HSBC – Home loan needs

It’s happening today 😀

Pusat Ehsan Charity Bazaar 2012

Today’s the beginning of the Pusat Ehsan Charity Bazaar 2012 and it will be a three day weekend event with full of activities. They are tons of booths for the benefit of the public and it will be opened until 10pm… yes, the event will carry on until the evening.. So this will be the biggest Pusat Ehsan Charity Bazaar to date with a bigger venue, better location and longer hours.

A big thumbs up to the organising team as well as the volunteers involved. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be present for the event as I’m still outstation. There are plenty of prizes to win such as tickets to Universal Studio Singapore with air tickets included, a Macbook Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab, iPad and many more.

There’s also a treasure hunt competition which begins on 2nd September (Sunday) and the costly competition will happen on Saturday 1st September from 6pm to 8pm. So make your way to Jubilee Park in town to enjoy what the bazaar has to offer. Have a great weekend, peeps!!

Pusat Ehsan lucky draw box

Do make sure you buy your coupons

Baiduri Bank setting up their booth for the event

Get your BB copy here too

One of the big supporters for many years – British High Commission

The British High Commission is giving everyone a chance to pit themselves against Brunei’s Paralympian in a Wheelchair Challenge. Put the shot, seated in a wheelchair, and see how you shape up against the record set by Hj Shari, currently representing Brunei (in the Javelin event) at the London Paralympic Games. Win great prizes!

Entrants to the High Com Raffle stand to win a huge variety of prizes, from meals and delux accommodation donated by the Empire Hotel, to original works of art on Olympic themes (donated by members of the Brunei Art Forum who took part in the British High Commission’s “Spirit of the Games” competition), to an official Olympic back-pack signed by Brunei’s first female Olympian, Maziah.

Hundreds of second hand articles for sale at bargain basement prices: books, clothes, electrical goods, and more.

Come and see Team GB’s salute to the Paralympic Games in Jubilee Park and be part of London 2012. The party isn’t over. Go Shari!

Getting ready for the launch this afternoon

The handicrafts done by kids from Pusat Ehsan

Oasis Mutiara will be selling their Rude Health products!!

CE run t-shirts *woohoo*

This is the official t-shirt for the upcoming BIBD Charity Expedition Run. Just an announcement that BIBD will have their booth at the Pusat Ehsan Charity Bazaar No. B028 where you can also register and collect your donation card. And for those in KB, you can visit BIBD branch in KB from 8.45am to 11.45am to get your donation cards there.

So have you registered yourself at http://www.bibdcharityexpedition.com for the run? There’s still space for registration.

The sneak preview of the t-shirts for the run

The sneak preview of the t-shirts for the run

The sneak preview of the t-shirts for the run

Platinum Movie Suites

You can catch Platinum Movie Suites at Cathay and the nearest MRT is at Dhoby Ghaut

It was the first time that I experienced the Platinum Movie Suites at The Cathay. It was also the first time that I tried such experience in Singapore. I’ve tried the ones at Golden Village Cinemas in KL. I kinda prefer this one at Cathay. They have a premium lounge before you can watch your movie. But it doesn’t make sense for me unless I have a group of people to come along with me. I was watching the movie alone yesterday and furthermore I was 10 minutes late for my movie (which is very rare hahaha).

It costs me $28 a week day ticket but for a weekend it will be at $38 per seat (Friday to Sunday). It’s not a bad fare but if I was to catch a movie at Platinum Movie Suites, then I would have to predict that it will be an awesome movie and of course, I will have to get my prediction meter on Rottentomatoes before I made my choice.

Unfortunately the only movies showing were Expendables 2 (which I have caught) and Step Up Revolution (which I didn’t have high expectations). So of course, I chose Step Up Revolution as it’s not showing yet in Brunei and I’m also a fan of dance movies.

Step Up Revolution. Hmmmm… I was already late for the movie but the great thing was I didn’t miss much and plus I was more looking forward to experience the comfort at Platinum Movie Suites rather than the flick itself. I love the fact that dance is about competition and the fourth edition of Step Up had a change format – convincing one to change their minds through the essence of dance. It just sounds to cliche and the dance sequences were nothing to shout about. It was a step down for me. Sorry folks. Verdict: 6/10 and 9/10 for Platinum Movie Suites.

Hmmm I was disappointed that there was only one counter that was active. I had a mini long queue and I was pretty late for my movie. Furthermore, I thought there will be privilege for those who booked online too #fail

How it looks from the entrance of Platinum Movie Suites. Image from Indez Design

Awesome seats I must say…. Me likes!!! Image from Indez Design

You can even have the lights on and call for assistance if you want to order some refreshments

Ahh… such a disappointment Step Up Revolution…

They have blankets as well and good thing I didn’t fall asleep

Bunbun and Bumbum kinda snuck in to catch the movie too

The lounge outside the cinema. Image from Indez Design

I only realised that there’s also a counter booth at the ground floor of Cathay *doink*

An elephant in Brunei??

Both Liana and Anne saw the elephant roaming in Jerudong

I saw this on my friend’s instagram and of course, I was pretty “sakai” myself that an elephant is roaming around in a particular area in Jerudong and this animal was witnessed by two of my friends Liana Radzak and Anne Puasa who dubbed the elephant “Jumbo”. The first question I asked myself how did the elephant get to Brunei in the first place? There must be a story behind it.

The ladies saw the elephant helping to some carrots which would mean that someone is actually taking care of the elephant. Now my friends are interested to know if the elephant is a pgymy which is a type of elephant historically from Java. If she’s likely to be one, then she could be in the list of endangered species. The other question is who does the elephant belongs to?

Below are more pictures taken by the ladies. They will be hoping to get a glimpse of the elephant again. I just hope the elephant is won’t be running loose on the road. But rumours has it that the elephant has been around for quite some time. So I’m not so sure if this story is valid or not. But rest assure that this elephant is here in our home soil.

I wonder who’s been taking care of “Jumbo”

My friend’s reaction to the existence of the elephant on instagram

This was the instagram that took me by surprise and I’m sure also for the rest :p

The happenings

Could this be the new minifigs craze for me? Bought this at Toys’R’Us Singapore. Not sure if this will be available in Brunei’s store.

Yay… The new updates for Whatsapp users.. So please download the latest update.

Congratulations to Dato Dr Zulkurnain who was appointed as the Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) of Ministry of Education. He will still be in the capacity as the Vice-Chancellor of University of Brunei Darussalam.

I spent my dinner with the birthday celebrant Kern who turns 29 yesterday. Next to him is his other half Priscilla.

This post had more than 500 likes on my instagram though Samsung owners (my friends) didn’t like the photo *haha* A clever, witty way to describe what’s happening in real life among the phone giants. I’m sure Samsung will be back with a bang. Image courtesy of www.lolwall.co and sorry Samsung (and Nokia) fans, it’s Apple’s time 😀

Another cause for celebration

Click image to enter website

HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

Click image to enter website

Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

click image to see more details

Awesome Slava’s Snow Show

I highly recommend you to catch this

I managed to catch the premiere of the much talked about Slava’s Snow Show at the Sands Theater, Marina Bay Sands and woww, I was pretty blown away. I came to this performance without doing any research or even any clue what to expect but the sneaks from Superadrianme got me sold and I was fortunate to get good seats on a last minute basis.

Created in 1993 by renowned Russian clown from Cirque De Soleil’s Alegria, Slava Polunin, Slava’s Snow Show has travelled the world and wowed millions of theatric fans with a show that’s totally unique and a class of its own.

If you love clowns, you will probably enjoy to the fullest. Well, they are not fully clothed as a clown but most of their gestures portrays that of a clown and their body gestures even little ones were quite entertaining. Switch off your stress moments or forget about work or assignment and just enjoy the show as if you are still a kid..

The best seats in the house is definitely the front row because the show is pretty interactive and you will surely have fun. We were seated somewhere in the middle, still premium seats and yes, we still got some interaction with the performers. All in all, this is something different I experienced from a theater performance and it’s better you get the premium seats to get most out of the show. Sadly the show is only for 11 days and one show per night. This was way better than Annie the Musical (sorry). Verdict: 8.5/10

The main star of the show. Click image to see more of SuperAdrianMe’s review

It was almost full house on the first night

I was fortunate enough to part of the web effect *awesome*

The finale was awesome!!! Oh yeah, great choice of music too 😀

The fake snow making a comeback

Click image to see the sneak preview of Flava’s Snow Show

Oh yeah this was also near the end and I felt like a kid again

Cuterabbit84 had fun too

The crowd enjoying the “balls” atmosphere

A word of complaint to the Sistic management at ION orchard. The service was kinda slow because it only has one counter for those purchasing tickets and the process is kinda tedious as well. I waited for half an hour before being served.

Have you registered for BIBD run?

I’ve witnessed many charity drives and initiatives through marathon/run/cycling events but I have to salute Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam for coming up with such an awesome initiative through their Corporate Social Responsibility programme and that is “Charity Expedition for ALAF” or CE-ALAF which aims at helping underprivileged students in their educational progress.

This year, BIBD is organising the CE-ALAF which consists of running, cycling and a charity bazaar. The date of the event is slated for 14th October 2012 and the venue will be at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

You can check out the details of the run from the diagram below and BIBD has create two categories for Open and Brunei. I like the idea that the winners for the Bruneian category will be rewarded with marathon packages to selected destinations such as Melbourne, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. Now that’s such a great incentive for us locals to take up jogging and also promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Janice Yong, Business Development and Marketing Manger of AdXpert Marketing, Hazizah Osman, Deputy General Manager of Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Hjh Nurul Akmar bte Hj Mohd Jaafar, Deputy Head of Consumer Banking and Head of CSR of BIBD, Md Nur Muizz’ Azmi Hj Hasnani, Creative Director of DSignku Enterprise, Chen Cheong Keng, Senior Account Executive of Active Network and Mr. Javed Ahmad, Managing Director of BIBD during the launch of the charity run few weeks ago

The prices at stake but then again, it’s not about winning but contributing :))

The first 400 online registrants will be entitled to free limited edition merchandise and also an option to purchase an exclusive sweatband and they have already been snapped up in the first few days.

I just registered my participation through the website http://www.bibdcharityexpedition.com and follow the instructions and you will be registered within minutes. Do look at the procedure I had to go through for online registration and it’s pretty secured and safe too.

For those who wants the physical forms, you can visit BIBD Bandar, Kiulap, Manggis, Temburong, Tutong and Kuala Belait but the forms are limited to 2,000 copies only. Scanned and copied forms will not be entertained. The final registration will be on the 15th September 2012.

This is the opening page of the Charity Expedition Run. Click image to enter website

Yea right.. I don’t think I’m able to run the half marathon just yet… but here are the choices available for you

A few details to fill in and they are quite necessary as well

They will provide a summary cart before you proceed for checkout/payment

Ooopps one of my cards didn’t pull through so I had to use another

Yea… Finally I successfully registered myself online and I did it from Singapore. So yea, you can be any part of the world and still be eligible to register online :))

I received the notification email a minute after my registration. Coolies!!

Great deals from Sin Hup Huat Co

Wholesale price until 9th September

Pusat Ehsan Bazaar this weekend

Pauline Chew (R), Co-Chairperson of the Pusat Ehsan Charity Bazaar speaking to media at the press conference held at Pusat Ehsan yesterday. Also in the picture is Hung Ah Hing, Managing Director of Daikyo Environmental Recycling Sdn Bhd. Picture: BT/Nurhamiza Hj Roslan

PUSAT Ehsan are aiming to raise more than $90,000 at their three-day charity bazaar which will be held from August 31 to September 2, 2012, at the Jubilee Park, Bandar Seri Begawan.

Pauline Chew, co-chairperson of the charity bazaar, told a press conference at Pusat Ehsan headquarters yesterday that it raised $90,000 in last year’s bazaar. “This year we aim to raise more,” she said.

Chew explained that this year’s bazaar would be the seventh of its kind ever held by Pusat Ehsan and it will be held at Jubilee Park instead of the Pusat Ehsan center itself.

Previous charity bazaars were held at the Pusat Ehsan compound, and this year it would be the first time the bazaar to held outside, she said.

Chew said that there would be around 100 booths to be set up at the bazaar. Various family fun activities will also be held during the event for members of the public to join in. Source taken from The Brunei Times. Click here to read more.

The official poster of charity bazaar. It’s happening this Friday to Sunday

There’s even a treasure hunt peeps!!

For all Cosplayers out there

Another cause for celebration

Click image to enter website

HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

Click image to enter website

Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

click image to see more details

Night Safari in Singapore

It was my first time to the Night Safari in Singapore and I’m quite impressed by what they have to offer and thanks to my siblings for making this trip possible. I just landed in Singapore last Friday and the same evening I went straight to join my family there. If you happen to be in Singapore, do spare one evening to experience the Night Safari.

The price of admission is $32 per adult but there is a package price if you go in numbers. For more info, you can check out their website.

The entrance of the Night Safari and the souvenir shop

My mom and my siblings at the souvenir shop

Don’t they look adorable?

Fatin choosing her souvenirs

Creature of the Night Show

I really have respect for the animals. All are well trained to entertain the crowd.

This was part of the show to create panic and my siblings ended up crying.. awwww

….and they found Maggie the snake at one of the crates

….and I was the unfortunate one to be called to the front to carry Maggie

We went on the tram to see the different kinds of animals

😀

It was tough to take photos using wide angle with no flash

Relight my fire…

RBA student check-in

Good news for students flying back to the UK and thanks to Royal Brunei Airlines. You can get an extra 5 kilo baggage allowance

The happenings in Singapore

Hmmm this contemplating to catch this which might just waste one whole day in Singapore *lol*

How the MRT can be so dead quiet just as it hits midnight

Hmmm something’s wrong with my S100

@cuterabbit84 and I were playing some arcade game and surprise, surprise she lasted more than I did (by a few seconds)

My mother’s latest craze – the green tea KIt Kat.. we bought this at Fair Price and apparently this can run out of stock pretty fast

Finally I got myself a bean bag and for your info, this particular bean bag I bought has a patent for its design and feature. Interesting!!

Ayam Penyet from Wong Solo Ayam Bakar at Far East Plaza. I didn’t finish it because it was too spicy… I gave up after eating 3/4 of it.

I caught up with Steve Lai who now is a regular newsreader on Channel News Asia. It was a great catch up session and thanks for the lunch treat buddy 😀

Ok, I won’t give a full review of Magic Mike but it was surely a good popcorn movie. Maybe my female buddies will appreciate this more than me *haha* and this definitely won’t be released in Brunei. Verdict: 7/10

Samsung lost the battle in the patent war and their stock plunged 7% after U.S court ruling that Samsung has to pay $1 billion to Apple for patent rights. Ouch!!!

The mini-break

Hello again peeps!!! Yea a two day hiatus and now I feel like blogging again. Sometimes it’s good not to be worried about blogging and just enjoy my break which I am doing right now. I’ve landed in Singapore since Friday and it’s the best time to travel to Singapore and spend time with family since Brunei will be busy with Hari Raya festive and open houses. To date, I’ve only attended four open houses but I do plan to make impromptu visits to a few of my friends’ houses once I’m back in Brunei. For your info, I switched off my Brunei line for a while but you can still reach me on email :))

I shall be updating more later.. and it was such a pity that DPMM FC lost their home match to rivals Harimau Muda 2-1 last night. Coach Simunic said it was maybe because of Hari Raya and Open Houses and he said that Harimau Muda were fresh and they were hungry. According to Jason Thomas’ report, Hari Muda totally dominated the match and it didn’t feel as it was the dominant DPMM FC especially at home. For the second time, DPMM FC’s home ground has shown its vulnerability.

I also would like to give my deepest condolences to Ahmad Shaheeb and his family on the recent demise of his parents yesterday. Al-Fatihah.

Be right back, peeps!!

It was the first time I actually lifted one and it was during one of the animal shows at Night Safari, Singapore. More pictures and updates on Night Safari experience.

Another cause for celebration

Click image to enter website

HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

Click image to enter website

Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

click image to see more details


Wu Chun starred in Basketball exhibition

Kobe Bryant with Wu Chun and Jay Chou at the basketball charity game

Guess what? Our very own superstar Wu Chun was recently in a basketball which featured an NBA Star Kobe Bryant. It didn’t take long after the Olympics for Kobe Bryant to get back on the court. He played in the 2nd Annual Sprite China Charity Basketball Game in Shanghai and he still showed why he’s one of the best players in the world.

The tournament itself raised about RMB2.6 millions for charity and about 15,000 spectators showed up at the arena.

For your info, Sprite and Coca-Cola belonged to the same sister company. Kobe Bryant is one the endorsors for Sprite in USA while Wu Chun is the one of the endorsors for Coca Cola in China and most artistes from Sprite and Coca-Cola family are invited which included another celebrity Jay Chou.

Some of the Chinese basketball players consisted of those who played in the recent London Olympics. The USA owner and director for Coca-Cola and Sprite were in the team as well. This year Wu Chun was fortunate to be in the same team with Kobe unlike last year he was in the opposition team. Kobe didn’t play the first half but he played the whole 2nd half and they won the game 87-82.

Kobe didn’t play the first half but he play the whole 2nd half! We won the game 87-82.

Kobe Bryant and Wu Chun in action and they won

Up, up and away…

Quote from Wu Chun – “It was a very meaningful experience as we had the chance to raise funds for charity and I had the opportunity to play with Kobe for the 2nd time. I just can’t believe that he can actually remember me and he told me that it was great to see me again! I also prepared his USA olympic jersey and he was kind enough to autograph on it and I am going to hang it at the wall of Fitness Zone!

He only played in the 2nd half so whenever I get the ball, I just passed it to him because its showtime for him and I know everyone can’t wait to see him showcase his skills and the most enjoying part is the synergy and teamwork that we have created and watching him doing all the highflying slam dunk moves right in front of my eyes!

WolfGang well received

Khaliq Roziman the man behind Wolfgang’s penetration to Brunei

Wolfgang Kuala Lumpur saw its first debut by having a one-day sale in Brunei on August 15, 2012 at the Airport Mall which started from 7pm until closing time and recorded 90 per cent of its merchandise sold.

An introduction of the Wolfgang clothing label to Brunei was done by the authorised distributor, Khaliq Roziman.

Wolfgang is a streetwear collective based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Founded in mid 2011, by Iskandar Khan, Wolfgang paved its own road by establishing its name as a must have underground brand. They also started selling their collections in bazaars.

Since the label’s establishment, Brunei is the first international country to have the Wolfgang label and is being distributed through an authorised reseller which is Khaliq Roziman. Any other inquiries can be forwarded to him at 7148316 locally, +601116661952 when he is in Malaysia. Or you can find them on www.facebook.com/runwithwolfgang

For more info, you can click here. Text courtesy of The Brunei Times.

The one day bazaar that took place at the Airport Mall

The crowd during the one day sale

Brunei Veteran team victorious

Exchanging of souvenir between Brunei Basketball Association and Hat Yai Basketball Club

Last Thursday was the opening day for the 4 day tournament and all the Brunei veteran team won their respective matches. I only managed to catch the age 50 category where Brunei Basketball Team BBA (sponsored by Komala) beat Hat Yai Basketball Club from Thailand. It was a very close affair where BBA was leading the first quarter until the Thai club managed to shift the game play and took control of the game. They were leading at the beginning of the fourth quarter but BBA turned up the tempo and they easily outscored their opponents for the first victory.

Earlier in the day, the 40s and the 60s BBA team beat their respective teams – Hat Yai and Philippine CFBL. The basketball matches are held at three venues – Indoor Stadium, Multipurpose Hall and Batu Bersurat Indoor Basketball Court. Let’s hope our veteran categories can reach the finals.

The head coach and the sponsor for BBA 50’s category

And the action begins……

Great support from BBA stand

Ken Kho playing defensive against his opponent

Molten is the official ball

Team BBA 50’s after the victory

Another cause for celebration

Click image to enter website

HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

Click image to enter website

Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

click image to see more details

The Happenings

DPMM FC players had the opportunity to visit the Istana for the last day of Open House. They will be taking on Harimau Muda this Sunday 26th August at the National Stadium. I won’t be surprised to see a big crowd this Sunday. Too bad I won’t be around as I will be in Singapore by then. Image courtesy of Sairol of DPMM FC.

*LOL* Ain’t the Gangnam Style making such a big impact worldwide? And yea, there has been request for our celebrity blogger TigerLim to do his own version of Gangnam style. What say you? If you’ve haven’t seent the video, click here :))

Check out the Green Curry Chicken from KFC… SoGood!!!!

Our local superstar celebrity Wu Chun recently was involved in Chartiy Basketball Game in China. Guest who he played against? Find out tomorrow. Image courtesy of Wu Chun.

Residential houses are always a common story that will grab headlines due to fire especially during the festive season. This was a close shave and they managed to put out the fire before it could have gotten worse. So far this year, it has been good compared to previous years where there were also unfortunate news of houses being caught in fire during the festive season. Let’s pray that no such disaster to grab headlines.

It’s coming soon for the 2nd year running. Stay tune.

It has been announced that The Minions will have a movie of its own in December 2014. If you don’t recall, the Minions are the cute yellow creatures from the animation hit Despicable Me. For your info, Despicable Me the sequel is slated for summer of 2013. Image taken from inquisitr.com

Ahh the battle between the phone giants Apple and Samsung still continues. Apple claims that Samsung ripped off their designs. Apple is asking for USD 2.5 billion in monetary damages *wow*. The verdict now lies on the hands of the jury after both sides have presented their case. Sometimes I wish such thing doesn’t happen. Such a shame. Image taken from itechgizmo.blogspot.com

Guess what?? Now Each A Cup are serving hot drinks.. But it’s only available at The Airport Mall branch and they have more than 20 flavours to choose from. Coolies!!

The Happenings

Selamat Hari Raya to my Muslim friends and readers

So how have your Hari Raya been so far? What I truly grateful when it comes to Hari Raya is the easiness to roam around on the road because of the less traffic congestion. It kinda save me more minutes to spend time in my room and catch up some good quality rest *lol* Every year, Hari Raya has been a subdued feeling and perhaps one reason is that my family is not in Brunei and this is the second or the third year running that they have not been in Brunei for Hari Raya.

You will be surprised how many open houses I have been so far and today is Day 3. Well, let’s just say I planned to make two visits today so that would be a total of 3 so far. This has nothing to do with my Hari Raya mood but more of taking time off and recovering from my lack of sleep ever since Ramadhan. Hence I’m sorry if I couldn’t attend some of the open house invitations but I do plan to make impromptu visits after my Singapore trip in September 😀

This week I’m craving for more movies. I have already watched 3 movies earlier this week and there are few coming out tomorrow – Premium Rush for one – and I will be catching more in Singapore *can’t wait* and of course, looking forward to spend some time with family in Singapore though my siblings will be due back this weekend.

Make sure you drive carefully on the road. There were a few accidents on the first day of Raya. This was taken along Mumong bypass.

Ok, this picture made my day last night when Jeon whatsapp me this greetings and man, Maya looks so so so adorable and I feel like pinching her cheeks right now 😀

This was taken during the first day of Raya and I was playing with my phone, editing this photo and here’s the result. Hideous *haha*

What are your thoughts on this?

This became a talking point when I posted this on instagram. This was also shared on my peers’ social network and it drew a very mixed response. I personally think it’s a no-no to have Hari Raya envelope using the image of our currency notes. First thing, I don’t think it’s legally accepted and I’m pretty sure the relevant agency won’t even approved such print. I just hope those who are recipients of these envelopes don’t simply throw these around or lying on the floor. I’m probably more concerned about that aspect as to the idea that it would drive younger generations to be materialistic. I heard you can buy them at SKH Supermarket Airport Mall. I’m not sure if they have ran out of it.

I caught up with my buddies from Kuching – Patrick the dentist and Faustina the pharmacist. It was a great catch up session and hope to see you guys in Kuching one day 😀

Thank you, Rozana, for hosting Open House year by year. I realised I’ve never failed to visit Rozana’s every year 😀

Are you guys ready for bFit challenge? Check out the poster for more details.

When there’s a will, there’s a way and they are back!!!

My friend got hold of these DVDs and CDs this morning and I’m surprised that they are making a comeback.. well, in a discrete manner. Few months ago, the municipal board played their role in combating piracy by revoking the licences of vendors who broke the law by selling pirated DVDs, VCDs and CDs. However, rumours have been spreading that they are now accessible at a popular place in Gadong and the picture above proves that they are back in business.. but for how long??

Bruneians celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Melbourne, Australia. Click image to enlarge. Image courtesy of BSSMelb photographer Gman Mohammad.

On Sunday, 01 Syawal 1433/19 August 2012, the Brunei Student Society in Melbourne (BSSMelb), friends and family celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri together at the home of Awang Muhamad Fakhrul Anwar Bin Haji Abdul Wahab and his family in Melbourne, Australia.

The open house started at 12pm onwards with guests receiving a warm welcome by Awang Fakhrul’s family. Guests were then treated to a variety of kueh-mueh such as tapak kuda, kueh mor and many more. Satay goreng, nasi briyani and soto were also served and reminiscent of a traditional Hari Raya menu. Other guests thoroughly enjoyed our local Bruneian cuisine, trying a little bit of everything that was served.

The afternoon culminated with a video recording by all guests wishing everyone back home a ‘Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir Batin’.

BSSMelb aims to continue its commitment to the Bruneian community in Melbourne, especially to bring a bit of home to Bruneian students and families living overseas. BSSMelb will endeavour to maintain its relationship with all fellow Bruneians and to share the Bruneian culture with Melbournians in the hope of expanding the Brunei-Melbourne community. Text by President of BSSMelb Kamaliah Saiful & Izzat Murad.

Vancacies at Concepts Computer

Loads of tourists in Brunei lately. One reason could be their visit to the Istana Open House which is a popular hit among tourists.

Now that Euro 2012 is over, Panini Group has brought in Hello Kitty.. For sure, Cuterabbit would love this 😀

Be careful when you play with fireworks, peeps!!!

It’s happening tomorrow 😀

Man City, Chelsea win, MU defeated

The picture in relation to RVP’s 20 minute debut in Manchester United’s 1-0 lost to Everton

Last season Everton shocked Manchester United with a 4-4 draw where Manchester United was already in the driving seat with the scores at 4-2 back then before Everton levelled the score and Manchester City took advantage of the slip up and won the title. Last night it was a different story. Everton dominated most of the match and they could have scored a few more if it was not for the heroics of De Gea in goal. Manchester Untied lost their opener match against Everton (1-0). The Premiership has begun.

Manchester City was put to the test against newly promoted Southampton and man, I would have expected an upset and loads of credit to the Southampton for producing a fine display and they deserved at least a point.

Perhaps the most disastrous start went to Liverpool who lost away to West Brom (3-0). Loads are already calling Rodgers a big mistake and the contribution by captain Stevie G has been below par. The best performers for me would be Steve Clarke’s Swansea who defeated QPR 5-0 with a hat-trick from Dyer. Newcastle had a tricky tie which they won against Spurs 2-1 while Chelsea had a comfortable win against Wigan. The departure of RVP from Arsenal may have an effect on their firepower upfront as they weren’t able to convert their chances to goals. They drew 0-0 with Sunderland.

Not much talking points just yet but a good start for the opening weekend of the Premiership. I still believe Manchester United and Manchester City are the benchmarks for this season.

Movie reviews

Do catch Paranorman

Paranorman. After the disappointments of animated films such as Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Ice Age: Continental Drift, Paranorman brought back that satisfying feeling and I was beginning to slightly lose my trust on 2012’s line up of animations. Brave and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted lived up to my expectations and Paranorman kinda exceeded my expectations.

Visually it has a distinctive feel and I was quite impressed. The plot could have tweaked a little better especially the final third of the movie but the messages brought up were pretty strong which relates to fear. I thought the theme was pretty dark for a kid’s movie but if you put that aside, a few lessons can be learned. Winnie rated this the best movie of the year for her 10/10 but not for me, buddy. Verdict: 8/10.

Total Recall. Hmmmmm… A remake of the 1992 classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s one of those things where the movie doesn’t need a remake. Visually yes, Total Recall 2012 was way better and even the action sequences were pretty good. However, there are all these minor changes that could have been avoided or simply unnecessary. I love the duo of Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Beil on-screen and perhaps they were more of the highlights of the movie for me *lol* Now that’s one toughie baddie played by Kate and she would give a good run for the money against Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

All in all, the flaws were inexcusable in Total Recall 2012. After hearing the podcast review of TR 2012 on Filmcast, there were even more flaws that were pointed out. I kinda enjoyed The Expendables 2 more and the reason being is that if you leave your brains home for Total Recall, there are certainly no talking points but more of the negatives. Unlike The Expendables, which will still reward you with some entertaining value. Potentially a good remake but lacked substance. Verdict: 6/10.

The Expendables 2. I should have watched the first but I’m not sure if it would have made a difference. One thing for sure, I didn’t have too high expectations on this action flick despite the number of has-been Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Come to think of it, these stars kinda reminds me how WWE used veteran wrestlers such as HHH and Shawn Michaels to bring back the entertainment factor.

I quite enjoyed the one-liners but not as classy but worth a laugh or so. I came to the movie with low expectations and surprisingly I kinda enjoyed it. Of course, this movie has many flaws that I can easily point but this is also a movie where you can just leave your brains back at home, buy a popcorn and just enjoy the journey. Oh yeah, there are tons of “over the top” action scenes but kinda forgivable. If you are looking for pure fun, this could just fit the bill.Verdict: 7/10.

Bourne Legacy. I kinda understand why Rottentomatoes have it a 55% score of Bourne Legacy. I mean, it’s a Bourne movie that has average at 80% on RT for the first three movies. What could have gone wrong with Bourne Legacy then? Well, after watching the movie, there are pointers that I would like to highlight – mainly Jeremy Renner, the anti-climax and the overall flow. First of all, though he was well like in his other movies such as The Avengers and MI4, he didn’t bring enough firepower as a leading actor. I still remember his days in the Hurt Locker and he was simply brilliant. Yea, yea.. he could throw a few moves here and there but I couldn’t feel his character and his talent was put to waste here.

The pace of the movie was disjointed and it doesn’t feel like a Bourne movie. The anti-climax wasn’t handled well either. The chemistry between the characters wasn’t properly developed and it felt quite loose. I quite kinda like how it all started but it was downhill midway through the movie. It’s hard to fill as the leading role of the Bourne franchise but I really miss the old Bourne direction. Another notable absentee was the classic theme soundtrack that gave more adrenalin to the action scenes. A movie I felt shortchanged after enjoying the first three Bourne series. Verdict: 6/10.

RIP Tony Scott

RIP Tony Scott. Remember the classic movies – Days of Thunder, Crimson Tide, True Romance, Unstoppable and the big hit Top Gun? These movies were directed by the late Tony Scott, the brother to Ridley Scott, another famous director (Gladiator, Blade Runner). He took his own live by jumping off a bridge in Los Angeles recently. Tony Scott had a brain cancer then. He left a suicide note which was found in his office and he also left several notes to his loved ones in his car.

Another cause for celebration

Click image to enter website

HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

Click image to enter website

Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

click image to see more details

Petrol Stations opening hours

Here we go again as many of us will be interested to know the opening hours for the Petrol Stations around Brunei Darussalam during the first few days of Hari Raya. Thank you once again to Brunei Shell Marketing Sendirian Berhad for providing the information.

On behalf of BSM, they would like to wish all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri Maaf Zahir Batin. For any enquiries, you can call 873 4387 or 872 2985 or 717 8807.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Total Ramadhan Charity 2012

A group photo of Total Staff and the Mukim Liang beneficiaries of the Total Ramadhan Charity 2012

The Total Ramadhan Charity 2012 series of events finally comes to an end today with the break of fast with the families of the Mukim Liang charity beneficiaries. The event was held at the Liang Lumut Recreational Center (LLRC) in Kampong Lumut 1, Mukim Liang. Present to attend the event were Total staff members, the Mukim Liang charity beneficiaries, and representatives from Total’s stakeholders.

The event started with a safety briefing by an LLRC representative, followed by a speech by Rasimoon Adinin, Head of Human Resources and Corporate Communications for Total E&P Borneo B.V. (TEPB) & Total E&P Deep Offshore Borneo B.V. (TEPDOB). A short clip on the Total Ramadhan Charity event was displayed. It was then followed with the ‘Tahlil’ and ‘Doa Arwah’ recital and the break of fast.

A section of the crowd during the Break of fast Event at Lumut Liang Recreational Center

Overall, the Total Ramadhan Charity 2012 event consisted of three events namely: (1) Assistance to two households in Mukim Liang; (2) Visit and Donation to orphans of Total former staff; and (3) Break of fast with the government stakeholders and Mukim Liang beneficiaries.

On 04 August 2012, a group of Total staff volunteers visited the houses of Dyg Lamaniah bte Siput and Awg Ibrahim bin Jait, both located in Kg Sungai Liang in Mukim Liang. The visit objective was to provide a helping hand to underprivileged families of the community where Total operates.

Just fifteen minutes away from the Total Onshore Processing Plant (OPP) in Lumut, the house of Dyg Lamaniah was provided with a new main door, curtains, and a full outdoor paint job. A further five minutes drive, the house of Awg Ibrahim was provided with a new set of curtains, a sofa set, and basic house cleaning. In addition, both households were also provided with Hari Raya hampers and some monetary donation. It is hoped that with the above assistance, the two households will be able to celebrate a more festive and meaningful Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Group photo at the house of Dyg Norhidah bte Yussof in Kg Rimba

On 16 August 2012, another group of Total staff volunteers went to the house of Dyg Norhidah bte Yussof in Kampong Rimba, Gadong. The objective of the visit was to hand over Hari Raya hampers and monetary donation to the three orphans of Total’s former staff.

Muhd Hazim Richard Lee, Total’s Geologist hands over some donation to an orphan of Total’s former staff

This year is the third consecutive year the Total Ramadhan Charity is organized. In 2010 and 2011, the format of the charity event was focused on monetary and hamper donation to the orphans of Mukim Liang. This year, it focused more on assisting a single parent and an elder, while continuing its assistance towards the orphans of its former staff. The Total Ramadhan Charity is part of Total’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards the community where Total operates. In Mukim Liang, Total operates an Onshore Processing Plant (OPP) located next to the Brunei LNG plant. Text and images courtesy of Total.

b•mobile gives back

Another successful Nasi Briyani Amal Campaign

In conjunction with the Holy month of Ramadhan, Orchid Garden Hotel (OGH) organised its Nasi Briyani Amal charity drive. The launch took place yesterday between 2:30pm – 5:30pm, located at the Orchid Garden Hotel Lobby.

This event is co-organised by OGH and its key partners, RanoAdidas and KRISTALfm. Last year OGH managed to sell 500 packs of Nasi Briyani. This year, OGH sold around 500 packs of Nasi Briyani Ayam. The coupons for the Nasi Briyani Amal have already been available for pre-sale sinceFriday, 20th July 2012. Each Nasi Briyani pack sold at $10 each.

As part of OGH’s With a touch of heart program, we are supporting the community by giving away 100% of proceeds from this event from the sale of the Nasi Briyani packs. The recipient of the donation is Pusat Ehsan Al Ameerah Al Hajjah Maryam.

OGH also thanked Wan Sing Trading Company, Syarikat Teguh Mesra Sdn Bhd, Ideal Marketing (B) Sdn Bhd, Mufakat Trading Company, Hua Ho Agricultural Farm, Yap Kee Vegetable & Fruit Supplies and Bukit Ladang Foodstuffs Sdn Bhd for their kind sponsorship and support as well as the media partners for their continuous support.

Shamsul Ahmad, General Manager of OGH, handed over the cash donation to Pusat Ehsan from the previous Pusat Ehsan Charity “The Run” coupons’ collection.

Shamsul Ahmad delivering his welcoming remarks

Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Alimin, Senior Trustee of Pusat Ehsan receiving donations from the OGH

Represenatatives from Teguh Mesra receiving Nasi Bryani from Shamsul

500 nasi briyani ready for collection at OGH yesterday

Zakat contribution by Serikandi

Serikandi Group of companies had a ceremony of the hand over of Zakat to the relevant parties. Present was the Shaikh Hj Khalid bin Shaikh Hj Ahmad, CEO of Serikandi Group, The zakat was handed over to Amil who was chosen by Pg Ibrahim Pg Mohd Yussof, Officer of the Mosque at Kuala Belait.

The amount of the Zakat was $49,357.70 which was collected from the subsidiaries of SeriKandi Group – Serikandi Cafe and Restaurant, Serikandi Oilfields Services Sdn Bhd, Serikandi Management Services, Serikandi X-Press, Cyberzone Solutions, Ya-Nur Restaurant, Ya-Nur Trading Sdn Bhd and also from the CEO personally.

The ceremony was blessed with tahlil and doa arwah khusus for the late mother of Shaikh Khalid, Almarhumah Sharifah Hjh Maimunah bin Syed Mohammad who passed away on the 8th of August 2012.

Shaikh Hj Khalid bin Shaikh Hj Ahmad, CEO of Serikandi Group of Companies, passing donation to a recipient

Kids learning values at Fun Bee

In the spirit of Ramadhan and celebrating the values of communication, community and co-operation, Fun Bee Park along with IA Salon invited selected Muslim families, children and teachers from Pusat Ehsan, Sekolah Rendah Datu Ratna Haji Muhammad Jaafar, Kiarong and Fun Bee Park to have a time to share, interact and break fast together at Fun Bee Park itself.

In the itinerary were cookie art, bottle cap fillers along with Lego figurines with paper. There was also peer-to-peer character story reading with Goldilocks And The 3 Bears as the chosen title in the library.

Children were divided into teams giving all a chance to interact, socialise and cooperate with others of different backgrounds and privileges. Likewise for parents and teachers to share and make new bonds while watching the children grow creatively. Upcoming events by Fun Bee will include the importance of community and celebrate the uniqueness in families like Hari Raya open house, Food Party, Themed and Fashion Parties. Images courtesy of Fun Bee Park.

Iftar down under

The Bruneian students recently held a Sungkai get together at one of the university campuses in the city. The potluck Sungkai event was organised by the Brunei Student Society, Brisbane (BSS). This provided an opportunity for the students studying here socialise with each other and at least cure their home sickness especially with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri just around the corner. A variety of traditional Malay and Western dishes were brought by the students to share with each other.

The event started at 5.00pm Brisbane time (GMT +10) to allow time for guests to settle in before the 5.25pm sungkai time. The event was initiated with everyone breaking their fast, followed by the Maghrib Prayers and Doa Selamat which was led by Khairul Anam, the religious officer of the committee.

During the event, Yusof Sidek – the current BSS President – gave a speech announcing BSS’s future plans which included the upcoming Hari Raya celebration and the recruitment of new members for the next BSS Committee.

A thriving world class educational, multicultural centre and international student friendly city, Brisbane offers great opportunities as a study destination and thus this makes it a popular choice amongst Bruneians. For more information on BSS and studying in Brisbane, please visit BSS’s website at www.bssbne.com. Text by Farod Binali and images by Wafiy Moslim.

Oh man, I’m missing Brisbane already. My last visit was back in 2000 when I finished my final year in University of Queensland.

The Brunei students from Brisbane get together for Sungkai

The Brunei students performing the Maghrib prayers