Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Click image to enter official website and book tickets online

 

The 8th Belait Travel Fair this March. Click image to check out updates on Facebook.

 

Traffic lights will be in operational soon according to Eddie Dato Paduka Hj Sunny, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Development. Reviews have been mixed according to comments on my social media platforms.

Hmmmmm this is a tough answer for such a question.. Everyone has their own views on this and we won’t actually know until it has been implemented. This will be the first time that a traffic light will be operational on a three-lane roundabout.. The ones in Beribi and Berakas seemed to work though those are only two lanes.

My prediction will be that these traffic lights at the Kiulap roundabout will be operational during peak hours. There have been many motorists who have misused the use of the big roundabout and even having constant awareness doesn’t help.

I have seen people’s complain about congestions on the road. However, let me point out that the traffic congestion is not as bad as other countries and I do appreciate the country we are living in. Road congestions doesn’t last more than an hour (max) which is still acceptable but still can be improved. What I’m more concerned is the road conditions such as uneven roads and pot holes in some populated areas.

Of course, we have to think ahead of the future.. Having wider roads or fly-overs would be useful in the next 5 to 10 years given the rate of population of cars increasing time after time. So peeps, if you want to share your comments, do click here or here.

Some of the comments from my instagram. Click image to read more.

 

Offers ends on 15th March 2013

 

Love this capture. Click the image and check out Brunei Times Extra on their in-depth coverage of the National Day. Awesome pictures too. Image taken from bruneitimesextra.com/national-day-2013

 

I present to you the ladies that made it possible for the Wing-It event last weekend – @muffinsparadisebrunei @pvintajcupcakes @wingitbrunei @sweet_as_sara @wondermanabn

All you need is great food, good branding and an instagram and of course, this must follow with good customer service. The food business is always a growing industry despite the small market or volume and some even joked that eating is our past time in Brunei because we don’t have much really (of things to do).

Last weekend see a strong response from the community as they flocked to to Simpang 35 at Mabohai for the Wing-It event with the theme “Wingin’, Bakin’ and Shakin’ n Singin'”and the event was held for two days. Three vendors had their items all sold out in the space of two hours and I interviewed @sweet_as_sara (instagram) that 600 of their cupcakes were gone in two hours. I would have predicted that they would have swept all of it in less than two hours should there wasn’t a long queue to begin with.

The vendors that joined forces with @wingitbrunei were @muffinsparadisebrunei @sweet_as_sara @pvintajcupcake and @wondermambn and there were also Shakecolate and Cakes & Crafts. There were performances from Aziz Harun and Damai Heroes.

Well done to the lady entrepreneurs and also to the Brunei community for supporting their part-time businesses. Oh yeah, one of them ladies wears a fire fighter suit to work.. Cool, aye?

Maurina posing with the Brunei flag

The @muffinsparadisebrunei lady in action

This was the crowd then around 3pm last Saturday

@wondermambn was so busy attending customers’ orders

It was such a long queue but the crowd went back satisfied

Lovely brownies from @wondermamabn

We had the ribs from @wingitbrunei

Hmmmmm chocolate….

More muffins and cupcakes

Great colours and design and taste great too

Natalie Sisson was sugar high!!

Damai Heroes performing some numbers

The queue during the Wing-It event

Natalie Sisson in a frame

Simpang 33 was pretty packed

The car parked along the road

I love watching NBA and my favourite team of the moment is Miami Heat and main reason is LeBron James. I always thought what it would be like to be a spectator in one of the regular NBA season games. Tickets don’t come cheap either too.

However, one Bruneian managed to be part of a spectacle of the NBA All-Stars game as Wu Chun, being the endorser of Coca-Cola, was invited to catch the weekend game. For your info, this is the 5th time he has watched a live NBA game but he never attended an NBA All-Stars game so this trip was perhaps the most memorable one among the lot. It was long haul flight paid off with 26 hours in the air transitting from Singapore to Los Angeles to Houston.

Of course, he was excited because legendary Michael Jordan was scheduled to be there and MJ is Wu Chun’s biggest idol. Sometimes being an endorser of Coca-Cola has its perks and one of them is getting good seats at the NBA matches. His dream was to play in NBA but the closest dream he got was watching it live and getting close to the action.

He even bought a limited edition Air Jordan t-shirt despite the 5 hour queue which started at 7 in the morning!! It was a nice touch to see Wu Chun bringing our Bruneian flag to the Houston NASA Johnston Space Centre where the NBA All-Stars game was held.

I hope one day I get to see a live NBA game. For now, I’m sticking to Astro to catch the games 😀 Images below are courtesy of Wu Chun.

Wu Chun was so excited to catch the NBA All-Stars game which the West won and he also brought the Brunei flag along to the Houston basketball centre

Wu Chun in the arena where the NBA All-Stars game was held

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Click image to enter official website and book tickets online

 

The 8th Belait Travel Fair this March. Click image to check out updates on Facebook.

 

His Royal Highness Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim Ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah participated in a silat performance yesterday at the closing ceremony of the National Pencak Silat Championship , which was held at the Multipurpose Hall of the Tutong Sports Complex.

Also present to witness the closing ceremony was Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah.

HRH Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah with HRH Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim with Datin Paduka Hjh Adina, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports at the silat closing ceremony

Present to officiate the closing ceremony of the National Pencak Silat Championship was the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair bin Haji Abdullah.

In the first of two finas to be contested yesterday, Tutong’s Mohd Azril bin Mohd Ali beat Ak Mohd Saiful Azwan bin Pg Iskandar 5-0 in Class B.

Meanwhile, in Class D final, Muhammad At-Tarmimi bin Hamid of Sarawak beat Brunei-Muara’s Mohd Zulfauzi bin Zainidi 5-0.

Tutong emerged as the champions of the National Pencak Silat Championship with a total of 17 medals; six gold medals, eight silver medals and three bronze medals.

Brunei-Muara finished in second with three gold medals, four silver medals and five bronze medals, whilst the Schools’ Sports Council completed the top three with a record of three gold medals, one silver medal and three bronze medals. Images and text courtesy of Jake Ten of Borneo Bulletin.

HRH Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim posing a silat posture with the silat performers

Class D final between Muhammad of Sarawak and Brunei-Muara’s Mohd Zulfauzi

 

 

Both DST and Ministry of Education support the initiative known as “Innovative Learning through Mobile Interactive Technologies” and recently they launched a new ICT educational program at Sekolah Rendah Panaga. So what did the school receive? Well, DST contributed 35 iPad Mini tablets.

DST is no stranger to corporate social responsibility programmes and they have been very keen in promoting technology through education. Previously DST’s community relations project involved providing students in 10 schools with high-speed mobile broadband internet connectivity and laptops, for more enhanced e-learning experiences.

It is good to see the Ministry of Education having this initiative as well and using some of the schools as “Model Schools” to see the improvement in learning using technology. So let’s hope for more collaboration with other companies with MOE and also for DST to see more potential avenue for ICT learning in schools.

Dato Seri Setia Hj Yusof bin Hj Ismail, Deputy Minister of Education officiating the launch of the programme while Suhaimi Hj Hussain, Acting CEO of DST looked on

The guest of honour looking on the students with the headmistress of Sekolah Rendah Panaga and Abdul Latiff, a member of DST Board of Directors

A student playing with the iPad Mini

 

Fes Retro and Bola Bola Pro-Shop will be having a National Day promotion at their stores. From 23rd February to 3rd March, they will having a 29% discount on their items sold at Fes Retro and Bola Bola Pro-Shop. Their shop is located on 1st floor of Times Square.

 

Mr Teng Chee Khiong, Director of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, Mr Teng Chee How, Mr Frankie Ho, Managing Director of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, Mr Teng Chin Ying, Chairman of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, Mr Choi Byung Koo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Mr T J Park, President of Kia Asia Pacific, Kia Motors Corp, Hj Shaiful Rizal Hj Ahmad, Executive Director of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd and Pg Hj Abd Qahar Pg Ibnu, Director of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd at launch of Kia showroom and F/L Sorento.

This morning I witnessed I attended the official launch of the revamped showroom of Grand Motors for Kia. It was also the official launch of F/L Sorento which is a pretty good SUV I must say. Even my friend recommended me to get one since my Korean car has gone passed its prime *lol* The guest of honour was Mr. Choi Byung Koo, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam. Also present were Mr. T J Park, President of Kia Asia Pacific, Kia Motors Corp and Mr. Teng Chin Ying, Chairman of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd). For more updates, you can view their Facebook page.

The new look of the building and it looks like a cube too

Cutting the ribbon to officiate the opening of the building

Unveiling the new F/L Sorento

The F/L Sorento price starts below BND 40,000

Mr Teng Chin Ying, Chairman of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, seated in the F/L Sorento

He brought so much energy, considering it was early in the morning

The interior feel of the new building

Do check out the new models for Sorento

 

So the campaign continues as the H.I.T Hoop Teams visited another school and this time at Yayasan Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah School which took place this morning. The guys from KFC and Fitness Zone notably Wu Chun were greeted by teachers and students. A welcoming address was given by Hjh Mariam bte Hj Ladi, the school’s principal.

Jonathan Bong, Senior Marketing Manager of KFC, talked briefly about thei intention of the upcoming KFC Fitness Zone 3 on 3 Streetball Challenge is now open for registration. The actual event will take place at The Airport Mall. For those interested to take part in the challenge, the forms are available at all Fitness Zone outlets and specific KFC outlets (Gadong Central, Airport Mall, Seria and The Mall).

The closing dates for registration is 10th March but I suggest you register early because based on my experience, you might need some time as well to make your jerseys for the tournament. This year the official jerseys will be a special one because it will be both dry fit and also reversible. Interesting!!

Below are pictures courtesy of Trinity Advertising & Event Management.

Hjh Mariam bte Hj Ladi, Yayasan School’s principal with Wu Chun, the founder of Fitness Zone

Hjh Mariam bte Hj Ladi, Yayasan School’s principal with Wu Chun, the founder of Fitness Zone

Teachers and students attending the basketball clinic

Representing Fitness Zone, KFC, Good Game Event Management and Trinity Advertising & Event Management

 

It’s happening this Sunday. The 1st Brunei Diecast Sales and Exhibition 2013

 

It has to start somewhere and it’s good to see AITI and John Harith Technology teaming up with the help of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in having local meat being electronically traced to make sure the authenticity of the “halalness” and also inventory of the item at the supermarket, in this case, Hua Ho.

So all you have do is use your smart phone and download the QR code application and you can scan the selected items at the cold storage of Hua Ho Bunut though only the chicken items are computed to the system for RFID. Then you scan the QR code and you will be able to get details on the supplier and as well as the person who slaughtered the chicken with a halal certification to go along with it. The information will be displayed on the monitor for your viewing.

The pilot project will be run for 6 months and so far it is being tested with a local abattoir Golden Chick Sdn Bhd who are collaborating with Hua Ho Tanjung Bunut. This is a good initiative and I believe you may have heard about the recent situation where an imported food product from China beared a Halal logo only to find out it has pork DNA in it. So this is where RFID on halal status on food might come in handy in the future.

The Guests of Honour to officiate the soft launching of the system were Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohamad Taha, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Awang Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Yussof, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Also present was Chief Executive of AITI, Hj Yahkup Hj Menudin and Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications, Abdul Mutalib Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof.

The event took place at Hua Ho Tanjung Bunut.

Hj Yahkup Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI gave his welcoming remarks

John Lim of John Harith Technology explaining to the guests of honour on how the scanning works

Haji Abdul Aziz, the Permanent Secretary of Religious Affairs, scanning the chicken

John was also multitasking but no, he doesn’t work at Hua Ho

The information will be displayed on the monitor for your personal viewing

It will even show you who was the slaughterer of the chicken from Golden Chick Sdn Bhd

This is the most talked about photo on my Instagram and Facebook this week!! One of the Borneo Bulletin photographers took a priceless moment shot of His Majesty the Sultan with a heart warming smile, arm-in-arm with the house recipients at Kuala Belait. This image was taken from today’s Borneo Bulletin front page. Well done, guys!!

 

So will you guys be showing up for the big day in town on National Day? I know I will and it’s another packed day for me with a few more events to cover. Now the question is what will be a good hashtag for National Day for Twitter and Instagram purposes? Some suggested #Brunei29th which had the most say. What are your suggestions? Do reply to my twitter @ranoadidas. Below are pictures from this morning’s rehearsal for National Day. Images courtesy of @anakbrunei @marul69

A panaromic shot taken by Tuan Hj Rozan Yunos

 

 

Last season DPMM FC had the best result in the S•League and they are ready to improve and better this season. Tonight they will take on Home United which have brought in new players notably former South Korea international Lee Kwan Woo. Vjeran Simunic, coach of DPMM FC, is aware of the new players for Home United and he said it won’t be easy but DPMM FC are aiming for 3 away points against Home tonight. He did admit that Home is the toughest opponent for DPMM FC based on previous results.

Simunic is hoping that Santos (defender) will be fully fit in the next few weeks. Santos is the only player left from the last year’s import player roster. It was a surprise that the talisman midfielder Jerkovic’s contract was not renewed. Instead DPMM FC have brought in four more additional imports including one international Croatian player who had a short stint in one of the World Cups. However, Simunic said the players has not gelled yet as a team.

We shall and wait and see how the import players gel with the local lads. For your info, the import players are Croatian forward Ivan Bosnjak, Portuguese striker Joao Vitor Rocha De Carvalho Moreira, Guadeloupean midfielder Stephane Auvray, Brazilian centre-back Tales Ricarte dos Santos and Croatian defender Dino Drpic.

It’s a pity Sairol won’t be playing in the first game due to suspension. Hence Pg Sallehuddin will be taking his spot. All eyes will be on DPMM FC top scorer last season, Shahrazen Said, who scored 14 goals last season. His partnership with Portuguese striker have yet to be proven but let’s hope for the best this season.

Good luck to all the players of DPMM FC tonight. The match will take place at Bishan Stadium.

DPMM FC next home game will be on 1st March when they take on Hougang United FC.

DPMM FC players during the training session last Monday

Shahrazen Jr. watchin his dad training on the pitch

DPMM FC’s two new import players. Will they deliver?

The warm-up run

Santos won’t be featuring for DPMM FC for the next few weeks as he will recovering from injury

Santos, Nabilah and Sairol at the Crown Prince’s birthday celebration

Santos, Nabilah and Sairol at the Crown Prince’s birthday celebration

 

Brunei has a good literacy rate but I’m pretty sure that literacy rate in ICT is also increasing. Most job scopes now do involve the use of technology one way or another and now it’s an advantage if you have a basic ICT knowledge and your resume would be good too.

Lately Infomars Training and Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd who has been awarded as the training provider to conduct basic ICT training courses under the Basic ICT Literacy and Professional Training Program Phase I. The agreement of their services was signed between the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and Informars Training and Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd.

Signing on behalf of AITI was the Chief Executive, Haji Yahkup bin Haji Menudin, while Infomars Traning and Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd was represented by its Director, Haji Abd Ghani bin Haji Omar.

  Under this training program, Infomars Training and Technology Solutions will be conducting four ICT training courses namely – Basic ICT Literacy, IC Citizen Training and Certification, Internet & Computing Core Certification (IC3) and CompTIA A+.

Hj Ghani, Director of Informars Training and Technology Solutions with Hj Yahkup, Chief Executive of AITI

So how does AITI play a role here? Well, AITI will be subsiding a minimum 50% of the training fees. To be eligible, participants must be Brunei citizens or permanent residents above 17 years of age who is seeking for a job or working in the private sector. The participants can either opt for full-time or part-time courses depending on the training package offered.

According to Hj Yahkup, more than 1,300 participants have been trained and certified with various ICT-related courses under AITI’s ICT Competency Program. The training program is set to begin in April this year.

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Click image to enter official website and book tickets online

The 8th Belait Travel Fair this March. Click image to check out updates on Facebook.

Click image to enter High Speed Broadband site for more details

Woohooo… After weeks of waiting, we are finally connected to High Speed Broadband (HSBB) or what was previously branded at FTTH (fibe to the home). For those who are not aware, HSBB is the latest product from TelBru the provider of our local eSpeed. The recent launch of HSBB on 1st February was a milestone where 1,000 homes are connected to SHBB.

David Kay, CEO of TelBru, mentioned that there will be another 1,000 homes connected with HSBB. However, only three areas in Brunei-Muara District are ready for deployment – Madang, Gadong and Bandar.

There will be an unfront fee for the modem and registration fee ($150 all in) for new applicants. I’m not sure if it meant for new applicants of HSBB or new applicants of TelBru/eSpeed. But you can call their Customer Care at 111 for more details.

Currently my speed for download is 17 megs per second *wuuhuu* (after using the bandwidth speed test). Now that’s a healthy speed for downloading and surfiing. But I thought our home had a subscription for the 10 meg package. Strange….

Anyway, thanks to TelBru especially to Abang and Azmirul for following up with the installation and the guys from MecTech for installing the modem to our home. Now surfing is super awesome!!! For more details, you can click here or if you want more FAQ, click here.

Pehin Abdullah, the Minister of Communications, in the recent launch of HSBB at Times Square

The new modem for HSBB

Thanks to the guys from MecTech for installing the modem

MecTech guys on the job

The rates for HSBB

Want to know more of the FAQs? Click image to find out more.

The 8th Belait Travel Fair this March. Click image to check out updates on Facebook.

The Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports with the Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam during the launch of The Spirit of Budō yesterday

So you want to know more about the history of Japanese martial arts? It’s a good thing such display is now available in Brunei and you can view them at the Brunei Museum, Kota Batu which will be available until the 24th March.

You will be able to view reproduction armour and helmets that were used for Japanese martial arts. It’s also interesting to know the culture of Japanese martial arts back dated to the 8th century and now some of the arts have been translated into an international sport.

The Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Kenichi Suganuma said “The exhibition consists of two parts: the first part showcases both the original weapons and the replicas, as well as the development and changes of Japanese martial arts from 8th Century to 9th Century.”

“The second part of the exhibition displays the reorganisation of Bujustsu to Budo in the 19th and 20th Centuries and how the spirit of martial arts is incorporated into the daily life of the Japanese today.”

The event was co-organised by Embassy of Japan to Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Museums Department at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Japan Foundation.

The Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Kenichi Suganuma

Bantong Antaran, Director of Brunei Museums Department

The Minister officiating the launch of the exhibition

 

Click image to enter AirAsia website

 

Zumba has taken Brunei by storm in the past year and the interest is growing strongly. There’s even royal support for Zumba charity drive activities. Image taken by James Kon of Borneo Bulletin.

Last week I posted a screen shot of Zumba related article written in the “Letters to the Editors” section of The Brunei Times. I thought it was an interesting view and I didn’t know it was gonna raise a lot of eyebrows, judging from the the comments coming in on my Facebook and instagram. It was the most commented image I posted and it’s good that people are engaging with interesting views and comment and of course, let’s not boil it out of proportion by calling names and attacking individuals unnecessary.

Anyway, you want to know want to know what’s my take on this? I have always look at the intention of the events or activities. Then again, knowing Brunei and its culture especially when you take MIB into account, sometimes individuals will focus on actions rather than the (good) intentions. Whatever it is, everyone’s entitled to his/her opinions and we should learn to respect the opinions of others and respond in a constructive way.

I do agree on both sides of the views but I believe in living in moderation with MIB. It would have been articulate should the writer of the opinion wrote his or her reasons to why Zumba activities is in appropriate for fundraiser for Gaza. I won’t go in depth to my thoughts because I know it will open up another (level of) can of worms *lol* Let’s keep a healthy conversation and thanks to those who responded to my question.

For people’s comments, you can click here and here.

The article that caused some stir in my Facebook and instagram

Comments taken from my instagram account. Click image to view more.

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook page for updates!!

 

Click image to enter official website and book tickets online

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

The impressive Aspire | V5

And guess what?? Keeran Janin won an Acer Aspire | V5 as part of the prizes of the National Day Logo Competition sponsored by Concepts Computer. He also won cash prize BND 2,000 and a Canon EOS M sponsored by Interhouse Company.

 

Catch the movie soon which will be released on 23rd February

I can’t believe it.. Twice I was invited and twice I missed the event. Today was a special premiere for invited guests and a curtain raiser for the much anticipated Brunei made movie Apa Ada Dengan Rina. My “suckmed” buddies @marul69 and @maurina have caught the movie and both gave good praises for the Brunei made movie. You can follow more updates on them their Facebook page.

Apa Ada Dengan Rina is a locally produced movie from Regalblue Productions. It is co-directed by Harlif Hj Mohamad and Farid Azlan Ghani and produced by Nurain Abdullah. The crew have also been invited to join the ASEAN International Film Festival & Awards this coming March in Kuching.

The movie stars Syukri Mahari as Hakim, Dk Moniri Pg Mohiddin as Rina and Tauffek Ilyas as Faisal. There were also appearances by local artistes Hans Anwar, Zul Faden and Lo Ryder.

Well done to Regalblue Productions on making this possible and hopefully it will open new doors for locally produced movies. Another movie in the midst of production is Yasmine by OriginFilms Sdn Bhd. So the future looks bright for movies produced locally.

The press conference held this afternoon at Times Cineplex. Image courtesy of Times Cineplex.

Zul Faden at the Premier of Apa Ada Dengan Rina. Image courtesy of Zul Faden.

Zul Faden and Dk Morini. Image courtesy of Zul Faden.

Behind the scenes of Apa Ada Dengan Rina. Image taken of AADR Facebook Page.

Behind the scenes of Apa Ada Dengan Rina. Image taken of AADR Facebook Page.

Behind the scenes of Apa Ada Dengan Rina. Image taken of AADR Facebook Page.

Mr. Jo Sung Wook (left) hosted lunch for the local media at Silla Korean Restaurant last week

All the best Mr. Jo, who will be leaving Brunei after his two year tenure as Cousellor and Deputy of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam. He hosted the local media lunch at Silla Restaurant, a well known Korean Restaurant located in Jangsak.

Mr. Jo Sung Wook will be posted to Kuala Lumpur and he shared how he will miss Brunei and he preferred his stay in Brunei compared to his previous posting in Vienna, Austria.

He shared on the strong relations between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Korea in the oil and gas sector. Did you know that the Republic of Korea has renewed a contract for the importation of gas (one million tonnes)? That also makes Brunei’s 2nd biggest trading partner mounting to BND 2.5 billion.

Korea ICT agencies have also worked with Brunei especially with UBD and it also has helped to increase Brunei’s ranking on Global Information Technology Report. Apart from UBD projects, the Koreans also helped to build the first cyber class in Rimba II Secondary School last year.

Mr. Jo is excited that Brunei will be chairing the ASEAN Summit 2013 and he hoped that Brunei has a strong stance against the recent North Korean’s nuclear test which the South Korean government and other international communities have condemned.

Yay!!! We received some goodies from Mr. Jo

The food was awesome.. Highly recommended though I forgot the names of the dishes. Mr. Jo knew what he was ordering

Patbingsu from Silla Restaurant

Mr. Jo Sung Wook receiving a token of appreciation from James Kon, Deputy Editor and Chief Reporter of Borneo Bulletin

Group photo with the local media

Since I’m blogging about Korea, this might be off interest to you. The Korean Government is offering “2013 Korean Government Scholarship Program for International Students Enrolled in Graduate Programs” to Brunei nationals interested in furthering their studies in Korea.

The objectives of the scholarship program is designed to provide higher education in Korea for international students, with the aim of promoting international exchange in education, as well as mutual friendship amongst the participating countries.

Scholarship benefits include exemption of entrance and tuition fees, return air ticket to and from Korea, monthly allowances and medical insurance, settlement allowances, etc.

There are two Degree Courses (with a 1 year or less Korean language course) of scholarships available;
Master’s degree program: 2 years
Doctoral degree program: 3 years

Applicants should meet the following requirements and application forms must be submitted by 23 March, 2013;

– Bruneian national under 40 years of age as of 1 September, 2013
– a bachelor’s degree or equivalent for master’s degree program applicants
– a master’s degree for doctoral degree program applicants
– Grade Point Average (GPA) above ‘B’ level (80% as percentage) from the last educational institution attended (ok, I think I just might miss this out *lol*)

For this year, two students will be selected for the scholarship program. The successful candidates should arrive in Korea for registration between August 26, 2013 and August 28, 2013.

Further information and registration form may be obtained from the Korean Embassy website http://brn.mofat.go.kr or contact the Korean Embassy (Mr. Feroz Andy) at 2330248 or email: brunei@mofat.go.kr

 

The Pay Per View which I’m gonna miss :/

Ok, this time I’m gonna miss the WWE Pay Per View – Elimination Chamber which will be playing live Monday morning. Why? Because I have to attend the Networked Readiness Index Study at The Empire Hotel *boohoo* Anyway, here are my predictions for the Elminiation Chamber PPV and sorry if I bore you with this topic *lol*

Antonio Cesaro (US Champion) Vs the Miz. Hmmmm I know the Miz has been losing to him and no surprises here. Miz will have his moments in the near future. For now, the limelight belongs to Cesaro. My prediction: Antonio Cesaro to win.

Kaitlyn (Divas champion) vs Tamina Snuka. I couldn’t care less about this cat fight. My prediction. Kaitlyn to retain the title.

No.1 Contender Elimination Match. So we have Randy Orton, the revamped Jack Swagger, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry and Kane. I don’t really follow Smackdown but it’s good to see Mark Henry back in the game after a long absence. Randy Orton is not likely to win since he might be taking time off. Jericho’s there just to entertain (reminds me the comeback of Shawn Micheals). And of course, the tag teams champion Kane and Bryan will have more fued between each other. Hmmmm it might be between Jack Swagger and Mark Henry but this will be a close call. My prediction. Mark Henry to snatch the win.
Alberto Del Rio (Champion) vs The Big Show. I’m kinda tired of their fued. I’m hoping for Del Rio to carry the belt all the way to Wrestlemania. My prediction. Del Rio for the win.

The Shield vs John Cena, Sheamus and Ryback. What the hell…. Some website said it’s the most intriguing match of the night. I beg to differ. The Shield don’t seem to have the techical ring skills as compared to their opponents. I have a feeling something odd will happen here. My prediction. More attacks and interferences perhaps and The Shield for the win. My least interest match.

The Rock (Champion vs CM Punk. Hmmmm this is tough to say. My prediction is if CM Punk wins, then John Cena will face CM Punk. Or John Cena will have another rematch and still the title of The Rock. This match could go either way and let’s not forget the plot of Brock Lesnar. He could be a factor here and he might just interfere the match and have a future fued with CM Punk. My prediction. The Rock to beat CM Punk again.

Where’s Dolph Ziggler? Ok, since His Money in the Bank contract is running out soon, he is likely to cash it one of the championship matches. Most likely he will interfere in Del Rio vs The Big Show.

So peeps.. here are my 2 cents for my prediction. Let’s see how many percent I got them right.

 

Congratulations to Tutti Frutti which recently opened at Gadong and you can follow them on instagram @tfgadong and for your info, it is under a different management from the one at Citis Square. Hence promotion may vary.

Dato Hj Daud (right) with invited guests during the opening of the Tutti Frutti Gadong outlet

Seng Yee is a huge yoghurt fan. She had two servings :p

Winnie holding her favourite food at Bistro Chez Fio – Roast Beef Sandwich. This is her second visit compared to my fifth one *lol*

It’s very welcoming especially with the presence of Fiona Chian, restaurant owner of Bistro Chez Fio and she’s a huge fan of the Vancouver Canucks (ice hockey team)

Everytime I go Deals Restaurant, it’s very likely I order a French onion soup 😀

This was Sophia’s rib eye and she loved the mashed pumpkim though she thought her main course was slightly dry but still good.

I love this shot. Taken at Deals.

I had the Beef Stew at Pho Real (food court Times Square) which is the improved version.

…and it’s best when mixed with rice.. *yum* Definitely coming back for this.

One of my favourite pizzas – Pollo Fungi (chicken, mushroom) from Fratini’s. I had it twice in a space of a week.

Now something healthy which is the avacado salad from Excapade Sushi. Taste nice with the salad dressing :))

You may have heard of Kausar Restaurant. Now they have revamped and they are serving Northern Indian Cuisine.

I had the Chicken Masala and it’s pretty good

Sometimes I rather have home made soup for my meal and I recently had one. I should do this more often 😀

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His Majesty 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 yesterday consented to receive in audience His Excellency William E. Todd, the United States Ambassador to Cambodia (2nd right) and His Excellency David L. Carden (3rd right) the United States Ambassador to ASEAN. His Excellency William E. Todd and His Excellency David L. Carden are currently in Brunei Darussalam for three days visit. Image taken from Borneo Bulletin’s website

This morning I had the privilege with the other local media in having an audience with His Excellency David L. Carden, the U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN at the US Embassy. He touched on topics such as environment, health, food security, pandemic, youth, deforestation, human trafficking, social media and basically his duty as a U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN. He has been to Brunei Darussalam on several occasions so he is no stranger to our country and his knowledge on ASEAN is very rich indeed.

For your information, the role was U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN was initiated by President Barack Obama who called for the establishment of a permanent U.S. Mission to ASEAN. In late March 2011, Ambassador David L. Carden was sworn in as the United States’ first resident Ambassador to ASEAN.

Their mission statement – the U.S. Mission to ASEAN works with ASEAN and all of its members-states to advance the development of a strong and integrated Southeast Asian community that is secure, prosperous and democratic.

Carden believes that his role will encourage the people of ASEAN to initiate and engage in healthy and constructive discussions in helping one another in the region. For instance, a Bruneian might talk on corruption or human trafficking that might be an issue in another country of ASEAN.

He recalled back the era of SARS and this can be linked back to deforestation and animal trafficking. Hence in the likelihood of new pandemic situation, U.S. Mission to ASEAN will be involved for pandemic readiness and get in touch with as many relevant experts to counter the supposedly situation.

His Excellency David L. Carden, the United States Ambassador to ASEAN, speaking to the local press this morning

His Excellency David L. Carden, the United States Ambassador to ASEAN, speaking to the local press this morning

Quratul-Ain Bandial of The Brunei Times, Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin, His Excellency David Carden, Delwin Keasberry of @Bruneitweet and Rano Iskandar

With Brunei being a Chair for ASEAN 2013, His Excellency said that Brunei still have issues to deal with and talk about and Brunei can be a leader on some issues. Topics such youth empowerment, energy, biodiversity and education are some that Brunei can lead on and these can be broadly communicated outside the region.

Carden also felt that his role was not purely being an Ambassador to ASEAN but also to the U.S. and it’s important that the U.S. knows what’s happening in ASEAN and vice-versa and Carden’s role is create that connectivity to the U.S as well within the ASEAN. We shouldn’t just be focusing on the issue of the South China Sea situation. There are other engaging issues such as the pandemic, deforestation or education issues.

Carden campaigned for the youth to be more engaged with ASEAN related matters because they will be the future of ASEAN and they will be more ready to be hands on with the issues concerning the region.

When asked about the recent nuclear test from North Korea, the Ambassador said that there’s no official statement from ASEAN but he is hopefully that they will. He thinks that everyone recognises the destabilising impact on the (nuclear) tests.

To share your thoughts on any issues, you can follow them on U.S. Mission to ASEAN Facebook Page and also on their twitter account @USMission2ASEAN and with Brunei chairing the ASEAN Summit this year, it will be good to see more Bruneians engaged in discussions through means of social media.

 

Reeva Steenkamp with Oscar Pistorius

This is such a shock!!! Olympian Oscar Pistorius has been an inspiration for many for being the first double amputee Olympian to participate in the Olympics and he garnered the nickname “Blade Runner”. Yesterday Pistorius was arrested and brought to court today for the fatal shooting of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. As of now, I have been tuning in CNN for updates and I’m still shocked about the incident.

The development of the stories are still unclear but it was cited that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder. It was also reported that they have been previous incidents at his home too. So let’s just wait to see how the story unfolds. Condolences to the families of Reeva Steenkamp.

Our Brunei Olympian Maziah Mahusin with Pistorius during the London Olympics 2012

 

Hey peeps!! You may have been familiar with Mochi Frozen Yoghurt at the Airport Mall. Now they have a new branch which was recently opened at Kiulap (next to Chong Hock). The flavours of the week for the new outlet are Blueberry, Mango, Strawberry and Original whereas the ones at Airport Mall are Kiwi, Mango, Strawberry and Original.

So for those craving for Froyo at Mochi, you can drop by at the Kiulap branch. You can also check out their Facebook page Mochi Frozen Yoghurt and follow them on instragram @mochibrunei

Mochi Frozen Youghurt now open in Kiulap (next to the Chong Hock)

The interior inside Mochi

The machines are different to that at Airport Mall

Mochi Yoghurt House at Kiulap. Also opening soon is Each-a-Cup.

 

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The yearly competition is back!! The Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) is organising the 2012 Amateur Radio Direction Finding Competition on 14th April 2013. You can download the form on www.aiti.gov.bn or for further information, you can contact Norelham 236 6640 Rafidah 236 6687 or Shazana 236 601.

The ARDF competition allows participants to show their skills in amateur radio direction finding, and involves orienteering and navigating skills in locating hidden transmitters called “beacons” or “foxes” within an area using the bearings of the transmitted signal in pedestrian mode.

 

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Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) will be organising ENGAGE 2013 tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday at the ITB campus.

ENGAGE 2013 is a rebranded event that combines the highly-anticipated annual ITB InfoDay and Career Dialogue events. It is open to ITB graduates, students, prospective students and members of the public. The event starts on Thursday from 9am to 4.30pm and on Friday from 9am to 11.30am and 2pm to 4.30pm.

In a statement issued by ITB, it stated that the event is aimed at creating a platform for active engagement between the university, industry and public to promote further education and employment.

The event will also promote ITB’s academic programmes, provide accurate first-hand information on studying in ITB as well as to prospective students an insight on the aspects of teaching, learning and student activities in ITB.It will also provide an opportunity to current and prospective students to learn career pathways that are relevant to their area of study and interests. Students who have recently obtained their A-Level and National Diploma results, ENGAGE 2013 provides an opportunity for one-on-one consultation with ITB’s academics and admission co-ordinators on the academic programmes offered for the August 2013 entry.

For students embarking on A-level studies, advice can be sought on the selection of A-level subjects that will allow them to progress into academic programmes in ITB, said the press release. Twenty four companies will also be exhibiting in ENGAGE 2013. The representatives will be able to offer advice on career opportunities and pathways within their organisation, and the relevant academic qualifications required to join them.

ENGAGE 2013 is also meant to provide a one-stop platform for higher studies and career consultation. There will also be presentations and walk-in interviews by the companies. Source: Nurhamiza Hj Roslan of The Brunei Times.

Some of the participating vendors for career day:

Brunei Shell Petroleum
Brunei Gas Carriers
Brune LNG
Schlumberger
Total E&P
Hengyi Industries
BAG Networks
Mixmedia Group
Tech One Global
Royal Brunei Technical Services
Brunei Economic Development Board

Concepts Computer held an Open House this morning for their guests and customers, staff and friends at their Kiulap showroom. Hosting the Open House were Mr. and Mrs Pao and according to Vincent Pao, the General Manager of Concepts Computer, “In my point of view, the IT retail business in Brunei is more challenging these days with savvy costumers using internet and other sources to keep up to date regarding IT technological advances. So we need to focus more on providing better services for our customers.”

“When it comes to Concepts Computer, I always lead with a simple statement – We must do a good job!,” ended Pao.

Concepts Computer has recently ended the Year of the Dragon with a couple of successful expos (NewXpo 2013, Consumer Fair and also the recent “Better Hearing, Better Living” Charity Bazaar). They will be back again for the upcoming Consumer Fair in mid-year.

CNY promotion at Concepts Computer

Mr. and Mrs. Pao hosted the Concepts Computer Open House this morning

Andrew Tan, SMB Lead of Microsoft (B) entertaining the local media

Click image to enlarge

This is one of the most sought fairs when it comes to education in the UK. We have three big players – British Council, HRD Services and James Hon. Today was British Council where it held the biggest education for Bruneians to study in the UK. I still remember a few years ago the fair was just on a small scale. Recently it has gone bigger and better and even the set up has been given more attention to it. According to Rob Fenn, the British High Commissioner to Brunei, he said that today’s education fair is the best.

The Education UK Exhibition was opened today at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel and Country Club and tomorrow will be at the Maktab Duli from 9:30am to 1pm. This year around 41 British universities and colleges are taking part. Also present are the Ministry of Education (Scholarship Unit and National Accreditation Council), the Centre for British teachers (CfBT). Seminars were also run concurrently for potential students to get familiar with the surroundings in the UK.

Those who registered for the event also stood a chance to win an iPad 2 and the British Council gave away four today.

Rob Fenn said that the synergy and the relationship between Brunei Darussalam and the UK have been very strong for many years and the UK has a reputation to maintain. “Brunei has many resources and they (the students) can go anywhere they like and the fact that they have chosen the UK consistently over the years. This also explains why there is the British Universities Brunei Association (BUBA) and there is no other country in the world that other universities organised themselves like BUBA.”

Fenn also talked about the collaboration with UBD and the UK with regards to the Discovery programs at UBD. He said that there are many factors why the UK is a popular destination for studies among Bruneians. He felt that Bruneians want to have the best education and the universities in the UK offered the best courses. When it comes to job interviews, students carrying a UK degree holds more weight.

The factor that drives Bruneians to the UK is the homely community it has. Currently, they are roughly 2,000 students in the UK and there are many local student associations to give support to students and hence making the experience much more worthwhile in the UK.

“This is the fifth or sixth education fair that I have been to and this is the best and it was such a perfect timing as many already have just received their results. So this was brilliant planning. With the slogan Ignite Your Future, I do hope in some of the conversations between the respective universities and the students, something will click and their future will ignite and the students will be set on a wonderful journey through education to a prosperous future,” said Fenn.

There was quite a turn out today and it was also a good thing that the results were released a few days before the education fair. I remember last year when the results were delayed and it was challenging for the students to scout for the courses and universities. So it was good thing that the results came out during CNY eve.

Well done to the British Council for putting up another great event year by year.

It was quite a queue and Hui Chiet was queueing too. I’m not sure what courses she’s interested in :p

Students inquiring on the courses offered

Free brochures from the British Council

You can even fill in surveys and stand a chance to win vouchers

Taken at the seminar area

Huaida Ishaaq and Nabilah Tan were former students in the UK and they were there to share their experiences in the UK

The registration area of the lucky draw

His Excellency Rob Fenn handed over the iPad 2 to one of the winners

Another winner of the iPad 2

Sharleen and Alvin scouting for universities

Maya and Nabilah at the photo booth

 

Bossini Chinese New Year promotion will end on 17th February and they are having a storewide discount 10% and additional 10% for member. Below are pictures of the selected items at Kiulap and Mabohai branch.

 

In conjunction with its ongoing promotion, FLY2UK SMS Quiz, Cooltones held its 2nd Monthly Mini Draw and Week 5 Pelangi quiz prize presentation yesterday at iCrave Kopitiam at iCentre Berakas. The prize presentation commenced with the presentation of prizes to the daily and weekly winners of the promotion. On hand to present the prizes was Bella of Social Deal.

The daily quiz winners walked away with prizes comprising Fitness Zone gym passes and KFC vouchers from the participating sponsors.

The weekly winner brought home goodie bags and prizes from Cooltones.

Winning the daily quiz segment were Hazlan Apong, Ak Md Wafiuddin Pg Umar, Siti Raihana Hj Abd Hamid, Md Nazirul Abd Ghani and Murjenah.br />
The weekly winner, drawn from the daily winners list, was Md Haziman Abu Bakar. Following the presentation, Hj Fauzi Hj Zainal drew the three winners for the mini draw – the second round of its three rounds monthly mini draw – and saw grand winner Abd Azim Hussin walking away with a smartphone and Cooltones goodie bag.

Meanwhile, Hjh Rabiah Hj Abd Rahim and Pg Radin Abd Amzari Pg Hj Abd Kahar, the second and third winners of the mini draw respectively, walked away with Cooltones goodie bag.

On hand to present the prizes to the winners of the mini draw was Haliza Salleh of Cooltones. To be eligible for the draw and win prizes, participants must be active subscribers of both Cooltones and B-mobile BPL WAP service.br />
To activate Cooltones, SMS ACT and send to 39555. To subscribe to BPL WAP Service, visit portal.bmobile.com.bn and click on BPL service to subscribe.

Amongst this year’s FLY2UK SMS quiz sponsors are AutoPro Tyre, B-Mobile, Fitness Zone, Huawei, MVision, QQeStore and Socialdeal Brunei as its Social Media partner.

To participate in the quiz and stand a chance to win, B-Mobile subscribers need to text FLY and send to 38833. The quiz ends on March 31.

Additionally, active BPL Wap or Cooltones subscribers who play the quiz will get additional 15 points each month. Additional 15 points will also be given to active members of Fitness Zone. Text and images courtesy of Lyna Mohd.

Group photo with the daily winners

Group photo of the mini draw winners

I didn’t know that this article (Letter to the editor in today’s The Brunei Times) would open up a can of worms on my instagram and Facebook. Click image to read comments and feedback from others. Your Thoughts?

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RA says Happy New Love Day to all friends and family *lol* The word “V” is a very sensitve one in our culture. I remember years, years back, it was kinda liberal when the “V” word was acceptable. Nowadays, retailers and especially restaurants have been warned on using such word. However the Happy Heart’s Day slogan was given the green light for those establishments who want to highlight their promotion.

There’s always a controversy whenever Malays celebrate this particular occasion. Then again this is a very subjective topic to talk about and I don’t want to go into depth of this topic as I could be quoting or saying the wrong things and I get the fingers being pointed at *lol* All I can say is that Muslims are not encourage to celebrate V-day.

For the record, I did celebrate one or twice long, long time ago *lol* and this was back when laws weren’t strict or perhaps we had lack of awareness or education on what’s acceptable and what’s not. Anyway, that was long time ago and I have grown out of it.

For those celebrating it especially the non-Muslims, don’t use this day as an excuse to express your love or feelings. Love is unconditional and love should be celebrated every moment. Maybe those who are shy (like me) might take advantage of such days like this *lol* For me, I’m living in self-love and from there, I’m able to love others as well. Sometimes I feel love is an over-rated word and I rather feel it than say or express it.

So today I’m gonna love myself even more and do more self appreciation and be grateful for the things that have come my way and appreciate the abundance and the friendship I have gained along the way. That’s my mini-intention for today 😀

I woke up pretty early today to catch the Real Madrid-Manchester United match and I couldn’t sleep after. So I tuned in to HBO and they were playing romanatic comedies such as Wedding Singer, My Best Friend’s Wedding and now Notting Hill’s playing. But my best rom-com for me is still Love Actually 😀

Below are some of my favourite rom-com movies

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Love Actually
500 Days of Summer
50 First Dates
Notting Hill
When Harry Met Sally
You’re the Apple of My Eye
A Werewolf Boy
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Moulin Rouge
Ghost
Titanic

Below are some of my favourite love songs

Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
Because I Love You – Celine Dion
Have I Told You Lately – Rod Stewart
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Close To You – Carpenters
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Can You Feel The Love Tonight? – Elton John
More Than Words – Extreme
This I Promise You – ‘NSYNC

Ok, I’m being extra cheesy today, right? *LOL* Have a great day peeps and I hope I haven’t offended anyone on this article and you know it ain’t my intention.

 

Interviews on 21st and 22nd Feb