Riddle me this, Riddle me that. I didn’t have a proper sleep just yet as I finally spent a little bit of time with mom late at night with an early morning assignment the next few hours. I just miss the adrenalin, the old adrenalin that I used to have … a few years ago. Now you can tell how I’ve aged and not getting any younger. Then again, in my field of work, it always keeps me on my toes.

This morning, I had quick breakfast catch up session with Abby whom I envy for traveling more than I do. I hope we can have some time on the courts and burn some fats. I miss watching you hitting balls :p I’m glad that I didn’t have clash of events as two events happened one after another right after breakfast at Jing Chew.

Heroes Brunei had their press conference for the upcoming Batman V Superman Brunei Run and the event was held at McDonald’s Jerudong (the newest branch). Good to know that my buddy Aaron took my tip on the flow of the event even though it’s just a press conference. It was good to see partners of the Batman V Superman Brunei Run getting involved for the benefit of the charitable organisation – “National Welfare Fund”. So, Aaron Goh, good luck to your event and with your experience, this will be another successful charitable event and keep up creating more heroes in our lives. I shall be posting more stories on this event tomorrow.

Aaron Goh, the founder of Heroes Brunei, with the partners during the press conference earlier this morning

Some of the guests and members of the media at McDonald’s gerai

Loving the Wonder Woman cup from @pnut.merchandise and it will be available during the event

Seagate portable hard drives are a great catch for IT lovers like me. I have a few Seagate HD to my collection and now Concepts Computer are having a special promotion for those purchasing Seagate external hard disks for 1TB and above, where you can get a free special coloured Seagate T-shirt. On top of that, if you spend $200 and above on one receipt, you will receive a Kingston voucher for 1 carton of soft drinks. This promotion stands until stocks end.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, have noticed the increased demand for storage solution among consumers. Hence, the company will work hard to provide a much larger range of great digital storage solution at the best price for the consumers in the country. For more info, you can check out the Seagate Hard Disks at Concepts Computer or call 223 3551/223 3552 for details.

Associates of Concepts Computer holding Seagate Hark Disks and their colourful t-shirts

If you are banking in for a bigger space, here you go – 4TB or the 8TB

You can get yourself a free t-shirt from Seagate

 

Coming to you this August. Registration ends on 17th July 2016. Don’t forget to register [Click image to enter]

Are you ready for an awesome gimmick run? After two months of break, running events are back!! Perhaps this race is something more exciting than previous runs that have been organised. This is because of the items that runners are expected to receive as part of their race pack. The items themselves look very collectible especially the medals and even their running attire where a top and a sock will be given depending on your choice of superhero.

Apart from that, you can also pre-order merchandise of Batman V Superman which are available on their main website such as mugs, watch, t-shirts and many more. Hence, I would say there is a lot of thought being put into this racing event.

The closing date of the registration will be on the 17th July 2016 as well as the payment for the Batman V Superman Brunei Darussalam Run. As for the running event itself, it will take place on 21st August 2016 at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre. Click here to go to the official website and register there.

The event is organised by Heroes Brunei (under Armtrix Enterprise) and it’s supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. All the best and I’m pretty sure there will be a good turn of this event.

The top for Superman

The top for Batman

The top for Wonder Woman

One of the socks (Batman)

There will be medals given to all categories. This is a sample for the 3.8 km run

Certificates to all the registrants

 

After a long holiday, it’s back to reality. Yes, even blogging is considered a job for me and I have quite a few pending jobs to finish off apart from my updating my work online. I’m not even a big fan of paperworks but I need to get the job done or I won’t get paid *lol*

So how has your Hari Raya been? I have continued my newer tradition – to spend more time doing my own things and be selective on open houses. This practice has been on going for the past three years and I’m getting the hang of it. So how many houses have I been in the past five days? I would say 6-7 houses which is quite reasonable to my liking. There were three new places that I’ve never been to (Yani, Heidi and Dr. Sophia) and I’m glad for dropping by.

Actually during Hari Raya, it was also the best time to catch movies since there were lesser traffic congestions and parking was easier to find too. However, the movies during those times were totally disappointing (Ice Age 6/10, The Legend of Tarzan 6/10, Alice through the Looking Glass 6/10). Yes, I’m just appalled by the summer movies of 2016 and even my summer box office prediction in terms of earnings haven’t been spot on. I hope for July/August movies to make up for mediocre line-up of May and June movies.

I need to readjust my sleeping pattern thanks to fasting and also Euro 2016. My sleeping average time has been in the range of 5am to 6am which is not healthy, considering I wake up around 11am or earlier. Speaking of Euro 2016, what a shocker result to see Portugal coming off as champions. They were fortunate to get pass the group stage with three draws and no wins and slowly snuck in to the finals where they beat the host nation France 1-0 in extra time. To top that, Portugal have lost all their 10 meetings against France so that odds were heavily against them. Good for Ronaldo and his team who played their hearts out in the finals.

Yesterday was also my first work out session in a long time. When I say work out, it means tennis 😀 Woohoo.. I was happy to be back on the court and thanks to my tennis buddies, Ming Rui, Sin Yi and Hong Ming for the rally. I’m still bummed that Roger Federer failed to capitalise on Djokovic’s exit in Wimbledon. But hats off to Andy Murray for winning his second Wimbledon after finishing off Raonic in straight sets.

I shall be back this week and updating more stories. Don’t forget to follow my social media updates on Snapchat and instagram. Enjoy your week and Selamat Hari Raya.

Yes, it’s good to be back on the tennis courts. I’ve missed playing tennis to the max.

Bumped into Soon Loo, CEO of Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) recently at one of the open houses. We shall catch up soon 😀

My riding toy at home. The Velocifero MAD E Scooter. Now available in the market at Cervello Tres Borneo (Setia Kenangan II) Follow their IG @cervellotres.borneo for updates too

 

For a limited time only – Cheesy BBQ Chicken from BurgerKing… Yummm

 

 

Charles Rex de Silva, 74, passed away two days ago in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I’ve known him during his years in Brunei Press and I had a few conversations with him in his office. He was such a humble person, serving his profession back then as editor-in-chief of Borneo Bulletin (1990 to 2011). You will be dearly missed especially those who have worked with you. You have left a good legacy in Borneo Bulletin. Image taken from Facebook. RIP Rex.

Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahman bin Pengiran Seri Indera Pengiran Haji Ismail, Chairman and Executive Committee Secretary and also as Chairman of the Working Committee (centre) during the press conference for 2015 Brunei Darussalam Karting Championship. Image courtesy of Khairil Hassan of Borneo Bulletin.

This is a yearly event that’s happening this weekend. It’s the final leg of the 2015 Brunei Darussalam Karting Championship and this time it will be a 3-day event starting this Friday. This is one of the days where the capital of Brunei Darussalam will be transformed into a race-track.

The Go-Kart event is also in conjunction with the 45th Anniversary of Bandar Seri Begawan and it is organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (BSB Municipal Board) with the collaboration of Brunei Darussalam Go-Kart Association and D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd.

The practice session will be happen on Saturday 21st November near the Royal Wharf while the official race will take place on Sunday 22nd November. On Friday, there will be activities for the public to enjoy at the Taman SOAS such as fly fox, retro car show, music competition, frisbee competition, bouncers and many more.

As for the Frisbee tournament, the registration is still open and you can contact Adib at 8796851 or 8903654.

All these were announced yesterday during the press conference at the Ministry of Home Affairs led by Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahman bin Pengiran Seri Indera Pengiran Haji Ismail, Chairman and Executive Committee Secretary and also as Chairman of the Working Committee.

There was also safety briefing for the public who will be at the vicinity of the race track. You will be advised not to cross the race track during the race and practice session.

Also for you info, there will be road closure as well. Do refer to the illustration below. The road closure will start from 2pm Saturday to 8pm Sunday.

So where can you park? Parkings at Jalan Cator, Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and PGGMB Building and also a few areas like Jalan Bendhara will still be opened for the public. Just be careful not to park illegally because I ended getting a summon for parking illegally two years ago *oopsy*

Parking for VIP invitees will be at Jalan Roberts and Jalan McArthur while Committee parking will be at Commercial Centre Building and Storey Park Building.

Invitees’ parking will be at Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah across Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque, TAIB, Electric Department, Main Post Office and Lapau.

Road closure starting Saturday. Illustration by The Brunei Times.

The Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Managing Director of BIBD, Hjh Noraini Hj Sulaiman (L), presenting the winning trophy to Hj Saiful Rizal Pehin Dato Hj Ahmad, the champion of the Open Gross category during the prize presentation ceremony for the BIBD Perdana Banking Invitational Golf Tournament 2015 at The Empire Hotel & Country Golf Club. Image courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

Smiles were all around as close to 100 clients of BIBD took part in the BIBD Perdana Banking Invitational Golf Tournament 2015 which took place yesterday at The Empire Hotel & Country Golf Club.

The tournament was organised to foster stronger relationships between BIBD and its customers in the Perdana Privilege, Corporate and Institutional Banking segments.

On hand to present the trophies to the winners of the day was the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Managing Director of BIBD, Hjh Noraini Hj Sulaiman.

The top winners of the day included Hj Khairul Jamaluddin, who was the champion of the Open Nett category, while Hj Saiful Rizal Pehin Dato Hj Ahmad topped the Open Gross category.

Wong Kai Tee was named the champion of the Senior Nett category while Dato Paduka Sheikh Adnan was named the Champion of the Senior Gross Category.

The Deputy Managing Director of BIBD thanked everyone for their support and participation in the tournament, and took the opportunity to recap on the excellent year BIBD has been having in 2015.

To find out more about BIBD’s products, services and promotion visit its official Facebook page here www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei or log on to www.bibd.com.bn www.bibd.com.bn or eget in touch with the BIBD contact Centre at 2239191. Text courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

Colour runs have been a popular gimmick as of late. Last Sunday, another one took place organised by SEAMEO VOCTECH with the motto “Ikhlas Run With Colours” and an amazing BND 17,830 was raised. The colourful event carried the theme “Run… Share and Care” and it aimed to bring the community together to create a colourful and fun event where the runners were in for a colourful treat being sprayed with coloured powder. Around 2,000 participants took part in the event.

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH) said on its website that the run is one of the activities lined up for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of SEAMEO and the 25th anniversary of SEAMEO VOCTECH.

It was good to know that the money raised was channeled for the Special Education Unit under the Ministry of Education’s IKHLAS initiative where the guest of honour, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Minister of Education, handed the mock cheque to Pg Sarimah Pg Hj Ahmad, Head of Special Education Unit. The other beneficiary was Brunei Olympics Council.

EasyWay with the guest of honour and members of the Brunei Basketball Association

The prize giving ceremony

Easy won the hard way. What an intense final!!! I missed the commotion where a few players were ejected. I came right after half time of the finals between defending champions Fu Zhou and favourites EasyWay. Mike Pilgrim of EasyWay was ejected out for landing a punch on Narcisco Llagas (also ejected) and it led into a mini brawl where another official from Fu Zhou (Erwin) was also ejected after his punching efforts on EasyWay’s Ah Giap face.

There has been a huge question mark on the match officials in controlling the match and this also boils down to the Brunei Basketball Association. The standards of the officials and the discipline still needs some fine tuning. Yes, there will be reasons for having low budgets to provide appropriate training from the officials. I still find it ironic that some teams are able to fork out loads of monies to lure in import players but some are closely related to the BBA and having good relations, they would see this as an important growth for the country for the sports of basketball. You will see tons of banners here and there and corporate companies fork out monies to be part of an event. I seriously am not sure how the BBA works in Brunei but judging from the commotion last Wednesday, it gives the association a bad after taste. Something must be done to stop this from repeating.

The guest of honour was the Acting District Officer of Brunei-Muara and it was such a shame that he had to witness it. Players will take action (and play vigilante) if referees fail to make obvious foul calls and that’s where things can get really, really ugly. BBA members, officials, referees and even the policemen will turn peacemakers when things get out of hand just like last Wednesday. There were even signs of provocation from other teams to incite more heat and I thought that was unnecessary and unprofessional.

Even the venue at the Batu Bersurat Basketball Court is not ideal to hold such a large number of crowd. The players don’t have any allowance outside the boundary of their court zone and bystanders can turn into human cushions to stop the momentum. I mean, I was excited for the huge turn out but feel conflicted due to the safety of the people inside the basketball court. I believe the human count exceeded more than 200% and sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The memento for the guest of honour from BBA

There was a delay during the third quarter due to a brawl

Mike Pilgrim with his fans

Just look at the Batu Bersurat Basketball Court

Wow, I can’t believe I’m ranting on all these instead of posting how cool the match was. Anyway, let’s talk about the match itself. Yes, it was absolutely thrilling and it was end to end stuff. EasyWay was on top form and even star player Geve Leones wasn’t featured due to a sprained ankle. But EasyWay had the depth in squad. They have the likes of three impressive imports – Charlie Bolias, Robert Hite and Mike Pilgrim and not forgetting Elvin Requintin. The local players are also made up of competitive players (captain Ben Sim, Md Zainul, Yap Chun Ping, Choo Yung Jian and Jamri Ramlee. Now that’s what you call #strengthinnumbers

Defending champions Fu Zhou put up a great fight but only came close when they stole the lead in the third quarter. It didn’t last long as they suffered from the ejection of their key players. With three minutes remaining, EasyWay increased the gap and deservedly had the victory over their opponents in 89-77. EasyWay became the only team to be undefeated in the tournament.

Mike Pilgrim did wrote an apology on his Facebook Wall, “Last night was a great experience to win a Championship with a Class A organisation but I would not be correct if I didn’t take the time to apologize for the part I played in the brawl last night. As we all know there was a lot of dirty playing taking place last night and I have been more than patient with the referees and the teams as well, but I don’t blame them for my actions of retaliation to the dirty play. So to all of you especially the kids in attendance, I sincerely apologize for my actions and no matter how annoyed or frustrated I should have never let it take me out of my game or my character, so the Fu Zhou players and fans, I sincerely apologize.”

The same went for Erwin Velez who wrote on the Brunei Basketball Facebook Page, “Congratulation to Easyway for winning championship 2015 Sultan Cup, you guys deserved it, you guys put in a lot of dedication. What happened last night was much regretted, we don’t take it personally, we hope you guys don’t too. Just like your team, we are very passionate about basketball, for me personally eventhough I was not able to play this year, I still flew back to support my team in the finals. Sometimes, in the heat of our passion, we do things beyond our control which we regret later on and last night was one of those moments. My sincere apology to you guys, Specially Boss Ah Giap, I’m sorry It was a random swing and unfortunately I hit Boss Ah Giap. I hope that I can talk to you personally to apologies on my action. To Coach K and Wira Pori my sincere apologies on this matter. To Easyway family and friends my sincere apologies. Sincerely yours, Erwin Velez.”

The schedules for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-14 Regional Festival of Football 2015

His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the President of National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) with AFC Festival Manager Dr Shamil Kamil Mohammad

For the development of football. This is such a great idea that Brunei Darussalam is hosting the ongoing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-14 Regional Festival of Football 2015. This is the first time that Brunei is also hosting an AFC event of this magnitude. For the country, this is a great milestone as this gives confident that Brunei Darussalam is confident in running this non-competitive event for the development of football for the youngsters locally and internationally.

The launch of the event took place last Tuesday and the football festival was officiated by His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the President of National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD). Also present was AFC Festival Manager Dr Shamil Kamil Mohammad who shared a welcoming remark and praised Brunei Darussalam for hosting the 5-day event.

The match kicked off with Brunei Darussalam the host bowing down to the improved Philippines team with a 3-0 score line. The first two goals came less than 10 minutes into the game as the host lost concentration. The visitors were very solid in midfield and bossed the pitch, making it difficult for Brunei to win possession. The Philippines sealed the deal after the break with a sublime finish as Captain Van Vincent Nico Quintana scored a curler to add to Brunei’s misery.

However, it was a much better outing for Brunei Darussalam in the second match despite going down to Myanmar 3-2 last Wednesday. This shows that Brunei is still capable to score upfront but just need more composure when it comes to defence. They have conceded six goals so far in two games.

Brunei still have hot favourites Malaysia and the rising star Timor Leste tonight and tomorrow evening respectively. Malaysia had scored 10 goals in two games and they have been very strong upfront. Despite playing earlier this morning with a 8-0 victory over Myanmar, they will have their second match tonight against Brunei Darussalam at Belapan Sports Complex. Will Brunei able to contain the attacking prowess of Malaysia?

Do refer to the poster above for the schedules and there is also lucky draw for every match. The closing ceremony will be at 9:30pm on Saturday, 22nd August at Belapan Sports Complex.

HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah launching the event

HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah greeting the match officials

HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah greeting the host nation

HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah greeting the team from Myanmar

Dr Shamil Kamil Mohammad delivering his speech

The fans from the Philippines

Head coach of Brunei working extremely hard for the past few months

It all starts from grassroots level

The working committee for the football festival

It’s great to see Thailand’s participation despite the sad news of the bombing in Bangkok

Brunei in action against the Philippines. Brunei lost 3-0 in the opening game.

Brunei in action against Myanmar but lost 3-2. Image courtesy of Ridhwan Kamarulzaman of The Brunei Times.

Brunei in action against Myanmar but lost 3-2. Image courtesy of Ridhwan Kamarulzaman of The Brunei Times

Earlier this morning, Malaysia dominated as they beat Myanmar 8-0

One of the saves from Myanmar keeper from a Malaysian attack

Timor Leste looked solid against the Philippines and won in a thrilling 4-2 victory

An own goal from Timor Leste to make in 3-2 but Timor Leste scored a minute later to restore the cushion for a 4-2 victory

Timor Leste’s Rivaldo Dos Santos Periera scored the final goal

Good sportsmanship shown after the match against Timor Leste and the Philippines

The customary handshake after every match.

Click image to enter register

BIBD with the sponsors and corporate partners of BIBD CE-ALAF during the press conference last week

After missing out on last year’s calendar, BIBD has brought back the BIBD Charity Expedition where the main objective is to raise funds for the ALAF participants. ALAF means Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future and now it has been rebranded as CE-ALAF. Every year, there will find ways to collaborate with strategic partners in ensuring that it’s not just about raising funds but to synergise the strengths in enhancing the study programmes for the under privilege students until they graduate with a degree.

I totally love this idea when they introduced this a few years ago. The progress and success rate have been encouraging as well for the students selected under the CE-ALAF program. The funds raised are allocated for tuition fees and counselling services. The applicants will be screened by government agencies from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs and despite being given 100 students per year quota, only 50 students and 34 students met the requirements for year 2014 and year 2015 respectively. Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, Head of BIBD Corporate Social Responsibility, did hint that the criteria will be reviewed once again with the relevant agencies and stakeholders. It was good to highlight that some of the students from the program achieved distinctions in the PSR examinations. Giving education to under privileged student is a thoughtful gesture but for them to go beyond the expectations such as passing with flying colours is an awesome bonus indeed.

Javed Ahmed, Managing Director of BIBD, explaining to the press on the CE-ALAF program and how it has benefited the students

Members of the press and partners were present

Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, Head of BIBD Corporate Social Responsibility (2nd from right) briefed more on the BIBD CE-ALAF initiative

The medals for this year’s event

Check out the categories

That’s the gist of the background for CE-ALAF. Now it’s the actual event of the BIBD CE-ALAG event which will take place on 25th October 2015. The registration is already open and it will close on 20th September 2015.

The only one missing from the running + cycling event is the full marathon (42km). There will be a 21km, 10km and 5km competitive categories with the addition of the fun-run of 3km. Let’s not forget the cycling category as well.

You can now register at their website link – www.bibdalaf.com – and it’s also required that you present with with a donation card which can be deposited into any BIBD branch counter via Cash Deposit Machine (CDM), ATM, online banking or CE-ALAF account number 1018181811.

Let’s hope with the funds raised that it can hope to help reduce poverty, leading the country towards a more prosperous and peaceful future where Brunei is populated with educated, highly skilful individuals on par with internationally set standards.

Every donation counts for the betterment of our future leaders. Thank you, BIBD, for making noble cause a lasting one and I’m pretty sure that the Brunei Government are happy with your initiative.

The final score last night

The result was academic to begin with. Both Cosmopolitan College and IGS have qualified for the quarter-finals. However, IGS undefeated streak came to an end when Cosmo scored three goals without reply. Hat-trick hero Md Dhiyaulhak scored in the 14th, 63rd and 90th minute for a comprehensive victory over IGS.

Though having the same points, IGS topped the group with a better goal difference. The semi-finals will be between ITB and Cosmo and the other match will be between defending champion UBD and IGS. Good luck to all the players and well done to the volunteers and the organizing team for making this tournament an overwhelming one. You can follow live updates on @attamwil_universitycup instagram. Images courtesy of BIBD Attamwil University Cup 2015.

Team Cosmo

Team IGS

One of the lucky draw winners

One of the lucky draw winners

The crowd last night

 

The most important motor sport week of the year for Audi started on Sunday in the Le Mans city center.

A large audience at the Place de la République enjoyed summery temperatures while following technical scrutineering of the race cars for the 24-hour race. All three Audi R18 e-tron quattro went through the technical checks and are thus eligible to start practice beginning on Wednesday and the race. Eight of Audi’s nine racing drivers were visible on the team photo.

Marco Bonanomi was missing, because he was busy competing for a private Audi team in the customer racing program in Belgium where he scored six points.

Audi is aiming for its 14th championship title since entering the legendary Le Mans endurance race in 2000; fans can watch the action live this weekend on Krsital Astro Eurosport channel 814.

 

Register the form on website or follow the instruction on the poster and you will be eligible for the Samsung S6 Edge smartphone. Easy, huh? Do check out the latest car Tivoli from SsangYong. Click image to register.

Maktab Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah was crowned champion of the 19th Brunei Darussalam Inter school Senior Level English Debate Competition yesterday after defeating Sayyidina Ali Secondary School (SMSA) four votes to one.

Best speaker for the preliminaries and final Brandon Chin Wei Chun starred from Maktab Duli yesterday, anchoring his team’s position as the opposition to the motion ‘A nation’s first priority should be to invest in renewable energy’.

“We built our team’s case over the fact that although renewable energy was important, it should not be the nation’s first priority, as a country has other important priorities such as education and healthcare,” said the 18-year-old.

Brandon brought foward that renewable energy is only a means to an end.

“Renewable energy itself cannot be developed if education of the people is not made a priority.”

Both teams yesterday were given 90 minutes to prepare their cases before taking to the stage to compete. This was a shift from the traditional competition format which allowed for schools to prepare several days in advance.

Best speaker for the preliminaries and final Brandon Chin Wei Chun (center) with Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, Permanent Secretary (Media and Cabinet) of Prime Minister’s Office (left)

The finalists of the debating competition with the guest of honour

Education Officer Adam Mokhtar from Co-Curricular Education Department said the changes are designed to make debating more challenging and in line with the ‘Asian Parliamentary Standard’.

“Over the past few years we have introduced the motions to be debated in an impromptu fashion.”

He added: “Teams are randomly assigned to a topic and the position of either the government, which supports the motion or are drawed as the opposition. They are informed of the motion and position 90 minutes before the match takes place.”

Adam said the shift to impromptu debating would allow Bruneians to be better prepared for international competitions held on a similar standard.

“It also allows the students to think on their feet, forces them to brainstorm rapidly, and to execute and perform under time constraints,” he added.

The Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam Dr Kathrina DP Hj Md Daud, who also served as Chief Adjudicator yesterday, said that the ‘points of information’ – where competitors are allowed to pose questions when an opposing debater is presenting – needed more engagement from both sides.

“The winning team the judges felt, had better flow in terms of argument overall, linking between one team to next, with a better coherence of understanding issues surrounding the motion in a more holistic fashion,” she said.

To reach the finals, Maktab Duli beat Tutong Sixth Form Centre in the semi-finals while SMSA edged out Sengkurong Sixth Form Centre.

Permanent Secretary (Media and Cabinet) Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos was on hand yesterday to deliver the awards to the winning team and the runners up, as well as the best speaker. Text and images courtesy of Aaron Wong of The Brunei Times.

Image courtesy of Jody Lo

Image courtesy of Jody Lo

Sylvia posing for the camera after the Run with Colours event. Image courtesy of Sylvia.

Image courtesy of Sylvia

Image courtesy of Sylvia

Representing SMARTER Brunei. Image courtesy of @runwithcolours

Image courtesy of @runwithcolours

Anyone left this behind? #lostandfound. Image courtesy of @runwithcolours

Image courtesy of @runwithcolours

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Thanis Lim

Image courtesy of Wendy

Image courtesy of Wendy

Image courtesy of Jayden Sia

Image courtesy of Eahui

Image courtesy of Sylvia

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

 

Annison, Sales Manager of SsangYong (T.C.Y. Motors) and Alvin Caro, PR and Advertising Executive of SsangYong (T.C.Y. Motors) unveiling the new SsangYong’s Tivoli at their Kiarong showroom

Check out the Tivoli on Youtube

Repost: When I saw the images sent by T.C.Y. Motors during the sneak preview of the Tivoli, I was like pretty impressed by the overall design. The first thing that came to my mind is that it doesn’t feel or look like a European car. This is the latest edition to the SsangYong family line, the Tivoli. Yes, even the name sounds European in a way. The official launch of this particular model will be in June 2015 but there have been many pre-bookings from the public already even before its release. The media had the privilege to have a close look at the Tivoli – the low spec and the high spec at the SsangYong Kiarong Showroom.

We had a quick test drive on the red colour Tivoli but we haven’t fully tested it. So far it was a good ride and I was even considering this for my next car because I’m more of an SUV person and though it’s smaller than an SUV, it has its sporty feel. There are so many things to love about the Tivoli and I assure you that the Tivoli will be a big hit in Brunei.

One of its strength is the D-cut Steering Wheel. It has a steering wheel with “sporty d-cut” design, highlighting a sporty look with its horizontal bottom line and this will enhance the driving experience with optimal grip. If you go for the hi spec, then you will get a premium leather finish on the steering wheel too.

The seats have been awarded for being “Ergonomic” in Korea. Consisting of dual density pads and Pullmaflex spring system, bonded together to create an award-winning seat. It has earned the Tivoli a reputation for optimal comfort and convenience.

There’s also a Multi Audio System with a 7” inch touchscreen display (hi-spec). You can sync your smartphones via Bluetooth or HDMI.

When it comes to safety, Tivoli ensures passengers’ safety by applying the latest technology and high strength material and it also provides outstanding inner equipment space for outdoor activities. The material of the Tivoli has AHSS (Advanced high strength steel). For your info, AHSS is used for about 40% on the body and “hot press forming” process is used on 10 major areas.

T.C.Y. Motors SsangYong is even giving one special prize – Samsung S6 Edge. All you have to do is register your interest for the Tivoli through their website tivoli.ssangyong-brunei.com or their Facebook Page.

The price tag for the Tivoli is reasonably competitive  and this is the reason why I’m confident this model, Tivoli, will be a big hit in Brunei. Thank you, Annison and Alvin for hosting us yesterday.

The nice leather finished steering wheel of the Tivoli (hi-spec)

The award winning ergonomic seats

The engine and other components inside the Tivoli

This is the hi-spec Tivoli. Awesome!!

Stand a chance to win a Samsung S6 Edge

This is the low spec Tivoli and you can see how much difference exterior and interior compared to the hi-spec

The test drive Tivoli

Vincent Hong test drove the Tivoli around the area

The most sought two-toned colour Tivoli among Bruneians

 

Review of Run with Colours 2015 edited by Faiq of The Brunei Times

An event that I really missed today since I’m outstation. I’m still enjoying my trip in Penang and this morning was the first ever colour run organized by the Brunei Youth Council (MBB) with the support of Armtrix Enterprise. There’s no prize presentation for this particular run and it focuses more on the charity side, aimed at raising funds for the Society for the Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER Brunei) and also for the council.

The run also coincided with the Sponge Bob run which took place at the Bio-innovation Corridor (Agro tech Park). The Run with Colours had a very awesome turn out and I believe it’s the biggest number so far of all the runs being held in Brunei this year. Around 4,000 participants showed up this morning and of course, the colour gimmick is the first of its kind in Brunei and brings a new sense of novelty especially for runners and social joggers.

Thank you to my friends who contributed some photos for my blog and social media. I do hope to participate in the next colour run in Brunei. Well done to the organizers 😀

Did you know that the colour blue symbolizes autism? Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

One of the participants, Thanis Lim. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie

Image courtesy of Wendy

Image courtesy of Wendy

Image courtesy of Winnie Sia

Image courtesy of Winnie Sia

Image courtesy of Winnie Sia

Image courtesy of Winnie Sia

Image courtesy of G50

Image courtesy of G50

Image courtesy of G50

Image courtesy of Emily Teo

Image courtesy of @eia25

Image courtesy of @eia25

Image courtesy of @eia25

Image courtesy of @eia25

Image courtesy of Sherry

Image courtesy of Sherry. Good one 😀

Image courtesy of Sherry

Image courtesy of Jolene

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Farhan Jafar Ali

Image courtesy of Eahui

Image courtesy of Eahui

Image courtesy of Eahui

Image courtesy of Alison

Image courtesy of Alison

Image courtesy of Jane

@eia25 and the founder of Armtrix Enterprise, Aaron Goh

 

The ladies during the launch of the “She Runs” event at Fitness Zone. Check out details below. Image courtesy of Fitness Zone.

Here I present to you, Brunei, the Kingdom of Expected Runs. There are a few runs that will take place in the whole month of May. I told myself that I won’t be getting involved in any runs per se and focus more on loosening up my muscles rather than focusing on my mini jogs. I learned that I won’t be able to improve my stamina and running time because I tend to get injured easily after 7-8 km. My bucket list is still the full marathon and I hope to do that by 2016.

What’s interesting about all the runs are that they have their own purpose and agenda. There’s a first time for a ladies only charity run organised by Fitness Zone called “She Runs”. Set to benefit the Children’s Cancer Foundation (YASKA), the charity run will take place on May 17 at Fitness Zone Serusop. ‘She Runs’ is dedicated to empower women to become a better self from the inside out and we hope to accomplish this in two ways – fitness goal and giving back to the society. You can click here for more details.

The next one is Scot Run 2K15 which focuses on fighting poverty through education and this is organised by @scot_brunei (Society for Community Outreach and Training). I like how they categorize the runs into three – Hopeful fighter (3km), Passionate fighter (5km) and Knowledgeable fighter (10km). The Scot Run 2015 also symbolized the 4th year anniversary of @scot_brunei. Registration has already closed and it will be held on 10th May 2015. You can click here for more details.

Next is the WBC Charity Run on the 3rd of May. This is also a first time that the Women’s Business Council Brunei Darussalam organising such an event. Though it is slated for 3rd May (during Brunei’s Family Day), the registration is still open until 21st April. The event on that weekend also include a two-day bazaar and a lucky draw. The run will begin at 6am from the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. It aims to raise money for Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans. For more information, please call 2422721 or through WCB email at wbc.bru@gmail.com. You can also visit the council’s website at www.wbcbrunei.wordpress.com

Finally the biggest run in May will be “The Run” which is focused more towards Pusat Ehsan and it’s happening on the 24th May at the Indoor Stadium. It has been announced that the registration and payment has been extended to 18th April 2015 by noon. This is another popular running event and it will be the fourth time that they are hosting a charity marathon. The theme for this year is “Where Every Step Matters” and they also carry a lot of backings from sponsors and partners. They will also have the half marathon for the Open category. For more information, you can click here.

So which run suits you or are you gonna take that challenge and do more than one or all? I know of a few friends doing at least 3 runs from the ones being mentioned. Good luck to all the participants and yes, Brunei is a kingdom of expected runs.

The WBC Charity Run. Click image to find out more.

She Runs event organised by Fitness Zone. Click image to find out more.

The Scot Run 2015 organised by @scot_brunei. Click image to find out more. Registration has been closed btw.

The Run organised by Pusat Ehsan. Click image to find out more.

 

Within one kilometre radius, Burger King has taken the initiative to deliver around Bandar area for the benefit of BK fans working in town. Of course, you can check the menus available on their Facebook page or on Foodpanda as well. I did verbally propose to them that I don’t mind being a temporary delivery boy for BK in town. I would actually love that experience.

According to the poster from BK that the delivery by foot will be from 9am to 4pm and the minimum order is $7. Did you know that Burger King is one of the popular food eateries in Foodpanda? So it does make sense to offer this service around Bandar since it’s really hard to find parking even for motor cyclists and it’s only within the 1 kilometre radius. Now wouldn’t you want a piece of the Taro Turnover Pie at your doorstep? 😀

Click image to enter Facebook Page

 

Carlos Reamon of CSSD won the Employee of the Month for Team Leader category and Murugavel Manivasagam of The Rehabilitation Department won Employee of the Month for Front of House category

Group photo of JPMC employees

The Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) today held a special event to present the Employee of the Month awards and to celebrate last month’s birthday celebrants. This event was organized by JPMC’s Human Resources Department.

Present at the event were senior management and staff.

The Employee of the Month for Front of House category award was awarded to Murugavel Manivasagam of The Rehabilitation Department while Carlos Reamon of CSSD won the Employee of the Month for Team Leader category.

“The event aims to honour employees’ birthdays and show appreciation for their contributions to the company,” said Human Resources Officer Norfadilah Haji Mahamud.

“This event also was to encourage team bonding among our staff and their superiors in a joyful occasion”, she added.

JPMC’s Employee of the Month reward programme recognises employees’ outstanding performances and contributions towards the company for the past 12 months. Images and text courtesy of JPMC.