Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

Podcast review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jason Rumpus on the popcorn panel

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah is currently in Singapore, competing for Divas in the ORA Gryphons Fast Pitch Softball Tournament 2016. Image courtesy of Yusri Adanan of The Brunei Times.

Team Divas during a training session. Click image to enlarge.

Divas (women softball team) will be representing Brunei at the ORA Gryphons Fast Pitch Softball Tournament 2016 in Singapore today.

Among those who will be lacing up for Divas at the eight-team tournament is Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah.

Apart from Divas and a Japanese team based in Singapore, the rest of competition at the Raffles Institution Softball Field will be made up of Singaporean teams.

“This will be our first time competing outside Borneo so we would like to see where we stand among the other teams in the region,” said Divas team manager Sofiah Isa during the club’s friendly match against Gunners at the Jerudong Sports Complex yesterday.

“We have never played in this tournament before so it will be hard to tell how the competition is going to be.

“We have been preparing for this tournament since January under our new coach from the Philippines, Gedda Español Valencia.

“We’ve also played a number of friendly matches over the past month… We played Honey Beez from Miri and (local clubs) Chikara and Pasadena as we are trying to get as much game practice before we leave.

“The team is made up of some new players and existing senior players, and myself and Gedda will also be competing as players at this tournament,” added Sofia

HRH Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bulqiah, Pg Anak Haffezah Syukrina PAH Hassanudin Al-Haj, Ivy Abad Carlos, Nimpa Villafranca Baral, Nur Hafizah Hj Abdul Sidek, Amalina Hj Abd Karim, Wan Hannah Hj Abdul Karim, Wan Syaza Hj Abdul Karim, Nur Amanina Amirah Hj Hasnani, Radin Noryoul Afiqah Ibnu Abdullah, Wan Rahmani Hj Suhaili, Dk Hjh Halyanoor Azamah Pg Hj Chuchu, Vanessa Pang Li Thuan, Hjh Adina Hj Mohd Aliddin, Athiyyah As’ad Mohd Jaafar and Siti Marlina Hj Marsal complete the 18-player squad.
The club’s coaches, Maj (Rtd) Wan Mohd Tambrin Shah and Mohammad Alli Hj Othman, are part of the squad who are now in Singapore.

Divas face ORA Gryphons on Friday and follow that up with two more matches against River Valley High School and Cudas.

They will meet Raffles Institution, Maiko Japan and Mudball the following day before closing their group stage campaign with a match against Wolvens on Sunday. Text by Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh of The Brunei Times.

The 10 team tournament over the weekend

 

The newly launched Hyundai Creta

The review test of the Hyundai Creta by Autocar India

I heard of the latest Hyundai Creta when I saw the advert in the local newspaper. Hence, I contacted Setia Motors, distributor of Hyundai, for some details of the newly anticipated launch of the Creta and wow, I was amazed by the price tag of the Creta (not even in the region of BND 30,000). Another model that caught my eye is the newest Hyundai Tuscon model. But today I’m gonna focus on the Creta.

Greta marks Hyundai Motor’s entry in the growing sub-compact SUV segment with strong product offering and hence boosting Hyundai Motor’s product line up. I’m so happy to witness the newest model being launched earlier this morning. Did you know that all the first batch of Creta are all being booked? That really shows that the Creta is already a huge hit way before the launch.

At the same time during the launch, Setia Motors feted three first owners of the Creta with a Vivo smartphone. Nicceeeeee!!

Unveiling the Creta were Mr. James Chin, General Manager of Setia Motors Sdn Bhd, Hj Irwan bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBA At-Tamwil Berhad, Haji Ali Matussin, Sales Manager of Baiduri Finance and Hj Osman bin Hj Md Jair, Managing Director of Insurans Islam TAIB.

James Chin, General Manager of Setia Motors Sdn Bhd and Hj Ali Matussin, Sales Manager of Baiduri Finance unveiling the Hyundai Creta

Hj Osman bin Hj Md Jair, Managing Director of Insurans Islam TAIB and Hj Irwan bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBA At-Tamwil Berhad unveiling the Hyundai Creta

The red Hyundai Creta looks good

Smile for the camera guys 😀

Creta Specs

Engine – 1.6 Gamma Duat CVVT Petrol Engine (Diesel coming soon)

Exterior
Front Projection Headlamps with static bending light
Rear camera display with dynamic parking guide
Rear parking censor
17” allow wheels
70% transparency tinted glass

Interior
Bluetooth handsfree
5” LCD Touch Screen AM/FM Radio with MP3
Supervision cluster
USB & AUX
Rear air-condition ventilation
Steering wheel remote control

Safety

Up to 6 airbags
Electronic stability control
Antilock braking system
hill-start assist control

Performance

1.6 litre petrol engine with 123 ps at 6400/rpm
6-speed auto transmission or manual transmission
low noise vibration and harshness level
low coefficient of drag

As I said before, Creta is already a huge hit after many customers have pre-booked the compact SUV. Creta is one of the toughest and strongest SUVs in its segment. It is designed with a strong body shell that denotes high structural strength and sturdiness. The high body rigidity is designed for enhanced structural safety and improved durability.

Do drop by Setia Motors showroom in Beribi if you are interested to test drive the new Creta. Who knows you might be one of the proud owners of the Creta.

Nadzri does what he does best – being a great host/emcee – to kick off the event

One of the first buyers of the Hyundai Creta and she earned herself a Vivo smartphone

Another recipient of the Vivo smartphone

Setia Motors management with representatives from Baiduri Bank, BIBD At-Tamwil and Insurans Islam TAIB

 

Associates of Concepts Computer holding $10 vouchers where you can earn when you purchase above $30 in a single receipt and only valid during every end of the month. In this case, 27th March to 30th March.

As an ongoing thank you for their customers, Concepts Computer will be giving away $10 dollar vouchers for every purchase above $30 (in a single receipt) made during March’s end of month celebrations. During every end of month (27th till 30th), Concepts Computer will open up their showroom from 9 am to 9pm, to accommodate and serve their customers better. And this month, customers making a purchase during this period will be eligible for $10 vouchers.

When asked regarding the month end celebrations and the voucher give-away, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, said, “The IT Retail business in Brunei Darussalam is more challenging nowadays, with savvy consumers using online sources to make purchasing decisions, brick and mortar IT retailers need to focus more on providing better services for customers.” He continued, “Retailers will need to be more creative, more innovative and offer better range of products to respond to consumers, which is why we are thankful for our loyal and regular customers, and we want to keep them happy by providing these vouchers.”

Also present during the event, Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive at Concepts Computer added, “We are giving away $10 vouchers during the month-end (27th till 30th), with every purchase of $30 on a single receipt.” Zul added, “These vouchers are only valid for their next purchases made with Concepts Computers and will be valid for 30 days.” He continued, “We would hope that our customers understand that this is one way for us to show our appreciation for their loyalty and patronage.”

For more information regarding the month-end celebrations (on-going from 27th to 30th of every month) and the eligibility of receiving the give-away $10 vouchers, or 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.

This is a popular item at Concepts Computer especially among teachers

Some of the gadgets

Affordable notebooks at Concepts Computer

A portable hotspot for you

You can even claim EASI cards with the vouchers. Quite handy

 

Podcast review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jason Rumpus on the popcorn panel

 

Review of Mercedes-AMG GT S by Kelly Blue Book – “It’s flat out fun!”

The Mercedes-AMG GT S continues to pick up awards: US car magazine “Motor Trend” chose the eight-cylinder sports car as “Best Driver’s Car”. In this year’s contest, the Mercedes-AMG GT S lined up against nine other sports cars at the Laguna Seca race track in California – where it easily achieved the best lap time.

“The Mercedes-AMG GT S has the sharpest, most precise steering we have ever felt on any Mercedes or AMG vehicle,” said Motor Trend editor-in-chief Ed Loh. “It makes massive power from a compact, high-tech turbocharged V8 engine. What most impressed my team is how well the GT S was able to combine these elements. It put all of its horsepower to the ground like an all-wheel-drive supercar and gripped the road through high-speed corners like a winged racer.”

With a lap time of 1:35.57 minutes, the Mercedes-AMG GT S not only kept all its competitors at bay at the legendary Laguna Seca race track, it also achieved one of the top three times ever recorded. At the end of the long and extensive series of test drives, the Motor Trend editors concluded: “The best sports car Mercedes has ever built.”

Motor Trend launched the “Best Driver’s Car” award in 2009, and has since become one of the most prestigious contests in the American auto media.

The reviews have been fantastic online – do check some of the video links on the Mercedes-AMG GT S: 1) Caradvice.com.au 2) Digital Trends 3) MotorWeek

You can visit Jati Transport Showroom at Gadong or Beribi if you are interested in the Mercedes-AMG GT S.

The Mercedes-AMG GT S is a beast. I saw this once in Brunei and it was like love at the first sight. Do visit Jati Transport showroom if you are interested to know more.

 

In today’s headline. Congratulations Soon Loo.

Soon Loo was the chief judge at the Ignite Entrepreneurship Challenge last year

By Command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced that His Majesty has consented to the appointment of Loo Yau Soon as managing director/chief executive officer of Darussalam Enterprise (DARe).

The appointment is effective March 22, 2016.

According to the interviews in the local papers, he is truly grateful to His Majesty the Sultan for the consent to his appointment as DARe’s CEO. He was previously a board member of DARe, a newly established body in hoping to spear the SME ecosystem for the betterment of the Brunei’s economy and diversification.

DARe is led by the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar. Both of them and other board members have been very active recently, holding talks to young vibrant entrepreneurs especially the e-vendors to understand and create a better communication platform between the two parties. So far the responses have been encouraging from the entrepreneurs and they also increased their knowledge on the know-hows on the procedures and what not in building businesses.

What I feel: Well, this is definitely great news. To know someone that I truly admire on his passion in helping and inspiring others. I first saw him in UBD where he was a mentor/lecturer for one of the classes and the students then were really connected with him. He was mentoring them on creating ideas into reality and I was amazed by the presentation from the students. That alone gave a very good first impression of him. This was back in 2013 if I’m not mistaken.

Furthermore, he was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Award in 2013. That again, it’s a super milestone on its own. He has many accolades and recognitions along the way and don’t play, play k? since he has an MBA from Harvard University.

If you see this chap in public, don’t be afraid to say hi because he is very welcoming and enterprising. I wish you to the best in your capacity as CEO of DARe and this is a sign of better things to come. Good luck, buddy 😀

Check out the interview by Channel News Asia after Soon Loo being a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Award

 

Vincent Goh, Managing Director of Netcom Computer House, and his team at the recent anniversary dinner at Parkview Hotel recently

Two weeks ago, Netcom Computer House celebrated their anniversary at Parkview Hotel (formerly known as Asma Hotel) in Jerudong. Around 100 Netcom associates and families were treated to a wonderful dinner filled with games and entertainment to the delight of the invitees.

I was also in the mood as I dressed up for the occasion, a black and white themed dinner event. Vincent Goh, the Managing Director of Netcom Computer House, delivered his welcoming remarks and thanked the team for their contribution in sustaining the company over the 20 years of established. Wow, 20 years is indeed a milestone alone.

Thank you, Vincent, for the invitation and also your support in these years. And Hassan, you’re the man behind the mic *lol* Perhaps, I can hire you as an emcee one day.

The newly promoted Dell affordable notebook, now available at Netcom Computer House

This does come in handy 😀

If you want better charge, then go for this

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Viewing the OCC

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

Group photo at the OCC

Dermot greeting the pilots at OCC area

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

The dance performance in closing the Japanese Language and Culture Week

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

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

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

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

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

One of the winners of the Calligraphy competition last weekend

 

Wu Chun as the ambassador for BMW China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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