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.