Epicenter of earthquake off the coast of Northern Sumatra. Image taken off CNN website

A massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a tsunami alert for the Indian Ocean.

The quake struck about 434 kilometers southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province, and had a magnitude of 8.6, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It took place at a depth of 23 kilometers.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it had issued a tsunami watch for the entire Indian Ocean, and the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it had put up a tsunami warning.

To read more, click here.

This is another milestone for Concepts Computer as it celebrated the release of the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 retail pack with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its headquarters in Kiulap last Monday.

SMB Lead of Microsoft (B) Sdn Bhd, Andrew Tan and Account Executive of Tech One Global Limited, Ahmad Tarmizi DP Hj Yusoff were the guests of honour at the event, and they joined Concepts Computer General Manager Vincent Pao to officially cut the ribbon, which was placed in front of a large replica of the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 box. Vincent Pao said that “as the first company retailer recognised as a Microsoft Reseller, Concepts Computer has always put great emphasis on making Microsoft Genuine software easily available to the public at a highly affordable price so as not to exclude a large portion of potential customers who are willing to use genuine software but are unwilling to spend lavishly.”

The Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 includes Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft Powerpoint 2010, and Microsoft One Note 2010.

“It is very cost-effective and affordable because the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 retail pack will provide three licenses for three PCs at only $160. It also includes a half-day training session conducted by a Microsoft Certified Trainer at Tech One Global and a free Microsoft sling bag,” said the general manager.

Zul Abd Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer said that a large portion of customers who have problems with personal computers stems from having used non-genuine and pirated software. For more information on any products from Concepts Computer, visit their nearest showroom or call 2233551/2/3 or 2448102/3. Text by Anwar Rosly of The Brunei Times.

Officiating the launch of the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010. Image courtesy of Vince Hong.

Vincent Pao and the invited guests signing on the replica of Microsoft Office Home and Student box. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer

And so did the media…. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer

You can see this huge replica by the road side near Kiulap Roundabout

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Football Kickoff finals, Win a Golden Ticket, FIFA PS3 Finals, 3-a-side Football showcase and many more at b.mobile final roadshow at The Airport Mall this weekend

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I attended the session called UBD Local Flavours which was held at The Cord, UBD last Saturday. The local gig was organised by Sociology-Anthropology Class of 2012 with the collaboration with UBD FM. It was part of their final project and their theme is to promote youth humanitarianism through means of music.

It was an event that acts as a bridge for better understanding of how the music scene is in Brunei. This gave a platform for local artists to showcase their talents and at the same time to expose Brunei’s youth-defined music culture to UBD students.

As mentioned before, the event is part of the final assignment for the 4th year Popular Culture and Mass Media class supervised by Professor Dr. Wan Zawawi who also performed in front of the audience to a warm reception.

The event was sponsored by Artly Design and supported by UBD Corp., Projekbrunei.com and RA. Also present were Anakbrunei, Cooltones and a look-a-like Mr. Kurapak aka Anwar Rosly of The Brunei Times.

Notable mentions: Director – Amalina. Floor Manager – Areena & Nur Sheha. Sound Technicians & logistics – Nazmi, Nagib & Zulina. Event Coordinator & Marketing – Khalil, Areena and Amalina. Information Manager – Ziah, Alina, Khalil & Zulina. Security Manager & Ushering – Nagib, Zawanah, Nora & Nana. Refreshment team – Hidayati, Nora, Zawanah & Aloh.

The official poster of last weekend’s gig

Hans Anuar kicked off the gig

Another local talent Ina, a student of UBD

Erwan, a student from UBD, performed an acoustic melody

Former P2F winner Dayat showcasing his talent

Erne Zainal, another UBD student, entertained the audience

Harm & Qielah belted a duet

Another popular artist Zul Faden brought some smiles from the crowd

This is one interesting music from Prof. Dr. Wan Zawawi.. Impressive

UBD students, Zulina and Alina known as The Lins

Juju sang two songs for the audience

Rara, former UBD FM, is a big fan of 5.10am

Fakhrul Razi is such a great entertainer

Perhaps the most unique performance of the day by Aliff and Edabrig

UBD FM and the local artist thanking the audience

Sociology Anthropology Class of 2012 were behind this project

UBD FM deejays Jordine and Jaz were the emcees

The group photo with the organisers and the artists. Click image to read more from UBD FM’s entry.

The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) recently announced their AITI Next Innovation and Multimedia Award for Sustainable ICT Industry (ANIMASI) Pro-Digital Animation Challenge 2012 as one of its latest initiatives to support the development of local ICT industry in the field of digital media.

The ANIMASI Pro-Digital Animation Challenge is aimed to identify and support local businesses’ creativity in producing Brunei-made digital animations, as well as to facilitate the growth of the local digital media industry by recognizing and nurturing our Bruneian talents. This program is in line with one of AITI’s roles and functions to encourage, promote, facilitate, invest in, and assist in the establishment, development and expansion of the local ICT industry.

According to the Chief Executive of AITI, Tuan Haji Yahkup bin Haji Menudin, the ultimate outcome of this Challenge is to have the local talented digital media businesses to collaborate with international players in digital media co-productions in the near future. Last year, AITI signed an MOU with Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) to work hand-in-hand in developing Brunei’s creative digital media industry.

In addition to this, the Challenge also offers the best overall winning entry an AITI grant of B$25,000 minimum to further develop its winning animation clip. The best winner will also be eligible for a mentorship program with well-renowned international players in this field. The top three best entries will also be given a prize money of B$10,000 each.

This Challenge is only open for ICT businesses and production houses registered in Brunei Darussalam. Interested participants of this Challenge are required to submit two different entry forms – the Phase One Entry Form (for pre-production and production phase) on 21st May 2012 and Phase Two Entry Form (for post-production and pitching) with the final animation clip on 28th June 2012. Challenge participants are also required to present their submission works to a panel of industry professionals and experts for the two phases on 28th May 2012 and 9th & 10th July 2012 respectively.

Interested participants are encouraged to attend a briefing and workshop on Creative Digital Animation on Wednesday, 18th April 2012 at 8.15am at Seri Kerna Hall, Block B13, AITI Office, Kg. Anggerek Desa. Amongst the topics covered will be Guidelines for the Challenge Submission, Fundamentals of 3D Animation Design, International Collaboration Opportunities, International Benchmarks and Experience, and Broadcasting Standards. The public are also welcome to attend this briefing and workshop.’ Text courtesy of AITI

It was a successful event last Sunday. The Brunei Times, Prismworks Event Management and Filipino Association organised the Tulong Mindanao Charity Auction and Bazaar held at the Indoor Stadium.

The guest of honour to grace the event was HRH Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim. Thousands of dollars were raised last Sunday for the victims of the Typhoon Washi.

I love their concept of the auction of the donated items from private companies. Royal Brunei Airlines, The Brunei Times, Toys R Us, Fitness Zone, Interhouse Company and TheFaceShop to name a few sponsored their products and services and the price list will be shown to interested parties where they can start at a minimum bid.

For instance, The Brunei Times annual subscription is $174.20 but the minumum bid starts at $20 or $30. Now ain’t that just a great deal and plus the money earned from the bidding goes to charity.

Perhaps the one of the highlights of the auction was Royal Brunei Airlines’s business class for two to Melbourne. The minimum bid began at $1,200 and there were only two bidders and they were so fortunate to get the tickets for only $1,450 for two business class tickets.. Awesome!!!! For your info, the estimated value is $8,000 for business class tickets.

Now the other interesting part of the auction was a special session with Wu Chun for a 30 minute gym session and also an one-on-one basketball session with the celebrity. Read further on for the actual price bidded for Wu Chun’s session.

HRH Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim (C) taking a tour of the venue with Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman (R). Picture: BT/ Quratul-Ain Bandial

Did you know that The Brunei Times have video feeds on their website to make the news more interactive? Interesting.. Click image to see some of the videos

Quratul-Ain Bandial is one of the faces of The Brunei Times’ TV

The settings at Indoor Stadium last Sunday

Cosplay gathering also took place that day

Sheikh Jimmy was targeting the Toys R Us voucher

The bidders taking their seats

The guy who won the bid of BND 1,450 for the business class tickets to Melbourne but his tickets were eventually bought by another party at a higher price

Guest what?? Two fans spent USD 6,500 on Wu Chun’s 30 minute gym session and one-in-one basketball. On top of that, Alis Lau, an online bidder from Hong Kong, donated USD 1,010 after she lost the auction

A note from Wu Chun: I really appreciate MCYS (Brunei’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports), the Philippine Embassy and The Brunei Times because such charity event always becomes more influential when there are big names coming in and it’s such a blessing to see so many charity events coming up in Brunei.

I was influenced by my mother since I was young to help others and be involved in charity work. Right now, I want to use my own ability to influence more people to be involved in charity. Internationally, I do such projects with my fans and in Brunei, I try to get Fitness Zone involved in more charity and community projects with a big help from my very supportive members.

Honestly, it doesn’t have to be cash contributions. As long as you have the heart and desire to help others, a word of mouth action can be very influential too. I always tell my fans not to give me presents even during my birthday and advised them if they really want to buy me presents, the best gifts will be a charity donation receipt or a certificate of their involvement in charity work.

It’s just a two-day auction and a total of close to BND10,000 for two 30-minute workout sessions with me is just too expensive! I really feel guilty but at the same time I’m hoping that this amount can really help those in need in the Philippines.

With the help of my knowledge on health, nutrition and fitness, I am going to make use of these 30-minute sessions to try and change the life of the persons who have made the donation worthwhile because I always believe prevention is CHEAPER than cure.

I bidded for a Canon printer after learning some tips on bidding from the rest earlier on… and I won the auction in the end *woohoo*

After a successful event of the 3-on-3 basketball challenge, there was no doubt that KFC and Fitness Zone working together for future projects. Last Saturday, KFC (Brunei) and Fitness Zone signed a Memorandum of Understanding for their partnership in promoting a well-balanced and healty lifestyle together. This is also in conjunction with the upcoming World Health Day.

Del Goh, General Manager of KFC Brunei signed the MoU with Wu Chun, Managing Director and owner of Fitness Zone. Present also during the signing were Jonathan Bong, Marketing Manager of KFC and Mike, Fitness Zone’s Operations Manager.

In the MoU, both KFC and Fitness Zone will be organising fitness classes between Fitness Zone and KFC. That’s not all as KFC will be looking into developing a healthy meal. KFC Brunei also announced that Wu Chun is the KFC Brunei’s “Sogood” Will Ambassador *Awesome*

Mike, Operations Manager of Fitness Zone, Wu Chun, Managing Director of Fitness Zone, Del Goh, General Manager of KFC Brunei and Jonathan Bong, Marketing Manager of KFC at the press conference last Saturday

Wu Chun is appointed as KFC Brunei’s “sogood” WIll Ambassador

Wu Chun and Del Goh exchanging documents of the MoU

During the Q&A session for Fitness Zone and KFC’s collaboration

After 6 years into the project, Red Bull Rookies Racing 2012 will get a new look. Previously an all-female drivers team, this time a battle of sexes will be introduced to bring in the male drivers. All Bruneians (Yellow and Red IC holders) between the age of 18 and 25 years old are encouraged to participate.

The audition will be held at Times Square from 18th to 20th May 2012. Anybody born between 31st December 1994 and 1st January 1987 is eligible to take part. Valid IC’s are to be presented during the registration process. The male team which is to be spearheaded by Mark Darwin, a Malaysian, as the anchorman while the female team will be led by Melissa Huang of Singapore.

Red Bull Rookies Racing was introduced to Brunei Darussalam in 2010 where Noradzlianayati Abdul Razak (Liana) and Melline Jaini (Mel) made their debut and last year Fauziah Haziz (Ogy) made history as she was the first Bruneian to start the Sepang 1000km Race in Red Bull colours. And she did exceptionally well combining with Puteri Ayu Yasmin of Malaysia and Emmiline Ang of Singapore. The team came home in 15th placing out of 28 teams that started the race. It was a remarkable result considering the drivers were rookies and the only all-female team.

Mr.Raymond Lee, the Area Sales Manager (Brunei Darussalam) said that Red Bull introduced and continued this legacy project in the hope to provide the opportunity of a lifetime to potential young champions who have the dream to excel in racing industry. Many times it is very costly for one individual to prepare and race.

Come the 20th May 2012, 3 female and 3 male qualifiers will be announced to take part in the multi-stages and stringent elimination process to be conducted by the team led by Team Manager cum Trainer, Mr. Kenvin Low. Mr Low possesses an impressive resume in terms of racing and coaching. This will be his fourth year handling the team.

This is how the seach for the drivers will look like and the time line.. A bit confusing but you will understand soon

Mr. Wong, representative from Red Bull, at the press conference yesterday

So to make it easier for you guys… There will be 66 spots during the initial stage (56 candidates from normal selection + 10 candidates from wildcard FB selection online). However, there will be six drivers driving in the finals where there will be one car driven by male and the other by female.

Then again, since Mark Darwin (Malaysia) and Melissa Huang (Singaporean hot nurse) will be the anchors on their respective cars. So this means the 66 candidates will be fighting for four spots (2 male and 2 female). Now let’s hope Brunei will get selected especially in the Wild Card Facebook Selection Online. It’s open to anyone and of course, there’s an age grouping criteria to make you eligible.

For more info on voting or putting your photo for voting purposes, you can click here. So what are you waiting for… The RED BULL Rookies search 2012 has just began. I hope to see some Brunei representatives.

This was the team of Red Bull Rookies 2011 and they all did quite well

So who will be the chosen ones??

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This morning, Alliance Francaise De Brunei (AF Brunei) held a screening of 2 short films – The Little Dragon & Madagascar – A Diary of a Journey at the Pusat Ehsan. This is one of the programmes under the French Film Festival (FFF) 2012.

More than 70 students saw the movie and apart from the movie, the students and representatives from AF Brunei participated in activities such creating moving pictures devices or toys called the Zeotrope, Thaumatrope and Flipbooks. All these types of activities are related to the ancestors of the animation and cinema.

After that, AF Brunei hosted another movie session as part of the FFF and the movie screened was “A Cat in Paris”, a movie nominated for the Oscars Cesar 2012 and European Film Awards 2012.

All activities organised at Pusat Ehsan is sponsored by KFC – The Official Sponsor for Pusat Ehsan Activities.

For further information about the French Film Festival 2012, the public can follow Alliance Française de Brunei on all social medias and their website www.afbruneidarussalam.com or call them at +673 265 4245 or drop by at their headquarters at Jalan Dato Ratna, Kampong Kiarong. Images courtesy of AF Brunei.

It’s coming soon to Brunei and it will be available in 1.0 Manual and 1.0 Auto. This was rated the Best Value Care of the Year by BS Motoring-Chevrolet Sparks. The Chevrolet Spark was also named “Best Supermini 2011” by Wheels magazine, one of the leading auto publications distributed in the UAE. Cool, aye? It was also the top performing passenger vehicle in the 2011 Synovate Product Quality Awards.

Don’t be fooled by its small size. It’s big on fuel economy and superb on refinement and value. Its design breaks the mould for mini-cars and takes Chevrolet’s signature styling elements to this vehicle segment in a youthful, fun and fashion-conscious way.

The Chevrolet Spark is powered by a 1.0L dual-overhead cam four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing that delivers an estimated 68 horsepower (50 kW). It is mated to a standard five-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission for competitive fuel economy. It has an estimated combined city and highway 4.8Litre/100 km or approximately 21Litre per kilometer, superb fuel economy.

Awesome looks… I’m already in love with the Audi A5. Audi have never failed to impress me on every models they released. This morning the press had a sneak peek of the latest offering from Audi and so far there are two or three now on the road. The launch date is still pending but it will be coinciding with the launch of the T.C.Y. Motors new HQ building in Kiarong.

Sorry guys for the lack of update.. I was totally knackered as my day started from 4:30am last Sunday and ended 10:30pm.. I will be posting more pictures of my latest events that I covered but for now let me share with you pictures from yesterday’s Run for a Reason by Standard Chartered Brunei and what an event it was!!!

Orchid Garden Hotel is introducing some of the finest authentic dishes in the Asean region with the launch of the Thailand Food Promotion 2012. Try out their dishes such as tom yam soup, a local Thai favourite at Goldiana Café and Lounge at Orchid Garden Hotel.

There are also Pu Pod Pong Gahree (stir-fried crab with Thai curry powder), Gang Khai (Thai chicken curry), Phad Thai noodles and Khai Hor Bia Teoy (pandan chicken). Other lighter servings are Yam Talay (hot and sour seafood salad) complemented with dipping sauce, Yarn Nuea (Thai beef salad) and Yam Vun Sen (Thai green noodles salad).

The menus will be rotated daily until the end of the promotional period on April 14. Others Thai-inspired dishes include Hor Mok Pla (steamed fish cake), Pad Pod Ruim Mit (stir-fried mixed vegetables), Yam Pew Som (chicken pew Som) and Chao Tom (chicken & prawn w/ lemon grass stick).

There are also corners with a selection of salads and cold appetiser served with dressings, hot appetiser like pan-fried squid in tangy Thai sauce and roasted chicken thigh ‘Thai red curry marinated’.

So peeps, you only have a few days left for the Thai Food promotion at Orchid Garden Hotel.

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Incredible!!! It wasn’t one of the best performances by DPMM FC and yet they snatched three points at the death through an Azwan freekick in injury time. It was heartache for Courts Young Lions who defended tremendously well against the top team in the S-League. For your info, it was a match between the top team and the bottom team of the league.

Hence the crowd expected goals galore which really didn’t materialise. Judging from the first half, DPMM FC failed to make an impact and I came 10 mins before half time and the reporters were saying that I didn’t miss much. Shahrazen hardly trouble CYL’s keeper Syazwan Buhari and Basiru Osman was heavily marked by the visitors. Mind you both forwards have 7 goals between them and they struggled to find the net against a team that have conceded 12 goals in 5 games.

The crowd grew frustrated and some even left their seats with 10 minutes left in the match. Basiru and Shahrazen had great half chances but one hit the bar and the post respectively. From that point, I thought that was it. It was gonna read the headlines as 0-0 but it wasn’t meant to be.

In injury time, DPMM FC was rewarded a free kick after a foul on substitute Helmi. Up came Azwan Salleh who had a 35 yard distant to play with. To the surprise of Syazwan (in goal), his disadvantage in height allowed Azwan’s unintended freekick snuck above him for DPMM FC’s winner.

I actually felt sorry for YCL for their tremendous effort to play against one of the top teams in the S-League and plus it was a DPMM FC’s fortress which is tough for visitors to gain points. YCL’s coach expressed his emotions on the result as he believed his boys didn’t deserve this. “It was painful for us. We organised well and we didn’t allow many chances for them except for the set-pieces. This is not the first time that we lost games like this. I know it’s a matter of time before we start winning matches.”

DPMM FC coach Simunic spoke of the misfortune DPMM FC had against Tampines Rover and now luck is in their favour as he reflected on the last gasp winner from Azwan. He praised YCL on playing one of their best performances and defended his team that they didn’t play bad at all.

“Before we were hunters and now the rest of the team are hunting us,” quoted DPMM FC coach.

DPMM FC are now top of the table though Harimau Muda have a game in hand. It’s gonna be an interesting race this season. Go DPMM FC.

Azwan Salleh worked tirelessly in midfield and so did Jerkovic

I’m not sure what he’s trying to say (during half time)

Simunic was also busy by the sideline and he picked up the ball on many occasions

The biggest cheer (well, the 2nd biggest after Azwan’s goal) whenever the female medic from Courts Young Lions ran on the pitch

Syazwan was given medical attention in the second half

Perhaps the second one that did the trick a few minutes before he conceded the goal. This picture had many likes and comments on my instagram and Facebook btw.

The goal that Syazwan had no chance saving

Now I love this celebration.. It reminds me of a bomb being released from a plane

A good reason for Wardun to join the celebration. He wasn’t busy at all in goal.

A big heartache for CYL as they almost stole a point at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium

The crowd erupted after the late goal from Azwan

The moment they saw me shooting at them, they cheered more *lol*

YCL weren’t happy with the referee and showed their frustration after the final whistle

Simunic congratulating YCL’s coach on the great performance after the match

“On Sunday, 8 April, all roads along the Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon run routes from Berakas towards Bandar will be closed from 5:30am to 9am. All motorists are advised to observe road closures and avoid using run routes (that are available on www.scbruneihalfmarathon.com) and use alternate routes to their destination. Motorists are also advised to follow instructions given by the traffic police on duty. Temporary road closures in town will include Jalan RIPAS (previously known as Jalan Bomba Haji Basir), the Mini Roundabout at Jalan McArthur towards Jalan Sultan, Jalan Sultan towards Jalan Bandaran and the traffic lights passing Radisson Hotel towards Jalan Kebangsaan, to allow for runners passing by.”

With over 4000 participants at the event and 550 volunteers plus additional 500 or so officials, the area around the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium as well as the run routes will be extremely busy. So peeps, do make your way early and it’s gonna be fun packed event. I can’t wait and I’m even not ready for the 5K run *lol*

Taken from The Brunei Times

THE Face Shop is currently having its Summer Festival sale at The Mall’s Camera & Travel Fair, where a number of amazing promotions and freebies are up for grabs. The Face Shop held a small prize presentation at the fair today for its “Capture Your Sunny Moments” photography competition.

Eight winners were chosen for their creative photos, winning themselves The Face Shop vouchers worth $100 and $80. The Face Shop’s Summer Festival features an array of promotions and freebies for all customers who drop by its booth, including up to 50 percent discounts on selected items as well as an amazing discount on The Face Shop’s new Arsainte Eco-Therapy Crystal Water line, bringing the price down to $95 from its original price of $164.

Customers purchasing the line during this promotional period will also receive a free travel-size pack of products from the line. Free make-overs and skin analysis sessions will also be available throughout the festival, as well as a 30 percent discount on make-up.

The first 50 non-members of The Face Shop to register for membership at their booth will be entitled to free membership and will also receive discount vouchers. For more information on The Face Shop’s Summer Festival, visit their booth at the ground floor of The Mall, which will be there until April 8. Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.

Some of the winners of “Capture your Sunny Moments” with Ruby Ann Portales, Marketing & Communications Manager of The Face shop. Image courtesy of TFS

Group photo with the winners. Image courtesy of TFS

Catch their booth at The Mall. Tomorrow is the last day (Sunday)

The Brunei Times is inviting citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam to take part in fundraiser “Tulong Mindanao Charity Auction and Bazaar” that will take place from 8am to 5pm on Sunday, April 8, 2012 at the Indoor Stadium, Berakas. Initiated by The Brunei Times, organised by Prismworks Event Management and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Filipino Association in Brunei, the charity event for the benefit of Typhoon Washi victims in the Philippines will auction brand-new items donated by generous sponsors.

All proceeds of the fundraiser will be handed over to the National Humanitarian Fund for Philippine Storm Victims set up by the MCYS. Tulong Mindanao is the young news organisation’s response to His Majesty’s Government’s call for the people and residents of Brunei Darussalam to lend a helping hand in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Philippine communities ravaged by Tropical Storm Washi.

The fundraiser is The Brunei Times’ first public charity event. The government through the ministry earlier set up the humanitarian fund following news of the tropical storm leaving 1,249 fatalities in its wake in December 2011. Typhoon Washi (Sendong) also displaced 600,000 people in Mindanao.

Fundraiser sponsors from the Brunei Darussalam business community have confirmed their donations for the auction ranging from RBA all inclusive Business-class tickets, household appliances such as television sets and air-conditioning units to vouchers for gym membership and hampers of skincare products.

Celebrity Wu Chun has also come on board to auction off 30-minutes of personal training time with him and a 30-minute one-on-one basketball session with him. Fitness Zone has also sponsored 10-one month Fitness Zone memberships for the auction. At the bazaar, pre-loved goods will be sold at affordable prices. Drop-off boxes have been placed at all Jollibee outlets in Brunei for the public to donate their pre-loved goods. Interested parties may make use of these boxes for their donations until April 5.

Organisers and supporters are putting together a fun-filled programme for the April 8 event, with activities for children and youth such as a Cosplayers parade, magic shows and bouncers. For your info, you can use the Jalan Kebangsaan through Pusat Dakwah to make your way to the Indoor Stadium as you know that the road closure for SCB’s run tomorrow as well.

The Brunei Times and its fundraiser partners and sponsors are inviting the public to join Tulong Mindanao and have fun while shopping for a cause.

Tulong Mindanao’s confirmed sponsors to date include RBA, Fitness Zone, The Face Shop, Jollibee, Ad Sport Event Management (AdSem), Toys R Us, Intracorp (B) Sdn Bhd, The Holiday Lodge Hotel, All Star Sports Café, Ideal Café & Grill,JPMC Fitness Centre, Jasra Harrisons Sdn Bhd (Nestle Rroducts), Syarikat Aliaa, Mc Donald’s, Laneige, Hi Rop Engineering, The Body Shop, Rizqun International Hotel, Interhouse Company, ToysRUs, Mohan’s Carpet Place, Sri Lembayung Restaurant, Chop Jing Chew and Brunei Times Sdn Bhd.

Click image to enlarge poster

It’s happening later until weekend. Click image to enlarge.

Ageless Beauty great promotion. Click image to enlarge.

The Most Photogenic Face Contest for the Top Ten finalists

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE DE BRUNEI (AF Brunei) held an press conference at their premises in Jalan Dato Ratna today to announce their annual French Film Festival 2012.

The French Film Festival this year will be from the 7th until the 13th of April where the films selected for this year’s event will be screened in multiple venues across Bandar Seri Begawan such as The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Jerudong Park Playground, iCentre, University of Brunei Darussalam, Pusat Ehsan and Jerudong International School.

All film screenings are open to the public and are of free of charge. This year Alliance Française de Brunei are proud to present 4 feature length French films which are 2 Days in Paris, Since Otar Left, Top Floor, Left Wing and A Cat in Paris. Other than the 4 feature length films, the French Film Festival will also be screening a Short Film Program in which compromises of 5 films from different genres of film which are Ten, The Little Dragon, It’s Sunday, Madagascar- Diary of a Journey, Master Plan.

Internationally, this event aims to celebrate the French Films and create more awareness on the different genres in which the French Film industry focuses upon and stories as well as the perceptions and technicalities of French Films portray and being conveyed to the general audience globally.

Alliance Française de Brunei utilizes French Film Festival 2012 with the hopes of providing a platform and inspire local film enthusiast in Brunei to explore the French films, the way stories are filmed, directed and written to captivate the audience. As well as to educate the general public the artistic and technical aspects of the films showcased and to have a glimpse of the French fictional perception of life and creative imagination through films.This year, the French Film Festival 2012 is supported by several established and prestigious companies and agencies; The French Embassy, Institut Français , Total, The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Jerudong Park & Playground, KFC (The Official Sponsor for Pusat Ehsan Activities), Pusat Ehsan, University of Brunei Darussalam, Visual Dimensions Productions, iCentre, Fleur de Lyss , Bruneions , bMobile , Jerudong International School.

Alliance Française de Brunei is a non-profit organization founded in 1986. It is dedicated to promoting the French language and culture as well as to develop the historical friendship between countries – Brunei and France, Bruneians and Francophones. It is a French cultural and language centre as well as a place of exchanging and sharing ideas among people from different cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Today, Alliance Française is the leading cultural network worldwide, with 1,040 establishments in 136 countries on all 5 continents. Each year, 450,000 people, of all ages, attend Alliances Françaises to learn French and more than 6 million people participate in their French cultural activities. The network is coordinated by the Alliance Française Foundation (Fondation Alliance Française). We are proud to say that Brunei is a part of this cultural network and this proves as evidence that Friendship is the key word to the relationship between Alliance Française and Bruneians alike.

Click image to enlarge poster

This is my 2nd month and counting on my consumption of Zell-V and so far I’ve been feeling good about myself lately. I’m still not used to the huge ass pills and I’ve been stocking up bananas every 3-4 days to help my ZELL-V intake *lol* Trust me it works for those who have trouble swallowing huge capsules.

So why ZELL-V? Firstly, the biggest reason is that the soft gels rejuvenate cells in your body that acts as an anti-ageing stimulant. You probably noticed a few ambassadors who are top celebrities in Asia who have benefited a lot from ZELL-V. I’m on my 2nd month and according to representatives of ZELL-V, it will take at least 3 months or best at 6 months to see the actual result.

Just a quick run down on the remarkable benefits of ZELL-V

1) Smoothes away wrinkles, ligthens facial pigmentation and improves complexion
2) Improves skin elasticity and thickness and enhances skin texture
3) Improves vigour and energy
4) Improves quality of sleep
5) Stabilises weight to a normal level
6) Improves alertness and mental awareness
7) Improves sexual well-being
8) Increases flexibility in joints and discs
9) Improves immunity
10) Decreases risk of heart disease

For your info, ZELL-V has opened their office here in Brunei located on the 1st floor, Rizqun International Hotel (next to Hush Puppies and Tourism Malaysia office). You can call 245 7668 for more details.

You can get them boxes that will last your for a month

Look at the size of the ZELL-V capsule. I ever ate it with an egg tart and it works *lol*

Yesterday marked a great day for camera enthusiasts especially Canon lovers. Interhouse Company launched the new models Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 1D x at the Camera & Travel “Photography” Fair 2012 at The Mall, Gadong yesterday. The Guest of Honour was Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Hjh Hasnah binti Ibrahim.

I’m still drooling over the EOS 1Dx which is one awesome machine though it is out of my budget for sure. My target will be the Canon EOS 5D Mark III which is definitely a great buy. Hence I’m looking for a buyer for my 5D Mark II 😀 According to Vincent, the Canon E0S1DX provides up to 14 Frame Per Second (fps) and ISO reading of 204,800 and it is powered by two of Canon’s new DIGIT 5+ processor while the EOAS5D mark III has a 22.4 Megapixel CMOS sensor, six frames per second and an ISO of 102,400, to name a few improved features. “One thing both cameras launched today have in common is that both are fully made in Japan, which assures excellent quality, workmanship and superior product sign,” said Vincent.

Anyway back to the fair, there will be a few presentations on photography and one of them will be Lawrence Alex Wu, one of the world’s leading and internationally acclaimed underwater photographer. He will be having presentations today and tomorrow and you can find him at the Poni Divers Brunei booth.

Visitors to the fair can also participate in an exclusive lucky draw whereby the grand prize includes a unit of Canon E0S6OD with an EF-S 18-55mm kit, Lomo cameras, Fujifilm Instax cameras, Zkin camera bags and stripes, The Face Shop hampers, Epson all-in-one printers and many more.

For more information, visit the Camera and Travel “Photography” Fair 2012 today until April 8, 2012, at The Mall, Gadong from 10am tom 10pm.

The Guest of Honour Hjh Hasnah with the organisers and partners of Camera and Travel “Photography” Fair 2012

Ambassador of Japan to Brunei, Mr. Hirose, unveiled the Canon EOS 1Dx

Hjh Hasnah trying out the Canon 5D Mark III

Now you can purchase the Canon 5D Mark III at Hua Ho Department Store, Yappe Enterprise and Rose Photo

Apparently the Canon 1Dx is one awesome machine.. I had a one day trial and I’m so in love with it.. This model has no stock yet in Brunei but it should be making its way to Brunei this month

This is one awesome printer from Canon

Guest of honour checking out the latest printer from Canon

Guest of honour talking to the boss of Ageless Beauty

Check out Ageless Beauty booth at the fair

The special promotion at Ageless Beauty only during the fair

Zul and Vincent Pao of Concepts Computer also having their booth at the fair

Check out Concepts Computer promotion

The underwater photographer Lawrence Alex Wu, Hjh Hasnah and Thye Sing of Poni Divers Brunei holding an underwater casing for a compact camera

Want to learn more about underwater photography? Check out Poni Divers booth at the fair

BIBD is the official bank and you can find out more on their Home Plus deals which has generated a lot of interest

Another opportunity to view Nissan’s latest model – Juke

Brunei Press is also making their presence at the fair

This is something new to Brunei and Jason Ong is promoting Digital Synergy for those interested to learn more on photography professionally

Icklebooks will be selling their lomography cameras so check them out

There are some photos being exhibited as well for those interested in photography

Kulimpapat will be conducting workshops on photography

Cool camera bags from Zkin

Catch their booth at The Mall until Sunday 8th April

Visit the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Times Square for TOTAL Scholarship Open Day – Friday 6th April from 3pm to 8pm

This is the first time that Total introduced its scholarship for Bruneians and they can pursue their future studies in France. This was announced by Harina Ramlee, Head of Human Resource and Corporate Communications and Zulhilmi Rambli, Corporate Communications Officer of Total last Wednesday.

For your info, Total will award four Total Education Scholarship Scheme. You will need at least three A levels (Grade A) and citizen of Brunei Darussalam and you need credit in Malay and English too. The preferred courses are petroleum courses and related fields.

If you are awarded, the scholarship programme could last up to 7 years and you will be taught some French language as well. Then you will be given the opportunity to work in Total’s global office. They are a few Brunei Total staff who have worked in Angola and the U.S.

Interested parties must submit their applications before 3pm 14th April to this address – “Organization and Human Capability Unit, Energy Unit, Energy Department, Prime Minister’s Office, 5th floor Bahirah Building, Jln Menteri Besar.”

You might be wondering why the application is sent to that particular address. This is because the short listing will involved the Energy Department. Potential students can actually drop by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Times Square today (Friday 6th April) from 3pm to 8pm for a mini Open Day for Total where students can enquire more of the scholarship.

As for allowance, Total representatives said that the allowance provided are quite competitive and shortlisted students will be given other form of allowances such as computer allowance.

So do drop by Total today 6th April from 3pm to 6pm at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Times Square.

Harina Ramlee and Zulhilmi Rambli at the press conference yesterday

ALL participants of the upcoming Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon are reminded to collect their running packs during the Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) that will be held on April 6 and 7 at the National Indoor Stadium.

The REPC will be open from 8.30am to 7pm (breaking for prayers between 11am to 2pm) on Friday, April 6; and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday, April 7.

All runners collecting their Race Entry Pack (REP) are required to produce a printout of their confirmation slip, identity card or passport (for participants of adult race categories), a photocopy of their birth certificate (for child participants only), personalised donation card (or a police report slip, in the event the donation card is lost) and the donations collected.

The Race Entry Pack (REP) will consist of a running bib number, an exclusive event running t-shirt, a timing chip (for half-marathon and 10km categories only) and a lucky draw ticket.

T iming devices will not be issued to 5km and 2.5km Fun Run participants. T-shirt sizes will be given on a first come first serve basis, depending on stock availability. As there will be no collection of race packs on the race day, all participants and appointed representatives are to collect the race packs during the REPC period only.

Over 4000 participants have signed up for Run for a Reason across the four categories 2.5km, 5km, 10km and 21km, exceeding the number of runners in the Standard Chartered Charity Run last year by over 83 percent. This number has way exceeded the number of runners in the Standard Chartered Charity Run 2011 last year by over 83%.

This is where you collect your Racing Pack. Image courtesy of Irene Yu.

There was quite a crowd yesterday morning. Image courtesy of Pabs

Our buddy will be running the half marathon.. Good luck, bro 😀

It’s happening later until weekend. Click image to enlarge.

Ageless Beauty great promotion. Click image to enlarge.

The Most Photogenic Face Contest for the Top Ten finalists

Awesome deals at b.mobile for the Samsung Galaxy Note

It’s coming soon to Brunei and it will be available in 1.0 Manual and 1.0 Auto. This was rated the Best Value Care of the Year by BS Motoring-Chevrolet Sparks. The Chevrolet Spark was also named “Best Supermini 2011” by Wheels magazine, one of the leading auto publications distributed in the UAE. Cool, aye? It was also the top performing passenger vehicle in the 2011 Synovate Product Quality Awards.

Don’t be fooled by its small size. It’s big on fuel economy and superb on refinement and value. Its design breaks the mould for mini-cars and takes Chevrolet’s signature styling elements to this vehicle segment in a youthful, fun and fashion-conscious way.

The Chevrolet Spark is powered by a 1.0L dual-overhead cam four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing that delivers an estimated 68 horsepower (50 kW). It is mated to a standard five-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission for competitive fuel economy. It has an estimated combined city and highway 4.8Litre/100 km or approximately 21Litre per kilometer, superb fuel economy.

Click image to see more details

The HSBC Walk Run Cycle is back and there’s a new twist to it. The charity event will take place at night and it will be the first of its kind. The HSBC WRC 2012 was launched last Sunday at the Airport Mall.

This year’s theme will be “Unleash Their Abilities: Helping Brunei’s special needs children to achieve their full potential”. During the launch, two employees of HSBC who were former students of Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, shared their experiences.

According to Lim Boon Teck, Manager of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC, 100 percent of the collection will be channelled to charities such as Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA) and Society for the Management of Autism Related Issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER) and Learning Ladders.

For your info, the event will take place at Taman SOAS on 19th May and it will kick off at 8:30pm.

Those 16 years and above can register for the 40km Cycling Open, whereas those who are six years and above can sign up for either the WRC 11.5km Open, the WRC 6km or the WRC 2km.

The entry fee is $10 per participant, and registration forms can be obtained at all HSBC branches as well as Triple Star, Kiulap and Fitness Zone branches.

Participants must confirm their participation by returning the donation card and any funds collected to any HSBC Branch from May 7 to 12.

What can you expect from the goody bag? A reflector, HSBC WRC 2012 t-shirt, a meal voucher courtesy of Pastamania, a Laneige gift pack and one week Fitness Zone membership.

For more info or if you want download application, you can click here.

Boon Teck and Livie during the launch of the event

Let the show begin

HSBC and Relentless Entertainment dancers entertaining the crowd

Former students of Pusat Ehsan now working at HSBC sharing their experiences

Are you guys ready for WRC 2012?

Did you know that the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam which is famously known as AITI consists of Members of Authority (Board of Directors) where their roles are to contribute to the vision and objectives of AITI. One of the objectives is the construction of the infrastructure of the Fiber to the Home )FTTH) in Brunei Darussalam.

Few nights ago, AITI had a appreciation dinner at Li Gong Restaurant for the former Members of Authority (Board of Directors) and also welcoming new elected Members. The former Members were 1) Dato Paduka Awang Buntar bin Osman 2)Hj Suhaila bin Hj Abdul Karim, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education 3) Hj Zainal Abidin bin Hj Md Ali Deputy Managing Director, Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. 4) Rosdi Amin Bin Dato Paduka Haji Yaakub Deputy CEO and Head of Global Banking HSBC Limited, HSBC 5) Pengiran Haji Mohamad bin Pengiran Haji Kamaluddin Chairman of Alif Technologies Sdn Bhd 6) Jefri Bin Abd Rahman Senior Councel, Attorney Generals Chambers, Prime Minister’s Office

The new Members that have been elected for the period of 2012-2014 are :-

1) Dato Paduka Hj Alaihuddin bin POKDG Haji Mohd Taha, Chairman of AITI and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communication
2) Abdul Mutalib Bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof Deputy Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Communication
3) Pengiran Abdul Razak bin Pengiran Abdul Wahab, Accountant General
4) Adi Shamsul bin Haji Sabli, Director, E-Government National Centre
5) Hj Yahkup bin Hj Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI
6) Hajah Ruhayu binti Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Razak, Principal counsel and Head of Civil Division for Attorney General Chambers.

The appreciation dinner was graced by the Guest of Honour Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, Minister of Communications.

He highlighted the accomplishments of AITI during 2010-2012 period such as the ICT Grand Scheme, the Accreditation of ICT Businesses (AAB and ICTAB), the participation in the CommunicAsia and of course let’s not forget AITI’s role in organising BICTA and APICTA.

Congratulations to the new elected Member of Authority (Board of Directors) of AITI. Images courtesy of AITI.

Minister of Communications delivering his speech

Rosdi Amin receiving a souvenir from the Minister of Communications

Group photo after appreciation dinner

The scouting has begun and the search begins for the casting of Brunei’s first feature film. They have been heavily promoting for the casting on local radio stations and websites as they are searching for casts for Yasmine the movie.

They are looking for male and female roles age 18-25 years old and also male age 36-45 years old.

Bruneian director Siti Kamaluddin teamed up with Hong Kong’s renowned action director Stephen Tung Wei and Chan Man Ching, and Indonesia’s no.1 screenwriter Salman Aristo brings you the very first Bruneian feature film, bringing you an action drama about a young girl’s dream of becoming a martial arts champion.

I can’t wait to see the result and the progress as well. You can follow their FanPage or follow them on Twitter @YasmineTheMovie

Click image to enter their Fanpage to find out more details

Call 221 222 for more details

To hardcore DPMM FC fans, Royal Brunei Airlines have came up with a special package for the upcoming match between DPMM FC and Home United FC on Thursday 19th April 2012. The fare is as low as $598 and also subject to availability as well.

The price stated is packaged with a hotel called Ibis Novena in Singapore. The price also include tickets to watch S-League match. There are other hotels listed but perhaps the price is slightly different. The hotels include Hotel Royal, Gallery Hotel, Peninsula Excelsior and Futama City Centre.

For more query and reservation, do contact RBA reservation 221 2222.

This is Ibis Hotel. Image courtesy of passportchop.com and you can click the image to read more of Ibis Hotel

The bragging right continues… Why? One reason is the emergence of instagram on Android platforms (finally) and these have brought some smiles to Android users where some were accustomed to mytubo and picplz which didn’t last long on their interest level.

Now that instagram is available on Android platform, there have been news that IOS users will switch to Androids because instagram is one of the reasons why they remain loyal to IOS *lol* Hence I said the bragging rights continue to which platform is better.

This morning I received a healthy amount of new followers on instagram in the wee hours and my bet is that they are Android platform users. Now they will be squabbles on which platform is better for instagram *lol* Let the tension begin..

Finally Android users can share the same joy as IOS users 😀

Sorry for ignorance and I never realised that there is a Newcastle supporters group in Brunei. According to my friend Azrul, they have around 40 members of Newcastle United Supporters Brunei (NUSB). For your info, Geordies are names given to Newcastle hardcore supporters.

NUSB are seeking for other Newcastle United supporters in the country. For those interested, you can contact through email azrul.zain(a)gmail.com

Picture taken during Newcastle United Supporters Brunei gathering during Newcastle 2-0 victory of Liverpool

Something to be excited about in WWE now after watching last night’s WWE RAW, a day after Wrestlemania. The Rock has a vision of winning back the WWE gold but I wonder how he’s gonna achieve that considering his Hollywood busy schedules and I’m sure his Hollywood agent won’t be pleased if he gets a lot of ring time which can jeopardise his career through unwanted injuries.

But the best part of last night was the return of Brock Lesnar who F5-ed John Cena out of the blue (or green) and stamped his return with such a huge roar from the Miami crowd. Now I wonder if Brock will be a face or a heel.. Now there’s more reason to look forward to WWE after some stale period.

Brock Lesnar marked his return by F5-ing John Cena

I missed this event back on 25th March as I was outstation then. Ultimate Frisbee is a new thing here in Brunei and they had a few mini tournaments along the way too. Last March, they organised a Ulti-Jim Frisbee tournament and it was a success and the most important thing was that everyone had fun. Judging from the pictures, it was surely fun. Thanks Steph for the photos and I hope you recover soon from your injury.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam gave his official seal of approval for the new layout of Borneo Bulletin. His Majesty highlighted that the colour has changed which lightened the atmosphere. He also described the new layout, “very nice and something different”.

Few days ago, I uploaded some photos of the wee hours of the prints of the latest layout of Borneo Bulletin. I’m a regular reader of Borneo Bulletin and I have good relations with most of the reporters from Borneo Bulletin. Congratulations Borneo Bulletin on the new layout.

His Majesty and the Crown Prince with the Borneo Bulletin journalists and photographers

His Majesty browsing through the new version of Borneo Bulletin

This is the guy behind the hoax letter. Image taken from Brunei FM facebook page and a screenshot of RTB news

[Edited] Now who’s the culprit behind all this? So this evening we find out that this guy named Lakim Hj Md Noor is the mastermind behind all this. The story grabbed today’s headlines in Borneo Bulletin and The Brunei Times and apparently the hoax government letter was being circulated in social networking sites such as Facebook to warn others of such scam or hoax.

Around 45 women and 31 men from the 300 recipients provided statements to the police to assist with the investigation.

“I actually applied with the Municipal Department and a few other government offices last year,” said one of the women. “I went through the examination and I didn’t think much of the letter when I received it,” she explained and added that she is still employed with her private sector employer in Kuala Belait but was in the final process of resigning. “I’m actually starting to hand over my work to my replacement,” she said.

Some unlucky ones were instructed to hand over cash between $250 to $300 in order to secure a government position. Now this is really sad to whoever created this hoax and scam and ruining the careers of our own people. I believe this could be an inside job since some of the complains had applied to the Municipal Department a few years ago and the letters also contained their full names and identification which made the letter more legit to their eyes.

The fake letter was posted on a popular Facebook page “Brunei FM” which went viral from there onwards. For your info, Brunei FM fan page is not affiliated with fmBrunei Group of Companies. But it was good that Brunei FM fan page alerted the public on the hoax letter.

I do hope the authorities do catch the culprit asap and punished accordingly. [Source: Borneo Bulletin, The Brunei Times, Brunei FM].

The Fake Letter that many fell for.. Taken from Brunei FM Fan Page

Today’s headline at The Brunei Times

Today’s headline at Borneo Bulletin

I was disappointed with the previous two pay-per-views – Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber and I was a bit skeptical about WWE’s Wrestlemania.. There’s no Money in the Bank and the match between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan only last 2 seconds *lol*

Nonetheless the HHH vs Taker was pure classic and I have a huge respect for the Undertaker for pulling off another great show. He doesn’t wrestle as much as he only wrestles once a year for the past two to three years because of his age and body tolerance. This is one of the best matches I’ve seen for quite some time and this is enough to make my money’s worth for the PPV on Kristal Astro.

The other big match is between the two icons – John Cena vs The Rock. It’s not as spectacular as The Rock vs Hollywood Hogan but it was still entertaining from start to the end. I also had doubts of The Rock’s ring ability after his last wrestling performance was back in 2004. The Rock has still what it got in the ring though he was rusty at times. Loads of boos for JC as usual because Wrestlemania was held at The Rock’s home town, Miami.

I wished the other matches lived up to Wrestlemania’s expectations. Missing were Money in the Bank match and TLC matches. I would still give this a high rating though. Wrestlemania 28 verdict: 8/10

The Rock and Cena went head to head at Wrestlemania

The Rock looked a bit out of shape for a wrestler. I could see some flab from his tummy *lol*

Are you willing to take up this challenge?

There have loads of talks about interest in animation in Brunei alone. This is still an untapped industry in Brunei and I’m pretty sure quite a few Bruneians here are talented in this field of animation. We are living in the digital media age and AITI has come up with a competition or challenge known as the Pro-Digital Animation Challenge.

The digital media is paving more channels for new job opportunities, sustainable growth and economic diversification.

PURPOSE
The purpose of the Challenge is to source out local talents in the ICT-related industry to produce short digital animations that utilize digital technology in a creative and innovative way.

There are two themes for this Challenge: 1) Public awareness and education on ICT related topics such as, but not limited to, cyber security, internet etiquette, social media networking, or

2) Brunei Folklore such as any legends, myths, cultural values or history relating to Brunei Darussalam.

ELIGIBILITY
1) The competition is solely open to ICT businesses and production houses registered in Brunei Darussalam.

2) Participants must produce Brunei-made components, i.e. animations that are made, developed and produced wholly or partially in Brunei by Bruneians.

3) All submissions must adhere to either one of the themes of this Challenge.

PRIZES AND AWARDS
Three (3) best entries will be selected from the submissions and will receive a prize money of Ten Thousand Brunei Dollars (BND$10,000) each.

Out of the three (3) best entries, the judges will select the best of the best, who will be awarded with:
1) A grant of minimum Twenty Five Thousand Brunei Dollars (BND$25,000) to further develop their winning entry; and

2) Be eligible to participate in a mentorship program in order to gain opportunities to collaborate with international players in the field of digital media production.

So guys, what are you waiting for? Showcase your talent and we Bruneians can do it 😀

A timeline to guide for interested participants

You may have read in the papers with regards with the recent luxury cruise ship The Azamara Quest which suffered from a fire at the engine room and left the ship stranded off southern Philippines coast. The ship was safely docked at Sandakan port at Malaysia’s Sabah.

Royal Brunei Airlines and Department of Civil Aviation came into the picture yesterday as they combined their efforts to help chartered a few relief flights from Sandakan to Brunei and transiting to Singapore on the same day which is happening now as we speak. Some passengers from the cruise ship have flown to Singapore via BI421 at 9:15am this morning.

So thumbs up to @royalbruneiair and DCA for their involvement in transporting the passengers from Sandakan to Singapore via Brunei.

In this handout photo taken Saturday, March 31, 2012 and released Sunday, April 1, 2012 by the Philippine Air Force, the stricken cruise ship Azamara Quest is seen in the Sulu sea, southern Philippines. The cruise ship with 1,000 people on board that had drifted for 24 hours after being disabled by a fire was headed toward Malaysia following repairs and was expected to reach shore Sunday, the ship’s company said. PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE,HO — AP Photo

Passengers from the Azamara Quest are taken by bus from the port in Sandakan, Malaysia, Monday, April 2, 2012. The Azamara Quest carrying 590 passengers and 411 crew, was left a drift for 24-hours after a fire broke out in one of the ships engine rooms on Friday night. MARK BAKER — AP Photo

Earlier today, the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Officer was at the Brunei International Airport to extend assistance to American citizens who were among the passengers of the cruise ship Azmara Quest. The passengers were transiting through Brunei Darussalam from Sandakan, Malaysia where they disembarked following an emergency last Friday, when a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room.

There have been no reports of any injuries among the 590 passengers, which included 201 American citizens. Before the passengers arrived in Brunei Darussalam, the Azmara Quest reported that propulsion has been restored and the ship will sail to Sandakan, Malaysia. Consular Officer Ms. Christin Ho met each chartered flight on Royal Brunei Airlines, which the cruise line passengers took from Sandakan, and facilitated their transit to Singapore. The last group of the cruise line passengers departed in the evening. Consular Officer Ms. Christin Ho commented “those of us providing American citizen services

were very glad to be of assistance to the passengers of Azmara Quest. I would like to thank Royal Brunei Airlines and the staff at Brunei International Airport for all their efforts in helping all the stranded passengers get home safely. The Americans who transited Brunei expressed their delight in the beauty of the country and the efficiency of the staff at the airport.”

The Department of State places Consular Officers at Embassies and Consulates worldwide whose primary responsibility is to aid American citizens abroad, particularly in emergency or crisis situations. While in Sandakan, the Consular service team from U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur provided consular services and assistance for the U.S. citizens onboard the cruise line. Press release courtesy of U.S Embassy to Brunei Darussalam.

That’s one huge number for a run especially for when it’s running for good cause. There will be 4,000 participants which is way beyond Standard Chartered Bank’s expectation and this is first time that SCB Brunei is holding a half marathon race which received a favourable response from the public.

For your info, there will be best fancy dress category for male and female and the most creative will win prizes sponsored by SCB. There will be also Spot-the Liverpool – Tshirt contest where individuals may choose to wear their SCB Liverpool FC shirt for a chance to win some exclusive Liverpool FC merchandise.

There will be lucky draws with exciting gadgets such as Macbook Pros, Macbook Airs, iPhone 4s, iPads and iPods (woohoo.. lots of Apple products). Did you know there are other runners from different countries namely Australia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The winner of last year’s best dress at SCB’s run

The Rubiks also made an impact that day

The Flash also took part in the fancy dress competition last year

ALL participants of the upcoming Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon are reminded to collect their running packs during the Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) that will be held on April 5, 6 and 7 at the National Indoor Stadium.

The REPC will be open from 10am to 7pm on Thursday, April 5; 8.30am to 7pm (breaking for prayers between 11am to 2pm) on Friday, April 6; and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday, April 7.

All runners collecting their Race Entry Pack (REP) are required to produce a printout of their confirmation slip, identity card or passport (for participants of adult race categories), a photocopy of their birth certificate (for child participants only), personalised donation card (or a police report slip, in the event the donation card is lost) and the donations collected.

The Race Entry Pack (REP) will consist of a running bib number, an exclusive event running t-shirt, a timing chip (for half-marathon and 10km categories only) and a lucky draw ticket.

Timing devices will not be issued to 5km and 2.5km Fun Run participants. T-shirt sizes will be given on a first come first serve basis, depending on stock availability. As there will be no collection of race packs on the race day, all participants and appointed representatives are to collect the race packs during the REPC period only.

Over 4000 participants have signed up for Run for a Reason across the four categories 2.5km, 5km, 10km and 21km, exceeding the number of runners in the Standard Chartered Charity Run last year by over 83 percent. This number has way exceeded the number of runners in the Standard Chartered Charity Run 2011 last year by over 83%.

Will these pretty ladies join again this year? See you again :p

Cits is the face of this year’s SCB’s Run for a Reason promotional poster

Dermalogist Beauty Therapy which is located in Serusop, is using DERMALOGICA, one of the high end products in U.S. This year their facial treatment is famous of oxygen facial, diamond dermabrasion facial, anti aging facial, Chromawhite skin brightening facial, Vitamin C facial and Skin Lifting facial. Their location is at Serusop, same row as DST and opposite of Secret Recipe (Serusop). Any enquiry pls call 2342928 or 8716680.

Earth Day Clean Up brought to you by Beach Bunch on 22nd April 2012 at Jerudong Beach. Let’s volunteer and show some support 😀

Robbie Fowler scored quite a few goals last year at the EPL Masters. He will be back again this time round.

Profile of Robbie Fowler. Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English footballer. He is best remembered for his playing days at Liverpool and is the fourth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. Fowler is widely recognised as the most natural finisher of his generation. Fowler scored 183 goals in total for Liverpool, 128 of which were scored in the Premier League (162 Premier League goals in total). He subsequently played for Leeds United and Manchester City, before returning to Liverpool in January 2006.

He moved clubs 18 months later to sign for Cardiff City. He refused a one year “pay as you play” contract extension and signed with Blackburn Rovers on a three-month “pay as you play” deal instead. In December 2008, he departed Blackburn and has since forged a career in Australia. He has been capped for England twenty-six times, scoring seven goals.

Early Life. Fowler was born in Toxteth, Liverpool and brought up in the inner city area of Liverpool. At this time he was known as Bernard Ryder, his mother’s surname. He lived in Toxteth at the time of the 1981 Toxteth riots, when he was six years old. As a youngster he supported Everton F.C., regularly travelling to Goodison Park. He played regularly for schoolboy team Thorvald, and once scored 16 times in a 26–0 rout.

In 1985 a 10-year-old Fowler was selected for Liverpool Schoolboys and was spotted by Liverpool scout Jim Aspinall. He began training with Liverpool once a week and signed schoolboy forms with the club. On leaving school in 1991 he signed as a YTS trainee, and turned professional on his 17th birthday less than a year later.

International Career. Fowler has won 26 caps for England scoring 7 goals and has not been called to the England team since 2002.

Do get your tickets for the upcoming EPL Masters Cup 2012

Visit the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Times Square for the TOTAL Scholarship Open Day on Friday, 6th April 2012 from 3pm to 8pm

These are some old news but worth mentioning during my recent trip to Kuala Lumpur and Terengganu last week (a big thanks to Tourism Malaysia for giving me the opportunity). What I’m the gonna miss the most is the company I had with me – DJ Daffy, Jake Ten, Melvin Jong, Pg Azmy and Ari. They are a fun bunch to be with and the days just passed by so quickly despite the week long itinerary.

Perhaps the highlight moments for me were the F1 Sepang race and the Terengganu Kg Teluk Ketapang Home stay which I have highlighted in my previous post. The hospitality from the Tourism Malaysia ground handlers were excellent and making sure that all of us are in good hands.

So peeps.. Malaysia have so much to offer other than just shopping. I know the primary objective for KL bound passengers focuses on shopping. But it will be nice if you actually spend a day or two and wander at places such as Putrajaya to see the government buildings around.

And if you want to travel to other states of Malaysia, you can make use of Air Asia domestic flights as we did on our 1-hour trip to Terengganu. Do check out Air Asia cheap fares from Brunei to KL and you can plan your holiday trips to Penang or Terengganu or JB for instance.

We took the cruise boat at Putrajaya and the lake is man made by the way

There’s no such thing as “you jump, I jump” moment here. Don’t worry guys. It’s not what it seems *lol*

We paid a quick visit to Putrajaya International Convention Centre and they had a wedding exhibition there and here we have our main actors

Notice the odd man out?

After the Putrajaya trip, we all headed to Sepang for the F1 race

We all had fun at Sepang and the crowd was pretty sporting with the continuous Mexican wave

We have been playing this game from time to time – taking photos of each of us sleeping in public or during our rides *lol* Here we have Dj Daffy falling asleep during the race

This was taken prior to the F1 race. We all were pretty knackered by the end of the day.

Jake also had his sleeping moments and he made use of his camera bag as cushion

Every hotel we checked in has these signs though the mangosteen sign was quite rare. Good thing bananas are not banned as they really help for my Zell-V consumption *lol*

Great thing of the Terengganu home stay is the dedication by the young people at the community and they put so much effort and time to entertain the guests who joined the home stay programme

I was doing my work half way while touring some parts of Terengganu *lol*

The food is great at Terengganu and we couldn’t stop eating

Daffy and Jake are big fans of durian but unfortunately it’s a no-no for me

We went to visit a small lekor kitchen at Kuala Terengganu and this is how they produce lekor crackers and this picture shows the 2nd procedure of making the Lekor

Before the lekor is being steamed, there are molded into sausage like shapes

Another thing about Terengganu is the kain batik and songket and we dropped by Atikah Songket where they have awesome songket materials. They even have high quality design songkets that start from RM 4,000 to RM 17,000 and I truly love their designs. We had a photo opportunity with the lady behind Atikah Songket

Whenever I’m in KL, I never fail to dine at Old Town White Coffee and you should try the 3/4 egg … Yumm!!!!

Guess who’s coming to town next weekend? It’s the Ombak Rindu star Aaron Aziz where you get the chance to meet and greet the superstar at Tarindak D’Polo Restaurant Jerudong. I will be giving out a few silver tickets worth BN 100 each on my Twitter @ranoadidas so stay tune for more details

Check out the poster for details. Click to enlarge

Great deals at Hush Puppies located at Rizqun International Hotel and the discounts is up to 50% which began since 30th March 2012. So drop by Hush Puppies on the 1st floor of Rizqun International Hotel (next to Zell-V and Tourism Malaysia office).

Check out the great sales at Hush Puppies

If you are in Melbourne, then I suggest you dedicated a day to visit the 12 Apostles which is quite a ride from Melbourne. There are interesting histories related to the 12 Apostles and we were being explained by Darryl our bus driver along the way. I was pretty nervous in the beginning when I was being offered to catch the helicopter ride to view the Apostles as I never been on a helicopter before.

Thanks to Azhani @emmagoodegg for sponsoring me for the ride 😀 and the chopper ride is not that cheap too. It costs around $145 per person for a 15 minute ride and they have different price ranges too but that was the lowest range of the lot. But I tell you…. the 15 minute ride was worth it. The view of the Apostles was priceless and yes, I highly recommend you to catch the chopper as it’s a life time experience. Perhaps the best time would be in the afternoon due to the glare of the sun that might make photography a bit trickier. I don’t mind bringing my friends here next time on my next visit to Melbourne.

The helipad where they load and unload passengers for the Apostles chopper ride

We had a small helicopter and I was already getting slightly nervous as I’m scared of heights *lol*

Thanks to @emmagoodegg (behind) for giving me the opportunity for the helicopter ride

Our pilot that took us around the Apostles

The view from the helicopter. Some of the Apostles though there aren’t 12 Apostles as a few have gone missing

Awesome view from the helicopter

This one looks like a question mark, aye?

This was taken from the main land

The famous Loch and George and there’s a beach where you can go down and take some photos (and even get wet)

It’s happening on the 5th April till 8th April

I never caught the first one – Clash of the Titans which is a remake of the 1980s classic. But I did manage to catch it on Astro instead though bits and pieces. I knew the movie was gonna be a disappointment and surely it was. So I wasn’t really look forward to watch Wrath of the Titans. However, it was the only movie available that was either on Gold Class or Bean Bag movie. Initially I booked online for “The Raid” which is a much talked about movie but I missed it since we came back from the Ocean Road Drive/12 Apostles trip 20 minutes late and I had to forgone my tickets as that was the only time showing.

Anyway, I know this movie will be raking lots of $$$ as the 1st one did. It won’t make as much as the first though which opened at over $60 million. The Wrath of the Titans fell short of its predecessors as it only raked in $45 million. Rottentomatoes.com weren’t also generous with their ratings (below 30%) and I totally agree with the critics. It was visually great but less focus was given on the plot. I didn’t have high expectations anyway. I’m looking forward to Mirror Mirror. If you are looking for a popcorn movie with a “no rocket science” plot, you will probably enjoy this. Verdict: 5/10.

It was my last night at Melbourne and I wanted to give the cinema a go. So I had a choice of either Gold Glass Village Cinema or the Bean Bag Cinema at Hoyts. I was hoping for The Raid at Gold Class or Bean Bag but the timing didn’t suit me so I opted for Wrath of the Titans on the Bean Bag Cinema. Woowww!!! I really enjoyed the new experience at the Bean Bag cinema and they only had limited bean bags and I was slightly “sakai” by it hahaha..

The Bean Bag seating costs almost AUD 40 where it can accommodate for two people. Prices of cinema in Australia is pretty expensive and one normal movie ticket can costs up to AUD 17-18 per person. That’s like BND 22 per person for a movie ticket which is three times more than what we pay at the Mall Cineplex. Anyway, if you happen to be in Melboure, try out the Bean Bag Cinema at Melbourne Central and the experience factor is awesome because I’m a bean bag person. Now I wonder where can I source for that kind of bean bag?? Hmmmm.. Verdict of Bean Bag Cinema: 8.5/10

Instead of using the number icon, the Bean Bag cinema has its own unique symbol for cinema goers. The Bean Bag cinema is only available at Hoyts Cinema.

I’m glad I took the opportunity to try out the Bean Bag cinema

The American (Pie) Reunion casts were promoting their latest installment

I should have brought my blanket next time. The bean bag was pretty comfortable and not too soft either. It was so comfy though I have to admit that I fell asleep during the climax of the movie. I had to get Ain to update me on the ending of the movie *lol*

Thanks for the company and catch you soon mate..

LOL I found it funny that all the years I have been in Victoria that I never paid a visit to the Great Ocean Drive. It was great to be back in Melbourne after 12 years of hiatus and the feeling was somewhat surreal in a way. We had the opportunity to visit places of attraction in Melbourne and thanks to Royal Brunei Airlines for organising this trip to benefit the travel agents and the local media so we will be able to share with you guys on places to visit while you are visiting Melbourne.

So one of the tourist destinations is the Great Ocean Drive which is quite a fair ride from Melbourne. It was roughly 2 to 3 hours drive by bus though we did have a few pitstops along the way where we had the opportunity to view wonderful sceneries in the state of Victoria. I know a few of my friends have been the Great Ocean Drive during their short stay at Melbourne and I felt so ashamed that me being a student for at least 6 years and I didn’t have the opportunity to visit this place *lol* But now I’m glad that I did and it was a wonderful experience.

Oh yeah, I do recommend you to hire Gray Line for the bus tour service and they have great bus drivers who are educational and hilarious too. We had Darryl who drove and kept us entertained and he was always making sure that we are on time so we will be back by the hotel at a certain time. Our trip took us almost 12 hours to tour the Great Ocean Drive and 12 Apostles as the main spots and of course a few pitstops here and there.

Dermot Mannion enjoyed his visit to the Great Ocean Drive

Some great views along the way of Great Ocean Drive

Mr. Foo of Century Travel was helping out Darryl. He was always on the outlook to make sure our group was okay and he’s quite helpful as well during check-in at the airport counters. Awesome lad!!

Dermot Mannion had his first taste of Vegemite but I’m not sure if he’s a fan of it now *lol*

Mr. Reedz of @anakbrunei loves Vegemite on his roast lamb

Darryl showing us how the “billy tea” was being made. The tea has a minty taste by the way.