Today Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar Minister of Communications graced the Brunei Travel Fair. This morning was totally packed and I’m beginning to wonder if RBRC was enough to cater the hundreds that throng into the venue today. It was jam packed like a can of sardines.

Today’s the final day of the Brunei Travel Fair and let’s hope there are still special fares up for grabs. I managed to get some good fares today. So peeps. Just bring yourself to the Royal Brunei Recreational Club and make you sure that you come as early as possible.

I won’t saying much because I’ve mentioned it in my previous post. Let the pictures tell you the story.

The Minister with one of the icons from Republic of Indonesia

The Minister at Baiduri Bank booth

Want a massage?

At the Tourism Malaysia booth

Presence of BIBD

Strong crowd here at Darussalam Holdings. They will give you double points on Royal Skies during the Travel Fair

Hello Gek (of Darussalam Holdings)

Long queue at Pan Bright

Chance to win a car from Pan Bright

The Minister with Richard from Tourism Authority of Thailand

Check out the new Vento

Another colour to look at

You have heard of the Vento before and it’s from Volkswagen. Surprisingly it was the top 10 selling car in Brunei last year. Now the Vento has an upgrade – it has a combination of high performance, low fuel consumption and class-leading safety as well. The difference with the older model is that it looks slightly longer and stronger appeal definitely.

Let’s quickly go with the exterior features. It has redesigned front end with fog lamps and even the tail lamps have a 3D effect. The side mirrors now have a signal indicator. The other new feature is the Park Distance control (using censor) and it sports a 15” alloy wheels.

The interior has a revamped feel with trim materials and colours and new look of the arm rest. It is powered by a 1.6L petrol engine as well.

The Vento also has an anti-lock braking system and four airbags to protect the occupants during side-on impacts along with the three-point seat belts.

What’s not to like about the car? This is another good contender against the Japanese brand that’s also a hot seller but losing a little steam. Maybe because of the introduction of the the affordable Vento last year. The price this time starts at $21,800 and for the early bird bookings, you will get a $1,000 discount. Awesome. So do check the new Vento at the Maju Motors Showroom. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

Bernd Siffling, General Manager of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd during the launch of the Vento at Maju Motors showroom

Chan Key Hong, Managing Director of Maju Motors

Unveiling the new Vento

I guess many of you have heard about the recent scandal that rocked Volkswagen worldwide. Despite the major setback, the brand has to rebuilt the trust with the customers and it’s a plus that Volkswagen owners in Brunei needn’t to worry as the Volkswagen cars supplied to Brunei Darussalam are originated from a completely different production line as addressed by Bernd Siffling, General Manager of Maju Motors Sdn Bhd.

Now with the new direction of the CEO of Volkswagen, Matthias Mueller, let’s hope for better things in the world of Volkswagen. As you know that Volkswagen is a world leader in car making and the scandal will cost them billions. It’s good to know that local customers said that their trust in their Volkswagens has not changed, making the launch of new Vento a much-anticipated event.

A great turn out last night

The winners with the organizers and judges at the Adult Colouring contest last weekend

Alisa Denis the grand winner last weekend

I did it. I officially entered my first ever colour contest at the Mabohai Shopping Complex last weekend. Well, it was for adults too and it was the first of its kind (in a colouring competition). It was organised by Mabohai Shopping Complex and Best Eastern. I have to say that I really had fun that time though I was one of the 5 men among the 78 contestants as the rest were female participants.

So why did I finally get involved with colouring? It was because of the management of Best Eastern as they showed me one of the colouring books meant for adults and from that moment, I was telling myself that maybe.. just maybe, I should get one for myself. A few days later, I officially bought my first colouring book 😀 I guess it’s true that they say such book can make you feel calm when you get the groove of colouring. And yes, it can be therapeutic. Meaning if you have stressful day at work (or even at home), start colouring away.

So if you are wondering which book I am referring to, it’s either Johanna Bamford or Millie Marotta colouring book. It’s selling for $19.90 now at Best Eastern bookstores.

Anyway, back to the contest I was talking about. It was a pretty long judging session to say the least. It took almost two hours to determine the winners of the contest. I never knew judging can be challenging task and furthermore, the organisers didn’t expect a high entry of contestants. The judging process was based on the participants’ creativity in using the colours, shading, tone and presentation.

Nina Zainal coming strong in 2nd place

Robert John with his 3rd place effort

Beautiful penciled by Alisa Denis

Loving the colours toned by Nina Zainal

The winners with the judges

It was quite a great turn out last Sunday

One of the consolation winners with Yolly

It was good to see my cousin (right) participating

The winner of the contest was Alisa Denis with her beautiful colourful effect and she brought home $200 worth of prizes. Second place went to Nina Zainal who’s no stranger in the art scene. She won $150 worth while Robert John won $100 after coming third. There were five other consolation prizes – Jennie, Hilyati, Hannie, Fen Yee and Irene.

According to Yolly Celeridad, Operations Manager of Best Eastern, that the colouring competition aims at bringing creativity from the adults and the most important thing is that this activity is actually fun, fun, fun. I certainly had fun. She hinted that there will be another Adult colouring competition in October but it has yet to be confirmed.

Don’t forget to get a copy of the colouring books by for adults by Johanna Basford and Millie Marotta – The Secret Garden, Enchanted Forest and Animal Kingdom. The new ones that just arrived are 1) Tropical Wonderful (Millie Marotta) and Mindfulness (Holly McDonald). For enquiries or more information, please call 2337196 or 7137839. You can also check out its Facebook page at ‘Best Eastern’ and Instagram @besteastern_bookstore

Look at me.. At full concentration. Thanks Ridwan for the shot and thanks for the support.

Another supporter who came down surprisingly was SY and yes, she had this sinister look too :p Thanks for coming though it was momentary.

You can buy the adult colouring books at Best Eastern outlets and also the colour pencils

I bought myself the Enchanted Forest two weeks ago

I even invested in the Derwent colour pencils. Pretty good.

Even my toastmaster friends are into colouring

Ok, Iskandar is a good in shading with pencils

The latest book I bought off Best Eastern

The new model is to be unveiled tonight. More stories soon.

This is an ongoing competition on my instagram. It’s an original item all the way from Germany. It is an original coat hanger and headrest hook so your clothes stay wrinkle-free and fresh even on longer routes. Bags and garments can be placed here securely. The “Snakey” headrest hook is made of flexible and resilient material. So check out my instagram and stand stand a chance to win this.

A hint on what is about to be revealed. Do answer on my IG post and who knows who will be selected.

Have you registered yourself?

What most of you will be looking forward to is the upcoming Canon Photomarathon 2015 which will take place on 27th September 2015 and the venue will be at Star Lodge Hotel. For more information, you can click here and don’t forget to register because the first prize is a Canon 7D and there will be a grand winner where you will attend a photo clinic in Japan.

Of course there will be other prizes for the three themed categories and the winner of each will win a EOS 7D Mark II (for 3 winners). I was fortunate enough to be a judge last year for the competition and it was a pretty tough process being one but a fruitful experience. I am amazed by the talents that we have in Brunei.

The slots are running fast and it’s FREE as well and opened to all the photographers in Brunei. The venue will be the same as last year – Star Lodge @ Jerudong, Sunday 27th September 2015 (8am to 5pm). This event is fully sponsored by Interhouse Company.

The winners of last year’s edition of the Canon Photomarathon

The grand winner of the photo clinic in Japan last year

The organiser of the Canon Photomarathon 2015 from Interhouse Company

The winners of the Canon Photomarathon back in 2012

The winning shot of the theme Surface last year

What we thought of Everest

Everest. I saw the trailers a few times but it wasn’t enough to capture my interest apart from the awesome cinematography. They have a great line up of cast too – Jake Gyllenhaal (a heart throb to many of female friends), Jason Clarke (a disappointing effort at Terminator: Genisys), Josh Brolin (who was awesome in Sicario), Keira Knightly (where has she been all this while) and many more. The movie had a positive review with over 70% on Rottentomatoes but it hasn’t picked up well in the box office.

Pros: Cinematography was great but only in patches. I was hungry for more but the director, Baltasar Kormakur, could have explored more. Secondly the quest itself is already challenging and to see the different characters braving themselves and unite as a group is please worthy. Lastly some dramatic scenes were quite tense at one point.

Cons: A plenty. Too many involvement of characters that I lost track of who’s who especially when they had their head gears on. Secondly yes, it teased me but not enough to reach that anti/climax moment especially when this is involving climbing mountains. A good example that I gave me that edge-of-the-seat feeling was Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit. It made me feel that I rather watch this on National Geographic or Discovery Channel. The development of the supporting cast could have been deeper. The movie itself is a 2 hours long and it seemed too draggy in the beginning and it didn’t pay off because it was nothing memorable to remember.

Verdict: A movie that I won’t watch again but it’s interesting that they made a 1996 historical event into a film. Refining the editing of the movie and more development of the cast would have made Everest more impactful. 7/10.

What we thought of The Intern

The Intern. I like the motto of the flick – Experience never gets old. The last comedy is directed by Nancy Meyers, popularly known for movies such as What Women Want and Parent Trap. I came to this movie with no expectations and I didn’t even catch the trailer but I am a big fan of Anne Hathaway (well, after Scarlett Johansson). This comedy is about a retired successful business owner and widower (played by Robert De Niro) who lands an internship at a fashion website run by a young, career-driven woman (Anne Hathaway). So just reading at the premise alone, I’m already hooked.

Pros: Totally enjoyable from start to finish. This is a feel good movie and I’m glad I caught this movie after Everest. Robert De Niro kinda stole the show for me and he has his ways to woo the audience with his charming effect. The humour was spot on most of the time and it wasn’t unnecessary like some comedies would do (learn, Adam Sandler, learn). Sharon definitely enjoyed it, judging by pitch of her laugh :p What’s not to like about this movie.. well, a few..

Cons: It seemed that the character of Robert De Niro as an intern had little challenges (a little spoiler) so I didn’t feel there was an anti-climax moment for him. The ending to many of us were below satisfactory. Of course, we all wanted a Hollywood ending (happy ending) but I guess this is how life does turn out in reality.

Verdict: I love it and despite its flaws, I’m giving this a high score. Love the chemistry also between the two engaging characters. I wished they had more drama so the story could have ended on a higher note and make it more memorable. If you ask me, I enjoyed this more than Internship movie. 8/10

Group photo with Deon Ong (3rd from left) and the students and instructors from Yippy Tune

Yippy Tune, the Music School in Gadong Central, today bagged a total of 13 medals at the 22nd KK Music Festival in the Shangri-la Rasa Ria Hotel. Over 500 musicians from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei gathered together to compete through a range of musical instruments and genres in Kota Kinabalu.

Yippy Tune, one of the schools representing Brunei, took part in the Piano, Violin and Vocal categories with a total of 8 participants. “They came back with a stunning result that surpassed the school’s wildest imagination.” Said Deon Ong, the Principal.

Some of the highlights of the day included performance by the youngest performer who stole the show, 6 year old Megan Lee won a Silver in Classical Piano category as well a stellar performance by one of the youngest diploma holder (14) at the competition, Zoe Ho who won Silver in Classical Piano category as well for Diploma level. According to the judge, it is an achievement by itself for Zoe Ho, by simply attaining a Diploma at such young age.

Other winners from Yippy Tune Music School at the contest include:

• Flora Ngu

o 3 x Gold Medals in Vocal in Classical, Popular and Broadway category.

• Evana Ong

o 1 x Gold in Vocal for Popular Category and 1 x Silver in Classical Category.

• Freda Ngu

o 1 x Gold in Vocal for Popular Category and 1 x Bronze in Classical Category.

• Janice Deborah

o 1x Gold in Violin for Popular Category and 1 x Silver in Violin for Romantic and Classic Category

• Vivienne Poh

o 1 x Silver in Piano for Classical Category

• Koh Wan Enn

o 1 x Bronze in Piano for Classical Category

Flora Ngu, 3 Gold Medal winner at the 22nd KK Music Festival in the Shangri-la Rasa Ria Hotel recently

Megan Lee, a Silver medalist in Classical Piano category and she’s only 6 years old

“As a first time contestant, I am very proud of our students’ performances and their results. It is a testimony that with enough hardwork, dedication and self beliefs, Bruneian can compete at a regional level.” Said Deon Ong.

Incidentally, one of their students, Flora Ngu was recently shortlisted as the final Top 10 candidates by Disney Channel to play the role Princess Anna in Disney’s Frozen Orchestral in Singapore.

Deon also added that she was very impressed with the quality of the participants and the standard of the competition put forward by the KK Music Society by involving independent judges from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. She commented that the Piano category was especially tough, and was happy to see participants competing at such high level.

The school principal takes the opportunity to thank the dedicated teachers and parents who are as deserving to share the glory of the student’s success, and vows to expose more students to such competition. Press release and images from Yippy Tune.

Acer Liquid Smartphones

Click image to enter Peugeot Brunei’s website

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei 

  

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website.

 

His Majesty attends the 9th National Youth Day

His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday called upon the youth to understand and to know how to conduct themselves in a manner that safeguards the nation’s dignity especially in the face of challenges presented in this era of globalisation.

The call was made at the ninth National Youth Day celebration held yesterday at the Indoor Stadium where His Majesty advised youths to take heed of the challenges of the 21st century laid out before them in the form of opportunities for change.

His Majesty said that the youth, whose numbers make up almost 50 per cent of the population, are ‘Agents of Change’ and in fact they constitute the group having the most potential to shape the nation in any form they choose.

“On the subject of change, all of us, especially the youth, must be cautious and wise in evaluating and choosing our options. Because not all change is good, in fact there are even some that we need to avoid, such as those changes that bring about a negative impact or ones that contrast our national aspirations.”

Before bringing about or creating change, the character of our youth must be clear, solid and forthright with an excellent foundation which is filled (immersed) with religious and cultural values so that later on, the changes that are decided on will not be overwhelmed by undesirable elements, said His Majesty.
“If pretence is evident in a certain change, then this change is not welcomed, because its presence will not bring about any good but instead will invite harm.”

His Majesty pointed out that this is typical, in the name of change, “If it is destructive in nature, then the society that receives it will suffer because of it.”

“We in Brunei, need to be careful in this type of situation. Seek and plan for change that is constructive, not destructive. Do not study or take example from lessons that are counterproductive, but study from those and they that are worthy of being modeled.”

“This is the ideal way of conducting one self. It is important that the youth understand this. Conducting oneself also means having the ability to take command of a situation when needed.”

This is where the youth must not take lightly any challenge that is presented before them, but instead embrace the call of this year’s National Youth Day theme which is: Bersatu Menghadapi Cabaran Abad ke 21.

This century is filled with many challenges, pointed out His Majesty. “There can be no escaping from these challenges, whether constructive or destructive. If constructive, it is only right that we welcome it with passion, however, if it is destructive, then it is necessary that we successfully reject and avoid it.”

“If we are successful in rejecting this sort of challenge, then we are our own saviours; protecting ourselves; and guarding our people and our country.”

The youth must step up and rise to become this guardian. Transform the situation with the best of interests. Let it be forever peaceful and pleasant, entwined with unity, harmony and understanding.

His Majesty also expressed his heartiest congratulations to the Brunei Young Wasps for their performance during the recent Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy.

His Majesty revealed that, “this championship was also recognised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) as the greatest youth football championship in the region. Undeniably this is a great achievement in the World’s Sports for Peace and Development agenda.” Text courtesy of Nadzri Zailani and Amanda Yap of The Brunei Times. Images courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The Youth Day ceremony taking place at Indoor Stadium

His Majesty the Sultan touring the booths

His Majesty talking to a youth

Three individuals and a youth association were honoured with the annual youth awards during the Ninth National Youth Day celebrations yesterday.

This year’s awards included the “Youth Leader Award for Distinguished Service”, “Youth Service Award”, “Excellent Youth Award” and the “Youth Association Award”.

The “Youth Leader Award for Distinguished Service” was bagged by Mohd Zefri Ariff Mohd Zain Ariff.

The award is annually given to a candidate, contributing significantly to youth progress, and development. It is also awarded in recognition of efforts in shaping Bruneian youth to become competent, visionary and ethical.

According to his award citation, Md Zefri is actively involved in youth movements and has held senior positions with various associations in the country since 1996, including the post of Secretary-General of the Brunei Youth Council and group head of the Putra Seni Group (KPS).

He has also held positions outside the country, such as the Vice-President of the Asian Youth Council, and Treasurer of the Committee for ASEAN Youth Cooperation (CAYC). Md Zefri’s involvement in youth movements focuses mainly on arts, particularly in the field of theatre and drama, including writing scripts which see the participation of many youth. This year’s “Youth Service Award” went to Anwar Mohammad, founder and chairman of the Society for Community Outreach and Training (SCOT), a non-government organisation.

SCOT was first established in 2011, and while relatively new, the association has actively progressed through Anwar’s leadership, who has shown persistence, responsibility and commitment in promoting youth efforts in the country up to the international level. Based on his award citation, Anwar is also actively involved in the operation of community-based programmes which intend to create environmental awareness, and excels academically, having received numerous awards while studying at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).

Speaking to The Brunei Times, the SCOT Chairman thanked the government of His Majesty for recognising the organisation’s contributions throughout these years.

“InsyaAllah, we will continue to contribute towards the nation-building, especially towards youth, through our projects at SCOT.

“Through our projects, we will help the underprivileged – any vulnerable groups within the community – so they can get out of the cycle of poverty,” Anwar said.The “Excellent Youth Award” went to national athlete Lee Ying Shi, well-known for being part of the wushu team, which brought home the country’s first gold medal for wushu at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar last year.

This award is given to an active youth, contributing outstanding service as well as bringing honour to the country. It also recognises those who excel and put in hard work with determination.

Lee said that receiving the award was not a surprise to her. She said that she was a bit nervous and felt honoured while receiving the award from His Majesty, and intends to keep contributing to the country via wushu.

All the three recipients of the awards received plaques, certificates, woven fabric (kain tenunan) and $3,000 in cash.

Meanwhile, the “Youth Association Award” was given to the Putra Seni Group (KPS). KPS additionally received a plaque, a certificate and $5,000 in cash. Text courtesy of Nadzri Zailani and Amanda Yap of The Brunei Times. Images courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

His Majesty at one of the booths

Good smart, Benny and Shavez

His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Malik Bolkiah

His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah

 

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website

New arrivals at ICON Design Store

 

Volkswagen Brunei is currently holding a roadshow which began yesterday and goes on until Sunday, September 7. The roadshow is held at The Mall, Atrium, in Gadong, featuring three of Volkswagen’s latest models; The new Tiguan TSI, the affordable German-engineered Vento and the iconic Beetle.

Each of these model cater to different walks of life. The Tiguan TSI is a compact SUV capable of going through almost all terrains. After its recent launch, it has proven to become a favourite among those who are shopping for a reliable and quality SUV, especially because the Tiguan TSI is packed with features that should make the car cost a lot more than what it costs now.

The German-engineered Vento on the other hand, is the cheapest Volkswagen model to date. Powered by a 1.6-litre engine putting out about 105 horsepowers, this car is the best choice for anyone that wants to own a Volkswagen at a cheaper than normal price. This car was introduced into the Brunei market a few months back to help cater to everyone and to prove that there truly is a Volkswagen for everyone.

The iconic Beetle needs no introduction. The redesigned Beetle just portrays so much more than just a new Beetle. It portrays what a Beetle should look like and it brings back memories to some. With its low roof-line, the Beetle is also no longer a girl’s car, it is now a much sportier and more masculine car that can be driven by anyone. The Beetle which is available in Brunei now comes with leather seats giving the icon a much more luxurious look and feel.

So if any of these cars are in your wishlist, head on down to the roadshow at The Mall in Gadong and ask any of the knowledgeable sales executives to give you a quote on your new Volkswagen.

Another reason why you should visit the roadshow is that Volkswagen is giving away two (2) CBTL vouchers each day to the winner of the selfie contest. How do you do it? Check out the Volkswagen social media sites; Instagram @volkswagenbrunei and Facebook.com/volkswagenbrunei. See you at the Volkswagen roadshow.

Check out the Volkswagen Vento

Check out the Volkswagen iconic Beetle

 

Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer Zul Abdul Rahman with the staff of Concepts Computer showcasing the Epson L-Series promotion

The most trending printers in the country – the Epson L-series. Why? It’s economical and it fits just perfect especially for teachers and students when it comes to their assignments. So I’m not surprised that Concepts Computer are bringing in plenty of stocks due to great demand and recommendations from others. The L series, which come in four models — L210, L355, L550 and L1300 — utilise low cost consumables which in turn ensures low cost high volume printing. With two sets of bottled inks, a print yield of 8,000 pages A4 sized prints is expected.

Good thing about the Epson printers is their durability and the refillable inks. Of course, the most affordable one is the L210 series which is valued at $228 and you can print, scan and photocopy. The great deal if you buy from Concepts Computer, you will get another extra set of genuine Espon bottled inks (worth at least $40 while stock last). So every purchase of the selected models ( L210, L355, L550 and L1300), you will get two sets of bottled inks. Awesome deal!!

Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer Zul Abdul Rahman added that third party modifications of printers are one of the main concerns for printing solution providers as it affects print quality, machine durability and unfamiliar refillable inks can be toxic, therefore Epson is putting long term effort in its research and development to curb the problem. Hence, this is a great awareness program to spread the disadvantages of using third party inks. Concepts Computer will not honour the warranty should their customers resort to using third party inks. If you are uncertain about the third party or having doubts whether the bottled inks are legit, you can drop by the Concepts Computer showroom for clarification.

So do remember to claim your free set of original Epson bottled inks when you purchase the selected L-Series. This is definitely a great buy for teachers and students alike.

Buy any of the selected Epson L-Series and get an extra set of bottled inks