carnival will be held on 9th September 2012 (Sunday) from 8am to 5pm and will take place on the school campus. The MS Family Carnival is organized by the MSPSBS Student Council and peer group helpers and supported by DANA Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah.

The principle aim of the event is to raise funds for the charity, DANA Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah untuk Anak-Anak Yatim, to which all proceeds earned by the MS Family Carnival organizing committee will be donated. The remaining amount will be donated to Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council, MS Student Welfare and MS Student Council Body Fund.

Other objectives include raising awareness of the role of family in helping prevent social problems and living a healthy lifestyle through playing sport. As well as sports events to support the latter objective, there will be a variety of other activities ranging from exhibitions concerned with social problems, Fun house for kids,rides ATV bikes,horse riding, to stalls selling numerous types of food and refreshments.

Being a community event aimed at raising funds for a specific charity, MS Family Carnival 2012 offers an excellent opportunity to company/business to aide our worthy cause and to generate positive publicity and profit in the process.

All activities are supported by Fitness Zone, My Small world and Brunei Darussalam Aids council.

Carbon Monoxide kills. Photo illustration by Jeff Neumann, The Denver Post; photos: Jupiter Images.

Interesting findings that I learnt (about carbon monoxide) after the recent accidental incident that costs that lives of two young Bruneians who were found in a car parked at the basement of Manggis Hua Ho Mall last Tuesday night.

According to the police report, any foul play was ruled out and it was the excessive inhalation of carbon monoxide that led to their deaths. During the investigation, they found traces of green-coloured liquid at the front area of the car generated from teh air coolant radiator as well as traces of black-coloured liquid under the car.

I was quite naive about how carbon monoxide (CO) are deadly and they can attack you silently and yes, it only takes minutes and even before you know it, you will be unconscious and eventually costs your life. So I kept asking my peers if they know or aware about CO especially when it comes to cars. I was amazed that most of them are aware of this and I wasn’t at all.. So I believe this is pretty important to know and I just wanna share with you guys on the dangers of CO and how you can prevent them especially involving cars.

How CO affects your body

What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide, or CO, is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.

Where is CO found?
CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by cars and trucks, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, and gas ranges and heating systems. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned by breathing it.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. High levels of CO inhalation can cause loss of consciousness and death. Unless suspected, CO poisoning can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic other illnesses. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from CO poisoning before ever experiencing symptoms.

How can I avoid CO poisoning from my vehicle?
• Have a mechanic check the exhaust system of my car every year. A small leak in your car’s exhaust system can lead to a build up of CO inside the car.
• Never run a car in the garage with the garage door shut. CO can build up quickly while your car is running in a closed garage. Never run your car inside a garage that is attached to a house and always open the door to any garage to let in fresh air when running a car inside the garage. So in the recent case, the car was left running at the basement of the mall and it’s also considered an enclosed area.
• Leave your window slightly open when you happen to leave your engine on especially with air-conditioning on.
• If you drive a vehicle with a tailgate, when you open the tailgate, you also need to open vents or windows to make sure air is moving through your car. If only the tailgate is open CO from the exhaust will be pulled into the car.

If you want to know more about CO and its dangers and preventions, you can click here, here and here for more info. It’s better to be aware than sorry. Happy weekend, peeps!!

Katy Perry Rocks!!!

Katy Perry: Part of me I’ve seen This it it (Michael Jackson) but not the Justin Beiber one. This is other movie documentary celebrity that I caught last week with Jessie and I was pretty moved by her documentary. I never knew she is a song writer and how she climbed up the ranks of being a superstar and I was surprised of her upbringing as well. I managed to catch this at The Mall Cineplex before the show runs out as they are only showing on one show in 3D.

Well, if you are not a Katy Perry fans, I still recommend you to catch this movie. I know that Jessie now has changed her thoughts on Katy Perry after watching the show. Yea, I could say we both teared up a bit though she was more moved than me *lol* What inspired me the most about Katy is how she envisioned her dreams and now she’s living her dream. It’s a great reminder to us all that we should be living our dreams and not others. And her unconditional love to her fans is something that it’s not common once you are a celebrity or a star. Great show!! Verdict: 8/10

I want a Teddy bear now!!

Ted Don’t be fooled by this soft toy. The posters doesn’t suggest much but if you see the trailers, you probably be more interested to catch it than just relying on the visuals on the poster. I never saw one as it was never screened here in Brunei and I finally knew why… it’s pretty vulgar and the themes involved are not suitable and appropriate to get a pass from our censorship board *boohoo* So I caught this movie with Cuterabbit during my recent Singapore trip.

I tell you that this movie was totally entertaining from start to finish and sometimes I wish I had a live teddy bear like Ted *lol* The movie has its crude moments and yes, this is not a recommended first date movie either. Though it won’t be showing here in Brunei, if you happened to be in Singapore, do catch Ted or you can do the sneaky way in Brunei which it’s not appropriate to disclose here *lol* Awesome flick. Verdict: 8/10

How I wish they were actresses instead *lol*

Magic Mike Ok, this movie can biased if they are my female buddies watching this. Basically for the main reason is that they get to see hot guys dancing on stage and doing stuff that might give you ladies the adrenalin rush. After the movie, cuterabbit couldn’t stop talking about the movie *lol* and I understood why. Yes, this movie won’t be even showing here in Brunei because of the themes and the contents which are deemed inappropriate.

I quite enjoyed the movie as well and no, I’m not biased *lol* It was more of the interesting plot. I realised how popular Channing Tatum is right now after huge hits just as 21 Jump Street and the Vow which raked in more than $250 million and plus this movie was directed by Steven Soderbergh. The movie was a huge hit in the States and showed how he is now one of the A-list actors in Hollywood. If you thought Coyote Ugly was good, then Magic Mike is three times better. Verdict: 8/10

Jonson Lim of Timetech Computer Trading Company, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer (right) with the staff showcasing Edifier products

What is a desktop (multimedia) computer without speakers? These sound gadgets do spice up whatever you do with the computer. I’ve always overlooked this area when it comes to sound. My iMac speakers have lost its mojo for the past year or so. Anyway, this morning, I had a quick visit to Concepts Computer as they finally have new range of speakers from Edifier Technology and as Zul Abdul Rahman (Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer) said that the Edifier models range from high end ones to portable ones to wireless ones and of course to speakers that we normally use in our daily lives.

Speakers from Concepts Computer:

Edifier M1250 $19
Edifier R18USB $29
Edifier R600USB $39
Edifer M1360 $49

Mid-range speakers
Edifier M1386 $89
Edifer M3200 $89
Edifier P3060 $89
Edifier X330 $89

Portable Speakers/Blue-tooth
Edifier TickTock Dock $129
Edifier BreatheBT $439

High end speakers
Edifier Studio 7 $299
Edifier S730 $569
Edifier S550 $669

Zul Abdul Rahman said that Concepts Computer doesn’t only emphasise on computers such as Acer notebooks but also on customers satisfaction from the entertainment side. For more information, you can visit their showroom at Kiulap or call 223 3551/2/3 or 244 8102/3

More affordable range of speakers

They even have one ideal for iPhones or iPads

The mother of all speakers. The price includes another box of Edifier speakers

Great design on the speakers and this costs around $89

Now… doesn’t the speakers suit my theme then? *lol*

Critics have hailed Ernest So as a performer who exerts a “phenomenon presence on stage” and who “evokes the romanticism and technical brilliance of a 19th century pianist”. Mr. So’s earlymanifestation as concert pianist brought prizes such as the Best Performer Award in Singapore and later the Beethoven Trophy. His years at the Juilliard School were spent under the artistic influence and instruction of renowned Beethoven scholar Jacob Lateiner (1928 – 2010); other teachers include Solomon Mikowsky, the late Constance Keene, and Jonathan Feldman.

Besides active concertizing in the United States, Europe and Asia, Mr. So is equally devoted to musical education, founding Atelier des Artistes in New York (2000) and then PerformNow in Hong Kong (2005), thus contributing vastly to the artistic scenes in both cities. Mr. So is well-known for his wide repertoire, including not only standard concert works by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, but also masterworks by Scriabin, Godowsky, Medtner, Antheil, Poulenc, Ibert, Bortkiewicz, Catoire, Guastavino, Kapustin, Stanchinsky, Mompou, Viñes, and many other lesser known composers. In 2008, Mr. So was invited to perform for over 20,000 spectators at the celebration of Guangxi University’s 80th Anniversary.

Mr. So has also given masterclasses and lectures on Beethoven, and is the author of numerous essays on music. He additionally uses his expertise to advise as a professional consultant on piano manufacture and restoration techniques, working for various leading piano builders and restorers; he is currently the Chief Technical Consultant for Asia Piano Japan. A personal friend of Paolo Fazioli and Luigi Borgato, two of the greatest piano builders of our time, Mr. So performs regularly on Fazioli pianos and had been invited to perform on a 2007 Borgato piano in Italy.

It’s happening this Sunday and there are more than 200 registered participants. I believe there are still slots for walk-in registration this Sunday. So do make your way this Sunday to Radisson Hotel at 8:30am to register yourself. I think this is open to all photo enthusiasts out there. Good luck!!! I will be there to do some quick coverage and hopefully cover the prize presentation.

This was the event taken last year for the 1st Canon event

Vincent Goh of Interhouse Company with Saifulizam, one of the winners last year

Limited goodies from Cooltones for existing and new subscribers

Check out their roadshow at Times Square

Their official t-shirt for the event

There will be live performances Saturday and Sunday

It’ easy to subscribe to Cooltones but only exclusive to b•mobile customers

The basement car park area of Manggis Hua Ho Mall was partly closed for police investigation. Apparently, from sources, a security officer of the basement found a couple dead in a car parked at the basement. I’m not too sure how it happened but this story will be covered in tomorrow’s newspaper. Image courtesy of @wbellefleur

Are you ready for Legoland Malaysia? Image courtesy of @SuperAdrianMe

Legomaniacs out there… Behold…. as Legoland #lego will make its debut in Malaysia next week. This will probably be one of the driving factors in boosting their tourism industry to Malaysia. For your info, Legoland Malaysia is located in Medini North, Nusajaya, the heart of leisure and tourism of Iskandar Malaysia at Johor Baru. Recently my buddies @superadrianme and Dennis were there for the media coverage of Legoland before its opening.

Legoland’s size is super huge.. You’re talking about a 76-acre area and it’s also a family theme park which has more than 40 family rides, shows and attractions. Another interesting information is that 50 million LEGO bricks were used to build all the models…

If you are looking for LEGO toys, this is also the best bet to shop with more than 500 LEGO sets and more than 1,5000 licensed LEGO products. Awesome stuff!!

For more pictures and article, please click here (courtesy of @superadrianme).

Image taken from @SuperAdrianMe

The LEGO Kingdom is one of the many areas to visit at Legoland Malaysia. Image taken from @SuperAdrianMe

LEGO Kingdom is where legends come to life in LEGO.
• The Dragon – A roller coaster that takes you into the royal castle on a journey into the Middle Ages. There are three fire-breathing dragons to ride. Not for the weak hearted. This ride is pretty heart dropping!! You’ll want to go for more rides on the Dragon.
• The Dragon’s Apprentice – For the younger riders, this is a much tamer version of The Dragon ride.
• The Forestman’s Hideout- A tree-top adventure in the multi-level playground for both children and their parents. Here you’ll find slides and ropes which are suitable for all.
• Merlin’s Challenge – A high speed carousel for parents and children that has 24 cars which can accommodate 48 visitors at a time.
• The Royal Joust – A classic medieval contest where puts you on one of the 20 LEGO horses.
• The Kings Market- An open-air marketplace located in the Castle’s Courtyard. Shop for special themed costumes. Text courtesy of @superadrianme

This is so majestic… The Masjid Putra of Putrajaya made of lego. Image by @nazrul (instagram)

Another lego masterpiece and this time it’s Angkor Wat. Image by @nazrul (instagram)

It’s smash time but I don’t feel defeated

It was my first visit to Singapore Games, Toy and Comics Convention 2012 held at the Sands Expo, Marina Bay Sands and I was quite impressed for a first timer. I know it would be hard to one in Brunei at this scale though I have to say that it’s not as huge as I thought it would be in Singapore but sufficient enough. According to Din, there are more traffic crowd this year. Apparently quite a few Bruneians also attended the convention. I only attended the 2nd day as I only realised after I saw it on my friend’s instagram.. Thanks Redzwan for the info.

I will definitely come back again next year to see this event. Probably next time I will be more prepared. It was a juggle between Universal Studios or STGCC 2012 as I only had one left to spare. Don’t worry, cuterabbit84.. There’s always a next time and thanks for understanding 😀

Below are pictures from the event. More pictures to follow in the next post.

Batman figurine was quite popular during SGTCC 2012

Gangnam… I mean Gundam in person

Stamp collection items from Marvel

Woww.. They also have figurines from LOST

Marvel is also a crowd favourite

Devastator of Transformers.. Am I right?

Ironman

Doesn’t she look cute? :p

The Dark Knight Rises

Is he Mark Brooks?

The Beast Brothers (twins)

Indiana Jones and Spider-man being outnumbered

Suiting up for the occasion

This vendor provides custom made costumes

Redzwan bought some posters at the convention

Any of you a Bane fan?

The author of the popular book “When I was a kid”

Graphic designers showing their talents

Yesss… The final hours before I take off for Brunei and it has been a great 11 days here in Singapore and spending time with the family as they spent their first two weeks of Hari Raya in Singapore. It was also a great time to catch a small break after a busy month with LoveFoodHateWaste (and it should be back to normal updates soon – sorry, peeps for the hiatus).

My weekend was very eventful because of the Singapore Toys, Games and Comic Convention (STGCC 2012) as well as COMEX 2012 which is Singapore’s biggest IT expo. My other plans of visiting Universal Studios and Garden by the Bay didn’t materialise but that will on my agenda list on my future visits.

Perhaps the highlight of my trip was to find out that I’m medically healthy after having a routine medical check-up in Singapore. My last check-up was back in 2009 and I always have this fear of going through this process because sometimes you just don’t want to know of any bad news if there’s any. Then I realized that I am responsible for my well-being and this is one way of loving and appreciating my well-being and I feel blessed that the results turned out quite good. The only bad news is that my cholesterol level is slightly high and the contributing factor is definitely my diet. Apart from that, I’m quite healthy Alhamdullillah.

Anyway more updates soon on COMEX and the STGCC 2012. For now, it’s time to do some last minute shopping and packing up. Thank you Singapore for the cool break I needed 😀

Guess what…. Gangnam style is also big in Singapore but I only noticed one shop selling their merchandise. Give it a few more weeks and Gangnamania will be translated into merchandise

I caught up with Saza who was shopping at Takashimaya. Catch up soon in Brunei and probably during DST Open House 😀

Another friend I caught up was Ai Lin where both of us have the same habit – shop as we walk. Catch up soon and keep the new hairstyle

Hmmmm I went to a recent wedding and I saw this outside the community hall. I didn’t know they will have such school or class as this but who knows if I feel bored one fine day and in need of a career change (to WWE *lol*), this could be a golden opportunity

I bought a few collectible stamps from Singapore Post and they had a special edition for Marvel Comics and Star Wars. Pretty cool stuff I must say.

Cosplay fever at STGCC 2012 yesterday at Marina Bay Sands and a few one candy ones. I’m definitely coming back here next year… with my costume.. *yea right*

Cuterabbit wants to be a superhero too after visiting STGCC 2012. Thanks for spending time with me and appreciate the food you got for me too 😀 This was taken at Toys”R”Us at Paragon.

If you wanna have a more realistic feel of being Spider-man, try out the web gadget. I wonder how it looks like.

I can’t believe how big COMEX 2012 is. It’s the biggest IT fair in Singapore and they just keep drawing thousands and thousands of people. Prices are super cheap I tell you but I refrained myself from shopping apart from one small gadget 😀

Another section of the crowd on Level 5 and 6.. Simple crazy crowd!! Nothing compare to our popular Consumer Fair

It’s the 11th day and I have to say that I’m over-Adidased 😀

Take from today’s New Papar (Singapore publication)

One point from three games and this was touted as Liverpool’s worst start to the season in decades. I remember Arsenal was in this situation early last season but they climbed up the ladder and finished an amazing third in the league. I have doubts that Liverpool can achieve that target with the squad they have right now.

Andy Carroll, the biggest expensive flop last season, has been loaned to West Ham, but now they don’t have depth in the front line – Suarez and Borini the only known strikers and I have to say the latter has been a disappointment. Rodgers, Liverpool manager, hasn’t delivered good business or perhaps he lacks the market/business knowledge when it comes to the transfer market. So what would happen if Suarez gets suspended or injured? What attacking options are they left with? This is the biggest worry for Liverpool.

Last night’s game against Arsenal was pretty obvious on how Liverpool lacked that killer instinct in goal. Borini hasn’t really proved his worth and reminded me how Carroll started his season for Liverpool and slowly became 2nd best. Borini was probably lucky to know that there are no quality strikers apart from him and Suarez and hence Borini will get the nod to play in the first XI.

I’m quite pleased how Joe Allen played and I see a bright future for Sterling who caused problems down the flanks but then, he’s still a kid (17 years old). Rodgers’ hands are tied and this season will surely be a long one for Liverpool. Will Liverpool season continue winless in the next fixture? Only time will tell.

Even captain Stevie G can’t save Liverpool’s recent downfall

HSBC – Home loan needs

I read this article online on Borneo Bulletin online and it was the first time that their pictures were made public in tribute to husbands and fathers: The fallen heroes. I’m still saddened by the tragic news and a few of them are people whom I was acquainted with or know of.

The article was written in the Weekend Bulletin at the Features section and for those who missed the article, here’s the article. Text and images are courtesy of Borneo Bulletin.

Six weeks have gone by since the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of men and women in uniform. The Bell 212 helicopter crash deep in the jungle of Kuala Belait that claimed 12 lives plunged the nation in sadness as Bruneians had never experienced a tragedy of that scale for a long time. Many across the nation wept as the news tugged at their heart strings.

The feeling of losing a loved one is something that one cannot explain. The void left behind can never be filled and recovering from this trauma is a journey that can’t be done alone.

The fog of this tragedy is slowly lifting and a semblance of normalcy returning and those who were physically and emotionally attached with the fallen heroes and heroines will continue to live on carrying with them cherished memories.

Below is a moving tribute paid by six brave women who, after the passing of their husbands, have found comfort in their strong albeit small circle as they look to Allah the Almighty for guidance. Their determination to face the world despite the tragedy is touching and commendable.

Six men on board the Bell 212 were husbands and fathers. Wives and children waited for them to come home on the afternoon of July 20, 2012 but instead had to learn and accept that they were never coming home. It all felt very real when we had to identify our husbands’ bodies, tell our toddlers and kids that their fathers have returned to our creator, Allah the Almighty. They were sons of good parents, the nation’s heroes, ones who have risked their lives to protect our country.

Until today, all six of us cannot find the right words that will tell you what it feels like to be in our shoes. Describing it is easy and it will make sense to everyone – that the ones who bear the world on their shoulders are expected to feel devastated and hurt. But after the tragedy, life goes on – friends and family have their lives to tend to. But ours have changed completely. We have lost the love of our lives, the fathers of our children, the leader of our family and the ones to wipe our tears away. We will never fall asleep and rise the same ever again.

They were great men. They worked very hard, and they died in the line of duty. These fathers were all strong, hard workers and strong-willed. As mothers, of course we had wished for our children to grow up knowing their fathers like how we had pictured it. We had wished that their fathers would be there to teach them about religion, life and other important things. We had wished that their fathers would be there to watch them grow and turn into wonderful adults and, as wives, to have them as our life partners until the end. Allah the Almighty loves them more and because we love our late husbands with every beat of our hearts, we have accepted their passing and returning to the Creator.

Allah the Almighty chose us six mothers to experience this most difficult period in our lives. And we take this opportunity to brace ourselves and pray for guidance and strength from the Creator. This hardship has tested and is testing us to our very core but hardships are also a blessing and a sign of Allah the Almighty’s love. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity”. We have received our wake up call, we have cried humbly prostrating to Allah, we have felt the greatest pain in our hearts and our bodies have trembled as this tragedy serves as a reminder as to how small we are and how great Allah the Almighty is.

We have spent weeks together as widows and talking to each other every day. We find comfort knowing that we are not alone. We have also shared our stories of the most beautiful things and memories that we have gone through with our husbands. Our husbands had many great things in common and we have come to realise that all good men return to Allah the Almighty at their best. They were the kind of husbands that treated us right, showered us with love and care and absolutely adored their children.

The one thing that has given us much comfort in our hearts, most importantly, is knowing that not only did they die as Mujahiddiens – those who have passed for the name of Allah the Almighty – they were the kind of Muslim husbands, fathers and men who performed their duties to Allah the Almighty without hesitation and with the purest of hearts. With that, we are thankful to Allah as they did not leave us with the burden of worrying, Insyallah.

Forty days have passed. With patience and the beautiful gift of our children from Allah the Almighty, we have made major life changes. The loss of our husbands have thrown us so far out of our comfort zones that we have created new ones. Within these few weeks, there have been good and bad days with the hardest moments being those when we wish our husbands were around to help us raise our children. The learning process of being a single parent is not easy but we are slowly adapting. The best moments are definitely the times when we are close to Allah and when we have our children, to look them in the eyes and see a part of our husbands looking back at us. Our marriages were short but they were sweet. When we shed tears, we let them fall and believe that each drop is a memory. We all loved the life we had but after this tragedy we have a stronger relationship with Allah the Almighty. We look at this world in a different way and more than anything, we look forward to the hereafter.

We will forever miss them – we miss them now and we will miss them in the future. We will have good days and bad days but we will pull through with Allah the Almighty’s guidance. The sadness will eventually pass and our children will eventually understand. Please do not take us as weak. We carry the world on our shoulders only because we are strong women. Insyallah. Text courtesy of Borneo Bulletin.

Information taken from The Brunei Times

This has also been a talking point among the families concerned and the people of Brunei. What actually happened and caused Royal Brunei Armed Forces Bell 212 to crash? Of the 14 people onboard, only two survived. His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam made a surprise visit to Brunei International Airport’s Air Traffic Control tower and His Majesty consented a thorough investigation carried by Royal Brunei Air Force with the assistance of international investigators from the USA and Canada.

Apparently it was tweeted on @TheBruneiTimes Twitter account that the report is ready to be published in tomorrow’s The Brunei Times (Sunday edition) and this will dispel any inconsistency of stories that have been spreading unnecessarily among the community.

Below are the tweet feeds from @TheBruneiTimes from last evening. I hope the final report will put to rest all different version of stories. Let’s just continue to “sedekah” our prayers and move on from here.

Taken from Borneo Bulletin (Sunday): “Human Error” was found to be the main factor contributing to the tragic Bell 212 helicopter accident that claimed the lives of 12 military personnel at Ulu Rampayoh in Mukim Labi in the Belait District in July, according to the Supreme Board of Inquiry (BOI) report compiled by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) with support from international experts. Investigations revealed that the pilot of the helicopter contradicted flying procedures with “unauthorised low-level flying”, causing a “Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT)” accident.

The report also suggested that the Air Traffic Control Unit of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) had failed to follow aviation control procedures to alert relevant parties when the Bell 212’s radio communication went off the ‘Brunei Radar’.

These findings were made public by the Supreme BOI upon conclusion of its five-week long investigation at a press conference held at the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) in Bolkiah Garrison yesterday.

The press conference was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat along with the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin.

In his detailed report presentation, First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Abd Halim bin Hj Mohd Hanifah, Commander of the Royal Brunei Navy who is leading the BOI said illustrations obtained from the report of its findings suggested that that prior to the crash, the pilot of the helicopter made an “unauthorised low-level flying” at a speed of around 60-80 knots around the Wasai Wang Tebadak area (LP KB 195A) and subsequently made a “banking” of 45 degrees to trail the river’s route.

“The aircraft strayed and was reduced from its original altitude due to a G-force (a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity) factor,” he revealed.

He added that consequently, the aircraft hit the branches of a tree and did not follow the intended route after being in a straight and level position.

“At the very last minute, the aircraft attempted to raise its altitude but (it) was in vain and it subsequently crashed into two large trees,” he said.

The report added that the Bell 212 helicopter owned by the RBAF took off from the Royal Brunei Air Force Base in Kg Rimba at approximately 8.55am on the day of the incident, July 20, 2012. “The aircraft carried a total of 14 military personnel of whom three were aircraft crew, two trainers, one staff and eight Officer Cadets during an assignment of transporting back personnel who had just concluded military training from the landing base KB 404 to landing base KB 199. It was believed the aircraft crashed at around 10.15am”, said the report.

The report stated that the aircraft lost communication on the ‘Brunei Radar’ at 9.17am after taking off. “According to the aviation control procedure of the Air Traffic Control Unit of the DCA, all aircraft operating in the country’s airspace are obliged to make bps normal call’ communication every 30 minutes. But no communication was made thereafter and the Air Traffic Control Unit, DCA failed to make an INCERFA (uncertainty phase) alert and inform the RBAF to implement a ‘distress procedure’. This dragged on until a few hours later, causing an ‘alerting service’ that was not implemented according to procedures,” the report added.

Search and rescue operations only started after the aircraft was confirmed missing by the Royal Brunei Air Force at about 1.53pm. The mangled remains of the aircraft were found at nearby Wasai Wang Tebadak at approximately 3.55pm, the report said.

Dato Halim said the BOI also assessed other facts such as ‘environment’ and ‘material’ factors. “The weather at the time of incident was good and did not affect flight operations and the ‘airworthiness’ of the aircraft was at the proper level. No evidence was found that suggests the aircraft had any technical difficulties before it crashed. This has been verified by the three separate international investigation experts,” he said.

He revealed that the BOI was assisted by expert aircraft investigation teams from overseas, including Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bell Textron United States and United States Army Combat Readiness Center – Air Accident Investigation Team.

“MinDef and RBAF had established the Supreme BOI on July 25, 2012. The board had been tasked to conduct an inquiry into the helicopter crash and to find causes and facts related to it and forward recommendations that need to be taken to prevent such incident from happening again,” Dato Halim said. “A number of firm recommendations were put forward in our initial report dated August 6, 2012 and a few measures have been taken especially in reinforcing processes and procedures as well as safety aspects,” he said.

He added that the full report from the BOI will be put forward on September 16, 2012, including recommendations to ensure such incident will not happen again.

The Borneo Bulletin was told that a meeting was held with family members of the helicopter crash victims prior to the press conference to inform them of BOI’s findings. Written by Hakim Hayat and Siti Hajar of Borneo Bulletin.

It’s happening today (Sunday)

TREASURE WALK HUNT UPDATE – Sunday 2ND SEPTEMBER 2012 – 12:30PM TILL 4:30PM

AVAILABLE SLOTS – 20 empty slots left for 20 teams
REGISTER tonight and tomorrow morning by 10am at Jubilee Park beside the coupon counter
REGISTRATION FEE: FREE! simply attached 8 pcs the 1st
CASH PRIZES : $500
ENTITLEMENT to charity draw such as Air Ticket to Singapore, IPAD, Apple Mac book Pro, Samsung note, Samsung 55″ Smart TV and lots more!

-GOOD LUCK TO ALL & FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS ONLY

Open house at AITI yesterday

The month of Syawal is in high spirits in Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI). An open office was held to celebrate Hari Raya with all of the stakeholders of AITI. The event took place at its premises at the AITI Building, in Anggerek Desa.

The Guest of Honour for the open office event Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohamad Taha, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Chairman of AITI.

Also invited were Foreign Ambassadors residing in Brunei, Deputy Permanent Secretary from Ministry of Communications, Directors and staff under the umbrella of the Ministry of Communications, companies who are registered under AAB and ICTAB, TelCos representatives, ICT Industry Players, Amateur Radio clubs, Dealers, Media partners and other stakeholders of AITI.

This year the theme of the Hari Raya celebration is “AITI CERIA” which means “Cheerful AITI”. In relation to the theme, there were several carnival games where invited guests can take part and also a special comedy act by the infamous Keluarga 69 and also a karaoke session for the guests. This is one of AITIs way of saying Thank You to all stakeholders who has worked closely with AITI, and to media partners who helped to highlight AITI in any form of publications and organisations that has collaborated with AITI. Press release from AITI.

The busy bunch preparing for the event

Good to see their passion into the preparation

They even have directions

The final touches of the decoration

*LOL* This is pretty new coming from AITI. Cool stuff!!

Grilled lamb was one of the most sought dishes during the open house

Hello ladies of AITI. Selamat Hari Raya!

Some joget performances for the guests

Photo opportunity for the invited guests with AITI associates