The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Regional Festival of Football 2015 is set to hold its Opening Ceremony, 4:00 pm, on Tuesday, 18th August 2015, at the Track and Field, Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex.

The first match to be played will be from Group A, Philippines against Brunei Darussalam kicking off at 4:35 pm. This match will be played at the Track and Field, Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex straight after the Opening Ceremony. At the Berakas Sports Complex, Group B will kick off its first match seeing Vietnam playing against Singapore kicking off at 4:40 pm.

Members of the public are welcome to come and watch all the matches of the festival, which will be held at Track and Field, Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex and Berakas Sports Complex. The ticket entrances for the Festival matches are free and there will also be some lucky draw prizes to be won during half time at every single match throughout the festival to the first 50 people who come to the matches.
The AFC U14 Regional Festival of Football 2015 held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam is supported by the Department of Youth and Sports of the Ministry Culture, Youth and Sports and sponsored by Kuang Wei Advertising and Display Sdn Bhd, Ideal Group Holdings Sdn Bhd, NBT (B) Sdn Bhd, Orchid Garden Hotel, Superwater Marketing Sdn Bhd, Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, Brunei Times Sdn Bhd, Aewon Brunei, Magic Media, Kingston Beverage and Creamery Sdn Bhd and Ranoadidas.

With the support from the government and local companies, NFABD would like members of the public to continuously support the National Under 14 team, the Tabuan U14, led by Head Coach Takao Fujiwara that will be participating in the festival.

For more info on the festival, please visit www.nfabd.org

NFABD welcomes team from Timor Leste

NFABD welcomes team from the Philippines

NFABD welcomes team from Thailand

Nuraziemah Hj Zulkifli winning the Kia Caren EX, the grand prize of the Kia Hari Raya Promotion last weekend

Masnah Hj Sabtu, winning the Kia Cerato Sedan for the 2nd prize

Previously Grand Motors Sdn Bhd gave away a home and a few cars as part of their 30th anniversary. Last week, Grand Motors presented four cars from KIA for the lucky winners of the “Kia Hari Raya Promotion” and also “Cerato for the Young and Young-at-Heart” promotion.

So who won the grand prize of the Kia Caren EX? It now belongs to the new owner – 23-year-old Nuraziemah Hj Zulkifli. Second prize belonged to Masnah Hj Sabtu, winning the Kia Cerato Sedan; the third prize went to Harun Hipnie who won Kia F/L Rio and the fourth prize (another car) went to Norasikin Aslan who won Kia Picanto M/T. The other remaining from the short listed winners of 10 walked way with cash vouchers.

Another shortlisted winners was for the Cerato for the Young and the Young-at-Heart promotion and there were 10 people who were drawn. Chan Siang Wei walked away with one unit ASUS Ultimate Fighting Machine Laptop 8gb and Hjh Mahani Hj Dagang won herself one unit ASUS Ultimate Fighting Machine Laptop 4gb. The third place winner, Iskandar Hj Alias won himself one PS4 Gaming Console 500gb and the fourth place went to Maimun Hj Serudin who brought home one XBOX 360 with Kinect Console Bundle.

The remaining winners won themselves a GoPro Hero 4 each. Awesome consolation prizes I must say.

All in all, it was a successful campaign as Grand Motors had 500 eligible customers who bought a car from 1st May to 31st July and 200 customers for the Cerato for the Young and the Young-at-heart promotion which ran from 1st April to 31st July. Present during the draw were Frankie Ho, Managing Director of Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, Hj Shaiful Rizal Bin Pehin Dato Dr Hj Ahmad, Executive Director and Jacqueline Koh, Kia Sales Manager.

Group photo with the winners and the management of Grand Motors and representatives from the financial institutions

Harun Hipnie who won Kia F/L Rio as third prize

Norasikin Aslan who won Kia Picanto M/T as fourth prize

Hjh Mahani Hj Dagang won herself one unit ASUS Ultimate Fighting Machine Laptop 4gb

GoPro Hero 4 winner

Another GoPro Hero 4 winner

Irwan bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBD At-tamwil drawing the short listed customers few days before the actual draw

Representatives from BIBD At-tamwil and Baiduri Finance with the management of Grand Motors

Click image to enter website

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

Happy Birthday Nisaa @ Bonita Suresh and sorry, I couldn’t make it to your advanced celebration. Hope you like the lame video greetings 😀 Thanks for being part of my life and I truly treasure the friendship since Day 1 (e-circles) haha..

The Surprise celebration. I wonder if the gang pulled it off :p

My current trip to Bangkok is to help expose and share with you guys of places to shop around Bangkok. Have you heard of Emporium and Emquatier? There are both new shopping malls under one roof, The District EM and shared among three buildings. The shopping experience is crazy there because there are more the 400 iconic brands at District EM. I was even confused with my bearings as I easily lost track of my directions. You might need an in-house map to get to wonder around.

Of course, if you happen to be in Bangkok, now it’s a good time to give these places because of the mid year sales. If you are familiar with Siam Paragon and Terminal 21, I would highly recommend you to try out the EM District. It’s even located at a BTS station (train) so you won’t have to walk from the station to District EM.

Even though the said malls have been operating for a few months, they have spent a hefty sum on promotion and marketing, a whooping USD 500,000 alone. You can see how serious the shareholders of District EM are. Give it a few more months and exposure, Emporium and Emquartier will be the top attraction for the shopping crowd especially from overseas.

Check out the pictures I posted below and I couldn’t include all because they were simply too many 😀

During the grand opening a few months ago

At the Emporium

The SL Coupé was launched a few days ago at the Mercedes-Benz Cafe at Emporium. The first of its kind concept in Thailand and this is to give more hospitality to their clients. Awesome stuff!!

The Mercedes-Benz Cafe

They even have prayer rooms at District EM

I have to try this premium cinema at Emporium on my next trip

If you own a super car like these, you can park with them

The garden upstairs

The imported area of the supermarket

I almost bought some grapes :p

The scarlett room, only applicable to members only and you need to spend at least BND 80,000 within a year

The logo for Emporium. The British flag pin indicates that the person can speak in English if you need any assistance. Cool!

Different range of clothes

The guys who brought us around. Thank you 😀

Group photo

 

Deputy Minister of Finance, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah presenting the championship trophy to ITB’s captain. Image courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

A well deserved victory for ITB. Two years ago, they lost the inaugural tournament in the hands of UBD. This year, they almost lost it when they were down 2-0 against IGS College in the finals last Saturday of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup 2015.

All was not lost. Md Farrizz Saralfari and Ak Md Naqib scored two goals to put IGS College in the lead only for ITB to reply with confidence through Md Hafiy and Norfaez before half time kicked in to make a competitive score line of 2-2 by half time.

I actually felt pity for IGS College as they had the upper hand. A 2 goal lead with a poor field conditions due to the rainy weather, IGS could have held the game for their first title. However, ITB had other plans. They know that they have been in the finals before and experience did matter in this situation.

Right after the break, ITB quickly took the lead in the 47th minute from Ak Md Haikal which proved to be the winner. The match ended in a 3-2 victory for ITB and they have what it takes to be a champion. Hats off to IGS College for the great fight and let it be a good experience for them and also for the rest of the teams that were involved in the tournament.

The matches have always brought high energy towards the stands where fans will be supporting their own team. Even the crowd attendance can put other local leagues to shame. Great effort from BIBD At-tamwil for taking the lead and teaming up with ITB as co-organiser.

This year also see inclusion of local colleges and an invitational team representing Curtin University. A big thanks for Fazizul Haqimie for taking all the pictures since Day 1 and he was even soaked in the rain that night. Great photos and keep it up!

The VIPs watching the finals of the University Cup 2015

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

Celebration from the ITB bench

Consolation for the head coach of IGS College

A sad moment for the IGS player

ITB team celebrating their success

ITB the new champions of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup 2015

Team IGS have their heads high and it has been a great journey

The rain didn’t hamper their mood on the field

 

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Zul And Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer during the unveiling of the Acer Revo at Consumer Fair last weekend. You can have a closer look at their Concepts Computer showroom

Acer is playing it’s Ace with the release of the new Acer Revo RL85-2957W8 mini PC at the ASEAN Consumer fair 2015. Launched by Concepts Computer, the compact computing solution, is a perfect powerhouse of features despite its small size.

The micro personal computer is an excellent addition to the household, with two terabytes of onboard storage, which can be extended with additional hard disks.

The unit also comes with HDMI making it easy to plug into a projector and speakers or a television as a media player, streaming high resolution visuals smoothly and great sound quality.

The Revo also comes with a pre-loaded Acer BYOC (Build Your Own cloud apps to make it the centre of your personal cloud. It automatically backs up all files stored in phones or tablets, making it accessible through all connected devices. Another nifty feature is that users can navigate the mini PC with their smartphones, provided their phones come with the remote control application.

The Acer Revo RL85-2957W8 is available at Concepts Computer at the price of $458.

For more information on the latest mini PC by Acer, visit the fair or head to Concepts’ nearest branch. You can also call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553.

Check out the small size of the Acer Revo

Quite portable as well

Check out the plug-ins from the Acer Revo. Image courtesy of Pocket-lint.

Image courtesy of Pocket-lint

 

Upcoming fixtures

Results last weekend

Results last weekend

Politeknik Brunei (PB) last weekend came back from a goal down to salvage a 1-1 draw against Curtin University in Group ‘A’ of the BIBD At-Tamwil University Cup 2015 at the Padang Kebajikan.

Curtin University, the only foreign team in the tournament, took the lead late in the first half as Tisalona Anak Joannes connected with a cross from Thad Bess Chia.

With a majority of the possession and numerous goal attempts, PB could not break the deadlock. Curtin goalkeeper, Jeremy Dom, was on impressive form to thwart PB’s front line of Mohammad Ikmal Hakim and Nur Adi Zulhusni.

The goalkeeper could only do so much when PB super substitute Mohd Hazim Hamzah’s flick header in the 74th minute curled into the goal. The goal was enough to earn PB a point in their last game of the tournament.

PB has now collected four points and sit in third position in Group ‘A’.

Meanwhile, Laksamana College of Business (LCB) beat Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology 2-1, thanks to an injury time goal (90+2) from Muhammad Azizan Akmal Haji Mataii.

Curtin University will next play UNISSA on June 3 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium at the Police Headquarters.

The next match for the BIBD At-Tamwil University Cup 2015 will see a top of the table clash between Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) on June 2 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium at the Police Headquarter. Kick off will be at 7.45pm. Text courtesy of James Kon of Borneo Bulletin and images courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

For more updates, you can follow their Facebook page or instagram @attamwil_universitycup

Match between IGS and LCB

Match between IGS and LCB

Match between IGS and LCB

Match between IGS and LCB

Match between IGS and LCB

 

Hj Mohd Maszaiwardy bin Hj Masri, Assistant General Manager of Sales, Takaful Brunei Keluarga, Hjh Mahana binti Hj Ajak, Deputy General Manager of Takaful Brunei Keluarga and Nooramal Fitriyah Abdul Rahim, Sales Executive Officer, Sales Department of Takaful Brunei Keluarga

The popular short term investment is back!! Takaful Brunei Keluarga (TBK) previously held this special promotion two years ago back in 2013 and it was a big hit. This time round, the stakes are way better. For those who are not aware of Nur Savings from TBK, it’s basically a short term investment (maximum two years) where you will be insured and also gain interest from the savings at a profit of 2% per annum for two years.

The single minimum payment os BND 2,000 and there is no cap for the payment. Previously it was capped at BND 50,000 but now interested parties can inject any amount they feel comfortable with. The 2% interest is a pretty high return as compared to the banks in Brunei. Hence not only you save and get protected, you also earn the extra 2% from your savings. So imagine yourself investing BND 500,000 or even BND 1 million. That would be a great returns in a space of two years only. Awesome deal!!!

This promotion is open to all residents of Brunei Darussalam which means as long as you have an IC (green, purple or yellow), you will be eligible. For those interested parties, you can call TBK’s Certified Financial Planners at 223 1100 during office hours.

The media asking questions during the press conference

Hjh Mahana explained to the media the benefits of Nur Savings

 

Be a member of Skin Food and enjoy the privileges

Be a member of Skin Food and enjoy the privileges

The once a year members’ day is back at Skin Food Brunei. From 31st May – 2nd June 2015, members are entitled to enjoy a 30% discount off the original price on all items. The event comes as a means of thanking Skin Food Brunei’s loyal customers.

For those of you non-members who are eager for the hefty discount, worry not, as Skin Food is giving the opportunity to sign up for membership with just a $10 transaction, generously reduced from the usual $40. New members will also receive a lovely welcoming gift. Benefits include 10% discount on purchases, birthday vouchers and exclusive members-only promotions.

Skin Food is also giving away lots of fun free gifts, such $5 vouchers for purchases up to $50, while purchases above $88 get a limited edition manicure set. Purchases above $108 will receive a highly collectable Black Sugar enamel pouch, suitable for travelling with your favourite products!

Skin Food is one of the top skin and body care brands, that is well known for their plant and fruit based products that incorporate natural ingredients to “feed the skin”. Among some of their latest product lines is the introduction of the Argan Oil Silk Hair Care Range, and their Premium Tomato whitening skin care range.

 

The winners of the AMBD Treasure Hunt – Team Victorious Secret. Image courtesy of Armtrix Enterprise.

1st runner-up of the AMBD Treasure Hunt – Team A Square who won themselves two iPad Mini. Image courtesy of Armtrix Enterprise.

2nd runner-up of the AMBD Treasure Hunt – Blackjack who won two Garmin F15 watches. Image courtesy of Armtrix Enterprise.

We have winners from AMBD Treasure Hunt last weekend. The response was overwhelming and the organizers had to turn down others because it was only limited to 30 teams of two. The treasure hunt went on for two hours and there were given tasks to complete and the top 5 winners will be awarded. The first prize was a pair of tickets to Kuala Lumpur and it was won by team Victorious Secret where they also earned a trophy and a Good Life coin bank.

AMBD Day 2015 had been a successful event, spanning over 3 days and it was showcased at the ICC to create awareness on savings among the community. There has been many queries to the new notices and directives from the AMBD but then it’s all for the benefit of the community and also educating them on the importance of savings.

On 28th May 2015, they have released five notices – Total Debt Service Ratio, Unsecured Personal Credit Facility, Unsecured Personal Financing Facility, Consolidation Loan Scheme and Service Fee/Charges. You can read more of the notices here, taken from the AMBD website.

The Total Debt Service Ratio may be taken in the wrong context but if you look deeply, the positive aspect is that it will ease the burden of the borrower and also allow the borrower to have a better and sufficient disposable income. The other good point is that now the applicant can get a loan up to 18 times its net salary as compared to the previous one by 12 times. The maximum repayment period remains unchanged at six years.

These new directives may not be favourable for the banks in terms of gains but it will be a win-win situation for both the financial institution and consumers in a long run. Ok, enough on my rant on loan caps. Congratulations to the winners of the AMBD Treasure Hunt.

Group photo with the treasure hunters. Image courtesy of Armtrix Enterprise.

Participants hunting for crew

Participants hunting for crew

Participants hunting for crew

Participants hunting for crew

Piccolo Cafe enjoying brisk business during AMBD 2015 event and I had a photo with the founder of the cafe

 

There’s a clearance sale at Harajuku Boutique until 15th June. The boutique is located near Thien-Thien Gadong.

The owner of Harajuku Boutique is also looking for a buyer for the shop.

 

UNISSA vs Politeknik Brunei

UNISSA vs Politeknik Brunei. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

UNISSA vs Politeknik Brunei. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

UNISSA vs Politeknik Brunei. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

UNISSA vs Politeknik Brunei. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Laksamana College of Business vs Kollege IGS

The crowd during Laksamana College of Business vs Kollege IGS. Image courtesy of BIBD At-tamwil Unicup 2015 Facebook Page. Click image for updates.

Warming up. Image courtesy of BIBD At-tamwil Unicup 2015 Facebook Page. Click image for updates.

The crowd during Laksamana College of Business vs Kollege IGS. Image courtesy of BIBD At-tamwil Unicup 2015 Facebook Page. Click image for updates.

The volunteers at Laksamana College of Business vs Kollege IGS. Image courtesy of BIBD At-tamwil Unicup 2015 Facebook Page. Click image for updates.

The volunteers at Laksamana College of Business vs Kollege IGS. Image courtesy of BIBD At-tamwil Unicup 2015 Facebook Page. Click image for updates.

One of the lucky winners during one of the matches

CCCT (Cosmopolitan) vs Micronet

CCCT (Cosmopolitan) vs Micronet. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

CCCT (Cosmopolitan) vs Micronet. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

CCCT (Cosmopolitan) vs Micronet. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

CCCT (Cosmopolitan) vs Micronet. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

 

Annison, Sales Manager of SsangYong (T.C.Y. Motors) and Alvin Caro, PR and Advertising Executive of SsangYong (T.C.Y. Motors) unveiling the new SsangYong’s Tivoli at their Kiarong showroom

Check out the Tivoli on Youtube

When I saw the images sent by T.C.Y. Motors during the sneak preview of the Tivoli, I was like pretty impressed by the overall design. The first thing that came to my mind is that it doesn’t feel or look like a European car. This is the latest edition to the SsangYong family line, the Tivoli. Yes, even the name sounds European in a way. The official launch of this particular model will be in June 2015 but there have been many pre-bookings from the public already even before its release. The media had the privilege to have a close look at the Tivoli – the low spec and the high spec at the SsangYong Kiarong Showroom.

We had a quick test drive on the red colour Tivoli but we haven’t fully tested it. So far it was a good ride and I was even considering this for my next car because I’m more of an SUV person and though it’s smaller than an SUV, it has its sporty feel. There are so many things to love about the Tivoli and I assure you that the Tivoli will be a big hit in Brunei.

One of its strength is the D-cut Steering Wheel. It has a steering wheel with “sporty d-cut” design, highlighting a sporty look with its horizontal bottom line and this will enhance the driving experience with optimal grip. If you go for the hi spec, then you will get a premium leather finish on the steering wheel too.

The seats have been awarded for being “Ergonomic” in Korea. Consisting of dual density pads and Pullmaflex spring system, bonded together to create an award-winning seat. It has earned the Tivoli a reputation for optimal comfort and convenience.

There’s also a Multi Audio System with a 7” inch touchscreen display (hi-spec). You can sync your smartphones via Bluetooth or HDMI.

When it comes to safety, Tivoli ensures passengers’ safety by applying the latest technology and high strength material and it also provides outstanding inner equipment space for outdoor activities. The material of the Tivoli has AHSS (Advanced high strength steel). For your info, AHSS is used for about 40% on the body and “hot press forming” process is used on 10 major areas.

T.C.Y. Motors SsangYong is even giving one special prize – Samsung S6 Edge. All you have to do is register your interest for the Tivoli through their website tivoli.ssangyong-brunei.com or their Facebook Page.

The price tag for the Tivoli is reasonably competitive  and this is the reason why I’m confident this model, Tivoli, will be a big hit in Brunei. Thank you, Annison and Alvin for hosting us yesterday.

The nice leather finished steering wheel of the Tivoli (hi-spec)

The award winning ergonomic seats

The engine and other components inside the Tivoli

This is the hi-spec Tivoli. Awesome!!

Stand a chance to win a Samsung S6 Edge

This is the low spec Tivoli and you can see how much difference exterior and interior compared to the hi-spec

The test drive Tivoli

Vincent Hong test drove the Tivoli around the area

The most sought two-toned colour Tivoli among Bruneians