Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah said she took part because Nancy helped Brunei with medals and it is about time Bruneians showed some support. Beside Her Royal Higness is HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim at the Cycle & Run Charity for Nancy last night at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Image taken by Asdeny Yakub of The Brunei Times.

HER Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah yesterday evening joined thousands in a charity cycle and run for ex-national athlete Nancy Tea Ai Seng which began at theHassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

HRH, who was accompanied by HRH Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim, showed her support by wearing the iconic yellow “Charity for Nancy” shirt along with the rest of the participants, and even joined in the warm-up exercise before the 5.5-kilometre fun run began.

The crowd, comprising 2,049 runners and 278 cyclists had nothing but smiles and enthusiasm on their faces as they showed up to help Brunei’s former national athlete who recently suffered a spinal injury. 

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah said the turnout was “overwhelming for Nancy’s cause”.

“I did not expect the turn out to be so big. This shows our people, especially our youth, are very caring and are concerned about the plight of the people of Brunei,” the minister told The Brunei Times in an interview.

For more report of the articles, click here and here. Text courtesy of Rachel Thien of The Brunei Times.

The NewXpo is aimed at invigorating the national economy and giving valuable market and networking opportunities to local businesses. The inaugural NewXpo will take place at the National Indoor Stadium from 28 January to 3 February, and will house around 300 booths of a wide range of products and services from local and overseas exhibitors. The NewXpo is organised by Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd and co-organised by Adison Marketing Services, AdXpert Marketing, MediaHub Event Management & Marketing Solutions, and Prime Media Event Management & Advertising.

Some would say it’s similar to the Consumer Fair but I guess this Expo has a different direction as compared to the recent Consumer Fair. The official opening will be tomorrow and I shall be covering the event as well.

Sunlit Advertising has also practice corporate social responsibility by providing free booth and exhibition space to NGOs to raise their funds for charitable causes. In the recent Consumer Fair, we see NGOs such as SMARTER Brunei, KACA, Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Hajjah Maryam, LiveWIRE Brunei and Health Promotion Centre to name a few. These NGOs will be making their presence once again at NewXpo. There will also be a charity car show at the NewXpo.

The NewXpo is taking place at the National Indoor Stadium Car Park in Berakas. The soft launching of the expo will be held from 26 – 27 January, and the official opening will be on 28 January. The NewXpo will end on Sunday 3 February. Daily opening hours are 10 am to 10 pm and a free shuttle bus will be available from the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. Around 300 booths of different categories of products and services from Brunei and foreign exhibitors are featured at The NewXpo, the first time that five leading advertising and event management firms have joined together to offer the public such a wide range of exhibitors, products and services in one venue.

There are also other exciting games and many prizes to be won at The NewXpo. The NewXpo is organised by Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd, and coorganised by Adison Marketing Services, AdXpert Marketing, MediaHub Event Management & Marketing Solutions, and Prime Media Event Management & Advertising. The expo is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

Orchid flower show at The NewXpo

Looking for beautiful and elegant auspicious gifts or home décor for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations? Or perhaps searching for a just-right present for a new homeowner?Look no further than the exotic orchid flower show in bloom at the on-going NewXpo at the National Indoor Stadium Car Park.

Located in Zone A of The NewXpo, and placed strategically near the sales of Chinese New Year items, is a dazzling display of exotic orchids for visitors to browse through and choose from. The imported multi-genus and hued orchids are available as individually potted items,and pre-bookings are also accepted for flower hampers for the approaching Lunar New Year season and other special occasions.

 

SMARTER 17 Hill Challenge

The SMARTER Hill Challenge is back!! The event will take place over an entire day starting at 7am and ending about 5pm. The first phase will take place at Bukit Shahbandar and the second phase will begin at Bukit Mentiri. The SMARTER Brunei Charity 17-Hill Challenge will be held in seven different locations within the Brunei-Muara district, with varying levels of difficulty.

So if you are up to the challenge or simply want to try it out, register for the main event, scheduled for February 3, next week at Bukit Shahbandar, Tasek Lama and Bukit Markucing.T-shirts to be worn during the challenge will be given to participants by the end of this month, before the event.

AS PART of My Small World community service, the toy chain store is sponsoring the latest Yansan mountain bicycle model during the SMARTER Brunei Charity 17-Hill Challenge 2013.

As an added benefit, all participants would get a 20 per cent discount voucher from the toy store on all products including bicycle accessories and Premier Football Club Merchandises. The company will also donate $20 to SMARTER for every customer who purchases a Yansan bicycle from now until the challenge date.

For more information or enquiries, please call SMARTER at 2654812 during office hours or call the challenge chairman, Major (Rtd) Md Talip on 8865646.

There is a session every Sunday to build up stamina and getting ready for the real deal for SMARTER Brunei Charity 17-Hill Challenge. This will allow participants to test their abilities and know what to expect during the 17-hill challenge. Mind you, it’s not compulsory for you to go to all the challenges. So peeps, are you up for the challenge? :))

SMARTER 17 Hill Challenge map. Click image to enlarge.

 

This was super fun.. Yesterday we organised a small get together with the local media and bloggers for a some futsal action at the new venue called “Bola-Bola” which is located at Times Square. Well, you might be wondering where “Bola-Bola” is located.. Do you know where the kids play area is? It’s located on the floor right above food court area.

Bola-Bola is founded by Effendi Hj Said, also the founder of FES Retro. He has a bigger intention as it’s not only sports related by also to create a better bonding session among friends and families. This is very true as our local media friends had a blast yesterday and it’s pretty rare that we get involved in sports activities together as friends. There will be more to come definitely 🙂

For your info, the rental fee is BND 40 per hour per court and there are two courts. The operating hours is 10am to 10pm while on weekends it opens from 7:30am to 12 midnight. It will be closed on Fridays 11:30am to 2pm. You can check out updates on www.facebook.com/bolabola or follow @fesretro on instagram for updates. I do advise you to bring non-marking sole shoes to play.

With my media friends at Bola-Bola

It’s not easy squaring off agaisnt Jake *lol*

They are two courts at Bola-Bola

Thanis was solid in goal

I got caught in the net *lol*

They also sell futsal shoes

 

 

I haven’t been following or catching any of the DST Super League but I do keep track of the scores whenever I read the papers or updates from my inbox from Hj Mohd Taha (thank you for the update, sir). The result that caught my eyes was the thrashing of Najip FC by league leaders Indera SC 20-1 last night at Berakas Sports Complex. I thought I should blog about this because for one reason – is Najip FC not showing their best in every match? They have recorded an appalling record in terms of goal conceded – 49 goals in just 6 games in the DST Super LEague competition.

For your info, Najip FC team was established in 2009 and they had to go through a qualifying match group in order to qualify for the DST Super League tournament and they did in style (5 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss). No disrespect to the qualifying in Group A of the DST National League but perhaps the quality of the teams in that group might be a misrepresentation of the standard of DST Super League. Najip FC had a fairy tale season when they qualified for the DST Super League. They even had three points gifted to them at one stage because their opponents Youngsters FC failed to field enough players. Back then, Najip FC were in the same group with LLRC FT which has a mixed season in terms of results but at least they had 3 wins and 3 losses in the current DST Super League as compared to Najip FC’s 6 losses in 6 matches.

I do hope things to improve for Najip FC in the upcoming matches and reserve the slide. I believe there is still hope and do take it one step at a time. Just need that self belief….

Here’s the timing of last night’s scoring feat by Indera SC.

45 secs Muhd Nur Ikwan Bin Othman (the fastest goal in the Super League)
7 min Mohd Aqmal Hakeem Abd Hamid
12 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
13 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
16 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
19 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
29 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
36 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
38 min Mohd Afi Aminuddin
40 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
Second half
46 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
52 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
58 min Mohd Aqmal Hakeem Abd Hamid
65 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
67 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
68 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman
76 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
78 min Muhd Nur Ikwan Bin Othman
83 min Mohd Azwan Ali Rahman
89 min Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman

Taken from today’s The Brunei Times

Taken from today’s Sunday Bulletin

 

The Chicken Prosperity Burger set meal

Fans of McDonald’s Prosperity Burger can now look forward to its Chicken Prosperity Burger, officially launched yesterday at the restaurant in Gadong.

The burger is made up of a juicy chicken patty slathered with black pepper sauce and topped with slivered onions. Priced at $6.40, the Chicken Prosperity Burger caters for chicken lovers and provides a variation to fans of the original beef Prosperity Burger.

The Chicken Prosperity Burger also comes as part of the Prosperity Meal, which also includes Twister Fries and the refreshing Prosperity McFizz. The Twister Fries curls of perfectly seasoned potatoes cooked to a golden brown is hugely popular, while the Prosperity McFizz a mix of Minute Maid orange juice drink and Sprite complements the spiciness of the burger.

The medium-sized meal is priced at $7.80 while the large-sized meal costs $8.40.

McDonald’s also launched its Pokemon-themed Happy Meals yesterday, where a Pokemon toy will be given away with each Happy Meal. Customers can choose between four-piece nuggets, a cheeseburger, a beefburger, one piece of fried chicken or a McChicken burger with their Happy Meal, which ranges in price from $4.50 to $4.95.

Visit McDonald’s today to try out its latest additions or call 2449669 for deliveries. Text courtesy of Mei Fung Lee.

Pokemon toys at McDonald’s

You will get to try the shawarma kebab at Seasons Restaurant

“Arabian Nights” promotion is up to 31st January at Seasons Restaurant brought to you by Royal Brunei Catering (RBC). Famous Arabian dishes such as Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Falafel (chickpea patty), sharwarma kebabs, beef kofta, lamb tagine, prawn beryani, chicken bukhari, samak quwaemah, lamb bahmia and many more.

The buffet dinner is priced at $29.90 for adults and $17 per child. For RBC dining privilege holders, card members will only have to pay discounted prices of $26.91 for adult and $15.30 per child. RBC also announced that for the first 5 customers to dine in and dress up in Arabian attire, they will also receive a $5 voucher daily.

Chef Rosli of RBC said the lamb mandy has been very popular as they have guests taking away in numbers. He shared that it’s not easy to prepare and interested parties will have to pre-order a day or two should they request in huge numbers.
For reservations, do call Seasons Restaurant 242 2291/2. The promotion ends 31st January 2013.

Imam Bayildi (Egg plant)

Ok, the lamb was pretty awesome!!! and tender too. They will be serving the lamb everyday as part of the promotion

This one me likes!!

Mandy rice

Chicken Korma

Some of the dine-in guests. It was almost full house last Wednesday

The dessert line

Are you a big fan of Hummus?

 

 

With more than 430 likes on Facebook for the Brunei Meme competition, this meme won the first round and the meme was done by Eng Chen. Do click the image to see the comments for the meme posted on Facebook.

Alex, Eric, Royston with the staff of MADbites Cafe

Congratulations to Alex Chua, Eric Wong and Royston, the trio behind Madbites, who will finally open their MADbites cafe tomorrow. There are not many dessert cafes in Brunei. The one I know so far is Colony Tea Room. MADbites Cafe is located at Peugeot Showroom, Kiarong (near the big roundabout) and yes, you might be asking how is that possible? Well, it is possible and I believe in Europe, some car showroom have in-house cafes too. So this will be something new indeed. For your info, Ricebowl has also started a similar concept at TCY showroom at Batu Bersurat.

MADbites has created a lot of buzz through means on social media and they also have been feature on the local press and of course, on RA and LFHW. So it’s nice to know they have finally a physical space for customers to dine in or even collect their orders.

According to Alex Chua, they will be introducing sandwiches in the menu. So far, there are some cakes, scones and tarts to go along with the fizzy and hot drinks. And of course, their macarons are their speciality. Over time, new items will be introduced to get the menu list refreshed.

For your info, MADbites Cafe is open daily except for Sunday from 10am to 10pm. So if you are looking for quality desserts and a cozy, quiet place, then MADbites cafe is the place to be. Oh yeah, only for Friday 25th January, MADbites Cafe will have a 20% discount on all the menu items.

The atmosphere at MADbites Cafe

Some of the desserts now available at MADbites Cafe

The fizzy drinks are refreshing

So which flavour are you? I like the chocolate peppermint

Thanis’ favourite – Hansel and Gretel (Savoury Cream Puff with hazelnut and mustard cream)

This is pretty good

Though it looks rich in chocolate, this has a good kick indeed

You will taste some almond sponge, chocolate and coffee

This tea does help to wash down some palate from eating the desserts

Just to prove to you it’s located at the Peugeot Showroom *lol*

Click image to University Cup 2013 Facebook page

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook Page

 

30% off on all boutique items and also 100 visitors will get a free gift too. For one day only!!

 

Pehin Yasmin delivering an inspiring speech about entrepreneurship *salutes*

I like Pehin Yasmin’s (the Minister of Energy Division at the Prime Minister’s Office) speech last Wednesday in driving more local SMEs in Brunei Darussalam and not give up hope. The speech was delivered during Ignite 2012/2013 Business Plan prize presentation held at Indera Samudra Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club.

It is true that if we were to sustain entrepreneurs in Brunei, training is required to improve our skills. He used a great example such as China and Singapore where countries are rich in SMEs and Brunei can be on that path if we put more believe and work hard for it.

I do agree about Pehin’s statement on how business can get congested in terms of delivering similar products as other competitors. This is what I call the “Nasi Katok” effect and this is pretty common in Brunei. A good example would be the Potato Twist and the take-away chicken business. These are considered rising markets and they are now prominent in the social network, promoting their business and getting recognised.

It was another full house event at Ignite prize presentation with majority being students which is a great opportunity from them to learn from the Minister’s advice. This is also one of my vision, to aspire and inspire more youth to undertake entrepreneurship and take that extra courage and trust yourself that it’s ok to succeed and it’s also ok to fail. Well, that’s part of business, ain’t it?

One entrepreneur that I can highly recommend you to learn from is Keeran Janin of MeSixty who has tirelessly experience success and failure on his business adventures. Right now his business is taking off on a whole new different level with the support of Brunei Economic Development Board and iCentre and also angel investors.

I envisioned Brunei to be have more local ICT players and developers in the next three years. We do have a lot to catch up but it’s never too late. I am also venturing into mobile software development to see more possibilities. Let the games begin.

It’s good to see Dato Timothy among the invited guests. He believes in me which drive me to newer heights.

Hello Ambrose, Shazali and Stuart

The finalists of the Ignite participants were anxious for the results

Pehin Yasmin was smiling when Musegeek Technologies’ idea was shown on the screen. He kinda liked it.

It was a full house event once more

They had to put extra chairs for the late comers

The usual suspects – Nat and Allen

Some of the guests last Wednesday

Pehin Yasmin visiting Cubebox

Pehin Yasmin visiting PHMD Publishing

Pehin Yasmin visiting Silverwings Services

Pehin Yasmin visiting Rumbian Nation

Pehin Yasmin visiting SocialBuzz

Pehin Yasmin visiting BruInnovEdu

Pehin Yasmin always sharing his ideas to Adi Shamsul whenever he became aware of ideas

 

Call Sazali 875 4868 or Whatsapp at 8750055 or email him at sazaliariff@ gmail.com –> Usual price BND 2,500 but now promotional price at BND 1,800

 

It’s happening this Sunday. So get your tickets soon. Brought to you by CANDAS Theater.

 

The guest of honour with the winners of Ignite 2012/2013 last and the judges last Wednesday

This is like the Oscars version for ICT awards. Well, we still do have the BICTA but it seems that Ignite have created more uniqueness and they have managed to get many participants ever since its inception a few years ago. Thumbs up to iCentre and Brunei Economic Development Board for making this possible and opening up new doors for the youth in terms of creation of new ideas.

This time, Hiro Tien, bettered himself after his runner-up finish last year. His idea of “Gigland” landed him with first place in the ICT Open Business Plan Category. His startup business company Socialbuzz is already gaining momentum in Brunei and he’s one of the rising stars in the Brunei ICT companies. As most of you know, Socialbuzz is also the reason behind Social Deal (the groupon version of Brunei).

His “Gigland” idea bagged first prize worth BND 20,000 and his prototype will able to connect individuals with talents and skills from around the world with potential employers with the aid of geo-tagging technology. These micro-jobs are geo-tagged to specific locations on an interactive world map.

Aswana (Bebeh) of Musegeek Technologies won 2nd place (BND 10,000) and her idea was also awarded the Most Innovative idea (BND 3,000). This is perhaps one of the best achievement for Bebeh and she hopes to make her idea into reality. I certainly hope so too. The only irony is that her business proposal failed to win the hearts of BEDB Leap Grant’s panelists a few months ago.

Third place was shared between Hj Suhardi of MediaHikmah and Ak Mohd Khairi of PHMD Publishing (BND 5,000). MediaHikmah won the grand prize in BICTA 2012 but he wasn’t able to repeat the same feat for Ignite 2012/2013 award. His best achievement was winning a merit award last year in APICTA 2012 for his prototype.

As for College and University category, Bruelit from ITB won first place with BND 4,000 whereas Kg Ayer Sensation came 2nd with BND 2,000. My friend Winnie Sia came third for her Inkprints idea with BND 1,000.

As for the international category, Singaporean company, Jublia was awarded in the International Category with BND 8,000 while Tap Mind from Sri Lanka received a consolation award with BND 1,000.

Too bad this time round, I didn’t make Top 3 for my EVODE idea but not to worry as this idea will be implemented soon this year. It’s great to see newbies stepping up and I hope there are more participants from the young generation because the opportunities are simply out there. You just need to take that extra courage to believe in yourselves more.

Hiro Tien of Socialbuzz, the big winner for Ignite 2012

Aswana of Musegeeks Technologies won 2nd place in ICT Open Category

Khairi and Suhardy came 3rd place in ICT Open Category

Bruelit came 1st place for College and University category

Kg Ayer Sensation came 2nd place for College and University category

Winnie Sia of Inkprints came 3rd place for College and University category

Jublia won first place in International Category

Tap Mind won consolation prize in International Category

Hiro didn’t expect to win because of the tough questions raised by the chief judge during his final presentation. All his hard work has paid off indeed!

Bebeh didn’t expect to win two awards, one being innovative. However, she still wonders why her LEAP application was rejected and yet the panelists of the Ignite 2012 love her ideas. Given the choice, she would prefer to get the LEAP Grant.

I A Salon conducted a few workshop for I A Salon hairstylists using new approach scalp check-up technique. There is this new way where you can use an indicator from La Biosthetique that will test your Sebum (oily) and dandruff level and also the pH level of your scalp. This indicator will let you know the condition of your scalp within minutes and from there, they are able to know what treatment to use for your scalp.

Well, I have to admit that my scalp wasn’t in top condition to start off with. I have a very sensitive scalp to begin with and yes, a few redness as well on my scalp. I had a small fear that they would know how sensitive my scalp is *lol* It seems that I take for granted that my scalp will always be ok and allow it to be in a sensitive state for quite some time.

So it was such a timely manner that I A Salon brought in two associates from Malaysia La Biosthetique – Sara Ong, Sales Executive and Victoria Lam, Educator who were in Brunei to brief the staff of I A Salon as well as the media during the workshop. Hence, I was one of them that was being tested on and I also had my hair treatment using La Biosthetique.

They also brought in the new batch of La La Biosthetique products from Paris which are not available yet in Brunei but the new products will be coming in soon. For your info, these high quality products have a great track record and I have used it before a few years ago. I just happened to get one again to repair my scalp and it’s about time I do take care of my scalp too.

I highly recommend you to try out La Biosthetique products (from Paris) and you can even have your scalp treatment at I A Salon. Do call 242 3232 or 873 8232 and the salon is located at The Mall.

Group photo with I A Salon with representatives from La Biosthetique (Malaysia)

Cecilia Lee of I A Salon explaining the La Biosthetique products

Victoria Lam, Educator of La Biosthetique (Malaysia) briefing the media

Lai had her scalp tested and she kinda passed the test *lol*

Once tested, you will see the level of cebum and dandruff on your scalp

These are the indictors used for checking your scalp

I had a quick scalp reading and my oh my, it’s pretty sensitive…

So I had this treatment applied on my scalp first. This is the Epicelan Clarifant which is a gel for intensive removal of dandruff

So I had these applied with a good 5 minute scalp massage

Then I shampooed my hair with this

… and this too

Rachel has fine hair indeed. Awesome!!!

The new La Biosthetique product which will be coming soon to Brunei

The new La Biosthetique product which will be coming soon to Brunei

The new La Biosthetique product is also organic

Click image to University Cup 2013 Facebook page

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook Page

 

RA says it’s great to be alive and grateful for it as well. It was a strange past evenings I had especially before I hit the sack. I had this feeling of passing out whenever I was about to close my eyes to sleep. I would have this momentary blurry vision and feeling giddy for a split second when I was just about to shut my eyes. It was kinda weird but that was the best description that I could give.

I was kinda scared at the beginning and the first assumption that I will have is my own health. I started having all these thoughts of medical symptoms that might trigger all this. I know my cholesterol level is a one point from the safe zone and this was tested almost a half year ago. Yea, I could say I haven’t been eating properly and my egg intake is quite high *oopsy*

Anyway, there was another conclusion that I came up with and it could be the fact that my air circulation in my tiny room didn’t help either. For the past few days, my a/c was faulty and I was reminded that my a/c needs to be serviced every 3 to 4 months. Hence, last night I brought with me my bolster and duvet and slept downstairs in the living room and after half an hour, I felt better and I was able to doze off peacefully around 3ish *sorry bumbum* Well, it kinda proved that it might be the a/c in my room though that’s causing my body behaviour. We shall wait and see after my a/c is being serviced.

Today will be another big day for me as I will be presenting my business idea for the Ignite 2012 Business Plan Competition (formerly known as Think Big) and I will be up against 5 other finalists (3 three iCentre incubatees, one BICTA winner and one UBD lecturer) in the ICT Open Category. Tomorrow will be the prize presentation and I can’t really say if I’m nervous this time round or maybe it’s too soon to be nervous *lol* What is more important is I delivered my best and be content with it with no expectations attached. Well, maybe a little but not too high *lol*

My last participation was back in 2011 for Lovefoodhatewaste and that was a great experience. Good luck to all the participants especially to my friend Winnie Sia who is in the Student category for Ignite 2012. This will be my last participation in Ignite business plan competition and I want to play a role as a mentor for students for those interested to learn more about business plans and presentations.

Lately I’ve been in cloud nine because of my new found love – “Kara” *lol* For your info, Kara is a Korean girl band that have been growing in popularity and I was sold for the first time when I saw them live at the recent Golden Disk Awards 2013 in Kuala Lumpur. I also found new respect for Korean artistes and organisers simply because the concert was almost flawless and the quality delivered was very high indeed.

Now why I brought this topic in the “Ugly Truth” is one thing – can Bruneians rise up to these standards one day? Mind you, I still feel that live concerts by regional countries doesn’t come close to what the Koreans can do. So it’s safe to say that Brunei is a few steps behind our regional countries in terms of music and entertainment. Because of the lack of support as well as many guidelines from relevant agencies, this may have slow down any potential or creativity that our youth or talents may have in expressing them through means of music, arts and drama.

A friend of mine who has been in the local music scene shared with me on how challenging it has been for the Brunei music scene. Because of many restrictions, it kinda challenge our local talents to find ways to make music or entertainment acceptable and also well received. My friend said that the best way and the acceptable way (without any hiccups from the agencies) is to express music by simply playing musical instruments.

I love the “Open Mic” concept that was organised by my friend occasionally but I heard that soon venues will have restrictions imposed on having live band performing even though they are local artistes. I just hope this ain’t true. Last year, Andy and the Method managed to find loopholes in the system in order to perform for the public. It is sad to know that Brunei entertainment scene has been handicapped further (if the things I’ve mentioned above are implemented). We already know that international artistes are banned from performing publicly in Brunei unless it’s a private event.

So I feel that there is not much outlet for our musicians or singers to express themselves and I’m sure all these bring positive outcome and it’s way better than creating social ills in Brunei. I have seen some raw talents in Brunei but the support and the outlet (to showcase) are still a huge question mark. I believe there is still hope to fight for this because I believe in the positive outcome music can bring to our community especially the youth. 

On a positive note, the local movie scene might just open new doors for talents. I know Origins Films is coming up with a locally made movie named “Yasmine”. They have already casted some actors for the movie and I can’t wait to see the result. Another local movie that will be released soon by 23rd February is “Ada Apa Dengan Rina” and last week there was a special screening for media which I wasn’t able to attend and according my socmed buddies, this movie was hilarious and this is a great start coming from a local movie produced by Regalblue Production. I will just have to wait until the release date.

So here’s my segment of today’s The Ugly Truth and have a nice Tuesday ahead 😀

The casts of Ada Apa Dengan Rina. The movie is slated for a release on 23rd February. Image courtesy of Harlif Mohamad of Regalblue Production

Behind the scenes of last weekend’s photoshoot for Yasmine. Click image to enter Yasmine Facebook page.

A great initiative by Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam where they encouraged their customers to go green by viewing your bank account through means of e-Statement and they even throw in an awesome gimmick where you can stand a chance to win an iPhone 5 and promotion is valid until the 27th January.

Well, as a BIBD Online user, only then you will have access to free paperless statements. The steps are simple really once you log in and just follow the instructions from the poster below. It’s easy, quick and free!! and plus you stand a chance to win an iPhone 5 too.

Icon Design Store lucky draw

Do enter Icon Design Store Facebook page and stand a chance win their awesome European furniture by liking their page

A grand lucky draw to kick-start your 2013! Icon Design Store is having a Lucky Draw for all Facebook peeps! Simply LIKE Icon Design Store page on Facebook and stand a chance to win great prizes with 1,000+ likes! Draw date is January 25th 2013.

1) Grand Prize: $500 Gift Voucher with 1,500+ Facebook Likes
2) Cannes Sun Lounger
3) $250 Gift Voucher
4) Tolomeo Desk Lamp
5) $100 Gift Voucher
6) Dalu Table Lamp

In order to qualify for the Lucky Draw you need to like ICON Design Store facebook page. So what are you waiting for? 😀

You might win a $500 gift voucher from Icon Design Store

You might win a Dalu Table lamp from Icon Design Store

An artwork entitled A Woman for All Seasons IV by Bronwyn Bancroft from Australia, being displayed at BIG ONES LITTLE ONES “In My World” Brunei Exhibition. This artwork costs BND 8,450. You can view over 300 paintings at the Art Gallery, Dermaga Diraja (formerly known as the Waterfront) in town.

OVER 300 paintings from the ‘Big Ones Little Ones (BOLO)’ collection are currently on display and purchasable at the Art Gallery of the Dermaga Diraja BSB in the capital, from now until February 19.

The exhibition was yesterday launched by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Hazair bin Hj Abdullah, in the presence of, among others, Professor Marie Roslyn Bashir, the Governor of New South Wales, Australia.

The special exhibition showcasing the collection of Big Ones Little Ones comprises artworks from over 30 countries around the world. The collection, founded by Trish Amichi of Amichi Gallery, is based in Sydney, Australia.

The exhibition was organised by the Brunei Museum Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Digital Impression.

The programme aims to provide children (little ones), particularly those with special needs, and those from remote areas, an opportunity and a platform to communicate graphically to adults (big ones) and viewers alike of their perception of the world. This will ultimately foster a better understanding of their diverse culture and backgrounds.

A total of 168 pupils from 23 primary schools in Brunei are taking part in the programme, alongside renowned local artists. The work of Brunei’s little ones will become part of the BOLO collection and will travel to other venues.

The exhibition is open to public from January 20 to February 19.

Trish Amich, founder of BOLO, believes that cross-cultural arts/education programme plays a role in child development and education

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports was present for the official opening of BOLO Exhibition

Some of the invited guests for the BOLO Exhibition

50% of the sales will be donated to a Bruneian charity which is yet to be determined. For those wokrs that do not sell, some of them will be donated to a children’s hospital.

The BOLO collection has travelled to a number of venues in Australia and other countries, connecting people and promoting understanding and tolerance through art. Since its establishment in 2004, it has travelled to 10 different venues, including Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and China.

The ‘In My World’ theme has been specifically selected for the Brunei event. This is relevant to the programme as it captures a child’s view of the world and how his view will be translated, and appreciated by the wider world of the Big Ones.

Apart from showcasing the collection and helping create a more peaceful, harmonious and inclusive world, the programme also aims to give art lovers, collectors as well as artists the opportunity to contribute to charitable organisations, as the artworks are for sale and the proceeds from Little Ones will, in part, go to charity.

Dato Paduka Ar Hj Idris BH Abas, the co-chairman of the BOLO Exhibition (Brunei Darussalam) said, BOLO Brunei exhibition was made possible thanks to the hard work of committee members and cooperation between the private sector and the government.

The exhibition is supported Royal Brunei, Standard Chartered Bank, Arkitek Idris and other supporting sponsors and media partners.

At the launch yesterday, Dato Paduka Ar Hj Idris said, “Through this BOLO programme, we are giving opportunity to all – especially the deprived children and those students from the rural/remote schools – to participate and expose their talents in art and creativities.

“For this programme, we have already conducted one workshop for selected students from about 10 schools. We will then select some of the good artworks to be part of the BOLO collection, which will then travel to other countries’ exhibition just like what we have conducted today – the exhibition in Brunei Darussalam.

“As as avid supporter of arts and in recognition and promotion of local artists, I regard this exhibition as an opportunity for the children (especially for those with special needs) and youths to showcase their talents and skills as their means of communicating and conveying their thoughts, views and dreams.” Text courtesy of Azaraimy HH of Borneo Bulletin.

 

Click image to University Cup 2013 Facebook page

It’s a pity that UNISSA “A” failed to make the cut. Their final match in the group stage was academic as they won’t be able to reach top two in Group A. Ironically UNISSA “A” is undefeated and yet they didn’t make it through (1 win, 3 draws). However, they have a good finisher, Julzani Hj Zaini who scored his a hat-trick yesterday in a 4-0 win over Brunei Polytechnic “B” at the Royal Brunei Recreation Club yesterday. This is second hat-trick of the tournament and he has seven goals to his name so far. Amazing!!

UNISSA “A” finished third in Group A with no more matches remaining while the UBD “A” and ITB “A” will fight for the bragging rights for Group A sometime this week and both teams have actually qualified for the semi-finals regardless of the outcome.

In Group B, KUPUSB “A” will take on UNISSA “B” on the 25th January though both sides will be playing for pride unless UNISSA “B” can score more than 11 goals to better their goal difference. UBD “B” still have a mathematical chance to qualify when they take on ITB “B” on the same day. Brunei Polytechnic “A” is likely to qualify for the semi-finals should UBD “B” fail to win against ITB “B” this Friday. So there are still points to play for in Group B.

For more updates and pictures of the matches, you can click here to view them. The Facebook page is pretty updated and the committee have worked tiredlessly to provide the information on every match. Thumbs up to them!!

The pictures below are courtesy of Azizi@Azri, taken from BIBD At-tamwil University Cup facebook page.

The match between UNISSA “A” and Brunei Polytechnic “B”

The match between UNISSA “A” and Brunei Polytechnic “B”

The match between UNISSA “A” and Brunei Polytechnic “B”

Julzani celebrated after scoring for UNISSA “A”. He was Man of the Match with his hat-trick effort.

 

I’m amazed by the collections on display especially the figurines by six local collectors who brought their personal collection, mostly from Hot Toys. I know in Singapore that they have dedicated shops selling such figurine and it’s not available here in Brunei. The toy display was part of Toyland Adventure event which took place at Mabohai Shopping Complex.

Muaz, one of the collectors who showcased his Ironman collection, said that he spent a few thousands on his collections.

For your info, the Brunei Usergroup Lego and Technic (BULAT) will be having a display next week and it’s organised by Forevershine and the event is sponsored by ToysRus and it will also take place at Toyland Adventure at Mabohai Shopping Complex .

 

Cooltones and B-Mobile held its first FLY2UK Monthly Mini Draw, where the first prize of a Samsung Galaxy smartphone was won by Hjh Rabi’ah Hj Abd Rashid.

In second place was Khairunnisa Md Said, who received a QQestore voucher worth $100 and a B-Mobile top-up worth $15. Both winners, as well as third-place winner Nur Amirah Ambrin, received a KFC meal voucher, a seven-day Fitness Zone pass, a movie ticket for MVision Cinema and Cooltones merchandise.

A prize presentation was also held for Pelangi SMS Quiz winner Nurul Hilda Omarali, who took home Cooltones merchandise, B-Mobile top up and vouchers.

Presenting the prizes were B-Mobile Marketing Executive Md Iskandar Zulkipli, KFC Brunei General Manager Del Goh, Fitness Zone Membership Manager Raymond Calpo Rapi and Modasys Assistant Manager Pg Saiful Khalid Pg Yunos.

The prize presentations were held in conjunction with the ongoing FLY2UK SMS Quiz, where the grand prize winner will be sponsored to fly to the UK to watch a Barclays Premier League football match.

As the official radio station for the quiz, Pelangi FM is airing questions daily until March 31. Daily quiz winners will stand to win prizes from the contest’s sponsors, while weekly quiz winners will bring home goodie bags and attractive sponsored prizes.

This year’s quiz is sponsored by AutoPro Tyre, B-Mobile, Fitness Zone, Huawei, KFC Brunei, MVision, QQestore and Socialdeal Brunei.

Interested B-mobile subscribers can participate by texting FLY to 38833. Additionally, BPL Wap, Cooltones subscribers and Fitness Zone members who are playing the quiz will get 15 points each month.

For more information about FLY2UK subscribers, call B-Mobile at 177 or visit its official website at www.3g.com.bn. Text by Mei Fung Lee of The Brunei Times.

Weekly winners of the Pelangi FM

Weekly winners of the FLY2UK

Guess who was in town…. Nawja Latif 😀 and Nana of KFC had a photo opp with her

Najwa Latif with the staff of KFC

 

Last Friday, I sent off Khalil Khasfi who has probably landed in New York City and good luck in your future studies in New York and yes, four years is gonna be a long, long time. Thank you for your contribution and your help whenever needed and thank you also for the great partnership you have created between RA and UBD FM. I know it will be tough to have a great leader like you. All the best 😀

Khalil with his friends at the airport before flying off

A farewell gathering for Khalil with his UBD FM mates recently

 

With the winners of Netcom lucky draw

Khairunissa Azri went home a happy winner yesterday after receiving a Dell Inspiron Ultrabook from Netcom Computer House as part of its lucky draw promotion.

In second place was Ak Mohd Yussof, who won a Dell 1430X projector, while third place winner Gerelson Bernardino won a QNAP TS-219P Network Attach Storage Server.

Nine other winners also received consolation prizes, which consisted of hardware and software from Netcom.

Present to hand over the prizes was Technical Director of Netcom Computer House Chong King Fui and Managing Director of Netcom Computer House Vincent Goh.

The lucky draw promotion was conducted from October 2012 to January 6. However, today saw the start of a new lucky draw promotion, which will continue until April 21, with the grand draw scheduled to be held on May 3. Prizes for this draw include a Dell Optiplex desktop, Dell notebooks and many more.

To join the draw, all customers have to do is purchase a product from any of the five Netcom Computer House branches and complete the lucky draw form.

For enquiries, call Netcom at its headquarters in Kiulap at 2231563/4; at The Mall, Gadong at 2424027/8; at its Tutong branch at 4220651/2; and at its Kuala Belait branch at 3341063/4.

One of the consolation winners

One of the consolation winners

One of the consolation winners

Ak Mohd Yussof won a Dell 1430X projector

Gerelson Bernardino won a QNAP TS-219P Network Attach Storage Server

Khairunissa Azri won a Dell Inspiron Ultrabook

 

It was full house at ihtifal TAIB roadshow lucky draw few Sundays ago

Siti Norazima Hj Md Zin was announced as the grand prize winner of an Umrah travel package during the Ihtifal TAIB roadshow’s lucky draw recently at the Airport Mall in Berakas.

In second place was Nurasikin Masri, who won an Osim uDivine 3D Massage Chair, while Masri Hj Ludin took home the third place prize of an Apple MacBook Pro.

To enter the draw, visitors were required to visit various booths at the event, filling up their “Ihtifal TAIB Passport” as they went around. This action would then give the visitor one coupon to enter the draw. Visitors could also increase their chances of winning by applying for selected Perbadanan TAIB products during the roadshow applications for Property Financing would give the customer five coupons into the lucky draw, while applications for Education Financing, Education Kit Financing, Home Improvement Financing, Akaun SiManja and Akaun Tekad Haji Standing Instruction would give the customer two coupons into the lucky draw.

Presenting the prizes to the lucky draw winners were Managing Director of Perbadanan TAIB Yusof Hj Abdul Rahman, Managing Director of Insurans Islam TAIB Hj Osman Hj Jair and Member of the Board of Trustees from Pusat Ehsan Hj Ahmad Hj Abd Rahman.

The lucky draw coincided with the closing ceremony of Ihtifal TAIB, a four-day roadshow promoting products and services of Perbadanan TAIB.

The event was a collaborated effort between Perbadanan TAIB and its subsidiaries: Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd and Insurans Islam TAIB Sdn Bhd. A representative on behalf of Perbadanan TAIB stated, “Ihtifal TAIB would not have been a success without the assistance of Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd, Insurans Islam TAIB Sdn Bhd, as well as participating partners Brunei Usergroup Lego and Technic (BULAT), Pentagram Design, Tabung Amanah Pekerja (TAP), Jabatan Pengurusan Haji, Pusat Ehsan, the Health Promotion Centre and all the property agents.”

Attendees of the roadshow and lucky draw segment also saw a donation handover from Managing Director of Perbadanan TAIB Yusof Hj Abdul Rahman to a member of the Board of Trustees from Pusat Ehsan Hj Ahmad Hj Abd Rahman. Donation boxes had been set up in all Perbadanan TAIB branches in the Sultanate and a final count was done during the roadshow, where Perbadanan TAIB then presented a total of $1,154 to the special needs centre.

Ihtifal TAIB will be organised in the other districts throughout the year and the grand finale of the Ihtifal TAIB event in September will see one lucky individual win a brand new Hyundai Accent. Text by Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.

It has been 13 years already for Concepts Computer and tonight they celebrated their 13th year existence in Brunei by having an appreciation dinner at Seri Kemayan Restaurant with the Concepts Computer management and their staff and also members of the local media.

Vincent Pao has brought Concepts Computer to new heights with his leadership and vision. He appreciated his staff for their contribution, cooperation and teamwork. He also thanked the organising committee of the appreciation dinner.

Special mention also goes to Acer Sales & Services Sdn Bhd of Malaysia, Servex Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Highpoint Service Network of Malaysia, Epson Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Timetech Computer Trading Co, MCP Computer Pte Ltd of Singapore, Amble Actions Sdn Bhd, MCL Malaysia Bhd and HSBC for the sponsorship of prizes.

I won myself a computer speaker as part of the lucky draw. Our media friend Lai won an Acer V5 notebook :p Thank you Vincent and Concepts Computer for the invitation.

Mr. and Mrs. Pao with the staff of Concepts Computer

Vincent won himself a voucher

Another lucky winner of the 50 lucky draw prizes

Zatty won some goodie bag

I’ve lost count of how many printers Nana has right now

Adam didn’t get his prize until late

Tiger was aiming for the notebook but he ended up with a web camera

Lai was the fortunate one when we had a special draw for media

The “shake, shake” game was hilarious

A lucky winner from the executive management of Concepts Computer

A shock reaction from the audience when she won a projector. It was another special draw for the longest serving staff of Concepts Computer.

Luck was definitely on her side :))

The “shake, shake” game from the guys

One of the scenes of their drama act

No. 12 won the grand prize – Acer V5 notebook to cap off a great evening

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook Page

Radisson Hotel Brunei Darussalam presents mouth-watering “Oysters prepared in Six ways” at Deals Restaurant. Six ways with oysters available for dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm and prepared in six exciting ways namely grilled with herb and shallot butter, chowder with corn and pepper, crispy fried with papaya and chilli salsa, classic ‘Rockefeller’ with almond crumbs, ravioli with leeks and tabasco and warm terrine with bonito jelly at only B$24 per dozen or B$18 per half dozen.

“This amazing dish can be enjoyed as an appetizer to complement the main meal or as the main meal for the evening”, said Cameron Lawless, Food and Beverage Manager as well as the Executive Chef. “We are bringing back the oysters until 30 January to satisfy our diners’ craving and leaving them wanting more”.

For table reservations or enquiries, please call the hotel at 2244272.

Deals Restaurant is a modern, refreshing and contemporary venue that offers an extensive menu. Whatever the occasion, a celebration dinner with friends or a formal business lunch, Deals Restaurant is a unique place for you to relax and indulge in something very special. It also opens for lunch from Mondays to Thursdays and Saturdays from 12noon to 2pm. Deals Restaurant is closed on Friday for lunch, public holidays and Sundays.

 

When choosing a new car, consumers see the “Gelber Engel” as a sort of seal of approval as it doesn’t just look at design and image, but also takes into account criteria such as the vehicle’s price-performance ratio, functionality, efficiency, safety and eco-friendliness. Around 290,000 readers of the ADAC’s Motorwelt magazine as well as users of the club’s internet presence took part in this year’s vote. All-in-all, 52 cars were up for election, all of which came on to the market in 2012 for the first time. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class beat all of these to the top spot and is thus the favourite car of the Germans, being awarded the “Gelber Engel 2013” by Europe’s largest automobile club.

The A-Class impresses with its progressive design. Its exterior demonstrates  a particularly independent, sporty character and is complemented by an innovative interior which exudes both class and quality. What’s more, the  
A-Class offers excellent driving dynamics and engines which shine with great performance as well as modern, environmentally-friendly technology.

Mercedes-Benz A Class favourite car of the Germans

At the same time, the A-Class once again highlights the fact that safety at Mercedes-Benz is not a question of price. Amongst other systems, the COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST radar-based assistance system is fitted as standard. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz has achieved yet another world first by comprehensively integrating the iPhone® into the vehicle’s operating and display concept.

The exceptional position of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class in its segment had incidentally already been agreed upon by readers of AUTO BILD – a specialist magazine with massive circulation figures. The magazine had already voted the compact star the most attractive car in Germany as well as bestowing it the coveted AUTO BILD Design Award 2012.

 

Participants at the briefing yesterday

The Authority for Info-communication Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) continues to support ICT companies to participate in the prestigious CommunicAsia 2013 which will be held from 18 to 21 June 2013 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.  A briefing was conducted at AITI last Thursday and 30 ICT related companies from the ICT Industry attended. 

AITI’s Chief Executive, Mr. Yahkup Menudin in his opening remarks, emphasized the importance of local ICT companies to develop and sell their own ICT services and products so that they can be marketed overseas instead of just being ICT resellers.  Assistant Chief Executive for International Relations, Mr. Wallace Koh Hoe Aik, later briefed the audiences on the terms and conditions of AITI’s subsidised program for overseas exhibiition. BruGPS and Folec  Communications also shared their success stories from their participation in CommunicAsia 2012 last year as an encouragement and sharing their experiences.  Ms Claudine Ang from Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd, organizer for CommunicAsia 2013, was on-site to brief the ICT companies with regards to the venue and preparation process for participating in the event.

CommunicAsia 2013 will feature leading and home-grown exhibitors that will showcase comprehensive range of key and emerging technologies from augmented reality, FTTx, mobile broadband, mobile applications and innovations, nextgen connected services, NFC and mCommerce, OTT, smartphones & devices, telecom power solutions and many others. AITI is confident that CommunicAsia 2013 will continue to provide an excellent opportunity for our local ICT companies to get maximum exposure to potential buyers and to strike partnerships and deals.  Local ICT companies can also leverage this event to establish business networks and alliance with prominent ICT players from all over the world.

Reza Faizal of Folec Communications

As part of an ongoing effort in helping the local ICT Industry to participate in the international exhibition, AITI has came up with a series of incentives/subsidies for ICT companies which are keen to participate in the CommunicAsia 2013.  The subsidies include;
• One return economy air-ticket to Singapore for each participating company
• One standard hotel room.
• Transportation from airport to hotel vice versa
• A 3x2m or 3x3m booth within the Brunei Darussalam Pavilion inclusive of an A1 size colour company posters
 
Local ICT companies who have their own ICT products/services or have their regional product distributorships are encouraged to participate. Companies that are registered under AITI Accredited Business (AAB) Status will be given priority due to booths limitation. There will be a nominal participating fee of B$500 for each locally registered ICT company.  Application form can be obtained online from www.aiti.gov.bn. The deadline for submission to AITI’s office is on 15 March 2013.

For any query, please contact Ms Ang Hui Nee at 2366675  or email: huinee.ang@aiti.gov.bn or Ms Johana Sumin at 2366678 or email:johana.sumin@aiti.gov.bn

 

Click image to enter Brunei Meme Facebook Page

With memes going viral on the Internet, 1stopbrunei.com yesterday launched the first meme competition to challenge the nation’s creativity and sense of humour.

A meme can be considered as an idea or a behaviour that spreads from one person to another within a culture. Users would imitate any cultural phenomena, usually in the form of catchy phrases, out or inside the society they live in.

Brunei has joined the phenomena popularised through the use of social media. The nation even has its own form of meme which can be found on Facebook at Brunei Memes.

The aim of the competition is to promote the creativity of the public and unite people with the same interest through social media such as Facebook. Criteria of the memes will be judged based on the most important factor humour as well as originality and number of likes they receive from other Facebook users in Brunei.

The winning meme will be selected at the end of each week. It will be displayed on 1stopbrunei.com, as well as other few websites.

For further inquiries or interest in participation, email them to bruneimemes@hotmail.com or 1stopbrunei@gmail.com. Text by Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.

 

Save this number – 8989907 – especially if you have been using your BIBD Credit and Debit Cards. Every Tuesday or  Wednesday Dj Tina and Dj Hum will be calling the lucky winner on their KRISTALfm Breakfast Show to tell them they’ve just won a Galaxy Note 2 just because they’ve recently swiped their cards. So don’t reject that call from 8989907, you’ll be missing out on the cool prize. We’ve got 7 more to give away, so you better stay tuned and don’t forget to keep swiping your BIBD cards.

The grand prize will be the 100,000 Royal Skies. So do keep swiping your BIBD card until 24th February 2013. And do listen to KRISTALfm Breakfast show on Tuesday or Wednesday.