Daulat Kebawah Duli Tuan Patik. Happy 69th Birthday to His Majesty the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. A special holiday has been declared on 15th August to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday. Image courtesy of Dean Kassim.

Liverpool FC Foundation, the club’s official charity, with Standard Chartered Thailand and the students from the Bangkok School for the Blind in a group photo session yesterday. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

It was a very interesting moment to see how a football clinic was conducted especially for the blinds. We all paid a visit to Bangkok School for the Blind and it was quite an eye opener for me. Apparently the particular school is a long-term partner of Standard Chartered in terms of their local employee volunteering programme. So far they have 193 students in the school and the school provides free education, training and materials to the visually impaired. The school is also under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand.

So the intention for the visit was the football clinic. As you know Standard Chartered Thailand partners with Liverpool FC Foundation in organizing a simple football session with the students and for Standard Chartered Thailand, this is considered as a football clinic-cum-Financial Education workshop. For Standard Chartered, this is another way to create a meaningful life skills session where the children can at a young age and potentially prepare for the future. Hence it’s important for students at the young age to learn what they are potentially good at and that can unlock their dreams and future.

Standard Chartered has also been active in the volunteering programme where 40 of their staff from Bangkok showed up for the football clinic to dedicate their time to help the visually impaired children. Awesome!! As you know, this is part of Bank’s commitment to be “Here for Good” and sustaining the impact in the local community.

It was also the first time I was introduced to Lyn Kok, the CEO and President of Standard Chartered of Thailand and the Greater Mekong (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Yunnan Province, China). She’s a very nice lady and she is very passionate about her vision for the Bank’s value especially in financial education and other SCR projects such as educating on AIDS awareness and Seeing is Believing. She shared how the level of awareness for “Seeing is Believing” has been very encouraging and it has been around for 10 years. They have raised as much as USD 70 million worldwide and they are not far away from their target. I was also impressed that Lyn was able to know all the terms for sight deficiency and how it can be prevented. Thank you for your time and I admire your leadership in the Bank and continuing the values that Standard Chartered believes in.

Now for the juicy part. The Liverpool FC Foundation visited the Bangkok School for the Blind and conducted a football clinic for the children. The Liverpool youth coaches came by and ran a few sessions such as shooting and dribbling. It was priceless to see the kids celebrating after scoring a goal and I’m pretty sure the coaches enjoyed the clinic too. Also present were Liverpool Legends – Ian Rush and Dietmar “Didi” Hamann.

I was a bit cheeky that I asked Didi Hamann on Raheem Sterling’s departure but a Liverpool staff was quick to shut him out from talking. I’m not sure what’s wrong with the question since Channel News Asia was able to get a quote from another Liverpool FC Legend Robbie Fowler. Nonetheless it was great to see Liverpool FC getting involved in such clinics and also for Standard Chartered for continuing their objectives on the financial education side of things.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me was withstanding the hot weather especially since it’s Ramadhan. It was my first morning sweat of Ramadhan but I survived 😀

Bangkok School for the Blind

With Didi Hamann.. An attempted selfie 😀

Students in the group photo with Liverpool FC Foundation and Standard Chartered Thailand

A photo opportunity with Lyn Kok, the CEO and President of Standard Chartered of Thailand and the Greater Mekong

Standard Chartered employee volunteering to help the children during the football clinic

Did you know that the balls have bells inside for the benefit of the blind?

Spot the Mighty Red mascot

The coaches giving away caps to the children

Ian Rush being mobbed by fans. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

Spot me? Image courtesy of Liverpool FC

Luis Garcia, a Liverpool Legend indeed, during the press conference with the media yesterday

A moment with Luis Garcia. We had a special press conference organised by Standard Chartered where a small group of media has a special chance to interview a Liverpool Legend Luis Garcia. I would have to say that he still looks in great shape despite being 37 years old. He is currently joining the Liverpool FC tour in the capacity as a Liverpool ambassador and it is wonderful to see that him taking that role.

When I asked him if Liverpool is good enough for a top two finish, Luis Garcia reckons that it won’t be easy because Liverpool have many new young players – hungry of games, hungry of showing things in the Premier League. This is because he felt that in the 2005-2006 season when he was still young. He believed that Jordan Ibe will be one of the promising stars for Liverpool after watching him play last season.

He was put in the spotlight on who would he picked as his first eleven and he chose the following – Didi Hamann, Stevie G, the Brazilian Ronaldo, Messi, Maldini, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Romario, Puyol. The only one he forgotten was the goal keeper but his choice of his 11 will definitely be invincible in the Football Manager 2015 game 😀

There is just something about Luis Garcia that I like about. He’s calm and welcoming which made it easier for the media to bombard him with questions. Liverpool FC surely chose an almost perfect ambassador and I do hope that this will be an annual thing because he can create a first good impression that will last.

On the funnier side of things, David McMahon of The Straits Times, asked Luis Garcia if the “goal” was indeed a goal (referring to the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2005 where Liverpool were eventual champions). He laughed it off and answered “yes” and it was his frequently asked questions by the fans.

Definitely a great short session with Luis Garcia but of high quality. Thank you once again to Standard Chartered for organizing this special press conference. We are indeed privileged and honoured.

Q&A with Luis Garcia

Chun and I were honoured to have a picture with Luis Garcia. A very humble and down to earth person.

I got them signed 😀

 

Members of the regional media with regional Head of Corporate Affairs of Standard Chartered before heading to catch Liverpool FC match

Chun smiling outside the stadium

Some games for the public to play

First time I would come across at 7-Eleven tent

Didn’t know Honda was the one of the sponsors

Promoting SCB Cashcard

The Standard Chartered Booth

Just look at the crowd. Total of roughly 35,000 fans watched the match. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

Entering the media centre

The most sought for items were wifi password and water

Danny Ings had an alright friendly debut. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

Chun at work. Don’t play play.

It rained in the second half.

Rained quite heavily

Yay!! Liverpool won 4-0. Image courtesy of Liverpool FC.

The guys behind Liverpool FC so internet is a must 😀

The press conference area

Our late supper after the match. Thank you Standard Chartered for this rare opportunity. Much blessed.

 

Review of Awang Semaun: Rise of the Warrior. Click play to listen to podcast review

Listen to my latest podcast on Minions with special guest Terence Han

Listen to my latest podcast on Jurassic World with special guest Jessie Tey

 

Flying off with Yee Chung Leong, sports writer from The Brunei Times and Marilyn Greame, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered (Brunei) to Bangkok for the Liverpool FC Asia Tour

Brought me where? Bangkok 😀 I’m currently in Bangkok from a special invitation from Standard Chartered (Brunei) for the upcoming Liverpool FC Asia Tour. Their first leg will be in Bangkok before heading down to Australia and the final leg will be in Kuala Lumpur.

I flew off with Marilyn Greame, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered (Brunei) and Yee Chung Leong, sports writer from The Brunei Times to Bangkok yesterday (and thank you Royal Brunei for taking us there too).

My previous Liverpool FC treat was back in 2012 where I also sent by Standard Chartered to Kuala Lumpur. That was fun too because I get to be up close and personal with the Liverpool FC players. I remember taking photos with Andy Carroll then.

So what privilege do both Liverpool supporters (Chun and I) have? We have our specula media passes; we had the opportunity yesterday to attend the press conference with Brendan Rodgers and Lucas Leiva; we will attending a football clinic at the Bangkok School for the Blind; we will have a special session with a former Liverpool player Luis Garcia and to cap it off, the friendly match between Liverpool FC and Thailand’s True All-Star Team. For your info, True is one of the leading telcos in Thailand.

It’s good to know that Standard Chartered continue their sponsorship with Liverpool FC as it helps them to engage with the community and especially their clients. This is a win-win situation for the Standard Chartered customers and Liverpool Football Club fans.

Woohoo.. We have a special ride from the airport transfer to Novotel Siam

Checking in.. Thank you, Standard Chartered, for accommodating us

The Liverpool fans waiting for the players

I wonder if they managed to get anything signed

Yesterday afternoon, it was a mellow down press conference for Brendan Rodgers, manager of Liverpool FC, who knew he was gonna be bombarded with questions of the Sterling saga. All he said was he wants to focus with the players that are in Thailand but he did acknowledged that Sterling had made negotiations with another club and it’s time for Liverpool to move forward. Initially Raheem Sterling was listed in the 30-man squad for the Asia tour but pulled out due to offers from Manchester City. It is reported that Sterling will be heading to Manchester City for 49 million pounds.

Now the saga is over, Liverpool FC can focus on the tour but Brendan is tight lipped on who will be the next players to sign up for Liverpool FC. It will be interesting to see who will replace Sterling but I believe Sterling is not up there with the likes of Alonso or Torres or even Suarez because he is still 20 years old and haven’t reached his world class status like the rest.

So tonight is the night. We will get to witness the first pre-season match of Liverpool against Thai True All-Stars team at Rajamangala Stadium. Woohoo.. Thank you once again Standard Chartered for this special opportunity.

For more updates, do follow me on Instagram and Snapchat @ranoadidas

TrueVisions head of commercial and business development Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayutthaya, Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers, Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva and Sports Authority of Thailand representative Sumet Akarapong during a press conference yesterday at the Athenee Tower in Bangkok

Brendan Rodgers and Lucas Levia poses before the press conference

Question from the local Thai press

One important Liverpool staff trying to upload a picture for their website

The Gala dinner that we didn’t make it at all

This is a priceless moment. Thank you, Standard Chartered.

 

I came across this advertisement on Standard Chartered recently and what caught my eye is the difference in repayments for your loans. This is interesting indeed. How can that be possible to lower the repayment amount by as much as BND400 on a monthly basis? This was from the illustration of the poster that I saw on their website recently.

So imagine that you have a few loans that you have such as personal loans, credit card payments or your other loans. You will pay the normal dues respectively to the bank as part of your commitment. The thing that struck me me was the savings that you can enjoy when you consolidate all the loan commitments into one and enjoy a lower repayment scheme as a whole.

In other words, if I were to pay individually for the loans that I have even from other banks and the total loan amounts to a total of BND 75,000, every month I would have to fork out BND 1,093. Now with Standard Chartered’s new financial package, you would only pay BND 653 as a whole. That’s like a savings of BND 400ish. Now that’s a great deal.

Better still, you only pay a flat interest rate of 3.79% (6.5% effective) per annum for 15 years tenor.

I don’t have a personal loan or car loan from a bank but this may be relevant to those who have existing multiple bank loans. I understand however, there are qualifying criteria so not everyone is eligible. If you are keen to find out more, you can reach them at 265 8000 or click on the link.

Baiduri cardholders lucky dip winners of the Hua Ho vouchers

Baiduri cardholders were in for a rewarding shopping experience when they paid for their purchases at participating Hua Ho Department Stores at Kiulap, Delima, Gadong 2, Mulaut and Tutong in the “Baiduri Bank & Hua Ho H2 Hari Raya Shopping Treats” promotion last weekend.

With a minimum spending requirement of B$100 in a single receipt, Baiduri cardholders can participate in an instant dip where they get to win Hua Ho H2 shopping vouchers. Depending on the amount on the receipt, they can earn up to 3 chances per receipt. The vouchers are in the values of B$5, B$10, B$20 or B$50 each.

The promotion will continue this weekend from 10 July to (tomorrow) 14 July 2015, to give Baiduri cardholders more opportunity to take part.

“We are very happy to reward our customers for their loyalty and we want our cardholders to benefit from our ongoing promotions. Giving a little extra support through shopping vouchers or discounts for the upcoming festivities is just one of the benefits we provide to our credit and debit cardholders,” explained Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network Division at Baiduri Bank.

More promotional information can be obtained at Baiduri website www.baiduri.com or by calling Baiduri Call Centre at 244 9666. To be in the know of Baiduri Bank promotions, Baiduri cardholders can follow BaiduriBank on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get the latest updates.

Less than a week, then Hari Raya will take place and it could be either be on Friday or Saturday. How have you Ramadhan been so far? Mine has been has hectic for the past three weeks due to coverage of the endless of Sungkai buffets. Now recently it has been quite relaxing because I’m off duty on food coverage 😀

I’m wondering how is the spending power lately in Brunei. I have heard that some of the Sungkai buffet sales at some places have dropped by 20-30%. One of the reasons could be attributed to the growing number of new restaurants and also more buffer options for the consumers end. Hence the market share of the restaurant will be reduced as our population has yet to increase relatively.

The biggest draw for Sungkai outings will be the BIBD 30% promotion (by swiping their credit cards) on selected restaurants on specific dates.

Last week, I had to forgo two travel trips – one to Denmark and one to Malaysia. The Denmark trip is one of the trips that I was looking forward to because it’s Denmark and I haven’t been there. It was part of a Bang & Olufsen trip for the media. I had no choice but to let it go due to my upcoming sister’s wedding in August. The KL trip was alright to miss but I will missing all the great access to catch Big Bang live concert in KL this coming August. Despite all that, I believe that I will get new opportunities to travel somewhere in the 2nd half of 2015 😀

I caught While You’re Young flick last night and it was a better experience than that last three movies I caught. Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts starred in this movie playing a married couple that wants to revive their younger days. Interesting movie and a humourous one too. A much better outing for Ben as compared to Night of the Museum sequel. I kinda like it but won’t watch it on cinema. Definitely a list for my blu-ray collection. Verdict: 7/10

Speaking of movies, Minions ruled the box office with a mammoth USD 115 million in the opening weekend. I predicted that Minions would be a top 3 movies of the summer in box office returns. At the moment, there is a good chance of that happening but no summer movies can come close to the surprise package Jurassic World followed by Avengers: Age of Ultron. The other potential movie is Inside Out which is doing very well indeed. I wasn’t a big fan of Minions and the movie was so so, catering more to kids. The disappointments of the summer movies so far are Tomorrowland and all the sequels of Magic Mike, Ted and Terminator.

I’m off to Bangkok today for another assignment. I won’t reveal much but you will know once you follow my IG and Snapchat feeds. I should be back in time for the Hari Raya festivity. Have a great week, my readers and thank you for all your support all these years.

My super friends buddies are quite addicted to the werewolf game indeed

I know it’s not healthy but this is occasional fix for Sahur 😀

Ok, I highly recommend you the Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie at Star Box Cafe (Kiulap). Amazing!!! I let my friends tried it and they love it too.

So this particular coffee table is my pick for the competition. Check out my IG on how to win the coffee table sponsored by Loft & Co, a new modern furniture shop located at Little Soho at Batu Bersurat. This coffee table comes in wooden texture, black and white.

Thank you Vincent Goh of Netcom House Computer for hosting Sungkai for the media at Excapade Sushi last week. I’m honoured for your humble invitation.

Now among all the gadgets of Apple, this is one over-rated gadget. Would I get one? I would perhaps wait for an updated version.

This watch so far has been very appealing and suits my needs. Loving the alerts but one problem – I’m not used to wearing a watch. Thanks @aj68 for the gift 😀

Lately I’ve been helping my friends’ wedding gifts which means longer nights

I had these three times… The Lamb Mandhi from Tandoor restaurant. A must from their Sungkai buffet. I would just go for this alone and not worried about the other dishes 😀

Now this is one exclusive magazine to own. Well done to the editor 😀

Congratulations to Vincent Pao, GM of Concepts Computer who defeated the Lizards yesterday to qualify for the Concepts Computer Veteran Basketball Cup 2015

Another successful event with the collaboration of Royal Brunei Airlines and the Collective Arts Event at the Royal Brunei Recreational Club. The event was called RBRC Syawal Donation. More stories on next post

Are copies making a comeback again? The enforcers must be pretty tired, recycling their efforts

Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network receiving both awards on behalf of Baiduri Bank in Singapore recently

Baiduri Bank has received two awards from the Asian Banking and Finance Magazine – The “Domestic Retail Bank of the Year for Brunei 2015” for the third consecutive year and “Mobile Banking Initiative of the Year for Brunei 2015” for the first time.

The awards ceremony was hosted by the publication company at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore on 8 July 2015. Receiving the awards on behalf of the Bank was Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network.

Commenting on the ‘Domestic Retail Bank’ award, Pg Azaleen said, “We are delighted to receive these latest awards. I take this opportunity to thank our loyal customers for their strong support which has placed us among the top 60 Asian banks who were present at the award ceremony.”

He further elaborated that despite a challenging economic environment and competitive market, the Bank has been able to sustain growth by introducing new products and services to meet the needs and demands of different customer segments. The Bank is also constantly enhancing its existing product and service offerings to serve their customers better.

Pg Azaleen addressing his award acceptance speech

On winning the ‘Mobile Banking Initiative’ award, Pg Azaleen said, “Baiduri Bank recognized that mobile technology was fast becoming the preferred method of communication and accommodated these areas of customer needs by launching two apps, namely Baiduri Personal i-Banking in June 2013 followed by Baiduri Deals in August 2013 which was later enhanced in December 2014. The Baiduri Personal i-Banking app complements the Bank’s current web-based i-Banking application which gives customers a sense of familiarity, comfort and assurance. The Baiduri Deals app is a lifestyle app and is the first marketing app in Brunei that dispenses e-coupons which are redeemable for good and services or discounts at selected merchant outlets.

Since 2007, Asian Banking and Finance (ABF) magazine have been honouring and recognizing the best of the best in the Banking and Finance industry in Asia. It focuses on commercial and retail banking and on securities market from a banking perspective.

 

Have you been Snapchatting? Catch me on my username @ranoadidas

Are you new to Snapchat? I had this social media platform for quite some time but I wasn’t active for quite a long time. So what sparked it? Two things 1) new updates made it more appealing 2) one of my favourite fashion blogger from the Philippines @itscamilleco who uses the story video effectively. Only then, I gave it another go as I know Snapchat can be another good avenue to reach my followers. I know how Snapchat is very popular among teenagers in Brunei but that could soon change once the locals get the hang of it.

I feel the interface can do a little more tweaking so it would be easier to navigate for users. The best feature for me is the “story” section where you can upload unlimited photos and videos. However, there’s a timeline for all the data you post on Snapchat and once it reaches the 24 hour mark, Snapchat will delete them. Hence this gives you the urgency to catch what your friends have posted before it disappears.

So do come on Snapchat and look for me (username: ranoadidas) and so far I have coming to 100 followers after my continuous plug on IG. I’m not too sure if Snapchat will pick up the same wave like IG and Facebook did. As for Twitter, it’s barely surviving in terms of getting the news across. I only come to Twitter once every two days. When compared to IG, Facebook and now the addictive Snapchat, Twitter is way behind the pack of the most used social media platform in Brunei.

Don’t forget to add me on Snapchat 😀

 

BIBD recently extended their support to some seventy residents and caretakers of the Kampong Belimbing welfare home complex, under the Community Development Department, at an Iftar event at the Emperor’s Court Restaurant in Manggis.

The ceremony began with the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatihah which was then followed by the handing over of donations by the guest of honor, BIBD Managing Director Yang Mulia Javed Ahmad to forty-five residents of the welfare home along with certificates of appreciation to the ALMAS volunteer group for their cooperation in the success of the recent BIBD annual charity drive “Sirah Amal”.

Also in attendance was Yang Mulia Haji Minorhadi bin Haji Mirhassan, BIBD’s Head of Institutional Banking Division along with Yang Mulia Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, Deputy Head of Consumer Banking Division in her capacity as Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

Hjh Nurul mentioned that, “Alhamdulilah, the support in donations today are an extension of BIBD’s Sirah Amal initiatives as part of being an active community partner. At the same time, these donations are hoped to contribute to the development and progress of the residents to becoming productive members of the community”.

 

Hari Raya promotion until 31st July 2015

 

The satellite view of the storm in the region

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports with the deputy ministers and permanent secretaries inspecting the affected areas. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

It only happened for a good half an hour or so but it can be damaging. Social media became the stream of news of affected areas by the strong gusty winds. The rain wasn’t much of a problem but the wind was. I believe most of us weren’t accustomed to the fact that strong winds could actually hit Brunei and it did.

I was still indoors when it happened. Winds were as strong as almost hitting 60km/hr and the impact it had was enough to warn us to be extra alert and cautious whenever we are out. My car’s friends were damaged; I saw tents collapsing on a video that went viral; there were power cuts also along the way and some areas had to suffer without electricity for the night; my sister’s roof was damaged with a huge hole. The water village also suffered damages. The other scary part was the experience of the passengers on flight AK278 which was due to arrive 3:30pm and it took the pilot several attempts to land the aircraft due to the strong winds according to Normi’s post on her Facebook status.

Despite all the setbacks, Al-hamdullilah, that there were no casualties. The busiest of the lot will be the Fire and Rescue Department who have been working tirelessly to move the wreckage especially on the road. Also it was nice to see the citizens helping out along the way. Traffic was quite bad as well and some of the traffic lights were not functioning. I was stuck in traffic for a good half an hour.

Apparently, according to Siti Hajar’s article, the typhoon is not over yet. Yes, it’s a typhoon in the East Asia Region and apparently one will be hitting in the Pacific region. Do follow the local news or Brunei weather report.

A man helping out to cut the tree yesterday. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

I was stuck in a jam for quite some time

An image circulated on Whatsapp during the storm. Then many of the similar ones popped up. I wonder if most of them were deliberate.

Now get this, readers! The image of the tornado is fake as it didn’t happen in Brunei.

Detouring due to fallen trees. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

A tree fell along Batu Satu. Image circulated through Whatsapp.

My sister’s home was affected yesterday :/

The weather for the next few days

 

Guest of honour with Board of Directors of JPMC, the stroke patients, the cancer patients and associates of JPMC

Good job on Jerudong Park Medical Centre on another wonderful initiative to motivate and inspire the stroke and cancer patients under the Brunei Cancer Center and Brunei Neuroscience Rehabilitation Center respectively. It was one of the JPMC’s Rehabilitation Center’s programme which aims to improve their cognitive and physical abilities. It was such a great timing since most of us will be celebrating the festive season.

Present at the ceremony was the Guest of Honour, Abdul Lattif Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Md Yusof, member of JPMC’s Board of Directors, Dato Dr Isham Jaafar, the Executive and Medical Director of JPMC, Dr. Kenneth Kok, the Medical Director of The Brunei Cancer Centre, Senior Management of JPMC as well as family members of the patients.

It was not a bad effort from the patients who only took 11 days to come up with the musical programme. There was a Therapeutic Group Activity performance by BNSRC’s stroke patient for TBCC cancer patients. BNSRC stroke patients who have acquired disabilities from their condition have undergone three weeks of JPMC yearly Hari Raya themed rehabilitation therapeutic group activity program with the aim to lift the spirits of the terminally ill cancer patients. The performance was specifically designed to motivate them and to also provide some therapeutic effect to these cancer patients as the Hari Raya season is nearing.

JPMC patients performing with musicians from Expression Music Academy

Vivian Suk Kee Tie explaining the model made by the patients

Check out the model made by them

The patients were full of joy as I could tell from their expression. Priceless.

They had a special collaboration with some of the musicians from Expression Music Academy featuring Kristine Clair “Kaycee” Uchi Galano, 13 yr old violinist.

Vivian Suk Kee Tie, Head of Rehabilitation Department of JPMC, said that it’s always great to see the smiles and signs of hope from the patients. She was notably touched that more cancer patients are being involved in the programme as compared to before and this is a sign of progress on what’s JPMC’s objective – to bring joy, love and care to the stroke and cancer patients.

I can say that it’s never easy running an rehabilitation programme and JPMC has been very active since 2012 and I salute for their efforts in taking an extra step to better the environment and hopes of the stroke and cancer patients.

Rehabilitation Department offers treatments available that includes Falls Prevention, Geriatric and Pediatric Rehabilitation, Back and Neck Pain, Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury, Orthopedics and Sports Injury. For more information, please visit their website at www.jpmc.cm.bn.

The energetic employees from JPMC

 

Available in original flavor (my favourite), durian and chocolate

Ok, I had a dosage of these for the past week and I’m in love with KeK Lapis once again. Kueh that I love for Hari Raya are Kek Lapis, Kueh Mor and Tapak Kuda. You can never go wrong with those delicacies. So I’m quite surprised that now Kek Lapis is packed in a box and sold in supermarkets and convenient store.

I never heard of the NiNi brand so I gave it a shot and I’ve been slicing bits and pieces continuously because it can be addictive. So I googled on Kek Lapis and found out that this cake is originally from Indonesia during the Dutch colonial times. Interesting…

I love the box package of NiNi Kek Lapis. This is very ideal for gifts during festive season and now Hari Raya is just a week away. NiNi cake is made of high-quality ingredients and hygienically vacuum-packed using the latest technology, ensuring the freshness, and of course, its deliciousness.

To serve, cut NiNi layer cake into slices of about 1.5cm thick and for best result, warm NiNi Layer Cake in a microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften the cake and enrich the aroma. I can’t wait to continue my feast on Kek Lapis later for my midnight snack 😀

I’m one quarter into my Kek Lapis. I love the packaging and very ideal for giveaways and gifts for Hari Raya.

 

I came across this advertisement on Standard Chartered recently and what caught my eye is the difference in repayments for your loans. This is interesting indeed. How can that be possible to lower the repayment amount by as much as BND400 on a monthly basis? This was from the illustration of the poster that I saw on their website recently.

So imagine that you have a few loans that you have such as personal loans, credit card payments or your other loans. You will pay the normal dues respectively to the bank as part of your commitment. The thing that struck me me was the savings that you can enjoy when you consolidate all the loan commitments into one and enjoy a lower repayment scheme as a whole.

In other words, if I were to pay individually for the loans that I have even from other banks and the total loan amounts to a total of BND 75,000, every month I would have to fork out BND 1,093. Now with Standard Chartered’s new financial package, you would only pay BND 653 as a whole. That’s like a savings of BND 400ish. Now that’s a great deal.

Better still, you only pay a flat interest rate of 3.79% (6.5% effective) per annum for 15 years tenor.

I don’t have a personal loan or car loan from a bank but this may be relevant to those who have existing multiple bank loans. I understand however, there are qualifying criteria so not everyone is eligible. If you are keen to find out more, you can reach them at 265 8000 or click on the link.

Joanna Kwan with the WCOPA contests from Brunei at the airport yesterday

It’s good to know that we are not stopping to send Bruneians to Hollywood to showcase their talents in singing, dancing, playing instruments or acting. Remember WCOPA? They are back but with a slightly lower bang. I remember for the past two years that they had a good hype leading to the event.

Not all that qualified for WCOPA will be flying to the California, US. This is due to the budget constraint as all participants will have to seek for sponsorship for their travels and they were given some months to reach their targeted sponsorship. It’s never an easy journey as an artist especially in Brunei. Financial support has always been tough for local artists. Despite the setbacks, there are always ways and means to reach their goals and for this case, to fly to Los Angeles and participated in the WCOPA competition.

By the way, WCOPA stands for World Championship of Performing Arts. Brunei did fairly well last year with Shian Li, Eia and Joanna reached the finals. Shian Li won the top accolade in her category while Joanna was given an acting scholarship. Eia was offered something of a bigger scale – to host the upcoming WCOPA 2015. That itself is an amazing opportunity for a Bruneian to host a world championship event.

Zainal Bostaman, founder of Bruhaha, pumped up for the event

Zainal with his family at the Brunei International Airport

The family huddle before boarding

This shot taken early in the year. How time has flown off so fast.

Yesterday most of the participants flew off for the US for their three week journey in Los Angeles. Zainal Bostaman (Senior Acting), Nadya Halim, Ak Muhd Yazakka Pg Hj Mohd Yamin known as “Yazakka”, Kala Kawarnamurthi and Erwan Mugit, part of Ellewan duo (all to compete in the Senior Vocal category) whereas Amy Cheong, Ainul Marzuki, Mardi Hedus and Shannon Osman the team of Relentless Entertainment will compete in the Senior Dance Group.

The ones missing were Michele Tan of Ellewan, Sarah Jane of Relentless and Hill Zaini as they couldn’t make it for the competition.

Joanna Kwan, previous WCOPA participant, flew off with the delegates and she will be managing the Brunei team during the course of the competition.

Jeffrey E. Cadayong, WCOPA Brunei Darussalam’s National Director, will be welcoming the delegates in the US.

Do follow their instagram @officialwcopabrunei for updates and let’s hope for mode success for the participants. The competition will be from 10th to 19th July at Long Beach, California.

The team of Relentless flew off earlier yesterday

Relentless have been raising funds for their trip to the US. They have done an excellent job in doing so. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Taken some time ago when Brunei bagged many awards and medals.

 

The shop that I frequent in Singapore – Toy Outpost at Plaza Singapura. Image taken from their website.

That’s how it is. When you create opportunities and there is a huge demand, then it’s ideal to have new entrants into the market. I have been noticing the late surge of cube stores in Brunei. I saw this concept at Singapore many years ago at Plaza Singapura and I thought it is such a great way to sell items without dealing with high operating costs. I frequent there a lot because they mostly sell figurines and mini-figures (lego) and WWE products. They are very focused in their theme so I know I won’t be wasting my time and most of the items on display would relate to me. Of course, I also like to hunt for novelty products.

Now Brunei is more like an untapped market and we are beginning to enjoy the concept of window shopping at cube stores. This can help to promote small businesses or SMEs to start off their business on a smaller scale and test the market. Those who make a side business through means of social media will find this very handy indeed.

The concept cube store that was the so called pioneer was SCG Enterprise. It started in Seri Q-Lap Mall and now expanded its services at Citis Square. Now malls in Brunei are showing similar trends of cube stores. Well, it’s a good thing for the owners of the cube stores because it’s also a good income for them to sustain in maintaining cube stores and it’s more of a perpetual income on the basis of subletting the cube spaces.

Let’s just hope that we won’t have too many of it as our market is pretty small. In my opinion, the biggest advantage for cube store owners is location and maybe on branding presence. The latest one I saw was at The Mall Cineplex and it has a very clean, fresh concept. It’s very ideal especially for movie goers who would spare some time to shop before catching a movie.

Good luck to all the SMEs and who knows one day I might need a cube space of my own 😀

The latest cube store that I came across outside The Mall Cineplex

As part of their Ramadhan activities, Total E&P Borneo B.V. (TEPB) organized their fifth annual Ramadhan Charity, which provided in-kind assistance to the local communities where Total operates, namely Kg Lumut 1 & Kg Lumut 2 in Mukim Liang (where the Total Onshore Processing Plant is located) and Kg Sabun in Mukim Serasa (where Total Logistic Base is located). Total also planned another donation handover for an orphan of their former staff.

Focusing on the assistance to the local community mentioned above, a total of 10 Total staff volunteers were split into two teams to handover the donations concurrently to five (5) households in Kg Lumut 1 and Kg Lumut 2 in Belait District and another five (5) households in Kg Serasa, Brunei & Muara District.

The  donations consisted of daily necessities like rice, oil, bottled water and other food rations and utilities prepaid cards provided by the company and also personal contribution by Total staff members. The assistance was intended to help the underprivileged individuals of both villages to better celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is just around the corner.

The Total volunteers & MPK Lumut 1 representatives in a group photo at the residence of Dyg Hayati bte Japar in Kg Sungai Bakong

Dyg Sukarelawati (2nd right) in a group photo with the Total volunteers and MPK Lumut 1 representatives

Fauzi bin Osman (middle) receiving the donation from the Total volunteers at his residence

The recipients were selected based on the list of provided by the Islamic Religious Council Department. As they are mostly listed under the ‘faqir’ & ‘miskin’ or underprivileged individuals category, it is understood that they are currently receiving fixed term financial assistance from MUIB under the Baitul Mal fund. In addition, some recipients were also selected based on further consultation with the respective Village Heads. Donation to local community in Kg Lumut 1 & Lumut 2, Mukim Liang, Belait District The Total volunteers in Kg Lumut 1 & Lumut 2 was led by Zulhilmi Rambli, Corporate Communications & CSR Executive. In addition, the group was also accompanied by several representatives from the Lumut 1 Village Consultative Council (MPK Lumut 1) led by Awang Ho Chang Fui.

One of the recipients, Sukarelawati binti Ismail, 41, resides in Kg Sungai Tali Lumut 2. It is understood her husband passed away just over a month ago. Now, she is a single mother with five children. Her family currently resides at her in-law’s house. It is understood that she supports her family mainly by jointly operating a food stall at a nearby location. In addition, her family also receives a fixed term financial assistance from the Baitul Mal fund to cover expenses of her children education.

Meanwhile, the team in Pekan Muara and Kg Serasa was led by Muhammad Rasimoon Hj Adinin, Head of HR, Corporate Communications and CSR. Present to assist the Total group of volunteers were several representatives from the Village Consultative Council of Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun, and Pelumpong. The MPK was led by its Head of Village, Pengiran Haji Mohamed bin Pengiran Haji Osman @ Othman. One of the beneficiaries is Awg Suhaimi bin Hj Masri, a 40 year old father with 7 dependents – a housewife and 6 children. He earns a living by going out fishing at sea three to four times a week. Without any fixed income, the family relies on a fixed term financial contribution from the Baitul Mal fund.

Pengiran Haji Mohamed bin Pengiran Haji Osman @ Othman (Ketua Kg of Masjid Lama, Pekan Muara, Sabun, and Pelumpong) handing over the donation to Abdul Rahman bin Inchut in Kg Serasa as Rasimoon Adinin (2nd left) of Total looks on

Group photo at the residence of Awg Suhaimi bin Hj Masri in Kg Perpindahan Serasa

 

Times Square Shopping Centre is having its next lucky draw prize presentation of the 5th Lucky draw campaign on Sunday, 9th August 2015 at 2.00pm. This would be the third draw of the 5thLucky draw campaign in 2015.

In order to join, customers may shop, dine, stay in Times hotel or watch movies at Times Cineplex (Times Square branch) then submit the receipts of the day to the lucky draw counter located in front of Dee Jay.

There are no minimum purchases required and all customers may participate as many times as they wish. This however, does not apply for purchases made at the food court. 20 daily winners will be contacted everyday where these winners are then shortlisted to join the lucky draw prize presentation.

So there are plenty of reasons to head to Times Square and be part of the lucky draw. You have at least a month from now to shop and dine. I’ve been dining and watching movies on many occasions. Perhaps a better time to put my name in the draw 😀

The quarterly draw at Times Square Shopping Centre back in May 2015. The next will be in August. Good luck 😀

You are even entitled when you catch a movie at Times Cineplex. We caught Awang Semaun two weeks ago with my social media buddies.

 

This is so far the best Indonesian cuisine in Brunei. I’ve seen many around in Brunei but Pondok Sari Wangi, hands down is the best. Maybe I’m biased because I love their beef rendang and telur beladur. Of course, their signature dish is the ayam penyet.

For the month of Ramadhan, Pondok Sari Wangi is offering Sungkai buffet and it has been an overwhelming response from the beginning. So my suggestion is to do advance booking to avoid disappointment. Their best dish is definitely the crab (different flavours) but only served on alternate days. So if you are craving for crabs, make sure that you call them for information.

The buffet line is served at all three outlets of Pondok Sari Wangi (Gadong, Sengkurong and Citis Square). If you prefer to order ala carte or set menu, it’s only available after 7:30pm.

Garlic Crab

Lemon Fish

Mapo Taufu with mince chicken

Sotong sambal

Chicken Touco

Great crowd that night

I suggest you book two days in advance to avoid disappointment

Sayur Lodeh

Empal Serunding

Kueh

I like the bingka susu

Fish ball soup

Refreshment

Hello Fina and Tisya

We had tons of the garlic grab

My sidekick photographer :p

Have you tried dining at Kimchi Restaurant? If you taste bud feels for Korean food, check out Kimchi Restaurant. I am a big fan of their BBQ stuff. On my last visit a few nights ago, it was totally packed. To be honest, it has been fully booked for the past few nights. I had to do advance booking to ensure my slot. So you know what it means when it’s advance booking time. It means the restaurant is really good value for money and also delicious.

I brought Coey as my Sungkai guest and it was her first Sungkai outing too. What is her rating? She was impressed with the marinated meats for the BBQ grill which is part of the All-You-Can-Eat from the Kimchi menu. They also served the usual small appetizers for those choosing the all-you-can-eat menu.

They also offer Ramadhan vouchers. For take-away customers, there will be a 15% discount from 2pm to 5pm daily during Ramadhan.

Follow their IG on @kimchibrunei for updates or their Facebook Page. Hurry since there’s only less than two weeks left before the end of Ramadhan 😀

The appetizers as part of the all-you-can menu

My guest for the night – Coey

Meat, meat, meat… I love the marination on the meat.. Thumbs up!!!

Using the hot plate grill

Grilling the meat

Grilled to perfection

Seafood pancake

Kimchi fried rice

Patbingsu Orea and Banana… What a nice way to end the meals!!!

 

A fan of shabu-shabu and you know there have been many restaurants that offer hot pot stuff. Now they have two branches – one at Batu Bersurat and the other at Delima. I sungkai-ed this time at the Batu Bersurat branch.

They provide different kinds of Set Meals to your liking during the month of Ramadhan. I opted for the ala carte since I don’t really eat that much. But for those who choose to have ala carte, Shabulicious offer 15% discount only during Ramadhan. And guess what? The 15% discount deal ends until 2am. So which means you can also enjoy sahur at their establishment. The last order will be at 1am. Tomorrow (Tuesday, 8th July) they will be having a 30% discount for all BIBD Credit Card holders. So swipe away and enjoy the 30% discount.

Visit our branches Shabulicious Delima Square and Shabulicious Restaurant, Batu Bersurat, Gadong and dial their hotlines: 2338333 (Delima) 2451000 (Batu Bersurat).

This is my customary dishes for shabu-shabu

The platter enough for two pax

Vegetables are good for your health 😀

Plenty of sauces and spices to choose from. My favourite are the minced garlic with sambal.

The atmosphere at Shabulcious

That expression 😮

My guests for Sungkai

Grab this awesome deal tomorrow at Shabulicious

You can choose also special meal sets and it ranges from Meal A to Meal C

 

Pg Mohd Nasir celebrating his birthday with his friends last night

Pg Mohd Nasir with his late minute replacement horse flown from Germany named Federiko in the recent SEA Games 2015 in Singapore

Happy birthday to our dedicated equestrian rider Pg Mohd Nasir and I still owe him a write up on his horse riding journey in the recent SEA Games in Singapore. I happened to catch his final ride in the Jumping finals event a few weeks’ ago and it was also the first time that I saw him live in action. So, guys, just to let you know this is a late post 😀

Though he didn’t win or get a podium finish for his efforts, he did the best he could in the finals given the limited resources. There were many set backs along his SEA Games journey. Just like in all sports, there’s always politics and that sure can play a huge role on your targets as an athlete.

Let’ me sum up what Pg Mohd Nasir shared with me back in Singapore. He couldn’t ride his own horse that he has connection with for many years. So instead he had to settle with a last minute replacement which flew from Germany and the horse’s name is Federiko (love the skin too). Secondly Pg Nasir only sat on his replacement six times coming into the competition. Normally it take years to get the horse used to the environment especially competitive ones. So kudos to Pg Nasir on having that courage to make use of the available resources and compete for the love of the country.

After visiting the stable area for the SEA Games competition, it was kinda of an eye opener. I realised how much investment it takes to be in this sport. I saw all the equipments and the kit for the horse and the rider and that alone is already a hefty investment. The recurring cost will be the food supply for the horses because you will need to feed the horses to make sure they are in good shape for the competition.

The other huge cost will be cargo-ing the horse equipment and also the transporting the horse from A to B especially when it’s international delivery. I saw Pg’s portable cabinet where he stashed his equipments and apparel and he said the whole thing averagely weighs at 150 kg. Now just imagine how much that would costs to transport by air *gulp*

Now I can imagine other regional riders will go through the same ordeal and cost factor will be an issue. So yea, horse riding is not a cheap hobby indeed while joining competition is a whole new level. Most of the athletes from other countries are being funded or sponsored by their respective countries. For Pg Anak Nasir, it was a unique situation. He competed in his own expense but with a huge disadvantage that he couldn’t ride his own personal horse from Belgium due to technically issues.

Pg Mohd Nasir in action. Image courtesy of Samlee

Talking to the Brunei officials of the SEA Games after the competition

Did you know that you can’t many any noise such as cheering or clapping when the riders are in action?

He ran off to the Malaysian team to celebrate on his friend’s gold achievement #priceless

I managed to only catch the final ride. Well done, buddy, on making this far.

Here are some words from Pg Anak Nasir himself.

“I never want to blame the horse (Federiko) for sure even though the final day he let me down. Then again we are new together. We only sat six times. In this technical courses, we get into funny situations and normally the rider know the horse and vice-versa. From there, we will know how to react on situations. If I was riding my personal horse, I wouldn’t have this problem (penalties on his rounds).

Honestly, to come this far and considering all the issues to source for a horse a week before the Games, I’m quite happy to reach this far. My first two rides with zero penalties on the first day was a dream situation. However, with these technical courses, it will boil down to the horse and the rider so bonding is very important. I know I did my best with the given situation and I am doing it for the country 110%. It’s a very challenging situation for me and I will be back next time.”

Nicely way to sum up by Pengiran on his SEA Games experience. One quote that I like though was when he quoted that competing in the Games is like “going to war with a knife” meaning that he has no ammunition. It would have been a different story should his horse made it to Singapore for the Games.

All in all, I truly enjoyed watching the equestrian event and it was also my first experience. I could see all the dedication and passion from the riders. I have high respect to all the riders indeed. Perhaps the highlight for Pengiran Anak Nasir was when his friend from Malaysia Sharmini Ratnasingham who just beat Catherine Yen Yu Chew of Singapore in a split second timing to win gold. I saw Pengiran running from one to another end to celebrate with the Malaysian team.

To finish off my summary, Happy birthday day buddy and let’s catch up with the boys before you fly off to train again. You can follow him on instagram @pg_nasir

With the supporters from Brunei Darussalam

His trusted and most important companions of his horse riding journey – the coach and the groomer.

His wardrobe cabinet is a must where he brings every he rides in the world. This weighs at least 150 kilos. His groomer will take care of his wardrobe.

This is how he keep his riding boots

Pg Mohd Nasir with the Malaysian team

We did good after the competition because we all went for shopping therapy in Singapore. When is round 2? 😀

 

It was the first time that I dined at a fast food joint for breaking my fast this year and that is at Burger King 😀 Currently Burger King have a special promotion dubbed the Ramadhan Family Deal and it comes in four different sets – Crispy and Tender, Flame-Grilled, Mixed and Whopper. So which one will suit you best? Surprisingly the mixed set has been selling well

Now why should you go for the set meals? One thing for sure is that you will save from $12 to $14 if you buy in a set. Very ideal if you come with your friends and families and you can enjoy the privilege. Furthermore, you will get a free gift from Burger King – BK mug and a coca-cola plate.

The Crispy and Tender set includes two chicken royals and one chicken grill whilst the Flame-Grilled set consists of two Whopper Juniors and a single Texas beef.

Both, priced at $19.90, also consist of chicken tempura nuggets along with large drinks and fries for three people.

On the other hand, the Mixed set contains two double mushroom Swiss and two chicken tender grill and the Whopper set has two Whoppers and two Western Whopper Juniors.

At a price of $27.90, both sets too have large drinks and fries that are enough four people.

For those who ordered any of the sets can also add $1 for a Taro Turnover, limited to five pieces a set. Furthermore, if one finishes a drink, just refill the cups with a top-up of $1.50.

For those who are interested, visit its nearest branch or call 2220215 or check out its Facebook Page and Instagram @burgerkingbrunei.

Buy a set and you will get a Burger King mug and Coca-Cola plate

Rara was in full of joy that night

Members of the media dining at Burger King

Customers dining at BK for Sungkai

Add $1 for a taro turnover 😀 Yummm!!! My favourite

 

My brother has been active in the news as of late. Keep it up!! Recently he handed over donation to KACA (Centre for Children with Special Needs). YAM Pg Anak Abdul Mun’im, Managing Director of PAR Corporaton Sdn Bhd handed over to KACA Managing Director, Hj Abdul Alim Hj Othman. Later today my brother will officiate the opening of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at Mata-Mata this afternoon. Image courtesy of Norliha Din of The Brunei Times.

 

Be more alert in school premises nowadays for the sake of your children

News have been circulating about the perpetrator who had the intention to cause a stir in the local community. He was apprehended by the Royal Brunei Police Force and being charged for molesting an 11-year girl on the premises of St. Andrew’s School. Man, that’s my former school during my primary and second years.

I’m glad the police managed to apprehend 28 year old Pg Shahirul Hamadi Pg Hj Jaya. Apparently it’s not the first time he has been involved in similar incidents.

According to the report, a St Andrew’s School teacher filed a police report describing how an unknown man tried to force a female student into his car. The girl managed to get away from the man and immediately informed a teacher who tried to give chase. The teacher also reported that the suspect touched the girl on her chest and tried to coerce another student into his vehicle.

He is now on trial and being charged. He could be facing up to five years in prison with whipping if convicted of outraging the modesty of the female student. His next hearing will be on 9th of July. Let’s hope justice is served.

CEO of the bank, Rino (Donny) Donosepoetro, CEO of SCB (center seated) with the associates of Standard Chartered Brunei at Tardinak D’ Polo recently. Image courtesy of SCB.

More than 100 staff from Standard Chartered Bank broke fast together at Tarindak D’Polo, Jerudong Park Polo & Riding Club last Wednesday.

The sungkai gathering was organised by the bank through its Recreation Club, which regularly organises staff engagement activities and feature a wide range of activities to cater to various lifestyles of their employees from active sports to leisure activities. Some recent activities included movie outing, regular yoga, badminton and basketball sessions as well as mini bowling tournament.

CEO of the bank, Rino (Donny) Donosepoetro, said: “This being my first Ramadhan here in Brunei, I am delighted to have sungkai together with our staff members outside of work as well as get to know more of the local culture around this season. We believe staff engagement initiatives such as these would encourage more open communications and strengthen team dynamics when staff get to know each other better thereby reflecting the values we hold as being trustworthy, responsive and international.”

To find out more about Standard Chartered Bank and its career opportunities, visit www.sc.com/en/careers.

Get your hair serviced at Camellia Hair & Beauty

People are now busy with Hari Raya shopping for fabrics, decks and food. Let’s not forget that we need to groom ourselves to before Hari Raya which means pampering yourself at the salon.

There’s a new salon for your info and it’s located at Serusop area. It’s called Camellia Hair & Beauty and the prices are pretty reasonable if you ask me. The salon is only cater for female. There are able to provide the usual services (cut, trim, was, blow) and also other services such as waxing, facial, foot spa, mani and pedicure.

Currently they are having a special promotion with a 50% discount on straightening, digital perming, normal perming and coloring as well. On top of this, they will also give free treatment. Good deal indeed.

The salon is located on 1st floor, Unit 2, Simpang 94 at Delima. For appointments, you can reach Betty Goh (872 3396) or Annabelle (865 5316). Grab this opportunity while you can and pamper yourself. I think all the ladies will love the head massage while shampooing. Well, my friends did.

Betty is a certified hairstylist

Their best part of the service – shampooing

Both sisters loved it :p

A small unit area

The services available and even a 50% on selected services