Hey peeps… Sorry for flooding today’s post with Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 but I just feel the urged to post more *lol* Well done to the organisers for putting up a great show last night. I just thought the “pole dancing” act didn’t fit the bill but I enjoyed the rest of the entertainment and the food was great too (thumbs up to PJ Marriott).

Nuffnang started back in 2007 and it has grown so immensely over the period of years and now they have offices regionally to keep up with the growing demand. Their presence have somehow prolong the existence of bloggers. I can say for Brunei that the blogsphere isn’t what it used to be – happening. Blogs have plummeted as they embraced micro-blogging through Twitter and other social media platforms.

Anyway enjoy the rest of pictures posted last night from #NAPBAS and thank you, Nuffnang. See you in 2013 :))

The room was packed with bloggers

The Best Fashion Blog went to Cheeserland.com *congratulation*

@ytravelblog (travel) @lizosaurus (blog design) @aliciahnaomi (lifestyle) – bloggers from Australia

I should have used the pick up line – “Yoo.. what’s your url? *lol*

@beautifulnara won Best Entertainment Blog. Two years ago, it was @kennysia

Geekout from the Philippines won the Best Geek Blog

@JenniEpperson from the Philippines won Best Lifestyle Blog, beating the likes of popular blogger @Xiaxue who didn’t take it well

Apparently a lot of mixed reviews for @kennysia when he was nominated for Travel and Micro-blogging because of his lack of updates on his blog. Nonetheless he’s quite active on Twitter and no surprised that he bagged Best Micro Blog award

@harithiskander was pretty entertaining with his humorous story.. I like the Bruno Mars one

I have no idea who ladies are but worth deserving to be posted on RA :p

You’re on Nuffnang, ladies…

@childhood101 won Best Parenting Blog

@noelboyd (Do get “inked” from him) and @openthetoy, my new friends from the dinner table 🙂

It was indeed a glamorous night with lots of programs to entertain the guests

The atmosphere at the ballroom at Putrajaya Marriott last night #NAPBAS

The bloggers from the Philippines and they did make their presence felt last night

A teary @Xiaxue accepting the Region Best Award and she thanked Nuffnang and her fans for supporting her and she hopes that bloggers can make a difference. She shot down her critics too. Congratulations and well deserved!!

The scene before dinner started #NAPBAS

@PruneNurture one of the finalists (Best Parenting Blog) being interviewed

Liang and @NadiaHeng were the co-hosts last night *Good job*

Are these bloggers from Thailand?

The winners being interviewed by the press after the event

The technical side made a small bubu.. The recordings of the announcement of Best Travel Blog came out when EatShowTell received Best Blog Design Award. The winner is @NinaWanders (Justwandering.org) for Best Travel Blog

@Xiaxue was the biggest winner of the night, bagging Most Influential Blog and Region Best Blog. Earlier on, she didn’t take it well when she missed out on “Lifestyle”

@dblchin (right) is still recovering from her red eye.. It was great to see you again

Eat, Show and Tell won the Best Blog Design

The winners of Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 – bloggers of eatshowandtell.com, @childhood101, @beautifulnara, @kennysia, photoblog.hk, @JenniEpperson, @cheesie, @xiaxue, founders of Nuffnang Cheo Ming Shen and Timothy Tiah, @ironladychef, @NinaWanders, representative for Geekout.ph and the last two are from Googlygoeys.com (Hidden Gem)

What a privilege it was to be part of the prestigious ceremony where bloggers are the celebrities regionally (7 countries were mentioned but not Brunei, maybe because I was the only Bruneian there *lol*). The Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 #NAPBAS took place at PJ Marriott Hotel and it was attended by 500 invited guests regionally. Singapore and Malaysia had a bigger presence among the guest lists.

Thank you Nuffnang for making my trip worthwhile though I missed out on the after party at Zouk last night. Like one of the co-founders of Nuffnang said, this is like the Oscars for Bloggers. Indeed it was. I realized how small I am compared to the nominees of the #NAPBAS. I spoke to @beautifulnara and he said that he gets like 230,000 readers compared to 20,000 readers on RA *lol* I was kinda anonymous in a way and it was like being in a foreign land. Nonetheless I made a few acquaintance and hopefully it will grow from there.

Anyway, here are the quick results for last night’s event.

Best Parenting Blog – Childhood 101

Best Geek Blog – Geekout

Best Photography Blog – Photoblog.hk

Best Food Blog – LadyIronChef

Best Fashion Blog – Cheeserland

Best Lifestyle Blog – Jenni Epperson

Most Original Blog Design – Eat, Show and Tell

Best Travel Blog – Just Wandering

Best Entertainment Blog – Beautifulnara

Best Micro-Blog – @kennysia

Hidden Gem – Googly Gooeys

Most Influential Blog – Xiaxue

Region Best – Xiaxue

Finalist Sea of Ghost being interviewed before the event

There were loads of beautiful bloggers.. *Amazing*

The Philippines contingent had a fair share of the limelight, grabbing four awards

Blog celebrities @HanisZalikha and @Xiaxue were some of the big names that attended #NAPBAS

There were more female bloggers last night

@dblchin was there too.. Too bad we didn’t catch up in Singapore but at least caught u last night

@Xiaxue bagged Most Influential Blog Award for the 2nd time *salutes*

A down to earth lad @beautifulnara who won Best Entertainment Blog

Nadia Heng was a co-host for #NAPBAS

A cool gimmick to promote your food

Now Manjaro Restaurant has a new breakfast menu which is served Monday to Saturday 7am to 10am or you can call 223 6493 for pre-order for tapau. So if you want try out their yummy dishes, drop by Manjaro and give it a go… It’s good to see Manjaro introducing breakfast menu. I’ve always love their existing dishes such as the Chicken Aubergine *yuuummmmm* Images below are courtesy of LFHW crew.

One of the founders of Brunika tried out the new “Nasi Lemak” at Manjaro

The Nasi Lemak comes with rending *yumm yumm*

If you don’t want rice for breakie, then why not try their Kuey Teaw

Thumbs up for Manjaro’s new dish – Tok Tok Mee with BBQ Chicken & Wantan

Now this dish really looks tasty and mouth-watering

Co-founder of LFHW looking at the mini curry puffs

It was the premiere last night at Brunei and TelBru had a special screening for their customers who participated in the recent social media campaign organized by TelBru. Over a hundred caught the show last night and they were also given goodies including an MI:4 t-shirt sponsored by TelBru.

The movie screening took place at M-Vision Cinema (The Empire Cinema) and it was good to know the event went smoothly and everyone enjoyed it according to their Twitter feeds. The images below are courtesy of TelBru’s Facebook page.

The winners were all smiles as they collected their t-shirts sponsored by TelBru

This was taken last night at The Empire Cinema

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – The Review: Before I even watched the movie, I’ve been tweeting on my followers’ ratings on MI4 and overall the average scored 7.5 out of 10 which is pretty good for a fourth installment. I was just reading a write-up on how sequels have failed to live up to expectations in terms of box office receipts. I’m not sure how MI4 will fare in revenue but I do expect the movie to hit the $100 million mark and even surpass the $200 million.

This won’t be an easy task as they had to contend with the opening of Sherlock Holmes 2 as well as Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. So do expect a dogfight for the bragging rights this weekend. Both MI4 and SH2 scored pretty well in Rottentomatoes (91% and 67% respectively) but Alvin had a low 11%. Nonetheless Alvin will do a Twilight job by attracting loyal audience and also targeting families to treat their children.

Ok, enough rambling and let’s cut to the chase. I wasn’t a big fan of MI sequels because John Woo spoiled it for me. He directed the 2nd one and though I admired John Woo’s Hong Kong movies, he made the wrong move to direct MI2 then. It was a total turn-off but MI3 made me think twice about the series.

To tell you frankly, I’ve not seen a trailer for MI4 so everything was kinda fresh for me though people were already hinting spoilers through Twitter feeds (ahhh, the disadvantage of being in the Social Media community). This movie was brilliant at times and the stunts were amazing too. Good thing the plot wasn’t compromised and they had a great cast to hold the movie well.

I was quite enthusiastic till mid point that it gradually fizzled out a bit after the Dubai scene. I thought the finale scene could have been edgier and dramatic but it was still a great show nonetheless. MI4 has lots to offer and keep you entertained. I don’t mind catching this again actually. Verdict: 8/10.

I caught MI: Ghost Protocol at Lido, Shaw Theatres

It was the only show that time that was available for IMAX

Did you know Lido was closed for a few months for renovation? Now they looked totally different than before

A cool deco to commemorate the festive season

If you have the chance, do experience IMAX for a better movie experience

We should have this in our local cinemas. I’m sure this will be a hit as it’s a movie culture to eat nachos while watching

This is a freaking huge screen for IMAX purposes

What a privilege moment I had last Tuesday when I was given the opportunity to attend a private session with the media group for Wicked. This is already the talk of the town and a lot of buzz has been going around too. A few of my Bruneian friends have already caught the show while they are holidaying in Singapore. So that speaks a lot for Wicked. I’m still bummed that I missed out on The Lion King before at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

The WICKED The Broadway Musical is held at the Grand Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. According to the official website, Wicked tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz. Treat it like a prequel to the Wizard of Oz kinda of thing. There are two main characters that you should know – Elphaba (played by Jemma Rix) the green witch and the Glinda (played by Suzie Mathers). They have such great vocals and excellence stage presence. They kept receiving thunderous applause on most of the scenes.

I don’t mind catching this again on my next trip and hopefully I get a better view in the middle somewhere. I really enjoyed the whole performances from start to finish and my favourite scenes are “Popular” and “Defying Gravity”. This is RA certified – “Must Catch” list. Well done to the casts, the crew and the organizers for creating a high entertainment value.

When WICKED opened on Broadway, it worked its magic on critics and audiences alike. Winner of 35 major awards including a Grammy®, three Tony Awards® and six Helpmann Awards® including Best Musical, WICKED has been described as the “Best Musical of the Decade.” Entertainment Weekly.

I won’t spoil too much on the plot but I highly recommend you to catch WICKED if you happen to be in Singapore. WICKED is brought to you by BASE Entertainment and Marina Bay Sands and the last show will be on 26th February 2012. So there is still ample time to catch WICKED.

Ticket ranges from $55 to $165 and $250 and there’s also a higher tier (VIP Box 4 seats for $1000 or $500 tier). The show is recommended for 8 years and above. You can also book online through Marinabaysands.com/ticketing or call +65 6688 8826 or drop by the Marina Bay Sands Box Office at Museum Theatre.

For more coverage and videos, you can click here and get the mini-feel of WICKED.

The stage set looks amazing to start off with

Glinda (in white) played by Suzie Mathers and she’s so prettttttyyyyyyy!!!

The two main characters of WICKED – Elphaba and Glinda

One of my favourite acts – “Popular”

This is a very colourful performance

You will fall in love with the show and appreciate how talented they are

This is where WICKED is held at Marina Bay Sands

This was where all the musicians were performing.. Thumbs up to them too and the music coordinator

It was full house last Tuesday night

The preview screening was an interesting experience for me. I was introduced to the organizers and PR of the WICKED as I was invited to the media preview *thanks @SuperAdrianMe*. I didn’t realize Bert Newton is one of the main cast of WICKED and he moderated the session for the media. I used to watch his TV shows during my high school years in Australia and yes, he seemed to have aged a bit but he is still full of enthusiasm and such a great actor *salutes*.

So during the private screening, the casts will have play 3 acts from the play twice for the photographers and videographers to document the scenes. This is because photography and videography are not allowed at all during the actual performances even though you are a media. So I thought this was really a unique experience for me as I have never come across this kind of media preview. I’m sure when the international media guys are reading this, they will labeled me as “sakai” *lol*

Then after the scenes finished, the media will be split into groups for 2 or 3 for a small group press conference and they will switched to a different cast. Oh yeah, there was also a Q&A session prior to that and the producers and the main actors will be on stage to answer any questions from the media. I have to say these guys really put a lot of effort even for a specific session with the media. Very professionally well done and I’m impressed that I was given a personalized media tag too with one day notice. Awesome!!! and thanks once again to @SuperAdrianMe for opening me that door of opportunity :))

 

The Q&A session with the casts for the media

The local and international media were invited to the special screening

An Australian journalist asking a question

The small group press conference for the media

I spent almost 9 hours at Marina Bay Sands yesterday. Apparently a lot of events were happening there and one of them is the Titanic, The Artifact Exhibition. I have yet to visit this exhibition. Hopefully in my next visit 😀

 

Ahhhh…. Finally I managed to get some shots of some of the scenes from Wicked. Apparently, no photography is allowed during the actual show. So I had the opportunity to be part of the media group and they actually performed 3 scenes (twice) for the benefits of the media to take photos for their respective publications. It was a new experience for me and thank you @SuperAdrianMe for the opportunity as well as @MarinaBaySands and the organizers for making this possible for me 😀 Do catch the full review of Wicked on RA tomorrow

 

I have yet to buy some books for myself and I saw this book and I’m still thinking whether I should spend more $$$ on social media books. I have a few at home which I’ve only touched a few of them *lol* Another thing that worries me is the excess I have on my luggage allowance. I’m already on the max on my way here. uuhh-ooh!!!

 

I wanted to cover this event but the timing clashed with the Wicked show so I missed the Cartier event at Marina Bay Sands. Jenny Tan, a fashion Singapore blogger, was there for coverage and I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. I shall look out for your blog for updates. Oh yeah, I used to be a big fan of Cartier during my teens

Apparently this is the biggest LV outlet in Singapore (or perhaps regionally if I’m not mistaken). I love the exterior as well as the interior. I’m sure my mom has been in this boutique. This is located near the river of Marina Bay Sands.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition is another reason to visit the Marina Bay Sands and the exhibition will be until the 29th January 2012. It’s $5 per person and it’s located at the Skating Rink of Marina Bay Sands

THE objective to recruit about 1,000 jobseekers to the Oil and Gas sector by the year 2012 took a step forward in the form of the Oil and Gas Service Sector Job Fair launched yesterday at BRIDEX International Conference Centre with more than 70 booths open.

The five-day event, which is sponsored by various Oil and Gas (O&G) companies was officiated by Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar who gave an opening speech on the occasion as guest of honour.

In an interview with The Brunei Times, the minister urged jobseekers to grab the opportunity now as these are exciting times. “There should not be any reason why you cannot be successful if you have the qualities of passion, determination and hard work. They will ensure your progress,” he told The Brunei Times.

The job fair at BRIDEX also runs forums, clinics, motivational talks, career development workshops and walk-in interviews and is open from 12am to 8pm except on Friday which it is 2pm to 8pm. It will continue to run until December 17,2011. For more of the story, you can click here. [Text courtesy of Leo Kasim of The Brunei Times, pictures courtesy of Fina Jenal]

Yes, I’m a big fan of Roxette and Duran Duran too 😀

Jerudong Park Country Club ends 2011 with a special promo beginning December 14, 2011. ALL RIDES except the go karts will use the $10 AND $8 Tickets!

This one time promotion is JPCC’s way of saying thank you to all guests who have continued to patronize the park through the years. Families can now take advantage of this offer and bring their children to enjoy the new attractions that were launched this year such as the Spin Zone, Electric Train, Bumper Boats, E-Scooter, Bouncerland and Zorb Balls.

This offer is valid only from December 14 – January 2, 2012. So bring the family and enjoy yourselves at the Playground.

JPCC Playground – This is the Place for Family Fun. Tickets are on display at the ticket counter for guests reference. For more information on the ticket prices and park schedules, PLEASE CALL 2611894 ext. 106 or 2612290 or 8777719 (hotline). For bookings and events, please call 2611894/2612044 ext. 106 or 8799055. Visit Jerudong Park at Facebook or check out our website at jerudongparkcountryclub.com.

After months of anticipation and wondering who will be crowned the next Who’s Got Talent wiinner, B-Mobile Who’s Got TALENT Season 3 was concluded last night at the B-Mobile roadshow at Airport Mall Berakas. Contestants came as early as 3 in the afternoon to do their hair and make up at TONY MOLY Airport Mall Berakas as they were the official partner for hair and beauty make up for Who’s Got Talent Season 3. The show started with an opening dance act by Relentless Entertainment, the event management for Who’s Got Talent season 3.

Ten finalists made up of Dance Group Persistent Crew and NQB, Melo dramatic band, Felicia Luah the belly dancer, Nadzri the magician, Catherine, Earvin, Cheenyca and Amal Fadzillah the singers were all showcasing their best last night with a huge crowd of supporters and fans cheering on. It was an exciting performance overall as each contestant had to win the judges’ vote by doing two performances, one based on the organizer’s shortlisted artists and another one of their personal choice for their second performance.

Invited Panel of judges during the semi and finals were Adi Rani of Projectunes, Gelo Guerrero dance instructor from Panaga, Grace Fullo from virtuoso music school, Mohd Syafiq Bakar from Students Extracurricular and Educational Dramatic Society, and J.Y Tse Tow from Spades. Each of them had to rate the contestants based on their creativity, skills and techniques, how they presented themselves on stage and what entertainment value they brought to the performance and the crowd. Who’s Got Talent is an annual talent competition brought by B-Mobile as one of the main activity for B-Mobile’s annual roadshow and is aimed at also bringing everyone together not only to witness great local performances but also to promote an atmosphere of healthy activity and competition for the young and mature.

Every year, auditions were done differently to make it more interesting. While the judges were deliberating results for the top 4, audiences were entertained with performances from previous Who’s Got Talent winners. Annabelle Voo Pei Pei the winner from Who’s Got Talent season 1 gave a standing ovation performance with her own cover of Fire by chaka Khan and Yeann Mocha winner from Who’s Got Talent Season 2 sang a beautiful acoustic medley during the interval. Ainul and Ng Chee Ta, previous dance winners in Who’s Got Talent Season 2 were also grooving the stage with their moves at last night’s event.

Present during last night Who’s Got Talent as the Guest of Honor was Ahmad Jefri bin Abdul Rahman, member of B-Mobile’s Board of Directors, B-Mobile’s staff and management, Invited guests from the event sponsors and partners such as Sunlit, Ten Ten Distribution, Current Newspaper Agency, Pelangi, Mr Baker Bakeshop, Tony Moly, Projectunes and Cool Tones.

Cheenyca Ong was crowned the winner of WGT 3

The 4th spot went to Persistent Crew and they brought home $600 cash prize, trophy and certificate, voucher from Mr Baker Bakeshop and B-Mobile goody bags. Felicia Luah belly danced her way to the 3rd Place and won $1,600 cash prize, Trophy and certificate, Tony Moly Hamper, Mr Baker vouchers and B-Mobile phone package. Pleasing the crowd and judges with their performance, NQB came in as runner up and were jumping with excitement as they walked away with $2000 cash prize, Trophy and certificate, Tony Moly Beauty Hamper, Mr Baker voucher worth $150 and B-Mobile phone packages.

Present to give away the prizes to the 4th, 3rd and 2nd place was Mr Lim Ming Soon, Chief Executive Officer of B-Mobile.

Cheenyca Ong, was crowned the winner for B-Mobile Who’s Got Talent season 3 and won herself $3,600 cash prize, Winning trophy, Hotel stay sponsored by Ming Garden Hotel and Residences, Kota Kinabalu, Mr Bake vouchers worth $200 and B-Mobile phone package. Ahmad Jefri bin Abdul Rahman, Guest of Honor and B-Mobile Board of Director was present to give away the prize. Sponsors and judges also received their certificates from the organizer and there to hand the certificates of appreciation respectively were Mr See Wei Kie Deputy CEO of B-Mobile and Terry Cheong GM of Finance.

The best vocal talent of the night went also went to Cheenyca Ong and she was sponsored a single production which includes full composition, recording, studio time, mixing, mastering & radio release courtesy by Projectunes.

The spectacular Who’s Got Talent finals started at 7.45 pm and people were already flocking to the Airport Mall Berakas as early as 6pm. The show ended at about 10.30 in the evening. Images courtesy of AnakBrunei and text courtesy of b.mobile

Felicia came third place in WGT 3

Have you come across this store lately? If you want a creative, durable bed/furniture, Flexa is highly recommended as they provide high quality, premium material. With their motto “Because Children Grow”, this means that the children can have a choice or the opportunity to expand or add on what they currently have. Just imagine it as a form of lego. For instance, your single bed can be upgraded to a double decker bed with more accessories in place. You can refer to the illustrations below if you’re a bit confused.

As you know, Flexa has just recently opened its door in Brunei and this is the 2nd store after Singapore that is opened regionally. At the moment, Flexa is running a 10% promotion for a limited time only but if I’m not mistaken, they will also participate in the upcoming Brunei Grand Sale next week.

So where to locate Flexa? It’s located at Kiulap (near Mamih Cafe) and do look for Patrick *great bloke* and he will be able to give you consultation on the concept of Flexa.

With 1 bed bringing 1001 possibilities, new dreams can begin here…..

The motto for Flexa

The stages that your children can go through starting at 3 years old or even at 2

From there, you can expand to a bigger bed with a mini slide and a tent

And by 9 years old, you can have the same bed with your study station underneath.. The possibilities are endless

By 12 years, it can be turned into this to keep up with the changes as they grow older. With Flexa, this is made possible.

If you notice the planks are slightly bend but these are very lasting and even kids can jump on their mattress and they are still durable. These also create comfort for the kids to sleep in.

Ok, I think I’m too big for this kind of stuff.. This bed set is actually the 4th stage. So that means you can actually buy the bed separately from this whole package and add on as your children grow older.

So do check out Flexa located at Kiulap

A few weeks ago, TelBru had a press conference on the marketing gimmick in the social media campaign to increase their followers on Facebook page and Twitter. The 1.5 month campaign was a success as they managed to increase their social media platform by three folds and the lucky winners were being announced on TelBru’s Facebook page.

This is the first marketing gimmick that TelBru has come up with and yes, you can follow them on Twitter @TelBru and you will see updates as well on what’s going on in terms of promotions as well as responding to feedback from followers.

So are you one of the winners of @TelBru competition on Facebook and Twitter?

Abdul Azim Bin Haji Yusoff 01-055152
Abdul Qadir Al’ Aziz Zaidi 01-042830
Ainorazrina Haji Zabidi 01-039587
Ak Amar-Rizamir Bin Pg Hj Osman 00-312676
Ak Hj Muhd Nuramsyar Bin Pg Hj Hashim 00-311300
Harminah Haji Harun 00-304511
Hartini Binti Haji Tamin 00-262705
Hassnal Sulaiman 00-298531
Hiew Tet Voon 30-105738
Muhammad Faiz Bin Anuar 01-056354
Muhammad Hanif Bin Haji Johari 01-061869
Muhammad Samhan Bin Azamain 01-060156
Siti Khadijah Binti Haji Mokti 01-046110
Sufinah Sabli 00-304735
Syahmi Hasif Bin Sabtu 01-037704
Tang Ann Chee 51-224493

For more of the winners, you can click here.

Are you one of the lucky ones to catch MIssion Impossible 4 this Thursday (sponsored by TelBru)?

I found it strange that Terminal 2 was quieter than Terminal 1. Way quieter, in fact. That really tells a lot about certain airlines (I guess??)

I paid a quick visit to “Dr. John” who is very popular for alteration on clothes. I had my Adidas bag trimmed as well as my annoying long pants :D. Do look for him at Lucky Plaza, 2nd floor

One of the biggest gig of the year. It came out on the national news, newspaper. blogs, everywhere… and I was part of the strong 28,000 crowd too. Lots of Bruneians also came for the biggest gig of the year – ZoukOut 2011

Bumped into Whitney and Angel at the airport and we were talking about food during our short trip in the MRT. By the way, happy birthday Whitney 😀

These guys lit up the corridor of 3rd floor of Royal Plaza on Scotts. Noisy bunch but sometimes they are just too adorable to tell them to cool down. I’m quite amused that one of my siblings just took a video of the impromptu script they made up

This was a rare sight for me at Bugis junction. It took us at least two traffic cycle to get to the other side of the road. Strange but true!!

They had a marketing gimmick at iStudio at Paragon and ironically the lady asked if I wanted to take picture with her..

So their job is simple.. Stand outside the building and let the cameras snap away. The models are sponsored by A & F.

Singapore is also a small country where you bound to bump into your circle of friends. So I actually bumped into Johnny and Evelyn at one of the electronic shop at Lucky Plaza.

Hj Azhar Hj Yahya, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Upstream) at the Energy Department, Prime Minister’s Office, spoke during the press conference relating to the upcoming Job Fair. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times

Over 50 booths tomorrow will take part in the Oil & Gas Service Sector Job Fair and this could open up doors to 100 job opportunities. The objective of the job fair is to bolster the oil & gas industry with 35,000 jobs by 2030.

During the press conference last week, Hj Azhar Hj Yahya, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Upstream) at the Energy Department, Prime Minister’s Office, said that the job fair is a “reality call” for everyone to make steep improvements and be innovative to resolve unemployment issues in Brunei Darussalam.

The ambitious figure of 35,000 is a tall order but this is very much possible in a long term. The figures are also accounted with foreign and local talents taking up the jobs in the upstream, downstream and service sector industries.

So guys, just drop by Bridex Exhibition Hall from 13th to 17th December and do check up on the poster below for the programs listed during the job fair. For more of the story, you can click here. Source: Al-Haadi of The Brunei Times.

It’s happening tomorrow

So peeps.. How has been lately? Sorry for the lack of updates as I’m not in town.. I missed the happenings back in Brunei 1) Brunei’s Edutainment World (Riverview car park area) 2) Times Square Carnival 3) B.mobile roadshow featuring Who’s Got Talent 3 finale 4) DST Year end Carnival 5) Come Together by NeoMusic School at Citis Square 5) Total dinner 6) Anugerah Pelangi and a few more others that I could have covered.

I’m currently enjoying time off from work and I shall be back on my RA duties come 19th December. There will be one minor event that FES Retro and I have created and this is for all the FIFA fans out there. As one of the FES Retro activities, there will be a mini-FIFA tournament which will be held between 23rd to 25th December. More details be given out on this matter and I’m sure there will be lots of interest for this tournament.

I’m still bummed that I can’t fly to Vietnam this December but my recent trip has made up for it and I can’t wait for the KL trip as I’ve been invited to Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards 2011 and I will finally get to meet blog superstars @xiaxue and @kennysia who are both nominated once again. I’m kinda excited to be among the 500 guest list for the prestigious event and if I’m not mistaken, I’m the first Bruneian to be part of this event. So definitely another milestone to be proud of 😀 Thank you, Nuffnang, and it will be a pleasure to meet the guys behind Nuffnang too.

Recently I attended Zoukout 2011 and it was my first time to such an event. I’ve heard so many stories of ZO over the years. Last year was one of the best gigs as it featured DJ Tiesto and David Guetta. This year, despite no big names, this event was still a crowd puller. It was bigger than last year though the capacity was at its max (28,000) and it lasted till 8am. Quite a number of Bruneians also attended the yearly gig and I’m pretty sure 2012 will be a big bang!!! Too bad I missed Armin’s spinning.. He apparently showed up at 5am *lol* As he quoted, “ZoukOut is like playing a match in the Champions League or Superbowl. It doesn’t get much bigger than this”.

Oh yeah, you might call me crazy but I ended up buying two compact camera. One is the S100 Canon and the other is the X10 Fujifilm. I was torn between two cameras while reading the reviews online. Both have their pros and cons but more of the positive comments of course. So in the end, I purchased two of them in a space of an hour *lol* (There goes my holiday budget for the mean time).

Canon Powershot S100. So what’s good about this powerful compact camera? It’s a good upgrade from the S95.. It has a wide aperture of f/2.0 which creates a nice bouquet on some of my shots lately. It produce hi speed movies (240 fps) and the wide angle lens is very useful for my coverage. Though it shoots well in RAW, I’m not a big fan of photo processing (time consuming). The GPS function is pretty cool though I have yet to make full use of the camera. This is a light, compact camera which can do wonders and this will give me a good reason to leave my 5D back at home on certain events.

The S100 is one super handy compact camera. Easily fits in your pocket and ready to go and powerful too!!! I love this camera already

Fujifilm X10. The aperture is also f/2.0 when it’s fully wide. This is another powerful camera which I have yet to fully utilized. I did a quick comparison and this camera has its minor flaws compared to the S100. However, the X10 works well in low lighting and the resolution is superb too. I have yet to try the “rapid fire” mode (10 fps) but I know this will come handy on my outdoor coverage. This camera is more expensive than the S100. I thought this would be a more than $1,000 but I ended up paying lesser than that which prompted me to buy the 2nd camera.

The X10 does wonders in low lighting and has a bigger censor than the S100. Surprisingly I love the S10 more than the X10 but the latter can perform shots that the S100 can’t.

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Hundreds of local music lovers throughout the country turned out in full force at the Jerudong Park Ampitheatre last night, as they cheered for some of Brunei’s popular music practitioners at the 2010 – 2011 Pelangi Awards, which was hosted by Pelangi FM, Radio Brunei.

What was feted as a night of musical promise, the event kicked off with live performances by award nominees who contended against each other across six categories – Chosen Male Vocal, Chosen Female Vocal, Chosen Duo/Group Vocal, Chosen Newcomer, Chosen Newcomer Duo/Group and Chosen Song – short-listed via criteria that included airplay, request and public voting.

The guest of honour was the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Dato Paduka Awang Hj Abdul Wahab bin Juned.

Zul Faden once again won the heart of the judges as he was announced the Chosen Male Vocal winner, followed by Qeez Idrus who dominated the Chosen Female Vocal category. As for the Chosen Song for 2010/2011, “I Stalk Your Profile” proved to be the most popular hit on record, composed by Jazz Hayat and Fakhrul Razi.

A Band Once also managed to make the cut this year in the Chosen Duo/Group Vocal category, followed by Dinshe, who debuted with “Kau Yang Terhebat” and received a victory in the Chosen Newcomer Duo/Group category.

Newcomer, AJ, who climbed to the top of the Brunei chart with his songs played by local radio stations was rewarded for his work when he was presented the Chosen Newcomer award.

Last night marked the fourth time that the music awards have been held, as it continues to be one of RTB’s events held in support of nurturing local artistes, but more importantly, to recognise them for their hard work and efforts in growing a fledgling music industry in the Sultanate. Text by Azim Karim (Borneo Bulletin), images by Dean Kassim (Borneo Bulletin)

The Guest of honor and the VIPs during the Pelangi Awards

Aziz Harun is so talented. I hope he grows bigger as an artist next year. Keep it up!!

Congrats to Dinshe for winning the Chosen Newcomer Duo/Group category

Jazz Hayat won Chosen Song 2010/2011 for “I Stalk Your Profile” written by himself and Fakhrul Razi

A Band Once made it twice in a row for winning the chosen Duo/Group Vocal category

Royal Brunei Airlines held a prize presentation at RBA Plaza in Bandar Seri Begawan for the 10 winners of a Lucky Draw which was organised to commemorate the recent official launch of RBA’s New Technology Suite.

The Lucky Draw was open for passengers who purchased tickets on RBA’s website from 26 to 30 November 2011 in which passengers could win air tickets to the same destination they purchased in the five days.

Royal Brunei Airlines Deputy Chairman, Mr. Dermot Mannion, presented the air tickets to the winner. He stated, “We are excited to expand our presence online and to reward our passengers for their support.”

Royal Brunei Airlines also recently organised a facebook competition in which ‘fans’ can post an image on RBA’s Facebook ‘wall’ that includes RBA’s website. The images with the most ‘likes’ can stand a chance to win a prize. Images courtesy of Royal Brunei Airlines. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/royalbruneiairlines

It’s happening tonight at Citis Square

The rise of Italian cuisine in Brunei and news spread fast when it comes to new eatery in town. I’ve actually lost track and I’m behind in schedules in terms of experiencing the new taste in town. But I’m glad I managed to try out Buan Gusto before it is officially opened today for business.

Buan Gusto is located at the new area called Gadong Central. It’s located at Menglait side (not far from Jing Chew). If you see a small roundabout before you drive to Jing Chew, there’s another junction that leads to Gadong Central. You will also see other eateries there such as Babu’s Kitchen.

You can call 242-7322 for reservations and congratulations to the management on their opening.

Pina Colada and Cherry Gusto

Insalata Caprese

Lobster Eggs Benedict

Pollo Pesto

Rigatoni Boscaiolo

Fettucinie Carbonara

Roast Beef

Farfalle Alla Genovese

Pizza Ortolana

Tiramisu

Tourism Malaysia + AirAsia = Happier Bruneians

I knew one day this day will happen and yesterday it was made official. Tourism Malaysia and AirAsia joined hands to attract more Bruneians to Malaysia via Kuala Lumpur and together they both aimed to promote Malaysia as a premier holiday destination.

According to AirAsia Commercial Director, Jasmine Lee, “Although it is often thought that Malaysia and Brunei is similar, but Malaysia has a lot of unique offerings. Places such as Penang, Langkawi, Johor Bahru and Kota Bahru have distinctive attractions. There is definitly something new to discover in the country for Bruneians especially with the extensive route network that AirAsia has to offer our guests.”

While Kuala Lumpur serves as AirAsia’s main hub which connects guests to more than 16 destinations with 14 of them being local destinations such as Kuala Trengganu, Penang, Tawau and Sandakan. Those from Brunei can also head to Miri as AirAsia flies to Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from Miri International Airport.

Additionally guests from Borneo can also make their way to Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah as the airline connects guests not only to locla destinations but also to other parts of Asia including Clark (Philippines), Shezen (China), Taipei (Taiwan), HongKong, Singapore and Jakarta (Indonesia).

For more information on AirAsia, log on to airasia.com or you can visit their Facebook page –> facebook.com/AirAsia or Twitter @AirAsia.

Jamilah Abdul Halim, Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) Director, believed the collaboration will attract more Bruneians to explore Malaysia further. Brunei is ranked No.5 in the top ten arrivals to Malaysia for 2010. She also said that there was an increase of 5.2% from the period of January to June 2011.

Michelle Lee, Commercial Marketing of AirAsia, (right) flew down from KL with Cindy Choi, Station Manager for Brunei of AirAsia (center) during the the press conference

Exchange of momento between Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) and AirAsia

One of the lucky draw winners for the invited guests during the press conference

Most of the winners were from this row

AirAsia turns 10!!!

Did you know that AirAsia is also celebrating their 10th year anniversary and they have special deals in the next few days until 11th December? So do visit airasia.com and grab the opportunity for the great deals offer from AirAsia.

Click banner to enter AirAsia’s website and check out the great deals

Congratulations AirAsia for turning 10 today

b.mobile road show

Pizza Hut’s Crunchy Cheesy Bites

One Love, One Community

brunika the Official Instagramers Community of Brunei Darussalam successfully conducted the first ever Instameet among it members. Around 50 – 60 instagramers attended the event at Serasa beach, Brunei Darussalam.

It kicked off at 3pm starting with the introduction speech by Team brunika and follow up with the fun of getting to know each other, interact and ice-breaking session. They shared knowledge regarding Instagram, had a group photo and photowalk to capture every moment of Serasa beach until the sunset.

brunika Instameet 2011 limited edition T-shirt were also selling like hot cakes and they were sold out by the end of the day.

Oh yeah, for your info, Instragram is one of the most popular apps for iPhone, iPod and iPad and there are millions of users on Instagram. This is a popular culture in Brunei where users will post pictures to share with their followers. Do check out the hashtag #brunika for overall gallery & #brunika_instameet2011 to see other pictures being posted during the 1st gathering.

Congratulations to team brunika for making this a success and I’m sure there will be more gathering in the near future. Images are courtesy of @shahruddin

Private sector help for the differently-abled

The private sector could play a critical role in providing suitable employment opportunities to differently-abled people in Brunei Darussalam. It could be one of the main agencies helping the nation in efforts to dismiss discrimination, while promoting unity among every level of the society.

Highlighting this need was the Acting Minister of Culture, Youth & Sports, Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Haji Othman, who referred to the establishment of a committee spearheaded by the Ministry aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the differently-abled people in the Sultanate, including the implementation of legislation that allows fair access to health and education for such people. One of the many steps that the Ministry aims to achieve this, according to her, is to seek out employers who have more than 100 employees and encouraging them to employ at least one differently-abled individual as a means to break the barrier of stereotyping and opening new avenues for the demographic who have been recognised and commended as capable of performing tasks parallel to their fully-abled counterparts.

On the sidelines of a DST event to celebrate its official appointment of four of their differently-abled employees yesterday, the Acting Minister of Culture, Youth & Sports noted that such efforts are part and parcel towards ratifying the country’s membership with the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which translates to the “need to make changes to our system on a national scene”, including “decent employment” for the differently-abled who possess the mental and physical attributes to be part of the local human resource pool along with the construction of infrastructures that also caters to their needs.

“We encourage other agencies to be collectively responsible in overcoming the issues of the ‘differently-abled’ … We need to see them as individuals”, as opposed to judging them by any other measure, she said.

Whilst highlighting that there are other private and government agencies that have provided a living for the differently-abled, Datin Paduka Hajah Adina praised DST for playing a leading role, as “every country is going towards inclusive society, which means that everybody has a right to participate in the community”.

Addressing the general public, the Acting Minister of Culture, Youth & Sports said: “Play your role in society because to address the issues and problems faced by the disabled need the concerted effort of everyone including the community, employees and the government.”

Though challenges are expected such as communicating with other colleagues, Datin Paduka Hajah Adina pointed out that members of the public have the capability to make the effort and “learn sign language”, noting that the basic language of sign as being “powerful” considering its disposition that cuts across verbal language, which is more difficult to master.

She further shared that the Department of Community Development (JAPEM) under the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports through its website – www.japem.gov.bn – provides the public with the means to learn sign language.

JAPEM has been actively training the differently-abled to prepare them for independent living and employment where they are educated in the honing of their skills including IT skills such as data entry.

The visually-impaired, she added, also have the opportunity to be employed and implement their computer skills with the right computer software and hardware that incorporates Braille. Corporations and businesses who wish to be part of this nation-building effort can contact JAPEM by calling 2380664, 2380667 or 2380678. Text by Siti Hajar and images by Dean Kassim of Borneo Bulletin.

Times Square 1st Anniversary Carnival

Rainforest Gallery Bazaar 27/11

Brunei’s first and biggest 48-hour event organised by Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru), which started December 2nd, has ended yesterday at 3pm at the Jerudong Park (JPCC) Amphitheatre in Jerudong.

According to press release, the first place winning team of Let’s Trek Challenge was team number 313, consisting of Mohd Danny bin Aimi, Harrisman Ashady and Mohammad Akif. The winners drove home a Daihatsu Terios 4WD sponsored by GHK Motors Sdn Bhd.

Meanwhile, second place winners, team 419 of Edie Zuriaddy bin Haji Zainal Abidin, Hjh Siti Fazriana Hairiani binti Hj Noordin and Ivey Ruziatty binti Haji Zainal Abidin won a five days and four nights package to Gold Coast, Australia, for three person, inclusive of air ticket, accommodation and transportation.

On the other hand, Tashry Zariaddy Haji Zainal Abidin, Hjh Siti Masyitah Haji Ainan and Noor Khadizah Haji Awang Abd Talip of team 122 won the third place, in which the prize was a five days and four nights package to an Auckland city tour in New Zealand, for three person, inclusive of air ticket, accommodation and transportation.

Fourth place winners, team 398 consisting of Hjh Ummi Athiyah Haji Awang, Justina binti Baharun and Hjh Siti Husniyah Hj Awang won themselves a four days and three nights trip to Shenzhen Safari in China for three person, inclusive of air ticket, accommodation and transportation.

Team 325 came out as the fifth place winner, and Faizulazmi bin Hj Suhaimi, Selvin Hart Lee Sagir anak Lesarut and Ak Md Khairol Azman bin Pg Abu Bakar won themselves a three days and two nights package to a Night Safari and Universal Studio in Singapore for three person, inclusive of air ticket, accommodation and transportation.

Special consolation prizes were also given to the 6th-30th place winning teams.

The gathering before the prize presentation last Sunday

Mohd Danny bin Aimi, Harrisman Ashady and Mohammad Akif are the grand winners of Let’s Trek

The 2nd prize winners of Let’s Trek

The 3rd prize winners of Let’s Trek

The guest of honour at the event was Awang Ahmad Jeffi bin Abdul Rahman, one of TelBru Board of Directors who also presented the prizes and closed the ceremony.

Also present on behalf of GHK Motors Sdn Bhd as the strategic partner of the event was Jake Goh Kiat Hing, Director.

A total of almost 200 teams – three trekkers in each team – drove for a duration of 48 hours in search of a series of clues and challenges in all the four districts – Brunei Muara, Tutong, Temburong and Belait.

In the challenges, the trekkers must cover all Telecom Business Centres or “camp site” areas in the four districts and strive to answer all questions and collect the highest points possible in order to win. Apart from the main questions, trekkers can also collect extra bonus points from other game challenges set up throughout the 48-hour challenge.

The 4th placed winners of Let’s Trek

The 5th placed winners of Let’s Trek

“We certainly have come a long way since the first “Let’s” event in 2005. With the challenges and triumphs we encountered, I can definitely say that the bridge to reach out to our customers has definitely grown stronger as this first 48-hour challenge in Brunei is the biggest customer event in TelBru’s history,” said by Lim Ming Soon, TelBru’s Chief Marketing Officer in his closing speech.

He also explained that this year’s “Let’s” main concepts were to promote local products, to explore the unseen sceneries of Brunei and to create awareness for Brunei’s tropical rainforest and ‘Go Green’ initiative.

He also said that there were a lot of familiar faces from last year, which shows that “we have certainly done something right, something that they all love and have passion for. The passion for adventure and a new experience”.

Apart from the event, members of the public were also present to join the fun during the three-day event at the JPCC Amphitheatre. Indoor activities included participating KNK Partners (Brunei Tourism), Privilege Card F&B Merchants, Merchants Games and Activities, Mini Games and many more. As for outdoor activities, there were GHK Motor Show, Horse Riding, Archery, Zorb Ball and Bouncers.

TelBru’s strategic partners for this event are GHK Motors Sdn Bhd and Mitsubishi; and Brunei Tourism, Kenali Negara Kitani in support of local tourism.

For this year’s event, TelBru is also supported by Youth and Sports Department, Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association, GTE Directories Sdn Bhd and Redbull. TelBru’s “Let’s” objectives are to create awareness on TelBru products and locations of Telecom Business Centres and Kadai TelBru, to improve customer rapport, to have the biggest customer event of the year and also to act as part of the customer appreciation programme and as part of team building exercise within TelBru to uplift team spirit. Text courtesy of Borneo Bulletin. Images courtesy of TelBru

The grand winners now have to split up the grand prize too – the Daihatsu Terios 4WD