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With the school holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan your next family getaway. Spend as little as B$10.00net per person from the hotel’s fantastic selection of food and beverage, patrons can have a splash in the pool and relax. This offer is available everyday from 9am to 4pm.

Food and beverage selection includes international buffet breakfast or lunch at B$18.00net per person and our sandwiches or slices of cakes from the counter ranging from B$5.00net per slice.

“Complimentary use of the swimming pool is normally for guests who are staying in the hotel. We are offering to all Brunei residents the opportunity to have a splash, enjoy our selection of food and beverage and at the same time relax by our pool during this school break”, said Peter Feran, General Manager. Children from 10 years old and below swim with accompanying adults swim for free.

A special room rate is also available at only B$132.00net per room per night from 16 to 25 March.

Check in Radisson during the holiday break

Check out the new Chevrolet Spark coming soon to Brunei market. It will be available in auto and manual. Best Value Car of the year by BS Motoring-Chevrolet Sparks. The Chevrolet Spark has been named “Best Supermini 2011” by Wheels magazing, one of the leading auto publications disturbed in the UAE. The Chevrolet Spark was the top performing passenger vehicle in the 2011 Synovate Product Quality Awards.

If you want more inquiry, you can call 673-2426205, 2426206 and 2426207 at GHK Motors Sdn Bhd.

The Chevrolet Spark coming soon!!!

The Good.

1. HSBC (Brunei) is NOT exiting any markets in Asia. This news came to a surprise after there were some comments in relation to HSBC in Brunei in a recent media which has not been substantiated. Hence, HSBC Brunei is here to clarify that HSBC Brunei will continue its commitment to Brunei Darussalam.

HSBC’s presence in Brunei has been significant and they will continue to invest and grow in Asia as evidenced by their strong financial performance in 2011. HSBC Brunei have a strong market position and they have worked tirelessly with the Government, regulators and customers.

Do look forward exciting new campaigns from Retail Banking and Wealth Management and exclusive Corporate Banking and Global Markets events. HSBC – World’s Local Bank.

2. Great buzz from Social Deal. It has been finalized; www.SocialDeal.com.bn is officially giving out an iPad2 16GB (with Krusell Case + Screen Protector) & 3x 750GB PQi HDDs (sponsored by Cooltones/3g.com.bn). Aside from that, stand to win 10x QQeStore Vouchers worth B$10 each, 10x Easi/Bmobile Recharge cards worth B$10 each, 10x SocialDeal Credits worth B$10 each! All you have to do is ‘Subscribe & Register’ with them for FREE OF CHARGE @ http://socialdeal.com.bn/customer/account/create/ & wait for the instructional mail to hit your mailbox on 15th March!

SocialDeal Brunei, throughout its 8 months’ operation has surprisingly saved Bruneians over B$100,000+ in value through some 3400+ coupon experiences! Not to mention the tonnes of great stuffs we get to see, do & taste in Brunei with them at knockdown pricings. From Japanese Food, Thai Food, Ladies Deals, Fitness Deals, they never failed to amaze the public with the great savings they offer by utilizing the people’s group power!

Now they’re giving out even more with their FREE registration & subscription campaign in association with Cooltones/3g.com.bn’s sponsorship & support! So what are you waiting for?! I’d say join them now!

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2. A successful BGIC 2012. As usual, International School of Brunei have successfully turn Borneo Global Issues Conference into a rewarding experience for the participants – almost 300 students of them. More than 3/4 of the participation were from local schools and the newbies have certainly gained a lot from the conference.

As reported in The Brunei Times, most students were pretty quiet until the final two days where the momentum picked up and they were involved in the changing the “resolution”. I hope next year ISB are willing to increase the number of participants due to the huge demand. It was great to see Hugh Evans from Down Under who has inspired students to be a role model in volunteerism. Thumbs up to ISB for bringing a “huge sense of community” to Brunei. Awesome!!

Students were so active and involved during BGIC 2012 which was held at the ICC recently

3. iPads to local schools? This was brought up at the #LegCo8 yesterday by the Minister of Education. Based on Borneo Bulletin’s article today, the Ministry of Education will spend a whooping BND 6 million for schools to use as educational tools. This was highlighted under the e-Hijrah programme.. Interesting…

It seems that iPad is the favourable tablet as compared to Galaxy Tab and other tablets. The presence of technology will definitely changed the perspective of students and I hope this can spur more ideas from them. Thumbs up to the Ministry of Education for this great news.

The question is will it be iPad or iPad 2 or the new iPad. This is also good news to AV Electronics if the Ministry were to appoint them for distribution purposes 🙂

4. Aspire One with HDMI. The stock just arrived yesterday at Concepts Computer and this will surely be a big hit in Brunei because the latest Ace Aspire Netbook has HDMI output as well as bluetooth. The price is also below $500 and Concepts Computer have plenty of stock. Now computers are so cheap which makes it affordable especially for students.

Check out the latest Acer Aspire One at Concepts Computer

5. Samsung SII for $300??? Now that’s a great deal. Though I’m no iPhone user but this is an awesome package not to be missed. Of course, there are terms and conditions but all you have to do is subscribe to b.mobile. Furthermore, you will be given 2 X EPL tickets where you can catch the famous EPL players this coming April. So do check out at b.mobile’s outlet for this great package!!

6. Brunei’s historic achievement in football. Brunei U-21 made history last Friday to become Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 champions since the inaugural of the tournament. This is perhaps the best performance from our Brunei team after the 99′ performance in the Malaysia Cup. The unknown U-21s have now become the superstars of Brunei and they even got an overwhelming response from “Meet the fan” session at Times Square last Sunday.

The victory has definitely put Brunei on the football scene regionally and now the pressure will be on Brunei to continue that momentum. Kudos also to the management and the coaches for guiding and mentoring the U-21s to another level. It was mentioned that they will be having celebrations in other districts – Tutong, Kuala Belait and Temburong.

The Brunei U-21 did a spectacular job throughout the tournament and their journey was supported by the 20,000 strong supporters throughout the tournament. Awesome feeling!!!

7. The emergence of Handball. Yesterday was history in the making as Brunei has another sport that has been inducted and accepted which is handball. It was the official launch of Brunei Handball Federation officiated by HRH Prince Sufri Bolkiah yesterday at the Indoor Stadium. This is another sports to look forward to. More updates soon on the official launch.

These guys were there to do a demo on Handball. I hope to see this sport picking up in popularity.

8. Awesome participation from SCB “Run for a Reason”. To date, there are more than 2,700 who have signed up for Standard Chartered Bank’s “Run for a Reason”. Apparently, the fun run and the 5k runs are still available but the 10K and 21K have limited slots left. I have signed up for the 5K and I can’t wait for the actual day.

The closing date for registration is 18th March 2012 and you can register at scbruneihalfmarathon.com online. For your info, there have been great participation from 11 countries as well. So this isn’t just a run for the locals. The race is just less than four weeks away.. Exciting!!

9. DSTcard going the extra mile. DST have signed up with Reebonz and MAS Wings where customers can enjoy better discounts with under DST loyalty card program. The signing ceremony took place last week and I shall update you further on the deals done between respective parties. For your info, Reebonz is an exclusive online shopping destination offering premier brands especially for the ladies and by using DSTcard, you will be entitled to a 5% discount for any first time purchase.

The signing ceremony took place recently between Reebonz, MASwings and DST at The Empire Hotel

10. Instagram on Android? Apparently this is true and and it claims that the Android app is better than the current iPhone. Interesting…. Though the team didn’t elaborate on what’s the difference so far and right now, the Android app is under private beta.

Did you know there are 27 million users of instagram which is almost doubled the 15 million users it had in December 2011. Amazing!!! I remember my friends who are Android users signed up for the copied version of instagram – “mytubo” but that the flame didn’t last long. So it’s great to see instagram developers allowing this to be made available on Androids and that would mean more “likes” on my pictures *LOL*

Instagram on Android coming soon

11. Rising entrepreneurs receiving funds. I’m so excited because my friend has been awarded a LEAP grant from Brunei Economic Development Board. For your info, the LEAP Grant is an initiative by BEDB to provide funds to entrepreneurs who are creating their own prototype which will be then used for their businesses, let it be service or product. The idea of the funds is to make life easier for them to make their ideas into reality.

Of course, this is no easy process to receive the grant. A lot of procedures were taken into account. More than 20 submitted their applications. 15 were shortlisted to present but only 7 were chosen as the third batch of LEAP grant recipients. Vincent Cheong, CEO of BEDB, congratulated the 7 new recipients and he gave some words of encouragement to them and he said the selection process wasn’t easy at all. It’s good to see BEDB helping start-up companies and let’s hope this can further entice more entrepreneurs in the making 😀

Vincent Cheong (back row, 2nd from right) with the seven recipients of the LEAP grant scheme and associates from BEDB

12. DPMM FC unbeaten run continues. A gritty performance by DPMM FC last Sunday. Though I did expect the crowd not to be as packed as the HBT tournament as there’s a fee involved. The stadium was half full and the cheers were still pretty loud. Mind you the S.League matches in Singapore don’t have a huge crowd as ours.

DPMM FC wasn’t as clinical as they could have scored at least four goals against Albirex if it wasn’t for the heroics of the Japanese keeper. The visitors came to Hassanal Bolkiah, boasting three wins out of three games and DPMM FC ended their winning streak with goals coming from Subhi and Rodrigo. DPMM FC will play bottom team Geylang FC this Friday, 16th March at the National Stadium.

DPMM FC celebrated the winning goal while Rodrigo held the Brunei flag. I was wondering where he placed the flag in the first place. Image by Hayatdee

13. Panna KO is back!!! This was a super hit last year in Brunei and good job for TelBru in organising this tournament. Last year, it drew great participation as well as the crowd who came to watch the Panna KO. The main event will take place at Times Square, The Mall from 30th March to 1st April. So do register from 7th March to 24th March 2012. Go to their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TelBruPannaKO or call their Panna KO Hotline at 232 2100 (office hours). The grand prize – XBOX 360 Kinect.

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The Bad.

1. Poor management of gate control. This is related to HBT2012. This is still lingering in people’s mind. Those who have queued or waited for hours and their successful attempts on grabbing the HBT tickets served no purpose. Why? Because loads of ticket holders ended up being locked out from the stadium due to the full capacity of the stadium.

You can see people waving their tickets and even those with invitations (at covered areas) were not being entertained. By 6:45pm, the gates were closed to prevent overcrowding and I have to say it’s a wise move not to allow more people entering that stadium regardless because of safety issues. But this is really a sad case where ticketing could have been carried out systematically.

I feel sorry for those guys waiting at the gate only to know that they have no chance of entering the stadium despite holding legitimate tickets

2. Roundabout with traffic lights?? I just posted this issue up on instagram, Facebook and Twitter this morning and they have been many responses on the idea of having traffic lights installed for traffic control at the Gadong/Kiulap Roundabout. The responses, as usual, are pretty mixed. Some are in favour, some are not.

Will traffic lights make it difficult for traffic flow? Well, I know for one that it will make it difficult for the inner lane drivers to get out of the lane due to a slow or controlled traffic flow. This is already tricky for the Berakas roundabout which only have two lanes. It will be interesting to see how the traffic flow will be once this comes in place. In my opinion, I’m not in favour of having traffic lights.

The cones were not a popular choice for educating motorists on usage of the Gadong/Kiulap roundabout. So they are planning on installing traffic lights instead.. Fail or unfail?

3. Property ownership. Back in 2009, it was all good. PRs and foreigners were able to own land or property. This time, it was a different story. The “power of attorney” is being abolished by the Government which makes ownership of property difficult or impossible to foreigners. This is a bad sign for Brunei in terms of bringing in more foreign investment to Brunei.

Such move was brought up during the #LegCo8 and these have caused a major uproar among some businessmen/women. This will surely have an impact in the Brunei economy and in my opinion, if the government wants to attract foreign investment, this might not be a considerable move. I hope for a more favourable resolution for PRs and foreigners.

The Ugly.

 1. Disrespecting National Anthems. I was there to witness the appalling behaviour by our own people during the semi-finals of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012. People were mocking and making fun of Myanmar’s National Anthem during the semi-final match between Brunei and Myanmar. I felt so ashamed to experience such sight. I felt sorry for the Myanmar supporters who were backing their football team.

Such behaviour should not be tolerated and I hope the organisers can look into this matter seriously. In fact, the emcee did highlight prior to the finals to show respect during National Anthems and it was a great sight that both Brunei and Indonesia exchanged claps after their respective National Anthems were sung.

2. Water bottle wars (and hooliganism). Need I say more. This is a difficult moment for RUs and the police officers. One thing is that they were outnumbered among the hundreds of unhappy supporters. It doesn’t matter who started the bottle wars but both parties who were involved need to be dealt with by the authorities. There’s no room for violent conduct and I understand their frustrations but it shouldn’t resort to acts of hooliganism.

This is something that it’s gonna be tough to educate especially for those with rage and full of angst. I can’t imagine a match between Malaysia and Indonesia. I hope more stern actions or steps will be taken in the near future to eradicate this problem. Football is suppose to unite nations and bring harmony.

The exchanging of bottles happened between the borders of Brunei and Indonesia supporters. The commotion also happened where people were throwing water bottles from the top end of the stadium to supporters outside the stadium.

3. Public toilets reflect Brunei’s progress? I like this quote from Anakbrunei’s tweet – “The best way to gauge the state of a country is to look at the state of the public toilets”. Well it wasn’t his quote but it was sourced as anonymous. I believe this can be a true reflection depending on your perspective. The public toilets have been appalling to say the least and a few weeks ago, the Brunei Tourism Board did some inspection on the public toilets and gave some grading as well.

There are a few hidden messages in that quote alone and I won’t go into details. I just leave it to you guys to have your own interpretation. By the way, the CEO of Brunei Tourism wasn’t impressed with the conditions of the public toilets located in town. I’m not too sure if any steps have been taken to improve the conditions of the toilets. This could be a worrying matter because I dislike dirty toilets. Period!!!

This is taken at BSB Waterfront. Image courtesy of Aziz Idris

Another turn off at public toilets. Image courtesy of Aziz Idris

4. DVD vendors facing extinction? Ok, these rumours have occurred and hence you will see tons of DVD vendors selling at ridiculous prices. Some at $1, some at 50 cents and pirated Blu-ray ones will go at $3. Now what this fall in the “ugly” is because Brunei has been well known for a dumping ground for pirated goods.

Furthermore, it’s not a crime to buy pirated softwares or DVD for personal use. Hence this culture of buying pirated stuff is seen as accepted in our society. Today’s paper, I came across an article where enforcers are giving a limited time period for the vendors to clear off their pirated CDs. So that clearly explains why these retailers are in a way doing a clearance sale. Let’s see if this is a temporary move as it has been the case in previous years.

Because of the warning, lots of DVD vendors are slashing their prices to attract more sales and customers before the D-Day (or will it not happen eventually?)

5. Suicide cases. I heard of the sad news through Twitter yesterday. One thing that I found in common is that all of them were foreigners. Why is this so? Such cases are hard to determine on the motive of the suicide attempts. A huge question mark also remains on the employers who hired them. These cases are unpredictable too. So far, in the last nine months, they have been 4 suicide cases, all foreigners. Hmmmm..

6. Forgers are sad people. This was one of the main reasons why ticket holders were locked out of the stadium during the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy final. Apparently hundreds of the ticket holders have fake ones where some did a great job in scanning and printing them out. The entrance of the gates were monitored by police officers and ushers but they won’t have a fair idea if it’s genuine or fake. So it’s hard to blame the officers at the gate due to the lack of communication or information given to them.

My suggestion is to improve the ticketing system and perhaps put a value or price on the tickets which I think is a fair move (Please cast your votes on the poll I posted for HBT). This will eliminate the huge surge of crowd especially the fact that Brunei appeared both in the sem-final and final. Let this be a learning lesson for all and I hope those culprits will think twice of duplicating legitimate tickets or passes.

The bigger size ticket in the image is fake. The ushers failed to notice the fake and the genuine tickets of HBT 2012.

7. Boys vs Girls? A few bitter words from both coaches during the interview after the victory of DPMM FC 2-1 over Albirex Niigata FC. Coach Simunic was upset that the fouls were left unpunished and he claimed that his players were physically challenged by the visitors which caused some minor injuries to some of the players. Simunic joked, “We were playing football. They were playing rugby”. I believed that if DPMM FC were to draw or lose, the coach would have used the referee as a focal point.

Albirex Niigata’s Team Manager Koh Mui Tee was unimpressed with Simunic’s views. He retaliated by saying, “I would like to say his players played like girls. They way they fell down. It was disgraceful. Brunei is a difficult place to come to. A win is a bonus, a draw is good and a loss is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The war of words between two coaches – Simunic of DPMM FC and Koh Mui Tee of Albirex Niigata

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3 EASY STEPS TO SUBMIT ENTRY : –

STEP 1: Read, understand, and agree to our Terms and Conditions.

STEP 2: Send us a fantastic photo(s) of your travels abroad along with a short description captioning the story behind it (Not more than 80 words).

STEP 3: Include with the photo(s) and caption details such as: Full Name, Age, Date of Birth, Country of Origin, Occupation, Contact Number, Address and Email then send to tpc@pdcaevents.com before 31st of March 2012.

AS SIMPLE AS THAT!

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Five lucky contestants will be selected and be notified after the closing date. The chosen five contestants by our panel of judges will be framed and presented at the 4-day exhibition from 5th to 8th of April 2012 at The Camera & Travel Fair at The Mall Shopping Complex for final round of voting by public.

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Winner of the CT Fair TPC will be granted a Canon EOS1100D comes with EFS18-55mm kit and more prizes from our respective sponsors. The four runner up will be receiving consolation prizes from our participating partners too.

All local amateur radio users should be licensed and operate the amateur radio services legally as the figures of current valid amateur radio licencees don’t reflect the actual number of amateur radio users. This was said by Awang Haji Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, the Chief Executive of Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) of Brunei Darussalam.

The Chief Executive of Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam was speaking at the opening of the AITI’s Public Awareness Seminar on Amateur Radio yesterday which took place at The Empire Hotel’s Grand Hall.

The chief guest was YB Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, the Minister of Communications.

Awang Haji Yahkup said in his speech that AITI has been issuing licences to users who operate amateur radio.

“This is to ensure that amateur radio operators abide by the rules, operating terms and conditions and frequency usage. However, looking at the number of valid amateur radio licencees registered with AITI, the figure is relatively quite low and I believe it doesn’t reflect the actual number of amateur radio users,” he said.

“This is due to some illegal users operating this service or users who chose not to renew their licences but still continue to use amateur radio service. Those who do not abide by these rules run the risk of losing his or her licence and individual call sign.

“Anyone found operating without a valid licence can and will be fined under the telecom order,” he warned.

The Minister of Communications Pehin Abdullah (right) with Chief Executive of AiTi Hj Yakhup

Chief Executive of AiTi Hj Yakhup delivering his welcoming remarks

Mr. Peter Brian Lake, an international amateur radio Union Director, Region 3, started off the seminar

Group photo with the Minister of Communications, government officers, AiTi associates and invited speakers

Guests can stand a chance to win great prizes sponsored by AiTi

Following the officiating ceremony by the Minister of Communications, Mr Peter Brian Lake, an international amateur radio Union Director, Region 3 delivered a presentation on ‘Codes of Conduct’ of amateur radio which identified international regulations particularly on areas in Region 3. He also explained about conduct, etiquettes and operating procedure of Amateur Radio. This was followed by another presentation by AITI’s Corporate Legal Manager, Dayang Siti Umi Athirah binti Hj Ra’emi Maleek who spoke on ‘Amateur Radio Rules and Regulations’.

The other two presentations of the day were by Major (Rtd) Haji Tamat bin Hj Lampoh from BDARA and Hj Ayub bin Hj Suhaili from Persatuan Gemilang.

Before concluding the event, AITI also presented prizes to the winners of the recent Amateur Radio Direction Finding Competition which was participated by 10 teams. The winner was Egg Egg Run Group followed by KB Hunter and Black Seeker in third place.

The guest speakers during the Awareness of Radio Amateur

It is prohibited for amateur radio operators in Brunei Darussalam to communicate on subjects pertaining to the government, any religion, politics and race that are sensitive to Brunei Darussalam during radio communication.

Is it also prohibited to have business communication seen as financial matter as well as broadcasting to the community like a DJ.

Siti Umi Athirah binti Hj Ra’emi Maleek, AiTi’s Corporate Legal Manager said that the core function of AITI is to provide licences and regulate telecommunications and radio communications system and services and manage the national spectrum in Brunei Darussalam. It is also to promote the development and growth of the local ICT industry and to represent the country internationally in order to keep pace with global changes and development.

AITI’s Corporate Legal Manage, Siti Umi Athirah, gave some pointers on the don’ts on on radio

One of the functions of AITI is to regulate the provision of telecommunications and radio communications systems and services through Section 6 of the AITI Order 2001 and Section 5 of the Telecommunications Order 2001. The Amateur Radio Station licence is subject to Telecommunications Order 2001 and any other relevant laws of Brunei Darussalam. All amateur radio licence holders must comply with all AITI’s rules and regulations as well as all laws of Brunei Darussalam.

She warned that AITI may revoke the licence for those who fail to comply. She outlined some of the common illegal activities which comprise the selling of amateur radio equipment without licence, unlicensed operations of amateur radio equipment in vehicles and unlicensed operations of amateur radio equipment in premises.

“Any person who operates unlawful and illegal amateur radio activities shall be guilty of an offence under Section 34 and 35 of the Telecommunications Order 2001,” she said. Text courtesy of Jake Ten of Borneo Bulletin.

Proud cat owners showcased their feline companions at the Brunei National Day Cat Show 2012, held at Pusat Belia yesterday, and cat-loving members of the public jumped at the opportunity to snap pictures and have close encounters with some special breeds.

The all-day event was jointly organised by Brunei Meows and Greenfrog Event Management Services.

A total of 30 owners and 35 cats registered for the competition, which was divided into four main categories; the Domestic Longhair (DLH) Category, Domestic Shorthair Category (DSH), Pedigree Category and Cage Decoration Category.

Judging the event was Adilah Roose, a cat breeder and enthusiast who came into the Sultanate from Malaysia, just for the event. She told The Brunei Times that the judging of the day’s event would be “fun-judging in accordance to the standards of the Cat Fanciers’ Association Inc (CFA)”.

According to Brunei Meows Show Manager Hartini Hj Haris, this system of judging is being newly introduced this year, therefore warranting a more experienced judge like Adilah Roose to implement it. She also had some words of wisdom to share with local cat enthusiasts.

“Cat owners here need to pay more attention to the places they are getting their cats from. Most of them are getting taken for a ride by backyard breeders who claim that the cats are of full pedigree but in fact are not,” explained the Malaysian judge.

The entry fees for the show were $3 per adult and $1 for children under the age of 11. Proceeds from the collection will be donated to a charity in the near future.

A number of companies showed their support for the event; Kingston Beverages & Creamery Sdn Bhd sponsored soft drinks for visitors and prizes were sponsored by Akesko Vet Clinic, BioCare Pet Solution and Signmax Marketing. Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.

Adilah Roose was invited from Malaysia for judging

She would share her point of views to the public on every cat

Winnie Cheng (right) is so passionate about cats

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HRH Princess Sarah graced ISB Borneo Global Issues Conference 2012 and delivered the sabda. Image taken from The Brunei Times.

The Royal Patron for ISB BGIC 2012, Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, officiated this year’s edition of Borneo Global Issues Conference at the International Convention Centre.

In her sabda, HRH Princess Sarah highlighted of the youth in our population are crucial to our development and it’s also important to empower them. Education is an important tool and so is health. This can lead to improve family values and carrying on to generations.

HRH also reminded us that the earth is facing unprecedented challenges such as decreasing natural resources and environmental degradation.

She praised ISB BGIC Secretariat who will be leading the committees of “political, environment, human rights and the security council”.

“These upstanding young global citizens are aware of the significant responsibilities resting upon their shoulders and the importance of working together to achieve fair and practical solutions towards serious global issues,” said HRH Princess Sarah.

For more of the write-up, you can click here. [Source: The Brunei Times]

Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Poverty Project, Hugh Evans and British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Rob Fenn

Hugh Evans stole the show with his inspirational story on his journey ever since he was 12 years old. He showed “What one man can do?” to make a difference in this world.

Richard Parker is on a short visit to Brunei and for your info, he’s the founder of BGIC and he’s impressed how BGIC has grown ever since

Vincent Ho, CEO of HSBC Brunei, shared his views on the bank’s involvement towards BGIC initiative

Performance from ISB students during the opening ceremony

Also present was Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton and our Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Paduka Hjh Adina.

Of all the speakers, it was the Aussie guy that caught my attention. Hugh Evans, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Poverty Project and did you know that he is Hugh Jackman’s brother? I’m pretty impressed with Hugh Evans @Hughcevans presentation and it made me realised a lot of things that I could have done to contribute to society. His presentation was totally inspiring to inspire volunteerism which is lacking in our society in Brunei Darussalam.

The ISB BGIC runs from 9th to 12th March 2012 and this is the 10th year that ISB has hosted such a big event. It’s good to see the local participation from local schools and also invited schools from overseas.

For the past two days, I could sense the fun factor experience from the students involved. Great job on the organisers and I shall be dropping by again today for the final day of ISB BGIC 2012 🙂

Datin Paduka Hjh Adina sharing a moment or two with Shazali Hj Sulaiman

I haven’t seen Richard (center) in a while. Great to bump into you again, buddy.

Sharleen managed to get a photo opportunity with Hugh Evans. It was her first BGIC and she has learnt quite a lot along the way and enjoying the process as well. She is representing Madagascar on the topic of environment.

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Last week, a press conference at the Rizqun Coffee House, the Mall, was organised by Tourism Malaysia and addressing the media was Director of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei), Jamilah Abd Halim.

F1 enthusiasts will be keen on the packages offered by Tourism Malaysia and Century Travel Sdn Bhd. Depending which hotel you choose, your package will include awesome grandstand tickets at F1 Sepang.

Tourism Malaysia in Brunei is set to promote the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix 2012 race through 3 days and 2 nights Kuala Lumpur Formula 1 Package in collaboration with Century Travel Sdn Bhd, beginning March 20 to 27. The package is priced at B$326 and it will be inclusive of two nights hotel accommodation; Formula 1 entrance Grandstand ticket worth a maximum of RM663, transfers (airport-hotel-airport) seat-in coach basis as well as transfer (hotel-Sepang venue-hotel) on March 25. So do grab these deals while it’s still available, peeps!!

Apart from that, patrons will be treated to the “1Malaysia GP Sale” that will be held from March 10 to April 15, launched recently by the Tourism Minister Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen and other exclusive events such as the Malaysia International Shoe Festival (MISF) from March 29 to April 1; F1 Race Day from March 23 to 25 and the 4th Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta from March 15 to 18, all held in conjunction with the prestigious race.

The package, however, excludes air ticket, visa fee, travel insurance and personal expenses, but is rated in Brunei dollars with minimum 14 working days in advance for booking.

Aida of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei), Jamilah Abd Halim, Director of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) and Peng Hui, Reservation and Ticketing, Century Travel Sdn Bhd at the press conference

There are lots to offer in Malaysia

Also in conjunction with the Grand Prix, Sepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd is pleased to announce their new products for F1-2 seater experience and international celebrities in Corporate Suit South – once in a lifetime experience – being driven in an F1 car by an ex F1 driver, pit and speed experience and certificate.

Famed celebrities will also make their special appearances during the event, such as Paul Walker, Camilla Belle, Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes. But for me, I’m more looking forward to Kylie Minogue who will be rocking Malaysia prior to the F1 Sepang Race. Wooohoo!!!

For further information, members of the public can contact the Tourism Malaysia at 673-2381575 or 673-2381576, and more details on the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix 2012 can be obtained from the website athttp://www.sepangcircuit.com/race/4.

This is great news!!! I hope I can catch her gig before F1 coverage 😀

Secret Recipe (Brunei) has opened its third outlet in Tanjong Bunut commercial area, adding to its current two outlets at The Mall, Gadong and Seri Delima in Serusop.

A soft opening was officiated yesterday by Awg Hj Abdul Rahman bin Hj Metasim, Director of M S Titanstar Restaurant Sdn Bhd, the master franchisee of the Secret Recipe brand in Brunei.

With the opening of this modern cafe, patrons will have the chance to enjoy mouth-watering cheesecakes and other culinary delights such as chocolate cakes, fresh cream cakes, baked products, international dishes, as well as Western and Asian classics.

Awg Hj Abd Rahman noted that with the opening of the third outlet, the company will be offering a refreshing and contemporary dining experience for patrons, especially those in the Tanjong Bunut vicinity.

Meanwhile, Mr Thompson Tan, General Manager of M S Titanstar Restaurant Sdn Bhd said, “We have launched some new items into our existing menu such as Mozzarella Baked Fish, Spaghetti Carbonara, Singapore Hokkein Mee and some other selections skewed towards local traditional taste-buds like Secret Recipe Nasi Lemak and Beef Rendang.

“We have also introduced our new hot-selling cakes such as Durian Cheese and Pecan Butterscotch to our cake range.

In conjunction with the soft opening, Secret Recipe Tanjong Bunut is also offering promotions such as the B$9.00 three-course set meal that is available every day for dine-in and a 30 per cent discount off for a whole cake purchase for a limited time to commemorate the opening of the new outlet.

For more details and to make reservations, patrons may visit Secret Recipe Tanjong Bunut at Block E, Unit 8, Kampong Tanjong Bunut or simply contact them at 2672737. Text courtesy of Rokiah Mahmud of Borneo Bulletin.

The new outlet at Secret Recipe at Tanjung Bunut

It’s located same row with Guardian

His Majesty presenting the championship trophy to Hj Feisal, Brunei U-21’s manager and captain Najib. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Hj Fiesal and Najib lifting the HBT 2012 cup

Comments from the public

Maurina: “The boys were amazing. They were confident and quick on their feet. I’m extremely jealous of ppl who get to go in the stadium! Wish i was there! looking forward to more wins! and I’m glad to see the comeback of Brunei football glory.”

Dk Hamizah Pg Hamzah: “Unfortunately I’m currently not in brunei so i wasnt able to be part of the historic moment otherwise it wouldve been fun watching the match ramai2. From the pics im seeing, the crowd was amaazing. Its nice la to see the bruneians all hyped up, even my friends n family who are not at all interested in football pun being supportive n all that.. It’s been a while since ive seen bruneians thrilled and fanatic over some sports. Phenomenal!”

Fadilah Ahmad Alhijazi: “What a jubilant night for Brunei, with the lads taking the trophy home! Congrats to them, including the Coach & Manager Feisal for a job well done!! Keep it up!!”

Yasmin Patera: “I am proud of the boys that played. As Under-21s i didnt expect much maturity, but they showed that very well throughout the games they’ve played. It was a well deserved win, on-the-pitch terms. If we had to include scores for the supporters… Then… No. The players deserved the win all the way. This is what dedication to sports is all about.”

Al-Haadi Abu Bakar: “It’s really wonderful to have the atmosphere of 1999 back in Brunei. I truly believe that our footballers can really compete in the big leagues.”

Dj Dean: “To be honest, bro, I’m not a big football fan. But watching the final match between our lads and the Indonesians last night, it reminded me of how much more dreams we ,as a people, could achieve. When the collective efforts of those who believe they can are driven by the thundering cheers of the mass who also believe, it was as if as I was watching the clash of titans, not red giants against yellow minnows. My friend, we witnessed the rising of not just football stars but also the validation of our faith that Brunei has always had what it takes to stand amongst the best.”

Tareq Muhmood: “Brilliant.. I could hear the celebrations from Saigon! :)”

Rudolf Portillo: “Brunei youth football has really improve a lot. I’ve been covering football games for more than a decade here. Well deserve win.”

Kitty Wen: “Personally, I’m not a football fans but i know about the achievement Brunei made via Facebook & Twitter…. & proud for Brunei. The only pity part was the ticket distribution flow, it seems bruneians are so disappointing of don’t know the right way of Queuing.”

Dato Paduka Hj Hamid Jaafar: “It was magical! Alhamdulillah.”

Amar Agus Din: “All i can say is that, we were the underdogs despite being on our homegrown. we defy the odds and I was lucky to be involved in another history of Brunei football. I cant remember wen was the last time we had a huge success in the football world, (not talking about DPMM, cause drang club level). We showed that we do have the potential and even though the other nations’ squad was not their 1st teams but hey, start small, think big. Who knows what we can achieved in the next few years with the current (& future) players. I was proud to be amongst the thousands that came, and we surely deserved the trophy cause we worked hard for it. Not to mention, the loyal supporters that came & supported the team throughout the entire tournament. Let’s just hope, this HBT win, will be a stepping stone for us.”

Azhani Abu Daniel: “Congratulations to the young men of the Under 21 National Football team for their historic win against Indonesia last night. Credit has got to be given for the hard work that they put into preparation, and their sportsmanship and good nature exhibited on the field should be an example to all off it.”

Sharon Awang Sitai: “That night was historic – our Bruneian players succeeded in demonstrating the true value of teamwork. It was heartwarming to see just how much support they had garnered from their fans which further emphasised what a strong community we have. What was the most priceless, though, was the smiles they brought to HM’s face. Its an indescribable feeling knowing that your King is proud of you.”

I wonder what’s the feeling from the players themselves

There was a pitch invasion but a great one

The fans managed to experience Adi Said’s trophy

Almost 90% of the Brunei supporters wore yellow

A very united team and love to see their great bonding among the team mates

Everyone seemed to take photos with Azri, Brunei’s U-21 popular icon. He was magnificent in defence again!

A fan wearing red ironically was fortunate to catch Azri’s jersey (drenched in sweat *lol*)

Another excited fan wanting to jump and join the celebration

A fan asking influential midfielder Hendra to celebrate to a group of supporters

I love this bunch.. Because they were in Adidas gear 😀

The coaching team has done an excellent job from the start. With only limited time preparation, they pulled off the unexpected. Let’s not forget about these guys 😀

A big shout out to the paramedics as they have done a lot throughout the tournament. They play a huge role in making sure those injured are treated with efficiency

The group photo with the sponsors of HBT 2012

The L.O.s for the invited Asean countries

It’s meet the fans session with the Brunei U-21 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 champions which will happen tomorrow, Sunday 11th March 4pm to 6pm, Times Square. Let’s give these lads a strong support for what they have done for the country

It has been a few weeks since DPMM FC played their last game as they have to give way for the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 tournament. Tomorrow they will be in action against S.League leaders Alberix Niigata FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

Both sides DPMM FC and Albirex Niigata FC have yet to taste defeat. It won’t be an easy fixture as coach Simunic said yesterday (before the HBT final match). “Albirex has improved season after season and now they are the top team in S.League with three wins.”

He wished that their next game would be sooner because of the great momentum that DPMM FC was enjoying then. He was also impressed with the Brunei U-21 team and he spoke highly of Adi Said. He was pleased with Brunei’s progress in nurturing the youth and this is good for Brunei so other regional countries will take notice.

So guys, let’s support DPMM FC tomorrow at the stadium as they will need the 12th man as a morale booster. Good luck, guys!!

 

I caught up with DPMM FC coach at the stadium last night before the HBT 2012 finals

Shahrazen (center) has regained back his form in DPMM FC colours. He was celebrating with his younger brother Adi Said who was named Best Player of the HBT 2012 tournament

-3-on-3 Street Basketball Challenge coming to Brunei and two of Brunei’s leading brands, KFC (B) Sdn Bhd and Fitness Zone, are teaming up to bring a “colourful” event by hosting the first ever 3-on-3 Street Basketball Challenge inside The Airport Mall at the end of the month.

Founder and owner of Fitness Zone, Wu Chun, when addressing the media at Fitness Zone yesterday, said that it is important to continue promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, and is “happy” to have KFC approach them to form a partnership through basketball.

Jonathan Bong, marketing manager of KFC Brunei, said that as opposed to having the street basketball challenge in Fitness Zone’s basketball court, they are looking to showcase it in the middle of The Airport Mall’s atrium.

The 3-on-3 Street Basketball Challenge will comprise of three different categories: Open, Student, and the KFC Family Bucket Challenge.

Rosli Abdullah of Lava Media, said that the deadline for submissions will be on March 20, and interested individuals can pick up and submit registration forms at any KFC and Fitness Zone outlets in the country.

In conjunction with the street ball challenge, the organisers will be hosting a basketball clinic led by Erwin Velez, an ex-PBA player, on March 18 at 2 pm at Fitness Zone Kiulap, especially for those interested in the KFC Family Bucket Challenge. Click here for more details. Courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Del Goh, General Manager of KFC (Brunei), Rosli Abdullah of Lava Media and Wu Chun, founder of Fitness Zone

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Brunei Meows held a successful cat show in December 2011 and is currently in the process of organizing another one in conjunction with Brunei Darussalam’s 28th National Day Celebrations.

For the next cat show, Brunei Meows is trying to reach a new target of 50 feline participants in the Brunei National Day Cat show on 11 March 2012 which is tomorrow. So check out the event tomorrow at Pusat Belia (Youth Centre).

It has been a few weeks since DPMM FC played their last game as they have to give way for the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 tournament. Tomorrow they will be in action against S.League leaders Alberix Niigata FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

Both sides DPMM FC and Albirex Niigata FC have yet to taste defeat. It won’t be an easy fixture as coach Simunic said yesterday (before the HBT final match). “Albirex has improved season after season and now they are the top team in S.League with three wins.”

He wished that their next game would be sooner because of the great momentum that DPMM FC was enjoying then. He was also impressed with the Brunei U-21 team and he spoke highly of Adi Said. He was pleased with Brunei’s progress in nurturing the youth and this is good for Brunei so other regional countries will take notice.

So guys, let’s support DPMM FC tomorrow at the stadium as they will need the 12th man as a morale booster. Good luck, guys!!

I caught up with DPMM FC coach at the stadium last night before the HBT 2012 finals

Shahrazen (center) has regained back his form in DPMM FC colours. He was celebrating with his younger brother Adi Said who was named Best Player of the HBT 2012 tournament

It’s meet the fans session with the Brunei U-21 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 champions which will happen tomorrow, Sunday 11th March 4pm to 6pm, Times Square. Let’s give these lads a strong support for what they have done for the country

There were lots of talking points about last night’s historical final match between Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. But most important of all, Brunei went a step further. Getting pass the group stage was considered a tall order, considering Brunei’s poor record in previous tournaments and Brunei has always ranked lower than the regional countries football wise. Going to the finals would be regard as a bonus as no one would have scripted that Brunei would beat the likes of Myanmar in the semi-finals who scored 13 goals in four games prior to their defeat to Brunei (3-2). Hence, lifting the trophy was indeed a fairy tale that was well scripted and there was so much believe among the Brunei players and the rest was history.

I knew last night was gonna be a tough game and Indonesia fans were probably the best among the rest of the invited countries. Their cheers and chants were deafening and they actually quieten down the thousands of yellow supporters who I thought felt intimidated by the dominant cheers from the Garuda section. For your info, 1/5 of the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium were allocated for the visitors.

I won’t talk much about the game but I have to say that Brunei team seemed upped the tempo during the 2nd half. The same happened when they took on Cambodia, Myanmar and Timor Leste. I’m not too sure what formula was given but it surely paid off and last night’s 2nd half performance further proves my theory.

Adi Said, who won Best Player of HBT2012, came to life in the last 20 minutes of the final match and produced a brilliance of magic with his solo effort before planting a shot that sealed the victory to the delight of the Bruneians in the stadium and those watching from home, cafes and Belapan Sports Complex.

Brunei beat Indonesia 2-0 and who would have expected Brunei to go this far in the tournament and becoming champions. The last best feat by Brunei was the 99′ victory over Sarawak in the Malaysia Cup. Today is a new era where Brunei triumphed in the U-21 tournament. It was also a double win for Rosanan Samak who was part of the team 99′ and now one of the coaches for Brunei’s U-21 team.

Apart from the match, there was a controversy and some commotion that took place in the stadium. The enforcers did their best to better the situation. I was impressed though that both supporters respected each other National Anthems especially from the host supporters.

HBT2012 produced numerous awesome atmospheres at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Despite the favoured results for Brunei supporters, there are still some issues that need to be addressed and these matters should be taken seriously for the next HBT2014. The sour comments have surely diluted the celebrations by a small percentage. This is a big wake up call for the HBT organisers. It’s a great effort but I believe there is still more room for improvement. Now it’s back to the drawing board. Apart from that, the tournament was organised in a whole.

A big thanks to those involved and whom I have sought for help especially the Media Secretariat (awesome hospitality). Congratulations to Brunei U-21 team and the management. The victory has given a new belief and an eye opener for Asean countries of Brunei’s emerging force in football. Happy weekend, peeps!!

Fans flocking in stadium as early as 4pm. This was taken by 5:30pm

Nabil was busy preparing for the grand finale

They managed to get tickets from Belapan Sports Complex, Tutong Sports Complex and Mumong Sports Complex. Now that’s what I call family teamwork. Awesome family too!!

It’s good to see family bonding during #HBT2012

The Bruneian Wave was so-so in the beginning but built up right after Brunei scored the first goal. His Majesty was all smiles during the wave.. Awesome feeling to be part of the atmosphere. Irreplaceable indeed!

The Indonesians came in large numbers and it’s good to see that they are given allocated seats. They occupied 1/5 of the stadium. Image by Dean Kassim.

Yellow was the dominant colour last night and it had more presence than Wednesday’s semi-finals match. I’ve never felt prouder and it’s a great tingling feeling too.

Don’t be fooled by their minority presence at the stadium because they were the louder of the two supporters from pre-match until the moment Brunei scored….

Happy to see the Superfriends managed to get tickets for the finals. Iqbal and the rest were posing for RA

Mr. bubbly “godfather” was also part of the 25,000 fans watching Brunei win last night

This has happened twice. When Brunei scored their first goals in Myanmar and Indonesia match, I was inside the Media Secretariat room. I must have been a good omen (maybe 5% haha) and this was the celebration inside the room. I really enjoy their company and thanks for all the help. I’m very much appreciative 🙂

He can surely flip like his brother Shahrazen. Adi Said’s celebration came after he beat two players to score Brunei’s second goal and sealed Indonesia’s fate as runners-up. Adi Said also claimed MVP of the tournament.

Dermalogist Beauty Therapy which is located in Serusop, is using DERMALOGICA, one of the high end products in U.S. This year their facial treatment is famous of oxygen facial, diamond dermabrasion facial, anti aging facial, Chromawhite skin brightening facial, Vitamin C facial and Skin Lifting facial. Their location is at Serusop, same row as DST and opposite of Secret Recipe (Serusop). Any enquiry pls call 2342928 or 8716680.

Standard Chartered Bank is pleased to reveal the official T-shirt design for all participants of the upcoming Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon 2012, to be held on 8 April 2012.

Vibrantly coloured in the Bank’s official colours of blue and green, this year’s T-shirt also features the run theme- Run for a Reason and the event’s logo.

Jennifer Kang, Head of Corporate Affairs and Marketing of Standard Chartered Bank said: “In the past two years, for our Charity Run events, participants were always looking forward to the official event T-shirt. This year is no different with many asking what the shirt will look like. We hope that the community will like this new design as much as the previous two. It is always promising and such an honour to still see people wearing our T-shirts from the 2010 and 2011 Run.”

This year, there will be Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) days held at the National Indoor Stadium as follows:

 Thursday, 5 April 2012: 10am to 7pm
 Friday, 6 April 2012: 8:30am to 11am and 2pm to 7pm
 Saturday, 7 April 2012: 8:30am to 4.30pm

The Race Entry Pack will consist of the following:
 A running bib number
 An exclusive Event running T-shirt
 A timing chip (for Half Marathon- 21km and 10km categories only)
 A lucky draw ticket
NOTE: Timing device will not be issued to the participants of 5km and 2.5km Fun Run

To collect the Race Entry Pack, participants are reminded to bring along the following items:
 Printout of confirmation slip
 Identity Card/Passport (for participants in all adult race categories)
 A photocopy of Birth Certificate (for kids participants only)
 Personalised donation card

SCB Brunei unveiling the this year’s edition for “Run for a reason” t-shirts

This is another key differentiator from the previous Standard Chartered Charity Run events in 2010 and 2011 where packs could be collected from designated branches. This enhancement hopes to see better distribution of desired T-shirt sizes as participants can indicate preferred T-shirt sizes.

The Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon 2012 is open to all members of the public and interested individuals can obtain registration forms at any of the Bank’s branches during banking hours. Forms are also downloadable from the website www.scbruneihalfmarathon.com. Online registration is also available at this website. All individuals who register for the Standard Chartered Half Marathon will be given a donation card to help raise funds towards Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans (DANA) and Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing Is Believing programme.

The deadline to register for the Standard Chartered Charity Run 2011 is 18 March 2012. Interested individuals are encouraged to sign up early to avoid disappointment of limited spaces. Categories are capped at 500 participants for the21km category, 1,000 participants for the 10km category, 1,500 participants for the 5km run and 2,000 participants for the 2.5km category.

The Standard Chartered Half Marathon Brunei 2012 is proudly sponsored by Telbru, TOTAL, Borneo Bulletin, Media Permata, GetFit CrossFit, MixMediaWorx, Radisson Hotel, Royal Brunei Airlines, Suci, Sunlit Advertising and 100 Plus.This event is also supported by ThreeG Media Sdn Bhd.

For further details about the Standard Chartered Brunei please visit our website www.scbruneihalfmarathon.com and Facebook page www.facebook.com/SCBruneiHalfMarathon2012 or call Standard Chartered Phone Banking at 265 8000.

So many words that I couldn’t described on this morning’s outcome. More than 5,000 people showed up way before 8am but almost 3/4 of the crowd went home empty handed. Well, I can’t tell if it’s 5,000 or way more than that but I’ve never seen such a crowd way early in the morning. This is how patriotic our supporters are in supporting Brunei.

However, I was truly ashamed of what took place. The longer hours of waiting didn’t pay off. Some were screaming. Some were whistling. Some shoved, cutting queue. Some fainted especially kids. And some even brought their infants along (WHATT!!!??)) I have to say firstly this ain’t the place to bring infants or babies for many reasons. Where’s the common sense in that? That’s totally uncool and very irresponsible.

My friends voiced out their complains to me and blaming the organisers for not having a proper way of distributing tickets. First of all, there were no barriers or Q-stands or even signboards indicate people to queue up. Secondly, there were no ushers at the queue area but all of the committee involved were inside the Belapan Sports Complex and they tried their best to coordinate using their voice from above which is fruitless and fell on deaf ears. Thirdly, there weren’t enough enforcers such as the men/women in uniform. I believe they were only 20 or less of them that turned up to control the thousands of crowd.

From my understanding, the committee had a meeting Thursday afternoon to decide where the tickets will be distributed. Only late afternoon, it was confirmed that the free tickets distribution will be handed out at Belapan Sports Complex this morning from 8am to 11am. Perhaps, what they didn’t expect is the thousands and thousands of supporters turning up and they didn’t have a contingency plan to control the massive human traffic outside Belapan Sports Complex.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is racism and hooliganism. Both are creating headlines on the Twitter timeline in the past two days after fans witnessing how some Bruneians mocked and abused Myanmar supporters during the National Anthem and the match. This is a total embarrassment of a news but this has to be shared so we can educate the public to pay respect to any individual regardless of race and nationality.

Tonight is the final between Brunei vs Indonesia. The Yellow vs the Red. There will be a big screen showing at Belapan Sports Complex for those without tickets. So it’s the next best thing. I know a lot of my friends are having gathering of their owns to catch the finals. For once, RTB will have the highest viewership in many years as the finals will also be a live telecast.

The car queue at 6:45am near Belapan Sports Complex

The sea of people waiting for the limited tickets to be distributed. This was taken outside the venue. Image courtesy of Hasnan

The crowd getting frustrated even at 7:30am though ticket distribution starts at 8am

Hmmmm This is not a good idea to bring young kids to a huge crowd due to security reasons #fail

More enforcement came before 8am but they couldn’t do much to control the crowd

Here are some of the loyal supporters of Brunei football team

One kid was looking for her family and then seconds later she fainted

He queued up since 6:30am and he was one of the lucky ones to get a ticket

He was upset that he missed out on the tickets for tonight’s epic finale

Enough is enough.. So one fanatic climbed over the fence and unlock the gate from inside #uncool

People were squeezing in through the gates. One fainted during the ordeal but managed to be carried to safety *phew*

She was still smiling despite the long wait

One football enthusiast was interviewed by Borneo Bulletin reporter and he shared his disappointment with the organisers

Ok, this happened during the semi-finals last Wednesday. Police were having a hard time controlling the human traffic at the gate. Apparently those without tickets also managed to get in. This was taken before the kick off between Brunei and Myanmar

This was the scenario at half-time where some were stuck outside

This was how the Indonesians queued up *salutes* A total opposite of what we saw at Belapan. Image taken from Facebook.. Well, someone whatsapp me this image 🙂

Even people were asking our great friend for a favour for tickets for the finals. I love his status. Classic!!

Tonight the colour is yellow. This is image of Azri the fullback of #HBT Brunei team with his family. Taken after the post celebration of Brunei’s victory over Myanmar

This afternoon Mr. NJ bought himself a Brunei jersey from Ridah Sports shop and apparently another sports shop Imperial Sports was crowded with Brunei supporters

“Occasional crossing of showers or thundershowers at some land and sea areas this afternoon; with chance of spreading widely at night.” This was taken from Brunei Weather website. So I headed off to GL Extra shop to buy this. Another hot seller according to the sales person *lol*

Let’s forget about this morning’s episode and now focus on what’s at stake tonight 😀 Great artwork by the artwork

The atmosphere taken at 6:30pm… It’s almost full!!!! Go Brunei 😀

Eahui and Carol are big supporter for Brunei tonight and it’s also Eahui’s first visit to the stadium

This time the queue system is smoothly executed. Well done to the officers and ushers

Jake Ten of Borneo Bulletin had to fit in Azrol’s pants or else he won’t be allowed to wear a media vest since he came in with shorts *lol* Now he looks a bit homey yoo!!

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SocialDeal is here with a sizzling hot deal again! this time for the ladies who wanna stay pretty & shiny. We last saw www.SocialDeal.com.bn here couple months back with literally 0 members & now here they are with 3300+ members, 22000+ facebook followers after having walked through several awards such as the Brunei ICT Awards 2011 (BICTA) & THINKBiG Ignite Business Plan Awards.

If you have not joined the movement, you better do! before they give out an iPad2/ or the new iPad & 750GB HDDs (sponsored by Cooltones, www.3g.com.bn), EASI/BMOBILE Recharge Cards, QQeStore Vouchers at the end of this month. All you have to do is Register & Subscribe for FREE at http://socialdeal.com.bn/customer/account/create/ & wait for the instructional email to hit your mailbox on 15th March. – Stay tuned for their official campaign poster next week!

Don’t miss out on the latest deal to save B$509 off Whitening, Firming & Moisturizing Facial by Ageless Beauty, Batu Bersurat – *Price is ONLY available via www.SocialDeal.com.bn | So what are you waiting for ladies??

If you are new to SocialDeal & unclear of how it works, they went the extra mile to make you a 1 minute simple animation video voiced by local artist, Zul F – check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQc1LzSn_OY&feature=player_embedded

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Woowww.. What a second half!!! Brunei produced their best performance in the 2nd half to overcome a tough, resilient hot favourites Myanmar and acheived another milestone – reaching the finals of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012. Such feat is like a dream come true for Brunei as they have never progessed pass the group stage ever since the tournament has been introduced.

One of the reasons for Brunei’s improved performance was the guile and inspired display by Adi Said, Shahrazen’s younger brother. He was purely stunning upfront with his mazy runs. He created a perfect pass for Azwan to score the 2nd goal before Adi Said scored the icing on the cake from a Najib corner which happened to be the winner of the match.

Adi Said was over the moon with the infamous victory. “I didn’t expect us to reach the finals and I’ve bagged five goals so far. The half-time talk really made a difference and all we did was believe in ourselves and give more than 100% in the second half.”

Brunei now faces Indonesia which is billed “Clash of the Titans”. It’s the yellow vs the red and I would advise everyone to wear yellow to support Brunei tomorrow which will be held at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. More report on this later or tomorrow.

For now, let’s celebrate Brunei’s best achievement to date and let’s hope we will do one step better – the TROPHY 😀

Adi Said’s winning goal episode
 

Adi Said positioning himself during the corner kick

Despite being behind the maker, he was certain he was gonna win the ball

One great ability about Adi Said was his aerial skills and it’s one of Brunei’s main strengths upfront

Aerial is one thing but connecting a header while being challenged is no easy feat but the striker made it looked so easy as his glancing header found the empty net

Just look at that priceless smile on Adi after his effort crossed the goal line

He sprinted behind the goal towards his fans

Even the reporters were chasing him to capture the moment of his celebration

The crowd were on their feet after Brunei scored the third goal

The heartbeat of the crowd. They chanted, they cheered, they also initiated the “Brunei wave” in the stadium. Awesome energy from the lads till the end of the match!!

Adi Said taking photos with the supporters

Adi Said has won the fans with his tiredless display last night

Click image to find out more. Organised by ETA Games @ Cineplex and Bru Shadaloo

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NMHQR crew escorting Maher Zain upon arrival to Brunei last weekend

This is another popular evennt that is happening this weekend. It’s the B:Read’s Belait Bookswap which will take place on 11th March 2012 at the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre.

The club had a successful outing during the Boko Fair at ICC last week and they had about 140 swaps at their booth. They also organised a small gathering for bookswap last November 2011 at Muara Beach. So this will be the first time such event will take place at OGDC, Seria.

So what’s the purpose of the event? Simple really.. To swap books. As you know in the barter trade system where you exchange one good for another so the same applies to books. You might have old books that you wanna swap in the pool of books where some titles may be of interest to you.

So mark it down your calendar and this is very ideal for book lovers. As for the organisers, keep it up, guys!!! This is a great avenue to increase the reading culture in Brunei Darussalam. Kudos!!

Check this event out on Sunday. Click image to find out more

The 1st Book Swap event held at Muara Beach, November 2011