The mini-break

Hello again peeps!!! Yea a two day hiatus and now I feel like blogging again. Sometimes it’s good not to be worried about blogging and just enjoy my break which I am doing right now. I’ve landed in Singapore since Friday and it’s the best time to travel to Singapore and spend time with family since Brunei will be busy with Hari Raya festive and open houses. To date, I’ve only attended four open houses but I do plan to make impromptu visits to a few of my friends’ houses once I’m back in Brunei. For your info, I switched off my Brunei line for a while but you can still reach me on email :))

I shall be updating more later.. and it was such a pity that DPMM FC lost their home match to rivals Harimau Muda 2-1 last night. Coach Simunic said it was maybe because of Hari Raya and Open Houses and he said that Harimau Muda were fresh and they were hungry. According to Jason Thomas’ report, Hari Muda totally dominated the match and it didn’t feel as it was the dominant DPMM FC especially at home. For the second time, DPMM FC’s home ground has shown its vulnerability.

I also would like to give my deepest condolences to Ahmad Shaheeb and his family on the recent demise of his parents yesterday. Al-Fatihah.

Be right back, peeps!!

It was the first time I actually lifted one and it was during one of the animal shows at Night Safari, Singapore. More pictures and updates on Night Safari experience.

Another cause for celebration

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HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

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Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

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Wu Chun starred in Basketball exhibition

Kobe Bryant with Wu Chun and Jay Chou at the basketball charity game

Guess what? Our very own superstar Wu Chun was recently in a basketball which featured an NBA Star Kobe Bryant. It didn’t take long after the Olympics for Kobe Bryant to get back on the court. He played in the 2nd Annual Sprite China Charity Basketball Game in Shanghai and he still showed why he’s one of the best players in the world.

The tournament itself raised about RMB2.6 millions for charity and about 15,000 spectators showed up at the arena.

For your info, Sprite and Coca-Cola belonged to the same sister company. Kobe Bryant is one the endorsors for Sprite in USA while Wu Chun is the one of the endorsors for Coca Cola in China and most artistes from Sprite and Coca-Cola family are invited which included another celebrity Jay Chou.

Some of the Chinese basketball players consisted of those who played in the recent London Olympics. The USA owner and director for Coca-Cola and Sprite were in the team as well. This year Wu Chun was fortunate to be in the same team with Kobe unlike last year he was in the opposition team. Kobe didn’t play the first half but he played the whole 2nd half and they won the game 87-82.

Kobe didn’t play the first half but he play the whole 2nd half! We won the game 87-82.

Kobe Bryant and Wu Chun in action and they won

Up, up and away…

Quote from Wu Chun – “It was a very meaningful experience as we had the chance to raise funds for charity and I had the opportunity to play with Kobe for the 2nd time. I just can’t believe that he can actually remember me and he told me that it was great to see me again! I also prepared his USA olympic jersey and he was kind enough to autograph on it and I am going to hang it at the wall of Fitness Zone!

He only played in the 2nd half so whenever I get the ball, I just passed it to him because its showtime for him and I know everyone can’t wait to see him showcase his skills and the most enjoying part is the synergy and teamwork that we have created and watching him doing all the highflying slam dunk moves right in front of my eyes!

WolfGang well received

Khaliq Roziman the man behind Wolfgang’s penetration to Brunei

Wolfgang Kuala Lumpur saw its first debut by having a one-day sale in Brunei on August 15, 2012 at the Airport Mall which started from 7pm until closing time and recorded 90 per cent of its merchandise sold.

An introduction of the Wolfgang clothing label to Brunei was done by the authorised distributor, Khaliq Roziman.

Wolfgang is a streetwear collective based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Founded in mid 2011, by Iskandar Khan, Wolfgang paved its own road by establishing its name as a must have underground brand. They also started selling their collections in bazaars.

Since the label’s establishment, Brunei is the first international country to have the Wolfgang label and is being distributed through an authorised reseller which is Khaliq Roziman. Any other inquiries can be forwarded to him at 7148316 locally, +601116661952 when he is in Malaysia. Or you can find them on www.facebook.com/runwithwolfgang

For more info, you can click here. Text courtesy of The Brunei Times.

The one day bazaar that took place at the Airport Mall

The crowd during the one day sale

Brunei Veteran team victorious

Exchanging of souvenir between Brunei Basketball Association and Hat Yai Basketball Club

Last Thursday was the opening day for the 4 day tournament and all the Brunei veteran team won their respective matches. I only managed to catch the age 50 category where Brunei Basketball Team BBA (sponsored by Komala) beat Hat Yai Basketball Club from Thailand. It was a very close affair where BBA was leading the first quarter until the Thai club managed to shift the game play and took control of the game. They were leading at the beginning of the fourth quarter but BBA turned up the tempo and they easily outscored their opponents for the first victory.

Earlier in the day, the 40s and the 60s BBA team beat their respective teams – Hat Yai and Philippine CFBL. The basketball matches are held at three venues – Indoor Stadium, Multipurpose Hall and Batu Bersurat Indoor Basketball Court. Let’s hope our veteran categories can reach the finals.

The head coach and the sponsor for BBA 50’s category

And the action begins……

Great support from BBA stand

Ken Kho playing defensive against his opponent

Molten is the official ball

Team BBA 50’s after the victory

Another cause for celebration

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HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

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Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

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The Happenings

DPMM FC players had the opportunity to visit the Istana for the last day of Open House. They will be taking on Harimau Muda this Sunday 26th August at the National Stadium. I won’t be surprised to see a big crowd this Sunday. Too bad I won’t be around as I will be in Singapore by then. Image courtesy of Sairol of DPMM FC.

*LOL* Ain’t the Gangnam Style making such a big impact worldwide? And yea, there has been request for our celebrity blogger TigerLim to do his own version of Gangnam style. What say you? If you’ve haven’t seent the video, click here :))

Check out the Green Curry Chicken from KFC… SoGood!!!!

Our local superstar celebrity Wu Chun recently was involved in Chartiy Basketball Game in China. Guest who he played against? Find out tomorrow. Image courtesy of Wu Chun.

Residential houses are always a common story that will grab headlines due to fire especially during the festive season. This was a close shave and they managed to put out the fire before it could have gotten worse. So far this year, it has been good compared to previous years where there were also unfortunate news of houses being caught in fire during the festive season. Let’s pray that no such disaster to grab headlines.

It’s coming soon for the 2nd year running. Stay tune.

It has been announced that The Minions will have a movie of its own in December 2014. If you don’t recall, the Minions are the cute yellow creatures from the animation hit Despicable Me. For your info, Despicable Me the sequel is slated for summer of 2013. Image taken from inquisitr.com

Ahh the battle between the phone giants Apple and Samsung still continues. Apple claims that Samsung ripped off their designs. Apple is asking for USD 2.5 billion in monetary damages *wow*. The verdict now lies on the hands of the jury after both sides have presented their case. Sometimes I wish such thing doesn’t happen. Such a shame. Image taken from itechgizmo.blogspot.com

Guess what?? Now Each A Cup are serving hot drinks.. But it’s only available at The Airport Mall branch and they have more than 20 flavours to choose from. Coolies!!

The Happenings

Selamat Hari Raya to my Muslim friends and readers

So how have your Hari Raya been so far? What I truly grateful when it comes to Hari Raya is the easiness to roam around on the road because of the less traffic congestion. It kinda save me more minutes to spend time in my room and catch up some good quality rest *lol* Every year, Hari Raya has been a subdued feeling and perhaps one reason is that my family is not in Brunei and this is the second or the third year running that they have not been in Brunei for Hari Raya.

You will be surprised how many open houses I have been so far and today is Day 3. Well, let’s just say I planned to make two visits today so that would be a total of 3 so far. This has nothing to do with my Hari Raya mood but more of taking time off and recovering from my lack of sleep ever since Ramadhan. Hence I’m sorry if I couldn’t attend some of the open house invitations but I do plan to make impromptu visits after my Singapore trip in September 😀

This week I’m craving for more movies. I have already watched 3 movies earlier this week and there are few coming out tomorrow – Premium Rush for one – and I will be catching more in Singapore *can’t wait* and of course, looking forward to spend some time with family in Singapore though my siblings will be due back this weekend.

Make sure you drive carefully on the road. There were a few accidents on the first day of Raya. This was taken along Mumong bypass.

Ok, this picture made my day last night when Jeon whatsapp me this greetings and man, Maya looks so so so adorable and I feel like pinching her cheeks right now 😀

This was taken during the first day of Raya and I was playing with my phone, editing this photo and here’s the result. Hideous *haha*

What are your thoughts on this?

This became a talking point when I posted this on instagram. This was also shared on my peers’ social network and it drew a very mixed response. I personally think it’s a no-no to have Hari Raya envelope using the image of our currency notes. First thing, I don’t think it’s legally accepted and I’m pretty sure the relevant agency won’t even approved such print. I just hope those who are recipients of these envelopes don’t simply throw these around or lying on the floor. I’m probably more concerned about that aspect as to the idea that it would drive younger generations to be materialistic. I heard you can buy them at SKH Supermarket Airport Mall. I’m not sure if they have ran out of it.

I caught up with my buddies from Kuching – Patrick the dentist and Faustina the pharmacist. It was a great catch up session and hope to see you guys in Kuching one day 😀

Thank you, Rozana, for hosting Open House year by year. I realised I’ve never failed to visit Rozana’s every year 😀

Are you guys ready for bFit challenge? Check out the poster for more details.

When there’s a will, there’s a way and they are back!!!

My friend got hold of these DVDs and CDs this morning and I’m surprised that they are making a comeback.. well, in a discrete manner. Few months ago, the municipal board played their role in combating piracy by revoking the licences of vendors who broke the law by selling pirated DVDs, VCDs and CDs. However, rumours have been spreading that they are now accessible at a popular place in Gadong and the picture above proves that they are back in business.. but for how long??

Bruneians celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Melbourne, Australia. Click image to enlarge. Image courtesy of BSSMelb photographer Gman Mohammad.

On Sunday, 01 Syawal 1433/19 August 2012, the Brunei Student Society in Melbourne (BSSMelb), friends and family celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri together at the home of Awang Muhamad Fakhrul Anwar Bin Haji Abdul Wahab and his family in Melbourne, Australia.

The open house started at 12pm onwards with guests receiving a warm welcome by Awang Fakhrul’s family. Guests were then treated to a variety of kueh-mueh such as tapak kuda, kueh mor and many more. Satay goreng, nasi briyani and soto were also served and reminiscent of a traditional Hari Raya menu. Other guests thoroughly enjoyed our local Bruneian cuisine, trying a little bit of everything that was served.

The afternoon culminated with a video recording by all guests wishing everyone back home a ‘Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir Batin’.

BSSMelb aims to continue its commitment to the Bruneian community in Melbourne, especially to bring a bit of home to Bruneian students and families living overseas. BSSMelb will endeavour to maintain its relationship with all fellow Bruneians and to share the Bruneian culture with Melbournians in the hope of expanding the Brunei-Melbourne community. Text by President of BSSMelb Kamaliah Saiful & Izzat Murad.

Vancacies at Concepts Computer

Loads of tourists in Brunei lately. One reason could be their visit to the Istana Open House which is a popular hit among tourists.

Now that Euro 2012 is over, Panini Group has brought in Hello Kitty.. For sure, Cuterabbit would love this 😀

Be careful when you play with fireworks, peeps!!!

It’s happening tomorrow 😀

Man City, Chelsea win, MU defeated

The picture in relation to RVP’s 20 minute debut in Manchester United’s 1-0 lost to Everton

Last season Everton shocked Manchester United with a 4-4 draw where Manchester United was already in the driving seat with the scores at 4-2 back then before Everton levelled the score and Manchester City took advantage of the slip up and won the title. Last night it was a different story. Everton dominated most of the match and they could have scored a few more if it was not for the heroics of De Gea in goal. Manchester Untied lost their opener match against Everton (1-0). The Premiership has begun.

Manchester City was put to the test against newly promoted Southampton and man, I would have expected an upset and loads of credit to the Southampton for producing a fine display and they deserved at least a point.

Perhaps the most disastrous start went to Liverpool who lost away to West Brom (3-0). Loads are already calling Rodgers a big mistake and the contribution by captain Stevie G has been below par. The best performers for me would be Steve Clarke’s Swansea who defeated QPR 5-0 with a hat-trick from Dyer. Newcastle had a tricky tie which they won against Spurs 2-1 while Chelsea had a comfortable win against Wigan. The departure of RVP from Arsenal may have an effect on their firepower upfront as they weren’t able to convert their chances to goals. They drew 0-0 with Sunderland.

Not much talking points just yet but a good start for the opening weekend of the Premiership. I still believe Manchester United and Manchester City are the benchmarks for this season.

Movie reviews

Do catch Paranorman

Paranorman. After the disappointments of animated films such as Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Ice Age: Continental Drift, Paranorman brought back that satisfying feeling and I was beginning to slightly lose my trust on 2012’s line up of animations. Brave and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted lived up to my expectations and Paranorman kinda exceeded my expectations.

Visually it has a distinctive feel and I was quite impressed. The plot could have tweaked a little better especially the final third of the movie but the messages brought up were pretty strong which relates to fear. I thought the theme was pretty dark for a kid’s movie but if you put that aside, a few lessons can be learned. Winnie rated this the best movie of the year for her 10/10 but not for me, buddy. Verdict: 8/10.

Total Recall. Hmmmmm… A remake of the 1992 classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s one of those things where the movie doesn’t need a remake. Visually yes, Total Recall 2012 was way better and even the action sequences were pretty good. However, there are all these minor changes that could have been avoided or simply unnecessary. I love the duo of Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Beil on-screen and perhaps they were more of the highlights of the movie for me *lol* Now that’s one toughie baddie played by Kate and she would give a good run for the money against Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

All in all, the flaws were inexcusable in Total Recall 2012. After hearing the podcast review of TR 2012 on Filmcast, there were even more flaws that were pointed out. I kinda enjoyed The Expendables 2 more and the reason being is that if you leave your brains home for Total Recall, there are certainly no talking points but more of the negatives. Unlike The Expendables, which will still reward you with some entertaining value. Potentially a good remake but lacked substance. Verdict: 6/10.

The Expendables 2. I should have watched the first but I’m not sure if it would have made a difference. One thing for sure, I didn’t have too high expectations on this action flick despite the number of has-been Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Come to think of it, these stars kinda reminds me how WWE used veteran wrestlers such as HHH and Shawn Michaels to bring back the entertainment factor.

I quite enjoyed the one-liners but not as classy but worth a laugh or so. I came to the movie with low expectations and surprisingly I kinda enjoyed it. Of course, this movie has many flaws that I can easily point but this is also a movie where you can just leave your brains back at home, buy a popcorn and just enjoy the journey. Oh yeah, there are tons of “over the top” action scenes but kinda forgivable. If you are looking for pure fun, this could just fit the bill.Verdict: 7/10.

Bourne Legacy. I kinda understand why Rottentomatoes have it a 55% score of Bourne Legacy. I mean, it’s a Bourne movie that has average at 80% on RT for the first three movies. What could have gone wrong with Bourne Legacy then? Well, after watching the movie, there are pointers that I would like to highlight – mainly Jeremy Renner, the anti-climax and the overall flow. First of all, though he was well like in his other movies such as The Avengers and MI4, he didn’t bring enough firepower as a leading actor. I still remember his days in the Hurt Locker and he was simply brilliant. Yea, yea.. he could throw a few moves here and there but I couldn’t feel his character and his talent was put to waste here.

The pace of the movie was disjointed and it doesn’t feel like a Bourne movie. The anti-climax wasn’t handled well either. The chemistry between the characters wasn’t properly developed and it felt quite loose. I quite kinda like how it all started but it was downhill midway through the movie. It’s hard to fill as the leading role of the Bourne franchise but I really miss the old Bourne direction. Another notable absentee was the classic theme soundtrack that gave more adrenalin to the action scenes. A movie I felt shortchanged after enjoying the first three Bourne series. Verdict: 6/10.

RIP Tony Scott

RIP Tony Scott. Remember the classic movies – Days of Thunder, Crimson Tide, True Romance, Unstoppable and the big hit Top Gun? These movies were directed by the late Tony Scott, the brother to Ridley Scott, another famous director (Gladiator, Blade Runner). He took his own live by jumping off a bridge in Los Angeles recently. Tony Scott had a brain cancer then. He left a suicide note which was found in his office and he also left several notes to his loved ones in his car.

Another cause for celebration

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HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

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Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

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Petrol Stations opening hours

Here we go again as many of us will be interested to know the opening hours for the Petrol Stations around Brunei Darussalam during the first few days of Hari Raya. Thank you once again to Brunei Shell Marketing Sendirian Berhad for providing the information.

On behalf of BSM, they would like to wish all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri Maaf Zahir Batin. For any enquiries, you can call 873 4387 or 872 2985 or 717 8807.

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Total Ramadhan Charity 2012

A group photo of Total Staff and the Mukim Liang beneficiaries of the Total Ramadhan Charity 2012

The Total Ramadhan Charity 2012 series of events finally comes to an end today with the break of fast with the families of the Mukim Liang charity beneficiaries. The event was held at the Liang Lumut Recreational Center (LLRC) in Kampong Lumut 1, Mukim Liang. Present to attend the event were Total staff members, the Mukim Liang charity beneficiaries, and representatives from Total’s stakeholders.

The event started with a safety briefing by an LLRC representative, followed by a speech by Rasimoon Adinin, Head of Human Resources and Corporate Communications for Total E&P Borneo B.V. (TEPB) & Total E&P Deep Offshore Borneo B.V. (TEPDOB). A short clip on the Total Ramadhan Charity event was displayed. It was then followed with the ‘Tahlil’ and ‘Doa Arwah’ recital and the break of fast.

A section of the crowd during the Break of fast Event at Lumut Liang Recreational Center

Overall, the Total Ramadhan Charity 2012 event consisted of three events namely: (1) Assistance to two households in Mukim Liang; (2) Visit and Donation to orphans of Total former staff; and (3) Break of fast with the government stakeholders and Mukim Liang beneficiaries.

On 04 August 2012, a group of Total staff volunteers visited the houses of Dyg Lamaniah bte Siput and Awg Ibrahim bin Jait, both located in Kg Sungai Liang in Mukim Liang. The visit objective was to provide a helping hand to underprivileged families of the community where Total operates.

Just fifteen minutes away from the Total Onshore Processing Plant (OPP) in Lumut, the house of Dyg Lamaniah was provided with a new main door, curtains, and a full outdoor paint job. A further five minutes drive, the house of Awg Ibrahim was provided with a new set of curtains, a sofa set, and basic house cleaning. In addition, both households were also provided with Hari Raya hampers and some monetary donation. It is hoped that with the above assistance, the two households will be able to celebrate a more festive and meaningful Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Group photo at the house of Dyg Norhidah bte Yussof in Kg Rimba

On 16 August 2012, another group of Total staff volunteers went to the house of Dyg Norhidah bte Yussof in Kampong Rimba, Gadong. The objective of the visit was to hand over Hari Raya hampers and monetary donation to the three orphans of Total’s former staff.

Muhd Hazim Richard Lee, Total’s Geologist hands over some donation to an orphan of Total’s former staff

This year is the third consecutive year the Total Ramadhan Charity is organized. In 2010 and 2011, the format of the charity event was focused on monetary and hamper donation to the orphans of Mukim Liang. This year, it focused more on assisting a single parent and an elder, while continuing its assistance towards the orphans of its former staff. The Total Ramadhan Charity is part of Total’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards the community where Total operates. In Mukim Liang, Total operates an Onshore Processing Plant (OPP) located next to the Brunei LNG plant. Text and images courtesy of Total.

b•mobile gives back

Another successful Nasi Briyani Amal Campaign

In conjunction with the Holy month of Ramadhan, Orchid Garden Hotel (OGH) organised its Nasi Briyani Amal charity drive. The launch took place yesterday between 2:30pm – 5:30pm, located at the Orchid Garden Hotel Lobby.

This event is co-organised by OGH and its key partners, RanoAdidas and KRISTALfm. Last year OGH managed to sell 500 packs of Nasi Briyani. This year, OGH sold around 500 packs of Nasi Briyani Ayam. The coupons for the Nasi Briyani Amal have already been available for pre-sale sinceFriday, 20th July 2012. Each Nasi Briyani pack sold at $10 each.

As part of OGH’s With a touch of heart program, we are supporting the community by giving away 100% of proceeds from this event from the sale of the Nasi Briyani packs. The recipient of the donation is Pusat Ehsan Al Ameerah Al Hajjah Maryam.

OGH also thanked Wan Sing Trading Company, Syarikat Teguh Mesra Sdn Bhd, Ideal Marketing (B) Sdn Bhd, Mufakat Trading Company, Hua Ho Agricultural Farm, Yap Kee Vegetable & Fruit Supplies and Bukit Ladang Foodstuffs Sdn Bhd for their kind sponsorship and support as well as the media partners for their continuous support.

Shamsul Ahmad, General Manager of OGH, handed over the cash donation to Pusat Ehsan from the previous Pusat Ehsan Charity “The Run” coupons’ collection.

Shamsul Ahmad delivering his welcoming remarks

Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Alimin, Senior Trustee of Pusat Ehsan receiving donations from the OGH

Represenatatives from Teguh Mesra receiving Nasi Bryani from Shamsul

500 nasi briyani ready for collection at OGH yesterday

Zakat contribution by Serikandi

Serikandi Group of companies had a ceremony of the hand over of Zakat to the relevant parties. Present was the Shaikh Hj Khalid bin Shaikh Hj Ahmad, CEO of Serikandi Group, The zakat was handed over to Amil who was chosen by Pg Ibrahim Pg Mohd Yussof, Officer of the Mosque at Kuala Belait.

The amount of the Zakat was $49,357.70 which was collected from the subsidiaries of SeriKandi Group – Serikandi Cafe and Restaurant, Serikandi Oilfields Services Sdn Bhd, Serikandi Management Services, Serikandi X-Press, Cyberzone Solutions, Ya-Nur Restaurant, Ya-Nur Trading Sdn Bhd and also from the CEO personally.

The ceremony was blessed with tahlil and doa arwah khusus for the late mother of Shaikh Khalid, Almarhumah Sharifah Hjh Maimunah bin Syed Mohammad who passed away on the 8th of August 2012.

Shaikh Hj Khalid bin Shaikh Hj Ahmad, CEO of Serikandi Group of Companies, passing donation to a recipient

Kids learning values at Fun Bee

In the spirit of Ramadhan and celebrating the values of communication, community and co-operation, Fun Bee Park along with IA Salon invited selected Muslim families, children and teachers from Pusat Ehsan, Sekolah Rendah Datu Ratna Haji Muhammad Jaafar, Kiarong and Fun Bee Park to have a time to share, interact and break fast together at Fun Bee Park itself.

In the itinerary were cookie art, bottle cap fillers along with Lego figurines with paper. There was also peer-to-peer character story reading with Goldilocks And The 3 Bears as the chosen title in the library.

Children were divided into teams giving all a chance to interact, socialise and cooperate with others of different backgrounds and privileges. Likewise for parents and teachers to share and make new bonds while watching the children grow creatively. Upcoming events by Fun Bee will include the importance of community and celebrate the uniqueness in families like Hari Raya open house, Food Party, Themed and Fashion Parties. Images courtesy of Fun Bee Park.

Iftar down under

The Bruneian students recently held a Sungkai get together at one of the university campuses in the city. The potluck Sungkai event was organised by the Brunei Student Society, Brisbane (BSS). This provided an opportunity for the students studying here socialise with each other and at least cure their home sickness especially with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri just around the corner. A variety of traditional Malay and Western dishes were brought by the students to share with each other.

The event started at 5.00pm Brisbane time (GMT +10) to allow time for guests to settle in before the 5.25pm sungkai time. The event was initiated with everyone breaking their fast, followed by the Maghrib Prayers and Doa Selamat which was led by Khairul Anam, the religious officer of the committee.

During the event, Yusof Sidek – the current BSS President – gave a speech announcing BSS’s future plans which included the upcoming Hari Raya celebration and the recruitment of new members for the next BSS Committee.

A thriving world class educational, multicultural centre and international student friendly city, Brisbane offers great opportunities as a study destination and thus this makes it a popular choice amongst Bruneians. For more information on BSS and studying in Brisbane, please visit BSS’s website at www.bssbne.com. Text by Farod Binali and images by Wafiy Moslim.

Oh man, I’m missing Brisbane already. My last visit was back in 2000 when I finished my final year in University of Queensland.

The Brunei students from Brisbane get together for Sungkai

The Brunei students performing the Maghrib prayers

Royal blessing for DPMM FC

His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office lifted the StarHub League Cup trophy

Yesterday His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Deputy Sultan consented to receive the StarHub League Cup won by DPMM FC recently in Singapore. It was the second time that DPMM FC won the League Cup and the previous trophy was back in 2009.

The trophy was presented by DPMM FC club manager Pg Waslimin PSJ Pg Hj Abd Momin at the Jerudong Mini Stadium. The Deputy Sultan was greeted by by Pg Waslimin, team manager Ali Momin and DPMM FC coach Vjeran Simunic, DPMM FC players and officials.

The road to victory was not that easy for DPMM FC. Playing in foreign soil, advantage was more on the home based teams in Singapore. Furthermore, DPMM FC players had to go through fasting during the two week tournament. They beat Tanjong Pagar (goal by Subhi), lost to SAF FC in the next game but redeemed themselves by beating tough opponents Home United through penalties in the quarter-finals. Oh yeah, thanks to Tales dos Santos for scoring in the final minute and forced the game into extra-time.

In the semi-finals, DPMM FC avenged their earlier defeat by SAF FC and scored a 2-0 victory. Again Tales dos Santos scored and so did Adi Said who’s beginning to gel well in the team. DPMM FC then faced Geylang United FC in the finals where Shahrazen scored following a mini-goal drought and Azwan Salleh capped off the night with a wonder goal for a 2-0 victory.

Ali Momin the team manager expressed his thanks to the Football Association of Singapore for rescheduling their time to accomodate to the players who are fasting (Thumbs up). On behalf of DPMM FC, he also would like to thank the continuous support from his fans.

DPMM FC will resume their S•League duties when they take on Harimau Muda next Sunday 26th August 2012 at the Hassanal National Stadium. Now that would be an entertaining match indeed.

The Crown Prince was greeted by DPMM FC players

DPMM FC coach Vjeran Simunic (left) talked of DPMM FC’s success in the tournament

The pose inspired by Usain Bolt

Simunic’s new facial look – “Do I look randy?”

Pusat Ehsan Charity Bazaar 2012

Pusat Ehsan will hold its 7th Charity Bazaar at the Taman Jubilee or Jubilee Park for the first time in a three-day event starting August 31. For the first time, the event will be held at Jubilee Park because of its ample space for visitors.

Chairperson of the event Pauline Chew said the centre hopes to raise at least $150,000. There will be 150 registered volunteers that will assist during the three-day event from 8am to 10pm.

One of the highlights during the charity bazaar will be the “My Ability Counts” campaign, which will showcase the skills and abilities of Pusat Ehsan’s students who have worked in areas including housekeeping and administration.

For more info, do click here for more of the write-up from The Brunei Times.

Another cause for celebration

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HSBC – Home loan needs

Pazzion promotion at The Mall

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Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

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Burger me this, Burger me that

17 burgers were tasted and scored. Find out which topped the ranks. Click image to find out.

It’s time of the year – to review the burgers in town and give our ratings on each of the burgers we bought. We ended buying 17 burgers last Monday to review which is the best burger in town. Well, to be fair, this is only based on one burger session and we didn’t try out the rest of the burger stalls and they are tons around Brunei.

The Burger Phenomena started mushrooming a few years ago with the likes of Kapow, Hommed Baga and a few more. So we thought what a fitting way to do a burger taste out session during one of the Sungkai outings.

The burgers we all bought and not sponsored so the reviews aren’t diplomatic and we based the scorings with the criteria given to give the best representation scores for the burgers.

So you want to find out more?? Click here for our rankings of the burgers. We didn’t have an in-depth review of each burger due to time constraints, just to let you know :))

A big thanks to UBD FM, LFHW crew and Brunika for participating in the burger tasting out session. It was fun indeed and thanks to UBD FM for tabulating the scores too.

RVP done deal?

Not many happy Arsenal fans here

RVP.. RVP.. RVP… The chants of Robbie Van Persie will be heard all around Old Trafford. I was shocked to read the headlines at Soccernet as RVP agreed the terms from Manchester United, one of Arsenal’s rivals, in the Premier League.

So which is the biggest shocking transfer to you? Well, let me recall you a few of the shocking transfers in the Premier Leauge and there are in no particular order.

Carlos Tevez – Manchester United to Manchester City 2009 for 25 million pounds
Fernando Torres – Liverpool to Chelsea 2011 for 50 million pounds
Samir Nasri – Arsenal to Manchester City 2011 for 25 million pounds
Juan Sebastian Veron – Manchester United to Chelsea 2003 for 15 million pound
Sol Campbell – Tottenham Hotspurs to Arsenal 2011 free transfer

I’m pretty excited by the prospect of RVP being transferred to Manchester United. They have already acquired the services of Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund and the Red Devils are not stopping their spending just yet. On the other transfer news, Park Ji-Sung has moved to QPR while Fabio is on loan to QPR.

Liverpool transfer update. They brought in Fabio Borini, a former Chelsea player, and his previous club was AS Roma. Another good buy for Liverpool was Joe Allen from Swansea. It was sad to see Dirk Kuty moved to Fenerbahce. He was such a hardworking player. Maxi Rodrigues was also been released to Newell’s Old Boys while pin up boy Alberto Aquilani has been transferred to Forientina. It remains to be seen how Liverpool will fare this season. I still question the depth of their squad as compared to the likes of Manchester, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Chelsea for the challenge? Gone are Romelu Lukaku (West Brom on loan), Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua) and Salomon Kalou (Lille). However, they are the biggest spender this season as they had high profile names such as Eden Hazard and Oscar. Are they strong enough to challenge for the Premier League? They have proven in Europe they are the best from winning the Champions League but it has been a while that they have lifted the Premier League trophy. All eyes on Chelsea too.

Manchester City to defend title. I remember lots of Manchester United fans said Man City are title pretenders and look what happened. The final 7 seconds of the final match of last season cost Manchester United the bragging rights. Now they are back with more fire power though they haven’t spent as much as their rivals. The only acquisition they got was Jack Rodwell from Everton. Then again, just look at the depth of Manchester City.

I believe the title challenge will be between Manchester United and Manchester City once again. As for Chelsea and Arsenal, they might need to get the ball rolling as they have lost two big players respectively – Didier Drogba and Robbie Van Persie.

Liverpool…. hmmmm… I can’t say much just yet. I’m still not convinced by the squad and the attacking fire power. Andy Carroll hasn’t really settled well in Liverpool colours. Suarez can be the saviour if he behaves well though he will be constantly under pressure from rival fans. It’s too much to ask from one man to save Liverpool’s season. Let’s hope other players shine too and I hope Borini and Joe Allen can lift off the pressure a bit from Suarez who committed to stay in Liverpool.

I can’t wait for the Premier League season and Selamat Hari Raya also to you guys 😀

JM orders exclusive for today only

Click image to enter facebook page

Here’s the good news to all “Jovian Mandagie” Brunei Supporters. For those who are keen to have pieces from the last batch collection of Jovianrtw, please come to BAJOO boutique – oppposite Mamih Cafe at Mata-Mata Complex, next to Goldymine and Sweet and Savoury. Contact number : 2 455 189. Orders can be made starting from 12noon – 11pm today ONLY. THIS IS THE ONLY DAY/PERIOD FOR ALL BRUNEIANS TO MAKE THEIR ORDERS. Catalogues and price list can be found there! *prices are not the same as RM . Happy shopping ladies!

You can visit the FB page of Javion Mandagie but I highly recommend you to drop by Bajoo Boutique today and they will be opened until 11pm tonight for orders. Expected delivery date for items will be on 18th August 2012.

Click image to enlarge

The sizes and measurements available

By the way, a big shoutout to Leonard who’s celebrating his birthday today 😀 This picture was taken during the launch of Bajoo Boutique

Jacqueline of Bajoo Boutique


Bajoo Boutique at Mata2 Complex

Missing body found

I recently read in The Brunei Times that Lance-Corporal (LCpl) Muhammad Fahrurrazi Salim went missing last Sunda from the boat, convoying few other boats to support for soldiers during a river-crossing exercise. He was last seen wearing a life jacket and he was last seen at 7:55am and he was found missing from the boat five minutes later.

After a 42 hour intensive search, his body was found in Batu Apoi river, Temburong. 20 year old LCpl Fahrurrazi had been posted to Brunei in November 2011 and he was due to complete his national service at the end of the year. For more of the write-up, you can click here. Source: The Brunei Times.

TBT Sports Editor passes away

Sports Editor of The Brunei Times Juli Suharni Jaafar (picture) has passed away. Her body was sent to RIPAS Hospital for a post-mortem.

The late Juli, 39, joined The Brunei Times in December 2006. She was an editor par excellence whose services will be missed. Prior to taking up her latest appointment, Juli worked on the Sports Desk of The New Straits Times in Kuala Lumpur.

She was a genial and gracious person who made friends easily and was a mentor to her junior staff at the workplace. She will be missed by her friends and colleagues.

 
A recital of Surah Yaasin and tahlil ceremony was held on The Brunei Times’ premises last night, led by officials from the Information Dept of the Prime Minister’s Office. The Brunei Times Group Editor-in-Chief Haji Bujang Masu’ut acknowledged the late Juli’s valuable contributions to the newspaper and expressed his condolences to her family. – Al-Fatihah. Source: The Brunei Times.

In need of creativity

Group photo wih the guest of honour, the organisers, judges and winners of of ANIMASI – iMMerse Scriptwriting and Storyboarding Challenge

A prize presentation ceremony for the ANIMASI- iMMerse Scriptwriting and Storyboarding Challenge was held at the Seri Kerna Hall, AITI building in Kg Anggerek Desa yesterday afternoon.

This challenge is a joint effort by AITI and iCentre to encourage and develop the convergence of creativity and technology in the digital media industry.

Present as guest of honour to witness the event was Awang Abd Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yusof, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications. Other invitees included officials from the Ministry of Communications, Brunei Economic Development Board, and other representatives from the government and private sectors.

The objective of this Scriptwriting and Storyboarding Challenge is to discover and support emerging talents to create a script and storyboard based on the adaptation of ‘Bruneian Folklore’ which includes legends, myths and Bruneian elements such as places of interest, cultural values and history.

This Challenge is a part of iCentre’s iMMerse Challenge as well as AITI’s AITI Next Innovation and Multimedia Award for Sustainable ICT Industry (ANIMASI) Challenge. In his opening remarks, the Chief Executive of AITI, Haji Yahkup Bin Haji Menudin, stated that this Challenge is a part of AITI’s ANIMASI Challenge to encourage the production of “Brunei-Made” digital media in the country. He further added that this competition is a continuation effort from the ANIMASI Pro-Digital Animation Challenge, where in July 2012, the Pro-Digital Animation Challenge awarded various winners from the local ICT and digital media industries to produce 3-5 minutes 3D animation clips. AITI is hoping to tap the talent to see local potentials for merging the winners of both Challenges for a co-production project in the near future.

This joint collaboration underlined the strong focus by various government agencies in developing and nurturing the creative industry in Brunei by paving more channels for local talents to develop and showcase their skills in the recent embark of engaging Brunei’s creative industry particularly in the field of digital media.

Haji Yahkup Bin Haji Menudin, Chief Executive of AITI said the competition hopes to spur more interest in the digital media. He was pleased with the entries that had creativity and technical skills.

Nur Judy Binti Abdullah got a consolation and she also bagged the Best Storyboard Award

Dk Rafi’ahtun Nabilah Binti Pg Haji Abdul Rahman earned the Merit Award

According to the judges report, the judging criteria are based on alignment with Bruneian folklore; usage of language; originality in presentation and content; scene creativity (including description, flow and continuity); educational and entertainment values.

The judges are Hajah Sariani binti Haji Ishak (Senior language officer, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka), Haji Sufri bin Haji Omar (TV Drama Unit, Radio Televisyen Brunei), Ena Herni binti Wasli (Lecturer, Malay Literature program, Universiti Brunei Darussalam) and Muhammad Denny Azriman bin Haji Madni (Founder, Ambuyart Animations).

Merit Award worth $700 cash along with a trophy and a certificate went to Dk Rafi’ahtun Nabilah Binti Pg Haji Abdul Rahman. Meanwhile, the consolation prize worth $500 with a trophy and a certificate was awarded to Nur Judy Binti Abdullah who also bagged the Best Storyboard Award.

One of the judges receiving a memento from the guest of honour

Denny Azriman of Ambuyart Animations was one of the judges too

Epson Label Printers

Inventory management can be some of the most tedious things most companies need to look after; the cycle just repeats itself ad nauseum. Epson, as it turns out, has a portable label printing solutions that isn’t just a one-trick pony.

At first glance, the Epson LabelWorks LW400 looks like an oversized calculator. The buttons on the face of the LW400 is made of rubber, which allows it to retain its shape and quality even after years of usage. The power and print button adorn the display screen at the top and a big green-coloured cut button is on the side of the LW-400 for ease-of-use.

Now available at Concepts Computer

Plain Jane label printers typically label text onto stickers and that’d be the end of that. Not so with the LW-400. Its built in memory stores a wide range of customisation options for labels that you’d probably need a whole day to go through. With over 14 font types, 10 different styles, 457 symbols and 89 frames, there is no end to the amount of things you can customise on your labels; you can even save your own labels for later use!

Powered by six AA batteries, the LW-400 also comes with an AC adaptor. LW-400 can be used to print on various media, but it also serves a purpose to label different things. You can print labels for documents, boxes, stationeries and even cables. As an added bonus, you can also program the LW-400 to print barcodes. How’s that for robust?

Epson LabelWorks LW400

CHIP CONCLUDE: Who knew a boring little thing like a label printer could be quite as exciting as this. All it does is still just print labels, but we’ve had quite a bit of fun exploring its functions and features that we almost forgot what it is. Epson has definitely made something interesting here with the LW-400, and with all the media at your disposal, we’re sure you won’t get bored of labeling anymore either.

Have you bought your Nasi Bryani Amal?

The collection of Nasi Lemak will be this Friday from 2:30pm

The same deal like last year. The ever popular Nasi Briyani Amal from Orchid Garden Hotel is selling their coupons but I’m not sure if the coupons are all sold out. The event is organised by Orchid Garden Hotel and supported by Ranoadidas and Kristal FM. For more info, you can contact 233 5544 ext 5.

#MaziahMahusin – a top trending topic in Brunei

The past two weeks belonged to our Brunei olympian Maziah Mahusin who took the country by storm for a special reason – the first Brunei female olympian. Being selected to represent Brunei in the Olympics have drawn many interest from Brunei and the moment Maziah Mahusin appeared on TV during the Opening Ceremony and also her 400metre run, the social network just went on a frenzy using the hashtag #MaziahMahusin.

The last time I’ve experienced a similar frenzy was when Brunei U-21 won the HBT 2012. So far these are highlights for Brunei Darussalam in the arean of sports – HBT 2012 and the Olympics.

Yesterday Maziah Mahusin and Ak Hafiy Tajuddin touched down Brunei after being away for three weeks in London for the Games. I actually missed the welcoming home party for the athletes. I hope to catch both athletes for an interview and share their experiences with the readers of RA.

Below are pictures of Maziah during her trip to London and thanks for the pictures, Maziah. I truly appreciate your time.

Maziah had numerous of interviews and her presence brought international interests

She was also interviewed by Channel News Asia

Another interview again….

…..and another one…

She had a photo opportunity with an inspirational athlete from South Africa, Oscar Pistorius

Maziah said this was the best experience of her life when she ran the 400m during the heats

She will be featured in a video with regards to the Olympics

Alan Inspiration Special Promotion

click image to visit their website

Alan Inspiration Salon is back in Brunei and it’s located at Menglait. They provide a one-stop service for men and women hair design, facial and tattoo for woman, hair training center, traditional Body massage for female and spa. So that’s quite something to have all these facilities under one roof.

The genius behind Inspiration Alan Salon is no other than Alan himself. He has been a hair champion of Malaysia and Singapore and he has trained in London, Europe, USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Along the way he has won numerous awards and accolades which makes him one of the sought hairstylists in the region.

Now they have Hari Raya promotion for rebonding/digital perming for only $88 for any length and also a 50% on hair treatment collagen. They are open every day and for appointments, you can call 891 3211 or 242 7533.

They also have a VIP Room at their new outlet. Every month, Alan himself and another top hairstylist Michelle will fly in for a few days and you will be able to be attended by them too.

Alan the Artist Director of Inspiration Alan Saon with his credentials

The ongoing promotion at Alan Inspiration salon

The interior of Alan Inspiration salon

The interior of  Alan Inspiration salon

Here’s the map