BIBD and Tourism Malaysia announced Hj Muhd Mazran Haji Suhut as the lucky winner of the 1Malaysia Year-end Sale during the BIBD Home Showcase at The Mall, Gadong. The collaboration between BIBD and Tourism Malaysia automatically registered BIBD cardholders who made card transactions in Malaysia during the 1Malaysia GP Sale, which ended early this year, into a lucky draw.

The winner was entitled to an all-expenses includes a five-day and 4-night paid holiday in Kuala Lumpur and Johor inclusive of airfare, accommodation, return airport transfers and a twelve-hour chartered car exclusively for them to go shopping. To add to their great bundle, the winner is also entitled to 100,000 Hadiah Points, which can be used to pay for bills, make donations, among others.

Presenting on behalf of BIBD was Siti Rafeah Hj Jakir, Head of Card Products, and for Malaysia Tourism, was its Director, Zurina Abd Samad.

Hj Muhd Mazran Haji Suhut was the lucky 1Malaysia Year-End Sale. The prize was presented by Zurina Abd Samad, Director of Malaysia Tourism (Brunei) and Siti Rafael Hj Jakir, Head of Card Products.

On the other hand, the BIBD showcase highlights BIBD’s financing packages such as its Home Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Education Financing and its Personal Financing along with other BIBD’s products and services. The showcase will also include financial health checks performed by qualified BIBD certified Islamic financial planners. The showcase also provides a comprehensive platform for respective future homeowners to look at the exciting property and home improvement opportunities through BIBD’s collaboration with the stellar partners present.

Successful applicants will also stand the chance to win prizes such as iPad minis, shopping vouchers at Supasave and Hua Ho, BIBD Hadiah Points, among others. The eighth BIBD Home Showcase will be running for a period of ten days until May the 1st, open every day from 10am to 10pm. The opening time for Fridays will be from 2pm to 10pm.

For more information on any BIBD products, services and promotions, please follow the BIBD Instagram account at @BIBDBRUNEI; Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bibdbrunei; get in touch with BIBD Contact Centre at Prepared by Corporate Communications, BIBD PRESS RELEASE MDO/PR/2016/013 2238181 or visit the nearest BIBD Branch. Also, don’t forget to download the popular BIBD Mobile App to get the latest BIBD offers and promotions under “What’s New” feature.

 

Late post: Kids as young as 6 years old as well as under 18 youths recently took part in School Holiday Basketball Camps during the March break. The twice run 3-day camps were organized by Shooting Stars Brunei Basketball.

Ken Han, the founder of Shooting Stars Brunei Basketball and Head Coach Ryan Yusof, held the basketball camps to engage kids to provide an opportunity for them to spend their school holidays productively.

The 3-days camps took place on March 23-25 and 28-30 saw specially invited basketball Coach Tan Chee Wan from Malaysia tasking more than 70 Brunei’s aspiring basketballer through a comprehensive training regimen designed to challenge and train them.



Coach Tan was a player in the Malaysian team who took gold during the 1989 SEA Games. Coach Tan’s many years of experience in coaching kids and youth basketball, especially basic fundamentals drills and activities, had a great impact not only for the campers but also to the coaches in Shooting Stars Brunei.

The camp focuses on three themes – Serious Fun, Discipline and Safety.

During the 2 camps, we saw new teammates forge lasting friendships that endure beyond the court. We saw kids, who are new to basketball, at the camp join in with joy with regular kids and youths at SSBN.

This event would not have been possible without the support of  ‎our sponsors and volunteers. Special appreciation goes to Hua Ho, Rano Iskandar, EasyWay Bubble Tea, Ref Station, International School Berakas, ISB catering and canteen team, Baan Nucha Thai Restaurant and especially our SSBN coaches and volunteers.

For more information regarding regular basketball sessions for 4-17 years old at Shooting Stars Brunei, contact 7290011 or shootingstarsbn@gmail.com.

 

Check out the special promotion offer from Loft & Co at the BIBD Home Showcase at The Mall. Image by Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

You can turn your dream home into a reality with Loft & Co, more so now as the furniture store is offering exclusive discounts on its high quality furniture and home related accessories.

The offer is available for a limited time and only for visitors to its booth at the 8th BIBD Home Showcase at The Mall, Gadong.

“All items that we have at our booth are offered at an exclusive discounted price and is only exclusive during the course of the showcase,” said Sales Manager of Loft & Co Janet L Parpa.

On display at its booth is the latest collection from Hong Kong-based Red Apple Furniture Co Ltd brand. The highlight is an innovative queen size bed, which is fitted with a special hinge that allows it to be lifted in order to access a compartment for storage. The unique bed is currently on offer at $799 and it has been a good response so far.

“Other items such as the Red Apple night stand, dresser with mirror, armchair, bedding and even table lamp are all offered at an attractive price,” the sales manager added.
The home showcase by BIBD is ongoing until May 1. It features the bank’s promotions on home financing such as waivers and discounts on fees and chances to win prizes for successful applicants.

To take a look at more furniture selections, head to Loft & Co’s main branch located at Unit 6 to 9, Ground Floor, Little Soho at Batu Bersurat.

For enquiries, please contact or WhatsApp 8908778. You can also check for updates on its Instagram,@loftandcobsb. Text courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

You can storage under the bed

Some of the furniture from the Red Apple line at Loft & Co at Batu Bersurat

 

Dr Hjh May Faezah Hj Ahmad Ariffin, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Economy and Finance) at the Prime Minister’s Office launching the BIBD Home Showcase

Mr Mubashar Khokhar, Managing Director of BIBD delivering his welcoming remark

BIBD launched its eighth Home Showcase at The Mall, Gadong. The showcase, themed Lifestyle, highlights BIBD financing packages such as its Home Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Education Financing and Personal Financing along with other BIBD products and services. The showcase also includes financial health checks performed by BIBD certified Islamic financial planners.

Throughout the event, customers can benefit from full fee waivers on processing fees for BIBD’s Home Improvement Financing and Consolidated Financing Scheme; discounts on processing fees for financing as well as fee waivers on services. There are also prizes to be won for successful applicants.

The event also includes showcases by BIBD’s partners such as real estate companies and household products retailers.

Present as the guest of honour was Dr Hjh May Faezah Hj Ahmad Ariffin, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Economy and Finance) at the Prime Minister’s Office. The showcase runs until May 1st, from 10am until 10pm except on Fridays when it is from 2pm until 10pm.

 

The first 25 lucky winners with Manager of Hua Ho Department Store, Manggis, Lau Soon Tiong; the General Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, Valentine Hon; and Sales and Marketing Manager of Kingston, Kevin Robin Jon at basement of Hua Ho Manggis

Finally the first 25 lucky winners of Red Bull Boost and Win contest were feted at Hua Ho Manggis last Friday.

The final three winners won themselves a Hua Ho shopping voucher worth of $50 each, while five received a power card worth of $30 each. The first seven won themselves Prepaid Top Up card worth of $20 Consolation prizes in the form of Red Bull bottle gift packets were also given to 10 participants.

Present during the draw were Manager of Hua Ho Department Store, Manggis, Lau Soon Tiong; the General Manager of Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd, Valentine Hon; and Sales and Marketing Manager of Kingston, Kevin Robin Jon. They also draw the 25 winners last Friday.

Members of the public still have a chance to take home prizes in the second Red Bull Boost and Win draw as the contest is still ongoing until May 31.

To join, just purchase any one can of Red Bull Energy drink (gold or less sugar), attach the pull ring tab for each contest form and drop the form into the contest boxes which are placed in participating outlets nationwide.

Participants can obtain the contest form at over 200 retail outlets in the sultanate, or download the form from its Facebook page at ‘Red Bull Brunei’. For more updates, check out its Instagram @redbullbrunei

 

Mr Joel Loo, a licensed Senior Dealer at Baiduri Capital, delivering his presentation on the prospects from Baiduri Capital

The attendees during the presentation

The Baiduri Smart Executive Programme hosted an introduction to securities trading today for their members. The event, a collaboration with Baiduri Bank’s subsidiary, Baiduri Capital, was held at Starbucks Beribi.

According to Ng Yick Wei, the Head of Group Marketing in Baiduri Bank, “The Smart Executive Programme, or SEP, is a unique programme that is specifically designed for busy working professionals who are well educated, and always looking for smart banking and saving solutions to diversify their portfolios.

“By leveraging on the capabilities of Baiduri Capital, our subsidiary company, we hope to offer insights and information to help our SEP members plan their wealth journey as they advance in their professional lives.”

Baiduri Capital has received a lot of interest from the public, especially among young professionals eager to try their hands in securities trading. Baiduri Capital offers an online securities trading portal which is a secure, web based securities trading platform that can be accessed from an internet browser, on any laptop, tablet, or even smart phone, depending on the customer’s preference. The investor-focused design is feature-rich, allowing customers to research prices, as well as look up market information to assist decision making when trading online.

Smart Executive members were shown an introduction to securities trading by Mr Joel Loo, a licensed Senior Dealer at Baiduri Capital. Since their official launch in 2015, customers are able to trade in Singapore (SGX), Hong Kong (HKEx) and Malaysia (BURSA) stock markets. Recently, US stock markets were introduced, allowing customers to trade in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ Stock Exchange as well as the NYSE MKT LLC (AMEX).

Also present at the event were Smart Executive Relationship Officers and staff of Baiduri Bank, as well as licensed dealers and financial planners from Baiduri Capital.

More information on the Smart Executive Programme is available on www.baiduri.com or from the Baiduri Deals mobile app.

 

The body can take it. I’m always worried about my health status as I’m not getting any younger. The monkey mind always have its way. Sometimes I just think too much unnecessarily. But all is good. I just recovered from a fever and cough, battling them for a week at least (Thanks Singapore for that). I feel I’m in the mood to blog once more and get the ball rolling.

Thank you once again to my friends and readers for the wishes a few days ago. I tend not to celebrate it and just treat it like any other day. A good surprise lunch and an evening cake surprise were my highlights of the day (thank you, Sandy, Pranika and Ciara). I had an interesting gift from Aron Tan’s Studio – a picture frame of Darth Vader. Awesome!!! Thanks JT for the nice gesture. I spent my day in a relaxed manner, playing tennis and heading to OGDC for an OTTERS meeting.

A special gift from JT and Aron Tan’s Studio. Love it to bits. Thank you very much.

My evening cake surprise at OTTERS. Thank you, Ciara, for the thoughtful gesture!

Another sneaky plan from my buddies (Sandy, Pranika and friends) as my simple lunch turned out to be slightly crowded

We had lunch at Pastamania the other day

Thanks guys for the treat

Wrap in a Box. For your info, Wrap in a Box has relocated to Setia Kenangan II. They sell pretty interesting items especially for the children and newborns. So do pay them a visit. I kinda like how the new shops are popping here and there especially at Setia Kenangan II. Exact location is Unit E7. They sell items like baby strollers, bags, umbrellas, items and many more. So don’t forget to drop by the newly re-opened @wrapinabox (instagram)

Wrap in a Box now relocated at Setia Kenangan II (near Regent Square)


Day of Action. It’s gonna be a special day coming Sunday, 10th January 2016. Why? Brunei will celebrate the International Volunteer Day (IVD) through the campaign called “Day of Action”. This campaign is initiated by the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in collaboration with the local NGOs and this campaign will help to promote the spirit of volunteerism through community development activities. The event will be held at Pusat Belia in the capital.

Among the activities that will take place include soup kitchen, cleaning campaigns of public spaces including mosques, housing areas and beaches, renovation projects and so on. The public is also invited to make their donations on this day. Donations can come in the form of diapers, household necessities, school necessities, sandals, hand washing soap, recyclable items and also a blood donation drive, which will all take place in Pusat Belia. The public can still register before 9 January (tomorrow). For more information about the Day of Action, visit bit.do/DayofActionBN and for any enquiries, email dayofactionbn@gmail.com or call 8626588 (Khairunnisa). You can also check out their updates on IG with #dayofactionBN hashtag.

The meeting with all the NGOs chaired by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports recently. Image courtesy of Iqbal Damit.

Netflix. Woohooo.. Finally Netflix is available in Brunei Darussalam. I used to stream on Netflix using a VNP accessory which is an additional cost. For those who are unfamiliar of Netflix, it is a like media and TV provider, streaming TV shows and movies with a flat fee rate on a monthly basis. Now I can watch my favourite TV shows and movies online. Of course, it won’t stop me to collect blu-rays but with Netflix, I will be able to watch my shows anytime, anyplace. This would be a direct competition to Astro, the only TV cable provider in Brunei Darussalam.

The availability of Netflix would mean more usage of the internet in a long run. TelBru will definitely benefit from this and this will also generate more TelBru subscribers to take advantage of Netflix offers. Am I gonna subscribe for Netflix? Definitely. Starting at US$7.99 ($11.48) for the basic package or opt for the standard and premium packages which are US$9.99 ($14.35) and US$11.99 ($17.22) respectively. So enjoy Netflix, peeps!! It’s definitely a game changer in how we appreciate TV shows and movies.

One of my favourite shows currently. Highly recommended and now available on Netflix.

CNY deals at Concepts Computer. It’s the time of the year where Concepts Computer offers bundle packages in conjunction with the Chinese New Year for the Year of the Monkey. The promotion deal is the “2 is better than 1” promotion which was a big hit recently. What can you expect from the packages? Well, there are some accessories from Logitech (speakers and handheld laser presenters), Acer smart devices, Microsoft Office software, power banks, HDD portable storage, Epson printing solution and many more.

For me, I can’t wait for the official launch of Predator Acer series, a game changer to bring the best in the gaming world. Concepts Computer will be bringing 11 Predator models ranging from desktops to notebooks to tablets. I’ve seen the specs and they are just “Wowww”. The official launch is slated near the end of January.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (4th from left) with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the “2 is better than 1” hampers available for customers. Do drop by their showroom

The new range of Acer Predator series to be launched this month. The reviews have been strong in this one.

Hybrid Movement. Caption taken from their @hybrid_movement IG. Announcing our official hybrid movement grand opening happening this Sunday 10.01.2016 from 12pm – 7pm || This is your chance to drop in, say hello and see what we have to offer to all future hybrids ???????? Hybrid Movement Gym address:

Jalan Menglait, Simpang 51
One Menglait Industrial Park
Unit B26, Menglait

Congratulations also to Darren Chai (owner of Hybrid Movement) and Vanessa on their wedding last weekend. Oh, there will be early bird promotion as well for the first 30 registrants during their grand opening.

Opening this Sunday

The map to Hybrid Movement

Shooting Stars. They have been making a name for themselves – to bring the basics and the love of the sports of basketball in Brunei Darussalam. The man behind the scene, Ken Han (happy belated bro), has been working tirelessly to promote the sport to young kids especially and the organisation has been involved with a lot of charity work by providing workshops for the Special Olympics team last year. Ken’s philosophy of “one kid at a time” had made a difference to the youths and gaining positive feedback from parents. He couldn’t have achieved it with his team, consisting of mentors and coaches.

Now they are back to training again opening slots for “Social beginners” of all ages this January every Saturday starting 9th January at Fitness Zone Kiulap from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Please do not hesitate to welcome any of your interested friends or family members into SSB basketball family with our friendly coaches who will take you through the basics of basketball week by week! It is also a good time to perhaps, to bond with your family and friends! Contact ???? 7290011 for more information regarding our basketball programmes! You can follow them on @shootingstarsbn IG for updates too.

Ken Han (2nd from left sitting down) with the team from Shooting Stars BN

Any takers?

Breakfast at BK. Now Burger King (Brunei) is serving breakfast from 7am to 11:30am. You can choose from the Breakfast Platter and Croissan’wiches from the menu. The breakfast starts tomorrow onwards at all the Burger King branches.

Recently Burger King also feted awards for the staff of Burger King in the “Coca Cola Upsize Challenge”. This was organised with Burger King (Brunei) and Coca-Cola Brunei in the hope of improving the productivity as well as the enthusiasm of the staff. Siti Hajar Ishak from KB branch was the top winner, winning $500 worth of cash prizes and a certificate. Gladys B Ang Poh came second with $300 worth of cash prize and a certificate while Nuramal Zahidah Roslan came third with $200 worth of cash prize and a certificate. Keep up the great work, guys!! And I miss my taro dosage…

Breakfast now available at Burger King outlets

Siti Hajar Ishak (left) receiving her prize and certificate from Ryan Law, Regional Sales Manger of Coca-Cola. Image taken by Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (4th from left) with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the “2 is better than 1” hampers available for customers. Do drop by their showroom

 

Check out the different range of hampers (2 in 1) ideal for CNY corporate gifts.

Press release. To celebrate Chinese New Year for the Year of the Monkey, Concepts Computer will be extending their “2 is Better than 1” promo, where a purchase of 2 separate, selected products can qualify customers for better prices. Also, the good response from our customers regarding the “2 is Better than 1” promo and also our other promos like “Back to School” and “Year End” is also one of the main reason we are extending “2 is Better than 1”. The products under the “2 is Better than 1” promo includes computer accessories from Logitech like speakers and handheld laser presenters, Acer smart devices, Microsft Office software, Epson printing solutions, powerbanks, external storage, and much, much more.

When asked regarding the future of Concepts Computer in the local IT Retail industry in Brunei Darussalam for 2016 and for the Year of the Monkey, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, said, “In my point of view, the IT Retail business in Brunei Darussalam is more challenging nowadays, with savvy consumers using the internet and other sources to keep up-to-date regarding IT technological advances, retailers need to focus more on providing better services for customers.” He continued, “Retailers will need to be more creative and more innovative to respond to the ever changing needs of consumers in the Year of the Monkey, to help them grow, not only in terms of physical size but also in terms of their capabilities.” When asked regarding how Concepts Computer as a whole would welcome customers in the Year of the Monkey, “When it comes to Concepts Computer, I always lead with a simple statement, ‘We must always do a good job.’”

Also present during the event, Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive at Concepts Computer added, “We are extending the “2 is Better than 1” promo as a nod to our large customer base in the Bruneian Chinese community for supporting Concepts Computer through-out the years and to wish them a great and prosperous Chinese New Year for 2016.”

For more information regarding the “2 is Better than 1” promo 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.

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History at the Museums Department; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Qudduus bin Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Peng-iran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz, Special Duties Officer at the Museums Department; and Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, in a group photo with the winners of the Museums Race Brunei

The Museums Race Brunei 2015, organised to explore the Sultanate’s rich history and cultural heritage, concluded with a ceremony held in Jerudong Park last Sunday.

Over the span of three consecutive Sundays, hundreds of Bruneians, majority of them youths from across the country, took to some of Brunei’s most historic streets and locations as they vied for prominence that could only be attained through knowledge and experience.

As part of the Museums Department’s initiative towards sharing with the people, especially the younger generation, the importance of learning local history, the past three Sundays witnessed 89 teams comprising 364 individuals exploring the country’s historical background for the inaugural Museums Race Brunei 2015.

The race was based on the concept of the popular TV show ‘Amazing Race’ and saw the teams racing to collect clues and solve puzzles hidden at various historical sites under the Museums Department’s jurisdiction.

In an interview, the members of the top two teams expressed enthusiasm for having been part of the Museums Department’s Golden Jubilee and shared that the experience opened their senses to the beauty that is Brunei Darussalam.

Team Alacrety was announced as the winner of the grand prize of the event – air tickets to Bali, Indonesia – that were presented by guest of honour Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The team, which also won prizes in two other categories, explained that the race provided them with an opportunity to venture beyond the confines of mainstream activities that took them to, among others, Tasek Merimbun in Tutong and museums in Kota Batu and the capital as well as encouraged them to learn more of what the Abode of Peace and the Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures, has to offer in terms of its culture, nature, art and practices.

Their success, it was shared, was attributed to team work, research and, more so, patience, considering the complexities and challenges of the race.

For second place winners, Dayang Semaun, the journey across the country was as unique as Brunei markets itself to be. The team, which won themselves air tickets to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, shared that other youths in Brunei should consider taking part should organisers arrange for a similarly themed event in the future, indicating that the response from the public has been positive.

“We learned a lot from our experience and the young people of Brunei should reach for these forms of opportunities if they are given the chance,” they said.

In his closing remarks, Pengiran Dr Karim bin Pengiran Haji Osman, Director of Museums and also the Museums Race’s Chairman, commended all participating teams for their support and effort in making the race a success as he acknowledged the camaraderie that was witnessed over the course of the event.

Apart from enriching the perspective of those who took part, the race collected funds and the mock cheques of $3,587.28 each were presented to Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Smarter Brunei and the Children’s Cancer Foundation (Yaska).
The closing ceremony was also attended by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History at the Museums Department; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Qudduus bin Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz, Special Duties Officer at the Museums Department; and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dato Paduka Dr Haji Affendy bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin. Text courtesy of Siti Hajar and images taken from Jabatan Muzium-Muzium Brunei Facebook Page.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, guest of honour during the launch, with Hj Mahadi Hj Taib, owner of Mangrove Paradise Resort, and Hajah Normah Suria Hayati Pehin Dato Haji Md Jamil, permanent secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and Khairuddin bin Abd Hamid, deputy permanent secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources at the new villas of Mangrove Paradise Resort. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

I’ve stayed there before many years ago with my group of friends. Yes, it’s a great place to free your mind and be away from the hustle and bustle of eeer… Gadong and Kiulap. My last visit there was for a BIT Council meeting at a meeting hall and we had lunch there as well.

Fast forward to this date, the management of Mangrove Paradise Resort has extended with their 2nd phase which are the villas. For your info, this is located at Kota-Batu (quite a fair ride) and of course, what I love about the resort is the view of the Brunei River. If I were to detox with the busyness of my hectic schedule, this would be the best bet in Brunei in terms of logistics and convenience. My second choice would be the lodges in Temburong.

The 10 newly-built villas are each ideal for a family of six to 10. Each villa includes three ensuite bedrooms, two of which are located on the first floor, a spacious living room, a kitchen and a dining area, which are located on the ground floor. In addition, each villa comes with a jacuzzi, ideal for unwinding the body while basking in the scenic view. (As quoted by Rara :p)

Now with the school holidays kicking in, families can take advantage of the special promotional prices. During weekdays, it will be BND 250 while on weekends, it will be BND 300 per night. The deal will be until the end of the month and it includes complimentary breakfast for six people.

The resort is located at Simpang 912, Kg Sungai Belukut, Jalan Kota Batu. For any enquiries or booking, please call 2786868. For updates, check out Mangrove Paradise Resort’s Facebook Fan Page at ‘Mangrove Paradise Resort Brunei’ or its Instagram at @MangroveParadiseResort. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

The view of the newly built villas at Mangrove Paradise Resort

The bedroom at the villas

The pantry area of the villas

The TV room of the villas

The close up view outside the villa. Image taken from Mangrove Paradise Resort Facebook page.

I see a jet ski 😀

It’s happening next weekend from 11th to 13th September at the Hua Ho Manggis Mall. That should be interesting as the venue provided is at Hua Ho Manggis Mall. There will be four categories if you refer to the posters and this is open to both male and female. The tournament is organised by Shooting Stars.

You can download the form here and submit it to the SMJA office. As for the registration fees, you can submit them on the day of the event. The registration is BND 60 per team. You can also send your registration and email to shootingstarsbn@gmail.com and for more information, you can text 729 0011 or 885 5089.

The closing date for the registration is 5th September 2015. So peeps, gather your team and get your GAME ON for the SMJA 3×3 Basketball Challenge.

The registration form. Click image to download the PDF form

The rules of the tournament

Kamarul Dzaman Ajimain @Marul69 presenting a Dining Privilege Card to one of the followers of @Bruneifoodies. Image courtesy of Norliha Din of The Brunei Times.

For their love of food, lucky followers of a local blog dedicated to gastronomic delights each recently won a dining privilege card, worth $88, from Royal Brunei Catering (RBC).

The food lovers were the first 50 to submit their names and details at the Brunei Foodies’ App as part of an RBC Dining Privilege Card (DPC) give away competition.

Presenting the prizes to the winners at Seasons Restaurant was the Assistant Manager for RBC Corporate Sales and Marketing, Ivy Chong and on behalf Brunei Foodies was Kamarul Dzaman Ajimain or Marul. Also present to witness the event were the management of RBC and the restaurant.

The Give Away competition was in conjunction with the food bloggers’ achievements in reaching more than 11, 700 followers on Instagram as well a way of thanking their loyal fans for their support for their Instagram account and the Brunei Foodie Mobile App.

Aside from prizes, guests and winners were treated to dinner at Seasons Restaurant. Text courtesy of Norliha Din of The Brunei Times.

Group photo of the winners

 

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank Group with the senior management

Pierre Imhof presented red packets to underprivileged students

In celebration of Chinese New Year 2015,  Baiduri Bank Group belatedly held a lavish eight-course dinner at Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club recently. Standing in the front line was CEO of the group Pierre Imhof as well as the management committee and senior executives who greeted 1,500 guests who are based in Brunei-Muara and Tutong districts.

Present too was Yang Berhormat Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin along with foreign dignitaries, prominent businessmen, customers, business partners and associates of the group.

The evening began with a cultural performance by talented students from the Chung Hwa Middle School Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB). Imhof then proceeded to deliver his opening speech, welcoming attendees and highlighting the major progresses and achievements of the group during the past year. He applauded Baiduri Bank in achieving three awards – Domestic Retail Bank for Brunei 2014, for the second time from Asian Banking and Finance; Best Banking Group for Brunei 2014 for the sixth time from World Finance; and Brunei’s Safest Bank 2014 from Global Finance, New York.

In addition, Baiduri Bank became the only bank in the Sultanate to receive Standard & Poor’s credit rating of BBB+/A-2 by an international rating agency.

In keeping up with the Chinese New Year tradition, Baiduri Bank Group donated ‘red packets’ to underprivileged students in order to provide financial support. The donations were presented by Imhof and received by respective principals and students from St Andrew’s, St George’s, Chung Hwa Middle School and Seri Mulia Sarjana School. The night was further painted red with a line-up of local performances and lucky draw prizes as well as best wishes toast by the management to the guests.

Performances

Entertainment during the event

The winner of the singing competition

A night full of red

 

Fitness Zone, in collaboration with Shooting Stars Basketball and The Energy Kitchen, will be hosting the first ever Fitness Zone Holiday Basketball Camp for 5 days from 30 March 2015 to 3 April 2015, during the school holiday week.

Shooting Stars has been conducting weekly basketball clinics for kids of all skill levels from age 7 to 17 with the aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle for kids and learning teamwork skills through the game of basketball.

This camp will focus on intensive basketball drills and exercises but what is really interesting is that there is a focus on nutrition and healthy eating for the participants. Lunch will be provided each day by The Energy Kitchen and there will be a Fitness Zone Dietician to provide nutrition information.

So to the parents, this is ideal for your children to balance out between studies and extra curriculum activities. This is a great avenue for kids to interact with one another and also with young adults.

If you are interested, please emailshootingstarsbn@gmail.com or contact +673 7290011 for more information and also follow them on instagram @shootingstarsbn

 

Chef Ben Wu doing some cooking demo for the guests at Fun Bee Park last Sunday

A great turn out last Sunday

A celebrity chef all the way from Malaysia hosted an exclusive cooking demonstration to the public of the Sultanate. Chef Ben Wu, a renowned chef originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been airing in the Malaysia’s local radio sharing food preparation and healthy eating habits. He has been followed by the local media during his cooking demo and expo shows due to his fun character and smooth flow of entertainment to his guests. He has been one of the in-house featured Chefs over “Y3K” magazines every edition whereby he has been sharing his winning recipes from rice and noodles to meats to desserts.

In cooperation with Fun Bee Park and IA Salon, a total of 42 guests enjoyed the cooking show which highlighted traditional recipes locally and infused dishes. Chef Ben titled his show: “The Lost Recipes” which featured mostly the local taste of past years dishes. Ten amazingly quick and easy recipes from soup, rice, cake, meat, juices, and ice cream were personally prepared by the chef for the attending guests.

Soup recipes such as ABC soup which chicken bones was boiled with cut potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes. Another mouth watering soup was the Tom Yam soup with chicken meat marinated with savory spices perfected to taste.

Ikan Asam was also a hit to the guests which were prepared and fully cooked in quick minutes. The fish dish was filled up with seasonings and organic spices to infused local taste with modern recipes.

Other lost recipes were popcorn, Kuih bakar, Kuih Ketayap, and Sos Chilli. Fruity juices were served to its freshest qualities, such as the creamy mango shake and Jus Vitamin King, a concoction of pineapple, honey, and sour plum.

The cooking demonstration ended up with food tasting of all traditional recipes that the hosting chef has prepared. In addition to the courses, Chef Ben’s team people cooked dishes that were local favorites such as Pumpkin chicken curry, Tom yam mee hoon, Patin fish with durian, and Nasi goreng with salted fish and pineapples. A group photo with Chef Ben, organizers, and invited guests sealed up the event and everyone was looking forward to the future demonstrations and cooking show.

Chef Ben Wu with some guests

Both of us were given ostrich eggs.. Unique…

The kitchen area at Fun Bee Park

The trademark pose of Chef Ben Wu

Guests trying out some food

 

There are no words to conveniently describe or do justice to the fabulous Showcase Concert at Jerudong International School (JIS) last weekend.

Held in the institution’s auditorium, the room reverberated with endless applause as philharmonic attendees enjoyed the spectacle performed by students and directed by Paul Edgeler and which covered a wide spectrum of popular music styles.

From lush, richly orchestrated Broadway numbers and beautiful acoustic ballads to catchy jazz standards and unapologetically loud, high-energy dance numbers, this year’s concert catered to everyone’s taste.

The audience was further enthralled by a gripping performance by violinist Shian Li Esther Chiam, who won the Junior World Champion Instrumentalist award for Brunei in the World Championships of Performing Arts in 2014.

Her solo performance of Smooth Criminal, accompanied by the orchestra, was simply dazzling.

Smiles further widened as JIS Year 11 pupil Aziz Harun took to the stage to perform Senyum, which was written and produced by Faizal Tahir and Mike Chan and received over 900,000 views on YouTube (amazing).

The concert was divided into two parts – the morning session for invited schools and members of Pusat Ehsan, while the nighttime performance was for guests who purchased tickets. Text by Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times and images provided by Lily Chiam unless stated.

She can sing too. Thumbs up to you Shian Li

A special rendition of Smooth Criminal by Shian Li

Trio performance by Azemah Abdul Rahman, Eden Chiam and Yi Ping Sim. Image courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin.

Eden Chiam belting some notes

Aziz Harun with his popular song, “Senyum”. Image courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin.

Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

The finale