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The Rainforest Gallery will be hosting a two-week charity art exhibition, themed ‘Love Cats’, from November 4 to 17.

The exhibition will feature artwork by young artists and students of the gallery. The art pieces will be up for sale and a portion of the profits from the sale will be donated to Care and Actions for Strays (CAS), a local non-governmental organisation that helps care, foster and rehabilitate stray animals and cover the costs of veterinary medical bills.

The Rainforest Gallery recognises CAS’ efforts to care for strays in Brunei and aims to help spread awareness of CAS and its objectives through the exhibition.

Denise Chhan, manager of the Rainforest Gallery said, “I follow CAS on Facebook and I see the hard work and effort they put in and the difference they try to make.”

“For a small nation, we have a huge population of strays and it is sad to see the condition these animals are in.”

“This is a great opportunity for our fellow artists and art students to do our part.”

CAS representatives will be present at the exhibition to answer any questions about the organisation, as well as attend to those interested in signing up to be members, volunteers or sponsors of CAS.

The exhibition will also feature a presentation by representatives of the Feline Appreciation Society (FAS).

Other activities set to take place during the exhibition include fun games, a colouring contest and face-painting for children.

A charity sale will also be held on tomorrow Sunday, November 4.

More than 10 booths will be set up for visitors of the exhibition, where they can purchase handicraft and artwork from the gallery, as well as see what is on offer from other vendors. A portion of proceeds from the charity sale will also be going to CAS.

One of the vendors who will be at the charity sale is home-based jewellery designer Yusrina Abdullah of Enya Bijoux, whose designs can be seen on Instagram at @enyabijoux, said in an interview, “I think it’s great that the Rainforest Gallery is giving an opportunity to up-and-coming local businesses like mine, in particular the home-based ones who are just starting up, to be a part of the event and help us gain exposure, while simultaneously doing a good deed to help the CAS organisation.”

The Rainforest Gallery is located at Block B, Unit 8, on the first floor of Shakirin Complex in Kiulap. Text by Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.

I won’t complain about referee this time. Regardless of the game last night, DPMM FC performed brilliantly this season after coming off a 2 year hiatus after Brunei was suspended by FIFA. Simunic’s target for the season was Top 5 and he bettered that goal by finishing a healthy second for DPMM FC. So all in all, DPMM FC did an awesome job this season and I’m more than grateful. Yes, it was so close that DPMM FC could have won the title then again it would rely on a resilient Harimau Muda to beat eventual champions Tampines Rovers.

Though a consolation victory over Balestier Khalsa would have been a better deal, the visitors caused a shock 2-0 upset over DPMM FC. They become the third team to beat DPMM FC at the national stadium after SAF FC and Harimau Muda. They defended well and the visitors had nothing to play for as they are settled for mid-table position.

Two goals from Balestier came from counter attacks. The first goal came after Azwan Salleh of DPMM FC lost possession and the visitors quickly countered and scored in the 80th minute through Zulkiffli Hassim. The second one was a beauty as Park Kang Jin raced towards the goal unmarked after a corner from DPMM FC was cleared and the Korean chipped the ball over a helpless Wardun to seal the fate of DPMM FC.

Simunic said that perhaps the second half performance was affected by them knowing the result of the other game which was not in favour of DPMM FC. Nonetheless DPMM FC still gave some glimpse of brilliance but it wasn’t a convincing performance from the home team. Perhaps some of the players were still recovering from fever after their Singapore trip last week.

It was a great scene though after the final whistle to see the fans still cheering for DPMM FC. There was also a round of applause from The Crown Prince and the Royal entourage towards DPMM FC players. Now that DPMM FC finished second in the league, would this mean Simunic want nothing less than the S•League title?

Thank you to DPMM FC for bringing the fun and the bonding among the fans and thank you to the management of DPMM FC for giving me the opportunity to work with you guys and it has been a fun season all round.

DPMM FC celebrated their success after finishing 2nd in the S•League and next year, they will be stronger

Grand opening tomorrow (Sunday)

Charity Carwash Challenge at b•mobile new HQ

Acer Malaysia is offering a special 2 hours “Acer Windows 8 Bonanza” to new or existing customers at selected PC Fairs and Dealer Stores. This 2-hour only bonus event will take place on 3rd November 2012 from 11am – 1pm at these locations:

This “Acer Windows 8 Bonanza” program is made especially for Acer new or existing customers who have been waiting for the new Acer products pre-loaded with the latest Windows 8 operating system.

Concepts Computer is listed under the “Acer Windows 8 Bonanza”

The first 100 visitors to the selected locations from 11am – 1pm will receive a goodies bag worth BND50 while stock lasts. In addition, customer who purchases any Acer products pre- loaded with Windows 8 will be entitled to an immediate rebate through a dip where you will walk away with a limited edition Acer Ferrari Mouse, Acer 500GB HDD or discount as much as RM500 or B$200. You will also be in the running to participate in the ultimate Speedy Sweep Contest where you will be rewarded with more fantastic prizes.

So Brunei is listed by Acer Malaysia to be part of the Acer Windows 8 Bonanza and you can drop by Concepts Computer at Kiulap and be the first 100 visitors to receive goodie bags!!!

Concepts Computer also have pre-installed Windows 8 in the latest Acer computers

Tonight is the big night for DPMM FC.. Good luck!!!

Will this be Simunic’s biggest glory? Tonight DPMM FC will hope for a favour from Harimau Muda to draw or beat Tampines Rovers but of course, DPMM FC will have to get points tonight against opposition Balestier Khalsa and should everything go as planned, then DPMM FC will be crowned champions. This will be Simunic’s best achievement as well as DPMM FC’s too for grabbing both the S•League Cup title and the S•League title.

According to the interview by Jason Thomas on Simunic, the DPMM FC coach remains calm before the final game of the season. He believes that DPMM FC is the team of the year and they have scored many goals and played attractive football. He was tight-lipped when asked about Harimau Muda who will be fielding mostly second stringers in their final match against Tampines Rovers.

So peeps. Tonight I hope for a packed stadium to support our local club and the tickets are selling at $5 and $8 for the public. Ticket holders are also entitled to a lucky draw and stand a chance to win a Macbook Air, iPhone 5 and many more.

Chinese establishments also to close during lunch hours

The talking point in town is about the closure of business establishments in the nation during Friday prayers. The memo has already been circulated from the Municipal Board that businesses must close from 12pm to 2pm. Today’s paper highlighted that the Chinese businesses must also close during Friday prayer.

I won’t be surprised to see a long queue in restaurants or fast food chain for take aways. I guess the community especially the non-Muslims will get accustomed to the new order.

The anniversary cake of Netcom Computer House

Netcom Computer House celebrated its 17th anniversary yesterday by holding a four-day offer at their branches nationwide.

Being established for 17 years, the company has become one of the largest IT retail shops in the Sultanate. Netcom continues to expand and develop its powerful team by building more leaders in order to provide excellent services, quality products and competitive prices to its valued customers.

During the celebration, which was held at their headquarters in Kiulap, they held a cake-cutting ceremony with all its team members to show appreciation as they are the main asset for the company’s growth. The ceremony was led by Netcom’s Managing Director, Vincent Goh and General Manager, Jackie Lim.

Staff members were also dressed in their new uniform which is light blue in colour with a hint of white on the shoulders, different compared to the previous white ones.

Currently, Netcom is the authorised distributor of some leading global brands like Dell, Prolink, Kingston (RAM Modules), Trendnet and QNAP. The company is also the authorised dealer for Acer, the business partner of Hewlett Packard (HP), the authorised reseller of Canon and the master dealer for Kaspersky products.

Highlights of Netcom’s 17th Anniversary Big Sale includes a deal for Dell Inspiron 14R i5-3210M 3rd Generation processor notebook pre-loaded with Windows 8.

Any purchase of Windows 7 notebook and desktop during this promotion period will get a free upgrade to Windows 8 if requested.

Existing Netcom customers who purchased Windows 7 notebooks and desktops can upgrade to the all-new Windows 8 at a special price of $19 only.

They have a tent set outside Netcom at Kiulap

Netcom’s Managing Director, Vincent Goh and General Manager, Jackie Lim, with the management and staff of Netcom Computer House

The staff of Netcom singing happy birthday song

The items being displayed at the tent

Netcom members whose birthday falls in November get a free Prolink USB mouse without requiring any purchase by showing their Identity Card at any Netcom branch during the offer period.

Customers who spend $100 and above will be entitled to bring home a Dell umbrella, while stocks last, for free and with the amount, they will automatically be registered as a Netcom member where they can enjoy member benefits, promotion on special events and more.

With the celebration of Netcom’s 17th anniversary, selected items are available at $17 only. Prolink and Trendnet products, including Kingston RAM (notebook, desktop and server) will also be given a special 17 per cent discount.

At the Technical Service Centre, customers are entitled for a free inspection of their notebook or desktop, 20 per cent discount on service charges and customers who spend $30 and above will get a 50 per cent discount voucher which can be used for their next service.

With every purchase, customers are entitled to join Netcom’s draw, standing a chance to win a Dell Inspiron 14z i7 Ultrabook and other attractive prizes.

All the above promotions and offers are available for all five Netcom branches nationwide until November 4, 2012.

During the promotion period, the operating time for Kiulap branch will be from 9am to 9pm. For more information, visit Netcom’s Facebook page “NetcomBrunei”.

Additional promotions are also given for every customer purchasing a Dell battery 6-cell 8NH55 for Inspiron N5110/N4110/N4010/N4050/N5010/Vostro 1450, which is priced at $119. They will get a Transcend 500GB 2.5″ USB 3.0 HDD (Hard Disk Drive) for free. Text by Ammirul Adnan of The Brunei Times.

Vincent, Boon Hui and Hassan

Yazid and Rayner looking for router at Netcom

For a promotional price, this bag is only $17 to commemorate the anniversary

They even sell phones such as iPhone, SIII, Note II and many more

Shoppers are eligible for lucky draw at Netcom Computer House

The promotional items at Netcom House Computer

The voucher sample from Netcom House Computer

The Smart Pass do come in handy

I was introduced to this unique gadget by Aaron Sitai, the owner of GadgetPlus Store (GPS) and he showed me a quick demo on how convenient a Smart Pass can do for car owners.

Let’s give this scenario. I drive down to “kedai runcit” and I normally buy my goodies or newspaper and it’s just a 30 second pitstop. We have the tendency not to turn off the engine and just leave it on and take for granted that Brunei is a safe place. Well, you will be surprised. It happened to my friend and in a matter of seconds, he lost his valuables in the passenger seat.

So now, with Smart Pass, you can safely lock your car with your engine still running by tapping the Smart Pass on the censor of the device (Smart Pass RF Reader). Now these are pretty ideal especially those who fall in this category and also companies that does a lot of delivery services to their clients. Of course, it’s still convenient for the usual drivers like us too.

Not to worry, peeps, as it won’t harm your ECU as the fitting won’t tamper with it. The best part is that if you have your existing central locking system, it is still compatible with Smart Pass.

The Smart Pass locks the car by just tapping it on the Smart Pass RF reader

You can even put the Smart Tag in your smart phone for convenience

If you buy one, it comes with a Smart Pass RF Reader and two tags (a card and one for smartphone)

Each box set comes with the Smart Pass device and two tags – one for your smartphones and the other a credit card sized tag. For your info, each Smart Pass RF Reader unit can allow up to 7 authorized smart tags to be registered onto its system allowing multiple users with an authorized tag to access the same vehicle. Additional tags can be purchased separately.

So far that this awesome gadget works with Korean and Japanese cars. Of course, other continental cars do still work but it might need more work depending on the complexity. So far the cars that have been tested are Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and KIA to name a few. It has also been fitted to Audi, BMW and Chevrolet too.

So what’s the pricing for the Smart Pass?

Smart Pass – $399 excluding fitting fee
Additional Cell Phone Tag $28
Additional Card Tag $28
Waterproof Sports wristband $48

So far the authorized fitters are Autopro Typre (behind The Arch call: 242 7242) and Fong Seng & Co (Goodwood Building, Menglait call 245 0780)

You can contact Aaron directly if you want to know more info about the Smart Pass at 710 9929 or add him on Facebook: Hibernator Awake. You can also view some videos for demo here here and here

Local reporter Quratul Ain Bandial along with journalists from fifteen other countries will be in the United States as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) titled “Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists” from October 27 to November 17.

The three week program invites up and coming media leaders from around the world to examine journalistic practices in the United States. The program is an innovative public-private partnership between the Department of State, the Aspen Institute, and leading U.S. schools of journalism.

U.S. Embassy Brunei Darussalam selected local reporter Quratul Ain Bandial from The Brunei Times to participate in the program.

“The ER Murrow Project offers media professionals from around the world the opportunity to interact with some of the most venerated media institutions and personalities in the U.S. What I hope to bring back to Brunei is a better understanding of the challenges journalists face in a rapidly evolving industry – such as sustaining the relevance of traditional media with the advent of digital media,” Quratul said.

“I am confident my participation in the ER Murrow Project will contribute to my professional development and bring a fresh perspective on current trends and challenges facing the media industry,” Quratul said.

U.S. Ambassador Daniel L. Shields presenting Ms. Quratul Ain Bandial with her tickets and important IVLP information

Prior to departing Brunei, Quratul met with U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shields thanking him for the opportunity to learn more about the U.S. media and political culture.

Ambassador Shields encouraged Quratul to make the most of the professional development program and noted it is an exciting time in the U.S. with the presidential elections. Quratul agreed the trip was especially timely and said she looked forward to being able to witness it firsthand. Ambassador Shields said he was pleased with her selection and the deepening of people-topeople ties between the United States and Brunei Darussalam.

The Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists examines the rights and responsibilities of the press. Participants explore the operational practices, standards, and institutions of the media in the U.S. and gain insight into American social, economic, and political structures. As the presidential election will take place during the second week of the program, the program also addresses political reporting and the role of the media in the election process. Unique features of this project include a day-long symposium highlighting current trends and challenges in the media profession and foreign affairs reporting; and partner university programs focused on the implementation of journalistic principals.

The IVLP program is an all expense paid trip supported by the U.S. Department of State.

From 247 Assist