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Due to the overwhelming number of participants and concerns for overall safety, the organiser of the HSBC Walk Run Cycle (WRC) has announced that the 40km cycling route has been reduced to 30km. Aside from that, all other categories, 11.5km, 6km and 2km route will remain unchanged.

To mitigate the shortage of parking spaces around Bandar, HSBC will be providing free shuttle bus services to Taman Hj Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) from Stadium Negara Hassanal Bolkiah. The shuttle bus services will be made available starting from 5.00pm to 7.00pm. Return trips back to the car park at Stadium Negara Hassanal Bolkiah will be available after 10.00pm.

For safety reassurance of all WRC participants on the event day, road closures will begin at 6.00pm along: Jalan Sultan, Jalan Elizabeth Dua, Jalan Pemancha, and Jalan Pretty. Partial road closures will also be anticipated along the allocated routes of the Walk-Run-Cycle starting from 8.30pm to 10.30pm.

Participants are reminded to wear their bib or have them handy. To prevent overcrowding condition, the organiser may deny entry into the Taman if bibs are not sighted. And to ensure a smooth flow of the event, participants are encouraged to proceed to the respective zones according to their participating category upon entry into the Taman.

The charity event, which is held for the first time in the evening, will kick start at 8.00pm and flag off will be at 8.30pm sharp at the Taman Hj Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) on Saturday, 19 May 2012.

This could be a challenge for those who didn’t bring their bibs to the event. No bibs, no entry to the field due to security reasons.

So this is very important that needed to be addressed should you are a participant but you didn’t bring your bib.. Hence, the organiser has no choice but not allow the participant to enter the Taman field. There will be a designated area for those participants (refer to map) and the field will only open to public right after the all the participants with bibs have cleared the field which is roughly around 9pm tonight.

So I do hope the public can cooperate on this matter and having 1/35 of Brunei’s population in one area could be very tricky situation to handle. This reminds me of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy crowd where 1/30 of the population was at the National Stadium. Tonight will be another humongous crowd and let’s hope for the best..

I will be joining the 11.5 km run and I’m quite anxious as I can’t wait to jog *lol*

This is my route tonight. Wish me luck!!

Fish & Co. Brunei Darussalam will make its debut to public today, Saturday 19th May 2012 from 11.00 am at Unit 18 & 19, Ground Floor, Citis Square in Bandar Seri Begawan. Last night was held the soft opening by YM Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohd Roselan bin Haji Mohd Daud, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office. Also present was RBC Board of Directors, RBC management and other invited guests. It will be operated by Rizq Barakah Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Royal Brunei Catering Sdn. Bhd. The opening of the franchise chain outlet is one of the RBC continuing transformation developments on the group’s specialty restaurants. RBC is also planning to bring more international lifestyle restaurant to Brunei Darussalam in the future.

Brunei Darussalam will be the 6th nation to have Fish & Co. chained restaurant after Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and the Middle East. Aimed to satisfy seafood lovers, Fish & Co. Brunei will strive to provide good-value seafood coupled with excellent service and outstanding quality. A casual dining chained restaurant serves up dishes enticing the young and old. The interior décor is designed with the feel of casual, relaxed and inviting, decked out in elements which portray a distinct nautical theme, Fish & Co. seeks to create an environment where customers can feel at ease and enjoy a good meal with family and friends.

Guest of honour Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohd Roselan graced the launch of Fish & Co. last night

The launching of Fish & Co. Brunei *yeeehaaa*

Today Fish & Co. is open to the public

It’s quite a spacious environment at Fish & Co

All staff at Fish & Co. are friendly, efficient and always ready to help. This makes every experience an enjoyable and memorable one.Start your ‘fishing’ experience on the awesome Fish Bites (appetizers) like the Sneak Preview, Crispy White Bait and Grilled Calamari. Fish & Co. is also offering diners to have a preview of their best selling dishes by scaling it down to smaller portion which is priced from B$5.95. Get hooked on their mouthwatering main dishes like the award winning Mussels in Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce, Crispy Whole Line Fish, Baked Salmon with Citrus Crust and Brunei’s very own Fish & Chips. For those who like to share with friends and family, huge platters such as Feathers & Fins, Seafood Feast and Seafood Platter for 2 are very much recommended.

For those who are not into seafood, fret not, the Prime Fare Selection is just for you. Succulent Lamb Chop with Jus and Mango Salsa, Teriyaki Rib Eye Steak and Mediterranean Chicken will satisfy your appetite. Not forgetting the adventurous type, Tiger Prawns & Cod, Grilled Chicken with Mussels and Sirloin Steak with King Prawns, the combo meal is perfect for you. At Fish & Co., we vary on how we prepare the dishes, be it fry, bake, grill or even poach.

To end your dining experience, try Fish & Co. selections of cake such as Chocolate Layer Mousse, Key Lime and Chocolate Pecan Cluster. Quench your thirst with their signature drinks such as Kola Tonic, Passion Fruit, Lychee Mojito and many more. Get ready to fall in love with the casual and fuss-free eating experience and personalized service as well as the great value seafood.

To hook a table or two, please ring us at 2392 555/666. Visit us at fish-co.com or drop a line at fishncobrunei@gmail.com. Business hours are from 11.00am to 11.00pm, Monday to Sunday.

During the press conference with Lesley Woon Wenfei, Restaurant Manager, Hj Omar Ali, General Manager of Royal Brunei Catering and Chef Kathy, Head Chef of Fish & Co. As you can see, they have a young, dynamic team at Fish & Co. Brunei

Stanley of RBC, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hisham bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Permanent Secretary (Fiscal), Ministry of Finance and Victor Lai, owner of Citis Square

The team behind Fish & Co. who worked tremendously hard for the past 5 weeks. Keep it up, guys!!

Awesome seafood platter and the quality is pretty good too. I’m a regular diner at Fish & Co whenever I visit Singapore 😀

Behind the scene at Fish & Co.

Women keen on harnessing the power of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) must be prepared to learn new skills and embrace opportunities to use the new technology for education and lifelong learning.

In her sabda at the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2012 yesterday, Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri PengiranAnak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah urged women in the ICT industry to continually seek ways to improve themselves in their careers.

“I would therefore encourage our women to capitalise on the opportunities….both in public as well as in private, to develop and upgrade their knowledge and expertise in ICT,” she said.

“It is only in this manner that they (women) will be able to pursue meaningful careers in the ICT industry,” said HRH.

“Alhamdulillah, under the wise and able leadership of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, through various initiatives undertaken by governmental agencies, there have always been equal opportunities for women’s empowerment and participation in all forms of activities,” added Her Royal Highness. To read more, click here. Courtesy of Leo Kassim of The Brunei Times.

Yesterday marked the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) and is being celebrated annually by many countries across the world to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention, and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of the United Nations agency.

Brunei Darussalam observed WTISD at the Empire Hotel & Country Club, in an event organised by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) in collaboration with Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru), DST and B-Mobile Communications Sdn Bhd.

Gracing the event as the guest of honour was Her Royal Higness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman.

On arrival, Her Royal Highness was greeted by the Minister of Communications, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar; Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Di Gadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohamad Taha, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Chairman of AITI; and Haji Yahkup Haji Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI.

The event also saw a panel discussion by prominent ICT women from both the government and private sectors who shared several challenges and opportunities for women’s involvement and participation in the ICT-related activities as well as career prospects in ICT for women. The speakers in the panel discussion were Dr Sophiana Chua Abdullah, Researcher at CSPS; Mariah Taha, Senior Special Duties Officer and CIO at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Azizah Ali, Country Manager of Microsoft Sdn Bhd. The discussion was moderated by Haslina Taib, CEO of BAG Networks.

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A local women entrepreneur, Hajah Noraini Haji Jamudin of Taste on Tray, then shared her experience on how ICT has helped her to successfully start, manage and run a home business in the bakery industry.

Her Royal Highness has later consented to present a mock certificate of ICT training Programme participation to the two women’s leading associations in the country, namely the Council of Women of Brunei Darussalam and Women Business Council of Brunei Darussalam. Two training providers, HAD Technologies and Tech One Global Pte Ltd, will be conducting the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) and website training courses respectively to about 70 women participants from both associations.

Her Royal Highness also consented to receive a pesambah from the organising committee.

This year’s WTISD theme: “Women and girls in ICT” has been chosen by the ITU with aims to ensure that this vulnerable female half of the world’s population will march forward as equals. The theme also supports and promotes the ITU’s designated “Girls in ICT Day” which is celebrated every fourth Thursday of April.

AITI has lined up a number of activities to mark the WTISD celebration, amongst others include essay writing competition and radio quizzes.

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Finally the Spark will be unveiled tomorrow in Brunei and we had a special preview of the car before the launch. Thanks to Tony Chua, Sales Manager of Daha Auto Sdn Bhd, the local press had a sneak peek of the Spark which will be unveiled tomorrow at Chevrolet’s showroom at Sumbangsih.

You may recall that the Spark model was featured in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen. I won’t spare much details just yet but all I can say that Spark has already won numerous awards such as the “Best Value Car of the Year” awarded by BS Motoring, “Best Supermini 2011” awarded by Wheels Magazine, UAE and “Top Performing Passenger Vehicle 2011” by Synovate Product Quality.

Stay tune for more updates soon.

TigerLim wanted to take the guys for a quick ride

Kenny Dagllish (right) parted ways with Liverpool. This picture was taken back last July during Liverpool Asia Tour in KL. Kenny was interviewed by the press then and he believed Liverpool would finished at least fourth.

I knew this will happen one day. King Kenny flew to the States to meet with the owners of Liverpool and his role was already in jeopardy as Liverpool finished a mediocre 8th in the Premier League. Even their bitter rivals Everton finished above them.

I believe it was the right decision that Kenny was to be replaced. After spending USD 100 million, you would expect Liverpool to challenge for the top four spot. Instead the players failed to deliver and their performance justified the results.

I would expect a major clear out of players too should Liverpool begin in rebuilding the squad. Henderson, Downing and Carroll have been disappointing though Carroll showed improvement in the final third of the season. Who will replace King Kenny is the big question now… We will just wait and see…

Kenny Daglish in the group photo with Liverpool representatives and Gavin Laws (3rd from right) Group Head of Standard Charted Bank

I managed to take a picture with Gavin Laws but not too sure if he still holds the position. Taken also during the Liverpool Asia Tour.

Liverpool match against Malaysia XI

This was hilarious. I didn’t know what Shell Stars meant when I received the invitation. Until I came to the event yesterday, I was pretty blown away by the competition orgnaised by Brunei Shell Marketing Sdn Bhd (BSM) and this is an annual event called Shell Stars. The event was held at Manggis Mall.

So basically the petrol attendants (the frontline staff) are to selected to participate in Shell Stars and each of them are representatives from various petrol stations in Brunei. These exercises are good in a way to improve the customer service at petrol stations and this also boost confidence in handling difficult situations especially relating to Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE).

The top 5 team will be attending the Shell Retail Academy in KL, Malaysia, in which they will undergo site visits and selected training programs to enhance their knowledge and gain experience.

One of the BSM representatives re-enacting a scenario using a mobile phone at a petrol station while the participant (petrol attendant) tried his best to handle the situation during the Shell Stars Qualifying 2012

I’m pretty sure the videos are worth watching over and over again. I was laughing my head off on some of the scenes.

The participant trying to tell the lady why the car must turn off the engine

The Managing Director of BSM, Hj Mohd Sufri Hj Sulaiman (left) was present to watch the competition

The judges who gave their feedbacks on each of the participants

Haha I thought this was a funny scene

One of the participants from TAIB Petrol Station (right) was given some feedback

I thought this guy (left) handled the situation well

Oh yes…. The phrase says it all…

Oasia Hotel is located at Novena and it has an interesting architectural feel

Sorry peeps… This post was overdue and it was during my last trip to Singapore last April where I was hotel hopping. So finally, one of the hotels that many of my readers have been requesting to post and here it is…..

One word to describe Oasia – “Awwweeeesomeee…!” It was my first time at Oasia Hotel and I’ve heard so much abou the hotel and I remember the presentation done by Singapore Tourism Board on the recommended list of hotels and Oasia is one of them. So it was a privilege that I finally get to experience the hospitality at Oasia Hotel which is located near the city area.

I love the layout of the room I checked in at Club Level. The ambience was just right and I’m always particular when it comes to Wifi too and it’s inclusive as well as a patron of the Club Level rooms. The club room is not as spacious as Albert Village Court Hotel but still just the right size for me.

There’s even an espresso machine *awesome* though I don’t drink espresso. The bathroom is spacious. Oh yeah, the TV HD is freaking huge and it has a cool, welcoming personalised menu once you switch on the TV for their guests too.

Those who are staying at Club Level, you will enjoy the perks at the Club Lounge (Level 22) which serves great coffee, tea and breakfast too. The Club Lounge also has an infinity pool and guests can check in or check out through the front desk at Level 22.

Perhaps the greatest advantage for me is the location. Though it’s not located around Orchard but Oasia Hotel is just next to Novena Square where there is also an MRT (one or two minutes walk from the hotel) and Orchard is just two stops away. So this hotel really suits me in terms of being away from the hustle and bustle of Orchard.

Oasia Hotel is also convenient for patients of Novena Medical Center which is also next door. My mom does her physiotherapy at Novena Medical Center on a regular basis so I’m quite familiar with this area. So this is a suitable medical hub in Singapore.

So to my readers, you can enjoy 10% discount if you make reservations through here and these are only available for Club room and on weekends. The weekend package includes 1) daily buffet breakfast at Club Lounge 2) Unlimited Internet Access 3) Buffet dinner for two at Zaffron 4) Daily cocktail and canapés form 6pm to 8pm at Club Lounge 5) Exclusive usage of pool at the Living Room (22nd floor).

Click on this link and you can enjoy 10% discount from the weekend rates at Oasia Hotel. Oh yeah, if you want to more in-depth reviews from others, you can read comments from Trip Advisor.

The Club Pool at the Living Room on Level 22 of Oasia Hotel

Betty Tan, Head of Marketing, Far East Hospitality, Ng Ee Von, Assistant E-Marketing Manger of Far East Hospitality and Alex Chan, Management Associate, Far East Hospitality. Taken at Club Lounge at Oasia Hotel.

The corner room (Deluxe Room) at Oasia Hotel. The Deluxe Room is cheaper than the Club Room.

Ok, this is the room I’m staying at (Club Room). I was just feeling jobless playing the timer with my Canon that day *lol*

The welcoming menu from the huge TV… Quite unique I must say.

Nice piece of art in the room

This is also important if I were to be a guest at any hotel

Toiletries are provided too

Ah… they used Thann bathing gels 😀

Ok, another jobless moment indeed

The espresso machine is available at the Club Room

You can dine at Zaffron on ground level

We had a quick lunch at Zaffron

This lady is good at making coffee. Taken at the Club Lounge.

The choices of tea you can choose and each tube has a distinctive smell too

I had the mocha latte during my hi-tea at Club Lounge

The hotel pool is located on the 8th floor

You can also host events here which is on the 8th floor

Oasia Hotel is just next to these buildings including Novena Square where you can catch the MRT to other destinations

Do try out Curry Times (part of Old Chang Kee) at Novena Square. You won’t miss this when you walk from Oasia to Novena Square. Carol and I love the food there.. *Yummm*

As I mentioned before that Novena is just two stops away from Orchard. How convenient 😀

The latest design for #WalkRunCycle2012 glow-in-the-dark limited edition T-shirts ready for pre-booking. First 50 can have their number preference. Please call Aewon 2611120, 2670481, 2670497. Last order Tuesday 15th May

So this is the 2nd batch of Limited Edition T-shirts for the upcoming #WalkRunCycle2012 event. This came after a huge interest with the first batch of glow-in-the-dark T-shirts that @kurapak design and it created a huge interest that HSBC Brunei decided to unveil a new design for the next batch of limited edition t-shirts.

So far they have been many phone calls to Aewon who created the design for this batch. You can call their office number 2611120 (9am to 10pm), 2670481 or 2670497 (9am to 7pm). The first 50 bookings will get the privilege to get their number preference on the t-shirts. The material will be cotton and the price is $50 each and the proceeds will go to #walkruncycle2012 fund.

The final order will be on Tuesday 15th May so better make your pre-bookings soon. Do not reach myself or HSBC outlets concerning the bookings of the t-shirts. Just call the numbers listed from Aewon – 2611120 (9am to 10pm), 2670481 or 2670497 (9am to 7pm)

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A sneak preview of what’s to come for the Spark

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After 6 years into the project, Red Bull Rookies Racing 2012 will get a new look. Previously an all-female drivers team, this time a battle of sexes will be introduced to bring in the male drivers. All Bruneians (Yellow and Red IC holders) between the age of 18 and 25 years old are encouraged to participate. 

The audition will be held at Times Square from 18th to 20th May 2012. Anybody born between 31st December 1994 and 1st January 1987 is eligible to take part. Valid IC’s are to be presented during the registration process. The male team which is to be spearheaded by Mark Darwin, a Malaysian, as the anchorman while the female team will be led by Melissa Huang of Singapore.

Red Bull Rookies Racing was introduced to Brunei Darussalam in 2010 where Noradzlianayati Abdul Razak (Liana) and Melline Jaini (Mel) made their debut and last year Fauziah Haziz (Ogy) made history as she was the first Bruneian to start the Sepang 1000km Race in Red Bull colours. And she did exceptionally well combining with Puteri Ayu Yasmin of Malaysia and Emmiline Ang of Singapore. The team came home in 15th placing out of 28 teams that started the race. It was a remarkable result considering the drivers were rookies and the only all-female team. 

Mr.Raymond Lee, the Area Sales Manager (Brunei Darussalam) said that Red Bull introduced and continued this legacy project in the hope to provide the opportunity of a lifetime to potential young champions who have the dream to excel in racing industry. Many times it is very costly for one individual to prepare and race.

Come the 20th May 2012, 3 female and 3 male qualifiers will be announced to take part in the multi-stages and stringent elimination process to be conducted by the team led by Team Manager cum Trainer, Mr. Kenvin Low. Mr Low possesses an impressive resume in terms of racing and coaching. This will be his fourth year handling the team. 

This is how the seach for the drivers will look like and the time line.. A bit confusing but you will understand soon

Mr. Wong, representative from Red Bull, at the press conference yesterday

This was the team of Red Bull Rookies 2011 and they all did quite well

So who will be the chosen ones??

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The Revenue Division of the Ministry of Finance has continued its series of STARS Discovery Day Roadshow on 9 May 2012 at 8:30am at the Theatre Hall, Ministry of Finance Building. The is the second roadshow of a series of roadshows to introduce the System for Tax Administration and Revenue Services (STARS). The guest of honour is Puan Hjh Ning-Lela binti Dato Paduka Haji Mohammad Permanent Secretary (Performance). The roadshow was attended by company directors, accountants, auditors and tax agents.

STARS was first launched on 22 October 2011, gradually rolled-out to the tax community in stages. This system provides online access to a suite of transactions, enquiry and account management services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The most prominent feature of STARS is the electronic service that allows tax payers to submit their tax returns online. With the access online, the taxpayers will be able to enjoy the ease and comfort of performing their tax obligations such as filing tax returns wherever internet access is available. With this online system, the tax payers no longer have to physically come to the Revenue Division to make payment, as this can be done online.

Taxpayers are now required to file and pay for their Income Tax Returns for years of assessment 2012 onwards by a new submission date which is 30th June. Taxpayers are also required to submit and pay their estimated chargeable income within three (3) months after the end of the accounting period, as stated under Section 52A(i) of the Income Tax Act relating to that year of assessment.

At this roadshow, the Revenue Division also shared the latest amendments to the Income Tax Act, such as the reduction of the corporate tax rate from 22% to 20% for Year of Assessment 2012. Tax incentives were also explained whereby in support of local employment, tax credits can be claimed for employing locals and sending local employees for training.

So the next roadshow will be tomorrow Wednesday 16th May at Theatre Hall, Ministry of Finance. Workstations for online presentations will be provided and participants are encouraged to bring your own notebooks or tablets with WiFi/3G to avoid queueing. You can book your seat by calling 238 0651.

The panelists running the STARS workshop for the participants

The participants in attendance

Reading the booklet on STARS

Register with STARS

The Revenue Division invites taxpayers to register for STARS at www.stars.gov.bn as it offers greater convenience and efficiency, thus making it simpler for the tax-paying community to comply with Brunei Darussalam’s tax regulations.

Pre-requisites steps to filing your tax returns online are:

1. Directors of a company must register personally with STARS
2. To enable access for an employee to perform tax matters on behalf of the company, the director must set up a relationship with the employee in STARS.
3. To enable access for a tax agent to perform tax matters on behalf of the company, the director must set up a relationship with their tax agency in STARS.

Helpdesk

Taxpayers who need help with filing their tax returns via STARS can visit the Revenue Division where STARS kiosks are available with the assistance of a Revenue Division representative. Taxpayers can also call the STARS helpline on + (673) 238 3933 or 2380651. These services are available daily during working hours only from 8am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Additionally, taxpayers may email to revenue@mof.gov.bn. Latest information may also be obtained from the facebook and Twitter @RevenueDivision

I can also registered online personally even though I don’t have a company account

This is how it will look like online

Apparently I didn’t know that I’m still a director of these companies *lol*

The next roadshow will be tomorrow 16th May from 8:30am at Theatre Hall, MOF. Please call 238 0651 for details or bookings.

So I’ve heard so much about Boracay which has one of the best beaches in the world!!!! Did you know that it is voted as one of the world’s best beach by the Sun Herald, Australia? It’s a good getaway island located in Aklan provence, 345km south of Manila. It is accessible by air from Manila through two principal gateways: Caticlan Airport or Kalibo Airport.

Reading from the articles, there are tons of things you can do at Boracay Island. Of course, some of the things you can do are diving, snorkeling and windsurfing. You can also sail around the island or kayaking, paddle boat, speed boating and many more.

It’s a norm that most travelers love to lie under the sun or under the shade of coconut trees. The sunset is something to be amazed of from the view of the beach. And when the night hits, there will be more exciting activities in store for tourists.

Now doesn’t the beach look awesome??

You can get massages on the beach too

There’s also under water activity

Another great view of the beach… Don’t you just want to relax here?

Lots of tourists on the beach

Wanna do parasailing?

Boracay Beach also known for its seafood

There’s a huge chance that I will be flying over there to feel the “Boracay Experience” so that would be an excellent coverage for my readers. I’m pretty sure a few Bruneians have ventured here after hearing rave reviews of the island.. Forget Bali, Kosamoi, Pulau Redang for the moment.. Boracay is the in-thing in terms of beach experience.

So the question is how do you get there? Easy peasy… Now Anthony Tours have launched a special package where you can go to Boracay for a 4 days 3 nights holiday package (31st May to 3rd June) and this is considered a long weekend because of the Army Day in Brunei.

The package is as low as BND 999 and you will be catching two flights (RBA and Cebu Pacific) and it includes Hotel Twin Share room only, return transfer Airport-Hotel. You can book online or call Anthony Tours 222 2666, 222 8668 or 222 7965.

Check out the great deal on

Royal Brunei Airlines

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This was taken last April and both incidents happened on the same day but different locations.

This happened outside the parking area of Batu Bersurat Basketball area and this happened to one of my friends last night. Sad to hear..

Now it’s time for us be alert whenever we leave our car at public places even at car park areas. I became aware of the current trend where windows are smashed in as robbers are getting more courageous in their evil deeds. I remember a car being broken into and it was only two cars away from me. So that made me become more mindful of what I put in my car since everything space in my car is visible due to the structure of the SUV car.

This is a tricky situation for the relevant authorities to come up with suggestions on how reduce such break-ins. Even the basement car park of The Empire Hotel ain’t as safe as before. I’ve read tweets where cars have been broken into and even one of the drivers told me about it when I was parking my car at the open space area next to the Indera Samudra Grand Hall at The Empire Hotel.

So just a tip to share with you is not to leave your bag inside the car. Handbag or camera bag or any bag at all. Unless it’s a luggage or trunk, they might think twice about breaking in. I wonder if there’s such insurance for this type of cases… hmmm…

This happened during SCB’s charity run last year outside the indoor stadium. This car was just two cars away from mine. The authorities came for investigation but the damage has been done.

What a great jogging session we had last Saturday as a group of us jogged the actual 11.5k run for #walkruncycle2012 starting from Radisson Hotel though. I managed to finish the route without walking but my feet are slightly aching *lol* Thanks to Rizan and Hj Adi for ushering us from the beginning till the end and it was great jog too among friends. Are you ready this weekend?

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What an amazing finish to the season!!

Everyone thought it will be smooth sailing for Manchester City as they take on relegation battler QPR. There was so much stake on hand. Why? QPR must win to ensure safety or rely on other results to favour their way. Manchestery City must win at least to lift the title from defending champions United.

The unexpected happened when QPR took the lead in the 2nd half 2-1 even with a numerical disadvantage after Barton was dismissed for misconduct (This player must be sold off at any cost). In come Dzeko late in the game and he had a poor 2nd half season as his goals dried up. His contribution paid off after he equalised two minutes into injury time. But it was Aguero who stole the show with his injury time winner with a composed finisher and brought the fans to delight, roar and tears of joy.

Sunderland were already losing by a solitary goal to Manchester United after Rooney put them ahead. However, QPR didn’t return the favour as a draw from MC-QPR match would have gifted United the title. What a climax to the season and me as a Liverpool fan was enjoying the battle of the Manchesters and I’ve never witnessed such a finish to the season. This is what I call football and everything can happen within seconds or minutes.

The wait is over. The 44 year wait is over.. Well done, City and well deserved. It’s surely “noisy” in Manchester but the colour in blue. Now bring on Euro 2012.. 

Brought to you by Adsem (Ad Sports Event Management) and b.mobile

The much awaited Free Seats promotion with AirAsia is back again, right after the world’s best low cost airline announced a brand new corporate identity last week.

This time around, there are 250,000 free seats up for grabs from a total of 1,000,000 promo seats available to all destinations in the AirAsia route network, inclusive of all flights operated by affiliate airlines such as Thai AirAsia, AirAsia Indonesia and Philippines AirAsia.

Guests will be able to grab free seats, where they only need to pay for fuel surcharge and airport taxes to great destinations such as Penang, Langkawi, Singapore, Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Hatyai, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City and many more.

Domestic flights within Malaysia start from as low as RM21 one way (only fuel surcharge and airport tax), while international flights are from as low as RM47 one way. Guests are able to book these free seats at airasia.com from now until 20th May 2012 for the travel period from 4th Jan – 22nd May 2013.

AirAsia’s long-haul, low fare affiliate, AirAsia X will be offering awesome one way all-in fares from as low as RM200 to Japan (Tokyo, Osaka) and Korea (Seoul), from as low RM202 to China (Hangzhou, Chengdu), from as low as RM250 to Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney), and from as low as RM252 to Taiwan (Taipei). AirAsia X promotional fares in conjunction with the Free Seats Campaign will be available for booking online from 16 to 20 May, 2012 for travel between 4 January to 22 May, 2013.

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Kathleen Tan, Group Head of Commercial, AirAsia says, “We know everyone has been asking and anticipating on the next Free Seats promotion, and we feel it is time for us to offer it again as we want everyone to celebrate with us on our brand new corporate identity. It’s fresh, it’s new and we hope all our guests are as excited as us with the new chapter of our journey. We have always been bold in our approach to marketing, and we are not about to stop, so guests can expect even more creative campaigns from us.”

“Guests can take advantage of this free seats promotion to discover new destinations such as the newly launched Davao, Kalibo and Puerto Princesa in Philippines, as well as Chongqing, China. With 152 routes in 24 countries, the AirAsia route network provides you with the widest connectivity across the region, and the free seats promotion is one of the best ways to fulfill your travel plans in a fun way,” added Kathleen Tan. 

Senthil Balan, Head of Commercial of AirAsia X said, “We are pleased to be part of this campaign and offer awesome fares to the long-haul sectors we fly to. The feeder that both AirAsia and AirAsia X provide, would further entice our guests’ appetite to travel with us to multiple destinations at affordable fares.”

“Guests may also take advantage of our Fly-thru service and promotional fares available within our long-haul destinations across Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The Fly-thru service allows passengers to seamlessly purchase two flight sectors and connect via our Kuala Lumpur hub.”

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AirAsia guests are also encouraged to pre-book their value added services such as check-in baggage allowance, in-flight meals, travel insurance and assigned seating as they are able to save between 30% – 50% when they book online.

The Free Seats promotion is part of AirAsia’s ’10 Awesome Years’ Campaign, to thank the guests for their support towards AirAsia as Free Seats has turned into a signature event synonymous to the AirAsia brand.

Guests can also take advantage of this Free Seats campaign by using their BIG cards, which is AirAsia’s global loyalty program where guests can collect BIG Points and redeem free flights with AirAsia. Sign up for BIG at www.airasia.com. 

AirAsia has also prepared a ‘Bargain Hunter 101’ for guests on tips and tricks on how to grab AirAsia Free Seats. Guests can go to facebook.com/AirAsia to see the ‘Bargain Hunter 101’ and share it with their friends and family as well.

If you cannot get enough of AirAsia, follow them on social media via Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia) and Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia) for the latest updates, promotions, activities and more.

Ladies seeking beautiful faces, well, www.SocialDeal.com.bn brings you yet another awesome deal. For the first time, thye are offering facial treatment with premium skincare brand DERMALOGICA from the USA.

The collaboration is between Dermalogist Beauty Therapy (Serusop) & SocialDeal Brunei at only BND 75 instead of BND 135 per session of Dermabrasion Facial Treatment.

Bid farewell to dull, flaky skin with dermabrasion which treats acne scars, pox marks, wrinkles and other soprts! Speed up skin renewal and achieve a smoother, more vibrant skin with the instant effect treatment at Dermalogist Beauty Therapy.

To get the special deal, a group of poeple must unlock the deal. Simple, aye? Head to www.SocialDeal.com.bn and buy off the coupons now..

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Mom also collects Adidas so at least it’s not just me *lol*

Whenever I listen to the song by Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up, it reminds me a lot of my mother who plays an instrumental part of my life and even to this day. Though we hardly close as we were before, I truly and deeply appreciate for the endless support you have given me ever since I was a little boy. Now three decades have gone so fast and I’m no more a little kid. However, the things that I’m experiencing right now and my current journey, I would have to say that you played a vital role. Thank you once again for being a good role model and I always think of you a lot though we never spent time together. Hope you received the flowers. Thank you for being part of my life. Love you loads, Mom!!

The National Football Association Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) and Red Bull signed a title sponsorship agreement for the Red Bull-NFABD Futsal Champions League yesterday at the Multipurpose Hall, Hassanal Bolkiah Sports Complex.

The Red Bull-NFABD Futsal Champons League is an expansion of the Red Bull-NFABD Futsal Championship inaugurated last year. Champions QAF FC ‘B’ earned the right to play at the Red Bull Tri-Nations Cup, which was co-hosted by Red Bull Brunei and NFABD.

Singapore and Malaysia also participated in the tournament, with QAF FC ‘B’ emerging as eventual winners after a closely-competed round robin match with the representatives from Malaysia.

Signing on behalf of the NFABD was the General Secretary, Mohd Noor Hj Abdullah, and on behalf of Red Bull, Mr Raymond Lee, the Area Sales and Marketing Manager of Allswell Trading Pte Ltd, a Singaporean company licensed to sell Red Bull products in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.

Also present to witness the signing was the President of the NFABD, Dato Paduka Abdul Rahman Mohiddin, Manager of the DST National Football League, Hj Mohd Taha Hj Mohd Tahir, and officials and representatives from Red Bull Brunei. During the signing ceremony, Mr Raymond Lee said of the tournament, “Red Bull is excited at the prospect of doing its bit in developing the sport in the country.”

Forty teams from around the country will be competing in the Red Bull-NFABD Futsal Champions League, separated into eight groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knock-out rounds.

The eventual winners and runners-up will be eligible to represent the country at the Red Bull Tri-Nations Cup, to be held in October, in Kuala Lumpur.

The agreement shows more signs of intent from the NFABD to build upon the recent success Brunei had during the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy Tournament and lay down the foundations for future teams, by using tournaments such as this and the DST National Football League as a means of scouting talent and promoting the sports of futsal and football throughout the country. Text courtesy of Jake Ten of Borneo Bulletin.

The signing agreement between Red Bull and NFABD

The Red Bull management with NFABD officials

Raymond Lee, Area Sales and Manager of Allswell Trading Pte Ltd (Red Bull), Mohd Noor Hj Abdullah General Secretary of NFABD and Dato Paduka Abdul Rahman Mohiddin, President of NFABD

The local media interviewing the organisers

A sneak preview of what’s to come for the Spark

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This is the first batch of prize presentation for the Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Blessing Rewards 2 campaign. The campaign was launched last March and it will be running for 3 months until 19th of June. The responses have been overwhelming ever since the 2nd campaign kicked off. The grand prize for the Blessing Rewards 2 campaign is a new Lexus IS300 convertible.

Ten winners were presented with prizes though only eight were present. Siti Zulwati Abd Razak, Zurina Hj Ismail, Othman Hj Jaluddin, Mohd Firdaus Hj Roslan, Ak Hj Mohd Amirol Fairuez Pg Hj Sulaiman, Dy Emas Mahmud, Junaidah Hj Mahmud, Juneri Hj Murah, Marina Ahmad and Hjh Kamsiah Hj Ismail received their Luminox watch *niceeee*

The prizes were presented by the Brannch Manager of BIBD Kiulap Branch Hj Suhaimi Hj Hashim.

There are other fantastic prizes to be won such as 60 inch Samsung LED television and packages of Apple products too. So how to be eligible?? It’s easy… just sign up for any BIBD product such as BBA Home Financing, Education Financing, BIBD Debit Card and many more.

Do visit their Facebook page too for constant updates of activities and promotion.

Holding the awesome prizes for the 1st round winners

Now these are awesome watches to start off with.. Congratulations to the winners

One of the winners of the Blessing Rewards campaign presented by BIBD Kiulap Branch Manager Hj Suhaimi Hj Hashim

One of the winners of the Blessing Rewards campaign presented by BIBD Kiulap Branch Manager Hj Suhaimi Hj Hashim

Group photo of the winners with BIBD Kiulap Branch Manager Hj Suhaimi Hj Hashim and BIBD Head of Marketing, Ben Lin

Who will win the grand prize of the Lexus IS300 convertible?

Registration starts 12th May at any b.mobile branches and stand a chance to win $1,000. The 1st Kick off will be 25th May 2012.

The cool prop of Dark Shadows at The Mall Cineplex

Dark Shadows. Ah.. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp combined again for the … eerr, I lost count here… but I have to say it’s not the strongest movie from Tim Burton. I felt this was just a passable movie for my taste. I’ve seen their other collaborations and I enjoyed most of it. Visually this is pretty good and I love the classic soundtracks too.

What disappointed me is the flow of the story and the lack of character from the other casts. Those I thought that would made significant screen appearances only appeared here and there and I felt the relationship between the characters lacked the special connection. There are some highlights in this movie but can be easily forgotten once you leave the cinema unlike The Avengers where people will boast about Hulk/Thor scene or how Ironman/Stark was awesome etc. As for Dark Shadows, there was nothing worth to boast about really.

Their collaboration had so much potential but Dark Shadows short changed me. Verdict: 6/10. Del Goh and Sophia gave it an 8 surprisingly.

O3 is back with its Sporting Cap Surprise for the 2nd season!!! O3 Sporting Cap Surprise 2 promo, which kicks off from 1 May– 28 December 2012, will see consumers of O3 smiling home with grand and major prizes including the latest iPhone, iPad2, Samsung Galaxy Note, Netbooks and LED TVs. Other instant prizes to be won in the promo include Easi-cards, KFC/Rasamas vouchers, pendrives and more than 8,000 free O3 drinks.

Speaking to announce the kick-off of the promo, Ms Sun Yeo, Marketing Manager, Aiking Trading Co. Sdn Bhd, stated that the promo was conceived to reward as many loyal consumers of O3 as possible. In her words: “This Promo has one main and only objective, which is to say thank you to our loyal consumers. We want this promotion to touch our consumers’ lives in a way that only a real O3 drink will do. That’s why every lucky consumer with the letter cap don’t just get 1, but 3 chances of winning.” O3 Lemon Tea and Green Tea, according to Ms Yeo, “has established itself as a credible choice of healthy yet tasty drink”. She also thanked the consumers of O3 whom, she said, were responsible for making O3 one of the fastest growing drink in the country.

Ms Yeo stated that consumers only have to buy any O3 drink, twist open and redeem any O3 bottle cap with either “S”,“P”,“O”,“R”,“T”,”I”,”N” or ”G”, at O3 roadshows to qualify for 3 chances of winning – an instant draw, a Major Prize draw and the Grand Prize draw for the iPhone. While giving details of the promo, Ms Yeo stated that a roadshow will be arranged on the 28th of every month during the promotion, to provide convenience to the consumers and at the same time, allow public draw, where winners can take home their prizes instantly.

Now this is interesting.. Well, not sure if it’s called the iPhone 5 but the grand prize will be the next generation iPhone for sure. Click image to enter Facebook page.

The roadshows will be held on 28 June at Jaya Hypermart (Gadong), 28 July at Sim Kim Huat (Airport Mall), 28 August at Millimewah Department Store (Berakas) 28 September at Sim Kim Huat (Kiulap), 28 October at Sim Kim Huat (Sengkurong), 28 November at Millimewah Department Store (KB) and 28 December at Jaya Hypermart (Gadong). The Grand Prize draw will be held on 28 December at Jaya Hypermart, Gadong. So do keep these dates on your calendar.

O3 Lemon Tea and Green Tea are available in all major supermarkets, department stores, mini-marts and kedai runcit. For details, consumers can visit Aiking’s website, www.aiking.com, or Like O3 on Facebook, @O3GreenTnLemonT or Follow O3 on Twitter, @O3Sporting.

The draw is organized by Aiking Trading Co. Sdn Bhd and supported by Jaya Hypermart, Sim Kim Huat Department Store and Millimewah Department Stores as well as ranoadidas.com.

So be adventurous and you will never know if you will be the lucky one 😀