Coffee enthusiasts rejoice as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf introduces the coolest brew in town. Launched nationwide, The Coffee Bean’s cold brew is made from coffee grounds that has been steeped for 20 hours in filtered cold water. Brewing cold enhances the flavour for a smooth and bold finish. Now why is this special? Because it is able to cater to those who are light coffee drinks and this has a lighter taste than the usual brew coffee or iced coffee. This is something new for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and they have ample stock to cater to the taste of light coffee drinks. So grab it while it lasts.

Training Manager, Fairuz Ibrahim shares “Our cold brew is handcrafted. During the process, every batch is carefully stirred to soak every coffee ground to bring out all of the flavours of the cold brew.” The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s cold brew is available in four flavours – original, latte, hazelnut latte and vanilla latte and is also available as a decaf option. In order to maintain the quality of the cold brew, each outlet only carries a certain amount and a new batch is made and delivered daily.  Fairuz adds that the difference between an iced coffee and a cold brew coffee are very distinct in mainly how both are processed, “an iced coffee refers to coffee that is brewed hot and then chilled by pouring over or by adding ice. Our cold brew uses time rather than heat to extract the flavours from the coffee beans.”

Marketing Manager, Ak Addeni Pg Tajuddin shares “There is definitely a distinct difference in flavor between our iced coffees and cold brews and we believe our customers will also pick up the difference. Our Cold brew is light and lower in caffeine and is perfect as a quick refreshment.”

Customers can enjoy a cup of cold brew for as low as $3.00. Ak Addeni adds “Customers will also find that we have maintained the pricing of our cold brews to be the same as our iced coffees. We want our customers to enjoy our coffees which ever way that brings them happiness and however they want to experience it.”

So if you wanna try the cold brew, my recommendations is not to add sugar or syrup then you won’t the whole feel of the cold brew. If you want something sweeter, then I suggest try the flavoured ones – latte, hazelnut latte (sweetest of the lot) or the vanilla latte.

To find out more news or promotions follow The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Instagram at @coffeebean_brunei and like them on facebook at facebook.com/thecoffeebeanbrunei. You can also download the “Coffee Bean Brunei” App on the Google play store or App store to be entitled to exclusive promotions and to get rewarded with a digital e-stamp for every drink purchased and can received a beverage for every 12 stamps.

 

Yusof Hj Abdul Rahman, managing director of the Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (4th from left), Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank (centre) during the reopening of the Baiduri Tutong branch

A new look. A new feel. Baiduri Bank is heading to the right direction and not just focusing in the bandar area but also outside of bandar. Yesterday Baiduri Bank reopened its Tutong branch at its new location at Petani Mall due to its increasing demands.

Not only that but Baiduri Bank has been in spotlight for achieving accolades such as The Best Banking Group for Brunei 2016 recognized by World Finance (a record feat of making it 8th in a row) and also being awarded “Domestic Retail Bank of the Year for Brunei 2016” by the Asian Banking & Finance Magazine. Following that the global rating agency Standard and Poor affirmed Baiduri Bank’s rating of “BBB” which means the outlook set to stable. This is one of the reasons why Baiduri Bank remains in the top three banks in Brunei Darussalam.

Pierre Imhof, the CEO of Baiduri Bank, shared his appreciation to the customers in Tutong and despite the increase usage of the digital world and e-banking, having a branch presence is still relevant and important and that’s one way to create the bond with their clients.

The bank will be focusing on three main areas namely improving service quality and reliability, increasing professionalism in the workforce and introducing more products and services.

For me, I’m looking forward for this unique product named Merchant Suite which will be introduced pretty soon. With this platform, you don’t need a website to sell your products or services. I will share with you once I have more details on this cool platform and I believe it will be a huge hit among the consumers here in Brunei.

Present during the relaunch was Yusof Hj Abdul Rahman, managing director of the Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam who was the guest of honour and also graced the opening of the relocated Baiduri branch. Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, head of retail, Baiduri Bank and Tutong branch Sim Ai Hua led the tour of the premises.

The event had an interesting ambience. Decorated with the white followers and white fences, it gave a different touch for the invited guests. Good job, Collective Arts, for recreating a soothing atmosphere for a launch.

Interesting fact. Baiduri bank made its presence in Tutong since 2004.

Pierre Imhof delivering his welcoming remarks and shared the growth of Baiduri Bank and its vision

Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, head of retail, Baiduri Bank, Pierre Imhof and Yusof Hj Abdul Rahman touring inside the Tutong branch

Yusof Hj Abdul Rahman with Pehin Datu Harimaupadang Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Husin Ahmad

The invited guests during the relaunch

The blessings before the launch

The newly opened Tutong branch

The counter area at Tutong branch

 

Finally I’m back in Brunei after 10 days of holiday and it seemed like a long time. I miss being active with my coverage and furthermore, I miss the familiar faces I see now and then (you know who you are). I’m almost out of shape.. Well, it was more of a reference to my fitness level where tennis is mostly involved. The tennis group recently had a short trip to Miri yesterday for a friendly match between our tennis group and from the Miri side.

I’m kinda out of touch but thanks to The Brunei Times social media updates and the multiple sharing on my Facebook feeds on The Brunei Times’ articles, I feel that I’m in the loop of the happenings in Brunei.

The cycling event was, of course, the highlight of the week. It was rare to see His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam participating in a cycling event and it was lead by over 800 cyclists. Amazing feat indeed and I’ve never known that there are many cycling enthusiasts in Brunei alone. His Majesty cycled in the 15 km bicycle ride to mark his 70th birthday. All I can say is 70 and still going strong.. Amazing!!!

In other news, Pokemon Go seems to have taken Brunei by storm or Asia for that matter. When I was outstation, my social media feeds were dominated by Pokemon statuses and images. Is this a good thing or a negative thing? There’s nothing wrong for sure but just make you don’t drive and PoGo or escape work time to level up on your game. The question is how long will the phase last for? The developers had already made a few hundred millions through their purchase add-ins and in the first 5 weeks, they have earned more than USD 268 million. Amazing!! So for now, Pokemon Go is here to stay and no, I’m not one of them players huhu.

So enjoy your week, peeps and stay in touch through my social media feeds. Oh yea, thanks the Bluehost support team for scanning and cleaning my site. It was attacked by some unwanted Viiiirrruuussss… 🙁 So I’m glad it’s back and running.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, yesterday led over 800 people in an unprecedented 15 kilometre bicycle ride to mark his 70th birthday. Accompanying His Majesty was His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

This could be one of the reasons why bicycle sales have increased

My final day in Malaysia before heading back. I’ve been lacking sleep but enjoyed my break so far in Ipoh, Penang and Kuala Lumpur

A successful event hosted by Honey Carsmart last weekend for their Grand Sale weekend and also getting involved with charities

The tennis friendly match between our tennis group (Aiman’s students) and players from Miri. It was held at Miri yesterday. Too bad I couldn’t make it and it was great exposure for the young players to play abroad.

It was first time staying in an AirBnB apartment in Kuala Lumpur and it was pretty good. I love the room and the host, Melvyn, is friendly and helpful. I also met a new friend from AirBnB and she’s staying in the other room of the apartment. I’m impressed with her resume as she has worked in Malta before. It was nice knowing you, Michiko. I hope you visit Brunei one day and we both have something in common. We support Liverpool 😀

My third Kpop concert and I kinda like the energy of the boy band, iKon. The concert took place at Indoor Stadium Negara. Kuala Lumpur last weekend. I had the privilege to cover the event (many postings on Snapchat). Congratulations to Kelly Wee and Vili Tee on winning the tickets and big thanks to Yuslin for arranging the tickets and my media pass.

The second consolation prize draw was held last Friday for the “Win the Helix” promotion. So far they had 5,925 entries for the month of July alone. The promotion ends 31st August. So you still have a chance to win the grand prize – Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI. Image above are the members of the press who drew the names and witnessed by the management of Brunei Shell Marketing.

I caught a record of 6 movies in my recent trip. Suicide Squad and Bad Moms twice actually *lol* You can tell how much of a movie buff I am 😀

Though I complained too much about Batman v Superman, I still caught again from the in-flight entertainment on Royal Brunei Airlines. Thank you, Aunty Jacky for the upgrade 😀 It was nice catching up again and see you this Friday

 

The Audi A4 2.0 TFSI S Tronic Glacier White Front. You can view this at their Audi showroom.

Press release from @audibrunei. More powerful, more efficient, more intelligent: the new Audi A4 features numerous premium technologies which set higher benchmarks for its class. Elegant design blends with an innovative control concept, and lightweight construction meets new, efficient drivetrain solutions. The A4 is also ahead of its peers in terms of infotainment and assistance systems. As a result, Audi drivers can look forward to a truly high-tech experience ― an innovative synthesis of technology and aesthetics.

The new Audi A4 now available at the Audi Kiarong showroom also achieves top ratings for efficiency. It boasts the best-in-class drag coefficient of just 0.23 and has shed as much as 120 kilograms (264.6 lb) in weight compared with the predecessor model. Three economical four-cylinder engine variants delivering up to 185 kW (252 hp) also play a major part in this efficiency gain.

The Audi A4 is also available here for the first time with the high-efficiency gasoline engine 2.0 TFSI ultra developing 140 kW (190 hp) which uses an innovative combustion process and has been designed based on the rightsizing principle. The economical power unit reduces the NEDC consumption of the new A4 Sedan to 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres (49.0 US mpg) and CO2 emissions to 109 grams per kilometre (175.4 g/mi).

Audi A4 1.4 TFSI S Tronic Monsoon Grey Front. You can view this at their Audi showroom.

Audi A4 1.4 TFSI S Tronic Mythos Black with Nougat Brown Interior. You can view this at their Audi showroom.

The new Audi A4 comes equipped with an extensive selection of improved technologies making their first appearance in this model, such as LED headlights, Audi Drive Select with Efficiency mode, sports suspension with damping control, fly-by-wire gear shifter and a top of the line Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System.

In terms of safety, the new A4 has been awarded the highest ratings from both the Euro NCAP and IIHS safety tests.

Premium features will include multicoloured ambient lighting, front/rear parking aid and convenience key with ‘kick’ motion rear luggage door release.

TCY Motors will offer the new Audi A4 Sedan with three engine variants: a 1.4 TFSI (150hp/250Nm), 2.0 TFSI ultra (190hp/320Nm) and 2.0 TFSI quattro (252hp/370Nm) all utilising the 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission. Wheel sizes will range from 17”, 18” and 19” based on the respective engine variant.

 

7 years in the making. How our friendship have come along. Reunited with Winnie Cheng aka Eryn at Penang. It was a great catch up session. Till next time.

For the past week, I’ve been away and taking some time off the keyboard.. Yes, it feels good and liberating. I used to have the mentality of constantly updating my blog every single day and it came to a point that I feel burnt out *lol* Maybe age is catching up on me and I’m already in my 40s so I’m doing the best I could to be energized especially when it comes to posting. Mind you that I still have the energy to do my rounds of coverage here and there. It’s just the finishing of the articles has been slowing me down (or is that an excuse of me being lazy?)

This is my 6th year spending my week in Ipoh and Penang. The major difference – the hotel I stayed at Ipoh. It’s good to experiment with different hotels from time to time and I’m impressed with Weil Hotel at Ipoh, located just adjacent to Ipoh Parade Mall (movies, movies, movies). Don’t be fooled that Ipoh hasn’t got much to offer apart from cultural attractions. I really don’t mind this city from the hustle bustle of Kuala Lumpur and even Penang, Ipoh allows me to be calm and composed and I can still have my dosage of fun and of course, their delicious food (oh yea, try the Assam House there).

It was great to catch up with Winnie once again whom I know for the past seven years. I’m happy for you and your career. You have the courage to pursue your passion in arts and it paid off. A short visit to your art space made me one to have a working space like yours. Keep up the great work and empower others with your talents. I hope one day you can visit Brunei. Truly miss your presence and being in your sold-already-Ford car *lol*

Now I’m in Kuala Lumpur, capping off an awesome week with my friends from all around the world. I’m catching the iKoncert tomorrow with the winners on my IG contest. This will be my third Kpop concert though I’ve no idea who are iKon (don’t go hating me fans huhu). This is surely a guarantee that I will enjoy the concert no matter what.

With my friends from Malaysia – Lingly and Siew Li. Appreciate your friendship and companionship. See you again in February in Thailand 😀

My first time blogging at Cave Kek Lok Tong. Felt refreshed and how I wish I feel this way whenever I blog

Maccha ice-cream at Ipoh are the bomb

I didn’t know we have the same age. Welcome to the club, bro #40

Hello Zoe and she was happy with the henna artwork. It was gone in two days.

The Art Space where Winnie works and pencil her ideas. Good to see you found your footing in Penang. I’m inspired already.

The school of knocks. I remember visiting here 3 years ago at Straits Quay.

What we all have in common? We are bachelors and bachelorettes *lol*

Till next time, ladies 😀

 

Darren Tay Wen Jie accepting his award as he was crowned the 2016 World Championship of Public Speaking last weekend. Image taken off Darren’s Facebook Page.

2016 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren Tay Wen Jie

I’m still amazed the fact that the past three winners of the World Champion of Public Speaking have come from Asia. Amazing feat!! First we have the charismatic Dananjaya Hettiarachchi (from Sri Lanka) who won in 2014 and he will be invited for the Brunei Conference in October. The following year was Mohd Qahtani from Qatar in 2015. Two days ago, Darren Tay, was crowned the 2016 World Champion of Public Speaking in Washington DC and his story revolved around bullying.

Looking at his resume, I’m pretty impressed for a man of his age (only 27) to achieve many things. According to his website, he is a prolific public speaker, debater and professional trainer. He founded the Public Speaking Academy in 2009 and has led the Academy to scale great heights in the school and corporate domains; including the successful organization of the annual National Public Speaking Competition since 2010.

He even won the Toastmasters International District 80 Speech competition in 2009, 20012 and 2014 for Speech Evaluation and Table Topics. Amazing feat indeed. He has also published his best-selling public speaking guidebook “Express to Impress” in 2012 and looks forward to subsequent publications in the future.

I do hope he will be able to make it for the upcoming Brunei Conference as a guest speaker and hoping for a favourable response from him. If it is a yes, then we will three world champion speakers for the Brunei Conference this October. Wouldn’t that be awesome? 😀

The top three winners of last weekend’s contest

Shawn Cassidy Narcis was there to experience the contest and this is a photo opportunity with all top three winners

 

Adam Groves with the cast and crew of Primaja at KBSentral last weekend

One of the lucky winners for Primajaya t-shirt during one of the quiz session

It’s less than a month away. The another locally produced movie Primajaya will make it to the local theatres on 15th September 2016. The movie was in production two years ago and I had a privilege to see some of the scenes during the shooting back in 2014. Back then, the good friend Seng Yee was one of the camera operators and I was interested to know how the scenes were shot and all. It was really good to know and appreciate what went behind the scenes and it was never easy since most of them were not full time actors and have other commitments. All of them from the crew and cast volunteered to be part of this project.

I remember two years ago that Adam Groves, the main man behind Primajaya (formerly known as Bahlol), shared with me that he has this project that one day it will hit the cinemas. He finally almost make that dream come true 😀 as it just weeks away before it’s being launched.

Adam Groves recently had a session with the public at KBSentral last weekend to share his experiences in producing his first feature film under the film production company Visual Dimensions Production.

Primajaya tells the story of a local teen who turned his life around after assuming a superhero identity named ‘Bahlol’ in order to fight crime in a fictional city. According to The Brunei Times, Groves reminisced his childhood years in Kuala Belait before moving to the capital where he found his calling for making films. He also shared with the audience the ups and downs he faced in the film industry before offering tips and wisdom to aspiring filmmakers.

Mind you, his upcoming feature film will also mark his 10th year anniversary in venturing into videography. The talk session also saw three lucky winners from the audience as they won Primaya t-shirts.

Good luck bro and see you when the movie hits the screen. All the best. Images courtesy of Visual Dimension Production.

The trailer of Primajaya

Adam Groves speaking to the public on Primajaya’s journey

Finally it has passed the censorship board earlier this year

 

Photo session for the students of Kumon Diligent which was held at Radisson Hotel to mark Kumon Diligent’s one year anniversary. Image courtesy of Kumon Diligent.

Yosuke Sagawa, Deputy General Manager of Kumon Asia and Oceania, officiated the event. Image courtesy of Azmi Zainal of The Brunei Times.

I was always curious how Kumon runs its session to their students and there are many institutions that help to educate young students. So what makes Kumon stands out? So I visited the premises, well their first outlet at BT Complex (near Times Square) and I met the owner Caley Lim as she shared on how Kumon Diligent works and I found it very interesting.

Kumon Diligent is a franchise from Japan and it has been a popular and also effective in grooming young children in improving their math and English. Let’s just say it’s an after-school enrichment program. The last I heard from Caley back in January, she has around 100 over students enrolled under her care and now it hs shoot up over 200 students. That’s quite a lot but she is assisted by her trained staff. It’s quite interesting the fact that the students were given tasks to answer on their own and only when required the trained staff will assist or guide them so the students can answer the questions.

Yesterday, Kumon Diligent celebrated its one year anniversary by holding an award ceremony for its students at Radisson Hotel. According to The Brunei Times, a total of 23 students across three categories — advanced student honour roll one, two and three — receiving awards acknowledging them for their efforts in tackling study material, which are above their current school grade level.

Caley highlighted that the event was also the eve of the school’s one year anniversary, and it represented the culmination of hard work and love for her team. She also expressed her gratitude to the students’ parents and the students themselves for their support throughout its first year.

In under one year, Kumon Diligent has seen over 200 student enrolments. As of June this year, 33 per cent of its students, who have been enrolled for seven months or more, are studying above their current school grade level.

Kumon Diligent is open on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and is located at Unit 31, Ground Floor, BT Complex, Kg Jaya Setia, Bandar Seri Begawan.

The school can be contacted at 7193231 or by email at kumondiligent@outtlook.com and congratulations once again, Caley and her team, for making Kumon Diligent a successful centre for young students. You can also follow on their Facebook page for updates or instagram @kumondiligent

The assistant in blue apron assisting the students with their work. The students, however, will do their own tasks and only ask for assistance if required. This helps them to be more independent on answering tasks given and also building their confidence along the way.

After their session, the students will clean their own area before another session by other students. It teaches them to be responsible too. Pretty good.

The different level of modules catering to different skills of the students.

Caley Lim, the chief instructor of Kumon Diligent, is truly proud of the students’ growth and appreciates the parents for trusting Kumon’s methods of enrichment. The numbers do speak for itself. Keep up the great work!!

(From L) President of Kumon Asia and Oceania Atsushi Yamada, Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Noriko Iki and Chief Instructor of Kumon Diligent Brunei Caley Lim during the launch of Brunei’s first Kumon Diligent Learning Centre in Kg Jaya Setia last August 2015. Image courtesy of Amanda Yap of The Brunei Times.

 

Wu Chun, managing director of Fitness Zone with the management form AOX Natural (Brunei).

Press release form @aoxbrunei. From month of August onwards, Fitness Zone members can enjoy Natural Antioxidant-rich Alkaline water from AOX Natural. DescGroup Enterprise is the sole distributor for AOX Natural in Brunei Darussalam. AOX Natural was founded with the vision of helping many improve their health and has been awarded as the Asia Pacific Super Health Brand 1st Winner in Singapore Alkaline water industry.

AOX, the champion award winning brand ionises your water through the generous infusion of hydrogen, oxygen and negatively charged ions. This gives your water millions of powerful antioxidants which is highly effective in preventing free radicals damage. Antioxidants works just like Vitamin C! They strengthen your immunity system and promote anti-aging, keeping you looking and feeling fresh and youthful.

AOX mineralises water with health-sustaining minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and silica to promote healthy cells, bones, joints, organs and skin.

AOX removes dust, sand, rust and other forms of sediments in the water. AOX removes harmful chemicals and cancer causing substances such as chlorine, THM, pesticides and carcinogens. It also eradicates odour in the water, making it smell and taste great!

AOX showroom is at Unit 12, spg 1080, Lot 27772, kg Kilanas, Negara Brunei Darussalam. For details, contact 8289089 or 8739948

“I strongly feel there is a huge synergy between Fitness Zone and AOX as we share the same vision that is to provide healthier lifestyle to our members,” said Wu Chun. He added: “Our members deserve the best that’s why I choose AOX because they are a trusted brand in Singapore supplying water dispenser to thousands of households, offices, hospitals, clinics and government offices including Prime Minister office, 365 Cancer Prevention Society, Kidney Dialysis Foundation, Crossfit boxes, Momentum Lab, etc.”

Sam, the Sales Manager of AOX Natural highlighted, drinking AOX Natural can help the body to eliminate acidity and detox more effectively, thereby preventing many of the diseases which are caused by a diet high in acidic substances. Other benefits includes Daily-Aging, improves metabolism, improve immune system, improves blood circulation, etc.

He continues, AOX also reduces water molecules to smaller water clusters which mean that your body is able to hydrate more effectively than normal water. Any protein drinks make with AOX become immediately more effective, simply because more of it is getting into your cells.

You can follow updates on their IG @aoxbrunei

 

Click image to enlarge

The Grand Sale happened two years ago and it was a huge success. It’s good to see Honey Carsmart Grand Sale is back once again and it’s happening next weekend – 13th to 14th August 2016 at their Caryard at Spg 635, Kg Bunut, Jln Tutong. It’s also in conjunction with their 33th year anniversary.

For your info, Honey Carsmart Sdn Bhd is an established used car dealer with over 30 years’ experience. You may have know of many second hand dealers in Brunei and it’s never easy to get a proper license for this industry. Currently there are not many used car dealers in the country as recognisable as them..
The grand sales will include 80 selected units – Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, other popular Japanese and Korean brand cars too. Here’s the catch though – there will be no booking basis, hence it’s first come, first serve basis which I believe it’s a fair move

So what can you expect from their Grand Sale? Discounted prices for sure and even light refreshments to be served. Goodie bags shall be distributed to the first100 visitors.  Also with an ongoing promotion which ends on 31st October 2016, you are eligible to participate in the lucky draw, to be held on 4th November 2016. The first prize will be a Pre-Owned 2014 Suzuki Alto (M).

If you are worried about financing, worry no more as there will be representatives from one of the financing institutions that can assist you on purchasing a car.

A motor insurance renewal agency will also be available just in case you need to renew your insurance.

As part of giving back to community, the management has announced that for every car being sold between these 2 days, a contribution of $300 will be distributed into a charity pool that will be equally distributed into the donation purposes to Pusat Ehsan and SMARTER Brunei.

The company would also like to take this event to inform the public that any customer who bought cars from them between 7^th July 2016 – 31^st October 2016, the customers are eligible to participate in their Lucky Draw promotion, which will be held on 4^th November 2016. Prizes will include a pre-owned car, house equipment, flat screen television set and many others

So do pen the date 13th and 14th August and take advantage of their Grand Sale. You can call their hotline number 265 4161 or 265 4131 for details and 2655337 (on the 13th & 14th August 2016).

Nissan Skyline 350GT

Jeep Cherokee

Volkswagen Beetle

Kia Cerato

BMW X1

Hui Chiet and I visited the Grand Sale two years back at their car yard. How time has flown so fast.

Nissan Elgrand

The Car Yard branch of Honey Carsmart at Jalan Tutong. The Grand Sale begins on 13th and 14th August.

 

Ah, something that I missed again especially in August. Even last year I missed this round due to prior engagement. Last weekend, toastmasters members in Area K6 (members in Brunei) attended a leadership training known as Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) at Kota Kinabalu. This workshop is normally done in August and January.

Around 20 toastmasters members from Brunei Darussalam attended the training and it was great to know of new members – Heidi Rahman (my mentee), Liyana Sidek, Theressa Chong, Aziman Nasir, Delwin Keasberry and Naj – to fly over to KK for the training.

The momentum has definitely on the rise on the impact that toastmasters have in Brunei and regionally. They have been involved in helping and assisting corporate companies and even students in their communication and leadership skills. Even there were even demo meetings at the Prime Minister’s Office which have slowly benefited the government officers.

And let’s not forget the upcoming Brunei Conference 2016 involving three international speakers – Dananjaya and Willie Jones (both world champion speakers) and Mohd Murad. You can click here for more information of the Brunei Conference 2016 with the theme “Be the Difference”.

Till next time 😀

 

Kenny Ng, General Manager for Emerging Markets Mercedes-Benz (Singapore), Haji Awang Mohammad Hanafi bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Abdul Rahman, Chartered Quantity Surveyors from Hanafi Konsaltan, Teo Choon Kok, Managing Director of Metrobina & Partners Sdn Bhd, YM Pengiran Anak Hj Ja’afar ibni Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Hj Mohamed Alam, Executive Chairman of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, Thomas Heilmaier, Acting German Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam and Vishnu Sakdiyakorn, Architect for Booty Edwards & Partners after the contract signing agreement between Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Metrobina & Partners Sdn Bhd yesterday

The contract signing between Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Metrobina & Partners Sdn Bhd

By 2017, Jati Transport will have another showroom to cater to the growing demand for the Mercedes-Benz (passenger) in Brunei Darussalam. Yesterday marked an interesting milestone as the management of Jati Transport, the authorised distributor for Daimler AG in Brunei Darussalam held a foundation laying ceremony to kick off the construction at the Lot 78C, Tapak Perindustrian Beribi (it’s the opposite of the main road of the current Jati Transport showroom).

The foundation laying ceremony was led by YM Pengiran Anak Hj Ja’afar ibni Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Hj Mohamed Alam, Executive Chairman of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd. Also taking part of the ceremony were Thomas Heilmaier, Acting German Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Kenny Ng, General Manager for Emerging Markets Mercedes-Benz (Singapore), Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, Teo Choon Kok, Managing Director of Metrobina & Partners Sdn Bhd and Vishnu Sakdiyakorn, Architect for Booty Edwards & Partners.

After the ground laying ceremony, the contract signing took place between Jati Transport and Metrobina & Partners at Jati Transport Beribi office.

It was stated that the cost of the new showroom is BND 5 million and it will be a combination of showroom and a service centre. Not to worry as it will comply to Mercedes-Benz standard. The size of the total floor area wis 28,000 square feet which means the showroom will be able to showcase 11 vehicles for display, a new car delivery area, a customer lounge, a merchandise shop, 13 service bays and plentiful of parking for guests.

I’m excited to see the final product of the new showroom for Mercedes-Benz. Good luck in the progress of the construction.

That is one huge contract. Yes, it’s in a form of a book instead of the usual A4 sized papers.

The foundation laying ceremony at the new site in Beribi

This is how it looks like so far

Now we will have to wait until 2017 before the new showroom completes

Pengiran Anak Hj Ja’afar kicked off the ceremony

Andrew Chiam did the honours too

Thomas Heilmaier continued the foundation laying process

It was a privilege to have Kenny Ng to be part of the ceremony

Ho Ley Hoon, Sales Manager of Jati Transport, also took part in the ceremony

Stephen Reid, Service Manager of Jati Transport, laid some cement during the ceremony

Vishnu (right) handing the spade to Haji Awang Mohammad Hanafi as both took part in the ceremony

I’ve never come across a gold coloured spade but there’s always a first

 

Congratulations Bazi and Farah. Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge

 

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Sentral Residence is located next to KB Sentral Shopping Centre. Last weekend, I had a quick look at the new service apartment. Well, it’s affiliated with Garden Sentral Hotel. This has the best location if you ask me since it’s by the main road. It’s very convenient if you also want to cross the border or drive to Bandar.

It’s fully furnished and the rates given are inclusive of being furnished. Three types of apartment will be available for rental which are one-bedroom type located on the ground floor of the unit, two-bedroom type at the floor above it and and four-bedroom (two-storey) type.

Below are the rates.

           Daily      One Week     Two Weeks     One month     One year(per month)
One-bed     150            900               1500               2500                   2300
Two-bed     190           1200              1800               2800                 2500
Four-bed     290          1700              2800               3400                 3100

The apartment is catered for business and leisure. The perks that you can enjoy are such as housekeeping, maintenance and complimentary transportation within Kuala Belait (interesting). You will also get access to the gym and swimming pool (Garden Sentral Hotel). Not to worry about security as there is a 24 hour CCTV and you will see get a sheltered car park.

Other perks are also like special discounts at all F&B outlets at KBSentral, namely Freshco-owned eateries and Sugarbun.

For more information, you can contact 3333 833 or email them at sales@gardensentralhotel.com

 

Yang Mulia Hjh Noorashidah binti Hj Aliomar, Acting Deputy Director of Information Department (right) the guest of honour receiving a token of appreciation from Abby Lim, the General Manager of KB Sentral Property Management during the launch of the Sentral Photography Exhibition to showcase His Majesty’s royal visits to the Belait District

Sentral Shopping Centre (KBSentral) in Kuala Belait in cooperation with The Information Department as well as the National Archive under the Museums Department will hold the former’s first Sentral Photography Exhibition, set to be held from 28th July to 7th August with the gallery time starting at 10am to 9pm for the duration of the event.

Organized in conjunction with the celebration of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s 70th Birthday Celebration, the photo event will showcase His Majesty’s royal visits to Belait District from previous years’ occasions as well as photos of the old Belait Town from the early days.

The photo showcase is entitled ‘Reminiscing Belait’ and aims to evoke memories of how the old Belait Town used to look like, and along with pictures of His Majesty’s previous royal meet-and-greet visits also aims to portray the loving care and contributions of His Majesty’s government towards improving the standard living of the Belait residents as well as the development of Belait District as an oil town that has successfully contributed to the employment of local workforce in the oil and gas industry and other key areas in the private sector.

In addition, the event is meant to engage with local communities here so the people can show their affection and appreciation towards His Majesty. The progressive development set by the government has significantly helped the oil town to modernize Brunei Darussalam since oil was first discovered here in 1929.

Officials from the Information Department, National Archives from the Museums Department, sponsorship clients, teachers and students from various schools in Belait District are expected to attend the opening ceremony o the 28th July at 2pm in the afternoon at the atrium area of KBSentral.

For further information, please call 3339889 or email to kbsentralmarketing@gmail.com.

Invited guests viewing the gallery

Some of the pictures of His Majesty the Sultan in the past

The guest of honour speaking to the press on the exhibition

Group photo with the officers from the Information Department and management of Sentral Shopping Centre

 

Abby Lim, the General Manager of KB Sentral Property Management and Anwar Rosly, KB Sentral Marketing and Event Manager with the staff at their Hari Raya celebration last weekend.

The staff of Shopping Centre (KBSentral) celebrated Hari Raya last Saturday with good food and entertainment. Those who attended had the chance to win prizes ranging from meal vouchers to hampers in the lucky draw.

Garden Sentral Hotel’s housekeeping personnel and event management staff also joined in on the festivity, and provided entertainment with live singing performances. General Manager of KBSentral Abby Lim in a speech conveyed her gratitude to those who attended the gathering. According to Lim, the turnout was evidence of the strong bond between each department and staff. This will in turn help to realize KBSentral’s vision to become a shopping mall that advocates the theme ‘family’, she added.

During the same event, the general manager also congratulated selected staff who had received the ‘Employee of the Month’ award, and brought the crowd together to sing a birthday song for May, June and July celebrants. The best dressed male and female were also awarded at the event.

On the sidelines, customers can still take part in the KBSentral lucky draw when they shop, dine and watch a movie at the shopping centre. The next grand draw will take place on August 28, and customers are eligible when they use their Baiduri credit or debit card at any outlets at the centre. Text courtesy of Hafiizah Maiden of The Brunei Times and images from KBSentral Facebook Page.

The management and head of department from KBSentral welcoming the staff

It was all smiles from the attendees

Singing performance from the staff of KBSentral

Abby Lim presenting a prize for the best performance

Anwar Rosly handing over a hamper to one of the staff

 

The all-new generation Audi A4 Sedan #A4lotion

 

This is the time of the season.. The second of Syawal (Hari Raya) where there will tons of invites from corporate companies. Well, not all of them I could attend for sure and of course, I was snubbed from some corporate companies. Below are some of the corporate open houses that I managed to drop by and I’ve been getting many similar comments – “Rano, you seem smaller” or “You’ve lost weight”. Awwww.. thanks for the comments but mmmm, looks can be deceiving, my friends.. Standing is the best way to hide all the fats but sitting down is an easy giveaway *lol* I can already fill the tiny increase of my bulge after not controlling what I ate during Hari Raya.

Enough of that.. Just enjoy the pictures and captions from my recent Raya visits.

At Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) office with Puan Purina Abdul Samad, Director of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei)

Registering ourselves at Tourism Malaysia Brunei Open House

The host mingling with the management from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Caroline Sim, Head of Great Eastern Brunei branch mingling with guests

The Great Eastern Brunei team posing for the camera

My photo pop with Great Eastern team. Thank you, Caroline and the rest for your warm hospitality and the small gift 😀

Their neighbour, the team from Concepts Computer, dropped as well

The day before was the invitation from Concepts Computer

I’ve always admired Vincent Pao’s vision for his company (Concepts Company). All that hard has paid off and he hasn’t stop growing.

The guests at the Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer

Vincent Pao and Alice Chan with the members of IFB

The team from Brunei Shell Marketing at their open house hosted at Radisson Hotel

If you are not shy, you can sing too. The happening bunch of people 😀

Many of BSM corporate clients, retailers dropped by

My photo opp with the team from BSM

Finally get to meet up with Catherine Muller, Director of Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy to Brunei Darussalam (3rd from left) at the U.S. Embassy reception of welcoming Catherine and also celebrating Hari Raya at Rizqun International Hotel. Hope to meet you again over the course of your stay here and welcome to Brunei Darussalam 😀

Azhani with #POTUS moment :p

My visit to the iCentre where they had organised a potluck Hari Raya. Yea, things have truly changed and perhaps for the better. I actually missed the pioneers (the management then) – Ogy, Rayner, Diwi, Danial and many more. It’s good to pay a visit to iCentre again. Loads of good memories.

Simon and Faezal displaying their upcoming event – Weekend Warriors. It’s actually an app where you can play futsal at your own convenience… well, depending on the court availability too. Let’s put it this way.. if you have a team or even just you alone, you can play and be part of a team. Interesting.. I shall share more of Weekend Warriors pretty soon. Good luck, guys 😀