I have this is an awesome ride. The Mercedes-Benz C180 and there is so much I wanna talk about this car. Stay tune for more review of the C180. Like they say, “The best knows no alternative”. Click image to know more about the C-Class saloon from Jati Transport.

The interior of the Mercedes-Benz C180. Classy and my kind of feel.

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah (centre) of Divas playing as a stopper in the recent ORA Gryphons Fast Pitch Softball Tournament

Cudas scoring a run and they won the tournament with a perfect record of 7 wins

Divas finished fourth at the ORA Gryphons Fast Pitch Softball Tournament 2016 in Singapore yesterday.

Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah was among those who laced-up for Divas at the three-day tournament.
Divas defeated Wolvens 7-6 in their final round-robin match after losing 11-6 to eventual winners Cudas at the Raffles Institution Softball Field earlier yesterday.

The country only representative in the tournament collected 12 points after four wins and three losses sitting only behind host ORA Gryphons who are in third place with 15 points.

Champions Cudas collected maximum 21 points after winning all their games, meanwhile, Maiko Japan, a Japanese team based in Singapore finished second with 18 points to their name.

Divas kicked-off their campaign on Friday with a close 3-2 defeat to ORA Gryphons before bouncing back with an 8-7 victory over River Valley High School.

The faced Cudas in their third match on the same day, but the match was abandoned due to bad weather.

The next day saw Diva defeated Raffles Institution 7-6 but they lost to Maiko Japan 3-2 in their following match.

Divas defeated Mudball 12-7 later in the day, their biggest win in the tournament.

“The first game with Cudas this morning was a continuation from the first day as the game was stopped after 58 minutes due to lightning…we started off rather sleepily and made a few errors which cost us the game,” said Divas team manager Sofiah Isa in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

“Nevertheless, I think we played extremely well and exceeded our expectations…and we were presented with the fourth place trophy which was unexpected as we only came to this tournament to see where our level is in the region.

“We enjoyed this tournament and each and every player have gained a lot of exposure. We have definitely learnt a lot from here and are very proud of our achievement.

“Each and every one of us have improved after every game and by the end of the tournament our coach (Gedda Valencia) can be proud to say that all our players managed to hit well,” Text by Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh and images courtesy of ORA Facebook Page.

A Divas player trying to reach home plate

Hit and run

Divas team player manager Sofiah Isa in action

Divas receiving a trophy from the organisers

Team Divas in Singapore. Image courtesy of Divas

 

Ben Affleck in the recent interview. But who cares… the movie made tons of fortune over the weekend

Who’s your favourite Batman?

Who cares if the movie sucks, right? As long as you can still make millions of dollars. I somehow wonder if Zack Synder the director of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has the same ego as Michael Bay. It’s okay to make shitty movies, just as long as you have strong brand around it. Just look at Transformers and we never learn our lessons too as moviegoers that no matter how bad Transformers is, we will still have the urge to catch it by hook or by crook.

Now the same applies to BvS. Critics have been harsh on them and with a low rotten tomatoes scoring of 29%, it defied the odds as it smashed box office records for the month of March. It raked in USD 170 million over the weekend and it’s the fourth biggest opening ever. Worldwide is even better. They have earned a total of USD 424 million. Now they are capable to overtake the success of another popular superhero Deadpool. We shall wait and see.

What are my thoughts of the movie? I caught it twice actually and beginning to understand some of the plots that might be a little confusing for first timers. I also spotted some “easter eggs” moments. Want to know more of my review? Just click here or listen to my podcast for my review (spoiler free).

As for Zack Synder, you’re lucky that the fans are still willing to pay for your hit-and-miss movie.

Podcast review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jason Rumpus on the popcorn panel

 

It’s still uncertain if this will be brought in to Brunei. We shall wait and see

 

Podcast review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jason Rumpus on the popcorn panel

 

Review of Mercedes-AMG GT S by Kelly Blue Book – “It’s flat out fun!”

The Mercedes-AMG GT S continues to pick up awards: US car magazine “Motor Trend” chose the eight-cylinder sports car as “Best Driver’s Car”. In this year’s contest, the Mercedes-AMG GT S lined up against nine other sports cars at the Laguna Seca race track in California – where it easily achieved the best lap time.

“The Mercedes-AMG GT S has the sharpest, most precise steering we have ever felt on any Mercedes or AMG vehicle,” said Motor Trend editor-in-chief Ed Loh. “It makes massive power from a compact, high-tech turbocharged V8 engine. What most impressed my team is how well the GT S was able to combine these elements. It put all of its horsepower to the ground like an all-wheel-drive supercar and gripped the road through high-speed corners like a winged racer.”

With a lap time of 1:35.57 minutes, the Mercedes-AMG GT S not only kept all its competitors at bay at the legendary Laguna Seca race track, it also achieved one of the top three times ever recorded. At the end of the long and extensive series of test drives, the Motor Trend editors concluded: “The best sports car Mercedes has ever built.”

Motor Trend launched the “Best Driver’s Car” award in 2009, and has since become one of the most prestigious contests in the American auto media.

The reviews have been fantastic online – do check some of the video links on the Mercedes-AMG GT S: 1) Caradvice.com.au 2) Digital Trends 3) MotorWeek

You can visit Jati Transport Showroom at Gadong or Beribi if you are interested in the Mercedes-AMG GT S.

The Mercedes-AMG GT S is a beast. I saw this once in Brunei and it was like love at the first sight. Do visit Jati Transport showroom if you are interested to know more.

 

In today’s headline. Congratulations Soon Loo.

Soon Loo was the chief judge at the Ignite Entrepreneurship Challenge last year

By Command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced that His Majesty has consented to the appointment of Loo Yau Soon as managing director/chief executive officer of Darussalam Enterprise (DARe).

The appointment is effective March 22, 2016.

According to the interviews in the local papers, he is truly grateful to His Majesty the Sultan for the consent to his appointment as DARe’s CEO. He was previously a board member of DARe, a newly established body in hoping to spear the SME ecosystem for the betterment of the Brunei’s economy and diversification.

DARe is led by the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar. Both of them and other board members have been very active recently, holding talks to young vibrant entrepreneurs especially the e-vendors to understand and create a better communication platform between the two parties. So far the responses have been encouraging from the entrepreneurs and they also increased their knowledge on the know-hows on the procedures and what not in building businesses.

What I feel: Well, this is definitely great news. To know someone that I truly admire on his passion in helping and inspiring others. I first saw him in UBD where he was a mentor/lecturer for one of the classes and the students then were really connected with him. He was mentoring them on creating ideas into reality and I was amazed by the presentation from the students. That alone gave a very good first impression of him. This was back in 2013 if I’m not mistaken.

Furthermore, he was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Award in 2013. That again, it’s a super milestone on its own. He has many accolades and recognitions along the way and don’t play, play k? since he has an MBA from Harvard University.

If you see this chap in public, don’t be afraid to say hi because he is very welcoming and enterprising. I wish you to the best in your capacity as CEO of DARe and this is a sign of better things to come. Good luck, buddy 😀

Check out the interview by Channel News Asia after Soon Loo being a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Award

 

Vincent Goh, Managing Director of Netcom Computer House, and his team at the recent anniversary dinner at Parkview Hotel recently

Two weeks ago, Netcom Computer House celebrated their anniversary at Parkview Hotel (formerly known as Asma Hotel) in Jerudong. Around 100 Netcom associates and families were treated to a wonderful dinner filled with games and entertainment to the delight of the invitees.

I was also in the mood as I dressed up for the occasion, a black and white themed dinner event. Vincent Goh, the Managing Director of Netcom Computer House, delivered his welcoming remarks and thanked the team for their contribution in sustaining the company over the 20 years of established. Wow, 20 years is indeed a milestone alone.

Thank you, Vincent, for the invitation and also your support in these years. And Hassan, you’re the man behind the mic *lol* Perhaps, I can hire you as an emcee one day.

The newly promoted Dell affordable notebook, now available at Netcom Computer House

This does come in handy 😀

If you want better charge, then go for this

 

Are you catching Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? I just got my tickets at The Mall Cineplex. It’s gonna be epic 😀

 

Katie Alice. Kitchen Kraft. Ginger. And many more.. These are the popular brands from the UK for plates, cups and cutlery and not forgetting the utensils you used behind the scenes in the kitchen. Normally we have the normal standard ones that we see at our local departmental stores. Now we have a dedicated cutlery and kitchen utensil physical store called “The Potters”.

It’s opening tomorrow officially to the public and it’s located at Unit 8, Setia Kenangan 2, Kiulap (opposite Pepper Lunch) and it’s open from 10am to 9pm and you can also follow their IG @thepotters_bn or contact them at 242 4000.

If you are interested in making sambal, this is convenient 😀

 

Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, the Minister of Development and Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (5th from left) with board of directors of Royal Brunei, representatives from Darussalam Assets and Department of Civil Aviation during the launch of Operations Control Centre at Brunei International Airport last week

Outgoing Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion in his welcoming remarks. This was also his final working visit in Royal Brunei Airlines.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) officially launched its Operations Control Centre (OCC) at Brunei International Airport last week.

On hand to officiate the launch as the guest of honour was YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, the Minister of Development and Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines.

As RB explained, at the Operations Control Centre the Corporate Business Unit and Operational Department handle the task of managing and coordinating execution of daily schedules as planned, while the OCC also houses the processes and personnel responsible for managing real-time operational decisions.

Its roles and responsibilities include proactively managing the impact of unplanned changes to schedules, providing quality service to the maximum number of passengers and directing the most cost-effective plan to return to published schedules.

Speaking at the event, Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, Chief Pilot at RB Flight Operations called the launching “an important milestone”.

“As we are all aware, airline schedules typically do not operate as planned,” he said. “Hence, it is in every airline’s best interests to ensure that there is a proper management process in place to manage and coordinate the execution of daily schedules.”

Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, Chief Pilot at RB Flight Operations delivering his remarks

Ribbon cutting to officiate the opening of the Operations Control Centre (OCC)

Viewing the OCC

This room is vital for monitoring flights. I’ve been one at Seattle and it’s huge.

Group photo at the OCC

Dermot greeting the pilots at OCC area

“OCC plays this important role for the day-to-day operations of all scheduled flights departing in and out of the Brunei International Airport.”

The newly structured OCC will see the integration of all the different but relevant departments involved, ranging from Ramp Handling, Reservations, MCC and Engineering Line Maintenance, in the same physical location, which they previously were not, Captain Saiful explained.

“In doing so, this will enable a more cohesive and coordinated workflow, as well as a faster and more informative decision-making process to help ensure the smooth operations of all scheduled flights.”

He added that, as and when required, the OCC can also function as a mini crisis centre able to handle disruptions far more effectively with all the affected departments in close proximity.

Speaking to reporters after the launch, RB’s new Chief Executive Officer, Karam Chand said, “The idea here is to get everybody into the same room and take advantage of all the technologies that are available.”

“I think by having people of all the key disciplines represented in the room, it helps in terms of decision-making. You can get to make a decision quicker, you can consider different scenarios. This is a live environment, you are doing your very best to have your aircraft flying as quick as possible. So by having all the disciplines, it really helps.”

“It’s really to make sure that we are looking after our customers,” he explained. “For example, in an operational environment, you would not normally see a commercial person, so now we are going to put a commercial person in this room as well. We’re always thinking about our customers ahead of everything.”

The outgoing Deputy Chairman and CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dermot Mannion also spoke at the event, saying, “This is a state-of-the-art facility. Any airline in the world would be very proud to have the facility that we’ve now got, and as Karam says, in one area now, we have all of our key operations people present, which means they can monitor all of our activity across the network and do so very effectively.”

“It’s operating 24/7, so there could be 20 people operating in that area at any one time. In addition to the permanent staff in there, we have all the crews visit the area when they’re preparing for flights, so it’s a very active area all through the day and all through the night,” he added.

Also in attendance to witness the opening of the OCC were the RB Board of Directors and Darussalam Asset representatives as well as RB senior management and staff. Text by Danial Norjidi of Borneo Bulletin.

The photo of Captain Sharifah Czarena, Senior First Officer Dayangku Nadiah binti Pengiran Khashiem and Senior First Officer Sariana binti Nordin that spread around the world. Image courtesy of Royal Brunei Airlines’ Facebook Page.

There are so many things that I wanna talk about this picture. It went so viral that even big names such as Mashable and the newspapers in the UK were talking about it. The sharing of the image on Facebook reached into the millions of viewers with thousands of shares. It’s just phenomenal reach especially for a small country like Brunei.

The image of the three female pilots was taken during their flight from Brunei Darussalam to Jeddah during the 23rd February, the National Day. It was stated by former Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dermot Mannion, that it was coincidental that the roster featured three female pilots then.

Dermot was very proud that the RB brand has become viral even after weeks of posting. This is also a testament that there is an increasing number of female associates in the company namely engineering and also in the management team.

The incoming CEO of RB Karam Chand hopes the number of female representatives in the RB’s work force will improve to 50-50 especially in the management section. Currently it stands in the region of 40% of female employment.

Keep up the good job, RB! I’ve always been proud being a passenger of Royal Brunei.

 

The dance performance in closing the Japanese Language and Culture Week

Ms Bella won first place and the prize was presented by Ms Yuki IIDA from the Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam

Times Square Shopping Centre ended its Japanese Language and Culture Week last Sunday, 20th March 2016. The event was held on 18th March, Friday until 20th March, Sunday at 10:00am till 10:00pm. The event was organized by Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam, Times Square Shopping Centre and Japan Foundation. The co-organizers include Brunei Association of Japan Alumni (BAJA), Community Education & training Division (CET), BERSATU/SEAYP and supported by Japan Brunei Friendship Association (JBFA), The Japanese Association Brunei Darussalam, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), The Japan Council of Local Authorities Relations (CLAIR), BJFA-UBD chapters, Language Centre, University Brunei Darussalam, Youth & Sport Department in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Brunei Kendo Alliance, Tsuburaya Production Co Ltd, Human Capacity Building Consultancy Services (HCBC) and One Universal Production Sdn Bhd (OUP).

Throughout the event there was a Manga workshop by a Manga artist from Japan, Ms Manaru Tenkawa, as well as a Calligraphy competition. The closing ceremony that was held yesterday started with the appearance of the heroes from Japan, Ultraman. The prize presentation then followed and was presented by Ms Yuki IIDA from the Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam. For the Manga competition, the third place went to Khairul Anwar bin Abdul Aziz, whereas Justine Lim came second. Ms Bella won first place, walking home with two tickets to the Ultraman show. All the winners were also presented with manga related prizes sponsored by Ms Tenkawa.

The top 3 winners for Calligraphy competition were Redzwan Haji Nasir who came as first place, bringing home a CANON digital camera, whereas Lim Nyuk Lan came second, walking home with a G-Shock watch Afwan Jali won third place, bringing home $100 Kaizen food voucher. The event ended with a dance performance of “Soranbushi” by UBD, JENESYS and SSEAYP.

Moreover, Times Square Shopping Centre will be having a DC-themed Mini Carnival: 9th edition on 23rd March to 29th March 2016, followed with a Wedding Fair on 7th April to 10th April 2016. For further information, please call 2338208 or 2338006 during office hours. Press release by Times Square Shopping Centre.

One of the winners of the Calligraphy competition last weekend

 

Wu Chun as the ambassador for BMW China

Very few people in the world had the chance to be a brand ambassador for world-class brands such as Coca-Cola, Levis, Guerlain, Canon, Osim, Mido Swiss watch, Disneyland, Gatsby, Seven-Eleven and few others. BMW China has recently chosen Brunei’s second biggest export after oil and gas, Wu Chun, our very own international superstar as their spokesperson, who is also a brand ambassador for Royal Brunei Airlines.

A new car for the modern family— the first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer was officially launched in the China market. Its also the first time BMW China has appointed a celebrity as their brand ambassador and they have chosen Wu Chun mainly because of his signature cool-trendy, inspiring and healthy family man image in the eyes of the public which BMW needed for this new target market.

In the BMW Group centenary year, the launch of the fourth localized BMW product – BMW 2 Series Tourer is another important milestone, a marker of BMW Brilliance’s localization process and commitment in China. This new car addresses a new customer group, strengthening the leading position of BMW brand in the premium car market, taking on a full vitality for “The Next 100 Years.”

Anton Heiss, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance remarked, “The first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer marks a significant milestone of BMW Group’s commitment to China. This car precisely captured the new consumer trend in China.”

Wu Chun who recently did a TV commercial shooting for BMW just right after he wraps up his first Hollywood movie in Australia shared,” During my TVC shooting, I have the chance to drive the first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer and this car comes with an innovative concept, combining BMW’s signature driving pleasure and versatility, and how customer-oriented BMW is.”

The award-winning BMW 2 Series (iF Design Award 2015), stands out as the most dynamic tourer car in the class. The extreme dynamic bodylines add a cool and sporty harmony, illustrating the signature look of a BMW car.

Jochen Goller, Dr. Anton Heiss, President and CEO of BMW China, Wu Chun and Olaf Kastner

Dr. Michael Liu, Kun Ling, Wu Chun, Dr. Anton Heiss and Jochen Goller