Guess who’s coming home later? The Brunei representatives who won 14 medals from the World Championships of Performing Arts 2013 in Los Angeles recently. They will be landing from Singapore later by 11am today (Thursday). So let’s go tot the airport and give them a good welcoming reception. Click image to read of their acheivements!

 

Here are some of the pictures taken at Hua Ho as part of Baiduri Bank Group Ramadhan Charity Event. It was a shopping spree for the 20 families who are less fortunate and they were given a shopping spree sponsored by Baiduri Bank. Now that’s a very good initiative by our own local bank and it was good to see the smiles from the families. They were then treated for Sungkai at Aneka Rasa. Thumbs up to Baiduri Bank for the wonderful and charitable initiative. Images courtesy of Baiduri Bank unless stated. 

Baiduri personnel with the families during the shopping spree at Hua Ho yesterday

Baiduri personnel with the families during the shopping spree at Hua Ho yesterday

Image courtesy of Fairol of Media Permata

Image courtesy of Fairol of Media Permata

Image courtesy of Fairol of Media Permata

Image courtesy of Fairol of Media Permata

 

 

Guess what ladies? New shoes at Pazzion have arrived at the store outlet at The Mall, Gadong. Apart from the new arrival, Pazzion will also have a special sale up to 60% discount which is a great deal. Furthermore, some of the shoes are retailing below $30.

Pazzion opening hours during Ramadhan is 12pm to 10pm while on Fridays is 2pm to 10pm. For more info, you can check out their Facebook page. Now you can prepare yourself for Hari Raya which is just two weeks away from now.

 

Follow @pazzionbrunei on FB and IG. Do click on banner to see more more of the shoes from Pazzion

During Ramadhan, everyone is encouraged to do more good deeds to receive more blessings, and even companies and businesses step up their generosity during this time. YMRM, one of the well-known textile merchants in the Sultanate, hosted a sungkai event with the Mukim Sengkurong Consultative Council for senior citizens, orphans and poor families in Mukim Sengkurong yesterday.

The guest of honour at the event was RBAF Deputy Commander Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Md Tawih Abdullah, and the event began with the recital of Surah Al-Fatihah followed by a speech from the co-chairperson, Penghulu Mukim Hj Musa Hj Tahir. It was the first of two such sungkai events to accommodate the 203 orphans registered under Mukim Sengkurong.

A representative of the sponsor (YMRM), Abd Hamid Abas said in a speech that the founder of YMRM, Ramesh Jiwatran Bhawnani, saw this gesture as part of the company’s commitment to give back to society, and in recognition of the support the people of Brunei have given to YMRM Enterprise and Galleria YMRM over the last decade.

Breaking off for Sungkai after the presentation of donation to the oprhans

For YMRM, charitable deeds are not just seasonal gestures. The company has participated in many charitable events and has come forward to support both government and private institutions. To YMRM, its year-round charity activities are part of the company’s continuous corporate social responsibility (CSR) vision to help the country and its people.

This year, the charitable contributions from the company are more extensive than ever before. YMRM has committed to providing aid to eight villages in Mukim Sengkurong. Areas covered under the series of programmes on July 22, 29, 30 and 31, include Kg Jerudong, Kg Sengkurong A and B, Kg Kulapis, Kg Lugu, Kg Katimahar, Kg Tanjong Nangka and Kg Mulaut.


On the 30th and 31st July, YMRM will distribute food items to the less fortunate from the eight villages in Mukim Sengkurong, as well as arranging for visits to the homes of some of the recepients, in order to meet and understand their needs better.


YMRM’s Managing Director, Belly Narender JB, was further quoted that he is honoured to be given the opportunity to be able to contribute to such a good cause qand that YMRM will continue to play a stronger role in the community . He also called on members of the public to join the company in the good works, and support such activities.

 

Kevin Chua and Han Tien Siew, co-owners of Toy Santa at this afternoon Grand Opening of the store at Times Square

After a year of its existence online, Toy Santa has finally a phyiscal store for the convenience of his customers in selling Lego Sets, Lego minifigs and also toy figurines. It’s located in the heart of Times Square Shopping Complex on the same floor as Times Cineplex. Congratulations Han Tien Siew, a co-owner of Toy Santa, and I have bought a few items from him especially the zombies and Marvel minifigs from Lego.

Also with the support of the active local lego group, BULAT, it has helped boost its sales and further spread the awareness to the community and now it’s safe to say that there are more individuals catching the “Lego” bug and mind you most of them are adults 😀 According to Han, most of his customers are young adults and only a minority make up of children. This was definitely the opposite back in the old days and you should watch the history of Lego on YouTube. Quite interesting.

“We opened the shop due to the workload and the demand and it’s hard to cope because I have a primary job during the day, ” shared Han on why they opened up a store. Sometimes I wonder why all the sudden Lego became so popular worldwide. It could have been the fact that it started from the minifig series and suddenly people caught the “Lego Bug” before Lego start introducing Lego sets from Marvel, DC, Star Wars and so on.

This afternoon Toy Santa had its grand slam and they have discounts up to 15% and you can also become a Toy Santa VIP member if you spend a certain amount on a single receipt. Congratulations once again to Toy Santa on the grand opening. You can also catch them on Facebook here.

Lots of Lego Sets on display

Melvin paid a quick visit to Toy Santa

Good thing I am not a collector of Star Wars for Lego

Jul of BULAT group

Now you can order figurines from Toy Santa. This piece is scheduled for 1st quarter 2014.

A niece masterpiece by Winnie Cheng (Timelessrealm) on the sign paperboard made through paper cutting

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BIBD today held a prize presentation ceremony today for its monthly ‘Barakah 4’ And ‘Top Up Tia’ weekly winners. The ceremony was held in the morning at the Kiulap BIBD branch premises.

Fatimah bte Hj Akhbar, Siti Fairuzhaironie bte Dato Paduka Haji Wahabi, Muhammad Nur Nirwandita bin Awang Takong/ Muhammad Sofee and Maryaniwati Bte Abdullah were all smiles as they were announced as the monthly winners for BIBD’s ‘Barakah 4’ campaign, each receiving a dining voucher at excapade worth $200, at the same time entitling them to become finalists for the grand prize of a Mercedes A-Class.

Pengiran Mohammad Sofian Bin Pg Aspar and Noor Zaimah Binti Suhaili, on the other hand, were in a joyous mood as they were presented as BIBD’s ‘Top Up Tia!’ weekly winners, awarding them with a Samsung S4 4G LTE each, as they won by topping up their DES electricity or DST mobile accounts through either the BIBD Mobile or BIBD Online channels.

On hand to give away the prizes as guest of honour was Mohammad Yusreza Mohd Yussin, Marketing Officer of BIBD. Every month, until the end of the ‘Barakah 4’ promotion on 30th September, five finalists will be picked to enter the final draw for the grand prize. BIBD ‘Barakah 4’ participants will also stand a chance to win an Islamic-themed Beijing tour for four people as the runner up prize, while the third place winner will earn a 100gm Gold bar, with 99.9% purity. 300,000 Royal Skies miles awaits the fourth place winner, to spend to go to any destination of their liking, while a brand new 46” Samsung LED TV and home theatre set awaits the fifth placed winner.

The monthly winners for July for Barakah 4

The Grand prize for Barakah 4

The ‘Barakah 4’ campaign is open to all new and existing BIBD customers who sign up for BIBD’s financing facilities which include BIBD’s Home, Education and Naqad facility. Entries for ‘Barakah 4’ will be in entitlements of one entry for every B$ 10,000, while fifteen entries for every B$ 100,000 financed. New account holders will also stand a chance to win via BIBD’s Wakalah General, tiered and foreign currency accounts (current accounts and savings account). This entitlement will allow account holders one entry for every B$ 5,000 and fifteen entries for every B$ 50,000. In addition, those who assign their salary to BIBD will also get entries and be eligible to enter the Grand Prize draw.

There will be no need for BIBD customers to manually fill in any forms or vouchers to be eligible for entries into ‘Barakah 4’ as they are automatically generated and entered into the system. The entries will be submitted automatically upon approval or activation of the facility or account.

On the other hand, BIBD’s ‘Top Up Tia!’ campaign allows new and existing customers who perform Top Up Transactions via BIBD Online and BIBD Mobile channels, to be instantly be given to one lucky draw entry for each successful transaction, entitling them to a weekly prize of a Samsung S4 4G LTE.

For more information on BIBD’s ‘Barakah 4’ or BIBD’s ‘Top Up Tia!’ campaigns, please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with the BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181 or visit your nearest BIBD branch.

The Audi Q5 was an excellent ride

Aliya Zin test driving Audi Q models. TCY Motors today held an exclusive test-drive session for members of the local press & media featuring its Q line-up of premium SUVs: the Audi Q3, new Q5 and the Q7.

TCY planned an awesome route for us, with three stops to give us each a chance to drive/ride in each vehicle. The distinctive Q models in the Audi stable are primarily premium built SUVs catering for everyday lifestyle use, so given that Bruneians love a good cruise now and then, it was appropriate that the route took us by scenic Kg Ayer along the Kota Batu road all the way to the Malay Technology Museum and back. The winding road with quite a few hills was also an awesome way to gauge drivability.

My first ride was in the Q5 with Zatty Joanda from BT. My first impression was how spacious it was from the back passenger seats. The Q5 can handle the demands of an urban lifestyle but has lots of room for a family. It’s a popular model, being the top-selling Audi model in Brunei for the last 3 years in a row.

The Q5 recently saw a new facelift, which was introduced earlier this year for Brunei, is powered with a 2.0 TFSI direct fuel injection petrol engine but with a higher output of 165 kW (225hp) and 350 Nm of torque. An equally quick 8-speed tiptronic transmission is featured.

Test driving the Audi Q models

The interior feel

Zatty Jo of The Brunei Times behind the wheel

My first impressions of the Q7 was “OMG! IT’S HUGE!” and “OMG! THERE’S A SUN ROOF!” I love spacious cars, especially since I have long legs. I could lie comfortably in the passenger seats. The drive for the Q7 is pretty epic, smooth transitions of the gears, and the power is available almost instantly for pick up. This is consistent for Audi cars, while engaged in one gear, the next gear is on standby, making for the smooth transition.

The Q7 with the only diesel engine offered for Brunei- a V6 with 180 kW (245hp) and 550 Nm of torque, this powerhouse 7-seater variant also comes with 8-speed tiptronic transmission. Despite its higher price range its still one of the most consistent selling Audis locally averaging one unit per month.

Three distinct sized SUVs with differing progressive design catering to different needs & customers but all three share one same highlight- quattro® permanent all-wheel drive innovation from Audi.

The concept is simple: if wheels on one axle lose grip and threaten to spin, then the drive force is transferred to the other axle- automatically and permanently distributed through the self-locking centre differential with wheel-selective torque distribution. The basic distribution is 40:60- 40% of power to the front 60% to the rear. The benefit is better traction during acceleration and improved safety due to impressive grip. Literally speaking quattro® is all about getting a grip.

For further enquiries about the Audi Q series please visit our showrooms in Kiarong or Lambak or call 2442333 ext31 or 2390725 during office hours. You can check out their Facebook Page too.

 

 

Check out the great deals on week two!!

It’s not too late to apply for a BIBD Debit Card 😀

 

Now this could be a sensitive issue to begin with. The creative arts industry especially when it comes to local music scene, they have been many restrictions and so what not. It’s pretty obvious that we have limitations on the music scene. Concerts that involved international artistes or singers are prohibited (not sure what’s the right word for this context) and discouraged. The success rate for applying such permit is zilch. The only way to bring more entertainment to our country is using our local talents which I think is such a great avenue for them to showcase their talents. Now the only challenge is that we don’t have a proper avenue or even an organisation that handles the creative arts industry. I’m not pretty sure about if there’s a department in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports that handles this aspect.

Now why did I highlight this? One biggest reason is that we have talented individuals in our country especially in the music and art scene. Just days ago, Fakhrul Razi performed live on the stage in Los Angeles, US, as he was chosen as a finalist in the senior vocal category in the World Championship of Performing Arts 2013. This is by far one of the best achievement for a Bruneian on the world stage. We also have two local talents, Kevin Lo and Maria Grace Koh, who didn’t leave empty handed from the WCOPA 2013. I still remember interviewing them at the airport two weeks ago and I saw their confidence oozing internally when I interviewed all of them. It’s also no surprised that Brunei team also won the Best Team Spirit Award. A small country that only sent 3 representatives as compared to the dozens from other 43 countries, this is a great amazing accomplishment and this shows that we are no pushovers.

Look at the number of medals they received from Brunei alone. Great achievement indeed

A dream come true for Kevin Lo

Eia did her best and won a few medals for herself. Outstanding!!

Fakhrul Razi said this is best experience in his entertainment journey and he would like to thank all the supporters in believing in the Brunei team

The achievements by our local talents:

Fakhrul Razi’s achievement: Gold Medal for vocals in 1) RnB/Jazz 2) Original Works 3) Open 4) Being a finalist and Silver Medal in 1)Broadway 2) Pop

Kevin Lo’s achievement: Gold Medal for Acting in 1) Classical 2) Comical 3) Dramatic 4) Open and he is also an overall winner for classical, comical and open category. Two scholarship offers from New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts and a full scholarship from Janet Alhanti’s acting class in Hollywood. He also received an individual award for performer who was pleasant and easy to work with.

Maria Grace Koh aka Eia: Silver Medal for Instruments with Vocals 1) Broadway 2) Contemporary 3) Original Work 4) Pop 5) RnB/Jazz

By the way, the Brunei team also won the Best Photo for being viral on social media platform. So there are plenty of things to be proud of and I’m definitely proud of their achievements in the States. Let’s hope that more Bruneians will be featured in next year’s edition. I actually caught the WCOPA finals online last Saturday and it was pretty entertaining. I had to purchase the HD version since the free streamline version was pretty small. It was one of the best $5 spent for me just to catch Fakhrul Razi performed live in front of the millions watching online.

Rumour has it that they will be arriving Brunei this Thursday 25th July. I shall update you on the timing of their arrival. We should do a hero’s welcome to our achievers. They have done a massive homework and I hope their success will pave way and open new doors in our country. It’s about time that the relevant authorities see a bigger picture and despite the limitations and restrictions imposed, there could be a way to make it more appropriate and acceptable for our culture. Perhaps an open dialogue between the “decision/policy makers” and our talents would be a great start.

If you want to view more of the photos from social media, you can click here.

Some of the screenshots from the finals while watching it online

One of the judges for the finals

Group vocalists singing an old number

Our very own Fakhrul Razi singing in the Senior Vocal category

He made an impact despite the 1 minute performance

… and he surely had a blast singing on the world stage. Awesome!!

The bigger winners of the WCOPA 2013 – The Philippines as they bagged many awards in the finals and also the star of the WCOPA 2013. Well done!!

 

Mohd Denny Azriman, founder of Ambuyart Animations was the designer for the Limited Editiion KFC Hari Raya Celebration Packet

In conjunction with His Majesty’s 67th birthday and the upcoming Hari Raya, KFC has teamed up with local talent Ambuyart to come up with Limited Edition KFC Hari Raya Celebration Packets.

Customers only need to purchase any combo meal and they will be entitled to purchase the Celebration Packets which comes in a pack of 10 pieces for only B$1.50. There are 4 different designs and each design will be released each week on Monday and the first batch has been released on 15th July.

The KFC Themed Hari Raya Green Packet is a first for KFC. Each week’s Celebration Packets depicts a Hari Raya message and is a story of it’s own and combining it also forms a complete picture. “When we first approached Ambuyart, we shared the same vision of wanting to create a green packet that depicts images that a Bruneian and those staying in Brunei would be familiar with and we really liked what he has created” says Jonathan Bong, Senior Marketing Manager.

KFC together with Ambuyart would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Muslimin and Muslimat a “Selamat Berpuasa”. The Celebration packets are available only at KFC outlets in Brunei while stock last.

Every Monday, a new design will be released

So do collect all four designs and this is ideal for Hari Raya

 

Thank you to these wonderful lads who sacrificed their hair for a good cause

Rano says yesss, finally there is a “Go Bald” campaign in Brunei Darussalam and I have always wondered if such event will happen in Brunei since it’s a very popular charity event regionally. With the partnership of Sunlit Advertising, IA Salon and Brunei Breast Cancer Support Group, “Be Bold! Go Bald” event will become a reality. All you have to do is get the registration form at Sunlit Advertising Office or you can call them during office hours 245 3666 and fill in the form and you will be given a donation card as well which will have to be returned by 12th August.

I kinda like this initiative and since it’s the first of its kind in Brunei, I’m expecting an overwhelming response in terms of participants volunteering to get their head shaven. Anyway, since it’s for charity, if you don’t feel like shaving it off, you can still donate as there will be a donation box at the event itself during the 12th Consumer Fair (21st to 25th August) at the BRIDEX Hall.

The intention of the “Be Bold! Go Bald” event is to increase awareness on breast cancer among families and friends. Sometimes we take our lives for granted and only when the situation arises, we react to it. Lily Ng, one of the breast cancer survivors, shared her experience and advised the community that we must take care of our health and get more knowledge on breast cancer because prevention is the weapon for cancer. So to all of you, let’s help spread the news on breast cancer and how it can be valuable to our friends and families.

So where will all the proceeds goes to? President of BBCSG, Datin Hjh Sahaidah binti Hj Mohd Taib highlighted that all funds raised will go to the BBCSG, towards helping to provide Brunei breast cancer patients with specially-constructed bras and buying much-needed equipment such as laptops, projector and a model of a breast for educational purposes in raising local awareness on breast cancer.

Last Friday also saw five volunteers from Sunlit Advertising and one from BBCSG allowing their heads to be shaved for a good cause. This is a sneak preview on what to expect on the 25th of August during the final day of the Consumer Fair. Oh by the way, this is open for both male and female. So ladies, don’t discount yourself from the “Be Bold! Go Bald” and that includes you too, Hui Chiet :p *lol*

The press conference last Friday for “Be Bold! Go Bald” event

Representative from IA Salon talking about the benefits about being bald

Lily Ng shared her experience and gave some advice on prevention of cancer

The “Before” pose picture

Their final pose before the hairstylists from IA Salon in action

Check out the t-shirts for the good cause

Thomas Chieng of Sunlit Advertising looked cheerful and nervous

Almost 3/4 through the process

This could have been Mike’s new hairstyle

Mike dropping the monies donated by James Lee of Yellow Pages

Don’t they look younger?

Jackson Ting, Managing Director of Sunlit Advertising, donating for a good cause

Group photo after the shaving ordeal

Guess who registered? Mr. Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin

Register yourself and get the donation card from Sunlit Advertising office

Group photo with Sunlit Advertising. Good to see Irene who recovering from a serious ankle injury.

Check out the info.. I do hope they can put forward the time as I think the responses will be huge

This was a Go Bald Charity organised by my friend Jodie Sim in Kuching last year and they raised a million plus (in RM) in just one day. Awesome!!!

I shaved my head a year ago as I was raising funds for HSBC Walk, Run and Cycle. I managed to raise BND 2,000 then. I shall be joining this event for sure (Sorry for the vain pose btw haha)

 

BIBD through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative today revisited the residents of the blazen longhouse of Kampung Sumbiling Baru in the Temburong District and handed over more basic necessities items.

The CSR team led by BIBD CSR Administration officer, Dk Vivi Aryati Pg Abd Rahman, made an early start for their journey towards the Temburong District to deliver more donations, food hampers and clothing, all contributions fromgenerous BIBD employees.

The donations were presented by BIBD Temburong Branch Manager, Abd Razak bin Ismail, on behalf of BIBD, to the Penghulu of Mukim Amo, Hj Bahrun bin Hj Talib, who is receiving on behalf of the victims.

“Alhamdulillah, we are able to extend more assistance to the affected families, especially now that the festive month of Syawal is drawing closer.” said Hjh Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Jaafar, Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility. She also added, “Through the relentless effort and teamwork of BIBD CSR and personnel, BIBD is able to once again come forward to hand over these donations to assist in reducing their burdens”.

BIBD’s CSR initiative has always been sensitive and concerned regarding the needs of the less fortunate and will do its best to extend their assistance in any form should such an opportunity arise. Furthermore, the internal charity initiative is also in line with the BIBD CSR objective in creating awareness and developing individuals who are socially responsible according to the faith that we embrace. To find out more on BIBD’s CSR initiatives, email the CSR initiative at csr@bibd.com.bn or get in touch with the BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181. Text and images courtesy of BIBD.

 

A sneak preview for the Brunei Press Sdn Bhd netball team as they will be participating in upcoming tournaments as part of their initiative to stay healthy. The netball team will be captained by Fizah with Enoy as their vice-captain. Image courtesy of Dean Kassim of Borneo Bulletin.

Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah (Front Row – 3rd right) amongst the BIBD personnel at the Bertahlil event

Personnel from Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad (BIBD) and its Group of Companies held its annual ‘Majlis Bertahlil’ at the Royal Mausoleum in Jalan Tutong, where they went to pay their respects to the late Al-Marhum Sultan Hj Omar Ali Saifuddin Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam and Al-Marhumah Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit binti Pengiran Bendahara Pengiran Anak Abdul Rahman.

Present at the event was Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Finance cum Chairman of BIBD and its Group of Companies. Also in attendance was Yang Mulia Awang Junaidi bin Haji Masri, Assistant Managing Director of Brunei Investment Agency cum BIBD Board Director, Yang Mulia Javed Ahmad, BIBD’s Managing Director along with senior officers, officers and staffs of BIBD and its group of companies.

The recital of Surah Yassin, tahlil and doa arwah was led by Yang Dimuliakan Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Hj Hamidon bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Hj Mohd Hamid. Press release from BIBD.

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Four (4) students from the Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) left for Singapore to undergo the six-month internship program at various ICT companies in Singapore. These students are the recipients of the inaugural INSPIRE program by AITI, which is an internship program that offers the opportunities for students to apply and enhance their knowledge and skills through meaningful work experience and interaction with professional people in a real-life working environment.

The four (4) students are Ak Md Hardine bin Pg Hj Marali, Md Naqiuddin Ihsan bin Awg Mat Japar, Dk Siti Rasyidah bte Pg Abd Azis and Abdul Rasyid bin Hj Osman. They are currently undertaking Higher National Diploma in ICT related courses. The students are expected to be involved in various ICT projects throughout their internship program such as software engineering, programming using Javascript, SQL, C++, biometric software development and social media applications development.

Blessings before sending off the students to Singapore

Adi Shamsul, Acting Chairman of AITI sending off the four students

Present to bid them farewell yesterday at the Brunei International Airport was Awang Adi Shamsul bin Haji Sabli, Acting Chairman of AITI and Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, AITI’s senior management and senior officials from Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB).

The students were awarded the Internship INSPIRE Program on last Tuesday, 16 July 2013 in an event that saw the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between AITI and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), and between AITI and Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB).  Another two UBD students will depart from Brunei Darussalam next month when they start their internship program in Singapore on 19 August 2013.

The INSPIRE Program is also supported by the Department of Economic, Planning and Development (JPKE) and funded under the 10th National Development Plan for Human Capacity Development Program.

AITI hopes that upon completion of the program, the INSPIRE Award recipients will gain valuable working experience which will better prepare them to join the local workforce when they eventually graduate from their course of study. Image and text courtesy of AITI.

 

Collect all the Turbo toys at KFC

With the premiere of the movie Turbo this week, merchandise from the animated film Turbo will be available at all KFC outlets in Brunei starting this weekend. The different merchandise double as stationery and are Turbo Creature Case, Burn’s Measuring Motor, and Skidmark’s Race Notes.

 The Turbo Toy stationeries are available as KFC Chicky Meal collectibles. Customers can purchase the Chicky Mini meal which comes with a toy of their choice or they can buy the Chicky Mighty meal and top up B$3.00 to get the toy as well.

 The Turbo Stationery is now available at all outlets in Brunei. Get your complete Turbo Stationery set today and don’t miss out!

Fakhrul Razi raising the Brunei Flag during the opening of the World Championship of Performing Arts 2013 and now he made it to the finals

Guess who made it to the finals??? Mr. Fakhrul Razi himself and we are talking about the finals of the World Championship of Performing Arts. This is just great news for our fellow Bruneian to be up there among the best around the world and getting Brunei known which is such a great achievement. This is just a great indicator that we do have talents but we just don’t have enough support to make it to the big stage and Fakhrul Razi made it to the finals is just a great testimonial that we are no pushovers.

Fakhrul is in the senior vocal category and he’s ranked Top 5 in that group. During the chat interview, he was over the moon and the whole Brunei team were in tears that there was a representative from Brunei that defy the odds. I can imagine the excitement and the vibe if I were to be there next to them and celebrate the surreal experience.

Kevin Lo also made it to the semi-finals while Maria Grace Koh performed to her best at the WCOPA 2013. I have to say it’s not easy to be away from home and competing on foreign soil against 3,000 competitors. To be the best among the lot says a lot of the talent they have in them and I’m proud that Fakhrul Razi belonged to that elite of talents. He’s not just talents but also a hardworking individual. I wonder what’s next for him….

If you are interested to catch him live on the web, the finals will be shown live online starting 10am tomorrow Saturday 20th July 2013. You can click here for the link and catch the live streaming of the event. Good luck, FR, and no matter what, you have already done us proud by representing Brunei and same goes to Kevin and Maria. Good job on Jeff on taking care of them and motivating them.

I will be watching FR performing live on WCOPA website. Let’s come and support our local talent. FTW.

Fakhrul Razi’s expression after hearing of the exciting news

Fakhrul Razi was over the moon when he found out that he’s going to the finals

Encouragement from a celebrity, Wu Chun

During the opening of the WCOPA 2013

Click image to see more of Netcom Computer House from their Facebook Page

 

New and bigger things at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

One of the popular places for breaking fast – Tasek Brasserie!!

 

Click image to enter website

 

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Hui Chiet eyeing on this fabric at YMRM Tungku Link and she ended getting one for herself *lol*

Hari Raya is just three weeks away. Time flies very fast indeed. We are already in the second week of Ramadhan and the crowd have been rising at Galleria YMRM. Since Hari Raya is just around the corner, I made my 2nd pitstop to Galleria YMRM (this time to both Batu Satu and Tungku Link).

Galleria YMRM have quite a selection of fabric for “cara melayu” and what impressed me the most is the IMA fabric which is the Japanese cotton material. The price is higher than the normal type but now they have a promotional price where it’s being slashed from $19.90 to $15.90 per meter. What’s great about this material is that it’s of high quality and it’s pretty cooling and soothing to the skin. Last year, they have 20 different colours and this year, they have 60 different colours with the IMA material. This really shows how good the material and the trust it has coming from customers.

They also have good quality ones for the ladies for Baju Kurung and they have different price range from the affordable ones to the high end and of course, the quality is guaranteed. It’s no surprise that most of the tailors in Brunei make their fabrics and textile according to the management. For the ladies, if you want something more elegant as in Kebaya type, then I recommend you go fo the laces and YMRM have tons of those in both branches.

Galleria YMRM are not only popular for selling fabrics for men and women but they are also selling in-house lights and also “cucul” lights for Hari Raya. So if you need some new lightings in your house, they have a wide selection to choose from. YMRM already have tents outside their premise selling deco lights (cucul) and this have been their trademark for a few years already.

Head down to Galleria YMRM where textiles and fabrics are the cheapest in town and of high quality too. With their intention to give value for money, this has created a good loyalty relationship with their customers. Do visit their branches – one in Tungku Link Spg 100 (you can’t miss this spot) and the other is at Batu Satu, near BIBD branch. You can call their number at Batu Satu 222 3343 or Tungku Link 245 2344.

For more pictures of YMRM, you can click here.

Tons of laces for the ladies to choose from at YMRM

Hui Chiet liking the laces here at YMRM

Now you can make your Kebaya with this material

How the interior looks like at YMRM Tungku Link

Different range of songkok available

Made in Brunei Songkok

The lightings ideal for Hari Raya

One of the reasons why people go to YMRM – Liiiiigghhhttts and cuculs 😀

Have you prepared for Hari Raya yet?

You can buy those mini trays ideal for Hari Raya

Galleria YMRM at Tungku Link

 

Westends Avenue is located at Batu Bersurat near Guardian and FA Sports Cafe

Have you heard of Westends Avenue? It has just been around for 6 months or so and I’m quite surprised with the selections they have with the brands that they carry. You will brands such as Polo, Espirit, Nike, EDC, Puma and many more all under one roof.

So how are they able to get these labels? Apparently they have great contacts from Sri Lanka which actually produced all these labels and brands as I have mentioned. So the quality you get is pretty genuiene and at an affordable price. I was actually eyeing for Adidas wear but they have commissioned them to a local retailer *lol*

I believe not many people are aware of Westends Avenue’s location and even existence. It’s located at Batu Bersurat, just opposite Taurean Too Kopitiam. Refer to the poster for details.

Another great point about Westends Avenue is that they carry women’s sportswear which is not common here in Brunei. They also carry a lot of zumba type kind of clothes. So for the ladies out there who are Zumba enthusiasts, this could be an ideal place to shop so they have tons of zumba pants.

They are having a midnight promotion on 19th July, then following on the 24th and 27th July from 9pm to 1am. Check out the poster below.

Information on Westends Avenue

Zumba clothings for the ladies

Zumba pants too

The mens’ column

All these attire available at Westends Avenue

Ladies clothes area

They have evening gown wear, sports attire and smart casual wear for the ladies

The men’s section

Westends Avenue is managed by one big happy family

 

RA says Let’s talk about relationship for this time round. Have you guys miss my segment on UG? Sorry for that. For the past few weeks, I have these burning thoughts in my head but I never really pour it down until those moments just drifted away and that blew my momentum for it to be posted as part of the UG. Anyway, let’s get back to the topic on relationships.

Now this is one interesting topic which I feel that I wanna share with my readers. Relationship can be in different forms but whenever we say the word relationship, we associate it with a couple being together and/or in love. For the past few years, I’m beginning to have a better understanding on such word. Technically whoever I meet or interact with, this is also a form of relationship (interpersonal) and I believe I have been operating in that manner ever since I was a kid. Perhaps the more active relationships I have is with my close friends but sadly not with my family.

I realised how my relationship with my mother has impacted me on how I have been showing up for the past twenty years (and even longer) around the people that I met and also with my past relationships with my exes. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of having this relationship being that with a family member, with a friend or with a potential partner (bf/gf) or with your spouse? And if we don’t have that kind of objective or intention, there is a high possibility that the relationship will be a roller coaster in a long run if each of the party had a different intention. Maybe because both parties hardly ever sit down and talk about their goals or intention to have this relationship and simply jump to the point such trusting the person quickly or fall into a relationship quickly or becoming best friends in a short period of time and there are many that I can possibly list down.

This is because our culture are brought up this way. This is how we perceive the notion of friendship/relationship with one another. And that’s why most of us fall into the trap of “first good impressions”. This is what I learned as the first stage of any relationship or friendship. We will portray what he or she sees fit. It’s like going on a first date and you do your best to give a perfect first impression and it will be one flawless experience at that moment of time. If you notice carefully or look deeper into the context, you are actually only showing the good/better side of you. The real test comes when you are in that “uncomfortable” zone where the cracks will start to show here and there and only then we realise how human we are and this is quite true that the more we know, the more cracks we become unfamiliar with and the judgment on each other will appear subconsciously.

This is pretty common in all types of relationship and I have been there a lot of times *lol* Now that I have become aware of the situation especially for my future or potential partners, I’m taking baby steps and I’m more focused on having that relationship with my inner self. Because I have to admit that my biggest flaw in most of my relationships with my exes is the sake for companionship. . Well, that’s part of a relationship but I fail to see the other components that also mattered. This is very common in most relationship that we depend so much on companionship and slowly we begin to lose part of ourselves.

For now, I have established only a handful of wonderful relationships (not romantically) with my close friends and that to me is amazing how it all turned out. There is so much that I wanna share about this but I will just leave it here for now as it might be a lot for many of you to digest. What’s important is to love yourself more and appreciate yourself and don’t change yourself just because you want to please others (very common in courtships).

Of course, I love you readers 😀

 

Just a quick recap on the hotel that I was staying at Veranda Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand, last week and it was just an amazing stay. I was staying in a deluxe room with my friend Goh Yi Ren and I found out that we both have something in common – we know our movies well *lol*

The room was just nice and I won’t mind staying here again. The only problem is that it is quite a fair ride from the city. They do provide shuttle service twice a day though which is roughly 30 mins ride depending on traffic.

I didn’t get to try much of the facilities though. Food wise it’s not as great as Hua Hun Six Sense Resort Spa but it’s still good. Service is pretty good but I wasn’t impressed with Lebua State of Tower’s (in Bangkok).

The compound of the resort is quite big and lots of greenery which I like. The architecture of the resort was slightly confusing but modern. It took me a while to know my surroundings and there were many possible routes to get around the resort.

Below are some pictures of my room at Veranda Resort Chiang Mai.

The corridor at Veranda Resort

I like this corner area of the room

This is how the bathroom looks like

It uses the slide system to cover the bathroom/toilet

The translucent door that slides from the shower to the toilet

I didn’t get the chance to use the bathtub

You can tell they really take customer service to another level :p

Great brand for our shower needs

Another great idea to pack them back home *lol*

My room mate buddy then 😀

Ok, one minus point about the room is the location of the desk and TV which too close for me

If you can afford to upgrade, try out the villas

Again the infinity pool that I didn’t get to try out

Love the green nature of the resort

At the lobby area

Sabrina trying out the gym but it’s kinda small

Click image to see more of Netcom Computer House from their Facebook Page

 

New and bigger things at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

One of the popular places for breaking fast – Tasek Brasserie!!

 

Click image to enter website

 

Follow @pazzionbrunei on FB and IG. Do click on banner to see more more of the shoes from Pazzion

Nur Liyana Amalina Suhaili, Najihah Kamilah Hj Md Rosellan, Md Naqiuddin Ihsan Mat Japar, Abdul Rasyid Hj Osman, Ak Md Hardine Pg Hj Marali and Dk Siti Rasyidah Pg Hj Azis are heading to Singapore for their Internship Student goodProgram with the collaboration between AITI and MDA & IDA of Singapore. Good luck to you all in Singapore

I remember AITI talked about this a few months ago and now it’s a reality. The newly project initiated by AITI called “INSPIRE” (Internship Student Programme for ICT Related Education) and it’s supported by the Department of Economic, Planning and Development (JPKE) as part of the 10th National Development Plan for Human Capacity Development Programme.

Yesterday there was a signing ceremony between AITI and UBD and the second one with AITI and ITB for the MoU where selected students will be based in Singapore for a period of six months as part of their internship programme. Present during the MoU signing was the Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar who was the guest of honour.

The students for INSPIRE:

Nur Liyana Amalina Suhaili, UBD Undergraduate: Bachelors of Arts Degree in Professional Media and Communication, Majoring in Professional Communications and Media Studies. Attachment at the Production area in MediacorpEagleVision Singapore.
Najihah Kamilah Hj Md Rosellan, UBD Undergraduate: Bachelors of Arts Degree in Professional Media and Communication, Majoring in Professional Communications and Media Studies. Attachment at the Network Programming area in Mediacorp’s Suria Singapore
Ak Md Hardine Pg Hj Marali, HND at ITB: BDTVEC Higher National Diploma in Computing. Attachment at Cicada Cube Pte Ltd, Singapore.
Md Naqiuddin Ihsan Mat Japar, HND at ITB: BDTVEC Higher National Diploma in Computing. Attachment at Hello Technology Pte Ltd, Singapore
Abdul Rasyid Hj Osman, HND at ITB: BDTVEC Higher National Diploma in Internet and Multimedia Development. Attachment at TechSailor Singapore.
Dk Siti Rasyidah Pg Hj Azis, HND at ITB: BDTVEC Higher National Diploma in Information System. Attachment at XID Technologies Pte Ltd, Singapore.

The Minister of Communications with senior officials in the government sector and AITI and the students selected for INSPIRE

MoU between AITI and UBD

MoU between AITI and ITB

Acting Chief Executive of AITI, Hj Osman Hj Ladis hopes that the students will gain insightful knowledge and experience from the respective companies in Singapore and bring those experience back to Brunei and hopefully this can open more doors and they are the next generation of leaders.

AITI hopes to increase the number of students in the next batch and the INSPIRE project can also be extended to high educational institutions which includes colleges in Brunei.

AITI inked an MoU with UBD for cooperation in ICT, broadcasting and media at the AITI headquarters, while an MoU with ITB for cooperation in ICT and multimedia was also signed between the two parties.

Signing on behalf of AITI was Acting Chief Executive, Hj Osman Hj Ladis, while UBD was represented by Acting Vice Chancellor Associate Professor Dr Azman Ahmad.

ITB was represented by Associate Professor and Acting Vice Chancellor, Dr Hjh Zohrah Hj Sulaiman.

The students will be departing by 19th July 2013 and would that mean that they will be Hari Raya come August?

The signing ceremony

The signing ceremony

The Minister handing over a certificate to one of the recipients of INSPIRE

 

Epson Projector now available at Concepts Computer

His Majesty the Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam at the press coference for the 22nd ASEAN Summti 2013

Today’s an important day as we remember and honour His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam who turned 67th today. Due to observation of Ramadhan, the celebratory activties will be put on hold until August, September and October 2013 as announced bt the executive committee for the Sultan’s 67th Birhthday Celebrations.

National flags have been raised since early July to mark the occasion and they will remain raised unti the end of September. Most of the events will happen after Hari Raya period. The guard of honour and march parst, the audience and investiture Ceremony, and the birthday banquet will take place on September 15th meanwhile the banquet for uniformed organisations will take place on September 17th. The meet and greet (Bersama Rakyat) will take place sometime in September as well.

Today I would to give my deepest gratitude to our beloved Sultan and he has been our Sultan for the past 46 years and still going strong. I am always grateful of Brunei as being my home country and all these good seeds that have been planted in our country such as free education and health and high values on MIB was through the generousity and the leadership of our Sultan 😀 There have been many praises about Brunei from foreigners especially my friends and these good points do reflect the influence of our Sultan. So once again, my deepest gratitude to our Beloved Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

I love my country and I truly love our most popular icon of Brunei, His Majesty. May Allah bless Your Majesty and keep empowering the citizens of Brunei.

The most liked photo on my instagram when His Majesty was accompanied by two Brunei citizens. Photo by Dean Kassim of Borneo Bulleting

A great edition of Bornoe Bulletin today. Grab a copy!!

Click image to see more of Netcom Computer House from their Facebook Page

 

New and bigger things at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

One of the popular places for breaking fast – Tasek Brasserie!!

 

Click image to enter website

 

Congratulations on them representing Brunei. Good luck!!

This is it. The time is soon. Fakhrul Razi will be performing his heart out in the US. More specifically in San Diego for the World Championships of Performing Arts 2013 where he will be up against hundreds of competitors from all around the world. Well, to be exact, it is nearly 3,000 contestants. Tomorrow will be Maria Grace Koh aka Eia and Kevin Lo’s turn as three of them are representing Brunei in this international prestigious competition.

The trio will be given one minute only to perform. Fakrul and Eia will be singing 5 songs while Kevin will be performing in 5 actin categories. It’s similar to how competitors go for their audition in the American Idol. During the interview at the airport a week ago, all of them had the same feeling – they are there not to just perform but to win. Now that’s the self belief that we Bruneians can make a difference and we do have the talents and this is such a great platform for them to get more international exposure and experience.

Fakhrul Razi, Maria Grace Koh aka Eia and Kevin Lo departing for the US 9 days ago

The Brunei delegation with Prismworks Event Management

Fakhrul Razi is no stranger in our Brunei community. He is a rare talent who is able to multi-task as an emcee, a singer and an entertainer at once and hence he’s one of the top emcees here in Brunei and I can’t even find one that fits his role and furthermore, I love his voice whenever he sings.

I have to admire his work commitment as of late. Before flying off with the Brunei delegate, he had only had two hours of sleep due to emceeing the Royal Wedding the night before. For him, this is a such a great momentum heading for Hollywood on high note.

“It’s a good start. I think you know this yourself, if you love your job, you won’t stop working and it’s as if you are having a holiday. This is part of what I do and I’m not even complaining about it. I’m having the jitters and nightmares but I have been well prepared and thank you to the support of my fans. I’m definitely going for gold, ” said Fakrul Razi.

“This is a great opportunity not to just showcase my music but also my talent which will help to promote the creative industry in Brunei which is lacking in our country. We need to bring the soul of our creativity and talent outside of Brunei. Hollywood is just one of the platforms.”

Fakrul will be delivering five numbers (four English and one Malay song) – Open, Jazz, Pop, Broadway and Original. Two of the songs that he highlighted were One Moment in Time by the late Whitney Houston and “Senyuman Gelapmu”, his own original piece. He’s indebted to Ms Marietta, his vocal instructor for guiding and coaching him.

Fakhrul Razi with his close friends

Next up is Maria Grace Koh aka Eia. Eia is her stage name and she’s also no stranger in the Brunei music scene. I have always noticed her in JIS Music Showcase and she indeed has a very powerful voice. Eia is currently studying as an artist at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. In her music journey, she has met many producers. She even has her own single released on iTunes, “Hello World”.

She had a previous dream, to become a national athlete (in swimming) and also an Olympian which the latter didn’t materialise during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Because of the misfortune and frustration, she turned to music and discovered her passion for song writing too. Her music portrays a young girl’s perspective on life, love, hopes and dreams. She has come a long way and now she’s competing in one of the most prestigious events in the world.

“I really feel excited and it has been a while since I represented a country. I have the same feeling whenever I compete in international swimming competition for Brunei. Now I have a good feeling about Hollywood and I have been practising at least 3 hours a day and it has made a huge difference and during the run through, everything just went well, ” shared Eia during the interview.

“I have my lessons and practice in Singapore and Brunei. I’m also here to compete and we have many great local talents, it’s just that no many knows about them. Hopefully we will be opening doors for them in Hollywood.”

Eia will be singing five songs in broadway, R&B, Pop, Contemporary and Original category. She’s very excited with the original category because it’s her own composed song entitled “You”.

Maria Grace Koh with her family

Last but not least is another Brunei representative Kevin Lo. He is the only one competing in acting category. It also has been quite a busy few weeks for Kevin who have been practising over and over again. He has been training his pieces with Rachel Malai Ali and Sarah Talbot. This is not the first time that he has been representing Brunei. He represented in a debating competition before.

I have only caught his performance once in the “The Boor” and “The Langsat” play directed by Abdul Zainidi early this year. So this is the real thing where he will be acting his heart out within a minute for the 5 categories that he is entering.

“The preparation has been intense and we have been doing the 5 categories and it’s tough. I have to make it entertaining and relevant and it’s so difficult to make it under one minute and it has been an amazing journey and we are just half way through. Right now, I just wanna do it,” said Kevin Lo.

“I have discovered emotions that I didn’t have during my training. I ended up choosing characters which totally the opposite of me. So that was a challenge but it taught me a whole different side of me where I could emphatise and show the emotional part of myself. I’m going for gold and we are doing our best regardless because this is going to be an amazing experience and it already is.”

Kevin Lo with his family and girl friend

Guess what??? My photo of the trio with the Brunei flag won the Best Photo for the World Championships of Performing Arts 2013 for its virality. Awesome, huh? I couldn’t believe it and this is a great way for the world to notice about our country Brunei Darussalam. Great job to you guys in making the photo full of life and energy too. I even had this silly idea where they will run with the flag opened together but the jumping shot would suffice.

That alone is already an amazing achievement and it doesn’t matter how small our nation is but we have a very compact community which makes social media more impactful than any other region. While Brunei won the Best Photo, Colombia won the Best Video.

Congratulations Brunei on the winning the Best Viral Photo

The award winning photo for the World Championships of Performing Arts 2013

The Brunei delegation conveyed their appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; Brunei Tourism; Armtrix Enterprise; Laily’s Bridal; Ms Marietta; Rachel Malai Ali; Ms Sarah Talbot; Ak Muhd Syarif bin Pg Hj Baharudin for their support.

Accompanying the Brunei artistes to Hollywood are personnel from Prism Works Sdn Bhd, the licensed national director of the World Championships of Performing Arts in Brunei Darussalam.

Taken during the press conference end of May 2013

And two months later, they are off to Hollywood

A dream come true for the Bruneians

Taken during the opening ceremony and their attire is sponsored by Laily’s Bridal

Eia, you’re looking pretty awesome in that dress!!

Click image to see more of Netcom Computer House from their Facebook Page

 

New and bigger things at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

One of the popular places for breaking fast – Tasek Brasserie!!

 

Click image to enter website

 

Time flies vey quick and it’s almost the end of the week and I’m still in Thailand. When am I coming back? Pretty soon 😀 The cities that I have visited were Bangkok and Chiang Mai. My previous trip was back in 2012 for the CN Blue concert but I was mostly in Bangkok. Three years ago, I was in Bangkok/Hua Hin and that was pretty amazing!!

It’s sad that it will come to an end, my trip that is and soon I will back to the busy life of covering events and also being heavily involved in lovefoodhatewaste.org since it’s Ramadhan. So peeps, be patient as I won’t be fully updating my blog for a day or two, depending on my time and accessibility here. I shall post more about my Thailand trip and for now, enjoy the pictures 😀

 

 

Sri Lanka’s Thishala T Algama was still all smiles despite the defeat. She earned the best shooter award of the tournament

SRI Lanka’s netball Janakie Goonesekere coach admitted that her sides were second best in their 59-50 defeat to Malaysia in the final of the 8th edition of the Asian Youth Netball Championship 2013.

“It was simple.

“Malaysia played better than us during the game.

“We tried our best in the game,” said Goonesekere in an interview with The Brunei Times after the match at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on Sunday.

Both teams were careful in their passes and movement earlier in the game and Sri Lanka were the first to find the basket.

However, Malaysia would find their way back into the game with Centre Pow Mei Foong played an important role leading with good passes to keep her team ahead.

Sri Lanka stuck to their own game plan of trying to slow down the game.

However, it did not work in their favour as Malaysia maintained their lead until the final whistle.

“We try to play with our own pace during the game, but the Malaysian team have their own style of play, and I think they are very strong this year.

“We will try to improve and train harder for future tournaments, added the coach, who is in her first year heading the Sri Lanka national under-21 squad.

The eight-day tournament which was hosted by the Brunei Darussalam Netball Association (BNA) featured teams from Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Nepal, Maldives, Thailand, India, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Text courtesy of Ak Fauzi of The Brunei Times.

To read from Malaysia coach’s perspective, click here.

They were tons of Sri Lanka supporters during the finals

Great defence by Sri Lanka but it was a defensive foul

Good to see young patriotic fans

The bench were not happy with how their ladies performed

Another defensive foul from Sri Lanka

Aaron fell asleep during the finals?

Malaysia was simply too strong as they won their 5th consecutive youth netball title.. Amazing!!