Wanna fly to Korea?  

Finally new information that they have canceled the Under 18 for men and replaced it with Women’s Doubles Open.  

The deadline to register for the badminton tournament organised by the Korean Embassy in the Sultanate has been extended. The initial deadline was 10th April which is actually today.

Bruneian and Permanent Resident men and women who are interested in joining the tournament should submit their registration forms for the “Korean Ambassador’s Cup 2015” — which are available at the Korean Embassy or online at http://brn.mofa.go.kr — not later than April 13 to the embassy.

The tournament, in conjunction with Brunei’s 31st National Day, will be held from April 17 to 19 at Pusat Belia in the capital and is divided into two categories: Men’s Double Open and Women’s Double Open. Yay!! Good news for the ladies as this is the latest information given to me by the Korean Embassy.

Prizes for the winners include return tickets to Korea, cash prize and a winner’s cup. Now that’s a good prize right? Just find the right partner and fly away to Korea. Just a note: Only the Men’s Double Champions will fly to Korea.

For further details, please contact Korean Embassy (Feroz) at 2330250 or 7188166.

  

Nomadic Lion in Brunei  

 

David Atthowe, founder of Nomadic Lion, making a special appearance last Sunday  

He has been in the country for a week now or more. This is second official visit to Brunei and his aim is to share their documentary on their 5 month journey in “Walking Borneo”. The premier screening of the documentary “Berjalai: Walking Borneo” was held at i-Lotus last Sunday. The video presentation described their 2,250 KM journey across Borneo.

Nomadic Lion is no stranger to Brunei after making an impact in Brunei last year. The video was 35 minute adventure by Nomadic Lion and they share the discoveries along their journey. The documentary also wants to give the audience and viewers a similar experience on what they went through. Just imagine this documentary as the google of Nomadic Lion’s journey as all the questions are being answered.

One particular thing that they found of Brunei culture that we don’t take notice is the story of “Kecapi”. It is actually a traditional Sape from the Dusun tribe of Brunei, a uniquely Bruneian instrument with its distinct musical note. Did you know there are only 2 Kecapi players left in Brunei?

David Atthowe, founder of Nomadic Lion, was honoured to premiere the documentary in Brunei because of the love and the support that he has been getting. Brunei is one of the countries he felt connected with.

During the premiere of the documentary, the guests were also entertained by Irama Bahtera, Brunei’s finest traditional music group. During Walking Borneo Nomadic Lion fell in love with the sound of the Sape, a traditional lute instrument originally from the Kayan and Kenyah tribes. Faddie Tokching completed the musical journey by performing a solo Sape performance followed by a pioneering experiment combining Sape with a Gambus.

David is here in Brunei for the week or so visiting schools and colleges across the country for a series of motivational talks and to share their experiences with the youth of Brunei.

Nomadic Lion have named their documentary “Berjalai – Walking Borneo” in honour of the Iban tradition of Berjalai. Berjalai is a traditional part of Iban culture; a journey in search of knowledge, wealth and experience. In the olden days a young Iban man would leave the longhouse and make a Berjalai, travelling long distances often on foot, just like the journey of Nomadic Lion.

Berjalai: Walking Borneo the full story, an 8GB USB Flashdrive is available now exclusively in Brunei for $20. The USB includes the full documentary, out takes, music videos, 14 track music and a digital photo album.

Anyone wishing to purchase the USB can get in contact with Nomadic Lion Facebook www.facebook.com/nomadiclion or whatsapp at +60109343114

 

Group photo with the musicians  

The green, the yellow and the red 

Catch Nomadic Lion at OGDC (Saturday) and KB Sentral (Sunday) 

  

Oriental Buffet  

 

Roasted Lamb

Do try out the Oriental Buffet Dinner at Seasons Restaurant and it’s held every Thursday and Saturday (dinner 7pm to 10pm) until 30th May 2015. You will get a taste of some oriental dishes regionally from Thailand and Vietnam.

The Oriental Buffet Dinner — which is held every Thursday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm starting April 2 until May 30 — features popular dishes from the region such as Thailand and Vietnam. The variety is always great the Seasons buffet and you can expect dishes such as Thai Glass noodles, Jelly Fish Salad, Nyonya Laksa Noodle, fried rice in lotus leaf and Chinese Beef stew to name a few. Guess what? The menu was created by the local chefs Hj Mohammad Khairul Anuar Abdullah and Md Sharoni Hj Hosani.

The dish that impressed me is the roasted lamb, hands down 😀 Perhaps is the way they have marinated the lamb and the meat itself is tender. Highly recommended.

The buffet is priced at $25.90 for adults and $15.90 per child (five to eleven years old). Royal Brunei Catering (RBC) Dining Privilege Cardholders, on the other hand, are entitled to 10 per cent discount off the total bill during the promotional period.

Seasons Restaurant is located at the Second Floor of the Centrepoint, Gadong. For more information or reservations, please call Oscar at 8912470 or the eatery at 2422291.

 

Fried rice on lotus leaf 

Butter milk prawn 

Chicken 

Egg tarts 

Nyonya laksa 

 

 

 

Best dress feted 

I’ve blogged about Divina before and the business’ primary focus is renting out dresses especially related to fairy tales to cater for the kids. Divina has been around for many years and the previous location of the shop was in Yayasan and now it has moved to Menglait which provides a better space because now Divina has introduced a new service for photo shoots especially for family portraits. Now you can dress up elegantly from renting from Divina and use their backdrops to make the picture more surreal while wearing elegant dresses.

Last Sunday, Divina feted the winners for the three categories of the Divina’s Dress-Up Contest. In Category A, baby girl Nayla Arissa binti My Azeli won first place followed by Nur Faiza and Stephenie Wong. In Category B, Thian Siao Fen @ Samantha took first place and first runner-up was Dayangku Nur Atiyyah Azzahra while Siti Nur Aziah binti Yunos came third. As for Category C (for the boys), Dario Ling Yi Hao claiming first place, Mohd Azrin bin Shadanan came second and Christopher Wong came third.

The winners walked home with vouchers worth $100 for first prize, $80 voucher for first runner-up and $50 voucher for second runner-up.

The top three winners of the Divina Dress-Up Competition. The prize presentation took place last Sunday  

Nayla Arissa binti My Azeli won first place in the first category. Image courtesy of Borneo Bulletin. 

Dario Ling Yi Hao won first place in Category C for the boys section. Image courtesy of Borneo Bulletin. 

Christopher Wong came third in Category C 

Mohd Azrin bin Shadanan came second in Category C 

The winners last weekend 

Divina now also introduced a newer service where mothers can also dress up to compliment their daughters and sons. They have brought in some beautiful dresses for rent for the adults. Do check out the images below for details.

Divina Brunei Sdn Bhd 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.

 

Now even mothers can dress up 😀 

Some of the backdrops that can be used 

Chin Wei had fun during the photo shoot 

Now mothers and young female adults can dress up too 

The young emcees announcing the winners 

The interior view of Divina 

The map of Divina at Menglait
 

This weekend – Poppins 

 

Relentless Entertainment (Relentless) is all set to bring a beloved tale of a magical nanny to the stage with Poppins The Musical this Saturday and Sunday at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre.

Sharing the stage alongside the actors and dancers from the entertainment and events management company on the first night of the show will be 30 special stars from Pusat Ehsan, who will delighting audiences with an opening number.

The special needs centre is also one of a handful of local non-profit organisations that were given complimentary tickets to attend the show.

Other special needs organisations include Yayasan Kanser Kanak-Kanak (YASKA), the Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA), Learning Ladder and the Society for the Management of Autism Related Issues in Training, Education and Resources Brunei (SMARTER Brunei).

In a press statement by the Relentless, the company has given 1,000 out of the 4,000 seats to special needs centres.

“Every child from the organisations will be given a goodie bag,” said the company’s founder, Mardi Hedus.

Tickets for the two-day event, which starts at 7.30pm, are still available at various locations such as Patisserie Cake Shop at Mata-Mata Gadong, Misato Japanese Restaurant both at Kiulap and Mabohai, Laneige at The Mall and in Kuala Belait, and at Fitness Zone both in Kiulap and Serusop.

The tickets are priced at $10, $15 and $20, and a portion of the proceeds will be given to charity.

For more information, please contact Mardi at 8235455 or 8243222 or emailrelentless.brunei@gmail.com. You can also follow Relentless on its Facebook at facebook.com/relentlessstudiosbrunei and Instagram@relentlessbrunei. Text courtesy of Michelle Tan of The Brunei Times.

 

The cast posing for the media. Image courtesy of Michelle Tan of The Brunei Times. 

A new sneak preview of Poppins the Musical. Image courtesy of Michelle Tan of The Brunei Times. 

The cast and crew are ready for the weekend
 
 

SCOT Run 2015 

The vice chairman of SCOT Khairul Azmi Hj Salleh with the committee of the SCOT Run 2015. Image courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times. 

The Society for Community Outreach and Training (SCOT) announced its inaugural charity run ‘The SCOT Run 2015 – Fight Poverty through Education’ recently at the Youth Centre.

The run is slated to be held on May 10 at Taman Haji Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien in the capital.

The vice chairman of SCOT Khairul Azmi Hj Salleh, at the announcement ceremony, said that the run will put an emphasis on the ongoing SCOT Education project.

“Majority of the funds to be raised (from the run) will be channeled to serve an additional commitment to provide scholarships of empowerment to deserving and most progressive students for the phase 2 of SCOT Education,” he said.

In an interview with The Brunei Times, Noor Faezatul Iradah Mohd Ali, the project manager of SCOT Run 2015, said that they are expecting more than 3,000 participants for the run.

“With the funds collected, we will use it for training students that we are yet to choose from various institutional organisations who then will be teaching English in Cambodia for the underprivileged,” she said.

In 2013, the SCOT Education programme under SCOT comprised of 11 weeks of volunteering activity in teaching English to about 120 students at the Youth Development Centre (YDC). It was then followed by a two-week volunteering activity in teaching English to underprivileged students in Cambodia.

In a press statement, it stated that the objective of the SCOT Education is to empower and build confidence of trainers through English language skills training so as to equip them with better employment opportunities.
The online registration for the SCOT Run will be opened from March 21 to April 5 at www.fightpovertywithus.org/scot-run.

There are three categories opened for the public namely: 3km fun run “Hopeful Fighter”, 5km “Passionate Fighter” and 10km “Knowledgeable Fighter” with registration fees at $25, $30 and $35 respectively.

The payment for the registration will be opened from April 3 to 5.

Venue for registration payment will be updated through the website including dates and venue for kit collection. SCOT also announced that any companies that wish to support, sponsor and be a part of the SCOT Run 2015 are welcome to email them at info@fightpovertywithus.org.

 

Click image to enter website 

 

 
 

David supports Earth Hour 

Mabohai Shopping Complex is proud to announce that David Atthowe, founder of Nomadic Lion, will be joining our Earth Hour Event on Saturday, 28 March 2015 at 8:00 pm.

In 2014, David, along with his partner and Indonesian friend Yusep Sukmana walked 3,350 km all the way from Malaysia to Brunei. They walked to raise awareness about the Rainforest and people of Borneo.

During our Earth Hour Event on Saturday 28th March, David will give a special talk on the topic “Walking change: connecting with the earth and how we can all use our own art to create change.”

Nomadic Lion founder David Atthowe, who hails from Norwich, England, and Yusep Sukmana from Ciamis, Indonesia, have visited a number of landmarks in Brunei and other tourist hotspots including the Ulu Temburong National Park in Bukit Patoi in their 2014 ‘Walk of Borneo’ expedition which commenced in Sabah last August 2014. The Brunei Tourism Development Department supported the effort of the duo by raising awareness of their project and how it could help as a catalyst for people to protect their environment.

 

 

The nature-loving duo initiated their first project in 2014 by walking the entire length of Peninsular Malaysia to raise awareness on the environment and its people who live in harmony with nature. A documentary of their journey will describe the current situation of the local environment and the organizations working to protect it.

The Management of Mabohai Shopping Complex said:

“ We are delighted to have Mr David Atthowe join us and share his experience and how he has used his “own power” so to speak, to help raise awareness on protecting and preserving nature. We invite the public, especially those who would like to learn more about his experience to join us on the 28 March 2015 and be part of the Earth Hour experience at Mabohai Shopping Complex.“

 

 

 
 

Zairani wins flight to the UK 

Zairani Munching won two return tickets to London and received the prize from Nicky Wong 

Out of 100 shortlisted entries, Zairani Munching was the lucky lady who took the Shop, Dine and Fly grand prize – taking home two return tickets to London for two with a $2,000 travel voucher.

The lucky draw took place at the Mahligai Hall of The Airport Mall, where the lucky participants were treated to drinks from Gong Cha and food from Cheezbox. The prizes from the lucky draw also included luxury and household items, such as mobile phones, BBQ sets, blenders and coffeemakers.

Winning the first prize was Md Azlan Seruji, who  a return air ticket to Hong Kong with $1,000 travel voucher for two. The second prize was won by Evelyn Salius which was return air tickets for two to Singapore with a $800 travel voucher.

The Shop, Dine and Fly grand draw was a collaboration between QQeStore.com, QQ Mobile Shop, Gong Cha, OHSO Premium Kids Wear and CheezBox Café and Restaurant as a way to thank their loyal customers for their endless support.

 

Md Azlan Seruji won  a return air ticket to Hong Kong with $1,000 travel voucher for two 

Evelyn Salius won return air tickets for two to Singapore with a $800 travel voucher 

Top ten winners of the Shop, Dine and Fly promotion 

 

 

 

AirAsia 

 

Millions free seats to give away

Walk the talk

Who needs money when you can lead a simple life? Who needs a car or a bike when you can just walk? Who needs shelter when you can simply make your own or being offered/accepted by welcoming individuals to their homes?

There are many interesting questions or scenarios that many asked when I posted his picture on my instagram and it’s about a story about the David Attowe’s journey and he is a walking brand known as “Nomadic Lion” (you can also follow him on @nomadiclion instagram).

When he walks, he is able to tell a story or even hear stories from different walks of life and cultures. If he were to be given a lift by a car or other means of transport, that conversation won’t be as engaging as it will be only for a short time due to the convenience of a transport. Good point there!! He’s trying to send a message for all of us to slow down and appreciate every single thing in our lives and be grateful of what we have in front of us. I have to admit he is a true icon of abundance and he doesn’t need all the luxuries if you were to give him. That really shows how much of a visionary David is.

I recently met up with him after his interview on UBD FM last week and he is such a welcoming character and what caught my eyes was his trolley that he modified for his bag pack. Awesome!! So I brought him for so called “limteh” at Fleur de Lys and I didn’t know he’s a sucker for cheese cakes but of course, he still loves the cheese cakes back in his country (England).

I won’t waste much time now and I shall post the questions that were asked by my followers on instagram.

Follow David Attowe’s journey on Facebook and instagram @nomadiclion. Image courtesy of @nomadiclion

Yes, he showers everyday in fact. There was one situation where he would shower in the rain but at night if he happens to sleep outdoor. Shower butt naked *lol*

He will sleep every where possible but he tries to avoid sleeping by the roadside. In Brunei, he was fortunate that he was being offered to stay at a few places. His success rate of asking for shelter at people’s home in Borneo has been at 95%. Interesting.

The three fascinating things about Brunei are the people, the mangroves and the mini crocodiles. Yes, he is a big fan of mangroves and he believes Brunei has the best mangrove so far in Borneo.

He’s a big fan of noodles aka Maggi. He has eaten all flavours with egg but one that remains his favourite is Indo Mee.

The things that he brings in his bag are his notebook (Sony and he needs a new one since it’s almost broken), his camping gear, three sets of his Rasta colour top, medical kit and his SLR.

He wears the red, green and yellow top (like a Rasta man) because he used to live in Jamaica and stayed in the mountains for months. This top also catches the attention of the people whenever he walks.

He is an advocate humanitarian, a photographer, a videographer and an aquarium designer. Interesting, right? And he is still single.

Some of the challenges that he went through was such as lack of access to food and water, getting bitten by ants and mosquitoes but the biggest challenge is more on the mental quadrant. It’s important to stay happy and positive.

People of inspiration for him are Mahatma Ghandi, Vinoba Bhave & Bob Marley. He walks to create a change and inspire people. His inspiration song is from Bob Marley’s Soul Rebel.

Funnily enough he doesn’t have blisters and he wear the perfect sandals for his walk. He can just keep on walking and walking without feeling pain. I guess he has the right type of sole for his feet that makes a lot of difference. When I do my half marathon, I was already struggling at the 5k mark due to the minor pains in my joints and ankle.

Today he left bandar around 5:30am as he heads off to Miri which will take him at least 3 to 4 days. He has been in Brunei Darussalam for a good two weeks and he was also in good company. Sometimes in life, we always seek for more and more but not for David. He is more than happy on what he has and money hasn’t been an issue on his journey. Now how many of us can live the life that he is experiencing – abundance.

He is bound to be back next year to Brunei and I look forward for his presence. All the best, buddy.

 

 

 

Nomadic Lion walks the talk  

I finally get to meet an inspirational icon for humanitarian, David Atthowe famously known as Nomadic Lion for his humanitarian project 

He was excited to meet up my good friend SY and yes, David does own a smart phone (Nokia) 

Did you know that his bag pack weighs at least 10 kilo? So what’s inside the bag? His notebook, camping gear equipment, hammock, 2 set of clothes, medical kit and survival kit to name a few. He uses a trolley which he hopes to refine to make it more practical for his walking journey. 

Did you know that he loves cheese cakes? He applauded on the cheese cakes he tried at one of the places near Mount KK and the best he tried was in Europe. So peeps, anything with baked cheesecake, he is sold 😀 

David walked from indoor stadium to Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and he was greeted with the team from Tourism Development Department headed by Mariani Sabtu, Acting Director of Tourism Development Department. 

During that 1 kilometre journey, he had some runners joining the short walk with him. 

David talking to the media at the press conference 

A notice that David will be heading to Sports School on Saturday morning 

He prefers to walk in this than sneakers and he hardly gets blisters even on his sole. Amazing!! 

Seng Yee’s wish came true and she caught up with David 

 

AirAsia  

 

 

 

Wear It Pink, Wear It Proud 

ZALORA, Asia’s leading online fashion destination, unveiled an exclusive new collection during a private showcase event at Black Box MAP, Publika Solaris Dutamas, on November 4th. PRIDE Collection by Jovian Mandagie for ZALORA, brought to you by Bank Simpanan Nasional features 18 looks that incorporate the symbolic pink ribbon in support of breast cancer awareness.

“It’s an honour for ZALORA to host this fashion show. We are truly inspired by the survivors and we anticipate great support from the public,” said Managing Director of ZALORA Malaysia, Giulio Xiloyannis. He further explained that all profits will be directed to Pink Ribbon Deeds (PRIDE) Foundation to aid in their research and treatment efforts for breast cancer patients. ZALORA hopes to raise over RM150,000 for the cause.

“Neither ZALORA nor Jovian Mandagie will make any profits from this launch, we seek to generate as much awareness as possible for PRIDE’s noble cause and both myself and Jovian are proud to have been given the chance to invest our time and abilities into something far more important than mere everyday business,” continued Xiloyannis.

The star-studded event was attended by local celebrities such as Megan Tan, Serena C. and Nadine Ann Thomas, socialites as well as esteemed members of the media. The event also showcased and celebrated some of PRIDE’s breast cancer survivors in honour of their resilience and strength against the illness.

“PRIDE Collection by Jovian Mandagie for ZALORA, brought to you by Bank Simpanan Nasional is designed beautifully and with passion to celebrate the strong spirit that breast cancer survivors embody. It is the perfect representation to show how tough women can be” said local renowned designer, Jovian Mandagie.

Dato’ Azrene Abdullah, Chairman of PRIDE highlighted the importance of raising awareness for the cause “as breast cancer affects 1 in every 19 of all the important women in our lives. Which is why support from noble corporations such as from ZALORA, Jovian Mandagie and Bank Simpanan Nasional is important and would go a long way in creating more awareness and education for early detection, as early as college and secondary school level even,” she added.

 

Dato’ Azrene Abdullah, Chairman of PRIDE

Managing Director of ZALORA Malaysia, Giulio Xiloyannis

Jovian Mandagie introducing the PRIDE Collection at ZALORA

Inspired by the dignity and grace of a woman, Jovian dedicated this collection to the strong and courageous survivors of breast cancer. The collection comprises of an array of beautiful blouses, skirts and dresses that feature the significant pink ribbon in detailing and embellishments. The designer pieces are primarily fabricated in pastel coloured chiffon and are priced at RM 200 to RM 400 each.

The collection is the outcome of the combined efforts of ZALORA, Jovian Mandagie, PRIDE and Bank Simpanan Nasional. These four entities came together to generate awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Jovian putting his extraordinary talent into the design of the pieces, ZALORA fully funding several hundred thousand Ringgit or their manufacturing costs and distribution costs and Bank Simpanan Nasional fully funding the launch event and photo shooting sessions for the look book of the collection. All players are operating in a non-profit environment with regard to this collection, whereby all profits would go to PRIDE as sponsorship for their cause.

PRIDE Collection by Jovian Mandagie for ZALORA, brought to you by Bank Simpanan Nasional was released after the preview presentation on November 4th at 5.00pm and is now available on ZALORA.com.my and in Jovian stores.

 

PRIDE Shine Top, PRIDE Hope Skirt and PRIDE Hope Skirt. Click image to enter.

PRIDE Passion Top, PRIDE Faith Jubah and PRIDE Passion Top. Click image to enter.

PRIDA Phoenix Top, PRIDE Faith Jubah and PRIDE Precious Top. Click image to enter.
 

Pepper Much??  

I’m still waiting for the satay burger from Burger King. But for now, it will Burger King’s latest food launch which is the Black Pepper Beef Burger. Now what’s so special about the burger is the buns as they will be served in charcoal flavour.

On top of that, you will get a taste of the savoury black pepper sauce on their dark coloured beef patties. With a tasty combination of sliced onions, what can go wrong with the new Black Pepper Beef Burger.

You can order in single, double of triple beef patties or you can also opted for their beef patty sandwich.

This is only a limited time promotion before the Satay Burger kicks in. You can order them at their existing outlets at Bandar and Brunei International Airport.

 

Get a taste of the Black Pepper Beef Burger from Burger King 

You can order in a meal too 

 

Bombay Fiery Crunch  

 

KFC’s Bombay Fiery CrunchSpicy Food lovers are in for a treat as KFC unveils its latest product, Bombay Fiery Crunch.

Made with fresh, succulent chicken, marinated with special spices and chilies, Bombay Fiery Crunch is battered with Crunchy Cornflakes and fried to perfection. “It’s specially made for spicy food lover with that added crunch and we know a lot of Bruneians are fans of both spicy and crunchy,” said Jonathan Bong, Senior Marketing Manager, KFC B Sdn Bhd.

The Bombay Fiery Crunch is available in two-piece chicken combo and three-piece chicken combo which comes with Cheezy Wedges, Butterscotch bun and Sjora Mango drink at B$7.40 and B$9.80.

For a bigger group dining in friends and family gathering, there are choices of Bombay Feast A and Feast B. Bombay Feast A comes with nine-piece Bombay Fiery Crunch, a large Cheezy Wedges, a large Whipped Potato, and a large bottle of Pepsi at B$27.70; Bombay Feast B includes fiveteen-piece Bombay Fiery Crunch, a Jalapeno & Onion Strips, a large Whipped Potato, and a large bottle of Pepsi at only B$42.40.

Bombay Fiery Crunch is now available at all KFC outlets for a limited time only.