The new model is to be unveiled tonight. More stories soon.

This is an ongoing competition on my instagram. It’s an original item all the way from Germany. It is an original coat hanger and headrest hook so your clothes stay wrinkle-free and fresh even on longer routes. Bags and garments can be placed here securely. The “Snakey” headrest hook is made of flexible and resilient material. So check out my instagram and stand stand a chance to win this.

A hint on what is about to be revealed. Do answer on my IG post and who knows who will be selected.

Have you registered yourself?

What most of you will be looking forward to is the upcoming Canon Photomarathon 2015 which will take place on 27th September 2015 and the venue will be at Star Lodge Hotel. For more information, you can click here and don’t forget to register because the first prize is a Canon 7D and there will be a grand winner where you will attend a photo clinic in Japan.

Of course there will be other prizes for the three themed categories and the winner of each will win a EOS 7D Mark II (for 3 winners). I was fortunate enough to be a judge last year for the competition and it was a pretty tough process being one but a fruitful experience. I am amazed by the talents that we have in Brunei.

The slots are running fast and it’s FREE as well and opened to all the photographers in Brunei. The venue will be the same as last year – Star Lodge @ Jerudong, Sunday 27th September 2015 (8am to 5pm). This event is fully sponsored by Interhouse Company.

The winners of last year’s edition of the Canon Photomarathon

The grand winner of the photo clinic in Japan last year

The organiser of the Canon Photomarathon 2015 from Interhouse Company

The winners of the Canon Photomarathon back in 2012

The winning shot of the theme Surface last year

What we thought of Everest

Everest. I saw the trailers a few times but it wasn’t enough to capture my interest apart from the awesome cinematography. They have a great line up of cast too – Jake Gyllenhaal (a heart throb to many of female friends), Jason Clarke (a disappointing effort at Terminator: Genisys), Josh Brolin (who was awesome in Sicario), Keira Knightly (where has she been all this while) and many more. The movie had a positive review with over 70% on Rottentomatoes but it hasn’t picked up well in the box office.

Pros: Cinematography was great but only in patches. I was hungry for more but the director, Baltasar Kormakur, could have explored more. Secondly the quest itself is already challenging and to see the different characters braving themselves and unite as a group is please worthy. Lastly some dramatic scenes were quite tense at one point.

Cons: A plenty. Too many involvement of characters that I lost track of who’s who especially when they had their head gears on. Secondly yes, it teased me but not enough to reach that anti/climax moment especially when this is involving climbing mountains. A good example that I gave me that edge-of-the-seat feeling was Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit. It made me feel that I rather watch this on National Geographic or Discovery Channel. The development of the supporting cast could have been deeper. The movie itself is a 2 hours long and it seemed too draggy in the beginning and it didn’t pay off because it was nothing memorable to remember.

Verdict: A movie that I won’t watch again but it’s interesting that they made a 1996 historical event into a film. Refining the editing of the movie and more development of the cast would have made Everest more impactful. 7/10.

What we thought of The Intern

The Intern. I like the motto of the flick – Experience never gets old. The last comedy is directed by Nancy Meyers, popularly known for movies such as What Women Want and Parent Trap. I came to this movie with no expectations and I didn’t even catch the trailer but I am a big fan of Anne Hathaway (well, after Scarlett Johansson). This comedy is about a retired successful business owner and widower (played by Robert De Niro) who lands an internship at a fashion website run by a young, career-driven woman (Anne Hathaway). So just reading at the premise alone, I’m already hooked.

Pros: Totally enjoyable from start to finish. This is a feel good movie and I’m glad I caught this movie after Everest. Robert De Niro kinda stole the show for me and he has his ways to woo the audience with his charming effect. The humour was spot on most of the time and it wasn’t unnecessary like some comedies would do (learn, Adam Sandler, learn). Sharon definitely enjoyed it, judging by pitch of her laugh :p What’s not to like about this movie.. well, a few..

Cons: It seemed that the character of Robert De Niro as an intern had little challenges (a little spoiler) so I didn’t feel there was an anti-climax moment for him. The ending to many of us were below satisfactory. Of course, we all wanted a Hollywood ending (happy ending) but I guess this is how life does turn out in reality.

Verdict: I love it and despite its flaws, I’m giving this a high score. Love the chemistry also between the two engaging characters. I wished they had more drama so the story could have ended on a higher note and make it more memorable. If you ask me, I enjoyed this more than Internship movie. 8/10

Group photo with Deon Ong (3rd from left) and the students and instructors from Yippy Tune

Yippy Tune, the Music School in Gadong Central, today bagged a total of 13 medals at the 22nd KK Music Festival in the Shangri-la Rasa Ria Hotel. Over 500 musicians from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei gathered together to compete through a range of musical instruments and genres in Kota Kinabalu.

Yippy Tune, one of the schools representing Brunei, took part in the Piano, Violin and Vocal categories with a total of 8 participants. “They came back with a stunning result that surpassed the school’s wildest imagination.” Said Deon Ong, the Principal.

Some of the highlights of the day included performance by the youngest performer who stole the show, 6 year old Megan Lee won a Silver in Classical Piano category as well a stellar performance by one of the youngest diploma holder (14) at the competition, Zoe Ho who won Silver in Classical Piano category as well for Diploma level. According to the judge, it is an achievement by itself for Zoe Ho, by simply attaining a Diploma at such young age.

Other winners from Yippy Tune Music School at the contest include:

• Flora Ngu

o 3 x Gold Medals in Vocal in Classical, Popular and Broadway category.

• Evana Ong

o 1 x Gold in Vocal for Popular Category and 1 x Silver in Classical Category.

• Freda Ngu

o 1 x Gold in Vocal for Popular Category and 1 x Bronze in Classical Category.

• Janice Deborah

o 1x Gold in Violin for Popular Category and 1 x Silver in Violin for Romantic and Classic Category

• Vivienne Poh

o 1 x Silver in Piano for Classical Category

• Koh Wan Enn

o 1 x Bronze in Piano for Classical Category

Flora Ngu, 3 Gold Medal winner at the 22nd KK Music Festival in the Shangri-la Rasa Ria Hotel recently

Megan Lee, a Silver medalist in Classical Piano category and she’s only 6 years old

“As a first time contestant, I am very proud of our students’ performances and their results. It is a testimony that with enough hardwork, dedication and self beliefs, Bruneian can compete at a regional level.” Said Deon Ong.

Incidentally, one of their students, Flora Ngu was recently shortlisted as the final Top 10 candidates by Disney Channel to play the role Princess Anna in Disney’s Frozen Orchestral in Singapore.

Deon also added that she was very impressed with the quality of the participants and the standard of the competition put forward by the KK Music Society by involving independent judges from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. She commented that the Piano category was especially tough, and was happy to see participants competing at such high level.

The school principal takes the opportunity to thank the dedicated teachers and parents who are as deserving to share the glory of the student’s success, and vows to expose more students to such competition. Press release and images from Yippy Tune.

Press release from Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam. Have you heard of financial scams? They are scams involving deposits, money transfers and credit card transactions. Although some financial scams are too good to be true, there are many people that still become victims.

These are the common financial scams in Brunei:

1. Get-rich-quick scheme: a plan, which offers high returns or dividends not usually available through traditional investments. The focus of such schemes would be to obtain deposits without a valid product or services which will be used to pay returns or dividends to earlier investors. The scheme may take the following forms:

  Ponzi scheme

  Pyramid scheme

  Gold investment

  Land-banking investment

  Forex trading

2. Credit card scam: Scammers calling victim’s phone pretending to be a bank officer informing that the victim’s credit card is suspected of crime. For verification purpose, the victims will be deceived into providing their credit card details.

3. Job scam: Scammers pretending to offer a job in their organisation. However, in order to secure the job offer, the victim must pay an upfront fee.

4. Lottery and competition scam: Scammers send out an SMS blast to would-be victims informing them of prizes they have won in competitions organised by some big companies and are advised to pay an entrance fee.

5. Inheritance Scams: Scammers assume the role of lawyers or representatives for a recently deceased distant relative or wealthy benefactor leaving a large inheritance usually in cash of which is to be distributed amongst them at an agreed percentage.

6. Internet love scam: (LOL, never been duped by this before) By creating fake profiles, fraudsters have managed to exploit the other users by pretending to develop an intimate and personal relationship with their victims.

The grand prize for the Open Category to top off with the BND 1,200 cash prize

AMBD believe that it is important to educate the public and raise their awareness to protect innocent people from becoming unfortunate victims. Show your support and creativity by creating a short video on financial scams awareness!

Well, there’s a good incentive for you to join!! Because the winners will win awesome prizes. For the Open Category, first place will win BND 1,200 cash prize with a GoPro Hero 4 Silver Edition, second place will win BND 900 cash prize with Sony Handycam while third place will win BND 600 with Sony HDR. There will also be student category with cash prizes for top three winners – BND 1,000, BND 750 and BND 500 respectively.

I won’t spare much details here but you can download the PDF form for eligibility and other information. Good luck and the deadline for submission is 30th October 2015.

Dai Kichiji, Senior Manager, Consumer Imaging & Information Group, Regional ICP Sales & Marketing Division, Canon, Her Excellency Madam Noriko IKI, the Ambassador of Japan and Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company (Canon Brunei)

Guest of honour having a tour of the revamped showroom at Canon

Interhouse Company, the sole distributor of Canon in Brunei, launched their revamped showroom at Jalan Tutong this morning. The highlight for me was definitely trying out the Canon EOS 5Ds *wowwieeee* This camera packs a punch and you will need a bigger memory for your SD or CF card because it can shoot up to 50 megs. The only downside is I don’t have the budget for the new EOS 5Ds and I’m still content with the 5D Mark III which has been useful for the past two years.

During the launch this morning was the guest of honour, Her Excellency Madam Noriko IKI, the Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam. Also present were Dai Kichiji, Senior Manager, Consumer Imaging & Information Group, Regional ICP Sales & Marketing Division, Canon and Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company (Canon Brunei).

Among the invitees were the business partners of Interhouse Company such as Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Hua Ho and Plus+ Magazine to name a few and not forgetting the loyal users of Canon photographers.

The ribbon cutting was performed before entering the newly renovated showroom. You will be able to see the new Canon DSLRs, the Canon lenses, printers, compact cameras, calculators and many more.

What most of you will be looking forward to is the upcoming Canon Photomarathon 2015 which will take place on 27th September 2015 and the venue will be at Star Lodge Hotel. For more information, you can click here and don’t forget to register because the first prize is a Canon 7D and there will be a grand winner where you will attend a photo clinic in Japan.

Congratulations to Interhouse Company on the showroom.

With the senior management of Interhouse Company and invited guests

Looking for a PIXMA printer?

You can try out the Selphy printer too.

The ladies checking out the compact Canon cameras

My busy industrious friend who also works at Interhouse Company

The durable and reliable printers from Canon

I have yet to try this beast – Canon EOS 5Dsr

I’ve been eyeing on this camera. Yes or no? But I’m still happy with my 5D Mark III.

Hasmin testing the Canon EOS 5Ds. What a beauty!!

Check out the calculators too from Canon

So ladies and gents. Start registering for the Canon Photomarathon 2015.

Group photo of Interhouse Company with loyal customers

Joon Man and Sophia Siu with their photo booth for the attendees

Allen Ang drawing some cartoons

I attended the UBD Street Shutters event last weekend and the event was part of the assessment for UBD students taking a final year course for Communication and the Creative Arts. It was held at Muti-Purpose Hall at UBD. As a guest, I was kinda expecting more from event itself because I’m into photography but there were a few missed opportunities such as the lacking of framed photography and even large scale photos. Instead there were only compilations of 5R photos that didn’t manage to grab my attention to an extent. Overall, it was still a great effort from the students. Last year was still better, in my opinion, with the Film Festival UBD and that had a little more impact.

UBD Street Shutters also had lucky draws for the delight of the attendees. The prizes were flight tickets to Thailand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, sponsored by AIA BR – Kelvin Pong. There was also a photo competition organised by Interhouse Company (Canon) where first place Rahim Jamil received a Canon DSLR EOS 1200D, lens kit, Canon parcel and 8GB card. The two day event concluded last Sunday.

Dean Kassim showcasing his portfolio

Pranika Lama with her work

Ikhwan Salleh’s photography

Posing the camera at the lucky draw booth

Guest of honour was Programme Leader of Communication and the Creative Arts Associate Professor Shui (6th L) as well as representatives from Canon Interhouse John Tiang (5th L), and AIA BR – Kelvin Pong, Kevin Onn (7th R) with the winners for both contests during the closing ceremony. Image Courtesy of Jekizan Ching

 Image Courtesy of Jekizan Ching

Ak Fauzi sharing his stories of his photography

Under water casing for Bahzi’s camera.

 

Click image to enter and register

APEC CBET (Cross Border E-Commerce Training) eLearning program is a knowledge sharing and entrepreneurship fostering platform, designed for global SMEs to receive the most professional and most practical cross border e-commerce related knowledge and sights, as well as entrepreneurship guidance on a wide range of startup concepts on this new global value chain.

As the explosive growth of e-commerce, a new global value chain is forming to revolutionize traditional business, and empower global SMEs with opportunities to access international markets and build global brands, like never before. CBET workshop is initiated and implemented by APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), designed to convey industry knowledge and insights, enable global SMEs to capture these golden opportunities, transform and upgrade their business to a whole new level.

To meet the demand of global SMEs, CBET eLearning program is initiated by ABAC China in 2014, with joint support from multiple APEC economies. APEC CBET eLearning will focus on two core concepts – “Cross Border e-Commerce” and “Entrepreneurship”, to serve as a mobile platform to exchange ideas and experience, convey knowledge and insights, and foster entrepreneurship through its online incubator.

A variety of formats will be adopted to offer a wide spectrum of contents in the most engaging manner, from ecosystem introduction to major components illustration, from Internet thinking to industry best practices, from mind-sets sharing to skill-sets training, APEC CBET eLearning will cover a wide range of topics from different angles and perspectives, to provide the most professional, most practical industry knowledge, and build the most influential online community on e-commerce to encourage entrepreneurship and incubate innovative business solutions across APEC economies.

Partners of APEC CBET eLearning will not only join the honor of empowering SMEs with most advanced business models to access international markets, but also branding itself to APEC economic leaders, ministers, senior officials, and local SME business owners, associations, and other related organizations. It is not only a socially valuable program to join, but also an economically beneficial program to participate.

You can click here to find more information.

 

Chairman of Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (Progresif), Hj Abu Bakar Hj Ibrahim, handing out certificates to a staff of PCSB for completing a nine-day training course while Paul Hyde, CEO of Progresif looks on. Image courtesy of Ridhwan Kamarulzaman of The Brunei Times.

Last year, b•mobile almost pull the plug and there were doubts among the staff with rumours circulating that the company will ceased its establishment. In comes Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd and they turned things around and renaming b•mobile communications to Progresif Cellular while retaining the existing customers of b•mobile. It’s never an easy road to rise from a challenge and further they are up against a 20 year old establishment, their direct competitor DST.

Progresif Cellular have been investing their time in training their staff, improving the network infrastructure and even hiring suitable candidates to be part of the Progresif team. They have come up with great marketing campaign such as offering free calls from 8pm to 12am or even introducing FREE Sim Card for new subscribers. These gimmicks have paid off handsomely as according to the article from The Brunei Times that Progresif Cellular have new 8,000 subscribers. One of the reasons is due to the company’s willingness to waive the BND 25 fee for new registration. This information was disclosed by PSCB’s Chief Marketing Officer Devin Edwards and their approach paid off, hitting the “more price-sensitive customer segment”.

PCSB have also upped their network a few nights ago on certain areas. This shows that baby steps of being progressive will slowly pay dividends especially towards PCSB’s customers. Patience is the key and it’s good to see how the new management has turned the company around and restoring confidence slowly.

I have yet to subscribe for PCSB but then again, I don’t know if I want to carry two phones with me. Anyway, great good, PCSB. I’m already anticipating more progressive things to come from PCSB.

One of the reasons why Progresif have a high spike of new subscribers. This free calls also valid to other networks until 1st May 2015. Click image to enter Progresif’s Facebook Page. 

 

The leading brand for water tanks in Brunei – LSL

If you go around many local household, there’s one brand that sticks to your mind when you see a water tank and that has the label “LSL”. Yes, we always take everything for granted when it comes to water supply but we forgot how important the water tanks are as well. The LSL water tanks have been around for decades and for me, if I was to trust a strong brand, it will be no other than LSL. I even paid a visit to their industrial area at Tanah Jambu and everything is fabricated from there. What’s great about LSL tanks are that they are stainless steel water tank.

Now do you know that not all water tanks that you see are top notch in terms of quality. You may come across different brands but we simply just assume that as long as it can store and pump water, it’s good enough for the household. Well, one thing for sure, you will never know if the type of tanks you used can be corrosive or even leakage. There are some cases also that fungus or algae might develop and this might not make water consumption drinkable or safe. With the LSL brand, you needn’t worry about all these issues as they have all the attributes to prevent these from happening.

I’m sharing you this story is because I became aware how much difference in quality even in water tanks and LSL stands at the top of the chain in terms of quality. Furthermore, the LSL water tanks have been around for 25 years. You can check out their Facebook page which is pretty active and or you can contact 2393200 or email us at metal@lsl.net. Do visit their showroom and factory at Salambigar industry area.

Click image to enter Facebook page of LSL.

 

Receiving the grand prize on behalf of Syukri Zulkipli was his sister, Ishan Nazurah, who received it from Vincent Goh, Managing Director of Interhouse Company

One of the prizes was a Canon EOS 700D

It was tough time once again for the judges as they had to screen down the photos of the “Moments with Plus+” contest to 9 finalists out of over 300 photos. This morning was the presentation for the Top 10 finalists and this competition was initiated by Plus+ Magazine and supported by Interhouse Company, sole distributor of Canon products. The judges were Vincent Goh of Interhouse Company, Azhani Abu Daniel of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and myself.

The winner of the IG contest was Syukri Zulkipli and the grand prize consisted of a Canon EOS 700D sponsored by Interhouse Company and a return ticket to Bali (sponsored by RB), a one month membership at Fitness Zone, 1 year magazine subscription with Plus+ Magazine and Nails & Wax Vouchers. The judges felt that the winning photo best encapsulated the spirit and creativity and it was also came with the Earth Hour theme. I thought the level of technicality was pretty high and the winning photo does give that emotional response to the viewers. Well done, Syukri.

The “Moments with Plus+” Contest was sponsored by Interhouse Company, Royal Brunei Airlines, Aewon Garment and Embroidery, Fitness Zone, LoL Media, EzyPrinting and Nails & Wax.

Here the list of the Top 9 winners.

Grand prize – Syukri Zulkipli

Runner up – Azmey bin Hj Othman

2nd Runner up – Cryil Steward Teo

4th place – Leya Koh Wan Mei

5th place – Sonia Budiman

6th place – Sylvia Ling

7th place – Chung Ming Ru

8th place – Yong Kem Sin

9th place – Azlan bin Ibrahim

Azmey Hj Othman receiving his prize

Cyrll Steward Teo receiving his prize

4th place winner was Leya Koh Wan Mei and receiving it was her mother as Leya is currently studying in Brisbane

6th place winner was Sylvia Ling who took the photo for @jclgoh

7th place was Chung Ming Ru

9th place was Azlan bin Ibrahim

Simon Keller, Editor of Plus+ Magazine

Group photo with the winners

Emcee for the day

The judges and facilitator last weekend

Judging time

The winning photo taken by Syukri with his sister Ihsan in the photo

 

Eric Landa, PhD, is the aquatic sports head coach of Brunei and his ambitious goal is to deliver the first ever aquatics medal for Brunei by the 2019 SEA Games. Image taken from The Brunei Times.

Back in old school days in Geelong Grammar School, I had a challenging task and that was achieving a “bronze star/medalion” status for swimming. It’s not a competitive achievement but I realised how important I can play a role whenever I’m in water or underwater. It was part of the school curriculum and it was compulsory as well. It took me a few months as the toughest part of the drill was completing the 400 metres swimming within a given time. Other than that, I was able to float and also rescue swimmers if necessary.

So what are you sharing all these? Because the article by Eric Landa (Aquatic Head Coach) caught my eye. He expressed his personal thoughts yet again on importance of introducing swimming programmes to the local schools in Brunei as part of their Physical Education lessons. His proposal couldn’t come at a better time since we have been notified with the recent tragedies of young people drowning now and then. Perhaps, if they had more knowledge and the know-how when it comes to situations like this, they would have been better equipped and more prepared.

Hence I like the initiative of Eric Landa and be part of the “Learn to Swim MOVEMENT” which supports two ideas 1) Learn to Swim programmes for public schools 2) Learn to Swim programmes for adults which can benefit for their children.

Because of the lack of support he has been receiving from relevant agencies, his article in today’s The Brunei Times sparked the idea of gathering collective opinions from the public to support his notion. Do show your support by sharing his article on BT on your Facebook page or send him a Whatsapp message or email to bruneiswimming(a)hotmail.com

Thank you for the courage to speak up and highlighting the importance of such programmes. I have been in one when I was a student and I understood how important it can be for the future. You have my vote of confidence. for the full article in The Brunei Times, you can click here. All the best, Eric!

This is what he hoped to achieve for the students in public school. It’s never too late. Click image to read full article.

One of the recent drowning tragedies last December

The recent one that happened beginning of the year

 

Canon Contest “Moments with Plus+” The competition can start beginning for January to the end of March 2015.

How to Participate:

1) Take creative shots of Plus+ Magazine.

2) Upload it up to Facebook or Instagram.

3) Tag @PlusBrunei on the Photo and Caption  #MomentswithPlus

Participants can submit more than one photos.

For Participants who have their account on private.

1) Screenshot the uploaded image.

2) Email the screenshot to plusbrunei@gmail.com

 

Satay Burger is out in Burger King

 

Click image to read more about the case

This is one interesting case that I’ve been following for the past months because of the magnitude of the lawsuit and the involvement of the Indian community in Brunei Darussalam. Recently the Indian Chamber of Commerce lost an appeal by the Court of Appeal. It was regards to the libel action filed by businessmen Ramesh Jiwatram Bhawnani and Abdul Hamid Abas of YMRM Galleria.

 As written on June 16, 2014 in The Brunei Times, the plaintiffs (Ramesh Jiwatram Bhawnani and Abdul Hamid Abas ) sued a registered society Indian Chamber of Commerce and the 25 defendants as members of the society for libel (refer to the names below at the illustration). Ok, libel means a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation or in other words, a written defamation. So in this case, the Indian Chamber of Commerce has written a defamation on both Ramesh Jiwatram Bhawnani and Abdul Hamid Abas.

The society and 24 of its members, according to court documents, are being sued by plaintiffs Ramesh Jiwatram Bhawani and Abdul Hamid Abas for libel on grounds that between April 5, 2010 and November 29, 2010, the Indian Chamber of Commerce wrote letters allegedly containing libelous statements to the Indian High Commission.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce had applied to court to “strike out” the case against them because they said the letters having been sent to the Indian High Commission were subject to immunity. The court said no such immunity applied.

In the recent, publication of The Brunei Times, “The appeal is dismissed,” the Court of Appeal said. “There will be an order that the respondents’ costs of this appeal be taxed if not agreed and paid by the appellants.”

For previous news and updates of the case, you can click here, here and here from The Brunei Times.

Representing the Indian Chamber of Commerce is Siva Sankaran from Sankaran Halim & Associates while representing Ramesh Jiwatram Bhawani and Abdul Hamid Abas is Pengiran Izad of Pg Izad and Lee which won the case.

The names illustrated by The Brunei Times.

Let this be a learning lesson for all of us that “libel” is a serious offense. You can seriously land yourself into huge trouble and even at a very high cost. There was one case where a legal firm demanded $3 million compensation in the High Court against a local printing company for libel by calling the lawyers “piranhas, vultures and scavengers” back in 2002. In the end, the Brunei High Court in a landmark defamation suit awarded a prominent legal firm and the lawyers BND 673,488 in damages against the local printing company. Source: [Borneo Bulletin, 2002].

So do be careful what you type or write before posting and even I’m being careful in my blog posting as my intention is to help create awareness to the public especially matters like this.

 

The Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) in collaboration with Brunei Press Sdn Bhd will be organising a photo contest in conjunction with the World AIDS Day event that is celebrated globally every 1st December.

The theme of the World AIDS Day this year is “Getting To Zero” and the photo contest will also signify the theme and represent ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ images.The event is supported by Manning Jaya Trading (B) Sdn Bhd, Interhouse Company, Mc Quipp Technisell Marketing Sdn Bhd and Medicorp Sdn Bhd.

“The photo contest aims to boost participation from the members of the public and encourage them to present their creativity in the field of photography. We believe that in this age where social networking is at its peak, there are a lot of photography enthusiasts who are waiting for their time to flourish in this field. I believe this will be a great platform for them to present their skills to the world,” said AK Danny, JPMC Marketing Officer.

“We are delighted to partner with JPMC in conjunction with the World AIDS Day Photo contest 2014. Through this event, I believe it well help to create awareness of this global pandemic and at the same time educate people on its prevention,” said Hazizah Osman, Deputy General Manager of Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

Ak Danny, JPMC Marketing Officer and Hazizah Osman, Deputy General Manager of Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

Awesome prizes include a brand new Canon EOS 700D Kit (18-135mm), BND500 cash prize, one year JPMC gym membership as well as a Canon branded cap and power bank for the top prize. Second place will receive BND300 and six months JPMC Gym membership, while third place will receive BND200 and three months JPMC Gym membership.

The photo contest is open to all Brunei Residents except JPMC and Brunei Press staff. The contest runs from 26th November and the last day to submit entries if by 10th December 2014. Entries should be sent to marketing@jpmc.com.bn and all entries should be a minimum resolution of 300dpi.

Recently, JPMC also launched the sales of its commemorative Red Ribbon pins to collect funds for the Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council. The annual charity project is still ongoing and the Red Ribbon pins will be available at all JPMC counters at $3 each.

 

Get Connected through ICONIA

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 

  

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website.

 

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website

 

The collection pack for the much anticipated Royal Brunei’s The Great Race is happening next week. I will be only participating in the 3km race and just spend time taking some photos around for coverage purposes. The responses have been very exceptional, considering that this is Royal Brunei Airlines’ first attempt in organising a run.

By the way, for those who wants to donate, please click through this DonationCard_BW.pdf to download the Donation Card and bring it during the Race Kit New Collection Dates.


Or if you appoint a representative to pick up on your behalf, pleas click through this THEGREATRACEAUTHORISELETTER.pdf and fill up the authorisation form for your representative to bring during the Race Kit New Collection Dates below.


Have a good week ahead and see you on the 17th & 18th October at Royal Brunei Recreational Club.

Loving this top from The Great Race. Maybe the t-shirt design for a run I’ve seen

 

The winner of each category will win a Canon EOS 70D

This competition has been growing in popularity and I’m glad that this has become a yearly event (a big thanks to Interhouse Company) for making this possible. This year, there will be something extra in terms of prizes. Yes, the usual prizes will definitely be there but there is a new catch. There is a Grand Prize category and the winner of this will have the bragging rights of attending a 9-day photo clinic in Japan. Awesome!!!

The great thing is that the eventual winners of the respective categories are not guaranteed the grand prize as the individual participant will be judged based on the all the three categories and judged as a whole. This is a great initiative for the participants to showcase their talent and you will never know if you will be the chosen one to represent Brunei in Japan.

I won’t spare much insight on this competition as the rules and regulations are given below in this post. Good luck to you all.

CANON PHOTO MARATHON BRUNEI 2014

Date: 19th October 2014 (Sunday)

Venue: Star Lodge Hotel

0800hrs – Start of Registration and collection of competition apparel

0900hrs – Announcement of Theme 1 and commencement of competition

1700hrs – Announcement of winners and prize presentation (subject to change based on judging process)

1. The Canon Photo Marathon Brunei 2014 (“Event”) is an event open to all.

2. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis subject to receipt of a valid registration.

3. All information including personal information submitted by the participant to Interhouse Company. (“Organizer”) in connection with the event shall become the property of the Organizer. The participant is deemed to have given the Organizer authorization to use such information for any purpose (including market research, planning, data-processing, statistical and risk-analysis, research, fund-raising).

4. The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the event at any time without notice. In the event of such cancellation, the Organizer shall use reasonable efforts to inform the participant prior to the date of the event.

5. The stated event timings are subject to changes.

6. Participants must abide by the competition rules, and by any decisions made by the Organizer.

7. Participants under the age of 18 must obtain parental consent

8. The Organizer reserves the right to use any submitted photograph for any purposes without compensation to the participant.

9. The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify any participant who has infringed any of the competition rules.

10. Decisions by the Organizer and competition judges are final. No queries will be entertained.

11. Only photos taken by conventional digital cameras accepted.

12. All nationalities are welcomed.

13. By participating in the Event, the participant is deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.

The participants of the Canon event back in 2012

The event took place at Radisson Hotel two years ago

The winning photo by Adam in the Street Scene category

Competition Process

1. Participants will receive Theme 1 at approximately 0900hrs on 19th October, 2014 at the Event Venue.

2. Participants must submit ONE picture deemed suitable for the Theme before the assigned deadline.

3. Theme 2 will be announced immediately after the deadline for Theme 1 submission has lapsed.

4. Theme 3 will be announced immediately after the deadline for Theme 2 submission has lapsed.

5. The Top three prizes will be awarded for each Theme.

6. Grand Prize will only be awarded to participants who have submitted photos for all 3 categories and will be judged as a whole.

Competition Rules

1. All participants must wear the Canon apparel and ID provided during the event.

2. Participants can only use conventional digital camera during the Canon Photo Marathon, Brunei 2014.

3. All photographs submitted MUST be in JPEG format and sized to approximately 5MB.

4. Storage format accepted are CF / SD / MMC / XD / MS formats. Participants using other formats must supply their own relevant adaptors / drives for use during the submission of entries during the event. The Organizers will not be held responsible for the inability to read / download images.

5. All photographs will be judged based on the following criteria:

– Relevance to theme

– Creativity in theme interpretation

– Use of colors and light / shadows

– Composition of photograph

6. All submissions for each Theme must be completed before the announced allocated deadline. The Organizer reserves the rights to reject any submission once the deadline has lapsed.

7. All submitted photographs must be taken on 19th October 2014.

8. Submitted photographs must not be altered by any editing software.

9. Participants must submit their entries personally. No proxy submission by any participant is allowed during the Event.

10. The Organizer will not be responsible for providing photographic equipment including camera, spare batteries, lenses or additional memory cards. All participants are expected to come prepared with all their photographic equipment.

 

Audi driving instructor Mr. Nicolaas Smit from South Africa explaining to the audience before the AUDE began

TCY Motors as the sole dealer/importer for Audi in Brunei launched its inaugural 3-day Audi Urban Driving Experience (AUDE) at the ‘Pusing Lagi’ car park in Jerudong Park two weekends ago. I was fortunate enough to experience the sessions and big thanks to TCY Motors for giving me the opportunity. It also gave me a new perspective about Audi cars especially those with quattro and also the technology that Audi has.

The exclusive event was a road and ‘track’ based safety driving tutorial and vehicle product demonstration via dynamic exercises such as ABS Braking and Gymkhana or Slalom event. Road Drive featuring the recently launched Audi A3 Sedan is an extended vehicle test-drive highlighting the 5-mode Audi Drive Select vehicle setting feature which changes the vehicle driving behavior according to the type of driving conditions.

AUDE’s aim is to educate Audi owners or drivers in general, by using physical “hands-on” tuition, primarily how to react in emergency maneuvers in the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) braking exercise.

Gymkhana or the Slalom exercise practices safe high speed handling, and helps demonstrate and educate the traction grip abilities of Audi’s ‘trademark’ quattro four-wheel drive system compared to that of a vehicle without quattro. This was actually my favourite part of the entire session because you get to compete/race against one another for fun and yes, it was addictive.

An experienced Audi driving instructor Mr. Nicolaas Smit from South Africa together with Mr. Richard Sorenson from Audi Singapore were invited to plan and facilitate the dynamic driving exercises to ensure the highest safety standards are observed for the participants which mostly include Audi owners and invited guests only.

With involvement in the motor industry since 1999, Smit is also member of the Guild of South African Motoring Journalists and has hosted a motoring insert on the Lifestyle Show on SAFM since 2007.

The organizer intends to hold the AUDE annually in one form or the other to highlight the capabilities of Audi vehicles and as a treat for its loyal customers.

My best pick among the Audi brand is definitely the Audi A7 which has the quattro. Just simply awesome!!!

I love this session – Gymkhana or the Slalom exercise

I am amazed by the power of the Audi A7 which is equipped with quattro

The Audi A6 was the other car that was competing against the Audi A7

My partner in crime during the test drive session

Cool passes for the drivers 😀

The ABS Braking session

The ABS Braking session was kinda tricky but shows how great the braking system is on Audi

I also test drove the Audi A3 and went for a road drive using all the different modes such as Dynamic mode

John Tan taking care of the Audi A3 test drivers

Certificates given to all Audi test drivers with Audi driving instructor Mr. Nicolaas Smit from South Africa together with Mr. Richard Sorenson from Audi Singapore

Another lucky participant to experience the test drive

The Saturday morning session. There were six sessions in all.

 

Acer Liquid Smartphones

Check out Acer Liquid smartphones

Icon Design Store

Click to enter website

Royal Brunei Airlines

Click to enter website

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.

Click image to enter BIBD website

 

Visit Jati Transport showroom today for the new line from Mercedes-Benz – A 45 and CLA 45 AMG

Wow, wow, wow!! I was totally impressed by the two new cars being showcased at Jati Transport Showroom this morning – the Mercedes-AMG A 45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG. You can check out both these awesome models today only at the Jati Transport Gadong Showroom. For the first time in the company’s history extending back over more than 45 years, Mercedes-Benz’s performance brand is offering two high-performance cars powered by a four-cylinder engine.

Apparently both models are currently fully booked for the year as these models take time to build especially the engines. According to a representative from Jati Transport, there is only one engineer who will concentrate and dedicated to building the engine and there are around 40 engineers who are dedicated to that. So you can imagine the time spent in building the engine. All the engines will have signatures of the engineers to give it a more personal touch. Jati Transport shared that around 20 bookings between the two models have been made for Brunei and the next batch will have to wait till 2015.

So below are the press release for both the Mercedes-AMG A 45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG.

Two figures show that the A 45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG hold pole position in their displacement segment: the newly developed AMG 2.0-litre turbo engine is the most powerful series-production four-cylinder turbo engine in the world. A maximum output of 265 kW (360 hp) and up to 450 Newton metres of torque are unmatched by any other mass-produced turbocharged four-cylinder engine worldwide. The power density of 133 kW (181 hp) puts the AMG high-performance turbo engine on par with the world’s most powerful super sports cars.

The high output and torque coupled with the performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive fitted as standard make for extremely dynamic performance: both the A 45 AMG and the CLA 45 AMG complete the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and have a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited).

The basis for these impressive figures is provided by the high-tech package put together by Mercedes-AMG. As a high-performance engine belonging to the BlueDIRECT family, the AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine features spray-guided direct petrol injection via piezo injectors positioned centrally in the four combustion chambers with an injection pressure of 200 bar. The combination of multiple fuel injection and multiple spark ignition improves fuel utilisation and increases thermodynamic efficiency substantially, leading to low exhaust emissions.

Visit Jati Transport showroom today only to see the Mercedes-Benz A 45

The back view of the A 45

Checking out the engine of the A 45

The AMG engine

Specially handcraft at Mercedes-AMG Germany

The interior of the A 45

Mercedes-AMG addresses the essential challenges concerning the response of small-displacement turbo engines by means of a twin-scroll turbocharger, maximum derestriction of the exhaust system and an innovative injection strategy. The twin-scroll technology provides for a more spontaneous build-up of charge pressure, making effective use of exhaust gas back pressure, exhaust gas temperature and exhaust gas impulse. This results in a swifter build-up of torque right from the lower rev range. As a positive side-effect, the twin-scroll technology also benefits fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. With a maximum charge pressure of 1.8 bar, the AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine leads the field in this respect, too.

The AMG sports exhaust system features large pipe cross-sections and an automatically controlled exhaust flap: this technology, which is familiar from the SLK 55 AMG, reconciles the two apparently conflicting aims of tangible dynamic spirit and hallmark Mercedes comfort on long journeys. The flap is continuously adjusted by map control according to the power called up by the driver, load status and engine speed. During powerful acceleration, the tailpipes of the AMG sports exhaust system emit an exciting sound. Despite their design similarities, each of the two models has its own specific sound: as a powerful compact car, the A 45 AMG sounds even more throaty than the CLA 45 AMG in a direct comparison. The four-door high-performance coupé’s engine sound is more understated so as to make the ride an even more pleasurable experience for the rear passengers. An AMG performance exhaust system with exhaust flap is available as an optional extra for both models. Those opting for this system will experience an even more emotive and full engine sound.

Like all the AMG eight- and twelve-cylinder engines, the new AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine is assembled entirely by hand according to AMG’s traditional “one man, one engine” philosophy – as shown by the AMG engine badge bearing the signature of the responsible engine fitter.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG

The back view of CLA 45 AMG

CLA 45 AMG

Check out the rims

The side view of the CLA 45 AMG

A 45 and CLA 45 AMG

 

 

Follow them on @sinhuphuat instagram and stand a chance to win Meguiar’s Ultimate Protectant. Draw date 31st May 2014.

 

Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company and Lau Soon Tiong, Manager of Hua Ho Manggis with the new Canon cameras

So you prefer an SLR or a compact camera from Canon? Interhouse Company just launched their new cameras – EOS 1200 DSLR and the PowerShot G1X Mark II and it was launched by Vincent Goh, Deputy Managing Director of Interhouse Company at the Hua Ho Manggis Mall. I’m a huge fan of Canon and I’ve always been upgrading my cameras though it only serves for my social media updates and my blog but it is still worth the investment. I’m actually interested in the Canon 70D after playing around with it from Azim Kassim and Joana Tan.

By the way, both these new cameras pack a punch and I’m quite surprised by the price of the EOS 1200D DSLR which is only in the region of below BDN 700 and this is a pretty competitive price indeed. The EOS 1200 D has an excellent high ISO performance and for entry level, this is pretty easy to use and master. Perhaps the downside I saw is the slow burst mode which will not suit me well. But hey, the price for this camera will probably draw in more customers especially the newbies. Do check out the models at the Hua Ho Manggis Mall at the ground floor area.

Vincent Goh in his welcoming remarks

Vincent Goh and Lau Soon Tiong unveiling the new cameras

Vincent Goh with his invited guests

The Canon EOS 1200D

The G1X Mark II is kinda expensive but it’s the best G series of the Canon PowerShot. It has a 14 MP quality and sports a 28-112mm F2.8-5.8 lens and able to capture a 1080p video recording at 24fps. is a new premium compact camera with a large CMOS image sensor and a fast lens. The metal-bodied G1 X Mark II has a 1.5-type multi-aspect sensor, a 5x f/2.0-3.9 lens zoom lens, full manual controls, shooting mode dial, 3-inch tilting LCD touchscreen with 1,040K dots, built-in flash and a flash hot shoe, DIGIC 6 processor, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, ISO range of 100-12800, full HD movie recording, 14-bit RAW image capture, 31 AF points, focus peaking function, and dual lens control rings. The Canon Powershot G1 X Mark II is available in black.

You can get this model for BND 1,069 and it comes with a 8GB memory card and a camera bag. You can read more in-depth reviews of the G1x MK II review here.

Lau Soon Tiong of Hua Ho Manggis holding the Canon PowerShot G1X Mark II

Canon PowerShot G1X Mark II selling at BND 1,069 with a 8GB memory card and a camera bag

Selfies with Interhouse Company management and a reporter from a Chinese newspaper during lunch after the launch