The body can take it. I’m always worried about my health status as I’m not getting any younger. The monkey mind always have its way. Sometimes I just think too much unnecessarily. But all is good. I just recovered from a fever and cough, battling them for a week at least (Thanks Singapore for that). I feel I’m in the mood to blog once more and get the ball rolling.

Thank you once again to my friends and readers for the wishes a few days ago. I tend not to celebrate it and just treat it like any other day. A good surprise lunch and an evening cake surprise were my highlights of the day (thank you, Sandy, Pranika and Ciara). I had an interesting gift from Aron Tan’s Studio – a picture frame of Darth Vader. Awesome!!! Thanks JT for the nice gesture. I spent my day in a relaxed manner, playing tennis and heading to OGDC for an OTTERS meeting.

A special gift from JT and Aron Tan’s Studio. Love it to bits. Thank you very much.

My evening cake surprise at OTTERS. Thank you, Ciara, for the thoughtful gesture!

Another sneaky plan from my buddies (Sandy, Pranika and friends) as my simple lunch turned out to be slightly crowded

We had lunch at Pastamania the other day

Thanks guys for the treat

Wrap in a Box. For your info, Wrap in a Box has relocated to Setia Kenangan II. They sell pretty interesting items especially for the children and newborns. So do pay them a visit. I kinda like how the new shops are popping here and there especially at Setia Kenangan II. Exact location is Unit E7. They sell items like baby strollers, bags, umbrellas, items and many more. So don’t forget to drop by the newly re-opened @wrapinabox (instagram)

Wrap in a Box now relocated at Setia Kenangan II (near Regent Square)


Day of Action. It’s gonna be a special day coming Sunday, 10th January 2016. Why? Brunei will celebrate the International Volunteer Day (IVD) through the campaign called “Day of Action”. This campaign is initiated by the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in collaboration with the local NGOs and this campaign will help to promote the spirit of volunteerism through community development activities. The event will be held at Pusat Belia in the capital.

Among the activities that will take place include soup kitchen, cleaning campaigns of public spaces including mosques, housing areas and beaches, renovation projects and so on. The public is also invited to make their donations on this day. Donations can come in the form of diapers, household necessities, school necessities, sandals, hand washing soap, recyclable items and also a blood donation drive, which will all take place in Pusat Belia. The public can still register before 9 January (tomorrow). For more information about the Day of Action, visit bit.do/DayofActionBN and for any enquiries, email dayofactionbn@gmail.com or call 8626588 (Khairunnisa). You can also check out their updates on IG with #dayofactionBN hashtag.

The meeting with all the NGOs chaired by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports recently. Image courtesy of Iqbal Damit.

Netflix. Woohooo.. Finally Netflix is available in Brunei Darussalam. I used to stream on Netflix using a VNP accessory which is an additional cost. For those who are unfamiliar of Netflix, it is a like media and TV provider, streaming TV shows and movies with a flat fee rate on a monthly basis. Now I can watch my favourite TV shows and movies online. Of course, it won’t stop me to collect blu-rays but with Netflix, I will be able to watch my shows anytime, anyplace. This would be a direct competition to Astro, the only TV cable provider in Brunei Darussalam.

The availability of Netflix would mean more usage of the internet in a long run. TelBru will definitely benefit from this and this will also generate more TelBru subscribers to take advantage of Netflix offers. Am I gonna subscribe for Netflix? Definitely. Starting at US$7.99 ($11.48) for the basic package or opt for the standard and premium packages which are US$9.99 ($14.35) and US$11.99 ($17.22) respectively. So enjoy Netflix, peeps!! It’s definitely a game changer in how we appreciate TV shows and movies.

One of my favourite shows currently. Highly recommended and now available on Netflix.

CNY deals at Concepts Computer. It’s the time of the year where Concepts Computer offers bundle packages in conjunction with the Chinese New Year for the Year of the Monkey. The promotion deal is the “2 is better than 1” promotion which was a big hit recently. What can you expect from the packages? Well, there are some accessories from Logitech (speakers and handheld laser presenters), Acer smart devices, Microsoft Office software, power banks, HDD portable storage, Epson printing solution and many more.

For me, I can’t wait for the official launch of Predator Acer series, a game changer to bring the best in the gaming world. Concepts Computer will be bringing 11 Predator models ranging from desktops to notebooks to tablets. I’ve seen the specs and they are just “Wowww”. The official launch is slated near the end of January.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (4th from left) with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the “2 is better than 1” hampers available for customers. Do drop by their showroom

The new range of Acer Predator series to be launched this month. The reviews have been strong in this one.

Hybrid Movement. Caption taken from their @hybrid_movement IG. Announcing our official hybrid movement grand opening happening this Sunday 10.01.2016 from 12pm – 7pm || This is your chance to drop in, say hello and see what we have to offer to all future hybrids ???????? Hybrid Movement Gym address:

Jalan Menglait, Simpang 51
One Menglait Industrial Park
Unit B26, Menglait

Congratulations also to Darren Chai (owner of Hybrid Movement) and Vanessa on their wedding last weekend. Oh, there will be early bird promotion as well for the first 30 registrants during their grand opening.

Opening this Sunday

The map to Hybrid Movement

Shooting Stars. They have been making a name for themselves – to bring the basics and the love of the sports of basketball in Brunei Darussalam. The man behind the scene, Ken Han (happy belated bro), has been working tirelessly to promote the sport to young kids especially and the organisation has been involved with a lot of charity work by providing workshops for the Special Olympics team last year. Ken’s philosophy of “one kid at a time” had made a difference to the youths and gaining positive feedback from parents. He couldn’t have achieved it with his team, consisting of mentors and coaches.

Now they are back to training again opening slots for “Social beginners” of all ages this January every Saturday starting 9th January at Fitness Zone Kiulap from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Please do not hesitate to welcome any of your interested friends or family members into SSB basketball family with our friendly coaches who will take you through the basics of basketball week by week! It is also a good time to perhaps, to bond with your family and friends! Contact ???? 7290011 for more information regarding our basketball programmes! You can follow them on @shootingstarsbn IG for updates too.

Ken Han (2nd from left sitting down) with the team from Shooting Stars BN

Any takers?

Breakfast at BK. Now Burger King (Brunei) is serving breakfast from 7am to 11:30am. You can choose from the Breakfast Platter and Croissan’wiches from the menu. The breakfast starts tomorrow onwards at all the Burger King branches.

Recently Burger King also feted awards for the staff of Burger King in the “Coca Cola Upsize Challenge”. This was organised with Burger King (Brunei) and Coca-Cola Brunei in the hope of improving the productivity as well as the enthusiasm of the staff. Siti Hajar Ishak from KB branch was the top winner, winning $500 worth of cash prizes and a certificate. Gladys B Ang Poh came second with $300 worth of cash prize and a certificate while Nuramal Zahidah Roslan came third with $200 worth of cash prize and a certificate. Keep up the great work, guys!! And I miss my taro dosage…

Breakfast now available at Burger King outlets

Siti Hajar Ishak (left) receiving her prize and certificate from Ryan Law, Regional Sales Manger of Coca-Cola. Image taken by Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (4th from left) with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the “2 is better than 1” hampers available for customers. Do drop by their showroom

 

Check out the different range of hampers (2 in 1) ideal for CNY corporate gifts.

Press release. To celebrate Chinese New Year for the Year of the Monkey, Concepts Computer will be extending their “2 is Better than 1” promo, where a purchase of 2 separate, selected products can qualify customers for better prices. Also, the good response from our customers regarding the “2 is Better than 1” promo and also our other promos like “Back to School” and “Year End” is also one of the main reason we are extending “2 is Better than 1”. The products under the “2 is Better than 1” promo includes computer accessories from Logitech like speakers and handheld laser presenters, Acer smart devices, Microsft Office software, Epson printing solutions, powerbanks, external storage, and much, much more.

When asked regarding the future of Concepts Computer in the local IT Retail industry in Brunei Darussalam for 2016 and for the Year of the Monkey, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, said, “In my point of view, the IT Retail business in Brunei Darussalam is more challenging nowadays, with savvy consumers using the internet and other sources to keep up-to-date regarding IT technological advances, retailers need to focus more on providing better services for customers.” He continued, “Retailers will need to be more creative and more innovative to respond to the ever changing needs of consumers in the Year of the Monkey, to help them grow, not only in terms of physical size but also in terms of their capabilities.” When asked regarding how Concepts Computer as a whole would welcome customers in the Year of the Monkey, “When it comes to Concepts Computer, I always lead with a simple statement, ‘We must always do a good job.’”

Also present during the event, Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive at Concepts Computer added, “We are extending the “2 is Better than 1” promo as a nod to our large customer base in the Bruneian Chinese community for supporting Concepts Computer through-out the years and to wish them a great and prosperous Chinese New Year for 2016.”

For more information regarding the “2 is Better than 1” promo or any other enquiries regarding Concepts Computer and their range of products, please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553, or visit your nearest Concepts Computer retail outlet.

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik in the group photo during the relaunch of the newly refurbished BIBD Headquarters in the heart of the capital. Accompanying His Royal Highness were Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, Minister of Development cum BIBD Chairman (2nd from left), Yang Muliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Hj Suhaili Hj Mohiddin, Chairman of BIBD’s Shariah Advisory Vody and its subsiadiaries and Shariah Appeal Court Judge (left) and Javed Ahmad, Managing Director of BIBD. Click image to enlarge.

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik launching the event this morning at BIBD HQ

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik graced the launch of the newly refurbished BIBD HQ in town this morning. He was greeted by Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, Minister of Development cum BIBD Chairman.

The Chairman made his welcoming remarks on the build up to leading to the launch of the refurbished headquarters of BIBD. He shared about the processes and transformations from the times of IBB (Islamic Bank of Brunei Berhad) and also The Island Development Bank which later merged with Islamic Development Bank of Brunei in 2005 and rebranded as BIBD (Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam).

The current HQ consists of three floors. As you can see that each floor is designated to cater for different purposes. The ground floor will be for counter transaction services, the second floor for financing services and third floor will handle BIBD’s Corporate Banking division. The dedicated floors are easily accessed through means of lift for the convenience of the customers.

The main branch also provides four ATMs, two Cash Deposit Machines (CDM), a Cheque Deposit Machine along with an internet kiosk to provide speedy and seamless banking transactions even after working hours.

According to Javed Ahmad, the Managing Director of BIBD, the relaunching of BIBD HQ symbolises the Bank’s journey into becoming a modern, world-class financial institution and marks the completion of an intensive rebranding exercise that started in 2013.

As of now, there are 15 branches of BIBD which are strategically located across the country. Furthermore, BIBD has a dedicate 24-7 Contact Centre and also an active BIBD online services and let’s not forget their BIBD Mobile application to make transaction seamless for BIBD customers.

Congratulations once more to BIBD on the event this morning as everything went pretty smoothly. So have you bank with BIBD yet?

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik cutting the ribbon to make the occasion

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik toured the ground floor of BIBD HQ

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik in the group photo with BIBD associates

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik viewing the video presentation on the changes of BIBD

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik being briefed on the history and milestone of BIBD

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik being briefed on the corporate customers of BIBD

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik signing the plaque

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik receiving a pesembah from the chairman of BIBD

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik with the other ministers during refreshment

Chairman of BIBD, Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin, in his welcoming remarks

At the tent outside BIBD

The Chairman was happy with the success of the event

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Mohammad Hj Daud, the former chairman of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD)

Pg Shamhary Pg Dato Paduka Mustapha, Managing Director of Brunei Shell Marketing was present too

Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, was among the invited guest

Listen to the podcast review of The Good Dinosaur with special guest Pranika Lama

 

My brother @a_munim_ with mom during the cake cutting last Saturday

He’s a big fan of Mercedes-Benz too

Oh yea, we both support Liverpool too 😀

A good celebration last weekend.

Pg Mohd Nasir Pg Anak Ja’afar with the associates of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd (Mercedes-Benz Brunei) at Appreciation Day yesterday at Beribi showroom.

Last year it was raining. Yesterday was a different story. Jati Transport Sdn Bhd had its Appreciation Day for their customers who have supported the company. As you know that Jati Transport is the main distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Brunei Darussalam. They recently launched the new V-Class last week which was well received from the Brunei market.

Hundreds showed up in the heavily packed event where customers bring their families and friends to celebrate the occasion at Jati Transport showroom in Beribi. There were catering from Radisson Hotel, London Kebab, satay joint and everyone’s favourite, Mr. Softy ice-cream. There were also face painting, animal show, life sketch drawing and of course, the Photo Booth by @meinaboxbn, the most popular spot of the lot.

Present during the Appreciation Customer Day were Pg Anak Hj Ja’afar Ibni Al-Marhum Pg Pemancha Pg Anak Hj Mohd Alam, Executive Chairman of Jati Transport, Mr. Andrew Chiam, Executive Director of Jati Transport, Alfred So, General Manager of Jati Transport and Pg Mohd Nasir Pg Anak Ja’afar.

You can follow their updates on Facebook or instagram @mercedesbenzbrunei and they are quite updated as well.

The long queue at Mr. Softy

Andrew Chiam enjoying his ice-cream

Huge crowd yesterday at Jati Transport Beribi showroom

@cheahong2012 caught by surprise by my shot :p

Face painting for the kids and even adults

The crowd eyeing on the iguana

Loads of lamb spit from Radisson.

You can take photo with the eagle

Sketching portraits for the guests

Family shot at the photo booth

The happening Photo Booth @meinaboxbn

Betty and her baby at the event

Lots of kids got their face painted

Good music throughout the event

Some of the guests yesterday

Talk on safety especially when it comes to tyres

You’re the man 😀

Congratulations to Rafiyuddin aka Rupert and Siti Hazrena (Rena) on their niche yesterday

The bride being escorted to the nikah ceremony

Rupert was calm and he recited the whole sentence in one breath… very quickly

The bride smiling from a distance

Where the groom meets the bride

The customary kissing-the-hand of the groom

Rupert being briefed by Abang on how to stay calm and cool

The cast of Othello from PTE Meragang. Kudos to Rabi’atul Adawiyyah (in red and black) because you really pulled the show and played the role of Iago exceptionally well.

I’m familiar with Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet. But not so much on Othello. The ones I have mentioned are plays by William Shakespeare and I’ve seen different movie adaptations except for Othello. Hence I was intrigued when the English Literature team of PTE Meragang conducted a few shows with their version of Othello. I wasn’t too familiar with the language of Shakespeare but it will take me a while to digest so it was helpful that the organiser handed out synopsis of Othello for the benefit of the audience.

I must say I was impressed with the quality of the students, showcasing their acting talents. There were also students with the assistant of teachers involved behind the scenes such as at the lighting, props and make-ups. All in all, there were 55 students involved from Lower Six and Upper Six (English Literature students). They were well-prepared in advance before the show as they had examinations prior to this.

The adaptation play was directed by Siti Zuliana bte Hj Masri, a teacher from the English Literature of PTE Meragang. The second show was special as parents and families were able to catch the stars of the day. According to Hjh Soriana Salwa Hj Mornie, Head of the English Department, PTE Meragang, the show was a follow up of the British High Commission sponsored Othello workshop which was previously conducted at Repertory Theatre in Singapore as part of the school’s Shakespeare Education trip back in April. Now they have taken the initiative and give it back to the community. Thumbs up to the direction of the school and the students in making this possible.

Once again, I’m truly impressed with the students of PTE Meragang and those who worked behind the scenes, they too play important roles. Thank you to Adree for the heads up and also to Sharon Ong for saving a seat for me 😀

The character Othello played by Syed Ibrahim Faris Malai Hj Abd Hamid (right) was commanding on stage

Dk Siti Basyirah as Desdemona and Asyraf Amin as Cassio showed their charisma on stage and we were drawn to their chemistry

This scene reminds me of Pulp Fiction 😀

The bedroom scene

Picture opportunity with the cast

Picture opportunity with the cast

Picture opportunity with the cast

It was a full house show last weekend

Click image to enter website

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

Happy Birthday Nisaa @ Bonita Suresh and sorry, I couldn’t make it to your advanced celebration. Hope you like the lame video greetings 😀 Thanks for being part of my life and I truly treasure the friendship since Day 1 (e-circles) haha..

The Surprise celebration. I wonder if the gang pulled it off :p

My current trip to Bangkok is to help expose and share with you guys of places to shop around Bangkok. Have you heard of Emporium and Emquatier? There are both new shopping malls under one roof, The District EM and shared among three buildings. The shopping experience is crazy there because there are more the 400 iconic brands at District EM. I was even confused with my bearings as I easily lost track of my directions. You might need an in-house map to get to wonder around.

Of course, if you happen to be in Bangkok, now it’s a good time to give these places because of the mid year sales. If you are familiar with Siam Paragon and Terminal 21, I would highly recommend you to try out the EM District. It’s even located at a BTS station (train) so you won’t have to walk from the station to District EM.

Even though the said malls have been operating for a few months, they have spent a hefty sum on promotion and marketing, a whooping USD 500,000 alone. You can see how serious the shareholders of District EM are. Give it a few more months and exposure, Emporium and Emquartier will be the top attraction for the shopping crowd especially from overseas.

Check out the pictures I posted below and I couldn’t include all because they were simply too many 😀

During the grand opening a few months ago

At the Emporium

The SL Coupé was launched a few days ago at the Mercedes-Benz Cafe at Emporium. The first of its kind concept in Thailand and this is to give more hospitality to their clients. Awesome stuff!!

The Mercedes-Benz Cafe

They even have prayer rooms at District EM

I have to try this premium cinema at Emporium on my next trip

If you own a super car like these, you can park with them

The garden upstairs

The imported area of the supermarket

I almost bought some grapes :p

The scarlett room, only applicable to members only and you need to spend at least BND 80,000 within a year

The logo for Emporium. The British flag pin indicates that the person can speak in English if you need any assistance. Cool!

Different range of clothes

The guys who brought us around. Thank you 😀

Group photo

 

Deputy Minister of Finance, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah presenting the championship trophy to ITB’s captain. Image courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

A well deserved victory for ITB. Two years ago, they lost the inaugural tournament in the hands of UBD. This year, they almost lost it when they were down 2-0 against IGS College in the finals last Saturday of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup 2015.

All was not lost. Md Farrizz Saralfari and Ak Md Naqib scored two goals to put IGS College in the lead only for ITB to reply with confidence through Md Hafiy and Norfaez before half time kicked in to make a competitive score line of 2-2 by half time.

I actually felt pity for IGS College as they had the upper hand. A 2 goal lead with a poor field conditions due to the rainy weather, IGS could have held the game for their first title. However, ITB had other plans. They know that they have been in the finals before and experience did matter in this situation.

Right after the break, ITB quickly took the lead in the 47th minute from Ak Md Haikal which proved to be the winner. The match ended in a 3-2 victory for ITB and they have what it takes to be a champion. Hats off to IGS College for the great fight and let it be a good experience for them and also for the rest of the teams that were involved in the tournament.

The matches have always brought high energy towards the stands where fans will be supporting their own team. Even the crowd attendance can put other local leagues to shame. Great effort from BIBD At-tamwil for taking the lead and teaming up with ITB as co-organiser.

This year also see inclusion of local colleges and an invitational team representing Curtin University. A big thanks for Fazizul Haqimie for taking all the pictures since Day 1 and he was even soaked in the rain that night. Great photos and keep it up!

The VIPs watching the finals of the University Cup 2015

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

Celebration from the ITB bench

Consolation for the head coach of IGS College

A sad moment for the IGS player

ITB team celebrating their success

ITB the new champions of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup 2015

Team IGS have their heads high and it has been a great journey

The rain didn’t hamper their mood on the field

 

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Zul And Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer during the unveiling of the Acer Revo at Consumer Fair last weekend. You can have a closer look at their Concepts Computer showroom

Acer is playing it’s Ace with the release of the new Acer Revo RL85-2957W8 mini PC at the ASEAN Consumer fair 2015. Launched by Concepts Computer, the compact computing solution, is a perfect powerhouse of features despite its small size.

The micro personal computer is an excellent addition to the household, with two terabytes of onboard storage, which can be extended with additional hard disks.

The unit also comes with HDMI making it easy to plug into a projector and speakers or a television as a media player, streaming high resolution visuals smoothly and great sound quality.

The Revo also comes with a pre-loaded Acer BYOC (Build Your Own cloud apps to make it the centre of your personal cloud. It automatically backs up all files stored in phones or tablets, making it accessible through all connected devices. Another nifty feature is that users can navigate the mini PC with their smartphones, provided their phones come with the remote control application.

The Acer Revo RL85-2957W8 is available at Concepts Computer at the price of $458.

For more information on the latest mini PC by Acer, visit the fair or head to Concepts’ nearest branch. You can also call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553.

Check out the small size of the Acer Revo

Quite portable as well

Check out the plug-ins from the Acer Revo. Image courtesy of Pocket-lint.

Image courtesy of Pocket-lint

 

Trying out different Chinese tea at Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop located at Gadong Central

Many selections to choose from at Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop

Yunnan Dianhong tea at Tea Fu. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

A few years ago, I had an outing with my friend in Penang and we had a great conversation by the beach and he brought along a travel tea pot where we had endless drinking of Chinese tea in small portions. Without realizing, I actually drank more than usual because the conversation with my friend Tungie was great and the Chinese tea complimented well with the setting.

Fast forward to this year, I was impressed that Brunei has a Chinese tea shop which located at Gadong Central. It is called the Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop. They sell the authentic Chinese tea sachets and not only that but also assorted accessories and ornaments that are made from Chinese tea. For your info, they are imported from China and Chinese Taipei.

What I like about Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop is that you are able to taste the samples from the wide variety of Chinese tea and depends on what you really want to benefit from drinking Chinese. Apparently different Chinese teas have different functions and it does cater to the needs of the individuals.

Hence the customers can sit down at a dedicated table behind the shop and you can sit down and mingle with the managers or the staff at Tea-Fu who can guide you on what suits you.

You can try out their premium Chinese teas such as Dianhong Tea. So what’s the difference? Well, the large leafed version give a much premium taste. The black tea is fermented with lychee, rose and longan, and has a sweet, gentle aroma with a mellow taste. It’s handmade to give it its distinctive curled spiral shape, which preserves the shape and integrity of the bud, and preserves the fragrance while also delivering excellent taste. This particular tea comes from the Yuanna province of China. The price might be expensive with a price tag of BND 138. You can also have a lower grade version of the same quantity for only BND 45. The price depends on the quantity of teas and brands as well. There is even some price tagged at BND 10.

You can visit Tea-Fu Chinese Tea Shop at No.37, Ground Floor at Gadong Central (same row with Sushi Tei and Mr. Baker’s Bakeshop) and you can also call 242 8979 for more details.

Brewing tea to get that authentic taste

Tea is ready to be served

The art of pouring tea

A short interview

RA: Is drinking tea culture something new in Brunei?

Tea Fu Teashop: Drinking tea is not a new thing in Brunei. However, the original and traditional teas are still not common in Brunei. What you see normally that served at restaurants are the common types but we serve and sell a more authentic Chinese tea.

RA: Will there be any education or programmes on Chinese tea?

Tea Fu Teashop: Yes. We will be bringing professional tea maker from overseas to create a tea making course for local Bruneians. We might even have collaboration with some local schools to make it more interesting.

RA: Does making Chinese tea use specific techniques? For instance, time and pouring of tea and also the temperature.

Tea Fu Teashop: Yes indeed. It has many techniques to make different kinds of tea. For instance, you have to use 95 degree boiled water while for  black tea just 85 degree. So the variance in temperature will make a distinctive taste.

RA: Explain to me some of benefits of Chinese.
Tea Fu Teashop: Drinking tea is a very healthy lifestyle. It can lower ur blood pressure, etc. The White Tea reduces risks of cancer, blood pressure, cholesterol level and cardiovascular diseases and strengthens our bones and teeth as well as our immunity. The Green Tea reduces cardiovascular disease, cancer and you will have lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as reducing the risk of diabetes. The good thing about the Green Tea is that it helps to burn fats and boost your metabolic rate. As for the Black Tea, it reduces cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Drinking lots of Green Tea will give you healthier skin and hair and good immunity

RA: Who are your target customers?
Tea Fu Teashop: Actually all are our target market.

Before the tea is being brewed

This is actually made of tea. Interesting and it’s for sale too

Located at No.37 Floor Floor at Gadong Central.

 

Yang Mulia Awang Mohd Riza Bin Dato Paduka Haji Yunos, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications officiating the re-opening of BIBD Airport e-Branch

Guest of honour with the management of BIBD

Keyword here is convenience. BIBD has become more innovative as a bank and continues to provide excellence service to its customers. Recently, BIBD re-opened their BIBD Airport e-Branch, its latest in its fleet of branches to adapt the bank’s “Bruneian at Heart” signature image. The spacious new BIBD e-Branch will be operational 24 hours a day and is located at the Departure Hall on the first floor of the Brunei International Airport. They also have a bigger presence among the other ATMs at the Brunei International Airport.

The reopening of the BIBD e-Branch was officiated by Yang Mulia Awang Mohd Riza Bin Dato Paduka Haji Yunos, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, at a ceremony attended by BIBD senior personnel along with officers and staff. The ceremony started with the recital of the Al-Fatihah along with prayers to bless the new e-branch, which was followed by a plaque signing and a short tour.

The e-Branch houses two ATMs, two CDMs and one CQM to provide speedy and seamless banking transactions. The machines present are aimed to provide hassle-free and instant banking to cater to the needs of BIBD customers.

The Airport e-Branch is one of two BIBD e-Branches which include the Sengkurong e-Branch. These e-Branches are part of BIBD’s banking network, the largest in Brunei Darussalam, which includes fifteen branches, fifty-five ATMS, seventeen CDMs and eleven CQMs placed in strategic locations across the country. The BIBD branch network also includes three branches at Kiulap, The Mall Gadong and Giant Rimba, that are open on Sundays to provide added convenience to its customers.

To further complement BIBD’s branch network, BIBD also has a dedicated 24-7 Contact Centre along with having a wide range of its services available over its e-banking channel through its BIBD Online website and BIBD Mobile applications to provide instant banking available anywhere, anytime.

The launching of the new e-branch follows in the footsteps of BIBD’s “Bruneian at Heart” image that highlights uniquely Bruneian values that signify the Brunei and Islamic visual canvas. The upgrading of BIBD’s entire branch network is in line with the strategic efforts embarked by BIBD on its transformation journey.

The emphasis on being “Bruneian at Heart” brings out BIBD’s commitment to the Bruneian aspirations and values, as well as its roots in Bruneian and Islamic values.

For more information on any BIBD products, services, offers and promotions, please follow the BIBD Instagram account at BIBDBRUNEI; Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181 or visit the nearest BIBD Branch. You can also get the latest information regarding BIBD offers and promotions under the “What’s New” feature within the BIBD Mobile application on your mobile phone.

Javed Ahmad, Managing Director of BIBD

Token of appreciation

The ATMs at the Airport branch

Group photo

 

Alice Chan of Concepts Computer, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, Victor Nga, Brother brand, Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager and Farezah Azalea, Head of Customer Service, Brother International Malaysia

Exchanging of documents

The Brother brand is known for their printers, faxes and evening industrial sewing. Last weekend, Brother International Malaysia, a leading brand in quality printing and imaging technology has licensed OnTime Service Network to become its authorised service centre in Brunei after a lengthy period of training and re-training of Concepts Computer staff.

I didn’t know that Brother has a big presence in Malaysia, accounting to 70% of the Brother Group’s net sales dealing with printing and solution businesses. Now with a certified presence of Brother in Brunei (thanks to Concepts Computer), the product and services of Brother have officially started and expect more presence of Brother in Brunei as well as they will give confidence and trust to future potential corporate companies on the Brother brand.

Flying to Brunei to sign the business partnership were Victor Nga, Brother brand, Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager and Farezah Azalea, Head of Customer Service, Brother International Malaysia. They signed the agreement with Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Alice Chan of Concepts Computer.

Victor Nga was de delighted with this new partnership with OnTime Service Network, a company with amazing history, determination and commitment in servicing our products in Brunei. He believed that through this partnership, customers will have closer attention and assistance for any Brother products purchased. This also aligns to our motto ‘At your side’ which tells our customers that they are our priority and we enable them to reach us conveniently.

Concepts Computer also have renovated the OnTime service centre as they are also handling other brands and to accommodate Brother as their new partners. With the newly trained staff, Concepts Computer is confident that they will provide a better service to the customers of Brother especially after-sale service.

You can also contact OnTime Service Network on 2233556 or 2233559.

Handing of certificates to Concept Computers and the trained staff

Group photo with Concepts Computer and Brother International Malaysia

The service centre also includes the Brother brand

 

Datin Sakdiah binti Haji Mohd Noor, Sales & Marketing Manager of Jerudong Park Country Club (3rd from left) with the representatives from JPCC hosting the media team for a game of Laser Tag. Thank you 😀

I haven’t been to Jerudong Park Playground for a very long time. I know I owe my friend a visit to the playground. Soon, soon, okay? 😀 Anyway, I’m still amazed how the old playground has been transformed by phases and this is for the benefit of our locals. The public used to complain by comparing the good old days when things were FREE as compared to now. That mentality has slowly shifted and the people of Brunei are beginning to appreciate the value that the management of Jerudong Park Playground are creating by revamping the whole amusement park at Jerudong Park.

Now we can experience newer rides and fun activities with families and friends. According to the management, during the school holidays, they had an amazing record crowd and this is an indication that Jerudong Park Playground is heading in the right direction. At the moment, the whole project of revamping the playground is not near completion as there are other areas that have been left untouched. The management has a proper timeline to execute the future developments/phases of the park and they want to consistently maintain the newer rides and operations for a better customer experience.

This is also the same reason why the Park operations hours are limited. As you can see from the poster below, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are closed for maintenance purposes. Well, enough of the information about the Park. I’m here to share my view of the latest game provided by JPCC Playground and that is the “Laser Tag”. This is prtty fun game because I remember playing this as a kid back in the UK. So recently we had a battle, compromising of the media team and JPCC’s Sales & Marketing Team. I can’t remember who won but I had zero kills as I was concentrating more on taking videos for my IG *lol*

Hosted us the game was Datin Sakdiah binti Haji Mohd Noor, Sales & Marketing Manager of Jerudong Park Country Club and she was pleased with the new addition game to JPCC Playground – it’s a family game that doesn’t require physical bullets. She also shared that the ticket entry to the Playground is also inclusive of the Laser Tag game.

So peeps. What are you waiting for? Get your family and friends and try out Laser Tag with a maximum player of 12 and outscore your opponents as a team. What’s great now is that JPPC Playground is that they are extending their School Holiday Specials until the 29th April 2015. Now with a Family Package of 5, two adults and three kids is only BND 30, if for entry for kids and senior citizen, it’s BND 5 and a ticket of adult is BND 10. For children below 2 years old, the entry is FREE. Awesome deals!!

For more updates, you can visit their website  and even book tickets online or also follow them on instagram @jerudongpark

The guns used for Laser Tag

Some briefing before the Laser Tag game. Rule number one – Do Not Swear 😀

I was the green team and I got shot by the red team (laser) numerous times because I was simply taking videos and not playing

Another laser game is The Time Portal which is a Lazer Maze.

This is the scores that you have to beat using time. How fast can you disable the laser inside the laser maze?

It’s not easy especially on Expert Level. There are four levels of difficulty.

We had some Charcoal burger at the Water Park. Try the sunrise burger 😀

One of the main attractions of the JPCC Playground – The Waterpark

The extended promotion by JPCC until 29th April 2015

 

Last week, BIBD handed over five pairs of air tickets to Melbourne for the final winners of its monthly “Swipe to Fly” winners at the BIBD Kiulap Branch. Present to hand over the prizes was BIBD’s Head of Marketing, Ben Lin.

Winning has never been easier as there were no hassles of filling entry forms to qualify for the promotion, making that dream holiday one step easier and closer. BIBD customers needed to only spend a minimum of B$30 on a single receipt using either their BIBD cards or BIBD eTunai service and at any retail or online outlet. BIBD customers were also rewarded with an additional lucky draw entries for accumulating a monthly minimum spending of B$1,000 using the mentioned services.

The handing over event marks the end of the four-month promotion which also saw prizes of air tickets to Ho Chi Minh, Bali and Dubai for a dream holiday. Despite the end of the “Swipe to Fly”, there are also other on-going BIBD promotions such as the BIBD Card Privileges with Agoda. The promotion allows BIBD cardholders, including the BIBD Virtual Mastercard, to enjoy a discount of up to seven percent when you book your hotel stay with Agoda.com. This promotion is valid until the 30th April 2015, and is available at www.agoda.com/bibd.

The winners flying to Melbourne as part of the monthly “Swipe to Fly”

On top of that, BIBD is also running its “Let’s Go Mobile” promotion through the BIBD Mobile app, where lucky draw winners stand a chance to win either an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or Apple watch every month, until the 30th of July 2015. To be eligible for this promotion, BIBD Mobile users need only top up their utility bills, make purchases with BIBD eTunai or BIBD Virtual Prepaid MasterCard, or transfer funds using the BIBD Mobile application.

For more information on any BIBD products, services and promotions, please follow the BIBD Instagram account at @BIBDBRUNEI; Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181 or visit the nearest BIBD Branch. Also, don’t forget to download the popular BIBD Mobile App to get the latest BIBD offers and promotions under “What’s New” feature.

 

Sadly I won’t be able to catch Avengers: Age of Ultron until next week. This is because I will be flying off this Wednesday to Bangkok and surprisingly, they are not showing it there until 30th April. So I will be at least a week behind and I hope this won’t affect my podcast review of blockbuster movie. Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia will be running their releases on Thursday midnight (23rd April 2015). Times Cineplex has run a special movie marathon for comic and Avengers fans where you can get to watch both first and the second Avengers (one marathon show only) from 9pm Wednesday 22nd April.

Marathon ticket includes two Avengers movies, one Avengers popcorn bucket and one Avengers tumbler and you can get refill (once) after the first movie for both popcorn and drinks. Good deal I must say for BND 40. The popcorn buckets are sold separately and also other Avengers movie merchandise.

These are only available at Times Cineplex but the ticketing for the marathon is not available online. You will have to purchase the tickets physically at Times Cineplex (Times Square, Empire, Tutong and KB). Congratulations to the winner of my IG competition @shemustbenia who won herself two tickets of the Avengers Marathon package 😀

The Avengers Marathon by Times Cineplex

The number of merchandises for Avengers at Times Cineplex

Avengers movie merchandise t-shirt. I love the packaging for this.