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Posts Tagged ‘Brunei speakers club’

05
Sep

Dananjaya coming to Brunei

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News, RA News

 

Dananjaya coming soon 
 

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi recently shared some tips on presentation posted in Business Insider

 

A world champion. A motivational speaker. An individual who can unlock something special in you. His journey has been inspiring to many from the failures to the successes that he never thought he would have dreamt of.

Hailed from Sri Lanka, I only came to know of the lad back in August 2014 when I attended an International Convention (Toastmasters) in Kuala Lumpur and we met again back in Kuching in May 2015. The KL trip was something that I wouldn’t forget for two reasons – supporting our Brunei Speakers’ Club finalists Chris Woo (the best achievement for a Brunei toastmasters club) and a world champion speech by Dananjaya Hettiarachchi.

Even to this very day, his tagline “I See Something” has become a household phrase in toastmasters meeting or speeches and it was the most talked-about speeches of 2014. I would considered myself fortunate to be one of the audience among the thousands that attended the finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking 2014 in Kuala Lumpur because I never felt that “sold” in listening to speeches. Dananjaya was simply inspirational and charismatic on stage and I knew the finalists then would have a hard time stealing his thunder.

From that moment, I wish I could bring him to Brunei one day and inspire the youths in our country. After months of planning, I was over the moon when I heard the news that he accepted our invitation to speak in Brunei Darussalam this coming October 2016. I’m truly grateful for Dananjaya to schedule his time for the Brunei Convention 2016, knowing that his schedules are very packed with seminars and talks.

 

Dananjaya Hettiarachch delivering his award winning speech that made him a champion in public speaking in 2014

 

So my buddy Dananjaya, on behalf of the organizing committee of the Brunei Conference 2016, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation for making your short trip to Brunei possible. We are ready to host you and welcome you with great hospitality. A big thanks to Shawn Cassidy Narcis for making his trip possible.

Don’t forget to catch the video of Dananjaya Hettiarachchi on the link video I have posted on this post. It may be a short one but it was surely inspiring and compelling towards the audience. Even his winning speech has garnered 1 million views on youtube. Now that he’s making his way to Brunei, what are you waiting for? For more details, you can click here and I would highly recommend you to attend this conference.

For those interested in attending the Brunei Conference 2016, you can reach me at ranoadidas gmail.com or whatsapp me at +68738677773. There are still seats available for the 3 day convention. There will also be other speakers such as Mohamed Murad (Past International President) and Willie Jones (World Champion of Public Speaking 1996). Not forgetting our local speakers, Soon Loo, CEO of Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) and Stuart Lee of Rhymin Partners. I have also finally secured another speaker and he is no other than the reigning World Championship of Public Speaking 2016, Darren Tay, who was crowned in August in Washington, D.C.

 


Believe it or not, I want to be a champion like Dananjaya. Taken back in May 2015 when he was a keynote speaker in Kuching
 


Click image to find out more
 

 

Dan the Man 
 

He’s known as “Dan” by many and I’ve been following his journey on IG @dananjaya_h and Facebook and even on the internet. Though he was a champion two years ago, he still is one of the most sought speakers around the world. He has been traveling around the world and his next date will be Brunei before he heads off to Amsterdam (Holland), Hiroshima (Japan) and Richmond (USA) to cap off the year. Awesome!!!

If you meet him in person, only one word to describe him – charismatic (and super cool). He has been in a journey of toastmasters or public speaking for 10 years. He loves to inspire the thousands in bettering their communication skills and he is very popular in schools.

The Brunei Conference committee is very privilege to have his presence in Brunei on 28th October to 29th October. We are certain that his presence and his keynote speech will have a positive ripple effect on the audience and hoping for more youth to attend the conference.

If you are interested, please reach me at 8677773. We are selling tickets by next week (mid September) and the prices are BND 120 (29th October, Saturday session 9am to 4pm) and BND 50 for the Speech contest (30th October, Sunday 8am). If you are interested also in attending the dinner, it will be BND 50 for Friday, 28th October.

This is slated to be the biggest toastmasters event ever hosted in Brunei Darussalam because we have three world champion speakers – Willie Jones, Dan the Man and reigning champion Darren Tay. So yes, sometime to look forward to and the target audience will be the youth, working class, teachers, parents, students, professionals, government officials and entrepreneurs.

A big thank you also to the sponsors, partners and supporters of this event – Progresif, Brunei Tourism under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, RYS Entertainment, Armtrix Enterprise, NBT, BIG magazine, The Brunei Times, AKK Design, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Rizqun International Hotel and many more (to be finalized). I would also like to acknowledge the Ministry of Home Affairs for approving this event.

So once again, If you are interested, please reach me at 8677773 and you can read more details here on our official website.

 


When you are climbing a mountain there is a summit , in life all you find is an endless wall. You can take the easy way and slide endlessly into the darkness or take the hard way and climb into the eternal light. Either way, there is no end to how far you can fall nor how high you can climb – Dananjaya Hettiarachchi. Image taken of Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s Facebook page.
 


Ciara with the man himself back in Kuching 2015
 


Danajaya being a speaker at a Rotary event in July. Image taken from Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s Facebook page.
 


Another excited person to see Dananjaya in Brunei
 

  
 

31
May

Up and always

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News, RA News

 

The Weekend recap  
 


RBAF personnel firing sparks as part of their performance during the 55th Royal Brunei Armed Forces anniversary celebration held at the RBAF Defence Academy in Tanah Jambu this morning. Image taken by Ridhwan Kamarulzaman of The Brunei Times.
 


Dr Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Fattaah Ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Perdana Wazir Sahibul Himmah Wal-Waqar Pengiran Muda Mohamed Bolkiah presented the Baiduri Masters Challenge Trophy 2016 to Tony Karim who won his first Baiduri Masters jacket. The charitable tournament attracted more than 900 registrants, the highest so far in the 21st edition of the Baiduri Masters. Image courtesy of Obelina Wang of The Brunei Times.
 


After a successful toastmasters demo meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, a second demo meeting happened again over the weekend. The government officers definitely benefited from the activity and it was great to see Yahya Hj Idris, Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office in attendance and learning how toastmasters can benefit the government sector
 


Last weekend, the four toastmasters clubs in Brunei and the national gavel club joined in hand to celebrate and appreciate toastmasters members and gaveliers in promoting communication and leadership skills. It was a memorable evening with multiple roasts for Allen Ang, our Area K6 Director (handling the whole of Brunei toastmasters). Thank you, bro, for your guidance and leadership presence.
 


It has been a while since I traveled to Singapore and guess who I’m randomly bumped into… These two lovely chaps 😀 Taken last Thursday at ION Orchard.
 


Finally caught up with Joanne, Richard, lil Alex and Frances over dinner at Real Food. This is an organic cafe/restaurant and I kinda love the concept. Won’t mind coming back here again. and it was good to catch up with my Singapore buddies 😀
 


My recent trip to Singapore was also to test drive the new Volkswagen Sports Van which will be launched this weekend. This was a photo shoot with the Brunei media representatives taken at Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Singapore. Thanks @volkswagenbrunei for the trip.
 


Jackson Ting, D’Sunlit Managing Director, handing over the grand prize to Sahran Mohd Safar during the finale of the 18th Consumer Fair held at the ICC. Image courtesy of Billah Hasan of The Brunei Times.
 


As usual, the recent consumer fair was packed with people. I salute to those who are able to brave the human traffic.
 


This was another shot taken recent during our Jakarta trip and this was the Magnum Cafe at Grand Indonesia.
 


Our former member of Brunei Speakers’ Club is now a member in one of the Korean Toastmasters Club in Seoul. She recently competed in District Level and managed to come 3rd place.. Wow wow wow!! Amazing 😀
 


The friendly tournament that I organised among our training mates. It was a fun and a hot day too. This is the 1st Leg of the RA Tennis Doubles Tournament 2016. Thank you all for taking part and also to the coaches for the logistics and the draw.
 


The pairing of Kieran and Ming Rui who came 6th overall in the tournament 😀
 


The lovely couple who love prawn and tennis
 

  
 

06
Apr

Time to shine

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News, RA News

 

Furious 7 
 


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

 

  
 

 

The New Scirocco 
 


Click image to enter website
 

  
 

 

Download SnapFeed 
 


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.
 

  
 

 

Pizza Hut 
 


Click image to enter website
 

  
 

 

BIBD annual dinner 

BIBD held its annual dinner for staff under the Islamic bank’s group of companies at the Grand Hall, Indera Samudra of The Empire Hotel and Country Club in Jerudong last Friday.

Themed ‘Nostalgia’, the dinner honoured the hard work of the bank’s employees that had contributed to numerous achievements in the past year.

The dinner started with a recitation of the Doa, which was then followed by welcoming remarks by BIBD Managing Director Javed Ahmad. This then proceeded with presentations for Long Service Awards to around 70 employees from the BIBD group.

Among those present to witness the special occasion was the guest of honour, Deputy Minister of Finance Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin Abdullah, who is also the Chairman of the BIBD Board of Directors. Also present were other BIBD board directors and members of the Shariah Advisory Body amongst some 700 personnel from the bank along with its subsidiaries; BIBD At-Tamwil and BIBD Securities.

The annual dinner caps off another milestone year in BIBD’s rich history in Islamic finance, earmarked by notable efforts such as the launch of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, BIBD Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future (ALAF) Programme, along with its first batch of students receiving the programme’s support, among other charitable activities. The programme, now in its second year, aims to help bring more educational opportunities to underprivileged children.

 


The guest of honour, Deputy Minister of Finance and Chairman of the BIBD Board of Directors Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin Abdullah (L), hands a certificate to a BIBD employee while BIBD Managing Director Javed Ahmad (C), looks on
 

Last year also saw the bank’s involvment in several key projects such as the relaunch and rebranding of its Perdana Privilege Banking arm with a new lounge and image, which is located on the first floor of the Kompleks Setia Kenangan, and the organising and chairing of the 4th China-ASEAN Interbank Association (CAIBA) Executive Meetings, held for the first time outside China.

The bank also managed to retain its international recognitions such as the Best Retail Bank in Brunei (The Asian Banker), and the Best Bank in Brunei (Global Finance), and Bank of the Year in Brunei (The Banker).

Also in the year, BIBD has been ranked 42nd in terms of Soundness (Capital Asset Ratio) and 697th overall in the top 1,000 World Banks by “The Banker” in 2014, and 14th Strongest Bank among 500 Banks from Asia pacific by balance sheet by The Asian Banker. Image and text courtesy of BIBD.

 

 

  
Congratulations Sabrina 
 


Photo opportunity with the owner of L’Orient, Sabrina Wong
 

Late post. A friend of mine Sabrina Wong has finally found a more permanent place for her boutique. Ironically all the different locations that she has tried are all in Kiulap. I kinda prefer her new location of L’Orient and it’s located near Regent Square (newest building) and from the looks of it, her boutique is the first tenant officially operating business in that new building.

So what to expect from L’Orient? If you are into fashion especially the female, you will enjoy the stylish collection designed by Sabrina Wong the owner herself. Now she has upped her game by collaborating with Wilson MC Lau by designing new art fashion collection called the “reach in and stretch out”.

Her shop also sells accessories and bags apart from the interesting range of clothes. The prices may be too high for some but you will know where the dollars are spent. Sabrina has really built her reputation as one of the top designers in Brunei and she has traveled across the world to share her passion and creativity in terms of clothes design.

If you are into a stylish and modern feel look, do consult with Sabrina because she’s really good at it. Do check out her ‘Sab Five Five’ label too. That has been a big hit for her.

Also, keep up to date with the store by visiting its Facebook at www.facebook.com/sabfivefive or its Instagram @sabfivefive. For any enquiries, please contact 2239988 or 8989132.

 


Quite a good turn out during the official launch
 


 


Keeran Janin among the invited guest
 


 


Refreshments outside Sabrina’s shop
 


Josie Abdullah with Sabrina
 


Sabrina and her friends
 

 

  
 

BASC last March 
 


Hj Azhar bin Hj Ahmad, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence as the guest of honour during the recent dinner meeting of the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club.
 

Normally the meeting for Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club happens on the final week of the month. So recently it was held at the usual place – Mutiara Ballroom at Radisson Hotel. The meeting is different to that of Brunei Speakers’ Club, OTTERS Club and UBD Toastmasters Club. It is done in a formal dinner setting but with the inclusion of toastmasters meeting.

The dinner meeting from Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club is always open to guests and it’s good to see different guests every now and then. The guest of honour then was Hj Azhar bin Hj Ahmad, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. He was very impressed with the toastmasters meeting and he gave one a good advice that fear will always be there but it’s how we see fear as opportunity.

This month of April, another dinner session will be held but I’m not currently sure of the dates. If you are interested, you can email me at ranoadidas (a) gmail

 


Fatin won Best Table Topics that evening
 


Anyati sharing a laugh with the audience
 


Deno Goh talked about finance during his table topics session
 


Group photo with the attendees
 


Delwin Keasberry playing the role as the Timer
 


Noting relating to the dinner but click image to see last week’s Brunei Speakers’ Club session. Image taken by Reuben Chin.
 

 

  
 

Young talented musicians 
 


The Brunei Music Society is presenting the 6th biennial Young Musicians recital on April 10 at 7.30pm at the Arts Centre of the Jerudong International School.

A total of 24 items will be presented by aspiring musicians between the ages of eight and 25, all of whom were selected from over 70 entries.

According to a press release, the final selection includes an exciting array of instruments from violin, cello and piano to saxophone, trumpet and clarinet. In addition, there are three string ensembles.

Applicants, who were required to play at a Grade 6 level or above, submitted an audio recording which was reviewed by a panel of judges from the committee of the Brunei Music Society.
Students who will be performing on April 10 learn music at several local music schools and at the international schools. They are all students who know the importance of persistence and hard work and have spent hours practicing to reach their current level of skill.

Tickets can be booked via SMS (no calls) to 8820014 and via email at bruneims.tickets@gmail.com.

Or via this online booking form http://goo.gl/forms/ERdATcH7cC

 

 

  

02
Oct

Blocked

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

 

Get Connected through ICONIA

 

 

 

Citroën Brunei 
 


Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 
 

   
 

BIBD’s latest promotion


Top up tia. Click image to enter website.
 

  
 

 

ICON Design Store 
 


Click image to enter ICON Design Store website
 

  
 

BIBD Home Showcase 5 
 


 

  
 
Takaful Brunei 
 

You can check out Takaful coverage from Takaful Brunei Keluarga (TBK) and Takaful Brunei Am (TBA) at the BIBD 5th Home Showcase at the Mall until 4th October (Saturday).

Takaful Brunei AM (TBA) deals with insurance for home, personal accident and motor. They have a special promotion going on at the BIBD 5th Home Showcase where you can have 50% discount on new or renewals for Comprehensive Home Package Takaful and 25% discount voucher on Private Motor Takaful.

The comprehensive package covers home protection such as natural disaster, impact damage, bursting or overflowing of tanks-apparatus or pipes, theft, flood, fire, thunderbolt and even aircraft damage.

If you want to find out more on TBA products, do call 224 4000. You can also follow their updates on Facebook and instagram @takafulbrunei

 


Check out their roadshow at The Mall until 4th October
 


Their ongoing promotion

They also have special promotion for Takaful Brunei Keluarga (TBK). This is branded in a purple colour coded to differentiate the two products from Takaful Brunei. TBK involves more on family in terms of protection and savings. They have numerous products under TBK and now you can stand a chance to win gadgets if you sign up for any of the TBK Protection and Savings products. The grand prize is a pair of air fare tickets to a regional destination.

At the moment, they have products such as Takaful Savings, Takaful Walimatul Urus, Takaful Haj & Umrah, Takaful Dream House, Takaful Amal Jariah, Takaful Tarbiyah, Takaful Retirement, Takaful Education and Takaful Nur Savings to name a few.

 


Roadshow at The Mall
 


TBK promotion and you can stand a chance to win a pair of air fare
 


 

  
 

PHOP turns 1 
 

 

Happy 1 year PHOP. Video taken by Royston

 

Paddington House of Pancakes (PHOP) Brunei welcomes diners to celebrate together as the popular eatery turns one this month.

In conjunction with the 1st anniversary, PHOP Brunei organised the PHOP Birthday Pancake Design contest last Sunday for children to have fun and make a ‘flipping awesome’ birthday pancake out of PHOP homemade play-dough.

Best designs will be voted by customers and the most ‘likes’ from Instagram followers with the voting period starting from September 28 to October 7. The winners will be announced on the closing day followed by the prize presentation on October 12.

Winners in the boys’ and girls’ category will be awarded one bicycle each as the grand prize as well as PHOP goodie bags with a combined worth of over $500.

 


Some of the PHOP Birthday Pancake Design Contest. Check out and vote the best design on their instagram @paddingtonpancakesbn
 


It was great to see kids taking part in this competition
 


Denise Chai, the owner of PHOP Brunei. Image courtesy of Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin.

To add on to the celebrations, dine-in guests who spend $50 and above will be eligible for Paddington’s instant lucky dip where PHOP Brunei promises a sure prize to be won for every dip. Among the prizes include mouth-watering pancakes, refreshing drinks and cash vouchers worth up to $100.

For the past year, the popularity of PHOP Brunei has grown. To cater to the growing number of diners to the restaurant, it has expanded by occupying another unit to fit an extra 40 seats. A VIP room is also available for private events.

“The aim of PHOP is to make everyone’s dining experience ‘unforgettable’. Pancakes have always been known to be a ‘happy’ meal,” chimed Denise Chai, the owner of PHOP Brunei.

“At Paddington, our friendly service and kitchen staff will definitely do their best to make any birthday parties, anniversaries, gatherings, corporate functions or festive celebrations truly enjoyable.

She ensures diners that there are ample spaces and seats as it can cater 50 to 100 guests at one time for any kind of functions. To know more about PHOP’s delicious pancakes and other fun activities throughout the month, visit their website at www.paddingtonpancakes.com. Text courtesy of Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin.


Check out and vote the best design on their instagram @paddingtonpancakesbn
 


The atmosphere last Sunday at PHOP
 


It is nice to see interaction among other children
 


Denise Chai with her team from PHOP. Congratulations on your one year anniversary. Image taken from PHOP Facebook.
 

  
 

Double champion winner, Allen 
 


Allen Ang, a double winner for Humourous Speech and Evaluation Speech Contest, with his wife Fen. He will represent Brunei (Area K6) on Division K level which will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on the 12th October 2014. Allen currently holds the position as the President of the OTTERS’ Club and the Vice President of Education of the Brunei Speakers’ Club.
 

Allen Ang did one better than his previous efforts on club level. Three weeks ago, he was crowned a double champion in Humourous Speech and Speech Evaluation Contest during the OTTERS’ Club competition. Last Sunday, Allen Ang showed his supremacy once again on Area level where he competed against the top two individuals from other toastmasters clubs namely OTTERS Club, Brunei Speakers Club and Brunei Advanced Speakers Club.

He will represent Brunei (Area K6) as only the champion of each category will be given a ticket to compete in the Division K contest which will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on 12 October 2014. In the Division K, it is made up of over 35 clubs from Sabah, Labuan and Brunei Darussalam. The winner of the Division K contest will proceed to the District Level contest to compete against toastmasters from other parts of Malaysia and Indonesia to yearn the title of the District Champion.

This contest, for your information, is an annual event as part of a Toastmaster’s development as they aim to improve their communication and leadership skills.

Here are the list of the top three winners.

Humourous Speech Contest

1) Allen Ang with the title “Toastmarriage”

2) Zainal Bostaman with the title “Used-to-be-fat-tis”

3) Reuben Chin with the title “Lessons from a bicycle”

Speech Evaluation Contest

1) Allen Ang

2) Melati Dato Yussof

3) Reuben Chin

The event took place at the Auditorium at the iCentre. Present were Jeremy Chua, the manager of iCentre and incubatees of the iCentre, toastmasters members and members of the public. Prizes were presented by Area Governor of Area K6, Ruey Narcis. A big shout-out to the organizing chairman, Jordan Yau and also my mentors Stuart Lee, Shawn Narcis and Ruey Narcis during the preparation of the contest.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through practical hands-on experiences. For more information and updates, you can visit www.bruneispeakersclub.com.

 


Area K6 Humourous Speech Contest winners: Zainal Bostaman (1st runner-up), Allen Ang (champion) and Reuben Chin (2nd Runner Up)
 


Area K6 Speech Evaluation Contest winners: Melati Dato Yussof (1st runner-up), Allen Ang (champion) and Reuben Chin (2nd Runner Up)
 


Jeremy Chua, iCentre’s Manager, and the audience gave a standing ovation to the contestants
 


Appreciating the contestants from the audience
 


The contestants for Humourous Speech and Speech Evaluation Contest
 


The customary handshake by the contest chair (myself) with Hazwan, one of the contestants. The contest chair plays a role as an emcee/host of the event
 


I’m proud of my friend Melati for her performance during the Speech Evaluation Contest
 


Allen Ang stole the show last Sunday. Good luck in Sabah 😀
 


My role as the contest chair
 


Zainal Bostaman was a previous winner on Area K6 level and came 2nd on District Level
 


A great turn out for the event last Sunday. Thanks for the support.
 


Yong Shih Ching talked about the art of positive comments
 


Interviewing all the contestants before the prize presentation
 


Ruey Narcis, Area Governor for Area K6, thanking the organizers and also iCentre and BEDB for lending the premises. She gave a lot of encouragement to all the contestants and she also hope that the event was beneficial to iCentre and BEDB
 


Thank you to the press Aziz Idris and Azim Kassim for showing up
 


Taken during the break
 


The members from OTTERS’ Club
 


It was nice to see familiar old faces from toastmasters
 


The trophies for Area K6 Contest
 


Stuart Lee who has been mentoring Allen Ang for the contest and also for the upcoming Division level contest. Last term, Stuart Lee was crowned the District Champion for Humourous Speech Contest. In order to win that, one has to win Area level, then win Division Level before you can reach District Level. Let’s hope with Stuart’s guidance and mentorship, he can guide Allen to newer heights.
 

  
 

27
Sep

The Rose

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

Area K6 Contest 
 


 

This is it!!! The battle to represent Brunei, Area K6 in this year’s Humourous Speech and Evaluation Contests. We have passed the club level where three clubs in contested to be selected in this edition of the competition.

In Otters Club, they will be represented by Allen Ang and Shih Ching Yong. In Brunei Speakers’ Club, they will be represented by Zainal Bostaman and Reubin Chin. In Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, they will be represented by Hazwan Kamarulzaman and Elizabeth Sim. All the six contestants will be vying for the Humourous Speech Contest title. I believe the winner of the each category will represent our Area K6 for the Division K level in Kota Kinabalu in mid-October 2014.

As for the Speech Evaluation Contest, Allen Ang, Melati Yussof (both Otters), Zainal Bostaman, Reuben Chin (Brunei Speakers’ Club) and Hazwan Kamarulzaman and Elizabeth Sim (Brunei Advanced Speakers Club) will be competing for the Area K6 title.

This event will take place for the first time ever at the iCentre at the auditorium and a big shout out to iCentre (BEDB) for lending the venue for toastmasters purposes. It take place tomorrow (Sunday) 28th September and I advise all of you who are interested to witness a spectacle to come by 1:15pm before the competition kicks off. There will be a $5 entrance fee and refreshments will be provided as well.

I will be the Contest Chair for the event (more like an emcee) and good luck to all the contestants and I can guarantee you that you will be entertained by their humourous speech.

 


Reuben Chin competing in both humourous and speech evaluation
 


Allen Ang competing in both humourous and speech evaluation
 


Shih Ching Yong competing in humourous contest
 


Melati Yussof competing in speech evaluation contest
 


Zainal Bostaman competing in both humourous and speech evaluation
 


Hazwan Kamarulzaman competing in both humourous and speech evaluation
 


Elizabeth Sim competing in both humourous and speech evaluation
 


Rano Iskandar (myself) as the Contest Chair which is more like the host/emcee for the event
 


Ruey Narcis the Area Governor (Brunei) for Toastmasters International
 

  
 

 

Abacus Holiday Travel Fair 
 

The event was officially opened this morning by Mr. Dermot Mannion, Chairman of Abacus. Yes, the fair is only for two days and it’s organised by Abacus Brunei and they have done a tremendous job in partnering with various airlines, National Tourist offices, hotels and of course, the biggest pie of all, the travel agents. This is always an important calendar especially for travelers even like myself and I managed to make three bookings this morning before the human traffic got higher.

It was definitely a crowded affair and Abacus Brunei have achieved their objective in stimulating the demand for travel with great packages offered by travel agents, airlines and hotels.

I could see that Mr. Dermot was pleased with what he saw earlier this morning and he thanked the organiser and the partners for making this event a possibility. He shared how the travel fair went far back as 2004 and this platform has proven to be a success in attracting the public to get special offers for their travels and vacation.

Of course, there is a lucky draw gimmick for passengers who booked their tickets during the travel fair. They can win attractive prizes such as return air tickets to London, Bali and Ho Chi Minh City (a route that will be added by 17th October) which are sponsored by Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), 1 return air ticket from Hong Kong to Beijing sponsored by Cathay Pacific and 1 return air ticket each to Bangkok and Krabi sponsored by Malaysia Airlines.

So drop down to the 11th Abacus Holiday Travel Fair, located at the Goldstone Ballroom, Centrepoint Hotel and tomorrow’s the final day. And for a little plug, I chose to buy my ticket at Darussalam Holdings because of their great incentive of double Royal Skies Miles for every transaction you make during the travel fair. I believe you need to spend at least BND 300 to entitled for the double Royal Skies Miles. Awesome, right? Thank you, Darussalam Holdings for that special incentive. As you know, I’m just a newbie for Royal Skies but I’ve been accumulating tons of points ever since Day 1. My target is to reach Silver in a few months’ time 😀

 


Mr. Dermot Mannion, Chairman of Abacus, officiating the event with Irene Soon, General Manager of Abacus Brunei at the 11th Abacus Holiday Travel Fair
 


Mr. Dermot Mannion visiting Royal Brunei Airlines booth
 


My preferred choice for bookings, thanks to their great incentives and service
 


At the Amazing Thailand booth
 


Mr. Dermot Mannion and management and associates of Royal Brunei Airlines
 


Pan Bright Travel is also aggressive in their marketing campaign and they are also having a special lucky draw which is a car
 


Tourism Malaysia has a separate hall so I do hope you guys don’t miss out their great offers from Malaysia
 


You can take a selfie with their instagram props 😀
 


Baiduri Bank is the official bank and I managed to get some deals from it too
 


 


 


Siaw Ling (in white) of Singapore Airlines (Brunei) with her colleagues
 


Another popular travel agent in Brunei and I like their queueing system
 


Guest of honour visiting the Taiwan Tourism Bureau booth
 


Mr. Dermot with Halim Abd Rahman, Sales and Marketing Manager of Abacus Brunei
 

  
 

Strongest Youth Challenge 2014 
 


Check them out in two weeks’ time
  
 

The Cap City 
 


The launch is tonight. Brace yourself!!

It’s always great to see retail shops bringing in genuine products and goods to Brunei and we need more of this. I remember buying my first Snapbacks cap back in the UK in 2006 and even until now the cap is still in good condition. Snapbacks have been very popular in the US and most baseball teams have their own prints of New Era Snapbacks versions and they were hot sellers, even to this present day.

So it’s good to have a genuine store that sells New Era caps that comes in fitted, snapback and strapback version and they will be available at the first store in Brunei called The Cap City, located 2nd floor (arcade area) of The Mall, Gadong. The shop has been opened for a month or two and it has been receiving positive responses from the public and not many people especially the youngsters are aware of the existence of The Cap City. They will also Malaysia’s brand apparel – Negative Clothing.

The Cap City is a popular store in Kuala Lumpur and it is great that the owners are willing to set up its store in Brunei for the first time. You can check out their instagram @thecapcity which updates regularly on their stores in KL and Brunei and of course, the latest focus on their updates are on Brunei’s newly opened store The Cap City.

Today will be a special one because the Brunei store will be closed for today but it will opened its door at 8pm to 10pm tonight for a grand launch. There will be a special gimmick where customers will get a 20% discount on ALL their caps only for that two hour window tonight. Another awesome gimmick is that the first 20 customers will get A CAP for FREE. Yea, it did mentioned on their IG and poster that it was only for the 1st 10 customers but the owners from KL are kind enough to sponsor a few more items for the Brunei grand launch.

Also in the country is Nigel Sparks @nigelsparks the man behind The Cap City and he is here with @tristweiliang to give support for the grand launch for the Brunei store.

So pen this down on your calendar to check out the grand launch for The Cap City at The Mall, Gadong, tonight. For more updates, check out on their hashtag #thecapcity_brunei on instagram 😀


The New Era caps now available in The Cap City, The Mall, Gadong
 


The New Era caps now available in The Cap City, The Mall, Gadong
 


NY Yankees Snapback caps
 


@nigelsparks and @tristweiliang at Brunei’s The Cap City store and they will be at the grand launch too
 


Purchase any 3 New Era caps & get the 2 pack cap carrier for FREE or purchase any 4 New Era caps & get the 6 pack for FREE!
 


The long awaited New Era Tropical Minimalism snapbacks finally arrived
 


Negative Clothing apparel also available
 


The look of The Cap City store in Brunei
 


My first Snapback New Era customized cap. Yea, it looks a bit dusty :p
 

  
 

 

Abacus Travel Fair 
 


Starting today and tomorrow only
 


The great thing about Darussalam Holdings is that for every transaction you make from them, you can earn double Royal Skies Miles regardless of different airlines you choose. This deal only applies during the Abacus Holiday Travel Fair. I’m making three bookings under Darussalam Holdings just to enjoy this special offer 😀
 


 


 


 

  
 

16
Sep

Mr. Socko

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones
 

 

Peugeot Hari Raya Promotion 
 


Click image to enter Peugeot Brunei’s website
 

 

Citroën Brunei 
 


Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 
 

   
 

BIBD’s latest promotion


Top up tia. Click image to enter website.
 

  
 

 

ICON Design Store 
 


Click image to enter ICON Design Store website
 

  
 

 

PCSB FB competition 
 


Click image to enter Progresif Cellular Page and like the Page
 

 

  
 

 

Fun, fun, fun 
 


The contestants for tonight’s humorous and speech evaluation contest at SEAMEO VOCTECH tonight.
The Brunei Speakers’ Club will have its annual humourous speech and speech evaluation contest on this evening (Tuesday, 16th September 2014).

All are welcome! Come, sit back, and enjoy our show! Our contestants are eager to entertain as they battle it out for this year’s funny crown!

As funny bones will be tickled, contestants will also give it their all to outwit each other in how they inspire fellow members!

Contestants will each deliver 5 to 7 minutes of laugh-inducing dramas to a fully-packed hall, and will each deliver 2 to 3 minutes of inspiring messages to the audience.

Who will be crowned the Brunei Speakers’ Club 2014 humourous speech champion? Who will take home the club’s coveted 2014 speech evaluation crown?

Come to SEAMEO VOCTECH on Tuesday the 16th of September 2014 at 7:30 sharp and find out! Well, it’s better to reach there by 7:15pm before the door closes. Good luck to all my friends who are competing and it’s gonna be one awesome evening!!

  
 

Royal Skies rebranded 
 


Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar launching the rebranding of Royal Skies while Dermot Mannion, deputy chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines looked on

The rebranding happened. And the funny thing was I just received my first ever Royal Skies card from Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) which is quite unusual because I’m quite a frequent traveler myself and only weeks ago, I am officially a member of Royal Skies *lol*

Last Saturday, Royal Skies launched their rebranding program and invited elite Royal Skies members to attend the special occasion at the Indera Samudra Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club.

It was announced that there will be rewards and benefits such as instant flight redemptions, the ability to purchase tickets using cash and miles, availability of redemptions at participating Royal Skies partners.

Previously we won’t be able to have instant flight redemptions until the passenger has completed his/her flight destination. Now we can instantly get flight redemptions.

Royal Skies also have revamped their membership cards and it comes in blue, silver and gold.

Elite Gold card members will benefit immediately from non-expiring of miles and complimentary Elite Gold status extension. It also said that eligibility to earn miles will shortly be extended to a wider variety of fare categories which will benefit Royal Skies members in all tiers.

The rebranding process also includes the transformation of Royal Skies Service Centre and new heritage uniform collection used by Commercial, Royal Skies and Ground staff.

In 2014, the national flag carrier received distinction in the 2014 REBRAND 100 Global Awards, which honour the most successful brand transformations worldwide. The gala event saw the presentation of awards to a number of Royal Skies loyal elite members namely in Best High Flyer Award, Best Elite Newcomer, Best Junior Elite Traveller and Best International High Flyer Award.

Present as the guest of honour was the Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar.

Also in attendance was Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin Abdullah, deputy minister of finance and chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines and Dermot Mannion, deputy chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines and also board of directors for Royal Brunei Airlines.


Elite Royal Skies being awarded
 


Elite Royal Skies being awarded
 


Elite Royal Skies being awarded
 


Elite Royal Skies being awarded
 


The new uniform for Royal Skies personnel. Don’t get mistaken for cabin crew.
 


The newly revamped membership cards for Royal Skies
 


The VIPs
 


Guests enjoying their dinner
 


The set up last Saturday
 


Jazz Hayat entertaining the crowd
 


The hosts for the night – the Malai Alis
 


Tiffany, the youngest cabin crew, also has talent in singing
 


Wu Chun made a video entrance as the Royal Brunei ambassador couldn’t make it to the event
 


The VIPs welcoming the elite members of Royal Skies
 


The welcoming party
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

  
 

01
Sep

Chris puts Brunei on the map

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

Wooed by Chris 
 


Chris Woo being interviewed after the finals of Toastmasters International Speech in Kuala Lumpur two Saturdays ago

Recently, close to two thousand Toastmasters from around the world met at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. For the first time in its history, Toastmasters International had organised its annual International Convention outside North America. Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through practical hands-on experiences.

More than 30,000 people from 126 countries compete each year in the prestigious and soul-stirring World Championship of Public Speaking. Chris Woo has reached this milestone by reaching the finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking. He is the first Toastmaster from Brunei Darussalam as well as from Toastmasters’ district 87 (which consists of Brunei Darussalam, East Malaysia and Indonesia) to reach the semi-finals of the contest. His speech entitled, ‘Listen’ took the stage and Chris Woo prevailed in one of nine semi-final rounds and competed as a finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking. Criteria used in judging includes speech content, originality, organization, voice quality and body language.

Chris Woo, representing Brunei Darussalam and Toastmasters’ district 87 received standing ovations for his heart-felt speech in the finals. After several months of elimination process through club, area, district and semi-final competitions, Chris Woo is the first Toastmaster in Brunei Darussalam and District 87 to compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking.

Toastmasters from Brunei Darussalam have also participated in the convention to learn from world class public speakers, and network with like-minded people. One of the keynote speakers, Robin Sieger, a former Head of Development at BBC Television and the author of the best-selling book ‘Natural Born Winners’, shared with everyone how people can create true success in life. Other prestigious international speakers were Jana Barnhill, Mark Brown, Douglas Kruger, Lance Miller, Florian Mueck and Rory Vaden, who have all established well-renowned careers in leading and inspiring people.

The annual Toastmasters International Convention in Kuala Lumpur have inspired all who attended to become better public speakers and leaders in today’s world. For further information on Toastmasters in Brunei Darussalam, please visit www.bruneispeakersclub.com. Press courtesy of Brunei Speakers Club.

My experience: It was such a great exposure for me even as a spectator, to see people expressing their thoughts and sharing meaningful stories with conviction and enthusiasm. I’ve learnt so much about public speaking and we just don’t simply say it, we have to deliver in an impactful way to get the message across. I always thought that I can speak quite well in public but I realised that there is so much to learn and I’m still far behind on being a proficient speaker. This can be learned and it takes practice, practice and more practice.

The Toastmasters International Convention 2014 meet in KL was definitely worth the trip and I doubt it will make to Asia again as it is usually held in North America. And of course, most of the toastmasters from Brunei came to support our very own toastmaster Chris Woo whom I look up to as a role model for public speaking. His spontaneity and vocal variety, to me, are his strength and whenever he speaks, he is able to to draw the audience to his attention.

Of course, the other great part about the trip was the closer bond that we had among Brunei toastmasters from Brunei Speakers’ Club, Otters Club (Seria) and Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club. Around 17 of us traveled to Kuala Lumpur to attend the convention. Thank you, peeps, for everything and this experience lists in my top ten of 2014. Awesome!!!

 


District 87 where our country Brunei is part of it. Other countries sharing the same district are Indonesia and East Malaysia.
 


Ladies represent
 


I’m proud of you dude for making to the semi-finals but for you to win the semi-finals was simply amazing!!
 


Seng Yee and I supporting Chris Woo during the finals of the International Speech Contest
 


Will I be up here one day? *lol* Keep dreaming, Rano
 


One of the speakers, Rory Vadan that made a huge impact with three words – Take the Stairs
 


Representing District 87 and it was nice to see you again, Fern
 


Zainal, Hazwan and I had fun during the Toastmasters International Convention 2014
 


I was honoured to play the timer role at Maxis Toastmasters Club
 


Tons of Toastmasters International goodies and merchandise on sale at Kuala Lumpur
 


Hmmmm… I realised how easy it was to buy the pin badges of Toastmasters
 


Girl bonding in Kuala Lumpur
 


The backbone of Toastmasters from Brunei and Brunei Speakers’ Club
 


Chris Woo as a special guest at Elizabeth’s Timeout with Liz 1st anniversary show last Saturday
 

Brunei Speakers’ Club 

Now you might be wondering how to be part of toastmasters – an avenue where you enrich your speaking skills and building up the confidence in you. I was a former member of Brunei Speakers’ Club back in 2011 and I only lasted a few months before disappearing and this year, I have made a comeback and one reason is to contribute, to contribute my knowledge and experience to other members and guests and also to learn from the members and guests during our weekly meetings at Seameo Voctech (Tuesday evenings).

Brunei Speakers’ Club is a great avenue to learn all these tools of being a public speaker and it’s the best place to start because the community is quite allowing and welcoming. There are no judgment (only positive criticism) and we are able to grow faster through encouragement and experience. I have always have concerned about showing my weaknesses as a speaker because I don’t like to be analysed or being advised on what I should improve. Well, that was my ego speaking for a long time and it’s never easy to break that wall. Now I’ve embraced my weakness and I can only go upwards from here. A big thanks for Seng Yee for that minor push and also to the other members of BSC. My vision is here to contribute in any possible means (doesn’t have to be monetary) to make a difference and this is one channel where I believe you can benefit as well.

If you want to know more about toastmasters, you can drop me a message here or you can email me directly if you shy to ask them ranoadidas(8)gmail and of course, you can check out their Facebook Page and also their main website which have updates on weekly meetings so you will be able to get that feel. I can guarantee you that you will have a great time during the meetings and I have also invited a few of my friends to show up for the meeting. You are more than welcome to come as a guest and it starts every Tuesday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Seameo Voctech (Gadong). I shall be there tomorrow evening too 😀

 


Last Tuesday’s meeting at Seameo Voctech for Brunei Speakers’ Club. You are more than welcomed to be part as a guest to learn observe and learn 😀
 


Chris Woo and Shawn Narcis having a laugh
 


I finally did my second prepared speech and it was about my journey as a toastmasters 😀
 


Ching is a great supporter of our club and he is an executive committee for Otters Club
 


It’s not just about learning but we also can have some fun along the way
 


Gary (in blue) given a task during Table Topics
 


A great environment to be at
 


Clovis Lai, the man that made it possible for Brunei Speakers’ Club
 


Stuart Lee, the President of Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, contributing continuously to BSC
 


Seng Yee playing the role as General Evaluator
 


Standing ovation for Chris from the members and guests on his achievements at Toastmasters International Speech Contest in Kuala Lumpur recently

22
Aug

On or Off?

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

The Popcorn Panel 
 

Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. This podcast has reached more than 400 listeners in just 3 days. Do catch Yasmine at your local cinemas and it has been a great response from the public.

 

  
 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

 

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones
 

 

Sales at Icon Design Store

 

 
Click to enter website
 
 

 

Peugeot Hari Raya Promotion 
 


Click image to enter Peugeot Brunei’s website
 

 

 

Citroën Brunei 
 


Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 
 

   
 

Chris simply “wooed” the crowd 
 


Chris Woo accepting the 1st place in the semi-finals of the Toastmasters International Speech contest at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Chris will compete in the finals against 8 finalists tomorrow (Saturday).
This was the second time I listened to his speech. Though it’s the same one but he altered and fine tuned to make the delivery sharper and tighter with more conviction. The story was about his relationship with his mother and it relates to listening. Why I am sharing this with you is that Chris Woo is an eloquent speaker and he is a member of Brunei Speakers’ Club, a club that I recently got reinstated after a 2 year hiatus.

In less than a year, he took our club to another level with his International Speech Contest. Victories after victories, he made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest where he was pitted against 90 contestants, vying for the championship. This year, the event is held for the first time ever outside North America and it is currently being held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The stakes were pretty high. As I mentioned before, I had listen to his speech before and he still have to deliver the same speech as that was part of the rules and regulations for every semi-finalists. Chris Woo had to win on the national level, then he went to KK to win on the same speech before heading to Surabaya to win the title of District 87 International Speech Champion which was the ticket for the entry of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest semi-finals stage.

Of course, the stakes were high. He was drawn into Speech 9 where he was pitted against 9 other awesome speakers. Chris was lucky no.7 and wow, I just amazed how he can still draw a stronger vibe than before despite being the same speech about his mother. I was slightly concerned because two or three of other speakers were just as entertaining and captivating. Of course, they must be. They are champions in their respective districts. Ok, for those who don’t understand the word district, well.. it’s just an area where the countries are being listed in that particular district. So in our case, Brunei shared the same district as East Malaysia and Indonesia.

Anyway, what an awesome delivery, Chris!! I knew you nailed it. My neighbours sitting next to me were talking about the speaker from Brunei and our prediction was right. Chris stole the show. The crowd loved it. Our Brunei supporters were equally vibrant and over-excited when Chris Woo’s name was mentioned as the winner of the semi-final contest for Speech 9. The victory meant that Chris will be competing in the finals against 8 other finalists this Saturday (tomorrow).

Honestly, I just so proud that our own member from Brunei Speakers’ Club has made to the finals and founder of Brunei Speakers’ Club, Clovis Lai was the over the moon with the result as he was hugging every one from Brunei and toastmasters from District 87. But wow, Clovis has so much energy that it made him look younger :p I am so glad that I made it on this trip and witnessed a world class performance from toastmaster Chris Woo. The other part that I’m glad was being back as a member of toastmasters in Brunei Speakers’ Club and it boils down to the vibrancy and the new energy that the executive committee and members have brought in into the club. I thanked Seng Yee for the push as well as the other members and of course, my dearest friends who came and supported my first speech ever two weeks ago.

The journey has begun and I’m proud to be on that path in inspiring myself and others.


Chris Woo with other semi-finalists on the stage. The 2nd and 3rd place won’t be competing in the finals
 


The other contestants were amazing and to see Chris excelled was just purely awesome!!
 


District K (Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia) toastmasters celebrating Chris’ achievement
 


District K (Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia) toastmasters celebrating Chris’ achievement
 


Chris became man of the hour(s)
 


Chris Woo with the toastmasters from Brunei who came to support him in KL
 


Selfies with Chris and Liz
 


 


 


 


 


 


Will this be me in 5 years’ time? *lol*
 

  
SCB Scavenger Hunt 2014 
 


Click image to learn more about SCB Facebook Scanvenger Hunt 2014

Hey guys, it’s the moment to reveal what I teased you about! Standard Chartered Bank Brunei are launching their first Facebook Scavenger Hunt! It’s a chance for you to take on a virtual adventure and win Apple products and other fun prizes! All you have to do is click on the link and it will direct you to all the information you would need to find out how to win! Good luck hunters!

 

  
 

 

Volkswagen Tiguan TSI 
 


Happening today and tomorrow (Saturday) as Maju Motors hosting open house and do have a look at the new Volkswagen Tiguan TSI at the Maju Motors Showroom.
 

 

BruneiHalal Open House 
 


The management team of Bruniehalal during the open house recently

BruneiHalal held a Hari Raya open house event at its Jerudong office recently where it shared the joys and celebration of the festive month with its invited guests.

The event, which was the third of its kind organised by the company since its establishment in 2009, saw management and its associates in a laid back atmosphere outside the working environment.
“We have invited our stakeholders, officials from the government sector, Royal Brunei Catering, smaller vendors who have partnered to sell our products and even our neighbours Brunei Gas Carriers,” said Brand Marketing Executive Melline Jaini.

The BruneiHalal brand currently has more than 30 products under its belt, which includes a frozen range and Indian cuisine products.

BruneiHalal was established by the government to run commercial simply to provide halal food and drinks to the world.

“Lately we are reminding ourselves of our focus in Brunei to the local market as well. That’s why our product range has expanded we have over 30 products and in the UK, it is getting traction as well and that one is focusing on the meats,” said Melline.

For more information on BruneiHalal and its product, you can visit brunei-halal.com

Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.


Invited guests during the open house
 


Goodies from BruneiHalal
 


Invited guests during the open house. Image courtesy of Cristalina.
 


Invited guests during the open house
 


Invited guests during the open house
 

  
 

HBT Final tomorrow 
 


Well, Brunei might be out of the picture but I believe this will be a great final between Vietnam and Myanmar in the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2014. Fantastic prizes to be won as well as the first prize will be EPL tickets for two to catch Arsenal vs Manchester United.
 

  
 

18
Aug

BMO

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

The Popcorn Panel 
 

Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. Find out what is my best scene of the movie.

 

  

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

 

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones
 

 

Sales at Icon Design Store

 

 
Click to enter website
 
 

 

Peugeot Hari Raya Promotion 
 


Click image to enter Peugeot Brunei’s website
 

 

 

Citroën Brunei 
 


Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 
 

   
 

SCB Scavenger Hunt 2014 
 


Click image to learn more about SCB Facebook Scanvenger Hunt 2014

Hey guys, it’s the moment to reveal what I teased you about! Standard Chartered Bank Brunei are launching their first Facebook Scavenger Hunt! It’s a chance for you to take on a virtual adventure and win Apple products and other fun prizes! All you have to do is click on the link and it will direct you to all the information you would need to find out how to win! Good luck hunters!

 

  
 

Brunei must win 
 


Catch Brunei tonight against Malaysia and it looks like Brunei must win by 2 goals to go through to the semi-finals

It’s a tall order but I believe Brunei can do it. Adi Said and Hendra will be so important for this match against Malaysia tonight in the group stage of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2014. It’s the final game of the group stage and Brunei need at least to win by two goals to guarantee themselves in the semi-finals.

Adi Said and Hendra are both familiar with Malaysia as most of them represent Harimau Muda in the S•League and they know what it is like to face the Malaysia U-21 team. Brunei recently drew with Vietnam 2-2 last Friday and it could have been worst for Brunei if they didn’t earn any points at all against Vietnam. The hero that game was Adi Said who clawed Brunei back twice with two excellent goals.

It seems that Brunei will have to work their game play around Adi who is the game changer. It will be tough if Adi won’t be playing for Brunei and the head coach will have to come up with Plan B to gain maximum points against Malaysia tonight.

It’s a free entrance match with no tickets involved. So do come early to get the best seats in town. I’m pretty sure it will be a packed house because we want as many supporters as possible to give that needed much support for Brunei to beat Malaysia. To beat Malaysia is a tall order because they are undefeated and not only Brunei has to beat them but with a 2 goal cushion.


Brunei needs you – the 12th man
 


Want to catch another Mexican wave?
 


A familiar face among the fans during Brunei vs Vietnam match
 


A sea of yellow 😀
 


Merchandise from Arin’s Enterprise
 


HBT merchandise from Aewon
 


HBT merchandise from Armtrix Enterprise
 

  
 

The toastmasters leadership course 
 


Brunei toastmasters representatives from Brunei Speakers Club, Oil Town Talkers and Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club recently at a Toastmasters Leadership training at Kota Kinabalu. Image courtesy of Brunei Speakers Club.
Members of Toastmasters clubs in the Sultanate recently attended a Toastmasters leadership training at Wisma Bandaraya, Kota Kinabalu.

Organised for Toastmasters clubs of District 87 which consists of Brunei Darussalam, East Malaysia, and Indonesia, the Bruneian delegates, comprising members from Brunei Speakers’ Club, Oil Town Talkers, and the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club along with their Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts gained knowledge in leadership skills, and in identifying and achieving goals.

Toastmasters clubs are non-profit, educational organisations that provide opportunities for members to learn, develop, and enhance leadership and public speaking skills in encouraging and supportive environment.

Every club wants to offer the best quality environment for their members, so that everyone can learn and thrive. Through this session, members learned how to implement effective key performance indicators to enhance an organization’s performance. In addition, executive member from each club also shared experiences and perspectives on their organisation success plan.

Allen Ang, president of Oil Town Talkers said in the session, “We do not focus on membership growth in terms of numbers, we are more concerned with helping individual member grow and achieve their personal goals. That is why we cater tour individual members’ needs.”

He included nurturing successful individuals through productive mentor and mentee relationships are characteristics of a successful leader. Successful Toastmasters know that mentoring is a crucial element in developing skills through the Toastmasters program. In Brunei, different clubs work together to help each other to grow.

Last year, Stuart Lee from the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club made history when he won the Toastmasters humorous speech contest in District 87. This year, Chris Woo from Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, after winning the International Speech category in the division and district level, will also be the first to represent Brunei and District 87 to compete against the best speakers in the world at Toastmasters International Convention which will take place in August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Today, members of the public can continue to learn and develop leadership and public speaking skills in Brunei Darussalam’s Toastmasters clubs. Further information can be found at www.bruneispeakersclub.com


Allen Ang, the President of Oil Town Talkers (Otters), at the Leadership Training
 


The faces of our own toastmasters from Brunei
 

  
 

Logitech 
 


Get your Logitech peripherals at Concepts Computer. Call 223 3551/2/3
 

  
 

28
May

#ItJustGotReal

Written by Rano Iskandar. Posted in News

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

 

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones
 

 

Icon Design Store

 

 
Click to enter website
 
 

 

Royal Brunei Airlines

 

 
Click to enter website
 
 

 

#kickitbrazil 
 

 Want to win a GoPro Hero 3+? Check out #kickItBrazil Peugeot Brunei competition. Competition starts 12th May. Click image to enter Facebook page for more details.
 

 

Swipe for rewards 
 

Click image to enter BIBD website
 

  
 

New ExCo at BSC 

 

Last night was a done deal. The new Executive Committee (ExCo) of Brunei Speakers Club 2014-2015 have been elected and their roles will come to effect by 1st July 2014. Stuart Lee, the current President of Brunei Speakers Club, has done a tremendous stint during his term and rose the club to greater heights as the club reached a high score of 10 out of 10 for Distinguished Club Programme. Let’s hope the new batch will continue the momentum and in Hazwan Kamarulzaman’s inaugural speech as the new elected President, he promised to bring the best out of the club and I trust him for leading the club after his wonderful contribution in his previous role as Sergeant at arm in the Brunei Speakers Club.


new elected ExCo of Brunei Speakers Club – Standing L-R: Sheila Obedoza (Secretary), Joel Loo (Treasurer), Amran Jamaluddin (Sergeant at Arms), Chang Seng Yee (Vice President Public Relations). Seated L-R: Allen Ang (Vice President of Education), Hazwan Kamarulzaman (President), Stuart Lee (current and outgoing President), Reubin Chin (Vice President Membership)


Chris Woo of Brunei Speakers Club put the club on the international map after he won the International Speech Contest 2014 in Surabaya, Indonesia, two weeks ago and he will represent the club in District 87 at the World Convention in Kuala Lumpur in August. I shall mark my date and give my support and wish you to the best, Chris.

  

 

Founder Institute 
 


This is the first time I heard of Founder Institute. Apparently it’s the World’s Largest Startup Accelerator with over 1,000 graduate companies and it’s making its way to Brunei as the first session will be launched this Friday. The Founder Institute is based in the Silicon Valley and with chapters across 61 cities and 33 countries, the Founder Institute has helped to aspire “technopreneurs” launch over 1,116 companies which have created over 10,000 new jobs.

Basically it’s not a done deal just yet as Brunei is still it’s exploratory stage. For a start, the organiser will host pre-curriculum activities which will kick off by a Startup Founder 101 session with Nick Wong as the invited speaker and the agenda is to share information on the basics of being a startup founder. The venue will be at “Co-Working Space 1 (Tru), 3, Telanai Avenue, Simpang 175, Jalan Telanai”. The session will be on Friday 30th May 2014. You can check out the other future sessions from here.

There are also mentors in this program and notably the presence of Dato Timothy Ong, Chairman Asia Inc Forum who is no stranger when it comes entrepreneurship and his vast knowledge and wisdom through his experiences. Other mentors include our very own resilient Keeran Janin, Founder of Chrends, who kinda hit the money shot with his latest app #Chrends and he is definitely a good role model for young, hungry entrepreneurs and of course, Nicky Wong, the owner of Linknet Solutions and the founder of the successful qqestore.com


Catch Nicky Wong this Friday and learn what is it like be to a startup founder and it’s FREE.. Click image to book your seat.

Through the Founder Institute’s part-time four-month program, existing and prospective entrepreneurs can launch a company with expert startup training, feedback, and support from experienced startup CEOs, while not being required to quit their day job. The company’s mission is to “Globalize Silicon Valley” and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.

Leading the Founder Institute’s efforts in Bandar Seri Begawan are Md Hadi Shafie, a serial entrepreneur recently relocated to Bandar Seri Begawan from Google, and Nurul Ain Jaafar, one of the people spearheading efforts for SME development in the past.

“There is no time like the present to start a business,” says Hadi.

If you would like to help bring the Founder Institute to Bandar Seri Begawan, then be sure to complete an Interest Form by 2014-06-22 at http://fi.co/apply/bandar_seri_begawan. If enough people complete the form, then the Founder Institute will formally launch a chapter in Bandar Seri Begawan on 4th September 2014. Come on, peeps!! I think we can do this. I will be signing up for this definitely.

 

  
 

Asean CF14 signing 
 


Group photo with D’Sunlit the organiser of Asean Consumer Fair with the partners of the said event

THE 14th edition of the country’s largest, most popular shopping and entertainment event, styled as the Asean Consumer Fair 2014, will see bargain-hunters and fun-seekers rejoicing with the amazing range of products and services from Asean and beyond.

Themed ‘Bringing the Best of Asean and BIMP-EAGA to the World,’ the fair will feature an extensive array of quality goods and services unique to or specialised in by Asean member countries, including the BIMP-EAGA areas. Recently, D’Sunlit, the organiser, inked an agreement with the event and activity partners during a ceremony held at the Audiovisual Room of D’Sunlit office in Beribi. The event will be held on 25th to 29th June 2014.

Present to sign on behalf of D’Sunlit was its Executive Director Dato Paduka Hj Danial bin Hj Hanafiah, and witnessed by Marketing Manager Sherly Tan.

Other event partners include RTB as event broadcast TV, BIBD as official bank, Kristal Media Sdn Bhd as event broadcast radio, Aewon Garment and Embroidery Sdn Bhd as event apparel provider, Oregon Systems as event CCTV services provider, IBIC Sdn Bhd as event drinking water provider, and Ranoadidas.com as event social media partner.

Meanwhile, the activity partners include Brunei Wafirah Holdings Sdn Bhd, Origin Films, Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Perniagaan Malar Setia and Topform Co Sdn Bhd (The Body Shop. The upcoming fair will also see the presence of the Thailand Grand Fair, featuring beautiful handicrafts, ethnic cuisine and delicious fruits, while other countries beyond Asean and BIMP-EAGA’s boundaries includes China, Iran and Taiwan.
Visitors to the fair will be spoilt for choice by the sheer multitude of goods ranging from food and beverages, mobile phones and accessories, home appliances, interior décor and banking and financial services. To learn more about the Asean CF14, log on to www.bruneiconsumerfair.com or call D’Sunlit at 2453666.

The Asean CF14 is organised and managed by D’Sunlit in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

 


From Brunei Press Sdn Bhd
 


The t-shirt for the event
 


From IBIC Sdn Bhd
 


From Oregon Systems
 


From Brunei Halal
 


From Brunei Halal
 


From Kingston Beverage & Creamery
 


From Origin Films
 


From The Body Shop (Brunei)
 

  
 

DST “Future Meet Ups” 
 

Late post: Creative advertising and design strategies were the main highlights of DST’s “Future Meet Ups” session on Friday 23rd May 2014 at DST’s Signature Store Training Room in Airport Mall, Berakas. The intensive knowledge sharing and creative workshop session gave participants from Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Jefri Bolkiah College of Engineering (MKJB), Brunei Polytechnic College and DST, insight on how to effectively market products together with the dynamics of understanding creative work in the current business market, as well as learn and apply advertising strategies that result in creative strategic campaigns. The session was facilitated and conducted by Jordan Yau and Reuben Chin from Madmilk Design and Services, two local specialists in the field of creative communication, design and advertising.

Dayang Hjh Safrina binti Pehin Dato Hj Abd Rahman, Manager of Group Corporate Communications, shares her view that local start-ups and potential technopreneurs need to be well versed not only with technical ICT skills but also in areas of business and marketing which are fundamental of successful businesses especially in dynamic business markets which fluctuate according to consumer demands.

The communication specialists from Madmilk were positive about Future Meet Ups as a platform knowledge sharing. In a statement by Jordan Yau he shares, “The session is great because in a world of specialists, you may be really good at one thing, but it turns out you lack knowledge and expertise in other areas so a platform like Future Meet Ups for knowledge transfer is definitely good because everybody gets to learn from one another including ourselves.”

Reuben Chin added enthusiastically that the session was beneficial not just to the receivers of knowledge but to the presenters, “As facilitators not only did the students learn something but we also learn something.

“Future Meet Ups”” is part of DST’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, “Future Series” which is an initiative to create platforms to nurture promising Bruneian ICT individuals through investing in the individuals to generate business opportunities aimed to drive innovation and creativity in Brunei.

At “Future Meet Ups”, participants can connect and network with other participants, brainstorm together and share ideas as well as download information and learn from the session. The upcoming “Future Meet Ups” will take place on Friday 6th June 2014. For more information, please email corporate@dst-group.com Press release and images from DST.

 


Reubin Chin and Jordan Yau from Madmilk Design and Services facilitating the session on creativity and design
 


Future Meet Ups Participants engaging in a Creative Thinking Activity to “Think Outside the Box” at this week’s sessio
 

  
 

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