The Audi Q7 will have a critical role in a major action scene in the upcoming blockbuster due to open locally end of the month #TheGreatQ

 

Team Flintstone (orange), Team Ninja Turtles (green) and Team Simpsons (yellow) with the patron of Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Mariam during the prize presentation of the Charity Polo Match 2016 held at the Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club, Field II.

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen with His Royal Highness Prince Jefri Bolkiah

Her Royal Highness Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah with her brother His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen

The sportsmanship gesture between siblings.

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen in action for Team Ninja Turtles

It was a close match between Team Ninja Turtles and Team SImpsons

Her Royal Highness Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah with YAM Pg Anak Hj Abdul Ali Yil-Kabier

YAM Pg Muda Bahar for Team Simpsons

Team Ninja Turtles and Team Simpsons

Abdul Azeez for Team Simpsons

Farid Abdullah of Team Ninja Turtles

Puan Hjh Mariam, the patron of Pusat Ehsan, handing out the prizes to the players

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen receiving a token from his mother

HRH Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah receiving a token from her mother

HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah for Team Flintstone

HRH Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah receiving the trophy

HRH Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah lifts the trophy after Team Simpsons scored the most

The umpire receiving a token from Puan Hjh Mariam

The group photo with the polo players and the umpire

Our first time watching a polo match. Actually I did watch polo when I was like 10 years old.

It was such a great turn out. Kudos to the organiser for creating such a successful and meaningful event

During the prize presentation

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen had coffee from Piccolo Cafe booth

Sugar and Spice was one of the busiest booth

The grand prize of the lucky draw of the Charity Polo Match 2016. There were around 20 lucky draw prizes.

He is one entertaining emcee who gave such a colour commentary during all the matches

One of the invited guests

Even the kids were waiting for their numbers to be called out

… and finally one of them won something 😀

I had free cookies and even a drink.. Thank you 😀

 

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen was recently featured in GQ Thailand magazine. Catch HRH tomorrow during the Charity Polo Day 2016 at Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club, Field II.

It’s happening tomorrow at Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club, Field II where you will get to witness the Brunei Polo Team in the Charity Polo Day 2016. The highlight of the event will be the Royal participants including His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen who is an avid polo player.

The event will be held tomorrow Sunday, 17th April 2016. The carnival starts from 2pm to 8pm. The polo match will be from 4pm to 6pm.

There are still tickets available for the BND 5 and BND 2 for adult and child respectively. Furthermore, you will be able to enjoy some of the food vendors during the charity event. If you want to enquire about the tickets, you can call 243 1204 for more details.

His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen playing polo. Image taken from @tmski

 

Patrons enjoying the Kashmiri Night @ Bombay Place Batu Bersurat.

The menu list for Kashmiri Night

Have you tried Bombay Palace? It’s one of the popular Indian restaurant in the Sultanate. The first branch is located at Batu Bersurat and recently they just finished their buffet promotion for the patrons to try out the dishes from their new chef from Raddison, India.

Now the former Radisson, India chef will be busy preparing the menu for the Kashmiri Night (buffet) at Bombay Palace’s second outlet at Kuala Belait. Yes, there’s a branch at Kuala Belait where it will be priced at $13 adults and $7.90 for kids below 6 years. The buffet will be from 6pm to 10pm. Do look at the poster below for the full menu.

For me, I love the Fish Kashmiri and Chicken Nawabi Roll. The garlic naan is also quite tasty. Good thing the owner of Bombay Palace scouted a good chef from India. For bookings, call 334 2513 or 869 4840 at their KB outlet. It’s located at Lot 6176, Jalan Masjid, KB Town.

What I had during the Kashmiri Night food promotion

The setting at KB branch of Bombay Palace

call 334 2513 or 869 4840 for bookings

 

Check out the KFC Crispy Tenders.. Yummy

KFC introduced its all new Crispy Tenders range that comes in a variety of combos offering fans its succulent KFC chicken without the bones.

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the KFC Crispy Tenders are made of 100% whole boneless chicken fillet fried to perfection. For a limited time only, it is available with all time favourite jalapeno cheese sauce dip to complement the Crispy Tenders, adding to the enjoyment, from as low as BND 2.50 ala carte.

“We want customers to have a hassle-free way of enjoying their favourite KFC chicken minus the bones. It’s convenient, has all the meat in every bite and has the same great KFC Hot & Spicy satisfaction. KFC Crispy Tenders is also available in a variety of combos including the Bucket Sensasi that gives you even more value,” said Jaymee Lau from the Marketing Department of KFC Brunei.

The KFC Bucket Sensasi includes KFC’s new Crispy Tenders with jalapeno cheese sauce dip, KFC’s signature fried chicken, coleslaw, mashed potato and Pepsi at a value deal of only BND 23.90!

The KFC Crispy Tenders and Bucket Sensasi are available nationwide at all KFC restaurants while stocks last. Relish in your KFC chicken with or without bones with this limited time offer!

We were hungry during high tea 😀

Thanks Jaymee for your hospitality

 

Check the interview by Aljazeera’s The Stream on the Royal Brunei’s women pilot.

Captain Shari’ah Czarena, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah and Senior First Officer Sariana being featured on Aljazeera’s The Stream two nights ago

What a milestone for our female pilots from Royal Brunei Airlines! They have already made headlines through social media and worldwide news after the viral picture of the Captain Shari’ah Czarena, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah and Senior First Officer Sariana in the flight deck operating a Royal Brunei flight from Brunei to Jeddah during the Brunei National Day.

The image itself have reach to the masses and the millions because it’s such as a rare feat in other countries to have women pilots. The irony also came when the female pilots flew to Jeddah where the country doesn’t permit women to drive on the road.

The comments have been very positive and this is a good image and reputation for Royal Brunei Airlines to be acknowledged and also making an impact globally that yes, women should be given the opportunity to take the role as pilots.

According to statistics, the female commercial pilots are only made up of 5% worldwide. That’s pretty low.

It was awesome to know that the Brunei female pilots were given the platform at Aljeezra’s The Stream to share their experiences and also inspire others that there are opportunities to be like them.

I set my alarm for the 2am segment but it was delayed until 3:30am but it was worth the wake. It must be a surreal feeling for all of them to be featured on an international news on The Stream #AJStream and the comments have been commendable and positive.

Good job also to the hosts of the segment from The Stream – Femi Oke and Malika Bilal. Let’s not forget to mention Azhani Abu Daniel, Head of Corporate Communications of Royal Brunei, who made the shot featured on the Royal Brunei’s Facebook page and also currently in London, organizing the interview sessions for the trio.

Girl power

Captain Czarena

Some of her personal shots being featured

The other female pilots being interviewed

Loving the host for The Stream

Azhani Abu Daniel (2nd from right) with the famous trio

 

Students from KB being educated on activities during the Science Week at KBSentral

Something to look forward to Sentral Shopping Centre (KBSentral) as they are having science week which features mini interactive exhibits from the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre such as Finger Tingler, Link and Unlink, T or Tree, Balancing Nails, Jacobs Ladder and Einstein Head.

There will be some science demonstration as well today at KBSentral. It’s good to see so many activities happening at KBSentral. Keep it up!! You can follow their Facebook for updates.

It was also good to know that all eight of KBSentral eateries have been given Grade A for their cleanliness. The award was given last week from the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Board. I have to say that it’s never an easy feat to achieve Grade A status. Kudos to the eateries and also to the management of KBSentral for maintaining the cleanliness and standards.

Many reasons to shop at KBSentral. 3 cars and 1 house to be won.

 

Click image to enter Facebook Page

The Red Bull Brunei is back once more for a special promotion. This time is special. You don’t need to buy a pack or so. Just purchase a can of Red Bull and walaaaaa, you are eligible for the draw where prizes are such as a 40” LED TV, an Auto washer and a 2-Door fridge.

Apart from that, there will be weekly prizes throughout the the contest period (1st April to 31st May) before proceeding to the actual final draw. Each weekly draw will reward 25 lucky winners with prizes such as shopping vouchers, Power Kad, Prepaid Top Up cards and a cluster pack of Red Bull bottle.

So after you buy a Red Bull can (Gold/Less Sugar) at the convenient stores or outlets, pull the ring tab and attached it to the contest form (also available at retail outlets) and drop into the contest boxes which are placed in participating outlets nationwide.

The Gold or the Less Sugar Red Bull? My preference the latter

Apparently Nuri loves Red Bull

The contest form and this is how you stick the Red Bull tab and stand a chance to win

 

The new generation 7-seater Audi Q7 available now in 2.0 and 3.0 TFSI at Audi showroom (Kiarong) #TheGreatQ

 

The first monthly draw at the Kingston Beverage & Creamery office

Kingston Beverage and Creamery is conducting the Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016, 1st Monthly Pre-Draw. 10 lucky monthly winners will be drawn at its office today. The pre-draw will be officiated and drawn by members of press and witnessed by the management of Kingston Beverage and Creamery Sdn Bhd.

The 10 monthly winners will be informed and invited to attend the monthly prize presentation on 15th April 2016 (Friday) 3pm at Freshco Supermarket at Seri Complex. The monthly prizes consist of an Ipad Mini 4, an Acer Aspire Laptop, and a LG 32″ LED Television and 7 consolation prizes. The Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016 will have two (2) pre-draws before entering the Grand draw. Total prizes of various awesome gadgets worth of $40,000 is out to be won by the public. However, monthly prize winners are not eligible to enter the next pre-draw and Grand Draw.

Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016 runs from March 15 till May 31, 2016. To enter, just purchase any 1.5L bottles (Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, 7up, 7up Revive, Mirinda Orange, Mirinda Strawberry, Mirinda Green Apple, or Mirinda Green Fruit) and attach two labels to the entry form or simply visit any of the participating fast food chain and cinema outlets and purchase the selected meals and combos to entitle an entry in the Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016. If you would like to know more about Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016, please follow Pepsi Brunei in its Facebook page..

The first monthly draw officiated by members of the press

The first monthly draw winners

The grand draw for the Pepsi Bonanza Draw 2016

 

Hao Zi and Ah Xiang of Super Taste from Taiwan being greeted by Wu Chun and representatives from Royal Brunei Airlines and Brunei Tourism Board upon their arrival at Brunei International Airport

Fans of Taiwan’s most popular lifestyle tv programme – ‘Super Taste’ flocked the Bake Culture bakery shop in Kiulap yesterday to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars up close.

The Taiwanese celebrities – Hao Zi and Ah Xiang are in the Sultanate for six days to film a special segment of the ‘Super Taste – Magic Brunei’ which will be aired on TVBS by end of May this year.

The reality show takes the duo around Taiwan and abroad, where they get to taste the local delicacies and goof around while exploring their featured destinations.

The ‘Super Taste’ reality show provides a perspective of Taiwanese palate and their appreciation of foreign food.

The location of the filming in Brunei includes popular tourist destinations and interesting places for food hunting such as Gadong night market and a Taiwan franchise bakery shop, Bake Culture. Text courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

The superstars with the Bake Culture Award winning chef

Image courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times

Image courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times

 

BIBD was conferred with IBFIM’s (Islamic Banking Finance Institute Malaysia) Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Award in the International Category at the 3 rd Certifications Award Ceremony from the Islamic Banking Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM).

Also in the International Category, BIBD and Brunei’s very own Dayangku Noruldiana Shim Binti Pengiran Hj Hashim was conferred with Highest Achiever Award in the Islamic Financial Planner (IFP) Category. The event was held at the Mahkota Ballroom, Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre last weekend.

BIBD Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Hajah Noraini bti Haji Sulaiman mentioned in reference to BIBD’s recognition, “The program also allows BIBD to develop their capabilities to provide more robust Islamic financial and wealth management solutions for our customers. These efforts also reflect our continuing efforts to meet the growing demands of our customers along with innovations in Islamic financial products.”

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad presented an award for IBFIM Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Award to a BIBD representative

Dayangku Noruldiana Shim Binti Pengiran Hj Hashim of BIBD earned the Highest Achiever Award in the Islamic Financial Planner (IFP) Category

BIBD currently has a team of forty-two certified Islamic financial planners (IFP), four of whom are also Chartered Financial Consultants (ChFC), a number which is constantly growing as more and more BIBD personnel are enrolled into becoming certified financial planners.

The IFP program is a professional qualification developed in collaboration between IBFIM and Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM). The program aims to develop experts in financial planning and wealth management to cater to the increasing standards of competency and ethical practice of financial planning professionals.

The ceremony is recognition to holders of IBFIM’s certified qualifications along with recognition to organizations that had fervently supported IBFIM’s talent development initiatives by awarding them the prestigious Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Award.

 

HMD FT’s dreams of going to Anfield to watch English Premier League team Liverpool were realised after winning the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 following a 3-0 victory over Plan C FT in the final at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex last weekend.

The family-oriented team which comprised four brothers raced to a 2-0 lead after goals from Khairun Nadzereen and an own goal from Md Shahin.

The tie was as good as over after Ahmad Muhazzib bundled home to all but send HMD to Anfield to watch Liverpool play Watford on May 7.

The Anfield dream has come for HMD FT

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, and HMD FT players posing with the mock cheque.

After a Plan C FT player was expelled from the pitch and HMD content to sit back, the latter’s goalkeeper produced an amazing fingertip save with the ball arrowing to the top corner.

The father of the four brothers Haji Mohd Daud bin Haji Abdul Kadir, whose team was formed under his name, had planned to join the tournament but pulled out due to injury.

Nevertheless, he was still grateful that his sons had made it to one of the iconic stadiums in the world especially after the quarterfinal heartbreak last year in the Standard Chartered Trophy.

Haji Mohd Daud was wary of the threat of Real Five FC which he considered as favourites prior to the final but agreed that his team’s chances was tightly balanced after Plan C scraped through the semi-final contest through penalties.

“We never imagined that we would go to Anfield because there are a lot of strong teams in the competition. We also have young players and the other teams also enlisted players who had experience in the national team,” said Haji Mohd Daud in an interview with the Bulletin after the final.

“The boys in the team (HMD) play in normal clubs and in schools”, he added.

There were individual prizes up for grabs as well as Mohd Fauzan of HMD won an autographed Liverpool Football Club Jersey for the most assist together with Md Abd Khaalid as the top scorer of the tournament. Meanwhile, Azamri Zainal of Brunei Shell Lions won a fully autographed football as the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper.

The guest of honour was Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, who presented the mock plaque to the winners.

During the closing ceremony, a mock cheque of $2,400 was be handed over to the Community Development Department on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports for the Welfare Home Complex Fund. Text and image courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

 

Now this is your chance to head to Brazil for the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games happening in August this year. Yes, all expenses paid trip for two courtesy of Visa.

It’s simple. All you have to do is have a Baiduri Visa Credit and Debit Card and for every BND 50 you spend (locally and overseas), you will earn 1 entry in the grand draw. The promotion ends in 31st May 2016.

Now you can sign up during the promotional period and enjoy a 3-year annual fee waiver. For more info, you can click here to learn more or call 244 9666.

Click image to learn more

 

As part of BIBD’s ongoing efforts to raise the benefits and awareness of better financial management, at the same time underscoring the importance of elevating the awareness of financial literacy in Brunei Darussalam, BIBD today held a financial literacy talk to almost fifty personnel from Setia Protective Security Services Sdn Bhd (SPSS). The talk was delivered by BIBD personnel Rozielawati Hj Jamil and Norliah Md Taib.

 

I was totally amazed by this young talent – Neel Sethi playing the role of Mowgli

Jungle Book. It was just reported that the producers are working on the sequel already. To my surprise, Jungle Book has yet to be released in Singapore while Brunei and Malaysia enjoyed advanced release last weekend. All of us (Sandy, Pranika, Amran and Julius) caught the night show last Thursday at Golden Screen Cinema at Suria Sabah and we gave it a thumbs up for The Jungle Book.

Synopsis: Raised by a family of wolves since birth, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) must leave the only home he’s ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar. Guided by a no-nonsense panther (Ben Kingsley) and a free-spirited bear (Bill Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals, including a slithery python and a smooth-talking ape. Along the way, Mowgli learns valuable life lessons as his epic journey of self-discovery leads to fun and adventure.

The trailer TV Spot for The Jungle Book

I don’t remember the story from my childhood days. Sometimes it better when you don’t prior knowledge of the plot and enjoy as it is. Now what’s so great about The Jungle Book? One’s thing for sure that it’s way better than the overhyped Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The 12-year old Neel Sethi stars as Mowgli and wow, for such a young age, this boy can act. Apparently they had to screen past 2,000 child actors and Sethi was the chosen one. The boy character stole the show with amazing supporting cast… eeeer, animals, I mean, played by Bagheera the panther (voiced by Ben Kingsley) and Baloo the slacker bear (voiced by Bill Murray). These combo of characters (when on screen) showed some interesting chemistry and hence this movie has a heart but I wished it could have gone deeper to make it more impactful.

None of the scenes were unnecessary as compared the recent DC movie (what’s with the dream, yooo?) and it was nicely paced. The only setback for me is the soundtrack and the movie score. Yes, there are one or two songs but too short or little to create an already-awesome movie. Nonetheless Jon Favreau the director (also for Iron Man I and II)  hit the mark in delivering a live action movie with great CGI (almost flawless) and he also made sure that the storyline and dialogue were engaging and heart warming.

Definitely not a 5 star movie but you will leave the movie feeling satisfied and entertained. It’s pure fun and engaging and you will feel immersed into the storyline. Disney got it right again in the live-action remake of The Jungle Book. Last year’s Cinderella was more than crowd pleaser. So keep it up, Disney. The Jungle Book is now showing in your local cinemas. Verdict: 8.5/10

 

The amazing 40 students in their final year will be showcasing their creativity in this year’s UBD Spectacle 2016

It’s the time of the year where University Brunei Darussalam students (final year of Art and Creative Technology) will showcase their creativity in arts and designs. I have already witnessed the 2014 and 2015 versions and boy, we really have talents in this field. This year’s UBD Spectacle 2016 will be showcased for 5 weeks starting 13th April to 21st May 2016. It will be located at the Art Gallery, Chancellor Hall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

The Spectacle 2016 is the Art and Design Graduation Show and this will be the fourth graduation exhibition to be organized by the Art and Creative Technology (ACT) programme of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UBD. Through cultural sensitivity, inventive imagination and artistic exploration, 40 final year ACT majoring students have applied their art and creativity to create new means of expressing views and concepts involving subjects ranging from personal loss and struggle events to social issues and formal Western and Islamic Art.

The launch of the event will be tomorrow, Wednesday morning and the public viewing will be opened in the afternoon onwards. The gallery hours are from Mon to Thurs: 9am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 7pm.

As for the Gallery Talks, it will be from 2pm to 4:30pm on certain days – 16th April, 19th April, 23rd April and 26th April. The images are taken from Spectacle 2016 Facebook.

Behind the scenes at the Art Gallery

The badges for the committees

Unloading the boxes for the exhibition

Prepping for the opening ceremony tomorrow

The official t-shirts of Spectacle 2016

Art Installation by Aiman Bahrin – “Is This Home?”

 

The Sandakan Toastmasters Division Conference. Ah, I was away and visited Sandakan, Sabah, for the first time ever. I realised how hot Sandakan is compared to Brunei. It was nice to see friends from Sandakan and our trip was to attend a toastmasters conference and also supporting our friends from Brunei in the Division Level toastmasters contest. I won’t be talking much about the trip but more into my gratitude and appreciation towards my friends who made the experience fruitful and joyful.

The Woo Factor. I don’t know how you do it but you managed to wake up in time for the contest despite having only few hours of sleep. So the theory of you needing at least 8-10 hours of sleep is inconclusive for now 😀 You had such a wonderful and energetic presence on stage that students from Sandakan were woo-ed by you. Always a pleasure to have beaten you in pool last weekend 😀 Hoping for more “woo” effects in 2016. Thank you, Chris Woo, for trusting me to introduce you to the stage.

My roomie. I’ve changed multiple partners but you don’t mind it at all *lol* Jokes aside, you are a very accommodating person and very resourceful one too. You hardly decline people’s requests unless it’s about taking up speech slots (as you need more time :p) Amran Jamaluddin, sometimes it’s okay to say “no” and like Tessa said, “Do It My Way”.

The school boy who acts like a charismatic teacher. Regardless whether you are in your toastmasters costume or not, your intention remains the same – to create a conducive environment for yourself and others to grow. How do you juggle your career, family, commuting and flying all in the same week? That’s what I call proper planning and efficiency. Furthermore, your efficiency as a decision maker has allowed us to enjoy the seafood in KK. Who needs a calculator when you have Allen Ang traveling with you. Thanks bro.

The quiet of the lot with a heart of gold. You’re such a lovely person and a supporting wife (to Allen, of course). Your presence and smiles have made our company livelier. Thank you, Fen, for reminding me of the unconditional support and love.

The JS connection. Both of you are always great supporters to the toastmasters community, giving morale support to Pranika and Julius. Good job, Jason Koo, on accommodating to be a last minute SAA speaker during the contest (and also evaluating my delivery) and Supatra Lee for showing up during the 4 day trip in Sandakan

A respected leader, not just in Brunei. It’s never easy to fly in and out and having two job positions in Brunei. How do you do it bro? Last weekend was just another great testaments on how strong our Division K has been under the guidance of you. Jerry told me how your presence during the short visit before the conference has given them confidence and hope for the Division Conference to be a success and truly it was (Now more pressure on me). Your remarks on the stage showed sincerity and how you have been attentive in the minor things that have happened during the conference. Your duck story still holds in my mind. Very true indeed. Thank you for showing up as a respectable leader in our community, Reuben Chin.

The invisible link. Though you are not around during the trip, you will still very resourceful in connecting our journey to the world through blogs, social media and media print. Let’s hope future VPPR (Vice-President of Public Relations) can emulate your initiatives and commitment in spreading the journey of toastmasters. Thank you, Gerald Goh.

Congratulations, Pranika Lama, on winning the International Speech Contest in Division Level at Sandakan, Sabah yesterday. Click image to enlarge.

A never-give up fighter. This alone has won my heart. It reminds me of a fearless wrestler Cactus Jack is known for sustaining punishments in the ring but still able to fight to the end. For such a short span of time, you are already swimming in the deepest part of the ocean with your hands out of your pockets. Not many have what you have and that’s the desire and the passion to grow as a communicator. Your continuos calls for helps in preparation for your contest showed your dedication to bring the best in you. Keep up the fight and climb the ladder but you are already a champion in our hearts, Julius. Note: He competed in the Table Topics in Division Level in Sandakan after winning in club level and national (Area) level.

The OC/PA expert. Your effort didn’t start last weekend. It began months ago and I never experienced such a meticulous coordinator (Organising Chair for logistics) in getting a dozen of us all the way to Sandakan and back to Brunei. Your constant reminders (even small ones) are crucial in making sure everyone is aligned with the programme. You have truly grown as a leader and you don’t need a CL manual to validate your contribution. We saw it and we are truly grateful for it. Oh, PA stands for personal assistance to Chris 😀 Really proud of your growth, Sandy Tan. Keep it up!

The hair-flick poser. Ah, so much I want to share about you but I will keep that offline. I still remember last year when I wanted you to win (Division) so much because I’ve never seen such a dedicated toastmasters, not just in speeches but other roles. As for now, no one come close to meeting your club attendance even in other clubs. You are living the vision. I did had a moment of tears when Kamilia announced your name. I’m always here to support you and I’m sorry if I might have offend you with my humour or nag you because I truly care for our friendship. If you win in Jakarta, I will help find resources for you. Good luck, Pranika Lama (our Division Champion in International Speech Contest).

The mother of Area K6. I am truly grateful how you are always calm during the storm and that energy spreads among us and without realising, we feel calmer too. Your presence alone breaks the invisible tension and your care for all your “children” is unconditional. A mother icon that we can trust with our challenges and opportunities. Keep calm and thank you, Ruey 😀

Mr. Backbone of Area AK6. ¥ou have earned the legacy from Brunei toastmasters and groomed us to be leaders of our own. This is something that I see in you day in, day out, without fail. You have given me the platform to learn from mistakes and allow me to grow at the same time. I might be scared of you sometimes for not meeting your expectations but that’s just my mind toying with me because I aspire to be a great leader. I can’t imagine this journey without you and thank you in believing in all of us. Thank you, Shawn.

Self appreciation. I’m truly grateful that I feel the growth in me as a communicator and a leader. It’s time to trust in myself that I am capable of being a leader for the betterment of myself and the community. There are times of doubt and that’s just my monkey mind playing with me. This trip have definitely spurred more fire and my passion to carry out my mission. I am a man on a mission 🙂

Notable mentions: Thank you, Jerry, for helping me with the little things that I requested. Thank you, Laurence, for showing up once again though it was a quick one. I shall see both of you in Brunei in October. Also to Jonathan and Joseph for your hospitality in Sandakan.

 

Adrian Kong, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Area Director of Philippines and Brunei, speaking to the media on upcoming attractions and places of interest in Singapore

Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. It has been a while since I’ve flew there. Simply because they have many things that I look forward to. Entertainment (movies, concerts and musical plays), food, hotels and not forgetting my friends who resides in Singapore.

2016 will be another year full of events and activities. The only problem for me is I don’t enough resources to simply enjoy all these in Singapore so I will be quite choosy with events.

Few days ago, I was invited by representatives from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) at Rizqun International Hotel. Giving the presentation was Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Area Director of Philippines and Brunei, Adrian Kong. He presented us with many slides of places of interests and activities. It kinda reminded me of my second home with plentiful of reasons to fly back to Singapore.

It’s good to see new edutainment in the mix now in Singapore. We have interactive places such as MOSH! located at Palawan Kidz City (never heard of this place) and MOSH! is a great place for families to bring their children along. Do check out the youtube below to know more of MOSH! Singapore and it just recently open this year too.

MOSH! Singapore

Another one that is opening is KidZania. I heard of this when my family paid a visit one at Malaysia. This is another great avenue for family to bring their children where they play in certain roles such as a doctor or a pilot and who knows they find their dreams as a career path. It opens its door to the public on 12th April 2016. Do check out their website to learn more.

Now the list goes on and on because now I’m gonna share about PororoPark Singapore. It is a 11,000 sq ft play and educational indoor playground. This is suitable for kids and adults and they have edutainment programs to your delight. There is also a puppet show. Kids also can indulge themselves with some “Music Fun” session where you can learn to “Be a KPOP Star” or perhaps, they want to be a “Fashion Designer”.

Some of the mascots at PoporoPark Singapore

As for musicals, Shrek the Musical caught my eye and it starts from 8th June at the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. The reviews also have been pretty positive so it’s something to look forward to if you’re heading to Singapore. Another show that might catch your interest is “THE ILLUSIONISTS” which touted as the best-selling magic show in broadway history. Interesting. Tickets are not cheap though starting at BND 165.

Let’s not forget of places to eat/dine in Singapore too. The ones that was recommended is at Kampong Glam, home to the Malay Heritage Centre and makes me want to visit Arab Street and Haji Lane once again. Now, I’m also craving for my nasi padang at Minang House at Lucky Plaza.. Yummy.

If you want more information on the happenings in Singapore, do visit yoursingapore.com for more details.

Shrek the musical

The ILLUSIONISTS coming in May 2016

Mingling with the media

Thank you for lunch 😀

 

Press statement from HSBC’s Brunei website: Following a strategic review, HSBC will be winding down its operations in Brunei, which comprise retail, commercial and global banking services.

This is part of the Group’s global review of businesses and represents a significant step in HSBC’s stated goal to optimise its global network and reduce complexity, outlined during the HSBC Investor Update on 9 June 2015. This is not a reflection of the current economic environment in Brunei.

The wind down will commence on April 6, 2016, and HSBC Brunei will no longer take on any new accounts, facilities or business from that date. To minimise the impact or inconvenience to our customers, the process will be phased over time and HSBC Brunei will ensure that all existing obligations to clients are met.

HSBC Brunei will communicate with each of its customers over the coming months to provide them with specific details and requirements relating to their services and accounts with the Bank.

Any impacted staff are to be treated fairly and in line with our Group values and statutory requirements.

HSBC customers are encouraged to visit their local branch or call the bank’s service hotline on 2252252 to find out about how this impacts them. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. To read further on questions for customers related to HSBC, you can click here for their FAQs.

HSBC has been one of my main banks since Day 1.

HSBC Brunei celebrating their 60th anniversary, feting their staff and their families back in 2007.

What I feel: Sad, of course. Rumours have been circulating beginning of the year with regards to HSBC’s status in Brunei. I chose not to authenticate it until an official statement is released (or getting inside scoop). Hence, it was made official yesterday and plus with headliners in the today’s newspapers. This is the third international bank that I’m aware that had huge changes though UOB is still operational after the purchase by Baiduri Bank. The other bank being Citibank which closed its door back in March 2014.

I’ve been an HSBC customer for more than two decades now and it was also the first bank that I opened my personal savings account. So yea, I have a lot of sentiments on the breaking news from HSBC Brunei.

The “winding down” of HSBC Brunei would affected a few hundred HSBC (Brunei) employees and senior management personnels. It is also such an untimely manner as Brunei is experiencing economic downturn.

The exit strategy from HSBC has been a global approach. There were other markets that have been affected too. Furthermore, it seems that HSBC (globally) are on the defensive front after a string of scandals that hampered the World’s Local Bank reputation. It will be tough now for HSBC globally but I’m pretty sure they will climb back up again. As for Brunei, this could be a permanent goodbye after being in Brunei for 69 years.

 

BIBD recently held a closing ceremony for its learning camps at the Orchid Garden Hotel for its Holiday English Language Program (HELP) Camps organised for the BIBD ALAF programme students. The learning camps also included a refresher camp for this year’s forty-six students recently introduced into the ALAF programme.

The camps were aimed to further support the development and progression of students under the BIBD ALAF programme, help build their self-confidence, develop their communication capabilities, and instil a sense of appreciation of the aims of the ALAF program.

The HELP camps were organised with the cooperation of CfBT to deliver bespoke English training camps for BIBD ALAF programme students. The HELP camps also included lectures, debate sessions, hands-on and task-based activities to promote teamwork. The camps are also designed to foster a ‘can do’ belief in their English abilities and to establish good learner training habits.

The BIBD ALAF programme currently includes more than one hundred students, whose funds are collected from a variety of sources. These include the BIBD charity expeditions for ALAF, generous contributions from corporate agencies as well as the general public since its launch in May 2013 by Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah.

The ALAF programme was developed in close partnership with the Department of Schools, Ministry of Education, and in 2015 a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with the Islamic Studies Department from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. This will lead to constant efforts and close collaboration between all parties to ensure the successful implementation and provision of assistance to the ALAF programme.

The ALAF programme provides the selected students with provisions for school and tuition fees, educational materials and welfare, as well as mentoring and counselling necessities amongst others. All these efforts are meant to ensure the absolute commitment of these students towards the development of their education, and prevent them from being bothered by other commitments. The ALAF programme will also continue to provide support and assistance to these students until the end of their respective educational requirements.

Through ALAF, BIBD hopes to align its support to His Majesty’s 2035 vision of obtaining a 100% level of education for everyone, which in turn is hoped to help reduce poverty. In Shaa Allah, this will lead Brunei towards a more prosperous and peaceful future, making Brunei populated with educated, highly skilful and successful individuals, in line with internationally set standards.

Members of the public wishing to contribute into the BIBD ALAF fund may do so with a minimum donation of B$1.01 into the BIBD ALAF account at 1018181811 via BIBD channels such as the BIBD Online website, BIBD Mobile app, BIBD ATM and CDMs, and BIBD branch counters. The public can also set up a BIBD Standing Instruction to ensure a monthly donation into the ALAF fund.

As an added option, BIBD account holders can also use their accumulated BIBD Hadiah Points for cash conversion into contributions into the ALAF fund account. Progresif users can also make donation to the ALAF programme via its dedicated SMS in denominations of BND 1,5,10, 15 and 20 by typing “ALAF” and entering the amount selected, and sending it to 38988.

 

The winners of Area K6 Toastmasters International Speech Contest and Table Topics Contest with UBD Toastmasters members

Allen Ang, Area K6 Director, Rahman Tarsat of Brunei Speakers’ Club (2nd runner up), Pranika Lama of UBD Toastmasters Club (winner), Pooja Shivanand of Brunei Speakers’ Club (1st runner-up) and Sandy Siew Fun Tan, Co-organizing Chair of the contest. The winners are for the Area K6 International Speech contest.

Two UBD Toastmasters have recently emerged as champions in Toastmasters speech Contest. 1st place winner for International Speech, Pranika Lama shared the about gratitude, the moment you open your eyes. It was followed by Pooja Shivanand in second place, talked about “The Middle Way”, which is a balanced higher way between two extreme choices help us make better decisions. Between humility and arrogance, there can be modesty; between fear and rashness there can be courage. In third place, Rahmat Tarsat drew on her mother’s experiences to demonstrate the detrimental effect of negative thinking in her speech, ‘Believe and You Can’.

Meanwhile in Table Topic Category, Julius Hong won 1st place, followed by Yong Shih Ching in 2nd place and Hazwan Kamarulzaman in 3rd place for speaking on the same impromptu topic “Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow, Live Today”.

The contest took place at the Multipurpose Hall, Universiti Brunei Darusalam, where 8 participants competed in International Speech Category while 7 participants competed in Table Topics category. The objective of the contests are to provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities and to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their toastmasters training. Competition begins with club contests and winners continue competing through the area, division and district levels.

In Brunei, top 2 speakers from Brunei Speakers Club, Oil Town Talkers Club, Brunei Advanced Speakers Club & UBD Toastmasters Club vie for a chance to compete with Toastmasters from Sabah and Labuan. This year, Pranika Lama and Julius Hong will represent Brunei on Division K level in Sandakan, Sabah on 10th April.

At the end of the contest, each contestants received certificate of participation whilst winning certificates and trophies were presented by Area K6 Director Allen Ang.

Allen Ang, Area K6 Director, Yong Shih Ching of OTTERS Toastmasters Club (1st runner-up), Julius Hong of UBD Toastmasters Club (winner), Hazwan Kamarulzaman of Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club (2nd runner-up) and Gerald Goh, co-organizer of the contest

Nina Kifrawi during the International Speech Contest

Yong Shih Ching during the Table Topics Contest

Pooja Shivanand during the International Speech Contest

Supatra Lee during the Table Topics Contest

Philip during the International Speech Contest

Rahul giving a warm hug to his wife before heading on stage

Still brothers after the contest

With the co-organizer contest, Sandy

Rahul being the Contest Chair (the host) during the International Speech category