This is first time that I’ve taken supplements because of the key word that caught my eye – anti-aging. I never really heard of this particular supplement but ZELL-V have been in the region in Malaysia and Singapore. Did you know that health business is one of the booming industry other than cosmetics? I hardly give so much emphasis on my health but I was already aware that health is one thing I should make priority in my life. It’s always sad to hear of people dying of certain illness and I rather not be part of that statistics.

What caught my attention also was that this ZELL-V soft gels are able to rejuvenate cells so organs and glands in our body can function as if they are new. Hence this is one of the factors that will lead to anti-aging. For instance, if you have problems with our liver, if you consistently consume ZELL-V, there will be improvement in that particular organ as mentioned by Mr. Simon Hooi, ZELL-V Global Head of Health and Wellness Department.

Not to worry as ZELL-V is approved by the Ministry of Health and for your info, ZELL-V outlet is now officially opened in Brunei back in January and the responses have been quite overwhelming.

I bought myself one box of ZELL-V soft gels and tried it for a month. Some of my friends did notice small changes though I can’t really tell since I don’t really look at myself at the mirror *lol* Energy wise it has improved but of course, the emotional side is a different matter :p So now I ended up buying two more boxes to last me a few more months and according to Elliott Pang, ZELL-V International Business Development Executive, it will take at least 3 months to see the difference.

If you have any questions or need more details, you can click here. The ZELL-V store is located on the 1st floor, Rizqun International Hotel (next to Tourism Malaysia office). You can 245 7668 for more details.

This will be one of the common words you here or see from me

I started with one box then I ended up stocking up for the next few months

Did you know this Malaysian celebrity is one of the ambassador for Zell-V? So this really says a lot about the product

Before I bought my Zell-V soft gels, I had a quick blood check

These are the cells in my body and this is not considered healthy *lol* The cells are clogged up and I show some sign of cholesterol too *oo oo*

Do you know that ZELL-V platinum cells are extracted from sheep placenta and not to worry as the sheep cells are easily accepted by human cells without any rejections

And yes, ZELL-V is certified Halal as well

The only downside is that the pills or tablets are freaking huge to my liking.. It’s also important that you consume tons of water as these can get heaty for some people.

Since I can’t swallow huge pills easily, I made used of different soft food to assist me in my challenge. The egg tart did the trick

I even tried using sushi for my pills during my lunch at Kitaro Restaurant

But it’s always been a tradition that I consume most of my pills with bananas… The “kedai runcit” near my house must be thinking why I keep buying bananas from time to time *lol*

In conjunction with the EPL Maters Football presented by b.mobile, AD Sports Event Management are offering an unbeatable promotion from Fitness Zone for the month of March. Sign up for a 1 year membership for only $600 and you’ll also receive a $59 ticket for EPL Masters and a guaranteed exclusive workout session with the players. Offer valid for the 1st 50 New Members only. Call ADSEM on 8231333.

The Pesta Santai Muara 2012 (PSM 2) is set to be launched on March 23 and will run till March 25.

It is being organised for the second time by the Village Consultative Council of Kampong Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun and Pelumpong (MPK Muara), in collaboration with their appointed event manager Cityneon Displays and Construction Sdn Bhd, with the guidance and support from the Brunei Tourism’s KNK section.

The MPK Muara, led by Pg Hj Mohamed bin Pg Hj Othman @ Osman, the Chairman of the MPK Muara, would like to extend their invitation to residents for the Pesta Santai Muara and provide the opportunity to partake in the fun and games whilst enjoying some quality family time and giving back to the community. The theme for this year’s PSM is ‘Responsible Tourism for All’, with the ideology of respecting and taking care of the places we visit, starting with a beach clean-up this weekend at Pantai Muara, on March 18 entitled ‘I love my pantai’.

Besides the logo and mascot, another new development is the closing of the main entry road to Pantai Muara for all visitors, except members of the working committee, a conclusion reached by the Traffic Investigation and Control Department. Members of the public are encouraged to cooperate and not park within 200 yards of Pantai Muara, to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

The promotional poster for Pesta Pantai Muara 2012

There will, however, be two designated parking areas on the way to Pantai Muara namely at the Muara Port carpark and Muara Health Centre, with free shuttle buses provided to accommodate the needs of the public.

Those who have disabled or elderly passengers on board will be allowed to drop their respective passengers at the entrance to Pantai Muara, but will then be instructed to make a U-turn and park in the designated areas provided by the working committee.

Fun and edutainment opportunities for the young and old throughout the three-day festival, will begin at Sam. Entry to Pantai Muara is free, however, certain activities will require the purchase of tickets, with prices ranging from $2-3 per entry, per person.

PSM 2 will also be giving visitors a chance to win an exciting array of prizes, by buying lucky draw tickets (with part of the proceeds being donated to the relevant charities and organisations) which are priced at $2 each. There will be 10 lucky draw winners each day, with an extra Grand Prize on the final day. The draws will be conducted at 4pm daily.

These are the mascots for next week’s event

The promotional campaign for PSM 2 is currently underway, with listeners of 91.4 Pelangi FM, RTB standing a chance to win entry tickets for the Cat Show, House of Reptiles and the Ghost House for answering the PSM 2 radio quiz on air throughout this week.

Other activities include a RC4WD Brunei Challenge Trophy 2012, Pesta Santai Muara Master Chef Challenge, Beach Football Tournament, a Bike Show, organised by the Bersatu Bikers Club and plenty of other games specifically tailored for children.

The opening ceremony for PSM 2 will begin at 7.30am, with the arrival of the guest of honour, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri SetiaAwg Hj Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, where he will officially launch the Pesta Santai Muara 2012 logo and mascot, YuYu D’Penyu’.

The Health Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Health would like to kindly advise members of the general public to take the appropriate measures to protect themselves from the sun (eg wearing hats, sunglasses and sun block) and to keep themselves hydrated throughout the day.

Those interested in obtaining one of the few designated stalls for food and other local products can contact 8841915/8894338.

Members of the public who have further enquiries about PSM 2 and how to participate in any of the tournaments and activities can contact the PSM 2 team atpestasantaimuara@gmail.com or cityneon@gmail.com, or via the following Facebook groups and pages; pesta santai muara, cityneon bruneidarussalam or mpk muara. Text by Jake Ten of Borneo Bulletin.

Group photo of the committee and sponsors

AV Electronics new store at ITB. Enjoy great discounts for students and teachers

Times Square Shopping Centre has introduced its first ever Times Square Nerf War Tournament last Friday, and ends today, 18th March 2012. The event has drawn vast attention and interest from the public, building up a realistic atmosphere of a warzone in the Atrium, located right in the heart of the shopping complex.

Due to the overwhelming response from the public, the Nerf War will be extended for 4 more days, until 21st March 2012. This is to ensure that everyone will be able to be a part of this excitement and thrill of the game, which has gained popularity among the Bruneian community.

In-conjunction with the school holidays this March 2012 to create more activities for the children and teenagers; Times Square has announced that there will be an extension for public play, where children and adults alike are invited to take part in for only $5 per match, inclusive of goggles and blasters. Those who have their own goggles or blasters will be charged at only $3 per game of 3 rounds.

Times Square Shopping Centre is a modern and innovative kind of shopping centre in Brunei Darussalam, reachable from the airport in less than 3 minutes’ driving distance. With international brands, food and beverages, children edu-tainment area and hotel, Times Square is a one stop shopping centre for everybody. Please call 2338208/ 2338006 for further information.

It was one way traffic for DPMM FC as Wardun, DPMM FC’s keeper was hardly troubled in goal. Goal scorers were Shahrazen, Basiru, Santos and substitute Helmi. Jozef Kaplan of Geylang United scored the consolation through a penalty.

The result means that DPMM FC are at the peak of the table with 3 wins and 1 draw while Geylang Utd suffered their 4th loss in a row (Is it their worst run in S.League history?). Next game will be against Harimau Muda on Thursday 22nd March at Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore. The match is rumoured to be shown live on Astro Arena channel.

Coach Simunic was smiling after the final whistle and he was proud of his players’ performance on the pitch. “I’m very happy that we are on top (even if for a day) and now we have to focus on Harimau Muda next week. We made one little mistake and when the game was 2-1, anything can happen in football. I feel sorry for Wardun tonight because it could have been a clean sheet.”

Great job once again on DPMM FC on topping the table after four games. Almost two years of hiatus, this is considered a remarkable comeback for DPMM FC in the S.League.

The motivational “cuddle” before kick off

Simunic is always animated on the pitch

He’s a true supporter for HBT U-21 and DPMM FC. He never missed a single match. Awesome!

Santos celebrated his first goal for the club

Don’t forget that Royal Brunei Airlines will be flying daily to Melbourne starting next week 😀

The usual spot if I’m not taking photos on the field

Osman Basiru is in great scoring form but he tends to slow down to help back the midfielders

A happy Simunic expressed his joy as DPMM FC top the S.League table

Check this out next week!!! Email to pi.bensim@gmail.com for more details

Click image to enter survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated

Hello readers of RA. Did you know the government is running a survey on the “Reading Culture of Brunei Society”? I only became aware of this recently and they have started doing a nationwide survey to all Brunei citizens from the age of 9.

The objectives of the survey are to understand in depth the reading habits and behaviours of readers; to identify the cause and effect of reading deficiency among readers and to assess impact of reading to academic development and to assess the impact of other media to reading habit.

This survey is open to all Bruneians until 31st May 2012. The public can access to the online survey from this website www.readingculture.gov.bn. The questionnaires are available in both English and Malay.

Organised by BEDB. So get your ideas expressed and exposed 🙂

[Paintball report from Aammton Alias] Come rain, sunshine, hail and snow, we will continue to play paintball, whilst continue our struggle for Paintball accepted in Brunei, since 2004 ! The team Southern Cobra of Brunei along with the Madpaintball group continues to organise events outside of Brunei every month in Labuan. The aim is to prepare as many teams to play professional international Tournament Paintball.

We do our best to see the positive side of our sad paintball situation.. only the Dedicated continue to play. Southern Cobra has fielded teams in the Nation Cup 2004, World Cup Asia 2005 and World Cup Asia 2006. After a long break, we managed to play in the the last World Cup Asia 2011 in Langkawi. World Cup Asia 2011 attracted 140 teams from all over the world.

The team had just participated in the Paintball Asia League Series also known as PALS, which is a well established international paintball league series in Asia, where teams from all over the world hone their skills and measure themselves against those who are determined to win. The last tournament PALS Thailand was 1st – 4th March 2012.

These games are fast (6 minutes for two games) and are not to be confused with ‘woodsball or jungle games’ . Every team needs 5 players plus up to 2 substitutes, 2 pit crew whose roles are to prepare the players and equipment before and after the games & a coach to give directions from the designated area during the gameplay. There is a lot of shouting of codes and signals between players and coaches. The amount of tactics varies so differently between the various teams.

To watch the games itself gives a euphoric rush of adrenaline, so why don’t you imagine playing it. Some of the new Southern Cobra players had tremor hands before their games!

Bruneians making friends with Canadians

Fairul with his stunt move during the paintball action

The Southern Cobra break

Southern Cobra during Thomas Taylor clinic

The team had a wonderful opportunity to train before hand with Thomas Taylor who is a professional paintball in one of the best teams in the world called XSV. During this clinic, our team along with a Canadian team was taught some of the secrets of playing tournament paintball.

Paintball doesn’t stop, it lives us and we live it. As soon as we arrive back from Bangkok, a different set of players from the Southern Cobra team went to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to play in an international regional paintball tournament called the Sabah Paintball Series, reaching the quarterfinals. Southern Cobra had sent two teams this time instead of fielding one team. The whole event was about coordinating resources. We were quite happy to receive a Singaporean guest player ‘Irwan’ who turned out to help us with his in depth knowledge of tournament paintball and tactics.

Sabah Paintball Series Broadcast will be on this Sunday (18/03/2012) on TVI ASTRO Channel 180 6.30pm. We hope to send at least 3 Brunei teams to the World Cup Asia 2012, Langkawi ( 8 – 11th November 2012).

Do you care to join us ? Facebook Madpaintball Events or Brunei Paintballers. Text by Aammton Alias

The bird’s eye view of the paintball action

Team Southern Cobra

The Singapore Scholarship is back again!!!! Last year, Muhd Kamaaredzwan Kamarudin earned himself a scholarship at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). So who will be the chosen one this year?

Muhd Kamaaredzwan Kamarudin receiving his award from Singapore High Commissioner Joseph Koh

Singapore High Commissioner Joseph Koh with the previous Singapore Scholars with Danial Phua, Second Secretary of Singapore High Commission (far right)

Click image to enlarge poster. It’s happening next week. Highly recommended

T.C.Y. Motors Sdn Bhd recently launched the new Audi A6 Sedan at the Times Square shopping mall last night, after it was unveiled by the guest of honour Director of Land Transport Department, Hj Khalid Hj Mustafa together with TCY Motors chairman Teng Chin Yeng. Also present was Hambali, Sales Manager of TCY Motors.

The new 7th generation Audi A6 is the most advanced sedan in its executive class. Constructed with ultra lightweight technology, the new A6 is 80kg lighter than its predecessor, resulting in less work for the engine and therefore less fuel consumption.

The all new Audi A6 for Brunei will be equipped with distinctive full LED headlights and rear lights, Audi’s Side Assist rear blind spot detection, parking aid with reversing camera, electromechanical parking brake, power start button and exclusive 19 inch wheels among other features.

For more details, you can visit the T.C.Y. Motors showroom.

The guest of honour and the chairman of TCY Motors unveiling the new Audi A6 Sedan at Times Square

The new Audi A6 Sedan

Hambali Hj Salleh, Teng Chin Yeng and Hj Khalid Hj Mustafa

Dinner was held at Times Square for the official launch of Audi A6

Guests of TCY Motors were also invited to witness the launch

John Tan taking a picture while Amy was being entertained by Fakhrul Razi

Amy was so shy when he sang a line with her name in it

He was the emcee and also the entertainer of the night. Awesome job, dude!!

The guests had opportunity to check out the Audi A6 Sedan

The Audi A1 was also being displayed

Recently T.C.Y. Motos Sdn Bhd as the local Audi dealer/importer held a hand-over ceremony of sponsored t-shirts to the Brunei Ladies Golf Association (BLGA) at its administration office located at the new Audi showroom building in Kiarong.

20 lady golfers from the BLGA will be competing this weekend in the 14th Borneo Ladies Golf Challenge Trophy to be held at the Miri Golf Club, the previous tournament was hosted by the BLGA in Brunei Darussalam.

Datin Seri Utama Hjh Rosnah binti Abdullah as the Chairlady of BLGA was on hand to receive the t-shirts from TCY Motors Chairman Mr. Teng Chin Ying. Datin expressed her appreciation & thanks for the support which will hopefully continue in the near future.

The Audi brand is an active supporter of the sport of golf and holds its own annual global tournament the Audi quattro Cup, this year the World Finals will be held in South Africa in November. The Audi quattro CupBrunei now in its third year is scheduled to be held in September.

Datin Seri Utama Hjh Rosnah binti Abdullah as the Chairlady of BLGA was on hand to receive the t-shirts from TCY Motors Chairman Mr. Teng Chin Ying

Who knows you will be able to watch Euro 2012 live this June 😀

Here are the ticket prices throughout the period. Hence it’s cheaper if you buy sooner 😀

A plague presentation ceremony for sponsors of the 2012 English Premier League (EPL) Masters Football Tournament Brunei Cup was held last month at the Members Grill of the Empire Hotel & Country Club in Jerudong.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid Hj Mohd Jaafar, graced the ceremony and also presented the plaque to all the sponsors.

Also in attendance were Brunei Tourism Board CEO Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, and former Liverpool player, Dietmar Hamann, here in Brunei as the ambassador of the EPL Masters.

The sponsors for this year’s tournament are: NBT Brunei Sdn Bhd and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) platinum sponsors; Airport Mall silver sponsor; Fitness Zone – health partner; while Royal Brunei Airlines official airline; The Brunei Times, official media; Ranoadidas.com, official blog; Armtrix Enterprise, official merchandiser.

The event partners include the Empire Hotel & Country Club, Candidsyndrome Brunei, Cooltones, Aewon Brunei and Imperial Sports.

The football tournament is a sport event organised by Ad Sports Event Management (ADSEM) and Masters Football Asia, and is presented by telecommunication provider B-Mobile Communications Sdn Bhd.

It is supported by the MCYS, Brunei Tourism Board, and the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD).

The tournament will kick-start on April 21, and tickets are available for sale already. For more information, call 8231333. Text by Anwar Rosly of The Brunei Times.

Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid and Sheikh Jamaluddin were present during the sponsorship ceremony

b.mobile is one of the major sponsors for the EPL Masters 2012

NBT (Toyota) is one of the sponsors as well for this year. You can win a Lexus CT 200H!!

Royal Brunei Airlines Deputy Chairman//Acting CEO Dermot Mannion talking to Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid. Royal Brunei Airlines is the official airline for EPL Masters Football Brunei Cup 2012

Irshad Ahamed, Manager of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Brunei with Dietmar Hamann. SCB is one of the sponsors for the event

Aewon is one of the sponsors as well

A fan taking a picture with Dietmar Hamann

Candid Syndrome is the official photographer for the event

Armtrix Enterprise is the official merchandiser for the event

Dietmar Hamann and Idham Abas of Adsem

Dato Paduka Hj Hamid and Dietmar Hamann posing with the trophy

Group photo with the sponsors

Now this should be fun. Empore Open Beach Futsal 2012 Champioship

This has been a dragging affair where paintball enthusiasts have been struggling with the authorities in legalising paintball. I remember a few years ago, there were a few illegal paintball activities held in the country until the authorities became aware and took action.

Then Labuan became a place where organisers and individuals felt much safer to play paintball tournaments. The urge is definitely there but there’s no avenue where we can have such tournament in Brunei.

In today’s paper (Borneo Bulletin), it was reported during the #LegCo8 that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports doesn’t opposed the paintball but it is still a huge question mark why no license or approval have been granted to the paintball operators. I’m pretty sure that the Ministry have looked into this matter and accessing the equipments used for paintball. If you asked me, I don’t see any danger apart from the small bruise marks you get at worst.

I posted some pictures taken in the recent paintball tournament.. Not to worry (to the Brunei authorities) as this event was held in the UK, not Brunei. For many occasions, Brunei students studying in the UK, organised paintball tournaments and the participation is always overwhelming and is there a negative thing that came out on these activities? I’m sure they have more sophisticated equipments than the ones we have here in Brunei. So what’s the big deal in allowing such activities to be approved in Brunei? Mind you even the organisers managed to get sponsors from BSP and Brunei LNG and DST and this shows such big organisations show support to such activity and focus on the brighter sight of things. I do hope the Ministry and the authorities take this matter seriously for the sake of the youth in Brunei.

His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei was being briefed by Kalel of Prosynergy Paintall at BRIDEX 2011

In other great news, Nerf tournaments have been raising in popularity and the youth have been investing their nerf guns too. Of course, nothing beats paintball in this category but this is the next best thing which the authorities won’t have objections to it.

For your info, today Times Square will be hosting a Nerf Tournament as part of the school holiday programme and it starts from today till Sunday, 18th March. Do check out the poster below for details.

The organisers setting up for the tournament last night

This article was written by Fatin Safri. The 25th of February 2012 marked an important day in the calendar for Bruneian students around the UK. It was seen as an opportunity to celebrate ‘Negaraku Brunei Darussalam’, Brunei’s 28th National Day. This very reason united 200 students from different Brunei UK societies at Warped Cosford Paintball Site. The annual BBSS Paintball Tournament was back in it’s sixth run, and with a fiery hot vengeance.

The teams participating were ‘BruWick’, Bruneians in Warwick, ‘Team Trolls’, a group with members from Newcastle, Birmingham and London, ‘Bradham Havoc’ from Bradford and Nottingham, ‘Rolling Thunder’ composed of students from London, Sheffield, Manchester and Loughborough. Wales sent their ‘Welsh Guards’ while Loughborough sent ‘Lufbru Elite’ and Keele sent the ‘Chronic Keelers. The BBSS sent ‘Birm Reapers’ and ‘Bru Bots’. Some teams included players from the local community, to share the patriotic values in celebrating Brunei’s National Day.

After the teams settled in and geared up for the tournament, the marshals’ called for a briefing. The game this year was different. Instead of the usual ‘Capture the Flag‘ matches played over the years, the organizers decided to introduce scenario-based objectives, which meant that teamwork and quick-thinking was crucial in achieving the goals. Rules and gameplay were only explained in the battle zone. As the message started sinking in, teams started discussing tactics and strategies to lessen the possibility of being dominated. Feelings of excitement, anxiousness and for some, fear were shared amongst one another. In front of them, the gleam of forty-eight gold miniature paintballers stood, waiting for those worthy of them.

The winning trophies were sponsored by BSP and Brunei LNG

The participants being briefed before the tournament

Let the action begin

As the first two teams were called out on to the battlefield, Rolling Thunder and Bru Bots made themselves known. While Bru Bots waited to go through the army netting to get their guns, most of Rolling Thunder were already equipped with their own e-markers and distinct attire. The team consisted of players from last year’s winning team. However the look on their faces said it all- they didn’t know what to expect. Bru Bots was mentally prepared, knowing that there was no place for the faint-hearted in this game. In a different division, Bradham Havoc and Birm Reapers took their places on a different map Supporters and volunteers followed as spectators, watching intently from the ‘dead zone’.

It proved to be a hard competition, many matches ending in close results, as all the teams had their own unique specialties. While like Rolling Thunder, Welsh Guards were reputable for being a strong team, Lufbru Elite and the BBSS teams had once won the tournament. Bradham Havoc was known to be a serious contender, while first timers BruWick, Team Trolls and Chronic Keelers highly exceeded expectations with winning streaks.

Hours passed, and although pellets were depleting and the energy of the players were diminishing, there was an adrenalin rush, victory being the reason for some, for most it was an intense, eager enjoyment of what had happened and what was coming next. They cherished the little breaks in between that was used to rest, pray, making and catching up with friends over steaming cups of hot chocolate in the cold weather.

As points were accumulating on the scoreboard, there were not one, but two teams tied in first place. There were also two teams tied in second place. An epic battle ensued to be a tie-breaker, and as the games ended, the winners were evident. Third place belonged to the Welsh Guards. Captain Isa Sukarni thanked his teammates while cheers filled the air, and commented;

“On behalf of the BDSSW, I’d like to thank the Brunei Birmingham Students Society for organizing yet another ‘paintastic’ event. Personally, attending the event for the third straight year, I found it to be the best yet, and I’m sure I can say the same for the rest of the team. Even though third place was just as good as first for us, we’ll be sure to come again next year and get a higher spot on that podium.”

The Welsh Guards celebrating their victory

Chronic Keelers came 2nd place in the BBSS Paintall Tournament

Rolling Thunders, Champions of the BBSS Paintball Tournament 2012

Second Place went to the Chronic Keelers. On being handed the trophy, captain Fadhli Al-Shokry was ecstatic, saying;

“It’s a good experience participating in the tournament and it was an unexpected success for the Chronic Keelers as this was the first time that we are participating as a team but seems like the teamwork and commitment has brought in success. Chronic Keelers would like to thank BBSS for the amazing event and hope to meet again in the years ahead. It would be nice one day to see this sport being practiced in the homeland, Brunei Darussalam.

BBSS Players and volunteer hoodies were sponsored by DST

The winners of the tournament emerged to be Rolling Thunder, Second time first-place winner captain, Fadhlan Yakob later stated;

“I would say it was just alright. No big deal. We won. Okay, who am I kidding? WE WON! The committee was responsive and really good in organizing the event. The fact that they have managed to secured sponsorship for the event just shows how dedicated the organizers in making the event a success. We had so much fun during the event and best of all is we celebrated our National Day in this fashion. On the other hand, our team has done so much preparation and training. We even bought 4 walkie-talkies just to improve our sense of communication in the field!” – Text by Fatin Safri and images courtesy of Brunei Birmingham Students Society.

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With the school holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan your next family getaway. Spend as little as B$10.00net per person from the hotel’s fantastic selection of food and beverage, patrons can have a splash in the pool and relax. This offer is available everyday from 9am to 4pm.

Food and beverage selection includes international buffet breakfast or lunch at B$18.00net per person and our sandwiches or slices of cakes from the counter ranging from B$5.00net per slice.

“Complimentary use of the swimming pool is normally for guests who are staying in the hotel. We are offering to all Brunei residents the opportunity to have a splash, enjoy our selection of food and beverage and at the same time relax by our pool during this school break”, said Peter Feran, General Manager. Children from 10 years old and below swim with accompanying adults swim for free.

A special room rate is also available at only B$132.00net per room per night from 16 to 25 March.

Check in Radisson during the holiday break

Check out the new Chevrolet Spark coming soon to Brunei market. It will be available in auto and manual. Best Value Car of the year by BS Motoring-Chevrolet Sparks. The Chevrolet Spark has been named “Best Supermini 2011” by Wheels magazing, one of the leading auto publications disturbed in the UAE. The Chevrolet Spark was the top performing passenger vehicle in the 2011 Synovate Product Quality Awards.

If you want more inquiry, you can call 673-2426205, 2426206 and 2426207 at GHK Motors Sdn Bhd.

The Chevrolet Spark coming soon!!!

The Good.

1. HSBC (Brunei) is NOT exiting any markets in Asia. This news came to a surprise after there were some comments in relation to HSBC in Brunei in a recent media which has not been substantiated. Hence, HSBC Brunei is here to clarify that HSBC Brunei will continue its commitment to Brunei Darussalam.

HSBC’s presence in Brunei has been significant and they will continue to invest and grow in Asia as evidenced by their strong financial performance in 2011. HSBC Brunei have a strong market position and they have worked tirelessly with the Government, regulators and customers.

Do look forward exciting new campaigns from Retail Banking and Wealth Management and exclusive Corporate Banking and Global Markets events. HSBC – World’s Local Bank.

2. Great buzz from Social Deal. It has been finalized; www.SocialDeal.com.bn is officially giving out an iPad2 16GB (with Krusell Case + Screen Protector) & 3x 750GB PQi HDDs (sponsored by Cooltones/3g.com.bn). Aside from that, stand to win 10x QQeStore Vouchers worth B$10 each, 10x Easi/Bmobile Recharge cards worth B$10 each, 10x SocialDeal Credits worth B$10 each! All you have to do is ‘Subscribe & Register’ with them for FREE OF CHARGE @ http://socialdeal.com.bn/customer/account/create/ & wait for the instructional mail to hit your mailbox on 15th March!

SocialDeal Brunei, throughout its 8 months’ operation has surprisingly saved Bruneians over B$100,000+ in value through some 3400+ coupon experiences! Not to mention the tonnes of great stuffs we get to see, do & taste in Brunei with them at knockdown pricings. From Japanese Food, Thai Food, Ladies Deals, Fitness Deals, they never failed to amaze the public with the great savings they offer by utilizing the people’s group power!

Now they’re giving out even more with their FREE registration & subscription campaign in association with Cooltones/3g.com.bn’s sponsorship & support! So what are you waiting for?! I’d say join them now!

Click image to find out more

2. A successful BGIC 2012. As usual, International School of Brunei have successfully turn Borneo Global Issues Conference into a rewarding experience for the participants – almost 300 students of them. More than 3/4 of the participation were from local schools and the newbies have certainly gained a lot from the conference.

As reported in The Brunei Times, most students were pretty quiet until the final two days where the momentum picked up and they were involved in the changing the “resolution”. I hope next year ISB are willing to increase the number of participants due to the huge demand. It was great to see Hugh Evans from Down Under who has inspired students to be a role model in volunteerism. Thumbs up to ISB for bringing a “huge sense of community” to Brunei. Awesome!!

Students were so active and involved during BGIC 2012 which was held at the ICC recently

3. iPads to local schools? This was brought up at the #LegCo8 yesterday by the Minister of Education. Based on Borneo Bulletin’s article today, the Ministry of Education will spend a whooping BND 6 million for schools to use as educational tools. This was highlighted under the e-Hijrah programme.. Interesting…

It seems that iPad is the favourable tablet as compared to Galaxy Tab and other tablets. The presence of technology will definitely changed the perspective of students and I hope this can spur more ideas from them. Thumbs up to the Ministry of Education for this great news.

The question is will it be iPad or iPad 2 or the new iPad. This is also good news to AV Electronics if the Ministry were to appoint them for distribution purposes 🙂

4. Aspire One with HDMI. The stock just arrived yesterday at Concepts Computer and this will surely be a big hit in Brunei because the latest Ace Aspire Netbook has HDMI output as well as bluetooth. The price is also below $500 and Concepts Computer have plenty of stock. Now computers are so cheap which makes it affordable especially for students.

Check out the latest Acer Aspire One at Concepts Computer

5. Samsung SII for $300??? Now that’s a great deal. Though I’m no iPhone user but this is an awesome package not to be missed. Of course, there are terms and conditions but all you have to do is subscribe to b.mobile. Furthermore, you will be given 2 X EPL tickets where you can catch the famous EPL players this coming April. So do check out at b.mobile’s outlet for this great package!!

6. Brunei’s historic achievement in football. Brunei U-21 made history last Friday to become Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 champions since the inaugural of the tournament. This is perhaps the best performance from our Brunei team after the 99′ performance in the Malaysia Cup. The unknown U-21s have now become the superstars of Brunei and they even got an overwhelming response from “Meet the fan” session at Times Square last Sunday.

The victory has definitely put Brunei on the football scene regionally and now the pressure will be on Brunei to continue that momentum. Kudos also to the management and the coaches for guiding and mentoring the U-21s to another level. It was mentioned that they will be having celebrations in other districts – Tutong, Kuala Belait and Temburong.

The Brunei U-21 did a spectacular job throughout the tournament and their journey was supported by the 20,000 strong supporters throughout the tournament. Awesome feeling!!!

7. The emergence of Handball. Yesterday was history in the making as Brunei has another sport that has been inducted and accepted which is handball. It was the official launch of Brunei Handball Federation officiated by HRH Prince Sufri Bolkiah yesterday at the Indoor Stadium. This is another sports to look forward to. More updates soon on the official launch.

These guys were there to do a demo on Handball. I hope to see this sport picking up in popularity.

8. Awesome participation from SCB “Run for a Reason”. To date, there are more than 2,700 who have signed up for Standard Chartered Bank’s “Run for a Reason”. Apparently, the fun run and the 5k runs are still available but the 10K and 21K have limited slots left. I have signed up for the 5K and I can’t wait for the actual day.

The closing date for registration is 18th March 2012 and you can register at scbruneihalfmarathon.com online. For your info, there have been great participation from 11 countries as well. So this isn’t just a run for the locals. The race is just less than four weeks away.. Exciting!!

9. DSTcard going the extra mile. DST have signed up with Reebonz and MAS Wings where customers can enjoy better discounts with under DST loyalty card program. The signing ceremony took place last week and I shall update you further on the deals done between respective parties. For your info, Reebonz is an exclusive online shopping destination offering premier brands especially for the ladies and by using DSTcard, you will be entitled to a 5% discount for any first time purchase.

The signing ceremony took place recently between Reebonz, MASwings and DST at The Empire Hotel

10. Instagram on Android? Apparently this is true and and it claims that the Android app is better than the current iPhone. Interesting…. Though the team didn’t elaborate on what’s the difference so far and right now, the Android app is under private beta.

Did you know there are 27 million users of instagram which is almost doubled the 15 million users it had in December 2011. Amazing!!! I remember my friends who are Android users signed up for the copied version of instagram – “mytubo” but that the flame didn’t last long. So it’s great to see instagram developers allowing this to be made available on Androids and that would mean more “likes” on my pictures *LOL*

Instagram on Android coming soon

11. Rising entrepreneurs receiving funds. I’m so excited because my friend has been awarded a LEAP grant from Brunei Economic Development Board. For your info, the LEAP Grant is an initiative by BEDB to provide funds to entrepreneurs who are creating their own prototype which will be then used for their businesses, let it be service or product. The idea of the funds is to make life easier for them to make their ideas into reality.

Of course, this is no easy process to receive the grant. A lot of procedures were taken into account. More than 20 submitted their applications. 15 were shortlisted to present but only 7 were chosen as the third batch of LEAP grant recipients. Vincent Cheong, CEO of BEDB, congratulated the 7 new recipients and he gave some words of encouragement to them and he said the selection process wasn’t easy at all. It’s good to see BEDB helping start-up companies and let’s hope this can further entice more entrepreneurs in the making 😀

Vincent Cheong (back row, 2nd from right) with the seven recipients of the LEAP grant scheme and associates from BEDB

12. DPMM FC unbeaten run continues. A gritty performance by DPMM FC last Sunday. Though I did expect the crowd not to be as packed as the HBT tournament as there’s a fee involved. The stadium was half full and the cheers were still pretty loud. Mind you the S.League matches in Singapore don’t have a huge crowd as ours.

DPMM FC wasn’t as clinical as they could have scored at least four goals against Albirex if it wasn’t for the heroics of the Japanese keeper. The visitors came to Hassanal Bolkiah, boasting three wins out of three games and DPMM FC ended their winning streak with goals coming from Subhi and Rodrigo. DPMM FC will play bottom team Geylang FC this Friday, 16th March at the National Stadium.

DPMM FC celebrated the winning goal while Rodrigo held the Brunei flag. I was wondering where he placed the flag in the first place. Image by Hayatdee

13. Panna KO is back!!! This was a super hit last year in Brunei and good job for TelBru in organising this tournament. Last year, it drew great participation as well as the crowd who came to watch the Panna KO. The main event will take place at Times Square, The Mall from 30th March to 1st April. So do register from 7th March to 24th March 2012. Go to their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TelBruPannaKO or call their Panna KO Hotline at 232 2100 (office hours). The grand prize – XBOX 360 Kinect.

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The Bad.

1. Poor management of gate control. This is related to HBT2012. This is still lingering in people’s mind. Those who have queued or waited for hours and their successful attempts on grabbing the HBT tickets served no purpose. Why? Because loads of ticket holders ended up being locked out from the stadium due to the full capacity of the stadium.

You can see people waving their tickets and even those with invitations (at covered areas) were not being entertained. By 6:45pm, the gates were closed to prevent overcrowding and I have to say it’s a wise move not to allow more people entering that stadium regardless because of safety issues. But this is really a sad case where ticketing could have been carried out systematically.

I feel sorry for those guys waiting at the gate only to know that they have no chance of entering the stadium despite holding legitimate tickets

2. Roundabout with traffic lights?? I just posted this issue up on instagram, Facebook and Twitter this morning and they have been many responses on the idea of having traffic lights installed for traffic control at the Gadong/Kiulap Roundabout. The responses, as usual, are pretty mixed. Some are in favour, some are not.

Will traffic lights make it difficult for traffic flow? Well, I know for one that it will make it difficult for the inner lane drivers to get out of the lane due to a slow or controlled traffic flow. This is already tricky for the Berakas roundabout which only have two lanes. It will be interesting to see how the traffic flow will be once this comes in place. In my opinion, I’m not in favour of having traffic lights.

The cones were not a popular choice for educating motorists on usage of the Gadong/Kiulap roundabout. So they are planning on installing traffic lights instead.. Fail or unfail?

3. Property ownership. Back in 2009, it was all good. PRs and foreigners were able to own land or property. This time, it was a different story. The “power of attorney” is being abolished by the Government which makes ownership of property difficult or impossible to foreigners. This is a bad sign for Brunei in terms of bringing in more foreign investment to Brunei.

Such move was brought up during the #LegCo8 and these have caused a major uproar among some businessmen/women. This will surely have an impact in the Brunei economy and in my opinion, if the government wants to attract foreign investment, this might not be a considerable move. I hope for a more favourable resolution for PRs and foreigners.

The Ugly.

 1. Disrespecting National Anthems. I was there to witness the appalling behaviour by our own people during the semi-finals of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012. People were mocking and making fun of Myanmar’s National Anthem during the semi-final match between Brunei and Myanmar. I felt so ashamed to experience such sight. I felt sorry for the Myanmar supporters who were backing their football team.

Such behaviour should not be tolerated and I hope the organisers can look into this matter seriously. In fact, the emcee did highlight prior to the finals to show respect during National Anthems and it was a great sight that both Brunei and Indonesia exchanged claps after their respective National Anthems were sung.

2. Water bottle wars (and hooliganism). Need I say more. This is a difficult moment for RUs and the police officers. One thing is that they were outnumbered among the hundreds of unhappy supporters. It doesn’t matter who started the bottle wars but both parties who were involved need to be dealt with by the authorities. There’s no room for violent conduct and I understand their frustrations but it shouldn’t resort to acts of hooliganism.

This is something that it’s gonna be tough to educate especially for those with rage and full of angst. I can’t imagine a match between Malaysia and Indonesia. I hope more stern actions or steps will be taken in the near future to eradicate this problem. Football is suppose to unite nations and bring harmony.

The exchanging of bottles happened between the borders of Brunei and Indonesia supporters. The commotion also happened where people were throwing water bottles from the top end of the stadium to supporters outside the stadium.

3. Public toilets reflect Brunei’s progress? I like this quote from Anakbrunei’s tweet – “The best way to gauge the state of a country is to look at the state of the public toilets”. Well it wasn’t his quote but it was sourced as anonymous. I believe this can be a true reflection depending on your perspective. The public toilets have been appalling to say the least and a few weeks ago, the Brunei Tourism Board did some inspection on the public toilets and gave some grading as well.

There are a few hidden messages in that quote alone and I won’t go into details. I just leave it to you guys to have your own interpretation. By the way, the CEO of Brunei Tourism wasn’t impressed with the conditions of the public toilets located in town. I’m not too sure if any steps have been taken to improve the conditions of the toilets. This could be a worrying matter because I dislike dirty toilets. Period!!!

This is taken at BSB Waterfront. Image courtesy of Aziz Idris

Another turn off at public toilets. Image courtesy of Aziz Idris

4. DVD vendors facing extinction? Ok, these rumours have occurred and hence you will see tons of DVD vendors selling at ridiculous prices. Some at $1, some at 50 cents and pirated Blu-ray ones will go at $3. Now what this fall in the “ugly” is because Brunei has been well known for a dumping ground for pirated goods.

Furthermore, it’s not a crime to buy pirated softwares or DVD for personal use. Hence this culture of buying pirated stuff is seen as accepted in our society. Today’s paper, I came across an article where enforcers are giving a limited time period for the vendors to clear off their pirated CDs. So that clearly explains why these retailers are in a way doing a clearance sale. Let’s see if this is a temporary move as it has been the case in previous years.

Because of the warning, lots of DVD vendors are slashing their prices to attract more sales and customers before the D-Day (or will it not happen eventually?)

5. Suicide cases. I heard of the sad news through Twitter yesterday. One thing that I found in common is that all of them were foreigners. Why is this so? Such cases are hard to determine on the motive of the suicide attempts. A huge question mark also remains on the employers who hired them. These cases are unpredictable too. So far, in the last nine months, they have been 4 suicide cases, all foreigners. Hmmmm..

6. Forgers are sad people. This was one of the main reasons why ticket holders were locked out of the stadium during the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy final. Apparently hundreds of the ticket holders have fake ones where some did a great job in scanning and printing them out. The entrance of the gates were monitored by police officers and ushers but they won’t have a fair idea if it’s genuine or fake. So it’s hard to blame the officers at the gate due to the lack of communication or information given to them.

My suggestion is to improve the ticketing system and perhaps put a value or price on the tickets which I think is a fair move (Please cast your votes on the poll I posted for HBT). This will eliminate the huge surge of crowd especially the fact that Brunei appeared both in the sem-final and final. Let this be a learning lesson for all and I hope those culprits will think twice of duplicating legitimate tickets or passes.

The bigger size ticket in the image is fake. The ushers failed to notice the fake and the genuine tickets of HBT 2012.

7. Boys vs Girls? A few bitter words from both coaches during the interview after the victory of DPMM FC 2-1 over Albirex Niigata FC. Coach Simunic was upset that the fouls were left unpunished and he claimed that his players were physically challenged by the visitors which caused some minor injuries to some of the players. Simunic joked, “We were playing football. They were playing rugby”. I believed that if DPMM FC were to draw or lose, the coach would have used the referee as a focal point.

Albirex Niigata’s Team Manager Koh Mui Tee was unimpressed with Simunic’s views. He retaliated by saying, “I would like to say his players played like girls. They way they fell down. It was disgraceful. Brunei is a difficult place to come to. A win is a bonus, a draw is good and a loss is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The war of words between two coaches – Simunic of DPMM FC and Koh Mui Tee of Albirex Niigata

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All local amateur radio users should be licensed and operate the amateur radio services legally as the figures of current valid amateur radio licencees don’t reflect the actual number of amateur radio users. This was said by Awang Haji Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, the Chief Executive of Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) of Brunei Darussalam.

The Chief Executive of Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam was speaking at the opening of the AITI’s Public Awareness Seminar on Amateur Radio yesterday which took place at The Empire Hotel’s Grand Hall.

The chief guest was YB Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, the Minister of Communications.

Awang Haji Yahkup said in his speech that AITI has been issuing licences to users who operate amateur radio.

“This is to ensure that amateur radio operators abide by the rules, operating terms and conditions and frequency usage. However, looking at the number of valid amateur radio licencees registered with AITI, the figure is relatively quite low and I believe it doesn’t reflect the actual number of amateur radio users,” he said.

“This is due to some illegal users operating this service or users who chose not to renew their licences but still continue to use amateur radio service. Those who do not abide by these rules run the risk of losing his or her licence and individual call sign.

“Anyone found operating without a valid licence can and will be fined under the telecom order,” he warned.

The Minister of Communications Pehin Abdullah (right) with Chief Executive of AiTi Hj Yakhup

Chief Executive of AiTi Hj Yakhup delivering his welcoming remarks

Mr. Peter Brian Lake, an international amateur radio Union Director, Region 3, started off the seminar

Group photo with the Minister of Communications, government officers, AiTi associates and invited speakers

Guests can stand a chance to win great prizes sponsored by AiTi

Following the officiating ceremony by the Minister of Communications, Mr Peter Brian Lake, an international amateur radio Union Director, Region 3 delivered a presentation on ‘Codes of Conduct’ of amateur radio which identified international regulations particularly on areas in Region 3. He also explained about conduct, etiquettes and operating procedure of Amateur Radio. This was followed by another presentation by AITI’s Corporate Legal Manager, Dayang Siti Umi Athirah binti Hj Ra’emi Maleek who spoke on ‘Amateur Radio Rules and Regulations’.

The other two presentations of the day were by Major (Rtd) Haji Tamat bin Hj Lampoh from BDARA and Hj Ayub bin Hj Suhaili from Persatuan Gemilang.

Before concluding the event, AITI also presented prizes to the winners of the recent Amateur Radio Direction Finding Competition which was participated by 10 teams. The winner was Egg Egg Run Group followed by KB Hunter and Black Seeker in third place.

The guest speakers during the Awareness of Radio Amateur

It is prohibited for amateur radio operators in Brunei Darussalam to communicate on subjects pertaining to the government, any religion, politics and race that are sensitive to Brunei Darussalam during radio communication.

Is it also prohibited to have business communication seen as financial matter as well as broadcasting to the community like a DJ.

Siti Umi Athirah binti Hj Ra’emi Maleek, AiTi’s Corporate Legal Manager said that the core function of AITI is to provide licences and regulate telecommunications and radio communications system and services and manage the national spectrum in Brunei Darussalam. It is also to promote the development and growth of the local ICT industry and to represent the country internationally in order to keep pace with global changes and development.

AITI’s Corporate Legal Manage, Siti Umi Athirah, gave some pointers on the don’ts on on radio

One of the functions of AITI is to regulate the provision of telecommunications and radio communications systems and services through Section 6 of the AITI Order 2001 and Section 5 of the Telecommunications Order 2001. The Amateur Radio Station licence is subject to Telecommunications Order 2001 and any other relevant laws of Brunei Darussalam. All amateur radio licence holders must comply with all AITI’s rules and regulations as well as all laws of Brunei Darussalam.

She warned that AITI may revoke the licence for those who fail to comply. She outlined some of the common illegal activities which comprise the selling of amateur radio equipment without licence, unlicensed operations of amateur radio equipment in vehicles and unlicensed operations of amateur radio equipment in premises.

“Any person who operates unlawful and illegal amateur radio activities shall be guilty of an offence under Section 34 and 35 of the Telecommunications Order 2001,” she said. Text courtesy of Jake Ten of Borneo Bulletin.

Proud cat owners showcased their feline companions at the Brunei National Day Cat Show 2012, held at Pusat Belia yesterday, and cat-loving members of the public jumped at the opportunity to snap pictures and have close encounters with some special breeds.

The all-day event was jointly organised by Brunei Meows and Greenfrog Event Management Services.

A total of 30 owners and 35 cats registered for the competition, which was divided into four main categories; the Domestic Longhair (DLH) Category, Domestic Shorthair Category (DSH), Pedigree Category and Cage Decoration Category.

Judging the event was Adilah Roose, a cat breeder and enthusiast who came into the Sultanate from Malaysia, just for the event. She told The Brunei Times that the judging of the day’s event would be “fun-judging in accordance to the standards of the Cat Fanciers’ Association Inc (CFA)”.

According to Brunei Meows Show Manager Hartini Hj Haris, this system of judging is being newly introduced this year, therefore warranting a more experienced judge like Adilah Roose to implement it. She also had some words of wisdom to share with local cat enthusiasts.

“Cat owners here need to pay more attention to the places they are getting their cats from. Most of them are getting taken for a ride by backyard breeders who claim that the cats are of full pedigree but in fact are not,” explained the Malaysian judge.

The entry fees for the show were $3 per adult and $1 for children under the age of 11. Proceeds from the collection will be donated to a charity in the near future.

A number of companies showed their support for the event; Kingston Beverages & Creamery Sdn Bhd sponsored soft drinks for visitors and prizes were sponsored by Akesko Vet Clinic, BioCare Pet Solution and Signmax Marketing. Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.

Adilah Roose was invited from Malaysia for judging

She would share her point of views to the public on every cat

Winnie Cheng (right) is so passionate about cats

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HRH Princess Sarah graced ISB Borneo Global Issues Conference 2012 and delivered the sabda. Image taken from The Brunei Times.

The Royal Patron for ISB BGIC 2012, Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, officiated this year’s edition of Borneo Global Issues Conference at the International Convention Centre.

In her sabda, HRH Princess Sarah highlighted of the youth in our population are crucial to our development and it’s also important to empower them. Education is an important tool and so is health. This can lead to improve family values and carrying on to generations.

HRH also reminded us that the earth is facing unprecedented challenges such as decreasing natural resources and environmental degradation.

She praised ISB BGIC Secretariat who will be leading the committees of “political, environment, human rights and the security council”.

“These upstanding young global citizens are aware of the significant responsibilities resting upon their shoulders and the importance of working together to achieve fair and practical solutions towards serious global issues,” said HRH Princess Sarah.

For more of the write-up, you can click here. [Source: The Brunei Times]

Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Poverty Project, Hugh Evans and British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Rob Fenn

Hugh Evans stole the show with his inspirational story on his journey ever since he was 12 years old. He showed “What one man can do?” to make a difference in this world.

Richard Parker is on a short visit to Brunei and for your info, he’s the founder of BGIC and he’s impressed how BGIC has grown ever since

Vincent Ho, CEO of HSBC Brunei, shared his views on the bank’s involvement towards BGIC initiative

Performance from ISB students during the opening ceremony

Also present was Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton and our Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Paduka Hjh Adina.

Of all the speakers, it was the Aussie guy that caught my attention. Hugh Evans, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Poverty Project and did you know that he is Hugh Jackman’s brother? I’m pretty impressed with Hugh Evans @Hughcevans presentation and it made me realised a lot of things that I could have done to contribute to society. His presentation was totally inspiring to inspire volunteerism which is lacking in our society in Brunei Darussalam.

The ISB BGIC runs from 9th to 12th March 2012 and this is the 10th year that ISB has hosted such a big event. It’s good to see the local participation from local schools and also invited schools from overseas.

For the past two days, I could sense the fun factor experience from the students involved. Great job on the organisers and I shall be dropping by again today for the final day of ISB BGIC 2012 🙂

Datin Paduka Hjh Adina sharing a moment or two with Shazali Hj Sulaiman

I haven’t seen Richard (center) in a while. Great to bump into you again, buddy.

Sharleen managed to get a photo opportunity with Hugh Evans. It was her first BGIC and she has learnt quite a lot along the way and enjoying the process as well. She is representing Madagascar on the topic of environment.

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Last week, a press conference at the Rizqun Coffee House, the Mall, was organised by Tourism Malaysia and addressing the media was Director of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei), Jamilah Abd Halim.

F1 enthusiasts will be keen on the packages offered by Tourism Malaysia and Century Travel Sdn Bhd. Depending which hotel you choose, your package will include awesome grandstand tickets at F1 Sepang.

Tourism Malaysia in Brunei is set to promote the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix 2012 race through 3 days and 2 nights Kuala Lumpur Formula 1 Package in collaboration with Century Travel Sdn Bhd, beginning March 20 to 27. The package is priced at B$326 and it will be inclusive of two nights hotel accommodation; Formula 1 entrance Grandstand ticket worth a maximum of RM663, transfers (airport-hotel-airport) seat-in coach basis as well as transfer (hotel-Sepang venue-hotel) on March 25. So do grab these deals while it’s still available, peeps!!

Apart from that, patrons will be treated to the “1Malaysia GP Sale” that will be held from March 10 to April 15, launched recently by the Tourism Minister Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen and other exclusive events such as the Malaysia International Shoe Festival (MISF) from March 29 to April 1; F1 Race Day from March 23 to 25 and the 4th Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta from March 15 to 18, all held in conjunction with the prestigious race.

The package, however, excludes air ticket, visa fee, travel insurance and personal expenses, but is rated in Brunei dollars with minimum 14 working days in advance for booking.

Aida of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei), Jamilah Abd Halim, Director of Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) and Peng Hui, Reservation and Ticketing, Century Travel Sdn Bhd at the press conference

There are lots to offer in Malaysia

Also in conjunction with the Grand Prix, Sepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd is pleased to announce their new products for F1-2 seater experience and international celebrities in Corporate Suit South – once in a lifetime experience – being driven in an F1 car by an ex F1 driver, pit and speed experience and certificate.

Famed celebrities will also make their special appearances during the event, such as Paul Walker, Camilla Belle, Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes. But for me, I’m more looking forward to Kylie Minogue who will be rocking Malaysia prior to the F1 Sepang Race. Wooohoo!!!

For further information, members of the public can contact the Tourism Malaysia at 673-2381575 or 673-2381576, and more details on the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix 2012 can be obtained from the website athttp://www.sepangcircuit.com/race/4.

This is great news!!! I hope I can catch her gig before F1 coverage 😀

Secret Recipe (Brunei) has opened its third outlet in Tanjong Bunut commercial area, adding to its current two outlets at The Mall, Gadong and Seri Delima in Serusop.

A soft opening was officiated yesterday by Awg Hj Abdul Rahman bin Hj Metasim, Director of M S Titanstar Restaurant Sdn Bhd, the master franchisee of the Secret Recipe brand in Brunei.

With the opening of this modern cafe, patrons will have the chance to enjoy mouth-watering cheesecakes and other culinary delights such as chocolate cakes, fresh cream cakes, baked products, international dishes, as well as Western and Asian classics.

Awg Hj Abd Rahman noted that with the opening of the third outlet, the company will be offering a refreshing and contemporary dining experience for patrons, especially those in the Tanjong Bunut vicinity.

Meanwhile, Mr Thompson Tan, General Manager of M S Titanstar Restaurant Sdn Bhd said, “We have launched some new items into our existing menu such as Mozzarella Baked Fish, Spaghetti Carbonara, Singapore Hokkein Mee and some other selections skewed towards local traditional taste-buds like Secret Recipe Nasi Lemak and Beef Rendang.

“We have also introduced our new hot-selling cakes such as Durian Cheese and Pecan Butterscotch to our cake range.

In conjunction with the soft opening, Secret Recipe Tanjong Bunut is also offering promotions such as the B$9.00 three-course set meal that is available every day for dine-in and a 30 per cent discount off for a whole cake purchase for a limited time to commemorate the opening of the new outlet.

For more details and to make reservations, patrons may visit Secret Recipe Tanjong Bunut at Block E, Unit 8, Kampong Tanjong Bunut or simply contact them at 2672737. Text courtesy of Rokiah Mahmud of Borneo Bulletin.

The new outlet at Secret Recipe at Tanjung Bunut

It’s located same row with Guardian

His Majesty presenting the championship trophy to Hj Feisal, Brunei U-21’s manager and captain Najib. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Hj Fiesal and Najib lifting the HBT 2012 cup

Comments from the public

Maurina: “The boys were amazing. They were confident and quick on their feet. I’m extremely jealous of ppl who get to go in the stadium! Wish i was there! looking forward to more wins! and I’m glad to see the comeback of Brunei football glory.”

Dk Hamizah Pg Hamzah: “Unfortunately I’m currently not in brunei so i wasnt able to be part of the historic moment otherwise it wouldve been fun watching the match ramai2. From the pics im seeing, the crowd was amaazing. Its nice la to see the bruneians all hyped up, even my friends n family who are not at all interested in football pun being supportive n all that.. It’s been a while since ive seen bruneians thrilled and fanatic over some sports. Phenomenal!”

Fadilah Ahmad Alhijazi: “What a jubilant night for Brunei, with the lads taking the trophy home! Congrats to them, including the Coach & Manager Feisal for a job well done!! Keep it up!!”

Yasmin Patera: “I am proud of the boys that played. As Under-21s i didnt expect much maturity, but they showed that very well throughout the games they’ve played. It was a well deserved win, on-the-pitch terms. If we had to include scores for the supporters… Then… No. The players deserved the win all the way. This is what dedication to sports is all about.”

Al-Haadi Abu Bakar: “It’s really wonderful to have the atmosphere of 1999 back in Brunei. I truly believe that our footballers can really compete in the big leagues.”

Dj Dean: “To be honest, bro, I’m not a big football fan. But watching the final match between our lads and the Indonesians last night, it reminded me of how much more dreams we ,as a people, could achieve. When the collective efforts of those who believe they can are driven by the thundering cheers of the mass who also believe, it was as if as I was watching the clash of titans, not red giants against yellow minnows. My friend, we witnessed the rising of not just football stars but also the validation of our faith that Brunei has always had what it takes to stand amongst the best.”

Tareq Muhmood: “Brilliant.. I could hear the celebrations from Saigon! :)”

Rudolf Portillo: “Brunei youth football has really improve a lot. I’ve been covering football games for more than a decade here. Well deserve win.”

Kitty Wen: “Personally, I’m not a football fans but i know about the achievement Brunei made via Facebook & Twitter…. & proud for Brunei. The only pity part was the ticket distribution flow, it seems bruneians are so disappointing of don’t know the right way of Queuing.”

Dato Paduka Hj Hamid Jaafar: “It was magical! Alhamdulillah.”

Amar Agus Din: “All i can say is that, we were the underdogs despite being on our homegrown. we defy the odds and I was lucky to be involved in another history of Brunei football. I cant remember wen was the last time we had a huge success in the football world, (not talking about DPMM, cause drang club level). We showed that we do have the potential and even though the other nations’ squad was not their 1st teams but hey, start small, think big. Who knows what we can achieved in the next few years with the current (& future) players. I was proud to be amongst the thousands that came, and we surely deserved the trophy cause we worked hard for it. Not to mention, the loyal supporters that came & supported the team throughout the entire tournament. Let’s just hope, this HBT win, will be a stepping stone for us.”

Azhani Abu Daniel: “Congratulations to the young men of the Under 21 National Football team for their historic win against Indonesia last night. Credit has got to be given for the hard work that they put into preparation, and their sportsmanship and good nature exhibited on the field should be an example to all off it.”

Sharon Awang Sitai: “That night was historic – our Bruneian players succeeded in demonstrating the true value of teamwork. It was heartwarming to see just how much support they had garnered from their fans which further emphasised what a strong community we have. What was the most priceless, though, was the smiles they brought to HM’s face. Its an indescribable feeling knowing that your King is proud of you.”

I wonder what’s the feeling from the players themselves

There was a pitch invasion but a great one

The fans managed to experience Adi Said’s trophy

Almost 90% of the Brunei supporters wore yellow

A very united team and love to see their great bonding among the team mates

Everyone seemed to take photos with Azri, Brunei’s U-21 popular icon. He was magnificent in defence again!

A fan wearing red ironically was fortunate to catch Azri’s jersey (drenched in sweat *lol*)

Another excited fan wanting to jump and join the celebration

A fan asking influential midfielder Hendra to celebrate to a group of supporters

I love this bunch.. Because they were in Adidas gear 😀

The coaching team has done an excellent job from the start. With only limited time preparation, they pulled off the unexpected. Let’s not forget about these guys 😀

A big shout out to the paramedics as they have done a lot throughout the tournament. They play a huge role in making sure those injured are treated with efficiency

The group photo with the sponsors of HBT 2012

The L.O.s for the invited Asean countries

It’s meet the fans session with the Brunei U-21 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 champions which will happen tomorrow, Sunday 11th March 4pm to 6pm, Times Square. Let’s give these lads a strong support for what they have done for the country

It has been a few weeks since DPMM FC played their last game as they have to give way for the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 tournament. Tomorrow they will be in action against S.League leaders Alberix Niigata FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

Both sides DPMM FC and Albirex Niigata FC have yet to taste defeat. It won’t be an easy fixture as coach Simunic said yesterday (before the HBT final match). “Albirex has improved season after season and now they are the top team in S.League with three wins.”

He wished that their next game would be sooner because of the great momentum that DPMM FC was enjoying then. He was also impressed with the Brunei U-21 team and he spoke highly of Adi Said. He was pleased with Brunei’s progress in nurturing the youth and this is good for Brunei so other regional countries will take notice.

So guys, let’s support DPMM FC tomorrow at the stadium as they will need the 12th man as a morale booster. Good luck, guys!!

 

I caught up with DPMM FC coach at the stadium last night before the HBT 2012 finals

Shahrazen (center) has regained back his form in DPMM FC colours. He was celebrating with his younger brother Adi Said who was named Best Player of the HBT 2012 tournament

-3-on-3 Street Basketball Challenge coming to Brunei and two of Brunei’s leading brands, KFC (B) Sdn Bhd and Fitness Zone, are teaming up to bring a “colourful” event by hosting the first ever 3-on-3 Street Basketball Challenge inside The Airport Mall at the end of the month.

Founder and owner of Fitness Zone, Wu Chun, when addressing the media at Fitness Zone yesterday, said that it is important to continue promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, and is “happy” to have KFC approach them to form a partnership through basketball.

Jonathan Bong, marketing manager of KFC Brunei, said that as opposed to having the street basketball challenge in Fitness Zone’s basketball court, they are looking to showcase it in the middle of The Airport Mall’s atrium.

The 3-on-3 Street Basketball Challenge will comprise of three different categories: Open, Student, and the KFC Family Bucket Challenge.

Rosli Abdullah of Lava Media, said that the deadline for submissions will be on March 20, and interested individuals can pick up and submit registration forms at any KFC and Fitness Zone outlets in the country.

In conjunction with the street ball challenge, the organisers will be hosting a basketball clinic led by Erwin Velez, an ex-PBA player, on March 18 at 2 pm at Fitness Zone Kiulap, especially for those interested in the KFC Family Bucket Challenge. Click here for more details. Courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Del Goh, General Manager of KFC (Brunei), Rosli Abdullah of Lava Media and Wu Chun, founder of Fitness Zone

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Brunei Meows held a successful cat show in December 2011 and is currently in the process of organizing another one in conjunction with Brunei Darussalam’s 28th National Day Celebrations.

For the next cat show, Brunei Meows is trying to reach a new target of 50 feline participants in the Brunei National Day Cat show on 11 March 2012 which is tomorrow. So check out the event tomorrow at Pusat Belia (Youth Centre).

It has been a few weeks since DPMM FC played their last game as they have to give way for the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 tournament. Tomorrow they will be in action against S.League leaders Alberix Niigata FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

Both sides DPMM FC and Albirex Niigata FC have yet to taste defeat. It won’t be an easy fixture as coach Simunic said yesterday (before the HBT final match). “Albirex has improved season after season and now they are the top team in S.League with three wins.”

He wished that their next game would be sooner because of the great momentum that DPMM FC was enjoying then. He was also impressed with the Brunei U-21 team and he spoke highly of Adi Said. He was pleased with Brunei’s progress in nurturing the youth and this is good for Brunei so other regional countries will take notice.

So guys, let’s support DPMM FC tomorrow at the stadium as they will need the 12th man as a morale booster. Good luck, guys!!

I caught up with DPMM FC coach at the stadium last night before the HBT 2012 finals

Shahrazen (center) has regained back his form in DPMM FC colours. He was celebrating with his younger brother Adi Said who was named Best Player of the HBT 2012 tournament

It’s meet the fans session with the Brunei U-21 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2012 champions which will happen tomorrow, Sunday 11th March 4pm to 6pm, Times Square. Let’s give these lads a strong support for what they have done for the country

There were lots of talking points about last night’s historical final match between Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. But most important of all, Brunei went a step further. Getting pass the group stage was considered a tall order, considering Brunei’s poor record in previous tournaments and Brunei has always ranked lower than the regional countries football wise. Going to the finals would be regard as a bonus as no one would have scripted that Brunei would beat the likes of Myanmar in the semi-finals who scored 13 goals in four games prior to their defeat to Brunei (3-2). Hence, lifting the trophy was indeed a fairy tale that was well scripted and there was so much believe among the Brunei players and the rest was history.

I knew last night was gonna be a tough game and Indonesia fans were probably the best among the rest of the invited countries. Their cheers and chants were deafening and they actually quieten down the thousands of yellow supporters who I thought felt intimidated by the dominant cheers from the Garuda section. For your info, 1/5 of the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium were allocated for the visitors.

I won’t talk much about the game but I have to say that Brunei team seemed upped the tempo during the 2nd half. The same happened when they took on Cambodia, Myanmar and Timor Leste. I’m not too sure what formula was given but it surely paid off and last night’s 2nd half performance further proves my theory.

Adi Said, who won Best Player of HBT2012, came to life in the last 20 minutes of the final match and produced a brilliance of magic with his solo effort before planting a shot that sealed the victory to the delight of the Bruneians in the stadium and those watching from home, cafes and Belapan Sports Complex.

Brunei beat Indonesia 2-0 and who would have expected Brunei to go this far in the tournament and becoming champions. The last best feat by Brunei was the 99′ victory over Sarawak in the Malaysia Cup. Today is a new era where Brunei triumphed in the U-21 tournament. It was also a double win for Rosanan Samak who was part of the team 99′ and now one of the coaches for Brunei’s U-21 team.

Apart from the match, there was a controversy and some commotion that took place in the stadium. The enforcers did their best to better the situation. I was impressed though that both supporters respected each other National Anthems especially from the host supporters.

HBT2012 produced numerous awesome atmospheres at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Despite the favoured results for Brunei supporters, there are still some issues that need to be addressed and these matters should be taken seriously for the next HBT2014. The sour comments have surely diluted the celebrations by a small percentage. This is a big wake up call for the HBT organisers. It’s a great effort but I believe there is still more room for improvement. Now it’s back to the drawing board. Apart from that, the tournament was organised in a whole.

A big thanks to those involved and whom I have sought for help especially the Media Secretariat (awesome hospitality). Congratulations to Brunei U-21 team and the management. The victory has given a new belief and an eye opener for Asean countries of Brunei’s emerging force in football. Happy weekend, peeps!!

Fans flocking in stadium as early as 4pm. This was taken by 5:30pm

Nabil was busy preparing for the grand finale

They managed to get tickets from Belapan Sports Complex, Tutong Sports Complex and Mumong Sports Complex. Now that’s what I call family teamwork. Awesome family too!!

It’s good to see family bonding during #HBT2012

The Bruneian Wave was so-so in the beginning but built up right after Brunei scored the first goal. His Majesty was all smiles during the wave.. Awesome feeling to be part of the atmosphere. Irreplaceable indeed!

The Indonesians came in large numbers and it’s good to see that they are given allocated seats. They occupied 1/5 of the stadium. Image by Dean Kassim.

Yellow was the dominant colour last night and it had more presence than Wednesday’s semi-finals match. I’ve never felt prouder and it’s a great tingling feeling too.

Don’t be fooled by their minority presence at the stadium because they were the louder of the two supporters from pre-match until the moment Brunei scored….

Happy to see the Superfriends managed to get tickets for the finals. Iqbal and the rest were posing for RA

Mr. bubbly “godfather” was also part of the 25,000 fans watching Brunei win last night

This has happened twice. When Brunei scored their first goals in Myanmar and Indonesia match, I was inside the Media Secretariat room. I must have been a good omen (maybe 5% haha) and this was the celebration inside the room. I really enjoy their company and thanks for all the help. I’m very much appreciative 🙂

He can surely flip like his brother Shahrazen. Adi Said’s celebration came after he beat two players to score Brunei’s second goal and sealed Indonesia’s fate as runners-up. Adi Said also claimed MVP of the tournament.

Dermalogist Beauty Therapy which is located in Serusop, is using DERMALOGICA, one of the high end products in U.S. This year their facial treatment is famous of oxygen facial, diamond dermabrasion facial, anti aging facial, Chromawhite skin brightening facial, Vitamin C facial and Skin Lifting facial. Their location is at Serusop, same row as DST and opposite of Secret Recipe (Serusop). Any enquiry pls call 2342928 or 8716680.

Standard Chartered Bank is pleased to reveal the official T-shirt design for all participants of the upcoming Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon 2012, to be held on 8 April 2012.

Vibrantly coloured in the Bank’s official colours of blue and green, this year’s T-shirt also features the run theme- Run for a Reason and the event’s logo.

Jennifer Kang, Head of Corporate Affairs and Marketing of Standard Chartered Bank said: “In the past two years, for our Charity Run events, participants were always looking forward to the official event T-shirt. This year is no different with many asking what the shirt will look like. We hope that the community will like this new design as much as the previous two. It is always promising and such an honour to still see people wearing our T-shirts from the 2010 and 2011 Run.”

This year, there will be Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) days held at the National Indoor Stadium as follows:

 Thursday, 5 April 2012: 10am to 7pm
 Friday, 6 April 2012: 8:30am to 11am and 2pm to 7pm
 Saturday, 7 April 2012: 8:30am to 4.30pm

The Race Entry Pack will consist of the following:
 A running bib number
 An exclusive Event running T-shirt
 A timing chip (for Half Marathon- 21km and 10km categories only)
 A lucky draw ticket
NOTE: Timing device will not be issued to the participants of 5km and 2.5km Fun Run

To collect the Race Entry Pack, participants are reminded to bring along the following items:
 Printout of confirmation slip
 Identity Card/Passport (for participants in all adult race categories)
 A photocopy of Birth Certificate (for kids participants only)
 Personalised donation card

SCB Brunei unveiling the this year’s edition for “Run for a reason” t-shirts

This is another key differentiator from the previous Standard Chartered Charity Run events in 2010 and 2011 where packs could be collected from designated branches. This enhancement hopes to see better distribution of desired T-shirt sizes as participants can indicate preferred T-shirt sizes.

The Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon 2012 is open to all members of the public and interested individuals can obtain registration forms at any of the Bank’s branches during banking hours. Forms are also downloadable from the website www.scbruneihalfmarathon.com. Online registration is also available at this website. All individuals who register for the Standard Chartered Half Marathon will be given a donation card to help raise funds towards Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans (DANA) and Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing Is Believing programme.

The deadline to register for the Standard Chartered Charity Run 2011 is 18 March 2012. Interested individuals are encouraged to sign up early to avoid disappointment of limited spaces. Categories are capped at 500 participants for the21km category, 1,000 participants for the 10km category, 1,500 participants for the 5km run and 2,000 participants for the 2.5km category.

The Standard Chartered Half Marathon Brunei 2012 is proudly sponsored by Telbru, TOTAL, Borneo Bulletin, Media Permata, GetFit CrossFit, MixMediaWorx, Radisson Hotel, Royal Brunei Airlines, Suci, Sunlit Advertising and 100 Plus.This event is also supported by ThreeG Media Sdn Bhd.

For further details about the Standard Chartered Brunei please visit our website www.scbruneihalfmarathon.com and Facebook page www.facebook.com/SCBruneiHalfMarathon2012 or call Standard Chartered Phone Banking at 265 8000.