A must watch Episode (9): Game of Thrones.. Now I can’t wait for the finale.

Ah, this was the first that I was in many years that I had to struggle to flip through channels on a Monday morning. And on top of that, I was struggling to stay awake due to late night football (European Cup 2016). So what was showing live on Monday this morning? The NBA finals game 7, WWE’s Money In The Bank and Episode 9 of Game of Thrones. All showing on Kristal Astro..

Don’t worry, peeps!! No spoiler alerts especially for Game of Thrones and WWE’s Pay-Per-View event. Of course, my priority is still on Game of Thrones because of the higher value in terms of being spoiled with the era of social media. I’m glad I didn’t flip channel and focused the whole hour on the 9th episode of GOT and it was worth the watch. Many high and low moments but that’s how it is to make a story more compelling.

As for the Money In The Bank, I was slightly disappointed in the bookings. The fatal four way tag team match had good moments but poor execution where it made wrestlers feeling awkward because some of them missed the timings of the staged match. The match I missed was AJ Styles and John Cena because GOT was screening at the same time. Jason Rumpun said it was a great match though it started slowly. I skipped most of the matches as I was focusing on the NBA finale in between. The main event was above average and I am happy that Seth Rollins is back!! and he didn’t show any signs of injury throughout the whole match. Amazing feat!! Btw, Rollins is my favourite wrestler in WWE for the moment.

Game 7 of the NBA finals was much more interesting where defending champion Golden State Warriors choked after leading 3-1 in the final series, only to lose the finals to Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3. This is history in the making for Cleveland and it’s the King James show in the past few games. I have to applaud their resilience and tenacity to climb back from defeat and win their NBA championship. The Warriors will have reflect on their performance in the play-offs and now their 73-9 season record accounts to nothing.

All in all, it has been a great Monday morning and I still have pending work and a speech to deliver tonight.. So did you spend your Monday morning?

LeBron James finally win it for Cleveland Cavaliers

Seth Rollins was back in the game after months of being sideline through injury. I’m happy that he is fully fit now and he will make more impact on the WWE weak universe

Our supper last night at It’s A Grind (Citis Square) with Filterworks buddies. Apparently they have new snacks to cater for those who want to “lepak” late at night at the Citis Square outlet. It closes at 2:30am during Ramadhan. Do watch out for our promo video soon on IG and Facebook.

The new line of smartphones and tablet from Kata Digital. Interesting gadgets and they are quite affordable and cheaper than others in the market. A US product that are now available at AV Visual outlets (Mall, Times Square and Tutong). I shall blog more about this tomorrow.

 

Apart from the launch, SangYong Brunei is hosting a “My XLV Design” contest in which the winner could stand a chance of winning a Samsung S7 Edge

The Deluxe and the Standard specs of the newly launched SsangYong XLV, now available at SsangYong showroom at T.C.Y. Motors showroom at Kiarong

T.C.Y. Motors Sdn Bhd, sole distributor of SsangYong Motor in Brunei Darussalam, is proud to officially launch the SsangYong XLV. Widely considered to be an upgrade to the well received SsangYong Tivoli, the new SsangYong XLV boasts a uniquely dynamic style and several improvements to make it a strong contender for the most value-for-money compact SUV.

In addition to the power and safety features unique to SsangYong vehicles, the XLV offers superb riding comfort, quietness, a roomy interior, plentiful storage spaces as well as multiple seating variations for even greater storage space to match your required needs.

Continuing SsangYong’s play on words for its model monikers, the XLV takes its name from an acronym which stands for: eXciting Lifestyle Vehicle. As such, the XLV embodies more than just the essential qualities of an SUV. The storage space offered is among the best in its class and strives to transform the lifestyles of its users by giving them greater freedom of space.

Though it maintains the modern and elegant design identity of the Tivoli, the new SsangYong XLV also introduces design cues of its own for a more dynamic compact SUV appearance. This includes designs such as the dynamic barbell-type bumper which gives the XLV a uniquely robust look that continues the rhythmically flowing character line on either exterior body side of the XLV.

Playing host to 720 liters of cargo space, the XLV comes with a number of small storage spaces for easier compartmentalization. Customers can enjoy the roomier interior together with a choice of cloth seats, leather seats, and synthetic leather seats; the latter of which comes in a sporty red and black color pattern.

The second-row seats provide more headroom than any other competing compact SUV models by being able to recline up to 32.5 degrees. This in effect guarantees maximum comfort for all back seat passengers even during the longest of road trips. A latch type folding system allows the back seats to fold all the way down for a total of 1,440 liters of cargo space.

Under the hood, the XLV is equipped with the well received Aisin six-speed automatic transmission which is recognized for its performance and efficiency. Being composed of class-leading 71.1 percent high-strength steel, the chassis of the XLV effectively provides greater safety for the driver and passengers by minimizing vehicle deformation in the event of a crash. For reassurance, ten major parts of the vehicle have been made with hot press formed advanced high-strength steel with a tensile strength of 1500 Mpa.

Additionally, the XLV comes with an option of seven airbags, including the knee airbag on the driver’s side. This in combination with an ESP (electronic stability program) system, ABS and LED daytime running lights ensure the highest level of safety.

The vehicle’s infotainment system is particularly noteworthy as it features a HDMI port and a six-speaker sound system which allows for a variety of multimedia to be played back on the large seven-inch reverse camera connected screen with precise clarity.

Top view

The dashboard of the SsangYong XLV

The SsangYong XLV is made to combat the heat thanks to its best in class air-conditioning system and ventilated driver seat. Its dual-zone, fully automatic air-conditioning system allows the driver to maintain an optimum in-vehicle temperature while the memory function allows up to three combinations of temperature and air-flow volume and direction to be stored, guaranteeing a pleasant driving experience.

Lastly, the XLV comes with the option of a two-tone roof for all seven colors. This permits customers to choose a color for the roof and rear roof spoiler that is different from the body of the vehicle, adding to a dynamic and urban style.

In conjunction with the upcoming SsangYong XLV Launching, SangYong Brunei is hosting a “My XLV Design” contest in which the winner could stand a chance of winning a Samsung S7 Edge. Like us on SsangYong Brunei Facebook fan page and follow us on @ssangyongbru IG, for more updates!

 

Dato’ Mohd Ali Abd Samad, one of the Board of Directors for Malaysia International Franchise Sdn Bhd, Selina Cho, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia, Fauzi Awang, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gloria Jean’s Coffees Malaysia & Brunei, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Mohammad Hj Daud as the guest of honour, Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Afflon Dato Hj Hamidun, Gloria Jean’s Coffees-PGGMB franchise partner cum Managing Director of Altco Jaya Sdn Bhd and Haznah Md Hashim, Deputy High Commissioner of Malaysia cutting the ribbon to officiate the 3rd GJC outlet at PGGMB building last weekend

When those working in town heard about Gloria Jean’s Coffee coming to the capital, there were a lot of happy faces especially those who love their drinks and this also gives a healthy competition and more choices for customers in Bandar. Brunei has been a booming place for franchises and it’s no surprise that GJC is making its mark in Brunei. The third outlet was opened recently at Persatuan Guru-Guru Melayu Brunei (PGGMB) building. This building itself has a history and I remember back in early 2000s there were supposedly two to three eateries at the ground floor of PGMMB but the plan didn’t materialised and Brunei Shell Marketing instead took over the ground floor for its office.

Fast forward to 2014, history was made when GJC becomes the first food & beverage outlet to open its door on the ground floor area of PGGMB and I do hope this will spur more businesses to open at PGGMB to bring more traffic to town.

For your info, GJC is an Australian brand and it started off from Sydney. The good part about GJC franchise model is that the franchisor is able to give the franchise to different business owners instead of just one company. So in Brunei, the three outlets of GJC have three different owners unlike other well known franchise brands. This system has been successful and who knows we will have more different owners of GJC in the near future.

Last Saturday, Altco Jaya Sdn Bhd collaborated with Wonderful Lifestyle Sdn Bhd, the master franchise partner of Gloria Jean’s Coffee in Malaysia and Brunei, to open its third outlet at PGGMB. The guest of honour was Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Mohammad Hj Daud. Also present was Gloria Jean’s Coffees-PGGMB franchise partner cum Managing Director of Altco Jaya Sdn Bhd Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Afflon Dato Hj Hamidun; Manager of the Gloria Jean’s Coffees Mohammad Radhi Afflon; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gloria Jean’s Coffees Malaysia & Brunei, Fauzi Awang; one of the Board of Directors for Malaysia International Franchise Sdn Bhd, Dato’ Mohd Ali Abd Samad; Deputy High Commissioner of Malaysia Haznah Md Hashim and Deputy High Commissioner of Australia Selina Cho.

To celebrate the new branch, loyal customers can get the chance to enter the exclusive Football Mania “Guess the Team” promotion, available at all branches that is held in conjunction with 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will last until June 21.

Thank you, Amiel Afflon, for the invitation 😀

Guest of honour signing the book

A toke of appreciation for guest of honour

Group photo with the guest of honour

During the opening of the 3rd outlet

The interior of Gloria Jean’s Coffee at PGGMB

Awesome teamwork from the barista last weekend

Amiel Afflon with his friends during the opening

The location of Gloria Jean’s Coffee at PGGMB

Have you bought yours yet?

Now this will take some time to get the groove going. I bought my first sticker album and so far only purchased 3 stickers and I have yet to open it *lol* But the craze has been happening already and the usual hot spot for the gathering has always been the food zone at Gadong Properties. The gatherings have been quite a popular one and today will be another gathering at Food Zone from 4pm onwards.

I have even saw an article that Justina Baharun has completed three World Cup sticker albums and she spent 10 boxes of stickers.. Now that’s what you call a fanatic. I will definitely be a late bloomer for this craze and big shout out to Ho Tai Sdn Bhd for making this craze possible. The local company is the sole distributor of Panini stickers in Brunei and they have been running some contest as well.

You can click here on their Facebook page and follow updates.

The gathering is today later at Food Zone

One of the gathering nights at Food Zone for swapping and trading