Be Right Back, guys!! I will be flying with the winners of the Mr. Brown contest to Taipei. Follow updates on my Snapchat and on my instagram @ranoadidas and also @mrbrownbrunei

@kurapak also part of the entourage, waiting for us at Taiwan International Airport

The bus is still very cold inside and the weather is at the average of 14 degrees. Grrrrr…

Dinner at Tajin last night.. Awesome Moroccon food.

 

It was one of those days again when the Brunei Speakers’ Club organised a speech contest – International speech and table topics contest. It has been a long time ever since BSC had many participants, hitting the mark of 16 contestants for Table Topics and 8 for International Speech category.

It was indeed a fruitful evening. Thank you for those who attended and especially those who contested. I’m very honoured to witness my mentorees, participating in the contest and that to me is very rewarding.

The OTTERS Club contest have just completed but I wasn’t able to attend since I’m outstation. The next contest will from UBD toastmasters club, happening this Sunday at the UBD Inspiring Hall if I’m not mistaken. Good luck to all contestants. There are many favourites to look out for 😀

Another improvement from our member in BSC

I’m proud of my mentee, Heidi Rahman. You’ve showed so much growth and courage and the willingness to learn

 

His Majesty the Sultan graced Tiong Hwa community CNY celebration. Video by The Brunei Times.

The Tiong Hwa community treated His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, to a magic show and acrobatic performances during the Lunar New Year celebration at the International Convention Centre.

More than 1,000 people came together for the Lunar New Year celebration, the 10th year since His Majesty attended the first gathering that showcases Chinese culture and to promote cordial relations in the country.

Click image to enlarge

Accompanying the monarch were Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah and other royal family members.

The royal family was welcomed by Yang Berhormat Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin, and chairman of the Lunar New Year celebration organising committee Lau Shiew Yuen at the ICC entrance, which was adorned with traditional red Chinese lanterns, flowers and artificial bamboo plants.

YB Pehin Dato Goh said the Tiong Hwa community was grateful to be living in a harmonious environment due to His Majesty’s leadership.

“This is the 10th year His Majesty and the royal family have been attending our Chinese New Year celebrations, and this reflects the unity of our people and country,” he added.

The Tiong Hwa community also presented a pesambah to His Majesty, a crystal that signifies continuous prosperity for Brunei.

The audience were enthralled with the performances including dances from Kuala Belait’s Chung Hua Middle School, a magic show by a Malaysian and an acrobatic troupe from China.

The Chung Hua Middle School students began the opening act with a dance performance using swords and fans as props. Text courtesy of Julius Hong and Rachel Thien of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

 

Loan Forgeron, French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam (5th from right), Marina B. Laker, High Commissioner for Canada to Brunei Darussalam (4th from right) with the organiser Alliance Française and event partner The Collective Art Events and sponsors at the press conference for the upcoming Francophonie Week 2016 held at Alliance Française at Batu Bersurat

In honor of the 2016 ‘Semaine de la Francophonie’ / “Francophone Week 2016”, which is an annual French cultural week run by Alliance Francaise organisations globally as well as the 30th Anniversary of Alliance Francaise being in Brunei, Alliance Francaise Brunei will be launching a one week program of events to run from the 12th of March to the 20th of March that will aim to promote French culture, and celebrate the good cultural relations between France and Brunei.

The week long program will also aim to showcase the capabilities of Brunei’s local talents in terms of creative industries, events and the arts. Because of the network of Alliance Francaise organisations around the world. We hope to showcase to the world the potential of Brunei as a destination and also Bruneians talents.

The event partner: The Collective Art Events (@thecollectiveartevents) and is supported by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, The Embassy of the Republic of France in Brunei Darussalam, the High Commission of Canada, the Switzerland Consulate, The Laotian Embassy, The Vietnam Embassy.

The companies involved are Jerudong Park Playground, Baiduri Bank, Progresif, Cityneon Brunei, Image Inx, Airfrance, Radisson Hotel, Starlodge Hotel, Expressions Music, The Sequence Music Production, Industrie Brunei.

To Book tickets and view information and prices for each event, the public can visit the website hosted by Progresif.

The organisers and head of diplomats sharing their inputs for the upcoming event

Loan Forgeron, French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Shinny of The Collective Art Events, Marina B. Laker, High Commissioner for Canada to Brunei Darussalam and Cecile Cassou, a French journalist and photographer with Benny and Nabil (behind) from City Neon

The French words that will be showcased during Francophonie Week 2016

From the looks of it, Francophonie Week 2016 will be a huge event, even bigger than previous ones with multiple locations involved. Kudos to the parties involved in making this possible.

Loan Forgeron, French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, stressed the importance of such event to promote diversification of culture and language of French in Brunei Darussalam. She highlighted how both French culture and language are linked and they can’t be separated. She also thanked all the partners and sponsors of the event and hope for more residents of Brunei to experience the Francophonie Week 2016.

Also present during the press conference was Marina B. Laker, High Commissioner for Canada to Brunei Darussalam. She shared that the Canada is the 2nd biggest donor after France of the Francophonie Week internationally and Canada has a very rich French culture. Canada has always been a strong member in the Francophonie event. Marina also said the event will show many cultural diversification and one of the events she highlighted was the closing ceremony where Melaine Gall, a vocalist from Canada, will be performing.

The movies that will be screened on the huge screen. First movie will be this Saturday entitled Win Win. Click image to see poster.

Outdoor festival event titled “Cine-Cite” (“City-Cinema”)

A three day festival that will transform a location over the opening weekend of Francophonie week with the “Cine-Cite” event. This will be a never before done event concept in Brunei, that combines a unique Franco themed open air night market that showcases local creative businesses, with an outdoor cinema screening a selection of French films selected by the Swiss embassy and Alliance Francaise, and local musicians such as Do It Good Records Preservation Blues Jazz Hall Band and friends, FN DUO, Arif Zainudin, Amal Murni performing throughout the night to supplement.

Each day will feature a changing selection of local vendors, musicians and films, with a special Saturday night showcase by Swiss born musician, Noga along with her French counterpart Patrick Bebey who are cultural envoys of the French Embassy and Alliance Francaise brought in especially for the event.

All to be held at Jubilee Park, Bandar Seri Begawan.

When: 12th March- , 4.30pm -10pm

Activities: Local vendors selling a variety of products from food to crafts

Local artist music showcase

Outdoors cinema of Swiss film Win Win

Photography exhibition for French journalist Cecile Castilla

I shall be posting more actives on the blog along the week for updates. So do stay tune.

The Caffé Verve kiosk at Alliance Française

The library at Alliance Française at the mezzanine floor

The interior of Alliance Française on the ground floor

Love the flat white at Caffè Verve kiosk. They will be opening an actual cafe pretty soon.

 

Group photo of the participants of the 53rd Brunei ITF Junior Circuit 2016 with the committee and tournament referee at the National Tennis Centre. Click image to enlarge.

It’s happening starting today till Sunday, the 53rd Brunei ITF Junior Circuit 2016 at the National Tennis Centre. 64 players are slated for the title in the men’s draw with favourites Shinji Hazawa to take the title. He has the luxury of the draw because there won’t be any Koreans playing in the tournament. The Koreans dominated the tournament back in December 2015 but I am not sure why they are not participating in this tournament.

Public is more than welcome to catch some tennis action at National Tennis Centre. Brunei will be represented by Md Nurul Andi Hambali who has been training in Australia, Timothy Lim and Zen Sii.

Rahul, Arun, Tim and Zen (coached by Aiman Abdullah) taking part in the tournament. Good luck.

Jordan Unger of Australia beat Timothy Lim of Brunei 6-2 6-1 in the first round

Timothy Lim in action against Jordan

Favourite Shinji Hazawa seed No.1 beat Manuel Balce III in straight sets 6-1 6-0

 

This is it. After many months, the contest is back again for toastmasters. This time it will be International Speech (Inspirational) Contest and Table Topics Contest (the impromptu ones). With many seasoned speakers giving way for the newbies, I’m delighted to see participation from new faces of the toastmasters club that I’m currently in – Brunei Speakers’ Club.

The likes of Syatrah, Heidi, Adah, Maudena, Faiz, Jidun and the list goes on. So do come and support the contest which will be held tomorrow night (Tuesday 8th March) at Seameo Voctech and do refer to poster for details. Seameo Voctech is currently opposite the Gadong market and after the simpang of Taurean Arch. Good luck to all the contestants and I truly admire your tenacity and courage to be part of the contest.

Below are just some of the events that have been happening in relating to toastmasters. In Brunei Darussalam, we have four toastmasters club. It could have been five but the HSBC speakers’ club is now defunct. The existing ones are Brunei Speakers’ Club (the mother club for Brunei), OTTERS (Oil Town Talkers) Club in Seria, UBD Toastmasters Club, the youngest club of them all and finally the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club.

Recently there was a joint meeting (collaboration) with Brunei toastmasters and Miri toastmasters which was held at OGDC in late February. It was led by new member of OTTERS, Naj Tarif, who was the organizing chair for this event. It was very courageous of him to take this heavy role especially since he is still a new member. The joint meeting went pretty well and the members from Miri truly learnt something from the Brunei toastmasters. I do hope for more collaboration between Brunei and Miri to further strengthen the bonds and relations while learning from each other.

Recently Delwin Keasberry, popularly known as @bruneitweet, gave an insightful presentation on being a good public speaker. He is currently a member of the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club and he is also an accomplished speaker, involving in many conferences locally and abroad. Keep it up, dude.

Congratulations to our newest member Afwa Mawawi for her first speech ice-breaker last week too and yes, I do agree with your points in your speech about “Embracing Change” for the betterment of our future. You can read more of the recaps of our Brunei Speakers’ Club meeting and who knows one day you can experience being a member of toastmasters.

The joint meeting between Brunei and Miri toastmasters held at OGDC in late February.

The toastmasters from Brunei Darussalam. Image by Reuben Chin.

The toastmasters from Miri. Image by Reuben Chin.

Shawn documenting the speeches during the joint meeting

Delwin Keasberry, a member of Brunei Advanced Toastmasters Club, delivering a talk on being a public speaker during a meeting at Brunei Speakers’ Club at Seameo Voctech

Afwa Mamawi breaking the ice with her first speech last week at Brunei Speakers’ Club.

 

The winners and consolation winners of the Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association Open Singles first leg with John Chia, BDTA Treasurer and Rasheed Abdullah, Tournament Secretary of BDTA at the National Tennis Centre

Aiman Abdullah taking a wefie with his tennis buddies

Late post: Last week, Aiman Abdullah claimed another trophy to add to his many list of collection when he dominated his young opponent Rajvir Jutla from the UK 6-0 6-0 in the finals of the Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association Open Singles first leg. He had a tougher encounter against Billy Wong in semis but he was mentally prepared for the finals and he congratulated Rajvir for making it this far.

The best part for the tournament was the emerging of younger tennis players and they showed that they can play in a competitive environment, giving them more confidence and exposure. For instance, Ben Sii (13 years old) won the consolation bracket against Darlin Sia in straight sets and now Ben Sii is currently in Sri Lanka for the the ITF World Junior Tennis Competition in Sri Lanka. Over there, he lost to his Iraqi opponent 6-0 6-2.

In the ladies’ open, powerhouse Australian Leah Gander dominated the tournament with convincing victories in the semi-finals and finals. She beat Japanese Hiromi Okochi 6-1 6-1 to claim her first title of the BDTA Open Singles. Lena Ang won the consolation trophy as she overcome her opponent Sharon in tie breaker after finishing in a 1-1 set.

BDTA treasurer John Chia handed the prizes to all the top winners of the tournament. The competition consisted of 22 players in the mens and 7 players in the ladies.

In other tennis news, there will be a Junior ITF tournament hosted at National Tennis Centre which started yesterday. Hence, the courts won’t be available until 13th March after the conclusion of the tournament. Good luck to the Brunei representatives in the Junior ITF tournament.

Ben Sii and Lena Ang winning their consolation matches last week. Well done 😀

Monica and Ben supporting Lena’s match

Darlin Sia played his consolation match against Ben Sii. He has a strong first serve.

Ian volunteering to be a temporary ball boy in Lena-Sharon’s match

Hiromi Okochi in action

The women finalist – Leah Gander and Hiromi Okochi

The men finalist – Rajvir Jutla and Aiman Abdullah

 

Congratulations to Hj Saifullah Hj Ramli for finishing 2nd int he 2016 60km Ultra Marathon Sabah. He is also an ambassador for Tri-ULTRA, a sporting local stor in Brunei Darussalam.

Haji Saifullah Haji Ramli #gpul made the nation proud after he finished second at the 2016 60km Ultra Marathon Sabah yesterday.

The Bruneian ultra-marathoner completed the 60km race with a time of five hrs 52 mins 20 seconds behind the champion from Malaysia Jifree Pulok who recorded a time of five hours 27 mins 29 seconds.

The Ultra Marathon attracted a total of 140 runners from – the hosts Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Sweden, USA, United Kingdom including 16 from Brunei – competed for the top honours.

You can read more of his comments here from The Brunei Times. Image courtesy of Yaty Yassin and story by Azri Metussin of The Brunei Times.

 

The management unveiling the logo of Swoop Dart’s, a newly established for electronic darts in Brunei. Congratulations.

Dart has become a new trend in Brunei Darussalam. Ever since the emergence of the soft tip darts. It has become popular hobby and I know a few of my friends who have taken up the hobby with the introduction of the soft tip electronic dart game.

Yesterday was the launch of a newly opened dart establishment called Swoop Dart’s which is located just behind Taurean Arch and it’s located on the first floor.

The management unveiled the logo to officiate the opening of the business and also present were the management of VSPhoenix Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Brunei Dart Association. The machines used are from VSPhoenix made in Korea. The Managing Director of VSPhoneix Malaysia Sdn Bhd talked briefly about the VSPhoenix Electronic Dart machines and its benefits.

There are many modes to choose from such as fun-goers, amateurs and even up to the professional level. What makes it interesting is the “Global” mode where you can challenge others and the webcam makes it more interesting so you won’t be caught cheating *lol* I kinda like the idea that the value of the Phoenix Card starts at $1 dollar and it can be topped up by using tokens which are available at the store.

The mission of the Swoop Dart’s is also to bring our local talents to abroad to compete in the international level which is a great sign indeed.

The Swoop Dart’s company is opened daily from 12pm to 10pm. So Hui Chiet, let’s play some darts, shall we? 😀

The crowd yesterday at the opening

A Malaysian darter being invited to play

Angus of Panacom doing the honour as being the emcee for the opening ceremony. Nice one.

The VSPhoenix Electronic Dart Machine.

 

Notice from At-Taqwa Travel Tours

Check out their booth at 11th RB Belait Travel Fair at Pusat Insani

Some of the promotional fares

 

The national junior tennis team before their departure to the ITF World Junior Tennis Competition in Sri Lanka in a group photo with BDTA officials. Brunei last participated in the tournament in 1996 when they were hosts.

Written by Yee Chun Leong of The Brunei Times. Brunei headed off to the ITF (International Tennis Federation) World Junior Tennis Competition in Sri Lanka with no expectations last Wednesday.

The trio of Ben Sii, Harry Kwang and Kieran Lai will contest in the pre-qualifiers of both the singles and doubles events and are accompanied by their coach Mohd Aiman Abdullah at the March 4-9 competition.

It will be a long-awaited return to the competition for Brunei, which last participated in the tournament in 1996 when they were hosts.

Aiman had previously told The Brunei Times that he has no expectations and that it is more important the players get some much needed exposure at this young age.

With their families before sending them off at the Brunei International Airport

Ben Sii being interviewed by Yee Chun Leong

Kieran was all smiles during the interview

Photo opportunity with the coach and Brunei players. Thank you Armtrix Enterprise for sponsoring the attire.

The players prepping for the opening ceremony in Sri Lanka. All the best.

Sii knows the level of difficulty but hopes that he will be able to at least win a game.

“I’m feeling a bit nervous but I will try to get at least one game,” said Sii before the team’s departure at the Brunei International Airport in Berakas.

“It will be a challenge for me because the players from the other countries are more prepared.

“We started training last year while others would have been doing that for at least two years now. But I’m ready to play as training got tougher as the date got closer to the tournament,” he added.

Lai, who started out in the sport two years ago, is hoping for the best.

“I’m prepared for it and I’m going there more for the experience,” said Lai. “I’m looking to score some points, and my fitness is still low but it is getting better,” added the 13-year-old.

On the other hand, Kwang hopes to be able to learn more from his stronger opponents.
“I’m going there to have fun. Training was very intense and I believe that it has paid off,” said Kwang. “I’m just a bit nervous and I have no expectations but I’m feeling confident.

“I want to gain as much experience and exposure from this trip and looking forward to making some new friends to learn more about tennis,” he concluded.

Also present at the Brunei International Airport to send the team off were BDTA secretary general Hj Zuraimi Hj Abd Sani, treasurer John Chia and tournament secretary Abd Rasheed Abdullah.

Meanwhile, the 53rd Brunei ITF Junior Circuit will be held from March 8-13 at the National Tennis Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

The previous edition in December saw the trio of Timothy Lim, Zen Sii and Mohd Nurul Andi Hambali represent the Sultanate and they all stumbled in the first round.

South Korea’s Jeong Yeongseok and Chinese-Taipei’s Shih Hsin-Yuan won the boys’ and girls’ titles at the 52nd edition of the tournament in December.

 

The 2014 “Car of the Year” Peugeot 308 made its debut in Brunei Darussalam and it has been showcased to the public. So yesterday, I had the privilege to test drive the Peugeot 308 on the road with the other local press.

We drove along the highway to check out its dynamic cruise control. I have to say this is my first experience using cruise control and I am amazed on how the intelligent the AI of the Peugeot 308 is. It’s able to detect the speed of the car in front of you and it will maintained at the speed and distance automatically along the highway. This means you don’t have to use the accelerator (again, useful for long journeys to KB or Muara) while driving on the highway. This function can be activated form 40km/h and manages a speed delta between vehicles of 30km/h maximum. The “Dynamic Cruise Control” is only available on the hi spec version of Peugeot 308.

The parking assist is also the highlight of the Peugeot 308. It can do reverse parking as well as parallel parking. All you have do is play around with the brakes and shifting of the gears. Again, this car is very ideal for those who don’t favour parking manually.

The i-cockpit of the Peugeot 308 is also very ideal for the driver where all the information is displayed on one screen which makes it very convenient for the driver especially while driving. You might be wondering why a smaller feel of the compact steering wheel. Well, one reason is that so you can have a better view of the Head-up Instrument Panel. The LED lights inside the Peugeot 308 gives it an interesting feel when night falls. This feature is only available on the hi spec version though.

There is so many things to love about the Peugeot 308 and it has been receiving quite well in Brunei market. This will be a great buy especially for the young executives. There’s the standard spec version and also the hi spec version. You can follow their Facebook page for updates or their official website for other models.

You can visit the Peugeot Showroom at Kiarong (near roundabout).

Check out the LED lights

Test driving the Peugeot 308 on the road yesterday

The parking assist

Good indicators on the status of the Peugeot 308

 

Taken of the MIXEL Brunei Facebook page. So you know the locations, you know who to look out for… Let the search begin everyone! The Finding MIXEL contest has officially begun.

You’ve got a whole month to search for your favourite characters – from now until 31st March 2016 – so start looking!!

To take part, simply snap a photo of yourself (or your friends/family) with any MIXEL that has a hidden character inside and follow the rules below!

How can you win?
1) Take a photo with your favourite character in the MIXEL
2) Tag MIXEL Brunei page on your photo with#findingMIXEL
3) The MIXEL logo and the artwork must be visible in your photo
4) Make sure your profile is public and visible to MIXEL’s page
5) Only one entry is allowed per person
6) You must complete all the conditions above to be eligible for the Lucky Draw on 1st April 2016

Prizes are sponsored by The Brunei Hotel, GLOT Lifestyle, Takaful Brunei, Jerudong Park Playground, Sweet Nonya, FoodPanda and Euroclassic Collection

 

Lim Yu Kwang, Honorary Secretary & Treasurer of The Brunei Association of Banks (BAB) and Country Head & General Manager of Malayan Banking, Abdul Razak bin Abdul Malek, Vice Chairman of BAB and Senior Vice President & General Manager of United Overseas Bank, Yang Mulia Yusuf Hj Abd Rahman, Managing Director of Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) as the guest of honour and Pierre Imhof, incoming Chairman of BAB and Chief Executive Officer of Baiduri Bank during a token of appreciation to the guest of honour at Mutiara Ballroom, Radisson Hotel last night

Guest of honour in his welcoming remarks

I didn’t know that The Brunei Association of Banks (BAB) has been around for decades. It only has become more known to public in the past few years. The committee compromises of the chairperson, vice-chairperson and treasurer cum secretary. Last night was the first of an appreciation dinner to acknowledge and appreciate all the initiatives and contribution made by the BAB members in developing Brunei’s banking industry and also to help to attain the goals leading to Vision 2035.

The guest of honour was Yang Mulia Yusuf Hj Abd Rahman, Managing Director of Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD). For your info, AMBD is regard as Brunei’s financial driving force. It helps to regulate and supervise financial institutions such as BIBD, HSBC, Baiduri Bank, TAIB and so on. That’s just one of its roles but I won’t go into details on it but if you are keen to know more, you can read here for their objectives. Hence it’s important the relationship between AMBD and BAB remain strong.

Also in attendance were senior officials from AMBD and members of BAB.

Yang Mulia Awang Yusuf shared on his welcome remarks on the priorities of AMBD in the last five years and he commended on the strong commitment and support from the banking industry in moving towards Vision 2035 aspirations. He further added, the financial sector, is very important in spearing the domestic economy of Brunei to the target of 8% of financial sector contribution to GDP. He urged the banking sector to be more proactive in creating new opportunities to lead to diversification and less reliance on the oil and gas sector.

The appreciation dinner also acknowledged both outgoing and incoming Chairman of BAB. Rino Donosepoetro, outgoing Chairman of BAB and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, gave his welcoming remarks and he was full of gratitude to the AMBD and members of BAB for the level of collaboration and cooperation to promote the national banking industry. He acknowledged how the business environment has changed due to the changes in oil prices, leading to the opportunities of diversification and acceleration of SME development and FDI and this is how the banking industry can help existing and new players in the SME sector and also with the involvement of ASEAN Banking Association.

Pierre Imhof, incoming Chairman of BAB and CEO of Baiduri Bank, appreciated the guest of honour and AMBD senior officials for their presence last night at Radisson Hotel. He hopes on the good level of cooperation between BAB and AMBD and expressed the strong commitment by BAB to continue to work closely with AMBD in the coming years.

Thank you, BAB, for invitation to cover the appreciation dinner. I’m honoured and it’s a great gesture to have members of BAB and AMBD attending the dinner last night to foster better relations and understanding among one another. Let’s hope for a better path in achieving our Vision 2035.

The invited guests consisting of members of BAB and senior officials of AMBD

Rino Donosepoetro, outgoing Chairman of BAB and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank

Pierre Imhof, incoming Chairman of BAB and CEO of Baiduri Bank

Todd Wilcox, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking

Representatives from AMBD and members of BAB

 

Group photo at Brunei International Airport before the Brunei delegates of Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2016 headed off to Manila last Tuesday. Image courtesy of Azhar Ismat, University Liaison Officer, UBD.

Two teams of 13 students flew to the Philippines yesterday to compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia (SEMA) 2016.

From March 3 to March 6, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) will be competing against more than 100 teams at Luneta Park, Manila in a competition that challenges student teams around the world to design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles.

UBD which has competed since 2011 will be represented by UBD GENNEXT Pejuang in two categories, the Urban Concept Category and Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell category.

Meanwhile ITB competing for the first time will be represented by Team ONE-U in the Prototype Battery Electric Vehicle Category.

Last year, UBD placed third in the Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell category achieving a distance of 186.8 kilometres on one cubic metre of hydrogen.
“We’re thinking of doubling the range,” said Md Khairul Zhafri Hj Md Noor, a student from the Faculty of Science and Team Manager for UBD GENNEXT Pejuang.

Md Khairul Zhafri Hj Md Noor, said that he was confident as his team has done a lot of research and improvement to their prototype in preparation for the competition but remains wary as there are now more teams competing in the same category.

One of the teams representing Brunei in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia (SEMA) 2016. Image courtesy of Julius Hong of The Brunei Times.

NurBasitah Raduan, a student from Faculty of Engineering and team manager for Team ONE-U said that they have been working on their vehicle for one year as it was their final year project last year.

She added that one of the challenges that they faced was the delay in receiving parts which gave them less time to build and test drive their vehicle.
“We don’t know what to expect yet as this is our first time joining the competition so it’s going to be a challenging event but the most important thing is that we deliver our best and making sure that we gain as much experience that we can,” said NurBasitah adding that the experience they bring may help create interests and inspire fellow students to participate in future competitions as well.

“We have gain a lot of skills such as communications, teamwork, integrated planning and have applied those skills to this project,” said NurBasitah.
“It has been hectic but it’s all worth info,” added NurBasitah.

Present during the send-off were UBD Vice Chancellor Datin Dr Dayang Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Aziz, Dean of Faculty of Integrated Technologies, UBD Pg Dr Iskandar Pg Hj Petra, ITB Vice Chancellor Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah Hj Sulaiman, ITB Assistant Vice Chancellor (Academic) Pg Dr Hj Mohd Esa Al-Islam Pg Hj Md Yunus.

Also in attendance were Pg Shamhary Pg Dato Paduka Hj Mustapha, managing director of Brunei Shell Marketing (BSM), Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) Deputy Managing Director Hj Kamaluddin Hj Bungsu, BSP’s Communication and External Affairs Manager Hj Amir Hamzah Hj Hanafi, representatives from BSM and BSP as well as other sponsors supporting both institutions. Text courtesy of Julius Hong of The Brunei Times.

As of today 3rd March,the students are preparing for technical inspections at the paddocks in Luneta Park, Manila. Follow their journey and updates through @ubdsem and @itb.sem on Instagram

UND GEnNEXT Pejuang’s driver at Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2016, Nur Amirah Hj Salamat – studying Professional Communication & the Media.

ITB Pahlawan II Driver, Lester Ong Kai Xiang, studying HND in Mechanical Engineering, ITB.

 

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, as the guest of honour with senior government officials, the management of AKK Design Publisher and sponsors during the signing ceremony for the DPMM FC MatchDay Magazine of sponsors held at Deli Bites Poolside, Royal Brunei Recreation Club recently

Sazali Mohd Ariff, Chief Executive of AKK Design, in his welcoming remarks. Image courtesy of Sazali’s IG.

In a memorable ceremony with a themed poolside ambience, the publisher of DPMM FC MatchDay Magazine, AKK Design, held a signing ceremony with their partners and supporters for the 2016 Singapore League (S-League) season.

The event was held at the Royal Brunei Recreation Club (RBRC) in Berakas, and the guest of honour was the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof, who also witnessed the signings.

In a light hearted moment during the event, emcee Jenny Malai Ali introduced one by one members of Brunei DPMM FC’s 2016 squad, which included 3 members from the U19 squad.

The MOU signing was held on a special stage erected across the swimming pool. Representing AKK Design was chief executive Sazali Mohd Ariff, and was witnessed by chief marketing officer Pg HMN Ariffin Pg Omar.

Signing on as a premium partner, Baiduri Bank was represented by chief executive officer (CEO) Pierre Imhof and witnessed by Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, head of retail banking and branch network division.

Cityneon Displays and Construction Sdn Bhd signed on as the gold partner and was represented by their managing director Dato Jack Ting and witnessed by Hj Kadir Hj Hidup, head of designer.

Both Nazmi Textile Mall and Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd signed on as silver partners while Royal Brunei Airlines signed on as the airline partner. Media partners included Kristal FM and Mix Mediaworx (Mixel) and printing partner Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

Also in attendance were representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, The Prime Minister’s Office, members of the NFABD and members of the media.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) is their airline partner

Guest of honour with Vice Chairman of RB

Sairol of DPMM FC being interviewed by Jenny Malai Ali

 

The all new Audi Q7. Lighter by over 325kg over the precious model #TheGreatQ

Audi’s new Q7 has earned a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS, despite requirements being tightened for 2016.

To qualify, winners must earn “good” ratings in each of the IIHS’ five crash-worthiness tests, the small overlap, moderate overlap, side and roof strength and head restraints tests, and to have an “advanced” or “superior” rating on front crash prevention system.

The German SUV did “good” in the five crashworthiness evaluations and scored a “superior” rating for front crash prevention, as the model has standard Audi pre sense city with automatic emergency braking, which can detect moving and stationary vehicles as well as pedestrians, at speeds up to 52 mph (84 km/h) and initiate braking if potential collision is detected.

“This year’s Top Safety Pick+ award for the 2017 Q7 represents our brand’s longstanding commitment to bringing innovative technologies to the market.”, said President Audi of America, Scott Keogh.

The new Audi Q7 also recently earned the top 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety rating in January.

The new Audi Q7

 

Photography by Toby Canham. Image from Getty Images.

Who’s gonna take the major awards in the Oscars today? So far Mad Max has six wins out of 10 with two more left to go – Best Direction and Best Picture. I’m hoping it gets another two. I don’t mind Revenant taking the awards too especially for Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor. This will be his fourth nomination in the Oscars but he failed to win any. His previous ones were in The Aviator, Blood Diamond and The Wolf of Wall Street. I believe he deserved this moment to win his performance in the Revenant.

It’s a bit awkward though the atmosphere in the Oscars as it has been some controversy due to the whites versus blacks situation in the nominees. Chris Rock is the host of the Oscars and the #OscarsSoWhite is trending on social media. Let’s hope for more coloured representatives in the next Oscars.

 

Royal Brunei (RB) is set to host its 11th travel fair, featuring various promotions, packages and activities.

The news was announced yesterday, in a press conference at the Royal Brunei Recreational Club (RBRC), which was chaired by Ali Rahim bin Haji Abdul Rani, the Marketing Manager of RB.

Seven travel agents are participating in this year’s fair: Pan Bright Travel Services, Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd, At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd, Anthony Tours and Travel Agency Sdn Bhd, Century Travel Centre Sdn Bhd, Freme Travel Sdn Bhd and Southern Cross Travel Agencies
Visitors purchasing RB fares at the two-day Belait Travel fair are automatically eligible for RB’s Grand Draw, with a chance to win two return economy-class tickets to Dubai and Melbourne.

Meanwhile, visitors purchasing RB tickets with full payments are eligible for the lucky draw held at 12pm and 8pm on both days. Winners will receive prizes in the form of an economy-class ticket to Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta or Bali; and some RB merchandise.

Ali Rahim Hj Abdul Rani, Marketing Manager of Royal Brunei, (2nd from right), chairing the press conference last week

And those purchasing RB tickets in full payment, and a minimum spending of $500, are eligible for “The Betterfly Game”, with a chance of winning a five per cent discount voucher.

In the meantime, one of the exhibitors at the fair, Pan Bright Travel Service, has lined up attractive deals for customers, which will last until March 27. Among the prizes on offer during the promotional period will be a Hyundai Accent, and RB-sponsored flights to London, Melbourne and Bali.

Among the other exhibitors at the 11th Belait Travel Fair are Baiduri Bank, Tourism Malaysia, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), Data Stream Technologies (DST) and Sabre (formerly Abacus).

The Belait Travel Fair will be open to the public at the Pusat Insani in Seria, from 9am to 8pm on March 5-6. Text by Rokiah Mahmud of Borneo Bulletin.

Meanwhile, this picture became viral on social media as it was being shared from Royal Brunei’s Facebook Page. They are RB’s first ever female trio at the flight deck: Captain Sharifah Czarena, Senior First Officer Sariana and Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah in the flight deck prior to operating flight BI081 from Brunei to Jeddah. The image has reached at least 2 million views.

RB associates during the National Day parade last week

The photo opp for both Australian Leah Gander and her opponent Chong Ming Rui. The Australian won her semifinal match last night

The semi finals ended on a high note for all the participants. It was the first time I watched a top billing match between Aiman Abdullah and Billy Wong. I have heard many good reviews of their previous matches and to date, Billy Wong is Aiman’s toughest opponent to date.

It was the first time that I’ve seen Aiman (my unofficial coach) in a competitive match and yes, he was stretched to the limit by 4th seed Billy Wong. The rallies were just awesome to watch and it reminds me of the rivalry between Pete Sampras and Jimmy Courier in the 90s. End to end stuff and I do agree with Aiman that the scores 6-1 6-2 in favour of Aiman wasn’t a proper reflection of the match display by Billy. He had great ground strokes and not forgetting his powerful backhand. Good job to both players and I can’t wait to see more matches like this.

In the other semi-finals, Rajvir Jutla needed three sets to overcome Filipino Juliano Licup 1-6 7-6 (4) 6-2 last night. He will now face No.1 seed Aiman Abdullah in the finals tonight. Both have met on a few occasions but Aiman is the man to beat for the tournament. The match will be slated for tonight’s game at 7pm at the National Tennis Centre.

In the ladies’ semi-finals of the Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association Open Singles 1st Leg, Australian Leah Gander beat Chong Ming Rui while Japanese Hiromi Okochi beat Sin Yi. The ladies’ finals will take place tonight also at the same venue.

Chong Ming Rui and Monica Okochi

Rajvir Jutla in action in the semi-finals

Sin Yi in her semi-final match

Hiromi Okochi wining her semi-final match last night

Lena Ang won her maiden match in the consolation category

Ben Sii also winning his consolation match

Aiman Abdullah upped his game against a tough opponent

Billy Wong giving his best he could last night. Love his powerful ground strokes and back hand too.

 

Drop by The Mall, Gadong, to check out the new Peugeot 308

The soft launch of the Peugeot 308 was marked with a mini Roadshow at The Mall, Gadong. Experience the new hatchback’s modern aerodynamic shape and detailing, with its compact dimensions and a much reduced weight compared to its predecessor.

Its driving experience is unprecedented and its CO2 emissions represent a record by leading the market sector (from 82g/km and 3.1 l/100 km / 91.1mpg). The aerodynamic properties, like the effect of weight, are key factors for reducing the vehicle’s environmental footprint.

Sleek and dynamic, the new Peugeot 308 has well-balanced proportions. Pure lines which follow the engineering structure create a sturdy appearance and a precise balance between elegance, sportiness and high-quality.

At the front, a large centrally-placed grille, surrounded with chrome, emphasises the upmarketelegance of the new PEUGEOT 308. Full LED headlamps are specified as standard on the higher levels of finish.

It also prioritises safety with features such as cruise control, emergency collision alert and braking system, park-assist function and blind spot monitoring. A highlight is its i-Cockpit, which includes the head-up instrument panel. This feature, based on the Peugeot website, displays the necessary information while helping to ‘keep eyes on the road’.

For more information, sales representatives of the sole distributor of Peugeot in the nation, TCY Motors Sdn Bhd will be at the showcase, which ends March 2. The company is also giving a five-year free service to anyone who purchase the Peugeot 208 and 408.

The back rear view of the Peugeot 308

The interior view of the Peugeot 308

 

New dishes at Pepper Lunch

As part of the celebrations for their official launch, Pepper Lunch has launched a new dish on the menu, the Cheesy Teppan Risotto.

The rich delicious dish, available from now til the end of April comes in two varieties, a choice of salmon and prawn or chicken and prawn. Priced at $13.90, the risotto is a hearty and decadent meal for your tummy, and for a top-up of $3, you can enjoy it with a drink and a side dish.

Pepper Lunch is located Setia Kenangan 2 Building, Kiulap and operates from 10am to 10pm daily. You can follow ‘Pepper Lunch Brunei’ on Facebook or Instagram @pepperlunchbn

 

Listen to the podcast review of Zootopia. A must watch 😀

 

Soon Tiong, representative from Hua Ho Manggis sending Azli Azney of The Brunei Times and I at the Brunei International Airport last Tuesday as we departed for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Traveling on National Day, Royal Brunei Airlines served this on the plane. Awesome!! Well done on the viral image of RB’s women pilots recently. Apparently it has reached more than 2 million viewers, thanks to the power of social media.

It’s great to be back in Vietnam after 10 years. The last time I flew here was backpacking with a friend as we traveled to three cities – Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siam Reap. I’m happy that I finally made it to Vietnam recently. I had this fear that I won’t be able to make it to the country as passport or should I say my Certificate of Identity may encounter problem at the immigration counter upon my arrival.

Yes, there have been cases where families have been sent back to Brunei as the immigration doesn’t recognize the brown book (our version of Brunei passport) and this is despite having a valid visa from the Vietnam Embassy in Brunei Darussalam. Then at one stage, Vietnam temporarily stopped from COI holders to enter Vietnam before opening the opportunity again to COI holders. So the back and forth saga didn’t really give much confidence to me and other COI holders.

This time, I had no choice but to take the risk as I accepted to do a coverage in Ho Chi Minh City for a FitFlop regional launch event. As you may have recalled that my previous FifFlop coverage was at Bohol, the Philippines. This time round, it’s in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The application fee is kinda pricey (BND 80). Malaysia is the cheapest I think (below BND 10) while Thailand visa costs BND 50. I’m also given an official letter, written in Vietnamese, from the Vietnam Embassy that the COI document is recognized by Vietnam and acts as my safety net should any problem arises.

I did manage to get my travel document chopped but it took the immigration officer a while to do so. He had to consult with his colleagues on my brown book and also the official letter. So I’m glad after a few minutes of internal discussion, the officer was convinced that my COI document is legit and it was a huge relief for me.

So to all the Certificate of Identity holders, don’t worry about traveling to Vietnam. Just make sure you get bring the official letter to state the legitimacy of the COI document. It really does help. And yes, Ho Chi Minh City is a great city to visit as it has developed in the past 10 years and affordable too.

I will posting a dedicated coverage on FitFlop tomorrow. So ladies, you can check out the latest design for FitFlop for the coming Spring Summer Collection of 2016. Thank you once again to Hua Ho Manggis and FitFlop for giving me this opportunity. I’ve been wearing them at home and FitFlop also gave me two new pairs to bring back home. One word – comfy 😀

How the visa looks like for those holding the Brunei’s Identity of Certificate. It costs BND 80.

The official letter from the Vietnam Embassy in Brunei Darussalam to state that the COI document is recognized and valid. Show this two-paged letter at the immigration upon arrival. It saves the hassle from being interrogated.

Yea, we have our own signboard from FitFlop and thank you, Huong, for taking care of the Brunei delegates

We bought the sim card at the arrival hall of the airport. I subscribed for the 3G bandwidth which ran out after two days (too much IG-ing and Snapchatting). Do get the Viettel line.

The bikes are aplenty but now the number of cars are rising compared to 10 years ago

Emma Saunter unveiling the Miami collection for the Spring Summer collection of FitFlop for 2016 at Villa Song Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City

I kinda like the cinema environment at Cinema Liberty Hotel. Very impressive.

…. and I caught Deadpool for the second time. It’s not censored too.

The hotel room at Liberty Citypoint is pretty awesome too. Spacious and internet speed is pretty fast too. The going rate is BND 170-180 per night.