Come and experience a fun-filled weekend beginning this Friday at a Baiduri Bank festival that is centred on living holistically.

The Green Festival will be held at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre and compasses financial, physical, social and emotional well-being aspects through a line-up of vendors, activities, live music and food.

This was mentioned at a media lunch hosted by the bank yesterday at The Energy Kitchen, Kiulap, to promote the upcoming festival.
Baiduri Bank’s Marketing Senior Officer Wajihah Abas said the three-day festival will run from 2pm to 10pm on Friday and 10am to 10pm over the weekend.

“During this time you can expect live music by local artistes, special offers by Baiduri Bank Group, games, activities such as special workshops and clinics as well as a variety of vendors selling products ranging from healthy food and beverages, fitness and eco-lifestyle,” she said.

There will be plenty to keep you and the kids entertained with an interesting line-up of activities such as a unique twist on basketball, outdoor bowling, colouring activities, crossword puzzles, giant ball games and more, including a football clinic by DPMM FC, flower crown making workshop by The Collective and a natural beauty workshop by Aloha Nature House Brunei.

Also don’t forget to catch live performances by local artistes Aziz Harun, Nabeela Fadzil, Method Six, Do It Good Records and more.
Entrance is free for everyone and visitors will receive a redemption card upon entry, where they can redeem free gifts upon collecting 10 stamps from visiting the different booths or taking part in games and activities.

Visitors can also take part in the slogan contest, where forms can be obtained during the day, and write in not more than 15 words about the importance of early financial planning.

The five best entries will be selected after the end of the event, and winners will receive prizes, which includes a grand prize of a trip for two to Bali, which includes accommodation at Novotel Nusa Dua.

For further information about ‘The Green Festival’, Baiduri’s 24-hour call centre is always ready to answer your calls on all things related to the bank at 2449666. Text courtesy of Azmi Zainal of The Brunei Times.

A little special table for our RIPAS hospital children cancer ward fundraiser. Image courtesy of Make A Book Brunei Facebook Page

One of the set up for this weekend. Image courtesy of Make A Book Brunei Facebook Page.

Dr. Strange was strangely entertaining

Dr. Strange. There are so many things I wanna talk about the latest Marvel flick. Something different from the typical superhero movies be Marvel or DC. At the beginning, I was skeptical how Dr. Strange will turn out after watching the first trailer. Can the audience accept this? Or will it be too “mystical” for some? I found it to be very entertaining and hell yeah, I was engaged from beginning to the end.

The audience have become so accustomed to super heroes with super powers. Now you bring magic powers in the equation and this is something refreshing to our eyes. Call it weird but I still came out satisfied and fulfilled. Even my peers had similar comments that Dr. Strange was well crafted Marvel movie.

The Good. I can relate this to Inception, the first movie that caught many eyes when it came to the special effects. It explored further and it may be confusing in the beginning but the visuals made sense after a set piece or so. It was a “trippy” ride and I still could follow the logic and especially the plot.

Cumberbatch was well suited for this role and I can’t wait for the sequel. This movie is such a great teaser for future Dr. Strange movies. The movie also failed not to cast some humour (spells) to make this mystical movie light hearted. For the visuals alone, this latest Marvel movie is worth the trip and I love the final confrontation scene. Ingenious.

The Bad. Sometimes I wonder how it will fit to the Marvel Universe when Dr. Strange meets up with The Avengers and other Marvel Super Heroes. I can become philosophical when there’s a mismatch of super powers or super natural stuff. For instance, Suicide Squad vs a Supernatural villain which was a total mismatch.

It can be confusing for some when it comes to the twisting digital kaleidoscope. Young adults will appreciate the artistry but children might get lost in translation. I also wished they could have a better score to suit the theme of the movie.

Verdict: Totally love this movie. I had so much fun and I caught it twice already. Just imagine a mash up of Matrix and Inception but I rather you experience it for yourself on a trippy ride. Score: 8.5/10

Pranika gave it a thumbs up even before watching the movie. Magical indeed.

Both Jerry and Laurence loved it and to top it off, they caught me snoring for 3 seconds :p

3 more days left. You can have the opportunity to enjoy the Flavours of USA which will end on 5th November. Head down to Tasek Brasserie and feel the spirit of US as the US election is just near the corner.

the Flavours of the USA promotion is available at the hotel’s all day dining restaurant Tasek Brasserie from 6.30pm to 10pm.

For your info, the buffet is priced at BND 39 adult and BND 19 children (4-11 yrs) and the spread is pretty good too. You will get the see the different names being given to the dishes and it relates to the menu being served in the US.

The menu collection originated from the well known dishes along Route 66.

For Baiduri Card holders, you can enjoy special discounts (20%). So head down to Tasek Brasserie or call 224 4272 ext 8872.

The welcoming party for the arrival of Dananjaya Hettiarachchi at Brunei International Airport yesterday

Each year, the Toastmasters Semi-Annual District Conference culminates in the final round of the Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contest, where the District Champion is chosen. In this exciting event, 30 English & Mandarin contestants from Brunei, Labuan, East Malaysia and Indonesia deliver 5 to 7 minute humorous speeches and 3 minutes evaluation on a test speaker that are judged by a panel of experienced Toastmasters. After few months of competing in club, area and division these contestants have advanced for the chance to win this prestigious accolade.

This year, Brunei was chosen to host the event at Rizqun International Hotel from 29th to 30th October. As an integral part of the conference, educational workshops are conducted by renowned public speakers, trainers and industrial leaders. For the first time, the conference will feature 2 World Champions of Public Speaking, Dananjaya J. Hettiarachchi (Sri Lanka), and Darren Tay (Singapore) who deliver his semifinal speech and Past President of Toastmasters International, Muhammed Murad (Dubai). Other featured speakers include Soon Loo, CEO of Darussalam Enterprise and a local professional speaker Stuart Lee, a productive trainer and consultant. There are also two Mandarin speakers – Lu Li Ming (Sandakan) and Liw Hui Peng (Bintulu) for the Mandarin session. This is bound to be the biggest Toastmasters event ever in Brunei Darussalam

The customary of bringing our international guests to Brunei – Jing Chew

Thank you for hosting us, Pondok Sari Wangi. Both Dananjaya and Mohammed Murad loved the food last night.

Dalton Lim (left) helping out in welcoming international delegates for the Brunei Conference 2016. Around 110 international delegates will be in Brunei this weekend 😀

The event is jointly organized by local Toastmaster clubs namely The Brunei Speakers’ Club, Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, Oil Town Talkers Toastmasters Club and Universiti Brunei Darussalam Toastmasters Club. “The Brunei conference hopes to inspire youths to be confident communicator and leader as part of their daily lives so he or she can empower others. These are the reasons why I selected such speakers to be part of the biggest toastmasters event in Brunei.” shared by Organizing Chairman, Rano Iskandar. In line of Rano’s vision, the conference is open to members of the public. Tickets for full day educational session are available at BND120 and BND50 for contest. While tickets for tertiary/university students are priced at BND50 and BND35 for secondary students. For more event, speaker and venue details, visit http://d87bruneiconference.com or view the agenda in the few pages pages.

Progresif and Itsybytes with the Progresif brochure where some pages have augmented reality features. Check them out

Augmented reality is here….. Woohooo.. I’ve came across this at IT events a few years ago and I was kinda interested with this idea. Basically it turns one dimensional page alive 😀 All you need is an app and of course, the paper or brochure has to be programmed to create the 3D effect.

This morning I had the privilege to have a coffee talk with Progresif and Itsybytes, an IT company at Starbucks Coffee at Beribi.

Present were Roger Plahay, Progresif’s Chief Financial Officer, Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer and the founder and representatives of Itsybytes.

Progressive partnered with Itsybytes to create an interactive feel to Progresif’s brochure which is published quarterly. So in the edition of Oct to December, some of the pages in Progresif’s brochure has elements of augmented reality which gives the readers a different experience on the knowledge while reading the brochure.

Devin believes that this will spur more creativity in Brunei alone and this will also helped SMEs to venture out with newer, creative ideas to get their message across to the community, using different kinds of reach. Progresif has been working closely with Itsybytes for a year and finally both of them have synergise their strengths to make it more impactful and meaningful for readers and also potential clients in the future.

Do check out the latest Progresif brochure and tell me what you think.

Some of the examples how the Augmented Reality will look like on your tablet or smartphone

The latest brochure from Progresif

It’s happening now until the 9th November 2016 at the ground floor of Hua Ho Manggis Mall. They are having an Electrical Roadshow and you can enjoy discounts on certain brands such as Tefal, Toshiba, Sony, Canon, Philips and many more.

There are some flat screens on sales as well. I’ve been eyeing on some brands since my LG one needs replacement. It’s the best time to shop and enjoy their discounts. I believe Tefal offers up to 15% discount and for other brands is 10% discount. For bonus items, there will be 20% discount.

So check out Hua Ho Electrical Roadshow at Manggis Mall. You can follow @huahosymb for more updates.

Those interested in SYMB Bonus card. Check out the details

Jack Chin of Sejalin Living briefing on the HÅG chairs during the road show in Seria last month. He’s the best person to ask on ergozones’ products

All ergozones’ products are designed to make sure you won’t have to sit still or known as, “Dynamic Ergonomics”. At Sejalin, the chairs encourage healthy micro-movements and give you exactly the right support in relation to your size and weight, so it can contribute to the improved well being and productivity of the user. To put it simply, our solutions contribute to the well-being of people – and this in turn helps the productivity of their businesses.

I want talk about the HÅG chairs. The brand itself established back in 1943 and HÅG has been successfully perfecting the art of developing innovative ways of evolving office chair design concepts. Let’s just say that it provides a better seating solution especially those who tend to sit longer. Very ideal for people like myself who spent hours on the computer. These aren’t just your typical chairs and I can assure you that HÅG chairs redefines your sitting pleasure and reduces the stress points with posture related symptoms.

I’ve tried for a week or so and it might take some time to get use to it but once, you get the hang of it, this is the perfect chair. The HÅG chair goes deeper that that. Plenty of research have been conducted to perfect the ergonomics of the chair and furthermore, HÅG have award winning designs. I personally like the HÅG Capisco model.

Drop by Sejalin showroom to find out more on the ergonomics at office and consult with the Product Specialist on the ergonomic solution to fit your needs from height-adjustable tables and ergonomic chairs/accessories.

Sejalin is a Master Retailer for the following ergonomic brands:

Scandinavian Business Seating: RBM, RH and HÅG (Chairs)
Duba B8 (Height adjustable tables)
Posturite (Accessories)

Do visit their showroom at Shop No1. Ground Floor, Spg 41-1-12, Kg Kiarong or catch them on their Facebook Page or IG @sejalin.living

HÅG Capisco. My kind of chair.

The HÅG helps with your posture without you realising

You can have different texture of the model

I like the Duba B8 table. It can adjust the height to your level of comfort

The earlier customers yesterday at McDonald’s Gadong

An efficient queueing system deployed

What a successful event yesterday at McDonald’s outlets Gadong and Jerudong Drive-Thru yesterday!! All the 2,000 Egg McMuffin with Chicken Roll burger were all done by 9ish am.

I made a two hour visit to Gadong outlet and watched the crowd trickling in. What I am impressed is the queue control. So you won’t see loads of crowd rush especially when collecting coupons.

This was part of the National Breakfast Day hosted by McDonald’s and Brunei is one of the latest country to be part of this initiative.

There were a lot of youth, students and even families that showed up yesterday. It’s also a good reminder to all that McDonald’s is open from 7am for breakfast. According to Noor Hafila Salleh, Marketing Executive of McDonald’s Brunei.

Well done to McDonald’s Brunei on introducing this finally to the locals. Let’s hope for another round next year 😀

Guess who were queueing up yesterday

Taken at McDonald’s Jerduong

She had the 1,000th coupon at McDonald’s Jerudong

The crew have been working since 2am to cater to the customers

The vendors at Jerudong Beach

I had the 1,000th coupon one at McDonald’s Gadong 😀

Roughly almost 400 participants joined the Canon Photomarathon 2016 hosted by Interhouse Company and it was held at Serambi Batil Ballroom at the Brunei Handicraft Centre in town. I kinda like the venue here and it’s the first time I actually experienced the atmosphere here.

There will be three themes involved in this year’s competition and it’s a tradition to have three themes which lasts two hours each.

The Grand Prize will be the photo clinic in Japan which is worth USD5,000. There will be also prizes for each of the themes. The first prize will be a EOS 80D 118-55mm, the second prize will be the EOS M3 EFM 18-55mm and the third prize is the Pixma MG7770 AIO.

I also get the chance to feel the new EOS 5D Mark IV… It’s superb and lighter than my 3 year old camera, the 5D Mark III. The Canon’s newest EOS 5D Mark IV takes image quality to the next stage indeed. It also delivers a 4K performance.. Nooiceee.. It shoots at 7 frames per second and it has a built in wifi and in-built GPS. Let’s see if I’m ready for an upgrade. We shall see. I shall be posting the results of the Canon Photomarathon 2016 soon too.

Good luck, Mr. Kurapak!!!

I’m already in love in the first sight.. The Canon 5D Mark IV

It’s posing time 😀

Who will win the prizes sponsored by Canon?

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof, Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports with Cho Won Myun, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam during the Korean Festival launch at Times Square Shopping Centre last Friday

Officiating the launch

From sour Kimchi and delicate sand art by “Mr Chai” to neck-breaking numbers by popular Korean group K-Tigers, the Korean Festival 2016 kicks off with a high note during its launching last Friday. Today (Sunday) will be the final day.

Held at the Times Square Shopping Centre, Berakas, the event was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was graced by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof. Present were the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam Cho Won Myun and Times Square General Manager Amal Majidah Hj Suhaili.

During his welcoming remarks, Cho shared such events will help to facilitate cultural exchanges between two countries. “This will further strengthen the friendship between our two countries,” he added. The festival was co-organised by South Korean Embassy, Times Square and Korea Foundation, and will end this Sunday.

On top of that, the public is welcomed to drop by at the ground floor atrium of the complex and participate in various activities such as the lucky draw that grants a total of four tickets to Seoul, Korea. Other activities include cooking and make-up demonstrations, Korean traditional games, K-pop dancing performance by members of Korean Cultural Club, Korean food eating contest and quizzes. Text by Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of Times Square Shopping Centre Facebook Page.

Sand art by Mr. Chai

K-Tigers performance, the highlight of the Korean Festival

Even the crowd were being engaged

K-Pop dance

Click image to enlarge