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Bomi Oh of Yam Yam Sarang Korean Restaurant with the staff

Have you tried the newly open Korean food joint in Brunei? If you want the best authentic home cook Korean food, you should try Yam Yam Sarang Korean Restaurant. I’m pretty you must have heard of the restaurant previously but now they have relocated at Batu Bersurat.

The pictures below are one of my few visits recently because they just introduced new dishes in their menu and the dishes were great too. Of course, customers are always targeting their famous Yam Yam fried chicken which comes in three flavor (normal, yang-neon and ganging). This can really give a run to most of the fast food outlets out there.

Perhaps one of the best part of this restaurant is the Shik hae (Korean rice drink) which is a home-made drink. It has a sweet distinctive taste and also made from Korean made rice. Well, if you tasted a barley drink, this is somehow much more defined and tastier than barley. I wouldn’t mind ordering two of this on my visit. Oh yeah, did you know this drink takes a few hours to prepare alone? Hence the quality is there and it is also their signature drink.

They have new dishes such as the Gomtang (Thick Beef Soup), So bulgogi jeongol (stew), Chicken Katsu, Sarang udong, Ohingeo soondae (steam squid), Bing-eo tikim (fried pond smelt), Godeungeo dupbap (marinated mackerel with rice in hot stone pot), Mandu Guk (dumpling soup) and many more. Personally I like the Mandu Guk and the Godeungeo dupbap..yummmm!!!!

All I can say that you will be very full and satisfied after having your meal there. You will definitely get your value for money here and the portions are quite reasonable as well. It can get pretty crowded during lunch and dinner sometimes so it’s better to get your reservations too. I shall be posting more pictures of the other dishes in a week or two. For now, enjoy the pictures that I’ve posted.

Yam Yam Sarang Korean Restaurant is located at Batu Bersurat, next to Kang Comfortzone. The Korean restaurant was opened last April 2013 and it’s located at Block J, Unit 6. For reservations, you can call 860 7830.

Shik hae (Korean rice drink) which is a home-made drink and I highly recommend you this drink

Winnie loves the drink too

The appetizers to start with..

One of their famous dishes (rice noodle) has new flavours to it now and it’s spicier than before

I kind love this dish.. Godeungeo dupbap (marinated mackerel with rice in hot stone pot) served with vegetables and Sarang dupbap sauce. Did you know that Mackerel contains high Omega 3 and Vitamin B more than salmon? Interesting

Their trademark Yam Yam Fried Chicken. This isn’t new in the menu but their best selling dishes in the restaurant

Ohingeo soondae (steam squid). It has some stuffing inside the squid too.

Mandu Guk (dumpling soup). Korean traditional style dumpling soup with vegetables and Mandu. This is pretty good stuff!!

Winnie my lunch partner

Bing-eo tikim (fried pond smelt) which is a fried pond smelt, a famous dish during the winter season in Korea. Rich in amino acid and calcium.

Bomi Oh and Mr. Oh of Yam Yam Sarang Korean Restaurant

 

New stock of iPhone 5s coming later this afternoon – 16G, 32G and 64G at Lara Corp. Price won’t be as stated on apple.com.sg (which is only available by October 2013) but these models are in stock and prices are relatively reasonable. So drop by Lara Corp at Airport Mall

 

Fana devouring the new Samurai burger

The wait is over. Now McDonald’s is serving the much awaited Samurai Burger. It blends well with Sakura McFizz (me likes) and they also have a new special sauce from McDonald’s.

Dk Kemariah Pg Hj Duraman, General Manager of McDonald’s (Brunei) was pretty excited that Samurai burger promotion is in town as this will give more variety for patrons in terms of offerings. For you info, Samurai Burger is made of 100 percent quarter pound beef, grilled to perfection with teriyaki sauce. There is also a special sauce in the burger which gives a distinctive taste.

The Samurai Burger and Sakura McFizz will only be at McDonald’s for a limited time only. You can even have a double dosage of the Samurai Burger (Double Samurai Burger).

The Samurai Burger is sold at $6.50 ala carte and the medium McValue Meal costs $7.60. The double Samurai Burger is $8.20 alone and for the medium McValue Meal, it only costs $10.60 for a limited time only.

The double Samurai Burger

Samurai Burger McValue Meal

The local media enjoying their dosage of Samurai burger

This special sauce is yummy..

 

Modern Family Season 5

 

Radisson Art Showcase until Saturday 28th September<

 

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His Majesty the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel during the tour of MISC briefed by Pengiran Mohd Suffian, Acting MiSC Manager

The Media and In-Service Centre (MiSC), a key building block of the Ministry of Education’s e-Hijrah initiative to be officially launched later this year, was presented at ICC during the Majlis Sambutan Hari Guru Kali KE-23 Tahun 2013.  The interactive presentation allowed teachers to preview the vision of how MiSC will support educators in nurturing Bruneian students to meet the challenges of economic and social development in a rapidly changing and increasingly digital world.

The vision of MiSC is to be a world-class digital learning hub for the Ministry of Education that brings together the wonders of digital technology with traditional Bruneian values under MIB. MiSC will develop a range of digital learning resources for children that are of high quality and designed to capture their interest while improving learning outcomes.  The Centre will also carry out extensive programmes of teacher training to ensure that teachers can use these digital resources properly with their students.

The state-of-the-art centre is designed to help meet the goals of Wawasan 2035 and accelerate the changes in the education system that were initiated under SPN21.  A key critical goal of MiSC is to provide culturally appropriate digital learning resources that ensure effective learning outcomes to meet the nation’s social and economic needs.   

Young people across the world are using digital media and the internet in all aspects of their personal lives.  As recently highlighted by His Majesty, this can have both negative and positive influences and impacts.  MiSC is a pro-active step being taken by the Ministry of Education to harness the positive potential of digital learning through the use of materials designed on the basis of Bruneian culture and values. 

MiSC will also include a teacher in-service collaboration and training facility that will assist teachers in learning techniques for the effective use of these digital learning resources.  This in-service facility utilizes an approach that is designed to provoke discussion, feedback loops and research & development which will help to ensure teachers receive opportunities for professional learning programmes that meet their individual needs.

Acting MiSC Manager, Pengiran Mohd Suffian bin Pengiran Hj Mohd Said acknowledges that “students seem to have a natural inclination for anything digital, especially devices and gadgets.  This provides us educators with both challenges and new opportunities to develop effective student outcomes utilizing content that we design and develop on the basis of our values.” MiSC will play a critical role in supporting teachers through the difficult process of change and adapting to new ways of teaching. Press release courtesy of MiSC.

His Majesty the Sultan mingling with the students playing with IT educational tools

Students conversing with His Majesty

HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah touring around the MiSC booth

His Majesty signing with a stylus on the tablet

Students were in awe while conversing with His Majesty

His Majesty viewing new educational facilities that will be in placed in the future

How Sekolah Menengah Rimba II will look like by December 2013

 

‘flick!’ is an Instagram Contest in conjunction with the Hyundai Athos Open 2013 Fencing Championship. Fencing is one of the oldest Olympic sports and is also known as the physical chess. We often associate what we see in the movies to the modern sport, movies such as Princess Bride, Zorro, Puss In Boots and obviously the Three Musketeers; also we stereotype the sport, assuming it is a sport for only the elites.

‘flick!’ derived from a fencing move and also carry hints of photography, the contest name was picked by a group of local creative individuals.

The contest aims to bring fencing to the public and demonstrate the true beauty of this fast-pace and exciting modern combat sport. Public are invited to come to the venue, watch the competition, learn more about the sport and take part in ‘flick!’.

The prizes for the contest are provided by Athos Fencing, 365estore and KFC Brunei.

Please take note of the following rules:

  1.    The opening date of the Hyundai Athos Open 2013 Fencing Championship – flick! Instagram Contest is on 28th Sep 2013 and the closing date will be on 29th Sep 2013, midnight.

  2.    This contest is open to all residing in Brunei Darussalam. Participations have to ensure their Instagram profiles are not set to private.

  3.    Participants can submit as many photos as they wish to and include both hashtags #athosfencing and #hyundaibrunei. Fencers registered with the Brunei Darussalam Fencing Federation are automatically disqualified.

  4.    Prizes to be awarded include
  • Grand Prize – Galaxy Camera x 1
  • Second Prize – Nokia Mobile Phone x 1
  • Third Prize – Portable HDD x 1
  • Fourth Prize – 3G USB modem x 1
  • Consolation Prizes – Basic OhMyCard! x 5
  • Participation Prizes – KFC Meal Vouchers x 4

And they must attend the prize-giving event on Sunday, 5th Oct 2013 at Athos Fencing Studio at 2pm.
   
  5.    The images shall be shared on Athos Fencing’s facebook page and winners announced via Athos Fencing’s facebook page.
 
   6.    Images must be taken between 28th and 29th Sep 2013 at the contest venue (Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Court, Times Square). The subject must be fencing related. Instagram Video entries are allowed.
   
  7.    Images/Videos must NOT express any forms of profanity, sexual and/or racist elements. Image/Videos must NOT incite religious hatred and/or phrases that may be deemed inappropriate to other races.
 
   8.    Setia Motors and Athos Fencing reserve the right to reuse any photos that are submitted to the official hash tags of the Instagram Contest.
 
   9.    Upon submission, the owner of the photo will no longer have rights to use the photos upon submission and after the contest for personal or professional use, giving Setia Motors and Athos Fencing sole rights of the photographs in an unrestricted, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty- free license to use, reproduce, display, publicly perform, transmit and distribute such photographs.
 
   10.    Setia Motors and Athos Fencing shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. Decisions made by the judges are final and no forms of communications will be entertained at any time.
   

 

Bigger is better! KFC Brunei would like to offer their valued customers a big eat meal today! KFC Brunei is launching the New HotBox with their four KFC signature burgers for the young and surfing generation. This New HotBox includes the new addition of a scrumptious crispy hash brown and creamy jalapeno cheese sauce.

The KFC New HotBox features four of the favourite KFC signature burgers, namely, Colonel Burger, Colonel Fish Burger, Zinger Burger and Cheezy Zinger Burger. The New HotBox comes with a piece of succulent chicken, the crispy hash brown to scoop up the delicious creamy jalapeno cheese sauce and a regular carbonated drink as part of the combo. Customers can choose between the Colonel Burger HotBox (BND$6.50), the Colonel Fish Burger HotBox (BND$7.50), the Zinger Burger HotBox(BND$8.50), and the Cheezy Zinger Burger HotBox (BND$9.50).

The New HotBox is now available at all outlets in Brunei. Get them today and do not miss out!.

KFC HotBox

 

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (L), presenting an award to Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abd Rahman Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib, during the 23rd Teachers’ Day 2013 celebration at the International Convention Centre in Berakas. Image taken by Saiful Omar of The Brunei Times.

More than 1,000 teachers packed the International Convention Centre yesterday to celebrate Brunei’s 23rd Teachers’ Day with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as the special guest.

The monarch was on hand to present special awards to 11 teachers, including former minister of education Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Dato Setia Hj Mohamed Taib, who received the prestigious Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) Education Award.

Pehin Dato Hj Rahman began his career as a teacher at SOAS College in the 1960s, and after holding a series of cabinet positions in the ’80s and ’90s, went on to lead the education ministry from 2005 to 2010.

Recipients of the SOAS Education Award receive $20,000 as well as a lifetime of free medical treatment in a first-class ward at any government hospital.

His Majesty the Sultan with the Royal Family at yesterday’s Teacher’s Day

His Majesty the Sultan with the students from the Robotics Olympiad competition using Lego Mindstorms

His Majesty looking at the demo on Lego Mindstorms arranged by the students

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam said yesterday the government will continue to invest in teacher education, stressing that an education system is only as good as the quality of its teachers.

Speaking to over 1,000 educators at Brunei’s annual Teachers’ Day celebrations, the monarch the importance of cultivating a reading culture and a thirst for knowledge.

“Educators are the key to success of Brunei Vision 2035… There’s no doubt that teachers play a big role in producing a highly skilled and knowledgeable population,” he said in a titah at the International Convention Centre.

“Teachers have a major role in producing an excellent education system. In this regard, my government will remain committed to a large investment to develop the professionalism of teachers in the country.” Source: Quratul-Ain Bandial of The Brunei Times.

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Get your tickets now and catch them live on stage

A theatrical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will be staged on September 27 at The Empire Hotel & Country Club Theatre and at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre on September 28. The play will showcase young talents from Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan College (Maktab Sains) and Berakas Secondary School.

A total of 28 students will be bringing Jane Austen’s beloved story to life, with 21 of them in the main cast and the remaining seven as supporting cast.

Out of the 28, one student is from Berakas Secondary School and the rest are from Maktab Sains. The cast were chosen during auditions organised by Maktab Sains.

“Pride and Prejudice” revolves around the trials and tribulations of the two main characters, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, and is set in the19th century.

Organisers for the play held a press conference yesterday, including Maktab Sains Principal Dk Sarimah Pg Hj Ahmad, in her capacity as the chairperson; Ministry of Education (MoE) Department of Schools Special Duties Officer Cheong Huat Joo; Politeknik Brunei Director Dennis Ho Mun Tai; Jerudong Park Country Club (JPCC) Head of Sales and Business Development Department Dk Rose Pg Hitam; and Pride and Prejudice Secretariat Dr Malai Zeiti Sheikh Abd Hamid.

Sponsors such as The British High Commission, Easy Way, Fitness Zone, Asia Printers, The Face Shop, AL Hairstylist Group, Cafe Au Lait, Wisa Enterprise, and Showcase Advertising were also present.

The tickets for the show at Jerudong Park Amphitheater are currently on sale for $15 and $30, and can be purchased at Fitness Zone, Showcase Advertising and Cafe Au Lait.

The tickets for the show at The Empire Hotel & Country Club Theatre can also be bought from these sponsors at $40 each.

The speakers stated their hopes that the show will contribute to the growth of the creative industry in the Sultanate. You can check out their details on their website and also their promotional video. Source: Ammirul Adnan of The Brunei Times.

Maktab Sains Principal Dk Sarimah Pg Hj Ahmad was so excited about the play and encouraged the public to watch our local talents on stage

Pride and Prejudice Secretariat Dr Malai Zeiti Sheikh Abd Hamid has been working in coordinating and preparing the spectacle this weekend

Jerudong Park Country Club (JPCC) Head of Sales and Business Development Department Dk Rose Pg Hitam hopes there will be more events happening at the said venue and she’s more than happy to help bring more local presence at the venue. Last Sunday was the WCOPA 2013 concert.

The FaceShop has been very busy with recent projects and it’s no surprise that they are willing to be involved in this project for the students. Kudos!

The sponsors and media during the press conference

Politeknik Brunei Director Dennis Ho Mun Tai was more than happy to support Maktab Sains in this project and he hopes for more collaboration especially in the creative industries

A huge support from Asia Printers for the said event

Group photo after the press conference

Some of the costumes that will be used during the play this weekend

The main casts for Pride and Prejudice

There were on Kristal FM a few months back to promote the event

Behind the scenes. Good luck to all those involved.

 

Yang Mulia Dato Seri Setia Haji Yusoff Bin Haji Ismail who officiated the cutting of the ribbon for the 2nd floor of LCB last week

Last week, Laksamana College of Business (LCB) launched its Second Floor at the college premises. The second floor signifies an expansion of the college, adding to its already existing Third Floor, and two Rooftop Floors.

Established in 2003, LCB started off with 25 local students with lesser course options. Now turns years after, LCB has over 850 existing full-time and part-time, local and international students. With the growing number of students, it is no surprise that LCB provides a wider range of courses and LCB has added its Hospitality Program due to its growing demand.

Present as guest of honour was the Deputy Minister of Education, Yang Mulia Dato Seri Setia Haji Yusoff Bin Haji Ismail who officiated the cutting of the ribbon for the 2nd floor of LCB.

Also in attendance during the launch were the Permanent Secretaries of MOE, the Deputy Permanent Secretaries of MOE, Director of LCB, Awang Haji Suhaimei Bin Awang Haji Besar, Principal and Director of LCB, Mr Ian Pirie, Ministry of Education Officers, other invited guests, lecturers and staff of LCB.

One of the programs that LCB offers is the Academic Pathway where students can take the University Foundation Course (UFC) and BA Common Year 1 over the duration of two years in Brunei and continue for two years in the UK. This pathway allows them to complete a degree in Business Studies, Marketing, Business Information Management and Accounting and Finance.

  Students can also opt for the Professional Pathway instead and take the Kensington College of Business Diplomas in Business Studies whereby a qualification is awarded at each stage of the course. LCB has also ventured into corporate training, specifically focusing on IT professional certifications since 2008 and launched the BTEC Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma Computing programs in 2010.

Just last year, LCB started offering BTEC EDEXCEL courses for National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Business and also launched a Hospitality Program for National Diploma and Higher National Diploma courses. Upon completion of the Hospitality Program courses, students can choose to further their studies at the Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland, whereby LCB has links with. The Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland is among the top three hospitality management schools in the world.

Siva Sivarajah, COO of LCB explaining the new facilities to the guest of honour at LCB

Students taking a small “smile” break during the impromptu visits

I saw my cousin there :p

New cafeteria managed by Axtivo Cafe management

Group photo with representatives of Beach Bunch and volunteers at Tungku Beach last Sunday morning

Now that’s a lot of rubbish if you ask me. This was another great initiative by the Beach Bunch and the event was carried out at six different beaches in Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Kuala Belait. A total of 580 volunteers showed up and a total of 1,722kg of rubbish was collected.

According to Beach Bunch, every September, more than half a million volunteers worldwide participate in this activity to create more awareness on our oceans as the beach clean up activity was in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup.

Maktab Sains, Politeknik Brunei, Petroleum Brunei, Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), Jerudong International School (JIS), International School Brunei (ISB), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Pusat Tingkatan Enam Tutong, Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Sufri Bolkiah Secondary School, Roomz Hotel, Swiss Hotel, and Advance Diploma Well Engineering were involved as volunteers last Sunday.

The data collected of the rubbish will be shared with Ocean Conservancy. I believe that some of the rubbish from the beaches came from different sources. Don’t be surprised if the rubbish that appeared at the Tungku beach or Meragang beach actually came from the Kg Ayer river.

People may think it’s not a serious matter to pollute or simply throw rubbish to our Brunei water. The implications are damaging and it will be in a long run. So it’s good to see Beach Bunch continuously carrying out these initiatives and keep reminding the public on the cleanliness of our beaches and oceans.

All the pictures here were taken at Tungku Beach.

 

Christian Dior has inspired the inimitable look of the most elegant women in the world since 1947. Dior is the epitome of elegance and style, breathtakingly modern yet timeless, inimitable yet always avant-garde.

Dior is the magic of a creative genius who sought always to glorify female beauty, dreaming only of “making women happier and more beautiful.” But the conjurer who forged a planetary style and in- vented today’s notion of luxury had to nurture this ability by absorbing the most innovative cultural and artistic influences of his time. 

Our very own local celebrity Wu Chun was invited as the Celebrity Guest for the Opening Ceremony of the ‘1st in the world’ Christian Dior Boutique dedicated to perfume and beauty which is located at the Shanghai International Financial Centre shopping mall recently.  Another celebrity guest that was invited during the event was Louise Bourgoin, a French actress, Cesar Award for Most Promising Actress, a rising movie star in France. 

Christian Dior has appointed Wu Chun as their activity’s spokesperson a number of times in these past years. Wu Chun added, ” Being an old friend of Christian Dior, I slowly get to understand Dior’s behind-the-scene story, culture and the ‘Pursuing Greatness’ spirit that makes them so successful. I really cherished this opportunity to work so closely with them all these years and its such a pleasure to receive a Christian Dior’s Perfume with my autograph engraved onto it.”

Wu Chun with Louise Bourgoin, a rising French actor at the opening ceremony of Christian Dior Boutique at Shanghai International Financial Centre Shopping Mall recently

Also presence is the Christian Dior Global CEO, Claude Martinez and Christian Dior China Managing Director, Richard Xu.

According to Claude Martinez, China holds a dominant position not only because China is such an immense country, but because the future is being played out here. China is changing all the time, just like the House of Dior, which has never stopped reinventing itself and perpetuating the heritage of the New Look revolution of 1947. In an international context, China is perhaps the most stimulating and the most visionary country.

From 1947, the most beautiful women in the world, ranging from actresses to royalty, flocked to Paris to be dressed in the outrageously poetic new Dior chic. Christian Dior’s only concern was to enhance their beauty, sculpt their silhouette and make them ever more radiant. The greatest stars of Hollywood’s golden age — Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth — knew better than any that the empathic couturier could help shape their destiny and fulfil their dreams of splendour.

The House of Dior’s intimate relationship with these ambassadresses of elegance has never waned, from Sophia Loren to Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly and Lady Diana. But the list of radiant muses goes on: today’s most talented stars — Charlize Theron, Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman, Mélanie Laurent, Jennifer Lawrence — are now gracing the Dior firmament with their timeless aura.

Wu Chun shared further, “I have such a tight schedule for remaining months of this year. There are 2 films which I am working on right now, one will be shot in Inner Mongolia, China and the other film will be shot in Japan. By early october, I will go to taiwan for the release of my new book. It can go really stressful and tiring at times but at the end of the day, I know it will be an experience that is worth fighting for.”

Wu Chun holding a Dior Homme Sport with his autograph engraved on it

 

BIBD has announced the selection of the 25 runners who have qualified for the BIBD CE-ALAF (Charity Expedition Advocating Life-Long Learning For An Aspiring Future) Midnight Marathon that will take place on November 24.

The announcement was made at the Goldiana Lounge of the Orchid Garden Hotel (OGH), Berakas yesterday during a briefing session delivered by CE-ALAF Project Manager, Ahmad Nazmie Hj Omar, who presented a run-through of the 42km run.

The selected runners are Norliza Abdul Jalil, Nurul Hasibah Hj Mohamad, Gpul Ramli, Jeffrei Mohamad, Rizan Latif, Hassan Kamis, Hapish H Hassanuddin, Khairul Ibrahim, Zulfadli Ali, Anis Ahmad, Faizal Hj Ahmad, Matnarudin Ibrahim, Baharudin Nordin, Dedeq Drahman, Harrisman Ashady Bin Hj Ali, Haji Ahmad Nur’al Hj Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Ali Hj Hamran, Asli Tengah, Pg Mohammad Jefri Pg Hj Aliuddin, Hjh Nabilah Pehin Dato Hj Abas, Rohana Pg Hj Malek, Kai Teng Koh, Masri Daud, Zulfadli Abu Bakar and Mai Ahmad.

During the briefing, BIBD was happy to announce OGH as the official hotel partner for the CE-ALAF 2013. To show its support, OGH is introducing a special hospitality package which includes dinner, breakfast and other benefits for all the participants.

The selected participants were also briefed on and encouraged to run a sponsorship programme whereby they can look for sponsorships. Corporate organisations and individuals will also be given the chance to sponsor their efforts in which the contribution made will go into the CE-ALAF programme fund for every kilometre taken by the runners.

The runners will be trained for four weeks under the care of BIBD’s own Marathon Des Sables (MDS) runners, Hamsul Sulaiman and Ahmad Fathi Junaidi, who ran the toughest footrace held at the Sahara Dessert earlier this year.

It was also announced that these runners will be provided with run clinics on a weekly basis to further help in their training. This will provide them with an avenue for the runners to share their weekly report on their progress, converse and gain invaluable experiences with the MDS runners. The marathon runners will furthermore be provided with a disciplined running exercise plan, crafted by the coaches, to help them prepare for the BIBD CE-ALAF Midnight Marathon

Present during the briefing at OGH was the Managing Director of BIBD, Javed Ahmad, who delivered a speech thanking everyone for making the BIBD CE-ALAF a success and he highlighted how the runners will play a role in creating more opportunities for underprivileged children to access better education opportunities.

BIBD officially announcing the 25 shortlisted runners for the 42 KM category

The event took place last Sunday at The Orchid Garden

Group photo with the shortlisted runners

The registration for other categories, such as the competitive 21km and 10km race along with fun runs of 5km and 2.5km, as well as the 40km cycling expedition are still available. Participants may submit their completed registrations to any BIBD branch throughout the Sultanate with fee payments made through any of BIBD’s channels of BIBD Online, BIBD Mobile or at any BIBD ATM or CDM to the account number 1010400011. Fees vary for each category, and more details can be found on the website. More conveniently, participants can complete the entire CE-ALAF registration process online via www.bibd.com.bn using a credit or debit card, and receive a 5% discount off from the registration fee. The closing date for registration is 24th October 2013.

The competitive races will also give participants a chance to win cash prizes worth up to $2,000, as well as travel packages to Singapore. The top three winners will also receive exclusive winners’ t-shirts and medals.

For sponsoring any of the 25 runners, interested parties can email the BIBD CE-ALAF team at info@bibdcharityexpedition.com or contact the BIBD CE-ALAF hotline at 8222110 for any enquiries on sponsoring the BIBD CE-ALAF Midnight marathon runners or to become a partner for the entire BIBD CE-ALAF event.

Details on the 25 runners will be put on the BIBD CE-ALAF website for individuals or organisations to sponsor, visit www.bibdcharityexpedition.com or email the BIBD CE-ALAF team at info@bibdcharityexpedition.comor call the BIBD CE-ALAF hotline at 8222110.

The Charity Expedition (CE ) is one of the fund raising activities under the ALAF initiative. ALAF or “Advocating  Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future” is BIBD’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

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Shanon Osman the winner of the KFC Spicy Korean Crunch K-Pop Makeover Contest

10 finalists compete for the top in the KFC Spicy Korean Crunch K-Pop Makeover Contest that took place last Sunday at Airport Mall. The top 10 finalist are as follow; Diana Yii, Diyana Rasidah, Elisa Goh, Ellen Wong, Erni Norsurianah, Janice Wee, Lim Fen Yee, Ruby Ang, Shanon Osman and Sylvester Shim (the only male).

The finalists were given a time limit of 1 minute to impress the audience and judges as one of the activity. Shannon Osman emerged as the grand winner of the competition, walking away with a return air ticket for two people to South Korea and the other contestants receiving consolation prizes with Elisa Goh coming 2nd.

Special invited guest, Miss Kim Sung Eun, Counsellor of the Korean Embassy were present to officiate the event and also one of the competition judges. Other judge includes KFC’s Vice President Mr Del Goh, Leah May Villamin, Deputy Head of Retail of The Faceshop, Miss Cecillia Lee, General Manager of IA Salon and Crystalyn De Guzman of Fun Bee Park.

KFC would like to congratulate the 10 contestants that made it to the finals and would like to thank their partners, IA Salon, Fun Bee Park, Seoul Garden, Bingo and Face Shop and all those that helped made the event possible. Cecilia also announced some additional prizes for some of the contestants.

Devon was one of the emcees last Sunday. Nice Korean outfit :p

A consolation winner of the competition

Shanon Osman danced with KFC nuggets

Sylvester the only male in the Top 10

The judges of the competition

Del Goh giving an impression of KFC

One of the consolation winners

Janice made to the Top 10 too

Elisa Goh came 2nd in the competition

The Top 10 finalists of KFC Spicy Korean Crunch K-Pop Makeover Contest with the judges

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This is a good awareness initiative by Public Works Department (JKR) under the Ministry of Development. Did you know that we in Brunei has the highest water consumption in the region? Maybe because we take them for granted or perhaps the water is pretty cheap as compared to other countries. Brunei records the highest water consumption of 450 litres per person per day as compared to 250 litres to other regional countries. That’s pretty high I must say and this may be attributed to a lot of factors which I won’t go into details. But the most important thing is that we are aware of this and even His Majesty the Sultan highlighted in his titah recently about Brunei’s consumption on water.

So this is a pretty good cause by JKR’s latest project – JKR REACH which is also a charity event. This is actually a run, exercise and cycle event which will take place on 27th October 2013. The launching of the campaign took place a few days ago with the Director-General at JKR, Hj Marzuke Hj Mohsin, officiating the campaign and he was also the first registrant of JKR REACH 2013. The word reach stands for ‘Run, Exercise And Cycle for Health’ and this event is jointly organised by Brunei Association of Surveyors and Engineers and Architects (PUJA) and JKR.

The event itself is in conjunction with World Water Day 2013 and it will take place at the Old Airport Road.

Do refer to the website for more details and the closing date for the run, cycle and exercise event is on the 3rd October. The cut off participants is 5,000. You can download the form here and register at the counter at JKR building during office hours.

Weekdays (Mon to Thurs): 8:30m to 11:30 and 2pm to 3:30pm
Friday and Sun: 8:30am to 11:30am and 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Saturday: 8:30m to 11:30 and 2pm to 3:30pm

The final registration is 3rd October 2013.

Registration for the event. Check the timings above for registration. You can’t register online but you can download the form.

The guys at the registration counter

Some added value for the participants

 

Get your tickets now and enjoy this play based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice happening this Saturday

It’s happening this Saturday. The much anticipated play by Maktab Sains PSBS in collaboration with Politeknik Brunei will be showing live this Saturday at JPCC Amphitheater. Tickets are available at Fitness Zone, Showcase Advertising and Aulait Cafe. The event is jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, Maktab Sains PSBS and Politeknik Brunei. This has been in the news for the past many months and in just a few days’ time, “Pride and Prejudice” (by Jane Austen) will be performed by 25 cast compromising of students from five government institutes of learning Maktab Sains, Berakas Secondary School, Sayyidina Hussin Secondary School, Sultan Sharif Ali Secondary School and Lambak Kiri Secondary School.

The main aim for the play is to promote reading and presentation of classics to improve reading and speaking skills. The play is directed by Witsy Matthew and the project manager of the “Pride and Prejudice” is Dr. Malai Zeiti Sheikh Abdul Hamid, Head of Media and Resources at Politeknik Brunei.

There will be a press conference later for the said event. For now, you can see the details at the poster and also do view their promotional video on Youtube. It was definitely well produced and kudos for them for making an interesting video to promote the event.

Do check out their official website for more details too at pnpbrunei.com 🙂

Some of the celebrities that shown at the promotional video. Click image to view video.

One of the leading cast for Pride and Prejudice

One of the leading cast for Pride and Prejudice

Lucky draws to be won as well

 

Craig Bartlett (left), a world class mini golf designer from Australia talking to a JPCC director on the development of the mini golf at JPCC Playground

A Doa Selamat ceremony was held last Friday, 20th September 2013 at the Jerudong Park Country Club (JPCC) playground to mark the first in a series of projects to revitalize Jerudong Park Playground. Do you remember how it used to be so packed with families and friends? And it was one of the hose places that I will pay a visit almost every night back then. So it’s good to see that the management of the JPCC are initiating new things to revive back the magic at JPCC Playground.

The project includes the construction of a mini golf attraction, featuring a landscaped 21 holes designed by Craig Bartlett, a world class mini golf designer from Australia. I’m not sure if it’s miniature golf but judging from the photos, it seems it’s like one. This will definitely be ideal for families and this is just one of the phases that will be introduced at JPCC playground.

Other future rides and attractions will include a mini water park, ferris wheel and junior coaster. Furthermore, there will be new Double Decker Carousel, Bumper Cars and children’s playground equipments to replace the current attraction. Other existing rides will also be refurbished.

Other playground facilities will also be upgraded, including the food kiosks, a merchandise shop and other conveniences to cater for the needs of visitors.

The management of JPCC yesterday held a blessing ceremony for the project. Present were JPCC General Manager Asmad Hj Abd Rahim, JPCC directors and invited guests. The renovation work is scheduled to take place in stages and only affected areas will be closed. Therefore, the playground will still be open to the public.

However, visitors are advised to keep safe distance from ongoing construction works. The revitalisation project is expected to be completed by mid 2014. New operating hours and admission fees will be announced at a later date. Images courtesy of JPCC.

How the mini golf will look like

The future phases to be done at JPCC Playground

Craig Bartlett and JPCC General Manager Asmad Hj Abd Rahim

 

‘flick!’ is an Instagram Contest in conjunction with the Hyundai Athos Open 2013 Fencing Championship. Fencing is one of the oldest Olympic sports and is also known as the physical chess. We often associate what we see in the movies to the modern sport, movies such as Princess Bride, Zorro, Puss In Boots and obviously the Three Musketeers; also we stereotype the sport, assuming it is a sport for only the elites. ‘flick!’ derived from a fencing move and also carry hints of photography, the contest name was picked by a group of local creative individuals.

The contest aims to bring fencing to the public and demonstrate the true beauty of this fast-pace and exciting modern combat sport. Public are invited to come to the venue, watch the competition, learn more about the sport and take part in ‘flick!’.

The prizes for the contest are provided by Athos Fencing, 365estore and KFC Brunei.

Please take note of the following rules:

1.    The opening date of the Hyundai Athos Open 2013 Fencing Championship – flick! Instagram Contest is on 28th Sep 2013 and the closing date will be on 29th Sep 2013, midnight.

2.    This contest is open to all residing in Brunei Darussalam. Participations have to ensure their Instagram profiles are not set to private.

3.    Participants can submit as many photos as they wish to and include both hashtags #athosfencing and #hyundaibrunei. Fencers registered with the Brunei Darussalam Fencing Federation are automatically disqualified.

4.    Prizes to be awarded include
  • Grand Prize – Galaxy Camera x 1
  • Second Prize – Nokia Mobile Phone x 1
  • Third Prize – Portable HDD x 1
  • Fourth Prize – 3G USB modem x 1
  • Consolation Prizes – Basic OhMyCard! x 5
  • Participation Prizes – KFC Meal Vouchers x 4

And they must attend the prize-giving event on Sunday, 5th Oct 2013 at Athos Fencing Studio at 2pm.
   
5.    The images shall be shared on Athos Fencing’s facebook page and winners announced via Athos Fencing’s facebook page.
 
6.    Images must be taken between 28th and 29th Sep 2013 at the contest venue (Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Court, Times Square). The subject must be fencing related. Instagram Video entries are allowed.
   
7.    Images/Videos must NOT express any forms of profanity, sexual and/or racist elements. Image/Videos must NOT incite religious hatred and/or phrases that may be deemed inappropriate to other races.
 
8.    Setia Motors and Athos Fencing reserve the right to reuse any photos that are submitted to the official hash tags of the Instagram Contest.
 
9.    Upon submission, the owner of the photo will no longer have rights to use the photos upon submission and after the contest for personal or professional use, giving Setia Motors and Athos Fencing sole rights of the photographs in an unrestricted, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty- free license to use, reproduce, display, publicly perform, transmit and distribute such photographs.  

10.    Setia Motors and Athos Fencing shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. Decisions made by the judges are final and no forms of communications will be entertained at any time.
 
 

‘act!’ is an ongoing campaign carried out by Athos Fencing to raise awareness for the sport of fencing. ‘act!’ refers to ‘action’, to get out of comfort zone, to explore and in this context, to learn more about fencing.

In conjunction with the Hyundai Athos Open 2013 Fencing Championship, Athos Fencing will be conducting free introductory classes for 15 children between age 8 – 11 and 15 teenagers between age 12 – 15. At the competition venue there will also be sign up sheets for upcoming introductory classes open to all in Brunei regardless of age group.

Participants of the free classes during the championship will receive a free limited edition event t-shirt, complimentary of Aewon Brunei and a bottle sports drink provided by Pokka.

We encourage the public to come down and witness modern sword fighting in 3D and get to know the sport of fencing better.

Hyundai Athos Open 2013 Fencing Championship starts on the 28th September 2013 and ends on 29th September 2013. Individual events on the 28th starts with preliminary rounds at 8am and finals commence after 4pm. Team events on the 29th starts at 9am and finals commence after 4pm. Entry is free.

Let the game begins!!!

Fencing Introductory Class for Teens
• 28th September 2013, 8pm to 9pm
• Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Court, Times Square
• Wear sports attire with indoor trainers (shoes)
• 15 slots available for teens between age 12 – 15
• Registration via athos.fencing@gmail.com
• Please indicate ‘act!Teens: your name’ in the email title
• In the email body please include your full contact detail
• First-Come-First-Serve basis, ONE participant per household
• Free t-shirt only applicable for participants who sign up and participate in the class

Fencing Introductory Class for Kids
• 29th September 2013, 8am to 9am
• Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Court, Times Square
• Wear sports attire with indoor trainers (shoes)
• 15 slots available for teens between age 8 – 11
• Registration via athos.fencing@gmail.com
• Please indicate ‘act!Kids: your name’ in the email title
• In the email body please include your full contact detail
• First-Come-First-Serve basis, One participant per household
• Free t-shirt only applicable for participants who sign up and participate in the class

The trio – Kevin Lo, Maria Grace Koh and Fakhrul Razi

Finally we had the opportunity to see our three superstars live in action at the JPCC Amphitheater last night. The trio of Kevin Lo, Maria Grace Koh and Fakhrul Razi delighted the audience with the WCOPA performance sets they did in Los Angeles back in July. Among them, they won a dozen of medals for Brunei and the best part is they bagged the “Best in Team Spirit” among all the participating countries.

Maria Grace Koh belted a few songs such as “At last”, “Somewhere”, “Wide Awake” and both of her songs “Master of disguise” and “You”. She will be recording her next song in the US next year which is something she’s looking forward to. We also now get to know that her mom is known as “Hollywood Mama” awwwww…. Maria is the youngest of the lot and she bagged a few silver medals during the WCOPA competition.

Next up was Kevin Lo with the cast of the Crucible. Kevin played the role of John Proctor in The Crucible and he was supported by a dozen of actors and actresses in the short play. Kevin also performed a piece from My Fair Lady. It was just a pity that there were some technical glitches with the sound system that made it difficult to listen to their dialogues but they still gave their best performance. I wish it was more of Kevin’s solo effort on stage with his other 3 performances that wasn’t showcase last night.

Last but not least is Fakhurl Razi. Ok, this was a suiting finale to have Fakhrul closing the performance with six songs and what a performance he delivered despite down with a cold. I was anticipating for one of the original work – “Senyuman Gelapmu” which he performed with great emotion and passion. Oh yeah, he surely know how to entertain the crowd and shows that sometimes it takes more than talent to woo the crowd. You must have that X factor to win the audience and he got what it takes to be one.

Well done to the organizers and a big shout out to Jeff and his team for all the hard work and I’m very honour to witness the stars in action and shining on the world stage and also on our own local stage. So guys, what are you waiting for? Make your dreams come true and be part of the WCOPA for the year 2014.

I can’t wait for the 787 Dreamliner

Check this out!! What the new windows are capable of doing. Click image to watch video!

 

Click image to enter TPP podcast website

Check out our episode today of The Popcorn Panel and it’s our 3rd episode to date. It was more like an unplanned recording but we feel we really need to highlight this especially for movie goers. This episode is pretty interesting as we were discussing topics on the don’ts while watching movies and these are pretty common in Brunei too. The podcast was headed by myself with co-hosts Del Goh and Leo Kassim with special guest “Puffy Lawrence”.

I won’t be talking much details here just yet because I prefer if you would listen to our podcast episode here and hear us out.

Our next movie review will be on 2 Guns and Internship this monday for The Popcorn Panel. There might be plans for prizes for the listeners of our podcast show and I’m still thinking of the grand prize. Perhaps an iPhone 5s or the S4? So keep listening to The Popcorn Panel podcast weekly and we ail be announcing some gimmick soon.

Clearance stock at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

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I miss Potato Head

Wahhh… I’m so in love with Potato Head Beach Club. You will them in pictures through Google or Trip Advisor but my oh my, you just have to be there to experience Potato Head at Seminyak, Bali. This was the final outing of our #SFBALITRIP at Bali before we headed back to Brunei. So don’t be fooled that I’m in Bali right now. This was actually taken last Saturday weekend and I can say that pictures don’t do justice. If you happen to be in Bali, this is a must visit place.

The cuisine is Asian, French and International. This place is ideal for dining, chilling with friends and it has that romantic feel to it too because it’s by the beach. There’s wifi too and I noticed that we were pretty busy on our smartphones to update pictures of the venue on our instagram since the wifi at our villas were hopeless *lol*

It can get pretty noisy because it can get pretty packed after sunset. The service is pretty good as well. You can check out more reviews at Trip Advisor here. I’m so in love with this place. By the way, I’m still torn between this and Rock Bar but then again, both have their own niche. I still love both 😀

Potato Head’s entrance.. There’s a boutique store but it’s kinda expensive

The walkway to the Potato Head Beach Club

This is one awesome view!!!!

Totally inseparable hahaha

The place was great and of course the company too 😀 Miss you guys!

Our friendship has gone way back 14 years ago and still kicking!! The trip has brought back the lameness in me.

Don’t you just love the seating arrangements?

We were more than satisfied 😀

Group photo before heading off

We had too much juices, right? :p

INOA products from L ‘Oreal Professional now being used at IA Salon

One thing I salute for IA Salon is their drive for new innovative things or trendy things when it comes to hair style or hair care. Few days ago, a representative fromL’Oreal Malaysia came down to Brunei to showcase L ‘Oreal hair product call the INOA. Well, in a nut shell, INOA is hair color and it’s also been dubbed the “hair color of the future”.

The great thing about INOA product is that it’s ammonia-free and it’s odorless. They have more than 20 patent colors to choose from. According to Linda Hah, the Technical Commercial Manager from L ‘Oreal Professional’s Products Division of L ‘Oreal Malaysia Sdn Bhd, she said that the INOA products are “halal” and customers can view the website to check their halal status.

Why the INOA is recommended is because of its oil based nature that is able to strength the color of the hair even from the roots. It also has lower quantity of alkaline agent. Apparently this product is already out in Malaysia for a few years but only being introduced in IA Salon recently.

Linda talking to the media before the demo

Linda from L ‘Oreal Professional (Malaysia) training and briefing IA Salon’s hairstylists

Linda from L ‘Oreal doing a demo of the Steampod

The difference on INOA products

Cecilia Lee, Manager of IA Salon

The other product demo that Linda showed to the hairstylists of IA Salon and the local media was the Steampod from L ‘Oreal Professional. This product came about in 2012 and I was quite amazed what it can do to one’s hair (thought it won’t benefit me …duuhh…). It doesn’t only keeps ur hair straight or even with curly ends, it smoothens your hair and even make it looks glossy.

The Steampod has five temperature settings suitable to all types of hair and the cool part is that it has a water filtration system which produces steam to rehydrate and nourish the damaged hair. So now you can enjoy this service at IA Salon and Linda’s short visit in Brunei is to train the IA Salon hairstylists on the INOA product and the Steampod as well.

To find out more, call IA Salon at 2423232 or visit the salon at No G32 Ground Floor, The Mall. Before I end, I want to highlight Cecilia Lee’s charitable cause which is for the Breast Cancer awareness and she hopes that the public supports the cause by donation at the donation box at IA Salon as well as Fun Bee Park. October month will be Breast Cancer awareness period and she hopes they can collect as much donations as possible until 18th October. The proceeds will be donated to Brunei Cancer Support Group (Brunei).

Need to put the water in the filtration system for the Steampod and it works wonders

This Steampod is quite awesome actually. I just checked the website. It’s selling for at least 120 quid.

And the demo begins!!!

It can give you an instant curl with one or two attempts

It can also straighten your head instantly

Don’t forget to send your donations for Breast Cancer

Group photo at IA Salon

Clearance stock at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

Click image to enter facebook page

 

Click image to enter website

 

Click image to enter website

 

Click image to enter website to register

This is a good awareness initiative by Public Works Department (JKR) under the Ministry of Development. Did you know that we in Brunei has the highest water consumption in the region? Maybe because we take them for granted or perhaps the water is pretty cheap as compared to other countries. Brunei records the highest water consumption of 450 litres per person per day as compared to 250 litres to other regional countries. That’s pretty high I must say and this may be attributed to a lot of factors which I won’t go into details. But the most important thing is that we are aware of this and even His Majesty the Sultan highlighted in his titah recently about Brunei’s consumption on water.

So this is a pretty good cause by JKR’s latest project – JKR REACH which is also a charity event. This is actually a run, exercise and cycle event which will take place on 27th October 2013. The launching of the campaign took place a few days ago with the Director-General at JKR, Hj Marzuke Hj Mohsin, officiating the campaign and he was also the first registrant of JKR REACH 2013. The word reach stands for ‘Run, Exercise And Cycle for Health’ and this event is jointly organised by Brunei Association of Surveyors and Engineers and Architects (PUJA) and JKR.

The event itself is in conjunction with World Water Day 2013 and it will take place at the Old Airport Road.

Hj Marzuke Hj Mohsin, Director-General at JKR giving his welcoming remarks

This is such a high consumption of water in Brunei alone

The invited guests during the launch

The one unique thing I like is the registration for run because they have an optional choice if the registrants want a golden number/s (single or double) for their bibs. Interesting indeed and I can tell you as of now that the single and double digits are all taken up in less than a day. Amazing!!! Each of the golden numbers costs an extra $10.

Did you know that all the proceeds from the JKR REACH 2013 will go to dedicated charitable foundations? Pusat Ehsan, Society for the Management of Autism-Related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER), Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans and Care and Action for Strays (CAS). I like how CAS is being included as a recipient because they haven’t been getting much support from events and so it’s nice to see CAS being selected. Thumbs up to the organisers.

Do refer to the website for more details and the closing date for the run, cycle and exercise event is on the 3rd October. The cut off participants is 5,000. You can download the form here and register at the counter at JKR building during office hours.

Hj Marzuke was the first registrant of the event. How sporting is that? 😀

The guest of honour paying for his registration

The rest follow suit to register for the event

The Golden Bib number registration form. However, the single and double digits are all being taken.

There’s no online registration so you will have to physically go to the JKR building and there will be a dedicated desk for registration. Do come during office hours only.

JKR building is located at the Old Airport, next to the Ministry of Education building

 

In further efforts to truly deliver a ‘Bruneian at Heart’ banking experience, BIBD has announced that they will be carrying out renovation works on its Mall Branch located at Unit G33, Ground Floor, The Mall, Gadong.

Starting on Monday, 14th October 2013, the branch’s operations will temporarily be suspended and renovations are due to commence. During this time, BIBD will be maintaining its operations with one ATM machine for cash withdrawals which is located on the ground floor near to the entrance of The Mall.

The renovation works will the see upgrade of the branch as part of BIBD’s continuous efforts in introducing its signature image and better customer services throughout its branch network. BIBD would also like to inform its customers that they can visit its nearest branch located at the Setia Kenangan Complex, Kiulap for all their banking requirements.

For further information about BIBD and any of its products and services, visit BIBD’s home page at www.bibd.com.bn, get in touch with the BIBD Contact Centre at 2238181 or visit your nearest BIBD branch.

In other BIBD news, they are having a special discounts for BIBD cardholders. Now you can enjoy up 20% discount with your BIBD cards. This is valid from 17th September to 31st October 2013 with partner restaurants – Misato, Bali Paradise, Twelv Cafe and Excapade Sushi.

 

Ignite: Entrepreneurship Challenge 2013. Click to enlarge.

What it is?

Discover what it really takes to launch a start up! Enter the $20k challenge to identify, nurture and showcase emerging ICT entrepreneurs. Gain one of a kind start-up learning experience and emerge better to bring your entrepreneurial vision to light!

The competition Ignite Entrepreneurship Challenge is a rebrand of the previous Ignite Business Plan competition which serves as a platform for identifying, nurturing and showcasing emerging entrepreneur in addition to stand a chance to win the grand start up 20K cash prize. iCentre continue its proud tradition of preparing the participants prior to finalizing their business plans by conducting a series of workshops to allow participants gain entrepreneurship skill set. Learn the know-hows and must-dos to build a successful startup and writing an impactful executive summary prior to the first round of submission.

This year’s challenge puts more focus on acquiring quality business plans where after preliminary round of business plan submission, the shortlisted participants are will be required to attend the Ignite two-days boot camp where they will be provided training assistance and individualized coaching from experienced mentors.

Tagline: ‘The journey begins now’ highlights the learning process along the way and experiences gained in the journey of an entrepreneur. iCentre will serve a role to be a guide for the journey for aspiring entrepreneurs right from  the beginning of the challenge.

Route map of Ignite. Click to enlarge.

Requirements:

Who can join? Individuals may enter the competition alone or as a group of maximum 5 people (highly encouraged) with exceptional business ideas.

Members of the public with creative and innovative ICT business plans who would like to turn them into a viable business are encouraged to participate.

All students from IHLS are welcome to compete. No prior business courses and experience are necessary.

Rules and eligibility can be found in the contestant kit. ONLINE REGISTRATION only. For more information, visit ignite.icentre.biz

Deadline in two weeks

The launch earlier this month by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications

Clearance stock at ICON Design Store. Click to enter

 

Grand Raya Package at Peugoet and promotion ends 15th September. Click image to enter website.

 

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Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with representatives from Microsoft (Brunei) and representative from Acer Malaysia. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer.

With the steady move of our daily computing from old-form desktops and laptops to tablets, especially touch-screen tablets, Acer has made the huge leap in providing the world’s first 8.1 inch tablet with Windows 8 operating system installed.

The Acer Iconia W3 tablet will sport the latest Intel Atom dual-core processor, 2GB of Ram, either 32GB or 64GB built-in memory and the ability for memory expansion through the use of micro-SD cards, a touch-screen LCD and the Intel GMA-HD graphic cards for gaming on the go. It is also significant to note that all Acer Iconia W3 models, either 32GB or 64 GB, will include Microsoft Office Home and Student pre-installed.

Your PC in One Hand. The Acer Iconia W3 tablet puts desktop PC capability in a tablet, so you can work and play on the go more conveniently than ever, making mobile-computing much more mobile than before.

Full Productivity. The Acer Iconia W3 will come with Microsoft Office Home and Student pre-installed so you can edit and work with Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on-the-go, opening up a whole new world of productivity.

8 Hours on the Go. With an 8-hour battery life, you can work and play without worry. You’ll be able to complete that presentation for work and still have enough juice for a movie on the way home.  The Acer Iconia W3 will easily get you through your day, being mobile has never been more reliable.

Total Flexibility. The Acer Iconia W3 tablet packs all the flexible input-output options of a desktop PC in a portable package. Bring your files: there’s a microSD card slot built in. Show presentations anywhere via HDMI Micro, and share info using micro USB.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, speaking to the media, said, “Concepts Computer is proud to introduce to the Bruneian market, the Acer Iconia W3 tablet, the world’s 1st 8.1 inch tablet with Windows 8 operating system and Microsoft Office Home and Student installed.” He continued, “We are also glad that we have representatives from Microsoft (Brunei) and Acer (Malaysia) here with us to commemorate this joyful occasion.”

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer added, “Concepts have seen the rising demand for tablets by Bruneian IT consumers, and this is the result of that. When demand is good, Concepts Computer will always step-up to provide the perfect solution from Acer, making sure that it is affordable and well-built.”

The Acer Iconia W3 tablet will be able at Concepts Computer for $528, with a Student’s Rebate of $88 for a promotional price of $440, for the 32GB model; and $658, with a Student’s Rebate of $88 for a promotional price of $570, for the 64GB model which also includes a free bluetooth Keyboard. For more information, please visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 2233551/2233552/2233553 or 2448102/2448103.

The media viewing the new Iconia W3

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer showing the demo of the Iconia W3

Fairol of MP trying it out

Having some refreshments after the launch

Powered by Windows 8 and Microsoft Office Home and Student

Get one for yourself, now available at Concepts Computer

 

There are still many seats up for grabs. Click image to enter.

One of the most anticipated moments for AirAsia passengers – the one million free seats.. Well, for Bruneians, there are selected routes that you can enjoy with super low fares but from Brunei to KL, the fare is zilch… meaning you don’t have to spend on the fare. Of course, you will have to pay for baggage and airport taxes as such. Just that the seats you pay are free.

I recently bought two AirAsia tickets to Kuala Lumpur for my 2014 trip in April and June. Now that’s some planning that I just did but I did regret on booking too fast because I wanted to fly back on a specific date.. Ahh, sometimes you will get carried away and book a flight before thinking *lol*

Now for instance, if you want to travel to Bali somewhere in January 2014 onwards, the fare will be as low as BND 350 including tax and baggage which is still a great deal (BWN-KL_BALI). I have to say that Bali is one of the most interesting places to be at. I know for sure I will be back there again sometime in November 2014.

For those interested in Legoland, you can start planning your trip for next year. Who knows next year that the much awaited Legoland hotel will be open by then. And when I did my research just then, the AirAsia fare to Johor Bahru is pretty darn cheap. You’re talking about a flight for roughly BND 90 to BND 120/130 if you include the baggage allowance for a return flight via KL. So what are you waiting for guys? 😀

I did my research around 6:45pm just then on flights to Johor Bahru via KL

That’s a pretty good deal indeed!!

How the LEGOLAND Malaysia Hotel looks like

I’m not sure how long the 1 million seats promotion is going for but it is still active after less than 24 hours. But I was struggling last night to access AirAsia’s portal because of the high traffic especially around midnight. Even the power of FTTH is not enough to beat the overcrowded queue of AirAsia enthuasiasts.

I’m quite glad that I managed to get my tickets for next year though but it’s only for the first half of 2014. I’m still eyeing Korea or Japan for 2014 but the tickets are still expensive despite the promotion. I just check that the price range is around BND 600+ inclusive of baggage allowance and that’s only for KL-Seoul sector for the traveling period in April and May 2014. As compared to last night’s, the fare was much cheaper because it was still past midnight. Actually, flying to Osaka via KL is cheaper by BND 250ish.. So that could an option 😀

I was put in the waiting room right past midnight while surfing on AirAsia.com

When you are in the queue, this what happens 😀

Bought my ticket for next year

Bought another ticket for next year too

My recent Bali trip was through AirAsia. The connection flight was just nice for me.

I love the Nasi Beryani. Now I’m spoilt for choices.

The Nasi Lemak meal is still one of the best

I’m not sure why but I was given this on the flight.. Awesome!!!

The icon for our movie podcast, The Popcorn Panel. Click image to enter our podcast sound bytes

Hey peeps!! This is the second week that we have delivered our podcast and we hope to do this on a weekly basis. We are still trying out names for our movie podcast and we have been brainstorming it for the past few days. I kinda like one name but it doesn’t seem appropriate though – PopcornSutra but a few of my friends like it. In the end, it was a toss between The Popcorn Corner and The Popcorn Panel.

Like I said, the name is still not finalised just yet but for now, it will be The Popcorn Panel. The movie features myself as the host/moderator with co-hosts Del Goh and Leo Kassim. Last week we had a good following of listeners for our inaugural podcast, talking about Top 3 Summer Movies and disappointments. This week, we are focusing on one movie review which is Grown Ups 2 which I have reviewed early August since I caught it in the States.

But do watch out for our interesting segment this weekend where we will have our first lady guest under the stage name “Puffy Lawrence”. Our topics will discussing on the dos and donts while watching movies. If you guys want to share your views and inputs, feel free to email me at ranoadidas(at)gmail(dot)com and we will be more than glad to include some pointers.

Our next film review on the podcast will be 2 Guns and Prisoners. So have a great week, peeps!! And do support our movie podcast 😀

Grown Ups 2

Grown Ups 2. I missed the previous Adam Sandler’s movies. What has happen to him? Where is his old mojo? Grown Ups the movie was hilarious. The sequel was totally a disappointment. I dozed at some parts but maybe because I was still jet lag. Anyway, I won’t bother so much with Grown Ups 2 and I have lost faith in Adam Sandler. If he thinks that every movie that he is in will rake in $$$, his days are numbered. I hope they won’t make a third one. Oh, please… Verdict: 5/10 Rottentomatoes 7%