Check out the Predator series at Concepts Computer

 

 

Are you Team Ironman or Team Cap? I’m definitely team yellow and red

Yea… A whole bunch of us are gonna catch this at The Mall Cineplex

Oh yes… Finally it’s here. The premiere of the final instalment of Captain America called Civil War. This is a prelude to The Avengers 3 and some even called it Avengers 2.5 as it involved all the characters except for The Hulk and Thor. I’ve watched the trailer many times and I have no doubt that this will be an awesome show. For many reasons. One being directed by the Russo brothers who were responsible for Captain America: The Winter Soldier which I love a lot. The second reason being is that it’s a Marvel universe where D.C has fallen flat in the wars of the superhero universe.

There’s even a critic who wrote “Packed to bursting with the one ingredient “Batman V Superman” lacked: Joy”. I’m quite surprised that many critics gave this flick a thumbs up and so far it has scored 97% on Rotten Tomatoes as compared to Batman V Superman’s 28%. Judging from the critics, this could be the biggest superhero movie of 2016. Period. Now the question is, will it top Batman V Superman’s box office earnings of USD 860 million worldwide. I’m pretty sure that it will be able to since it garnered USD 715 million for Winter Soldier worldwide.

I’ll be catching Captain America: Civil War with my buddies tonight at The Mall Cineplex so do watch out for my reviews soon on my podcast.

The trailer TV Spot for The Jungle Book

Check out the reviews. Click to read more

 

Times Square Shopping Centre will be organizing its first-ever Counter Strike Global Offensive Gaming Tournament on the 29th April, Friday until 1st of May 2016, Sunday from 10:00am to 10:00pm. It is open to all ages with only 5 team members allowed in a team, with one substitute.

The event, which is co-organized by Netcom, will provide interested participants the opportunity to experience the battle of the Counter Strike Global Offensive live, and for the public to witness it at the atrium of Times Square. The competition will be a single-elimination tournament where only winners of the first round will be eligible to proceed to the next round. There will also be amazing prizes sponsored by Netcom to be won. Interested participants will need to attach a receipt of any amount from any branches of Netcom in Brunei Darussalam, along with the registration form which can be retrieved from the lucky draw counter at Times Square Shopping Centre.

Throughout this Counter Strike Global Offensive Gaming Tournament, there will also be a Razer Roadshow by Netcom where there will be amazing Razer products and Gaming equipment. Moreover, DxRacer chairs will also be used during the tournament to allow gamers to “Sit better. Work harder. Game longer.”

Times Square is also glad to announce that we will be holding our annual Ramadhan Fair on the 21st June until 5th July 2016. Interested vendors may contact Times Square Management Office at 2338208 or 2338006 during office hours. You may also find out about all the upcoming events by visiting tsqbrunei.com or simply following Times Square Shopping Centre’s pages on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Eric Tang, Epson Malaysia’s Sales Manager Retail Division (2nd from left) and Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer (2nd from right) with Concepts Computer associates during the launch of the new Epson printers, the Work Force edition.

Eric Tang giving a quick presentation on the strengths of the new Epson printers ideal for businesses

You have heard of the L series of Epson printers (popular among teachers and students), suitable for home use. Now comes the business segment from the latest edition of Epson inkjet printers.

So if you are looking for efficiency, speed and quality, then I highly recommend you the Epson Workforce models – Epson WF-5111 or the Epson WF-5261 or the Epson WF-100 (mobile printer).

The said printers were launched at Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer with Eric Tang, Epson Malaysia’s Sales Manager Retail Division, giving a quick presentation on the new Epson printers.

What caught my eye is the Epson WF-100 model. Why? It’s very portable and plus it’s wifi ready too. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that it can be power up using your power bank.. Awesome!!! I like the light weight of the printer and weighs 1.6 kg so you can actually bring it around for emergency purposes. Surprisingly this printer givers the best print out resolution as compared to the bigger printers. It can produce up to 5,670 x 1,440 dpi on a photo paper. Impressive!!

The bigger models are the WF-5111 and WF-5261, both coming with wide range of connectivity and mobile printing solutions. You can make use of your smartphone and download the app for printing purposes too. The other plus signs for these models are that it will give you significant savings through minimal usage of electricity, unlike laser printers which relies a lot on heat.

The Epson WF-5111

The Epson WF-5261

The awesome portable Epson WorkForce WF-100

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive shared that Concepts Computers will always move forward and strive to add the latest and best for our customers to choose from, which is why we’re bringing these 3 models into the Bruneian market.” Zul continued, “As can be expected from Epson and Concepts, these 3 models will be cost-effective and high in quality, printers that businesses can depend on day-in day-out.

Eric Tang said that “We at Epson believe that the Bruneian market is at a great position for expansion and with the growth of SMEs in Brunei Darussalam, these Epson WorkForce printers are perfect for that as well.“ Eric also added, “And with Concepts being our techinical service provider in Brunei, we are confident that Bruneians can put their trust in our products, building a solid foundation of ‘Peace of Mind’ to grow their productivity and businesses.”

Now for the price: The Epson WorkForce WF-5621 will be available at Concepts Computer for $468, the Epson WorkForce WF-5111 will be available for $268, while the mobile Epson WorkForce WF-100 will be available for only $218. Also note that Concepts Computer will be running trade-in offers for certain products and models.

Concepts will also have a month-end promo where every purchase of $30 and above will entitle a free $10 Concepts voucher. For more information regarding the month-end celebrations (on-going from 27th to 30th of every month) and the eligibility of receiving the give-away $10 vouchers, or the trade-in offers, or any other enquiries regarding Concepts Computer and their range of products, please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553, or visit your nearest Concepts Computer retail outlet.

Any purchase above $30 and you will be entitled to $10 voucher which is valid from 27th to 30th of every month). A better reason to buy the Epson printers

I got myself Easi cards from the $10 voucher 😀

 

Are you catching Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? I just got my tickets at The Mall Cineplex. It’s gonna be epic 😀

 

Katie Alice. Kitchen Kraft. Ginger. And many more.. These are the popular brands from the UK for plates, cups and cutlery and not forgetting the utensils you used behind the scenes in the kitchen. Normally we have the normal standard ones that we see at our local departmental stores. Now we have a dedicated cutlery and kitchen utensil physical store called “The Potters”.

It’s opening tomorrow officially to the public and it’s located at Unit 8, Setia Kenangan 2, Kiulap (opposite Pepper Lunch) and it’s open from 10am to 9pm and you can also follow their IG @thepotters_bn or contact them at 242 4000.

If you are interested in making sambal, this is convenient 😀

 

Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, the Minister of Development and Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (5th from left) with board of directors of Royal Brunei, representatives from Darussalam Assets and Department of Civil Aviation during the launch of Operations Control Centre at Brunei International Airport last week

Outgoing Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion in his welcoming remarks. This was also his final working visit in Royal Brunei Airlines.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) officially launched its Operations Control Centre (OCC) at Brunei International Airport last week.

On hand to officiate the launch as the guest of honour was YB Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, the Minister of Development and Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines.

As RB explained, at the Operations Control Centre the Corporate Business Unit and Operational Department handle the task of managing and coordinating execution of daily schedules as planned, while the OCC also houses the processes and personnel responsible for managing real-time operational decisions.

Its roles and responsibilities include proactively managing the impact of unplanned changes to schedules, providing quality service to the maximum number of passengers and directing the most cost-effective plan to return to published schedules.

Speaking at the event, Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, Chief Pilot at RB Flight Operations called the launching “an important milestone”.

“As we are all aware, airline schedules typically do not operate as planned,” he said. “Hence, it is in every airline’s best interests to ensure that there is a proper management process in place to manage and coordinate the execution of daily schedules.”

Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, Chief Pilot at RB Flight Operations delivering his remarks

Ribbon cutting to officiate the opening of the Operations Control Centre (OCC)

Viewing the OCC

This room is vital for monitoring flights. I’ve been one at Seattle and it’s huge.

Group photo at the OCC

Dermot greeting the pilots at OCC area

“OCC plays this important role for the day-to-day operations of all scheduled flights departing in and out of the Brunei International Airport.”

The newly structured OCC will see the integration of all the different but relevant departments involved, ranging from Ramp Handling, Reservations, MCC and Engineering Line Maintenance, in the same physical location, which they previously were not, Captain Saiful explained.

“In doing so, this will enable a more cohesive and coordinated workflow, as well as a faster and more informative decision-making process to help ensure the smooth operations of all scheduled flights.”

He added that, as and when required, the OCC can also function as a mini crisis centre able to handle disruptions far more effectively with all the affected departments in close proximity.

Speaking to reporters after the launch, RB’s new Chief Executive Officer, Karam Chand said, “The idea here is to get everybody into the same room and take advantage of all the technologies that are available.”

“I think by having people of all the key disciplines represented in the room, it helps in terms of decision-making. You can get to make a decision quicker, you can consider different scenarios. This is a live environment, you are doing your very best to have your aircraft flying as quick as possible. So by having all the disciplines, it really helps.”

“It’s really to make sure that we are looking after our customers,” he explained. “For example, in an operational environment, you would not normally see a commercial person, so now we are going to put a commercial person in this room as well. We’re always thinking about our customers ahead of everything.”

The outgoing Deputy Chairman and CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dermot Mannion also spoke at the event, saying, “This is a state-of-the-art facility. Any airline in the world would be very proud to have the facility that we’ve now got, and as Karam says, in one area now, we have all of our key operations people present, which means they can monitor all of our activity across the network and do so very effectively.”

“It’s operating 24/7, so there could be 20 people operating in that area at any one time. In addition to the permanent staff in there, we have all the crews visit the area when they’re preparing for flights, so it’s a very active area all through the day and all through the night,” he added.

Also in attendance to witness the opening of the OCC were the RB Board of Directors and Darussalam Asset representatives as well as RB senior management and staff. Text by Danial Norjidi of Borneo Bulletin.

The photo of Captain Sharifah Czarena, Senior First Officer Dayangku Nadiah binti Pengiran Khashiem and Senior First Officer Sariana binti Nordin that spread around the world. Image courtesy of Royal Brunei Airlines’ Facebook Page.

There are so many things that I wanna talk about this picture. It went so viral that even big names such as Mashable and the newspapers in the UK were talking about it. The sharing of the image on Facebook reached into the millions of viewers with thousands of shares. It’s just phenomenal reach especially for a small country like Brunei.

The image of the three female pilots was taken during their flight from Brunei Darussalam to Jeddah during the 23rd February, the National Day. It was stated by former Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dermot Mannion, that it was coincidental that the roster featured three female pilots then.

Dermot was very proud that the RB brand has become viral even after weeks of posting. This is also a testament that there is an increasing number of female associates in the company namely engineering and also in the management team.

The incoming CEO of RB Karam Chand hopes the number of female representatives in the RB’s work force will improve to 50-50 especially in the management section. Currently it stands in the region of 40% of female employment.

Keep up the good job, RB! I’ve always been proud being a passenger of Royal Brunei.

 

The dance performance in closing the Japanese Language and Culture Week

Ms Bella won first place and the prize was presented by Ms Yuki IIDA from the Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam

Times Square Shopping Centre ended its Japanese Language and Culture Week last Sunday, 20th March 2016. The event was held on 18th March, Friday until 20th March, Sunday at 10:00am till 10:00pm. The event was organized by Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam, Times Square Shopping Centre and Japan Foundation. The co-organizers include Brunei Association of Japan Alumni (BAJA), Community Education & training Division (CET), BERSATU/SEAYP and supported by Japan Brunei Friendship Association (JBFA), The Japanese Association Brunei Darussalam, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), The Japan Council of Local Authorities Relations (CLAIR), BJFA-UBD chapters, Language Centre, University Brunei Darussalam, Youth & Sport Department in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Brunei Kendo Alliance, Tsuburaya Production Co Ltd, Human Capacity Building Consultancy Services (HCBC) and One Universal Production Sdn Bhd (OUP).

Throughout the event there was a Manga workshop by a Manga artist from Japan, Ms Manaru Tenkawa, as well as a Calligraphy competition. The closing ceremony that was held yesterday started with the appearance of the heroes from Japan, Ultraman. The prize presentation then followed and was presented by Ms Yuki IIDA from the Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam. For the Manga competition, the third place went to Khairul Anwar bin Abdul Aziz, whereas Justine Lim came second. Ms Bella won first place, walking home with two tickets to the Ultraman show. All the winners were also presented with manga related prizes sponsored by Ms Tenkawa.

The top 3 winners for Calligraphy competition were Redzwan Haji Nasir who came as first place, bringing home a CANON digital camera, whereas Lim Nyuk Lan came second, walking home with a G-Shock watch Afwan Jali won third place, bringing home $100 Kaizen food voucher. The event ended with a dance performance of “Soranbushi” by UBD, JENESYS and SSEAYP.

Moreover, Times Square Shopping Centre will be having a DC-themed Mini Carnival: 9th edition on 23rd March to 29th March 2016, followed with a Wedding Fair on 7th April to 10th April 2016. For further information, please call 2338208 or 2338006 during office hours. Press release by Times Square Shopping Centre.

One of the winners of the Calligraphy competition last weekend

 

Wu Chun as the ambassador for BMW China

Very few people in the world had the chance to be a brand ambassador for world-class brands such as Coca-Cola, Levis, Guerlain, Canon, Osim, Mido Swiss watch, Disneyland, Gatsby, Seven-Eleven and few others. BMW China has recently chosen Brunei’s second biggest export after oil and gas, Wu Chun, our very own international superstar as their spokesperson, who is also a brand ambassador for Royal Brunei Airlines.

A new car for the modern family— the first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer was officially launched in the China market. Its also the first time BMW China has appointed a celebrity as their brand ambassador and they have chosen Wu Chun mainly because of his signature cool-trendy, inspiring and healthy family man image in the eyes of the public which BMW needed for this new target market.

In the BMW Group centenary year, the launch of the fourth localized BMW product – BMW 2 Series Tourer is another important milestone, a marker of BMW Brilliance’s localization process and commitment in China. This new car addresses a new customer group, strengthening the leading position of BMW brand in the premium car market, taking on a full vitality for “The Next 100 Years.”

Anton Heiss, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance remarked, “The first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer marks a significant milestone of BMW Group’s commitment to China. This car precisely captured the new consumer trend in China.”

Wu Chun who recently did a TV commercial shooting for BMW just right after he wraps up his first Hollywood movie in Australia shared,” During my TVC shooting, I have the chance to drive the first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer and this car comes with an innovative concept, combining BMW’s signature driving pleasure and versatility, and how customer-oriented BMW is.”

The award-winning BMW 2 Series (iF Design Award 2015), stands out as the most dynamic tourer car in the class. The extreme dynamic bodylines add a cool and sporty harmony, illustrating the signature look of a BMW car.

Jochen Goller, Dr. Anton Heiss, President and CEO of BMW China, Wu Chun and Olaf Kastner

Dr. Michael Liu, Kun Ling, Wu Chun, Dr. Anton Heiss and Jochen Goller

 

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.