Congratulations Messi… Click image to see why he won 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or Award

Messi was voted 41.60%, Iniesta 10.91% and Ronaldo at 23.68%

 

RA says thanks to my family and friends for the wishes yesterday. It was an awesome day to start off with and I just went with the flow though my other friends already made plans for me last night. It was also the wedding celebration of my long time friend Rozana Yunos who’s now officially married to Shahri and a big congratulations to both of you. A big shout out also to Liza Kamaruddin and Sofian on their wedding two weeks ago. Sorry, I couldn’t make it on your wedding day and it seems both of you are having a jolly good time, judging from your IG posts 😀

This is only the 7th day of 2013 and I’m slowly picking up some pace though I have to admit that I’m taking my sweet time and still adjusting to the new year. So far it has been just simple with a steady slow and I sense of better things to come, career wise and personal growth as well. I’m always been appreciative of my surroundings and of course, my abundant of friends who have been supportive and I truly learned a great deal from those experiences.

Lately I’ve been reading about a few mishaps that have been circulating on the social media and Whatsapp. The first of many was the 15 year old boy who has been clarified by the Royal Brunei Police Force that he is in better shape and he was not in serious bad condition based on the circulation of news. It wasn’t also a hit and run case incident too. I did post that it was a hit-and-run incident based on my friend’s post on IG and the victim was in need of blood which apparently he doesn’t need one. So I learned my lesson not to take things literally from my friends’ postings on social network and just wait for the actual statements from the RBPF. My apologies for posting that status on my twitter and Facebook account. It’s also a good reminder for us to be mindful what we post online and make sure the facts are right before hand.

In recent news, I have read about the recent SMS alert where some received texts (some more than 15 SMSes) on their phones and funny part is that most of the texts were outdated as SMSes were such as “Enjoy your iftar” or “Enjoy your fasting month” and there were some who received texts wishing them a pleasant Haj pilgrimage and oddly enough these recipients didn’t even go on the pilgrimage and furthermore, their respective travel agents have yet to refund their monies. Let’s hope they receive their refunds soon too.

I read something interesting in today’s The Brunei Times which I feel needs to be addressed. This is with regards to cleaners especially at the washroom area. I’ve noticed how sometimes female would clean the men’s washroom which also being practiced in regional countries. Even when that happened (overseas), I was already in an uncomfortable position and sometimes it might have a psychological reaction where I just can’t let it go *lol* My suggestion is to let the building owners or the one in charge to make a policy so there won’t be situations like these kinds in public buildings and even hotels. I just felt it’s not right and I salute to “Shyguy” for addressing this in The Brunei Times at “Letters to the editor” section.

Another interesting article I saw in today’s The Brunei Times is about the challenge that the Municipal Department has in turning our capital city into a “vibrant and lively” city. Hmmmm.. Now this is quite a tall order and strangely enough places like Gadong, Kiulap and Berakas are more populated while our town has been less active especially after working hours and weekends. Bandar will only get busy when there are events happening and it’s not every day that we simply can run events in the capital. Previously the weekend night market initiative along Jalan Sultan have been a flop as it lasted for a few months and the crowd slowly waned down and tenants perhaps lost interest in investing their time to set up their booths.

Now the Municipal Department is having another pilot project by having weekly leisure activities and also having a Sunday market for 2013. Will be a success? This again is another chicken-and-egg situation. Lesser crowd, lesser interest or motivation for stall owners or even activity coordinators. It’s good to see relevant agencies such as Tourism Development Department and Municipal Department working forces together. I believe a good research study by having focus group among the community might give a hint or two on what is lacking to motivate people to come to town. In my opinion, the proposed pilot project might need more ammunition than just having activities and a Sunday market.

That’s my “Ugly Truth” segment for the day.. Have a great week ahead!!

Will weekly activities help to boost the interest of the locals to visit town? Your thoughts. Image taken from The Brunei Times website.

 

Guess what? The Rockpit Zone (RM688) is sold out but there are still the Samsung Galaxy Zone (RM699) and the Hallyu Zone (RM 199) for the upcoming 27th Golden Disk Awards 2013 which will be held on 15th and 16th January at the Sepang International Circuit. This is like the Grammys but Korean version and yes, this is an annual event where Korean artistes will be honoured for their presence in the Korean music scene.

For your info, the Hallyu Zone was just introduced a week ago to cater to those who can’t afford the Rockpit zone and yes, it’s only RM199 which is pretty worth it for a two night concert event.

Earlier last December 2012, Mr Kwon Jae Hoon, Managing Director of Samsung Malaysia Electronics and Ms Kim Sora, Entertainment Editorial Director, Ilgan Sports today officiated the launch for the Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur (GDA). Confirmed to be held this coming 15th and 16th January 2013 at Sepang International Circuit, the event will be hosted in Malaysia by Mediartncomm Co., Ltd., supported by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and presented by Samsung Malaysia Electronics as title sponsor.

So this is good news not only for Malaysians but neighbouring countries even Brunei because it’s only nearby and you will get to see 25 of the Korean’s top artistes performing over two nights in Kuala Lumpur. Mr Kwon believes that the extension of Samsung’s philosophy will enrich the Malaysians and Samsung will continuously strive to inspire and enrich our consumers’ lives.

Click image to enter SilverWings Facebook and enter the contest to win

The complimentary tickets will be given to the winners for the recent quizzes on Instagram and Twitter

By the way, there will be a final quiz where you can stand a chance to win Rockpit Zone tickets for two. However, this doesn’t include flight and accommodation. All you have to do is “Like” and answer a pop quiz question related to Golden Disk Awards on SilverWings Services Facebook page and one winner will be drawn. The contest will end by 11:59pm 8th January and the winner will be announced on the 9th January.

Good luck to you guys!!

Teen Top to perform next week at GDA 2013

4 Minute will also be performing

Click image to enter website

 

The redevelopment of Supa Save Seria which started early February this year, will be bringing a whole new shopping experience with the convenience of a bank, cafe and other exciting retail outlets under one roof. With the help of local creative agency Mixmediaworx, this popular supermarket has also been working on a re-branding exercise that will be rolled out progressively, beginning with a logo refresh followed by some exciting campaigns lined up for the coming year.”

*LOL* This is a sweet photo of my sister and I when were still innocent back then.. We still are, right? Thanks for posting this up on instagram. Much love 😀

I attended Rozana’s wedding this morning and wow, you look fantastic and beaaaaautifullll… I’m so happy for you. Congratulations also to Beb and Nadiah on their wedding too.

It has been a while since I had a cake on the actual day since my family is always outstation. Today was one of the rare moments. Thanks for the presence and gesture and I’m still laughing over Mom’s wishes

 

The official poster

What an awesome opener to the At-tamwil University Cup which took place last night at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Both ITB “A” and UNISSA “A” battled to a 5-5 draw but the big news was the comeback effort by UNISSA “A” who were trailing 3-0 15 minutes into the game. I would have thought it was game over by then as ITB “A” were simply unstoppable on every attack.

However, it was UNISSA “A” number 10. Julazni Zaini who started the comeback by scoring twice to make it 3-2 before Shahrul Amni scored the equaliser before the break to make it 3-3. It was game on since then but captain of ITB “A” Naasiruddeen scored the goal of the match with a long effort to make it 4-3 before the half-time whistle. Amazing first half!!

Julazni scored his hat-trick and he deserved man of the match for his effort in the 76th minute and they were still trailing 5-4 then. UNISSA’s Muhd Hibatul Haqqi scored a late equaliser to share the spoils between the two and the final scored ended in a 5-5 thriller. Both sides didn’t deserve to lose and it was an awesome opener indeed.

The BIBD At-Tamwil Berhad University Cup, the first inter-university football tournament to be held in Brunei, kicked off last night during an opening ceremony at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. The Uni Cup, organised jointly by BIBD At-Tamwil Berhad and Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), will feature a total of five universities, with each institution fielding two teams which will be split into Group A and Group B.

The five participating education institutions are ITB, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Seri Begawan (KUPUSB) and Politeknik Brunei. For more updates of the University Cup tournament, you can follow them on Facebook.

Present to officiate the opening ceremony was the guest-of-honour, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Yussoff bin Haji Awang Ismail, the Deputy Minister of Education.

The guest-of-honour, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Yussoff bin Haji Awang Ismail, the Deputy Minister of Education

The working committee of At-tamwil Unicup

Working under the rain

Thanks Amal for the pictures

Working on the opening night

The doa selamat during the opening night

Team UNISSA “A”

One of the scorers from ITB “A” celebrating

This was the third goal celebration by ITB “A”

Captain of ITB “A” scored a wonder goal before half time

The hat-trick hero for UNISSA “A”

Leo Kassim doing the draw for the 100 winners

The committee checking with the lucky draw

Jake Ten also picked some of the lucky draw

Some of the winners of the lucky draw

My favourite movie of 2012

1) The Cabin in the Woods. It’s no doubt that this is the best movie of the year for me on many levels. I’ve never seen the trailer prior either and that perhaps made that extra edge to my high level of satisfaction. I won’t spare much details here because I could easily reveal some spoilers. I don’t even know if this is considered a horror flick either. If you watch the first half of the movie, you would have thought it is so but wow!! the final third of the movie was something that caught me off guard and to edge of my seat. I would categorized this as a mystery more than a horror perhaps. It has been a while since I’ve seen a movie that will take me by surprise and I’m always a sucker for this.

The castings were great too with Chris Hemsworth as one of the lead actors. Another reason why I love this movie was the presence and influence of Joss Whedon, who co-produced and co-wrote the movie and I’m pretty sure you know he was also behind Marvel’s The Avengers. The plot was awesome and I’m proud owner of the Blu-Ray edition which I have watched it a couple of times to date. I highly recommend you to catch this movie and most of my friends also appreciate its uniqueness of the movie as we watched it over the New Year’s Eve. For me, this deconstruction of a horror movie is no doubt my number 1 movie of the year. Rotten Tomatoes score 91%

2) The Raid: Redemption. I heard many rave reviews of this movie and I was happy that it was shown in Singapore during my short visit. For your info, this is an Indonesian movie directed by Gareth Evans, another young director. I have to say this was the best action movie I caught in 2012 and you will some silat action too which was choreographed to its best. If you watch Dredd, the plot is pretty similar. It basically about a SWAT team trying to capture the leader of the drug dealers in a worn down apartment and they were all trapped as the building went on lockdown. Yea, the plot may not be as witty but stunts and the camera shots really made up for it. I was surprised that when Brunei released it in the cinemas, the voices were dubbed instead of having subtitles. A great popcorn movie nonetheless. Rotten Tomatoes score 84%

3) A Werewolf Boy. This is perhaps the movie which is similar to You’re the Apple of My Eye. This was another movie that caught me by surprise and it was showing then in Singapore. I’m a huge fan of Korean movies though I was disappointed with Korean’s biggest box office The Thieves. A Werewolf Boy is about a relationship between a wolf boy and a lady and the struggle the wolf boy had to go through to be part of a normal civilisation. This put Twilight series to shame because the chemistry between the two was very warm and I could feel the romance too. A tear jerky movie and I was hoping this would make to our local cinemas. It’s very unlikely though. Rotten Tomatoes score unknown.

4) Pitch Perfect. Believe it or not, I ended up catching this movie twice on the big screen. I’m not really into chick flicks but this is an exception and plus I love music too. It has humour, some high level of lameness and the flow was just nice. I’m now waiting for my Blu-ray order and do expect some high replay value once I get hold of this. I believe tons of my female friends gave rave reviews too. I’m not surprised it also has a good score on Rotten Tomatoes 80%

5) Marvel’s The Avengers. Joss Whedon is a genius. How did he pull off with seven characters (including Loki) to play around within 2 and a half hours? I mean, the chemistry and the character were almost spot on and I really had a blast watching this super hero flick. I was a bit skeptical in the beginning because I was afraid there will be less focus on their characters’ development. Boy, I was wrong.. You get to see the human side of these super heroes and the set pieces were just awesome especially the finale. I apparently loved the Hulk here than the other two movies he was in. I also have this in my Blu-ray collection. Great entertainment value. Rotten Tomatoes score 92%.

Ted is crude and hilarious

6) Ted. The best comedy for me this year. Come to think of it, there weren’t many great comedy movies in 2012. Nothing that comes into my mind. Ok, I remember doing this review a few months back and wooowwww!! I had a ball, laughing my butt off. Yes, a comedy high in profanity and a few sexual preferences which made it difficult to be released in Brunei so I managed to watch this in Singapore. Awesome flick and it’s good to see Mark Wahlberg back on the screen. I’m predicting a sequel for this too. A funny “bromance” flick of the year. Rotten Tomatoes 69%

7) Argo. Isn’t Ben Affleck such a talented individual? He directed and acted in The Town and this time he did the same for Argo which to my surprise is based on real events. This was another great movie from Ben and this is one of the movies that made it close to the edge of my seat. It was a story about six American from the U.S. Embassy in Iran escaping from the Iranian protesters and they harboured themselves secretly in the Canadian Embassy back in 1979. Though it’s a tense movie, it still manages to bring some laugh through its dark humour. Another movie that I caught in Singapore. Woww.. Now I realised a few of my top 10 movies can’t be seen in Brunei. Rotten Tomatoes 96%

8) Wreck-it Ralph. Surprise, surprise.. Only one animation made it to my top 10 list and this deserved to be up there. I admire its creativity and the characters were well thought of too. It’s difficult now to have an animation that can please both kids and adults but Wreck-it Ralph is an exception. It has been tough for Disney to bring back their mojo especially in animation. It will take a couple of “Wreck-it Ralph” type of entertainment value to boost up the credentials of Disney in this generation. I almost watched this for the 2nd time. Rotten Tomatoes 88%

9) Skyfall. This is the biggest James Bond movie in terms of revenue as it passed the $1 billion mark to make it the 1st James Bond to do so worldwide. Amazing!!! The difference among JB’s past movies is the introduction of Sam Mendes the director for Skyfall. His style was so different and yet he managed to maintain the charismatic presence of James Bond played by Daniel Craig. People were complaining there weren’t much gadgets being showcased. But honestly, do you think that mattered when you have an awesome story and script with an intimidating villain played by Javier Bardem? I was so drawn that I cared less about the gadgets. Skyfall is sleek, dark and well executed. I couldn’t ask for more. Rotten Tomatoes 92%

10) The Hunger Games. I kept warning my friends.. Please do not tell what you have read on Hunger Games *lol* I never enjoy spoilers for movies I have yet to watch. This was one of the earlier movies that I enjoyed and my love for Jennifer Lawrence grew. I love it from the start to finish and now I can’t wait for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which will be out in November. I actually watched Battle Royale (Japanse) but I still prefer THG. The thrill is intense and yes, there are some disturbing scenes and it’s not something little children would like to see because of the violence. It was great pacing as well by Gary Ross the director. So Jennifer, bring it on for the next one.. Rotten Tomatoes 85%

Honourable mentions. 21 Jump Street. Magic Mike. The Amazing Spider-Man. The Grey. Paranorman. Jack Reacher. Chronicle (2012). Moonrise Kingdom. Looper. Les Miserables. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. The Dark Knight Rises. Katy Perry: Part of Me. Dredd. Titanic 3D. Safe House.

Oh my, the French lady in CZ 2012 was totally annoying

Disappointments. Wow!!! I have to say there are tons of movies that I want to list here and even spend some time talking about it. Perhaps the worst movie of the year of 2012 is a close call between CZ 2012 and Silent Hill: Revelation. Both movies were simply plain messy to start of with and I had this restless feeling that I had to endure and I’m not the type that would leave the cinema regardless how bad the show is. CZ 2012 had one of the worst CGIs and what’s with the “Pirates” scene at the island? Furthermore, the French lady was simply unbearable. The jokes were flat and I was laughing at how they made a fool of themselves. Don’t mind me as I used to enjoy Jackie Chan’s movies especially the early days. Now it’s gone downhill and let’s hope this is his last movie though he is still part of the casting for The Expendables 3. I was still surprise that some of my peers kinda like CZ 2012 though my friends who watched with me shared the same sentiment. 

I would have listed The Dark Knight Rises here as well because of the obvious flaws it have and I have high expectations on Christopher Nolan. I just felt the final trilogy was slightly underwhelming and it could have been better. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was another disappointment and I found the feeling that I had with The Lord of the Rings series a little mismatch with The Hobbit. It even scored a distant 65% on RT (no surprises there) and I hope Peter Jackson do take this seriously for the next instalment of The Hobbit. 

Other list are such as John Carter, Battleship, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Paranormal Activity 4 and Wrath of the Titans…. and ooh, The Bourne Legacy too. As for animation wise, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Ice Age: Continental Drift were movies I had some level of expectations and they failed miserably though they performed well in the box office. They should just buried the Ice Age already. I love the first two but the last two have turned into mediocre levels (of Shrek series).

Man of Steel directed by Zach Synder and produced by Christopher Nolan 😀

Movies that I can’t wait to watch.

1) Pacific Rim. Watch trailer here. Looks freaking awesome!!
2) Man of Steel. June release.
3) Django Unchained. Most likely released mid March.
4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. November release.
5) Iron Man 3. April release.
6) Star Trek Into Darkness.
7) Monsters University. Sequel to Monsters Inc. June release.
8) Despicable Me 2. July release.
9) Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp. July release.
10) Fast & Furious 6. May release.

Click image to enter website

 

The redevelopment of Supa Save Seria which started early February this year, will be bringing a whole new shopping experience with the convenience of a bank, cafe and other exciting retail outlets under one roof. With the help of local creative agency Mixmediaworx, this popular supermarket has also been working on a re-branding exercise that will be rolled out progressively, beginning with a logo refresh followed by some exciting campaigns lined up for the coming year.”

Click image to enter website

It’s up and running now.. www.oasismarche.com where you can order premium food such as Rude Health, Firefly and Munchy Seeds through online. The website is pretty user-friendly and it has a refreshing, clean interface which makes navigation very fluid. There are also categorized in different sections such as breakfast, pantry goods, seasoning & flavours, snacks and many more. You can also order in a gift form such as The Breakfast Hamper and The Goodness Hamper.

Thanks to Oasis Marchè, now the consumers have the opportunity or the access to premium healthy food. The food that they bring in are natural and wholesome and they don’t contain GM ingredients, artificial colourings, flavourings, artificial sugar and hydrogenated fats.

The other great news is that www.oasismarche.com also ship outside Brunei, around South East Asia too. Thumbs up to that!!! Payment will be made through Paypal for safe and secure transaction.

Click image to enter website

 

Who’s gonna win the SLK 350 AMG Roadster?

The draw was conducted this morning at Jati Transport Headquarters in Beribi and it was offically done by Shazali Hj Sulaiman, local partner at KPMG auditing firm, who was witnessed by Jati Transport associates and members of the local media. 21 names were drawn from the glass box which had around 316 entries.

The lucky draw promotion was a yearly draw by Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, the official dealership for Mercedes-Benz in Brunei. The promotion was from 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2012. The winner will win the grand prize – a Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 AMG Roadster which is worth $120,000. Awesome!!! All they have do was purchase a new Mercedes-Benz passenger car, Vito or Viano to be eligible for the draw.

The 21 names which were shortlisted will contacted by the management of Jati Transport. The final lucky draw will take place next week on the 11th January in the morning. Good luck to the finalists. I believe that there will be consolation prizes for the rest of the shortlisted names.

Shazali doing the draw for the 21 names

His daugther was there to reconfirm the names

Shazali finalizing the chosen ones

Group photo with KPMG and Jati Transport management

The remaining ones were left in the glass box

Amy keying in all the shortlisted names into the system

 

Group picture. Clic to enlarge

The Shotokan Karate-Do Brunei Darussalam (SKBD), Brunei’s Japan Karate Maruyoshikai Organisation (JKMO) Branch, received its Certificate of Affiliation and became the newest member of the Brunei Karatedo Federation (BRUKAF) in a ceremony at the Indoor Stadium in Berakas last week.

Shihan Sasaki Toshiatsu, the president and founder of the JKMO, presented the President of SKBD and Technical Vice President of BRUKAF, Malai Hj Mohamed bin Malai Haji Othman, with the Certificate of Affiliation, who then presented the certificate to the President of BRUKAF, Pg Hj Yura Kesteria bin PSN Dr Hj Md Yussof.

Shihan Sasaki Toshiatsu is also a karate instructor certified by the Japan Amateur Sports Association (JASA), and is leading a two-day training session to ensure that Brunei karatekas are updated with the regulations and techniques of the World Karate Federation (WKF).

More than 30 participants joined the training session. Brunei’s newest karate-do association’s first action will be to administer its first Kyu grading on Tuesday night.

The karate styles which are currently registered under BRUKAF are Goju-ryu, WadoRyu, Shito-ryu and Shotokan. Text and images courtesy of Jake Ten.

President of BRUKAF, Pg Hj Yura Kesteria (left)

Shihan Sasaki Toshiatsu, the president and founder of the JKMO (right)

The participants during the training session

Click image to enter website

 

The redevelopment of Supa Save Seria which started early February this year, will be bringing a whole new shopping experience with the convenience of a bank, cafe and other exciting retail outlets under one roof. With the help of local creative agency Mixmediaworx, this popular supermarket has also been working on a re-branding exercise that will be rolled out progressively, beginning with a logo refresh followed by some exciting campaigns lined up for the coming year.”

Les Miserables. This is not a movie for those who can’t endure musical or singing. Well, this is no Bollywood stuff and nowhere close *lol* Spoilers alert —> The singing is from start to finish and the non-singing dialogue content is perhaps only 2-3% of the whole 3 hours movie. However, I’m unfazed by it. Why? First I do enjoy musical movie shows and second is the performances by Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman especially the former. Did you know that Anne Hathaway is only on screen for 15 minutes only? And yet she totally delivered when it mattered and her presence made an impact throughout the movie. She was just freaking awesome!!!

Russell Crowe was one of the flaws in the movie. The main reason being that he can’t hit the right notes and I was reading on some entertainment news that it was a challenging role for him. But I have a huge respect for Tom Hooper, the director of Les Miserables, who managed to make up for Russell’s weakness in singing by playing around with the camera works. You will probably noticed how much of a close-up was given to Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman during their solo moments as compared to Russell Crowe. I also love how the script was written which makes it easier for the audience to grasp. I thought that I was gonna weep since a few of my friends were in tears. I survived *lol*. I recommend you to watch Les Miserable and watch out for Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) on screen. Hilarious!! Verdict: 8/10.

A few weeks ago a press conference was held where BIBD At-Tamwil Berhad and Institut Teknologi Brunei revealed that they will be organising the inaugural BIBD At-tamwil University Cup which will be launched tomorrow evening. This will be the first inter-university football tournament for local universities and higher institutions in Brunei Darussalam.

The one month tournament will kick off on Saturday, 5th January at 7pm at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. All of you are welcome to watch the opening ceremony tomorrow and catch the first match between ITB “A” and UNISSA “A” at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. There will be lucky draws at every match and you can get the lucky draw tickets at BIBD At-tamwil branches at Beribi and KB branch and also during the matches themselves. To be eligible for the draw, you will have to put the draw at the lucky draw box during the match day itself.

The expressed objective of this UniCup is to improve the quality of football sports in Brunei Darussalam, to increase healthy and friendly competition among local Universities, we would like also to promote sense of belonging among undergraduates and highlight the leadership qualities amongst undergraduates through their hard work and dedication in organising the premier event.

Guess what? The University Cup will also be updated via social network such as Facebook and Instagram. The name of the official Facebook page of UniCup 2013 is ‘BIBD At-Tamwil Berhad University Cup’ and the Official Instagram page is ‘attamwil_universitycup’.

There will also be quizzes and photography competition where you can win attractive prizes during the one-month tournament. All you have to do is upload your photos on instagram and make sure that you use the hashtags #ATWUC or #ATWUC13 and #TAMWILUC and photos with the most likes will win attractive prize. Oh yeah, it’s also ideal if you don’t privatise your IG account, otherwise it will be hard for the management to view your photos.

Fantastic prizes to be won tomorrow as well on the opening night of the University Cup 2013

You can grab the lucky draw tickets at BIBD At-tamwil branches (Beribi and KB)

Do join them on instagram for updates too and don’t forget to hashtag your photos #ATWUC or #ATWUC13 and #TAMWILUC

Some of the schedules of the matches. I shall be posting more soon.

 

I woke up this morning with updates on whatsapp and instagram on what is a fire mishap at Menglait that started out early in the morning. The Royal Brunei Police Force and BOMBA had to close the roads leading to the affected area and even Gadong Central. I drove past the bridge on my way back around 11ish am and the fire was still not under control. I’m not exactly sure what companies that are affected and I’m not sure what was the cause of the huge fire. Good job on BOMBA in making sure the fire didn’t escalate into other parts of the building and of course, the shell station wasn’t affected too which was just metres away from the incident.

Below are pictures courtesy of @lululio @sabrinajimmy and @kurapak360.

Click image to enter Mercedes-Benz Facebook page

RA says so what’s your resolution for 2013? I don’t actually have one for this year. Well, last year was more about contribution, contributing to myself and also the community. I could say that it went pretty well and I’m quite content about it. 2013 is just another year and let’s see how the flow is. Hmmm now come to think of it, it’s best that I “go in the flow” of things rather than going with the flow. I know of my friends who normally makes resolutions but tend to forget about them halfway through the year. I guess the key word here is not resolution but commitment.. Commitment towards ourselves and not for others. So do remind yourself whenever you make the resolution (to be healthy or to lose weight or whatever it is), make that commitment consistent. It will be rewarding by year end 😉

Recapping back my 2012, I kinda appreciated it in many ways. There weren’t many downhills and I believe I have changed the way I see or feel about things and experiences. Career wise, I know there is still room for growth and I haven’t taken that opportunity to go a step higher. I’ve to ask myself, “Do I want to stay in this comfort zone for a long time?” I need a kick, a boost to ignite that fire I used to have a few years ago.

My personal growth has been amazing as far as I’m concerned. I tend to have high expectations from people that I care the most and it’s not easy to practice this form of unconditional love. In other words, you don’t worry or let it affect should the other party don’t return a favour or some form of care or love regardless how you have been treating them. I have to admit to you guys that I’m a love bunny by nurture and to own the sense of unconditional love is never an easy path. So I’m proud to say that 2012 have thought me in many ways on how I respond (or react) to my people I interact with and also dealing with challenges and obstacles along the way.

To tell you honestly, sometimes I see feeds on people’s twitter and instagram on their frustrations involving emotions on friendship and relationship and the first thing that comes to mind is this person loving him or herself more or he/she needs that kind of love/care or perhaps craving that “attention”? What is that purpose for that message that you want your readers or that particular person you target to see? I rather see quotes or messages that are inspiring and motivational. Why am I ranting about this? Because that was the old me a few years back.. and the cause of conditional love and expectations (with my love bunny trait) will trigger all these emotions that I want the world to see and who knows my friends or readers will back me up and feed my ego. I’ve learned that wasn’t a wise choice and growing out of it is never easy but the first step does make a lot of difference. I would like to thank my close buddies who are also my teachers of my personal growth and I can see how 2013 will be another awesome year.

In other news, Papaya.Mangoes.Oranges website was compromised yet again for the ummmpth time. How is this possible or they don’t have strong firewalls or IT security to prevent such thing from happening again? Now the website is back up again but it leads me to a big question mark on the security measures on the website. I guess we take for granted they wont penetrated by some jobless people. Oh well..

I still have tons to blog about especially the recap of 2012 as well as my movies (and the disappointments) of 2012. You may have realised that I’m taking it slowly for my blog posts *lol* I’m still adjusting or let’s say transitioning to the work mode. Tomorrow will be the start of my working mode and l hope to be in 2nd gear by then :D.

Today’s the first day of school and work for the masses. It was nice to see friend’s updating on their social network on their morning experiences. Well, I kinda wanted to see off my little siblings before they head off for school. I haven’t seen them ever since I left Singapore. I shall catch up with them pretty soon. I realised how I don’t have time with them whenever I’m back at home. Strange indeed!! Anyway, I can’t wait to see you guys (hopefully later).

Have a great week ahead, guys!! And Happy New Year 😀

How I spent my New Year’s Eve – Movie marathon with my beloved friends along with BBQ

[Press release from Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam]: With everyone in a festive mood, a mixture of the recent release of Government payroll plus bonuses and school holidays, there are some in the community taking full advantage of this busy period to infiltrate the already present stringent securities already in place by the respective banks.

Recently Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) has reacted swiftly to evidences of card skimming and tampering activities at one of its BIBD Auto Teller Machines (ATM) locations.

A spokesperson from BIBD commented “BIBD would like to reassure all of its clients to remain calm as the risk is under control. BIBD has been working diligently around the clock to counter such illegal activities. With more technological advancements, BIBD, within its ’2013 Operations and Technology plans’, has already identified more advanced antiskimming technologies. This is to ensure its customers and their respective cards are assured of the security of all their transactions, and the countering of any potential attempts of a more advanced infiltration and retrieval of its sensitive information. The Royal Brunei Police Forces (RBPF) has been informed of the incident and the case is still undergoing investigations. The Brunei Association of Banks have also been informed to ensure that all respective banks are also put on high alert.”

Despite already imposing additional security measures such as anti-skimming equipments at all of its ATMs and CDMs at all locations, an updated adaptation of the latest card skimming activity has emerged. The perpetrator has been identified installing this updated card skimming device on top of an already installed anti-skimming device, making the card slot, with an already installed anti skimming device, looking rather bulky than usual. This new skimming equipment was placed to override the current anti-skimming precautions in place, but rest assured that BIBD has been able to react promptly to counter such attempts. The pictures below can help bring more awareness to public how to be conscious of the device upon using the machines at any of the ATM networks sites.

BIBD ensures good security measurements to deter culprits on tampering their ATMs

Having identified the compromised location, BIBD has promptly checked all of its other ATMs and Cash Deposit Machines (CDM) networks to ensure any risks of tampering are mitigated and all customers’ transactions are genuine. BIBD is also working closely with the RBPF to prevent from any further potential damage to occur. For security purposes, all cards used at the affected ATM will be blocked, and customers will be informed first to advice on the reissuance of all their cards.

BIBD would like to remind all its clients to be always on alert when using any ATM or CDM machines, albeit BIBD or any other bank, as the nature of these card skimming devices have always been evolving, even to mimic the plastic covers of ATM & CDM card slots, making it almost impossible to be detected by the every day user. Cameras were also installed above the numerical keypad to record sensitive information such as customers’ PIN numbers. This is evident from the recent incident.

In light of this incident, BIBD would like to emphasise that all BIBD Debit and Credit cards are installed with a security chip feature to ensure the complete safety of their accounts are duly protected and any transactions performed will not be compromised. BIBD reminds all its customers who have not changed their ATM cards to Debit cards to do so at the nearest branches. Further security attached to BIBD cards is the ‘SMS Alerts’, whereby an instant notification with transactions details will be sent to the customer selected mobile phone, after every card transaction.

Another security measure would be the recently introduced ‘3D Secure’ that will issue to all customers performing an ‘Online’ transaction an instant ‘One-time-password’ (OTP) sent to their mobile phone, for further authentication of the transaction. This additional security feature, further exemplifies BIBD’s seriousness in ensuring the security of all customers accounts.

To aid in the prevention of any future reoccurrence of such card skimming activities, the public is reminded that they can report any suspicious activity to BIBD by calling BIBD’s Contact Centre, available 24 hours, anytime anywhere at +673-2238181. The customers’ feedback and support is invaluable to BIBD, and would like to thank the general public for the support and cooperation given.

 

I haven’t blogged about this yet while I was in Singapore. I went to Adventure Cove Waterpark at Resort World recently and I thought this is an excellent place to bring your family for water type activities. I had a great time with my siblings then and you can simply spent the whole day having fun practically with water. I think my siblings really enjoyed the waterslides and they different types of waterslides too. Definitely worth another visit here with the family. If you want to know more, you can click here.

 

The newly renovated delivery store at Pizza Hut Sengkurong

Two new delivery stores, well.. to be more precised, Pizza Hut Delivery, celebrated their newly modelled stores in Sengkurong and Mentiri yesterday. According to Johnny Liew, the Chairman of Olive Tree Corporation (Pizza Hut Brunei), the renovations to the said stores will offer a whole new experience in delivery. This shows commitment of OTC to revitalise the brand imagery to their customers.

More delivery outlets means improve service in delivery using cutting edge technology ovens which would mean delivering pizzas in a shorter time than usual. The new ovens reduces the baking time required for pizzas which essentially means hot fresh oven food served quicker to customers. Well, this can be very useful especially on Double Tuesday promotion.

 

 

Hi all Shoppers and Charles & Keith Lovers, Do catch the sale up to 60 % at Charles & Keith now onwards and enjoy the further discount  on 1st Jan 2013 , while stock lasts !!! This is indeed a good chance for those who always wanted to add new shoes into their collection. Hurry now and enjoy shopping!!! And Happy new year!!

The headliners in today’s The Brunei Times

So what’s the motive behind the 35 detainees? This is pretty unusual that they have 70 weapons in their possession and there were even children involved judging from the picture taken and published in today’s The Brunei Times. There was also evidence of drug abuse where 5 of them were under the suspicion.

The weapons that were detained by the Royal Brunei Police Force were butterfly knives, knuckle dusters, machetes and even Katana, a sword used by Samurais. It was a four hour operation where 300 officers were involved. Kudos to the relevant agencies especially to the RBPF, the Narcotic Control Bureau, the Internal Security Department, Royal Customs and Excise Department and the Immigration and National Registration Department.

Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) personnel rounding up persons caught with illegal arms in surprise raid at Kampong Ayer yesterday. Picture: Courtesy of RBPF

 

Press release from Royal Brunei Airlines (RB): Royal Brunei Airlines flight BI098 from London, via Dubai to Brunei on 27 December 2012 experienced a technical issue prior to the journey to Dubai which required a precautionary return to London Heathrow.  BI098 landed safely back at London Heathrow at 11:39am local time.

Due to current holiday peak period, RB was only able to secure a chartered replacement aircraft to operate the flight out of London Heathrow, operated by Titan Airways on a 767-300ER.

As part of RB’s commitment to ensure the comfort and welfare of the affected passengers in London, Dubai and Brunei, accommodation, transportation and meals were provided during long layover periods.

The chartered replacement flight, BI098D is estimated to depart London Heathrow at 10.45pm local time and estimated to arrive in Dubai at 9:25pm local time. Passengers on the onwards flight will depart Dubai the following day on 29th December 2012 at 11:10am and arrive into Brunei at 10.50pm local time, the same day 29th December 2012.

My friend recently on the Titan Airways. Image from @asaifuls

Anyway, for your info as taken from Royal Brunei Facebook page —> [Delays affecting our #Brunei, #KotaKinabalu, #Singapore and #Shanghai flights on 31 December 2012]

Dear All,

Due to unforeseen circumstances, please note the following flights will be delayed as per follows:

1) Brunei to Singapore flight, # BI 421 / 31 December, is rescheduled to depart at 1010 (GMT+8), arriving at 1210 (GMT+8).

2) Singapore to Brunei flight, # BI 422 / 31 December, is rescheduled to depart at 1250 (GMT+8), arriving at 1500 (GMT+8).

3) Brunei to Shanghai flight, # BI 613 / 31 December, is rescheduled to depart at 1540 (GMT+8), arriving at 1955 (GMT+8).

4) Kota Kinabalu to Brunei flight, # BI 826 / 31 December, is rescheduled to depart at 1950 (GMT+8), arriving at 2030 (GMT+8).

5) Shanghai to Brunei flight, # BI 614 / 31 December, is rescheduled to depart at 2055 (GMT+8), arriving at 0140+1 (GMT+8) / 01 January 2013.

RB appreciates the understanding and patience of our affected passengers and their families during this holiday season.

 

Congratulations on the re-opening of Bebeland

With the recent month-long renovation works, Bebeland’s flagship store in kiulap received a new facelift and expanded after 12 years of continuos support from their loyal customers. Yesterday was Bebeland’s grand re-opening inviting their VIP members and offering a one-day special in-store deals, mascot appearances, light brunch, drinks and ice-creams.

Doubling in size, now 4 shop lots catering from mothers-to-be, baby’s basic needs, child to toddlers and adults alike. The ground floor houses some familiar international brand names such as Pumpkin Patch, Adidas Kids, Barbie and many more.

Besides clothing, they also sell hardwares, beddings, furniture and travel system (strollers, car seats, playpen etc). Their first floor comfortably carries over 50 brands ranging from boys and girls toys, arts and cratfs, hardware, educational toys, stationaries and many more. Bebeland, kids specialists also known to be a one-stop shop for all parenting needs as well as a store for those who wishes to get a gift for their friends or families.

In line with supporting the Brunei salebration, Bebeland is offering store-wide discounts up to 50%. On top of that, additional 10% discounts for their VIP card members OR for all BIBD cardholders availing additional 5% off their bill. Bebeland has been constantly update their stocks monthly due to customer’s feedback and demand overall. Bebeland has monthly specials especially for their customers which can also be found on Facebook so keep yourself updated with special deals and promotions on their page Bebeland Trading company.

Bebeland wishes to express their deepest gratitude to their loyal customers and new alike for their support, critique and comments which has brought them to where they are now.’

You willl see this once you ente Bebeland

Pumpkin Patch – good range for children at Bebeland

Back to school uniforms for children

Spend more than $60 on a single receipt and you are entitled to a colour pencil or Adidas lunch box

Some of the items for parents to browse through

….and on the first floor, there are lots of toys to look at and I love this section

Good for those who love to do experiments

Saber for kids

The little kid got himself something to drive

A play area for kids on the 1st floor at Bebeland

Another interesting thing is that they also brought in Lego

More Lego on display

Lego hobbyists would love this

Now I’m wondering how do you play this

A great game to play indeed

All time favourite board games – Battleship and RISK

Megabloks is also available at Bebeland

Bebeland is located in Kiulap

 

*LOL* I know I can be slightly bad, huh? Inticing people to spend, spend, spend on things that are mostly considered luxury. Of course, sometimes we fail to settle our priorities such as debts or loans and it’s pretty common in Brunei. I do have outstanding debts to settle and I’ve been settling them in a moderate pace. But sometimes it’s pretty easy to get carried away and spend on something else and forget about your priorities.

Anyway, let’s cut some slack and yes, it’s the holiday season and it’s time to appreciative and be happy for ourselves. Just spend wisely before you burn a bigger hole in your pocket. Below are some ideas that I suggest to spend your $$$ *huhuhu*

I highly recommend you the Superslim PS3 250g or the 500g $439 and $469 respectively. Now available at ETA Games @ Cineplex. Click image to enter their Facebook page.

Look what I bought myself at ETA Games yesterday. This is one awesome game and the suspense reminds me back of the Resident Evil days. Two thumbs up!!

Have you booked or made arrangements for NYE? Otherwise try out Caliente’s New Year’s Eve promotion

Now this is a cool device and you don’t have to worry about carrying your car keys around when you jog. You can check them out at Gadgetplus Store or visit them at The Fair, Indoor Stadium. A useful gadget indeed!!

I think lots of Bruneians want to see this 2 night concert by K-Pop artistes right? It’s very likely that I will cover this event in January

So for the fans out there, you can spend your bonus by buying their tickets on ticketpro.com.my or you can click image to buy the tickets online

*LOL* Another DVD store being exposed and I’m pretty sure the owner(s) won’t be too happy about it. If you have the money, why not invest in original DVDs or Blu-ray discs?

Lately I’ve been buying my movies through Amazon so it’s good alternative. Maybe I should open up one store here selling original ones!!

Bossini also having great buys at their stores – Kiulap and Mabohai Shopping Complex

Check out the promotions at Bossini

If you’re shopping, then why not swipe with HSBC Credit Card and Debit Card and who knows you will win cash prizes

Bebeland has been re-located and re-opened starting today!! Congratulations

Another new kids store – Ohso – located at The Mall, Gadong

Ohso is located next to AV Electronics, 2nd floor, The Mall

Some of the items at Ohso

So how are you gonna spend your New Year’s Eve? There’s a special promotion at Savy’s Brasserie. Just look at the menu below!!

NEW YEAR’S EVE MENU

(4 Courses Set Meal)
 
Savy’s freshly baked bread and
crisp parmesan bruschetta with dip
 
APPETIZER
Citrus Marinated Wild Butterfly Shrimps
in mushroom and chestnut gratinee with
petite of green salad in honey yoghurt dressing
 
SOUP
Cream of Roasted Parsnip and Cheese Chowder
 
MAIN ENTRÉE (choice of)
 
Oven Poached Sashimi Grade Salmon Fillet
in thyme-olive oil in fresh New Zealand oyster and
caviar sauce with Panini grilled Auvergne and
zucchini rounds served with pesto angel hair pasta
OR
Volcanic Grilled of Spatchcocked Spring Chicken
in tarragon infused seafood supreme sauce with
balsamic glaze steamed vegetables, sweet pea and potato puree
OR
Macadamia and Rosemary Gremolata Crusted Rack of Lamb
with potato and spinach terrine, mix cube vegetables in
sesame seeds served with mint jelly, fruit chutney in roasted
shallots infused red and green peppercorn sauce on the side
OR
Pan Grilled of Rib Eye Steak 
in caramelized leeks, field mushroom and shiitake stuffing
with savory grilled young potatoes, baby onions, haricots’ vert
and Brussels sprout in Dijon-cream pan sauce or thyme-
capsicum hollandaise sauce on the side.
 
DESSERT
Vittoria Espresso Soaked Sponge
in double Swiss chocolate mousse cake
 
MENU IS CHARGED @ B$48.00 NETT
AVAILABLE IN BANDAR & MABOHAI BRANCH
 
PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE TO AVOID DISAPPOINMENT
FOR RESERVATION PLEASE CALL:
2222919 (SAVY’S BANDAR) 2240829 (SAVY’S MABOHAI)

If you prefer a much wider space, then go to Savy’s Brasserie at Mabohai Shopping Complex

Speaking of Savy’s, I’m now craving their home made patty burger 😀

Thinking to spend your $$$ on an iPhone 5? Then visit Lara Corp or click on their image to enter Facebook page

If you are thinking to catch a musical movie, I suggest Les Miserables which I will catching tonight at The Mall Cineplex. I heard lots of rave reviews.

I tried out this Car Vita which is an air ionizer and it works wonders for air circulation in your car especially when you are driving. Those who smokes a lot, this device comes in handy and it won’t stink your car too. Find out more at Gadgetplus Store or visit them at The Fair, Indoor Stadium, for their products as well as demo.

Yahama U1 models are for sale. Contact Michele/Matet at 223 2600 or 233 8081

iLotus is having a New Year’s Eve promotion as well and you can stand a chance to win a Mini iPad too

You can also hang your wishes on the Wishing Tree and there will be live performances brought to you by Expression Music at iLotus

Perhaps you can buy yourself a Mini iPad from AV Electronics

… or you can sponsor me one of my wishlist, this new powerful iMac from AV Electronics 😀

Concepts Computer are open

Special promotion at Concepts Computer

For lego fans out there, you can also pre-order the Series 9 Minifigures through Toy Santa. Click image to enter Facebook page.

You can also spend your $$$ on Laneige new products too

Last day to win prizes from Brunei Hotel. Click image to find out more.

If you are craving for something refreshing, try Belluno’s newest item Banoffee Pie.. Awesome stuff!!! Located at Times Square, 1st floor.

Click image to enter website

 

The redevelopment of Supa Save Seria which started early February this year, will be bringing a whole new shopping experience with the convenience of a bank, cafe and other exciting retail outlets under one roof. With the help of local creative agency Mixmediaworx, this popular supermarket has also been working on a re-branding exercise that will be rolled out progressively, beginning with a logo refresh followed by some exciting campaigns lined up for the coming year.”

Did you know that I used to play the piano back in my high school years? Well, that was just to impress my close friend from Japan whom I had a crush on *lol* So I ended up taking grade classes until Grade 2 and even then I was still struggling to cope with music overall. I tell you it’s not easy being a musician unless you dedicated some time to it.

Anyway, I met up with Lily Chiam of Expression Music to enquire about the pianos at their establishments. For your info, Expression Music will be selling Steinway pianos which are a good quality pianos and I could tell the difference between Steinway ones and EM’s older pianos as Lily tried both of them. The music flow and arrangement were much more precise and quality of the tune was crisp.

Lily mentioned that there will be a special price for those who wants to order Steinway pianos and she has different versions of it – Essex and Boston. The Boston one is quite expensive and Lily finally brought one unit in EM which arrived this morning. I was amazed when she told me of the price of the Boston which is almost BND 30K *gulp* If you want a much more affordable line from Steinway, then Essex is a better choice. For price inquiry, you can call Michele/Matet at 223 2600 or 233 8081. The special price is only valid from today until 1st Jan 2013.

Lily Chiam playing her new Boston piano which just arrived this morning

Buying the Boston piano (designed by Steinway and sons) is like buying a new car 😀

Lily playing on the Essex piano

The Essex piano

The Essex piano is more affordable than the Boston ones

Since Expression Music won’t be using Yamaha pianos anymore, they are having a clearance sale for the remaining units. They almost sold 80% of their Yahama pianos and the deals are pretty good too. What is left are the Yahama U1 models and there are only a few units left for those interested. For price inquiry, you can call Michele/Matet at 223 2600 or 233 8081.

Lily playing on the Yamaha U1

Not much unit left for the Yamaha U1

 

I saw this model displayed at Scotts Road, Singapore two weeks ago

A first look on the new Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 Shooting Brake may create a puzzled thought amongst Mercedes aficionados and enthusiasts: is it a four-door coupe or an estate?

Unveiled ‘to the general public at the Jati Transport Gadong Showroom three weeks ago, the glistening CLS 350 can be categorised as a defining and eclectic synthesis that blends the pragmatic comfort with a high performance of both motoring genres.

Roomy for five normal-sized adults, the CLS Shooting Brake has an imposing stance of a large sports car, with its long bonnet and roof sloping towards the rear end of the vehicle, this is one high-end car you would love parked in your garage.

One must remember that this is a Mercedes, and the brand is synonymous with luxury and fine performance-the CLS Shooting Brake is no exception.

 

Woww.. I have been given the opportunity to do a special coverage on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy the 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur in January 2013. Yes, the next edition will be hosted in Malaysia and for your info, Golden Disk is South Korea’s Top Music Awards. Let’s just say it’s equivalent to the Grammys Award but for South Koreans. I only started liking Korean music earlier this year where I had the privilege to cover CN Blue concert back in Thailand this year and I’ve also been listening to Beast, Big Bang, Girls Generation and of course, who would not have known PSY. So let’s hope my schedule is free to make way for this event.

Earlier this December, Mr Kwon Jae Hoon, Managing Director of Samsung Malaysia Electronics and Ms Kim Sora, Entertainment Editorial Director, Ilgan Sports today officiated the launch for the Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur (GDA). Confirmed to be held this coming 15th and 16th January 2013 at Sepang International Circuit, the event will be hosted in Malaysia by Mediartncomm Co., Ltd., supported by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and presented by Samsung Malaysia Electronics as title sponsor.

So this is good news not only for Malaysians but neighbouring countries even Brunei because it’s only nearby and you will get to see over 20 of the Korean’s top artistes performing over two nights in Kuala Lumpur. Mr Kwon believes that the extension of Samsung’s philosophy will enrich the Malaysians and Samsung will continuously strive to inspire and enrich our consumers’ lives.

Super Junior in last year’s Golden Disk Award

BEAST in last year’s Golden Disk Award

Girl’s Generation in last year’s Golden Disk Award

Girl’s Generation

Who will win this year’s Golden Disk Award?

The event will see over 20 top K-POP artists performing and receiving their awards. Currently, the nominee list includes: PSY, BigBang, Super Junior, KARA, T-ara, CNBlue, FT Island, Infinite, B.A.P, EXO, Beast, 4 Minute, SISTAR, Secret, B1A4, Epik High, 2NE1, BUSKER BUSKER, Miss.A, Shinee, K-will, Ailee, MBlaq and Girl’s Generation – TTS. However, I’m still waiting confirmation on PSY’s performance at GDA.

The awards will fall into the two classifications of ‘Album’ and ‘Song’ awards and the award categories include the Grand Prize in Disk Album, Disk Album of The Year, Grand Prize in Song of The Year, Song of The Year, The Most Popular K-POP Star, MSN Southeast Asia Award, MSN International Award, New Rising K-POP Star Award, Best HIP HOP Award, Single Album of The Year.

There will also be a Popularity Voting for fans to support their favourite artistes available through MSN Popularity Vote which commences 17th December 2012 to 7th January 2013.

Click image to buy ticket online via ticketpro.com.my

So where can you purchase the tickets? You can actually buy the tickets online.. Yes, they may look slightly pricey but hey, you are talking about 2 nights of entertainment of over 20 K-pop artistes and that’s a pretty good deal I have to say. To purchase the tickets online, you go to this and get your tickets there.

By the way, for you K-pop fans out there.. Guess what?? I’m giving out a few pair of Rockpit tickets worth BND 600 (for two) and of course, you have to arrange your own accommodation and flight arrangements. This is still a good catch, right? 😀 So want to win some? Just follow me on Twitter and Instagram @ranoadidas and I shall be uploading the competition pretty soon (hopefully by today).

 

Our own female Brunei driver Zira (with Melissa) finished 13th position holding the Brunei flag with Mr. Wong. Image courtesy of Nazirul Hakeem of Borneo Bulletin.

It was a tough race and a much improved performance from the ladies Red Bull Rookies Team compared to previous years. They finished a commendable 13th place overall in the Sepang 1,000 km endurance race. They lost the “Battle of the Sexes” as their male counterpart in the Red Bull Rookies team came 11th. The female representatives were our local driver Siti Zirwatul Iradah Adinin aka Zira and Melissa Huang of Singapore.

The race was three weeks ago back in Sepang and according to Zira, she said it was a very tiring race considering that there were only two drivers to take turns instead of the usual four. The night time was perhaps challenging due to the light conditions but she had an amazing experience on the track. She hope her experience will help more female drivers to step up. For the record, she kinda knew the Red Bull rookies application from my site *awwwww…* Good job to Zira and Melissa.

Taken before the race. Apparently most of the cars were using Hankook tyre

Melissa and Zira represented the ladies for Red Bull Rookies team

Interesting concept

The male representatives for Red Bull Rookies

And they bagged the RM10,000 for winning the Battle of the Sexex

 

Now this is something interesting. There seem to be a lot of interest for the audition judging from the comments on facebook. The upcoming audition will be taking place this Saturday 29th December 2pm onwards at CANDAS Creative Company, located at Serusop. Do refer to the poster above for the complete address.

Sadly there’s an age limit and they are looking for those 30 years and below. What to bring? Well, just your CV and a Shakespeare Sonnet or a memorised monologue.

The production will be directed by Abdul Khabir Zainidi and he made history for Brunei when he entered the 65th Cannes Film Festival with a short film he wrote, directed and produced called “Bread Dream”. In a nutshell, “Bread Dream” is Brunei’s version of Alice in Wonderland as mentioned by the director in The Brunei Times’ interview back in June 2012. The story is about a boy who dreamt so hard that it became his downfall because it was dreaming with no effort.

So what are you waiting for when such opportunities arise? Grab it while it is out there and make a difference to the youth… Hmmm how I wish I was a few years younger.. *lol*

Bruneian Abdul Khabir Zainidi (L) with Norman Abdul Halim, Executive President of KRU Studios. Image courtesy of Abdul Khabir Zainidi

 

The winner of the best costume for KFC Brunei’s 20th Anniversary

The winner of the iPhone 5

The winner of the Mini iPad

 

Finally I managed to try this out and my cousin Amalina keeps talking how great the BBQ stuff is and she already went there a few times ever since her first visit. Last night I had the opportunity to try out Yugo BBQ located at Gadong Central. Ok, I really have to say that Gadong Central has strategised itself to be an eatery scene because of the number of restaurants located at that specific area itself.

I have to admit that this is the 3rd shabu-shabu dinner I had in a space of 5 days *lol* Well, I’m a fan of Shabu-Shabu actually but I think I better stay away from it for at least a week. The prices for Yugo BBQ is pretty reasonable and the great thing is they also offer BBQ stuff. Yugo BBQ is open from 11am to 10pm daily except for Friday which is from 4:30pm to 10pm and the size is just right (1 unit) and it was a full house last night too. Good thing we did our reservations prior to dinner and thanks Winnie and Devon for the company.

You can follow Yugo BBQ on Facebook as well as instagram @yugobbq for updates. Congratulations Jacky on the opening of Yugo BBQ and I recommend you guys to try it out. I kinda like it overall. Do call 878 5398 or 242 7790 for reservations.

Devon browsing through the menu

It’s ordering time

The economy set which is quite a handful already

You can choose from here

My order last night

Preparing for the BBQ

Interesting that they use actual charcoal for this

All the meat being bbqed 😀

Quite a selection of spices to choose from

It can get smoky yooo

The ambience at Yugo BBQ