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Will you be catching WWE in KL? Because I am 😀 Click image to enter website.

I’m excited that WWE will be coming to Asia and to Kuala Lumpur for the first time since their last visit in year 2002. They will be having two shows in October 10th and 11th and you can grab them tickets through my ticketpro.com.my and I’m not sure if the tickets are sold out as yet.

I’m currently catching their latest Pay-Per-View Nights of Champions #wwenoc on Astro and so far the event is pretty good and this is a great hype leading to the event in Malaysia soon. Too bad we won’t be able to see Roman Reigns in KL because of his recent hernia operation. However, there will still be a handful of WWE stars that will make it to Kuala Lumpur and of course, the biggest draw of all is John Cena (though I don’t like his guts as much *lol*).

WWE LIVE is supported by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

So are you flying to KL to catch this once-in-a-life WWE experience? This should be a spectacle indeed.

Doing work this morning while catching WWE’s Night of Champions on Astro

A much satisfying affair between Brock Lesnar and John Cena but a question mark ending…

A washing machine, chest freezer, a Lazy Boy and a television set last weekend were among some of the waste that were collected during a beach cleaning campaign at Jerudong beach.

The event was organised by Brunei Shell Joint Ventures (BSJV) companies — Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP), Brunei LNG, Brunei Shell Marketing (BSM), Brunei Shell Tankers (BST) — and Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (BGC).
It was conducted concurrently along the coastline of the Belait district — Billionth Barrel Monument and Lumut beach —and was held to commemorate 85 years of Shell’s presence in the nation.

A total 600 people comprising BSJV, BGC as well as volunteers and youths from various associations and schools from the two districts participated in the event, which was also aimed to support the International Coastal Cleanup 2014 (ICC 2014).

Coordinated by Ocean Conservancy, the event, in its 29th year, is world’s largest single day volunteer effort to clean up the earth’s beaches, lakes and rivers.

The event visibly raised environmental awareness among the volunteers and young students.

BSP Graduate Trainee Muhd Hisham Hj Zaini, who participated in the cleaning campaign for the first time expressed his wishes for the beach to always be clean and advised people to stop throwing non bio-degradable products.

“Reduce the use of bottles when going to beach, as this is the most common litter we found,” he said, and suggested the use of water flasks from home.

A group of St Margaret’s students and teacher agreed, as they were collecting mostly bottles, plastics and ropes. Ramesh Balram, a teacher from the school said that there were apparent changes before and after the cleanup.

“When we arrived, there were a lot of litter along the beach,” he told The Brunei Times, where they were told to cover a total of 500 metres from Billionth Barrel Monument. “Now going back, it’s more cleaner.”

Jerudong Beach Campaign Leader Md Suffian Hj Zainal Abidin said organising such campaigns are eye-openers.

“It is hoped that the participants here will take this experience to see what kind of waste that are being left on our beautiful beaches and consider if they are a contributor to the pollution or a volunteer to help save the environment,” he said. Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda and Hafiizah Maideen of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of BSP.

 

In remembrance of Chin Mei Fong, who was tragically murdered two weeks ago, around 60 friends and family members gathered at Bukit Shahbandar for a nine-hill hike last Saturday.

Flowers and messages from well-wishers could be seen at the area where the heinous crime took place.

Seeking justice, Mei Fong’s sister Debbie said, “We are appealing to anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward and help the police in their investigation.”

She conveyed her gratitude to witnesses who have already come forward and helped police fit together a photo fit of the two “persons of interest” they are currently looking for.

Debbie said copies of the photo fit would be put up at various public places such as hospitals and bus stops.

She also suggested that authorities place CCTVs at entrances of recreational parks to avoid similar incidents in the future.

A small police station and a logbook for registration could also be placed at the entrance of the park, she added.

Adrian Tan, husband of the late Chin Mei Fong, at one of the hills at Shahbandar. Image courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin.

Friends gathered to support the event in memory of the late Chin Mei Fong. Image courtesy of Eric Pui.

The fifth hill of Bukit Shahbandar. Image courtesy of Bobby.

Capturing the moment. Image courtesy of Bobby.

The special made t-shirt. Image courtesy of @shah_razali

She was a huge fan of Hello Kitty. Image courtesy of Bobby.

A message for the late Mei Fong. Image courtesy of @shah_razali

Rizan Latif paying his respect to Mei Fong. Image courtesy of @rizanlatif

Debbie described her sister as an avid hiker and a very fit person.

“Mei Fong would even skip lunch just to go to the gym.” she said, adding her sister had been planning on doing her Masters.

Mei Fong’s best friend and longtime colleague Liley Beritin remembered Mei Fong as a kind, lovely and loyal friend.

With a friendship spanning over 10 years, she expressed that “there is only one Mei Fong, no one can replace her. Losing her is like having a hole in my heart”.

She said Mei Fong had a deep passion for Hello Kitty and that her wish was to fly in a Hello Kitty airplane.

On Friday afternoon, the police gave a description of the two men who are believed to be foreigners and “persons of interest” to the case which may help to the investigation of the case.

They are aged between 30 and 40 and measure around 5’5 to 5’7 in height. Both men, who are of slim build, have short, black hair and very dark skin tone.

Those with information on the whereabouts of the duo can contact Assistant Superintendent Police (ASP) Pg Hj Abu Naba’a bin Pg Hj Yusof at 2322004, 2322005 or 2322006; hotline 993 or visit the nearest police station. Text courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin.

 

David Campbell, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, handed over the Chevening Scholarship Awardee certificate to Siti Nurfateha Abdullah

Late post: The British High Commission in Brunei Darussalam hosted a farewell reception for the departing Chevening Scholarship Awardee at  at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Jalan Kota Batu recently.

Siti Nurfateha Abdullah will soon be departing for the United Kingdom (UK) in pursuit of a Masters in Anthropology of Development and Rights at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Currently employed as a Research Officer at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Nurfateha made the decision to undertake her post-graduate studies at Goldsmiths based on its status of having one of the best Anthropology Departments in the UK.

“Goldsmiths’ Anthropology Department takes a critical view of developed countries’ approach to development. Therefore, discussions and classes will be stimulating as it does not view any one philosophy as absolute but it takes into consideration of the societal differences,” said Nurfateha.

“Goldsmiths advocates an ethnographic approach to learning about society and basic human rights like education, women’s and children’s issues, and healthcare. This approach is useful to keep in mind as I will be able to apply what I’ll be learning in Brunei without forgetting its policies, culture and philosophy,” she added.

“Having previously taken my Bachelor’s Degree at the National University of Singapore, going to the UK will be my first direct exposure to the British education system. I hope to come back to Brunei bursting with ideas for work at the PMO as well as project I am a part of,” she concluded.

“I congratulate Siti Nurfateha Abdullah on joining our long list of prestigious Bruneian Chevening scholars,” said David Campbell, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, pointing out that the year 2014 is a milestone for the British Government’s Chevening Progamme as it reaches the 30-year mark.

“Thirty years of scholarships around the world have created an influential global network of more than 43,000 Chevening alumni in over 150 countries.”

Applicants for the 2015/2016 Chevening Scholarship should visit www.chevening.org/brunei

They can find more information on how to apply and register to receive alerts about their applications, as well as to see the priority subjects for Chevening Scholarships. The deadline is November 15.

Group photo with the previous Chevening Scholars

In attendance during the presentation

Click image to find out more on how to apply. Deadline is November 15. Should I? 😀

 

BND 5,000 was raised for the “Blind Dining” Experience at Fun Bee Park recently

Late Post: Fun Bee Park, with the cooperation of IA Salon and Sorriso Restaurant launched the very first “Blind dining” experience in the Brunei with the vision of reaching out to the community and create awareness for the daily struggles that the visually impaired go through every day.

Dining in the dark debuted in Brunei on at Fun Bee Park, a three hour fine dining experience where Fun Bee Park’s artistic directress Cecilia Lee had invited the public to have a wonderful experience of dining in total darkness.

The very first restaurant in dark originated in Zurich, Switzerland in 1999. The idea of dining in the dark originated in 1998 during the “Dialogue in the Dark” exhibition at the Zurich Museum of Design. The focus was to give the sighted people an insight into the experience of being blind. This idea emerged because of the great enthusiasm shown by visitors and the opportunity to create jobs for visually impaired people.

With the complete loss of vision — and the resulting heightening of the other four senses — an evening of Dining in the Dark is an extraordinary culinary adventure. The meal was a learning experience for the guests and servers. Before entering the dimly lit dining area, the guests were blindfolded and led through by their young caretakers for the evening, who guided them through the meal as well.

The evening was a perfect combination of fine food, inspiring music and extra ordinary stories that tie everything together.

The dinner in total darkness, had guests fumbling to do simple tasks such as pour water, locate utensils, and even the food on their plates.

The guests enjoyed delicious food specially designed by Sorriso Restaurant Owner / Head Chef and his team. Joining the Fun Bee staff for the evening were a few young volunteers.  Dishes were served with perfection to taste to encourage diners to test their motor and sensory skills.

The guests in attendance

Blindfolded

Let the dine in begin (in the dark)

Food prepared by Sorriso Restaurant

Present at the event were representatives from the Brunei Darussalam National Association of the Blind, and NorAli Yusop, an officer with the special education unit, Ministry of Education, and a well known advocate for the visually impaired.

Cecilia Lee generously donated $5000 to Brunei Darussalam National Association of the Blind. Certain proceeds of the tickets sale will be donated to the association. Dining in the dark not only aim to provide sighted people an insight of being blind but moreover to spread awareness of the causes of blindness and the essential prevention practices.

After the dinner, many guests came on the floor to share their personal insights of the experience, and all walked away with a great sense of respect and appreciation for their sight. And even more admiration for the people who live without it daily.
Due to the very warm response, Fun Bee Park IA Salon, and Sorriso Restaurant will repeat the experience in October. Tickets will be available on purchase at Fun Bee Park (A6/A7 Ground Floor, Sempurna Complex, Batu Bersurat), IA Salon (The Mall Gadong), and Sorriso Restaurant (Kiulap). For more inquiries, call Fun Bee Park at 2457729 / 7178232.

 

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office handing over the “Royal Patron Award” to Julian Johari of Teleconsult Sdn Bhd. He previously won the Royal Patron Award back in 2010. Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

News feed: His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, last night graced the Brunei Info-Communication Technology Awards (BICTA) Gala Night held at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.

Also present at the event was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik.

Upon arrival, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was greeted by the Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar; Deputy Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Zhao Houlin; Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Toshiyuki Yamada; and other senior officials at the Ministry of Communications (MinComm).

His Royal Highness presented prizes to the various BICTA 2014 category winners.

Tying for third place in the “School Project” category were Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB and Chung Hua Middle School, KB. Meanwhile, another team from Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB placed second in this category. Although Seria Mulia Sarjana International School took home the “Young Developers Award”, the judges deemed no overall winner for the “School Project” category.

In the “Tertiary School Project” category, a team from Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) took home the third prize. Another ITB team, and a team from the Nakhoda Ragam Vocational School, tied for second places. Winning first place in this category was a team from IGS.

Meanwhile, the “ICT Industry” category saw PHMD Publishing Company and MeSixty Sdn Bhd winning second and third places.

Teleconsult Sdn Bhd took home the first place in this category. The company was also awarded the prestigious biennial “Royal Patron Award” for their project.

Teams from Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College and ITB received the “Islamic ICT Award” , while Itsbytes Company received the “Community Services Award” for their e-learning project. Text courtesy of Amanda Yap of  The Brunei Times and images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting first place winner in ICT Industry category to Teleconsult for its project, SkyEye. It’s a project that utilises drons to develop high definition aerial capture and producing high definition videography of mobile cell towers. He walked away with a mock cheque of BND 10,000. Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting second place winner in ICT Industry category, PHMD Publishing Company, for its project, Salam Halal and earned BND 5,000 for second place . Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting first place winner in Tertiary School Project from IGS for its project “Virtual Watch Fitting” and earned BND 7,500. Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting second place winner in School Project category to Chung Hwa Middle School BSB for its project “Heritage of South East Asia” . Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

His Royal Highness presenting third place winner in School Project category to Chung Hwa Middle School KB for its project “HeDGes” . Images courtesy of The Brunei Times.

 

May she rest in peace

Firstly, my deepest condolences to Adrian Tan and the late family of Ms Chin Mei Fong. May she rest in peace. The burial took place this morning at the Berakas Cemetery this morning.

Her body was found in a ravine stretching 20m in depth at one of the hills at Bukit Shahbandar a day after she was reported missing on September 7. It was reported that the incident happened between 4pm to 6pm. Those who have information relating to the case are advised to either contact Assistant Superintendent of Police Pg Hj Abu Naba’a Pg Hj Yusof at 2322004, 2322005 and 2322006, Police hotline 993 or to report to any nearby police stations in support of the ongoing investigation.

It is also advisable for members of the public especially women not to carry out sporting activities alone and when out of their homes, they need to inform their family members on their whereabouts and to always have with them any communication devices for the ease of contact.

 

In today’s The Brunei Times

Yes, we all heard it from Social Media on incident where 37 students from Perpindahan Lambak Kanan Jalan 10 vomited and complaining of abdominal pain. This is a serious matter as it can be viral if not attended quickly. It was good to know that the school contacted the relevant parties and the paramedics responded promptly as well as getting in touch with their parents. The great news is that all the 37 students are in stable condition and that’s what is important. The students were treated in RIPAS and some went under observation as well.

It is yet to be known was the actual cause of the incident and the Ministry of Education urged the public not to spread speculations on the cause on the incident. I was alerted on Whatsapp that the incident was sparked from food poisoning after consuming a beverage. The strange thing is that the students only vomited and experience abdominal pain but no diarrhea. One of my friends also experienced the same case so it could possibly be a bug that is going around.

Let’s hope the doctors are able to locate the source of the bug and prevent such symptoms to spread to others.

 

TCY Motors is gearing up to hold its inaugural Audi Urban Driving Experience soon with an international Audi instructor invited to oversee the event to ensure the utmost safety for participants.

Among the models featured will include the Audi A4, A5, A6, A7 Sportback, and the all-new Audi A3 Sedan which was recently launched, participants can experience the A3 Sedan in the Road Drive exercise where the 5-mode Audi Drive Select will be highlighted. Other exercises will include ABS braking and gymkhana/slalom. These exercises will benefit Audi owners as it will showcase how their Audis can perform in normal and extreme conditions which can occur in everyday driving situations.

The exclusive invitation only event will only cater to Audi owners in the sultanate to show them appreciation and only limited spots will be allocated on a ‘first come first serve’ basis. Audi owners can call 2442333 ext28 or visit the Audi Kiarong showroom during office hours for further details.

Audi instructor during a previous Audi driving event in Sepang where Brunei customers participated a few months ago