Sneaky sneaky. It’s a good way though to entice people to come to the Brunei Travel Fair organized by Sabre Brunei. Many airlines especially Royal Brunei Airlines are tight lipped about their fares to the media for the upcoming travel fair. Instead they teased on really good deals especially if you are traveling on New Years.. mmmmm..

The press conference was held yesterday at Seasons Restaurant hosted by Sabre Brunei (previous known as Abacus) and it was good to see familiar faces of Irene Soon, General Manager of Sabre Brunei and Halim Abdul Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing of Sabre Brunei.

The event itself will happen this Friday 2nd September until 4th September at Green Quartz Multipurpose Hall 7th floor of Centrepoint. Well, it’s famously known for its badminton activities. Looks like there are gonna be many unhappy badminton regulars starting Thursday till Sunday.

According to Halim, he hopes to see an increase in visitors for this travel fair, at least in the region of 15,000. That’s a pretty optimistic figure and with great deals and promotions, I won’t see a problem in the rise of visitors as compared to last year.

Now who will benefit from this travel fair? The locals, of course, the expatriates, the various airlines involved, the travel trade partners (many of them), business partners and of course the national tourist offices. With all the partners involved, it makes it easier for the event to be dynamic and very relevant to the consumer end.

Representatives from Sabre Travel Network, Royal Brunei Airlines, Baiduri Bank, Tourism Malaysia and Singapore Airlines

Irene Soon, General Manager of Sabre Travel Network, Halim Abd Rahman, Senior Manager, Sales & Marketing of Sabre Travel Network and Aariz Patrick Ng, Head, Branch Network – Sales Management and Business Banking of Baiduri Bank during the press conference

Sabres will provide more than 50 terminals to the nine Sabre-connected travel agencies participating at the fair to help them efficiently service their travelers. For your info, Sabre is a system that helps book your flights and for decades, Brunei travel agents have been using their system.

The Brunei Travel Fair would not be possible with the major involvement of our national air carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines. They have been a big supporter for the travel fair since day one and will continue to do so. Further more, RB also offers superb deals in travel fairs and they always have been the main draw for most travel fairs in Brunei.

Here are lists of exhibitors:

Sabres Travel Network Brunei
Royal Brunei Airlines
Baiduri Bank Berhad
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam
Brunei Tourism Board
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia
Sarawak Tourism Board
Standard Chartered Bank
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Taiwan Tourism Bureau

The participating travel agents

Anthony Tours & Travel Agency
At-Taqwa Travel Tours
Century Travel Centre
Darussalam Holdings
Freme Travel Services
J J Tour & Service
Pan Bright Travel Service
Southern Cross Travel Agencies
Straits Travel Agencies

Products and services:

Attractive air fares, hotel rates and packages
Haji and Umrah
Medical Tourism products (health screening

Sabre Travel Network Brunei promotion:

Every booking or purchase made during the fair, customer has a chance to win attractive prizes such as 1 set of GoPro HERO4. If you use your Baiduri card for payment, you will get three additional chances for lucky draw.

Evelyn Ang, Country Manager for Brunei of Royal Brunei Airlines and Ahim Rani, Marketing Manager of Royal Brunei Airlines

Promotion

On offer; tickets to all RB destinations except Kota Kinabalu and Jeddah.
Special promos include: Early Bird Specials, December Specials and London Specials.

Activities

1. RB Grand Draw
Customers who purchased RB tickets at the Brunei Travel Fair 2016 are automatically entitled for a chance to win:
02 Return Economy Class tickets to Dubai
02 Return Economy Class ticket to Melbourne
01 Return Business Class ticket to Ho Chi Minh City
01 Royal Skies membership complimentary upgrade

2. Daily Lucky Draw

Visitors who purchase RB tickets are also eligible to participate in the daily lucky draw which will be held at 2:00PM and 09:00PM on Saturday and Sunday, and 11:25AM and 09:00PM on Friday.
Participants stand a chance to win:
a. Return Economy Class tickets (to Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bali, Manila or Surabaya)
b. One Way Complimentary upgrade award
c. Skylounge access pass
d. RB Merchandise

3. Instagram Competition

Visitors can participate in the RB Instagram competition for Brunei Travel Fair to win a Return Economy Class ticket to Jakarta. (Details will be announced on RB’s Social Media Channel)

4. Better Catch Them All

RB Customers during the BTF with a minimum spending of BND500 can participate in the Better Catch Them All game, where they will stand in a box for 10 seconds and catch as many prizes as they can.

Prizes:
a. 5% and 15% discount vouchers for their next purchase with RB to be redeemed at RB’s Customer Service Centre
b. RB Merchandise.

The social media influencers being briefed by Muaz at Royal Brunei Head office for the upcoming Brunei Travel Fair

Instagram Competition (Winner flies to Jakarta)

1. Open to all visitors to Brunei Travel Fair 2016.
2. To participate, visitors must take a photo at the Brunei Travel Fair 2016, featuring RB in their post and upload it on Instagram with the hashtag #RBBTF2016.
3. Open to residents of Brunei only.
4. All entries must be submitted by 09:00PM on Sunday 04th September 2016.
5. The winning post will win ONE non-transferable Economy Class ticket to Jakarta, Indonesia.
6. We ask that PRIVATE accounts are made PUBLIC during the competition in order to be entered. The winner will be announced on RB’s Instagram, we appreciate your patience while we verify all the entries. We will contact you via direct message if your photo has won.
7. This competition is not open to RB staff and their immediate family.
8. In accordance with Instagram rules, we must mention this is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. and by entering, entrants confirm they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s term of use.
9. By entering this campaign, you agree to give RB FULL RIGHTS to use your entries for any of our campaigns.
10. RB’s decision on the winning post is FINAL.
11. RB reserves the right to amend the competition terms and conditions.

Baiduri Bank. Being the official bank for the Brunei Travel Fair, there are many reasons to swipe your purchases/bookings with Baiduri Bank cards. You will get cash rebates, lucky dip and 0% installment as some of the promotional gimmicks offered by Baiduri Bank.

Prestige Exclusive: Enjoy BND 150 rebate when you spend BND 1,500 and above on any RB fares with your Baiduri Prestige card. Limit to only first 10 Prestige members and only available for the first two days.

Smart Executive Exclusive: Enjoy BND 100 rebate when you spend BND 1,000 and above on any RB fares with your Baiduri Smart Executive card. Limit to only first 10 Prestige members and only available for the first two days.

Baiduri Credit and Debit Cardholders. Enjoy BND100 rebate at the Brunei Travel Fair when you spend BND1,000 and above on any Royal Brunei air tickets with your Baiduri Credit or Debit Card. Limited to 20 redemptions per day.

No baiduri card? Receive 3 years annual fee waiver and up to 25,000 Royal Skies Miles when you sign up for a Baiduri Credit or Debit Card successfully. Also enjoy a coffee on us when you visit our booth to enquire about our products and services.

0% installment. Enjoy full processing fee waiver when you convert your credit card purchases into an interest-free instalment plan.

Just visit their website here for more details.

Tourism Malaysia Promotion. Speaking of Malaysia, Happy Merdeka Day 😀

1) Purchase airfare and holiday packages to Malaysia from all participating agents and Malaysian sellers at Tourism Malaysia pavilion to win 1 FREE Travel Luggage Bag with a minimum spending of BN 1,000. Limited “while stock last and first come first served basis.

2) Purchase airfare and holiday packages to Malaysia from all participating agents and Malaysian sellers at Tourism Malaysia pavilion to receive RM 20 Parson Shopping Voucher each passenger. Limited “while stock last and first come first served basis.

3) Brahim’s ready-to-eat meals and ready-to-eat dishes food sampling at Brahim’s counter under Tourism Malaysia Pavilion.

4) Daily quizzes by Sabre appointed emcees to win

• 3 days 2 nights stay at Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa, Mulu National Park for 2 person contributed by SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD;
• 10% off for Classic Deluxe Room at Kingwood Boutique Hotel, Miri contributed by KINGWOOD BOUTIQUE HOTEL
• 10% off for Classic Deluxe Room at Kingwood Boutique Hotel, Miri contributed by KINGWOOD BOUTIQUE HOTEL
• 2 days 1 night stay at Superior Room with daily breakfast at Ming Garden Hotel & Residences contributed by MING GARDEN HOTEL & RESIDENCES
• 2 days 1 night stay at Superior Room with daily breakfast at Ming Garden Hotel & Residences contributed by MING GARDEN HOTEL & RESIDENCES
• Food and Beverage voucher at TH Hotel & Residence Sdn. Bhd. contributed by TH HOTEL & RESIDENCE SDN. BHD
• 2 Brahim’s food hamper contributed by Brahim’s

Click image to enter Facebook Page

At-Taqwa Travel Tours. This will be their second time participating in a travel fair. The newly established travel agent in Brunei recently had accreditation from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) where it’s a license required by Saudi Arabia for a travel agent to bring pilgrims to Mekah.

Promotion: The six packages under Al-Singafura for Umrah packages. Trip commence from December 12 to 4 January 2017. Lucky draw for those purchasing Haj and Umrah, entitled to a lucky draw.
Grand prize: an Umrah package for one
Second prize: A flight ticket to a mystery destination
Third prize: Two night stay at a hotel in Penang
Fourth prize: Three night stay at Rizqun International Hotel

Click image to enter Facebook Page

Pan Bright Travel Service. One of the travel agents that goes with a big bang with awesome lucky draws. This time the grand prize could be a Hyundai car or a Hermes Birkin. I’m not into bags as you can tell but but wow, these bags are no joke. When I googled, I’m shocked to know the Hermes Birkin can go up to USD 20,000 #shocked.

So for every $200 spent in Pan Bright Travel Service, you are entitled to get 1 lucky draw coupon. The promotion kicks off during the travel fair. The lucky draw campaign will be until 31st March 2017 and there will be a monthly draw of air ticket as well.

The viral image from whatsapp, courtesy of Century Travel

Century Travel. I bought a few air fares from them before and they have pretty good service. So far, I would say that they are the fastest in getting the news out on the air fares. I know Royal Brunei Airlines have been tight lipped but somehow word has gone out from certain travel agents on the air fares. Pretty affordable too. Just refer to the poster below.

Freme Travel. As usual, their booths are among the biggest of the lot. Not just focusing on air fights but also domestic tourism. If you want to fly on a holiday package, then Freme Travel have plentiful of choices. I was just browsing their Facebook Page and it’s amazing what cities they can come up with for their customers.

There are packages such as Morocco, Bhutan and Harbin to name a few. So something interesting for travelers to look forward to.

Great promotion from BIBD as well during the Brunei Travel Fair

 

During the launch of Weekend Warriors three weeks ago at JKR Sports Complex

Now everyone can play. If you are into football and you don’t have a team or even friends to tag along with you, then fear no more. Weekend Warriors have come up with a solution and for the past three weeks, the method has been successful. According to the founders of Respin Alpha (wwfutsal), the responses have been overwhelming and it was unexpected.

I have met up with Faezal Murni, Founder and CEO of Respin Alpha and Simon Soo, co-founder of Respin Alpha, a few weeks ago before their official launch and I can feel their passion the Weekend Warrior will be a big hit in Brunei Darussalam.

If you look at the bigger picture, there are many winners (win-win situation). Players who doesn’t have a team can play. At the same time, this gives businesses to the premises at JKR and also the referees are being paid too. Furthermore, Respin  Alpha are looking at hiring more locals for their future expansion. So all in all, this is platform created by the company is definitely a win-win situation.

What I truly love about this idea is that you just have to bring yourself after you registered your slot time. Just make sure you bring your own shoes, shin pads (shin protection) and socks. As for the rest, the bibs/vests are provided and even the referees are too.

So first thing’s first, get yourself registered on wwfutsal.com and join a team. The allocated times to choose are normally on a Sunday.

There’s also a leaderboard to keep track of your ranking. You will get points for scoring and even assist. Not bad, huh? Then you can see your rank in the leaderboard posted on the website.

In the works now is the creation of an app for Weekend Warriors. It’s in the pipeline and once the mechanism is stable, the app version will be launched within a few months and this will even make it easier for Weekend Warriors players.

Faezal and Simon recently travel to Jakarta for expansion and that’s the only way to grow instead of relying on the local market. All the best buddies and I’m sure this idea will be also accepted in other countries.

Hopefully on a Sunday, I can spend some time playing in a futsal match using Weekend Warriors. Kudos to the team Respin Alpha on the successful web application.

The players having fun during the first match of the Weekend Warrior after the official launch

Celebrity Aziz Harun (left) was also playing

Good thing is that the referees are also involved

Guests during the launch of Weekend Warriors

Act of sportsmanship before and after each match

Simon Soo, co-founder of Respin Alpha with Faezal Murni, CEO and founder of Respin Alpha before their flight to Jakarta recently

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Hafizah bte Ramlee posing with her spouse after winning the Black Proton Saga FLX Plus Auto as part of the second series of the Sentral Shopping Centre Grand Lucky Draw this afternoon

Abby Lim, general manager of Sentral Shopping Centre, Salim, President of the Indian Belait Association and Yang Mulia Hj Eady Sardi bin Pehin Datu Derma Sakti Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Razak, the Head of Belait District branch of Co-curriculum Education Department, Ministry of Education as the guest of honour with the grand winner of the Black Proton Saga FLX Plus Auto

This is the second lucky draw of the campaign for Sentral Shopping Centre (KBSentral) and hundreds showed up to see if they would be one of the lucky winners. Apparently there were than 17 winners including the pop quiz winners. Few months back, a young boy of 18 won the first mini grand draw and won himself a Proton. I’m pretty sure he is making full use of his new car.

Today the lucky winner of the Black Proton Saga FLX Plus Auto is a lady named Hafizah bte Ramlee as her named was picked from the box by the guest of honour Yang Mulia Hj Eady Sardi bin Pehin Datu Derma Sakti Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Razak, the Head of Belait District branch of Co-curriculum Education Department, Ministry of Education.

Abby Lim, the General Manager of KBSentral thanked all the shoppers for supporting the businesses within Sentral Shopping Centre and there were about 1020 short listed coupon holders who made it for the cut.

Also present during the lucky draw presentation were Mr. Salim, President of the Indian Belait Association and Ahmad Anwar Rosly, marketing and event manager of KBSentral.

Misiah Yun won herself an LG Washing Machine, Ahmad Daud won himself an LG 2 door refrigerator while Mohd Faizal Hj Hidup won himself an LG 32” LED TV. All these were the top 4 prizes followed by other consolations prizes such as electrical appliances and also gift vouchers.

The third series of the Grand Lucky Draw will be on the 8th of January 2017. Do follow them on Facebook and IG @kbsentral for updates.

Abby Lim gave her deepest appreciation to the patrons of Sentral Shopping Centre

The mascots performance was part of the programme

The guest of honour handing over the mock key to the lucky winner

Abd Rahman Hj Ishak receiving a Cornell rice cooker from Salim

A great turnout and brisk business for the tenants at KBSentral today

Masezelan won a voucher from Beesket and being handed over by Anwar Rosly

Siti Hajijah Hj Julaini won a one night stay at Garden Sentral Hotel and handed over by Abby Lim

This young kid won a voucher for being at least on Level 15 on Pokemon Go

The previous winner during April’s lucky draw

 

Special episode on WWE’s SummerSlam featuring Jason Rumpun and Delwin Keasberry. Find out our thoughts on the subpar PPV.

 

Her Excellency Mrs. Nagma M. Mallick, the High Commissioner of India to Brunei capped the night with a powerful message to the audience – show conviction when you believe in yourself

Rozana Yunos, President of the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, did a marvellous job as the SAA and also uplifted the mood to kick off the meeting

What a night to cap off and to start the weekend! The Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club hosted their 2nd meeting of the term and this time, it was held on the Presidential Lounge on Level 8 due to a wedding event on Level 4.

Stuart Lee stood in for Allen Ang ,who was supposedly the host (toastmasters of the evening). However, Allen is currently in Surabaya for a workshop. As usual, Stuart started with a bang and I liked how he paced the evening as the sessions were behind schedule. This is a good reference for future TMEs at at a BASC monthly meeting should the event starts later than scheduled.

Madam President Rozana was articulate in her opening remarks and praised the growth of certain members who have excelled in their growth and contributed back to the community as a leader and a communicator.

There were many first moments to talk about here. It was the first time the club opened to visiting members to be part of the moderating session. Pooja, whose forte is in evaluation, was invited to evaluate Theressa’s inspirational speech. Speaking of Theressa (a UBD Toastmasters member), she became the first non-member to present a prepared speech in a BSC meeting and wow, she did not disappoint at all.

You may heard the clichè of taking things for granted but Theressa’s delivery gave it a new perspective that will stick in our minds. I was moved and inspired by her vulnerability and awarenesses. Truly salute your journey as a nurse and now we know the reason why. Do check out her speech once it’s uploaded on the UBD Toastmasters youtube channel.

Another competent speaker, Delwin Keasberry aka @bruneitweet finally presented his 5th speech (body language) and I was hoping he would share of his WWE fan journey *lol* I found his story quite entertaining, reviving his teenage years with his friends and being in trouble with the authorities. A poised speaker at best, Delwin nailed the objectives with ease and now he is 5 speeches away to earn a pin. Keep it going, bro 😀

The host of the evening – Stuart Lee

Delwin Keasberry shared a funny childhood story and wowed the panelists on his objectives (body language)

Pranika Lama and Elizabeth Sim as evaluators for Delwin and being moderated by Chris Woo. Very insightful analysis and I’m amazed how observant they are. Pranika claimed that she enjoyed that session very much.

Many smiles during the course of the night

One of the best inspiring speeches I’ve heard in a long time. I do agree with Pooja’s evaluation on Theressa’s speech – “I was quite involved and moved too”. Congratulations, Theressa, on your CC10 project (Inspiring Speech) and I never experienced a prolonged applause after a speech. You deservedly earned that.

The evaluators were inspired by Theressa’s speech and they felt empowered

Yani who has been a toastmasters for 10 years, presented a workshop on empowering the youths and this is such an appropriate topic to bring up. With many adults in attendance, Yani unveiled some pointers based on her experience in empowering others and these are very relatable to the audience. Now with her 2 year old daughter empowering her, Yani has opened up more awarenesses and feeling empowered too.

The moderation sessions were great and it was nice to see Pranika back in action again in the moderation panel. Chris Woo, as usual, fitted the occasion as a principal moderator and the audience benefited from the analytical feedback from the four evaluators on Theressa’s and Delwin’s speeches.

The night was capped off by a powerful message by the guest of honour Her Excellency Mrs. Nagma M. Mallick, the High Commissioner of India to Brunei. In a nutshell, she urged us to believe in ourselves and show conviction if necessary. Her speech, in itself, was pretty inspirational and hoped the guests in attendance will take something back and inspired to speak out in what he or she believes in.

Yani Hepnie conducted a workshop on empowering yourself and others. I enjoyed this session very much too.

Heidi Rahman made a conscious choice to attend the BASC meeting in final minutes and she enjoyed it

The guest of honour was a former toastmasters member too

Gerald Goh shared how he empowered others at work

The young ladies have made an impact on their clubs and also at other clubs. Great leaders whom I admire and aspire to be.

This was shot number 6. It’s never easy to satisfy ladies when it comes to perfection in photos :p

The toastmasters members and guests at last night’s meeting. Datin Faridah is our dedicated, perpetual guest 😀 Thank you so much for your support to BASC for all these years.

 

Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines accepting a token from Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines

Mr. Tokuro Ambe, The First Secretary of Economics from the Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam, Her Excellency Ms. Noriko Iki, Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines, Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines, Mr Fu Fengsha, Charge’d Affairs of China Embassy and Dayah Hjh Airah Hj Abdullah, Director of Transport, Ministry of Communications

I’m kinda excited that Royal Brunei Airlines have a codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines and this is one of the first of many connecting flights that will be favourable for both parties. This afternoon, Hong Kong Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines signed on the dotted line where Hong Kong Airlines will be used connect flights exiting Hong Kong from in-coming flight from Brunei Darussalam.

So the first city outside Hong Kong that will be utlizing the codeshare will be Tokyo. Woohoo!! It is still not operating just yet and ti will be launched sometime in November but pre-sale will begin early September. So under the agreement, Hong Kong Airlines “HX” code will be placed on RB daily flights between HK and BSB.

Here’s the flight itinerary to Tokyo via HK.

BWN to HKG – Flight No. HX 1635/BI365 Departure 10:30am Arrival 13:35pm

HKG to Tokyo – HX 610/BI3403 Departure 15:30pm Arrival 20:55pm

Tokyo to HKG – HX611/BI3404 Departure 9:30am Arrival 13:30pm

HKG to BSB – HX610/BI3403 Departure 15:30pm Arrival 20:55pm

So far this is a pretty reasonable connection. With Hong Kong being an international hub, it does make economical sense to have connecting flights to other parts of Asia especially Japan. I traveled earlier this year to Taipei via HK. So hopefully there will be more connecting flights under Hong Kong Airlines which will be in the future stages.

Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines, said that, “The commencement of our codeshare partnership with RB is great news for the passengers of both airlines. It’s a win-win situation for both parties. This will give more choices for the passengers for traveling within Asia.”

He added that the influx of foreigners to HK has increased year by year and this will be a good opportunity for them to also flight to Brunei to experience a city with a beautiful culture.

Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of RB, shared that this is an important collaboration with Hong Kong Airlines as a codeshare partner. He believe that there is a great demand for passengers heading to Japan especially Tokyo. Passengers will benefit from this codeshare flight with better networks and of course, choices for passengers.

Good job for RB on making this possible and let’s hope for some good promotion along the way to lure in more passengers.

Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines is excited with the collaboration with RB

Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of RB speaking to the press

Mr. Li Dian Chun speaking to the press

The first official codeshare trip will be in November 2016

My last trip to HK was in March. Now with more routes through codeshare, who knows I will frequent HK more

 

During the Q&A sessions with the producers and directors of the short films at The Times Cineplex @ The Empire

As most of you know, I’m a movie buff. This is also the period where I caught many movies but sadly summer movies will be over. The last local film festival I caught was back in 2014 which was the UBD Film Festival.

The UBD TV Short Film Festival is organised by @ubdtv with the Creative Core BN and this is not part of an assignment project of UBD. This is an independent event in help to spur the young talents we have and showcase their capabilities that there is hope in the creative and especially the film industry.

Thank you to the organisers for the invite during the press screening last Wednesday. Present at the screening were the event sponsors, speakers of the Short Film Making Workshop, and casts and producers of the films: Horizon, If Only, Masa, Aku Ada Cerita, The Hero, Selamat Malam, and Al­-Fatihah. The director of the films are Muhd Aznniel Hj Yunus from Nostrils Production, Hakim Salleh from Lensa Muslim, Amirul Jazli from Visionary Production, Hj Yusrizam Hj Abd Tahir from AE Cinema, as well as UBD students, Siti Nurhaziqah Omar, Muhd Zulfadli Mohd Husini and Chung Ming Ru @ Leon. Also in attendance were representatives from Regal Blue Production and Visual Dimensions Production.

Del Goh moderating the panel of producers of the short films

Harlif of Regal Blue Production aspires the young producers to carry on their journey in this industry. Good one, buddy!!

The supporters and sponsors of the event

After the press screening, there was a moderation session for the producers which was moderated by Del Goh, a movie enthusiast just like myself 😀 The producers/directors shared their passion in creating short films and most of the crew and actors are volunteers. One shared that they made use of DSLR cameras to shoot their projects.

Around 3 short films had a similar theme which was horror. I’m quite amazed with their creativity and I’m pretty sure there are plenty more to come from the young talents. The short films were just great teasers and I do agree with Harlif Hj Mohammad of Regal Blue Production as to what will happen next? Will they just stop there? or pursue more into producing more films as he was quite impressed with the outcome of the short films. I do hope such feedback will ignite the passion of the producers but it’s never easy to create a short film, let alone a featured film.

UBD TV Short Films Festival is set to debut to the public this weekend, from 27th till 29th August at The Core Residential College, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) so I do suggest for you to support these films.

The tickets costs BND 5 and you can reserve your seats here. Do follow their official IG @UBDTVSFF or contact Firdaus Ismail for details at 836 5070.

Interview on Visionary Project

Interview on AE Cinema BN

I can see you, Fecks (and also Pranika) :p

The ladies behind the UBD TV Short Film Festival. Congratulations on making this a success. We want more!!

The group photo with all the cast and crew involved in the UBD TV Short Film Festival. Click image to enlarge.

 

Thank you Dato Sri’ Ibrahim for signing your latest Recipe Book and treating me for breakie last weekend

It was a privilege to have met the founder of Brahim’s, the man himself, Dato’ Seri Ibrahim, who turned his own product into a global phenomenon. I’m quite familiar with their product especially the paste as I’m not pretty fond of preparation when it comes to cooking and secondly, I’m a curry lover 😀

So after the launch of the first Brahim’s Recipe Book at Times Square Shopping Centre, I had a special interview with Dato’ Seri himself and his two daughters – Nur Fatin Ibrahim, Group Managing Director and Dr. Nur Azizah, Director, over breakfast at Tasek Brasserie.

According to Dato’ Sri, most of the revenue earned for Dewina Group (for Brahim’s product) is from the catering sector. Their core businesses are mainly catering and supplying to retailers in Malaysia and outside Malaysia. The catering business itself is interesting as Dewina Group accepted a huge gamble to buy over MAS catering back in the early 2000s and forked out RM 170 million for a 70% equity. Furthermore, MAS Catering had RM 240 accumulated losses and making a loss of RM40 a year.

Amazingly Brahim’s Holdings Bhd managed to wipeout the losses in a span of two years. However, the company suffered a huge setback after the mishaps of the Malaysia Airlines in the past two years. I do salute Dato Sri’ for not giving up and always looking for opportunities especially outside Malaysia.

You will be surprised that one of the company’s first foreign customer is from Brunei where for a few years they were contracted to supply their products to the Brunei military. Interesting indeed. Now his business has flourished in Japan after all the diligent hard work and research. Apparently there is a demand for halal food even in Japan and now the company has good relations with Japan in providing halal meal. Dato Sri’ is already looking ahead as far as the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and in midst of doing the ground works to capitalize on this opportunity.

So to the entrepreneurs out there (even me), never give up with your business journey. There are plenty of opportunities out there even in a tough economic environment. I truly admire Dato Sri’s drive and he’s still pretty active even in his 70s. A sharp character and humble too. Thank you once again for your time during the short interview. Thank you also to Aunty Jackie for setting up the meeting and nice gesture during our flight back on Royal Brunei 😀

Now you can enjoy Brahim’s different range of products especially the ready-to-eat-meals (MREs). I’m already impressed with the sauces from Brahim’s and with the new addition, the packed rice will be a hit in Brunei. Also the MREs have good nutritional value and no added MSG, preservatives or even artificial colourings. So I’m amazed Brahim’s is able to come up with such an innovative perishable product.

You can visit your nearest supermarket such as Hua Ho and buy Brahim’s product there.

Dato Sri’ speaking to her daughter over breakfast

It was pleasure to have breakfast with them. Thank you once again

 

Happening next weekend and I shall be there to promote the event on my social media too 😀

 

Happening today

The British Universities Brunei Association (BUBA) will be hosting its fourth annual UK Education Fair on August 24, with 24 UK universities participating.

The fair is aimed at students who are considering studying in the UK in 2017 or 2018, but also offers a final opportunity for students still looking for a place in the September 2016 intake.

BUBA in a statement said the fair will be held at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall 1, The Empire Hotel and Country Club.

British High Commissioner to Brunei David Campbell said: “The UK’s summer education fair is a great opportunity for students to hear directly from representatives of a wide range of British universities about course options and life as a student.

“We are delighted that the UK remains the favoured option for the majority of Bruneians who plan to study abroad.”

The fair will be held from 2pm to 7pm. Some of the participating varsities are Aberystwyth University, King’s College London, University of Surrey, University of Kent, Loughborough University and University of Manchester.

BUBA said the Higher Education Division at the Ministry of Education will also be at the fair to answer queries about education loans for overseas study.

Students are advised to bring in copies of qualifications and transcripts when they come to the fair.
Further details and names of participating institutions can be found at www.buba.ac.uk/he-fair. Press release from The Brunei Times.

 

The Audi A4 Ultra 2.0 TFSI Ultra. I didn’t get to test drive this unit but this version is the most environmental friendly of the lot

The new Audi A4 1.4 TFSI which still is a solid car

Audi Traffic Light Information System

Last weekend, the local press & media were properly introduced to the 9th generation of the Audi 80/A4 series- the all new Audi A4, now with quattro® all-wheel-drive.

The new Audi A4 features numerous premium technologies which set higher benchmarks for its class. Elegant design blends with an innovative control concept, and lightweight construction meets new, efficient drivetrain solutions. The A4 is also ahead of its peers in terms of infotainment and assistance systems. As a result, Audi drivers can look forward to a truly high-tech experience ― an innovative synthesis of technology and aesthetics.

Now available at the Audi Kiarong showroom the new Audi A4 also achieves top ratings for efficiency. It boasts the best-in-class drag coefficient of just 0.23 and has shed as much as 120 kilograms (264.6 lb) in weight compared with the predecessor model. Three economical four-cylinder engine variants delivering up to 185 kW (252 hp) also play a major part in this efficiency gain.

The Audi A4 is also available here for the first time with the high-efficiency gasoline engine 2.0 TFSI ultra developing 140 kW (190 hp) which uses an innovative combustion process and has been designed based on the rightsizing principle. The economical power unit reduces the NEDC consumption of the new A4 Sedan to 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres (49.0 US mpg) and CO2 emissions to 109 grams per kilometre (175.4 g/mi).

The new Audi A4 comes equipped with an extensive selection of improved technologies making their first appearance in this model, such as LED headlights, Audi Drive Select with Efficiency mode, sports suspension with damping control, fly-by-wire gear shifter and a top of the line Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System.

In terms of safety, the new A4 has been awarded the highest ratings from both the Euro NCAP and IIHS safety tests.

Premium features will include multicoloured ambient lighting, front/rear parking aid and convenience key with ‘kick’ motion rear luggage door release.

TCY Motors will offer the new Audi A4 Sedan with three engine variants: a 1.4 TFSI (150hp/250Nm), 2.0 TFSI ultra (190hp/320Nm) and 2.0 TFSI quattro (252hp/370Nm) all utilising the 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission. Wheel sizes will range from 17”, 18” and 19” based on the respective engine variant.

I love the gear of the Audi A4

Now this car is a beast… The Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro

Good thing with this gear is that I can rest my hand and play with the control. Nice work!!

The interior has an S-Line finish

The display corner for driver

You can notice the difference in the design of the Audi A4 1.4 (in front) and the Audi A4 quattro (at the back)

Members of the media enjoying the ride of both the Audi A4 1.4 and the Audi A4 quattro

Rano’s feedback: I test drove two versions of the latest Audi A4 which were the Audi A4 1.4 and the Audi 2.o quattro®. Of course, you will know which one I would highly recommend. If you are just a casual driver that loves the eloquent feel of an Audi, you can’t go wrong with the Audi A4 1.4 and the ride is pretty smooth too. A perfect sedan car with good features and forgetting its safety features.

The one that stole my attention during the test drive is the Audi A4 TFSI quattro®. This means the A4 operates on a four wheel drive or in Audi context, all-wheel drive.  You can really feel the difference and you will know where that added value goes to when you fork out a little more than the Audi 1.4 and of course, in the quattro® version, the sound system is powered by Bang & Olufsen (woohoo). I also love the signal indicators which is applicable to all the new Audi A4.

Do give this a test drive at T.C.Y. Motors showroom at Kiarong and you will get what I mean with the quattro®

This is me, signing off with the four 😀 What do I think? If I were you, just go for the Audi A4 quattro… It simply rocks and even on a windy road, you will be amazed by the handling of the quattro.

For the golfers out there, what are you waiting for? 😀