My lunch today at Thien Thien at Kiulap branch

Finally all of us can dine at Thien Thien without any doubts

Yay!! After decades of existence, Thien Thien Restaurant (known for their Chicken Rice), has finally obtained the Halal Certificate under the Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order, 2005. I spoke to the owner earlier during lunch today and he was very appreciative that the Halal Certificate has helped his business to flourish at his Kiulap establishment.

Thien Thien Kiulap has been around for 12 years and the manager said that his branch has broken record sales in the past week or so ever. He shared it was a hardworking process to get the certificate and now with the Halal certificate, it has brought new confidence to the patrons. Judging from the responses from my instagram, Thien Thien Kiulap is bound to be a greater hit among the locals.

 

Check out our latest review of Furious 7 featuring Rano and his co-host Del Goh on The Popcorn Panel

 

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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.

 

Three shows in Singapore last week

I never had a chance to meet him in person.

Late post: Wowwwieeee!!! It’s hard to do a review of the comedic Russell Peters. This is the second time I caught him live in Singapore. The first one being in Singapore back in 2012 for his “Notorious” show and this time it’s called “Almost Famous”. I was the only one from the @bruhahahcomedy group that attended the Singapore show. Well, it was hosted during the weeknight so it will be hard for many to fly to Singapore and catch him live.

Was he funny as hell? Of course, the benchmark of Russell Peters is still his “Outsource” gig many, many years ago and it’s never easy to steal that particular thunder of “Be a Real Man” or “Somebody is gonna get hurt real bad”. I saw them tag lines being sold as merchandise at Suntec Convention Centre where his gig is being held. So to answer the question, yes, he was funny that night but wasn’t on his prime as he was before. I have to admit that his Notorious gig two years ago was below par and I was disappointed leaving the Singapore Indoor Stadium that night.

Fast forward to “Almost Famous”, it’s worth the trip actually. Half of his materials were spontaneous as he picked on a couple of victims at the front row. Perhaps the notable one was the two underage kids below their teen years who happened to be catching the show. Peters made the audience laugh in stitches but I kinda feel sorry for the two young boys were made fun of and maybe, just maybe, his father may have regretted bringing his son along.

It was the first time I also heard Peters talked about toilet humour and I thought that was hilarious. He shared his experiences calling an IT consultant and touched a lot on Indian cultures as well.

The security was pretty tight that it was really hard to play with your gadget especially your smartphones. They won’t even give you the chance to play or text or do anything with your phone. I saw a few people from the audience being told off by the muscular built securities and they would shine their flashlights to embarrass him or her before he or she would put away the smartphone. This is to prevent the attendees to take the opportunity to steal a photo or record a video or an audio. I thought that’s a very good rule and also kinda make the audience feel very present during Peters’ show.

Overall, it was a very entertaining evening though I came alone #sioksendiri and I don’t mind another Russell Peters show in the near future. Oh, I also love how @djspinbad played some cool video mixes to warm up the crowd. Verdict: 8/10.

It was a sold out crowd on the 7th of April and my ticket cost SGD 160

Impressed with DJ Spinbad spinning before the show

A very responsive crowd that night

If you are into comedy and also wanting to support our local talents, check out @bruhahacomedy latest gig this coming Saturday at Seameo Voctech

 

A group of ten athletes from the Busiido Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Club are currently training hard at the Jerudong Park Medical Centre Fitness Centre (JPMC) prior to their competition that will be held in Manila.

The athletes led by Ahmad Faez Anuar will be competing at the Pan Asian Jiu-Jitsu International Open, which will take place in Manila on the 15th to 17th May. The tournament is one of the most prestigious BJJ tournaments in Asia.

‘We are proud to support our local athletes who will be competing at the Pan Asia Jiu-Jitsu International Open in Manila. As part of our commitment to inspire an active lifestyle for all and encourage our athletes to compete in the International arena, we will be providing them with the usage of the JPMC Fitness Centre for their training needs. We hope that this will greatly benefit the athletes throughout their rigorous training period. We wish them the very best and hope that they will make the country proud’, said Tony Han-Gym Supervisor of the JPMC Fitness Centre.

‘On behalf of Busiido BJJ, we would like to extend our utmost appreciation and gratitude towards the JPMC fitness centre for being supportive towards the growth and success of brazilian jiu jitsu. By providing us with access to use the fitness facilities such as the cardio machines, weights, pool and sauna, training and preparation for competitions has just got easier and more exciting. All these aspects are imperative to get competition ready. What makes jpmc so perfect is that we get all these utilities in one vicinity’, said Ahmad Faez.

 
‘Also, we are grateful and blessed that an established body being JPMC has offered the opportunity for a young and growing club like us to develop even further. As multiple competitions are all lined throughout the years to come, we do hope we can maintain such relationships’, he added.

Tony Han, Gym Supervisor at JPMC Fitness Centre with Ahmad Faez Anuar of Busiido Mixed Martial Arts Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club

Ahmad Faez is a purple-belt holder with six years’ experience in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and has won multiple titles at the Pan Asian Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Bangkok Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open and Sabah Headhunters Brazilian Jiu-jitsu champion.

Busiido Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Club was established in early 2012 and is affiliated with one of the largest international BJJ organisations in the world, Checkmat from Brazil.

The club and has been successful in winning medals for the Sultanate at the regional and international level, and their latest victory was in Sabah, at the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Headhunters Challenge where the team brought home 10 gold, seven silver and 15 bronze medals from the Dec 13-14 championship.

JPMC Fitness Centre is the leading edge of the health and fitness market, promoting wellbeing as a way of life. It is designed to accommodate everyone, irrespective of age or fitness level and is committed to meeting individual needs.
A wide range of gym facilities are available at the Fitness Centre including the extensive range of fitness equipment, Milon Circuit, 25 metre swimming pool, Health and fitness testing, Personal training and tailored fitness programmes, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna suites.

 

The monster Lexus Sport Coupe RC F

The Lexus RC 350

Sorry for the late post. I recently test drove the latest Lexus sports coupes – RC F and the RC 350. I hardly driven a sport coupe and the new Lexus gave me a good impression especially the RC F. We were hosted by Muhammad Clovien Abdullah Timpoh, Marketing Manager of NBT.

Yes, the Lexus RC F is a beast machine. If you are hungry for power and speed, RC F delivers nothing short of it. The five-litre V8 engine delivers 470hp/7100 rpm of torque and I test drove at least 75% of its power capabilities behind the exit route from the Indera Samudra Grand Hall of The Empire Hotel & Country Club. It’s not just a fast car but also quite stable. There are many things to boast about the Lexus RC F but of course, the end of the day will be the money that you will need to fork out as it’s quite an expensive car.

The Lexus RC 350 is another Lexus luxury car and it’s the tamer version of the RC F. It is still powerful in the sense that it is powered by a 3.5 litre V6 Four Cam 24-valve engine. What I love about the Lexus RC 350 is the classy interior. I kinda like the wooden surface design on some of the interiors to give it a premium experience for the driver and passengers.

For more information on the latest RC models or to book for a test drive, head to the Lexus Showroom at KM4, Jalan Gadong or call 2448688.

The interior of the RC 350

The interior of the RC 350

The interior of the RC 350

The interior of the RC 350

The interior of the RC 350

The interior of the RC 350

The interior of the RC 350

 

Del Goh of The Reel Show interviewing Zainal Bostaman, founder of Bruhaha Comedy. Catch another Bruhaha show this Saturday. Tickets are already available and I shall be posting on my IG for details pretty soon.

 

As part of the Royal Wedding celebration, the organising committee organised a series of cultural performances in the capital – parking area opposite of Royal Regalia Building and the Royal Wharf. I was fortunate enough to catch Brunei Shell Joint Venture Wedding Cultural performance and also bits of the Temburong district cultural performers. I believe tonight (Tuesday) is the final day of the so-called Perayaan in Bandar.

I won’t ramble much but here are some of the pictures I took last week.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar, Energy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, with Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Halbi Hj Md Yussof, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and the performers from BSP during the Brunei Shell Joint Venture Wedding Cultural performance

 

The LegCo is coming. Mobile wars are heating up while AITI makes sure it’s a win-win situation for consumers! New rates of TelBru’s broadband testing the new waters. Another run (Tongkat Puith) happening this weekend. DPMM FC and also Brunei National Team will take sports headlines for the S•League and Brunei’s qualifying match against Taiwan. The Area K6 Contest to select the best toastmasters speaker from Brunei this Sunday. Poppins the Musical by Relentless Entertainment end of March. The upcoming International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) And of course, my pending stories to be posted on my blog. March, indeed, has become a busier month than I anticipated.

I’m still not sure if I will be flying to Singapore this month. But I definitely have two places to visit – Kuching and Labuan. Singapore will be in my pending list of destination for March. Then again, I will be heading to Lion City in April for Russell Peters’ gig. Will he impressed like before? My previous take of him in Notorious gig in Singapore was just okay. It’s never easy to be funny because it needs a lot of spontaneous creativity. I also have been attending Zainal Bostaman’s Bruhaha workshop, a local comedy workshop, that hopes to aspire that comedy is a social art and it can be learnt and practice. The workshops have been fruitful and last Sunday we saw a new batch of attendees and this shows that there are people out there who want to learn to be a “comic”. Good job, Zainal, and you have my support!

Zainal Bostaman, founder of Bruhaha Comedy, having his 2nd Bruhaha Comedy Workshop last Sunday

After missing out last year, ISB is back with their BGIC this weekend. I have always love how they run their show every year. This year there will 23 local schools participating and ISB had conducted two days of training by having simulation for the local students to be familiar with the conference. This concept is similar like the United Nations conference where representatives from each country will raise points, concerning issues faced by different countries and how they will come into a consensual solutions and agreements. This is a great platform for students to show their leadership skills. This year, the conference will be run by five experienced students, serving as the Secretaries-General; namely Dean Benavidez, Ha Kyeong Kim, Adam Busko, Marianne Laming, and Beatrice Horas. The main speakers for BGIC are Professor Dr. David Koh, Chair of Occupational Health and Medicine, PAP Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah, Institute of Health Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Ms. Tara Yip-Bannicq, Programme Officer (Social Protection)/Resilience Focal Point, UNICEF Haiti.

The recent training session held at ISB

I shall be busy this week as I will be fine tuning, my script for my speech for the upcoming Area K6 Contest which will take place this Sunday. Basically this is a toastmasters competition among Brunei local clubs – four of them (OTTERS, Brunei Speakers’ Club, Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club and UBD Toastmasters Club). I did an OK job during the International Speech category but flunk in Table Topics as I went off topic talking about relationships and ports *lol* I have definitely improved as a speaker when I looked back at my Humuorous Speech Contest last year. Now I have been given a luck of entering Area level despite finishing 3rd.

Competition will be tougher this time with the likes of Melati Yusof, Reuben Chin and Pranika Lama. They are just hot favourites for me after listening to their speeches last week though I missed Mel’s and I was already impressed with her CC speeches during OTTERS meeting. Seasoned speakers including the likes of Chris Woo, Stuart Lee and Allen Ang have been playing the mentor roles in helping the contestants to reach their goals. So peeps, the time is real soon and it’s happening this Sunday at Multipurpose Hall, UBD at 1:30pm. Entry fee will be at $5 and you will witness all the awesome speakers from the local toastmasters club. The winner of each category – International Speech and Table Topics will represent in Division K Level in Labuan by end of March.

I finished 3rd in Brunei Speakers’ Club International Speech Contest. I am given another opportunity to represent Area Level to compete against the other winners in other clubs.

Relief to all the contestants after delivering their speeches

The heat is on!! Good luck to all contestants

SMARTER Brunei has located a new centre. Yes, it will be one time huge investment of BND 150,000 but it will be more cost effective in a long run. It was nice to see corporate companies and government bodies helping SMARTER for a good cause in helping building new classrooms for autistic students in Brunei. The President of SMARTER Brunei Malai Hj Abdullah shared that the SMARTER branch in Sengkurong will be relocated to Kg Mata-Mata once the renovation is completed (hopefully by May). With the new look and feel, SMARTER Brunei will be able to accommodate more students than before and reach the capacity of 140 students (morning and afternoon session). The private NGO has been struggling financially to cope with paying the teachers but Malai is always grateful that the teachers are tolerable and understanding of the current situation.

So far the classrooms have been sponsored by Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (five classrooms), D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd, Kingston Creamery and Beverage together with the LKY Charity for Autism, DST Communications Sdn Bhd and an anonymous donour. LSL Metal Sdn Bhd will be constructing work on the said centre. Malai Hj Abdullah said he is still open for donors for new establishment and it will also help to pay for the operating costs of running SMARTER Brunei. It’s never easy to run an NGO and this story of financial troubles has become a common issue in the media. I salute to Malai for his perseverance and dedication to make SMARTER Brunei a sustainable institution for the benefit of students.

Malcolm Lim, Managing Director of Kingston Creamery and Beverage, Malai Hj Abdullah, President of SMARTER Brunei, Low Ser Yew, Managing Director of LSL Metal Sdn Bhd and H Mohd Noor Hj Salleh, D’Sunlit’s Public Relation Officer during the signing ceremony of sponsorship for the new centre. Awesome!!

Did you know that SMARTER has a small bakery? They have been doing some business for quite some time and in this picture, Malai’s son was helping out with making chocolate cookies

Just like my IOS, it needs to be updated to keep up with technology. Same goes for anti-viruses for computers. Today Concepts Computer unveiled PANDA Anti-Virus Pro 2015, PANDA Security 2015 and PANDA Global Protection 2015. Each has its specific functions. PANDA Anti-Virus Pro 2015 will give you a peace of mind from viruses, spy wares and online fraud, for instance. It will be available for $18 a year for 1 PC license. For the PANDA Security 2015, this is ideal if you are regular usage of the internet especially buying things online. This is available for $28 a year per 1 PC license. If go for the PANDA Global Protection 2015, it covers all the aspect given plus the option of improved Parental Control and also encrypt private folders. It’s available for $38 a year per 1 PC license. Also Concepts Computer will be participating in the Book Fair 2015 at the Indoor Stadium, please visit our booths for other great promotions. And for more information please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553 or visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom.

Recently also Concepts Computer celebrated the Year of the Goat with an open house for members of the media and invited guests. Present were Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Alice Chan who greeted the invited guests. The event started with the traditional Chinese Yee Sang for a prosperous new year. Thank you once again to Vincent and Concepts Computer for continuously giving the best product and services to the consumer.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Alice Chan and members of the media at Concepts Computer Chinese New Year Open House

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Alice Chan and members of the media at Concepts Computer Chinese New Year Open House

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Alice Chan and members of the media at Concepts Computer Chinese New Year Open House

Unveiling the new PANDA softwares at Concepts Computer

Ever heard of the Shell Eco-Marathon? This is an annual event where Brunei Darussalam has been participating in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia. This year four teams participated represented by 20 young students recently in Luneta Park, Manila, the Philippines. How did Brunei go? The hurdle most participants always face is to make the cut for the final race. GenNext Pejuang from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) had two successful official runs by the weekend. GenNext Pejuang’s female driver, Dide Nurulaswani binti Haji Mohd Saidi, a 21 year old Bachelor of Science student majoring in Biology at UBD，described today’s achievement for the Brunei contingent, “Today, we had our third race attempt in the morning and successfully completed the full 10 laps in 27 mins. We then completed the fourth attempt, at 28 mins with more efficiency. So, we are very happy and relieved!”

Didie added that it has been a tough journey for everyone, “The most challenging moment for me was during practice runs. It’s been a while since I’ve driven Nakhoda, and it has been shipped (around) over the last couple of months. So, there was a lot of pressure on me. Thanks to my team, friends, supporting staff and volunteers as well as our Team Ambassador, who supported and motivated me, I got over it and here we are. After SEMA, I feel that I’ve grown to become a more responsible person, more dependable, and as someone people can trust.”

Well done to team Brunei for the efforts in the Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia competition. The most important part is the experience factor and being in a team and I believe all of them had a blast in Manila. The head of Delegation was Pg Hj Sofhrin Pg Hj Ibrahim from Pusat Latihan Mekanik (PLM), who was also a supervisor for one of the teams. Funny thing was I was also in the Philippines during that time but for a FitFlop invitational event.

Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr Hjh Anita Binurul Zahrina Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Hj Awg Abdul Aziz presented the Brunei Flag to Head of Delegation Pg Hj Sofhrin Pg Hj Ibrahim from Pusat Latihan Mekanik (PLM), who is also a supervisor for one of the teams

Group photo before departure

GenNext Pejuang from UBD

 

A milestone for many of us to be part of a potentially big project in Brunei. Do find out more from Bruhaha Facebook page and do watch out for our Open Mic sessions in the near future. Thank you to Zainal Bostaman for the opportunity to further improve and nurture our creativity. This is why most of my Sundays have been packed 😀

 

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Chinese New Year is just around the corner and Standard Chartered Bank is having a reward points promotion where you can get dining vouchers at a discounted rate! Click on on.sc.com/CNY2015-bn to find out more about this one-month only promotion! It ends 28th February.

 

Some of the sauces and dishes from Bruneihalal. Highly recommended. Try out the dinner buffet spread of Bruneihalal’s Flavours of Spices every Thursday and Saturday until 28th March 2015

Take a culinary journey to the heartland of authentic Indian cuisine with the Flavours of Spices dinner buffet at Seasons restaurant.

The promotion is the Royal Brunei Catering’s (RBC) latest collaboration with Bruneihalal with its sauces used in the buffet line.

Customers will be blown away by the plethora of dishes such as Roasted Lamb Raan to Lamb Korma, Balti Fish Head Curry with Ladies Fingers, Tandoori Chicken and Aloo Gobi.

An assortment of naan bread, chapatti and pratta are also available from the soup counter while a delicious rack of lamb can be found at the carving station.
For those prefering something sweet, authentic Indian mouthwatering desserts such as Jalabi sweets, Giulap Jamun, Semolina Cake and Green Bean Porridge with Sago will set to thrill the sweet-tooth.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bruneihalal Feby Latip said that this promotion was a good collaboration between the company and RBC as the sauces used are suitable not only for use at home but for meals at the restaurant.

“Our products have proven to be very convenient for people looking to make quick and easy meals,” she added.

She also said that Bruneihalal has a simple idea of delivering nutritional and quality products to the world. Meanwhile, Sous Chef Rosli Che Aman, who is instrumental to the creation of the exciting Indian dishes, said that there are more than 50 dishes available which have been specifically made with Bruneihalal sauces. “We created these wonderful dishes with the (Bruneihalal) sauces. The spices in the sauces are sourced from India and we have adapted them according to local taste,” he explained.

He added that customers will also be treated to a demonstration at the bread and naan station.

The Flavours of Spices dinner buffet is available every Thursday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm from now until March 28.

It is priced at $22.90 per adult and $13.90 per child (five to 11 years old), however, RBC privilege cardholders are entitle to a 10 per cent discount during the promotional period. Customers can also surf the Internet for free as WiFi connection is available at the restaurant. For more information or reservation, please call 242 2291 or 891 2470 for Oscar.

So make a date at Seasons Restaurant today to get a taste of incredible and authentic Indian food. Text courtesy of Rebecca Oi of The Brunei Times.

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Using Flavour of Spices from Bruneihalal

Try out Bruneihalal’s Flavour of Spices

 

Get Connected through ICONIA

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website.

 

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Free labour charge on repairs for Peugeot

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Sochi is pretty quite compared to Moscow, Russia.

His Excellency Haji Haini bin Haji Hashim, the Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Russian Federation with representatives from Sayyidina Umar Al-Khattab Secondary School

His Excellency with representatives from Sungai Tali Primary School

Queueing outside the Sochi Olympic Park

Group photo with the Ambassador who was nice enough to pay the students a visit in the morning

It’s good to see the Brunei flag

Brunei and Hong Kong

Who needs a monopod when you have a human pod?

Costa Rica representatives

Syria and Costa Rica

Qatar representatives

This is also the venue for the recent F1 GP in Russia

 

So guess what? You can now have a look and feel of the Peugeot 508 at the Peugeot Showroom at Kiarong.

T.C.Y. Motors, which is the sole distributor of Peugeot vehicles, believes that its brand has big potential in the Brunei market. European research and awards such as this were much appreciated and followed up by the locals and as well as the expatriates.


To be competitive, T.C.Y. Motors has modified its pricing on all its models including the 508 to cater to a smart and growing market.


You can drop by or visit Peugeot showroom in Kiarong or call 242 6969. Experience what Peugeot can offer.

Check out the Peugeot 508 at their showroom in Kiarong

Special guest Siva with other stand-up speakers Jordan Yau, Gary Goh, Zainal Bostaman (founder), Seng Yee and A’aqiil at the Beta Bruhaha Comedy Night

Thank you, Zainal Bostaman, for the opportunity to make this creative outlet into a possibility. Who would have known that stand-up comedy can be another creative avenue to spur the public interest like it had two weeks ago? Though it’s still in its Beta stage, it has received an overwhelming response from the public.

Reuben Chin did the honour of hosting the pilot version of BruHaha Comedy Night and he was such a smoothie in introducing and thanking each stand-up comedian that evening. They were six of them, A’aqiil, Seng Yee, Gary Goh, Jordan Yau, Siva and lastly the crowd puller Mr. Zainal Bostaman himself.

There will be another show slated for mid December and you can follow them on Facebook Page for updates. Images courtesy of Bruhaha Comedy Night Facebook.

 

Snippets of BruHaha Comedy Night (Beta)

 

Members of the Commonwealth-Asia Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs (CAAYE) with Puan Hjh Normah, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources

Governments should help promote socially responsible businesses through innovation, said a youth-led entrepreneurship alliance from Commonwealth-Asia.

A statement issued by the Commonwealth-Asia Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs (CAAYE), which represents youth-led entrepreneurship associations in eight Commonwealth countries urged their respective governments too support innovation through the setting up of appropriate infrastructure.

Young entrepreneurs were also told to see social responsibility as an investment that can contribute towards business profits and maintain sustainable growth.

During the Third Commonwealth Asia Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs (CAAYE) 2014 Summit, themed ‘Innovate with Purpose’, young business individuals were urged to find ways to achieve business goals beyond profit-making.

CAAYE proposed that leaders of Commonwealth Asia begin the process of developing an action plan for consideration at the ministerial level and at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Text courtesy of The Brunei Times.