Archive for October, 2014
Allen shines in Division K
Allen Ang produced another masterful performance as he was crowned champion of the Humourous Speech Division K contest. He received the trophy from Division Governor Joanna Liew. He also came 2nd in the Speech Evaluation Contest yesterday.
Allen Ang with his wife HuiFen Kong
Allen Ang did three steps better. First he won on Club Level for OTTERS Club a few weeks ago. Then he went on to beat six other contestants on Area Level (against two top other club winners) for Brunei Darussalam two weeks ago. He competed in both Humourous Speech and Speech Evaluation Contests. Of course, the bigger of the two was the Humourous Contest. I can tell you that it’s not an easy feat to prepare for a humourous speech because of all the preparation and of course, the punchlines and the funny moments that must be receptive among the audience.
After winning on club level, he was given a ticket to compete on a bigger stage which known as Division Level, consisting of 7 Area K. I know it’s a bit confusing to understand when it comes to Toastmasters territories because they don’t go by states or countries but instead they use terms such as Club, Area, Division and District. The District Level is the highest accolade you can go for Humourous Speech and Speech Evaluation. This also goes for Table Topics contest.
So our friend from Brunei, Allen Ang, who represented three clubs (OTTERS, Brunei Speakers’ Club and Brunei Advanced Speakers Club), reached District Level after winning Division K Level in the Humourous Speech Contest yesterday at Menara Petronas SBO, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. He almost did a double but settled for second in the Speech Evaluation Contest and I have to say his competitor Laurence Dumling was simply outstanding in her evaluation of the Test Speaker Gopi Murandi who presented an interesting topic entitled “Bluff About It”.
I’m kinda glad that Allen Ang did the honours of retaining the Division Title to Brunei where Stuart Lee from Brunei was the previous winner. It was such an irony to see Stuart Lee packing and unpacking the Division Trophy for the next competition only for the trophy to return back to Brunei Darussalam. The priceless moment was when the 1st runner-up name was announced and Stuart (Allen’s mentor) was already celebrating because it wasn’t Allen’s name and he was certain that Allen was a clear winner even prior to the winner’s announcement.
Allen shared his experiences and he had been practising his speech over and over and it was being refined numerous times to give the delivery more impact with the help of his mentors. He shared that not being placed (top three) especially in Humourous will be a disappointment but little did he know he was deservedly crowned the Division Humourous Champion. He was also glad that he was the first speaker for evaluation so he could learn more from the other evaluators. He was so impressed with Laurence’s evaluation (the winner) and he learnt many things to improve on to reach that District Level of evaluation. He dedicated his win to his wife and his mentors as well to those who flew all the way to KK to support him.
Now his next step is District Level, the highest accolade that one can achieve for Humourous and Speech Evaluation. The competition will take place in Miri on the 8th and 9th November which sadly I will miss because of my trip to Bali *boohoo* So good luck to Allen for the upcoming competition and just enjoy the ride for now. It has been a fruitful journey indeed.
Overall, the Division K contest held at Menara Petronas SBO, Kota Kinabalu, was pretty good and well organised. I’m glad I made that trip to KK despite having to sacrifice one night of WWE in Kuala Lumpur (See, Allen, I’m your bro :D) and it was good to catch up with some of my toastmasters friends from KK. Also a great job to the organising committee and the Organising Chairperson Georginni Labadin. It was also the first time that I saw co-Contest Chairs – Aaron George and Wynnie Jong and I have to say both their chemistry worked and Aaron, you are one funny guy with all your well executed humour especially during the interviews of the contestants.
Winners for Evalutation Speech Division K
1. Laurence Dumling
2. Allen Ang
3. Jamie Chieng
Winners for Humourous Speech Division K
1. Allen Ang
2. Kamilia Kamaruzaman
3. IR Azmer Shamsuddin
The top three winners of the Humourous Speech (Division K)
The top three winners of the Speech Evaluation Contest (Division K)
All fingers pointing to the champ
The toastmasters from Brunei Speakers’ Club posing with the Humourous Champion
Emylia Marianne Philip opening up the contest as SAA
The audience yesterday
The group photo after the contest. Click to enlarge.
Allen being interviewed by the Contest Chair Wynnie Jong
Kamalia with her toastmasters from her Area K
A heartfelt moment when both husband and wife hugged each other before he received his championship trophy
Humourous Division Contest: Of course, Allen focused more on the Humourous Contest and he had great mentors Stuart Lee (current District Humourous Champion) and Zainal Bostaman (1st Runner up Humourous District Level) to guide him to the top of Division Level. I wasn’t aware of the level of the other Area champion speakers and I rather not know their skills and experience prior to the competition which gives more excitement and unpredictability of the contest. Below are just my own evaluation and interpretation of the humourous contestants and not from the ballots of the judges.
The first speaker Jamie Chieng shared her experiences about superstition and I could relate to her stories because we were always being advised by the elders on taboo things to avoid superstition. She’s a great story teller but the content who have been tighter because such superstitions have many opportunities to entertain the audience and there were a few missed opportunities for better punchlines. She has the confidence (I admire her confidence) as a speaker and definitely more room for improvement especially with her content. It wasn’t a bad start to the Humourous Competition. Humourous Level: 6.5 (No placing)
The second speaker was hilarious to the max. Kamailia Kamaruzaman was so flamboyant and colourful in her delivery. Her experience was about fitting into the right clothes and not being judged. Again, another relatable topic especially for the ladies. She reminds me of my friend Huwaida actually – bubbly and cheerful and it’s good to see Kamalia’s persona being displayed during her delivery. Oh she also reminds me of my bubbly friend Lai Ling Ling who is just simply hilarious to begin with. I was already nervous about Allen Ang when the audience reacting with laughters and giggles through the seven minutes. The only letdown I felt was the underlying message that could have been more effective and impactful and also the structure of her speech. It was a close call between Allen and Kamilia. Humourous Level: 8.5 (2nd place)
Next up was IR Azmer Shamsuddin who was also quite humourous and animated. He shared about how “Life Begins at 40” and I could feel the pressure because I’m not far off that mark *lol* I believe he was the only one that made full use of the stage and he was simply enjoying himself with nothing to lose. His punchline about having difficulties to hug your loved ones is hilarious and even to this moment, it is still fresh in my mind. He actually inspired me to be just a confident with no-holds-bar speaker and the way he speaks, he doesn’t even look in his 40s. Kudos to his courage and humour but sadly, the usage of English needs a bit more polishing and the structure could have been better. Humourous Level: 7.5 (No placing)
The fourth speaker was our very own Allen Ang and I have heard his speech twice and that makes it three times including yesterday’s. His speech title was “Confession of a Married Toastmaster”. However, it doesn’t mean that I won’t have a good time because of the spoiler alerts but his segment reminds me so much of stand up comedies where we will be entertained over and over again by replaying their gigs. The same applies here and Allen Ang doesn’t look like someone who can pull off laughs in general and in person but don’t be deceived my friends. His delivery was quite impactful because of not just the laughters but also of the underlying message. I was a bit worried when the giggles appeared more often than the laughs in the beginning but wooww, Allen raised the momentum and had a strong finishing with laughter and claps. I’m proud of where he is and his mentors have done well to groom him up. The humour were spot on and great body structure. Definitely District level material. Humourous Level: 8.5 (Champion)
The fifth speaker was Saverinus P. Kitingan who shared about the idea of being “confused” which became part of the theme in the later session of the contest. He was quite entertaining as well and it’s always wonderful if the topic can be relate to our daily lives. He shared his experiences with his wife when it comes to decision making and he will be caught in this web of confusion whenever his wife argues. There were many small laughs and giggles along the way but he managed to pull off one punchline that stole the show about “being fat” and it was the best execution of a punchline among all the speeches. There were some things I felt that could have improved on because I felt his content was all over the place. This potentially could have been a winner if the laughs were more than the giggles with a better structured delivery. Humourous Level: 7.5
The final speaker was Munyaradzi Chigiga and her topic was about accidents. The great thing about Munya is her confidence and voice projection. She hails from Zimbabwe (Africa) and she was considered a dark horse as many of the toastmaster members in Division K level haven’t seen her perform. She shared a vivid account of her car accident but there weren’t many subplots to support her story. Yes, she’s a great storyteller but there weren’t many punchlines to begin with and she had used many jargons which reduced the quality of her speech. They weren’t much laughs to carry the momentum of her delivery. The plus points from her speech was her body language and facial expression. It was such a pity that her content was lacking the ingredients of a humourous speech. With more experience and practice, she can give all the contestants a run for their money. Humourous Level: 5.5 (No placing)
The handing over of Division Trophy from former champion Stuart Lee to new champion Allen Ang
The emotional hug after Allen was officially announced the winner
Stuart Lee holding a boxed Division K trophy before heading for the contest
The gang in high mode prior to the contest
Zainal Bostaman getting ready for the event yesterday. His best achievement was being 1st runner up in Humourous Speech competition in Division K back in 2010. He missed out on Area K6 Level and he is glad to mentor Allen Ang in refining his speech and delivery. Awesome toastmastership from Zainal!!
By the way, Donna and I will be emceeing for this dinner event this coming Saturday. Tickets are available and I’ve got some friends to come along too. It’s open for public and it’s a good avenue to learn more about toastmasters 😀
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WWE in Kuala Lumpur
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BIBD’s latest promotion
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Malppy.com has made another big appearance alongside BIBD with the launch of their latest online payment service called the ‘eBayar’ and their existing ‘eTunai’ on Malppy.com. This introduction allows BIBD customers to enjoy the convenience of paying their online purchase at Malppy.com through direct deduction of their purchase from their BIBD account or redeemable BIBD Hadiah points.
eBayar is a new online live cash transferring system where you can connect your online bank account and approve the purchase transaction right on the spot. It is not only easy but convenient and secure, enhancing one’s online shopping experience.
Simon Soo, Founder of Malppy.com
Aside from this grand launch of BIBD online payments at Malppy.com, catch their weekend promotion now as they are featuring one of their premium quality authentic Mayuki Tokyo Fashion apparels. You can now browse at their ‘NEW’ section to find out the varieties of product and promotions they have to keep up with all of their trendy style shortcuts.
Malppy.com is an online fashion and lifestyle store launched on April 2013 offering customers with a convenient way to shop, at the same time providing thousands of variety quality products to choose from, and lastly delivery Free to your doorstep at no minimum purchase. This collaboration is greatly seen as a major achievement as this type of modern payment could be a feature to our economic development in driving online and mobile-based transaction which has proven to be very popular in other nations. Press release and images by Malppy.com
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Keep Calm and Never Give Up
I’ve been away once again and for those who have been following me on instagram and Facebook, you will know that I was in Kuala Lumpur. This is my third visit to KL and this is for the recent WWE event in Kuala Lumpur which was held at Indoor Stadium Putra. I managed to get good fares during the Abacus Holiday Travel Fair two weeks ago for my KL trip (and thanks Darussalam Holdings for that) and I ended up staying at Cititel MidValley which was central for me between Kuala Lumpur city and also Stadium Putra.
Let’s cut to the chase. I managed to be a few feet away from WWE Superstar John Cena and Seth Rollins during the interview sessions prepared by the organizers. The press conference took place at The Saujana Hotel (Subang) and that’s where all the WWE superstars were staying. The feeling, alone, was surreal to be just that close to the WWE celebrities and I salute them for their professionalism, traveling thousand miles away from the US and show up their best during the interviews. I was not fortunate enough to get some time with Seth Rollins on the interview but at least I got a session with John Cena.
Mind you I’m not a John Cena fan as his character is getting on my nerves on WWE *lol* unless he is willing to turn heel which is very unlikely. I am amazed that he even spoke in Mandarin to one of the Taiwanese reporters. What amazes me about John Cena is his sportsmanship and even in public, he has become a top role model especially to those women battling breast cancer and he wore the t-shirt “Keep Calm and Never Give Up”. The Never Give Up tagline has been on his inspiring catch phrases in the WWE and he has given much inspiration to the cancer warriors and survivors.
I asked John Cena a question that if he will break Ric Flair’s 16th time World Title and he responded saying that mathematically it is possible but to him, it doesn’t matter if he didn’t break the Ric Flair’s record but more important is that he give his best in what he does and be one of the top WWE superstars before he retires.
When asked about the taunts and the boos that he got recently, he responded saying that it’s all about the energy from the fans and he is fine with all the reception he gets from the fans and he will continue to perform to his best in the WWE Universe.
I respect John Cena as an athlete and an employee of the WWE. He is one of the most hardworking WWE Superstars I’ve known and constantly appearing on every RAW episode and PPV if he is not injured. Regardless of the fans’ reactions especially the “Lets-Go-Cena-Cena-Sucks” chants, he will stay focus on what his role is as a wrestler and just entertain the crowd.
Thank you once again to the organizers, the PR agency and Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) for arranging the media access to the press conference and the first night WWE event. I truly enjoyed the experience and I can’t wait for WWE to return to Malaysia or Asia in the near future. My bucket list is still to attend at least a RAW or Smackdown episode or perhaps Wrestlemania 😀
I shall be reporting on my blog with regards to my experience at the Stadium Putra in the next post. Have a great weekend, guys!!
I believe they could smell what I was cooking then
John Cena received a warm reception from the member of the media
An Indonesian lady from the media asked a question with regards to cancer patients
The closest thing I will get to a selfie with John Cena
The customary salute from John Cena
The media registration for the press conference with John Cena
Seth Rollins looking cool before entering the interview room
Era FM brought their own belt too
The guys from Hitz FM waiting to interview Seth Rollns
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Enter Title Here
WWE coming to Kuala Lumpur
“Finally, Rano will return to Kuala Lumpur” once again to participate in the upcoming event which is WWE in Kuala Lumpur #WWEKualalumpur and I would like to give a big thanks to the Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) and also to Noel Boyd (Singapore) for assisting me in being part of the media for the event this Friday. I shall be covering the first night of WWE event but won’t be able for the following night as I will traveling to Kota Kinabalu by then.
Not all the WWE rosters will come up but they are still a handful of superstars that will making their presence in Kuala Lumpur. I was hoping for The Authority but only Seth Rollins will be there. I even saw The Rock on RAW last night but it is pretty far-fetched to see him actually flying all the way to KL, considering now that he is also a movie star with many schedules to fill in.
Of course, the biggest draw will be John Cena who has a love-hate relationship with the crowd in the US. However, I’m pretty sure he will earn more “pops” among the KL crowd.
The tickets are almost been sold out but there are still seats in the ringside arena and the lower and upper tier. I won’t be surprised if it will sell out pretty soon by tomorrow or Friday. I’m pretty excited and I would like to thank also Jason and Pratik from Shekhinah PR Sdn Bhd for your help and assistance in feeding me materials for the said event.
My dream one day is to attend a live RAW event in the US. Maybe by next year or so 😀 But for now, let’s take one step at a time. Kuala Lumpur, here I come.
The Rock appeared on RAW last Monday but he won’t be making an appearance in KL
I impersonated The Rock in my toastmasters speech for the CC3 manual last week and the audience loved it 😀
The WWE line up for Friday and Saturday
The perks of being a media – I get to interview John Cena
The lay out for WWE event at Stadium Putra
Chairman of the BIBD Shariah Advisory Body, Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Awang Haji Suhaili bin Haji Mohiddin (c) handing over the Korban Meat
In light of the festive Aidil Adha celebrations, BIBD today held its annual Korban ceremony at the Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque in Sengkurong.
The event was attended by Deputy State Mufti and Chariman of the BIBD Shariah Advisory Body, Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Setia Raja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Awang Haji Suhaili bin Haji Mohiddin along with BIBD Managing Director Javed Ahmad. Also present were members of the BIBD senior management along with its staff.
The event started with prayers to initiate the distribution of the Korban meat process. The event ended with a recital of the Doa Selamat.
A total of four buffaloes and nine cows were sacrificed, with the Korban meat distributed to around 100 recipients, comprising of family members of BIBD’s ALAF program, the Welfare Home Complex (Kompleks Rumah Kebajikan) along with other underprivileged members of the community. BIBD also took this opportunity to donate 150 Yaasin and prayer books to the Mosque. Press release and image courtesy of BIBD.
Tickets are available at the main office and for those who has been to ISB as a student or play a part in ISB, this is a great opportunity to relive that moment and share those experiences and bring back those good memories of ISB. I’m pretty sure this event will be spectacular in a way because of its golden jubilee.
Gladys posing with the Fish’N Crisp Burger and Taro Turnover
Let’s not steal the limelight for Burger King’s new burger which is the Fish’N Crisp Burger, now available in their menu. This is because I fell in love with BK Taro Turnover.. Well, I’m a big fan of yam so that’s already a seller.
But first thing’s first – the new Fish’N Crisp Burger. This crispy fish fillet is accompanied by a whole slice of American Cheese, topped with tangy tartar sauce to accentuate the signature BK Crispy fish flavour and it’s all served between a toasted sesame bun that leaves every bite full of sensation. This also comes in a set meal which is priced at $5.20 which includes a medium drink and fries.
Now let’s talk about my favourite item on Burger King which is my new found love in BK Taro Turnover. What is inside the crispy pie crust is the sweet taro chunk and this is best served straight from the oven. I have already lured my friends and they loved it too.
On a side note, the airport branch has been doing pretty well. Actually it has been overwhelming. The only thing is that even with full manpower going at full capacity, the demand is just too high to match. This shows how powerful Burger King is in Brunei alone and the management of Burger King is doing their best to serve their customers and this is not an overnight process.
Well done, Burger King on keeping the momentum and introducing new items on the menu for the choices of their patrons. I just wish the Satay Burger will make its way to Brunei soon 😀
Do follow @burgerkingbrunei (instagram) and their Facbeook page too.
The star of the moment as she poses for the media
That was a filling hi-tea indeed
Yummmmy…
My new favourite – BK Taro Turnover
This is tasty too – Rock It Fries
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It’s still DPMM FC title to lose
DPMM FC still leading by two points
What a strange result to begin with! DPMM FC had home soil advantage against Warriors FC and with the 12th man (the supporters and the crowd) and yet they were struggling against the visitors. DPMM FC had a healthy lead of five points but now it has been cut short to two points.
DPMM FC now have lost twice at home in a row. Last night was indeed a surprising and disappointing effort from the home team. The crosses and the long balls became their desperate tactics to chase the game but the Warriors keeper was always the first to spoil the attacking threat from DPMM FC in the final 15 minutes of the match.
We have learnt something from the match and that is DPMM FC’s main weakness is set pieces. The previous game was also influenced by set pieces and last night’s match was no different. The final two goals from Warriors were from free kick and it was 3-1 to Warriors with 30 minutes left.
However, it was the visitors who were more composed and managed to apply more pressure whenever DPMM FC was in possession of the ball. DPMM FC surely missed the presence of the scoring talisman Rodrigo Tosi who missed the game through suspension.
DPMM FC coach Steve Kean thought the two free kick decisions were dubious to begin with and DPMM FC were good for the first 35 minutes before the visitors slowly built their momentum and punished DPMM FC with their set pieces.
Now with the international break due to Brunei’s participation in the AFC qualifiers, it’s back to the drawing board for DPMM FC as they have two weeks to prepare before their next home game against Singapore Cup finalists Balestier on 25th October. It is not known yet if the upcoming match will have a free entrance as before.
Last night’s crowd didn’t reach the heights of 10,000 spectators but it was still a sizable presence. Thank you to the DPMM FC management for making it possible last night. It was just unfortunate that the results didn’t go in DPMM FC’s favour.
DPMM FC’s long ball tactics was well read by the Warriors FC’s keeper
It was good to see Shahrazen back on the scoring sheet
Steve Kean was pretty animated in the last 10 minutes of the match
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Only one
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BIBD’s latest promotion
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The collection pack for the much anticipated Royal Brunei’s The Great Race is happening next week. I will be only participating in the 3km race and just spend time taking some photos around for coverage purposes. The responses have been very exceptional, considering that this is Royal Brunei Airlines’ first attempt in organising a run.
By the way, for those who wants to donate, please click through this DonationCard_BW.pdf to download the Donation Card and bring it during the Race Kit New Collection Dates.
Or if you appoint a representative to pick up on your behalf, pleas click through this THEGREATRACEAUTHORISELETTER.pdf and fill up the authorisation form for your representative to bring during the Race Kit New Collection Dates below.
Have a good week ahead and see you on the 17th & 18th October at Royal Brunei Recreational Club.
Loving this top from The Great Race. Maybe the t-shirt design for a run I’ve seen
The winner of each category will win a Canon EOS 70D
This competition has been growing in popularity and I’m glad that this has become a yearly event (a big thanks to Interhouse Company) for making this possible. This year, there will be something extra in terms of prizes. Yes, the usual prizes will definitely be there but there is a new catch. There is a Grand Prize category and the winner of this will have the bragging rights of attending a 9-day photo clinic in Japan. Awesome!!!
The great thing is that the eventual winners of the respective categories are not guaranteed the grand prize as the individual participant will be judged based on the all the three categories and judged as a whole. This is a great initiative for the participants to showcase their talent and you will never know if you will be the chosen one to represent Brunei in Japan.
I won’t spare much insight on this competition as the rules and regulations are given below in this post. Good luck to you all.
CANON PHOTO MARATHON BRUNEI 2014
Date: 19th October 2014 (Sunday)
Venue: Star Lodge Hotel
0800hrs – Start of Registration and collection of competition apparel
0900hrs – Announcement of Theme 1 and commencement of competition
1700hrs – Announcement of winners and prize presentation (subject to change based on judging process)
1. The Canon Photo Marathon Brunei 2014 (“Event”) is an event open to all.
2. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis subject to receipt of a valid registration.
3. All information including personal information submitted by the participant to Interhouse Company. (“Organizer”) in connection with the event shall become the property of the Organizer. The participant is deemed to have given the Organizer authorization to use such information for any purpose (including market research, planning, data-processing, statistical and risk-analysis, research, fund-raising).
4. The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the event at any time without notice. In the event of such cancellation, the Organizer shall use reasonable efforts to inform the participant prior to the date of the event.
5. The stated event timings are subject to changes.
6. Participants must abide by the competition rules, and by any decisions made by the Organizer.
7. Participants under the age of 18 must obtain parental consent
8. The Organizer reserves the right to use any submitted photograph for any purposes without compensation to the participant.
9. The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify any participant who has infringed any of the competition rules.
10. Decisions by the Organizer and competition judges are final. No queries will be entertained.
11. Only photos taken by conventional digital cameras accepted.
12. All nationalities are welcomed.
13. By participating in the Event, the participant is deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.
The participants of the Canon event back in 2012
The event took place at Radisson Hotel two years ago
The winning photo by Adam in the Street Scene category
Competition Process
1. Participants will receive Theme 1 at approximately 0900hrs on 19th October, 2014 at the Event Venue.
2. Participants must submit ONE picture deemed suitable for the Theme before the assigned deadline.
3. Theme 2 will be announced immediately after the deadline for Theme 1 submission has lapsed.
4. Theme 3 will be announced immediately after the deadline for Theme 2 submission has lapsed.
5. The Top three prizes will be awarded for each Theme.
6. Grand Prize will only be awarded to participants who have submitted photos for all 3 categories and will be judged as a whole.
Competition Rules
1. All participants must wear the Canon apparel and ID provided during the event.
2. Participants can only use conventional digital camera during the Canon Photo Marathon, Brunei 2014.
3. All photographs submitted MUST be in JPEG format and sized to approximately 5MB.
4. Storage format accepted are CF / SD / MMC / XD / MS formats. Participants using other formats must supply their own relevant adaptors / drives for use during the submission of entries during the event. The Organizers will not be held responsible for the inability to read / download images.
5. All photographs will be judged based on the following criteria:
– Relevance to theme
– Creativity in theme interpretation
– Use of colors and light / shadows
– Composition of photograph
6. All submissions for each Theme must be completed before the announced allocated deadline. The Organizer reserves the rights to reject any submission once the deadline has lapsed.
7. All submitted photographs must be taken on 19th October 2014.
8. Submitted photographs must not be altered by any editing software.
9. Participants must submit their entries personally. No proxy submission by any participant is allowed during the Event.
10. The Organizer will not be responsible for providing photographic equipment including camera, spare batteries, lenses or additional memory cards. All participants are expected to come prepared with all their photographic equipment.
Audi driving instructor Mr. Nicolaas Smit from South Africa explaining to the audience before the AUDE began
TCY Motors as the sole dealer/importer for Audi in Brunei launched its inaugural 3-day Audi Urban Driving Experience (AUDE) at the ‘Pusing Lagi’ car park in Jerudong Park two weekends ago. I was fortunate enough to experience the sessions and big thanks to TCY Motors for giving me the opportunity. It also gave me a new perspective about Audi cars especially those with quattro and also the technology that Audi has.
The exclusive event was a road and ‘track’ based safety driving tutorial and vehicle product demonstration via dynamic exercises such as ABS Braking and Gymkhana or Slalom event. Road Drive featuring the recently launched Audi A3 Sedan is an extended vehicle test-drive highlighting the 5-mode Audi Drive Select vehicle setting feature which changes the vehicle driving behavior according to the type of driving conditions.
AUDE’s aim is to educate Audi owners or drivers in general, by using physical “hands-on” tuition, primarily how to react in emergency maneuvers in the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) braking exercise.
Gymkhana or the Slalom exercise practices safe high speed handling, and helps demonstrate and educate the traction grip abilities of Audi’s ‘trademark’ quattro four-wheel drive system compared to that of a vehicle without quattro. This was actually my favourite part of the entire session because you get to compete/race against one another for fun and yes, it was addictive.
An experienced Audi driving instructor Mr. Nicolaas Smit from South Africa together with Mr. Richard Sorenson from Audi Singapore were invited to plan and facilitate the dynamic driving exercises to ensure the highest safety standards are observed for the participants which mostly include Audi owners and invited guests only.
With involvement in the motor industry since 1999, Smit is also member of the Guild of South African Motoring Journalists and has hosted a motoring insert on the Lifestyle Show on SAFM since 2007.
The organizer intends to hold the AUDE annually in one form or the other to highlight the capabilities of Audi vehicles and as a treat for its loyal customers.
My best pick among the Audi brand is definitely the Audi A7 which has the quattro. Just simply awesome!!!
I love this session – Gymkhana or the Slalom exercise
I am amazed by the power of the Audi A7 which is equipped with quattro
The Audi A6 was the other car that was competing against the Audi A7
My partner in crime during the test drive session
Cool passes for the drivers 😀
The ABS Braking session
The ABS Braking session was kinda tricky but shows how great the braking system is on Audi
I also test drove the Audi A3 and went for a road drive using all the different modes such as Dynamic mode
John Tan taking care of the Audi A3 test drivers
Certificates given to all Audi test drivers with Audi driving instructor Mr. Nicolaas Smit from South Africa together with Mr. Richard Sorenson from Audi Singapore
Another lucky participant to experience the test drive
The Saturday morning session. There were six sessions in all.
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FREE ENTRANCE!!!
Thank you, DPMM FC
The bigger, the better. Yess, we need all the support we can get for the next crucial DPMM FC match. They will take on Warriors FC on Tuesday evening and should DPMM FC win that match, they will have an 8 point gap advantage over Warriors FC and also restore their five point gap over their closest rivals. Actually should DPMM FC win their next two games, it will be virtually DPMM FC’s championship in the S•League. But let’s not go far ahead just for now. I remember Liverpool who had a comfortable lead last season only to falter in the last few matches to allow Manchester City to come back from behind to clinch the title.
I would agree also on Ali Hj Momin’s sentiment that sometimes it’s better to chase the game than to be ahead. Another great example was when DPMM FC had a two goal cushion lead in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Singapore Cup but blew their lead away eventually. Though DPMM FC, have a healthy lead in the S•League, anything can happen. Hence it’s important for DPMM FC to get all the support they can get from their supporters and friends.
It was announced that the upcoming match will be FREEEEEEEE…. Yes, FREEEEE!!! So there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be part of the thousands of fans at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadum this Tuesday evening as you guys will be their 12th man on the pitch. It does make a difference to have a huge support from the crowd and this was evident during the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy and that stage Brunei U-21 was so close in reaching the semi-finals.
The DPMM FC team manager hopes that there will be at least 10,000 supporters. The usual average crowd in DPMM FC matches are around 3,000 people but lately the support has been slightly waning. So this is a good gesture by DPMM FC management team and this is also good for the organiser as well.
The tickets will be issued at the two gates of the usual entrance for DPMM FC matches. The tickets are only available at the gates and you will get them once you enter and this is for attendance purposes. The tickets issued will be of no charge at all. There won’t be any luck draws for this particular match. I believe you can start queueing after Maghrib prayers.
All the best DPMM FC and yes, we are just a few steps away from claiming the first S•League title.
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Seth Rollins to KL
He has come a long way to be one of the elite wrestlers in WWE. He climbed the ranks of WWE NEXT and entered WWE under The Shield (partnering with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns). They were simply formidable as a trio and they kept winning six-man tag team matches in RAW, Smackdown and Pay-Per-Views. It wasn’t until they all split up when he joined The Authority and having feud against Dean Ambrose. He is now currently Mr. Money in the Bank where he is given the chance for the WWE title shot anytime he wants.
Seth Rollins is scheduled to perform and wrestle in Kuala Lumpur next week and it will be awesome to see him live in person too after watching him numerous times on Astro while catching WWE’s RAW.
WWE coming to Kuala Lumpur next weekend. Woohoo!! Click image to find out more of the availability of the tickets
Below are some of the interview questions given to him prior to his visit to Malaysia.
Question: WWE Live is finally back in Malaysia after 12 long years, what can fans expect from the show?
Seth Rollins: They can expect the absolute best in sports entertainment and WWE brings a product unlike any other in the world.
Question: As this is your first visit to Malaysia, are you excited about it? What are your looking forward to the most?
Seth Rollins: I’m stoked about it. Never been to Malaysia and I look forward to experiencing the culture. I really enjoy trying local food whenever I’m outside the US.
Question: You will be going head-to-head with former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena, at the live show here in Malaysia, how are you preparing for that?
Seth Rollins: John Cena is widely recognized as the top star in the company and preparing for him is like preparing to fight a lion; he’s strong, fast and clever. But I have all the confidence in the world that I am on the same level as Cena and the WWE Universe in Malaysia will soon experience that in person.
Question: How did you rivalry with Cena begin?
Seth Rollins: Well it all started a few days at Night of Champions when I interfered in Cena’s championship match with Brock Lesnar. I saw an opportunity with the champion (Lesnar) down and I tried to cash in my briefcase for a shot at the title. John Cena took it personally that I interfered in the match and now we have a problem.
Question: Your fans from Malaysia can’t wait to see you in action this October; do you have any special message for them?
Seth Rollins: Don’t sell out, buy in…
Question: What inspired you to be a WWE Superstar?
Seth Rollins: I guess my main inspiration has to do with the way it felt when I was a kid and saw a WWE live event. It was so exciting and I never experienced something like that before and I wanted to be in that ring and give that same feeling back.
Question: How did your family and friends react to your decision of being a professional wrestler?
Seth Rollins: Most of them thought I was crazy. My family was very cautious about it and thought it was something I would try for a little bit but then get back to the real world. My friends were very supportive as we all loved WWE, but I was the only one with the drive. But whether family or friends didn’t agree with my career path, everyone was very supportive of me.
Question: Who were your favourite wrestlers growing up, how did they influence you to be a WWE Superstar?
Seth Rollins: Some of my favorites were Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Eddie Guerrero and Rob Van Dam.
Hogan was the pinnacle of entertainment when I was young. He was the closest thing to a real life superhero. The other guys made me think that I could be a wrestler; they weren’t the biggest guys but they had charisma, they moved well around in the ring and were great technical wrestlers.
Question: What was your ‘plan B’ if you were not a professional wrestler?
Seth Rollins: What “Plan B”….there was never a “Plan B” in my mind.
WWE’s Seth Rollins with Money in the Bank briefcase
Question: Your WWE debut came at Survivor Series 2012 alongside Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, talk us through that experience.
Seth Rollins: It was very nerve racking but also a major relief to finally make our big debut and have an immediate impact. This was the opportunity I was waiting for after years of training.
Question: Why did you ‘turn your back’ on The Shield to join The Authority? What was going through your mind moments before you attacked Reigns and Ambrose?
Seth Rollins: I knew that I wanted to be “the” top guy in WWE, not “one of the” top guys. I didn’t want to share the spotlight with Reigns & Ambrose either. The Shield was a great starting point but I was the only one with the guts to branch out. It’s time to sink or swim and see who really has it as a singles competitor.
Question: There has been a lot of negative feedback from the fans since you left The Shield, how do you deal with that?
Seth Rollins: You just let that stuff go in one ear and out the other. That’s my motivation to get better, move forward and prove that I’m a top guy in the WWE.
Question: What is your routine before a match?
Seth Rollins: No specific routine. I just try to get as loose and as warmed up as possible.
Question: What is your favourite type of match and why?
Seth Rollins: I like the chaos of a TLC (Tables, Ladders & Chairs) match. Anything can happen and there’s a lot of creatively goes into a match like that.
Question: Your signature move is the Curb Stomp, what is the story behind that?
Seth Rollins: Not much of a story really. I saw it first by a Japanese wrestler and I really liked it so I adapted it as my own.
Question: How do you find the balance between your WWE and you free time?
Seth Rollins: For me, I try to separate those two worlds as much as possible. When I’m on the road with WWE nothing else matters and when I’m home I try to relax and keep my mind clear.
Question: What is your best and worst moment so far in WWE?
Seth Rollins: Best: First WrestleMania (WM 29 in Miami) because you only get one first WrestleMania and that’s something no one can ever take away from you.Worst: Losing to Heather Slater a few weeks ago; that was embarrassing.
Question: You are the current ‘Money in the Bank’ winner, when do you plan to cash-in for a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?
Seth Rollins: Well, I tried at Night of Champions but that didn’t work out too well. But whenever I see an opportunity, I won’t hesitate to take advantage; and that could be any place, any time.
Question: What are the perks of being ‘Mr. Money in the Bank’?
Seth Rollins: Most obvious one is that I can cash in for a title shot any time I want. I’ll keep that briefcase in my back pocket and I have until July to take advantage of it.
Question: What does the future hold for Seth Rollins?
Seth Rollins: The future holds a championship title cash in and title reign. After that, the sky is the limit.
Almost all the tiers are sold out.. Unless you want to get access to the Premier Seats and you will catch one or two of the WWE Superstars
Recently I did my toastmasters speech on WWE and managed to entertain the audience too 😀
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Close but no cigar
There were 7 minutes away from reaching their first finals of the Singapore RHB Cup last week but like they also say the ball is always round and anything can happen.
DPMM FC were 3-1 up on aggregate earlier by the first 45 minutes before Home United staged a miracle and dumped DPMM FC out of the tournament. Roy O’Donovan and Rodrigo Tosi have given DPMM FC the luxury of a two goal cushion but Sirina Camara scored a crucial goal before half time and it went down hill after the break.
DPMM FC ended losing 4-3 on aggregate after coming off in a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
“I got to agree that it is very disappointing but in every game you got to learn from it and most of the players have never been in this situation before, the semi-final of this cup, but I told my players that we have done so well in the league and we need to bounce back against the Warriors,” said Steve Kean, DPMM FC head coach, in the post-match conference last week.
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“When we were defending high against the quick players, (especially) when we dropped back, what happened in front was the midfielders started to track all the players but the back four drops and they (Home United) got players like Lee (Lee Kwan Woo) and Qiu (Qiu Li) who have the abilities to open up the game when they have the space. They did not have that space in the first-half,” he said.
Tosi challenges the ball in their 3-2 defeat against Home United last week in the Singapore Cup. Image courtesy of S•League
DPMM FC’s Azwan Ali in action last week in the 2nd leg of the semi-finals of the Singapore Cup. Image courtesy of S•League.
Back in the S•League matches, Balestier Khalsa’s Goran Ljubojevic scored a penalty for the crucial victory. DPMM FC still hold a 5 point cushion lead from last night’s result between Balestier Khalsa and Home United. Image courtesy of S•League.
It was a relief that Warriors FC failed to gain any points last night against the resurgent Balestier Khalsa FC who scored a late penalty through Goran Ljubojevic. This means that DPMM FC lead (46 points) maintains by 5 points over next rivals Warriors FC, Albirex Niigata FC and Home United (41 points). Tonight Home United or Tampines Rovers FC have the chance to close the gap for any chance to catch up with DPMM FC. A draw won’t do them any favour indeed.
DPMM FC will take on Warriors FC at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium next Tuesday. Let’s hope for a much needed home win and with four games remaining, it’s DPMM FC’s title to lose now.
In other news, DPMM FC has a new ambassador for the isotonic drink YOU•C1000 and he will be featured in advertorials for the said product. Recently there was handover of the poster from Katherine Hii whose company distributes YOU*C1000 isotonic drink to DPMM FC full back Sairol Sahari
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Get Connected through ICONIA
Click image to enter Citroën Brunei
BIBD’s latest promotion
Top up tia. Click image to enter website.
Click image to enter ICON Design Store website
You can check out Takaful coverage from Takaful Brunei Keluarga (TBK) and Takaful Brunei Am (TBA) at the BIBD 5th Home Showcase at the Mall until 4th October (Saturday).
Takaful Brunei AM (TBA) deals with insurance for home, personal accident and motor. They have a special promotion going on at the BIBD 5th Home Showcase where you can have 50% discount on new or renewals for Comprehensive Home Package Takaful and 25% discount voucher on Private Motor Takaful.
The comprehensive package covers home protection such as natural disaster, impact damage, bursting or overflowing of tanks-apparatus or pipes, theft, flood, fire, thunderbolt and even aircraft damage.
If you want to find out more on TBA products, do call 224 4000. You can also follow their updates on Facebook and instagram @takafulbrunei
Check out their roadshow at The Mall until 4th October
Their ongoing promotion
They also have special promotion for Takaful Brunei Keluarga (TBK). This is branded in a purple colour coded to differentiate the two products from Takaful Brunei. TBK involves more on family in terms of protection and savings. They have numerous products under TBK and now you can stand a chance to win gadgets if you sign up for any of the TBK Protection and Savings products. The grand prize is a pair of air fare tickets to a regional destination.
At the moment, they have products such as Takaful Savings, Takaful Walimatul Urus, Takaful Haj & Umrah, Takaful Dream House, Takaful Amal Jariah, Takaful Tarbiyah, Takaful Retirement, Takaful Education and Takaful Nur Savings to name a few.
Roadshow at The Mall
TBK promotion and you can stand a chance to win a pair of air fare
Happy 1 year PHOP. Video taken by Royston
Paddington House of Pancakes (PHOP) Brunei welcomes diners to celebrate together as the popular eatery turns one this month.
In conjunction with the 1st anniversary, PHOP Brunei organised the PHOP Birthday Pancake Design contest last Sunday for children to have fun and make a ‘flipping awesome’ birthday pancake out of PHOP homemade play-dough.
Best designs will be voted by customers and the most ‘likes’ from Instagram followers with the voting period starting from September 28 to October 7. The winners will be announced on the closing day followed by the prize presentation on October 12.
Winners in the boys’ and girls’ category will be awarded one bicycle each as the grand prize as well as PHOP goodie bags with a combined worth of over $500.
Some of the PHOP Birthday Pancake Design Contest. Check out and vote the best design on their instagram @paddingtonpancakesbn
It was great to see kids taking part in this competition
Denise Chai, the owner of PHOP Brunei. Image courtesy of Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin.
To add on to the celebrations, dine-in guests who spend $50 and above will be eligible for Paddington’s instant lucky dip where PHOP Brunei promises a sure prize to be won for every dip. Among the prizes include mouth-watering pancakes, refreshing drinks and cash vouchers worth up to $100.
For the past year, the popularity of PHOP Brunei has grown. To cater to the growing number of diners to the restaurant, it has expanded by occupying another unit to fit an extra 40 seats. A VIP room is also available for private events.
“The aim of PHOP is to make everyone’s dining experience ‘unforgettable’. Pancakes have always been known to be a ‘happy’ meal,” chimed Denise Chai, the owner of PHOP Brunei.
“At Paddington, our friendly service and kitchen staff will definitely do their best to make any birthday parties, anniversaries, gatherings, corporate functions or festive celebrations truly enjoyable.
She ensures diners that there are ample spaces and seats as it can cater 50 to 100 guests at one time for any kind of functions. To know more about PHOP’s delicious pancakes and other fun activities throughout the month, visit their website at www.paddingtonpancakes.com. Text courtesy of Aziz Idris of Borneo Bulletin.
Check out and vote the best design on their instagram @paddingtonpancakesbn
The atmosphere last Sunday at PHOP
It is nice to see interaction among other children
Denise Chai with her team from PHOP. Congratulations on your one year anniversary. Image taken from PHOP Facebook.
Allen Ang, a double winner for Humourous Speech and Evaluation Speech Contest, with his wife Fen. He will represent Brunei (Area K6) on Division K level which will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on the 12th October 2014. Allen currently holds the position as the President of the OTTERS’ Club and the Vice President of Education of the Brunei Speakers’ Club.
Allen Ang did one better than his previous efforts on club level. Three weeks ago, he was crowned a double champion in Humourous Speech and Speech Evaluation Contest during the OTTERS’ Club competition. Last Sunday, Allen Ang showed his supremacy once again on Area level where he competed against the top two individuals from other toastmasters clubs namely OTTERS Club, Brunei Speakers Club and Brunei Advanced Speakers Club.
He will represent Brunei (Area K6) as only the champion of each category will be given a ticket to compete in the Division K contest which will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on 12 October 2014. In the Division K, it is made up of over 35 clubs from Sabah, Labuan and Brunei Darussalam. The winner of the Division K contest will proceed to the District Level contest to compete against toastmasters from other parts of Malaysia and Indonesia to yearn the title of the District Champion.
This contest, for your information, is an annual event as part of a Toastmaster’s development as they aim to improve their communication and leadership skills.
Here are the list of the top three winners.
Humourous Speech Contest
1) Allen Ang with the title “Toastmarriage”
2) Zainal Bostaman with the title “Used-to-be-fat-tis”
3) Reuben Chin with the title “Lessons from a bicycle”
Speech Evaluation Contest
1) Allen Ang
2) Melati Dato Yussof
3) Reuben Chin
The event took place at the Auditorium at the iCentre. Present were Jeremy Chua, the manager of iCentre and incubatees of the iCentre, toastmasters members and members of the public. Prizes were presented by Area Governor of Area K6, Ruey Narcis. A big shout-out to the organizing chairman, Jordan Yau and also my mentors Stuart Lee, Shawn Narcis and Ruey Narcis during the preparation of the contest.
Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through practical hands-on experiences. For more information and updates, you can visit www.bruneispeakersclub.com.
Area K6 Humourous Speech Contest winners: Zainal Bostaman (1st runner-up), Allen Ang (champion) and Reuben Chin (2nd Runner Up)
Area K6 Speech Evaluation Contest winners: Melati Dato Yussof (1st runner-up), Allen Ang (champion) and Reuben Chin (2nd Runner Up)
Jeremy Chua, iCentre’s Manager, and the audience gave a standing ovation to the contestants
Appreciating the contestants from the audience
The contestants for Humourous Speech and Speech Evaluation Contest
The customary handshake by the contest chair (myself) with Hazwan, one of the contestants. The contest chair plays a role as an emcee/host of the event
I’m proud of my friend Melati for her performance during the Speech Evaluation Contest
Allen Ang stole the show last Sunday. Good luck in Sabah 😀
My role as the contest chair
Zainal Bostaman was a previous winner on Area K6 level and came 2nd on District Level
A great turn out for the event last Sunday. Thanks for the support.
Yong Shih Ching talked about the art of positive comments
Interviewing all the contestants before the prize presentation
Ruey Narcis, Area Governor for Area K6, thanking the organizers and also iCentre and BEDB for lending the premises. She gave a lot of encouragement to all the contestants and she also hope that the event was beneficial to iCentre and BEDB
Thank you to the press Aziz Idris and Azim Kassim for showing up
Taken during the break
The members from OTTERS’ Club
It was nice to see familiar old faces from toastmasters
The trophies for Area K6 Contest
Stuart Lee who has been mentoring Allen Ang for the contest and also for the upcoming Division level contest. Last term, Stuart Lee was crowned the District Champion for Humourous Speech Contest. In order to win that, one has to win Area level, then win Division Level before you can reach District Level. Let’s hope with Stuart’s guidance and mentorship, he can guide Allen to newer heights.
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