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

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

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

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

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

Vincent won himself a voucher

Another lucky winner of the 50 lucky draw prizes

Zatty won some goodie bag

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

Adam didn’t get his prize until late

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

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

The “shake, shake” game was hilarious

A lucky winner from the executive management of Concepts Computer

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

Luck was definitely on her side :))

The “shake, shake” game from the guys

One of the scenes of their drama act

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

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

Click image to enter Radisson Facebook Page

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Mercedes-Benz A Class favourite car of the Germans

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

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

 

Participants at the briefing yesterday

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

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

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

Reza Faizal of Folec Communications

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

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

 

Click image to enter Brunei Meme Facebook Page

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

It was such a great honour to be part of the media of the recent Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur. My guess is that most K-pop fans might be aware of this award and this is the 27th time it was being held. Just imagine this as the Grammys for Korean music industry and it was also a great privilege for Malaysia to host such an event because this is the first time that the Golden Disk Awards is hosted in South East Asia.

The event was sponsored by JTBC and Ilgan Sports, organised by Joongang Culture Media and Mediartncomm Co. Ltd., supported by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) together with the Ministry of Tourism and presented by Samsung Malaysia Electronics as the title sponsor.

It was definitely worth the admission fee (RM 688) for the rockpit zone area and those with the Samsung Galaxy Zone (RM999) had the best of the lot because there were able to take close up shots of their idols. I came in as a media and we didn’t have the best spot at the concert area but nonetheless we have access to the press conference as well as the Red Carpet moment where we can take better shots.

I was simply amazed by the set up, the lighting, the sound and the great energy by the K-pop artistes. All in all, for a two-night concert, I gave this a 9/10 rating. I’m pretty those who bought those tickets will share the same sentiment. It would have been nice if the Samsung Galaxy Zone had more spectators but then again, the tickets price might be a turn-off.

I think most of you who followed me on instagram realised on my new found love – Kara *lol* They were simply stunning on stage and their music is pretty catchy too and of course, they have the looks to compliment their talent.

I also finally knew that G-Dragon is the leader of Big Bang and he really stole the show on the 2nd night of Golden Disk Awards 2013. Based on my research, G-Dragon (real name Kwon Ji-yong) is also a song writer, record producer, designer and yes, he’s a rapper too. Ok, you can see that I’m pretty new in the K-pop scene and the first taste of K-pop was at CN BLUE’s concert last year in Bangkok and I was impressed.

A great job by the organisers in putting up a great show!! And a huge thanks to RougePR for taking care of my stay in KL as well as handling the logistics. Ok, it’s me RA signing off …. (and I still can’t get over Kara).

Full list of winners

► Song of the Year: PSY (GangNam Style)

► Golden Disk Award Song Division: T-ara (Lovey Dovey) / miss A (Touch) / Sistar (Alone) / 2NE1 (I Love You) / Heo-Gak / f(x) (Electric Shock) / Big Bang (Fantastic Baby) / K.will (I Need You) / Secret (Poison) / G-Dragon (Crayon) / PSY (GangNam Style)

► Album of the Year: Super Junior (Sexy, Free & Single)

► Golden Disk Award Album Division: infinite (Infinitize) / B1A4 (The B1A4) / FT Island (Grown-Up) / CN Blue (3rd Mini Album Ear Fun) / 4Minute (Volume Up) / Beast (Midnight Sun) / Kara (Pandora)

► New Rising K-POP Star: EXO / Juniel

► MSN Southeast Asia Award: Super Junior

► JTBC Best Artiste: Beast

► Malaysia’s Most Favorite: CN Blue / Kara

► Next Generation Star: BTOB

► Most Popular Star: SHINee

► Producer of the Year: Han Seong Ho of FNC

► Best Dance Performance: Hyuna & Hyun Seung (Trouble Maker)

► Best Group Performance: Infinite

► New Rising K-POP Star: B.A.P / Lee HI / Ailee

► Single Album of the Year: Teen Top (It’s)

► Best HIP HOP Star: Epik High

► MSN International Award: Big Bang

► Galaxy Star Award: Sistar

► CeCi Popularity Award: G-Dragon from Big Bang

► InStyle Fashionista Award: Lee Hong Ki from FT Island

Results taken from The Sun Daily.

The press fighting for a good spot at yesterday’s press conference

Ailee was super hot especially on stage.. I love her charisma too. No wonder lots of fans screaming.

B.A.P. at the press conference

Teen Top at the press conference

K.will in the house

miss A but I still prefer Kara 😀

Secret are hot too but but but…. I still prefer Kara 😀

f(x) are another girl groupie but still my votes got to Kara

Sistar but you already know what I’m gonna say

Epik High at the press conference

*lol* G-Dragon was cool and hilarious

Even the media have to follow rules and regulations. The door was shut during the press conference.

Lee HI was the last of the lot

The opening act of the night

Another strong crowd on the 2nd day

G-Dragon got an award for Golden Disk Award Song Division for Crayon and Big Bang’s Fantastic Baby, CeCi Popularity Award and also for MSN Internatioanl Award for Big Bang

The photographer not happy with the rulings for media. Apparently we were only instructed to take photos for 10 minutes and taking turns with others.

Yanny was comfortable in her zone and she is a huge fan of G-Dragon

G-Dragon accepting PSY’s award on his behalf for Gangnam Style

PSY giving his acceptance speech. Image taken GDA 2013 Facebook page

The finale of the show – Gangnam Style by the artistes

Ok, I won’t be saying much but more on my experience in my next post. For now, I’m just uploading pictures from yesterday’s event and also a quick rundown on who won in their respective categories in the Golden Disk Awards 2013.

The event took place at Sepang International Circuit and tonight will be the final show where there are still awards up for grabs. Good luck to all the Korean artistes and Kara, I love you ladies 😀

Here are the lists of winners :- (Souce: Allkpop.com)

▲ Disk Daesang

- Super Junior “Sexy Free & Single”
▲ Disk Bonsang

- 4minute

- B1A4

- B2ST

- CNBLUE

- FT ISLAND

- INFINITE

- KARA

- SHINee

- Super Junior
▲ Rookie Award

- EXO-K

- Juniel
▲ Best Dance Performance Award

- Trouble Maker
▲ Best Group Performance Award

- INFINITE
▲ Next Generation Star Award

- BtoB
▲ MSN Southeast Asia Award

- Super Junior “Sexy Free & Single”
▲ Malaysia’s Most Favorite Star Award

- CNBLUE

- KARA
▲ jTBC Best Artist Award

- B2ST
▲ Popularity Award

- SHINee
▲ Golden Disk Producer Award

- Han Sung Ho (FNC Entertainment)

Taken at the Sepang International Circuit

The crowd hoping to get spots at the concert

CN Blue had the cool reception from the fans

I believe this is BTOB (if I’m not mistaken)

Crazy fans at the Red Carpet

Aiii.. kecian.. One of them had a slight cough

Enough said… Kara ladies stole my day

Even the crew couldn’t stand the screams during the Red Carpet

This guys are cool… SuperJunior

The media centre.. Around 100 plus reporters and photographers were there

Ok, I see that one lady almost felt flatten out

Beast

All the artistes were driven in this

Yanne was my sidekick *lol*

How the Golden Disk Award trophy looks like

Fans waiting for the event

It was definitely worth the wait, aye?

Digi making their presence felt

The sound engineering section

I can see a CN BLUE merchandise

There were many fan signs too

Great show by this group

EXO showing their groove

Best producer goes to him

Kaaraaaaaa…..

I think I’m in love with Kara 😀

 FT Island on stage to receive an award

4Minutes were not bad (I still Kara)

 Juniel won the Rookie award

 Even some Bruneians attended the gig 😀

 

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

 

 

The updated table as of 14•01•2013 and click image to enter At-tamwil University Cup 2013 Facebook page

A great result yesterday for ITB “B” who have a perfect record with 2 wins out of 2 matche so far. They overcame a resilient UNISSA “B” and they scored three goals in the second half through Ak Muhd Muez (48th min), Mohd Sarif Mahmud (69th min) and own goal from Ismail. ITB “B” created a few great chances but they weren’t able to hit the target in the first half. UNISSA “B” had a great opportunity late in the first half when they almost scored from a run of play only to have their powerful shot struck the woodwork.

In other matches, ITB “A” redeemed themselves with a 2-1 victory over Brunei Polythenic “B” after the 5-5 draw (against UNISSA “A”) in the opening match last week. Haneef Haji Shaminan scored the winner in the 75th min after Hariz Amin of Brunei Polythenic “B” levelled in the 65th min. In the first half, Ruzaini Mahadi of ITB “A” scored the first goal in the 29th min.

UNISSA “A” was held to another draw, a 1-1 result against bottom team KUPUSB “B”. Kamarul Ariffin scored for UNISSA “A” while Muhd Rusaini Awang leveled for KUPUSB “B”. The result meant that UNISSA “A” is still undefeated but all their three matches have been draws (5-5 against ITB “A”, UBD “A” and now KUPUSB “B”). Now it’s a must win for UNISSA “A” to win their final match and hope other results go their way in the 5-team group table. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals.

In the final match last night, UBD “B” defeated KUPUSB “A” 3-1 in the Group B match. UBD “B” scorers were Zulhamizan Jamil (36th min and 87th min) and Abdul Taif Hj Jais (78th min) while KUPUSB “A” scorer was Zulfaris Salleh (85th min). The defeat for KUPUSB “A” meant that they are also at the foot of the table with 3 losses while UBD “B” scored their first victory in the tournament and they are still in contention for a top two finish in Group B.

Honestly, I’m pretty impressed with the At-tamwil University Cup 2013 especially from the co-organisers ITB. The logistics and even the little things are taken care of and a bit shout out to the volunteers as well. I can see this University Cup to be a yearly thing and even bigger than this year. This is a good example that other organisers should follow. A big thanks as well to BIBD At-tamwil for making this possible for the University Cup.

UNISSA “B” in pink in action against ITB “B” in white. ITB “B” won 3-0 yesterday.

A great turn out for the match yesterday

Fighting for the ball

A lot of appreciation also for the ball boy

A throw-in effort from ITB “B”

I thought football is a contact sport to an extent *ouch*

And down he went

The UNISSA “B” bench almost celebrated but the effort hit the post

Mohd Sarif Mahmud of ITB “B” had a great game yesterday and he also scored in the 3-0 victory

Did you know you can stand a chance to win prizes by attending the matches? Here are the list of winners for yesterday’s match between UNISSA “B” and ITB “B”. Click image to enter their Facebook Page.
 

 

RA says welcome once again to my edition of the Ugly Truth and yes, a lot has happened in the past few days. Amazing, huh? Then again, the matters which I feel like blogging are pretty subjective and there’s always a fine line on what’s appropriate to publish. Being a blogger for almost 10 years, I’ve learned bits and pieces, here and there and occasionally, yes, “they” do call me to filter things out.

There have been many comments on both telcos in Brunei over the 3G connections. The recent one was today that’s being published in today’s The Brunei Times where one user is actually using both telcos and yet the 3G connections are terrible. I know Gadong have been congested when it comes to 3G and this is due to congestions of having many subscribers at a populated area. I remembered former CEO of DST Idris Vasi said that by implementing more towers will help ease the congestion and make connection smoother. As of now, I’m not sure if these towers are in placed or still at the preliminary stage.

Now with 4G around the corner, it won’t be another easy task especially when it comes to coverage area. Just imagine in Singapore alone that 4G has a nationwide coverage of only 70% and of course, it will grow from time to time. I believe Brunei will follow suit once 4G is made available which is supposedly in the first quarter of 2013. I, myself, can’t wait for the 4G connectivity and test it on the iPhone 5. We shall see once it’s out..

Since I’m on the matter of telcos, there’s one point I want to raise. Once, I predicted how Whatsapp will actually over take SMS and my theory was a year ago when it was during Hari Raya season. I started to realise that friends and families were sending WA messages for their Hari Raya greetings where before we would “traditionally” have loads of SMSes on our smartphones.

One of the officials from a telco company disagreed with my theory that revenue will not be affected and his main reason was subscribers are using 3G data more.. Then again, 3G data doesn’t cost much when it comes to WA-ing unless you are posting photos on instagram or Facebook or surfing my site through smartphones or even forwarding pictures through WA, then that’s a different ball game. But for WA, 3G data doesn’t take much if you are merely conversing or chatting.

By the way, our neighbouring country Singapore has learned about how their users are taking advantage of the unlimited data given and recently they have revamped their packages so the data usage has a cap or limited bandwidth in order to make their business more sustainable. I believe DST will be heading into that direction as quoted by the former CEO of DST by introducing new price schemes. It remains to be seen when this will take place. For now, the most important thing is to make customers happy with the current 3G connection and I truly believe, with the time given, the telcos are capable of delivering better services.

Whatsapp has been more popular than the conventional SMS. What say you?

Perhaps another big news that you may have heard is the recent lucky draw prize incident that took place at the Indoor Stadium last weekend. Oh yeah, guys… please don’t get confused with NBT lucky draw and Consumer Fair because the lucky draw was independently managed by NBT themselves.

I have been hearing different versions of the stories but one thing for sure, a table was flipped by one unhappy customer of NBT. From the information I gather from the witnesses and NBT, I can safely conclude that perhaps the information wasn’t clearly delivered to the audience. Sometimes, we take for granted that the audience or customers know the terms and conditions of the lucky draw even though such presentations have been done over and over again.

Then again, the angry customer might also be in the wrong for his unnecessary vent when he flipped the table in disgust. I believe this kind of things can be done in an appropriate manner and in a more civilised way. Even if the customer is right, there’s no need for this sort of behaviour. This surely shows a bad example of our identity and more on our mentality that we resort to this kind of behaviour when things are seen as unjust or unfair.

According to the press release statement, NBT didn’t break any regulations in terms of the draw. Perhaps if the technical issue of the internet was solved, this matter wouldn’t have arise as well. Apparently, when the BN18,000 lucky draw from NBT was conducted at the Indoor Stadium, there were also customers who were present at the NBT KB showroom and their presence did make them eligible as recipients for the lucky draw.

As I have mentioned before, perhaps the execution of the message or the terms and conditions could have been better. For instance, the organiser would remind the emcee to keep repeating the T&Cs in front of the audience so there won’t be any miscommunicated messages. I remembered Frankie, who emcee-ed for the Consumer Fair lucky draw, and I lost count of how many times he reminded the public about the rules of the lucky draw and guess what? it worked.

Judging from the video that went viral on Whatsapp, I have to salute to the NBT staff for not reacting to the angry customer even though he was nudged a few times. That’s not easy when you are in the situation and being physically provoked too. It would have been a bigger story should both exchanged blows. For this, I admire NBT’s professionalism not to react.

Oh yeah, sometimes it’s best not to spread things if you don’t know the whole story (meaning you only listen to one side of the party). From my general impression, a lot of fingers are pointing to the organizer based on the facts they received from their friends and peers through whatsapp. Some even said the winner was one of the NBT staff which is untrue. There are a few more but I think I just leave it there.

I do hope this won’t affect future lucky draws as the Ministry of Home Affairs are already being strict on the regulations on these kind of prize presentation. Well, this is already our culture in Brunei – to be part of any lucky draw, big or small. Aren’t we spoilt? *lol*

NBT is pleased to announced that TOYOTA owner, Dyg Sukin Binti Sabak (IC No. 129479), who was present at the NBT Kuala Belait Showroom at the time of the draw, fairly and squarely won the first prize [B$18,000], as did the winners of all the other prizes, and that all the lucky draw results including the first prize were independently confirmed and verified by the auditors as correct.

Some of NBT’s KB customers present at the showroom during the draw.

Lately my friends have been wondering what’s up with me? Personally I’m just going with the flow and it’s true that sometimes we don’t see it but others might. Even if it’s such a quick glance, that’s enough to determine how you have been showing up in real life. So far, I don’t feel up or down but just slow and steady. Yes, I do have things that might cloud my mind once in a while but it doesn’t really affect my whole day.

Last year was a great year. Speaking of 2012, I have yet to do my own recap of 2012 *lol* From the rate I’m going, it’s very unlikely that I will post them. Though it was a great one, the hardest part was letting go of a relationship which ended mutually. The process wasn’t easy but it was for the best. I’m still glad that we are close friends and our friendship has kinda rejuvenated. For now, it’s important to focus on my well-being and find happiness within myself and not to be dependent on my happiness from others. That would make a lesser (person) of me and being a love bunny ain’t easy as well. Hmmmm maybe I’m going through a stage of loneliness where I can conveniently talk or communicate with my closed ones or missing that intimate communication (don’t get the wrong ideas haha) or the sense of belonging which could lead to my friends’ concern of me. I don’t know really… The best person to be aware or know of my situation is myself, right? 😀

Now you don’t see this pretty often aye…… This personal side of me especially when it comes to my emotional being. For now, relationship is not my priority. Relationship with myself is more of my purpose and intention. I’m typing this out in the comfort of my seat on flight AK 1693 and I can’t wait to release my energy on tonight’s Golden Disk Awards at Sepang Circuit. For your info, the GDA 2013 is an annual event for South Korea’s prestigious music awards and this will be the first time such event is taking place in South East Asia.

Anyway, here’s RA signing off for the day and my prayers and thoughts to JJ. I don’t know why you are in my thoughts at this very moment but it keeps reminding me to be humble and be who I am. And to Liyana, you’re such a strong woman and your strength have lift hopes for others and not to take things and life for granted. Keep it up and and congratulations on the new born baby, Mohammad Ishaaq Firdaus bin Mohammad Ismael :))

By the way, I haven’t proof read my entry.. So mind me… brb … it’s showtime in Sepang!!!

This is a collaboration between iCentre and the British High Commission as they have invited a special guest for “Immerse” workshop for two days. Former BBC executive Krishan Arora (inset pic) will be leading the workshop in aiming to encourage creativity and share knowledge and experience from the UK of interest to the development of media in Brunei.

For interested parties, you drop by iCentre and register yourself for the 2 day workshop.

Profile of Krishan Arora. He is an experienced multi-lingual television executive, with a strong track record in BBC commissioning, broadcast strategy, international co-production and communications, UK and internationally. Moving to France, he became one of the first programmers at Arte in Strasbourg when this innovative public channel launched in 1992.

He became Producer and Head of Development for Antelope, a well-established documentary production company, part of the Tele-Images Group where he produced films for all British broadcasters, mostly coproductions on international subjects including the award-winning feature documentary Srebrenica – A Cry from the Grave. He rejoined the BBC in 2001 as Independents commissioning executive in Specialist Factual. There he developed and managed television programmes for all BBC channels in the areas of history, arts, science and travel.  

In 2005 he was named the BBC’s Independents Executive, an influential role at senior level within Vision, the BBC’s content creation, commissioning and broadcast division. As part of this role he helped manage the BBC’s commissioning systems, and led BBC initiatives in regional development. In mid-2011, he returned to the world of production and consulting, working with companies in Europe and South East Asia.

 

The meet-and-greet session and performance wiil be at 5-6pm on Sunday 13 January at the Opening Stage Area of Consumer Fair Part 11.

Visitors can also win one of three Rosken Hampers or 24 consolation prizes each day just by filling in the Rosken questionnaires.

Rosken Skin Repair is a reputable body care brand established in Australia in 1979. PDB Gemilang is the sole distributor in Brunei of the Rosken Skin Repair range of products. Rosken is a well-known brand in Brunei due to its clinically proven formulation in relieving dry skin problems. It is available in all leading pharmacies, supermarkets and minimarkets.

To meet Maria, to win prizes, and to see how beneficial Rosken Skin Repair can be for your body, do visit Booth B10 in Zone B at the Consumer Fair Part 11 in the National Indoor Stadium.

The final activities for CF11

Yes, you can jump for freeeeeeeee…

Drop by this booth at Indoor Stadium to check out the Smart Pass for cars

Aaron Sitai of Gadgetplus Store entertaining the public with his SMART Pass gadget for cars

Now you can lock your car even with your engine still running. I’ve got one for myself too.

Quran is also being sold at CF11

It was quite a crowd last Friday at CF11

Baby clothes selling at KidsOclock booth, Booth 27 Zone C

Babiators are also available at KidsOclock booth

You can find old notes too

These hangers are pretty cool and it kinda saves space in your wardrobe

Hmmmmm…. Whatever happened to angry birds?

Awesome prices at Dbook Haus booth

I still remember the Mawi tudung days

Gadgets being showcased at the fair

Jessie checking out the latest Dell XPS 12

Digital Life rated his a good machince. It’s currently out of stock at Netcom Computer.

Feel like doing your interior deco?

One of the hot sellers at Happy Star booth

This monster TV costs BND 15,000 *gulp* but the quality is awesome

You can do a quick health check here
 

 

More than 800 people turned out for Zumba Fitness, the first of four series of ‘Charity for Nancy’ events in support of  Tea Ai Seng, better known as Nancy, the former national athlete who is currently in a wheelchair now after sustaining spinal injuries in June last year.

Held at the Indoor Stadium, the Zumba Fitness ‘Charity for Nancy’ is organised by the Department of Youth and Sports and supported by Susan’s Fitness Studio to raise funds to help ease Nancy’s burden of medical costs and welfare.

Nancy said, “I am touched by the gesture of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. I would also like to say thanks to Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council who has also provided me with assistance and also Chung Hwa Middle School’s Principal as well as the Board of Directors for their support.” Nancy is currently recovering from a spinal surgery she underwent on November 23, 2012 at JPMC. Her first surgery was done in Kuching on July 4 last year.

In upcoming activities to raise funds for Nancy, an invitational futsal tournament will be held from January 18 to 20 at the Indoor Stadium.

A Charity Run (5.5km) together with Charity Cycling (42km) event will be held on the night of January 26 at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. Each participant will have to pay a fee of $20 which will include a special edition T-shirt.

To cap off the activities for the Charity for Nancy, a netball event will be held on February 1 to 3. The participants will be split into male and female categories. The female games will be played at Universiti Brunei Darussalam while the men’s games will be played at the Tutong Sports Complex.

Each team will have to pay a fee of $200 and the closing date for registration is January 26, 2013. Registration forms for all activities can be obtained at the Department of Youth and Sports as well as all the youth and sports branches in all districts. Registration forms for the charity run can also be obtained at Fitness Zone.

For further information, members of the public can contact, the Department of Youth and Sports at 2381903/4/5/6/7 ext 1616, 1630 and 1635. Text courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin and images courtesy of Bahyiah Bakir of Borneo Bulletin.

Nancy with Datin Paduka Hjh Adina during the Zumba workout

Nancy with Datin Paduka Hjh Adina

YAM Pengirun Muda Abdul Mu’min also showed his support

More than 800 turned up last Sunday

Click image to enter flyroyalbrunei.com

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad (BIBD) held a prize presentation ceremony yesterday for its ‘Swipe to Win’, BIBD Online and BIBD Mobile lucky draw winners. The small ceremony was held during the 11th Consumer Fair at the National Indoor Stadium.

The winners only had to sign up and use the promoted BIBD products and services to be eligible to win these prizes. Erna Aliza Hj Raya and Dk Hjh Noraini Pg Hj Mohammad were ecstatic when they were announced as the 4th and 5th week winners for the BIBD ’Swipe to Win’ campaign. The two very lucky women brought home with them a Samsung Galaxy Note II each.

Three others – Dk Hjh Norayushima bte Pg Hj Yusri, Mohammad Khairul Hazirin bin Haji Ariffin and Muhammad Rizuan bin Haji Lamit – had smiles on their face as each of them were presented with an iPhone 5 for the iPhone 5 promotion.

Meanwhile, Ismat bin Hj Lamat and Azanor bin Haji Ahad were overjoyed, as they each walked home an iPad Mini, for having the highest Department of Electrical Services and DST top-up usage for the month.

The winners with Ben Lin, Head of Marketing of BIBD

Presenting the prizes to all the winners was Ben Lin, Head of Marketing, BIBD. The lucky draw winners were chosen from BIBD customers who have signed up and used the BIBD Mobile or BIBD Online along with the usage of the BIBD Debit Card or BIBD Credit Card at any retail outlet within the promotion period.

The BIBD ‘Swipe to Win’ campaign will continue on until the 24th of February, carrying along a weekly prize of a Samsung Galaxy Note II for twelve consecutive weeks, along with a final grand prize of 100,000 Royal Skies Miles for one lucky customer. Furthermore, this campaign only requires the BIBD customer to swipe their BIBD Credit or Debit Card at any retail outlet and which will automatically entitle them one ticket for the lucky draw, regardless of the transaction limit.

On the other hand, the BIBD Mobile and Online promotion will be running until the 27th of January, 2013, where each BIBD customer is given one lucky draw entry for each qualified transaction, which will be entered into the upcoming lucky draw, which will be the last one. The grand prizes remain the same for the final edition of the promotion, being three iPhone5s and two iPad Minis. Press release courtesy of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam.

I present to you Babiators!!!

What is the most common complaint about children’s sunglasses?

“My child will break or lose them!”

Worry no more as Babiators won’t break, and we believe that protecting kids’ eyes is too important to overlook simply because sunglasses might get lost. That’s why if your child’s Babiators are lost or broken within one year of purchase, we will replace them, no questions asked!

All you need to do to be eligible for the Lost & Broken Guarantee is to register your Babiators within 30 days of purchase.

Just click http://kidsoclock.form2go.com/7224424.html to register and voila… you’re signed up for the Lost & Broken Guarantee!

After you’ve registered, in the unlikely event your Babiators are lost or broken, email us at kidsoclock@ gmail.com to claim your replacement pair.

Check the booth called KidsOclock at Consumer Fair at booth 27 at Zone C and they also have kidswear as well such as Gingersnaps and Gap. You can also visit their Facebook page here.

They are flexible and durable indeed and costs less than BND40

Don’t these kids look good in them? 😀

Check out Babiators at KidsOclock at Consumer Fair at booth 27 at Zone C

It’s so flexible that even it kinda fits Jessie *lol*

 

Do try out Caliente’s Authentic Paella’s
Paella Valenciana (Seafood Paella with Beef Chorizo)
Paella de Verduras ( Vegetarian Paella)
Paella De Marisco (Seafood Paella). 

As their paella are made to order, there is a minimum waiting time of 45minutes. 

Call 2234549 / 7202985 for reservation. Caliente Spanish Restaurant is located at Regent Square, Kiulap. It closes every Monday for your info.

Paella De Marisco (Seafood Paella)

Paella De Marisco (Seafood Paella)

Click banner to enlarge

The winner of the Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG Roadster – Hjh Haliza bte Hj Abdul Hamid

I have never seen one of the intense lucky draw for the grand prize at Jati Transport Gadong showroom this morning. The three finalists were called to the front to randomly pick any key that will ignite the “Roadster” and fun bit was that even the wrong key will be placed back in the draw to heighten the suspense.

Last week, the shortlisted draw was offically conducted by Shazali Hj Sulaiman, local partner at KPMG auditing firm, who was witnessed by Jati Transport associates and members of the local media. 21 names were drawn from the glass box which had around 316 entries.

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

The grand winner was no other than Hjh Haliza bte Hj Abdul Hamid who bought a Mercedes-Benz B200 in 2012. Her husband and children were there to support her and she was also the earliest person from the shortlisted ones to arrive the venue. She said she has never won anything big in this scale and she’s not sure yet what to do with the car.

Currently, Jati Transport Sdn Bhd is having an ongoing promotion where you Purchase a new Mercedes-Benz passenger car, Vito or Viano from 1st January to 31st December and you could win a new Mercedes-Benz A 250 Sport! Do follow them on Facebook for updates!!

The grand draw took place at Jati Transport Gadong Showroom

Jenny Malai Ali emcee-ed this morning

It was definitely a tense moment for the participants

A consolation winner walked away with Patchi goodies

Vincent Goh also walked away with a consolation prize

Mr. Ho, Sales Manager of Jati Transport, did the draw

A consolation winner walked away with Patchi goodies

A consolation winner walked away with Patchi goodies

Executive Chairman of Jati Transport, YM Pg Anak Ja’far, did the final batch for the grand prize

Mohamad Hilmi Hj Mohd Ali Sofian, Hj Jamain bin Hj Momin, Brunei-Muara District Officer and Hjh Haliza bte Hj Abdul Hamid were the finalists for the grand draw

Mohamad Hilmi Hj Mohd Ali Sofian was the first but his attempt failed

The Brunei-Muara District Officer was also unlucky

Haliza’s son was praying so her mother would win the SLK

The reaction from him was priceless and same goes for the people at the background *lol*

Haliza’s husband celebrated with joy

What a great end to the finale!!!

Tears of joy were shed

The official handover of the SLK AMG 350

Ivan, a salesman from Jati Transport, was happy that his client won

Group photo with the winner and consolation winners

Haliza has been receiving tons of congratulations wishes on my instagram and happy advanced birthday to you 😀

 

I don’t know how much they have invested in setting up the tents especially with the ventilations but the set up looks pretty huge outside the Indoor Stadium. It was also the first time that Sunlit Advertising’s Consumer Fair took place at the area. The reason being the usual venue is under going renovation for the upcoming Asean Summit 2013. The biannual event at the National Indoor Stadium car park centres around the theme “Let’s Get Together”, described as “a one-stop shopping and entertainment destination” for families and friends, said the organising chairman and executive director of Sunlit Advertising, Dato Paduka Hj Danial Hj Hanafiah.

Let’s just say that Consumer Fair is like a one stop shopping area for consumers. The directions and the flow might be a bit tricky since this is the first time it’s held at an opened space. The CF11 consists of three zones and you can refer to the site map at the information counter. Do check out the activities that I’ve posted.

They are a few recreational activities and games such as an ice cream eating competition organised by Kingston Creamery and Beverage Sdn Bhd and a Guess and Win contest run by Syarikat Perniagaan Malar Setia. Another activity partner, Poni Divers is offering rock climbing and scuba diving sessions.

The 11th Consumer Fair also has international vendors from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey and Yemen. Last Wednesday, the guest of honour Hjh Normah Suria Hayati Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja Dato Seri Utama (Dr) Hj Awang Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, graced the 11th Consumer Fair and toured around the booths. The five-day fair is open to the public until Sunday from 10am to 10pm. A free shuttle bus will be provided for visitors from the entrance to the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

The Consumer Fair grand lucky draw – Toyota Vios

Guest of honour touring the NBT area at the Indoor Stadium

Aaron Sitai of Gadgetplus Store showcasing the SMART Pass and the Key Pass, located at Indoor Stadium

There’s rock climbing activity organised by Poni Divers

There’s also a mini dive in you’re interested at Poni Divers booth

Say hello to the Baiduri guys 😀

Acer Projector is a good catch Concepts Computer

BIBD being interviewed by RTB at the Consumer Fair

You can jump for free but I’m not sure how much this trampoline actually cost

More books to look at for book lovers

SMARTER Brunei is there as well so do show some support

These guys are back as usual

Some anime stuff for you

Super cheap lamps…

This might be a popular joint because of the heat

The food court area has a nice spacious set up

This is one cool ride – from Victory Motorbikes

I managed to fill in the questionnaire from this booth

 

 

11th Consumer Fair 9th to 13th January 2013

 

Guess what, readers?? ICON Design Store is having a clearance sale on their European furniture. If you haven’t dropped by ICON Design Store, then I suggest you do especially if you are a collector of European furniture. Actually you don’t have to be one to enjoy the great quality and the continental design of the furniture brought in by ICON Store.

ICON Design Store will be having in new stock coming in so this is a great time to buy their existing stock where they will be giving 25% discount on all the stock items. That’s definitely an awesome deal. They are closed on Mondays but they are open from Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 7:30pm, Friday 2pm to 7:30pm, Saturday 10am to 7:30pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm.

The furniture shop is located at Sempurna Complex, Jalan Batu Bersurat and it’s two blocks away from Happy Star. They also provide free delivery locally to your homes. You can check out their website here or you can call 242 7351 for more information.

Gert Schriever and Rick Van Aageten, co-founders of ICON Design Store

Some of the items going on 25% discount at ICON Design Store

Gert behind the counter

Interesting European furniture and these can be yours too

Some of the European chairs on display

I wonder how much these items cost.. I feel like a bawse sitting on it *lol*

They have table lamps too

Click image to enter University Cup Facebook page

Dato Paduka Hj Ali Apong, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, hopes to see the creation of more multimedia companies in Brunei during the launch of CRAFT at the Knowledge Hub.

The Creative Arts Facilities (CRAFT), an initiative spearheaded by the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), was officially launched by Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Hj Ali Apong, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of BEDB.

I believe CRAFT will create more interest in this field and entice more youth to take up this initiative provided by BEDB. CRAFT is located at Knowledge Hub and they have physical labs, workstations and even rendering facilities for multimedia developers. So this is a great place to start off with and yes, you can have zero knowledge and start from scratch too.

The goal of CRAFT is to train at least 100 animators and multimedia developers in the next four years. The BEDB will continue to collaborate with relevant government agencies, including foreign agencies, institutes of higher learning as well as foreign and local industry players to ensure that a conducive ecosystem is developed to allow the growth of the local creative industry.

There was also a signing ceremony between BEDB and Autodesk (NASDAW: ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Autodesk, for your info, will be providing training and certification for Autodesk media and entertainment solutions at CRAFT.

Signing on behalf of the BEDB was Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin, Deputy CEO of BEDB, witnessed by Mr. Daniel Leong, Senior Manager Innovation and New Initiatives, while signing on behalf of Autodesk was Mr. V. R. Srivatsan, Managing Director for ASEAN Region and witnessed by Mr. Chris Lee, Regional Sales Manager.

Mr. Daniel Leong, Senior Manager Innovation and New Initiatives, Board Economic Development Board

Mr. Chris Lee, Regional Sales Manager of Autodesk, Mr. V. R. Srivatsan, Managing Director for ASEAN Region of Autodesk, Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin, Deputy CEO of BEDB and Mr. Daniel Leong, Senior Manager Innovation and New Initiatives of BEDB signing the collaboration agreement

The signatories with Dato Paduka Ali Apong and Vincent Cheong of BEDB

The invited guests during the launch

The animation on display from Autodesk

Trying out their software on Autodesk

Dato Paduka Ali Apong watching the participants playing with Autodesk software

 

Congratulations Rozana and you look pretty and radiant :))

Rozana with her boss, Puan Haslina, CEO of BAG Networks Sdn Bhd

Rozana with Lulu

Rozana with her colleagues from BAG Networks

The flower girls leading the way

Rozana being being led by her beloved dad

Shahri and Rozana

Rozana with her colleagues

Rozana with her buddies from Toastmasters

Rozana with her buddies from Toastmasters

Rozana’s friends came to attend her wedding

 

[Press release from GetFit CrossFit]: Two Bruneian athletes, Gavin Singh Sekhon & Rory Teo, recently returned to the Sultanate as the nation’s first certified USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coaches. This came after successfully completing their grueling, yet highly sought-after qualification in Chiang Mai, Thailand. USAW is the nationalgoverning body overseeing the sport of Olympic weightlifting in the United States.

Olympic weightlifting, also called Olympic-style weightlifting, is an athletic discipline in the modern Olympic programme in which participants attempt a maximum-weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates. The two lifts attempted in this style of weightlifting are the snatch and the clean and jerk.

“If properly executed, the snatch and the clean and jerk are both dynamic and explosive while appearing graceful. These lifts and their components are commonly used by elite athletes in other sports to train for both explosive and functional strength. Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion, incorporates these very lifts to complement his sprinting.”, says Rory.

Gavin Sekhon, Drew Dillon, Mark Cannella & Rory Teo

Their training and subsequent evaluation was carried out by experienced Olympic weightlifters, Mark Cannella and Drew Dillon. Mark is head coach and president of the Columbus Weightlifting Club (CWLC) in Columbus, Ohio, USA and was present at the 2012 London Olympics as a coach for US Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. He also organizes and hosts the annual prestigious Arnold Olympic Weightlifting Competition.

Drew is currently ranked in the top ten in the USA for the 85kg class, and also assisted in coaching lifters to reach the Olympics in London. He is a state record holder and has finished as high as fourth in the US at a National level.

According to Gavin, they are excited to work with aspiring weightlifters, national athletes or even everyday individuals who simply want to learn the basics of the Olympic lifts. He says, “Just understanding & carrying out the lifts safely will add value to your everyday lives thus making you a stronger, fitter and an overall healthier person. This will then carry over to your life at home and at work.”

Rory & Gavin, who also happen to be certified CrossFit Level 1 instructors, are both co-owners of GetFit CrossFit, the first CrossFit affiliate in Brunei Darussalam. Their training regiment consists of a unique blend of Olympic-style weightlifting, gymnastics and endurance. While in Thailand, they also competed in a USAW-sanctioned Olympic weightlifting competition and came in second and fourth place respectively. For more information on how to get involved in this dynamic sport, visit www.getfitcrossfit.com.