I was totally amazed by this young talent – Neel Sethi playing the role of Mowgli

Jungle Book. It was just reported that the producers are working on the sequel already. To my surprise, Jungle Book has yet to be released in Singapore while Brunei and Malaysia enjoyed advanced release last weekend. All of us (Sandy, Pranika, Amran and Julius) caught the night show last Thursday at Golden Screen Cinema at Suria Sabah and we gave it a thumbs up for The Jungle Book.

Synopsis: Raised by a family of wolves since birth, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) must leave the only home he’s ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar. Guided by a no-nonsense panther (Ben Kingsley) and a free-spirited bear (Bill Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals, including a slithery python and a smooth-talking ape. Along the way, Mowgli learns valuable life lessons as his epic journey of self-discovery leads to fun and adventure.

The trailer TV Spot for The Jungle Book

I don’t remember the story from my childhood days. Sometimes it better when you don’t prior knowledge of the plot and enjoy as it is. Now what’s so great about The Jungle Book? One’s thing for sure that it’s way better than the overhyped Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The 12-year old Neel Sethi stars as Mowgli and wow, for such a young age, this boy can act. Apparently they had to screen past 2,000 child actors and Sethi was the chosen one. The boy character stole the show with amazing supporting cast… eeeer, animals, I mean, played by Bagheera the panther (voiced by Ben Kingsley) and Baloo the slacker bear (voiced by Bill Murray). These combo of characters (when on screen) showed some interesting chemistry and hence this movie has a heart but I wished it could have gone deeper to make it more impactful.

None of the scenes were unnecessary as compared the recent DC movie (what’s with the dream, yooo?) and it was nicely paced. The only setback for me is the soundtrack and the movie score. Yes, there are one or two songs but too short or little to create an already-awesome movie. Nonetheless Jon Favreau the director (also for Iron Man I and II)  hit the mark in delivering a live action movie with great CGI (almost flawless) and he also made sure that the storyline and dialogue were engaging and heart warming.

Definitely not a 5 star movie but you will leave the movie feeling satisfied and entertained. It’s pure fun and engaging and you will feel immersed into the storyline. Disney got it right again in the live-action remake of The Jungle Book. Last year’s Cinderella was more than crowd pleaser. So keep it up, Disney. The Jungle Book is now showing in your local cinemas. Verdict: 8.5/10

 

Listen to the podcast review of Zootopia. A must watch 😀

 

Soon Tiong, representative from Hua Ho Manggis sending Azli Azney of The Brunei Times and I at the Brunei International Airport last Tuesday as we departed for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Traveling on National Day, Royal Brunei Airlines served this on the plane. Awesome!! Well done on the viral image of RB’s women pilots recently. Apparently it has reached more than 2 million viewers, thanks to the power of social media.

It’s great to be back in Vietnam after 10 years. The last time I flew here was backpacking with a friend as we traveled to three cities – Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siam Reap. I’m happy that I finally made it to Vietnam recently. I had this fear that I won’t be able to make it to the country as passport or should I say my Certificate of Identity may encounter problem at the immigration counter upon my arrival.

Yes, there have been cases where families have been sent back to Brunei as the immigration doesn’t recognize the brown book (our version of Brunei passport) and this is despite having a valid visa from the Vietnam Embassy in Brunei Darussalam. Then at one stage, Vietnam temporarily stopped from COI holders to enter Vietnam before opening the opportunity again to COI holders. So the back and forth saga didn’t really give much confidence to me and other COI holders.

This time, I had no choice but to take the risk as I accepted to do a coverage in Ho Chi Minh City for a FitFlop regional launch event. As you may have recalled that my previous FifFlop coverage was at Bohol, the Philippines. This time round, it’s in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The application fee is kinda pricey (BND 80). Malaysia is the cheapest I think (below BND 10) while Thailand visa costs BND 50. I’m also given an official letter, written in Vietnamese, from the Vietnam Embassy that the COI document is recognized by Vietnam and acts as my safety net should any problem arises.

I did manage to get my travel document chopped but it took the immigration officer a while to do so. He had to consult with his colleagues on my brown book and also the official letter. So I’m glad after a few minutes of internal discussion, the officer was convinced that my COI document is legit and it was a huge relief for me.

So to all the Certificate of Identity holders, don’t worry about traveling to Vietnam. Just make sure you get bring the official letter to state the legitimacy of the COI document. It really does help. And yes, Ho Chi Minh City is a great city to visit as it has developed in the past 10 years and affordable too.

I will posting a dedicated coverage on FitFlop tomorrow. So ladies, you can check out the latest design for FitFlop for the coming Spring Summer Collection of 2016. Thank you once again to Hua Ho Manggis and FitFlop for giving me this opportunity. I’ve been wearing them at home and FitFlop also gave me two new pairs to bring back home. One word – comfy 😀

How the visa looks like for those holding the Brunei’s Identity of Certificate. It costs BND 80.

The official letter from the Vietnam Embassy in Brunei Darussalam to state that the COI document is recognized and valid. Show this two-paged letter at the immigration upon arrival. It saves the hassle from being interrogated.

Yea, we have our own signboard from FitFlop and thank you, Huong, for taking care of the Brunei delegates

We bought the sim card at the arrival hall of the airport. I subscribed for the 3G bandwidth which ran out after two days (too much IG-ing and Snapchatting). Do get the Viettel line.

The bikes are aplenty but now the number of cars are rising compared to 10 years ago

Emma Saunter unveiling the Miami collection for the Spring Summer collection of FitFlop for 2016 at Villa Song Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City

I kinda like the cinema environment at Cinema Liberty Hotel. Very impressive.

…. and I caught Deadpool for the second time. It’s not censored too.

The hotel room at Liberty Citypoint is pretty awesome too. Spacious and internet speed is pretty fast too. The going rate is BND 170-180 per night.

 

Listen to the podcast review of The Good Dinosaur with special guest Pranika Lama

 

A Malam Pemasaran 2015 was organized by Brunei Shell Marketing Co. Sdn Bhd in appreciation for their customers and business partners recently.

The evening kicked off with a welcoming remarks from the man at BSM steering wheel, Pg Shamhary Pg Dato Paduka Hj Mustapha, Managing Director of BSM.

There were plenty of awards that were given out that night. In the retail sector, , the Best Operational Excellence Award 2013 goes to Stesen Minyak Perusahaan Cahaya Pakatan Tutong. The Highest Lubricant Growth 2013 title was awarded to Roxana Shell Service Station.

Another interesting thing is that it’s also the first time that Brunei Shell Marketing gave out special awards and recognitions to local workshops for their diligence and proactiveness to convert various lubricant users to Shell Lubricant.

Did you know that the workshops have converted more than 100 cars to Shell Lubricant in the last three months? The top performer is Hock Siong Hin workshop in Kuala Belait.

Retail Highest Lubricant Growth 2013 – Roxana Shell Service Station

Participation in LPG Safety Awareness 2015 – Muara Gas Company

Participation in LPG Safety Awareness 2015 – Syarikat Perkhidmatan Sungai Betia

Participation in LPG Safety Awareness 2015 – Syarikat Perniagaan Melayu (SPM)

Below are some of the awards as stated.

Operational Excellence Achievers Award 2013
a) Stesen Minyak Perusahaan Cahaya Pakatan Tutong
b) Roxana Shell Service Station
c) Koperasi Perniagaan Dan Perusahaan Melayu Berhad (KoPPMB Gadong)
d) Gadong Filling Station
e) PHA Bakar B Jambol Station

Achieving High Volume Sales Achievements for Shell Lubricants at Retail Stations 2013:
a) Stesen Minyak Hanas
b) Stesen Minyak Negalang Maju Sdn Bhd
c) Koperasi Perniagaan Dan Perusahaan Melayu Berhad (KoPPMB Gadong)
d) Syarikat Kerjasama Kampong Tanjong Nangka SATENAGA
e) Seri Chermin Filling Station
f) Stesen Minyak Perusahaan Cahaya Pakatan Tutong

LPG Safety Awareness Attendance Certificate for 2015:
a) Muara Gas Company
b) Syarikat Perkhidmatan Sungai Betia
c) Syarikat Perniagaan Melayu (SPM)
d) Perusahaan Giap On (Hup Cheong)

Certificate of Appreciation for participating in LPG Safety Walkabout 2014:
a) Muara Gas Company
b) Syarikat Haji Yaakub Awg Zainal
c) Syarikat Awg Hj Pungut bin Ajak dan Anak-Anak

Participation in LPG Safety Awareness 2015 – Perusahaan Giap On (Hup Cheong)

Industrial Top Performer Lubricant Award Winner – New Temburong Quarry

Industrial Shell Recognition Award for Lubricant Growth Winner – Fu Yun Yuan Contractor

Industrial Shell Recognition Award for Lubricant Growth Runner Up – Swee Sdn Bhd

Industrial Shell Recognition Award for Lubricant Growth First Runner Up – Massutera Engineering Sdn Bhd

SOLUS Target Achievement Award 2015 For Franchised Workshop
Bengkel Kereta Berakas Sdn Bhd
Bee Motors Sdn Bhd
Happy Motoring Company Sdn Bhd
Maju Motors Sdn Bhd
Premier Motor Co Sdn Bhd
QAF Auto QAF Eurokars
Setia Motors Sdn Bhd
Sri Sentosa Sdn Bhd
Aziz Latif & Company
Hock Guan Hin Motor Co
Hock Hin Leong
Mandarin Machinery Co Sdn Bhd

Volume Award For Industrial Sector

FU YUN YUAN CONTRACTOR – Winner
SWEE SDN BHD – 1st Runner up
MASSUTERA ENGINEERING SDN BHD – 2nd Runner up
READYMIXED CONCRETE SDN BHD – 4th place
PUI SAW SU ENTTERPRISE – 5th place

Top Performer Award For Industrial Sector
NEW TEMBURONG QUARRY – Winner
FU YUN YUAN CONTRACTOR – 1st Runner up
SOON LEE HEAVY MACHINERY SVCS – 2nd Runner up
HIEW HY CONSTRUCTION SDN BHD – 4th place
SWEE SDN BHD – 5th place

Franchised Workshop Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015 Winner – NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd

Franchised Workshop Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015 1st Runner Up – Jati Transport Sdn Bhd

Franchised Workshop Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015 2nd Runner Up – Maju Motors Sdn Bhd

Independent Workshop Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015 Winner and Special Award – Hock Siong Hin

Distributor Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 – TK Asco Enterprise

Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015
NBT (BRUNEI) SDN BHD – Winner
JATI TRANSPORT SDN BHD – 1st Runner up
MAJU MOTORS SDN BHD – 2nd Runner up

Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015
HOCK SIONG HIN – Winner
KAH HUAT CAR AIRCON & SERVICE- 1st Runner up
CHUA AUTOMOBILE REPAIRING – 2nd Runner up

Top Performer For Distributor Category
TK ASCO ENTERPRISE
ROMET PLUS MARKETING SDN BHD

For Franchised Workshop Category
NBT (BRUNEI) SDN BHD – Winner
SETIA MOTORS SDN BHD – 1st Runner up
BOUSTEAD SDN BHD – 2nd Runner up
GOH HOCK KEE MOTOR SDN BHD – 4th place
GRAND MOTORS SDN BHD – 5th place

For Independent Workshop Category
KAH HUAT CAR AIRCON & SERVICE – Winner
KIEN SING (TAN) AUTOPARTS – 1st Runner up
JOO FATT COMPANY – 2nd Runner up
HOCK HIN LEONG – 4th place
SYARIKAT AWG HJ MOHD YASSIN – 5th place

Independent Workshop Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 Winner and Shell Helix Ultra Award 2015 Runner Up – Kah Huat Car Aircon & Service

Independent Workshop Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 Runner Up – Kien Sing (Tan) Autoparts

Independent Workshop Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 First Runner Up – Joo Fatt Company

Franchised Workshop Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 Winner – NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd

Franchised Workshop Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 Runner Up – Setia Motors Sdn Bhd

Franchised Workshop Top Performer Lubricant Award 2015 First Runner Up – Boustead Sdn Bhd

Click image to enter their Facebook Page

Adib Noor testing out the Tomato KidZ bed

Do you want something that’s durable, lasting when it comes to children’s furniture? Now you can impressed your kids/children with Tomato KidZ concept furniture. The biggest winner here will be the parents and their children if they own a bed from Tomato KidZ.

For your info, Tomato KidZ is a revolutionary concept in children’s furniture and best thing is you can combine the designs to cater the demands of the children nowadays. Tomato KidZ is a growing brand from Malaysia and the idea came about where the brand originally started to provide quality furniture for the European market then slowly in Australia and in the US. Their biggest milestone was when Tomato KidZ were being commissioned by Walt Disney, Marvel and Hello Kitty. Awesome!!

It’s a good thing now that Tomato KidZ is expanding its business regionally and now we have one in Brunei, located at Regent Square 2, Kiulap.

When you pay a visit to their showroom, you can check out the craftsmanship on Tomato KidZ furniture. You will know where your money is spent/invested in. It’s safe, it’s sturdy and it’s quite versatile as well.

Safety is not compromised even when it comes to their ergonomic designs. Tomato KidZ ranked safety as one of their highest core values for the benefit of parents and their children. For example, with the bunk bed, they set the space between the upper and lower bunk which is carefully measured to prevent kids from knocking their heads.

Tomato KidZ also provides a study working station for kids and as they grow older, they are still able to make use of the study station. You can adjust the surface level of the desk especially when kids grow taller in the next few years. Hence the so called Intelligent Desk is very, very practical for children.

As for the warranty, the bedding parts comes with a 1 year warranty where as the Intelligent range such as the ergonomics study desk and chair and spare parts come up to a 10 year warranty. Awesome!!

You can visit their Facebook Page here for updates or pay a visit to their showroom at Unit D1, Ground Floor Block D, Regent Square 2. You can also contact them through +673 8187128.

Now a doll house can be part of your bed

Catherine Liew, Managing Director of Tomato KidZ (Malaysia) on the left with the staff at Kiulap outlet

A bunk bed and a study.

I was trying it out. How I wish I was still a kid 😀

The Intelligent Desk. The table and chair can change its level to the preference of the children

Another Intelligent Desk which caught my attention

Click image to enter website

 

Click image to enter Facebook Page

 

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.

 

Brunei team posing with visiting team from Chinese Taipei in this morning’s press conference

This is it!!! Brunei is confident that they will get a result out of tomorrow’s big clash with Chinese Taipei. They have initially won the first leg 1-0 away in Chinese Taipei last Saturday. It was a historic moment for Brunei Darussalam as it is their first competitive victory in the pre-World Cup qualifying and the best part is that they achieved the result with a clean sheet away from home.

They have won have the battle but tomorrow is the bigger day. They will need to at least get a draw to get pass Chinese Taipei. The match will be held tomorrow at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium at 8:15pm. Entrance is FREE and tickets will be available at the entrance. Yes, at the entrance and the gates are opened at 5:45pm tomorrow. For the record, there are 10,000 tickets being issued though you can still enter the stadium without the tickets but the tickets printed are part of the requirement from FIFA to calculate the number of attendance for tomorrow’s match.

Of course, the maximum capacity is 20,000 and they will have proper management of allowing spectators to enter the stadium.

Azwan Salleh, captain of Brunei Darussalam, Hj Mohd Noor Hj Hamid, the team manager for Brunei Darussalam, Ameer Lani, Marketing and Communication Executive of National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam, Chen Kuei-Jen, Head Coach of Chinese Taipei and Chen Yi-Wei, Captain of Chinese Taipei in today’s press conference

Azwan Salleh, captain of Brunei Darussalam exchanging hand shakes with Chen Yi-Wei, Captain of Chinese Taipei

Azwan Salleh addressing to the media

The media at the press conference

Hj Mohd Noor Hj Hamid, the team manager for Brunei Darussalam, believes a draw is sufficient for Brunei as they have a goal advantage. He expects Brunei team to give a better performance as this will be a historic moment if they go through the preliminary stage of the World Cup qualifiers. The team manager shared that Chinese Taipei had many scoring opportunities in the last game but it was the heroics of Wardun Yussof in goal and the defence that made the victory. He encourages all the Brunei supporters to come tomorrow to catch the match against Chinese Taipei.

The Chinese Taipei head coach is also confident that they can get a result tomorrow and his players are well acclimatized to the humid weather in Brunei. Of course, he felt disappointed after the 1-0 loss at home but during training the next day, they just forget about the past and focused on the upcoming game as the 2nd match is more important than the first. He believed tomorrow’s match will be exciting for the fans of Brunei and Chinese Taipei and to the fans of football.

Azwan Salleh, the captain of Brunei team, expressed how the matches against Chinese Taipei is the biggest match of his life because it’s a qualifier for the World Cup and this is the biggest tournament that he has ever been in. He shared that this opportunity doesn’t come to Brunei all the time.

I will be expecting a full house attendance tomorrow and the crowd will be filled with yellow and black tomorrow. Can Brunei make it through the pre-qualifying stage? We shall wait and see. Good luck to the players tomorrow.

Get your tickets tomorrow at the entrance. This will be a good souvenir to keep for a very long time.

A few nights ago, Brunei made history when they scored an away victory. Can they repeat the same thing again tomorrow and qualify?

 

Catching Cinderella with my siblings last night at The Mall Cineplex. A highly recommended movie for all ages and if you like Frozen, you are in for a better treat.

Check out my full review on my podcast (The Popcorn Panel) on SoundCloud on Disney’s Cinderella 2015.

 

Bollhasan Mahadi the grand winner who will fly to Dubai with Hitesh Ramesh Bhawnani, Director of YMRM Galleria and Narrender JB, Managing Director of YMRM Galleria

YMRM Galleria held the draw for their Shop and Win lucky draw recently at their flagship premises in Tungku Link. The Shop and Win promotion began on December 19 last year and concluded recently on February 20. The entries were drawn by customers of the outlet and members of the local media.

The grand prize winner for a Trip for Two to Dubai was Bollhasan Mahadi from Rimba, Gadong, who was represented by his children, as he received the call while he was away in Miri, Sarawak.

 Nur Dini Liyana Hj Jali, the second prize lucky winner, received an iPhone 6s. Meanwhile, third prize winner Dr Joel Moncherry received an iPhone 6 while Hjh Zatul Hijanah Hj Musa went home with Samsung Note 4 as the fourth prize lucky winner. There were 15 additional shopping vouchers as consolation prizes. Present to hand over the prizes were the Director of YMRM Galleria, Hitesh Ramesh Bhawnani, Managing Director of YMRM Galleria, Narrender JB and Director of Public Relations of YMRM Galleria, Abdul Hamid Abas.

The YMRM Shop and Win promotion was held for over two months and ended right after the end of Brunei Salebration.

During the draw last Sunday

During the draw last Sunday

Abdul Hamid Abas, Narrender JB and Hitesh Ramesh Bhawnani

Nur Dini Liyana Jali winning an iPhone 6s. Image courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

 

Can you take the heat?

It was close yet so far. Thanis Lim, our renown Brunei food blogger, was given the chance to be part of the MasterChef ASIA but he had to turn it down due to work commitments. However, the options are now open to you if you are interested to be part of MasterChef ASIA. The great thing is that you don’t have to be an expert in cooking and it’s only open to 18 years and above. Just make sure you don’t have a diploma or degree from a culinary school.

Do check out their website for details. Do you have what it takes to be the first ever MasterChef ASIA? It will be nice to see a Bruneian representative in this show.

Click image to find out more

Check out the requirements and looks like we Bruneians are eligible to join

 

Now you rent dresses instead of investing in them. Only at Divina.

Divina Brunei Sdn Bhd has provided a better solution where now you can easily rent the dresses (for a minimum of 4 days). This means you won’t have to fork out unnecessary for a dress that your children will hardly wear. The dresses are also suitable for special occasions such as weddings especially for the flower girls.
If parents want to have a special theme birthdays for their children, this is a great idea for others to rent to fit to the respective themes.

They also have dresses of Elsa and Anna from Frozen

They even have a baby version of Elsa

Divina Brunei Sdn Bhd also rents out accessories such as hair veil, tiara, hair accessories. For those who want packages, Divina has different packages. Refer below for details.

Premium Set 1 $48

1 Dress, 1 Hair Accessory, 1 Cardigan/Shawl, 1 Hair Veil, 1 Petticoat

Premium Set 2 $88

2 Dress, 2 Hair Accessories, 2 Cardigans/Shawls, 2 Hair Veils, 2 Petticoats

Premium Set 3 $168

4 Dress, 4 Hair Accessories, 4 Cardigans/Shawls, 4 Hair Veils, 4 Petticoats

Premium Set 4 $228

6 Dress, 6 Hair Accessories, 6 Cardigans/Shawls, 6 Hair Veils, 6 Petticoats

Divina Brunei Sdn Bhd closes every Monday. Otherwise the business is open daily from 10am to 6pm. It is located at Unit 4, 1st Floor, Bangunan Hj Hassan Abdullah, Spg 32 Kg Menglait, Jalan Gadong. You can check out their Facebook page or call 223 0759 or 872 2028.

Some of the dresses for rent

Some of the dresses for rent

Hair accessories also for rent

At Divina

Location of Divina