SummerSlam review  

Special episode on WWE’s SummerSlam featuring Jason Rumpun and Delwin Keasberry. Find out our thoughts on the subpar PPV.

 

  

 

Monday dilemma  

A must watch Episode (9): Game of Thrones.. Now I can’t wait for the finale. 

Ah, this was the first that I was in many years that I had to struggle to flip through channels on a Monday morning. And on top of that, I was struggling to stay awake due to late night football (European Cup 2016). So what was showing live on Monday this morning? The NBA finals game 7, WWE’s Money In The Bank and Episode 9 of Game of Thrones. All showing on Kristal Astro..

Don’t worry, peeps!! No spoiler alerts especially for Game of Thrones and WWE’s Pay-Per-View event. Of course, my priority is still on Game of Thrones because of the higher value in terms of being spoiled with the era of social media. I’m glad I didn’t flip channel and focused the whole hour on the 9th episode of GOT and it was worth the watch. Many high and low moments but that’s how it is to make a story more compelling.

As for the Money In The Bank, I was slightly disappointed in the bookings. The fatal four way tag team match had good moments but poor execution where it made wrestlers feeling awkward because some of them missed the timings of the staged match. The match I missed was AJ Styles and John Cena because GOT was screening at the same time. Jason Rumpun said it was a great match though it started slowly. I skipped most of the matches as I was focusing on the NBA finale in between. The main event was above average and I am happy that Seth Rollins is back!! and he didn’t show any signs of injury throughout the whole match. Amazing feat!! Btw, Rollins is my favourite wrestler in WWE for the moment.

Game 7 of the NBA finals was much more interesting where defending champion Golden State Warriors choked after leading 3-1 in the final series, only to lose the finals to Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3. This is history in the making for Cleveland and it’s the King James show in the past few games. I have to applaud their resilience and tenacity to climb back from defeat and win their NBA championship. The Warriors will have reflect on their performance in the play-offs and now their 73-9 season record accounts to nothing.

All in all, it has been a great Monday morning and I still have pending work and a speech to deliver tonight.. So did you spend your Monday morning?

 

LeBron James finally win it for Cleveland Cavaliers  

Seth Rollins was back in the game after months of being sideline through injury. I’m happy that he is fully fit now and he will make more impact on the WWE weak universe 

Our supper last night at It’s A Grind (Citis Square) with Filterworks buddies. Apparently they have new snacks to cater for those who want to “lepak” late at night at the Citis Square outlet. It closes at 2:30am during Ramadhan. Do watch out for our promo video soon on IG and Facebook. 

The new line of smartphones and tablet from Kata Digital. Interesting gadgets and they are quite affordable and cheaper than others in the market. A US product that are now available at AV Visual outlets (Mall, Times Square and Tutong). I shall blog more about this tomorrow.  

  

SsangYong XLV  

Apart from the launch, SangYong Brunei is hosting a “My XLV Design” contest in which the winner could stand a chance of winning a Samsung S7 Edge 

The Deluxe and the Standard specs of the newly launched SsangYong XLV, now available at SsangYong showroom at T.C.Y. Motors showroom at Kiarong 

T.C.Y. Motors Sdn Bhd, sole distributor of SsangYong Motor in Brunei Darussalam, is proud to officially launch the SsangYong XLV. Widely considered to be an upgrade to the well received SsangYong Tivoli, the new SsangYong XLV boasts a uniquely dynamic style and several improvements to make it a strong contender for the most value-for-money compact SUV.

In addition to the power and safety features unique to SsangYong vehicles, the XLV offers superb riding comfort, quietness, a roomy interior, plentiful storage spaces as well as multiple seating variations for even greater storage space to match your required needs.

Continuing SsangYong’s play on words for its model monikers, the XLV takes its name from an acronym which stands for: eXciting Lifestyle Vehicle. As such, the XLV embodies more than just the essential qualities of an SUV. The storage space offered is among the best in its class and strives to transform the lifestyles of its users by giving them greater freedom of space.

Though it maintains the modern and elegant design identity of the Tivoli, the new SsangYong XLV also introduces design cues of its own for a more dynamic compact SUV appearance. This includes designs such as the dynamic barbell-type bumper which gives the XLV a uniquely robust look that continues the rhythmically flowing character line on either exterior body side of the XLV.

Playing host to 720 liters of cargo space, the XLV comes with a number of small storage spaces for easier compartmentalization. Customers can enjoy the roomier interior together with a choice of cloth seats, leather seats, and synthetic leather seats; the latter of which comes in a sporty red and black color pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second-row seats provide more headroom than any other competing compact SUV models by being able to recline up to 32.5 degrees. This in effect guarantees maximum comfort for all back seat passengers even during the longest of road trips. A latch type folding system allows the back seats to fold all the way down for a total of 1,440 liters of cargo space.

Under the hood, the XLV is equipped with the well received Aisin six-speed automatic transmission which is recognized for its performance and efficiency. Being composed of class-leading 71.1 percent high-strength steel, the chassis of the XLV effectively provides greater safety for the driver and passengers by minimizing vehicle deformation in the event of a crash. For reassurance, ten major parts of the vehicle have been made with hot press formed advanced high-strength steel with a tensile strength of 1500 Mpa.

Additionally, the XLV comes with an option of seven airbags, including the knee airbag on the driver’s side. This in combination with an ESP (electronic stability program) system, ABS and LED daytime running lights ensure the highest level of safety.

The vehicle’s infotainment system is particularly noteworthy as it features a HDMI port and a six-speaker sound system which allows for a variety of multimedia to be played back on the large seven-inch reverse camera connected screen with precise clarity.

 

Top view 

The dashboard of the SsangYong XLV 

 

The SsangYong XLV is made to combat the heat thanks to its best in class air-conditioning system and ventilated driver seat. Its dual-zone, fully automatic air-conditioning system allows the driver to maintain an optimum in-vehicle temperature while the memory function allows up to three combinations of temperature and air-flow volume and direction to be stored, guaranteeing a pleasant driving experience.

Lastly, the XLV comes with the option of a two-tone roof for all seven colors. This permits customers to choose a color for the roof and rear roof spoiler that is different from the body of the vehicle, adding to a dynamic and urban style.

In conjunction with the upcoming SsangYong XLV Launching, SangYong Brunei is hosting a “My XLV Design” contest in which the winner could stand a chance of winning a Samsung S7 Edge. Like us on SsangYong Brunei Facebook fan page and follow us on @ssangyongbru IG, for more updates!

 

 

  

 

Audi Q7: Press launch  

Check out the new Audi Q7 at the Audi Showroom at Kiarong 

 

 

Rejuvenated and improved- The new generation Audi Q7.

It’s been 10 years since the first generation Q7 was introduced globally, successfully launching Audi’s entry into the SUV segment.

Luxurious comfort, the largest interior in the segment and a weight saving of up to 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) – the new generation Q7 from Audi sets new standards. Its innovative assistance and infotainment systems take the large SUV to the front of the pack. Its new engines consume significantly less fuel (28%) than the previous model. The new generation Q7 has been completely redesigned both inside and out featuring a wider-stance appearance yet is narrower by 32mm and shorter by 37mm than the previous model.

The new Q7 is the lightest car in its class

The 2.0 petrol turbo variant with seven-seats has an unladen weight (without the driver) of merely 2,050 kilograms (4,519 lb) – up to 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) less than the predecessor model, depending on the equipment. With its lightweight, multi-material body and all-new chassis, it provides excellent comfort while at the same time offering the performance of a sporty Audi – and that with top-notch CO2 values.

Dynamics as standard

Powerful engines combined with a dynamic suspension and the lightweight body make the Q7 the dynamic car among large SUVs. Just a few years ago these performance data were still the prerogative of sports cars. The 2.0 TFSI with 185 kW (250 hp) and the 3.0 TFSI V6 with 245 kW (333 hp) bring the new Audi Q7 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 7.1 seconds and 6.3 seconds respectively, all the while with unusually low fuel consumption. The 2.0 TFSI needs only 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres and emits only 182 grams of CO2 per kilometre (288.1 g/mi). Both 2.0 and 3.0 engines are paired with an 8-speed tiptronic transmission with a new yacht style gear shifter.

 

Many reasons to love the Audi Q7 

The back seat can be automatically folded from a 7-seater to a 5-seater. Quite spacious as well. 

Loving the new facelift of the Audi Q7 as compared to the older version 

The engine area of the Audi Q7 

The media taking shots of the beaut 

Innovative operation and display

The new Audi Q7 also sets standards when it comes to operating concept, infotainment and connectivity. The second-generation modular infotainment platform is optionally on board; the new MMI control unit (featuring an 8.3” retractable screen) using a large central operation knob is intuitive and simple. The BOSE® sound system with 3D sound (for the 3.0) is a further added innovation. Audi’s Drive Select can change the vehicle’s driving characteristics at a touch of button; 5 and 6 modes in the 2.0 and 3.0 respectively.

Another highlight is the passenger safety system –Audi pre sense basic initiates measures such as tensioning of the front seat belts, activates the hazard lights and closing of sun-roof (if any) and windows when an imminent impact is detected.

The Audi Q7 has recently been awarded the EURO NCAP ‘5-stars’ safety rating and its American equivalent Top Safety Pick+ Award from IIHS.

A host of premium features

Auto luggage door featuring ‘kick’ motion open/closing, auto-fold up/down on 3rd row seats, ambient interior lighting, parking aid with rear-view camera, power assisted closing for doors and four-zone climate control. Double-arrow daytime running lights give emphasis to the front LED headlights and complimented by unique LED rear lights. 20” ten-spoke design wheels round off the entire package.

All-wheel-steering with additional rear axle steerability for greater driving agility and manoeuvrability will be offered on the 3.0 variant.

What I feel: I had the Audi Q7 for a quick spin and I wished I had more time experiencing it. I’m not used to the big size but I was already enjoying the ride itself. The driver area is very spacious and comfortable. I shall wait for the actual launch and you might come across some Q7 on the road. The Audi Q7 will definitely attract some potential buyers in the country. Do visit their showroom at Kiarong and take it for a test drive.

 

The group shot with the local media 

 

This is very convenient especially when you put on P 

The older Audi Q7 which is 10 years ago 

The facelift Audi Q7 (white) with the older model 

Aziz enjoying the ride 

I was playing it cool too 😀 This monster does pack a punch.  

  

 

Wrestlemania 32 concludes  

Shane on his leap of faith at Wrestlemania 32 

What I feel: I kinda enjoyed this year’s Wrestlemania for some reason. I can’t believe it last almost 5 hours and I’m a subscriber of the WWE Network through Kristal Astro. Yes, there were some disappointments along the way and I was hoping for my favourite wrestler, Seth Rollins, to pop out of nowhere but I guess he hasn’t fully recovered yet. The difference between last year and this year is the ending. Don’t expect any anti-climax stingers in the end. There’s nothing much to expect and the results seemed predictable for the main event.

I was impressed with the Women’s championship match though Charlotte still needs to sharpen her execution on some of the moves. It was still better than her previous PPV matches and time will tell that she developed into one of the consistent stars in WWE roster. The new WWE women’s belt also give more recognition on the rise of women wrestlers. So kudos to WWE.

As for my favourite match, I don’t have any honestly and perhaps the closest one is The Undertaker and Shane O’Mac because of the intensity and the spots. I have so much respect for Shane in the ring and he hasn’t been active for the past 6 years. He definitely stole the hearts of the fans in Dallas. The biggest mismatch was definitely Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose in a street fight match.

Overall, this was an entertaining PPV with a disappointing ending. Regardless Jason Rumpun and I still had a blast. Verdict: 8.5/10

 

Lita, WWE Hall of Fame inductee, unveiling the new WWE Women’s Championship Belt 

Stephanie McMahon introducing Triple H before the main event. She’s still hot 😀 

 

  

 

Motoring BN Autoshow 2016  

The team behind Motoring BN with Project Manager Rosli Abdullah and Editorial Coordinator Redzwan Kamarudin during the press conference last week 

Motoring BN, the no.1 local motoring lifestyle magazine, is set to launch next week at the upcoming Motoring BN Autoshow 2016, which will take place from April 7 to 10 at the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s open court.

Organised by Brunei’s No 1 Motoring lifestyle magazine publisher, CONFEX, the grand showcase is held to commemorate the magazine’s first year anniversary.

Do expect a new issue during the four day event.

There will be a “Dealer Showcase Days”, something for car enthusiasts if you want to make your dream car into a reality. As for the public, you are more than welcome to visit during the weekend (Public Display Days”.

During the press conference at the CONFEX lounge, Project Manager Rosli Abdullah and Editorial Coordinator Redzwan Kamarudin announced that the event would include participation from local car and bike clubs such as classic car groups and Darussalam Motorcycle Association (PEMODA).

And guess who will be helping them out? The Collective Arts 😀 So do expect vendors to participate during the four day event.

For enquiries on the Motoring BN Autoshow 2016, you may contact Rosli at 8639681 or Redzwan at 8639681 and follow Motoring BN on Facebook and instagram @motoringbn

 

 

  

 

What did I find out?  

So I’m thinking of opening up a new segment for my blog and it’s called What Did I Find Out segment. Well, I still think it’s a little lame to my liking but then again, that’s what I usually do when people start sharing information and lately, I’ve been flooded with information related to my readers and friends even though I’m still stuck here in Bali. I found out that Royal Brunei Airlines had two flights that departed from Bali, one at 7am and the other an hour later to cater for the stranded passengers. Awesome stuff!!

I shall post more on my findings with pictures and illustrations. Have a great weekend and I’m beginning to enjoy my final day here in Bali. Just some alone time 😀

 

I found out that Seth Rollins will have to vacate his title which he won in April during Wrestlemania. Is this bad for business? Yes, unless someone like Brock Lesnar and maybe, the super face, John Cena holds the title. The roster has been looking pretty mediocre in WWE. 

I found out that there’s a special promotion at Chatime Citis Square in conjunction with their grand opening this weekend. So grab that opportunity 😀 

I found out that there’s another BurgerKing outlet in Seria 

I found out that not only I enjoy the services of Uber but even Mika *lol* Guys, if you haven’t tried Uber especially in Bali, try it. You will save a lot of money on transport. A lot.. Trust me. My average spending is around $3-4 per trip or even lesser. 

I found out that JPMC having another car boot sale after a successful one last year. 

I found that there will be another company running a similar concept of an escape room and tonight my team will be checking it out. 

I found that the beach in Bali is soothing and welcoming as compared to the other beaches I visited. I do want to try out that beach tennis one day. Looks fun and you don’t have to bounce the ball on the beach. Then again, balls won’t bounce on sand :p 

I found out there’s an eatery in Bali run by a Bruneian. I shall give it a try if I have the time. Thanks Yaya for the heads up 😀 

I found out how Zheng ran the most popular marathon in the world which is the New York marathon. There were about 50,000 runners and he is the only Bruneian to participate. Furthermore, the entry of the event is done through ballots and by luck, his name was drawn. Amazing!!! He also clocked his personal best of 3 hrs 40 secs in the full marathon event. It was nice to see the Brunei flag being hoisted despite only having one Bruneians in the list. Zheng shared that this is best marathon to date. 

I found out that finally Brunei International Airport has wifi connection for the public. I’m not sure if it’s only available inside area for flying passengers or the whole of BIA. Thanks, Adiman for the heads up. 

 

A Spectre-cular movie? 

 

Have you caught Spectre yet? Last evening, they had two special treats, one at Times Cineplex of Sentral Shopping Centre (KBSentral) and Empire Cinema. I couldn’t make it to either since I’m still enjoying my extension stay in Bali for now.

Customers of BIBD Perdana Privilege Banking and Indera Motors were treated to a special occasion at Empire Cinema whereas British Army Brunei Garrison organised one at Times Cineplex.

It was nice to see the British Army Brunei Garrison dressing up for the occasion and they had the opportunity to walk on the red carpet with cool decorations to blend with with the James Bond theme.

So what do you think of the latest James Bond movie Spectre? Reviews have been mixed and it’s not high on Rottentomatoes (only below 63% for now). I will be catching it tonight on the comfort of a premier style concept at Beachwalk Bali cineplex. I still feel that Skyfall is the best bond movie for me.

 

British High Commissioner David Campbell (in black) on the red carpet with members of the British Army Brunei Garrison during the premiere of the James Bond movie ‘Spectre’ at KBSentral’s Times Cineplex last night. Image courtesy of Hafiizah Maideen of The Brunei Times. 

Some of the attendees last night. Image courtesy of Hafiizah Maideen of The Brunei Times.  

The Jaguar F-Type convertible on showcase at the movie premiere. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times. 

Ben Boddy, Deputy High British Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam (left) as the guest of honour. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times. 

 

 

Seagate hard drives 

I’ve used Seagate hard drives before and they are pretty stable and reliable. Now I’m very picky when it comes to hard drive because I would need a Thunderbolt socket for transferring purposes (at high speed). Thunderbolt is only for Apple computers for your info.

Recently Concepts Computer has collaborated with Seagate and bringing the reliable, high-performance hard disk spaces to Brunei Darussalam. Hence if you want to store your data and documents, I do recommend you Seagate hard disks.

Now for the technical aspects of Seagate hard portable hard drives.

First on offer is the Seagate Expansion portable drive, available in 500GB ($89) and 1TB ($109) storage sizes. The Seagate Expansion portable drive is the ideal companion for anyone with lots of videos, photos, music and files that they want to protect and take everywhere with them. It offers useful storage capacities in a small enclosure for great mobility, very fast transfer rates with USB 3.0 connectivity and very secure physical digital storage. Sounds good to you? Well, it does for me 😀

 

Seagate Expansion portable drive 

Now let’s look at the other batches – the Seagate BackUp Plus Slim, available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB storage sizes. The Seagate BackUp Plus Slim will be one of the ultimate solutions to storage on-the-go. With an ultra-sleek design, made for ultra portability and with the ability for one click backup solutions through the Seagate Mobile BackUp app. The Seagate BackUp Plus Slim combines all the best features of what a portable storage device solution should be.

Now here’s the interesting thing if you actually need it – With the inclusion of the Seagate Mobile BackUp app, all your photos, movies and video scan be backed-up Seagate Dashboard, including the ones you’ve shared on Facebook, Flickr and Youtube; easily enabling you to save your favourite on popular social media sites to be viewed anywhere.

Another interesting fact is if you buy the Seagate BackUp Plus Slim from Concepts Computer, they will provide free access to Microsoft OneDrive. Every purchase of the Seagate BackUp Plus Slim, will provide its users with a 2 years, 200GB access to Microsoft OneDrive worth over BND$130. It will be available from Concepts Computers for $100 for the 500GB capacity, $110 for 1TB capacity and $162 for the 2TB capacity. Now that’ is value for money.

 

Seagate BackUp Plus Slim 

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with the management of Concepts Computer and resellers at the Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer 

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer said, “This launch is the beginning of a great expansion for Concepts Computer on storage solutions, Concepts have noticed that storage solutions have become an important issue with our customers so we will work hard to provide a much larger range of great digital storage solutions at the best prices for the consumers of Brunei Darussalam.”

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer added, ”We know how valuable digital data is to the modern world and this is our first step in providing exciting solutions for the local IT-market. And with the release of these Seagate external storage solutions, customers do not have to choose between reliability, high performance and affordability, it is all available from Seagate and Concepts Computer. ”

And for more information on the wide-selection and full-range of storage solutions available at Concepts Computer, please visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 2233551/2233552.

 

Concepts is also promoting their Acer projector 

  

 

Apply for UnionPay from Baiduri  

Launched on 19 October 2015, Baiduri Bank’s “Take Me Traveling” Promotion offers their Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders a 5% rebate on all transactions, including overseas ATM withdrawal fees and purchasing transactions at selected countries in Southeast Asia.

Baiduri Bank was the first bank to introduce the first UnionPay brand card in Brunei Darussalam back in April 2011. The Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card is also the first PIN-based international debit card in the country.

Unlike conventional signature-based payment cards, payments made with the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card requires a personalized identification number (PIN) to be keyed in before payment is approved, giving cardholders an additional level of protection from fraud or misuse of the card.

Besides using the card for payment, the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card can also be used as an ATM card for cash withdrawal. Vastly accepted in more than 150 countries around the world, Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders will have access to over 2,000 local retailers, over 26 million retailers and over 1.9 million ATMs globally.

 

Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card can also be used as an ATM card for cash withdrawal apart from payment 

With such wide acceptance, it is no wonder that the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card is an excellent choice for customers to bring along when traveling outside of Brunei. And with the exclusive “Take Me Travelling” promotion, Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders can enjoy more savings whilst on holiday in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia.

In addition to the 5% rebate, Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders are also entitled to the ongoing benefits at overseas destinations including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. To name a few, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy offers and discounts at popular shopping destinations as well as hotel offers.

Benefits in Thailand include offers at Siam Paragon and Siam Centre Duration, Gourmet Market, Home Fresh Mart and Villa market, Ratchaprasong Shopping District, Central World and Thavorn Palm Beach Resort & Spa Phuket.

 

You can earn enjoy discounts in countries such as Singapore. For instance, earning discounts at TANGS. Image courtesy of TimeOut. 

Or you can get benefits in Thailand such as at Siam Paragon. Image courtesy of The Continent Hotel. 

In Singapore, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy discounts and exclusive offers at bebe, Greg Norman, Sentosa Harbourfront, High Society Café, Lacoste boutiques, TANGS and several hotel offers. Offers in Malaysia include discounts and deals at Pavilion, Parkson, Grand Lexis Port Dickson and Suria KLCC Shopping Centre. And in Indonesia, UnionPay cardholders can shop at Kuta Beachwalk Shopping Centre to enjoy exclusive offers.

Terms and conditions of the promotion can be viewed on Baiduri Bank website at www.baiduri.com or Baiduri Bank mobile app – Baiduri Deals promotions section.

To be in the know of Baiduri Bank current promotions and events, the public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

 

  

 

Awesome Wrestlemania event 

Triple H’s entrance promoting the Terminator: Genesis blockbuster movie at Wrestlemania. Image taken from WWE website

Wow, wow, wow!!!! What a Wrestlemania!!!! One of my bucket list is to watch Wrestlemania live in the US. This year it was held at San Francisco at the Levi’s Stadium and it had a WWE Wrestlemania record attendance with more than 70,000 fans. Crazy!! I watched the PPV with Jason Rumpun and we were exchanging predictions on the matches.

I won’t be spoiling the results as Wrestlemania is still one day old and some of my friends will be watching it tonight on their computers. My favourite matches are Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns surprisingly and also Sting Vs HHH. Well, the ladder match was also great and so was Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins. The in-ring promos were awesome and okay, I just almost love everything about it. Royal Rumble sucked bad time and the Fast Lane PPV was a bit of a redemption but Wrestlemania 31 was a huge improvement. I didn’t expect much initially but it exceeded expectation.

I’m definitely buying the blu-ray for this Wrestlemania. I give this a 9/10 and one of the best Wrestlemania I’ve seen in many, many years. Highly recommended.

 

Brock Lesnar was dominant last night and it’s not surprised that WWE offered him a new contract. Image taken from WWE website 

Rusov has been giving the US title more value than before. Image taken from WWE website 

One of the best matches – the ladder match for the Intercontinental title. Image taken from WWE website 

Is that DX I saw last night? Image taken from WWE website 

 

 
 

Innovate 

Follow @icentrebrunei on IG for updates

Innovate “Talking Technology & Entrepreneurship” Forum is a platform to promote a future of innovation and Entrepreneurship with a global perspective in Brunei Darussalam. The forum explores topics like emerging trends in technologies, insights on successful startups, opportunities and challenges in securing investment funding.

Over the years, iCentre has brought in international and regional speakers from recognized organizations to share their expertise and knowledge in hope to inspire others.

The speakers are Marcus Tan, co-founder of Carousell, a mobile app marketplace in Singapore, Azlan Ahmad, founder and Excecutive Creative Director of Mixmediaworx. and Wayne Chia, CEO (SE ASIA) and co-founder of Techsallor.

The event will take place on Tuesday 7th April at The Empire Hotel & Country Club. It will be a morning event and it will be concluded with a networking lunch.

 

 

 
 

Reuben sees progress 

Reuben Chin, a dedicated Toastmaster member from Brunei, earned his dual awards in both Table Topics and International Speech in Division K Contest in Labuan last Sunday. He was runner-up in both category. 

What a great weekend!! I missed the cricket world cup tournament where Australia won. I missed another Earth Hour event in Brunei. I missed a few activities. It wasn’t that bad after all since I spent my weekend in Labuan to support my toastmaster buddy Reuben Chin who was eyeing for a victory in the Table Topics and International Speech Contest. Only the winner will have the ticket to the District Level to be held in Kuching.

Reuben has already mastered his speeches in Area level (Brunei) and he was the cream of the crop. I’m amazed how the numbers showed up from Brunei toastmasters (from 4 clubs) to witness to conference and supporting Reuben in Labuan. Our attendance alone showed why the toastmasters clubs in Brunei are pretty strong in Division K. The majority in attendance was mostly from Brunei toastmasters. Amazing!!

Reuben may have not won first place but it didn’t let him down. He remembered last year coming third place in Area Contest and now reaching a step higher, finishing 2nd in Division Level. Yes, we noticed the pattern and I hope he will bettered himself and I know he will because his passion is to grow as a community leader through the tools of toastmasters. You did your very best buddy and you have improved not just a speaker but as a role model leader to many including me.

Good luck and I shall see you in Area Contest perhaps 😀

 

Intan receiving her honors as the Division K Champion in International Speech and her speech touched the audience and great delivery as well.  

Celebrating both birthday celebrants including our very own special guest Grace who joined us during the Convention trip in Labuan 

Group photo of toastmasters from Division K. Click image to enlarge. 

The Brunei Toastmasters attending the conference as well as supporting our Brunei representative, Reuben Chin 

Allen Ang trying out Seng Yee’s cactus hat 

I’m not sure how to caption this picture 

The Brunei entertaining the guests during dinner 

Derby and Julius during our popular Wolf game. I was labeled as the professional wolf. 

The Brunei gang on the ferry on the way to Labuan 

 

 

 

Acer Aspire

 

Now available at Concepts Computer 

 

ICON Design Store  

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website 

  

Test drive or buy a Citroën!!  

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei  

  

Peugeot  

Free labour charge on repairs for Peugeot. Click image to enter website to find out more. 

 

 

BIBD latest promotion  

Click image to enter website to find out more 

  

The Popcorn Panel  

Review of Annie 2014 starring Rano Iskandar with special guest Singapore blogger Tiffany Yong

 

 

 

RA Highlights of 2014  

With 2014 almost ending, I have to say that my year has been fabulous. Normally you will hear familiar things such as having a roller coaster year but if we do end of high note and feel at the present, very likely tend to forget the bad days and sum up the year to be much better than previous year. I haven’t been blogging as I’m currently taking time off for a bit and spending my holidays in Singapore to cap off another awesome year.

So how do I rate my 2014? Honestly it was one of the best years I had in many years. For many reasons but I won’t be sharing all my best moments with you, only some. Maybe the most exciting part for 2014 was able to travel to places like Seoul and Moscow. Well, I didn’t expect to fly to Moscow but Seoul was one of my sought places to travel. I would like to thank you Harley Davidson for bringing me to Seoul for and also to MOE and Bluebox Services for making my Russia trip possible. Where will 2015 bring me? For sure, I have set a date to fly to Manila and guess what? The Philippines is the only ASEAN country that I have yet to travel. Surprise, surprise.

This year, I also truly appreciative of my close friends and my new found ones. It’s true that the closer ones tend to be the most challenging ones because of the level of expectations I have on them. These expectations have been making my relationship with my buddies challenging for many years. Somehow, this year, I feel much lighter than before and I was able to feel much freedom rather than feeling suffocated with my negative thoughts (with having a thought that I’m not enough for them). This year, I’m truly grateful for my strong bonding relationship with my close buddies and you know who you are.

 

I can’t believe that I actually made it to Moscow, Russia, this year and it was an unexpected journey. This is one of the highlights of 2014 as I hardly travel to Europe and secondly, having a ICI document (passport for Brunei PRs), it will be tricky to travel to European countries.  

Since the first picture was taken at Burger King Moscow, let me share with you my favourite snack of 2014 – Burger King’s Taro Pie. Not the one that Gladys is biting but the one on her left hand 😀 Did you know Taro Pie was sold out? But I’m glad it was re-stocked to the delight of Burger King fans. 

My other highlight was my Seoul trip back in May 2014. I was happy that Harley Davidson chose me to represent the social media for Brunei. In this picture, Alice and I were at the Trick Eye Museum (adult version) in Seoul.  

We had a mini dress up competition at Harley Davidson Headquarters at Seoul. This is the first time I bumped into Malaysian celebrity Michele Lee, a presenter of Football Overload.

One of the reasons I’ve been flying out is for the personal growth workshop sessions I have been attending which has been ongoing for many years. The best part of this journey is rediscovering the strengths in terms of my mental and emotional state. Sometimes you will never know what kind of breakthroughs you will have along the way and I’m blessed to have a great environment around me and mixing with the right crowd too. I’ve never seen the core team so committed with their vision of empowering and making this world a better place to live.

Who would have thought my love for toastmasters grown so immensely after rejoining back as a member after a three year hiatus? Of course, all of this was reignited by my close buddy but along the way, I found my core value within myself as a toastmaster and that is to contribute and be a better leader. People who are not aware will think that toastmasters are just platform for good speakers. It’s more than just that. It’s to nurture and give the members and guests a chance to learn something about public speaking at all levels from beginners to advanced speakers.

Speaking of toastmasters, I’m totally impressed with one of my friends, Amran, who has improved immensely as a speaker and a leader and he is a truly a role model for many. He unexpectedly won also his first Table Topics last week and for someone who was so shy to speak in public last year, we have seen such tremendous change. One of my best highlights of 2014 was my mid-year trip to Kuala Lumpur for the Toastmasters International Convention to witness one of our members of Brunei Speakers’ Club to represent our club and District 87 in the International Speech Contest finals. Awesome!!!!! My aim next year to join the contest for International Speech category. This year, I managed to bag 3rd place in the Speech Evaluation Contest *surprised* while I gained experienced in the Humourous Speech Contest.

For the first time in many years, I enjoyed this year’s summer movies as compared to previous years. From Godzilla to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to Guardian of the Galaxy and finishing off with one of the biggest blockbuster for Bruneil, Yasmine the movie, locally produced by Origin Films. Yes, I’m a movie buff and my love for movie will hardly fade away. I’m also happy that my podcast movie review has been a success for this year and for those, who have been listening and downloading the podcast, thank you so much. The popular podcasts for The Popcorn Panel for 2014 is Yasmine (almost 1,000 listened), Big Hero 6 (650) and Transformers 4 (580). Because of The Popcorn Panel, you will hardly see a written movie review on my blog. I shall be blogging more on my reviews by next year so you will have two mediums of my actual review of the movies. Overall, a great movie experience for 2014. Do watch out for my Top 10 movies of 2014 early in January 2015.

 

This year, I met a bunch of new friends during my travels. Though English is a language for them but we still managed to converse. Life is full of unexpected beginnings.  

What more can I say? We all cross path back in 2009 and it was always great to look back at older pictures and remind what great friendship I have made with my friends. Though Winnie has left for Penang, the friendship still remains solid. 

Toastmasters is another avenue to learn and grow as a leader and also support one another in a conducive environment. These are my toastmasters buddies and this was taken during the Toastmasters International Convention 2014 in Kuala Lumpur. One of the top 3 highlights of my 2014 indeed. 

After slacking off in Year 2011 for Toastmasters, I rejoined back in June 2014 and began doing my speeches. This was my third speech manual (CC3) which was entitled “The Art of Showmanship” where I impersonated The Rock and talked about how much of an entertainment WWE (or wrestling) is. 

Early in March, I went to Singapore to catch both Hollywood stars starring in The Amazing Spider-man to promote Earth Hour in Singapore. This shows how much I’m a big fan of movies and I even had the privilege to catch a special preview screening of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in Singapore.

My love for WWE might have faded. Maybe because the WWE universe isn’t as exciting as before. My urge to catch RAW on Tuesday also has faded. Regardless of my less interest in WWE, I was more than excited to catch WWE Live in Kuala Lumpur. Ironically I had an invitation to catch John Cena live during a press conference and I’m not much of a John Cena fan. I managed to ask a question to him personally with regards to the title achievement in comparison with Ric Flair. The overall experience was awesome because I finally get up close and personal to a WWE Superstar. The wrestling show itself was full of adrenalin and that is purely due to the engaging crowd at Indoor Stadium. Let’s hope for another WWE in Asia and I won’t mind booking another flight to catch one.

Finally, to finish off a wonderful 2014 is my renovated room which has been so messy and old-school for the past 20 years. I didn’t spend that much on the renovation but more on spending on new furniture such as my single bed (though it has yet to be assembled in my room lol) and I have a new wardrobe area. The only item that hasn’t been completed is the extension of my bedroom to another room (office area). The new feel has made my environment more conducive and I feel so much better that I don’t have the feeling of suffocating and constrained. The extra space in my room does make a difference and I feel much more like home. There are still a few tweaking to do here and there. Other than that, I’m more than happy of my current room. Maybe you can try and renovate your room and see how your energy will be for the next few months. Oh, by the way, I dispelled the rumours that people thought I was gonna get married just because I was renovating my room.

There are many more I wanna share and I shall leave it for here. I won’t be recapping my 2014 in monthly formats but I will be highlighting the happenings in general and how it has impacted the country and myself overall. Thank you for all my friends who have been the change agent in my life. My advice: Always focus on the positive aspect of your journey while those negative ones, well, either you change your perspective of your thoughts or simply ignore the negative (though that’s tough as we are human beings).

Too surreal to be true.. I was only yards away from WWE Superstar John Cena who paid a visit to Kuala Lumpur back in August. Thank you so much for the opportunity though I didn’t like his guts so much but he does have important values such as supporting the breast cancer awareness campaign. 

Though my room is incomplete in terms of renovation, the newly look has made me feel much more lighter and I feel more energized whenever I wake up or do my work. So do renovate your room because it can make a difference energy wise and a much more conducive environment.  

  

 

The C Class 

 

Check out the C Class at Jati Transport Showroom
 

 

Feel the Space with Luminox  

Check out the great deals from BIBD on the current roadshow of Luminox watches at The Mall until this Sunday 

Luminox has taken Brunei by storm and it’s great to know that many Bruneians are aware of the Luminox brand. The brand had a major exposure when Scott Cassell, an expert counter-terrorism operative and a consummate undersea explorer, came to Brunei and promoted the Luminox brand last year and that has helped to escalate the awareness of Luminox watches to the Bruneians.

Yesterday was a great occasion as the Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, officiated the launch of Luminox “Space and Time Converge” Exhibition at The Mall which will end on 2nd November. This is the first time that Luminox under the partnership of Crystal Time (Singapore) and Chang Ein Hong hold an exhibition for Luminox. This will be a week long event as they will give time for the public to learn and be educated on the strengths of Luminox brand.

Of course, the biggest draw of the lot is the Luminox XCOR Pilot Professional Ana-Digi where Brunei became the only 3rd country in the world besides Singapore and Malaysia to have the watch available in the market. Awesome!! Of course, the other draw is the presence of a giant model of Lynx Mark II spacecraft by XCOR at the atrium of The Mall. If you are lucky enough, you will also get a chance to take some selfies with the astronaut.

It was such a soothing occasion as the guest of honour is also fond of space exploration to begin with especially during his younger days as a student. He shared his knowledge of the Sputnik and the Apollo. Of course, the popular iconic figure Neil Armstrong was mentioned as the first man to land of the moon and hence the famous phrase came about – “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.

I didn’t even know that the Minister himself is a fan of watches. He cleverly linked time pieces with the ongoing advancements that we have been going through such as transportation, electronics and computers. He sees this exhibition as an avenue to spark creativity among the Bruneians in terms of invention and also for the betterment of our country.

Also present were Abdul Mutalib Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Hj Md Yusof, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications, Mohammed Riza Dato Paduka Hj Mohammed Yunos, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Mohammad Hj Daud, Jennifer Tan, Executive Director of Crystal Time (Singapore), Pamela Tan, Brand Manager of Crystal Time (Singapore) and Chong Ain Hong, General Manager of Chong Ein Hong Watch Dealer.

 

The Minister of Communications is huge fan of space exploration and I learnt a few things from his speech. Insightful!! 

Jennifer Tan, Executive Director of Crystal Time (Singapore), thanked the Minister and also the team for making the exhibition possible 

Pamela Tan, Brand Manager of Crystal Time (Singapore) shared a few things what the Luminox XCOR Pilot Professional Ana-Digi is capable of withstanding (even from a blender and a microwave)  

 

The invited guests from yesterday’s launch 

 

The ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the showcase of Luminox 

 

The VIPs looking at the range of Luminox available 

The Minister touring around the exhibition 

Members of the public are welcome to visit the Luminox “Space and Time Converge” Exhibition during this period and enjoy special privileges on purchases of Luminox watches. Exclusively for BIBD Debit Card holders, with every Luminox purchased, they will receive a free Luminox Adventure Knife and take part in a lucky draw to win a Luminox watch. Awesome!!

Also do follow @luminoxbn on instagram and they are currently running an IG competition and who knows you can stand a chance to win a Luminox Space Goodie Bag.

Another reason for the exhibition for Luminox is spread awareness that Luminox has been chosen to be the official timepiece for the pilots of XCOR Space Expeditions. So far, Luminox have covered all three dimension of mankind – land, sea and air. Now with this new time piece, Space is the limit. It was also shared that almost 30 Luminox watches were sold last Sunday alone which shows a good demand for the said brand. Remember, peeps, do watch out for the counterfeit products that are deceiving and do buy and promote genuine watches from Luminox.

 

Magdelene Tan of Crystal Time with Aziz Idris from Borneo Bulletin sharing a moment with the astronaut 

Malcolm Lim, Managing Director of Kingston Beverage & Creamery is a Luminox fan too 

 

The astronaut holding the Luminox XCOR Pilot Professional Ana-Digi watch 

 

The Luminox XCOR Pilot Professional Ana-Digi watch 

I wore the watch for a good two minutes 😀 

The Luminox XCOR Pilot Professional Ana-Digi watch is pretty cool 

  

The Reel Show  

 

First ever episode of The Reel Show with the full review of Fury with spoilers too [Beware]

 

  

 

The Pink Campaign  

Recently, the Health Promotion Centre, Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Brunei Cancer Centre (TBCC) and LANEIGE Brunei Darussalam conducted a Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign from 15th – 19th October in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is celebrated yearly in October.

The event held at the Atrium, The Mall, Gadong with the theme “Your Health is in Your Hands”, with the objective to raise continuous awareness of breast cancer and its prevention to the community, in particular amongst young women in the working age group in Brunei Darussalam.
The closing ceremony was held on Sunday, and was graced by Dr Hajah Maslina binti Mohsin, Director of Health Services, Ministry of Health. As part of the activities of the final day, a “Healthy Snack Competition” was held, in which students from MTSSR studying catering and food services competed to prepare healthy and delicious snacks and drinks from ingredients that were selected beforehand.

The guest of honour, as well as supporters of the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign were invited to “Have-A Go” at preparing their own healthy snacks and drinks.

Laneige Brunei Darussalam presented a mock cheque amounting to $7000.00 to the Dean of the Institute of Health Sciences, University Brunei Darussalam, which was raised from activities and the sales of t-shirts throughout the month of October which will go towards cancer research.

 

The successful Breast Awareness Campaign two weekends ago at The Mall 

Happy faces 

Healthy food competition 

Food blogger Thanis Lim 

Supporting for a good cause and raising awareness 

 

 

Breast Screening Package  

The Jerudong Park Medical Centre celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month with an attractive offer on Breast Screening Package valued at only BND99. The promotion will run until 14 November 2014.

Last week, this was announced in a press conference by Aini Zulfa binti Hj Asbinin, the Marketing Executive, and Dr Shyja Abraham Sequeira, Radiologist from JPMC’s Department of Diagnostic Imaging (DDI).

The screening package entitles a patient to One Doctor’s Consultation and Mammography. While waiting for the medical results, patient will be given a complimentary breast self-examination lesson, which is excluded from the normal price.

The aim of a screening mammogram is to detect cancer at an early stage, where the hospital can offer treatment options and control the spread of the tumour.

During the mammography procedure, most women think the process is painful. There will be a little discomfort as the breast will be compressed between two plates, which are done to flatten and spread the breast tissue. It gives optimal compression to the breasts without causing excess pain to the patient. Each session of the four x-rays lasts for a few seconds.

According to statistics, the numbers of breast cancer in Brunei are quite high where patients suffer more as it spreads causing disabilities. If we detect at the early stage, it will limit the sufferings of the patients as well as family members. Through this breast screening programme, not only to detect cancer at an early stage but also educate the public.

 

 

Chances that abnormality is cancer during mammogram are very rare as maybe only one out of thousand persons screened will be cancer positive. Risks of having breast cancer are if you have a first degree relative with breast cancer, such as mother or sister who developed breast cancer before the age of 50.

“As part of our Breast Cancer Awareness Programme, we are pleased to hold this promotion to draw women’s attention to the importance of breast screening. We advise women to practice self-examination at home monthly and report any suspicious abnormality like a lump or nipple discharges to their doctor even if they have had a recent normal mammogram,” mentioned Aini Zulfa binti Hj Asbinin, the Marketing Executive of JPMC.

“Every woman should have a breast screening once every two years. For ages 40 to 49 years, breast screening should be done once a year. Ages 50 to 69 years should have it done once every two years”, stated Dr Shyja Abraham Sequeira, Radiologist from Department of Diagnostic Imaging (DDI) of JPMC.

Women must be 40 to 69 years old to be entitled for the screening package as this is the age range where most abnormalities are detected. If patient had a mammogram less than a year back, they are not advised to take up the screening at this juncture.

Physically disabled women can undergo the screening as the machine used also caters for immobilize persons if they are able to sit on a wheelchair with extra effort but the screening cannot be done for bed-ridden patients.

Patient is required to set up a pre-appointment where they can contact the Department of Diagnostic Imaging (DDI) directly at 261 1433 ext. 2224 or e-mail to ddireception@jpmc.com.bn. Patients are advised to come 15 minutes prior to the appointment.

If patient is new to JPMC, they are required to pay a one-time fee of BND10 at the Main Reception, Level 2 of JPMC. Patients must bring their passport or identity card for registration purposes. Package inclusions are not exchangeable with other services and any unutilized tests or services are non-refundable.

JPMC’s Department of Diagnostic Imaging (DDI) is one of the most modern imaging departments in Southeast Asia. They offer a comprehensive range of services such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Multi Slice CT Scanner, Digital Dental Imaging, CR Radiography (X-Ray). The clinic is open every Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and on Saturday from 8am to 12noon. For more information, please visit their website at www.jpmc.com.bn.

 

Today’s article in The Brunei Times 28•10•2014 

John Cena who was recently in KL gave words of encouragement to all the cancer warriors out there 

  

Get them white again!!  

The Jerudong Park Medical Centre is offering an attractive promotion for professional teeth whitening treatment valued at BND799 (Usual price is BND1000) with free initial consultation. This promotion will run from 15 September to 15 November 2014 and can be redeemed till 30 December 2014.

This was announced at a press conference by Ak Danny Pg Tajuddin, the Marketing Officer, and Dr Ravi Pai, Consultant Endodontist and Head of Dental Department of JPMC. Also present was Dr Dharma Rai, Consultant Prosthodontist at JPMC.

“Oral health makes a huge presence in our lives especially in our simple daily activities. With our promotion, it can help to enhance the whiteness of your teeth in just a single visit to our Dental Clinic”, mentioned Ak Danny Pg Tajuddin, the Marketing Officer of JPMC.

“Professional In-office Teeth Whitening Procedure is the quickest way to whiten teeth under carefully monitored conditions which allow for the safe, controlled use of whitening gel – yielding results that are visible immediately”, stated Dr Ravi Pai, Consultant Endodontist and Head of Dental Department of JPMC.

Teeth discoloration is caused by natural darkening and yellowing as people age, drinking tea, coffee or fizzy drinks, natural and artificial food colorings, smoking and tobacco stains.

Ak Danny Pg Tajuddin, the Marketing Officer of JPMC, Dr Ravi Pai, Consultant Endodontist and Head of Dental Department of JPMC and Dr Dharma Rai, Consultant Prosthodontist at JPMC 

An appointment is required for the treatment, where patients are advised to come 15 minutes earlier prior to the appointment time. Before deciding whether teeth whitening is suitable for the patient, the dentist will first conduct a comprehensive examination of their teeth and gums to ensure proper teeth healthcare which is free during the promotion period.

They will also consult on their oral hygiene and lifestyle habits to determine if they will benefit from the treatment. Patients with extensive dental work, expectant mothers and children below 16 years old are not recommended to go through the procedure.

The procedure takes up approximately 2 hours. Patient’s gums and mouth are first protected with isolation materials. The dentist will carefully apply the whitening gel to their teeth and uses a patented blue light to oxidize the gel during the procedure.

The procedure is normally painless; however a very small percentage of patients may experience a minor sensitivity during or after the procedure. A sensitivity relief gel will be used to tackle the sensitivity.

The teeth whitening treatment can last up to 2 years if the patient take care and maintain the brightness of their teeth.

JPMC’s Dental Clinic offers a comprehensive range of dental services such as orthodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, implantology, oral surgery, general dental procedures and more. The clinic is open every Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and on Saturday from 8am to 12noon. For more information, please visit their website at www.jpmc.com.bn.

  

 

 

Get Connected through ICONIA

 

 

 

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website. 

  

 

ICON Design Store  

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website 

 
Test drive a Citroën!!  

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei  

Have you driven a Citroën yet? I recently test drove the Citroën DS3 and I’m quite impressed with the small built car. I shall be writing about my experience of the Citroën DS3 soon on my blog.

At the moment, Citroën is running a special promotion for all those who test drive the Citroën DS3, DS4 and DS5 and you can stand a chance to win an Apple iPad Mini. For more information, you can call 245 0257 or 245 0253.

You can also visit their showroom at Grand Motors (Beribi). I have to test drive the DS4 and the DS5. Maybe pretty soon 😀 but yes, I’m already impressed with the DS3 and definitely the higher models have better power and driving experience.

 

Feel the drive 

My recent experience while test driving the Citroën DS3. Watch out for my full review soon!! 

  

 

Breast Cancer Awareness  

The group shot

A spectacle of Harley motorcycles drew attention across Universiti Brunei Darussalam as the Brunei Chapter of the Harley Owners Group rode into the campus as a show of their support for breast cancer awareness on Friday. The activity was part of the  Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign 2014 organised by the Health Promotion Centre, Ministry of Health in collaboration with LANEIGE, in association with the international Breast Cancer Awareness Month that falls on October.

Over 20 riders came to show support for the cause with four riders from Ladies of Harley. All of the female riders, and some of the male riders, sported the signature pink ribbon t-shirts. At The Core, the riders were greeted by the student volunteers from UBD and senior lecturer from Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB) Institute of Health Science, Dr Mas Rina Wati Hj Abd Hamid.

The riders, along with the volunteers, helped distribute fliers and pamphlets to the student population of UBD, visiting the Library and the Central Lecture Theatre, to help bring awareness to the 18 to 25-year-old demographic regarding breast cancer.

The roadshow will continue this week at The Mall, Atrium, from 15th October to 19th October and this is another encouraging way to increase awareness on Breast Cancer. I was recently in an event in KL with regards to WWE and I salute John Cena who is also a true ambassador in championing the Breast Awareness campaign. So guys, let’s hope support this cause and you can also purchase the exclusive pink t-shirts sold at any Laneige outlets in The Mall too.

A big shoutout to Pat Lee of LANEIGE (Brunei) and the guys from Health Promotion Centre and also UBD FM for continuing the awareness of this campaign on their social media.

 

Dk Siti Redzaimi Pg Hj Ahmad with Dr Mas Rina Wati Hj Abd Hamid, a senior lecturer from Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB) Institute of Health Science 

The four Ladies of Harley members who lead the event to raise breast cancer awareness at The Core, UBD. 

 

 

The t-shirt is available at LANEIGE outlets in Brunei 

Let the ride begin 

Another group photo 

Preparing at the Atrium at The Mall. Happening from 15th to 19th October 

John Cena, an inspiration to all women battling breast cancer and with his message on the t-shirt, not to give up and keep fighting. John Cena was recently in KL for a WWE Event which I attended. 

  

 

 

Get Connected through ICONIA

 

 

 

Citroën Brunei  

Click image to enter Citroën Brunei  

   

BIBD’s latest promotion

Top up tia. Click image to enter website. 

  

 

ICON Design Store  

Click image to enter ICON Design Store website 

  
Malppy collaborates with BIBD  

Click to enter website

Malppy.com has made another big appearance alongside BIBD with the launch of their latest online payment service called the ‘eBayar’ and their existing ‘eTunai’ on Malppy.com. This introduction allows BIBD customers to enjoy the convenience of paying their online purchase at Malppy.com through direct deduction of their purchase from their BIBD account or redeemable BIBD Hadiah points.

eBayar is a new online live cash transferring system where you can connect your online bank account and approve the purchase transaction right on the spot. It is not only easy but convenient and secure, enhancing one’s online shopping experience.

 

Simon Soo, Founder of Malppy.comMalppy.com is among the first online participant to have both eBayar and eTunai readily available on their website. The founder of malppy.com, Mr. Simon Soo strives to provide customers a complete e-commerce shopping experience hence this collaboration with BIBD is one of the big steps forward to enhance the efficiency and experience of online shopping at Malppy.com.

Aside from this grand launch of BIBD online payments at Malppy.com, catch their weekend promotion now as they are featuring one of their premium quality authentic Mayuki Tokyo Fashion apparels. You can now browse at their ‘NEW’ section to find out the varieties of product and promotions they have to keep up with all of their trendy style shortcuts.

Malppy.com is an online fashion and lifestyle store launched on April 2013 offering customers with a convenient way to shop, at the same time providing thousands of variety quality products to choose from, and lastly delivery Free to your doorstep at no minimum purchase. This collaboration is greatly seen as a major achievement as this type of modern payment could be a feature to our economic development in driving online and mobile-based transaction which has proven to be very popular in other nations. Press release and images by Malppy.com

 

Click to enter website 

 

John Cena woos the media  

Keep Calm and Never Give Up

I’ve been away once again and for those who have been following me on instagram and Facebook, you will know that I was in Kuala Lumpur. This is my third visit to KL and this is for the recent WWE event in Kuala Lumpur which was held at Indoor Stadium Putra. I managed to get good fares during the Abacus Holiday Travel Fair two weeks ago for my KL trip (and thanks Darussalam Holdings for that) and I ended up staying at Cititel MidValley which was central for me between Kuala Lumpur city and also Stadium Putra.

Let’s cut to the chase. I managed to be a few feet away from WWE Superstar John Cena and Seth Rollins during the interview sessions prepared by the organizers. The press conference took place at The Saujana Hotel (Subang) and that’s where all the WWE superstars were staying. The feeling, alone, was surreal to be just that close to the WWE celebrities and I salute them for their professionalism, traveling thousand miles away from the US and show up their best during the interviews. I was not fortunate enough to get some time with Seth Rollins on the interview but at least I got a session with John Cena.

Mind you I’m not a John Cena fan as his character is getting on my nerves on WWE *lol* unless he is willing to turn heel which is very unlikely. I am amazed that he even spoke in Mandarin to one of the Taiwanese reporters. What amazes me about John Cena is his sportsmanship and even in public, he has become a top role model especially to those women battling breast cancer and he wore the t-shirt “Keep Calm and Never Give Up”. The Never Give Up tagline has been on his inspiring catch phrases in the WWE and he has given much inspiration to the cancer warriors and survivors.

I asked John Cena a question that if he will break Ric Flair’s 16th time World Title and he responded saying that mathematically it is possible but to him, it doesn’t matter if he didn’t break the Ric Flair’s record but more important is that he give his best in what he does and be one of the top WWE superstars before he retires.

When asked about the taunts and the boos that he got recently, he responded saying that it’s all about the energy from the fans and he is fine with all the reception he gets from the fans and he will continue to perform to his best in the WWE Universe.

I respect John Cena as an athlete and an employee of the WWE. He is one of the most hardworking WWE Superstars I’ve known and constantly appearing on every RAW episode and PPV if he is not injured. Regardless of the fans’ reactions especially the “Lets-Go-Cena-Cena-Sucks” chants, he will stay focus on what his role is as a wrestler and just entertain the crowd.

Thank you once again to the organizers, the PR agency and Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) for arranging the media access to the press conference and the first night WWE event. I truly enjoyed the experience and I can’t wait for WWE to return to Malaysia or Asia in the near future. My bucket list is still to attend at least a RAW or Smackdown episode or perhaps Wrestlemania 😀

I shall be reporting on my blog with regards to my experience at the Stadium Putra in the next post. Have a great weekend, guys!!

 

I believe they could smell what I was cooking then 

John Cena received a warm reception from the member of the media 

An Indonesian lady from the media asked a question with regards to cancer patients 

The closest thing I will get to a selfie with John Cena  

The customary salute from John Cena 

The media registration for the press conference with John Cena 

Seth Rollins looking cool before entering the interview room  

Era FM brought their own belt too 

The guys from Hitz FM waiting to interview Seth Rollns 

  

 

A reality coming true  

 

WWE coming to Kuala Lumpur

 

“Finally, Rano will return to Kuala Lumpur” once again to participate in the upcoming event which is WWE in Kuala Lumpur #WWEKualalumpur and I would like to give a big thanks to the Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) and also to Noel Boyd (Singapore) for assisting me in being part of the media for the event this Friday. I shall be covering the first night of WWE event but won’t be able for the following night as I will traveling to Kota Kinabalu by then.

Not all the WWE rosters will come up but they are still a handful of superstars that will making their presence in Kuala Lumpur. I was hoping for The Authority but only Seth Rollins will be there. I even saw The Rock on RAW last night but it is pretty far-fetched to see him actually flying all the way to KL, considering now that he is also a movie star with many schedules to fill in.

Of course, the biggest draw will be John Cena who has a love-hate relationship with the crowd in the US. However, I’m pretty sure he will earn more “pops” among the KL crowd.

The tickets are almost been sold out but there are still seats in the ringside arena and the lower and upper tier. I won’t be surprised if it will sell out pretty soon by tomorrow or Friday. I’m pretty excited and I would like to thank also Jason and Pratik from Shekhinah PR Sdn Bhd for your help and assistance in feeding me materials for the said event.

My dream one day is to attend a live RAW event in the US. Maybe by next year or so 😀 But for now, let’s take one step at a time. Kuala Lumpur, here I come.

 

The Rock appeared on RAW last Monday but he won’t be making an appearance in KL 

I impersonated The Rock in my toastmasters speech for the CC3 manual last week and the audience loved it 😀 

The WWE line up for Friday and Saturday 

The perks of being a media – I get to interview John Cena 

The lay out for WWE event at Stadium Putra 

  

BIBD celebrates Aidil Adha  

Chairman of the BIBD Shariah Advisory Body, Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Awang Haji Suhaili bin Haji Mohiddin (c) handing over the Korban Meat

In light of the festive Aidil Adha celebrations, BIBD today held its annual Korban ceremony at the Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque in Sengkurong.

The event was attended by Deputy State Mufti and Chariman of the BIBD Shariah Advisory Body, Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Awang Haji Suhaili bin Haji Mohiddin along with BIBD Managing Director Javed Ahmad. Also present were members of the BIBD senior management along with its staff.

The event started with prayers to initiate the distribution of the Korban meat process. The event ended with a recital of the Doa Selamat.

A total of four buffaloes and nine cows were sacrificed, with the Korban meat distributed to around 100 recipients, comprising of family members of BIBD’s ALAF program, the Welfare Home Complex (Kompleks Rumah Kebajikan) along with other underprivileged members of the community. BIBD also took this opportunity to donate 150 Yaasin and prayer books to the Mosque. Press release and image courtesy of BIBD.

 

  

The Big 50  

There’s a notice that the Gala Dinner for International School Brunei (ISB) 50th anniversary will be held on 22nd October instead of 19th October. It will be held at Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club and there are two types of tickets – Premium ($150) and Standard ($100).

Tickets are available at the main office and for those who has been to ISB as a student or play a part in ISB, this is a great opportunity to relive that moment and share those experiences and bring back those good memories of ISB. I’m pretty sure this event will be spectacular in a way because of its golden jubilee.

  

In love with BK’s Taro  

Gladys posing with the Fish’N Crisp Burger and Taro Turnover

Let’s not steal the limelight for Burger King’s new burger which is the Fish’N Crisp Burger, now available in their menu. This is because I fell in love with BK Taro Turnover.. Well, I’m a big fan of yam so that’s already a seller.

But first thing’s first – the new Fish’N Crisp Burger. This crispy fish fillet is accompanied by a whole slice of American Cheese, topped with tangy tartar sauce to accentuate the signature BK Crispy fish flavour and it’s all served between a toasted sesame bun that leaves every bite full of sensation. This also comes in a set meal which is priced at $5.20 which includes a medium drink and fries.

Now let’s talk about my favourite item on Burger King which is my new found love in BK Taro Turnover. What is inside the crispy pie crust is the sweet taro chunk and this is best served straight from the oven. I have already lured my friends and they loved it too.

On a side note, the airport branch has been doing pretty well. Actually it has been overwhelming. The only thing is that even with full manpower going at full capacity, the demand is just too high to match. This shows how powerful Burger King is in Brunei alone and the management of Burger King is doing their best to serve their customers and this is not an overnight process.

Well done, Burger King on keeping the momentum and introducing new items on the menu for the choices of their patrons. I just wish the Satay Burger will make its way to Brunei soon 😀

Do follow @burgerkingbrunei (instagram) and their Facbeook page too.

 

The star of the moment as she poses for the media 

That was a filling hi-tea indeed 

Yummmmy… 

My new favourite – BK Taro Turnover 

This is tasty too – Rock It Fries