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His Majesty delivered an emotional titah during the 8th Sovereign Parade as the monarch reflects on the fallen military personnel involved in the devastating helicopter crash that happened in July 2012. Click image to view.

 

With Chinese New Year approaching, Acer Sales & Service Sdn Bhd of Malaysia will be having a special promotion for their touchscreen Acer Notebook & AIO PC nationwide – For Selected Concept Stores at 11 Locations (Klang Valley, Penang/AS, Ipoh, Melaka, JB, Pahang, Kelantan, KK, Kuching, Miri and Brunei Darussalam). The Acer Aspire S7, Acer Aspire M5 and Acer Aspire Z-series touchscreen Notebook & AIO PC will have a special promotion from Acer called the “Chinese New Year 2 Days’ Dream Sale” to be held during the 2nd and 3rd February 2013 nationwide. Concepts Computer has been selected as one of the participant stores in Brunei Darussalam.

The Acer Aspire S7 ultrabook with touch screen are one of the slimmest, lightest and most powerful notebooks available right now. With 3rd Gen Intel processor, and solid state drive memory, the Acer Aspire S7 ultrabooks are powerful, long-lasting and durable, perfect for everyday use. The 13.3” model, Aspire S7-391-73514G25, will be on offer for $1,608, down from their usual price of $1,958; and the 11.6” model, Aspire S7-191-53314G12, will be available for $1,258, usual price $1,568. Now that’s a $300 difference so what are you waiting for? 😀

The Acer Aspire M5-481PTG-53316G52 touchscreen notebook will also be under the “Chinese New Year Dream Deal” from 2nd February to 3rd February 2013. The Aspire M5, with 3rd Generation Intel processor with 6GB of RAM and Nvidia graphic cards, ensures smooth touch operations on a power packed Graphic mobile machine; perfect for graphic minded and imaginative users. A 500GB HDD guarantees ample space to store work and games, and the 20GB solid state drive ensure fast loading of the Windows 8 operating system. The Aspire M5 will be available for $998, usual price $1,308.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (left) with the staff holding the latest Acer notebooks

Not to forget, the Acer Aspire Z3770-3322W8 touchscreen computer, with it’s 21.5” wide touchscreen all-in-one monitor and wireless keyboard & mouse, makes the Aspire Z3770, a perfect companion for small, medium sized offices or home office. The Acer Aspire Z33770 will be on offer for $828, down from the usual price of $918.

Also, in conjunction with the “Chinese New Year Dream Deal” promotions, Concepts will also have a few other items on offer. This offer valid Whiel Stocks Last!is First up is the Acer Aspire 431-10074G50, on promo for $498, down from the usual price of $568. The Acer Aspire 431-10074G50 is a 14 inch notebook, running an Intel Celeron 1.5GHz processor with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB HDD. It is perfect notebook for students and young children who are getting acquainted with the ins and outs of IT.

Other Acer IT accessories like their LED monitors and external HDDs will also be up for grab during this promotion. The Acer external HDD on offer is the Acer slim 2.5” external 1TB USB3.0 HDD, $148, down from usual price of $198. Next from Acer is their Acer S231HL 23” LED monitors, on offer for $188, usual price $268.

For more information on any of the promotions mentioned, please visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 2233551/2/3 or 2448102/3. Also, do not forget to visit Concepts Computer’s booths at the NewXpo 2013 at the Indoor Stadium being held until Sunday 3rd February 2013 and also at the Mall Gadong for the “Better Hearing, Better Living” Charity Bazaar, also ongoing until Sunday 3rd February 2013.

Happens every friday and saturday 9pm – 11pm at Caliente Restaurant. Call 2234549 / 7202985 for reservation. Caliente Spanish Restaurant is located at Regent Square, Kiulap.

 

The first teaser that was out a few weeks ago. I had a feeling it was coming from a telco company. One of the telcos called me up asking who’s advert was it which led to my theory that it might be TelBru’s FTTH advert teaser. However, my theory was dismissed by a TelBru representative.

A few days later this advert came out and I questioned myself that this might be TelBru because of the colours scheme it uses and one friend of mine mentioned about the laser thingy on the design which also makes me thought of fibre optic experience. Hmmmm.. My theory might be right after all…

Ok, when this particular teaser came out, I was 99.5% confident that it was TelBru’s but I never had any assurance from the representatives of TelBru. Maybe they were in a situation that they weren’t allowed to disclose information.

Today’s advert says it all and yes, I was right all along 😀 Congratulations TelBru

It’s happening today at Times Square and you can check out how fast the speed is..

The tech guys making sure the connection is up and running for today. Today will be the official launch I heard.

I’ve seen many of the “FTTH” workers working hard to install cables and wiring.

 

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Cool stuff from Fun Bee Park as you can make order your Bento sets from Fun Bee Park and it only costs $5 which I think is a superb deal indeed!! They even do delivery – $2 within BSB area and $4 outside BSB area.

Here are the steps for order and there are two menus available for Friday (tomorrow).

Direct Message FB or SMS 7178232

1. Bento Option
2. Number of bentos
3. Name & Contact Number
4. Address for delivery if applicable

For more information on Fun Bee Park, call 2467729 or send a text to 7178232. Fun Bee Park is located at A6 & A7, Ground Floor, Sempurna Complex, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam (near Happy Star, Batu Bersurat).

Menu for Friday Option A: Rice, beans, garlicy egg, chicken nuggets, cheese, carrots, tomato, cucumber, cake of the day, fruit of the day

Menu for Friday Option B: Chicken pie, garlicy beans, egg, cheese, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, cake of the day, fruit of the day

One of the bento sets

I like their presentation of the bento

 

Chief Executive of AITI, Hj Yahkup Hj Menudin, delivering his remarks during the launch of BICTA 2013. Image courtesy of Haadi Abu Bakar of The Brunei Times.

The Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) once again launched the BICTA 2013 competition. The theme for this year BICTA 2013 is “ICT, Our Future Together” which ties closely with the theme of this year’s ASEAN Summit’s theme “Our People, Our Future Together”.

The Guest of Honour for the launch was Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Haji Awang Mohamad Taha, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Communications, and in his capacity as Chairman of AITI and the BICTA/APICTA steering committee.

The launch started with the recital of the Al-Fatihah, which was then followed by a welcoming remark by Hj Yahkup Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI. In his speech, Hj Yahkup mentioned “BICTA participants must pay close attention to the future trends of technology in order to develop ICT products that will meet the demand and need of the consumers in the ICT market.” Hj Yahkup highlighted last year BICTA winners who also won the APICTA awards which include Brunei’s winner in the Secondary school category by Chung Hwa Middle school and 4 other merit awards were accomplished by MeSixty, MediaHikmah, Zimac Silicon Sdn Bhd and John Harrith. The target for this year is to encourage more participants from Brunei in order to generate more winners in the upcoming BICTA for the APICTA Awards.

This year the APICTA will be hosted by Hong Kong. Aside from achieving recognition for their participation in the BICTA competition, it was highlighted by the chief executive that AITI has committed to assist the development of the potential ICT products by providing support through the AITI Grant’s Assistance scheme to local companies for BICTA winners who went on to clinch awards in APICTA.

The BICTA is an annual event led by the Ministry of Communications and is jointly organized by Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI ) and InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB).

It is reminded to all interested participants, that the closing date for the submission for this year BICTA 2013 will be on 2nd September.

Guest of honour Dato Paduka Haji Awang Alaihuddin receiving a memento from Hj Yahkup. Image courtesy of Haadi Abu Bakar of The Brunei Times.

The winner of last year’s BICTA from Chung Hwa Middle School delivering their project. Image courtesy of Haadi Abu Bakar of The Brunei Times.

The attendees yesterday at the BICTA launch. Image courtesy of Haadi Abu Bakar of The Brunei Times.

The merit awardees from APICTA – John Harith and MeSixty

The ladies from ZimacSilicon Technologies and they also earned a merit award from APICTA last year

 

The last day of entry is this Sunday. Click image to enter Brunei Memes Facebook page

 

This morning Cooltones held another prize giving ceremony for the winners of daily and weekly pelangi quiz in conjunction with its ongoing promotion, FLY2UK SMS Quiz where Pelangi FM is the official Radio for the quiz. Daily winners won prizes from participating sponsors of the promo and weekly quiz winners brought home goodie bags and consolation prizes from Cooltones and its sponsor partners. The weekly quiz winner is drawn from the daily winners list.

The prize giving is being awarded to winners for week 3 and 4 of the Pelangi Quiz. The daily winners won themselves B-Mobile Top Ups worth $10 and Fitness Zone Gym Passes. Weekly winner for week 3 is Siti Nurrahimah Binti Ali Rahman while Week 4 is Md Amzar Syazwan bin Abu Bakar both bagged goodie bag from cooltones as well as B-Mobile Top Ups and $60 worth of QQeStore Voucher. Present to give out the prizes to the winners is the Manager of Cool Tones, Pg Saiful Khalid bin Pg Hj Yunus.

Group photo for winners of Week 3 and 4 for Fly2UK SMS Quiz for Pelangi listeners. Image courtesy of Nana.

This quiz is in conjunction with its ongoing promo FLY2UK SMS quiz where Top 5 winners will stand to win prizes like Sports rims, Smartphone, Tablet and more. Grand Prize winner will get to fly off to UK to watch BPL football match. This year’s FLY2UK SMS quiz is jointly sponsored by AutoPro Tyre, B-Mobile, FitnessZone, Huawei, KFC Brunei, MVision, QQestore and Socialdeal Brunei as its Social Media Partner.

To play the quiz and stand a chance to win B-Mobile subcribers just need to text FLY and send to 38833. The quiz will end at Midnight on 31st March 2013. Active BPL Wap or Cool Tones subscribers playing the quiz will get additional 15 points each and added monthly. Additional 15 points will also be given to active members of FitnessZone.

Also in conjunction with the promo, subscribers of both Cooltones and BPL Wap will stand to win a smartphone monthly in the FLY2UK Mini Draw which also ends in March 2013. For more info subscribers can call B-Mobile Call Centre 177 or visit website www.3g.com.bn

The Grand winner for Week 4 – Md Amzar Syazwan bin Abu Bakar. Image courtesy of Nana.

 

Guest of honour Datin Paduka Hjh Adina holding the iPad with Wu Chun and Keeran Janin

Fitness Zone and MeSixty collaborated in creating the app and last week they officially launched the iPad app for Fitness Zone developed by MeSixty. The launch was held at Fitness Zone at Kiulap branch along with the launch of Les Mills RPM.

So what can you expect from the Fitness Zone app? Well, it includes an opening video that features our own Brunei and international icon, Wu Chun who is also the Managing Director of Fitness Zone. You will be able to find information and schedules available at Fitness Zone during the week.

Wu Chun said, “As technology is becoming more sophisticated, the health and fitness industry are also responding to the increasing popularity of technological innovations. This allows for a truly flexible and enjoyable learning experience for Fitness Zone, not only to inform and connect with our members but to (also) educate and motivate them with just a few clicks on their iPads.”

MeSixty Art Director and lead designer of the app Nadia Yahya said, “When designing the app, we wanted to capture the look of Fitness Zone while still making the app easy to use.”

Present at the launch as the guest of honour was Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman. Also present at the event were Managing Director and owner of Fitness Zone Wu Chun, MeSixty Chief Executive Officer Keeran Janin, invited guests, members of the media and members of the gym.

The Fitness Zone app is free and available download in the iTunes app store for the iPad and the iPad Mini. In addition to the launching of the app, Fitness Zone is also giving away free two-week membership and a Fitness Zone shoe bag to the first 30 customers who download the app. To claim these prizes, all customers have to do is present the app on their iPad to any Fitness Zone health clubs in Brunei.

Keeran explaining the Fitness Zone app

The launch of the Fitness Zone app

The 30 second cycle moment after the launch

Six ways with oysters available for dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm and prepared in six exciting ways namely grilled with herb and shallot butter, chowder with corn and pepper, crispy fried with papaya and chilli salsa, classic ‘Rockefeller’ with almond crumbs, ravioli with leeks and tabasco and warm terrine with bonito jelly at only B$24 per dozen or B$18 per half dozen.

“This amazing dish can be enjoyed as an appetizer to complement the main meal or as the main meal for the evening”, said Cameron Lawless, Food and Beverage Manager as well as the Executive Chef. “We are bringing back the oysters until 30 January to satisfy our diners’ craving and leaving them wanting more”.

I have to admit the oysters were amazing indeed… My friends have been giving rave reviews and it’s no surprise that Deals Restaurant have extended their “Oysters prepared in six ways” promotion until the 9th of February.

For table reservations or enquiries, please call the hotel at 224 4272.

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The schedules for activities lined up for the weekend!!

During the launch of the NewXpo by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. Image courtesy of Azrol Azmi of Borneo Bulletin.

A group photo with underprivileged students with the guest of honour and organisers. They were given school bags with complete stationeries. Image courtesy of Azrol Azmi of Borneo Bulletin.

Have you registered for the SMARTER 17-hill challenge? It’s happening this Sunday. You can buy the official t-shirt at the NewXpo

The new restaurant in Gadong Central is also participating in the NewXpo

Maybe these slippers might suit you

Aaron of Gadgetplus Store is back again!! If you want SMART keypass or air ionizer, you are more than welcome to visit his booth. An interesting system to lock your car while leaving your engine on.

Check out Gadgetplus Store at the NewXpo

I heard the competition is starting today for those interested

Fitness Zone is also participating in the NewXpo

Want to do some health check up?

Some display for sale at liveWIRE booth

They have a NewXpo promotion for a 40 page Hard Cover photobook for $70 only and also a wedding photography promotion for $1,350 for 3 events, 2 photobooks and 1 photo canvas and for the NewXpo promotion, they will be including 1 free event as well. Check them out at liveWIRE booth at NewXpo.

This wallet does wonders and it’s pretty cheap too.

The new Samsung notebook which can be detached. Check out ACI booth at NewXpo.

The orchid area at the NewXpo

Inflated snakes *lol*

Yellow Pages is running a competition and all you have do is download their app from Google Play or IOS and fill in your entries at the NewXpo

Don’t forget to send me invite okay? :p

These can come in handy especially in your car

Great workmanship from Pusat Ehsan. I wonder how much this cost.

Wanna do some kain shopping? Check out Madison at the NewXpo.

iFoildesign making an appearance at the NewXpo. So basically if you see this BMW is being foiled and the finishing looks pretty good. They can even do on your gadgets such as iPhones, tablets and so on. Interesting. For now, iFoildesign is having a promotion with an intermediate price of $1,000 for vehicles (except buses -> different price).

The lucky draw to be conducted this Sunday

Behind the scene at the information counter

I’m not quite sure what this does

Wana some mojo?

Go for the orange… It’s refreshing!!

Haven’t tried this Nasi Ayam here but looks good

Comfy seats but I’m not sure if you can sit and rest

The usual suspects

Cheap, cheap, cheap!!

They have more coolers now installed inside the NewXpo

Welcome to the NewXpo and it will end this Sunday

 

We need more of this. It’s good to see the drama scene slowly coming back and I, for one, love to act and this is no easy feat too. Last week, I had the opportunity to catch a short play called “The Boor and the Langsat” directed by Abdul Zainidi who is known for his series “Brunei in Paris” and “Beverly Hills Brunei” and his short film “Bread Dream” was selected in the Cannes short film in 2012.

“The Langsat” tells a surreal story of a young man named Langsat in a mental hospital who dreams of putting a show in his ‘mind’. Also, in his head, he is plagued with monsters and trolls who act in “The Boor” later on.

The second play was a Russian comedy about how a widow who grieves after the death of her husband. At the same time, she has to deal with a chauvinist creditor by the name of Smirnov who wants to collect a debt of money from her late husband. The widow, who is accompanied only by her man servant named Luka, is also being held in the house. [Source: Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times]

From what I heard, the preparation was a month or so and the cast pulled off a commendable show. I was particularly impressed with the final act of the play – Mrs Popov played by Adilah Affendy and Smirnov played by the director himself Abdul Zainidi. The body language and the facial expressions and even the chemistry could be felt between the two. I kinda like how they incorporated some Malay in the play and it was humourous too.

The one hour play was organised by Creative Academy of Narrative and Dramatic Arts and Sciences (CANDAS). I hope to see more of this and good job to the cast involved and also to the director for making it possible.

The cast performed some impromptu acts

Devouring Dorothy *lol*

The beginning of the act

Shavez had a cameo appearance

Luka the servant played Faisal Osman and Mrs Popov by Elizabeth Sim

It was almost full house during the performance

Kevin Lo’s version of Smirnov

Stella Roslan’s version of Mrs Popov

Adilah Affendy as Mrs Popov

The man behind the play – Abdul Zaini

 

In conjunction with Malaysia Airlines’ entry into the oneworld® alliance, Malaysia Airlines Brunei is offering great deals to its customers. The carrier promotional offers are also in conjunction with its 40th anniversary celebration of delivering its unique Malaysian Hospitality to customers, operating as Malaysia Airlines since 1 Oct 1972.

Bookings and payment for this promotion is till 8th February 2013 for travel from now till 31st May 2013. Malaysia Airlines’ District Manager for Brunei, Alias Suut said, “Being a part of the oneworld® alliance is a big and exciting step for Malaysia Airlines. This membership will enable our customers to enjoy a truly global network together with our partners who include some of the best and biggest airlines in the world. We are indeed very pleased and proud to join this alliance and there is no other opportune moment to reward our customers.” he added.

This promotion also serves well for those who missed out on the year-end travel due to hectic schedules. The all-in one way economy class promotional fare to Kuala Lumpur starts from only BND111. Customers can also fly to Jakarta and Singapore for all-in fares from as low as BND175 from Bandar Seri Begawan.

Likewise all-in one way Business Class promotional fares start from BND608 for travel to Kuala Lumpur, BND808 for travel to Jakarta and BND688 for travel to Singapore.

Exciting offers are up for grabs to London and Paris. The all-in one way economy class promotional fare to London starts from only BND810 and BND929 to Paris. On the front-end, the all-in business class fares to London and Paris starts from only BND3,494. These fares are all for flights through Kuala Lumpur.

With the deployment of the A380 on two of the popular European routes, London with double daily services which began 24th November 2012 and Paris, daily services starting 1 March 2013 the Malaysian national carrier will be able offer the latest premium products and services to travelers.

Other fares that are up for grabs at promotional prices are for travel to Bangkok, Dhaka, Chennai, Colombo, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Male and Kathmandu. These fares are available for grabs at www.malaysiaairlines.com, Malaysia Airlines Brunei ticket office and appointed travel agents.

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Get your tickets soon!!

There has been rumours spreading around about a circus happening in Brunei. It’s true indeed!!! I don’t know how the guys (Forevershine) managed to bring a circus in town but it’s really happening. And tickets are already available at selected outlets such as Dee Jay, Fabrica, Giant, Soon Lee, Supa Save, Utama Grand, Fitness Zone, West Park (kids playground at The Mall) and Venere Enterprise.

Ok, there will be six performers (3 male, 3 female) from The Circus Firemen and they are very popular in Australia and yes, they are from Australia. They have also performed worldwide and two of them have performed in Brunei a few years ago.

The show will be compromising of acrobats, fire juggling and many more and it will be a 90-minute show if I’m not mistaken. This show will be ideal for families and children and guess what… The tickets are pretty affordable to begin with – $15 for adult and $10 for children (aged 12 and below) and it will be free seating as well. The venue will be at the Indoor Stadium.

Here are times for the show.

27th March Wed 2:30pm 8:00pm
28th March Thurs 10:00am 2:30pm
29th March Friday 3:00pm 8:00pm
30th March Sat 10:00am 2:30pm 8:00pm
31st March Sun 10:00am 2:30pm 8:00pm
1st April Mon 2:30pm 8:00pm
2nd April Tues 2:30pm 8:00pm

Forevershine will also be having a lucky draw on every show where you can win an iPad (4th generation). So that will mean the organisers are giving out 16 iPads altogether. Cool!!

The event is brought to you by Forevershine Events, Media and Management Services in cooperation with Rakan Tiga Media and it is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) is the official airline where the national carrier will be flying in the performers from Melbourne in March. The performers will be staying in The Orchid Garden, the official hotel for The Circus Firemen and the event is also supported by Brunei Tourism. The marketing arm for the event is S-Team Solutions.

You can also check out Forevershine EMMS’s Facebook page for updates. You can call 265 5208 or 879 9055 or 889 7999 from 8:30am to 5:30pm for details.

One of the stunts from Circus Firemen

Taken from an outdoor event in Melbourne. Image taken from Circus Fireman Facebook page.

 

Check out the latest Cheongsam collection at DESEO. Click image to enter Facebook Page

Have you check out the Modern Cheongsam Collection at DESEO? They have tons to choose from with a variety of design. Don’t worry about clashing with the same design or color because DESEO is selling one piece per size and color. The prices ranges from $50 and above. So do hurry and visit DESEO before Chinese New Year.

For more choices, DESEO branch in Kiulap is the best bet. It’s located at Regent Square on the 1st floor. You can visit their Facebook page here or call 223 3998.

Check out the latest Cheongsam collection at DESEO. Click image to enter Facebook Page

Fina trying out one of the Cheongsam collections

Sizes ranging from S to XXXL

Hair clip accessories also at DESEO

DESEO is located at Regent Square, Kiulap

 

Bossini outlet at Mabohai Shopping Complex

A beautiful moon last night taken at 1:10 am

It also houses a corner which showcases a bit of Peugeot’s rich history. Peugeot started up back in the 18th century, manufacturing coffee, pepper and salt grinders or mills. Only later did they enter the vehicle market, by means of crinoline dresses (stiff dresses) that used steel rods, leading to umbrella frames, saw blades, wire wheels and bicycles.

TCY Motors Marketing Executive Kai Wei said that the boutique was built to increase traffic flow into the showroom and also to teach customers a bit about the history of Peugeot, particularly during its salt and pepper mill production days. A Peugeot brand salt and pepper shaker and grinder is even available for sale at the boutique.

Apart from selling Peugeot merchandise, TCY Motors also invited Mad Bites a popular online bakery to set up shop inside the showroom.”We chose Mad Bites because were were inspired by the Peugeot showroom in France during a trip there, where the Peugeot cars and boutique and cafe were located next to each other. The concept is almost similar to the one in France,” said TCY Motors Managing Director Teng Chee Khiong.

Both the Peugeot Boutique and Mad Bites is open from 10am to 10pm daily except for Sundays, so drop by Peugeot’s showroom in Kg Kiarong to grab a “Mad Bite” and pamper yourself with Peugeot goodies made and flown in from France.

For enquiries, call the Peugeot showroom in Kiarong at 2426969 or 2425522. Congratulations to Peugeot boutique and MADbites on their opening. Text courtesy of Ammirul Adnan of The Brunei Times.

Check out Peugeot boutique at Peugeot Showroom at Kiarong

It was full house during MADbites official opening last Friday

The food items were all gone by late afternoon

Do try out their new flavours of macarons 😀

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The Impossible: I have heard many good reviews about this movie. A few have warned their followers on Instagram how tearful The Impossible can be but too bad, the formula didn’t work on me. However, my buddy Lulu was in tears almost half of the screening and she looked like she had a bad emotional day when she came out of the cinema *lol* Don’t get me wrong, though I wasn’t weeping (or weeping in the inside), The Impossible was a pretty compelling movie and I was drawn from the start till the end.

For your info, the movie stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts who both played a father and mother figure who were on a holiday trip to Thailand when the tsunami incident took place. Yes, this is based on real events and being depicted on the big screen. So I would think that this movie ain’t for everyone as it can get pretty emotional and tough to watch. What I was impressed is the visuals of the tsunami and it felt so surreal. The characters on screen also lived up to the momentum and it was well paced. There were many touching moments too. You can catch The Impossible at Times Cineplex since it’s only showing there. So far the best movie in January and it’s sad to say most movies I caught this month were so-so. Verdict: 8/10 and Rottentomatoes 81%

Naomi Watts was awesome in The Impossible

Upside Down: I feel sorry for Kirsten Dunst. I used to be a big fan during her Spider-man days. I watched Bachelorette and I wasn’t impressed. This time she starred in Upside Down which is about two cities that exist in opposite sides (up and down) and one represents the rich, the other represents the poor. Ah, I just can’t get over the sci-fi ridiculous plot. This was one of the restless movies I had to endure. There were some missing pieces that were unexplained too and the climax wasn’t the great either. All in all, my interest level was low from the beginning. Kirsten Dunst, I kinda have lost trust in your choices of roles in movies. Yes, there are some nice sweet moments that I can appreciate but overall, it was a failure. At least it’s not as bad as CZ2012. I’m pretty surprised this movie will only be released in March in the States. Verdict: 5/10.

The Last Stand: Is this his comeback movie? His last appearance was in The Expandables 2 and it was fun ride for him. The Last Stand was surprisingly entertaining though it was quite obvious that his stunts were restricted, maybe due to his age. He played a role as a sheriff in a low crime area. The Korean director Kim Jee-Woon cleverly used Arnold Schwarzenegger to his best strength and you know how Arnold is when it comes to his acting. This is a good popcorn movie with some nice humour to it. There was some nice “fast and furious” action scenes to be amazed by too. I just thought his adversary was slightly weak but his henchmen were more cunning. It’s safe to say that Arnold’s hollywood career is resurrected. Verdict: 7/10 Rottentomatoes 60%

I caught a movie marathon with Christine last week. It was my first attempt to catch three movies in a row *lol*

Taxi! Taxi! I always have a soft spot for Singapore movies. It stars the popular Gurmit Singh and Mark Lee who played roles as taxi drivers. It also stars Malaysian radio presenter Gan Mei Yan and Singapore YouTube star Chua Sen (the little kid). It has been some time since I’ve seen Gurmit Singh on the big screen. The movie is inspired by the 2010 book “Diary of a Taxi Driver”. Ok, I always feel that Gurmit doesn’t act as natural as comapred to Mark Lee. It was nice touch to see some political issues incorporated in the movie such as the locals criticising the government of the foreigners taking over the jobs. There are some great laughing moments but it’s not one of the best Singaporean movies to date. I still think “I Not Stupid” is the bench mark of Singaporean movies. This is still an entertaining movie nonetheless. Verdict: 7/10.

Mama: I kinda enjoyed this movie. We Bruneians are sucker for horror movies, right? The first half of the Mama was interesting and the camera works and the acting by the young kids were pretty good too. I would say that the camera technique and sound editing combo were well executed in style to make the experience chilling. I didn’t like the ending though so that kinda affected my rating for Mama. There are still flaws which I still can accept. It is an above average horror flick. If you need some adrenalin rush this week, I recommend you to catch Mama. Verdict: 7/10 Rottentomatoes 62%

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters Hmmmmm something is just not right here. I’m quite disappointed with Jeremy Renner. He has a lot of talents but lately most of his roles are in wasteland. I truly love him in the Hurt Locker, Mission Impossible and so-so in The Avengers. But his current lead roles in Bourne Legacy and Hansel and Gretel didn’t do him justice. One thing this movie reminds me of is Van Helsing – messy, loss sense of direction, poor character development. It was sad note to end during my movie marathon with Christine (after watching Mama and Taxi! Taxi!). I don’t get it why some would enjoy this movie. The chemistry was bad to start off with and the relationship of Hansel and Gretel was supposedly “brotherly sisterly” like but some of us might think otherwise *lol* Definitely not a movie for kids due to the level of gore and violence. Another disappointing movie this and it should have gone straight to DVD or HBO. Verdict: 6/10 (being too generous here) Rottentomatoes 18%.

Something’s not right between the brother and sister… hmmm…

 

Call 2234549 / 7202985 for reservation. Caliente Spanish Restaurant is located at Regent Square, Kiulap. It opens everyday but however, Monday only opens during dinner 6pm to 11pm. Tuesday to Fridays will be 8:30am to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday is 11am to 11pm.

A new dish, Chorizo Burger at Caliente Restaurant 

Caliente Sirloin, a selection of the main course

Lamb Shank, a selection of the main course

Moorsh Fish, a selection of the main course

 

Looking for massive knockdown offers in Brunei on cool stuffs to see, do & taste? Do make sure you pop by at www.SocialDeal.com.bn first! After what it felt like being a decade long (it’s actually 18 mths old), the SocialDeal has been continuously offering huge savings to the public, collectively saving close to B$360,000+ through some 11,400+ coupons sold!

For my readers, surely you might have missed out some of the mind-boggling Waxing & Polishing, Watersports, HotPot, Massage & Foodie Deals with over hundreds of Bruneians grabbing each of the deals within the 7 days timer limit. It’s not too late to join the hype of group-buying now, if you haven’t yet registered yourselves, i’d say you beam yourselves through this link for free registration: http://socialdeal.com.bn/customer/account/create/

There’s also comprehensive step-by-step guides on how to buy with cards, how to buy with bank transfer down to the details on how to even find your coupons in your email inbox later on. 

Some of the HOT deals on going right now with timer ticking are such:

1. 30mins Horse Ride/Pony Ride at BEQ Sdn Bhd Jerudong Park Royal Stables @ B$9.9 only (worth B$25) – Kind of a HOT Deal with more than 250+ pax bought!
2. SKINC Oxy Miracle Facial Treatment for the ladies at B$69 only (worth B$138)
3. Breakfast Set at Caliente Spanish Restaurant at B$10 only (worth B$16.8)
4. 1H Swedish Body Massage at M-Image Kiulap at B$15 only (worth B$35)

Well, the deals rotate every week and what is gone will be gone until nobody knows when, so don’t miss the runs at www.SocialDeal.com.bn, stay subscribed fellas. Oh, and by the way, sometimes one can (luckily) find out what’s coming next via their new instagram channel: http://www.instagram.com/socialdealbn

..Or maybe their twitter portal as well: https://twitter.com/socialdealbn

Happy Saving!!

Check out the deals from Socialdeal. Click image to enter website.

 

Click image to enter Oasis Marché website

Heard of Oasis Marché? They are the exclusive distributor of Rude Health • Firefly • Munchy Seeds • Queen Vanilla in Brunei and Malaysia and guess what…they are run by our local Bruneians *thumbs up* You can now sign up for their newsletter, just visit their website http://www.oasismarche.com for registration and you will also get a 10% discount off your total bill on your next order.

They will also have a special promotion on 8th February where they will be offering free delivery for one day only… Check out the image below for details.

You can also visit their Facebook page for updates apart from their website. And for instagram users, you can follow them @oasismutiara too.

Get your orders now

You can get Firefly drinks at Mr. Baker’s Bakeshop

Free delivery on 8th February for one day only

 

For the new CNY’s promotion, Dermalogist Beauty Therapy (located at Serusop) is having a Diamond Dermabrasion facial treatment promotion at BND 75 instead of the usual BND 135. The promotion ends on 9th February 2013. Do call 234 2928 or you can whatsapp through 871 6680 for appointments.

Dermalogist Beauty Therapy is located on 1st floor, opposite Secret Recipe Serusop.

Try out their new UltraCalming from Dermalogica

This is used for facial treatment

Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah said she took part because Nancy helped Brunei with medals and it is about time Bruneians showed some support. Beside Her Royal Higness is HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim at the Cycle & Run Charity for Nancy last night at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Image taken by Asdeny Yakub of The Brunei Times.

HER Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah yesterday evening joined thousands in a charity cycle and run for ex-national athlete Nancy Tea Ai Seng which began at theHassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

HRH, who was accompanied by HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim, showed her support by wearing the iconic yellow “Charity for Nancy” shirt along with the rest of the participants, and even joined in the warm-up exercise before the 5.5-kilometre fun run began.

The crowd, comprising 2,049 runners and 278 cyclists had nothing but smiles and enthusiasm on their faces as they showed up to help Brunei’s former national athlete who recently suffered a spinal injury. 

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah said the turnout was “overwhelming for Nancy’s cause”.

“I did not expect the turn out to be so big. This shows our people, especially our youth, are very caring and are concerned about the plight of the people of Brunei,” the minister told The Brunei Times in an interview.

For more report of the articles, click here and here. Text courtesy of Rachel Thien of The Brunei Times.

The NewXpo is aimed at invigorating the national economy and giving valuable market and networking opportunities to local businesses. The inaugural NewXpo will take place at the National Indoor Stadium from 28 January to 3 February, and will house around 300 booths of a wide range of products and services from local and overseas exhibitors. The NewXpo is organised by Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd and co-organised by Adison Marketing Services, AdXpert Marketing, MediaHub Event Management & Marketing Solutions, and Prime Media Event Management & Advertising.

Some would say it’s similar to the Consumer Fair but I guess this Expo has a different direction as compared to the recent Consumer Fair. The official opening will be tomorrow and I shall be covering the event as well.

Sunlit Advertising has also practice corporate social responsibility by providing free booth and exhibition space to NGOs to raise their funds for charitable causes. In the recent Consumer Fair, we see NGOs such as SMARTER Brunei, KACA, Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Hajjah Maryam, LiveWIRE Brunei and Health Promotion Centre to name a few. These NGOs will be making their presence once again at NewXpo. There will also be a charity car show at the NewXpo.

The NewXpo is taking place at the National Indoor Stadium Car Park in Berakas. The soft launching of the expo will be held from 26 – 27 January, and the official opening will be on 28 January. The NewXpo will end on Sunday 3 February. Daily opening hours are 10 am to 10 pm and a free shuttle bus will be available from the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. Around 300 booths of different categories of products and services from Brunei and foreign exhibitors are featured at The NewXpo, the first time that five leading advertising and event management firms have joined together to offer the public such a wide range of exhibitors, products and services in one venue.

There are also other exciting games and many prizes to be won at The NewXpo. The NewXpo is organised by Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd, and coorganised by Adison Marketing Services, AdXpert Marketing, MediaHub Event Management & Marketing Solutions, and Prime Media Event Management & Advertising. The expo is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

Orchid flower show at The NewXpo

Looking for beautiful and elegant auspicious gifts or home décor for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations? Or perhaps searching for a just-right present for a new homeowner?Look no further than the exotic orchid flower show in bloom at the on-going NewXpo at the National Indoor Stadium Car Park.

Located in Zone A of The NewXpo, and placed strategically near the sales of Chinese New Year items, is a dazzling display of exotic orchids for visitors to browse through and choose from. The imported multi-genus and hued orchids are available as individually potted items,and pre-bookings are also accepted for flower hampers for the approaching Lunar New Year season and other special occasions.

 

SMARTER 17 Hill Challenge

The SMARTER Hill Challenge is back!! The event will take place over an entire day starting at 7am and ending about 5pm. The first phase will take place at Bukit Shahbandar and the second phase will begin at Bukit Mentiri. The SMARTER Brunei Charity 17-Hill Challenge will be held in seven different locations within the Brunei-Muara district, with varying levels of difficulty.

So if you are up to the challenge or simply want to try it out, register for the main event, scheduled for February 3, next week at Bukit Shahbandar, Tasek Lama and Bukit Markucing.T-shirts to be worn during the challenge will be given to participants by the end of this month, before the event.

AS PART of My Small World community service, the toy chain store is sponsoring the latest Yansan mountain bicycle model during the SMARTER Brunei Charity 17-Hill Challenge 2013.

As an added benefit, all participants would get a 20 per cent discount voucher from the toy store on all products including bicycle accessories and Premier Football Club Merchandises. The company will also donate $20 to SMARTER for every customer who purchases a Yansan bicycle from now until the challenge date.

For more information or enquiries, please call SMARTER at 2654812 during office hours or call the challenge chairman, Major (Rtd) Md Talip on 8865646.

There is a session every Sunday to build up stamina and getting ready for the real deal for SMARTER Brunei Charity 17-Hill Challenge. This will allow participants to test their abilities and know what to expect during the 17-hill challenge. Mind you, it’s not compulsory for you to go to all the challenges. So peeps, are you up for the challenge? :))

SMARTER 17 Hill Challenge map. Click image to enlarge.

 

This was super fun.. Yesterday we organised a small get together with the local media and bloggers for a some futsal action at the new venue called “Bola-Bola” which is located at Times Square. Well, you might be wondering where “Bola-Bola” is located.. Do you know where the kids play area is? It’s located on the floor right above food court area.

Bola-Bola is founded by Effendi Hj Said, also the founder of FES Retro. He has a bigger intention as it’s not only sports related by also to create a better bonding session among friends and families. This is very true as our local media friends had a blast yesterday and it’s pretty rare that we get involved in sports activities together as friends. There will be more to come definitely 🙂

For your info, the rental fee is BND 40 per hour per court and there are two courts. The operating hours is 10am to 10pm while on weekends it opens from 7:30am to 12 midnight. It will be closed on Fridays 11:30am to 2pm. You can check out updates on www.facebook.com/bolabola or follow @fesretro on instagram for updates. I do advise you to bring non-marking sole shoes to play.

With my media friends at Bola-Bola

It’s not easy squaring off agaisnt Jake *lol*

They are two courts at Bola-Bola

Thanis was solid in goal

I got caught in the net *lol*

They also sell futsal shoes

 

 

I haven’t been following or catching any of the DST Super League but I do keep track of the scores whenever I read the papers or updates from my inbox from Hj Mohd Taha (thank you for the update, sir). The result that caught my eyes was the thrashing of Najip FC by league leaders Indera SC 20-1 last night at Berakas Sports Complex. I thought I should blog about this because for one reason – is Najip FC not showing their best in every match? They have recorded an appalling record in terms of goal conceded – 49 goals in just 6 games in the DST Super LEague competition.

For your info, Najip FC team was established in 2009 and they had to go through a qualifying match group in order to qualify for the DST Super League tournament and they did in style (5 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss). No disrespect to the qualifying in Group A of the DST National League but perhaps the quality of the teams in that group might be a misrepresentation of the standard of DST Super League. Najip FC had a fairy tale season when they qualified for the DST Super League. They even had three points gifted to them at one stage because their opponents Youngsters FC failed to field enough players. Back then, Najip FC were in the same group with LLRC FT which has a mixed season in terms of results but at least they had 3 wins and 3 losses in the current DST Super League as compared to Najip FC’s 6 losses in 6 matches.

I do hope things to improve for Najip FC in the upcoming matches and reserve the slide. I believe there is still hope and do take it one step at a time. Just need that self belief….

Here’s the timing of last night’s scoring feat by Indera SC.

45 secs Muhd Nur Ikwan Bin Othman (the fastest goal in the Super League)
7 min Mohd Aqmal Hakeem Abd Hamid
12 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
13 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
16 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
19 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
29 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
36 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
38 min Mohd Afi Aminuddin
40 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
Second half
46 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
52 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
58 min Mohd Aqmal Hakeem Abd Hamid
65 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
67 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
68 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
76 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
78 min Muhd Nur Ikwan Bin Othman
83 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
89 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman

Taken from today’s The Brunei Times

Taken from today’s Sunday Bulletin

 

The Chicken Prosperity Burger set meal

Fans of McDonald’s Prosperity Burger can now look forward to its Chicken Prosperity Burger, officially launched yesterday at the restaurant in Gadong.

The burger is made up of a juicy chicken patty slathered with black pepper sauce and topped with slivered onions. Priced at $6.40, the Chicken Prosperity Burger caters for chicken lovers and provides a variation to fans of the original beef Prosperity Burger.

The Chicken Prosperity Burger also comes as part of the Prosperity Meal, which also includes Twister Fries and the refreshing Prosperity McFizz. The Twister Fries curls of perfectly seasoned potatoes cooked to a golden brown is hugely popular, while the Prosperity McFizz a mix of Minute Maid orange juice drink and Sprite complements the spiciness of the burger.

The medium-sized meal is priced at $7.80 while the large-sized meal costs $8.40.

McDonald’s also launched its Pokemon-themed Happy Meals yesterday, where a Pokemon toy will be given away with each Happy Meal. Customers can choose between four-piece nuggets, a cheeseburger, a beefburger, one piece of fried chicken or a McChicken burger with their Happy Meal, which ranges in price from $4.50 to $4.95.

Visit McDonald’s today to try out its latest additions or call 2449669 for deliveries. Text courtesy of Mei Fung Lee.

Pokemon toys at McDonald’s

You will get to try the shawarma kebab at Seasons Restaurant

“Arabian Nights” promotion is up to 31st January at Seasons Restaurant brought to you by Royal Brunei Catering (RBC). Famous Arabian dishes such as Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Falafel (chickpea patty), sharwarma kebabs, beef kofta, lamb tagine, prawn beryani, chicken bukhari, samak quwaemah, lamb bahmia and many more.

The buffet dinner is priced at $29.90 for adults and $17 per child. For RBC dining privilege holders, card members will only have to pay discounted prices of $26.91 for adult and $15.30 per child. RBC also announced that for the first 5 customers to dine in and dress up in Arabian attire, they will also receive a $5 voucher daily.

Chef Rosli of RBC said the lamb mandy has been very popular as they have guests taking away in numbers. He shared that it’s not easy to prepare and interested parties will have to pre-order a day or two should they request in huge numbers.
For reservations, do call Seasons Restaurant 242 2291/2. The promotion ends 31st January 2013.

Imam Bayildi (Egg plant)

Ok, the lamb was pretty awesome!!! and tender too. They will be serving the lamb everyday as part of the promotion

This one me likes!!

Mandy rice

Chicken Korma

Some of the dine-in guests. It was almost full house last Wednesday

The dessert line

Are you a big fan of Hummus?

 

 

With more than 430 likes on Facebook for the Brunei Meme competition, this meme won the first round and the meme was done by Eng Chen. Do click the image to see the comments for the meme posted on Facebook.

Alex, Eric, Royston with the staff of MADbites Cafe

Congratulations to Alex Chua, Eric Wong and Royston, the trio behind Madbites, who will finally open their MADbites cafe tomorrow. There are not many dessert cafes in Brunei. The one I know so far is Colony Tea Room. MADbites Cafe is located at Peugeot Showroom, Kiarong (near the big roundabout) and yes, you might be asking how is that possible? Well, it is possible and I believe in Europe, some car showroom have in-house cafes too. So this will be something new indeed. For your info, Ricebowl has also started a similar concept at TCY showroom at Batu Bersurat.

MADbites has created a lot of buzz through means on social media and they also have been feature on the local press and of course, on RA and LFHW. So it’s nice to know they have finally a physical space for customers to dine in or even collect their orders.

According to Alex Chua, they will be introducing sandwiches in the menu. So far, there are some cakes, scones and tarts to go along with the fizzy and hot drinks. And of course, their macarons are their speciality. Over time, new items will be introduced to get the menu list refreshed.

For your info, MADbites Cafe is open daily except for Sunday from 10am to 10pm. So if you are looking for quality desserts and a cozy, quiet place, then MADbites cafe is the place to be. Oh yeah, only for Friday 25th January, MADbites Cafe will have a 20% discount on all the menu items.

The atmosphere at MADbites Cafe

Some of the desserts now available at MADbites Cafe

The fizzy drinks are refreshing

So which flavour are you? I like the chocolate peppermint

Thanis’ favourite – Hansel and Gretel (Savoury Cream Puff with hazelnut and mustard cream)

This is pretty good

Though it looks rich in chocolate, this has a good kick indeed

You will taste some almond sponge, chocolate and coffee

This tea does help to wash down some palate from eating the desserts

Just to prove to you it’s located at the Peugeot Showroom *lol*

Click image to University Cup 2013 Facebook page

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook Page

 

30% off on all boutique items and also 100 visitors will get a free gift too. For one day only!!

 

Pehin Yasmin delivering an inspiring speech about entrepreneurship *salutes*

I like Pehin Yasmin’s (the Minister of Energy Division at the Prime Minister’s Office) speech last Wednesday in driving more local SMEs in Brunei Darussalam and not give up hope. The speech was delivered during Ignite 2012/2013 Business Plan prize presentation held at Indera Samudra Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club.

It is true that if we were to sustain entrepreneurs in Brunei, training is required to improve our skills. He used a great example such as China and Singapore where countries are rich in SMEs and Brunei can be on that path if we put more believe and work hard for it.

I do agree about Pehin’s statement on how business can get congested in terms of delivering similar products as other competitors. This is what I call the “Nasi Katok” effect and this is pretty common in Brunei. A good example would be the Potato Twist and the take-away chicken business. These are considered rising markets and they are now prominent in the social network, promoting their business and getting recognised.

It was another full house event at Ignite prize presentation with majority being students which is a great opportunity from them to learn from the Minister’s advice. This is also one of my vision, to aspire and inspire more youth to undertake entrepreneurship and take that extra courage and trust yourself that it’s ok to succeed and it’s also ok to fail. Well, that’s part of business, ain’t it?

One entrepreneur that I can highly recommend you to learn from is Keeran Janin of MeSixty who has tirelessly experience success and failure on his business adventures. Right now his business is taking off on a whole new different level with the support of Brunei Economic Development Board and iCentre and also angel investors.

I envisioned Brunei to be have more local ICT players and developers in the next three years. We do have a lot to catch up but it’s never too late. I am also venturing into mobile software development to see more possibilities. Let the games begin.

It’s good to see Dato Timothy among the invited guests. He believes in me which drive me to newer heights.

Hello Ambrose, Shazali and Stuart

The finalists of the Ignite participants were anxious for the results

Pehin Yasmin was smiling when Musegeek Technologies’ idea was shown on the screen. He kinda liked it.

It was a full house event once more

They had to put extra chairs for the late comers

The usual suspects – Nat and Allen

Some of the guests last Wednesday

Pehin Yasmin visiting Cubebox

Pehin Yasmin visiting PHMD Publishing

Pehin Yasmin visiting Silverwings Services

Pehin Yasmin visiting Rumbian Nation

Pehin Yasmin visiting SocialBuzz

Pehin Yasmin visiting BruInnovEdu

Pehin Yasmin always sharing his ideas to Adi Shamsul whenever he became aware of ideas

 

Call Sazali 875 4868 or Whatsapp at 8750055 or email him at sazaliariff@ gmail.com –> Usual price BND 2,500 but now promotional price at BND 1,800

 

It’s happening this Sunday. So get your tickets soon. Brought to you by CANDAS Theater.

 

The guest of honour with the winners of Ignite 2012/2013 last and the judges last Wednesday

This is like the Oscars version for ICT awards. Well, we still do have the BICTA but it seems that Ignite have created more uniqueness and they have managed to get many participants ever since its inception a few years ago. Thumbs up to iCentre and Brunei Economic Development Board for making this possible and opening up new doors for the youth in terms of creation of new ideas.

This time, Hiro Tien, bettered himself after his runner-up finish last year. His idea of “Gigland” landed him with first place in the ICT Open Business Plan Category. His startup business company Socialbuzz is already gaining momentum in Brunei and he’s one of the rising stars in the Brunei ICT companies. As most of you know, Socialbuzz is also the reason behind Social Deal (the groupon version of Brunei).

His “Gigland” idea bagged first prize worth BND 20,000 and his prototype will able to connect individuals with talents and skills from around the world with potential employers with the aid of geo-tagging technology. These micro-jobs are geo-tagged to specific locations on an interactive world map.

Aswana (Bebeh) of Musegeek Technologies won 2nd place (BND 10,000) and her idea was also awarded the Most Innovative idea (BND 3,000). This is perhaps one of the best achievement for Bebeh and she hopes to make her idea into reality. I certainly hope so too. The only irony is that her business proposal failed to win the hearts of BEDB Leap Grant’s panelists a few months ago.

Third place was shared between Hj Suhardi of MediaHikmah and Ak Mohd Khairi of PHMD Publishing (BND 5,000). MediaHikmah won the grand prize in BICTA 2012 but he wasn’t able to repeat the same feat for Ignite 2012/2013 award. His best achievement was winning a merit award last year in APICTA 2012 for his prototype.

As for College and University category, Bruelit from ITB won first place with BND 4,000 whereas Kg Ayer Sensation came 2nd with BND 2,000. My friend Winnie Sia came third for her Inkprints idea with BND 1,000.

As for the international category, Singaporean company, Jublia was awarded in the International Category with BND 8,000 while Tap Mind from Sri Lanka received a consolation award with BND 1,000.

Too bad this time round, I didn’t make Top 3 for my EVODE idea but not to worry as this idea will be implemented soon this year. It’s great to see newbies stepping up and I hope there are more participants from the young generation because the opportunities are simply out there. You just need to take that extra courage to believe in yourselves more.

Hiro Tien of Socialbuzz, the big winner for Ignite 2012

Aswana of Musegeeks Technologies won 2nd place in ICT Open Category

Khairi and Suhardy came 3rd place in ICT Open Category

Bruelit came 1st place for College and University category

Kg Ayer Sensation came 2nd place for College and University category

Winnie Sia of Inkprints came 3rd place for College and University category

Jublia won first place in International Category

Tap Mind won consolation prize in International Category

Hiro didn’t expect to win because of the tough questions raised by the chief judge during his final presentation. All his hard work has paid off indeed!

Bebeh didn’t expect to win two awards, one being innovative. However, she still wonders why her LEAP application was rejected and yet the panelists of the Ignite 2012 love her ideas. Given the choice, she would prefer to get the LEAP Grant.

I A Salon conducted a few workshop for I A Salon hairstylists using new approach scalp check-up technique. There is this new way where you can use an indicator from La Biosthetique that will test your Sebum (oily) and dandruff level and also the pH level of your scalp. This indicator will let you know the condition of your scalp within minutes and from there, they are able to know what treatment to use for your scalp.

Well, I have to admit that my scalp wasn’t in top condition to start off with. I have a very sensitive scalp to begin with and yes, a few redness as well on my scalp. I had a small fear that they would know how sensitive my scalp is *lol* It seems that I take for granted that my scalp will always be ok and allow it to be in a sensitive state for quite some time.

So it was such a timely manner that I A Salon brought in two associates from Malaysia La Biosthetique – Sara Ong, Sales Executive and Victoria Lam, Educator who were in Brunei to brief the staff of I A Salon as well as the media during the workshop. Hence, I was one of them that was being tested on and I also had my hair treatment using La Biosthetique.

They also brought in the new batch of La La Biosthetique products from Paris which are not available yet in Brunei but the new products will be coming in soon. For your info, these high quality products have a great track record and I have used it before a few years ago. I just happened to get one again to repair my scalp and it’s about time I do take care of my scalp too.

I highly recommend you to try out La Biosthetique products (from Paris) and you can even have your scalp treatment at I A Salon. Do call 242 3232 or 873 8232 and the salon is located at The Mall.

Group photo with I A Salon with representatives from La Biosthetique (Malaysia)

Cecilia Lee of I A Salon explaining the La Biosthetique products

Victoria Lam, Educator of La Biosthetique (Malaysia) briefing the media

Lai had her scalp tested and she kinda passed the test *lol*

Once tested, you will see the level of cebum and dandruff on your scalp

These are the indictors used for checking your scalp

I had a quick scalp reading and my oh my, it’s pretty sensitive…

So I had this treatment applied on my scalp first. This is the Epicelan Clarifant which is a gel for intensive removal of dandruff

So I had these applied with a good 5 minute scalp massage

Then I shampooed my hair with this

… and this too

Rachel has fine hair indeed. Awesome!!!

The new La Biosthetique product which will be coming soon to Brunei

The new La Biosthetique product which will be coming soon to Brunei

The new La Biosthetique product is also organic

Click image to University Cup 2013 Facebook page

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook Page

 

RA says it’s great to be alive and grateful for it as well. It was a strange past evenings I had especially before I hit the sack. I had this feeling of passing out whenever I was about to close my eyes to sleep. I would have this momentary blurry vision and feeling giddy for a split second when I was just about to shut my eyes. It was kinda weird but that was the best description that I could give.

I was kinda scared at the beginning and the first assumption that I will have is my own health. I started having all these thoughts of medical symptoms that might trigger all this. I know my cholesterol level is a one point from the safe zone and this was tested almost a half year ago. Yea, I could say I haven’t been eating properly and my egg intake is quite high *oopsy*

Anyway, there was another conclusion that I came up with and it could be the fact that my air circulation in my tiny room didn’t help either. For the past few days, my a/c was faulty and I was reminded that my a/c needs to be serviced every 3 to 4 months. Hence, last night I brought with me my bolster and duvet and slept downstairs in the living room and after half an hour, I felt better and I was able to doze off peacefully around 3ish *sorry bumbum* Well, it kinda proved that it might be the a/c in my room though that’s causing my body behaviour. We shall wait and see after my a/c is being serviced.

Today will be another big day for me as I will be presenting my business idea for the Ignite 2012 Business Plan Competition (formerly known as Think Big) and I will be up against 5 other finalists (3 three iCentre incubatees, one BICTA winner and one UBD lecturer) in the ICT Open Category. Tomorrow will be the prize presentation and I can’t really say if I’m nervous this time round or maybe it’s too soon to be nervous *lol* What is more important is I delivered my best and be content with it with no expectations attached. Well, maybe a little but not too high *lol*

My last participation was back in 2011 for Lovefoodhatewaste and that was a great experience. Good luck to all the participants especially to my friend Winnie Sia who is in the Student category for Ignite 2012. This will be my last participation in Ignite business plan competition and I want to play a role as a mentor for students for those interested to learn more about business plans and presentations.

Lately I’ve been in cloud nine because of my new found love – “Kara” *lol* For your info, Kara is a Korean girl band that have been growing in popularity and I was sold for the first time when I saw them live at the recent Golden Disk Awards 2013 in Kuala Lumpur. I also found new respect for Korean artistes and organisers simply because the concert was almost flawless and the quality delivered was very high indeed.

Now why I brought this topic in the “Ugly Truth” is one thing – can Bruneians rise up to these standards one day? Mind you, I still feel that live concerts by regional countries doesn’t come close to what the Koreans can do. So it’s safe to say that Brunei is a few steps behind our regional countries in terms of music and entertainment. Because of the lack of support as well as many guidelines from relevant agencies, this may have slow down any potential or creativity that our youth or talents may have in expressing them through means of music, arts and drama.

A friend of mine who has been in the local music scene shared with me on how challenging it has been for the Brunei music scene. Because of many restrictions, it kinda challenge our local talents to find ways to make music or entertainment acceptable and also well received. My friend said that the best way and the acceptable way (without any hiccups from the agencies) is to express music by simply playing musical instruments.

I love the “Open Mic” concept that was organised by my friend occasionally but I heard that soon venues will have restrictions imposed on having live band performing even though they are local artistes. I just hope this ain’t true. Last year, Andy and the Method managed to find loopholes in the system in order to perform for the public. It is sad to know that Brunei entertainment scene has been handicapped further (if the things I’ve mentioned above are implemented). We already know that international artistes are banned from performing publicly in Brunei unless it’s a private event.

So I feel that there is not much outlet for our musicians or singers to express themselves and I’m sure all these bring positive outcome and it’s way better than creating social ills in Brunei. I have seen some raw talents in Brunei but the support and the outlet (to showcase) are still a huge question mark. I believe there is still hope to fight for this because I believe in the positive outcome music can bring to our community especially the youth. 

On a positive note, the local movie scene might just open new doors for talents. I know Origins Films is coming up with a locally made movie named “Yasmine”. They have already casted some actors for the movie and I can’t wait to see the result. Another local movie that will be released soon by 23rd February is “Ada Apa Dengan Rina” and last week there was a special screening for media which I wasn’t able to attend and according my socmed buddies, this movie was hilarious and this is a great start coming from a local movie produced by Regalblue Production. I will just have to wait until the release date.

So here’s my segment of today’s The Ugly Truth and have a nice Tuesday ahead 😀

The casts of Ada Apa Dengan Rina. The movie is slated for a release on 23rd February. Image courtesy of Harlif Mohamad of Regalblue Production

Behind the scenes of last weekend’s photoshoot for Yasmine. Click image to enter Yasmine Facebook page.

A great initiative by Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam where they encouraged their customers to go green by viewing your bank account through means of e-Statement and they even throw in an awesome gimmick where you can stand a chance to win an iPhone 5 and promotion is valid until the 27th January.

Well, as a BIBD Online user, only then you will have access to free paperless statements. The steps are simple really once you log in and just follow the instructions from the poster below. It’s easy, quick and free!! and plus you stand a chance to win an iPhone 5 too.

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